AN: So, here I am. Thanks to everyone who commented on the previous chapter. It took me a while, but I finally brought myself to write this. It's been a while since I last written anything, but I hope it's good. You have no idea how thankful I am to everyone reading this. This story belongs to all of you :)!

Anyway, thanks for reading! I will try to write the continuation, so bear with me as you have done these past 3 years!

Alice grabbed Pimlick's wrists and tied them behind his back. She tied them tightly, but not without tenderness.

She didn't want the rope to dig into his skin and make him bleed.

As much trouble as he had caused them, she couldn't bring herself to resent him. A part of her felt bad for him, and a bigger part felt ashamed of what she was doing.

"He almost steps on me." Complained Mally as she finished covering Pim's mouth with a handkerchief. "I know he didn't mean to, but that wouldn't make me any less dead if he had done so."

"Are you sure we should leave him here like this? Shouldn't we take him to his family?"

"Of course we should, but we can't." Mally made sure both her and Alice's knots were tight enough and then she jumped onto Alice's shoulder. "You heard how loud he gets. We wouldn't be able to take him home without half of Witzend knowing you are here. Let him rest for now, we'll find a way to calm him down and take him to his family once he wakes up."

"I have the feeling that could take a while." Sighed Alice. The favorite Second rubbed against her leg. She picked it up and stared at the newly gained dent on its forehead. Alice patted it as she would a scared kitten. "I'm sorry, little guy. I had to improvise."

"You did well, Alice." Said Mally in her ear. "Maybe a little too harshly, but you reacted well."

"Knocking my friend's brother by hitting him on the back of the head with a metallic borogove." Said Alice with feign pride. "Just another day in the life of the Champion of Underland."

"Well, you don't have to put it like that…"

The lights flickered and the clocks covering the walls stopped ticking. The Second escaped her grip and ran to the door, jumping in excitement just before Time entered the store.

He closed the door behind him and removed his gigantic, elaborated hat. Once his face was uncovered, he rubbed his eyes with his fingers and clumsily stumbled towards a table covered with metallic scraps and gears.

"How I hate to play the fool with the queens. They always find a way to give me a migraine." He complained as he searched for something with his free hand. The Second jumped on the table and helped its master find a small bottle full of oil.

Time smiled, swiftly patted the Second and poured all the oil on the back of his head. His gears stopped creaking and little puffs of steam ceased to form.

Alice almost laughed at Time's face of relief, but her amusement vanished when he opened his eyes and gazed directly at them.

"So, Alice, what do you think of my new…" His mouth froze. The empty bottle slipped from his fingers and crashed against the floor, shattering into dozens of pieces.

Alice's heart skipped a beat, and she barely had time to move out of the way before Time pushed her out of it himself.

"What…What in the name of the hours, the minutes and the seconds is this?!" Screamed Time as he pointed at the broken window and Pimlick, who was now snoring and deeply lost in what seemed to be a pleasant dream.

"Leave him to me." Mally whispered Alice. She went from her shoulder to the top of her head. Her feet tickled Alice and almost succeed in making her smile, but Time's angry gaze neutralized any desire to laugh.

I'm counting on you, Mally. Thought Alice, wary but overall confident in her friend's capacity of cooling Time's temper.

Mally cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

"Alice did it."

"What?!" Asked Alice and Time in unison, the former bewildered, the later so furious that's his blue eyes almost turned white.

"It's true." The dormouse shrugged. "Well, not the window. That was Pimlick, and in Alice's defense, he was causing an uproar. She had little time to think, and I'm sure she didn't mean to dent the Second's forehead when she used it to knock Pimlick out."

"What?!" Repeated Time as he quickly scooped the Second in his arms. Once he realized that everything Mally said was true, he looked at Alice as if his eyes were daggers.

"Thank you, Mally. That was really helpful." Said Alice bitterly. She then directed her attention to Time. "Look, I'm sorry. I just … I panicked, I guess."

Time grunted and looked back at Pimlick, who in dreams mumbled something about pastries and tea trays.

Alice braced herself for another one of Time's rantings, but he simply closed his eyes and went to a sofa near the door, where he collapsed in exhaustion.

"I do not care. That family and the queens give me nothing but grief." He laid his head against the sofa. The Second jumped on his lap and ruffled its glued Borogove feathers, preparing itself for a good rest in the company of its master. "Just get him out of here as soon as you can. The las thing I want or need is to deal with another Hightopp. The hatter and the boy have been more than enough, I assure you."

"By the way, where's Bim?" Asked Mally from Alice's shoulder. "I thought you two would come back together from the castle."

"How should I know? I'm not his babysitter." Said Time, putting his hands behind his head and crossing his legs. "He ran off somewhere. He'll be back, don't worry."

"What do you mean by he ran off? Did something happen in the castle?" It was one of the few times Alice had seen Mally honestly concerned. Her intuition told her something was wrong, but she kept her doubts to herself, deciding it would be best to wait for Time to say more before she voiced her own worries.

Indifferently, Time explained how angered and upset Bim had been when Mirana ordered him to go back home. His voice only wavered when he mentioned Iracebeth, and how she had allowed Bim to leave the castle against his sister's wishes.

Alice couldn't believe it at first. It still felt unnatural for her to think of the Red Queen as an ally, or at least a neutral party. Alice doubted that feeling would ever change, and she couldn't help to wonder if Iracebeth had helped Bim out of genuine sympathy for the boy, or just to spite Mirana.

Does it matter? Alice thought, and found out she didn't know the answer to that question either.

"Oh, Time." Said Mally as if she was a mother scolding her child. "Why didn't you go after him? You know how brash and unpredictable he is, even more when he is angry!"

"Like I said, I'm not his babysitter. Looking after him is mother's job, not mine…" Time dropped his relaxed posture and looked at Alice and Mally. Alice caught a glimpse of regret in his expression, but it vanished as soon as it had appeared. "I was tired! I am tired! I didn't want to deal with the lad, I just wanted to come here and rest. See how well that is turning out."

"You, you…" Growled Mally, unsheathing her pin.

"Wait, Mally." Interrupted Alice. "Fighting Time, or even getting angry at him will not help us find Bim. Besides, Bim is young but he isn't a little child. I'm sure he can look after himself- "

"No, Alice. He can't." Although Mally withdrew her weapon, her fierceness lingered. "I love the boy, and he is kind and good at heart. But what Iracebeth did to him, to his family… It changed them all, Alice. You've just seen what it did to Pimlick, as for Bim… he is far too reckless for his own good. We have to find him, before he does something stupid."

Alice nodded, regretting talking so freely about things she hardly knew.

"Alright, let's focus on finding him for now." She stated.

"You would so easily forget your search for the Hatter, Alice?" Asked Time.

Alice flinched. She knew Time hadn't asked it out of malice, but his question still touched a nerved and awakened her temper.

"No, of course not! There's nothing I wish more than going after Tarrant!" She exclaimed at Time. "But if Bim needs us, we must find him. That's what I want to do… that's what Tarrant would want us to do."

"Yes." Agreed Mally. Gently, she caressed Alice's ear. "Thank you, Alice."

"Curse you." Time got up abruptly. The sleeping Second bounced against the floor and landed near Alice's feet. "You think I can't see what you're trying to pull here? Alice, queen of the moral high ground, and Time, the mean old grump with the heart of ice. How puny and petty he is. That's what you think of me, isn't it?"

"What?" Asked Alice, hardly keeping track of what Time was saying. "No, I…"

"Well, it's not going to work, and you know why? Because old mean Time will help you, but not because of your emotional manipulation, but because you are not holier-than-me Alice, and neither is the mouse."

"But if you're helping me only to prove that, wouldn't that mean I succeeded at manipulating…?" Alice stopped talking thanks to Mally, who gave her a small pinch in the ear with her pin. "I mean, your reasoning makes perfect sense, Time."

"As it always does." He agreed with pride. "Then we better get going. Most of Witzend must be sleeping by now. We won't be spotted if we are careful."

More excited than nervous, Alice prepared to venture outside.

Mally jumped from her shoulder and did the same. She found a small piece of steel and began to sharpen her pin with it.

As for Alice, she took one of the many leather bags Time had scattered all around and searched for provisions, but soon she discovered Time had no kitchen in his house, even less food.

"It was worth the try." Alice said to herself, a little disappointed. Her stomach grumbled, and her imagination filled her mind with images of the most exquisite food.

"Child, come here."

Time's voice destroyed her culinary fantasy. She went to him with little enthusiasm.

"Yes?"

"Here, put this on. I made it myself." Time said as he put a pitch-black cloak around Alice´s shoulders. It was made of a fine and soft silk. "It may help you keep your identity covered. It will also give you protection, but don't overdo it, it isn't any kind of armor. Just to be clear, this isn't a gift, I'm simply lending it to you, so you better make sure to return it to me undamaged, do you understand? Also, it will keep you warm. Nights are cold in Underland."

"Thank you, Time."

Time opened his mouth, but he said nothing. Instead, he shooed Alice away with a wave of his hand.

"So much for courtesy." Alice laughed mockingly.

"Courtesy saves time, but he isn't the one that needs saving right now." Added Mally abruptly from Alice's shoulder. "Come on, the sooner we find Bim, the sooner we can go after Tarrant. Let's be on our way!"

Somewhat childishly inspired by Mally, Alice made sure the cloak's hood covered her face before she rushed to the door.

She was just one step away from it when a thought halted her steps.

"What about Pimlick?" She looked over her shoulder. The man slept peacefully, with a thin thread of drool streaming from his chin and fading into his beard. "We can't just leave him tied here all alone."

Mally grunted, annoyed by the interruption.

"We'll search for Bim until dawn, and whether we find him or not, we'll come back here and free Pimlick before midday."

"Alright." Said Alice, unconvinced but unwilling to waste more time. "Let's go, Time."

"Don't rush me, child. I go at my own pace." He stated. His face was again covered behind his elaborated hat. "And to think I once though this would be a peaceful day."

"You should know better by now." Answered Mally once the three of them were outside.

"I know better than everyone, mouse." Said Time. "And yet here I am with you, am I not?"

"And why is that, I wonder?" Added Alice.

"I'm not sure child." Admitted Time. The moon and a thousand of stars showered them with their light. "I'm not sure."

Chess had been dreaming of a kitten and a man before being rudely stripped from his own dream by an interloper.

"Who?" He grumbled as the stranger carried him in his arms across the train's wagons. With his eyesight still blurry from sleep, he had to rely on his nose to identify him. "It is almost considered a crime to wake a cat from his nap, Bim. How about we leave your little games for tomorrow?"

Silence.

Chess frowned and rubbed his eyes. It wasn't like Bim to remain silent.

"Bim?" He repeated, trying to conceal his concern behind a mocking grin. "Are you trying to be interesting by pretending to be mysterious, lad?

Bim remained unresponsive. Chess had just noticed Bim's eyes were swollen and red before he threw him off the train by an opened window.

He floated erratically for a few moments before he regained his sense of balance.

Angered by Bim's impertinence, Chess tried to teach him a lesson. Maybe a scratch or two would do the trick. He unsheathed his claws and dashed towards the boy, who gazed at him from behind the opened window.

"Leave, Chess." Said Bim without emotion. Chess' paw stopped right before his claws managed to touch his skin.

"What are you- "

"Leave and don't tell anybody you saw me."

His anger turned into bafflement.

"Bim…"

The boy didn't wait for Chess to end his sentence and closed the window.

Chess floated still in the same spot for what it felt like hours, worried about Bim and yet too intrigued to interfere in what was unfolding in front of him.

Before he realized, the train started to move, and soon it was out of sight, riding the rails at a speed Chess knew was way faster than usual.

"Well." He said, unsure of how much he appreciated or regretted being witness of that scene. "That happened. But worry not, young Hightopp, I won't tell anyone I saw you. That I won't."

Chess began to float away, thinking of what place could be as warm and comfortable to sleep as the conductor's cabin.

"That I won't." He said again, with the image of Bim's eyes burning inside his mind. "That I won't."

Her stomach growled louder than it had ever done before in her life.

Alice was relieved the cloak and the predominant darkness concealed her blushing cheeks.

"Silence, Alice!" Chided Time from afar.

"Its not as if I can help it." She retorted.

"Then you should have foreseen it and eaten something before we left the shop."

"And what would you have me eat there? A salad of metal scraps glazed with oil sauce?"

"That does sound delicious." Agreed Time.

"Maybe for you, but I think my stomach would find it more fatal than tasty."

"Hush, both of you." Said Mally.

They were at the outskirts of Witzend, and except for a couple of lovers giggling as they hid from their parents in the streets and one merry drunk singing nonsense outside a pub, nobody had seen them pass.

"There." Mally pointed at a nearby forest. "Bim sometimes goes there to train his swordsman's skills. It could be a good place to start."

It was a short walk. Once they were in the forest, they felt free to speak louder. Mally was particularly bold, as she started screaming Bim's name with all the power of her lungs.

Alice imitated her, but she kept her voice at a volume she considered prudent.

Time didn't shout, and his searching attempts didn't go beyond moving an occasional branch out of his way and looking under rocks.

"He isn't here." He said as he put a pebble back in its place.

"Did you search well?" Spat Alice.

"Yes! Wait, let me check again." Said Time, lifting the pebble and inspecting every blade of grass.

Alice rolled her eyes and smile fondly.

That was something Tarrant would do.

Her heart sunk to her feet.

Wait for me, Tarrant. She thought, a lump forming in her throat. We'll see each other soon, I promise.

Another grumble, louder than the one before, echoed across the forest.

"Okay, it was amusing the first time, but now it's just annoying, Alice." Scolded Time.

"Enough of that, Time."

"He is right, Alice."

"Not you too, Mally."

"Here, come with me." Mally guided hear to a couple of bushes. "The berries on the bush on the right are really tasty, but they will leave your stomach empty. The ones on the bush on the left taste like schmuck, but they will leave your belly full."

"Nothing is ever easy and simple here, is it?" Alice sighed, thinking how she would never take a normal apple for granted again.

"What do you say? It seems simple and easy enough for me. Anyway, hurry up and eat. Bim is somewhere around here, I can sense it." Said Mally before running off to continue her search for Bim.

Alice picked berries from the bush on the right first. The flavor was new to her, but tasty nonetheless. She eat handfuls of it and wouldn't have considered eating from the bush on the left had her stomach not growled again.

Gathering enough courage, Alice picked a single berry, chewed it and swallowed before her tongue had the chance to taste it.

It didn't work, and the aftertaste that lingered in her mouth threatened to make her sick.

"At least it feels as if I had eaten a generous dinner." Said Alice, grateful to the berry for filling her stomach but determined to never taste one again in her life. "I better go back to Time and Mally before they-"

Another growl.

It had to be a joke.

The growl continued.

It wasn't coming from her stomach, but from a beast glaring at her from behind the bushes.

She had no time to react before the beast leaped at her, its weight stealing all the breath from her body.

From underneath the best, Alice saw how the panicked Second that had been watching her as she ate fled from the scene at full speed.

She looked up and saw a set of white, sharp teeth so close to her face they almost touched her skin.

Fear overwhelmed her when that gigantic mouth opened. She closed her eyes, expecting the fateful bite, but all she received was the lick of a sticky tongue.

She knew that feeling.

"Bandersnatch!" She said with relief from in between the beast's relentless licks. "Thank heaven its you! You gave me quite the scare."

"Alice!" Time screamed. He arrived together with Mally, the Second leading the way. "Let go of the child, you foul monster!"

"Wait, Time, Mally!" Said Alice, pushing the Bandersnatch away as quickly as she could. She took deep breaths of refreshing air before she continued talking. "It's okay. It's the Bandersnatch!"

"Oh, how many times…" Mally said, disappointed at the loss of a potential good fight. She went next to the Bandersnatch and pinched him in the paw. The Bandersnatch squealed and backed down. "I've told you before, don't surprise people like that. You can hurt them! Not everybody has the same strength as you."

"That's not necessary Mally." Alice tried to intervene, but Time came to her side.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a few scratches, and some broken ribs." Alice immediately regretted her words when was little visible of Time's face became paler than usual. "I'm kidding. Not sure I would be if it wasn't for your cloak."

It wasn't just an attempt at flattery to appease Time. If it hadn't been for it, Alice feared she would meet Tarrant with a few broken bones and crushed muscles.

"Of course it did. I made it, after all."

Once he was sure Alice was alright, Time left her and went to Mally and the Bandersnatch. The mouse had finished scolding the beast, and was now on top of his head, scratching him behind his ear.

"Tell this thing to go away, mouse. I don't want any more incidents like this one again." Time ordered.

"He can help us." Said Mally tenderly. "You will, won't you boy? You'll help us find Bim."

The Bandersnatch silly grin froze at the sound of that name. His pupils dilatated to the point they were as black as Alice's cloak.

He dashed towards Alice like a dog does after its owner returns home. Time put himself between them.

The Bandersnatch moved so wildly Mally could barely hold on to his fur.

The Bandersnatch halted before Time and knelt in front of him.

"Looks like the beast has acknowledged me as the dominant." He said with arrogance.

"No." Alice said. She knelt next to the Bandersnatch and looked him in the eye. He whimpered and became restless, moving his head up and down time and time again. "I think he wants us to ride him."

The Bandersnatch growled happily. On top of its head, Mally was too dizzy to talk.

"Nonsense. Besides, weren't we looking for that stupid boy Bim?"

The Bandersnatch again became agitated. Alice put both her hands on his head to calm him down.

"Bim?" She said to him. "Do you know where he is? Will you take us to him?"

The Bandersnatch panted and nodded.

Trusting her gut and the Bandersnatch alike, Alice got on his back and put the disoriented Mally inside the chest pocket of her cloak.

"Time, let's go."

"No way! I'm not getting on that thing. He is a beast, a Bandersnatch! He is no more intelligent than the fruit people in the Outlands!" Time stepped away and turned his back. "Besides, I hate riding him. I always end up with a sick stomach and an aching back."

The Second looked at Time, gave out a tiny "tick" and jumped aboard just in front of Alice.

"Time, I can't guarantee you anything." Said Alice. "Maybe you are right, maybe I am putting too much faith in this, but … you'll just have to trust me on this one."

Time didn't answer or turned around.

"Please."

Time looked at the sky and screamed.

He turned on his heels and, without looking at Alice, he got on the Bandersnatch.

"You mortals are really too much trouble!" He said "I swear that if this all turns out to be for nothing, I'll..."

The Bandersnatch, uncaring and not fully aware of his rant, began to trot at full speed.

The cold wind of the night crashed against Alice's face like needles and made it hard for her to open her eyes. Her ears, nose and mouth soon became numb.

Mally hung on to the silk of the cloak as if it were the reins of a carriage. The Second shrieked in amusement, overwhelmed by what was probably the most exciting moment in its life.

Time held his hat in its place and cursed under his breath over and over again.

"Why did I ever leave my castle?!" He shouted as the Bandersnatch ran even faster. "Stupid me, stupid me! Wait, what's that?"

Her teary eyes only allowed Alice to see the silhouette of the train. Soon, the sound of the wheels and the smell of iron and smoke reached her.

"No, this cannot be!" Said Time, alarmed and offended in equal doses. "Who dares to steal my train? And how is he or she conducting it? No one knows how to do it but me! Me and…"

"Bim." Finished Alice.

Mally gasped, and Alice could only imagine was expression laid underneath Time's mask.

"No, he …" Started Mally. "…no, I'm wrong. He would, he definitely would."

"That ungrateful rascal!" Spat Time. Then, with genuine concern, he added. "What is he thinking? He can't drive that train at that speed! It will derail!"

"We have to stop him!" Said Alice, her heart thumping hardly inside her chest. "We have to hurry before it's too late!"

"Hurry, Bandersnatch" Urged Mally with distraught voice. "Do not lose that train. Whatever you do, don't lose it!"

The Bandersnatch growled with determination and pushed his speed beyond its limits.

We must stop him. Thought Alice as the train became closer to her with every second it passed. We will stop him, Tarrant. I promise.

Chess watched as Alice and the rest disappeared from his sight together with the runaway train.

"Good luck, Alice." He whispered.

He grinned, and thought of his friends and Tarrant one more time before he vanished underneath a starry sky.