A/N: Here is the second chapter of my story. Thank you for the reviews on the first chapter. Please R&R and enjoy!
Chapter 2:
Hannah woke groggily, rubbing her head. She opened her eyes to see herself sitting in a dark room. When she remembered what had happened with Michael she looked around wildly for any sign of him. All she could see was blackness. She tried to stand up but was instantly dizzy and fell back against the wall for support.
"Poor little oyster can't stand on her own feet." A voice said methodically from the darkness.
"Indeed. Maybe she would be better in the water" Said a different yet equally methodic voice.
Hannah looked around again, "Who are you?"
The walls around her disappeared and she saw two older men standing across from her. "I am Doctor Dee and this is my brother Doctor Dum."
"Our job is to figure out what makes you tick." Doctor Dum said as the floor became covered in water that started rising.
"No." Hannah shrieked and made her way over to the one little patch of land that was still there. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd had a horrible fear of water and she never learned how to swim. The doctors laughed again and then disappeared leaving Hannah rocking back and forth on the tiny patch of land.
…
"Where is she?" Michael asked coming up behind Doctor Dum.
"Surrounded by water right now. My brother is currently watching her." Doctor Dum said not looking up from the device he was looking at. "She has an incredible fear of water."
Michael looked around uneasily, "You better not kill her. I still need her alive for my plan to work."
"We know better than that. We're just trying to scare her a little bit."
Michael pulled up a screen showing Hannah, "Well it looks like it's working."
…
"Hatter where are we supposed to start?" Alice asked. She had forgotten how big Wonderland was until she took in the sight around her.
"I'm calling in help from an old…..friend." Hatter said coming around the side of a building.
Alice looked confused at Hatter until two flying pink flamingos landed next to them. "Hello Alice, Hatter."
"Jack?"
Jack nodded his head and smiled. "Hatter sent word to me as soon as you arrived in Wonderland. I am going to help you find your daughter. You have full access to all of my resources."
"Thank you." Alice looked up at him, fighting the tears that threatened to fall, "Thank you."
"You are both welcome. But first, come with me back to my palace. You both look exhausted and in need of rest." Jack turned to the suit on the other flamingo, "Stay around here and listen out for word of their daughter." Jack got back onto his flamingo while Alice and Hatter got on the other and followed Jack back to the newly built Heart's Palace.
"Alice, Hatter, welcome back to Wonderland. I wish it were under better circumstances though."
"Duchess?" Alice said looking at the young woman with golden hair. It had been years since Alice had seen her but she looked like the same Duchess that was trying to save Jack from his mother.
Duchess smiled slightly and nodded, "Yes. Well actually I'm the Queen now, but I still go by Duchess."
"Wow. Congratulations." Alice said smiling. Hatter and Jack had walked out of the room to discuss something leaving her and Duchess alone.
"I am truly sorry about what's happened." Duchess' eyes softened and became sad. "I couldn't imagine if anything happened to my son. Come let me show you to your room. I'm sure Hatter will be along shortly." Alice let Duchess lead her by the hand down the hall.
…
"What did you want to talk about Hatter?" Jack said loosening up his tie.
Hatter took off his hat and placed it on the desk in the room he and Jack had walked into to talk privately. "I really appreciate what you're doing for us."
"Of course. I would do anything for you guys. You helped save Wonderland, I would never turn my back on you in your time of need."
Hatter rubbed the back of his neck. He had been exhausted but there was still something bothering him. "I know you and I haven't had the greatest past but I have one more thing to ask of you."
Jack walked over to Hatter with concern, "What is it?"
Hatter looked up, his eyes full of exhaustion and sadness, "Make sure Alice stays here."
"Come again?"
"If my hunch is right about who has our daughter, I don't want any more of my family around him, she might get hurt." Hatter chuckled slightly, "You know how Alice is."
Jack nodded understandingly, "Yes. I will do everything I can."
…
Hannah sat on the small patch of land, looking solemnly at the water. The stories her parents had told her about Wonderland had their dark sides to them but she never thought that those things would actually happen to her. She was also upset with herself for never getting over her fear of the water. She thought back to the last time her father tried to teach her how to swim and it brought a fresh set of tears to her eyes.
"But daddy, I'm scared." A young Hannah said to her father. They were in the back yard standing in a small inflatable pool Hatter and Alice had bought to teach Hannah how to swim.
"Look at me sweetie" Hatter said holding his ten year old daughter in his arms. "I promise you I will never let anything happen to you."
Hannah looked up at her father with her bright eyes that were an exact replica of her mother's. "I'm still scared." She reached her foot down to touch the water and as soon as her ankle was submerged in the water she started crying.
Hatter sighed and carried her out of the pool and smiled, "It's alright sweetie. There's nothing wrong with being afraid of something."
"Are you afraid of something daddy?"
"Of course I am." He held his daughter close to him, "But don't you worry about it. Like I said, I will never let anything happen to you.
She sat there crying, remembering her father's words and she finally realized what he had meant 9 years later. She knew that her parents must have known that they were missing and she could only imagine how scared and worried they were.
"Oh stop crying, it's pathetic."
Hannah looked up to see Michael standing in front of her. "What are you doing here Michael?" She looked at him again, "How are you standing on the water?"
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He smiled and walked closer towards her. "Don't worry; your parents should be here soon enough. Until then, why don't we make your little island, a little smaller?" With his words the size of the island started to shrink. "And the name isn't Michael, it's Mad March."
Mad March disappeared leaving Hannah screaming in fear at the slowly shrinking island.
