"Alice?"
An incessant knocking roused Alice from her sleep. She yawned and opened her eyes blearily. She experienced only the briefest moment of disorientation, quickly realizing that it was Tarrant's red sheets and paisley coverlet that were pulled up around her ears, and his warm hands wrapped around her body. She sighed happily.
The knocking sounded once again, along with a repetition of her name and Alice realized that it could not have been Tarrant calling her, for he was fast asleep half on top of her. His ginger curls sprawled and spiraled down from his relaxed scalp to touch on her shoulder. His breath fell steady and warm against the back of her neck, and all Alice wanted to do was to remain cocooned in his embrace with no grand plans of metamorphosis, suspended in an indefinite state of sleep and cuddles.
"If ye don' get up right now I'm coming in!" threatened the voice in the hall.
This caused Alice to reluctantly but speedily crawl out from under Tarrant's embrace and rush to the door. Exactly what happened last night before bed had faded into a muzzy muddle, but Alice was sure that as he tucked her into the big four poster bed Tarrant had protested against her tucking him into it as well, saying that Thackery had scolded him to give her some space after her upset. He hadn't protested very hard, but Alice still didn't want him to have to wake up to his friend's disapproval. She was sure Thackery would have no problem waking Tarrant in some unpleasant way to voice it either.
"Here, I'm here," Alice declared quietly as she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.
Thackery's eyes narrowed. "'S Tarrant in there?"
Alice held out her hands in a placating gesture. "Yes, but please don't be angry. Nothing happened. We were just talking and fell asleep. I'm rested and up and I'll find my clothes and be ready to go in a moment."
He had been tapping his finger to his lower lip as she spoke, deciding whether or not to make a scene.
"Ye might as well wake him up then. He has to go to work too you know, and he'll know where your things are."
"Alright," said Alice meekly.
"Come downstairs when ye're ready an' I'll have breakfast ready."
"Thank you," Alice said. They continued to stare at each other for a moment, Thackery expecting Alice to go back in the room and Alice expecting Thackery to turn toward the stairs. They did an awkward little jig wherein Alice tried to walk around Thackery to the washroom while he attempted to enter his room across the hall while she was in front of the door. Thackery grabbed her by the shoulders and swung her around with a chuckle. Alice giggled as well. Thackery was doing his best to be serious, but he was as silly as Tarrant at times.
Finally, Alice accomplished her goal and returned to Tarrant's room a little cleaner and more put together, though she had to use her finger as a toothbrush again since her handbag was missing again. She'd also used the comb she'd found the other day, but felt less guilty about it since she'd discovered a few ginger hairs on it today. As long as it wasn't Nivens' it was probably alright to use. He seemed the sort that would pale at the sharing of personal hygiene items, while Alice couldn't imagine Tarrant caring a whit.
She approached the bed, soaked now in filtered daylight, for, as before, the sun shone bright through the paltry defenses of the Venetian blinds. Alice first said his name and lightly shook Tarrant's shoulder, but when that only elicited a groan and a snuffle whilst he hid his face deeper under his pillow, she climbed right up on the bed behind him. Alice blew in his exposed ear and seeing he was showing signs of waking whispered, "Ohhh little wind that blows, whips through the trees as it goes," she leaned in further to shout, "gusts up cold and bites your nose!"
This was accompanied by a leap and a tickle and a pinch to the nose that had Tarrant pushing her away and laughing and rubbing his nose even as he rolled her over under him to stop her playing. Alice laughed at his messy hair and how surprised he had been, and then laughed all the more out of sheer happiness when he didn't seem at all cross with her, but rather retaliated with tickles of his own. Finally after much noise and scuffling, Tarrant tossed Alice off the bed, saying, "You'd better appear downstairs unscathed after all that commotion or Thackery will scold me even more severely than I'm sure he's already planning to."
Alice did not look very contrite, but obediently followed Tarrant's directions down to the laundry room, which turned out to be more like a laundry cupboard, and let him dress in peace. The stacking washer and dryer unit inhabited the back of what was once a pantry, with a drying rack that hung down from the wall taking up all the space in front of it and a few shelves below. Alice grabbed her clothes down and also her backpack from one of these. Her books were not to be found in the tiny room, but she managed to squeeze in and shut the door so that she could dress. She wasn't sure what to do with her borrowed pajamas, so she folded them neatly and left them on the bottom shelf along with her backpack. Alice had the odd sense of staking her claim, even if it was just to the mostly-empty bottom shelf in a tiny closet of a laundry room, but still it felt better than having a suite to herself at a fancy hotel booked for a photoshoot.
When she emerged, Alice followed her nose to the table in the kitchen, where Tarrant and Thackery were already digging into a full breakfast of bacon and eggs, toast and jam, with vegetable hash on the side and strong tea to drink. Alice surprised everyone, including herself, by finishing the generous portion Thackery doled out with gusto.
Nivens ducked into the kitchen about then, seemingly in a huge rush. He kept pulling out his mobile to stare in horror at the passing minutes and claimed to be far too late to eat anything, but took Tarrant's toast right off his plate and then a piece of Thackery's bacon while he wasn't looking.
As he ran out the door, Alice asked if this was normal behavior.
"Oh yes," both housemates agreed.
"He's a little better when his boyfriend stays over," Thackery mused. "Ah think Nivens doesn't want him to realize quite how bad he is with time."
Tarrant added, "The first time I met Nivens I almost sacked him. He'd been clocking in late to work for months before my uncle died, and I thought he'd been taking advantage of the unfortunate situation. But no, it seems he truly can't judge how much time it takes to do anything, even get up and eat breakfast. I'm glad I gave him another try though."
"Oh, does he work for you then?" asked Alice.
"Not anymore. He's very organized and dedicated, but he has some traits that make him a less than ideal shop assistant. We both decided he'd do better elsewhere and I was able to give him a mostly truthful and glowing reference. Now he works as a personal assistant for some big businessman—owns one of our suppliers, or something like that—and that position seems to suit Nivens much better."
Thackery began to tap his own watch.
"We'd better get going, Alice. We're to see Dr. Tuttle at 8:30."
Tarrant rose, bringing his breakfast things to the sink.
"Do you want me to drop you in the car?" he asked.
"There should be no need," Thackery said briskly. "The office is close so we can walk just as easily. I've got to check on somethin' outside tho'. I'll meet you out front Alice."
"All right then," Tarrant said as his friend left the room for the back door.
"I'll have to go now if I'm to get in on time." Tarrant ripped another half-completed grocery list from the fridge and scribbled on the back of it with a pen from his shirt pocket, moving back to Alice who had come to rinse off her plate in the old stone sink. He turned her about and looked in her eyes.
"Before I forget, again, here is my number. I have a little work to do for Bembury this morning, but it shouldn't take long and then I've just got the Vetvier project, which I can do here as easily as the Bembury workroom or wherever Absolem wants me to set up. Please, please call me if you need anything. I can come get you after your appointment or after class or meet you for lunch later. Whatever you want."
A thought struck him as Alice nodded and looked around for her bag. Once she'd located it on the living room floor Tarrant caught up with her and handed her a little key with a leather keychain in the shape of a flower.
"Here's the house key. Come and go as you please. I really must dash, the clerks all get terribly smug if I turn up late."
He leaned in and kissed her cheek quickly, but not so quickly that Alice could not catch his head and kiss him more properly on the lips. Which she did, blushing.
"Thank you. And have a good day," she said, feeling quite grown up to see him off.
"You as well, Alice." And with that, the hatter turned and rushed out the back door.
-o-o-o-
Doctor Tuttle was a melancholy man whose considerable girth housed a sympathetic soul. He hated to see the powerful abusing the weak, and it was made even more tragic when those abused gained enough power over another to abuse them in turn. When his student Thackery Eames had contacted him about a case of prescription fraud being used to delay puberty in a completely ignorant subject he had felt tears sting his eyes. When he'd heard the name of the prescribing physician though, his eyes had lit up. Perhaps something good would come of all of this after all. Dr. Lustwig was a well-known physician who catered to the highest class of clients—those who would pay his exorbitant fees to prescribe them practically whatever they wanted. Somehow those clients always arranged for any complaints brought against him to disappear since they had as much to lose as he did. But if this case was what it promised to be, Dr. Lustwig's hour of reckoning was at hand.
Tuttle was in demand as a university lecturer and expert witness for court cases, so he only had office hours once or twice a week in the mornings, mostly for patients he'd had for years. This Alice would be the first new one in quite a long time, but the girl was also very likely to be in a fragile state after learning about her situation. The doctor buzzed his receptionist from his desk. She answered the phone, surprised that he was in the office so early, he told her to send in Thackery and his friend as soon as they arrived.
When Alice walked through the door Dr. Tuttle stopped himself from sadly shaking his head. The girl was clearly malnourished and had tired circles beneath her eyes that she hadn't bothered to hide with makeup. That was good, actually. If she was up to seeing things as they really were it would save a lot of trouble.
Thackery took one of the chairs in front of the desk, crossing his legs and jiggling his foot absently, while Alice sat in the other. She looked nervous, but determined. They exchanged greetings, and Dr. Tuttle began speaking.
"This is a highly unusual situation. Completely unheard-of! I can't tell you how shocked I am that this has happened. Lustwig has finally gone too far! But today our concern is you, Alice. Thackery has discovered that you have been taking Riftorelin for five years and nine months, halting your normal growth process and giving you a false extension of the adolescent state. I'm here to answer any questions you might have about the drug and its effects and to do a baseline exam for your recovery, as well as put you in touch with a counselor who can advise you about the emotional and psychological aspects of this case."
He leaned back in his chair and folded his hands across his ample belly.
"Now. The drug itself is modeled after the naturally occurring hypothalamic neurohormone gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH for short) that delivers the correct amounts of pituitary hormones within your body. Riftorelin's goal is to shut down production of these hormones, and get you down to a hypogonadal state—a level where your body is not producing normal adult amounts of estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones needed to stimulate puberty."
Alice's eyes had glazed over even as Thackery's gleamed with interest. Now was not the appropriate time to cater to his former student's questions, but rather to address the more pressing concerns of the victim in this situation.
"Side effects of the drug include hot flashes and loss of bone density. I am concerned about the latter, and will need you to undergo testing, especially as you have not been adequately nourished at the same time as you have been on it. But have you experienced any of the former? Or any unexplained headaches?"
Alice shook her head.
"I have the occasional headache,' she admitted, "but nothing chronic."
Dr. Tuttle continued. "We'll see to the test after your examination, but I wanted to speak to you a bit about your recovery. Thackery tells me you are a fashion model, indeed that is likely why you've been subjected to this ordeal. I must warn you that your body is quite likely to undergo changes after you have been off the drug for a time. Hopefully, your body will have no trouble producing the levels of hormones needed to function in a post-pubescent state. Unfortunately I can't be more specific, as there isn't very much data available about Riftorelin being used alone and not in conjunction with additional hormone treatments. In your case, I'm afraid we will have to wait and see, though we can take steps to make sure that you are well cared for as you go through these changes."
Thackery nodded and broke in, "Alice will be staying at our house, if she's willing, and I'll see to her diet and exercise. I can also record her progress to be sure nothing goes wrong."
"Good," said Dr. Tuttle. "It's really very fortunate you have Thackery to care for you personally, Alice. There are few practitioners, in my experience, whose attention to detail is at his level. You'll be in good hands.
"As to what you can expect, it should progress much like puberty in a typical adolescent female. You obviously began this process before you began taking Riftorelin, but many of the sorts of changes you might remember will begin again. Your breasts may feel sore to the touch, and you may even lactate slightly. Menses should return and regulate. These physical changes may leave you needing far more food and rest than you are accustomed to needing, so please listen to your body. As to how drastic the changes will be, well, that depends largely on genetic factors."
Alice took this in stoically, though she feared the changes might be drastic indeed. Her mother was a swimsuit model, after all, at a time when it was still expected to have plenty going on up top. As to her father's side, he was an only child but the portrait of her grandmother that had hung in the drawing room suggested no lack of bosom there. Any increase would be a distinct change to Alice's scant A-cup, and would likely spell the end of anything but hand modeling, which she refused to go back to.
"Do you have any questions?"
"Is there any indication. . .when might I reasonably expect changes to my body? I have a shoot on Thursday, and I believe there are a few other engagements next month, the income from which will be sorely needed. Will I have to cancel?"
Dr. Tuttle noted her matter-of-fact demeanor. He'd thought from Dr. Lustwig's name he was dealing with a highly wealthy family, but this young woman, though well-mannered and with a very high-class accent, seemed unduly concerned with income. It was curious indeed.
"It is unlikely that any significant change will occur within a week, but certainly within a month you should expect to see some changes if all is well. Might I ask—do you have another way of supporting yourself? The counselor should be able to inform you about unemployment options."
Alice looked grim. Her family had fallen on hard times but hadn't yet had to accept government handouts or charity from anyone other than their closest friends—and even that came with a price to be paid.
Thackery shook his head. "Don't worry, Alice, we'll be able to set you up with somethin or other til you can enroll in uni full time. Tarrant will hire you himself if he needs tae."
Dr. Tuttle nodded, and rose from his chair.
"And now, Alice, if you'll just follow me to an examination room, we can get started."
-o-o-o-
Alice tapped her pen on a random scrap of notepaper she'd pulled from her bag. After dragging all her school things to Witzend she promptly forgot all about bringing her class materials when she left in the morning. She'd insisted on Thackery leaving her to go to class on her own as usual, though now she wasn't sure she should have come. Alice was extremely distracted, wishing she'd had time to call Tarrant before rushing across town to school. Her mobile flashed a message, but it was from her mother like the others and Alice had no desire to check it yet. The professor was lecturing about bronze age artifacts found on the northern continent, but Alice could not muster up her usual rapt attention. The minutes dragged on, and finally she was released. She followed the tide of students out the doors of the lecture hall and out to the landing of the second floor. Below her she same a familiar head of ginger hair with a hat resting on it that she hadn't seen before.
"Tarrant!" she called out after him, guessing it was her that he was looking for as she couldn't come up with another reason for him to be hanging about the Cultural Anthropology department.
His face lit up and he turned toward her. She ran up to him and could not bring herself to participate in an awkward greeting, rather throwing herself into his arms. He reciprocated and lifted her off her feet to twirl her about. He kissed her then, and it felt like ages before Alice could gather her wits enough to look around her and acknowledge the dropped jaws of her classmates. Well, she'd hardly given them any reason to suspect she was prone to such blatant public displays. She saw her professor gawking along with the rest of them and giggled. She was always quiet and standoffish in class, mostly so she wouldn't have to explain her job and part-time status which left her feeling like an imposter of a student.
"How did you know where I'd be?" she asked.
"It was on the syllabus tucked into your books. I brought it and your notebook in case you needed it, but I'm afraid I didn't make it in time to give it to you before class. You said you had a paper, and I thought it might be inside."
"Oh thank you, but it's not due til next week. I was just working on it. I'm sorry you came all this way, and had to wait around so long—" Alice was troubled that he'd gone so far out of his way.
"I'm not. And now, if you're hungry, or even if not, let's go get something to eat. I'm starving and Thackery phoned me to say you needed to eat and might not have any money."
Alice's face burned at that, all the more so because it was true. She'd run off with no cash at all. There might be a little in the account connected with her card, but her mother was probably checking it, so she was nervous about using it anywhere near school or Tarrant's house. If her mother ever paid any attention at all to her class schedule alice might have expected her to turn up, but since Tarrant had the syllabus it was unlikely that Yelena would be able to find any information on her class around the flat.
Tarrant whisked her out of the building, and they walked around until they found a sandwich shop that looked appealing. Alice started to object when Tarrant ordered the large version of the sandwich she'd selected, but then figured that if her body was going to change anyway, she might as well enjoy fueling it. She found she had no trouble finishing the larger size.
He'd brought the car since he hadn't been sure how to get to her school via public transportation, so they rode home together. Alice played with the old-fashioned radio receiver and she and Tarrant laughed at the staticy mess that assaulted their ears all the way back to Witzend.
-o-o-o-
Yelena Parikova went into the bathroom of her tiny flat, half to refresh her makeup, half to get some space from her elder daughter. Margaret was full of arrogance and recrimination, implying had Yelena not kept Alice on such a short leash she would not have rebelled so abruptly. The girl had no idea what was at stake. Not just Margaret's living expenses, which Alice's earnings had never really covered anyway, but instead the whole bid to reclaim their lives which had been ripped so brutally from them six years ago this January.
Searching for a cotton ball, Yelena opened the medicine cabinet. Something drew her eye to the top shelf, where all was not as she had left it. Artfully lined eyes opened wide. The bottle of Alice's pills was missing. Yelena had been meaning to call Dr. Lustwig to ask what effect missing two doses in three days might have, but she hadn't got around to it yet. No, this could not be happening. Alice would definitely misunderstand. Everyone would. Yelena turned on the taps and dug her mobile out of her jacket pocket.
She tried Alice, but it went straight to voicemail. Yelena dialed another number.
It rang, and as soon at the line picked up, Yelena hissed, "Gerald, Alice knows! She's taken the pill bottle!"
There was a muffled exclamation of surprise and then a sigh of dismay and then a blustering admonition to "not get too worked up old thing" which Yelena found extremely irritating. Not to mention unhelpful.
"I hope you realize that if this gets into the wrong hands it will not be me going down alone. Lustwig's office knows who pays those bills. I'm going to try to find Alice—she's suddenly run off. I have an idea about where she might have gone, but I don't have an address. She's not answering her mobile. I'm afraid this must be why."
Yelena was careful not to mention where Alice had said she had gone. Things were going to hell, but everything wasn't ruined yet as they might be if Alice's attachment to this hatter became widely known. Yelena comforted herself that the one person who it was most essential to keep this from did not run in the same circles as this Tarrant Hayes, eccentric dreamwrecker.
She tuned back in to the conversation that had been kept up by the other party in her absence.
"Yes, I'll meet you for lunch as planned. Thank you, I'll try to get the situation under control. Have a good day at the office. You too."
Yes, things were going to hell, but they hadn't arrived yet. There was still time for a course correction. Perhaps it was time to get the details of their arrangement out in the open after all this time. She needed to speak to Alice—if only the foolish child would answer her calls.
A/N
After some laptop strife I have for you this update. A few things happen, and Tarrant and Alice get to hang out and have fun. I love them. Too bad they are in a story and are going to be in for so much DRAMA. muahahaha. Anyway, big things coming up soonish. Please please review especially if anything is unclear. I don't have other people to bounce this off of, so if it seems like I'm begging for reviews, well, I am. I want to know what you think! I'd like the story to both get finished and be the best it can. Your reviews help! Thank you so much to those of you who do review-you're the best!