The sky sounded like it swallowed something and soon a falling and flailing scream filled the air. Time got to his feet and Hatter leaped onto the table looking up into the sky.

"What is it?" Time demanded for the scream sounded too familiar. He felt himself slow down up as he demanded an answer. "Tarrant!"

The mad hatter ignored the clockman's use of his first name. He squinted up into the blue sky.. or tried to. "I can't exactly see. Too many trees." And then, without a word he leaped off the table and ran for the landing area.

Time caught up with the man just as he caught sight of yellow hair.

Hatter beat him to it. "Alice?" He kept looking and suddenly, "Alice!"

She kept screaming mostly because she hoped someone or something would hear her and hopefully catch her. She was falling fast and flailing madly. On one of her turns she spotted two large air balloons - she prayed they would break her fall.

The wind whipped her hair violently as she plummeted toward the ground. This was it. This was how Alice Kingsleigh was going to end. Splat! In the middle of Wonderland, her mind raced.

Her back collided with a large filled air balloon. The breath was knocked out of her but she was grateful. She gradually deflated the balloon and slid off. She landed safely on the ground. She let go of a relieved breath and slumped over.

She hadn't died! But what was she doing here? How did she get here? Had the sea acted as an entry way into Wonderland? Had Absolem planned this untimely adventure yet again? Did Hatter or Time need her? What-?

"Alice my dear," Hatter's voice filtered into her ear.

She squinted up at him. He seemed to be hovering above her.

"How did you manage to fall from the sky?" he asked without waiting for a response. "I thought you were long gone away on your little trip! Not a word from you for a very long time I thought!"

Her head hurt too much and she closed her eyes again. She slowly got to her feet. Then her head started to spin.

He caught her by the shoulders as she stumbled. "Whoa, there lassie," he said. "Are you alright?"

"Alice?" another voice, a deeper and more concerned voice vaguely got her attention.

But she couldn't focus on it or the person standing just behind Hatter... The world turned yet again and darkness enveloped her.

Muttering. Muttering. Muttering.

That was what she heard when she swam to consciousness. She shifted.

The muttering was harshly shushed then someone took up her hand. "Alice?"

She didn't open her eyes as waves of nausea were settling. "Why- why am I here...?" she asked to no one in particular... more to herself, really.

"I don't-"

A sneer brought her straight into reality. "Oh, so it lives." The voice's owner sounded very disgusted and bored and tired and amused all at the same time. "Pity, I was hoping the little brat would die-"

Alice winced as a chair beside her screeched against the floor. It sounded as if whoever occupied it had stood up in haste.. or anger.

Time was rigid.

There she was, taking her place at the end of the room yet again. She had been there when he and Hatter brought Alice in for Princess Mirana to tend to her. She had left when Mirana did but now she had returned.

And she looked as smug as ever.

He wanted to wring her neck.

"Bessy!" Princess Mirana scolded sharply as she floated into the room. "How many times must I tell you? Hold your tongue!"

The red woman stuck her tongue out at her sister. Then she looked at Alice again but Time blocked her view. She grunted, annoyed.

He turned his attention back to Princess Mirana who was checking over Alice. "Is she- is she going to be alright?" he asked hesitantly.

Guilt had begun eating at him the moment she had collapsed.

How could he ever care for her if he couldn't tell when she was ill? Hatter had sensed it. Hatter had felt it from her forehead. But he- He could not.

He was not human nor could he ever be. He was made of bolts and gears. Not someone who is alive with blood flowing through veins. Not someone who needs to breathe the air or else they will perish. No.

He was someone who does not know what it's like to be sick and ache with a miserable fever. If he didn't have that knowledge.. how could he know when something was ailing her? He knew it was a waste to feel this way, but he couldn't help it.

He loved her too much to let the thought slide.

She reassured his fears. "It's a common cold. Nothing more. She will be fine."

Iracebeth gave a snort.

Princess Mirana's comforting smile turned apologetic. "I am sorry about her."

As long as Alice was not going to leave him - that she would be fine - things Iracebeth said or did, didn't matter to him anymore. "Do not worry about it," he said. "Thank you, Your Highness."

She gave a kind nod and whisked her sister out of the room. She closed the door behind her.

Time took his seat beside her once more. He took her hand in his. "Alice?"

Curiosity pushed down her nausea. She opened her eyes. "Time?"

He smiled.

Then she frowned. "But I thought Hatter-"

Her ginger friend answered, "Yes, we're both here."

"You're alright, my love," he soothed. "You're here in Wonderland. In the kingdom of Princess Mirana."

He came into view and smiled. "Alice, my dear. Are you alright? Your appearance, I must say, was very unexpected but not unwelcomed of course. But gave us a right fright by passing out."

Her mind was stuck at the fact that he was also there.

In the same room with Time.

With Time, in the same room.

Same room.

Time.

And he.

She felt her head pound. "H-Hatter? Time? Hatter?!" She knew it had to have been the fever talking. This was a dream. Yes, this had to be a dream. And she needed to wake up.

"I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming! I-I've fallen from the ropes. I hit my head and I'm dreaming!"

Time sat straight. "Fallen from the ropes, what-"

She looked around. "I have to wake up." She did the old trick her father taught her - she pinched her arm. "Ouch!"

Hatter rolled his eyes. "Not this again." He moved in between her and Time and gripped her shoulders. "This is real, Alice! Real! Real as your world! Come on, Tickie, tell her."

But Time couldn't get past her words. "You fell from the ropes?"

"Yes. This isn't real, its all a dream-"

"Alice for goodness sake, why can't any of this be real?"

"Because you two don't get along!"

"Oh they get along alright," the doormouse complained from the table behind Hatter. "Get along so much I'm afraid I don't know you are anymore, Tarrant."

"Oh shut it," he said.

"Don' tell me ta shut it-"

Alice looked to Time. "I don't understand."

"You do, Alice. You just don't want to talk about what happened in your world."

Her lips parted. How could he read her so well?

"How did you end up falling from the sky? I thought you knew all the shortcuts."

She recalled what happened. "Had a fall from the ropes of the Wonder into the sea. It was weird. The water was silvery like a mirror."

"A mirror," Hatter repeated.

She frowned again. "Absolem was there."

Hatter matched her frown. "Absolem's not been around these parts for a long while."

"But he was there! Or at least it looked like him. It was a very peculiar bright blue butterfly. He was trying to lead me somewhere and I lost my grip and fell."

"But you're alright now?" Time more asked than assured.

"I think so."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Good."

Hatter made a blah sound in the background.