Chapter 2

It was all happening too fast for Alice. One minute she had been encouraging Hatter to rest and the next he was blacked out on her lap. Alice continued stroking Hatter's hair while she looked around desperately for someone to help. Alice's eyes were drawn to a gleam of white and she saw Charlie standing near the ruins of the casino.

"Charlie" she called hoping he could hear her

The old knight looked around in confusion, he could have sworn he had hear his name being called but there was nobody nearby looking for him. Slowly, for he wasn't as young as he once was, Charlie began wandering through the crowds searching for the mysterious voice. He passed Jack and the Duchess and briefly wondered if the new king had summoned him, but they were currently deep in conversation with the suits trying to organise a way to return the Oysters to their world. It definitely wasn't them calling him. The knight continued you walking through the crowds searching for the person who had summoned. Charlie was just about to give up hope when his eyes fixed upon the Alice of Legend and her young harbinger. They were sat near the tree and it had to be said the harbinger definitely didn't look good. As quickly as he could manage, the knight hurried over to where Alice was frantically looking around.

"Just Alice, I believe you have called upon my services but I must ask what is wrong with the harbinger"

"Oh Charlie, thank goodness you heard me. Hatter is sick, really sick. He needs help now" The words flew out of Alice's mouth at a hundred miles an hour but she couldn't seem to calm herself down.

"I will search through the mystic portals and find the answer just Alice"

"No Charlie, just fetch Jack and tell him to prepare the medics"

"The young King is very busy perhaps there is someone else" Charlie was desperately trying to find some way to help Alice after he had let her and the harbinger down earlier.

"No.. Charlie there isn't time ... Hatter ..."

Before she could continue Hatter suddenly began twitching and moaning, his head flailing around on her lap. She was certain she would have a bruise after this but she couldn't bring herself to care. She looked up tears streaming down her face but Charlie it seemed had already wandered off. Alice truly hoped he hadn't abandoned them, she knew it wasn't fair on the knight but she couldn't help but feel slightly irritated that he had let Hatter ride into danger alone. Sighing Alice began thinking about her time in Wonderland so far. It had been an emotional rollercoaster and now just when she thought she was about to go home, she had to be dealt another blow as Hatter took a turn for the worst. Fate, she decided, was most definitely unfair.

Alice was frantically trying to figure out some way to assist Hatter when he suddenly went very still. At first she panicked, thinking that he had died but she was quickly reassured by the steady rise and fall of his chest. Alice resumed stroking Hatter's hair in the vain hope that even in unconsciousness he might know that he wasn't alone. Alice was just deciding to go and fetch help when Charlie pushed his way through the crowd, Jack and the Duchess in tow. Alice felt extremely guilty for thinking ill of the old man who had been so kind to her, but now wasn't the time for guilt it was the time for action.

"Alice are you alright? What happened?" Jack said with a tone of urgency.

"Yes, I'm fine but Hatter isn't. Please help him Jack" Alice pleaded.

Jack stiffened slightly at the idea of helping the man who had stolen Alice from him. However, as he watched Alice caring for Hatter he came to the realisation that whilst he wanted to control the fire that was Alice, Hatter was able to keep up and even match her fiery temper, in fact he was much better suited to her. A fact Jack wasn't pleased about. Still putting his jealousy behind him, Jack turned around and called for the medics to come and assist them.

Alice was still stroking Hatter's hair when he was suddenly surrounded by men in white, lifting him up onto a stretcher and far away from her. Alice's heart dropped as she realised that she objected to the idea of being away from Hatter. Turning to Jack, desperation in her eyes, she opened her mouth to protest but was quickly interrupted by Duchess.

"Come Alice, I'll show you to the medical room."

Alice had never heard such a gentle tone from the Duchess and she found that she preferred it to the mocking tone she had heard earlier. Following Duchess, Alice wondered whether one day Jack would realise how much the Duchess loved and suited him. Still there would be time for that later, for now Hatter was her priority.