Plummeting again, swirling chaotic colors, struggling to remember to breathe. Then an abrupt eight foot drop from the ceiling onto a cement floor only slightly cushioned with grass and dandylions.
Before he even had a chance to take a breath, Alice landed directly on top of him, pushing out what little air remained in his body. He groaned loudly, as pain shot up his ribcage.
He had asked, no begged, Alice to stay on her side of the glass. The portal was supposed to be closed, and the fact that it was open set off every alarm bell in his head. "It could be dangerous!" he had said.
And had immediately regretted it, as Alice's jaw line hardened and eyes narrowed. "I'm a black belt, remember?" she had hissed, as she shoved him angrily through the looking glass, and fell in after him.
Alice was a little breathless, but unhurt. Hatter, on the other hand, took a long time to catch his breath, and even longer to move. He was holding his ribcage. Alice wondered how many times he had sustained similar injuries because of her.
"You okay?" She reached down a hand to help him up. He shifted a bit, gingerly, and pulled himself up on her arm.
"Where the hell are we?" His forehead was wrinkled with confusion. This was most definitely not the ornate, brightly lit hall that he was expecting to land in. This was a dimly lit, narrow corridor, filled with water, and with broken light fixtures hanging dangerously close to the water's surface.
For Alice, it was bad deja vu.
"I think this is where I landed the first time I came here," she said, glancing past Hatter and down the hallway. "Though the landing was much softer this time," with a rueful smirk in his direction. Her tantrum on the other side of the glass seemed to be momentarily forgotten.
Hatter winced slightly as he bent down to scoop up his pork-pie hat that had rolled away from him when he landed. A couple of flips and it was back where it belonged, perched on top of his chaotic hair.
"Right then, we need to get to the palace."
...
None of this is right, Hatter thought, fighting his growing apprehension.
First, the looking glass had dropped them in an abandoned storehouse across town from the palace, then, when they had finally made it through the narrow streets (Alice practically cutting off all blood-flow to his hand as her old fear of falling resurfaced), and to the bridge that would lead to the palace, they had promptly been arrested by a group of suits, claiming that they were trespassing in a restricted zone.
Hatter had tried to explain who they were, while Alice demanded to be taken to see Jack, but it was to no avail, until the party was intercepted by a very shocked and nervous looking Nine of Clubs, who ordered their immediate release, and apologized profusely all the way down the hallway to the gaudy red and white room they were now sitting in, waiting for Jack.
...
His apprehension got much worse the moment Jack and Duchess walked into the room. Something was definitely... off? Wrong? Eerily familiar?
The last time he had seen Jack, it had been the two whirlwind days preparing to be sent through the looking glass to Alice's world. Jack had been regal, and still very much in control, but had been far more relaxed then the first time they had met. He had even shown a bit of a sense of humor, and a great deal of patience (as Hatter had made it a bit of a game to try and draw out Jack's deeply buried real emotions – "crack jack" he'd called it). And Jack had seemed happy (possibly for the first time in his life).
The Jack that stood before them now was anything but. He still held tightly to his regal air, but he looked gaunt and tense, and his deeply buried emotions now hovered, dangerously, just below his skin. But it was Jack's eyes that caused Hatter's skin to crawl. He had seen that look far too many times.
He and Duchess remained frozen for a moment, just inside the doorway, as they stared at their visitors.
Then it started. "How did you get here?" Jack demanded
Alice looked at him, a little confused. "Through the looking glass, how else?"
Jack pressed his lips together for a moment. "The looking glass wasn't on. We are always careful to drain it of all power between uses. And I was told they found you on the bridge, not in the chamber." His voice took on an almost accusing edge.
Alice caught the tone, and bristled. "It dropped us in the empty building, just like last time."
Jack's eyebrow shot up at that. "Which building?"
"Across town," Hatter interjected. "About three blocks from the Headquarters."
Jack's brow knit, and he pursed his lips again. Definitely not as in control as before, Hatter thought to himself, but didn't say anything.
The silence lasted an awkward moment, then finally Alice burst.
"Someone is selling emotion tea in my world! It's already killed three people."
Jack and Duchess both jumped at this, and something flickered through Jack's eyes for a second before he steeled himself. But Hatter, ever observant, caught it.
"You already knew that!" he accused.
Jack released a sigh, and sat down hard into a chair. "My operatives told me. We've known for a bit over a week now," he admitted.
"What operatives?" Hatter demanded.
"White Rabbit," Jack said reluctantly. Both Hatter and Alice reacted violently to that.
"WHAT?" Alice felt anger building in her stomach. "The White Rabbit that kidnapped all the people from my world for the casino?" She felt growing horror.
"They are loyal to me now," Jack said, matter-of-factly, shifting slightly under the burning gazes of his two guests. "We're trying to rebuild Wonderland. There are things from your world that can help with that. But we never leave the portal open or unguarded."
"Are you still making tea?" Alice demanded, bluntly, forcing eye contact with Jack.
"No, of course not!" Jack's eyes betrayed his hurt at the question, before he masked again. "There's still tea out there, but no new tea is being made."
"So how is the tea getting into my world?" Alice's eyes got bright.
"I don't know, Alice," he responded. "I'm hoping that you might have some answers."
Jack's eyes left her face, darting quickly to Hatter's, before he looked back to Alice again.
But Hatter knew.
"Oi!" he protested, angrily. "I have nothing to do with this! I didn't even know about it until I saw the news."
Alice's mouth dropped open. "You think Hatter is doing this?" she squeaked, shock causing her voice to rise an octave.
Jack and Duchess exchanged a look. Alice could see doubt written plainly in Duchess' eyes – they were far more expressive and human now then the first time she had seen her. Jack just looked uncomfortable. And now neither of them could look at Hatter or Alice.
"There are members of my council," Jack said finally, "that feel that, with Hatter's past being what it is, that he is a likely suspect, especially since he is living in your world. And a lot of the tea from his shop has never been found."
"Of course it hasn't – my shop was ransacked and robbed. The tea is long gone." Hatter's eyes were dark. He was really starting to wish they had never seen the news story and had stayed at home.
"The council, they're going to want to question you." Jack finally looked back at Hatter.
Hatter threw his head back with an aggravated sigh that turned into a groan. "Bloody fantastic," he muttered.
...
Jack was barely hanging on to his composure as he left the room to assemble the council. Between Alice's anger and Hatter's piercing looks, he felt like he had been stripped bare in a demented game of crack-jack. He looked behind him to ensure that he was not being followed (thankfully, Duchess had remained with Alice and Hatter). Then he slipped down a side hallway toward his chambers. He would need something strong to get him through today.
…
When the door clicked shut behind Jack, Hatter turned toward Duchess. "How long has he been back on tea?"
To both his and Alice's surprise, the statuesque woman's perfect face crumpled, and tears welled up in her eyes. Without any tea in her system – she had stopped taking any teas the day after the fall of the casino, as painful as going cold-turkey had been – she was not nearly as capable of hiding her feelings as Jack.
"He hasn't been the same since Court." She spoke mournfully. Hatter tensed slightly at the mention of the antiquated tradition.
"Court?" Alice had noticed Hatter's reaction.
"They haven't held Court for... longer then most can remember," he intoned. But the idea of Court made his blood run cold. It always ended in an execution. He didn't say that part out loud.
He didn't need to. "The Queen was a horrible woman, and she was a terrible mother, but..." Duchess looked down at her hands in her lap. "Having to order her beheaded, it nearly tore Jack apart." A large tear found its way down her cheek.
Alice gasped and covered her mouth.
Duchess wiped the tears from her face with her little finger, and rose. "He has to fight to show he is strong enough. Not everyone is a supporter."
As soon as the door closed behind Duchess, Alice turned to Hatter. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said.
Hatter pulled Alice toward his chest and nodded into her hair. "Me too."
...
Jack sat at the head of the long table, flanked by eight chairs – four on either side. Seven of these chairs were now occupied by Aces – two from each suit, although one Spade was missing. And standing at the foot of the table, waiting uncomfortably, were Hatter and Alice.
The King's calm demeanor was back, his face pristine, thanks to a sip of contraband. He coolly eyed the council before him, as they waited, silently, for the last member.
Finally, the door behind Hatter and Alice opened, and Jack put his hand to his chest in greeting. "Lord Devillius."
Hatter and Alice turned slightly to see the newcomer. Dressed in a black suit with a white emblazoned spade on it, and wearing a derisive sneer, was an all-too-familiar piece of their past.
Dodo.
AN: For anyone who hasn't read it - my oneshot "Justice" is a missing scene from this story (that Duchess is making reference to).
I should mention, that all of my Alice 2009 stories (unless otherwise stated) are interconnected. They all have a common history (in this case, the premise set in "How He Left"). They are all meant to be stand-alone stories as well though, so it doesn't require that you read my other tales (though I'd love it if you did), but it might reference them once in a while.
Hope you enjoy! Please review! I love reviews!