Chapter Twenty-Five
"Is she waking up?"
"How should I know?"
"You're smarter than me."
"And you're an idiot!"
"Stop bickering."
"You're one to talk, Cat. It's your fault this happened."
"Don't blame me."
My eyes slowly opened and I could see the creatures crowded around me. I first saw a cat, with the widest, greenest eyes I had ever seen looking down at me. "See, she's fine," he told the other animals, and Marie helped me to my feet.
"I'm all right," I said, taking in deep gulps of air. "Sorry I passed out like that."
"It's fine," a lizard said. "It must have been quite a shock, coming face to face with a beast like that." He looked distastefully at the cat. I made a mental note that cats and lizards didn't mix.
"You all could start by introducing yourselves," I offered, smiling hopefully, anxious to end the obnoxious squabbling. I was beginning to understand why my father hated Wonderland.
"I," the cat said dramatically, "am the Cheshire Cat." He grinned at me.
"I didn't know cats could grin," I said, taking in his white teeth, which looked rather sharp.
"Neither did your mother," he replied, and the subject was dropped.
A lizard, who appeared to be a spokesmen for the rest, stepped forward and said, "My name is Bill. The others can't talk, so they aren't of much importance." The other lizards grumbled angrily behind him, and Bill raised a hand to silence them.
"Nice to meet you all," I said, nodding my head to the disgruntled lizards.
Next, a white rabbit came towards me. "I am Sir W. Rabbit. But everyone calls me just the White Rabbit." He reached into his pocket, and pulled out his paw, which gripped a gold pocket watch. "Half past two," he muttered, and I realized why Papa had reacted the way he did to my watch with the white rabbit on the face.
"Pleasure," I said, reaching out my hand, which he hastily shook.
"I'm the Gryphon," a creature spoke, and it came forward, looking very much like a dragon with small wings. I jumped at the sight of him, and he hurriedly apologized, saying, "I'm sorry. What did I do to offend you?"
"Nothing," I muttered. "Sorry, you just reminded me of my mother for a moment."
"Your mother," Marie began incredulously, "looks like that thing?"
"Hush up," the Gryphon snapped. "At least I'm not a bad copy of someone else."
"At least I don't have wings, and can't even fly," she countered.
"Be quiet, both of you," the Cheshire Cat interrupted. "Our savior is trying to speak."
"Thank you," I said, gratefully. "And to answer your question, Marie, it's a long story."
"Oh do tell," the Gryphon cried eagerly, sitting down at my feet. "I do love stories."
"Speaking of stories," the White rabbit began, swinging his watch from side to side, "where is the Mock Turtle?"
"He was feeling sad today," the Gryphon said, not moving his eyes from me. I've never felt more mute in my life, I thought. These animals sure do love to talk.
"He's sad everyday," the Rabbit said mournfully, but he too took a seat on a stool in preparation for my story.
"Can I speak now?" I asked, tapping my foot against the cellar floor.
"Aren't you in a foul mood," Bill mumbled bitterly, and Marie kicked her boot at him, gesturing for me to begin.
"Thank you," I said, struggling to figure where to begin. I found a good spot, and started, saying:
"My earliest memory was of when I was probably four years old, and it was my Papa making tea, and giving it to me in a little chipped cup. I was sick, and I remember him telling me stories of Wonderland. Of a little girl named Alice, and her friends: The March Hare, The Mad Hatter, The Cheshire Cat, The White Rabbit, and also of the dreadful Queen of Hearts. He always told me that Alice defeated the Queen, but I now know that is not true. My Papa, is a man of magic, and he traveled to different lands through his magical hat, finding items for Rumpelstiltskin."
After the name, they all gasped and some shuddered. "How do you know who Rumpelstiltskin is?"
The White Rabbit spoke up and said, "Just as you have heard tales of our land, we have heard some of yours." He was obviously swelling with pride at being mentioned in my story.
"Tell us more about Rumpelstiltskin," Marie urged, and I continued.
"He was known as the Dark One, and his skin seemed to be made of tiny little scales. I know he was infamous for his deals that always benefited himself, and no one else. He was rumored to have been in love once, but she died. I don't know how. So anyways, Papa worked for him, until I was born. That's when he swore off magic and kept his hat stored in a trunk in the corner of our little house. We were happy together, selling mushrooms at the market. Then one day, the Evil Queen, Regina, came to visit. Papa told me to stay hidden in the woods, which I did, while he talked to her. I didn't know about the hat then, so I had no idea what they were talking about. The next week, Papa left and I went to stay with our neighbors, whom I used to be fond of. That was the last time I saw him in that world."
I paused then, taking a deep breathe, as the Cheshire Cat asked, "Would you like me to tell you what happened while your father was in Wonderland? The last time?"
"Yes," I said, nodding.
"All right," he said, clearing his throat. "I observed it all, as I could follow them easily with only my eyes being seen. Anyways, they entered Wonderland, and were met by Caterpillar. He's a foolish creature, really," the cat ranted. "He thinks he's so wise."
"I know," I interjected. "I've met him."
"Oh," the Cheshire Cat said, and then continued with his account. "They entered the Queen's maze, and I had to laugh as Regina burned right through it. They couldn't hear me though, because my mouth wasn't there. Anyways, they went to the Queen's mausoleum, and Regina took a box from it. They ran back to the looking glass, being chased by guards. Regina opened up the box and took a piece of the caterpillar's mushroom- much of it was already gone- and put it inside the box. An old man, her father, probably, sprouted out of it. They left, leaving your father behind. After he was locked up, I used to talk to him through his window, but he was already mad, so he probably thought I was from his imagination. Then, I went back one day, and he was gone. It was a mystery. And since then, things around here have been getting curiouser and curiouser."
The group laughed at the phrase, and I asked, "Where did that phrase come from? 'Curiouser and curiouser'? I heard it in a dream once."
"A little phrase your mother invented during her first visit. The time she first met your father. She was just a little girl then, and he wasn't much older," the White Rabbit reminisced.
"Now," the Cheshire Cat said, "tell me about what happened to your father."
I nodded, and said, "After my father disappeared, I spent nearly everyday in the market, shouting for him, or holding up signs, asking if anyone had seen him. Word got around to Regina, and she had her knights bring me to her. She told me he died, and then locked me up. I eventually got returned to the neighbors, and then a curse came. A great deal of smoke, and then… then I didn't remember anything," I said, struggling to recount the curse. "I suppose Regina wanted to bring Papa along, and that's why he disappeared. For twenty-eight years, we didn't remember a thing, never aging. During the curse, my parents were the neighbors. The only ones who remembered were Regina, Rumpelstiltskin, and Papa."
"Poor Hatter," the White Rabbit mumbled.
"Then, Emma came," I said dramatically, and they all perked up at the mention of this new person.
"Who is Emma?" the Gryphon inquired, leaning forward excitedly.
I thought of how to phrase it, and then said, "She is the savior of my land. The daughter of Snow White and Prince James, but Snow calls him Charming. When the curse overtook our land, she was put in a wardrobe and transported away, in the hopes that she would one day come back and break the curse."
"And she succeeded?" Marie asked.
"Yes," I said. "Everyone remembered, and magic was restored. I reunited with Papa. But then, the neighbor grabbed me, not as herself, but as another creature, that sort of looks like you," I conveyed, pointing at the Gryphon. "She carried me off back to our house, and turned back to herself. She killed my fake father and I went upstairs, finding Papa's hat and a pocket watch inside a box that said Alice. I put the pocket watch in the hat, and it began to spin. Thinking that maybe I would be able to get to a place with Papa, I jumped in. That's how I ended up here."
"Good story," Bill said, and I saw the other lizards strenuously nodding.
"Wait," the Rabbit said. "If you were, say ten, and you stayed that way for twenty-eight years, then you are 28+10."
"That's correct," I said. "I would be thirty-eight. But in actuality, I am still ten. Now that the curse is broken, I'll begin to age." He nodded, understanding the concept, but he looked confused about the arithmetic part.
"Where's the March Hare?" the cat asked, looking at Marie.
"He's recovering from getting hit with a kettle," she explained, shrugging.
"You threw a kettle at him?" the Cheshire Cat asked, incredulously. "He knows the most about Jefferson and Alice. About what happened to them."
"What did happen to Alice?" I inquired, but was quickly interrupted.
"He threw a teacup at our dear savior," she defended herself vehemently, pointing at me with a flourish. "She's more important than a stupid rabbit."
The White Rabbit coughed obviously. "I'm right here, you know."
"I do know," Marie said. "I just don't care."
"Be quiet!" I cried. "Let's get the March Hare, since none of you will tell me what happened to my mother."
They all exchanged uneasy glances, and Bill spoke up, saying, "Yes, let's," ever so eager to dump the burden on the poor mad rabbit.
"I'll go," Marie said, jumping out of her seat and rushing up the wooden steps.
"Thank the gods," the White Rabbit said loudly. "Good riddance of that fool."
"I can hear you," she cried from above.
"I know," the Rabbit said, mimicking her tone from just a few minutes earlier. "I just don't care." The door slammed from above, as a giggle escaped from between my clenched teeth.
"A simple disgrace to your father," the Cheshire Cat said, and I realized that he was now floating in the air, turning languidly.
"Showoff," I heard someone mutter.
"When I knew him, he was simply great company at the Mad Tea Party. I often stopped by. And Alice, she was just a great joy. So sharp, quick-witted," the cat continued. "When the Queen locked him up, he talked about you all the time. I'm not sure if he recognized me, but as I said before, he was so mad, he probably thought I was a figment of his starved, lonely mind, longing for a companion."
"Why must you always be so morbid and cynical?" the Gryphon asked.
"No reason," the cat replied. "I just like to tell it as it is."
I smiled, beginning to feel at home with this strange bunch. The door opened and shut above, and Marie came bounding down the steps, dragging the March Hare by his shirt collar. "Here he is," she said, pushing him down onto a stool. "Tell us about Jefferson and Alice."
"What's to tell? They were quite a lovely pair. Stopped by every so often. The one grudge I had with Jefferson was when he stole my special tea leaves."
"Why would he steal them?" I asked, eager to get the information.
The Hare shrugged. "They must've had some magic in them."
"What happened to my mother, to Alice?"
"Beheaded," he said as if it was an everyday occurrence, and I shuddered.
"Were any of you there?" I inquired, and they gave each other pointed looks, and one by one, they nodded, except for Marie, who clearly felt left out. "Tell me every detail."
"I was definitely there. I used to work for the Queen, but after what she did to your mother, that sweet, lovely creature, I left." I beckoned for him to continue, and he did, saying, "There was a clumsy executioner. Very much so. He hit your mother's shoulders, and the back of her head. Anything but her neck. From my spot near the Queen- who was laughing through the whole ordeal- I saw the blood filling her mouth and splattering against the wood. Alice screamed out many times. For you, for your father, for all of us. For weeks, I couldn't shake her bloodcurdling screams from my mind."
I felt myself becoming nauseous, and Marie jumped to my side, bringing me to another room, where I emptied my stomach in a bucket. "Mama," I muttered, feeling light-headed.
"Don't worry, Grace," Marie said, putting a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me. However, it was all in vain as the tears came running down my face and a sob escaped. "It's just a story. It can't really be true."
"Oh, but it is. Papa wouldn't tell me what happened, so it must have been true," I cried, laying my head against Marie's lap.
"Maybe he didn't know," she suggested, but her voice sounded unconvinced.
I shrugged, as her hands smoothed down my hair. Slowly, I felt the tears slow as my eyes slipped closed and a deep slumber encased me.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Jefferson walked into the diner to find Emma sitting at a table alone. He walked towards her, and said, "Dinner?"
She looked up abruptly, startled to see him there, and said, "Sure." He sat down across from her, and she asked, "How are you?"
"All right," he said.
"Why are carrying your hat?"
He looked down, having just remembered that it was clenched in his fist. "I guess I don't want to lose it. It's my only chance of getting Grace back."
"You aren't taking it well," Emma said. "And I understand. But don't worry. If you love Grace as much as I know you do, you will definitely find her."
"Thanks, Emma," he said as Red walked out of the kitchen.
"Hi guys," she said, pulling out a pad of paper. "What can I get you?"
"Surprise us," Emma said, ordering for both of them, and smiling at Jefferson.
"Okay," Red said.
"Oh, and two cups of tea," Jefferson told her, smiling back at Emma.
When Red had walked away, Emma whispered, "You grin like a Cheshire Cat."
"I'm honored to hear it," Jefferson said, smiling as he remembered his good days in Wonderland. "He's wonderful company. Actually, I bet Grace is with him right now. He'll protect her."
"You used to love Wonderland, didn't you?" Emma asked, reaching over and taking his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"I did," he said. "I used to have a wonderful time, with the March Hare, the White Rabbit, the Gryphon, the Cheshire Cat," his eyes glazed over as he continued to list the names of his many companions. "and…" Jefferson couldn't say the name. He looked across the table at Emma, at what this meeting was. The possibility that Alice could be alive scratched at the back of his mind. I can't do this to either of them, he thought, standing abruptly from the table.
"What's wrong, Jefferson?" Emma asked, but he backed away.
"I have to go," he said, and turned and left the diner, breaking into a run once the door was closed behind him.
"What just happened?" Red asked, coming out with two cups of tea.
Emma didn't move her eyes from the door as she whispered, feeling defeated, "I have no idea." With a sigh, she sat down at the table, holding her head and in her hands.
. . . . . . . . . . .
A/N There's the chapter. It's relatively long, and I hope you all like it. I love writing Wonderland. It's so fun, and I can't wait to write more. I hope you all enjoyed. Also, Emma and Jefferson are sad. Is it cruel that I can't imagine him any other way?
Please review.