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Chapter 1: You Can't Go Home Again

Disclaimer: I own none of them, or the idea, but I love SyFy for providing the it.

Author's Note/Mini Rant: Okay, don't get me wrong, I loved this version of Alice, or at least, I loved most of it. But it feel to anyone else like they ran out of time? They were building to political coup, to war, havoc erupting upon Wonderland and then just.... nope. Somehow I just don't see a bunch of speechifying by Alice, and a few freed Oysters is going to make this society, which has basically become addicted to our emotions to sit up and go 'oh yeah, the Queen isn't a good person, we don't like her anymore, let's just follow this chick now and give up our addiction.' So this is basically my take on how I think it could have gone down, given a few extra hours or I don't know... a series type thing. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!

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Alice stood, alone amongst the crowd of Oysters, those that hadn't been returned home yet. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, clutching uneasily at her hands. She wasn't sure why exactly. Jack had the ring, his mother had been dethroned and was currently cooling her heels in a nice cold cell, the Oysters had been freed, and it seemed, for all intense and purposes, that the good guys had one the day. She should be feeling good right now, not anxious. But then, it all seemed to good to be true, too much a fairy tale, an ironic feeling really, considering her current location.

Maybe it had nothing to do with the outcome at all, and more the circumstances. Her father for example. She'd only just gotten him back, and now... a lump welled in her throat and tears in her eyes, and Alice gave a firm shake of her head to banish the thoughts. No, this wasn't the time for that. There would be plenty of time when she had to explain to her mother. There was that lump again. Alice shook her head once more. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that she was leaving this incredible place, the incredible people she'd met along the way. Jack, the once future, now reigning King, Charlie the cowardly White Knight, who came through in a pinch, and Hatter...

Hatter, who was always with her, even when she lost her path. Hatter, who took bullets for her, and rescued her, and helped her find her way. Hatter her dear, sweet... friend? Well, that was just a whole other batch of butterflies, that was. She wondered if he'd make it in time to see her off. She knew they were busy, all three of them. The Queen still had her loyalists, the ones that would kill and be killed for her service, and those like Mad March, who liked to kill just because. They were out to make trouble for Jack's new Wonderland. Already one such group of Loyalists had made an attempt to free the Queen. And she was helpless to aid them. She certainly didn't feel like 'The Alice of Legend', much more like 'the Alice Who Just Showed Up One Day, Got In A Lot of Trouble, But Managed to Do Some Good.' Yes, that was definitely a more appropriate title, as far as she was concerned. That, or maybe, 'Just Alice'.

She was still deep in thought, wandering tiny circles, when she noticed Charlie parting his way through the crowd. "Charlie!" she called, a genuine smile flitting across her lips. Knight and girl embraced, and Alice breathed deeply the scent of him, like horses, and campfires and pine. She would dearly miss him.

"I was afraid I would miss you," Charlie told her as they pulled apart.

"I was worried too. But I knew you would try, and I know you're busy now, Royal Advisor."

"Just a title, just a title," he mumbled, a pink hue coloring his cheeks. Alice knew he was secretly pleased.

"May I have a word with Alice, Sir Knight?" She couldn't help it, Jack's voice still made her heart jump, just a little. Jack looked exceptionally regal in red, especially with his small armament of guards on his flank. But that hair... she definitely preferred it the way it was before, longer and darker, always threatening to flop into his eyes. Alice resisted the urge to reach up and touch it. That wouldn't be dignified.

Their conversation was short, but it left her more confused than ever. He offered her the ring! Hell, he'd basically just offered her the Kingdom. And to think that only a week ago her she'd been worried about finding full time employment. Luckily, whatever temptation she felt passed quickly and she found herself turning down the offer. She couldn't stay, couldn't do that to her mother. Besides, she wasn't sure what she wanted, but she thought she had a clue, for once. She hugged Jack as well, longer than Charlie, with the familiarity of old lovers, but she was almost certain that was all past tense.

Jack went to the Looking Glass with the ring to start it up. Oysters... humans, she reminded herself, started filing through. Starting with the two young sisters. The man in the white lab outfit told them all to breathe, then pushed the unceremoniously through the mirror, clearly one man happy to have them all going back to their own world. Her turn was coming. She wrung her hands again. She had to see him before she left, if only to know...

"Hatter!" She recognized him there, hanging back by the doors. She thought for a moment that it looked like he'd been considering leaving. At the sound of his name however, he turned on a boot heel and strode toward her, a smile breaking wide across his face.

Truth was, he almost had left. Walking through the doors, seeing her with Jack and the ring. It was almost too much. Then she'd hugged him, and he felt his heart sink deep into the pit of his stomach. It was probably being digested right then, that would at least explain the sick feeling he was having. And they'd embraced, held each other, and he saw the adoration in her face. Whether it was adoration for her once and again boyfriend, or just a new King, he wasn't sure, nor did he want to find out. He'd said it before, she'd forget him. He'd become just 'What's His Name?' to her, so he made to leave. But then she'd called his name, and it drew him back in.

"I hadn't seen you... in a while," Alice said lamely. "Didn't think you'd get here before I left."

"Well suppose I was... trying... not to... uh, think about it," the last words came in a rush. She was looking at him then, her eyes pleading silently for him to say anything. But he wouldn't ask her to stay, it was too selfish. She had family to get back to, and Wonderland was far too dangerous in the moment. Political overthrows rarely went so smoothly, and he figured they were only at the tip of the iceberg.

I can't stay, Alice told herself. But if only he would ask. Ask her to come back even, after a while, after she could explain it to her mom. The words fell out of her mouth before she realized it. "Do you want me to stay?"

Yes, of course I do. "No, course not," he said with a laugh. "I'm sure you've had your fill of Wonderland for a while."

That was it, slap to the face with words. He didn't want her to stay. She tried to cover it, tried once more to give him an opening. "You could always visit my world. Once things have settled here, of course."

"Sure, we could do pizza," he nodded, all the while feeling like someone ought to be kicking him in the ass. Pizza? What was wrong with him? Say something else, anything else!

Then there was a loud crack from outside the doors of the Mirror Room. Hatter instinctively tensed. Gunshot. Alice's eyes flew wide. It was followed by more, two, three, five... the shots got more frequent. They were louder now. Humans and people of Wonderland began to panic, scurrying around the room in a tizzy. Jack's guards, all dressed in back, rushed toward the front of the room. Another shot, this time from one of Jack's men.

Hatter shoved Alice behind him with one arm, drawing his own pistol. Around them, people started to scream. Glass shattered. The slow, steady procession of people through the mirror turned into a panicked rush for their salvation. And then there was a tug on her arm, pulling her away from Hatter, toward the mirror. "No!" she cried. "Hatter!"

He looked for her, and his eyes were pained. Then he nodded, and she realized it wasn't to her at all. She looked back, over her shoulder. Jack. Hatter was nodding to Jack. His eyes met hers once more, and then he was gone, rushing for the doors with his gun, swallowed up in the throng. No, no, she wouldn't let them do this. Alice writhed in Jack's grip, but he kept a hold on her, wheeling her to face him.

"Alice, you must leave," Jack told her seriously.

"No." She was staring at the spot Hatter had disappeared.

"You must," he said again, pressing something into her hand. She glanced down. The ring. That blasted ring. "Keep it safe, please. Wonderland is depending on you. This cannot fall back into the hands of our enemies. I will send someone for it soon, but until then, please. With you, in your world, the mirror will remain open."

"But..." he ignored her, hustling her up the stairs toward the Looking Glass.

"Go Alice."

She paused, fear filling her up, making her freeze. The explosion at the doors rocked her on her feet, and Jack pulled her down. Glass flew everywhere. The fireball rolled upward, licking at the walls. From beneath Jack's arm she saw people fall, unmoving. She didn't see Hatter. Alice stood, ready to rush past him, but Jack was ready. He pushed her, shoved her back into her own world, as his fell apart around his ears.

And then she was falling, so far and fast. She forgot to breathe. Alice came to a jarring stop on the concrete, scraping her arms and legs. And everything went dark.

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Chapter 1

Well? Should I continue? Good premise? I really was just unsatisfied with everything getting wrapped up in such a pretty bow. This feels more appropriate to me, what do you think?