Alester sat in the grass absently pulling out a blade or tow every now and then. He looked up at the clear blue sky but didn't smile at the nice weather, instead his frown deepened. After a moment he let out a long sigh and stood to go home. Once he entered the house he was instantly scolded for sitting in the grass and, 'Dirtying his nice pants.' He simply sighed again deciding to just ignore the woman he was supposed to call his mother.
He walked to his room only barely noticing that his father was absent yet again. He lied down on his bed wishing it was night or at least raining outside so he wouldn't feel like running to Alice so she could tell him more stories of wonderland. He just wanted her voice to take him away again so he could feel free, even if it was only for a moment.
It was sad that Alice could only tell him stories having never been able to find her way back. He didn't really care though. He would believe her no matter what. Her and her stories were the only escape he had. Unfortunately ever since they turned sixteen their parents have been trying to keep them away from each other as much as possible. Though their parents didn't say it they knew it had to do with them being of marrying age.
Alester rolled to his side and stared out the window wishing the pain of their separation would end. No he doesn't love her, he couldn't love her. Alester was only attracted to men, something only Alice knew about. He sighed again and glared at that horrible blue sky so similar to her eyes, and his own. 'Why is my life so full of sighs?' He asked the sun. 'Why do I have to cry?' He begged absently rubbing the purple brose on his arm.
"Alester!" He heard the familiar voice rising up the stairs. "Alester are you up there?"
"Alice," he called back running to the stairs. He found her standing at the top of them with a triumphant smile on her face. They hugged tightly for a moment and Alester thanked the sun for this small kindness. Alester couldn't help thinking that they looked like twins, blond hair, blue eyes, same height, and same birthday. If they hadn't been born in two different hospitals he would have thought they were.
"Alester I have so much to tell you!" She said taking his hand and leading him back to his room. She closed the door and locked it which could only mean one thing; this had something to do with wonder land. "Alester I saw Peter White today," she exclaimed as she made him sit. "He wants you and me to go to Wonder Land with him tomorrow. He says it's very important." She was practically bouncing but Alester didn't believe this was happening yet. "You don't need to pack they'll have everything we need for us when we get there. Isn't this perfect we'll be free!" Alester nodded still not trusting this.
"Alice where are you we have to go!" Alice's father yelled from somewhere down stairs.
"I'll be right there father," Alice called back as she handed Alester a sketch book. "Meet me by the tree in the first picture around noon rain, or shine." She told him before rushing off to her father.
Alester opened the sketch book and stared at the beautiful old oak tree with a large hole at the base of it. He turned the page and saw a large striped cat with a toothy grin. Next to it was a sketch of a boy with striped cat ears and tail. He had sortish hair and baggy clothes but the most prominent fetcher was the rifle strapped to his back. Alester assumed the picture was of Chess the cat man and one of the first people Alice met in Wonder Land.
Next was a picture of Peter as a human and a rabbit. The rabbit him was small and white with a waist coat and pocket watch. The human him was in a white button up shirt with a waist coat and dress pants. He had short white hair, bunny ears, and a revolver. After him was a picture of Dee and Dum, the tweedle twins. The first sketch of them was them in their stripped military uniforms with what Alester thought looked like a combination of a spear and an axe. The next picture of them had the two of them dancing in stripped button up shirts and dress pants with matching pistols holstered at their sides.
After the twins was the March hair or Eliot March as was his real name. The first was of him as a hair drinking a cup of tea. The next was of him as a human with a non-stripped military uniform on, rabbit ears, and a shot gun. Then there was a picture of a door mouse with a little sword and a dress on. Alester assumed that to be Milly one of the few animals that didn't have a human form and was most often found on someone's shoulder.
After her as a sketch of the Red Queen, Iracebeth of Crims. She had long red hair trailing to the ground and a puffy red and white heart dress holding a scepter. Next was a picture of a top hat with a dirty worn ribbon tied around it, a playing card, the ace of spades to be exact, and pins stuck in it. The picture next to that one was of the same hat without the ribbon, and other accessories, and with spikes coming out all along the rim.
The next, and last, picture was of the owner of that hat. The Mad Hatter or Hatter Madigan. First of him in may have once been dress clothes but were now so coated in pins and thing that you could barely call them clothes. It seemed to Alester that Hatter had adjusted to civilian life well after the war. Next to that picture was one of Hatter Dress in his military uniform hat clean of oddities, though the card remained. Alester decided Hatter was his favorite long ago but seeing him made that point so much stronger for him. Alester hid the sketch pad under his mattress and laid back down wishing he didn't feel like disaster was on the horizon. He sighed yet again and stared up at the sealing.
"Alester it's dinner time," his older brother Mathew said leaning in the door.
"Thanks," Alester said quickly following his brother to the dining hall.
"Good of you two to finally join us," their mother said as they entered the room. It didn't matter that they both were on time; Alester was always late in his mother's eyes.
"Sorry mom," Mathew said taking his seat.
"Sorry mother," Alester said following his brother's lead and taking his seat. Not one of their five siblings defended them, not that Alester could blame them. He knew they would have ended up sharing the beating he was no doubt going to receive if they had. They ate in silence until one by one they left. Leaving Alester alone with his mother.
"So Alester, why did you think it was ok to dirty your good pants AND be late for dinner?" His mother asked an evil smile on her lips. He knew it didn't matter what he said but he also knew if he didn't say anything the beating would be worse.
"I'm…I'm sorry mother," he said voice small. 'Some one help me!' He screamed in his head. His mother stood and started to approach him. 'Please, please, please, please,' he chanted in his head as she approached. It didn't help of course and his mother beat him till he didn't think he could move.
"Go to your room," she said simply.
"Yes mother," he said rising on bruised legs and walking unsteadily to his room. He collapsed onto his bed and started to cry. He fell asleep curled into a ball and clutching a tear stained pillow.
Chapter 2
Alester woke up to a dark room still in his clothes. He sat up wondering what had woken him, it wasn't normal for him to just wake up.
"Alester," He heard softly whispered in the dark near the door.
"Dad?" he whispered back feeling fear reach for his heart. He shook it off and tried to adjust his eyes.
"Hey Alester, how's my boy?" His father said stepping into a small patch of light.
"I'm ok Dad," He answered gesturing for his father to sit beside him. His father didn't sit, which was weird, instead he turned on the lamp next to Alester's bed.
"Why are you covered in burses?" His father asked sitting next to him and caressing his cheek.
"I…" Alester started then trailed off not knowing what his father wanted him to say.
"Your mother did this didn't she?" His father continued leaning closer. Fear spiked in Alester. His father never admitted that mom beat him, never! His father tilted his face up. "Did she burses your pretty face?'
"Dad…" Alester tried to move away fear getting stronger when he smelt alcohol on his father's breath. His father jerked his chin up again and plastered his lips on Alester's. Alester panicked instantly and started hitting his father's chest as hard as he could. His father broke the kiss but Alester didn't have the chance to feel relieved before his father punched him hard in the stomach. "Dad stop," he begged.
"Shut up!" His father snapped striking him again.
"No! Stop! Please dad, please stop! Ow!" Smack, kiss Jab, pain, blood, kiss, punch, running. Alester was running sketch book in hand running. Just running.
Alester tripped and collapsed on the forest floor. He griped the sketch book to his chest and sobbed softly. He cried and cried begging anything to tell him why things like this always happened to him. Then someone tripped over him.
Chapter 3
A/N: Sorry for the wait! Here is the next chapter, with the first paragraph from the last so you don't have to reread. LOVES!
Alester tripped and collapsed on the forest floor. He griped the sketch book to his chest and sobbed softly. He cried and cried begging anything to tell him why things like this always happened to him. Then someone tripped over him.
"Ow," Alester said halfheartedly.
"Oh, sorry I'm so sorry. I didn't see you, and I… I'm sorry." The person ranted sounding flustered.
"It's ok," Alester said trying to stand but failing with a wince.
"Oh, dear! Here let me help you!" The stranger said grabbing his arm right on a bruise.
"Ow stop!" Alester snapped in surprise. "I'm ok; I think I just need to sit for a bit."
"You're not ok! You're not!" The stranger said sounding like a frightened child. "Let me turn on the light."
"No!" Alester tried but it was too late he was already illuminated by a gas lamp.
"Oh! Did I…?"
"No I was like this before." Alester murmured then glanced at the stranger. He was surprised by the familiar vest and bunny ears. "Peter White!"
"How do you know my name?" Peter asked blushing and looking around him like he expected an ambush.
"From Alice, I'm her friend Alester." He said extending his hand. Peter shook it enthusiastically.
"Oh my, oh dear! I didn't expect to see you till tomorrow." Peter was so excited that Alester forgot to think before he spoke.
"Yes well my father came home drunk and it's always a good idea to avoid him." Alester said keeping his mind blank so he wouldn't remember what had almost happened to him.
"Is that why you're bruised?" Peter asked timidly.
"No that was my mom." Alester said then covered his mouth. "Don't tell anyone any of that."
"I won't I promise!" Peter said firmly.
"Thank you," Alester said giving a rare smile.
"Not a problem!" Peter said sitting next to him. "Let's wait for Alice together."
"You don't have to. It will be hours till sunrise let alone noon."
"Oh, no worries Alice wanted to meet with me early to make sure everything was ready."
She's always worrying over something." Alester said with a shake of his head.
"Well it's no surprise, after all this world is crazy." Peter said with a nod. Alester glanced at the rabbit man.
"Your worlds crazy too," he said smiling.
They fell asleep shortly after that in some tall grass. Alester woke with a start an hour later. He looked around him for a moment trying to detach himself from his dream, or rather nightmare. He stared at Peter for a moment trying to decide whether he was an addition to the dream or proof he was awake. When Peter turned over and shifted to his rabbit for in his sleep, Alester decided it was too cute for his dream.
Alester sighed and lied back down. There was no way he was falling asleep again but he still let his eyes close. He lay there awhile hoping to fall back to sleep, or for Peter to wake. After a while though he got restless.
Alester decided to wander a bit though he was afraid that if he went too far he wouldn't hear Peter when he woke. So Alester just wandered to a patch of moonlight near a tree. He curled up into a ball with his back to the tree and his knees pulled to his chest. He sat a minute staring at little blue flowers on the ground. Alester let out a sigh as he pet the petals of the nearly translucent flower. Suddenly Peter hopped over to him, still in rabbit form of course.
"You ok?" He asked sitting down beside him.
"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep." Alester replied smiling softly at the little rabbit.
"Did you have a nightmare?" He asked ears perked in a way Alester found adorable.
"Yes but its ok," He said still smiling. "It was just a dream after all."
"Oh, Ok." Peter said smiling a little.
"So Peter why don't you tell me a little about Wonder Land," Alester said after a moment.
"Oh, ok… I work as an assistant for hire. I've worked for almost everyone in Wonder Land at one point or another. I ever worked for the White Queen before she was murdered. She was really nice you would have liked her."
"I'm sure I would have." Alester said with a soft smile.
"I worked for the Red Queen after that and she wasn't too bad. Though any mistake someone made was taken as a personal insult to her. I don't know why. After that I started working for Hatter with Eliot, Dee, and Dum. They're all really nice! Well Eliot can sometimes be an ass," Alester laughed at the curse, "but normally he's a good guy. Dee and Dum are in love with each other though; I feel you should be warned because they're very public with their love."
"That's fine with me."
"They're really very good people but they sometimes have violent outbursts. They have yet to hurt anyone though."
"That's good."
"Hatters the best of them all though. The only problem is he can sometimes become cruel and violent. It normally only happens with a threat to himself or his friend though, so it's actually quite useful."
"That's good."
"When he does that we call the General, because we think it has something to do with when he was in the army."
"That's probably right."
"One of the people I haven't worked for is Chess. We used to date before the war."
"Oh and why did you break up?" Alester asked.
"I was a messenger for the army but he was an assassin." Peter's eyes were sad. "He was coming home bloody all the time and I couldn't take it! I'm a nonviolent person and the thought of him killing scared me. I was always worrying about him when he didn't come home for a night, and everyone else was of fighting in the army so I had no one to distract me for the danger they all were in and…" Peter started crying and Alester pulled him into a hug.
"It's ok I'm sure he understood where you were coming from." Alester soothed.
"I hope so. He got so mad at me; he yelled at me and broke a vase on the table. I had never seen him like that."
"You should talk to Chess about it. I think you still love him."
"I do but what if he doesn't love me anymore?" Peter asked eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"Then you move on but I think he still loves you. After all you were the one who broke up with him."
"Will you talk to him with me?" Peter begged eyes big and Alester got the feeling he would never be able to say no to that face.
"Yes Peter if that's what you want." Alester assured the rabbit. "Now let's get some sleep."
"Yes lets!" They lay curled up next to each other and fell asleep within minutes.
Chapter 4
A/N: Sorry for the wait here's the next chapter! All mistakes are me sorry!
They woke the next morning to the sound of someone crashing through the bushes. Peter hid quickly but Alester was too sleepy to know what was going on. Lucky for him it was just Alice who hugged him on sight.
"I was so worried about you! Your parents called our house after you ran off and Dad said your father sounded drunk and I…" She trailed of pulling him closer to her. "You have to be more careful!"
"I am fine Alice you worry too much." Alester said laughing a little.
"You can never worry too much." Peter said coming out of his hiding place.
"Says the skittish bunny rabbit," Alester muttered making Alice laugh. Peter's fur fluffed at their laughter.
"It is not polite to laugh at people." He said pouting slightly.
"What about rabbits?" Alice questioned laughing. Peter didn't respond instead he turned bake into human form. Alester was fighting not to laugh any harder, and then stopped laughing at all when he heard voices not far off.
"Someone's coming," he said as he started to drag them around the tree. The voices grew louder to where they could understand them.
"I thought I heard something over here." One voice said that sounded like Alice's Uncle.
"You must have been hearing things." Another voice said this one chilled Alester. It was his father.
"Let's head back I don't think Alice would go into the woods and I don't think Alester would go anywhere without her." The first voice said.
"You're probably right," the second voice said. The three listened to the sound of the retreating danger till it faded into nothingness.
"It's too dangerous to stay here." Alice whispered to which Alester nodded.
"Let's head out then," Peter whispered leading them back to the large tree with the hole in the base. "You two first," Peter said pointing at the hole. "I don't want to get crushed by you."
"I understand that," Alester said with a smile then to Alice. "Do you want to go first or shall I?"
"You I am also not fond to being crushed." Alice answered with a smile.
"Alright then," and with that Alester jumped into the hole.
