La Belle Dame sans Merci
Author's Note: Thank you again to those of you who have stuck with me. I really appreciate it. I know, I seem to be getting these out at a record rate now, but hey, I figure if I have it in my head, I might as well just get it out, because the sooner I get through some of these chapters, the sooner things get revealed and Hatter and Alice get reunited! Also, I have insomnia due to crap going on now, so this at least takes my mind off it. Enjoy!
Chapter Two
Hatter tapped his boot clad foot on the dirty linoleum floor of the elevator. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror that arched over the doorway, and adjusted his black fedora. "Come on, come on," he muttered. Hatter pursed his lips; the tapping getting noticeably louder as the arrow hovered closer to the five. "Bloody hell, are you doing this to me on purpose?"
Hatter retrieved his cell phone from his jacket pocket, and cursed as he saw the time. "Shit." His hands sweat through the thin wrapping that was holding the flowers together. "Alice!" He ran through the doors, and skidded to a stop at the end of the hallway. The entrance to his apartment was open, and he could make out the contents from one of Alice's boxes tossed haphazardly around the opening.
"Alice?" Hatter whispered. "Alice, you told me…" his voice trailed off as he spied the spilled wine and broken glass on the kitchen floor. "Alice?" Hatter quickly shut the door behind him, his hands shaking as he reached for his phone. "Alice, if this is your idea of a joke…" Hatter swallowed, "this is not a good one." He clenched the flowers in his fist tightly; the skin turning red.
He slowly turned his head towards Alice's purse on the kitchen counter. He had dialed her cell phone, and the ringing was coming from inside the bag. Hatter let out a silent gasp as he shut off his phone. Her cell phone stopped ringing as soon as he ended the call. "Shit." The flowers dropped down. "Alice! Alice!" Hatter ran over to the bedroom and bathroom were, his hat flying off. "Alice! Shit, c'mon, Alice! This isn't funny!" Both rooms were empty; everything untouched. "Alice!"
Hatter crashed down on the floor. He shoved his hand roughly through his hair as he felt his pulse start to race. Hatter accessed his phone again, and stared at Alice's name, a picture of her smiling at him underneath. "Carol," he murmured. "Right." He sniffed, and wiped his nose across his sleeve. "Carol." He exhaled, and dialed her home number. He beat the palm of his free hand on his knee as he listened to it ring. Hatter growled as the answering machine clicked on. "Fuck." He took a deep breath in, trying to control his shaking hand as he touched the screen, and dialed Carol's cell. "Fuck. Come on, Carol," he muttered as it rang. "Fuck." Hatter shut it off, and scampered out of the room.
Hatter took one last look around the apartment, his eyes searching for something; anything. He bit his lip, and grabbed the hat off the floor before slamming the door behind him.
Jack strummed his fingers against the edge of the table. Duchess held his other hand in hers, and squeezed it tight. He smiled tightly at her before glancing at Dodo and Lorry sitting across from them.
"They couldn't find Caterpillar," Jack said tensely.
Dodo paled. "He must've figured out that the Suits were looking for him and he moved…shit."
"Do you have any idea where he could be?" Duchess asked.
Dodo and Lorry looked at each other. "No," Dodo finally replied. "He must've…he must've been successful."
"Successful? Successful, how?" Jack asked, leaning across the table.
Dodo stood up and chuckled uncomfortably. "I thought he was talking as a mad man."
"Do you know who he brought back through the mirror?"
"Yes." Dodo started to pace around the room. "I didn't think it was possible, but, with the mirror being activated, and…now this. What do you know about the Princess Evredee?"
Jack's face scrunched up. "I…she died. She was killed for going against the kingdom before I was born."
"What if I told you that she didn't die?" Dodo asked.
"No, that's…she was killed twenty five years ago after she did that horrible thing. Well, all the horrible things." Jack looked at Duchess. "She was worse than my mother."
Duchess turned to Dodo. "What are you saying? She's alive?"
"If Caterpillar really meant it…yes. He somehow found her on the other side of the mirror and he brought her back."
Jack swallowed. "To do what?"
"To bring you down," Dodo said darkly. "Someone changed her on the other side of the looking glass." He shrugged. "That's the only explanation."
"Change her? What do you mean?" Duchess asked.
"Think very hard, Your Highness," Dodo continued. "Do you think that Alice's father was the only one who was changed? When he was taken from Alice's world he was transformed into Carpenter. It's very likely that someone changed the Princess' personality."
"And…what? They brought her back to…" Jack paled. "To revert back to her old self?"
"I hope I'm wrong, but, with Caterpillar seemingly committing treason…"
Jack and Duchess looked at each other. "What do you suggest we do?"
"It's too dangerous for you two to be in the city," Dodo replied. "You need to be in hiding. We can continue to look for Caterpillar, and bring him down, and prevent this from happening, but you two cannot be here."
"I can't abandon Wonderland!" Jack exclaimed.
"You won't be abandoning Wonderland. Everything would be much worse if Caterpillar was victorious. The best thing would be for you and the Queen to go somewhere safe."
Duchess nodded. "Jack, if Caterpillar has really…if all the stories about Evredee are true…we need to go."
"And what if that's not the case?" Jack asked her.
"Then Dodo will come and inform us when it's safe to come back. Won't you?"
Dodo concurred. "Of course. We want the King and Queen on the throne, just think of the chaos that will happen if you're not."
"I know where we can go," Duchess interjected. "My family has that summer home in south Wonderland by the lake. Caterpillar wouldn't know of it. We can go there, and leave Dodo here to manage things."
"Are you sure about Caterpillar?" Jack asked.
"I am." Dodo looked solemnly at them. "We'll use all the Suits at our disposal to search for him. I promise you, Your Majesties, I will not rest until Caterpillar is captured."
"Okay. I believe you." Jack sighed. "We'll leave today. We'll pack, and take a Scarab out so we can be there tonight."
"Lorry will accompany you to make sure you get there safely."
"Thank you." Jack helped Duchess up. "Be ready to meet us in two hours at the dock."
"Of course Your Highness." Lorry bowed, and waited till Jack and Duchess left the room. "Good one. But, have you thought about what you're going to do if Caterpillar does manage to bring Evredee back successfully?"
"Simple. I will kill her…her, and Alice."
"And, then?"
Dodo grinned. "We'll take care of Jack, and the Duchess just fine."
Carol's place was dark. The door creaked as Hatter lightly pushed it open. "Carol?" He reached over, and flipped on the light switch, wincing at the state that greeted him. Chairs were knocked down to the floor. There was a big puddle of coffee seeping into the cracks of the wood; the cup smashed. "Oh…bloody…Carol!" he shouted. He ran into the kitchen, and pulled out of the knives from the drawer. "Carol?" He turned around, and spied her cell phone sitting on the kitchen counter. "Shit."
Hatter held the knife out as he made his way back into the living room. He peered into Carol's bedroom. Nothing had been moved. Her bed was made, and her clothes from work were lying over the duvet. "Carol?" He walked over to the bedside table, and turned on the light. He hurriedly opened the closet door, and peeked under the bed. "Shit. Carol!"
He dashed out, and down the steps to Alice's old bedroom. Her bed and desk were still there, otherwise it was empty. He glanced at the empty bookcase, and the closet next to it. "Fuck." His voice was hoarse as he fell down to the carpet.
Hatter drew his knees up, resting his chin on them as he sobbed. "There's no need for you to call the police," a man's voice said from behind him.
He froze. He jutted the knife out. "Who are you?"
"You know who I am."
"No. I don't." Hatter jumped, his hand trembling as he tried to steady the knife. "Who are you?"
"You know who I am," the man said again. He stepped out from around the corner. He was Hatter's age, thin with a long narrow face, and a head of shocking green hair.
"Bill," Hatter whispered.
"You know that you don't need to call the police," Bill said.
"What are you…" Hatter grunted, and lifted the knife again. "What did you do with them?"
"I didn't do anything to them. I just came from your place. Hatter-"
"Where are they?"
"Can you please put the knife down?"
Hatter shook his head. "Where are they?" he hissed.
"You know where they are. That's why you didn't just call the police when you saw your place," Bill replied. "They were taken."
"How do you know?"
"I didn't take them if that's-"
Hatter rushed at him. "How do I know that?"
Bill swallowed, the knife dangerously pressing on his throat. "My brother took them."
"What?" He slowly lowered the knife. "Why?"
"He came home, and he told me that he was ordered to take both Alice and her mother to Wonderland. He dropped them off at two different-"
"Who ordered this?" Hatter asked, his accent thickening.
Bill sighed. "Look, things are bad over in Wonderland. The trial hasn't started yet for the King and Queen- I mean the old King and Queen, they actually revived-"
Hatter threw Bill against the wall. "I don't care about the bloody King and Queen! I want to know who ordered this!"
"The Resistance…something's wrong with the Resistance, and-"
"I just want to get Alice and Carol back. If you won't stop fucking around-"
"Caterpillar," Bill whispered.
"What?"
"That's why I was trying…" Bill gulped, and exhaled. "Caterpillar ordered them both to be taken. My brother said that Carpenter, or Robert, or whatever he's going by now, is back. Caterpillar brought him back to life…somehow."
"What?" Hatter loosened his hold on Bill, and receded. "Alice's father? But…I saw him. He died."
"You know as well as I do that sometimes people don't stay dead. You do remember that I was there when you killed-"
"I know," Hatter cut in tersely.
"Right." Bill reddened, and bit his lip. "I think Caterpillar is trying to bring down Jack."
"What do Alice and her mother have to do with this? I mean…"
"I don't know. But, something's not right. Dodo has been seen at court a lot more, and-"
"Dodo can't be trusted," Hatter interjected.
"I'm starting to believe you on that aspect."
"Where were they taken?"
"I don't know." Bill shrugged helplessly. "I don't even think my brother knows. He says there were two different drop off places, and…he just met Caterpillar and another man."
"Fuck," Hatter muttered. "Come on, lets go."
"How are you going to find them there? They could be taken anywhere in Wonderland."
Hatter pursed his lips. "I have my ways, yeah? I know someone in the Resistance who had access to every single map of Wonderland."
"Hatter, you don't understand. The Resistance is splitting. You don't even know this man can be trusted anymore."
"She," Hatter corrected Bill. "I don't know if she can be trusted, but, this is Alice. I…" His eyes darted around the room as tears threatened to spill over again.
"Okay," Bill said softly, "lets go."
The door opened. The young woman's eyes widened, and her mouth opened in a small 'o' before she clamped it shut. "Hatter, I…"
"Hi, Carlotta."
A/N: Oopsie, what did I do there? Please let me know if you have any questions about anything that you need clarified. I hope that I've been explaining this well enough, but please, don't hesitate to ask! And also let me know if you've figured certain things out. Hope you liked it!
