The wind blew soft tendrils of blonde hair about her face, her nose inhaling the scents of port mingled with the salty sea breeze. She smiled to herself, hands gripping the wooden railing of the ship. She reached up to tug her coat a bit more around her as the breeze picked up, her hair whipping about her face and stinging her cheeks.
"Miss. Kingsley! You can go ashore now!"
Alice turned regally toward the man who'd spoken and nodded, picking up her skirts and heading for the plank. There would be no one to greet her this time as she disembarked the ship. Her mother had passed on like her father, as had most of her elder friends. Of course, she still had her sister, but Margaret was too busy taking care of the new baby she had while Alice had been gone on one of her trips, so she hardly had the time to come and see her safely home. Not that it mattered – at the age of 26, Alice was more than capable of caring for herself.
Except on those nights when visions of evil Red Queens, strange talking animals, and a Hatter who was on the verge of madness plagued her dreams.
There was a carriage waiting for her when she got off the ship – the driver offer his hand to help her in but she declined, climbing in and settling herself on the seat, ready for the journey home. It would be relaxing to be able to sleep in her own bed, rather than on the hard mattress of a ship, or some sort of odd bed on the ground in China. She had returned after a long excursion over most of the world – they'd added three more posts. One in South Africa, one in Australia, and a second one in China, and Alice had personally gone to survey them herself.
Her gaze switched to watching out the window. Snow had started to gently fall, adding to the white blanket that already covered everything. The green of the trees had faded, only tangled dark branches barely visible against the white. Still, the forest would always be Alice's favorite place to be when she was home – it allowed her to have time to herself. She could really relax more once she was outside the confines of four walls.
But Alice still much preferred the forest when it was green.
Green.
A pair of green eyes flashed across her mind, along with an old maroon hat with a pink ribbon. She shook her head. She didn't want to think about that now. She was already a laughing stock of most of London society because of her silly stories – people often asked her to retell her stories to their children, while others just wanted to know the story so they could harp on about it to their snobbish friends and talk about Alice behind her back. She turned the other cheek and went about with her life. She had come to learn that it didn't matter if they believed her. It had happened, Alice knew it had, and that was all that mattered.
It'd been almost 7 years since her last visit. She'd promised to come back, but her new life had swept her up into a whirlwind of activity. She'd gone back to where she thought the tree had been, but had found no rabbit hole to jump through. She missed her friends, and was still somewhat determined to find her friends. Every time she saw a movement in the underbrush she would investigate, some part of her curious as if it were a white rabbit in a waistcoat running through the bushes, trying to lure her back to Wonderland once more.
But there were no rabbits in waistcoats, or holes to fall through. If she hadn't known better, she would have said it'd all been another dream.
The manor that had been left to her by her mother came into view as they emerged from the forest, turning down the long drive that led up to it. She lived alone, except for the various servants who catered to her, and the workers that kept the gardens and such in pristine condition. It was a rather beautiful home – her father had bought it before she'd been born, and she'd lived in the house all her life. It seemed almost odd without hearing her sister complain about something, or her mother to tell her to go back upstairs and put on her stockings – she still didn't wear those, or the corsets most people that was scandalous not to wear.
The carriage stopped nearly on the front steps and she got out, her boots crunching the gravel beneath her feet. She gazed up at the manor for a good long moment, taking in its beauty – she'd been away from home for far too long.
Once inside, she shed her coat and carefully hung it up on the rack in the hall, heading straight for her bedroom. It was her old one – she'd stayed in the same room since she was a little girl. The house was quiet as she turned down the hall, pushing open the door to her room. The first thing she did was pull off her shoes and the dress she wore – it was still a bit too proper for her tastes.
She caught her reflection in the mirror – 7 years had changed Alice. She was no longer the naïve 19 year old, but a flittering 26 year old with hair longer than she'd ever had it. She was still about the same height – she was thankful she'd stopped growing. She'd had enough shrinking and growing for a life time. Her skin was creamier, and a few more freckles could be seen under the pale make-up she wore, but otherwise, there weren't many changes. She still looked a bit too fragile, but she managed.
The sun was setting over the tops of the trees after she'd gotten a bath, so she changed into one of her pale blue nightgowns, pulled her boots back on, and tugged her coat back around her shoulders as she headed downstairs, heading for the gardens. They too were covered in snow, but paths had been cut between the hedges so she could walk without having to worry too much about the snow. It was chilly, but Alice didn't mind. The gardens were the only other place she could feel really connected with – with her deceased father, and Wonderland.
She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked, hedges rising up on either side of her, snow still gently falling and sticking in her long curls. Tea suddenly sounded very good to her – she would have to make some before she went to bed.
Alice wandered to her usual spot in the center of the gardens – the fountain, whose water had frozen in the pipes and wasn't running at the moment. A thin layer of ice had formed on the top of the water in the pool of the fountain though, and she ran her fingers thoughtfully across the surface. It was as smooth as a looking glass.
Sighing, she glanced upward toward the sky, the stars glowing like pinholes in a black sheet. They twinkled, all winking back at her and she smiled slightly.
Something rustling in the bushes caught her attention. She turned, curious.
"Is someone there?" She called, but received no response. Of course not – she was being silly. The bushes rustled again, and Alice frowned. She crept forward toward them, brushing them aside – there was nothing there.
"Odd." She commented to herself. Maybe she'd just imagined it. The thought struck her as funny and she almost laughed a bit. After going through something like she had gone through, you just didn't imagine things anymore. They were real.
. . .
"I'd almost thought you'd forgotten." Margaret commented as Alice appeared in the doorway – considering the blanket of snow outside, the party was being held in the elegant manor Margaret and her husband called home.
"Not at all. Just running a bit behind. Still getting used to being on land and all." Alice replied quietly. Margaret nodded and took her by the arm, escorting her inside into the ballroom. There weren't as many people there as there had been at her once engagement party, but the number still surprised her. Some people turned up their nose as she walked in the room, others greeted her stiffly, and others involved her animatedly in their conversations, often questioning about her journeys overseas.
Alice's niece, Caroline, was bigger than she remembered, but still beautiful – pale blonde curls, stunning blue eyes, and creamy skin. She looked more like Margaret and Alice than Margaret's husband, who held her hand as Caroline looked about at the people all there for her. Her other hand clutched at the skirts of her blue dress, and Alice smiled fondly.
"Alice!"
Caroline was the one member of her family who actually liked hearing her stories. Alice swept the girl up into a hug as Caroline ran at her, laughing.
"Hey there. Have you been good while I've been gone?"
"Yes, ma'am." She nodded. "Could you tell me a story?"
"Maybe tonight, when there are less people, but not right now. You're supposed to be enjoying your birthday, after all." She smiled as Caroline giggled. Alice gave her a quick peck on the cheek before setting her down, allowing her to go back to her mother, bragging about how Alice was going to tell her a story later that night.
Dinner was ready only a half hour later, and Alice was seated on the other side of her sister – which was good, because she wasn't sure if Margaret's husband would start making out with her then and there. Old friends, sure. She still hadn't told her sister, not wanting to ruin her marriage, but Alice still harbored the secret, just in case it needed to be used at a later date.
A headache was beginning to flare up in the back of her mind, so just before dessert she excused herself and headed outside. The sun was just setting as she stepped down off the porch and began to follow a path that wound toward the forest, needing the peace and quiet. Crowds and parties gave her headaches often, so she was always wandering off by herself at some point during them, if not even going home. She would have gone home, but she didn't want to break her promise to her niece.
She followed the path out of the garden, heading across the grounds and in the general direction of the forest. It was dark now, making it a bit harder to see, but she could manage with the light of the moon. Someone would probably come out looking for her at some point, but Alice didn't care. Alice could handle herself. She'd killed a jabberwocky, hadn't she?
The snow crunched under her boots as she made a new path toward the forest, the hem of her white dress getting wet as she hadn't bothered to pick it up over the snow. She passed the first of the trees into the forest, absentmindedly running her fingers across the dead wood of the trees as she pushed the branches out of her way, ducking this way and that to avoid them. She was humming to herself now, a haunting melody that her father had used to sing when she couldn't sleep. But it wasn't long before the melody turned into a rhyming poem, the words falling easily from Alice's lips.
"Beware the jabberwock, my son. The jaws that bite, the claws that catch. Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch." She wasn't sure how she knew the poem, but reciting it seemed familiar to her, so she continued the silly thing as she walked through the trees.
"He took her vorpal sword in hand, long time the manxome foe he sought. So he rested by the Tumtum tree, and stood a while in thought."
"What are you rhyming?"
She turned, surprised to see Caroline there, wrapped in her favorite coat and boots tugged up to her knees. The snow almost came up to her knees, but she looked so adorable and innocent.
"Just an old poem a friend taught me." She shrugged, reaching for Caroline's hand. The girl grabbed hers and they continued to walk – no one would miss them if they continued on a short walk. Alice did owe her a story, after all. "So how about that story?"
Caroline nodded.
"Well, there once was a land called Wonderland, where nothing made sense. Animals talked, and a beautiful White Queen ruled. There was a Mad Hatter, a crazy March Hare, a set of twins, and a little dormouse. A little girl fell down a rabbit hole one day, after she'd been following a white rabbit in a waistcoat, and fell into Wonderland. She had a wonderfully mad tea party with the March Hare and the Hatter, talked to the flowers, and met the White Queen's older sister, the Red Queen. The woman was very horrible, and thankfully the little girl was able to get away, and soon returned to her own world."
"That's not a very happy ending." Caroline interrupted, frowning slightly. Alice chuckled.
"That's because I'm not done."
"Oh."
"Many years later, the girl returned to Wonderland. She found that the evil Red Queen had taken over, and was making people obey her with an evil Jabberwocky – a large beast that breathes fire and isn't very nice at all. The girl was supposed to save them, so she snuck in under the Red Queen's nose, grabbed the vorpal sword that would kill the jabberwocky, and hurried to the White Queen's palace on the back of a Bandersnatch, a large animal the Red Queen usually used against her enemies as well. The Red Queen and the White Queen led their forces against one another, and the girl ended up fighting the Jabberwocky, and beheaded him, saving Wonderland. The White Queen was returned to the throne, and banished her sister away forever."
"What about the girl?"
"She had to leave, and go back to her own home."
"But what about all her friends?"
"She would miss them, and probably still does miss them terribly." Alice replied. She did miss Wonderland and her friends, all quite terribly. She still regretted her decision to leave Wonderland ever so slightly – part of her wondered what would have happened had she stayed.
"That's sort of sad."
"It is, but she promised to come back and see her friends again."
"That's good."
The snow had stopped falling now for the most part, leaving Alice to tread through more of the white, some of the flakes having yet to melt in her hair. She's always sort of liked winter. Even though the forest wasn't as full, she and her father used to come out and play in the snow. Margaret and her mother had been often too proper to do as such, but she and her father loved it. She missed him when memories like that popped up. But now she got to teach Caroline all the secret things she had learned as a little girl – all the things Margaret would never teach her.
Alice's attention was caught by something in the snow – smaller footprints in a path that crossed the way she was going, heading east, deeper into the forest. Frowning slightly, her curiosity got the better of her and she began to follow them, Caroline trailing along beside her. She'd never seen tracks as such before, and wondered just what sort of animal they belonged to.
She followed the tracks into a small clearing where a pond lay, it's surface as smooth as glass from where it was frozen. In the center of it sat a little white rabbit – no waistcoat, this time – looking like he was shivering from the cold.
"You poor thing." Alice cooed, creeping forward, watching as it struggled to regain footing on the ice. She felt sorry for it, and finally took pity, gingerly stepping out onto the ice. The least she could do was help it.
Carefully she began to walk across the ice toward the center where the rabbit began to try and get away from her, obviously frightened.
"Don't worry – I'm not going to harm you." Alice said quietly. She took another step – something cracked beneath her feet. She froze, looking down. Her face was reflected in the surface, but a long crack cut it in half. The ice was cracking beneath her feet – well, she hadn't thought that one through very well.
She carefully leaned forward and managed to grab the rabbit by the scruff. It wriggled in her arms but she clutched it tighter to her chest, glancing around. The ice was cracking out from the center where she stood, into every direction possible. If she stood there, she was going to fall. If she tried to get off the ice, she would probably fall. Maybe she could manage to make a run for it?
Alice inhaled sharply, calming her nerves for a long moment. She could do this. It was just ice. She could make it to shore.
"Alice!" Caroline called from shore, running forward, sensing her distress.
"No Caroline! Stay there!"
The girl didn't listen, and ran out onto the ice.
Alice took another step, and felt the ice crumbled beneath her feet. She screamed, but it was lost as she fell through the surface, plunging into the icy waters below. It was freezing, feeling like thousands of tiny needles against her skin. Her breath made her cheeks bulge as she looked wildly about – everything was dark. She couldn't figure out which was the surface was. The rabbit was still clutched tightly in her arm, one arm waving wildly about trying to break free to find the surface, or at least try and find Caroline, who had plunged into the dark waters as well.
Her lungs burned like fire as the stinging cold pain finally gave way into numbness. She kicked her feet, swimming in one direction until her hand came into contact with something slick and cold – the ice on the surface. She pressed against it, trying to break it, but it was solid, even with the cracks running through it. She couldn't find the hole she'd fallen through, and with every passing second, her lungs burned even more.
She pounded on the ice, the rabbit forgotten as she used both hands. It didn't budge, and she could feel herself growing lightheaded from lack of oxygen. On reflex, her mouth opened and she tried to inhale, but only received a mouthful of water instead. She choked, lungs filling with fluid as her vision grew darker – everything disappeared.
. . .
The White Queen gazed fondly at the fountain in her gardens, pale fingers trailing lightly over the surface as a smile graced her lips. The familiar girl's face had appeared, her lips a pale blue in color, but none the less she was there. She glanced over at the white rabbit perched carefully on the edge of the fountain, nose twitching as he too watched the vision. The Queen waved a hand across the water and it rippled, disappearing.
"Alice is returning. Our champion has come to save us once more." The White Queen smiled, folding her hands into her skirts.
"When?" The rabbit asked.
"Tonight."
"Should I go inform the others?"
"No, not yet. She'll be here soon enough." The White Queen looked back at the fountain, an odd look coming over her face. "How odd. She's bringing a guest."
. . .
Alice woke up screaming, gasping for breath. Her lungs inflated with the warm crisp air around her, the burning disappearing after a few deep breaths. Crouched on the ground, she forced her breathing to regulate as her head finally came out of its fog, allowing her to briefly survey her surroundings.
The sun was bright overhead as she sat on the bank of a pond, who's surface was as smooth as glass. She was in the clearing of a forest – except for the fact on the other side of the pond, small cliffs rose up before leveling out to the ground. The trees around her were full of green, blooming with different colored flowers on their branches. The colors were bright and stunning, almost too bright to be real.
She picked herself up off the ground, still soaking wet. Her dress clung to her like a second skin, her hair plastered across her neck and forehead. She shed herself of her shoes, kicking them away as they were ruined. She tugged what bobby pins were left in her hair out and tossed them aside too. Half of her wanted to strip off the soaking wet dress, but she didn't, not knowing who was lurking around.
Her gaze fell on the tiny body collapsed on the bank a few feet away. Alice made her way over to Caroline's collapsed form. Kneeling down, she gently rolled the girl over, reaching for a pulse. She found one, breathing a sigh of relief before her hand came up to rest against the girl's cheek.
"Caroline, come on. Wake up." She murmured. It was a long moment before the girl's eyes fluttered open, her baby blues clouded with confusion.
"Alice?"
"Hey there. It's okay." She said and carefully scooped Caroline up into her arms.
Her next problem came with the fact that she realized she wasn't quite in England anymore. It had been winter there, and it appeared to be summer here. And they didn't have such foliage in London, either, so that was out.
So just where was she?
Part of her wanted to believe that she was in Wonderland. It's what her better part was telling her, but she knew that couldn't be possible. She hadn't fallen down a rabbit hole or any of the sort.
Sighing, she knew there was only one way to find out – find someone or something and ask them. Picking up her skirts, she began to walk toward the small path that was visible between two trees, a little part of her hoping that at any moment a mad Hatter would pop out from behind a tree and ask her why a raven was like a writing desk. Caroline leaned against her shoulder, her fingers curling around Alice's wet dress, too tired to really question where they were for now.
He'd told her she wouldn't remember, but she did. People didn't believe her – thought her stories were just something she had made up to entertain herself and what others would listen to her. Most thought her mad – mad as a hatter. Her lips quirked upward at the thought.
She pushed branches from her face as she walked along the narrow path – it wasn't getting any darker or lighter in the forest, leaving her wondering just which way to go. She stopped for a long moment, glancing left and right, sighing, mentally admitting she was probably lost. Then again, if it was Wonderland, one didn't get lost. You merely got found.
"Well, well, well." A familiar drawling voice could be heard and Alice turned, trying to locate it. A large grin appeared below a branch before the eyes appeared, then the rest of the cat, who was hanging upside down on the branch by his tail. "If it isn't Alice, come back to save us."
"Save you from what?" She questioned, frowning as she dropped her skirts, feeling Caroline shift in her arms to look at the cat. The cat only smiled at her, floating through the air toward her. It settled around her shoulders, tail curling around her face. It tickled her nose and she waved it away – it turned to smoke.
"The White Queen will be able to tell you better than I can." His disembodied voice echoed around her.
"From your story?" Caroline asked, curious now. "And that kitty can fly! Is this a dream, Alice?"
Alice could only ignore her.
"Will you take me to her then?"
"Don't you remember the way?"
"Of course not. It's been 7 years."
The cat chuckled, appearing inches in front of her face. She gave a startled cry, stumbling back, clutching Caroline tighter to her.
"Time has no meaning here." He replied lazily.
"Just please take me to the White Queen." She insisted. "We would like to get out of these wet things."
"Fine, fine." He sighed, trailing off the path to the left. "Come along, little Alice and friend, and I'll show you the way. But only to the White Queen, and no more."
