A/N: And here I find myself, once again. ::laughs:: I've become quite obsessed with our dear Tarrant, and this little bunny decided to take up residence in my head. I do ask for all to be patient with the updates (college student, writing during the last few weeks of her semester), but I'll try to update soon-ish. I've rated M for later chapters, and to be on the safe side. Also: I don't own anything besides the Lydells, so please, don't sue. I do ask for some R&R'ing (concrit is appreciated, flames are used to make tea :D), and otherwise, I give you the prologue to this quite out-of-no-where story. Cheers!
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Prologue: Another Alice
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The rain kept pelting the windows, the torrents sounding like gunshots against the aged glass. Thunder raged, keeping pace with the echoing screams of the woman next door; the lightening brightening the room in brief spurts, illuminating the old woman resting on the bed. Candles burned on every available surface; the power had gone out hours before, a terrible thing for a time like this, Charlie Lydell couldn't help thinking. His wife was in labor just the next room over, screaming her head off at the midwife, while his grandmother lay deathly still in the bed next to him.
"Grandmum, please…you have to stay just a bit longer," he pleaded, watching the frail old woman's eyelids flutter softly. She'd been in and out of consciousness all night, and he was worried this would be it. What a night—his grandmother leaving him, just as his youngest came into the world. He gripped the small hand of the elderly woman in his, eyes watering. "Please, Grandmum. You need to help Anna with the little one. Who else will teach them about Wonderland, and fill their head with imagination?"
"Underland, darling," the old woman whispered, her eyes opening slowly. "It's called Underland. And I'm sure your Anna will manage without me." She grinned softly, a twinkle in her blue eyes. "I've told you all those stories so many times already…"
"Tell me another one, Grandmum, just this last time?" Charlie's voice was just above a whisper, and he sat on the very edge of the bed. He strained to hear his grandmother's soft voice over the claps of thunder and Anna's wailing. "Tell me the one about Frabjous Day, when the Wonderland Champion felled the Jabberwocky?"
"Ah, your favorite, and mine as well. Since you've asked so nicely, my dear Charlie, Grandmother will tell you this last story." She closed her eyes briefly, catching her breath. When they opened again, they held the far-away look they always held when she told him the imaginary stories of the lovely Wonderland, full of its special creatures and people.
"On the Frabjous Day, the White and Red Queens sent forth their champions to do battle for Underland. The Red Queen favored the Jabberwocky, a great behemoth of a dragon-looking terror, with terrible eyes and a wicked tail. The White Queen, however, put her faith in a little girl, no bigger than your shoulder, with blonde curls and not much 'muchness'. The two champions fought fiercely, just as did the armies of the Queens, and their dear friends. All hope seemed to be lost for a small moment, before that little girl managed to overcome that terrible Jabberwocky, and take its head clean off!"
She paused a moment to smile, before a cough, wet and hacking, burst forth. Next door, Anna gave another wail, causing the light in the old woman's eyes to dim. "It was a lovely day, filled with triumph. But the White Queen's champion couldn't stay much longer; she had people back home, in the Overland, who needed her help. She bade goodbye to all her friends, promising to return. She even almost stayed, when her very best friend, a very mad Hatter, asked her to. But still, she drank from a vial of Jabberwocky blood, and came straight home. Nothing there had changed, but the champion herself had. She had regained her muchness, you know, and was ready to create new adventures for herself."
Charlie gave a teary smile as his grandmother once again fell silent. "I still love your fairy tales, Grandmum. It's almost like they're real, no matter how mad they sound." He watched as her eyes closed once again, even as she chuckled. For a brief second, it sounded like the rain had stopped, and even Anna had fallen quiet in the next room.
"Ah, my boy. But how very real they are. Your Grandmum isn't a very mad old woman, though she would argue that." Another chuckle, even softer this time. "Your Grandmum is only mad because she left such a lovely place, and an even lovelier man." A deep sigh. "Tarrant…how I wish you would forgive me…"
"Hush, Grandmum," Charlie whispered, tears falling freely now. "You shouldn't speak so…you're not mad…Grandmum?"
"Yes, Charles dear?"
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?"
At that, his grandmother gave a weak laugh. "I never did find out, love. Tarrant would be so upset with me, never finding out after all these years…" She gripped Charlie's hand tighter. "Twinkle, twinkle, little bat…" she began, Charlie taking up the next line of his favorite childhood lullaby.
"How I wonder where you're at. Up above the world you fly, like a tea-tray in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little bat…"
"How…I wonder…where you're at…oh, my Tarrant…oh, Underland…"
Charles released the hand in his gently, hearing Anna's anguished cry from the next room, echoing it with a quiet sob of his own. Another scream, now followed by a small, shrill cry, met his ears. The midwife's assistant bustled into the room.
"Mr. Lydell…it's a girl. A lovely little thing. Your wife has asked you to name her?"
Charles nodded softly, standing up and wiping his eyes. "Yes, yes of course." He gave one last look to the still woman on the bed, before turning back to the assistant. "Her name is Alice. Please, name her Alice."
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A/N: Well? I hope I've piqued your curiosity. ::wink:: There is plenty more to come, so please R&R--it does feed my ego so nicely. :D Also--yes, the title refers to the song by Jefferson airplane, "white Rabbit"; a song I love dearly, though it scares me half to death. ::laugh:: 'till we meet again, dear ones, fairfarren! I'll be back soon with chapter one!