Chapter VIII

Hatter was annoyed when he made it back to the camp and found Charlie asleep, and Alice gone. He was annoyed and afraid, but he didn't linger on it. Instead, he did his best to remain calm and went in search of her. He only had one place to look. If she wasn't there, then he'd panic.

As he walked up the hill to the same rock he'd found Alice perched on last time, he was glad to see her again. Hatter smiled at the sight of her. She noticed him shortly after, forcing him to wipe the smile away and pretend he hadn't been staring.

"Good news." He told her as he approached. "The Resistance is willing to help." He closed the distance between them, "They're gonna send an agent to come take us to Caterpillar."

He waited for her to speak, to tell him that she was glad for the news, but she didn't say anything. Instead, Alice just looked at him. Her big blue eyes danced over his features with an expression he couldn't quite identify.

"What?" He asked.

In a soft voice, she replied, "I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."

He eyed her curiously, "Still don't trust me?"

She didn't answer his question. "How long 'til they get here?"

"Those guys can move pretty fast when they want to." His voice drifted just a bit towards the end. Hatter's gaze had wandered and as a result, landed on the fallen kingdom. His heart sank once more at the sight of it.

"You're going to join them, aren't you? Fight alongside them?"

"I have to try." He said heavily. "Miranda's right," He looked at Alice again. "This isn't right. And Dodo wasn't wrong, either. I've spent my life playin' both sides of the court. I let the Hearts think I was workin' for them while feeding their enemies. It was the only way I could stay alive, but those days are done."

A small, soft smile touched her lips. Despite the action, however, Hatter could tell something was wrong. For some reason, he felt compelled to console her.

Reaching forward, he tenderly held her arm. "Come on," He said kindly. "We should get back."

Alice smiled once more and nodded. Still holding onto her lightly, Hatter guided her forward. Alice began to walk, and he followed.

Hatter's heart beat a little quicker than normal. He knew why, but he didn't know how it had started. There was a shift, he could tell, but it felt almost sudden. Over the last couple of days,

Hatter would be remiss if he didn't admit, at least to himself, that he had been developing feelings for Alice. He couldn't help it. She was strong, beautiful, and loyal to a fault. She might have the ability to irk every nerve Hatter had and a few he hadn't realized he possessed, but that didn't stop him from caring about her.

As they drew nearer to the camp, Hatter noticed that Alice was deep in thought. Something was weighing on her, and he felt compelled to speak.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he walked alongside her.

She hesitated only briefly before speaking. "What if I get stuck here? What am I going to do."

Her walk had slowed until it stopped completely. Hatter stepped around until he stood directly in front of her.

He looked down at her and felt his heart swell again. Hatter tenderly held her arms in his hands and felt it. He felt the air shift between them and knew he wasn't alone.

"Then I'll take care of ya." He told her. He felt himself inching closer, and was relieved that she did the same. "I think you're luck's finally changin'."

Seconds before he would have pressed his lips to hers, someone else spoke up.

"That's right, it is." A male voice declared.

The shock of it forced them to part. Hatter saw a slender, well-dressed young man with perfectly sculpted hair and a ridiculously perfect face stride forward. He instantly hated the stranger.

"Jack?" Alice asked uncertainly.

Hatter's heart sank. He definitely hated the stranger.

A rush of anger surged through him for more than a few reasons. As a result, Hatter charged forward. He grabbed a random stick along the way and brandished it like a weapon. He didn't care that Jack held a sword.

"You think you can take me with that?" Jack asked tersely.

"I'm not an old man."

"Oi!" He heard Charlie shout.

"Hey!" Alice snapped. She jogged forward and put herself between the two. "No one is fighting anyone, okay?

"Who's your friend?" Jack hadn't removed his sharp tone.

"Just a friend." Alice replied. Hatter felt a very real jolt.

"Yes, I can tell. Very friendly."

"Am I hearing you right, Jack? The man who's engaged to a duchess is jealous?"

"A little."

Before the conversation could progress, a snapping twig and the rustle of bushes drew their attention. Jack was the first to see it. Hatter noticed his odd expression before he and Alice turned around to find the source. It was Miranda emerging from the woods. And she looked angry.

"Randy?" Jack asked with a level of surprise that bothered Hatter. He didn't know why, but it did. "What are you-"

His inquiry is cut short when Miranda flicked her wrist. His sword flew from his hand and landed off into the distance in a large fern. The look of shock on the prince's face made Hatter grin internally.

"Jack Heart." Miranda said as she drew even closer. "You're Jack Heart."

"Yes," He replied unsurely.

Miranda immediately thrust her hands upward. The ground began to vibrate and, just as suddenly, vines shot out of the dirt. They sailed toward Jack with intent, as though guided by Miranda's will. They wrapped around his arms, his wrists, his ankles, and a thick one wrapped around his neck. Even though Hatter didn't like the man, he felt a bolt of fear at the sight.

"Leah, stop." Alice said sharply.

"Leah?" Jack choked on the word. "I thought your name was-"

Miranda twisted her wrist. Hatter saw the vine around Jack's throat tighten.

"You don't get to speak." She told him in a cold voice. "Your family is a disease. You destroyed everything. My friends, my sisters," Hatter saw her eyes well with tears once more. "Your mother killed them all just so she could win a crown."

Jack's confusion deepened. "You're from Wonderland?"

"Everything I've ever loved," The ground began to tremble, "Everything I've ever known,"

Cracks began to form beneath Jack's feet. They expanded, opening wider and wider and, to Hatter's horror, the prince began to sink within them. It was as though the earth was trying to devour him.

"You've taken it all from me." Her voice shook with rage and sadness. "They were better than you."

"Leah, stop it!" Alice cried again, but she didn't hear it.

Miranda didn't seem to realize there was a world around her. Her focus was solely on Jack and the others were forced to watch in stunned disbelief and utter horror as Jack struggled to no avail.

Hatter didn't know what to do. He could only watch and as he did, he noticed Miranda shaking. She looked to be struggling with the magic that was using to attempt to murder the prince. He didn't know she hadn't eaten in two days, that she was exhausted or that she was emotionally destroyed, only that something had to give.

Without warning, it looked like the color was washed out of her. It began in a cascade, like someone had dumped a bucket of water over her head, but instead of water running down her body, drenching everything it touched from head to toe, the color fled her body.

Hatter watched in disbelief as her hair turned a silvery white and her skin grew shades paler. Again, it was just a wave of change, not all at once, and that somehow made it more unsettling.

"Impossible," Jack somehow managed to choke out.

"Oh my God," Alice mumbled.

"A Mystic," Hatter said. The words simply slipped out as little more than a breath, but it seemed to be loud enough for her to hear him

Everything went still. The Earth stopped shaking and Jack stopped sinking. He was probably grateful for it given he was almost hip-deep in the hole.

The woman who used to be Miranda glanced down at her hands and only then seemed to realize that whatever façade she'd been hidden beneath had vanished. When she looked back up at Alice, Hatter could see her emerald-colored eyes.

For the first time since meeting her, Hatter didn't feel that strange niggle at the back of his neck, the sensation that never made sense, but was always there when he looked at Miranda. Maybe it was because Miranda had clearly always been a lie?

The person who stood before him now was the truth, the real woman behind the mask, and she looked startlingly different. It wasn't just the obvious either, like her skin and hair color, though that played a large part.

All of Randy's features had softened. Where the former had an oval-shaped face, Cordelia's face was rounder and more heart-shaped. Her cheek bones were defined, her jaw soft, and her lips full. She looked elven, a trait added to but the tips of her ears poking through the long, silvery hair that replaced the regular chocolate brown it had once been.

Leah exuded an unseen power, though Hatter didn't know if that was the truth, or because of the legends he'd heard about her and her sisters.

"Who are you?!" Alice suddenly yelled. Her voice was shrill and filled with confusion.

"Alice, I-" Leah's gentle voice faded. She clearly didn't have an explanation that she thought would suffice, so she stopped speaking entirely.

"Let him go, now." Alice demanded shakily.

"No," Leah said. Her voice wasn't strong, either. "After everything his family has done, he deserves this."

"You can't kill him."

"Why not? He killed everyone I loved."

"No, I didn't." Jack said in a thick, hoarse voice. The vine was still tightly wrapped around his throat.

"Your mother did." She hissed at him so hatefully that Hatter felt a chill from it. "This is all her fault."

"Yes, it is, but I'm nothing like my mother."

Leah flinched. She scowled at him and turned once more, squaring herself on him.

"What did you say?"

He stared at her as sternly as he could given the situation. "I am nothing like my mother." He repeated. "I despise what she's done and I've spent years working to undo her damage."

Hatter saw Leah's expression soften ever-so-slightly and somehow knew she was beginning to waver.

"That's a lie." Hatter declared. "It's all a lie. Blood and water, remember. He'd workin' for his mother."

"No, I'm not." Jack said almost hatefully. "Ask yourself why I'm alone. Why don't I have five-hundred Suits at my back?" Her jerked and pulled on the vines, but they held strong. "Ask yourself how I found you."

Hatter glared and drew closer, but kept himself far enough away he wouldn't get sucked up into the void.

"How did you find us?" Hatter asked.

"You sent for me." Jack hissed. "I'm the agent Caterpillar sent to meet you."

A heavy silence drifted between those gathered. Hatter, while reeling over the declaration, refused to believe a Heart.

"Bullshit," He said. "You're lying."

"No,"

Leah's voice was soft. It lost all of its confrontational edge and somehow that bothered Hatter more than the rage. To add to his confusion, she snapped. The vines vanished in a puff of smoke as though they'd never been there. The crater remained, but Jack easily climbed out of it.

"He's telling the truth." Leah said.

"How the hell would you know?" Hatter was coarse with how he spoke, but he couldn't help it.

"Truth Seer," Alice muttered.

"What?" Hatter snapped.

"She's a Truth Seer, right?" Alice asked the Mystic. Leah nodded. "So you can tell if he's lying or not?" She nodded again. "And you can make him tell the truth?" Again, Leah nodded. "Good." Alice turned her attention on Jack. "I've got some questions."

"We don't have time for this, Alice." He said as he dusted off his suit.

"Make time." She said sternly. "Is my father really alive?"

"Yes,"

Leah nodded when Alice looked at her. Almost immediately, she let out a sigh of relief.

"And you know where he is?"

"Yes, he's in the city."

Leah nodded.

"Are you going to take me to him?"

"I'm going to take you to Caterpillar, who will take us to him."

Leah nodded and Alice began to shift oddly on her feet. It caused Hatter to narrow his gaze.

"Those things you said to me, in front of your mother," Alice's voice was lighter than before, as though she was embarrassed, which he thought was strange. "Did you mean them?"

"Of course not." Jack said. "I care for you, Alice, more than you can possibly know."

As she had after each question, Alice looked to Leah for confirmation one way or another. Hatter almost couldn't manage the task. He wanted it to be a lie. He wanted it to be the thing that sparked Leah to attack once more, but it wasn't. Instead, as she had with each answer previously, Leah nodded.

Hatter's heart sank and the stick he'd been holding on to dropped to the ground.

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, Alice," Jack said as he stepped closer to her, "But who would you rather trust? A Resistance insider and future king, a man who cares for you more than anyone in the world, or," Jack scowled a bit, "This man?"

Alice turned her head and looked at Hatter. He could see her confusion and desperation, and it hurt. The moment they shared before was wiped away as though it never existed, and it hurt him more than he could express.

His feet carried him away from her, expanding the distance between them.

"Where's the ring, Alice?" Jack finally asked.

Alice replied, but Hatter barely heard her response. He was simply focused on the fact that she was leaving him. She was choosing Jack. He knew he shouldn't be surprised given he'd been her whole reason for storming through Wonderland, but he still was for some reason.

While Jack retrieved the ring, Hatter forced himself to speak once more.

"I wish you all the luck in the world, Alice." He finally said.

Her brows furrowed slightly. "You're coming with us, Hatter."

He forced a smile that he knew she wouldn't believe. "I don't think I figure into the future-king's plans."

Her mouth opened as she attempted to speak, but words didn't immediately emerge. He noticed her eyes drift to a spot over his shoulder. Hatter glanced back and spotted Leah. The sight of her, of who she really was, forced a trickle down his spine that made him look away.

"Leah?" Her voice was almost hopeful.

He heard her cool, lyrical voice and had to fight a shudder. "Hatter's right. I doubt your price is going to want us following along."

Her confusion deepened. Alice then turned on Jack.

"They're coming with us." She asserted, but Jack brushed her comment away easily.

"Caterpillar was very specific. You're meant to come alone."

"But Hatter stood by me, and Randy, or… Leah," It was clear Alice still wasn't accustomed to the different name, something probably made all the more difficult given the immense transformation. "She's my best friend."

Out of the corner of his eye, Hatter saw Leah flinch, though he didn't know why. He didn't want to think that she sensed Alice may have lied.

"Hey," Hatter said as he stepped closer to Alice, drawing her attention. He forced a smile. "I wouldn't want to go with this guy, anyway."

"But,"

"Go," He said as he stepped back once more. Hatter did his best to keep the calm and compliant exterior despite how much he was breaking inside. "Trust me, you're better off with this guy."

He hated that he believed the statement, but it was true. Jack was right. Alice was better off with him.

Leah stepped forward. Hatter saw the brilliance of her as she passed him and closed the distance between her and Alice.

"I wish we had more time. I could…" he saw her head dip, "I don't know. I could attempt to explain everything, I suppose."

"You mean the fact that you're a magical creature from a make-believe world?" Alice asked in a blunt, monotonous voice.

Leah let out a small laugh that caused Alice to smile slightly. "Exactly."

They fell into a silence. Hatter noticed Leah shift, as though she was attempting a hug, but unsure of whether or not she could. Alice seemed to notice the same and reached forward. She wrapped her arms around Leah and hugged her tightly, burying her face in the Mystic's silvery hair.

"I'm so sorry about everything." Leah mumbled against Alice's shoulder. "I'm going to miss you, so much."

Hatter saw Alice's grip tighten to the point she clutched at Leah's shirt.

"I'm never going to see you again, am I?" She asked I a heartbreaking voice.

"No," Leah said softly, "I don't think you will."

"Alice,"

Jack's voice, while quietly spoken, was like a knife through the tender moment. Reluctantly, the pair parted. Alice tried to force a smile, and Hatter assumed Leah had done the same.

"Be safe," Leah said.

Alice nodded. "You, too."

"Come along, Alice." Jack said again.

She began to leave with him, but cast glances back a few times before she left their sight. Hatter felt his eyes prickle, and something scratch at the back of his throat. He knew he was going to cry, but did his best to force it down.

"So," Hatter's voice caused Leah to turn around like he assumed it might. He was no more prepared to see the real her as he had been the first time. He moved beyond it, however, and like his sadness over Alice's departure, he did his best to pretend he was fine. "Mystic, hm? Thought you lot was gone."

He hated himself for the callous phrase the instant it left his lips. He'd seen how she reacted when she learned the news, and yet he still managed to stick his foot in his mouth.

"Not all of us, clearly." She replied.

He flinched. "Sorry 'bout that."

She didn't reply and instead ran her fingers through her hair. She brushed it aside. It was then Hatter noticed how long it really was. Miranda's hair ended just at her shoulders. Leah's hair proceeded to cascade to her elbows in a wave of silver. It was beautiful.

"Eh-hem," Charlie's voice caused them to look at him. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, would someone please untie me?"

"Oh, right." Hatter muttered.

He quickly darted to the knight, helped roll him over, and untied his wrists. Jack hadn't made the knot too tight, so it was easily undone. The moment he was free, Charlie clambered to his feet. His eyes were on Leah and his smile was wide.

"Lady Cordelia," He bowed to her as best he could. "You probably don't remember me, but we met before."

"Really?" she asked curiously as she gave him her full attention.

"Yes," He swooned over the word. "I was just a boy then, of course. A lot's changed." He sniggered. "You and your sisters were there when His Majesty bestowed upon me the honor of being the White Knight's squire."

Hatter saw a sweet, kind smile spread across Leah's face. It helped wipe away some of the coldness he felt at Alice's departure, but not all of it.