Chapter 2

Will turned and glared at Anastasia. "Do you see that? Do you see what you've done?!"

Tears stung Anastasia's eyes. "I'm sorry, Will! I just wanted-"

"You can't always have what you want, Anastasia!" Will snapped angrily. "I saw the way you were walking towards her. Thought you could strong arm her into bowing down to you, did you?" He sneered. "You're not the bloody red queen anymore! You can't commander things out of fear, you have to wait and earn it!"

"If you both don't get out right now, I will make good on my promise to use force." Cyrus snapped.

It wasn't really Will so much that he was furious with. He was sure he probably thought no matter how misguided it was that he was doing something right. But Anastasia…he saw the tears in her eyes and he just continued to glare at her. She got no sympathy from him. Alice was still suffering because of what she'd done to them both.

"Tell Alice I'm sorry." Will softly said, regret apparent in his eyes. "I was a fool to think this would work but I never meant any harm, to either of you."

Will grabbed Anastasia's arm and walked out the door with her, shutting the door behind him.

"Alice," Cyrus's voice was gentle as he stroked her hair. "they're gone. It's just us, my love."

"Cyrus." Alice whimpered. "I'm sorry."

Cyrus frowned in confusion as he gently pulled her half way out of his embrace to meet his eyes. "Whatever for?"

Alice looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "You must think I'm mad."

"No." Cyrus shook his head, tilting her chin up to look at him. "I don't think that at all. I think you've been through much, my love…more than any person should have to go through."

"As have you." Alice murmured softly, placing her hands against his chest.

Cyrus gently wrapped his hands around hers. "Alice, what happened?"

"I.." Alice sighed. "I shouldn't have attacked her like that, it's just the way she was walking towards us-"

"No," Cyrus cut her off, shaking his head. "that's not what I'm talking about. After what she did to you, to us both it's amazing that you've held on to your strength this long." He then frowned. What he'd seen her do really wasn't like her. "What I meant was, what happened after you thought I died and you returned to your realm?"

"I told you," Alice quietly replied, not looking him in the eyes. "my father had me committed to a mental institution. I didn't get out until Will came for me and than I traveled back to Wonderland to find you."

Cyrus had been convinced for quite some time now that she was hiding something from him and he believed that it had to do with that institution. He had been content to just wait until she was ready to share it, but given her nightmares and the way she unleashed on Anastasia he feared that keeping it all inside was just making things worse for her.

"Alice," Cyrus gently tilted her chin up to meet his eyes. "my love you don't have to be afraid any longer. You can confide in me." He gently wiped away couple tears that were rolling down her cheeks and held her face. "Please, let me help you."

"Cyrus, please." Alice whimpered. "I just want our happy ending."

"My love, you shall have it." Cyrus gently kissed her. "This is our happy ending, you and me living out our lives together."

"Than why does it matter so much what happened when we were parted?" Alice asked quietly.

"Because, my love you matter to me." Cyrus gently stroked her hair. "And because I can see that it haunts you so."

"What haunts me more is that I was going to let them erase my memories of you." Alice softly admitted. "I hate myself for that."

"Alice, never hate yourself." Cyrus gently spoke. "Being apart from you was agony but I knew you were alive. I can't imagine what it was like for you."

"Sometimes I wished that I would have jumped into the boiling sea after you." Alice whispers, hating admitting that to him because she knew how much that would hurt him. She knew that above all else he wanted her safe.

"Alice." Cyrus gasped. "Don't ever say that."

"It would've been so much easier." Alice continued. "So much."

"Easier?" Cyrus looked at her in confusion and sadness. "How would your demise have been easier? You would be gone forever and we would never have this chance, my love."

"I know," Alice reached out and grabbed his hands, taking them in hers. "but being here with you after everything that…"

Cyrus sees her tears and feels his heart start to break. "That, what?" He asked softly. "What is it, my love?"

"I'm scared, Cyrus." Alice whispered tearfully. "I'm scared that if I tell you what you want to know, it'll change us."

"Never." Cyrus proclaimed vehemently. "Nothing you could say or do, or that could happen could ever change us."

"How can you promise that without knowing?" Alice cried.

"Because I love you, Alice." Cyrus gently squeezed her hands in his own. "Remember what I told you? It took me several life times meet you but only seconds to love you. Ours is a love that cannot be broken, not by anything. Do you believe me?"

Alice nodded tearfully. "I do." She leaned forward, held his face in her hands and kissed him deeply.

Cyrus gently kissed her back, one arm going around her waist and the other hand tangling in her hair.

"Cyrus." Alice moaned softly against his lips.

"Alice." Cyrus breathed against her gently. He gently took her hands in his and placed a kiss to them. "I love you. Please talk to me."

Alice breathed deeply. "Where do I begin?"

"How about what happened when you returned home?" Cyrus gently prompted.

Alice blinked back tears. "I already told you. He did not…no one believed me. Everyone thought I was mad and I ended up at the asylum."

"Alice," Cyrus began softly. "you've never really shared in detail what happened when you returned home. Just like you've never really shared why even though we perfectly have the way, you do not want to see your father…"

"Well, I don't!" Alice snapped. "I do not want to see him ever again and I won't pretend that I do! I'm not pretending!"

Cyrus looked at her in confusion and alarm. Did he unknowingly say something that insinuated that he wanted her to pretend with him? He didn't, nor would he ever. He just wanted to understand what she went through, he wanted to be there for her.

"No more pretending!" Alice continued, her emotions nearly reaching hysteria.

"Alice, please!" Cyrus gently reached out, desperate to calm her. "I'm so sorry for whatever I've said that makes you think I want you to pretend because I don't."

Alice stood up, backed away slightly wanting to calm down for she felt embarrassed for letting him see her like this. In her haste, she accidentally knocked a glass jewelry box over.

Her face crumpled as she watched it shatter into pieces. "Oh no!" She cried.

Alice knelt down on the ground and cried into her hands.

Cyrus felt his heart break at seeing his love in so much pain.

"Alice," Cyrus's voice was gentle as was his touch as he knelt down beside her and gently pulled her into his arms. "I am so sorry that I've upset you. I only wanted to help you but I promise you I won't ask you about your father anymore." He gently stroked her hair. "I want you to know that I would never push you for something that you're simply not ready for."

Alice pulled back slightly to look up at her love. "No, it's not that. It's just…this box was my mother's." Tears filled her eyes again. "It was the only thing I had left to remind me of her."

"I'm sorry, my love." Cyrus gently kissed her head. "Maybe I could help you somehow fix it. I can see how much you still miss her."

"I do." Alice softly replied. "My father…"

"Alice, you don't have to talk about him." Cyrus softly said. "I was wrong for pushing you…"

"No, it's alright. You wanted to know why I don't want to see my father, what happened when I returned home?"

"Not if it's going to cause you more pain." Cyrus gently replied.

"I wasn't aloud to miss her there." Alice softly spoke. "I wasn't aloud to talk about her. Nor was I aloud to miss you or speak of you." Tears stung her eyes as she felt him gently rub circles along her back. "Worse even, he told me you weren't real and that if I wanted to stay in his house that I had to pretend to be happy, pretend that you never existed."

"Oh, Alice." Cyrus felt his heart break for her. He couldn't believe she had such a heartless father.

"I didn't have anywhere else to go." Alice continued brokenly. "For a few days, I actually tried to pretend." She looked up at him through her tears. "I'm so sorry! You were trapped in a prison and you needed me and I was trying to pretend to be happy for someone who's never believed in me! Can you…can you ever forgive me?"