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Dulcinea leaned over a small table, cutting up cucumbers to make sandwiches. She had grown so used to doing this very often that it was quite repetitive, subconscious even. The motions her hands made being so familiar, like something she’d grown up with, lived with her whole life, was somewhat comforting. She remembered someone telling her of the more colourful, adventurous life she could have had. But with a twinge of guilt she felt that she quite liked this. Something was strange. She could hear these tiny voices behind her, and approaching footsteps, without registering what they were.
“Dulcinea! Dulcinea!” A leading voice echoed over the chorus, that of the sweet pig running towards her with a drawing in his hand. Of course, it was the orphans, whom she adored. Just who she was making these sandwiches for.
“Hello..” she hesitated for a moment. “Hello Toby! Hello everyone!” She greeted them in the sweetest voice she could muster to match the enthusiasm etched on their faces.
“Can I show you my story?” Toby asked, his grin widening.
“Did you know that it’s very good?” Another girl.. Vina added giddily.
“I would love to see your story, but first, how about everyone settles down for a cucumber sandwich. It’s important to have some good food before getting ready for a story!” She reached for her dress-pockets, but she couldn’t find her book for some reason. She felt a small frown cross her face.
The orphans were already at the table, each taking the cucumber sandwich designated for them. Dulcinea felt her heart ache. This was how life would always be, the orphans and her, happy and grateful in their safe town together. And she could watch them grow and care for them… she looked across the colourfully tiled , elegant town they resided in. It was an earlier morning, so most everyone was inside.
she loved San Lorenzo so much.
“Senorita Dulcinea,, would you like to see Toby’s drawing now?” Another voice asked. It was a goblin— Cleevil. Goblins didn’t have necks though. Dulcinea wondered how she knew that.
“Yes, I would love to.” She answered promptly, looking at the mostly emptied plates where her precisely cut sandwiches once sat.
Toby got out of his seat and walked towards her, before taking his papers, all lined, and holding up the first image. It was a brave cat in boots.
“Look! Isn’t he great?”
“Why.. yes… puss is wonderful…very brave…” she stuttered, taken aback. She just didn’t expect—
“He’s made so many sacrifices.” Lil’ Pequenia said. A familiar jolt of shock ran down Dulcinea’s body, making her tail stand up.
It wasn’t morning anymore. It was very dark, and everyone was very sad.
***
Dulcinea opened her eyes to something even darker. It was cold, and she could really feel the air.. along with her own slowing breaths. She felt him beside her, and he was already up.
“Dulcinea? What is wrong?” He asked, always thoughtful, always by her side…
She couldn’t help but give him a loving look at his thoughtful worry, and the habitual paw on her arm.
“Just a dream.” She said , but the sour feeling was still there. “I’m okay, Puss.” She reassured him. Because she didn’t quite want to talk about it. “I’m probably just anxious about tomorrow.”
“Anxious? No, it will be great!” He reassured her, lifting his arms for extra flare, and then continued on;
“You in your shiny purple dress.. everyone in the village will gasp, including me— and the venue will be perfect—“
Dulcinea couldn’t help but giggle at his enthusiasm. “You’re right.”
He reaches out and turns fully on his side to gently take her paws in his , and she is met with his big green eyes.
“Then why do you worry?”
She had half a mind to cry into his shoulder about the dream she just had.
“I don’t know, it’s just something else...”
She traced over his paws gently as she spoke.
“How about let’s get some sleep before the big day?” She suggested , shuffling and leaning into his warm chest.
He put a tender arm around her, just as soft. “Alright.”
And she held onto him a bit too much, because of the angst still residing in her chest.
***
The only thing puss could remember when he thought of going to the altar was that day. It had been nearly a decade now, but it felt like the same thing. The brave Puss in Boots did not chicken out. He committed, and went, and was never afraid to charm a lady. But Kitty was not just a lady. She was his partner. Just like another cat had once been. And he hated to remember it. They were so different yet it was so much the same. He had developed a closeness much beyond simple charm. It was adventures, and love, and courage, and sacrifice, and sleepless nights…
What if Kitty would be disappointed? What if she would feel trapped with such a commitment to him, and all his dirty strings attached. What if Puss was a monster for daring to love again?
He was only a minute’s walk away from the altar now. She was surely waiting.
Her voice rang in his head like a broken melody.
“You can’t run forever!”
“Of course I can..” he muttered , tipping his head in shame, and letting the shade of his hat darken his view as he turned to do just what he had tried to stop nearly a decade ago.
****
A/N: I think there are a few possibilities for what happened post-finale before puss and dulcinea were separated and this is definitely one .. I thought of it based on what kitty said about puss leaving her at the altar…idk I thought it’d be super sad but make sense if something like this happened. There’s a few other possible ideas i have for what may have happened, but I’ll save that for later. Anyways this one I specifically also got the idea from not married today, which is the fastest musical theatre song. I learned it for that reason and recognized the voice when I heard the glee version and later found out it was Jayma Mays (dulcinea’s VA) so that’s cool !
anyways I would love to write something more sweet ,, this was just something I thought of that would be a good write.. I got sad writing it too. If I had watched an episode like this when I was younger watching the show, I think I would have cried about it. It kind of has a double meaning that way, like learning that sometimes you have to move on… but I like to think they could also have a happy future. Like I said ,, different endings