"Alice, you need to stop this!" Cheshire grunted as he struggled to keep a solid grip on Alice's hips and thighs.
"Just let me go!" Alice yelled angrily, thrashing against him. Her neck was still caught in the sturdily braided noose of the decorative rope she'd been trusted with to trim pillows and curtains, and Cheshire was trying to muster the strength to pull her backward so that she would come free of her deceptively strong hang noose.
"Stop struggling damn it all!" Cheshire shouted. "I'm trying to help you!"
"Let me die!" Alice roared. "I'd rather die!"
"What's so great about dying?!" Cheshire countered. "You have a lot to live for!"
"Like what?" Alice kicked roughly. "Sitting around here all day making crafts that are never going to be sold?! Just waiting around until Hatter finds us and kills the both of us, or worse—he might even let me live, as long as I promise to be his again." She began to fight harder. "I'm absolutely sick of the madness, I'd rather die!"
"I…have…a…plan!" Cheshire struggled to tell her through his clenched teeth. Damn she's strong!
"I already know what your plan is, and your plan sucks!" Alice groaned, finally loosing strength; she was tiring herself out.
"Alice, just come down," Cheshire pressed on, tightening his grip as he felt hers weakening. "Why should you kill yourself when you have so much to live for?" Alice slowly went limp, giving Cheshire plenty of time to free her from her cunning suicide device and lay her on the rich lush carpet. The marks on her neck were scaring him.
"I need you to take deep breaths love," Cheshire cooed, terrified by the fact that it was starting to look like she couldn't open her eyes all the way. Her lashes were fluttering weakly, as though she was putting forth the struggle she knew Cheshire wanted to see, but the fear gripping him was absolute.
All at once Alice began to cough, and her entire body convulsed with each forceful exhale. He quickly reached down and pulled her shoulders so that she was sitting up and used his knee to keep her upright to encourage deep breaths. The panic slowly faded as she took raspy breaths, and as she continued they became more fluid and less strained. She stared quietly up at him once she had regained her breath, tears having been trickling down her face since the coughing had started.
"You should have let me die." She said it as a fact.
"No, I shouldn't have and I didn't," Cheshire snapped. "Why would you do that Alice?!"
"I'm tired Cheshire," she sighed in deep disgust, looking down at her lap. "I'm tired of it all." Cheshire slowly wrapped her in his arms and pressed his lips to her hair, kissing her as tenderly as he could manage through his overbearing feelings of betrayal and anger. He squeezed her.
"Is it really that horrible here?" His voice trembled and gave away his fury.
"I want to go home," Alice whimpered, curling into herself and mimicking a ball. "I need to be somewhere I can brace myself. If I'm home I won't be craving…" Cheshire's anger quivered. His eyebrows rose.
"What have you been craving?" He hadn't noticed her slight trembling until that moment. She squeezed herself tighter and didn't answer. "What have you been craving Alice?" he persisted sternly.
"Marchie's old stuff," Alice whispered. "The high. The emotions and the colors. I miss it." Cheshire's whirling mind finally began to slow, and all at once his strained frown became a soft smirk as a single thought settled.
"Do you want some baby?" Alice visibly flinched as though he'd struck her. She dug her face deeper into her knees and shook her head.
"No Cheshire, I want to go home," she moaned. "Please let me go home."
"I can't let you do that honey," Cheshire crooned, "but if you don't want drugs I can give you something else. It might distract you."
"Leave me alone," she groaned.
"I obviously can't leave you alone anymore after this Alice," Cheshire sighed dramatically. "You've permanently lost my trust. From now on, I'm going to be with you every second of the day."
"Leave me alone Cheshire," she yelled in frustration.
"Alice," Cheshire smiled, stroking her hair gently, "you forget, I'm the one in control here. I'm moving all of your things into the living room, and tonight onwards you're sleeping next to me. Got it?"
"Go to hell," Alice muttered. Cheshire grinned from ear to ear.
"How long will you be able to resist me Alice?" he taunted. "I make an awfully good distraction." He lifted her from the floor and carried her tired body into the living room, setting her down in his usual spot on the couch and handing her one of his portable game systems.
"I know you'll like this game, so go ahead and start a new profile," he instructed. "I'm going to grab your stuff. Stay here and keep out of trouble." Alice grudgingly accepted the game and intently clicked through the menu as Cheshire stayed true to his word and brought her stuff out into the public room. He arranged her things neatly in an organized fashion where he felt Alice would like them then joined her on the couch, watching her play.
"How do you feel?" he asked after a few hours had gone by. She was still diligently playing.
"I like this game," she affirmed quietly. It was almost a pout.
"I'm glad," he chuckled, kissing her cheek gently and rising to his feet. "I'm going to get started on dinner, so you stay right there. I can see you from the kitchen."
"Fine," Alice grumbled, although she seemed relieved that she didn't have to move or quit playing. As long as I'm playing I don't have to think, she grudgingly acknowledged. I can be numb and just… She slowly sucked in a breath. "Thank you Cheshire. For stopping me."
"All in a day's work," he winked with his usual arrogant confidence. With that he walked to the kitchen, mustering all the swagger he could manage, and made a delicious meal just for her.