Where They Belong

There's a loud clink as the grappling hook catches the window ledge. A person dressed in all black flinches at the noise, but there is no one awake to hear it. Waiting just a few seconds more, they hook their carabiner to the thin line and whiz off into the darkness.

A few moments later, a security guard dashes down the hallway, sirens exploding around him. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes, running toward the exhibit. In his sleep-like state he gets turned around, and by the time he gets there, the case is empty.

Ruby Red Slippers, Stolen Again!

Last night a burglar snuck into the Smithsonian and stole their pair of Ruby Red Slippers. The slippers have been under high security since the first pair was stolen in 2005, and The Smithsonian couldn't lose theirs. Now, it looks as though they've been foiled! Police and investigators

The man throws down the paper and glares into space. How could another pair have been stolen? He'd made sure that no one could get to these slippers, and yet she seemed to have done it again. Picking up the phone, he dialed a number he hadn't been able to call since 2007.

"I can't believe we did it! We have two pairs now! Two! Oh my goodness, this is perfect. One more to go." The woman grinned, a beautiful thing. Her lips were dyed red and was the opposite of her blonde, almost white hair. She seemed giddy and overly excited.

"One? I thought there were five pairs." The short plump man beside her rubbed his round chin and adjusted the hat on his bald head.

"Oh, Tik-Tok! Ozma and I only need the real ones. The movie used five pairs, but only three had abilities. Now, come. We have to prepare for the next heist." The woman ran a hand through her blonde bob quickly and glanced once more and the sparkling sets of shoes on her bed side table. Tik-Tok, the round man, grabbed the new pair of shoes and rubbed them. The red sparkles fell of and revealed, the original silver slippers.

"Dora! These are the ones! The ones you wore all those years ago!" The woman looked at the shoes and a small smile bloomed on her blood red lips.

"Come, Tik-Tok, it's almost time to go home." Once upon a time, that home was Kansas, where those shoes had brought her. Now, Dorothy Gale was on a mission from Ozma of Oz to return all of the slipper safely to their home. Dorothy's home was Oz now.

A few blocks away, the security guard is being interrogated and an old man sits in on the interrogation, just as he had done all those years ago when the first pair disappeared. He rubbed his knuckles and stood to leave. This wasn't going anywhere. The security guard knew nothing. His phone rang and he yanked it out of his pocket. A hard look came across his face as he answered.

"Em." His voice was cold, distant, and he leaned on a cane now, one he hadn't needed a moment ago.

"Henry." The woman's voice was softer, more understanding. "I'm glad you called. Do we know anything?"

"She hasn't left the city yet Em. We need to figure which pair is next. We need to catch her in the act. We need to catch her."

"Henry, she's like our daughter, you can't expect me to let you turn her over to the Police when they find her before us."

"Em, this is an age old argument. Figure it out, before we both lose her. Forever." Henry hung up the phone and walked to the nearby park. He missed seeing Dorothy's face every day, he missed the shenanigans she and her dog got into, but he refused to let her go back there. Even if that meant she got jail time. If she was in jail, he could see her. If he did as Em wanted and protected her, she'd leave again. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"Dora?" Tik-Tok called, peeking into her room. Dorothy lay on her bed, holding a mirror above her.

"How many times must I remind you not to call me that?" She shot him a look but then smiled teasingly. "Say hi to Ozma," Dorothy turned the mirror to Tik-Tok who raised a metal hand in a wave and clanged his hand over his round metal breast in greeting.

"Hello Tik-Tok. It's good to see you." Ozma spoke softly and gently, as she always had. "How's the rescue mission coming?"

"We have two sets ma'am, almost set for the third." He saluted with a loud clunk and turned to Dorothy. "I'll need winding soon, but your Aunt and Uncle are on our trail again. We may have to wait a few more years again."

"Again? I thought we got rid of them last time. I aught to be almost thirty now and yet I'm barely nineteen! How could they still be following us?" Agitation rang through her voice as she spoke of her Aunt and Uncle. Em and Henry had been good to her at first, but after she decided to stay in Oz, they started acting differently, trying to trap her into staying. When Oz had started affecting her so she didn't age as quickly, she quit visiting them for fear of how they would react.

"I think they just know you took the slippers Dorothy. It is sort of obvious." Ozma said softly and Dorothy sighed.

"No, we can't put it off. We'll just have to act sooner than planned. Come Tik-Tok, it's crunch time."

"You know I hate that term." He mumbled, thinking of his metal body and it being crushed. Tik-Tok scurried after Dorothy, waving to Ozma as she faded from the mirror.

Henry sat on the bench, staring at the museum, waiting for it to be dark. Waiting for the telltale clink of her grappling hook on the window.

Em fidgetted, waiting for the dark, waiting to save her girl and get her to a mental hospital. She would save Dorothy, or what was left when they found her.

Tik-Tok had Dorothy wind him up in every spot before he headed out, two grappling hooks in his arms.

Dorothy slid her mask on and, picking up the last grappling hook, headed toward the last museum, the one neither Em nor Henry would be watching.

"Gotcha!" Henry grabbed the culprit, only to realise he was clutching Tik-Tok, the round metal man who tipped his hat in a greeting before whirling his arms and dashing to the next museum. However, upon arrival, he noticed that Em wasn't sitting where they had expected her to be. Tik-Tok would have to use the grappling hook here. Clamoring loudly up the side of a building, he found himself exactly where he needed to be. Clink. The hook found home on the window ledge and Tik-Tok prepared to slide down when a voice stopped him.

"She wasn't lying, was she? You're the Tin Man she spoke of, aren't you?" Em's voice was broken, defeated and she sat on the edge of the building, staring at the skyline.

"No ma'am, I'm Tik-Tok."

"Ah yes, the metal soldier. Well, you've stumped us, now, I'm afraid I shall have to wait for you to run down and hold you hostage. Dorothy must not escape." Em's voice had hardened and she glared at Tik-Tok, who realised that he needed to get going, now.

"Wait for it, wait for it," he whispered in a rushed tone, hoping that his whispers would slow down the old woman now rushing at him. Heaving his loud feet, Tik-Tok began running away.

"Tik-Tok! Quick!" Dorothy appeared amidst sparkles, arms out stretched, reaching for Tik-Tok, who charged at her, Em trying, and failing to catch up.

"Noooooo!" Em's scream echoed through the city sky as both Dorothy and Tik-Tok were transported through the shoes to the Land of Oz. Em collapsed on the ground, curling into a ball and crying.

"Dorothy, Tik-Tok, it's so good to see you!" Ozma ran over and embraced Dorothy, and accepted the other two sets of shoes, safely stored in Tik-Tok's stomach compartment. Dorothy slid hers off and yawned.

"Ah yes, you're tired. Go ahead and go to bed my dear, it's been a long day without my friend. I'm glad you succeeded though. Good night my dear." Ozma kissed Dorothy's cheek and Dorothy left the room. Tik-Tok tottered back to his workshop, and Ozma set the shoes in their case. Finally, Oz had all of it's magical shoes back in place, where they aught to be. With a satisfied smile, Ozma retired to her room, sleeping soundly for the first time in years.