Whoo! Two chapters in one day! I want to thank all who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story!
This is kind of just a filler chapter, but I recommend that you don't skip it, because it wouldn't make sense to just go from chapter two to chapter four…
Disclaimer: I don't own AIW! I wish I did! But I don't!
Nivens McTwisp was running as fast as it was possible for a rabbit. He was in Aboveland, searching for Alice, not doing anything wrong, when all of a sudden, he was being growled at by a large dog. It was stark naked, had drool coming out of its mouth, and had extremely bad manners. Nivens would never sneak up behind someone and start growling. It was just unnecessary! A simple "would you please leave this garden" would have worked much better. And so, here he was, being chased by this horribly mannered dog.
One of Mirana's guards had given him a letter addressed to Alice, telling him that the White Queen had instructed him to travel to Above and give this letter to Alice immediately. So he had taken the letter, tucked it safely into his pocket (along with his shiny gold watch) and come as fast as he could to Above, where he was now being assaulted by a dog who was either refusing to speak with him or could not speak at all.
Finally, he got out of the garden by pushing through some bushes that the dog couldn't fit through.
"Well. That was close. Now, I must find Alice and deliver this letter to her, and then return to Underland," Nivens said to himself as he looked around, trying to figure out where he was. He knew London quite well, because he had been going topside for the Queen ever since he was a little bunny.
He started walking along the path that would lead him to Alice's home.
"I do so hope that she is there, and not off traveling." Yes, that would be bad. He would be forced to wait until Alice again arrived, because he had learned from experience that Londoners did not react well to talking rabbits looking to deliver letters.
I wonder what this letter says. Even though Nivens was a proper rabbit, he had grown up in Underland, and so he was very curious. Maybe I'll just read it, he thought. No! I couldn't. I am only the messenger. I will not intervene with Mirana and Alice's business.
When Nivens reached the Kingsley estate, he immediately went around to the back, where he knew Alice's window was.
Oh please, please be there, he thought.
When he cautiously looked in the window of her bedroom, she was there. She was in a deep sleep in the middle of the day, but it was Alice.
Nivens cautiously opened the window and slipped inside. He had wanted to talk with Alice and he was about to wake her when he thought, she would not be asleep at one o'clock in the afternoon if she was not very tired. So he just set the letter next to her head on the pillow and hopped out of the room.
Tarrant was in a panic. Where had his Alice letter gone? He had to find it before anyone read it, or worse, read it and thought that they would do him a favor by sending it to Alice.
If Alice ever came back, he wanted to tell her that he loved her in person. Then, maybe, she would let him court her and then he would ask if he could marry her and-
Donae think on 'at, lad. I' won' eva 'appen. 'ow cou a perfect Ahlice 'ike 'er eher luv a disgustin' ol' 'atta 'ike yaself?
"She couldn't," Tarrant whispered.
No, a perfect Alice couldn't ever love a Hatter like himself. It was impossible. He was lucky to be her friend. He was beyond lucky that she would bring him out of his fits of madness sometimes by touching his face or whispering his name.
But he could not dwell on that now. He had a letter to find, and quickly!
Alice woke up expecting to see sunlight coming through her window. Maybe she had even gotten lucky and had been allowed to sleep in today. But when Alice opened her eyes, she saw only the darkness of night. She was confused, until she remembered what she had said to herself yesterday afternoon, "I'll just lay down and rest my head for a few minutes," she had said. That few had turned into a few hours, and by the sound of the clock, it was two o'clock in the morning.
"Great," she whispered to herself. Now she was up in the middle of the night, fully rested. "Maybe I can make myself sleep a little bit longer," she said, turning over. Just as she was about to pull the blankets up over herself, she felt the smooth firmness of a folded piece of paper beneath her cheek.
Alice sat up in bed, lit a candle, and unfolded the small piece of paper. It was done in handwriting that looked rushed and beautiful at the same time, in ink so purple it was almost black.
She read the first line, which said that it was "To My Dearest and Loveliest Alice." What is this? Who would address me that way? She looked at the bottom of the page, and sure enough, there was a signature. "Tarrant Hightopp, Mad Hatter." It was from Hatter! She couldn't believe it! When had this been put on her pillow? It must have been McTwisp, seeing as he was the only Underlander who knew where she lived, much less what room she slept in.
She started reading from the top, reading faster and faster until she finished it. She then read it again, forcing herself to read slowly, to make sure she didn't miss anything.
Tarrant loved her. He really, truly loved her. He wanted her to come back. She would go as soon as possible!
Just as she started to get out of bed to start packing her things, she remembered the reason why she hadn't gone back already. She had spent the last year in China and other various countries, finishing her business and entrusting everything, bit by bit, to Lord Ascot and her family. When she came home to London, however, she was surprised to hear that Margret had five months before her first child was born. Lowell had gotten her pregnant, then left on a "business trip" for the past few months, only coming back to London for a few days at a time. Margret couldn't deal with her pregnancy alone, though, so she had temporarily moved back into the Kingsley estate.
Alice couldn't leave her sister like this, even though she felt as if she would fall to pieces if she didn't go back for another five months.
So she stayed, promising herself that as soon as the baby was born and Margret was all settled, she would go back.
This had been four and a half months ago.
Margret's baby was due at any time now, and Alice and her mother were so worried. Alice hadn't gotten any sleep for the past week besides short doses on the sofa or at the table. She wanted so desperately to go back, but she couldn't leave Margret like this.
Alice smiled, folded the letter, and put it under her pillow. She closed her eyes, and started drifting off to sleep again.
"ALICE! MOTHER!" cried Margret, sounding urgent.
Alice's eyes snapped open. Margret had been getting "false alarms" for the past week, and there was no way to tell of they were real or not besides waiting it out.
Alice slipped into the hallway and she saw Mother do the same as they both started walking toward Margret's room.
When they opened the door, they saw Margret lying on the bed, an expression of excruciating pain on her face.
"I think it's time," Margret choked out.
Okay, so I know this is kind of a bad cliffhanger, but I'm over a thousand words here and I just think that I need to split it up. So I already know what's going to happen in the next chapter, I just have to write it, so it'll be up soon.
~SquirmberryJuice