Fandom: Alice in Wonderland, 2010

Rating: K+

Author: White Lies

Pairings: Tarrant/Alice (If you tilt your head to the right and squint.)

Warning: Angst

Summary: "But…" Alice reflects on her return from Wonderland.

Author's Note: The summary is short and general for a reason—(becauseIwaseatingicecreamwit honehandandtypingwiththeothe r) because this not-quite-a-drabble-but-not-a-one-shot-either (What's the word for that?) can be seen two ways. The form it's in right now is majorly angsty. However, if you read it backwards (starting with the last paragraph, then the second-to-last one, and etc.), the end (or start, however you look at it) gives off a hopeful feeling. Am I confusing you? Tell me in your reviews if I am, and I'll explain it again. This is my first AiW fic, inspired by who-knows-what.

Disclaimer: I do not own AiW. I do not own any characters, places, names, or anything else you may recognize. The following is for entertainment purposes only, and no profit is meant to be made from this.

A BLUE BUTTERFLY

And she smiled, a true smile, the first one in ages.

"Hello, Absolem."

The butterfly fluttered close to her face, as if giving her a soft blue caress.

They were capable of taking care of themselves. She had helped them all she could, and thanks to her, Wonderland was safe once again. And here, Above, she had never felt so carefree. She was doing actually what she wanted, and no one could stop her.

But…

She had left them behind. What if they needed her again? What if she needed them? All of a sudden, she had never felt so alone. She suddenly understood the lonely expression on the Hatter's face as she disappeared before his very eyes… as she disappeared and arrived back Above, to the Chattaway twins who could never compare to the Tweedles, to Lady Ascot whose scowl could never match the Red Queen's, to Hamish who could never smile the way the Hatter could, to Lord Ascot who could never have her father's ingenuity.

And a tear, no stranger to her face, slowly and silently rolled down her face.

Reviews are appreciated. Thanks for reading!