A/N: Early Submission! Thank the early weekend and my alarm still going off to wake me up. Grumble. Anyway, here it is. :)

Dietrich's mind cleared from the incessant fog that had clouded it for what felt like a few hours. He could already feel a migraine coming on. His lips and eyes were painfully dry and he felt like he was going to be sick. Dietrich opened his eyes into slits and took around his surroundings. He was lying in a bed, pink curtains and sheets wrapped themselves around him along with two limp porcelain arms. His mind raced to recover the past few hours. He hadn't... He couldn't have. He carefully slung the arms off of him, careful not to disturb the girl. His breathe let out into a sigh as he saw that she had been given a small yellow silk blouse. At least White had the decency, or had it been him who gave her the shirt? Turning his attention back to the room, he found that it was empty. Some silhouettes and shadows moved behind the curtains of some of the other four-posters, but the corridor itself held no one. He quickly checked that he still had his clothes on, rumpled but intact, and swung down into a crouch under the bed. He was about to sprint off in search of the Duchess but his gaze lingered behind him at the small figure curled in the bed. With a shake of his head, he slid back into the covers and lightly tapped her awake.

"Wha- oh, is it morning yet?" she asked in a raspy voice. Dietrich cringed at how fragile she was now.

"Clarisse, listen to me," he said into her ear. A weak giggle escaped her lips at his touch but he continued. "We have to leave here, now!"

Her eyebrows bunched in confusion as her drug-induced brain tried to fathom what he was saying. "Why? White Rabbit takes care of us. He'll look after you too, if I ask nicely. I'm sure of it."

Her small smile was heart-wrenching. Dietrich gritted his teeth in search of an explanation, a way to convince her to come with him. If he got her out of Wonderland, but she needed that stupid tea. He had seen what happened to people after they had become so dependent, but it had only been a week or so. How had the effect been so instantaneous? His eyes widened as he thought of an idea. He didn't like lying to her, but it seemed to be the only way to get her out without waking the others.

"White.."

"King White, only I get to call him White," she interrupted with a pout.

"Right, sorry," Dietrich apologized quickly. "King White gets his tea from a man who lives only a few blocks away from me. If you come with me, I can get as much as you want and you don't have to wait for it. Now, if you want to come, go tell the others and ask if they would like to join us, do you understand?"

An excited smile drew up on her cracked lips making her cheekbones even larger. Then it fell again," What about White though? He'll miss me."

Dietrich pulled at his hair in frustration. The Duchess was waiting for his signal. She had to kill White and here he was, arguing with an addict. "White will visit now lets go."

He sprinted to one of the beds, a yellow one and pulled for the curtain. A quick peek revealed a sleeping girl, about thirteen or so. Dietrich placed a soft hand on her olive skin. Her reaction was as sedated as Clarisse's. He whispered his offer to her as well. She looked at him, unconvinced, but then she picked herself up and stepped to his side. Together they woke all of the others and formed a circle around the middle of the room. Dietrich sighed in relief as he realized that White had left. Had he been here, it would have been much more difficult.

"Does everyone want to come along?" he asked.

Nods and some smiles were his answer. His eyes softened and he gave a reassuring smile in return.

Clarisse stepped forward again with a frown and Dietrich knew that she was going to ask about White again. He couldn't afford any of the others to start having second thoughts. So instead he wrapped his arms under her knees and back, clamping a hand over her mouth so she didn't scream, and then took off at a sprint. The door looked as menacing from this side as it had from the other, but here it had a large handle instead of the lock mechanism. Dietrich gently placed Clarisse's feet on the floor and gave it a strong push down. The door slid in revealing the empty corridor beyond. Dietrich once again picked up the girl and, pressing himself to the wall, started to creep down the corridor. The others followed, not so stealthily but still hidden in the darkness.

As they reached the final door leading to the ballroom, Dietrich quietly told them to wait until he said to come out. Most gave him a confused look but nodded that they at least knew what he was saying. The ballroom had been completely emptied of guests and the candles had been dimmed to create a ghostly image of beauty and fear. The draperies looked almost black and the gold had lost its luster to a dull brass color. Dietrich's gaze swept over the area to make sure it was truly clear. Not a soul anywhere, he took a breathe and sprinted toward the large double doors leading to the outside. He heard the other feet patter along with him. The Duchess would be waiting for him, somewhere down the road, so as to remain unseen by the guards. He was so close...

Dietrich was slammed to the ground by a large force. He spun in midair so that it was his back that hit the floor instead of Clarisse's head. His eyes widened as he saw the blood drips that stained his arm from where the object hit. Squeals of terror came form the small group behind him. His own gaze was locked with the figure now trying to pull herself up from the floor. Blood dripped from large gashes in her torso and arms, completely shredded golden dress clutching to her body and turning a sickening orange. Clarisse crumpled unnoticed on the floor as he let her go to kneel down before the girl. Her long black hair hid her face but she was unmistakable.

"Duchess," Dietrich squeaked as he pulled her hair out of her eyes. Purple irises brimmed with fear looked up at him. Both spun their head as a loud clatter came form another room.

"You have to go," she gasped through gritted teeth.

"I can't leave you," Dietrich pleaded. Warm tears swam in his eyes, he squinted to stop them from spilling.

"You need to get them back to their world. The effects of Tea will wear off instantly in your world. Save them Dietrich... save her."

"No, I can't. I l-"

Another clatter, this one closer, sounded again. The Duchess turned to the small group of bony girls and then back to his. A fake smile formed on her lips. Dietrich was too late to realize what she was about to do. He shouted something that even he didn't comprehend as he was pushed into the group and swallowed into an invisible door and into the abyss of colors that was the Duchess' domain. The last thing his eyes grasped before the vortex was the Duchess crumpling from the exhaustion of her action and the blood loss.


Dietrich opened his eyes and recognized the small meadow where he had been attacked by the deranged flowers. He quickly jumped up and checked his feet. Thousands of flowers around him, yet none of them so much as called him a name. Around him, grumbling girls picked themselves up off of their bony backs. He took in the scenery, everyone was here. Well, almost everyone. His stomach clenched as he remembered the small bloody form of the Duchess. The words of the Caterpillar came back to him. He had failed to save Clarisse, and the Duchess had sacrificed herself for him. His eyes stung with held back tears. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't let her sacrifice be in vain.

The rabbit hole was in those woods, and that was where he would go. But he wasn't going to go in, he was going to save her. He was going to kill White Rabbit and save her.

"Come on, this way," he said and made his way to the woods. The flowers looked so dead, perhaps they sensed the darkening aura around him as he walked.

The woods looked unfamiliar, and yet Dietrich knew the way. The twists and turns were more than confusing, but the hole came into view only after about half an hour of trekking through the brush. He gently motioned for the girls to come around it.

"In here, you have to jump and then you'll come up to where the Tea is, alright."

They nodded and one-by-one jumped into the gaping darkness and doors. Dietrich gave a reassuring hug to the smallest girl as she shakily lowered herself. Finally, only Clarisse was left.

"You'll come too, won't you?" she asked.

"I will. After you," Dietrich pulled a smile even though he felt like he was dying.

"I think I'm starting to remember you, a little. Have we met before?"

Dietrich's smile grew smaller but it was genuine now, "Yes, a long time ago. A long time ago I loved you."

"Well, I hope I didn't do anything undeserving of your love," she said as she disappeared form his vision.

Dietrich smiled to himself before he turned back and started toward the meadow.


"I didn't think that it would be you who betrays me," White smirked as he dug his fingers into a particularly large scratch on the Duchess' arm. She scowled at him, gritting her teeth so the scream at the back of her throat didn't burst out. She would not show weakness. Dietrich was safe along with all of the Alices. She had used the last of her energy to direct them to the meadow. He would have to find his way from there and she had faith that he was capable.

"Are you listening?" White dug in deeper and she couldn't hold back the small whimper that escaped her lips.

"What happened to you?" he continued on his rant. "I thought that you were smarter than this. You, the ice queen, letting your emotions govern your actions. Before you would never have sacrificed yourself."

"Your wrong," the Duchess spat.

"Oh?" White followed her gaze to where a pale man with brown ruffled hair and two fluffy cat ears. White's eyes lit up at the longing glance. "Am I? You left him alone after Ana's death. You are the reason his clock stopped."

"SHUT UP!" she screamed at him. The iron shackles that held her groaned with the effort it took to hold her pinned to the stone wall. The man's ears perked up as he prepared to protect his master.

"It is true and you know it. You killed her to get to him, and then, you leave him as though he was nothing. His fall from sanity was your fault alone."

Tears streamed down her face freely as she tried to tear her eyes away from the crouching figure. He looked so alive, but he couldn't be. She had seen him fade away as the clock hands ceased to move. She remembered that night as though it were branded into her mind. A permanent scar.

"It was I who found him after you broke him. I fixed him, I gave him life once more, I even returned most of the memories he had. Of course, I replaced his devotion to you with absolute loyalty for me," White continued to gloat.

The Duchess' head snapped up, "Is it really him?"

She cursed at her wavering voice and knew she had made a mistake as the smirk on White's face grew to an impossible length. "Yes. It is. And..."

SHe bit her lips and tried to keep from shouting, but it was futile. "And what?"

"He has no memory of what you did to him or his fiance, I have given you a clean slate. If you swwear your allegiance to me once more, perhaps I will allow you to reassert yourself into his life. What do you think of this offer?"

She knew it was a trap. She knew she should never agree. She knew that she had nothing to live for anymore and the Cheshire she knew was dead. She knew she shouldn't cry. She knew she wouldn't be able to help it. She knew she would not refuse. So with her head hanging low and her hair hiding her pained expression she uttered the words she knew would absolutely kill her and possible save her life.

"I swear allegiance to the House of Cards once more, and pledge myself to King White Rabbit, until my clock stops ticking and death frees me."


Far from the palace, Dietrich looked to the sky as heavy rain clouds drew nearer. He had located a road and was hoping a carriage would come by before the storm hit. A heavy trampling drew his attention to the road behind him where a steady dust cloud was rising. A Bandersnatch by the sound and smell of it. He drew himself up and waved at the traveler. With a snarl the beast halted and the rider removed thick aviator goggles to take a look at the boy in tattered and blood-stained clothes.

"You're the Duchess' little pet aren't you?" a familiar voice asked from behind a thick green scarf that covered the man's mouth and nose.

"How did y-" Dietrich stopped when he saw the holey and dusty coat and the ratty top hat sitting on his mess of black hair. "Hatter."

P.S: Dun Dun Dun. Suspense. :) Please review so I don't feel like a crazy person talking to myself. :)