Disclaimer: I don't own Alice in Wonderland, 2010, I use it only in entertaining purposes

A/N: Well, It's been awhile, isn't it? I had an author's block, you know... Nasty thing, that is. Of course you do know. Anyway, here is my new story. I hope you'll find it worth reading. Forgive me some possible mistakes, English is not my first language, after all. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Saved

She walked through the forest behind the Cheshire Cat. It was a little weird to go after someone you barely knew. But Chess had helped Alice with her wounds and she assumed she could trust him. After all, the girl couldn't get out of this forest on her own, she needed someone who knew how to find a way out. And she had found one. Well, he had found her.

And now she was going after him, hoping he wasn't enemy or worse. To tell the truth, Alice seemed to recognize him. She'd seen this Cat once. Although she couldn't recall where and when.

Suddenly he stopped. And Alice looked at him inquiringly. The Cheshire Cat just smiled, "Here you go," and evaporated.

"Wait!" Alice called, but the feline was already gone. She sighed, "How on earth I'm going to find a way out of here, when my only hope has just gone?" Suddenly she heard music. It seemed that somewhere near was someone she could speak to. Perhaps, even sane one. For a moment she pondered over if she should go there. But her curiosity overtook her and the girl moved to where the music was coming from.

Then she reached a clearing. There was a big table, full of sweets, teapots and cups. The music, which she'd heard earlier, was playing by a gramophone that was standing on the other little table not far from the big one.

The girl then looked at two persons, who were sitting at the table, seemingly sleeping. 'Funny. I wonder what mother would say if I fell asleep like that, right at the tea-table. I need to try that when I wake up.'

Suddenly the lid of one of the teapots lifted and a little dormouse crawled out of the teapot, yawning. Alice hadn't seen this dormouse before, so it appeared to be three persons at the table. Then the girl noticed that the two others were not already asleep, but looking straight at her. The first one was a hare and he stared at her in shock. His expression was so mad, that Alice unwittingly felt uneasy under his stare. However, the man, who was sitting at the end of the table, looked at her with a bright friendly smile, and Alice instantly felt relief that perhaps she met a good company. Just the eyes of the stranger told her that she was safe there.

Alice moved closer to the table. But at that moment the man stood up from his chair, jumped onto the table and started moving towards her. Alice nearly laughed when she saw how the scones and tea-cups nearly fell from the table. And the man's walk was really funny. However she felt uneasy when he approached the end, then hopped down and kneeled in front of her. That prevented her from laughing.

"It's you," the stranger lisped with the wide grin.

"No! It's not! McTwisp brought us the wrong Alice!" The dormouse exclaimed.

"It's the wrong Alice?" The hare pulled at his ears with a madder expression on his face than before.

"It's absolutely Alice! You're absolutely Alice! I'd know you anywhere! I'd know him anywhere!" The man exclaimed.

Alice looked at his appearance. He was seemingly a hatter. She could tell that by his damaged from mercury hands and a top hat on his head. Plus, he was mad. Mad as a hatter only could be.

He grasped her arm, and jumped onto the table once more, but this time Alice had to jump there as well. The Hatter dragged her across it towards the other end, where he usually sat. He pulled a chair to the right from his own, laid a pile of books there, so that Alice could sit enough highly to drink tea. Then all of them began telling her about that place, where the ruler was a tyrant, and about waiting for the Alice.

Chessur soon joined the party and probably said something wrong, for the Hatter stood up from his chair with his eyes red and called the feline all sorts of words, which Alice wouldn't know, but nonetheless she understood that they were dirty words of the most foul meaning.

Luckily, the Hatter, whose name appeared to be Tarrant Hightopp, calmed down and muttered something about one particular day and what was it… futterwacken? Alice decided not to dwell on it too long. The Hatter was mad, after all.

Suddenly they heard the neighing of horses. Instantly, all of the creatures present became serious and worried.

"The Knave," whispered the Dormouse.

"Good-bye," Chessur said and evaporated.

The Hatter then pulled out a vial with amber coloured liquid in it and forcefully poured it down Alice's throat, not even asking her permission, "Drink this quickly!"

Alice shoved the vial out of the way, but too late. She already began coughing and shrinking. The Hatter then took her by the waist with one hand and tucked the girl into the teapot, covering it with the lid.

"Let me out!" Alice called, but he wouldn't listen to her. Or perhaps he just didn't hear her, for the lid was already on its place. Then she heard a voice. Dark and unpleasant voice of a man. He spoke calmly, but she spotted a threat in his tone.

To her surprise he was asking about.. her. Why would a man, whom she hadn't met before, be searching for her? So she decided to sit quietly and listen carefully to each word.

The Hatter was a wonder! He didn't fight or insult him. He just... sang. The Knave didn't seem to like it though, for suddenly the teapot jerked slightly and she held her breath. The voice was now really close, "If you're hiding her, you'll lose your heads." Instantly, she knew that the man grabbed the Hatter and threatened him. She gasped. Tarrant was risking his life to save her, a girl, whom he'd never even met before!

"Already lost them," Tarrant choked.

Alice nearly laughed then. Hatter could say very funny things, even when being threatened. But the situation was serious and she dared not even smile. But then the Knave released her newly found friend and Alice heard him retreating.

The Hatter sighed with relief when the Knave stepped away from him. But to his shock he saw the table tremble and from under the table cloth appeared a head of a blood-hound. It growled at the teapot with Alice inside and Tarrant carefully covered the spout.

"Downal wyth Bluddy Begh Hid," he whispered.

The dog's eyes softened and it disappeared under the table again.

Tarrant looked up and to his fear he saw that the Knave was staring at the teapot in his hands. He seemed to notice that the blood-hound was growling at it first, and then retreated. 'No! Just not you,' the Hatter pleaded silently, watching the man's expression.

"What's in there, Hatter?" the Knave walked back to Tarrant, his gaze never leaving the teapot.

"Where? Oh! Here? Nothing, Stayne. Just tea-leaves. I was going to add some water. I have it in the windmill. So if you'll excuse me," He stood up, pressing the teapot tightly to his chest.

"Of course," Stayne grinned.

Tarrant slowly made his way into the windmill and closed the door behind. Then he quickly rushed into the kitchen, closed another door behind him and placed the teapot on the counter. He lifted the lid, but suddenly blushed and lowered it again.

"Pardon," he murmured, "If you allow me..." He carefully raised the lid again, not looking down, and pulled out a lace from Alice's former dress. He was a master, so he quickly made a dress for her. When she was decent, he pulled the girl out and placed her on the counter.

"Alice, you must hide," he lisped, "Ilosovic Stayne is the most cruel man in Underland. He shows no mercy and he never forgives resistance to the Red Queen. That's what we do. I don't know how much time we have, but he can break into this kitchen at any time. I don't think he believed me. We'll try to distract him, but you, Alice, you should go to the White Queen!"

"Why is he after me? I've never been there before and I see him for the first time in my life!"

Tarrant stared at her in surprise, "You... don't remember, do you?"

"What should I remember?"

Suddenly they heard a crash. It seemed that Stayne already broke into the living-room.

The Hatter took off his hat and placed her on the brim. Then he walked towards the window and lisped, "Go to Marmoreal. It's just behind the Tugley Wood. Here, you see it?" And he showed her the forest. "Just go ahead and don't turn from the path you'll appear on soon. I promise I'll come to you. Just wait for me at my Queen's castle. Hold on tightly," And he tossed his hat with Alice out of the house.

As soon as he did that, the door to the kitchen burst open and the Knave with his claymore out.

"What are you doing here, Hatter?" He glowered at Tarrant.

"Well, as Ah already told ye Ah was goin' teh brew tea, Ah'm doin' jus' that!" The Hatter giggled nervously.

The knave looked about the room in search for something suspicious. He felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't put a finger upon it. Then it struck him.

"Where is your hat?" He stepped closer to Tarrant, raising his sword slightly.

The Hatter gulped and moved closer to the counter, where he spotted a knife. "My hat? I left it on the table in the living-room, why?"

The Knave then lunged at him with the sword, but Tarrant quickly took the knife and parried the blow. He dodged another blow and hopped aside, away from the window. That's when Stayne saw the Hatter's hat outside near the Tugley Wood. And small Alice standing nearby.

Tarrant saw what Stayne was looking at and lunged at him with his knife to distract the Knave. "Run, Alice! Run!"

Alice couldn't move. She couldn't leave Tarrant like that. Even his voice didn't make her run. She just stared at the battle inside the house. Then something appeared right in front of her, blocking the view. She gasped, but then exhaled in relief. It was Chess.

"Alice, you have to get to the White Queen!"

"But I can't leave you all here like this! I have to help you!"

"You will be very helpful, if you go to Marmoreal," Chessur was very nervous.

"No, I won't go without Hatter!"

Suddenly Chess took her in his paws, turned the Hatter's hat upside-down and placed the girl inside. "Sorry, Alice, but I have to do this." He lifted the hat with Alice and flew very fast away from the windmill through the forest. Alice stood up and gasped, when she nearly fell. She clutched the brim to prevent herself from falling and peered out. Chess was flying very fast. She could barely make out trees.

Then Chess slowed down a little. 'He must be tired,' Alice thought. "Chessur, why did you do that?"

Chessur was silent for some moments, just flew through the Wood. Alice wanted to repeat her question, but he slowly spoke, "Tarrant still blames me for one deed. I know he'll never forgive me, but I still hope he'll become more loyal to me, and probably stop hating me."

"What did you do?"

Chess sighed, "He blames me for the death of his family."

"His family?" Alice gasped.

"Yes, the Hightopp Clan. I was there when they died. I abandoned them when this happened. I was a coward."

"What happened?"

"I cannot tell you, love. It's Tarrant who you must ask."

Alice contemplated it for some moments. She wanted to ask the Cat one more question, but suddenly she heard a whizz. And then Chess jerked, meowed and dropped the hat with Alice.

Alice yelped when the hat landed hard on the ground and the girl fell out of the hat, losing her consciousness.

A/N: Too much cliché, huh? :) I don't care, really:) Oh, and sorry for the OOCness! Rewiew!