Disclaimer- I do not own Batman and I don't own Lewis Carroll
A/N- Initially a one shot but then the plot wouldn't stop bothering me, and here we are. Let's just call that last chapter the Prologue.
I would have written sooner but I decided to actually read Alice in Wonderland (and Through the Looking Glass) before attempting to write a story like this
Please read, review and enjoy!
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"'O Oysters come and walk with us!'
The Walrus did beseech.
'A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
along the briny beach.'
-The Walrus and the Carpenter
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Chapter One:
A Pleasant Walk and a Not So Pleasant Talk
The day had started off bad enough.
First of all Alice hadn't gotten much rest. She had, in fact drifted to sleep while reading her book, all the while sitting in an arm chair. This hadn't been the most comfortable position to wake up to and as Alice stretched she knew she was going to be slightly sore all day.
Second was that after checking the clock she discovered that it was nine forty-five. This wouldn't have normally been a bad thing as it was Saturday and she didn't have any work. However today she was supposed to be going out to breakfast with Billy…and he was coming over at ten.
With a groan Alice got dressed as quickly as she could. To her great surprise and delight she had actually finished dressing when the doorbell rang. Looking back at the book she had spent most of the night reading, Alice decided on an impulse, to shove it in her purse. As odd as the book was Alice just didn't want to part with it until she had finished.
"Honey, it's me." There was a knock on the door this time as Billy started to get impatient. That was something that hadn't changed. Billy hated to be kept waiting, it was one of his pet peeves. He'd told her this when they first started dating. She used to think it was cute but now she just tended to find it rather irritating. This may have been because she was starting to develop a tendency to be late herself.
"I'm coming." Alice called out as she walked over to her front door.
"Hey Alice, I thought you'd forgotten about me." Billy said, teasing her slightly when she opened the door.
Attempting to keep a smile on her face Alice shook her head. "I could never do that. Are you ready to go?"
-
Alice and Billy, after numerous fights, seemed to come to a sort of unspoken compromise. Billy wouldn't ask about the nights Alice stayed up, waiting and Alice wouldn't defend Jervis to him. It seemed to work well for them but it didn't stop them from arguing occasionally about the topic. This may have been because Alice didn't really think that Billy was keeping his side of the bargain. He did continue to call her every night there was a bat signal in the air after all.
However whenever she brought up this point to Billy, he'd just say that he was worried about her because he loved her more then anything an wanted her to be safe. When he said things like that Alice knew there was no way she would be able to disagree with him because she felt the same way about him...didn't she?
As she shook her head to rid herself of this thought (and really where did those keep coming from), Billy looked over at her.
"Are you okay Alice?"
"Yes, I just didn't get much sleep last night, that's all."
Billy paused as if unsure of what to say. Realizing the implications of what she'd said Alice decided to put him at ease. It was the least she could do.
"I was reading a really good book and I guess I just lost track of time." She laughed at herself and saw Billy visibly relax.
"That's good, maybe you can tell me about it while we eat."
Alice froze for a slight moment when they reached the door of the restaurant. She hadn't really been planning to tell Billy what she was reading as she wasn't quite sure what his reaction would be.
Alice was glad of the distraction of the restaurant and they walked in. It wasn't very busy so they didn't have to wait long. This meant Billy didn't get a chance to ask about the book.
However it did mean that they were seated rather quickly.
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"How's your new Psychiatrist?" Billy asked her once they had ordered. Alice sighed with relief fearing that he'd been going to ask about either the book or the night before.
"I like her." Alice replied honestly. "She's a very happy person. I don't think I've ever seen her without a smile on her face."
"Really? Well I'm glad you like her."
There was an unspoken "because we were running out of options" that hung in the air after Billy had spoken. It grew into an awkward silence that lasted until the food got there.
As Alice and Billy ate their breakfast there were two women on the other side of Gotham who happened to be talking about exactly what Billy and Alice were trying to avoid.
"Please tell me you're joking." The red haired woman sighed exasperated, from the couch she was sitting on.
"What're you talking about Red?" The blonde hyperactive woman was sprawled in an armchair looking at her friend upside-down. "It's a perfect idea!"
Ivy sighed, wondering (not for the first time) if Harley ever thought things through before acting. "Do you have any idea what will happen if you if your patient finds out that you're not really a doctor?"
"I am so a doctor." Harley said defensively as she jumped into a normal sitting position.
Ivy rolled her eyes. "You were before you were committed yourself. Somehow I just don't think you're the best person to be getting mental advice from."
Harley stuck out her tongue. "I think it's a wonderful idea. I owe Jervis a favor anyhow."
"Does Jervis know what you're doing?" Ivy asked.
"Nope! It's gonna be a surprise."
Ivy just put her head in her hands and sighed. "Fine then, at least tell me your plan."
"Sure thing Red!"
Alice was sitting in the park waiting for Billy. He said after their breakfast that he wanted to go for a walk but when they reached the park he realized he'd forgotten his wallet at the restaurant. So Alice was left alone on a park bench while Billy went back.
Looking around her she saw various people taking advantage of the warm June day. There were children playing a game of tag and couples walking down the paths. Alice watched them walking by her with a pang of envy, followed quickly by a pang of guilt. After all she did have a boyfriend, she shouldn't be jealous of couples.
Deciding that it would be better if she pushed such thoughts out of her mind Alice took her book out of her purse. Opening the book, she carefully took out her bookmark and found her spot. The book she decided, was highly amusing and she liked it a lot. The poems were so whimsical. Filled with so much nonsense, it was an enjoyable read.
Alice also admitted to herself that she liked the character Alice as well. The little girl was far braver then she was. Though, then again lots of things about her and Alice were different. In fact one of the only things she thought she had in common with the fictional girl was that they shared the same name….and they both knew a hatter. She thought that thought sadly to herself before resuming her reading.
A little while latter Alice had found a particular passage that intrigued her so much she felt she simply read it to herself out-loud and work it out.
"W…will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you join the dance? Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, won't you join….." There was a shadow in front of her and Alice looked up to see Billy standing in front of her.
"What are you reading Alice?" Billy asked, looking a little angrily. Alice held up her book a little nervously and stared down at her feet. Feeling all the while, like a little girl who had just been caught doing something wrong.
"I'm reading Alice in Wonderland." She replied. There was a silence and Alice looked up to see Billy staring at her in amazement. He'd taken the book out of her hand and was now flipping through it. Alice got up from the bench, wondering what his reaction was going to be.
"Why are you reading that?" Billy asked harshly holding the book up in the air. "You're supposed to be trying to forget stuff to do with him, not reading trash like this." He shook the book in her face and Alice took a step backwards bumping up against the bench.
At that moment Billy noticed the frightened expression on her face and his own face seemed to lose its severity. He put the book down.
"Look, Alice…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He sighed. "I just want us to be happy, all right? And I don't think that reading this book will help you forget."
"Dr. Quinzelle suggested I read it." Alice replied in a quiet voice. This made Billy pause.
"Are you sure she's helping you then? All the other doctors said that you should try to avoid anything to do with that…Hatter."
"His name is Jervis!" Alice replied sharply before she could help herself. "Anyway all those other doctors didn't do anything to help me. Maybe Dr.Quinzelle's idea's are better."
"Maybe." Billy agreed warily as he passed her the book back. "I don't like it though."
There was a pause and the parks noises drifted past as they stood.
"Have you even read the book before?" Alice asked a tone that she hoped didn't sound as accusatory as it had to her.
Billy blinked, quite clearly he had been expecting Alice to drop the subject and he looked like he was going to raise his voice again. However he thought better of it and decided to answer.
"I have read…Alice in Wonderland."
"What did you think?" Alice asked almost eagerly.
"I thought…well really, I thought it was kind of boring. I mean it's just random nonsense, nothing made sense at all. And that Alice girl was too curious for her own good."
"Maybe I do have something else in common with her then…" Alice said quietly to herself. Curiosity was one thing that she had been getting herself in trouble with recently.
Billy didn't hear Alice's whisper. "Well I guess if the doc says its okay I guess you should read it. It's just a little weird that's all."
Alice put the book back into her purse. "You can ask her yourself if you want. You're coming to my appointment with me tomorrow, remember?"
"Of course I did, babe. Now lets go finish that walk."
Alice sighed quietly, taking one last look at her purse before picking it up and continuing to walk.
A/N- Well I hope you liked the chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought
