A/N: Hi everyone! This story really started out as just a little idea that I soon realized had so much potential to be a story, especially with some of it written from Alice's point of view. Some of the little details (Alice's last name and age) are from the 2010 version of Alice in Wonderland, but this is mainly focused on Once Upon a Time. I'm excited to know what you all think. Thank you so much for reading and enjoy the story!

-sevenimpossiblethings

Prologue

Jefferson was lost. Not literally of course, one could only walk so far within the palace walls. More specifically, he was lost in thoughts. It was a warm summer's day and he had left his work on the queen's hats to get some fresh air. It was the breeze that had reminded him of home and from there he had become lost in his thoughts. Usually, he forbade himself to think of the Enchanted Forest; it was too painful for him to remember the home he had left behind. Focusing on his work was easier. But sometimes, thinking endlessly of hats was tiring and it put him in a gloomy mood. After all, it was that accursed hat that had gotten him stuck here in the first place. Stuck in Wonderland, tricked by Regina, left to be an imprisoned hatter to the queen, and all the while trying to recreate the hat that had brought him there. Only this time, he planned to use it to take him back home.

But despite his efforts to recreate his magical hat, it was all to no avail. He had nearly given up all hope of escaping Wonderland and had hopelessly resigned himself to being trapped in that gloomy castle forever. It was on that day he met Alice Kingsleigh.

Chapter 1

My first thought was that I must have looked plenty confused, for I was. Despite having been to Wonderland before- it was so very long ago- I only really remembered the people I had met. Memories of which way to go and which road to take, why, I suspected that I had forgotten those ages ago. Wandering into the garden, with my hair all disheveled, I thought about what they would think of me at home and laughed to myself. It was half a laugh and half a scoff, really. On first glance, the garden seemed to be empty. No one to ask directions from, I thought. But then, I realized there was someone who was pacing the garden, rather anxiously, who seemed to be terribly distracted. I pondered for a moment on whether or not to interrupt him for fear that if I interrupted him, he surely would lose sight of whatever important thing he was thinking of. I waited a moment longer, but he still didn't notice me, so I awkwardly cleared my throat. This finally caught his attention, and he looked at me for a moment as if I had literally conjured myself out of thin air.

"Hello," I said. I wanted to reassure him that I was indeed real since my presence had surprised him so. "I'm Alice Kingsleigh and, well, I afraid I'm quite lost."

At the sound of my voice, he seemed to become less surprised at my sudden appearance, but he looked at me skeptically, as if I wasn't a nineteen year old girl, too short for my age, and looking terrible confused, but rather, as if I were a spy of sorts.

"You're not from around here, are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, and I'd appreciate if you'd stop regarding me as if I were a spy or something."

He smiled, a contrived kind of grin. "Well then, my sincerest apologies," he laughed while he made a charming little bow. "My name's Jefferson. How can I help you, Alice…"

"Alice Kingsleigh. And I was hoping you'd point me in the direction of the tea party?"

Seeing him pause, I added, "After I leave, I just need someone to give me directions." I checked my watch to see if I was to be late and realized that the hands of my watch had frozen as they did the last time I had visited Wonderland.

"I hardly know which way to go to get out of here, so I'm afraid I won't be much help," he remarked, seeming uninterested.

"Oh, but it's just over that wall, over there," I pointed with my finger. "I climbed over the wall after I wandered around for a while. That was after I fell down the rabbit hole."

This suddenly seemed to spark his attention in what I was saying and he asked me in a flurry of words what I meant by "fell down the rabbit hole?"

I explained to him that I had been to Wonderland before when I was very young and that I had returned through a rabbit hole.

"You mean you're from a different land?" he asked me excitedly.

"Yes, I mean, I suppose so."

"Was there any magic where you came from?"

I shook my head and instantly he looked disappointed. "Look, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I really need to leave now, so if you'll excuse me-"

"No, it's just that I need to get home, and I need to get back to a land with magic."

"You mean you're not from Wonderland?"

"No, I- I had a hat that brought me, through the portals. I don't have the hat anymore, so I am quite stranded here." He shrugged dejectedly at this.

All this talk of hats only made me more eager to get to the tea party with the hatter, the hare and the Cheshire cat. Then, I remembered something, that at the moment, I had no idea of the significance of. Hoping this would somehow help my cause of needing directions I said, "Look, I know a hatter who I met the last time I came to Wonderland, and he could make you a new hat. I'm sure he could."

"You're absolutely sure he could?"

I nodded with the utmost sincerity. There wasn't a shadow of doubt in my mind that Hatter would be able to do this. After all, I couldn't imagine why he couldn't have.

Jefferson seemed instantly encouraged by my answer. "Well, come on, we have to get out of here then. How far away is this hatter?"

I wasn't sure, after all, I had been the one who was lost earlier.

"Don't worry about that," he said casually, "I'm sure you'll remember once we get out of here."

"But there is one thing," I smiled.

"What?"

"Well, we mustn't be late for tea."