Bad Doesn't Mean Evil

Disclaimer:I never actually understood why you need to put this; It's obvious I don't own Once Upon A Time. To those who actually have to question this then well...just wow

Thank you to all that have read, favorited, and followed. Cookies for everyone. Another special thanks go to kenfromnhus, animexchick, Kira Tsumi for reviewing. Cookies for you.

No Beta - If anyone would be willing to please PM me.

Storybrooke (Present)

Alice has tried to keep to herself lately. Ever since her episode with the mechanic and his kids, she's decided to take it easy and try to not get involved in anything around town, though how long that will last she doesn't know.

She was confused as to what happened, it was different but at the same time it felt effortless to act that way. It felt almost… natural.

At the moment she was walking towards Granny's for something to eat. Though oddly there was no one else out.

A moment after thinking this, she sees a flash light up the sky and hears a loud boom of thunder. Right after the sky opened and rain started to come down in buckets.

Alice stands there for a moment before looking around, now understanding why no one is outside.

Alice unlike most, calmly continues walking towards Granny's more at peace than she can ever remember. If there is one thing Alice loves, it's the rain.

If one were to look at her now they would undoubtedly be surprised as the normally bored or unemotional looking Alice, has a truly peaceful expression running across her face. The rain has made her mind stop churning chaotically, almost violently as of late, and instead become tranquil.

Alice having closed her eyes and started breathing deeply finally opens them again, and almost jumps back in shock at what she sees.

The entire town of Storybrooke has been replaced, and is now instead turned into buildings of stone and wood that looks as if it would be right at home in the middle ages.

She looks around in confusion and then down at herself to see she was in black boots with black leather pants tucked into them. She was also dressed in a black leather tunic and hood. Worn over it all, oddly enough, was the tan coat that she always wears.

Alice is interrupted from staring at herself when she suddenly hears a feminine voice, "Come on, it's just rain. I love the rain! Please!"

Without any conscious thought Alice responds, "I'm not playing in the rain. Now come here before you get sick." Alice looks up to see she's standing under a low overhanging.

Alice hears a loud giggle, "The only way I'm going over there is if you make me!"

Without any control over herself, Alice rolls her eyes though does have a slight smile on her face and starts slowly walking towards where the voice came from.

As she gets closer she hears a loud peel of laughter, "Ha! I knew I could get you out here."

"The only reason I am, is to get you somewhere warm."

"I still got you to come out here."

Alice's smile widens slightly and she shakes her heads with a chuckle.

"Come on, you're going to make yourself sick."

"You have no sense of adventure!"

Alice turns towards the voice, wanting to finally see who it was. However when she looks all she can see is a blurry face obscured by the rain.

Alice frowns, not understanding what's going on, or why she lost control of her body. Though at the moment all she cares about is seeing who the woman talking was.

An instant later Alice blinks, and the figure is gone, replaced by the street in front of Granny's.

She looks around in confusion, trying to understand what just happened.

Alice tries to remember the woman behind the voice, if there were any distinguishing characteristics. She knows she's heard it before and not being able to figure out who it belonged to, is starting to frustrate her.

The only thing she can figure from the voice is that it makes her want to smile.

And so she does, not a wide grin, or anything of the sort, but probably the widest smile she's had in years.

She stands there for a few more moments, still smiling, unfazed by the rain, again in utter peace.

Alice finally breathes in deeply, changes her expression back to something more normal, for her anyway, and makes her way inside Granny's.

Opening the door Alice looks around to see if anyone else got caught in the rain and is soon met by Granny's glare. The old woman opens her mouth probably getting ready to yell at her about the water dripping on the floor and kick her out. Before she can however, Emma soon comes walking over with a bewildered look on her face.

"Alice, why are you all wet?! Didn't you know about the storm?"

Alice widens her eyes, "A storm! Is that what that is? Thank god. You don't even want to know what I thought was going on."

Emma gives a disgusted sigh and starts moving away, "Fine, note to self: don't worry about Alice in the future."

"Was it something I said?"

Emma gives her a scowl and walks over to sit at a booth.

Alice deliberates for a moment and decides to join her.

Emma glances up and then sighs, "Will you at least change your clothes?"

Alice notices Ruby walking over and suddenly starts to look appalled, "Emma we've talked about this, I'm not into you, and I'm not stripping for you!"

Ruby suddenly stops in front of their booth with her mouth hanging open.

Alice turns to the waitress, "Ruby, I need an adult, I need an adult!"

Emma glares at Alice venomously and Ruby starts laughing.

"Fine, get sick for all I care!"

Alice starts to look panicked, "Now you want me to be lovesick? Emma, I can't be these things for you, I'm sorry."

Ruby starts laughing harder not even pretending to be working anymore and Emma starts to look even more annoyed.

"What is wrong with you?"

"So many, many things."

"That's it, go away, before I hurt you."

Alice gets up and starts walking towards the door, noticing the rain had slowed down outside anyway.

"It's probably for the best, I could never be in an abusive relationship."

Alice finally leaves the diner after her parting words and Emma stays seated in the booth still seething while Ruby tries to get control of her laughter.

"Why does she have to be such a pain in the ass?"

Ruby finally starts to calm down, "I don't know, but it was nice. I can't remember the last time I saw her in such a good mood."

Emma looks past her annoyance and realizes that what Ruby said is true, she's never seen Alice act so… not normal per se, but a definite improvement from what she's usually like, always sullen and expressionless. She's still acting like an ass, but at least she's less venomous with her insults.

Africa (Past)

Alice has been with Tarzan and Jane for almost two years now. He had continued to teach Alice how to run and climb like he does, finding that she seemed to have a knack for it.

When Jane found out that he was teaching her she went ballistic, furious at Tarzan, and worried that Alice would get hurt. It took a few seconds of puppy dog eyes from Alice and a casual mention that it helps take her mind off Wonderland, for Jane to stop and say they could continue. They left quickly before Jane could change her mind.

Alice has found many ways to entertain herself in the jungle, after finding an old rusty sword left from what was probably a poacher, she even gets back into routine on her lessons from Conrad. That combined with Tarzan's teachings, keeps her busy.

Though it hasn't all been practicing for Alice, she also made friends with the animals in the forest. She's had some interesting conversation with some of them, even if Jane insists they're not saying anything.

Today though Alice is out running around the jungle alone, something she started to do after her obsession with reading every children's story available ended.

She was just climbing a tree when she heard a loud roar come from below her. Looking down from where she was, she sees a male lion had just gotten a zebra to the ground and had started ripping into it.

Alice's eyes widen and she stares transfixed as the male lion starts devouring the animal. In the back of her mind she wants to look away, gag in disgust, maybe even cry in terror. All Alice can do though is stare as the zebra is quickly ripped apart. The lion steps back and starts licking its chops, obviously happy with its hunt and then goes to step back towards the carcass.

Alice is about to finally try to leave when she hears an awful sound. The doors of death seem to creep open, as a crack of the limb Alice is standing on loudly sounds out. Alice gasps and jolts, which is ultimately her undoing. The branch which might have been able to support Alice's weight is soon forgotten as Alice's twitch of movement causes her to slip off.

She hits the ground after having her fall broken by too many branches to count. She groans loudly in pain and tries to stand, she stops moving however when a loud growl is heard from off to her left.

Alice looks towards the sound and could have sworn her heart stops beating for a moment, as standing not twenty feet from her is a lion that has a maw dripping with blood, obviously not liking anything breathing so close to his food.

Alice's eyes widen and she starts taking quiet deep breaths to try to stave off the panic. However it seems to stop mattering as the lion quickly starts loping towards her.

Alice's only thought being, I'm going to die.

Storybrooke (Present)

A few days later Alice gets out of a long shift at work and is on her way home when she suddenly hears loud construction going on. She contemplates just going home but her curiosity wins and she makes her way over to the noise.

Looking up ahead she sees a construction team tearing down an old playground, and standing off to one side is Regina and Emma obviously in another argument while Henry watches sadly as the playground is demolished.

Alice stops next to Henry and loudly asks, "What's going on?"

Henry turns to her, and then Regina and Emma both make their way over, her loud question obviously having caught both of their attention.

"Regina thought it would be a good idea to tear down her son's favorite playground."

Regina turns and gives Emma a glower, "What Miss. Swan fails to realize is how much of a hazard that thing was."

The two women are about to start arguing again when a small voice speaks up, "But I loved it."

Alice turns to see Henry looking as if he was about to cry, she kneels down to get on level with him and places a hand on his shoulder.

The two women behind her exchange confused glances, actually on the same page for once.

Alice gives Henry a serious look, "Henry, do you want me to call someone. I think they can help, I have them in my contacts actually," Alice pulls out her phone and starts going through it, "Yep here they are, the: Waaaambulance."

Henry looks up in surprise, now understanding that Alice was mocking him. He clenches his fists and stomps off.

Alice turns back to see both women glaring at her.

Regina steps towards her and forces out, "Alice."

Emma clenches her teeth, "Are you kidding me? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Alice puts her hands in her pockets starting to get bored with the situation, regretting wasting the energy to even come this way.

Alice rolls her eyes and sighs, "I don't know why you're mad Regina, I'm agreeing with you."

Regina looks surprised for a moment and then smug, while Emma starts to look even angrier at the omission.

Alice continues, "Apparently Emma wants all the children to contract tetanus, and get impaled by rotted wood."

Emma looks ready to pounce on Alice and wring her neck while Regina looks incredibly amused and still very smug.

Emma finally calms down enough to grit out, "Go home Alice."

"Oh no Miss. Swan, I think I'm starting to really enjoy Alice's company."

"Fine, I'll leave," Emma then begins stomping away in much the same manner her son did just moments prior.

Alice and Regina stand for a moment watching as Emma leaves wearing identical smirks.

Regina looks at her companion for a moment in thought, "Did you really mean that? Do you think what I did was right?"

Alice lifts a brow, "I doubt all your reasons were pure, but I also believe that you didn't only do it for some grudge. I don't even have to know the whole story to see that the thing was already falling apart. As little as I care about Henry cracking his head open, in that deathtrap, he definitely would and there's no need to cause you unnecessary worry."

Regina ignoring the insult to her son still manages to smile gratefully at Alice, "Thanks for always being on my side when it counts."

Alice starts waking off and waving her hand in goodbye, "Don't worry you'll do something dumb one day and I'll yell at you."

Regina's smile dims slightly and she whispers, "That's what I'm afraid of."

Africa (Past)

Alice cringes in fear, expecting her end.

Her life flashes before her eyes. Her Mother glaring as she can't do magic and then nodding approvingly with a pleased smile as the academic tutor tells her she's accelerating at a fast rate. Sitting with Hatter as he adjusts his scarf with a soft look on his face. Walking with Cheshire in the maze. Training with Conrad.

Getting trapped by a damnable Rabbit. And then her most recent memories, perhaps even the best so far.

Tarzan teaching her. Tarzan telling her any boy has to go through him if they want to touch her, after finding her reading a romance novel. Tarzan introducing her to his primate family. Tarzan helping her as she fell and encouraging her to try again. Tarzan being the father she never had.

Jane soothing her nightmares. Being scolded by Jane and then pretending to be annoyed, even though she secretly loved that Jane cared. Jane teaching her any academics she wished. Jane praising her for what she's done. The many hugs Jane gave to Alice, and the more recent times she hasn't flinched at the touch. Jane being the mother she always wanted.

Alice calms at the memories, finally ready for her end. Her eyes snap open however when she hears a snarl and the sound of two bodies colliding.

Alice gives a sigh of relief when she sees Tarzan has tackled the lion from the side and he's rolling around grappling with it.

She closes her eyes and breathes deeply, trying to catch her breath now noticing she was starting to panic.

"Alice!"

Alice's head snaps over to Tarzan to see he's still fighting the lion.

"Alice, get out of here!"

Alice quickly stands, causing the blood to rush to her head and she feels slightly dizzy for a moment.

She prepares to heed Tarzan's word and start running when suddenly she hears a grunt of pain. Looking over to Tarzan she can see that his few moments of inattention have cost him. The lion has gotten a good grip on his shoulder.

Alice starts panicking again looking at the path back home to Tarzan.

She thinks for a second unsure of what to do. The choice is taken however when Tarzan gives a grunt of pain and Alice reacts without thinking. She quickly takes out the old sword kept on her hip and runs towards the scuffle.

She takes the sword and brings it over her head, all form forgotten. Alice doesn't hesitate, she swings the sword down at a fast pace. The sword quickly gets stuck in the lion's head. Alice however yanks the sword back out and swings it back onto it again. She keeps repeating the motion over and over again. Tarzan finally having gotten out from under it.

It isn't until grabs the sword as it's at an upward swing that Alice realizes she's sobbing. She instantly let's go of the sword and falls to her knees. Alice starts hyperventilating with fat tears streaming down her face.

Tarzan flutters helplessly for a moment unsure of what do. He quickly decides that Jane would probably be of more help than him, so he scoops Alice up and makes his way home as fast as he possibly can.

AN: Sorry it took so long and that it was so short.

I had this written for a little while but didn't want to post it since it was so short, but for some reason I could not write this chapter.

So really sorry, but at least this chapter does give some development.

Thanks fro everything and please tell me what you think.