Falling, Chapter 3

Disclaimers Apply

A/N *sends virtual cookies and tea to Foxfeather*

Alice stared critically at herself in the mirror, taking stock. Previous boyfriends and...ifriends/i had often complimented her looks, in part or whole. She had never given it much thought other than accepting that she was passably pretty, not in terrible shape, and while she wasn't supermodel material, she was publicly presentable in a variety of situations. She had never had a guy turn her down flat out before, not in a relationship anyway. Frowning, she poked her navel. "Even if I was heavier," she muttered, "I don't think Hatter would care. Or would he? He doesn't seem like the sort that would. Or..." a new thought occurred to her, one that promised a few more carbs in her diet. "Maybe he likes women to be fleshier? Maybe he thinks I'm too thin and it's putting him off?" Jack had once teased her about how her hipbones were ever so slightly poking him in the side. She smoothed her hands over her hips, feeling the muscle there and the bit of curve that she rather liked. "I can live with that," she decided, turning to look over her shoulder at the rear view. "Maybe not too much of it though... I've already got Grandma Ruth's ass." Abandoning the mirror, she grabbed her robe and tied it tightly before heading to the kitchen.

"Alice," Carol smiled, looking absurdly pleased to see her. "I didn't know you were home."

"Uh..." Alice's gaze flickered from Carol to the stranger at the table and back again. "Me either. I thought you were out of town on business for another day or so." Mentally, she thanked Hatter for panicking. iSo maybe it wasn't a total disaster... at least we didn't get caught screwing on the sofa like teenagers./i

"This is Daniel, the firm's newest architect." Carol beamed at the younger man and turned back to the coffee pot, pouring out two cups and pausing. "Will you be joining us?"

Alice clutched the neck of her robe closed, aware of Daniel's embarrassed expression and her own state of undress. "No, I think I'll get dressed and take a walk down to...somewhere," she finished lamely. Backing out of the kitchen, she gave her mother's guest a wan smile and then bolted for the bedroom. iEven my mom is getting some... Oh, ew! Stop that, Alice! Bad touch, I need an adult! /i Grabbing the first things she could out of her dresser, she didn't stop to check how she looked, not caring if she was cute or 'done' so much as just covered and able to walk the streets of the East Village without getting arrested or cat-called. i Even if he is a virgin, why hasn't he at least taken me up on some of the encouragement I've given him? Maybe he's saving himself for marriage? Maybe I came on too strong... /i Her thoughts wandered back around to her mother and Daniel. "Maybe," she murmured, waiting for the light to change on the corner, "I'm just jealous that my mom's love life is going gangbusters and mine is...in stasis." That's not fair, she corrected herself. She and Hatter had been having a great time so far, even with the arguing that cropped up daily. It was never anything awful or overly serious but trying to get him to understand the ways of her world while he held tightly to his own... She sighed aloud and trotted across the street, ignoring the honks of the cab driver trying to inch across the intersection. i He probably thinks I hate him now or something, /i she mused, remembering her parting shot to him over the phone. "Crap." Almost without thinking it, she turned towards Hatter's apartment and started walking quickly. iWhat do you plan on doing when you get there, Alice? Apologizing for his virginity? Or maybe for your libido? Or just embarrassing the Hell out of him and asking him why he hasn't lost his cherry yet? /i She tried to imagine that conversation and explaining 'cherry' to Hatter. "Right... not the best plan."

"What's not, dear?"

Alice swallowed a squeak of surprise and stumbled over...nothing. "Hello?" she demanded, turning a full circle. She was on a mostly deserted street lined with old brownstones and overhanging trees. Cars dotted the curbside and a few teenagers dashed to and from, dodging a lady with a shopping cart. No one was nearby, though. "Okay, Alice...way to hallucinate."

"The two of you," the voice purred, "are hardheaded as a pack of turtles."

Alice blinked, focusing on the voice: a faintly shimmering point about knee-high. She said the first thing that came to mind. "I don't think turtles travel in packs."

"That is hardly the point." The shimmering spot grew, taking on a feline shape. "You are both hardheaded. That is the lesson you should take away from all of this."

Closing her eyes for a moment, Alice pressed her fingers against her brows, took several slow breaths and then opened her eyes. The shimmer was still there and now looked even more feline. "Am I safe in assuming you're from Wonderland?"

"Mmmm. Am I safe in assuming that you're on your way to see Hatter?"

"I thought you needed a mirror to show up here," Alice muttered accusingly, stepping around the shimmery cat and heading for the subdivided brownstone halfway up the block.

"You assumed," the cat replied, sounding rather wounded. "Some of us are not bound by silly conventions."

"Some of us?"

"Well... just me," he purred, sounding more pleased than wounded then. "If you go marching up there, asking him about his...rather intact state...how do you think that will go off?"

Alice stopped mid-step. "How do you know about that?" she hissed. "Has Hatter been talking?"

"No more than usual," the cat replied and Alice had the distinct impression that it shrugged. "As much as your...enthusiasm...would be appreciated by an Oyster male... you have very little intimate knowledge of Wonderian men. Jack," he added, "not being the best example."

"What the Hell are you talking about?"

"If you go throwing yourself at him again, or trying to coax him into discussing his lack of experience, it will be akin to trying to saddle a hedgehog to the royal coach. It just won't work."

Alice pinched the bridge of her nose, acutely aware of the fact she appeared to be talking to herself in the middle of a sidewalk in the East Village. That in and of itself would not be an unusual sight but it was not something she wished to be known for anytime soon. "So cut to the chase..."

The shimmer began to fade and, unless Alice was mistaken, swirl in on itself. "The male ego is a fragile thing, especially in Wonderland. Without the fantastic, they seem to think they are useless." With a barely audible pop, the cat vanished.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Alice muttered after a moment and began marching towards Hatter's place once more. Her steps slowed, however, and she grimaced. "Damn it. The invisible cat-thing makes sense. If I go being pushy, he'll just curl up and deflect. So now what?"

"So," the cat-voice said, sounding exasperated, "go home! Let the boy come to you!"

"I thought you'd gone!"

"I'm just full of surprises."

A/N Next chapter will have some nice smuttiness. Promise! And it'll be out in a few days. Not such a long wait this next time! ;)