Up From Wonderland

Full Summary: Everyday, people go missing. Sometimes they return and sometimes they do not. Sometimes people ran away of their own accord and sometimes people were kidnapped. Just this one time, this person was found. She was found by a Hatter, and he was in a place that he truly did not belong in. AxH

A couple of years have passed since Alice's last trip to Wonderland, and she has managed to accept the hand of a business man who is much more to her liking than Hamish. But what happens if, closer to their wedding day, Alice starts acting 'curiouser and curiouser' before completely disappearing? And why does her fiancé keep seeing flashes of orange and a bedraggled-looking hat after the announcement of their engagement?

A/N: Hi there, this fanfic will be based on Tim Burton's movie Alice in Wonderland, like many of the other fics that have recently been posted in this section. I have not written fanfics for a long time, so I hope you can give me constructive criticism or let me know what you think of the story in order to help me improve. You reading this is greatly appreciated, and I hope you can R&R! It would mean a lot to me. :3

Part-way through the story people pointed out that in the movie, they referred to it as Underland. I, unfortunately, did not catch onto that and have been referring to it consistently as Wonderland. My apologies, and I hope that doesn't stop you from reading the fanfic! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Alice in Wonderland characters; just my OC's. So far, I believe the only OC I have is Albert Hannigan.

Chapter 1: Orange in London

Today was the day.

"Alice?"

Something was different.

"Alice, dear, are you all right?"

Alice turned from where she stood on the stern of their ship. The horizon showed the docks of London, and a line of people waiting for their arrival.

"I'm fine, Albert."

Alice was not so different. Per usual, her long hair was blonde and crimped, her body small. Her personality made people shrink away in discomfort sometimes, for she could be a little too bold for certain peoples' tastes. That boldness, however, marked her as a true business woman (something not so common in these times,) and Lord Ascot had found their trip to expand the company extremely beneficial. Alice had too, for not only had she kept her father's dream alive, but she had also met someone that was very special to her.

"Well, I've surmised that whenever women say they are fine, they are in fact…not."

"Really, Albert," Alice insisted, sending him that look that let people know to back off. "I'm fine. I'm just…glad to be home."

Really, the one thing Alice wanted to talk about most, and thought about most, was the very thing she had spoken naught a word of. When out sailing, as she had been, sometimes it was easy to forget the people she had left behind. Most of the time, it was not easy, and now the thought of Wonderland was simply daunting. That dream she had experienced for years as a child came true as an adult, and she knew exactly where that hole was that led to Wonderland.

Alice was engaged now. Would that change the way people saw their Wonderland Champion? Not that she would ever go back. She just… couldn't. Albert Hannigan had joined their crew on the return trip to London, and he had been the one person Alice grew close to – yet she kept even him at a distance. Wonderland was hers, and nobody else's.

"Why, what an odd-looking fellow," said Alice suddenly.

"I'm sorry?" said Albert, looking to his fiancée.

"That odd-looking fellow with orange hair."

Albert looked up from the floor of the boat, and into the crowd that was appearing larger and larger with every second. They were almost at the docks. She pointed to the crowd, but Albert could see no remnants of any person with orange hair. Alice looked almost hopeful.

"Well, the Scots are not new to England, so don't go making fun of them now; the orange hair can be quite endearing," he teased lightly. Alice just blinked. She could have sworn…

"Right. Well. Everyone should be waiting there at the docks. Let's head in, that way we can be the first people off of the boat. Remind your mother of dinner tomorrow night, and we can announce the news." They had refrained from sending letters to their family announcing the engagement, and the both of them had agreed upon telling their families in person. Alice smiled and Albert gave her a light kiss, but Alice pulled away quite quickly; intimate public displays of affection were not in her book. Albert headed in first after that, holding open the door for Alice, and just before turning she could have sworn she'd seen a pair of orange eyes to match that orange hair. But upon that double take, she saw no one.

"Come come, Alice," Albert tutted. "Let's go."

Alice and Albert were both greeted with loud cheers and hugs, and after a quick look of farewell, they were whisked off to their respective houses and told to tell every detail of the trip. Alice's sister, Margaret, seemed to be as happy as ever, and she remembered that she would have to keep an eye on her husband now that she had returned to London for good. She had caught the bastard cheating on her just a couple of years ago, that day she finally found the rabbit hole.

The Rabbit Hole. Alice looked out of her bedroom window, towards Hamish's house far in the distance.

Hamish's family, she had learned, were still social even after the embarrassing rejection. He had found another pretty, naïve young girl and married her instead, according to the letters for Lord Ascot. Poor thing, thought Alice. Must be terrible to deal with his bowel issues. She smiled at the thought. Despite the rejection, Lord Ascot and Alice were business partners, so the Kingsleys were still invited to the gatherings. And Alice was to attend tonight. So after a couple of hours of her sister telling her what to wear and how to wear her hair (Alice insisted at least half-down), they were on their way by carriage to Hamish's house. Years on the sea and not one scene of seasickness, but mere minutes on the carriage and she felt as though she were going to vomit! Though to be fair, she was pretty sure it was not the carriage that she was sick from, but the thought of what she was drawing closer and closer to.

Luckily though, that anxiety faded and Alice managed to actually have a pretty enjoyable time at the dinner. Everyone was happy to see Alice back and she found herself recalling every little detail about her trip, refraining from announcing the engagement. Albert and her had reached an agreement to tell their families first, after all. Alice had to take a moment to herself though; she was not used to so much company, and with much of the company focusing on her it was almost as overwhelming as the 'engagement party' two years ago. She walked past the hedges and the statues, past the fountain and deep into the garden. She found herself so lost in her thoughts by the time she finally found a comfy spot by a rosebush that she could have sworn she was hearing voices.

Funny... No matter where I am in the world, I'll always hear voices.

"Alice!"

Alice shot up. She wasn't hearing voices. In fact, she hit her head against the head of the very being that had called her name.

"Ouch!"

Orange.

This man's hair was orange.

She looked up at the man who had just fallen backward, hat off of his head now. He was rubbing a particularly red spot, and Alice imagined she had an identical spot on her own sore forehead, which she rubbed.

"Oops," the man stammered. "Sorry, Alice. I thought you were asleep."

"Wh- what are you- who-"

The big, green eyes lost a little sparkle as he surveyed Alice in her fancy dress with her hair braided and half-up.

"Did you forget me again, Alice?"

"No- No!" she said. "H-Hatter..?"

The Hatter... was in London.

"Hatter! But what are you doing here?!" The Mad Matter looked instantly happier, and he sat up cross-legged, as though it were completely normal for him to be there.

"Well, the White Rabbit c-could get up here," he said in his quiet, stuttering voice. "So I thought…why couldn't I? And I missed you immensely. Plus… I remembered, Alice… today is your half-birthday!" He always had such a tendency to ramble.

"It's not my birthday," Alice said, blinking.

"No, Alice, your half-birthday." He was grinning, and Alice stared at him. "You are exactly twenty-two and a half today."

Suddenly it was a mad blend of orange and yellow, of blue and green, limbs intertwining. Alice was not a very physical person; she didn't usually hug people goodbye or hello unless they hugged her first. But this was different. She tackled the Hatter in a hug, and after a frightened laugh he hugged her back nervously, as though in disbelief that she actually remembered him.

"Hatter! You can't be seen here! I can't believe you're up here! I didn't even think you could--"

"But Alice- Alice-" The Hatter interrupted, fighting to sit up in a proper position again. He was smiling, his slightly off-centered eyes focused on Alice.

"I'm here. I found you. I came to take you away."

"Take me away?" repeated Alice. "Whatever do you mean?"

"I'm here to take you back… to Wonderland."

A/N: So? What did you think? You want to read more? R&R for the next chapter!