Background
Mrs. Charlotte Bailey is an original character from The Land of Stories series.
She is Alex' and Conner's mother. She is a nurse at the local children's hospital and works a lot of double shifts to support her family, seeing her children only during lunch and dinner breaks. She was married to John Bailey for twelve years[1] and is currently married to Dr. Bob Gordon.
Appearance and Personality
"Charlotte Bailey was a very pretty woman with red hair and freckled skin that the twins undoubtedly had inherited from her. She had a huge, caring heart and loved her kids more than anything in the world."[2]
Mrs. Bailey is described as a very hard-working woman, who loves her job but feels very guilty about not having that much time for her own children.
"The situation made Mrs. Bailey feel like the worst mother in the world, and their understanding made her feel even worse. She would have much rather watched them throw a fit or get angry or show any emotion appropriate for their age. They were too young to be used to disappointment." [3]
In the first book, she is said not to be a very good liar (her children see through her when she claims not to be bothered by the news that their old house was sold[4]), but she manages to fool Ezmia into believing she is her daughter for a long time in The Enchantress Returns. She also convinced the twins' school that their absence during their first journey to the Land of Stories was due to chicken pox.[5]
Relationships
She describes her first husband as the "love of her life"[6]. John Bailey was the first person to use the wishing spell. He used it to get back to the Otherworld to see Charlotte again. Years later Charlotte and John had their children Alex and Conner which connected The Land of Stories and the Otherworld. John dies in a car accident before the events of The Wishing Spell.
At the end of The Enchantress Returns, Dr. Bob proposes to Charlotte and they are married at Castle Charming. Princess Hope is their flower girl; Conner is best man, and Alex is maid of honor.[7] At the start of A Grimm Warning, she and Conner are living at Dr. Bob's house.
The Fairy Godmother is her mother-in-law.
Story
1. The Wishing Spell
In The Wishing Spell, Mrs. Bailey only appears in the first chapter, before the twins enter the Land of Stories.
2. The Enchantress Returns
Charlotte is kidnapped by Ezmia, who thinks she is Alex the heir to the throne of magic. Charlotte tries to hide her real identity for as long as possible to protect her children. While in captivity, she takes care of Princess Hope, who has also been kidnapped, and she talks to Rumplestiltskin, realizing he is only Ezmia's reluctant accomplice and not a real 'villain'. After Alex and Conner defeat Ezmia, Dr. Bob proposes to Charlotte and they are married.
3. A Grimm Warning
Charlotte only appears briefly in the first chapter, and gives Conner permission to go on his trip to Germany.
4. Beyond the Kingdoms
Again, only a brief appearance for Charlotte: a "magic mirror call" with Conner, in which she berates him for not calling enough. She knows about some of the events of A Grimm Warning, but Alex and Conner haven't told her everything. She doesn't know about the Masked Man or Alex' problems with controlling her magic yet.
Quotes
"I don't care how thick the border is between dimensions; nothing is going to keep me from my children. Magic or no magic, I will crawl right through this mirror and drag you both back home if I have to!"[8]