A/N: So, I started off with this prompt: What if Alice had short hair (like Abby [from the TV show Primeval]) and didn't need hair pins? from Katy23 (thanks!), and it got wildly out of control. Seriously, I never intended it to end like this. The structure might get confusing, so here it is: it starts at the beginning of the series, in our world, then goes to when Alice is being transported in the boxes hanging from the Scarab, then goes to Carol's POV, post-miniseries. More at the end, as always.

I disclaim.

Alice needed a change in her life.

Nothing too drastic—she didn't want to move, or to change jobs, or even to travel, just to do something small that would feel significant. So she gave herself two choices: either she chopped all of her hair off, or she got a piercing in an entirely inappropriate place.

The hair it was then.

It all went—all she had left at the end of her day at the salon was three inches of dark brown clinging to her head; surprisingly, without all of the extra weight pulling on the bottom, it was a little bit wavy.

It was also blessedly light; it would be wonderful not to need to spend ten minutes washing it in the shower, or to put it up for martial arts, or to style and brush it every time she went out. But the best part? She would never have to abuse herself by sticking her head with those damn bobby pins to keep it out of her face again.

She couldn't wait to show Jack.


Alice's fingers fumbled to find a way--any way--out of the little box trapping her. Wait, what was...? Yes! A latch, if she could only...But, no. Her fingers were just barely too short. Alice fumbled through her pockets, all over her dress, and searched her wrists and neck for anything she could use to unhook the one little bar of metal holding her in the case.

Nothing. Damn.

What the hell was going to happen to her?


Carol couldn't figure out what was wrong with her daughter.

Ever since she had chased after Jack and hit her head, she had just seemed...flat. She showed no emotion, and never appeared to take any enjoyment from anything. To be fair she almost never seemed exactly unhappy, either, she just didn't feel at all. She rarely spoke, and her stubborn streak never made an appearance--something Carol thought she would appreciate, but in fact missed desperately.

She didn't seem to have lost any of her other mental faculties--she still did well at university, and she remembered everything she knew about her martial arts, but the fire with which she had attacked every new project was gone.

Alice did seem to have some almost lucid moments, when her eyebrows would crinkle, and she would look hunted, as though the real Alice was somewhere, buried deep and was trying desperately to get out. Carol tried to coax emotion out of her every time, recounting happy and sad stories from her own and Alice's childhoods, ones that had always elicited a strong response, but now could barely tease out a vaguely confused look, before Alice resumed staring into the middle distance.

And so, even thousands of dollars of worthless therapy later, Carol wasn't entirely surprised to find the note sitting on the kitchen table, and Alice, gone.

Mom-

I would miss you if I could. I would be sorry to leave you, like Dad did. I would be sad that you are going to be in so much pain. I know I should feel all of these things, but I can't, and so I can't stay,

I remember loving you,
Alice.

A/N 2: So the premise of this is that, instead of killing the Oysters once all of their emotions are drained, the Suits just send them back to our world, emotionless. And that made me think of Dementors from the Harry Potter series, hence the name of the chapter.
In writing the end, I pictured the note as a suicide note, but upon rereading it, it would also just be Alice going away. You can decide which you like better.
I really wanted to work Hatter in there somewhere, maybe to bring her back from the brink of this, but it didn't work out, since they hadn't met yet.
Sorry it's so sad :-/

Till next time,
HeadPhones.