~ Wonderment ~

It had started with a gray day and a tumble down a rabbit hole. A single fall and her world had been turned upside-down. . . Or rather disappeared altogether.

A white rabbit, a Hatter that was quite mad, and two queens later, Alice had finally found a place she felt at home. It wasn't in the dismal world Above where she was forced to fit decorum and follow the silly social norms. Oh no. She was meant to be in Underland- or Wonderland, as she had once called it as a child.

It hadn't been an immediate decision on her part. After slaying the ferocious Jabberwock and helping the White Queen retrieve her throne, Alice had departed to tie her loose ends back home. The parting from Wonderland had been hard, but she had always known that she'd come back one day. It was just a matter of time. . . and it seemed that time was finally on her side once again.

Currently Alice walked the sullen grounds of the Ascot Manor, retracing her steps of what seemed so long ago. It had been almost three years since she'd followed McTwisp the Rabbit and fallen to her fate. Three years too long, in her opinion.

She walked silently, dressed in men's trousers and a blouse of blue, as she made her way back to the hill where the hole resided. Her presence was unknown to Lady and Lord Ascot; seeing as she wasn't on the best of terms with the family after she'd refused their son Hamish's marriage proposal. So she crept upon the property, never allowing more than the occasional crunching of fall leaves beneath her feet to resound.

She strolled for quite some time, before she had reached the top of the hill. It was truly a lovely place, with a single massive tree growing from the foliage. The grass was thick beneath her shoes, as she drew closer to the base of the tree, showing that it was not a place visited often, if at all.

Alice Kingsleigh gazed down with calm eyes, into the abyss of the Rabbit Hole. She smiled softly as she remembered all that had transpired before. . . and all that might transpire in future.

She had missed Wonderland, more than she had ever thought possible. She had left a realm of utter whimsy and character behind- and more importantly she had abandoned her friends and family there. Since Alice's mother had passed away, she had no more reason to stay Above, so she found herself preparing to go below.

With one last look to the gray autumn sky, Alice exhaled and let her knees give out. She dropped into the hole soundlessly, and sank from the Aboveground as she left England behind forever.

Once she had stopped falling, Alice had made quick work of the small door and the Pishsalver liquid. She made sure to grab the Upelkuchen cake so that she could return to her normal size once she had exited through the miniature doorway. The liquid made you grow smaller, and the cake helped you grow taller. After going through the process twice before in her life, she had learned her lesson well.

As Alice once more walked past the miniature door and into Wonderland she found that her happiness could not be repressed.

When she had last walked the strange land, it had been undeniably shadowed. Colored in deeper shades and darker over tones of blue, purple, red, and black. But with her absence it seemed that the light had returned to Wonderland. The sky was a brilliant bright pink with pale custard yellow clouds, and the world was covered in the pastel temperatures of spring. It was pastoral in every sense, and Alice found that she liked it very much.

She immediately ate a bite of the cake, and as she returned to her normal height, she began to trek the familiar path. It reminded her of a story she had once read, with a road paved with yellow brick. It had been such a lovely story; with a girl she had been able to connect with. Dorothy Gale had been her name. A striking name for a hero, Alice thought as she made her way past the talking flowers who called derisively to her as she passed.

Alice wished to see all of her friends that she had left behind, but two in particular came to mind as she set out for the Tulgey Woods. The two she had been the saddest to leave three years ago, were the two she sought first.

The Hatter and the Grinning Cat.

She had encountered Cheshire in the Tulgey Woods on both of her visits to Wonderland, so it made sense that he'd be there. If she could find him, then she would not only be reunited with a dear friend- but be able to get solid guidance.

Most of her time in Wonderland had been spent running away from the Red Queen's Guards or hiding- so her directions were rather foggy in some places. She had absolutely no idea how to get to the Tea Table or the White Fortress of Marmoreal. So she ventured into the woods again, humming a song and keeping an eye out for a disembodied, toothy grin.

The Tulgey Woods were far darker than the rest of Wonderland. But even they had been brightened after the death of the Jabberwocky. Fresh blossoms bloomed on all the trees, and leaves of every unreasonable color lit the way through the deep brush and innumerable trees.

Alice moved through the forest easily, her eyes peeled as she sought her old friend. For two or three hours, she merely trod the path, before she got the distinct feeling that someone was watching her. It was nothing more than a niggling at the back of her mind, at first. But as the minutes crept by, and the feeling didn't abate, Alice's face shifted into an amused smile.

"Chess, I know you're there."

At her words, she heard a chuckle behind her, and she turned just in time to see a large grin disappear into thin air. He was playing with her, and despite being a fully grown woman now, she couldn't help but play along.

"Oh where, oh where, can he be," she said aloud, with mock curiosity. "Surely he wouldn't disappear in the presence of a friend?"

She continued to walk along the dirt path, feeling the cat's presence again, and just as she thought he would disappear again, she whirled around and latched onto him. She had been acting purely on instinct, but was pleased to see that what she had grabbed was in fact one of his front paws.

He stayed solid, and seemed surprised that she'd caught him. The two smiled at one another- one incredibly large and toothy- before the cat spoke in his soothing purr.

"If it isn't, Alice. I had thought you had left us, my dear?"

"I did," she said, stroking his paw in greeting. "But I'm back now, and I shan't leave again."

"Is that so," the Cat asked, his wide blue eyes sparkling as his grin taunted her playfully.

Alice nodded. "I missed you all too much to stay away. It seems I am meant to be here in Underland . . . if you'll have me back, that is?"

"It is of no matter to me, child," Cheshire chuckled, before he winked at her with one of his unblinking eyes. "Though it was rather dull without you. No one else has ever looked quite so surprised when I vanished before them. Nor have they wished to learn how to disappear as I do."

Alice laughed herself. He referred to the first time she had come to Wonderland as a child. She had asked him to teach her how to float and disappear as he did, and he had promised that one day he just might. It seemed like a life time ago, and yesterday all at once.

"It is a very impressive skill, Cheshire," Alice admitted. "And someday, I will get you to teach me."

Cheshire stared at her as he removed his paw from her hand. He seemed to think a moment before tipping his head to and fro. "I'll teach you the basics, Alice. But that's the end of it."

Alice's eyes grew comically wide. "P-Pardon?"

He rolled his gaze heavenward, before swatting at her playfully with his tail. "Come now, you know how I hate to repeat myself. You said you wished to learn my skills. Did you mean that?"

"I-I did," she stammered. "But I just never thought you'd be serious. . . and never so immediately upon meeting me again."

"There is no such thing as sudden, Alice. Only here and there," he disappeared to prove his point, before reappearing at her side to lean against her shoulder. "And everywhere."

Alice shrugged. "If you are willing to have me as a pupil, Chess, I will most happily learn. . . Though I fear that I might have to wait. . . I must find the Hatter soon, so he knows I am back as well."

"What if you could learn it now, and still tell the Hatter of your presence?" He purred in question, beaming at her.

"Then I should like that very much," she said. "But how would I be able to do such a thing? Surely something as wonderful as your evaporating skills don't come easily?"

"Surely they do not," he agreed, batting his tail to a rhythm only he could hear. "But I could send word to Tarrant that you are back, and for him to meet us here in the Tulgey Wood. That way you would not have to decide one way or the other."

Alice couldn't help clapping her hands together in excitement, nor from grabbing the evasive cat in a hug.

"Oh Chess! That would be wonderful! Thank you!"

The cat's smile never faltered, as he wrapped his paws and tail around the woman in return. "You must never share the lessons, child. And you must do something for me in return."

"What is it?"

The unearthly blue eyes practically glowed, as he moved to explain. And as he did so, Alice's eyes sparkled too.

"You wish for the Hatter to make you a hat of your own? But why?"

"I have long coveted Tarrant's hat," he divulged. "But it would be even better if he were to create a special one for me."

"I cannot speak for him, but I will ask on your behalf."

"If you ask, he will do it." His startlingly blue eyes grew warm. "Do we have a bargain?"

"It is a deal," she replied shaking his paw to seal their agreement. "So when do we start?"

"Why," he purred happily. "Immediately, of course."

Alice had completely lost track of the time as she studied under the Cheshire Cat. Time had always been quite off in Wonderland. But now, it all effectively blurred together into a display of color and speech. It seemed like hours had passed, since the Cat had helped his student learn how to let go of her physical form to float loosely in the air.

At first, she had failed quite miserably. But little by little, she had managed to disappear and reappear. . . and now she was learning the last step. . . To float.

"Remember what I said, Alice," Cheshire cautioned patiently. "Your muchness is needed, but your freedom is needed more."

"Freedom of self," Alice repeated, as she kept her eyes pinned shut and took in deep breaths. "Freedom of self. . ."

"There are no boundaries to you, child," he purred helpfully. "No limits. If there is weight or uncertainty, let it go. You cannot float if you are heavy."

Alice inhaled deeply, before she made herself disappear completely from sight. Then with her exhale, she fought to place herself in the air. She felt each part of her body individually. She was hyper-sensitive to each nerve ending and skin particle as she felt her heart begin to lift and fly. She was close. It was within her grasp! She was feather light!

She was free!

. . . And with a resounding pop Alice fell to the ground in a heap. It was lucky she had worn trousers instead of a skirt, or the poor Cat would have definitely seen her knickers.

Cheshire sighed with a paw to his temple, for her last 20 attempts had all ended the same. She would disappear perfectly, and he could feel her presence begin to rise, before it would plummet back to the earth as she reappeared.
It was a good thing he had decided to take desperate measures to aid her. . .

"You are still too heavy," he murmured thoughtfully.

"I don't feel heavy," Alice complained as she brushed herself off and stood from the ground.

Cheshire's eyes flickered thoughtfully. "But you do feel something?"

". . . Yes."

He gestured with a paw for her to explain. For a long moment, Alice considered before she spoke again.

"Well, it's a small feeling in the back of my stomach. A fluttering sensation. . . right before I fall. . . But I don't know what it is, or how to get rid of it."

Cheshire shook his head. "Lucky for you, that I do, my dear." Then he gestured to his left, past the small clearing that they had taken as refuge. "Over there. Your help should be coming over that hill soon. I fear you won't be able to float without it."

"Who is coming?" Alice wanted to know, but Cheshire wouldn't tell her. Instead he grinned and told her to wait.

They took a break underneath the trees, as they drank the cool water of the nearby stream and talked. It seemed like ages since she'd been in Wonderland, and they both had plenty of stories to share from the time that had passed.

"Goodness," Alice said, sometime later. "How long have I been with you here in the Tulgey Wood, Chess? I feel as if we've been together for a while."

"Two weeks," replied the cat.

She laughed. "Oh come now! Just because I'm tired, doesn't mean you can joke like that."

He just smiled at her, making her hesitate.

". . . It's really been two weeks?"

He winked at her humorously. "I had no desire to share you, just yet, Alice. So I didn't mention it. But I think I could bare to now. It has been a lovely visit after all."

". . . But how has it been two weeks, Chess? I just got here a couple hours ago. . ."

"In Underland time works differently in certain places," he explained simply with a chuckle. "In the Tulgey Wood, weeks can go by without one needing rest or food. Why do you think I stay here? It's far more productive to live this way."

Alice had never thought of that before, but she found that she liked the idea quite a bit.

"And here I thought I was just an excellent pupil. . ."

"You are," Cheshire comforted. "Two weeks is a short span of time to learn how to evaporate, child. You should be proud."

"But I can't float yet," Alice said tiredly.

"You will," he promised before his blue tipped ears flicked back and forth at the tips. He listened for a long moment, before his permanent smile expanded. "Your help is coming, Alice. It is almost here."

"What will be aiding me, Chess?" She wondered, looking in the direction he was pointing with his tail. "You've been rather secretive about it, you know."

The Cat just gestured again with his lively paw in the proper direction. "Go and look for yourself, Alice. You'll know as soon as you see it."

Alice obediently rose from the downy grasses, and strolled the way Cheshire had bid her to go. For several minutes she walked, before she caught sight of movement in her peripheral gaze. It was so colorful and bobbed so gaily that at first she was wary. But as she turned completely to look at the figure, the widest of smiles and deepest of laughs erupted from her.

"Hatter!"

From where he stood several feet away, Tarrant Hightopp (otherwise known as the Mad Hatter) waved with one of his stained hands, his expression visibly light in the growing darkness of the Woods. He hadn't aged a day since her departure, and Alice found that several tears had made their way down her cheeks as she ran to him.

As she enveloped the odd man in a hug, he froze a little, and his tone was more than a little confused.

"Fairfarren, Alice! . . . May I inquire as to why you are crying?"

She happily pulled back to look at him, taking in the sweet plains of his face. Ever since she had left Wonderland, Alice had felt she had made a mistake. . . and now the feeling slowly began to ebb from her. Cheshire's words finally made sense. She had been missing something. . . She had been missing him. The fluttering in her stomach was replaced by warmth as she looked at his familiar orange hair and wide green eyes, and she understood.

"My dear Hatter," she laughed between her joyful tears. "I cry because I am so relieved to see you!"

"Oh." He thought on this before his confused expression shifted into a goofy one. "That is good news! I had feared that maybe my presence had been off-putting to you somehow! I didn't wear my best hat today, you know."

Alice glanced up at his head. "It looks perfect to me, as does the man who is wearing it."

A light blush crept to his paled skin, as she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss to his right cheek.

"Oh how I've missed you," she cried as she hugged him again.

"I missed you too, Alice," he said seriously, as he hugged her back.

From several feet away, a pair of disembodied eyes watched the sweet reunion from the shadows, before a great grin appeared as well.

"Well done, Alice," Cheshire said with a chuckle. For as the Hatter and the Girl embraced, both were lifted in the air and floated freely, as if they hadn't a care in the world.

A/N: This was originally posted as a commission over on Deviantart for aliceblueshade who wanted a story with Alice and the Cheshire Cat. I tried to make the cadence and style of the writing mirror Lewis Carroll's loosely. It was a challenge, but very fun to try!

I have been an Alice fan for years so I'm glad I got to write something for Wonderland! It was a great story to pen! I also love Alice/Hatter together, so I had to add that in there at the end. I just think they are so sweet together.

Thanks for reading everyone! Please drop me a review to hear what you guys think!

~Lyn