Your reviews are, once again, so inspiring to hear. Thank you so much for taking your time to read and review my story! It sends me to the moon and back.

I'm trying to have the first draft of this story finished by September 17th, and right now, I would say I'm well over halfway. I still have a lot to write, but deadlines make me work faster! Also, I've finally gotten around to responding to your reviews. Sorry it took so long!

Some of you have been requesting certain characters to appear in the story, and I hear you loud and clear! I'll try my best to include them, even if their role is not as large as the rest of the cast. Oh also, I have no idea how this happened, but my tumblr got deleted weeks ago. =/ However, I made a new one with the same name. So, if you'd like, follow me! The link is on my profile. I'll answer whatever questions you have there, as well as post updates, notes, facts, etc. about my stories, drabbles, and even news about upcoming fics and original stories.

Thanks for reading, and please continue to review! Reading your feedback is perhaps one of my favorite parts of the day. Lastly, thanks to emilyforprez for betaing.

Advice from a Caterpillar
"'Who are YOU?' said the Caterpillar. This was not an encouraging opening for a
conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, 'I-I hardly know, sir, just at present-
at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must
have been changed several times since then.'"

Quinn began thrashing her arms back and forth, screaming incoherent sentences. She could no longer see her group or hear anything that would indicate their presence. There was no rustling of trees or chirping of Wonderland creatures; only the sounds of her panting and desperation reeked the air. It then occurred to Quinn that perhaps it wasn't the safest thing in the world to shriek bloody murder in a place where there were highly vicious monstrosities roaming the area, but what else was she to do? Wait for the quicksand to swallow her whole?

Quinn then remembered the little pastry she had eaten many moons ago, the one that made her grow ten feet tall. She looked frantically around her, hopeful to find some kind of treat on the forest floor. If she were to grow a few more feet, it would certainly help her stall time before she found an escape. Craning her neck around, she tried twisting her body to get a better look at everything around her, and when she did, her eyes stretched and she gasped when she saw she was not alone.

A boy sat on top of an abnormally large mushroom, his arms folded and eyes closed. He did not seem to take any notice of her, despite her blatant screams and pleadings. He was fabulously dressed in a pink, teal, and dark blue ensemble, and while it would have looked garish on anyone else, he seemed to pull it off respectively well. He had a very boyish face, looking much younger than he probably was, and in spite of all the irrational events of this moment, Quinn could not help but find herself feeling envious of how soft and flawless his skin looked.

"Hello?" Quinn called out. "Hello! You there! Down here!"

The boy sighed, and when he did, she saw a trail of smoke escape his lips. As his arms moved to his side, Quinn saw that he had been quietly smoking a golden hookah, and she coughed and waved the air in front of her face. "Hello? Hello there! Excuse me! I need your help! I've fallen into some quicksand!" Quinn exclaimed. "Please, I need your help!"

It was then he finally looked at her, his face indifferent and almost judgmental. He took another long drag from his hookah and crossed his legs regally. They both looked at each other for a long moment, and gradually, he took the hookah out of his mouth. "Who are you?"

She blinked. "Look, I'm kind of not in the best state to explain that stuff right now, so do you mind helping me out of here and then we can discuss introductions and such?"

The boy stared at her. "You didn't answer my question."

"Okay, fine. Fine, I'm Quinn. Quinn Fabray. Happy? Now can you get me out of here?"

"Brown is an awful color on you."

Quinn glanced down at the dark sand creeping up her knees. "Yes, yes, I agree. Please, what's-your-name, can you get me out of here?"

"Caterpillar."

"... What?"

"My name is Caterpillar," he rolled his eyes and took another drag.

"Okay, great," Quinn sighed in exasperation. "That's fabulous, but if you can't tell, I'm really short on time. I got separated from my friends, and I really need to get out of here. Can you just please help pull me out?"

"I'm really not one for dirt." He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sinking for Christ's sake!" Quinn made a Sign of the Cross. "Just help me, please! I'll do whatever you want!"

"I'm not really one for girls either."

For a second, Quinn thought if she stretched her arms further enough, there was a possibility she could wring his neck. But alas, her desperation was outweighing her violent tendencies, so she subsided and did the next best thing: threaten.

"Well, I'm not one for flamboyance either, but I guess we both have to make due. I have some really powerful friends, you know, and if they find out that you just let me die here, they won't be too happy about it. And then you're going to wish you saved me."

Caterpillar grimaced. "You really need to work on your glare. Gah, it looks like you're being amputated or something. Please, honey, easy on the lips. You want to make me feel like I want to kill myself, not kill you."

Quinn paused everything and frowned noticeably. "You... you don't like my glare?"

"It could use some minor adjustments. Besides, you've got leaves in your hair. I just can't take you seriously right now."

"But... everyone gets intimidate by my glare."

"Sorry, toots, it does nothing for me."

"They even call it the 'Fabray Glare'! They named it after me!"

"Look, we can chat about it as much as you'd like, but you're waist deep in quicksand, and I only have so much strength to pull you out before your head goes under, all right?" Caterpillar huffed another drag from his hookah before pushing himself off the mushroom. He very carefully edged around the quicksand, a look of disgust adorning his face, before he grabbed one of the sturdy tree branches and tilted it towards Quinn's reach. She thrust her arms out and snatched the branch, and together with the Caterpillar, they gradually pulled her out of the pit (with a great load of effort from both sides). It felt something like a suction cup being pulled off a glass window, and she felt a weird sliminess on her legs when she finally touched the ground.

"Ew," Quinn scrunched her nose. "This is disgusting."

"I'll say," Caterpillar observed, scooting further away from her. "I suppose I should offer you... a bath or something?"

"It would be the kind thing to do."

"You have to promise me no sob stories," Caterpillar said suddenly. Quinn gave him both a strongly quizzical and annoyed look, but his expression remained stern. "You look like one of the girls who's been on an emotional high, and I really don't deal with that sort of thing. So if you promise me you'll refrain from the water works, then I can invite you in."

"Well don't you have exclusive requirements," Quinn quipped. "Fine. I wasn't going to cry anyways."

"What, were you going to give me the 'Fabray Glare' instead?"

"Just show me your damn bathtub."

It really shouldn't have surprised Quinn that Caterpillar lived in a mushroom.

But it was still quite hard refraining a gasp when he walked around the mushroom, prodded open a hidden door, and led her inside into his strangely quaint abode. There were no divisions of rooms, just the essentials. A small bed on one end, accompanied by a tiny night stand and a lamp. (Where did his electricity come from? Then again, how the hell was she supposed to know? He lived in a mushroom!) On the other end was a tiny table with an even tinier stove (again with the electricity question), and way in the back was a bathtub, a wardrobe, and a sink. Other than that, the place was strikingly bare, an odd comparison to the Caterpillar's extravagant appearance.

"I didn't always live here," he had explained when she asked. "See, my father is Wonderland's official handler for royal horses and other traveling creatures. He even knows how to handle jabberwockies and such. But when the Queen of Hearts came to power... well, she didn't really take kindly to people as outspoken as me. To put it in simple words for your little blond mind, she banned me from the kingdom. My father was still forced to work for her, and I was forced to stay here. This," he gestured around the room, "is temporary living, you can say."

"This Queen of Hearts is just a straight up bitch, isn't she?" Quinn called from the bathtub. She was first extremely wary over bathing in front of her new male friend, but the fact that he was just as indifferent about the female body as he was with quicksand, Quinn realized there was really nothing to worry about. So she let the warm water and scented bubbles soak her bruised skin, and she'd be lying if she said it didn't feel heavenly.

"Maybe it's best if you are the one to try and stop her. You two have got a lot in common." Quinn let out a bitter laugh as she threw a bar of soap at Caterpillar's head. He laughed as well, and in a very sick and twisted way, Quinn quite enjoyed their sarcastic relationship. Throughout her bath, she had explained to him the plan and her adventure thus far while he sat on the table, reading what seemed to be Wonderland's equivalent to a magazine.

After a silent moment, Quinn sighed nonchalantly. "My friends must be worried sick about me."

"I'm sorry, did you call them your friends?"

"They must be searching all over for me."

"Oh, like your family?"

Quinn shot him a look before closing her eyes and sinking further into the tub. "Living alone has made you really cynical," she remarked.

"Oh, sweetheart, you should have seen me before."

Quinn giggled slightly. "I wonder what will happen when you turn into a butterfly."

"Pardon?"

"Well, don't all caterpillars turn into butterflies?"

Caterpillar gave her a very curious look and closed his magazine. "You come from a very strange world."

"Oh, come on. Thinking caterpillars turning into butterflies can't be that abnormal."

"More than you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"People don't change, Quinn," Caterpillar said, his tone suddenly very serious. "If someone was always funny they're not just going to wake up one day and stop being funny. Nice people don't suddenly turn mean without reason. The niceness doesn't wash away. It just becomes overtaken by something that's not even true in the first place. People can pretend, but they can't change. You can't force someone to not be themselves."

Quinn blinked. "I have no idea what you're saying."

"Never try to fix what isn't broken." Caterpillar suddenly smiled sadly, and he gave her a small look before quickly turning back to his magazine.

After another hour of resting in the bath, Quinn finally stood up, shaking the excess water and wrapping her body around a towel. The day had turned into night, and Caterpillar had gone outside to briefly gather some food. She had managed to wrangled him into her devious "Let's Get Back Wonderland!" plan, and she knew the main reason he had only agreed was to see his father again. Quinn didn't question it any further, for she was simply basking in the glory of recruiting someone by herself.

Running a hand through her wet hair, she took a quick glance at her reflection in the mirror. There was something strange about the girl staring back at her, something foreign. Quinn touched a hand to her face, searching for any blemishes or flaws that gave something away. Nothing. Her eyes were just as green, her skin just as fair, her cheeks just as rosy. But she still couldn't help but see something different about her.

Some grunting and knocks on the front door took her attention away from the mirror. Quinn rolled her eyes as she tightened the towel around her body and reached out for the doorknob. It was probably Caterpillar, struggling to carry all the ingredients for their dinner. She had offered her assistance, but he waved her off, saying she would slow him down. It was probably true, but Quinn hated being dismissed so easily. So as she opened the door, a smug smile and cocked eyebrow took shape on her face.

Her smile soon disappeared.

"Not a bad look for you, blondie," the Hatter grinned at her. March Hare waved awkwardly, and Cheshire Cat stood right beside him, her signature smile on her face. Mouse stood on Cheshire's shoulder, covering her eyes with her hands, and Tweedledee and Tweedledum had their pinkies interlocked, both sharing the same sneaky smile.

Caterpillar pushed through the group, his arms occupied with several herbs and vegetables as he walked inside. "I found your traveling circus while picking tomatoes. Needless to say, they invited themselves in." He suddenly glanced at her clothing choice. "Nice."

"Shut up," Quinn mumbled with doe eyes, and she clutched onto her towel for dear life as the rest of the group tried to make space inside Caterpillar's tiny mushroom house.

It was a cute scene for anyone looking in. They all surrounded a small bonfire, each munching on tomato soup and roasted vegetables. It vaguely reminded Quinn of summer camp; all she had to due was put Cheshire's hand in a glass of water and her bra in a freezer and then it would have really reminded her of summer camp.

Quinn sat near Tweedledee and Tweddledum, the duo chatting about something Quinn could not comprehend, but then again, she wasn't too eager to join in their conversation in the first place. Cheshire Cat and March Hare sat across from her, laughing and grinning happily to each other as they tried throwing pieces of corn into the other's mouth. Mouse and Caterpillar were engaged in what seemed to be a very fervent and jolly conversation as they both occasionally began to jump up and down animatedly.

"Don't you just look like a ray of sunshine," Hatter suddenly piped up, taking a seat next to Quinn. She was roasting a yellow bell pepper, a small blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she smiled briefly at the Hatter. "What? No comebacks? Roll of the eyes? Not even a smirk? Now you've got me worried," he shrugged teasingly.

Quinn shook her head lightly. "Not in the mood, I guess."

They sat in silence for a bit, and Quinn shifted every now and then, checking the status of her bell pepper. Finally, she took it off the stick, breaking it into small parts and handing some to the Hatter. He accepted it without response, and both ate quietly as the others in the group continued chattering heartily.

"Everyone was worried for a second," said Hatter abruptly. "Mouse was hysterical. Same with March Hare. They all thought you died or some shit like that."

"Nice to know you took my potential death so lightly," Quinn muttered, her tone a bit hurt.

"Nah, I knew you weren't dead. Death by a jubjub bird? Way too easy," he grinned reassuringly. "You would have put up a stronger fight than that."

Quinn cocked her head. "Er – thanks. I guess."

"You're kind of a tease, you know that, right?"

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me - "

"I mean, the whole towel thing was just really cruel."

"I didn't know you were at the door!"

"Why would Caterpillar knock at the door of his own house?" Quinn opened her mouth but was at a loss for words. She made a weird gaping noise, but the smugness on Hatter's face made her snap her mouth shut. She resorted to the next best thing, a dramatic eye roll, but it only made him smile wider as he took another bite of the pepper.

The group had moved further away from them and closer towards the fire, engaged in their own lively conversation. Quinn glanced at them every now and then, and a small smile crept onto her lips as she observed how well they were all getting along. "I heard you got Caterpillar to join us," Hatter commented offhandedly. "Good job."

Quinn shrugged. "It wasn't that hard."

"I figure it wouldn't," Hatter sighed. "We could have asked him to join a fucking hunt, and he would have accepted. It's not so much about what we're doing with these guys. It's just having someone to do it with. All of them, all of them are just lonely. We could have told them we're robbing a castle, and they would have agreed. They would have done whatever it takes to feel like they belong."

Quinn raised a brow. "And you?"

Hatter smiled dryly. "I don't need other people."

"But you're here."

"There could be other reasons." He paused and gave her a small look before brushing some dirt off his knees. "Tell me about your world."

His comment caught Quinn off-guard. "What do you want to know?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "What's it like living there?"

"Well," she began, her face slightly scrunched. "There's not this many trees. Or... scary creatures wandering around. And we definitely don't have crazy queens or alcoholic tea. Uh, there's lots of houses. White picket fences, gardens, mail boxes... you know. Lima, Ohio is pretty much the typical suburban American town." There was a pause. "It's just as boring as it sounds."

"Then what about your family? Your friends?" he asked.

"I had a lot of friends on the cheerleading squad, but ever since I moved, I haven't really kept in contact with them that much. But I've just been really busy, so that's why. My dad's work was the reason why I had to move. He got relocated to Lima, and he took the rest of us with him. Except Frannie. Frannie is my obnoxious and legitimately evil sister, but she's already in college, so she gets to be all high and mighty in New Hampshire. We compete over everything, it's ridiculous. But it's just my parents and I for now," Quinn sighed. "I do love them. They're a bit overbearing at times, but they always trying to do things that are in my best interest. And they buy me lots of jewelry." Her eyes trailed to the fire as her voice softened. "Sometimes I wish they'd leave me alone. I think they have this vision of me as a sweet, innocent little girl who bakes cookies all the times and gets dressed by little birds, and I think they're slowly realizing I'm not that person. And it's killing them. So they like to control my life and pretend to themselves that I'm still that girl. And I guess, I just don't want to let them down, so I allow them."

Hatter gazed at her, his expression lit by the firelight. "Then why do you want to go back?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Well, so far, from everything you told me, there's not much to go back to." Quinn opened her mouth but the Hatter cut her off. "Your town sucks, your friends are crap, and your family doesn't even appreciate you. What are you trying to go back for?"

"That's... " Quinn trailed off, but she furrowed her brows quickly. "That's none of your business."

"But it's also true."

"I have plenty to go back for."

"Like what?"

"I was on honor roll - "

"Sounds like a side dish."

"Church - "

"Also sounds like a side dish."

"Well, where else am I suppose to go?" Quinn snapped. "I can't just abandon my family. They must be worried sick about me. I have to go home and make sure they're okay."

"And what about you?"

Quinn frowned. "What about me?"

"You're not doing this for you. You're doing this for your family."

"Why do you say that like it's a bad thing?" She meant for her voice to come out harsh, but a more sympathetic tone managed to escape.

The Hatter took in a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the fire. "It doesn't matter what world you're in. All you've got is yourself. Everything else is just white noise, and maybe there are some people out there who can help you along the way, but most of the time, they're just there to distract you and bring you down. No one's going to fight for you but yourself."

She held her hands close together on her lap and squinted sadly at him. "Why do you think so poorly of every thing?"

His gaze narrowed. "I'm just saying what everyone is too afraid to say out loud."

There was silence as some of the group began to retire back inside the house. March Hare had retreated to find more fire wood for the pit, and Cheshire brightly accompanied him. Tweedledee and Tweedledum had fallen asleep, pinkies still locked, and Mouse and Caterpillar were in and out, still carrying on whatever discussion they had started earlier. Quinn shifted on the ground, her eyes darting from the dying fire to Hatter. A sparkle of ruby red caught her eye, and she made a stifled noise as she reached out for his arm. "You're bleeding," she noted dully.

Hatter quickly shook her off. "It's nothing."

"Was it from the Jubjub Bird?"

"Old bastard put up a fight," he muttered, but Quinn continued to stare at it. "It doesn't hurt," he assured her, subtle exasperation in his voice.

"It looks like it hurts," she persisted. "You should bandage it before it gets infected. The cut is too deep."

"I'm fine."

"I don't care," she snapped and reached out for his arm again. He tensed at her touch but didn't move away as Quinn tried examining the cut under the fire's light. She noticed it was much worse up close, and she refrained from flinching at the amount of blood pouring out from his skin. Placing his arm on her lap, she untied the black ribbon wrapped around her head and fastened it gently around the cut. Whether it stung him or not, he did not show it, and she didn't even bother hiding the small amount of respect she had for his strength. "Why did you stop being a knight?" Quinn asked softly, her eyes still focused on bandaging his arm.

He furrowed his brow. "It's complicated."

"We have time."

He sighed, shaking his head slightly before leaning back and adjusting his hat with his free hand. "I wasn't knight material."

"Obviously Mr. Dodo doesn't think so."

"Mr. Dodo sees the best in everybody, and sometimes, he sees more than what's really there." He took a deep breath. "I'm not the type of guy to go around saving people. I knew that early on. He knew that early on. Everyone knew that early on. When the Queen of Hearts came to power and exiled Mr. Dodo, I had my way out, and I took it. I've never looked back."

"But you saved me. Multiple times."

"It's different," Hatter frowned as she finally released his arm. He bent it back and forth, testing out the pain. "You're different."

"You know, you say these kind of things all the time, but I never know what you mean."

He suddenly looked at her, his eyes distraught with pained curiosity. It was a look that was so foreign on his face, Quinn wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Her hand was itching out to reach his, as if to pry out whatever he was keeping from her; however, what irked her was not the fact that he was keeping secrets, but more so, she simply wanted to know more about him. She found herself wanting to know everything there was about him, and even though she would deny it later, she also wanted to tell him everything there was to know about herself. About how she was afraid of clowns since she was four years old. About how she can basically eat chocolate syrup with any kind of meal. About how she thought her letter to Hogwarts was lost in the mail on her eleventh birthday.

And the way he was looking at her right now, Quinn was sure he felt something of the same.

"Quinn, look, there's something you need to know - "

"Oh dear, I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!"

But Quinn and Hatter quickly whipped hear head around to see a very familiar boy in a wheelchair approaching from across the forest.

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