Part 1:
"Did someone pull you by the hand? How many miles to Wonderland?" Danny Elfman (Alice)
On a warm summer evening across the plains of Wonderland, three cloaked figures hurriedly crept in the night. Leading this group was a man named Jefferson. Following close behind him was his wife Alice, clutching in her hands a small vial. Jefferson knew the price of sneaking them out of Wonderland, and had insisted on the cover of darkness for their escape. For now though, they were crouched in the Queens Garden, hiding from prying eyes.
"Jefferson we must leave now." A voice whispered from behind him. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Jefferson turned to the figure with a glare. Aurelie seemingly unfazed, only glared right back.
"This place is crawling with guards." Jefferson stated, leaning his head against the hedge in defeat.
"But if we stay we run the risk of…" Aurelie glanced to Alice, and upon seeing that her friend wasn't looking, make a swift motion with her hand across her neck. Jefferson grimaced, and took a moment to peer around the wall.
"There are five red guards that way. And that's the fastest route to the hat." He pointed out, signaling for Aurelie to look around the hedge. Aurelie took a moment to survey the situation before turning back to Jefferson and his wife.
"Can you take them?" Alice questioned, peering from around his shoulder. Aurelie looked taken aback for a moment, before nervously adjusting her tunic.
"Sorry, I'm all out of magic at the moment." She replied sarcastically, holding up her hands in defeat.
"That's not what I meant." Alice snapped back, casting her eyes to the dagger around the woman's waist.
"Oh." She replied quietly. "I'm out of shape."
Jefferson fought back the urge to laugh.
"Since when?" He shot back, gesturing to her. Alice moved to step between them, but Jefferson pulled her back.
"Alice, she can't be trusted." He warned, whispering in his beloved's ear. His wife shot him a glare and moved to stand between the two once more.
"I understand why you would be doubtful Jefferson." Aurelie remarked slowly, sounding defeated. "Alice, I'm injured. I can't fight right now." Aurelie stated to her friend softly. Alice nodded silently and turned towards Jefferson.
"We'll have to find another way. Surely you can-" A scuffle in the hedge caused Alice to pause. A few moments of silence later, Jefferson peered out from their hiding space once again.
"They're gone!" He remarked, amazed and relieved. And with a nod to his two companions they were off once again.
It wasn't until they were safely away from the guard's that Jefferson began to ponder their current situation. It was all because of that girl. What his wife saw in her, Jefferson himself would never understand. Aurelie and Alice had been best friends since childhood, and Alice treasured the friendship above all else. Alice didn't have family to speak of, and so she saw the woman as a sister. That he understood, what he couldn't understand was Alice's loyalty through everything Aurelie had done. He had to admit that she was a powerful ally when facing Regina. And in fact, an even more powerful ally to have if they ever had to deal with Him. That didn't, however, erase all of the horrible atrocities she had committed in the name of vengeance. But if Jefferson was certain of one thing, it was Aurelie's loyalty to her friends. Of that he was sure of.
"Jefferson!" Alice screamed, startling him out of his thoughts. He turned, and found his wife ensnared in tree roots. The roots continued to wrap around her frail frame, entrapping her even further.
"Alice!" He screamed, doubling back. He noticed Aurelie was slower to turn and follow, a strange look upon her face.
"Jefferson! The portal!" Aurelie screamed after him. His heart skipped a beat, as he turned and watched soldiers descend upon them.
"I have to get Alice!" He responded with resolve, running towards his wife and hacking at the roots with his sword. Aurelie seemed to be handling the guard's rather well, considering her ailment. A moment later she was at his side, staring down at Alice.
"Alice the vial," Aurelie ordered even as he was helping to free his wife. Alice nodded, and thrust the vial of liquid into her friend's outstretched palm. Jefferson, still cutting at the last of the roots glared at the witch.
"Thank you for your help." He added sarcastically, finally freeing Alice and holding her tight. Aurelie shrugged nonchalantly, transfixed on the clear liquid in the bottle.
"Alright, you have what you came here for. Now can we go?" Alice questioned, sounding annoyed with her friend. She was no doubt a bit shaken from the experience with Wonderland's trees.
"Right, The portal." Aurelie remembered, and she pocketed the vial.
Jefferson, wanting to get out of Wonderland as soon as possible, started off hand in hand with Alice. It was just a few minutes later that they were all crouched on the ground, groaning from the exhaustion of their trip. But they had made it back, and found themselves in the middle of the very wood they had departed from.
Out of the corner of his eye Jefferson observed Aurelie's face, drawn in a sort of contemplation. She sighed suddenly, and then shook her head furiously, as if she were arguing with herself.
"Can't do it." She murmured, fingering the vial resting in her pocket.
"Can't do what?" Alice asked curiously, sitting up from the ground and turning to her friend.
"This." She snarled out, lunging forward and burying the hilt of her dagger in Alice's chest. His wife groaned, and fell back into his arms, limp and cold.
"Alice." He whispered, cradling her body in his arms. Aurelie's dagger was coated with blood, which he somehow still couldn't register.
"Help! Help her!" He screamed at the witch. Not realizing. Still not believing.
"Why?" A broken Alice asked, blood running down her dress.
"Don't you blame me! You did this. This is on you! Not me!" Aurelie screamed, completely out of her mind. He could see it plainly now, this madness that had taken hold. And his wife was broken because of it. His wife had always been broken due to madness. And then suddenly, it dawned on him. Not a broken Alice. She couldn't just be pieced back together. She was his wife. She was dead. And he still loved her.
Part 2:
"No, I would not want to live in a world without dragons, as I would not want to live in a world without magic, for that is a world without mystery, and that is a world without faith." R.A. Salvatore
Persephone Hatter awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and shaking. Lately her dreams had been anything but normal, and even worse, she remembered them. In fact, she couldn't seem to get the images she saw at night out of her mind. It was strange, because her entire life she remembered nothing of sleeping and dreaming. And yet now, dreams plagued her every thoughts. She extended a shaking hand out, and grasped for her glass of water. Leaning against the pillows in her soft bed she let out a tired sigh. Her nights were becoming sleepless. A knock, short and rapt, scared her once more and she nearly jumped out of the sheets.
"Yes." She croaked, glancing at the clock. It was early still, the clock reading 3am. The door opened to reveal the tired face of her father, Jefferson Hatter.
"I heard screaming." He remarked pistol in hand. Persephone rolled her eyes, and sat up further in her bed. Jefferson scanned the room for a moment, and when she looked at him again the pistol was gone.
"I had a nightmare. That's all." Persephone explained taking another large gulp of her water. Her father regarded her coldly for a moment, and she shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. That was how he looked upon her most days, despite her best efforts to please him. But for the moment it seemed her father let his tiredness take over his façade.
"Come on. I'll make us hot chocolate, so that we can both go back to sleep." Her father said beckoning to her with his hand. However before she had even touched her feet to the ground he was gone down the hallway. She rolled her eyes, and trudged slowly after him, too tired to complain.
By the time she arrived at the kitchen her father was done making the hot chocolate.
"Here," He handed her a steaming cup. "My grandmother used to give me this all the time. It helps you sleep. A guaranteed dreamless sleep, in fact."
Persephone doubted that such remedies existed, but she smiled anyway.
"Thank you," she replied softly, gazing deep into the cup. It was although an old memory was being unwilling drudged up. And yet she found everything about the cocoa familiar and comforting.
"Do you want to tell me what your dream was about?" Her father asked her, sipping his own steaming cup. Aurelie shook her head, fiddling with the place mat idly.
"No. It's like there bits and pieces out of someplace deep inside me. I don't quite understand it." She remarked staring at the table. Her father seemed rooted in his spot, tense and guarded.
"I find it's best to ignore such things." He told her, giving her a smile. She tried to smile as well, but she was afraid it came out more of a grimace.
"So do I." She responded with resolve. And with that the pair finished their cocoa in silence, and headed off to bed. Persephone found her dreams were quiet. A dreamless sleep in fact.