A/N: Something I've been working on. Enjoy!

The morning was gray and chilly when she woke up. A slight rain storm was hovering over the little farm house, and at any moment it would rain. A nice time to stay in a good bed with comfortable sheets tucked up to her chin. But today was the day of their town's annual fair, and there was no way out of helping her family with the pudding and the picnic.

Auntie Em woke Dorothy up earlier than usual so she could check her bandages. It was just the other day she had a little spill with a flying window pane. The boys were still fixing up the farm from the tornado wreckage and apologizing for not going to find her. Accepting every 'I'm so sorry'; she tried to tell everyone what had happened, where she had gone, and the marvelous adventure she had come across. But whenever she'd try, everyone suddenly got to busy or preoccupied.

She watched herself in the mirror as Auntie Em unwound the bandage. The wound had cleared up nicely, only leaving a red mark which disappeared later that morning. After she had taken a quick bath and got dressed, she spent a long while in the kitchen cooking pies and pudding.

Every now and again she'd see Zeke come in to steal a whiff of what was cooking, or Uncle Henry oddly chipper in and kiss Auntie Em on the cheek. While she cooked, she tried to bring up the subject of her journey, but it would always be changed to matters of fair works and food.

By the time she was let off to go get gussied up, the farmhands had packed the carand were honking for her to get in, giving her only moments to put on blush and some eye makeup. As she swiped on her dull blue powder over her eyelid, a figure appeared to her left in the mirror. Quickly putting down her makeup, she saw that it was none other than Scarecrow!

His large eyes were sparkling, and his mouth was upturned into a smirk. The green, old hat was tilted to the left, and his gloved hands rested on his hips. It was almost sad to see him, knowing that she could either be completely loony, or the sanest person alive. Her dear friend looked her up and down, and then sighed deeply.

"Oh, Dorothy!" The Scarecrow proclaimed, "You look beautiful!"

Smiling, she turned to hug her friend, but he was nowhere to be found. Dorothy nodded to herself, and turned back to the looking glass only to find Scarecrow once more. His smile was wide and his eyebrows were raised. In the reflection, he moved his hand up to her shoulder. Her eyes watered, for she felt his light, straw filled hand.

"No one will listen to me…"Dorothy blinked a few times, "You'll listen to me, won't you?"

"Of course! Now, why wouldn't I?" Scarecrow smiled.

Her old friend pulled her into a hug, patting down her hair. Still looking in the mirror, she allowed herself to rest her head on his straw filled chest. It was comforting to have him hold her again, as if recreating Oz in her washroom. She watched as Scarecrow wiped away her tears and rubbed her cheek, all while still smiling

"No one believes me, dear friend." Dorothy sighed. "Everyone tells me you are only a dream. This can't possible be true, could it? You are real, I know you are."

"I've always thought I was real." The Scarecrow said. "Now that I have a brain, I know it."

Dorothy touched the smooth, reflective surface, trying to reach out to her friend. It was cold underneath her finger tips, causing a slight chill up her arm. She could still feel the Scarecrow's warm, sweet straw scented body pressed against hers, and for a moment she hoped that he would bring her back to Oz. The straw man had just opened his mouth to speak when Auntie Em's shrill voice called for her.

Opening the door with haste and taking a step out, she realized she had left her friend alone. But as she looked into the looking glass, she found he was no where to be seen. Wiping away one last tear, she put on her pretend smile and skipped out to the car.

The family owned a rusty black truck. Whenever they hit a bump on the road, they would fly up and hit their heads on the ceiling. That was why Dorothy was not allowed to ride in the back with Hickory, Zeke, and Hunk. Auntie Em had always been terrified that she would fly right out and into the middle of the road.

Dorothy remembered when Hunk first started working for them two years ago, when she had only been a mere fourteen and naive, he let her ride in the back while he went to get some supplies from town. She laughed every time they hit a bump and she'd fly up into the sky. The sun had been so bright and gay that day.

Now jealously filled her heart as she watched them laughed and make naughty jokes as the truck drove down to the fair.

"Dorothy, be a lady and sit right!" Auntie Em scolded her.

"Emily, dear, let her be a girl today!" Uncle Henry surprising laughed.

Dorothy smiled at her Uncle. It was odd to see him so happy, but it was comforting. Turning back and pushing back the curtains, she looked at her friends through the window. Zeke was sitting against a large box filled with pies, his hat down over his eyes. Hickory and Hunk were laughing, probably about one of those adult jokes those two were so fond of. The laughter abruptly stopped, though, when they saw her face in the window.

"What are you doing?" Hickory asked her.

"I'm watching you." Dorothy replied.

"Well…stop doing that." Hickory was in a foul mood.

"Leave her alone, Hick." Hunk smiled at her. "She's trying to spend as much time with me as possible before I head out."

A pain of remembrance hit her. Hunk was leaving tomorrow, heading out to Agricultural School. But she shook off that dreadful feeling, wanting to spend as much time with her favorite farmhand as she could.

The young Hunk had come to their home two years before with a good amount of farming knowledge, but was to modest to admit it. He soon learned, though, that he had to speak his mind to get anywhere. The only real reason he came wanting work was so he could save up to go off to college. Now that he had enough, he talked about going off to farm somewhere up north, away from tornado alley. Dorothy hoped that it was just talk.

The black rusty truck pulled into the fair grounds. The first thing her young eyes saw was rows and rows of the same old rusty trucks. The fair was beyond that. Booths of games and food were set up around a large Ferris wheel, reaching high above the clouds and into the sky. It made her woozy just to look at it, and she hoped that today may finally be the day she'd ride it.

Her heels sank into the soft dirt, causing her to fall back against the smooth chrome. Shaking it off, she took the picnic basket Zeke handed her and waited impatiently for the load to be out. When everyone had something in their arms, they started off the voting table. Auntie Em always entered about five different pies, which normally won every time. Everyone loved the old woman's pies, and after the prize money was collected, the family would go out for root beers at some drive in.

"Come with us," Zeke told Dorothy as her Uncle and Aunt entered the pies, "We're going to go ride the Ferris wheel."

"Oh…I'd love to…" Dorothy took a deep breath as she looked at the tall ride. "But I think I'll help Auntie Em. I'll leave that for last."

The three shrugged and left Dorothy to put numbers on the pies and sit in the burning heat. When an hour or so had past, the farm hands came back. It was about noon and the lot were getting quite hungry.

"What kind of sandwiches did you make?" Hunk asked her as they group walked up a hill to a nice lunch spot.

He was quite taller than her, and a bit more mature. This had never seemed to be a problem with her. But as time moved on, she became more tongue tied and butterflies were fluttering around in her stomach when he talked to her.

"Just some ham with cheese and pickles and mustards." Dorothy told him.

"It sounds good already!" Hunk laughed, and then awkwardly put his hand on her shoulder.

A minute later they were up on a small hill over looking the fair. Auntie Em didn't even complain about aching joints and swelling ankles. Laying out the lunch, Dorothy examined her surroundings. Two young kids ran around a laughing mother, a young man played fetched with his dog. There was a young couple, though, that really caught her attention. A pretty, slim, blonde was holding hands with a handsome, brunette man. They were so happy together, kissing each others hand and staring into each other's eyes. It was intrigued her, and she silently wondered when it would become a good time to look for a sweetheart of her own

Well, why not today, she thought. It's the fair and there will be plenty of boys here.

"Hand me a carrot stick, Dorothy!" Hickory said, looking quite annoyed.

"What are you staring at?" Zeke asked.

Dorothy realized she had been staring at the couple and ignoring Hickory's requests for that carrot. Apologizing and saying she was daydreaming, she handed him the carrot stick and took one for her own plate. Lunch went smoothly, and after picking up, she and the boys decided it would be a good time to have a good time.

They first went to the pig judging, in which a large pig name Porky won first place. Then they saw the food judging for the sake Auntie Em was in it. She won first place three times and second place twice. She was smiling. Then, when it was dark, Hickory wanted to be amused; so, they stood in line for the 'House of Fear!"

"Come see your worst fears and the fears of your fellow man!" A short man with a heavy orange beard called, and then pointed at Dorothy. "You, young lady, would you dare venture into a land of horror and monsters?"

"I don't know." Dorothy replied.

"What about these fine young gentlemen you have protecting you? Well they venture forth?"

"Yes I will!" Hickory laughed at the man's acting. "And my friends will come with me."

"No I won't!" Zeke demanded. "I'll stay out here with Dorothy!"

"I'm going!" Dorothy looked over at Hickory and Hunk, "I'll go, I mean, if you three come with me."

Before Zeke could protest, Hickory handed the short man four tickets and grabbed his hand. It took both of Hunk and Hickory's strength, but they got the coward into the cart next to Hickory. Dorothy sat next to Hunk, almost knowing she'd need him to protect her.

"Is it going to be scary?" Zeke cried up in front when the ride started to move.

"Nah," Hickory waved his hand, "It'll be cheesy."

"I hope so." Zeke said, and covered his face with his hands

The ride started out with them going through what she could only as a fan. Paper hanging from the ceiling and long streamers fluttered around. The walls were covered in glow in the dark paint shaped as hand prints and bats. The ride wasn't scary at all, until the music started. Suddenly, the trees started to move, throwing form apples at them, and a horrid crackle started from somewhere above. Then, from on her broomstick, none other than the horrible Wicked Witch of the West flew down and around them. Her green skin glowed against her black frock. Over and over she repeated taunts and threats.

Dorothy screamed and clutched onto Hunk. Memories from a false place in a false land came rushing back. Locked in a stone room in a castle, knowing death was so close, made her cry. She continued to cry, begging Hunk for the ride to be over. Luckily, it was a short ride, but the damage had been done.

"Dorothy, it was just a ride." Hunk was still hugging her as they stood near the hot dog booth, Zeke stuffing down a foot long.

"No, it wasn't." Dorothy wiped her eyes. "I knew that witch…I killed that witch!"

"Use your head now," Hunk put his finger on her forehead, "You never killed anything in your life, and it was only a make believe ride. That was a fake witch."

"I knew you wouldn't understand." Dorothy tore away from him, but he grabbed her around the waist and twirled her around. She didn't want to, but she laughed.

"See, I know how to make you happy, don't I?" Hunk smiled, and for a minute she thought that he had stolen it from some one else. But it was dear Hunk, and he never stole anything. "Now, let's go on that Ferris wheel."

Shaking her head, she said that they should go on it last. She wasn't quite ready yet for another fright. Deciding on games seemed like a good idea, the farmhands immediately started to fight over who was better at what game. While they did this, Dorothy found that same couple from up on the hill, the blonde and brunette. They were holding hands, and in her free arm, rested a little teddy bear. How sweet, she thought, he probably won her that bear.

"Dorothy?" Hunk tugged on her shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

"Just that couple." She didn't mean to say that. "It was just…the bear! The bear was cute."

"You want a stuffed animal?" Zeke said. "I'll get you a stuffed animal!"

Dorothy went to say otherwise, but Zeke had already laid a ticket down at the 'Shoot-a-Duck stand. Taking up the gun, the older man shot all the ducks in less than minute. They applauded him, he took a bow, and was handed a stuffed lion. As he promised, he kindly handed the little lion with a yellow mane over to her.

It was odd to see that out of all people, Zeke was the won to win her a stuffed lion. She wanted to laugh, or cry. She wasn't quite sure. She thanked him, and held it close to her. It was comforting.

They walked around for a while more, eventually coming up to the end of the carnival. There, right in front of them, was the huge Ferris wheel. She swallowed the lump in her throat and started to protest, but Hunk stated that it this would be one of the last circles and if they didn't go now, they would have to wait till next year. This gave Dorothy a bit of hope that perhaps Hunk was going to come back to their little farm. The thought sent her into a swirl of daydreaming. When she awoke, she was sitting next to Hunk on one of the metal seats, the machine beginning to go.

"I want to get down!" Dorothy exclaimed and clutched onto his flannel shirt.

"You'll get down when we go around." Hunk laughed, thinking it was just a childish fear.

"Hunk, stop the ride!" She cried into his shoulder. "I want to get down!"

She knew she was making a fool out of herself, and probably embarrassing Hunk, but the clicks and clacks of the metal demon scared her. Digging her head deeper into his shirt, she began to cry.

"Dorothy!" Hunk whispered as he pried her head away from his shoulder. "Just close your eyes, and pretend you are flying."

"Flying?" Dorothy asked, trying not to look over the edge.

"Yes, flying." Hunk nodded in agreement, and then waited for her to close her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and allowed the wind to take her. Hunk soon let go of her, resting his hand on her knee. She barely noticed it, though. Her thoughts were else where…beyond the clouds and the moon…in an emerald city of Oz.

Opening her eyes, she saw the sparkling city below her, the moon shining above her, and the wind in-between. She smelled the soft perfumed flowers, the warm cooking, the intoxicating songs…it all blended into a paradise she left.

But it all faded away into the cheap fair lights and sickening hot dog scent. She wanted to cry again, but it was worthless. They were at the top now, Hickory and Zeke behind them. She could feel Hunk sliding his hand up to hers, and she soon found her entwined with his.

It was an odd sensation, as Hunk ran his finger down her face, resting them below her lip. She shyly smiled, still unsure of where her mind rested. Maybe it was the lights, maybe it was the sounds, but whatever it was, it enchanted her. So she let Hunk hold her, and she let Hunk kiss her. She still wasn't sure what was happening, still in the euphoria of flying.