Chapter 2: New Faces, Old Places

"Hello Hatter" Grell purrs while giving the man a wide smile showing off all his shark like teeth.

"Cheshire ~ Why are you here and who is your friend?~" Hatter giggles poring a cup of tea and adding at least twenty sugar cubes to it. The poor little cup being filled to the point the warm drink is filling the saucer.

"A very strange Alice is what she is you delectable man." I can't help the small shiver that happens when I hear Grell say that to the silver haired man.

"You idiot that can't been an Alice." the rabbit eared man states hitting Grell on the head with a pair of shears that he materialized out of nowhere. Grell lets out a mewl of pain and leans into me with his head on my shoulder again. I wrap my arms around him protectively and glare at the man. He looks at me blankly as if I don't even deserve to be bothered with.

"Please refrain from hitting him anymore he already has a bruise from the teacup that hit him." I say in a falsely sweet voice and giving the man a closed eyed smile.

"And why should I listen to you half breed."

"Now William be nice even if she is a half breed she is a member of wonderland." Hatter says glancing over at the other man with a slightly threatening smile.

"Be that as it may I have never seen or heard of someone like her."

"I am not a half breed!" I scream getting angry that they are talking as if I am not even here.

"You have a tail though ..Zzzz..." murmurs the man with mouse ears before going back to sleep again.

"Eh? Tail she doesn't have a.." Grell starts to say as he turns me around and moving my hair out of the way to see my back. "When did you get that!" he yells grabbing said tail and pulling slightly causing me to let out a loud mewling sound. I cover my mouth with my hands and stare at the ground embarrassed at having done that. "It's real..." Grell murmurs still holding onto it a bit too tightly for my liking, along with causing me to feel other things.

"Grell please let go..." I say giving him a embarrassed stare with tears brimming in my eyes. He lets go immediately and blushes slightly while stuttering out an apology. "It's okay Grell but I did tell you that me and you were alike somewhat. But I am not a half breed I just didn't get to finish releasing the spell on me." I add when William goes to make a comment. I take a deep breath and close my eyes again and do the same as before, after a few seconds I feel the familiar tingling sensation and open my eyes.

"See Willy boy she isn't a half breed but a Cheshire Cat like Grell!" Hatter exclaims starting to laugh so loud the dishes on the table start to rattle and causing some to fall off the table.

"I didn't know I actually had a name for what I am."I say bringing my tail up and starting to twist it in my hands nervously.

"But none of the other Cheshire's have that color pattern that I know of." Grell says cupping his chin with one hand and staring up at the sky in thought. He's right I guess because even in my world cheshire cats are made to have purple/pink striped fur. I on the other hand have black and silver fur but the black is actually a very dark purple that just looks black most of the time.

"Well aren't most ,if not all, of the Cheshire's here male like yourself." Will says pushing his glasses up with his clippers before continuing. "It may be that female's of your kind have that fur pattern instead."

"HEY! I am a lady just as much as she is!" Grell yells at Will while growling at the man with his fists clinched at his sides. "But even if she is a cheshire like me why did she arrive like the Alice would?"

"Wait Alice? Like the story Alice in Wonderland?" I say letting my tail swish side to side and my ears droop a little while leaning my head to the left, my visible eye looking at them as they all give me strange looks.

"Story? There is a story called Alice?" Grell asks seeming a little excited for some reason.

"Yes in my world there is a story called Alice in Wonderland, but that's all it is in my world a story something to read to kids at bedtime." I turn my gaze towards William and raise a brow when one of his long ears twitch slightly. "Wait if the story from my world is about here are you the March Hare?" I ask pointing at him and then to the sleeping man. "And is he the dormouse?" he nods his head and Hatter starts to laugh lightly.

"Ihehii~ It seems one of the previous Alice's wrote down of their time here." Hatter states standing to walk over to me and pat me on the head between my ears. "To explain things better an Alice is simply a person from your world that has wished to leave it. They all have their reasons for coming to wonderland and leave once whatever it is has been settled for them. There is no telling which Alice it is that your worlds story is based off of for there are too many to count. And we are not even the people from that story, yes I am the Hatter now but I was not the Hatter of then."

"So why is she here hmm...'yawn~' " the Dormouse says sitting up and stretching his arms before looking at me and Hatter(who still has his hand on my head). "I'm Ronald Knox also known as the Dormouse." he says sleepily while rubbing at his eyes with a gloved hand.

"Do you have another name as well Hatter?" I ask grabbing his wrist so I can move his arm out of the way and look at him clearly.

"Undertaker." he says with a grin wider than Grell's and patting my head again. I blush as he starts to scratch at the base of one of my ears causing me to purr lowly. "I wonder if she has any powers like you do m'dear." he says turning to Grell who is looking at me and Undertaker with what I would guess is jealousy.

"So can you do anything else besides hiding or revealing your ears?" Ronald asks placing an elbow on the table and leaning his head on his hand.

"Like what exactly?"

"Can you become invisible like I can nya~" Grell asks giving a demonstration by disappearing and reappearing behind me again.

"I've never tried to but maybe that is how I am able to hide my ears and tail?" I say removing Undertakers hand from my head so I can give it a try. I close my eyes and focus on making my whole body disappear like Grell did. I open my eyes and see everyone staring at me and Undertaker looks like he is trying not to laugh. "I messed up didn't I..." I say with my ears drooping in sadness.

"No you got it partly right but you didn't make your clothes vanish with you." Grell purrs pointing at me causing me to look down at myself. I can't help but laugh at what I see when I do, my body is invisible but it looks like my clothes are floating by themselves.

"Only I would manage to do that." I say letting myself become visible again and rubbing the back of my head. My ears twitch and I turn around quickly when I hear the sound of someone coming towards us.

"Whats wrong deary~" Grell asks pulling one of my ears slightly but I don't budge having become completely focused on what I heard.

"Don't you hear that?" I ask him not removing my gaze from the sound as my ears start to twitch quickly trying to pinpoint whatever is coming.

"Eh?" Grell and Will both look in the direction I am and perk up their ears trying to hear what I do. I take a step back and end up bumping into Hatter...Undertaker... whoever he is, I don't even purr when he scratches at my ears again. 'What is with this guy and petting or scratching my ears?'

"Not to worry dearies its only the Rabbit come to visit." Hatter says returning to his seat and taking a sip of his tea. I relax and let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding while Grell starts to get all giddy and talking about his love coming for him. I look back up when a man with short black hair that is somehow messy but still styled in a way and red-brown eyes slightly hidden behind a pair of thin glasses. He is wearing what I can only describe as a butlers uniform and has white rabbit ears and matching puffy tail. Grell lunges at him trying to pull the man into a hug but ends up faceplanting the ground when the other dodges him.

"Ow~ nya Why did you dodge me Sebas-chan." Grell cries looking up at the man with his ears down and tears brimming in his eyes. I rush over to him and for the third time today check his head for injuries and glaring at the black clad rabbit when I see another bruise starting to form. Grell clings to me crying about how mean Sebby is to him while said rabbit is looking at me curiously.

"Is this the new Alice?" he asks not removing his cold gaze from me as I try and get Grell to stop crying.

"We do not know if she is or isn't an Alice." Will says pushing up his glasses seeming to refuse to look at the White Rabbit.

"But Alice is supposed to be a human isn't she?" Ronald murmurs letting out a big yawn and looking round with his eyes half closed.

"Indeed my snoozing friend, so the question is who and what is she?" the rabbit says crossing his arms over his chest and smiling down at me and Grell. "Pardon me my lady I haven't introduced myself, I am Sebastian Michaelis otherwise known as the White Rabbit." he bows to me slightly and his right ear twitches, standing back up straight he give me a look that is between amused and evil. "Tell me why is it you treat him as if he was your kit and you his mother." I flatten my ears against my head and glare at him a low growl slipping out. I don't like this rabbit he has a strange evil aura around him that makes me uncomfortable.

"Why should you care about that, how I treat others is my business. If Grell doesn't like it I will stop but unless that happens I cannot help but act this way." I say standing with Grell still having his arms around me hugging me from behind.

"I don't mind it dar~ling nyan~" said cheshire purrs burying his face in my hair and neck making me blush slightly.

"I understand that but why do you feel the need to do this? You have only met him today have you not?" Sebastian smirks down at me evilly and I finally get what he is trying to do. He is trying to get me o say something stupid and act foolish just for his own amusement. I will not fall for his childish tricks.

"Did you know that female cats have a motherly instinct that they cannot fight." ( i make this up for sake of the story I have no idea if it is true or not and do not claim it to be ) I ask looking back at Grell who has closed his eyes and has his tail swishing side to side happily. I rub the spot between his ears affectionately and he leans into my hand while purring loudly. "Even if the kit is not our own we have a strong urge to protect it with our lives. Grell may be older than me but to my cat side he is still a kit that I must protect."

"That explains why you got mad at Will earlier 'yawn' It's getting late I'm going home now..." Ronald murmurs standing to leave he waves bye to everyone before walking off down a path behind the hatters chair I didn't see before now.

"Yes it is time to end today's party farewell Hatter, Sutcliff, Michaelis,..." Will pauses and looks at me expectantly.

"Midnight." I say crossing my arms and resting them on top of Grell's that are around my waist still.

"Midnight." he bows then heads down the path that Ronald went down just before.

"Oh Dear I am running late." Sebastian states pulling out a pocket watch and looking at its worn out face. "Until next time Hatter, Midnight...Grell" he adds when I send him a glare and point at Grell when he was about to 'forget' to say his name. He smiles and bows again before rushing off and jumping over the line of trees and out of sight.

"Ehhehe~ Well it seems the party is over for now hmmm..." Hatter snickers leaning his head on his hand and looking at me and Grell with his lunatic smile.

"A question where do I go?" I say with my voice barely a whisper but somehow both still hear me.

"What do you mean m'dear?"

"I do not have a home here Mr. Hatter so where do I go..." my ears droop at this as I remember my life back in my world. I may not of had a family or a 'home' per say but at least I had a place to return to at night.

"Why not stay with me then." I look up at him completely shocked that he said that and he laughs at my expression seeming to understand my thoughts. "Why so surprised deary~ you were sent to me so I will help you."

"Sorry but in my world I am used to being unwanted." I say looking away from him sadly causing Grell to frown and hug me closer to him.

"Why do you say that?" he asks moving to stand in front of me so he can stare into my visible eye over his glasses.

"You forget in my world having cat ears and a tail is considered bad or evil to most. Noone in my world wished to be near me after they found out about my cat half." I don't look at him trying to hold back the tears from the sad memories.

"Well you don't have to worry about that here so smile okay." Grell says giving me his own razor sharp smile and giggling at me.

"I guess your right kitten nya~" I say but covering my mouth when the cat sound slips out at the end.

"And don't worry about the sounds you make I mean your a cheshire so its normal." Hatter states standing to leave and motioning for us to follow him. We do and he starts to skip down the path leading to what I suppose is the direction to his home.

"Midnight you called me kitten just now." Grell says after a while of us walking, well in his case floating, behind Hatter.

"Oh sorry do you not like to be called that!" I say worriedly and giving him an apologetic look that sends him into a sort of fit about me being too cute.

"No not at all darling~ But why hmm~?"

"I wasn't lying about what I said earlier about female cats. I have a very strong feeling telling me to protect you, That I should stay near you for an unknown reason. A feeling a mother has for her child or in my case kit or kitten. Well that is the easiest way for me to describe it anyways." I say with a slight blush and staring ahead of me where Hatter is still skipping merrily. 'There is another way to describe it but I don't wish to say it out loud.' I think to myself while sneaking a glance at him from the corner of my eye.

"Hmmnmm~?" Is all he responds with and we spend the rest of the journey in silence. Following after the madman as he leads us to his home for the night.

'I wonder what else will happen to me while here'