Heyhey! Hope the cliffhanger wasn't too hard on anyone! :D

Hatter's POV

'How interesting!' I chimed in cheerily, pouring a cup of orange tea for one of the courtiers.

How boring, I thought. I'd much rather be with my Alice and Pamina, exploring wherever in Underland they decided to go today. They'd better be back soon, the party would soon finish, thank god for that. Mirana has been such a hospitable host but the tea party was so proper it was hardly any fun. Now that's not right, it wasn't any fun at all. The only good thing was the tea.

All the others were excused to keep watch on any straying courtiers that might run into Alice and Pamina. Only I had to be here, brewing tea and dreaming of an adventure. That all changed when Mally scurried into the room. I beamed at her, lowering my hand to the floor. She jumped on and as soon as I saw her face, mine fell.

'Hatter, it's Alice! I saw blood, a lot. Something's wrong, go to Pamina's...' she whispered, panting. I excused myself and walked out of the hall before she could finish.

Once I was free, I ran. My feet took my outside the castle to the back, ripping open the trap door. I climbed in and ran again. Blood? Alice was wounded. It takes a lot to wound his Champion. Immediately his thoughts drifted to Iracebeth and Stayne. He growled. Right now, he had to concentrate on getting to Pamina's room. Alice needed him.

He ran faster finally reaching Pamina's ivory white room door, he heaved the door open and was instantly stunned by what he saw.

Pamina was crying and stammering, rivulets flowed from her orange tinged brown eyes as she fumbled around, mixing things in a pot while half formed words poured from her mouth. She was scared, frightened beyond anything she had felt in a very long time.

Alice lay on her bed, blue eyes half open as the gruesome gash on her arm trickled fresh blood among the dried, turning the white sheets red. She saw him and smiled. My heart fell to my feet and I ran to her kneeling by her side as I took her hand in mine, clasping it tightly. She squeezed my fingers gently.

'Dear Hatter, you came.' She said, a weak smile on her lips.

'Don't worry, you'll be just fine. Soon you'll be your right Alice self again!' I said, kissing her cheek.

'Uncle Tarrant! Where's Mother? There's too much blood! Ooh, I'm not good at this yet!' Pamina cried, falling to her knees beside me, clutching a dried up worm in one hand and a cow's eyeball in the other.

'Shhh. It's alright, use whatever Mirana taught you. You're brilliant and I believe in you. Just believe in yourself now.' I said, hugging her tiny frame with my free arm.

A moment later, I released her and she nodded, scurrying back to the pot she was working over, muttering things I couldn't quite hear. Alice squeezed my hand again, moaning, bringing my attention back to her. I looked at her with worried eyes and looked back with sad ones.

'I'm…so sorry…Witzend…Stayne…Pamina saved…me…' Alice whispered choking on the air, she wanted to say more but I hushed her. She took deep breaths, trying to keep her eyes open.

I felt my eyes change colour as that one word seared into my mad mind. Stayne. How dare he harm my Alice? And try to with Pamina, the last of my family! That scrumming, flibbering, runtgrisering idiot. I would make him pay for this.

Mirana ran into the room most un-Queenly-like, rushing to Pamina's attempted salve. She began moving with incredible speed. Soon she was beside me, holding out a steaming mug.

'Have her drink this. All of it.' Mirana said, dark brown eyes only on Alice, watching the wound carefully.

I took the cup, still fogging up on the top but it was freezing. And it smelled sweet, far too sweet, a sickly kind of sweet that burned my nose. But I trusted Mirana. I brought the cup to Alice's too pale lips, She sipped at it and screwed up her face in disgust but she downed it, every single drop. Moments later, her eyes drooped lower and she yawned.

'Tarrant, don't go.' She said, holding on to my hand as her eyes closed and she relaxed on the soft sheets.

'I promise.' I said, rubbing my thumb across her hand.

'She'll be fine, Tarrant, I assure you. We should clean her wound and bandage it though.' Mirana said, her arm around a leg-hugging Pamina.

'I had Bander lick it, Mother. To purify the wound.' Pamina said, blankly.

'Just a bandage then.' Mirana continued, grabbing a fresh one, she carefully bound Alice's right arm. Finished with the bandage and the crisis of the moment. She walked back to her daughter, who stared at Alice, eyes bluer than the sky.

'You did very well, sweetheart. Don't be sad, she'll be fine come morning. Now you too need your rest. You'll sleep in my room tonight.' The Queen said, hugging her daughter in comfort.

'Pamina.' I called softly as she walked towards me. I opened my arms and she ran into them, wrapping her little arms around me.

'You're such a brave girl. You saved Alice, little one. Now you deserve a good night's rest.'

'I thought she was going to die. He almost killed her. He was just as evil as the last time.' Pamina cried.

'Remember, Stayne is not coming back anytime soon. He can't hurt you or anyone else. Now go rest.' I whispered, stroking her vibrant hair.

She nodded as I let her go, walking back to Mirana, they left the room, closing the doors behind them, leaving me to watch over my Alice.

Pamina's POV

Mother changed me into a nightie, tucking me into bed with a kiss and eyes that said she loved me. They made me feel a little better though the bad things were still there. As she turned out the light, my thoughts filled with them. I struggled to push them away. I hadn't told anyone. Not yet.

Stayne, the black man. He was the centre of it. Him and the monster. I knew his voice when he first spoke but I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to block my mind off but I couldn't. I lost my head, I blew up. I remembered Daddy and I felt the monster jump out before I could control it, saying stupid things that could have gotten me killed had Alice not been there.

I remember watching the fight, Alice trying so hard to protect me, I saw her fall, sword gone. He stood over her, sword raised just like he did with my Daddy. She was going to die. He was going to kill her.

I jumped onto a growling Bander. I stood by and watched my Daddy get his life taken away. I would not stand by again. I would not let him kill another person I loved. Anger running through me like a fuel, I snatched her sword and rode Bander full speed, swinging the sword hard.

I felt the horrible sensation of the blade through the flesh, he slammed against a tree far away from Alice and I ran to him, sword tip pointed to kill. The monster rose, urging me to kill him, end his life like he ended my Daddy's. I wanted to so bad. To make him pay for taking away my Daddy from me. I was thirsting to just push the sword a little further.

But I stopped myself, forced myself to hold back, don't move. Mother, Uncle Tarrant, Alice, they all believed I could do it. That I wasn't like my mother. They believed I wasn't evil, that I could control my madness, I wouldn't hurt anybody.

I couldn't betray their trust. They believed in me. I had to keep on giving them a reason to believe. But now it taunted me. I let him go. I had the chance to kill the man who killed my Daddy but I didn't.

'Coward, coward. Can't even avenge your own Daddy.' The voice in my head spoke.

I threw my hands over my ears, humming my favorite tune, trying to drown it out. It worked but the words stayed, echoing in my mind. I had to think.

Was I a girl that managed to fight back her madness and her monster? Or was I a coward who couldn't suck it up and kill my Daddy's murderer?

Poor Pamina! People trust her but she doesn't trust herself! D: Hope you liked this chapter! Thank you for the reviews! :D