~.`~.`~WONDERLANDS' PERILS~.`~.`~
~Outside the Hospital of Dreams~
Hatter was slammed onto the ground from atop a horse; trying to rescue Alice from the Suits, outside of the Hospital of Dreams. Knocking all the air out of him; unable to scream for Alice to get out of there as fast as she could.
"Get off him!" Alice screamed while she was held back by three Suits.
The suits were also holding him down; so tightly to the ground he could barely breathe.
"Hatter!" Alice screamed again.
He squirmed under their rough grips only to no prevail.
Mad March came into view above the struggling Hatter,
"What a nice surprise" He said with his grating electronic voice.
Mad March looked down at Hatter with that expressionless white head "throw him in Scarab."
And throw him they did. All four of the Suits picked up each limb of Hatter and dragged him over rocks, dirt and concrete.
"Oi! Watch the coat!" Hatter pleaded.
March was walking behind him and came around to his side to kick him in the ribs when he heard the snarky comment "Keep quiet carpetbagger!"
They arrived at the scarab perched on the ledge of the sidewalk. "No!" Hatter Grunted as he tried to writhe loose from the suits once again. Although he did manage to kick on of the Suits square in the nose, causing a profuse bleed. The bleeding Suit looked up at March... "Hold his head still" March barked and pulled a syringe filled with a blackish green sludge from his suit-coat. Hatters stomach dropped, he was really in trouble now. He wished Alice, Charlie or hell, even Jack was here to save him from the fate of the cold metal tip of that long needle. As Mad March bent down next to Hatters neck, he tried his hardest to crane his head away but the Suits had such a grip on him. March plunged the needle far into Hatters neck and let loose the dark green bile. Hatter cried out a pained scream. "That should keep him quiet for a while"
The bile burned as it took over his blood stream and he was fighting consciousness, but lost the battle when the suits chucked him into Scarab and smacking his head on the floor...
~The Truth Room~
Hatter awoke with a searing pain in his neck and when he went to soothe it he found that both of his hands and his chest had been bound (his right hand was wrapped more and tighter than his left) to a cold metal chair in the middle of the room, with walls and floors uneasily green. He was alone, for now. The concoction that Mad March had injected him with, left him groggy and the pain from his neck had flowed through him and he swore he could feel it pumping through his heart. "ALICE! CHARLIE!" he weakly screamed, voice raspy and filled with exhaustion hoping that someone had heard. His head and body were swimming in pain. He struggled under his bindings trying to look for an exit, and that's when he heard it. The cackling of the twins... Doctors Dee and Dum came gallivanting from somewhere in the back behind Hatter. Dum was carrying an electric prod that he buzzed and cracked behind hatters head and hit his hat off with, sending it flying across the room. Hatter sat as still as he possibly could, except for the tremors that racked his body from March's poison. Dee circled around to Hatters front and punched him on the side of his head hard enough to make him bleed from his ear, blood started to trickle down his neck. Hatter cringed as he felt his own warm blood flowing on his skin.
"Now brother lets fair" Dum exclaimed as he joined his brother and elbowed Hatter in the face, giving him a nasty shiner. The Doctors cackled with each other as they pranced around him, jabbing him with the electric prod and punching him in the face and chest.
"You're oyster will never see you again!" Dee said as he shocked Hatter in the neck with prod. Hatter jolted as the electricity coursed through him "You're wrong!" He yelled; his voice cracking. He hated the way the word "oyster" especially talking about Alice sounded when the Doctors said it. "You'll be dead before teatime!" Dum and Dee said in sync as they laughed manically. Hatter was sweating from the pain and the lasting effects of the green sludge. All of the sudden the Doctors stopped. Hearing a creaking and an electrical whirring from the back of the room... Hatter lost it, he couldn't concentrate. He knew who that was. He started to babble uncontrollably.
"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Hatter rocked back and forth
"The clockworks not ticking properly..."
"Maybe crumbs in the Butter..."
Mad March walked in on the mad Hatter, heels clicking ominously as he walked up to him, looming over Hatter like some sort of primal beast. "Leave us" March said to the Tweedle twins. "but..." They protested, but when they saw what March was going to do, they turned and walked out.
~Inside the Truth Room~
"Tell me where the Great Library is" Hatter sat still and quiet, gritting his teeth. "Yeah I didn't think you'd crack..." "In that case, there's no need to keep you alive" March took a long knife out from somewhere in the depths of sleeve and tested the point. He got closer to Hatter, "twinkle, twinkle little bat, how I wonder what you're at" He paused and tilted his head "Goodbye Hatter" At that; Hatter vaulted himself backwards, landing hard on his back. He managed to kick Mad March in the stomach, pushing him back, allowing Hatter to swing his legs around and being able to stand. He used the chair as a shield for when March ran at him again thrusting the knife towards his heart. Hatter was able to dodge at the jab and put his bindings in the way of the knife so his sledgehammer right hand was freed. March was quick and Hatter was still drugged. Mad March managed to get a good stab to Hatters left side. Hatter yelped in pain when the knife pierced his skin.
March laughed but it didn't last long because Hatter tightly balled up his fist and took his shot... He shattered Mad March's head into pieces. March fell and slumped to the ground. Just to make sure he was dead, Hatter tore the wires out of the back of his head. Hatter was still dragging the chair with his left hand, so he picked up the knife that Mad March had dropped, and cut his left hand free. He limped over to his hat, groaned to pick it up and flipped up it onto his head.
Adrenaline was shooting through Hatters body trying to think about how to get out, he began pacing the perimeter of the room, clutching his burning chest and stab wound. Then finally, he found a crack in the wall, which he pushed on and a door swung open. Hatter fell out the doorway and collapsed on the floor in the bright white hallway. He knew he had to get up and find Alice, she needed his help. But all he could muster was breathing and not passing out. Blood slowly began to pool underneath him from his side. Red was beginning stain the white floor as Hatter pulled himself to the nearest beam and began to haul himself upwards. Thankfully the suits were all outside defending the perimeter, so the hall wasn't full of the Queens minions. Hatter staggered over to a window where he saw Charlie outside and his army. He put a bloody hand up to the glass in hopes that he might see him, but it was an impossible chance. "Common Charlie, I need your help, we need to save Alice" He said out loud as leaned against the window getting blood on the glass.
~Outside~
Charlie was directly under Hatters stained glass window when he looked up to aim another arrow at a suit on a flamingo. "Harbinger?!" Charlie shouted as he saw the sickly red window and the feint outline of his leather coat and hat. Hatter was fading quickly and knew he couldn't stand for much longer, so he held onto the window railing for dear life as he watched Charlie charge a group of 4 suits. Charlie somehow managed to get past and back into the Casino. But Hatter was six flights up...
Flight one: Charlie stormed up the stairs.
Hatter began trying to make his way down the hall, prying himself from the sticky red window...
Flight two: Charlie was skipping steps and swung around to the third flight...
Flight three: He was getting winded but managed to keep his feet going quickly.
Hatter had made it 10 feet down the hall, hugging the wall, leaving a gruesome trail of blood behind him...
Flight four: "I'm coming Harbinger!" Charlie yelled...
Flight five: Hatter began to get light headed and started sliding downward...
Flight Six: Charlie was out of breath when he reached the top, but his breath hitched when he saw the blood stained floor leading out of the Truth Room.
"Harbinger!" Charlie yelled; his voice filled with fear. Hatter was sitting slumped against a wall and was barely roused when he heard his name called. "Charlie?" he said breathily as he forced himself to stand. He never wanted anyone to see him this fragile. "Charlie...Over...Here!" Hatter desperately called. He heard the familiar clink-clank of Charlie's armor as he grew nearer. "Oh horrible day!" Charlie exclaimed when he saw the bloodied state of Hatter. His shirt was soaked through, his face was drenched in sweat and his eyes were halfway open.
Charlie slid to the floor armor squealing as it dragged across the floor. Quickly he reached out to him checking his pulse and began to put pressure on his stab would. "Charlie... How did...You see me...?" Hatter gasped, eyes closing. "I am a knight!" He looked Hatter straight in the eye with deep worry "and there are no red windows on the Hearts Casino" Hatter fell quiet "...Harbinger?" Charlie reached underneath his escutcheon and took out a bottle of smelling salts and held them under Hatters bleeding nose. "Come now man, Just Alice needs you" Hatter came around to Charlie trying to lift him up. It hurt so much, every muscle ached, every wound bled, and the poison was still in his system.
"Charlie, find Alice...we need to get out of here" Hatter weakly moaned. Charlie had Hatter by his arm wrapped around his back. They slowly made their way down the hallway, checking doors as they went. With Hatter still dripping blood behind them and grunting when he was moved wrong. Finally they opened the right door. The Gaming Room... Alice stood on the stage with a gun held up in the air. She saw the door swing open, so naturally she pointed the gun at it at the ready. "Charlie! Hatter!" She was both relieved and confused. Last she knew, Charlie was outside of the Casino and Hatter was still to be in the clutches of Mad March. "Just plain Alice, Your vassal is severely wounded!" he said as he shoved a Diamond out of the way of a Black Jack table.
Alice heaved herself off the stage and ran over to Charlie "Hatter, oh my God!" She ordered everyone to move away from the Black Jack table as she helped Charlie gently lay Hatter on the table. Hatter coughed and sputtered, blood covering his lips. "Alice..." he groaned. Hatter smeared the Black Jack table with his blood and dirt mixture. Her hands hovered over his body, finding more patches of blood and bruises everywhere she looked. "Hatter, what did they do to you!?" Alice said worryingly. Hatter shifted around on the table, feeling the poker chips underneath him "Alice, I'm fine, Just a few cuts and bruises" "and poison" he added under his breath. He coughed, once again sputtering blood. Charlie was tightly holding pressure onto Hatters stab wound on his side so that he wouldn't bleed out all over the table. Alice noticed the pin hole in his neck where a small streak of dried blood was. She placed her finger lightly on it "Hatter what is this?!" Alice's words dripped with fear. "Mad March...Was some kind of dark green..." Hatter said. Charlie's eyebrows rose at the description of the poison
"What?" Alice said, catching a glance at him. Charlie poked a finger to Hatters chest, "we need to get you out of here. Just Plain Alice, do not touch your Harbinger!"
"What are you on ab-" Alice started, Charlie grabbed her hand and then pointed to his gauntlet cladded ones
"poison" He said grimly
But before she could finish, "Do not touch his wounds. Jabberwock blood..." Charlie finished "Dark green, deadly to oysters. Yet produces tremors, blood thinning, sweating and weakness in us Wonderlanders" At that, Charlie dragged half of Hatter off the Black Jack table and motioned for Alice to take the bottom half of him. "Charlie, please, I can stand, I just can't move very fast" Hatter pleaded. He shakily stood making sure to keep his left hand on the knife wound in his side. They ran into an elevator shaft. Leaning against the door once it closed, the tremors had gotten more noticeable, Hatter was shaking with no control now. "Hatter, you're going to be okay" Alice comforted him while bracing him, helping him to stand. She reached into her coat pocket, pulling out a handkerchief and slipping it in between his fingers and the wound. Hatter sucked in a breath when she put more pressure on the cloth.
*Ding*
The elevator had reached the first floor. "Guinevere, is waiting outside the Kingdom...There just seems to be a lake in between us..." Charlie pointed to the glass doors which overlooked the lake. Hatter hobbled out of the elevator "don't mean burst your bubble Charlie, but there's a whole mess of suits outside that door" Hatter said, coughing into his shoulder.
The three of them stood quiet, trying to think of how to get past the suits without harming themselves or Hatter further. Charlie began humming and pacing around, his armor clinking when he turned. Alice crossed her arms deep in thought, and Hatter knelt down and sat on the floor, still clutching his side.
"Hatter?" Alice put her hand on his shoulder
He grunted in acknowledgement
"Do you still have your gun?"
He sat deep in thought; He honestly didn't know. The Tweedle Twins might have taken it or he might have dropped it in the gaming room... Hatter awkwardly stood, catching himself when he just about ate casino floor. He began to pat down all his pockets, his right hand was shaking and he started to get out of breath. The poison was breaking him...
There, his hand finally brushed over his shoulder holster, he pulled the gun out and handed it to Alice. The gun was slick and sticky; it was covered in Hatters blood. She showed the gun to Charlie, which he nodded silently and took out his sword.
"Hatter, stay close to me" Alice stated. She cocked the gun with Hatter leaning on her. All three of them made their way toward the suits...
It was a mess, but they made headway. Alice managed to kill four suits and wound six of them while Charlie sliced three suits open. Hatter barely was able to hold his own, but he did knock out two suits. Charlie walked over to a half conscious suit and pounded him on the head with his balled up fist "bow to the hand of Thioclese!" He exclaimed as the suit fell gracefully to the ground. And with that, they made their way through the suits...
Alice brushed herself off and wrapped her arm behind Hatters back "there should be a smuggling boat at the water's edge" Hatter choked. Charlie sheathed his sword and started making his way to the edge of the lake...
Alice jumped into the small wooden boat, pulled the choke, turned the key and revved the engine, she thought about the last time she'd been to a lake in a boat; it had been with her dad...she became lost in thought. Charlie helped Hatter into the boat; he managed one foot in on his own, but collapsed before he could lift his other foot over the wooden side. "Hatter!" Alice spun around when she heard him let out a breath of air and the thud of him hitting the floor of the boat. Charlie clambered into the boat, his armor scraping and scratching the side. "Harbinger!" Charlie yelled as he forcefully grabbed Hatter and hauled him to lean against him so he wouldn't fall out of the boat.
Alice was gunning it to the other side of the lake, looking for Guiniveire to find the Knights Kingdom. Alice couldn't turn around to check on Hatter and she trusted Charlie to take care of him. It was a long ride to the other side of the lake, Charlie spoke of his past, deep in his tale he looked over at Alice; she really was everything the legend spoke of. The sun was reflecting off her perfect pale skin, hair whipping in the wind coming off the lake, her burnt green tattoo on her arm shone like an emerald, catching his attention Charlie ceased speaking. "Charlie?" She quickly glanced at Charlie, fearing that something was wrong with Hatter from the sudden silence. Nothing seemed to be the matter as Hatter was still shakily breathing. Charlie pointed to the emerald green mark on her arm "burnt by the light and the oysters will turn green" he recited as if he'd known the saying all his life. She said nothing as she steered the boat towards the bank. Alice spotted Guiniveire, so she drove the boat to the shore, scraping the bottom of the boat against jagged Wonderland rocks. "What made me turn green Charlie?" Alice picked up the conversation just as it had lulled as she hopped out of the boat, dragging Hatter out with her, he groaned in pain when she moved him. "It has to do with the chemical make-up of you oyst… errr…your kind that makes the light react against your melanin levels…but most believed that oysters were such outsiders that burning your kind was the only way of branding the suits catches," Charlie walked over to Guiniveire who was toting some sort of sled made of vines and sticks, he tugged on the bonds to make sure everything was secure "bring your vassal over here." Hatter stumbled over to the sled and fell into it "Alice I'm cold" Hatter sleepily said. Those words stopped her and Charlie deep in their tracks...
Alice knelt down on his left side, fearing the worst; she peeled his hand away from his side and gasped at what she saw. The poison was thinning his blood so his wound wasn't clotting. "Just Alice, swiftness is essential in this dire time" Charlie spoke quickly up top Guiniveire. He held his hand out, wanting Alice to sit behind him on his horse. "Go on Alice, I'll be alright back here" Hatter choked out, while lifting his hand to see it covered in new slick blood "That's... not good" he said as his hand quickly dropped back down to his side. "Just stay awake" Alice pleaded, getting up behind Charlie. The forest was quiet, lacking its Jabberwock, but there was plenty of noise to fill the void of sound; Borogoves; bird looking creatures with giant beaks ran in groups in front of and sometimes alongside their cavalcade. "Devil to catch those are, but well worth the chase!" Also Slithy Toves; creatures looking like badgers with elongated snouts also skittered across the forest floor. Charlie smiled as he pointed to the odd looking creatures. But his face went grim as he heard Hatter coughing and groaning "Stay with us Harbinger!" Alice turned and leaned backwards as she put a comforting hand on Hatters head, but was jolted back to her original position when Guiniveire started galloping faster.
Hatters' breathing was slow and hitched as his eyes slowly began to close, his pulse getting weaker.
When they reached the Knights Kingdom, Guiniveire trotted to a stop at Charlie's front gate. Alice slid off the horse, her leather boots kicking up dirt as she hit the ground. Swinging the gate open she took hold of the bridal at lead the horse to a resting place. Charlie jumped down from Guinivere and grabbed Hatter from the sled and carried him bridal style to the throne room. Alice was quickly at Charlie's heels "Be careful with him!" He had lain Hatter in an old featherbed where Alice had once slept not too many hours ago. Hatter was pale, drenched with his own sweat and blood and his hat had tumbled off to the ground beside the bed. "Charlie, is there a cure? Is he going to be okay? He's lost a lot of blood!"
"Just plain Alice, calm yourself, I know what I'm doing. All knights were trained in potions and poisons" Charlie walked over to wooden cabinet standing crookedly next to a broken mirror that was hanging over a table, made of a tree trunk. He carefully opened the doors to the tall cabinet, reaching into its vast shelves. He began thumbing through small bottles and vials "Wonderland sickness, mone wrath venom, molasses...bath salts..." he was mumbling to himself as he was shuffling the bottles around. "Where are you…" he sang. The quiet tinkling of the bottles soon became a loud rattling as he began throwing the wrong bottles to the ground; some smashed and broke into tiny pieces when they hit the ground, and others just made a light thud. "Aha!" Charlie danced with excitement when he selected the right vial. It was a white milky substance that was about the thickness of honey, and it rolled around in be bottle with a sloshing sound. Holding the bottle up to the light it almost shined; an iridescent behind the glass. "Charlie, have you got it?" Alice panicked, he was moving too slow, and Hatter barely had a pulse! "Make way Just Alice!" Charlie swooped by her, grabbing an old style syringe from a drawer as he moved closer to Hatter. In one swift move, he flipped the decorative lid off the bottle and sucked the white honey up into the needle. "Which side was he injected on?" Charlie inquired. Alice pointed to the hole in Hatters sweaty neck. Charlie softly patted Hatters neck on the opposite side and gently pushed the needle through his skin "sorry dear boy" and proceeded to push the contents into Hatter. "Now we wait, my dear." Charlie placed the syringe on the table as he brought out some clean cloth to stop Hatters bleeding. Alice took away the old spoiled cloth and ever so gently pressed a new one on to last through the night.
Alice was the first to wake in the morning. She stood and brushed herself off, looking over Hatter; she fingered his tousled brown hair off his forehead and checked his pulse. To her surprise, he moved underneath her light touch. He sleepily moaned and lifted his hand to gently grasp hers, "Alice?" He slurred. "Oh Hatter, I'm so glad you're okay!" Alice nearly squeaked, she began hugging him, forgetting his wounds.
The two made such a commotion that Charlie was awakened by this harmonious reuniting, and swung out of his hammock, awkwardly running to Just Alice and her now awoken Vassal. Hatter slowly sat up, running his hand through his messy hair. "Where's my..." He spotted his hat on the ground and smiled, he scooped it up and placed it neatly on his brown mop of hair and smiled wide that ended in a small cough. "I see you're feeling better" The knight commented as the vassal flirted with Alice. "I owe you one Charlie" Hatter extended his hand in hopes that Charlie would take it, he bowed and took the younger man's hand and helped him to stand. The generous hand turned into a bear hug from the knight. Hatter was still in pain but, damn it felt good, plus being safe and having around people you could trust was marvelous. Hatter turned and looked at the bed he'd just been in, the bedside table scattered with bloodied bandages and the left over vial and syringe. Hatter made an uneasy noise and his gaze fell upon the syringe; he picked the bottle up and carefully inhaled what was left "What was this, Charlie?" The Knight smiled and placed a hand on the younger mans' shoulder "Jabberwock blood" he stated clear as day. "Blehh" Hatter mumbled as he swayed, Alice was ready to catch him but he pushed her away. He stumbled quickly over to a tree and retched beside it, his hand clutching his stomach as he did so.
They both sighed in unison as they were both exhausted, Charlie went back to his hammock and curled up with his teddy bear, and Alice slept curled up beside Hatter in bed with her hand holding his.
The next morning was a thing of beauty as the Knights kingdom was bathed in warm sunshine; "hey noni noni, heyy noni noni, the wind and the rain…" Charlie sang softly as he tended to the fire, cooking breakfast. Distracted by turning borigove bacon over, he didn't hear Hatter come up behind him
"Charlie?"
The Knight nearly fell off the log he was perched on "FOR THE LOVE OF…! You nearly gave me a heart attack, Harbinger!"
"sorry!" He patted Charlie on the shoulder and sat down beside the older man. They sat in silence for a long time, just enjoying each other's company. Alice eventually woke and came and joined her boys. She finished her breakfast and stood to gather the dishes. "Not much for hospitals and needles I am" Hatter said suddenly with a thick accent. "Charlie I can't begin to thank you for what you've done" he stopped and looked at Alice "you too love." Alice blushed.
"Couldn't let you just die, son" said the knight casually. "Plus, Looks like Just Plain Alice has taken a shine to you." "Charlie!" Alice elbowed him in the ribs.
Hatter poked at the bandages underneath his shirt, wincing a bit he again nodded a thank you to Charlie. "Is there a stream nearby?" Hatter asked "bout' a quarter mile that way" Charlie pointed east. "Need to wash up" he motioned to his clothes, and motioned for Alice to come with him. "Yes please" she answered, as feeling like she needed to take a shower, the stream would do just fine. The two marched off to the stream leaving Charlie alone with his thoughts. He dumped out the bloody water and threw away the rags along with the used syringe. Putting everything back in its order he was satisfied with his work.
Alice shyly began taking off her dress as she neared the water, Hatter turned round till she had slipped under the water. He stood awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck with the other hand crooked on his hip. Alice brushed through her long brunette hair with her fingers "you coming in, are you just gonna stand there staring at the trees all day?" Hatter whirled round to see her head bobbing above the water. "Uh yeah, just..." He pawed at his hat, and began undoing his shirt buttons "don't know if I should get my wounds that wet" "stop making excuses and get in here" she said with a sly smile. After that he practically sprinted into the water and dove in to a deep part of the stream, coming out of the water like a breaching whale, splashing Alice unintentionally "sorry love" he chuckled, smiling like a fool. He winced as Alice came behind him hugging his torso with her smooth skin. "Mm you're warm" he commented. Hatter held a small cloth, rubbing his face, ridding it of blood and dirt.
The two took their time bathing and didn't get out till they were both soaked to the bone. Charlie had given them both large woolen blankets to wrap themselves with, which they were swathed in when they walked hand in hand back to the Kingdom.
Charlie had washed their clothes and had them hanging neatly on a tree branch. "We'd better get you back to the city Just Alice, I hear they have the Looking Glass up and all they need is you with the ring to get it running again" Alice slipped her purple jacket on, suddenly remembering home... her home... the "real world", with her mother Carol; her stomach dropped and she was instantly homesick, she had forgotten that when she first ended up here, she thought this place was horrible. Now, not so bad, she had Charlie…Hatter…
"You know he's right Alice. You've got to get back…"
"Yes you're right. Charlie, will you come with us, send us…me…off?" She faltered in her words; she and Hatter had made such a team. It had seemed like weeks that they had been together…"together", that word sounded so nice.
"I would be honored" with his arm respectfully across his chest Charlie took a deep bow, and whistled for his speckled horse. And off they went to the city across the lake to once again face the Looking Glass…
~The "Heart" of the City {The Looking Glass} ~
There it was.
In all its glory, the Looking Glass, a towering gold leafed mirror in the center of the room. A small box about waist high was where the Stone of Wonderland needed to be placed. Jack Heart was stiffly standing with his hands clasped behind his back next to the mirror when Alice plus two slowly came through the revolving door.
"Jack…"
"Alice, Just in time" Ignoring Charlie and Hatter he took Alice by the arm and led her up to the mirror. "Are you ready to leave this crazy place?" Jack said snidely
Hatter was worn out from the journey, leaned against the wall and ending up sitting. "Maybe we should leave" Hatter said to Charlie standing above him, jabbing his thumb sarcastically at Jack
"nonsense!" Charlie took Hatters forearm and hauled him skyward pressing a finger hard to his chest. "You will not sit here and sulk, boy. Go to her. That's an order" he barked. Gently holding his side, Hatter advanced toward Alice and Jack. He scrubbed at the back of his head out of awkwardness "Alice I…um…"
Jack took the hint and sauntered away to go look busy. Finding Dutchess in the hall.
Alice grabbed Hatter and pulled him into a tight hug and kissed him on the cheek. "Come with me" she looked him in the eye.
"Alice I can't…My teashop, Charlie" "Your teashop isn't needed anymore and I want Charlie to come with us too" "Oh…" he said, a twinge of happiness lurked into his voice "but what about your mother Alice? We can't just burst into her flat and expect to be welcomed" She took his hands in hers "Don't you worry about mother, I'll explain every...well, I'll take care of it" Alice smiled
"Charlie?" Clanking, he ran towards her "Just Plain Alice, I will miss you dearly, please do come back and visit" Charlie sputtered through tears and bleary eyes
"Charlie! Calm down!" She placed her hand on the side of the old mans' face "You're coming with me! and so is Hatter" Hatter gave a nod and reassuring smile.
The knight was speechless, to have Alice of Legend to invite him, a humble knight, back to her world. "Alice I'm honored! I have no family left and my purpose here has been fulfilled" he concluded, as if leaving with Alice needed to be justified. Standing up straight and proud he stood in front of the mirror taking in his own reflection; his years as acting white knight, it made him strong even though you wouldn't know it through his age. He sighed, readying himself for the journey through the Glass. Charlie roughly clapped a hand on Hatters' shoulder and they both turned to take a look at the place they were about to leave. "I'll miss it a bit'" Hatter admitted. The knight bowed low and turned back around to the giant mirror. "Ready?" She leaned over and put the Stone of Wonderland in the little box and the Looking Glass shook and came to life with a great roar. Alice took Charlie and Hatter by the hand and stepped through the mirror…
~The Real World {Outside Carols Apartment}~
THUD, THUD, THUD; one at a time Charlie, Alice and Hatter fell out of the other side of the mirror.
They were here, a brand new place for Charlie and Hatter, but home sweet home for Alice. She stood and brushed herself off and helped the others up. "Oh that was not pleasant" Hatter said with a moan, looking at Charlie's armor, it suddenly looked strangely out of place, "we need to get you some real clothes Charlie." The Knight looked around, rubbing his head "like the real Robbinson & Duckworth" he murmured to himself, walking behind Alice. Hatter smirked when he heard Charlie.
"Alright just stay here for a minute" Alice said to Hatter and Charlie outside her apartment complex.
She stepped into her apartment and shut the door behind her "Mom?" "In here sweetheart" her mother called from the kitchen "you and Jack alright?" Alice panicked, "Jack? Yeah uh...He's fine" "Mom do we still have some of dads old clothes?" "Inside the trunk, in the closet. Why?" Alice Fiddled with her dress "I'll explain in a minute" she grabbed a pair of brown corduroy slacks, a cream sweater and a tweed jacket. She dashed back outside, leaving her poor mother riddled with questions. "Here Charlie, put this on. Can't have you clanking around in my living room" he took them and began taking his armor off. He understood that he looked misplaced in this world.
Alice went back inside, leaving the two men standing outside again. "What was that all about?" Carol asked as soon as her daughter walked in.
Alice just then realized the time difference between her world and Wonderland.
"Jack and I didn't work out" Alice started as she walked towards the door again. "He was just too…" she struggled for the right word "normal," Alice blurted as she paced nervously, messing with her thumbs "Normal? What on earth do you mean?" Carol was so confused "I've been seeing someone else" Alice interrupted "and he's here outside the door, with a wonderful friend of mine." Carol stood dumbfounded, mouth agape. Not knowing how to act, when her daughter turned towards the door and readied herself.
Hatter and Charlie were waiting nervously outside. What would Alice's mother say? What would she think? Questions were making Hatters head swim. He groaned again "It'll be fine Harbinger, just relax" Charlie rested a reassuring hand on the younger mans' shoulder and squeezed lightly. Hatter dropped his hand to his left side, lightly pressing it over his bandaged wound, the action almost became calming.
Alice opened the door…seeing Charlie without his armor on, he was a rather handsome man without all the car crash crazy. And then there was Hatter… always looking so right. "Mom, this is Charlie" gesturing toward the corduroy clad man. Charlie bowed and took Carols' hand, kissing it. "Oh…um…Hello, nice to meet you," Carol cooed. Alice took a deep breath "And this is Hat…David (was that a human enough name?)" Speaking softly but confidently Hatter apologized to Carol for the strange circumstances of meeting and shook her mother's hand gently.
"Please come in" Carol chimed waving her hand towards the living room. As Alice and Hatter passed her Charlie followed *Sure got an ass on him for his age…* Carol thought to herself as the older man found his way to the sofa. "Tea?" Alice's mother offered. Hatter practically sprang up off the sofa but quickly regretted it as he grabbed his side and howled. "Goodness! Are you alright?" Carol eyed him suspiciously "Fine, I'm fine" he waved his hand in the air "Battle wound, got stabbed once, love!" Hatter said cheerily, but quickly clamped his mouth shut; "talk when I'm nervous, sorry." Alice took her head in her hand stifling a laugh. "Mom, why don't you sit down and I'll get the tea" She said through the fit of giggles.
"So David, where are you from?" Carol inquired. Hatter looked to Alice and smiled.
And so it began; the long backstory that took them a whole hour to explain.
"So magic mirrors, houses of cards, evil queens and Knights…" She stuttered
"We could show you…?" Charlie suggested.
"You know, somehow I know you're telling the truth, no one can make up that good of story. And I don't think I want to visit that place anytime soon."
Carol stood and took Alice aside. "Alice, this is all so strange, but I like him; he seems like a good man," She hugged her daughter "now, that Charlie fellow…" she eyed the knight up and down…
The three talked for hours until it was into the wee hours of the morning. Cold forgotten tea sat on the table in front of them. The conversation never lulled.
Hatter was sleepily following the conversation, something about traffic lights and biscuits… "Alice?" he leaned his head on her and curled up. "Come on, you're tired" She took him by the arm and led him up to her room and sat him on the edge of the bed "hell of a day, eh?" climbing under the sheets after taking his shoes and shirt off, his hat still perched on his messy hair.
"You gonna sleep with that on?" Alice chuckled
"Mmm?" Hatter was practically halfway asleep. Alice took her dress off and changed into a nightgown. Gently lifting the hat off placing it on top of a book on her nightstand *Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass.* She climbed into the bed next to him, laying her head on his chest.
"I love you Hatter…"
THE END