I always get chipper when I see a new chapter of PH. Then I forget to read it for a few days. Then I get miffed 'cause I've already finished it and wanted more. Then I get speculative.

Spoilers for Retrace XCVII (Chapter 97).

He couldn't hurt her.

He shouldn't have been able to stop the sword, she had just appeared in the middle of his swing – death on his mind, hate leading his sword – and then she'd been there.

Alice. Beautiful, bright, beloved little Alice, his darling niece, the girl he'd taught to read and dance, who looked so much like her mother. And then it was Lacie he saw. For one, blinding instant it was stubborn, stunning, significant Lacie who was giving him that flatly obstinate look she so often had when their pigheadedness collided and she firmly believed he was on the side of stupidity.

And he couldn't hurt her. Not ever. Not again.

He couldn't bear the thought – hideous thought – of causing her pain. Of that face he so loved twisted, marred with pain and blood – by his hand.

Not ever, not again.

"Lower you sword, Glen!"

For one infinitely long, quivering moment he very nearly dropped his sword at her words. Her voice – beautiful silver bell, like a tuning fork to every fibre of his being – had been firm, proud, stubborn. Exactly as it had always been, as her mother's had so often been.

He nearly dropped his sword and embraced her. He didn't waver in his cause or belief, it wasn't the sort you lost faith in, but he very nearly forgot about it for the time it would take to hold her, and tell her how precious she was and how happy he was to see her and to just hold her.

Then Cheshire Cat had interrupted, snatching Alice away before he had a chance to act on, or dismiss – how? – the impulse, creating the new impulse to chase after him and save her.

He did dismiss that one, because the realisation that Cheshire would make it tough to escape from this dimension hit him hard. So, ironically, he did have to chase after his niece's kidnapper.

"Alice!"

But first he had to do something about Jack, B-Rabbit – Oz – whatever. Jabberwock would do that.

He ignored it when Levi admonished his mistreatment of the Chain, and in someone else's body, too. If he had his way this would never happen, anyway.

Why? Why... couldn't I kill her?!

He didn't know how he had even stopped his sword. He didn't know why Lacie – why why why – had appeared before him.

He had done it before! He'd already killed his little sister once, why should this time be any different? She'd been in his way, standing between him and Jack, B-Rabbit – Oz – he should have killed her!

But he couldn't hurt her. Not ever, not again.

Not ever again.

This is messy. And it was kind of hard to write. In part because I couldn't actually remember what had happened, partly because my dogs kept wanting to cuddle, and lastly because I kept looking at my school books going "Why am I not reading you?"

Anyway, as for why Oswald couldn't go through with the attack, my theory is that just as Alice jumped in front of him, a field of pure badass-adorableness activated and protected her, so he wouldn't have been able to hurt her.

But he wouldn't know that.

Please review and tell me what you liked/disliked. =)

19/10/14 I made some edits, mostly to the overboarding and misuse of the hyphen. It probably looks a little better now.