Not Alice

Hatter wasn't roused from his sleep the normal way, with a shock to the side.

Instead he was gently shaken awake by Knave. He still had that sardonic smile planted on his face.

"Hey Hatter, you have a visitor," he said.

"Let me guess, you've revived March again?" he joked weakly, trying to show the so called king nothing could get him to budge.

"Oh no, you'll enjoy having this person here. Bring her in," he said signalling to someone outside the door.

The twins entered holding a struggling Alice between them.

ALICE! No, no, not Alice! Not here, she couldn't be here! No she was safe in her own world, not here!

He watched as emotions played across her face. Of course there was fear, when she saw him confusion flitted across her face. Then she seemed to recognise him and then she was over come with absolute horror.

"Hatter!" she cried out passionately.

"No, no, no, no," he muttered, shaking his head slightly.

"What? I thought you'd enjoy having your little girlfriend here," Knave taunted.

"Let her go!" he ordered, his voice turning to steel.

"Eh, maybe later." He tucked something into Alice's pocket then waked out of the cell. The twins pushed her in further then followed him out.

"Oh my god, Hatter!" she cried running forward. She held his face gently in her soft hands. "What have they done?" she sounded horrified as she brushed strands of his hair off his face. He tried to reach up and touch her too but his hands were still cuffed. When Alice looked at them something seemed to click for her and she pulled a key out of the pocket Knave had slipped her.

She unlocked the handcuffs and helped him up. At first he sagged from the pressure and having not stood up in a very long time. He took a moment to regain his strength; then he threw his arms around her and kissed her.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault," he told her drawing back. "What are you doing here!"

"They came into my world and kidnapped me," she told him. "What happened here?"

He began to tell her but suddenly she screamed, clutching her head. Like she was being mentally tortured. His arms wrapped around her and he looked up at the two laughing twins outside the bars.

The two of them walked in and dragged them apart.

"No!" he yelled, struggling to get back to Alice. The twin that was holding her took out his cattle prod and shocked her in the side. He struggled even harder as she screamed and fell to her knees.

"Tell us where it is?" they demanded, aiming the next one towards her throat. He knew how bad that one was.

He pulled his right arm loose and knocked the twin hold him out. Then he lunged at the one with Alice.

He grabbed him by the shoulder and smashed him into the bars.

Alice tried to say something but was cut off by a loud bang. Hatter looked over to see Knave with a smoking gun pointed over his shoulder. There was a faint thump and he whipped around to see Alice sink to the floor. Ice covered over his heart and his whole body went cold. It was like time seemed to freeze a moment.

He dropped the doctor and rushed to her side. "Alice!" he cried panicked. The bullet had hit close to her chest and she was bleeding a lot. The shot wouldn't kill her, but if she wasn't helped now the blood loss would.

"You two really need to learn a thing or two," Knave told the twins. "People like Hatter will not fold if you threaten someone they love; they will do all they can to save them. And Hatter would do anything to save Alice, wouldn't he?" Hatter glared up at the hateful man. He put pressure on the wound trying to stop the bleeding as much as he could. With his other hand he caressed her face. "Tell us where the Great Library is and we'll take Alice to an infirmary."

"No, Hatter!" Alice whispered. He saw the pain in her blue eyes and he couldn't stand it. He couldn't live in a world without Alice.

"East side of the city," he said. "Sixty-fourth floor. Hedgehog route, it's the third grey door. Inside is a lift, red button to go down, blue to go up."

"Thank you Hatter," Knave smiled.

But no moved, they all just stood there.

"What are you doing? Help her!" he cried. "You said you'd help her!"

"Yes I did," Knave laughed. "But I never said when."

He would have screamed at them if he hadn't realised he couldn't afford to waste time. Frantically he turned back to Alice and gently scooped her up in his arms. He knelt on the ground holding her and grabbed her hand.

"Hold on, you can get through this," he begged.

"No I won't," she said calmly.

"No, no! Don't say that!"

"Hatter, I've been shot. You can't help me anymore than I could help my dad." He could feel tears running down his bruised face.

Her breathing was laboured and she was becoming paler by the second.

"No Alice, don't leave me! I just got you back."

"It's okay Hatter. I can go happy. I got to see you one last time. That's all I wanted, to see you again. I love you Hatter."

Gently he leant over and gave her a last long kiss. When it was over her eyes stayed closed. Her breathing was so shallow it was barely there. But there was a faint smile on her lips.

"And I love you Alice," he whispered.

He held her in is arms a long time. Even after her chest stopped moving.