Alice rubbed her eyes and pushed her blonde strands of hair out of her face, and felt a small furry nose nudging her. "What is it Dinah? I'm not exactly- Dinah!" she quickly realised and Dinah meowed in response. "Why you're-, we, we're home" Alice looked around recognising the room she was in. It was the room on the top floor in her house with the looking glass in it. She turned to see her friend lying on the floor too.
"Reggie, Reggie wake up" she shook his arm and the boy stirred. He got to his knees and his hand through his hair. "What, what is it? What happened-? Hey, we're back. We're home." His reaction was the same as Alice's. Both looked at the clock on the mantlepiece. "But it's only ten minutes from when we were last here." She remembered she had looked at the clock before they supposedly went through the glass.
"Last thing I remember is that we were on Jabberwock's back, and he flew us directly to the looking glass. You, you don't think that-?"
"They used the sleeping method on us?" Alice finished his sentence. "Does that mean we could go straight back? I wonder if we could step straight back through and-" She tried stepping on the mantelpiece and going through the glass, only to hit a solid surface of glass. She rubbed her head stating "Ow."
"Are you okay?" Reggie asked standing up. "Yeah" she stepped down from the mantelpiece. "I don't understand. I thought we could just go back and forth" she placed her hand on the glass several times as if she was trying to push it through. Alice and Reggie didn't see any trees or fields on the other side, just their reflections. "Alice, I don't think we're going to get back through" Reggie placed his hand on her arm. "But, Jabberwock, the chess people, everything we did" she listed off but knew at this point they weren't going back.
"Alice, I know this might sound stupid, but, it did actually happen right? Everything we did, it was real, wasn't it?" Reggie questioned, since now he was back in his own world, the whole thing just felt like a dream. Then again maybe that was intended by them. He also noticed his dagger was gone.
"Well, of course it did. It must've. You heard what they said about people going back to this world didn't you? Besides, if it was a dream then why did we see the same things? We met Jabberwock."
"We found a staff" Reggie added.
"We became leaders of a chess game" said Alice.
"We won the chess games and the staff" said Reggie.
"United the people of Wonderland" said Alice.
"After you sparked a revolution."
"And you defeated the Queen."
"Freed Jabberwock."
"Yes and then we kissed-" both children turned away at that blushing a bright red.
"So it did happen then?" Reggie broke the silence.
Alice then got an idea. "There is one other way to Wonderland" she turned back. "Could we possibly meet each other by our usual meeting place? In the park under that tree?"
"I suppose. But hang on, aren't you still banned from leaving the house?" Reggie remembered.
"Oh you're right! I forgot about that. Well, maybe after my ban has been lifted, we could meet up then. I don't think I should sneak out again. Given the probability, I'll only get caught again, and perhaps, maybe they were right about paying more attention in lessons. Maybe I should talk to my parents, because let's face it, I'll get nowhere by arguing with them, I have to face and apologise to them. And besides," she then spoke in a softer tone. "After believing for a short period that I was going to die, I couldn't get my thoughts off them."
She turned to her pet, and picked her up. "I missed you just as much Dinah" she confessed rubbing her face against the cat's. Dinah purred in response. "I'm not very patient with you at times I know, but I'd have you over any other cat." After the embrace she walked towards the door and turned back to her friend. "I suppose I'd better find my family now, and apologise."
"I'll walk out in a minute, so we won't be seen together. I'll try to meet you next time we're available" Reggie said and Alice nodded, opening the door walking out into the hall. 'Besides, I've got my own family to find' Reggie knew what he had to ask.
Alice walked downstairs to the ground floor of her large house, holding Dinah in her arms, the memories of everything that had happened flooding her mind. She then noticed her mother in the dining room, instructing the servants on how she wanted the table laid out for tonight's dinner. She walked out into the hall and seeing her mother again, in what felt like days, Alice couldn't help but put Dinah aside and run up and hug her mother.
"Oh! Alice? What on earth has gotten into you child?" Realising what she did, Alice quickly let go. "If this is you trying to apologise a hug isn't that subtle."
"I know mother. But in all honesty, I really am trying to apologise." Alice sighed. "I know that you only are trying to look out for me, and want what's best for me, you and father. And I know I'm difficult at times. I just seem to think in the moment rather than think ahead and plan out what I'm going to do first. I should pay more attention in my lessons and it isn't somebody else's fault if I do something, most of the time, it's mine. I will pay more attention, and be responsible, I promise." She spoke from the heart.
Although she didn't let her face show it, Alice's mother couldn't help but feel surprised that her daughter came to realise this in a matter of 24 hours. What she said was probably the most mature thing she had ever heard Alice say, she decided to have a soft tone with her.
"You do sound very genuine saying that Alice" her mother admitted. "You came to that conclusion this quickly?" Alice nodded slowly.
"Dear did you-" "I heard it all from the other room darling." Alice's father responded to her mother, stepping into the hall. "And she does sound very sincere" he observed smiling at his daughter. "But, there still is the case of your lessons, which you have to pay attention to, and if you promise to do so, as well as respecting our wishes" he and his wife glanced at each other. "Then we will lift the ban of you not being able to leave the house, if you promise of course."
Alice couldn't help but fill up with joy at that. "Yes, yes of course. I promise mother! I promise father!" she ran to hug her father too, as she had missed him just as much. "Yes, yes. There's a good girl. Just remember to tell your sister this." Alice let go of her father, and picked up Dinah and headed to the stairs. "And if you're going out don't be too long, dinner is almost ready" her mother called out. "I'll be back, don't worry" Alice smiled and headed up the stairs to find her sister.
She had always had a prickly relationship with her sibling. The two sometimes fought as she thought her sister acted like an intellectually superior authority. But, her sister was better educated and did take time from her job as a home schooler to teach Alice for free. Like she did with her parents, she apologised to her sister and admitted she should study more, maybe she was the one in the wrong. "It's okay Alice. Mother and father wanted me to learn just as much too when I was your age. And look where I am now" she smiled, and for the first time in years, the sisters hugged each other.
Reggie found his mother in the laundry room with some of the other staff in there, and waited patiently until it was just his mother left in that room. He walked in. "Um, mother, I've finished my chores for today."
"Okay then Reggie I'll see you at home, I'm nearly finished here anyway."
Reggie paused before saying "I, actually wanted to talk to you about something mother."
"Could it wait for home Reggie? It's just that I need to finish this first and-" she was occupied by her work and Reggie decided to just come out with it. He didn't really show any emotion, he just talked with a very calm tone.
"I know about father, mother."
This made his mother put down the laundry and turn to face him. A look of worry on her face. "How?" was all she could ask.
"I, figured it out" he lied, wanting to protect his friendship with Alice. "He stopped sending us letters months ago. And they normally bring home the soldiers this time of year for visitation, and he isn't here. We've lost all contact with him, and you're reaction just confirmed it. I know about it."
"Oh Reggie, I'm sorry." His mother came up to him and hugged him, which he slowly returned, a hint of sadness now showing on his face. "I should've told you, I should've. But I just couldn't. He died in a battle in South Africa months ago, I was just as devastated. The news was given to me by my boss Mrs Liddell as the army officials only managed to find where I worked to give the news. I was going to tell you. I sat at home for what felt like hours, waiting for you to come home, and I looked at the picture of you and your father, and remembered how much you looked up to him, and adored him. When you came home that day I just couldn't bring myself to tell you."
She still held on to her son and Reggie tried to comfort his mother. "Mother, I've thought about this before, I've had some time to think. I'm not mad at you for not telling me, I understand why you didn't. I miss him. Yes I do. And I'm not going to forget him, everything he said, every piece of advice, I'll remember. But, was there ever a funeral? It's just that, I'd like to say goodbye, if that's alright."
His mother smiled, wiping a few tears from her eyes. "They did ship his body back and held a military funeral, but, you and I could hold our own one, as you do have a right to say goodbye to your own father." She let go of him. "Alan, your father, was always proud of you. Ever since you were born he cherished you. And he would be proud of the fine young man you're becoming."
After they had made peace, Reggie walked back to his house, thinking over all the crazy events that had happened to him today. He got back to his small house in the working poorer area of London and entered his bedroom, one of the four rooms that made up the house, and pulled out from under his bed a picture frame of his father and a book, which told the strategies of the empire. He then pulled out some newspaper clippings detailing glorious victories. He put his hand on the items and looked like he was in deep thought.
Strategy and spreading western values. He put the book and picture back under his bed. Taking of land. He threw the newspaper clippings in the bin. He heard a knock on his front door, he didn't expect his mother to be home this quickly. He opened it to find Alice standing there trying to put Dinah in her front skirt pocket. "Alice? I didn't think you'd come to see me, I thought you weren't allowed out?" He let her inside.
"After I apologised they gave me another chance and let me go outside again" she explained. "I overheard from the other servants that you went home." She knew where Reggie lived. "And since I am allowed out, could we go to our usual meeting place now?"
Reggie nodded. "I suppose we could, just as long as we're not out too late" he replied. "Oh great! C'mon, I want to see if I can do what I have in mind" Alice headed to the door, but noticed that her friend wasn't all enthusiastic or had a very quiet tone about him. "Reggie? Is everything alright?"
Reggie paused before telling her. "I, spoke to my mother a while ago, about my father." Alice suddenly remembered. She had been thinking about how to get back to Wonderland since she had gotten back, but here her friend was in a time where he needed someone right now after she herself had broken the truth to him, her best friend and the boy who saved her life. She had a look of concern on her face.
"And what, what did she say?"
"She, was sorry for not telling me. Said that me and her could visit his grave, and hold a small funeral for him, since they had the real one when they brought his body back."
"I wish I could go with you" Alice expressed.
"Still, I'll manage. Maybe I'll be a different person, maybe I'll be the same. But he'll still be with me, regardless" Reggie concluded. Alice walked up to him and hugged him tightly. "So will I" she whispered. "Now shall we go?" Reggie looked down at her and smiled.
The pair made their way to the grassy park area near the tree where they usually met. "You sure it'll work this time?" Reggie followed his friend, who started looking around. "If I remember, the rabbit hole was in that direction" she pointed and headed down that way. She had found the rabbit hole many times before, but only once did it ever lead her to Wonderland.
And like before, she found it. "Look Reggie over here!" She got onto her hands and knees and started to crawl in. Dinah watched her curiously from the side. Reggie knelt down in front of the hole and asked "You still there Alice?"
"I should be falling down any minute now and-, well I don't understand. It's a dead end. There should be a hole here, we were there not long ago. Maybe it's the wrong rabbit hole-"
"Alice I don't think it's going to work" Reggie knelt down as she crawled back. He helped her stand up. "That's the reason I wanted to come here, to see if we could go back" she admitted, little disheartened. "Well who knows" Reggie put a hand on her shoulder. "You've been there more than once. Maybe we will go back again one day."
The children walked to the grassy area and sat down next to each other, with Dinah trying to pounce on insects next to them. The sun was setting and the lake in front of them sparkled. "Do you think we will see Jabberwock again? Or any of them? The March Hare, the chess people, humpty dumpty, the dodo?" Alice asked staring at the lake and sunset.
"Maybe. If that place is reachable more than once. I would to see some of them again. And perhaps," Reggie begun as they turned to face each other. "The time when it is needed in our lives to take a lesson from the world of insanity, to question the sanity of our own, then perhaps we will be allowed back."
Alice was filled with hope at that. Maybe she shouldn't try to go back straight away after coming home. She does have a witness now, and just one other person knowing was enough for her. She should concentrate on her life for the moment, and possibly go back in the future.
She rested her head on her friend's shoulder looking at the lake, remembering how they had danced together on a lake's surface under the moonlight. Indeed she had learned a lot from that land. Some things about herself, including her friendship with Reggie, she realised this as she was sitting right next to him now.
She loved the way he tried to give her hope like he did just now, like what he said about Wonderland. She learned a lot about him too, even after all these years, she learned how brave he could be, and great he could be in a crisis. Has great skills in the wilderness, just as intelligent and how fun and caring he could be, like when he took her on that flying chess square ride. There was definitely something she felt deep down that was new and couldn't identify it. That night on Wonderland had indeed made her see her friend in a new light. She subconsciously held his hand and he noticed but didn't say anything.
Reggie was having similar thoughts seeing her hold his hand too. This whole adventure made him realise how childlike she was, and realised how much he liked that. Her curiosity, her humour, her odd way of doing everything, plus the fact that he had been quite a lot of smaller adventures too because of her. She made dull moments fun. Plus she cared for him, and was very kind. Not to mention very, very beautiful.
He enjoyed the sunset with her. Either way, there was no doubt the two friends came out of Wonderland with the slightest crush on the other.
Alice did keep her promise to her parents, and studied quite a lot with her sister, and on her own too. But she still put time aside for her secret meetings with Reggie. He of which actually started visiting the docks where all the ships sailed in a lot less. Although he still made some appearances to see the people he already knew down there.
Reggie also started collecting newspapers a lot less. He read them but didn't keep them. However, over the years he did whatever he could to help wounded soldiers coming back from abroad. He assisted the wounded veterans with whatever they needed, and asked them often how the battles were fought and sometimes won. He also kept record of the society in other countries.
Alice found that she had a surprising talent for organising and planning events. As she started to grow older, she began to show her talents for this when her parents asked her to schedule events and parties with their other upper class friends. So much so that she became a hostess for many events for hire. Over the years she thought about Wonderland and did try to go back with Reggie on several occasions. They never did forget about Jabberwock, and didn't share Wonderland with anyone else.
Reggie, one day in his school, took an interest in the sport cricket. He joined the team and played with them just as a hobby at first, but he actually became quite good at it. His skills with sword fighting came in handy when using the bat. The boy over the years grew better and better in this and kept the teamwork and comradeship that he knew soldiers have. Even so he was asked to join an official local team despite his working class status. In fact the team actually started to make him more money, the type of money he only before ever dreamed of having.
He started to brush up and act more like the upper class when he had too, but he never truly became like that or shunned the people he knew in the working class. Reggie bought quite an impressive house for himself with his new high salary. Through their teen years, Alice and Reggie kept seeing each other frequently, and eventually, the friends for life did become more than just friends. Since he was now considered not to be working class anymore, Alice's parents took quite a liking to Reggie as a person, and at Alice's sister's wedding the two revealed that they would be seeing each other.
That wasn't the last wedding they attended. One night after a dance at one of Alice's hosted parties, the two took a trip to the park they always use to meet up at, around where the rabbit hole was and by the lake, which glistened under the moonlight. Reggie took her here as he wanted to ask her, as he got down on one knee, whether she would be his wife. And in tears of joy, she happily said yes. Their wedding was a few months after.
Many years later, near the grassy park area next to the lake, two children, boy and girl, ran across the area, exploring around the tree, and the girl, who appeared to be younger, tried to climb it. She jumped back down and the boy picked up a branch, looking it over as if he was examining it. "I wonder if," the boy whacked the branch against the tree and the branch broke. "Oh, so it wasn't strong enough." The girl was lead down on the ground, watching a line of ants fighting a grasshopper, quite intrigued by it.
"Kids, did you find the ball?" a woman's voice called.
"Oh, right. Sorry mother, we got distracted." The boy picked up a soft ball in the grass and prepared to throw it. "Make sure to throw softly this time" his mother reminded.
The boy nodded, and threw it accordingly which was hit straight back at him, and the girl jumped in front of him quite hyperactively, catching the ball. "I caught it daddy!"
"Yes I saw dear" a man walking over to them with a cricket bat in hand smiled. "Although we should get back soon. I don't like leaving the rest of the set unattended" he gestured to the bat.
"But we've never been to this area before, I want to explore it" the girl protested.
"Now Dinah, that's not what we came here to do. Save some things for tomorrow" the woman smirked.
"And what about the lake down there? May we have a look to just see what's there?" the boy hoped.
"Alright Alan, but don't get yourself hurt again" his father gave them permission, and the two scampered off almost instantly, as children do, towards the lake/stream.
"It's only the stream Reggie, we did the same when we were young" the mother placed her arms around him.
"We did a lot of things when we were young Alice. Too dangerous now that I look back on it" the father replied.
"But fun nonetheless. We did achieve quite a lot, didn't we? Not to mention learned a few certain things" she batted her eyelashes.
Reggie couldn't help but smile a goofy smile, regardless of him being fully grown. The well built, handsome protective man standing next to his wife, a beautiful, hourglass figure, long blonde haired woman. Both happy with their lives. "Maybe, we should check on them after all. I don't want them getting their clothes barely washable again" Alice admitted and sought her children, finding them crawling into some sort of burrow they'd discovered.
"Alan, what are you doing inside of there?" she asked.
"We heard voices mother" Dinah explained and Alan told her "I wanted to know where they were coming from."
"Alan you're going to get your clothes dirty again, oh look at you" she started dusting her son off after he climbed out the burrow, and she licked her thumb to wipe the dirt off his face.
"Okay mother okay, I'm fine now" the boy protested.
"C'mon everyone, we still left the cricket set back there remember" Reggie reminded.
"But I'm no good at it" pouted Alan.
"Not now maybe, but think of your mistakes in the game" Reggie knelt down to his son's level. "Learn from them, for the future."
"May we run back now?" Dinah asked, but took permission anyway and headed off with her brother.
"Voices? They said they heard voices" Alice said and Reggie joined her looking into the burrow. "You know what this is don't you Reggie?"
"Of course I do" he remembered, as the two both stared into the rabbit hole, until Alice finally wondered "Maybe, if I just crawl in myself, I wonder if it's still-, no, no it wouldn't be would it."
"I wonder how their society's doing too. Still wacky I bet but, better." Reggie figured. He and Alice looked at the other before smiling and standing up, stealing a quick kiss from each other, and looked over to see their children waiting for them. "Father, mother c'mon."
As they walked away, at the very back of the burrow, a dragon like creature popped part of his body up, with a hare sitting on it. "Ah, things always get better with age, don't they?" the Hare chuckled. "Indeed, watching them grow through that glass was the best thing about being free" the dragon creature smiled, as he flew them back down.
The parents reached their children by the bridge. "C'mon you two, let's go" Alice ushered them. Now hold on" Reggie said to Dinah as he picked her up and placed her on his shoulders, and the husband and wife held hands as they walked back across over the bridge, finally completing the story of Alice, and Reggie, back through the looking glass.
I couldn't remember if I gave Reggie's father a name or not. I read back through the fic and it doesn't look like I did. If I have that's my mistake. Anyway, that's it. That's my first ever fanfic completed, after 14 months. It took a long time I know but now the ride is over.
I feel like that maybe in the future I should rewrite this fanfic. I really like how it is now, but there were times where I felt the story was too complicated or didn't make sense. Maybe something that could actually be like a sequel to the 1951 movie. But I also might write a one shot series as some sort of sequel to this, detailing Alice and Reggie's adventures in and out of Wonderland, as well as detailing parts of their lives.
But now I'd like to thank everyone for sticking around this long, and my reviewers, Dreamer Helicar, Son of whitebeard and guest. As I write, this fic has over 2000 views, and I like the original characters, and the ones I created. Thanks for reading everyone! Alice in Wonderland belongs to Lewis Carroll, this version Disney.