AN: Shorter than most, but most loved of all my darling little chapters. The next Chapter had to take it's own stand because it's so important to the character building I need to do.

This chapter is full of surprises, some that snuck up on me while writing! I didn't mean for it to happen, but Cheshire's grown into his own skin and won a battle that I didn't think he'd win.

Read and Review. Thanks!

Hearts

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Chapter Eight

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Once again, Alice found herself sitting in the back of something rickety. But in this case, the rickety thing was a boat. The boat was a good size, that was the only good point about the thing. The bad things were that it wasn't big enough to not be tossed this way and that by the huge waves of the ocean. And then there was the fact that it was made out of wood, was hand made, and felt like it might just shatter come the next wave.

She was soaked through with sea-spray, and her clothes and hair clung against her skin, making her feel like a cat who'd just been dumped into a bath of foamy water. She kept rubbing her eyes, which ached from the amount of water that had been sprayed into them, and she knew she wasn't doing them any good, since her skin was also covered in a good amount of dried sea-spray, which also made her feel sticky.

Cheshire sat beside her wearing a leather jacket that buttoned up to his throat. He glanced at her with amusement sparkling in his eyes. "I don't want to say I told you so, but I told you so." He said, referring to the fact that he had offered her one of the leather jackets that he and White owned, but Alice had been foolish enough to think that she would be fine. She'd gone fishing with her father, once upon a time, but that had been years ago and the waves hadn't been nearly as bad as these ones.

"Oh, be quiet," Alice mumbled. She was starting to shiver as the boat picked up speed, slashing more and more water into the air as it cut through the waves.

Cheshire shook his head and wrapped his arm around her, drawing her close to his side. "You are impossible. Will you at least listen to me next time?" he breathed into her ear.

Alice smiled and nodded. She leaned into his warmth, even though the leather felt a little slimy with how much water had been splashed onto it. she tried to doze again, she'd managed to get a couple hours of sleep before they'd started hitting the waves, but now she didn't think she'd ever be able to sleep with how cold she felt. And she wasn't sure sleep was a good idea anyway.

The rocking of the boat made her stomach drop out a couple times, but she was grateful to say that she'd only gotten sick once on the boat, much to Cheshire and the crewmen's laughter.

White was up near the captain, watching them near Isis Island. The place where Mock had dwelled before he'd come to wonderland. Though he'd dwelt as a part of the wildlife, not the native peoples.

Isis Island was named after the Goddess that they worshiped. They peoples of the island were broken up into two major groups. Those who continued the worship of Isis, and those who didn't. The Spade family, a former group of royals, were of the later group.

They'd been banished from the shores of wonderland after they'd nearly destroyed the palace of Hearts, which was the palace where all Queens' dwelled while in wonderland. It was a tall, black stone castle that could be seen from a hundred miles on all sides. It was surrounded by thick crystal walls which had been enchanted by the first magic users. There were seven towers on the walls, and each tower had windows that looked every way possible. On the castle itself were another, even taller, set of towers which stood like beacons in the night skies.
Each of these towers housed the secrets of wonderland, things that had either been locked away or had been put away and forgotten. History, more history than any peice of wonderland could boast.

Alice had only ever seen the towers from afar. She'd never stepped inside the gleaming walls, and she'd never imagined that someday she would be the queen who would walk those stone hallways, that it would be her footsteps that echoed down long forgotten paths. Corridors covered in thick layers of dust.

And there was the Mirror Tower. The tower which housed the oldest mirrors of wonderland, created by The First.

Only the true queen could unlock the door. And from what she'd heard, this fake queen hadn't been able to opened that doorway. Which was some comfort. If the Fake queen had been able to get the tower to open for her than she would, in theory, be able to see everything that went on in wonderland, track anyone, and hunt people from the safety of her castle.

It wasn't a comforting thought for anyone.

That was where White's clever plain came into play. The closest point of life to the tower was Isis Island. The tower was less than half an hour by boat, and even less by air. But until they were allowed to station people on the island, it was still a useless idea.

The idea that they might take back the castle by force. That somehow they might surprise the guards and chase the queen from her throne. They all knew it was foolish, only foolish. But somehow, no matter how foolish the thought was, there were some how wanted to try it.

Alice felt her heart speed up at the thought. How large a victory it would be if they took the castle from the queen. It wouldn't truly destroy the queen, but it would injure her greatly. There was always more castles for her to dwell it. But this castle housed all those pieces of history. Piece that Alice would be able to awaken into the use of those who agreed to serve her.

But even with all these promises, there was something inside Alice that knew this plan was dangerous. Lives would be lost. And she could only sit back and wait to see who. She prayed it was none of her own who'd die.

Isis Island came into sight. A large rocky shape rising out of the sea, as if a rock and been thrown and quickly forgotten. The island had little natural growth on it. most of what grew there was coral, and the peoples survived on that and the amount of fish life that lived in the underwater caves.

The fact that most of the rocks were covered in coral made the island sparkle in the morning sunlight. Colors of reds, greens, and colors that had no name yet in Alice's mind, shimmered in the sunlight. She wondered if the island had gem stones. It seemed like it should.

Cheshire let his arm fall away from her, he rose gently and went to help with the ropes that needed to be tied down.

Alice watched the activity and, not for the first time, she felt useless. Wonderland, for all the magic it had, still believed women had a place, and helping tie down a boat wasn't one of the places they were useful.

"If you could see the look on your face," White said from behind her.

Alice turned and looked at him, "What would it say to me?" she asked.

"It would say something very sad."

"Or angry." Alice replied.

"What are you angry about?"

"The fact that women can rule wonderland, but when it comes to doing something even remotely helpful, we're told to sit down and be quiet. To keep our place." Alice rose and gave White a hard look, "it's not fair."

"Very little is ever fair in life, Alice." White commented sharply. "But we have to live with it. I'm not allowed to aid them either, so you shouldn't feel singled out."

"Why aren't you allowed?" Alice asked.

In answer, White reached up and tapped his mask, "They don't trust me." He answered. "A man who wont show his face isn't to be trusted. A seaman's oath is to show their face." he explained.

Alice thought about this for a moment, "but everyone has their own strange thing that they'd never speak of, isn't that seen as a breaking of the trust?" she asked.

"It could be, but the idea of hiding ones face is enough that the person behind the mask is never trusted."

"Than why wear it at all?" Alice finally asked.

White was silent for a moment, "I wear it for a reason Alice, and it has very little to do with the Island I grew up on and everything to do with who I am as a person."

"Strange choice of words." Alice replied.

"Someday I think you'll understand, but I only hope you'll forgive me." He whispered the end of his sentence so softly that Alice was unable to catch but the end of 'forgive me'. Before she could ask him to repeat it, Cheshire called out to them both.

"All ashore!"

--

The rocks were slippery, Alice's boots slid and slipped along the rocks, it got to the point that she was clinging to White's arm. Doing her best not to bust her head upon on one of the rocks that jutted from the ground in sharp points.

Cheshire walked with ease, the same as White, and Alice felt very jealous of her boys.

She wasn't sure when that had happened, that she'd begun to think of them as hers. But that was what they were now. They belonged to her in some strange sense, and she would do her utmost to keep them safe and sound. If it were at all possible. And if they would let her protect them.

That was the problem with these men. They didn't like being protected. And even though she knew all this, she couldn't help but want to protect them all the more. She loved them both, though it confused her heart more than she liked. She didn't know what to do with the number of men who seemed to be digging their place into her heart.

It was more and more confusing. She wanted to take a step back from them and figure out her own heart. But there just didn't seem to be enough hours in the day for her to do something like that.

"And there," White said softly, letting go of Alice's arm. "Safe and sound."

The rocks under their feet were paved in a soft stone, the stone wasn't slippery. In fact it was rather nice. It was made out of a green gemstone that Alice had no name for. "This stone," she finally asked, "What is it?"

"Hmmm?" Cheshire said, cocking his head, "It's the stone of the Goddess, or so that's what the islanders call it. Can't give you the wonderland name of it because we don't have stones like this in wonderland. Crystals by the thousands, but stones… not so much." He smiled.

Alice felt a goofy smile moving over her own lips, almost on it's on accord. Maybe she was in love with these two, because they sure did make her smile a lot.

Suddenly she stopped and frowned. Why was she thinking about love when she was supposed to be thinking about the battle that was soon to come?

"Cheshire," Alice said, "I think there's something wrong with me." She said.

Cheshire looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"I keep forgetting the reason why we came here." She answered, "I keep wanted to go off and do something else, even though I know why I'm here, it just doesn't seem important."

Before either Cheshire or White could answer her, there came the sound of rushing wings. Alice was suddenly reminded of the sound she had heard outside her window while staying with Hatter. A shadow grew on the ground above them.

"Cheshire, get her out of here!" White screamed, drawing the sword which dangled from his belt.

Cheshire jerked Alice against his chest. He reached with his free hand up to his neck and drew out the cord that was attached to a sparkling orb.

"By grace and power I ask thee, take me to the hidden door!" Cheshire screamed. He squeezed his hand and the world around Alice sank away.

--

She was falling, and then suddenly she wasn't. Alice forced her eyes open and stared at the sky above her. She blinked a couple times and looked over at Cheshire. Slowly she reached out poked his chest. Her heart was pounding so loud in her ears that she thought she'd gone deaf to the sounds outside her own body.

"Ugh," Cheshire finally managed. He blinked his eyes open and sat up, instantly his hand shot to his shoulder, which was gushing blood. "Shit!" he started to fall back to the ground.

Alice's eyes widened and horror dawned over her. Later, she would realize the reason she hadn't noticed it before was because her brain had wanted to protect her. Cheshire's arm, from the shoulder down, was simply gone, as if it had been ripped away. Things hung from the wound that no eye was meant to see.

Alice quickly ripped her loose jacket off of her and pressed it against the wound. "Hang on!" she cried, "Caterpillar gave me some healing things." She left Cheshire to keep the jacket pressed against the wound, and began to dig through the pack that rested against her hip. Her gift from Hatter. She drew out a couple bottles, three bowls, a bunch of bandage strips.

"What do I do?" Alice questioned, eyes showing a little too much white.

Cheshire was breathing hard, his teeth gritted together to keep from screaming. "The brown… bottle first." He hissed. His chest heaving up and down.

Alice poured the liquid from the brown bottle into one of the bowls, she used the set of sponges that had also been packed into the bowls. She soaked up as much liquid as the sponge would hold, and pressed it against the wound after Cheshire had removed the bloodied shirt.

At once there was a hissing sound and a horrible smelling steam issued from the wound. Cheshire scream loudly. His eyes widened at he stopped breathing for a moment.

Alice looked at him, "Don't you dare pass out on me!" she snapped, "I don't know what the fuck I'm doing here!"

That seemed to do the trick, with tears pouring down his cheeks and his chest heaving, Cheshire blinked a couple times. "The blue and then green," he sobbed, "bandage it after."

Alice nodded and did as she was told. Both liquids were clear, but the one from the blue bottle steamed against the wound, the same as the first, and the pain that is caused seemed great enough that Cheshire finally passed out. He lay still on the ground, breathing shallowly.

Alice felt afraid at being left to the task by herself, but she followed list she'd been given and applied the green liquid last. When the sponge was removed from the wound, Alice could already see the skin stitching itself back together. She shifted his body carefully and began wrapping the healing wound in the bandages.

It took a lot of work because Cheshire was heavier than Alice, and moving him around to wrap the bandage took a lot of work for the teenager. Finally, she'd finished her tasks and was able to sit back and breath.

But the moment she didn't have a task to complete, reality settled in. She started crying, staring at the blood that covered her hand. "God…" she sobbed. She'd almost lost him. She slowly reached out and grabbed one of the water bags from Cheshire's hip. She used it to clean her hands.

She stowed the medicine in her pack again, and wiped at her wet cheeks. When she looked around she could see that they were in a thick wooded area. The trees here weren't bare yet, their leaves were in fact a soft golden color.

"Twilight woods," Alice said, answering her own unasked question. She was in the Twilight woods. The place that had once housed the races of elves and faeries, but that race had vanished long before Alice had even been born.

She sat there in the glow of the golden sun above, and cried. Her hands covering her face, her shoulders shaking with sobs. It was many long hours before she was able to calm herself enough to stop.

Alice watched Cheshire's sleeping form. His shirt wasn't so much tore as simply gone. It was as if someone had taken a hot wire and ran it from the shoulder down part of the chest. It was a horrible sight, and it left Alice with many unanswered questions. Why was his skin ripped and shredded, looking like someone or something had pulled it away leaving the skin jagged and angry.

She could see that blood had soaked into the bandage, the first liquid had stopped most of the bleeding, but not enough.

An hour passed before Cheshire woke. But when he did wake, he woke up screaming in pain.

Alice wished she could do something, anything to make the pain go away, but she couldn't. "Cheshire?" she said, leaning over him. "Cheshire!" she slapped his face when he continued to scream.

Cheshire stopped screaming, his chest heaved up and down for a couple seconds, "I…" he fumbled for words, "Pain… hurts!" he broke down again.

Alice tried to think of something, anything that she might be able to do to make the pain leave him, make it less. But there was nothing. She… then it hit her. there was one skill that she had, but she'd never tried to make it work, it always did it on its own.

She hesitated a fraction of a second before she lowered her mouth to Cheshire's, and she prayed with everything she had that this would work.

The sensation was immediate, a wash of emotions that had turned into flavors for Alice to pick and chose from. The first and strongest flavor that she could pick up was the flavor of pain. It tasted like something hot and spicy, like a pepper, savory, and burning. She drew as much of his pain into her body as she could take, and then she began to search for a different flavor.

It took a moment before another flavor rose out of the roar of the others. This was a soft flavor, like something dainty and light. It was like sugar, but very fine, powered? Alice didn't know what it was, but it was sweet and she savored it on her tongue. Love. That was the emotion behind it. The soft beginnings of true love.

Alice almost drew back when she felt that. That was what this change would mean to them both. They would be in love, forever. Trapped in the truth of their feelings for one another. Love.

Did she mind being trapped with him? would she feel the same way she felt about being trapped in wonderland, would she feel like a caged bird every time, every moment, she was wrapped in his arms? No. Never. She wanted to be caged in this sweet flavor of love.

She drank it down into herself, and then, carefully, she searched through her own emotions before finding what she needed.

To her, the emotion tasted like hot chocolate. Rich, milky, creamy hot chocolate, the kind the warms the body after a day out in the snow. It was hot, and fierce, but wholesome as well. Maybe not healthy, but good while it lasted.

The emotion was the strength that had been building while in wonderland. The strength needed to take that next step. Would she mind loosing this emotion to Cheshire… no. She knew that the love she felt from Cheshire would build, it would be her strength and will to carry on. She would see wonderland safely through the promised winter. And he would be strong enough to carry her should she ever falter in her steps as queen.

She took the flavor of hot chocolate and passed it from her to Cheshire. She didn't know if it would work, she hoped it would. Suddenly Cheshire arched up against her, his one good arm wrapping around her lower back, pulling her over him.

Her legs rested on either side of his body as the kiss deepened. Even when the rushing of flavors and emotions faded, they stayed with their mouths locked together, enjoying one another as if it were the first time either of them had ever tasted another person.

Finally it broke.

Alice sat a little straighter, her hands carefully resting on Cheshire's chest. He looked up at her with his half-lidded eyes, the lilac of them standing out. Inside his eyes was what looked like flowers blooming. Shimmering as if it were a promise.

"Truth…" Alice whispered.

Cheshire cocked his head to the side and smiled, "Am I your truth?" he asked.

"I see truth and promise when I look into your eyes." She said, referring to the fact that there was spring reflecting in his eyes, and her own image mixed in.

"And you are mine." Cheshire answered softly. "Only mine."

Alice liked the sound of that.

--

Alice gave Cheshire the extra shirt from her pack. He slipped it on his good arm and let Alice do the buttons up. She tied the dangling sleeve.

"How… did that happen?" Alice finally asked.

Cheshire seemed to think it over for a moment. "It grabbed a hold of me before I could fully break the orb." He answered.

"What did?"

"The Queen's Raven." Cheshire said, eyes growing dark.

"Cheshire, bare with me when I say that I have no idea what you're talking about. I wasn't here the first years, I don't know what the Queen's Raven is." Alice said gently.

Cheshire sighed, "The Raven is the name we've given to her right hand man… a masked man whose name is unknown…" he trailed off.

Alice hesitated. "It's Gryphon… isn't it." it was a statement.

"I don't want to believe that he would betray us like that but it does seem likely." Cheshire agreed.

"So how did your arm… vanish?"

"It can't be in two places at once." Cheshire replied. "And The Raven couldn't grip me enough to go with us. But this place is no longer safe, he took the arm holding the orb, and he heard the words I used to bring us here. We need to go." He pushed himself to his feet, stumbling.

Alice pressed her hands against his back, balancing him. "We need to go to Hatter." She stated.

"Why?"

"He can fix your arm, the same way he did Dormouse's!" She felt proud of herself for remembering Hatter.

Cheshire hesitated. "It'll be risky. Hatter's dwelling is on the Mountain of Loss, it's in the Queen's heartland. None of us will risk going there for fear of her mirrors finding us." He hesitated. "Do you think it's wise, my queen?"

Alice hesitated herself. "Yes. I do." She answered. "But only if my King agrees with the plan should we do it."

Cheshire looked surprised, "Don't call me your King Alice, we don't yet know how the fates will weave. So please. No title until we've looked into the mirrors."

Alice nodded. "So be it."

Cheshire started to reach into his shirt and than cursed, "I only have a shatter orb on me. It's a one way trip."

"We'll work the rest of it out once we get there. If the fates will it, we'll travel safely on one orb." Alice wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his mouth. "Don't worry."

Cheshire smiled, he wrapped his good arm around her and closed his eyes. His forehead resting against hers. "You remind me of someone, I can't name it though."

"Maybe we knew each other in another life." Alice replied.

"Maybe." Cheshire stepped back and handed the final orb to Alice, it had dangled on a second necklace. "I don't trust my thoughts, and I don't know what Hatter's home looks like."

"I don't want to go there, but Hare's house is a pleasant place."

"If the fates will it."

"So shall it be."

Alice took the orb, it felt hot in her fingers. Eager to get going. She wrapped on arm around Cheshire, and he did the same to her. "Be what grace has given me I ask for guidance and strength. May the winds move me to where my hearts eyes do see. May the Goddess guide me, and the God hold me. I, Alice, ask to travel to the place in my minds eye. Hold me and mine with safe arms." She broke the orb.

The world swam in a ocean of colors. The ground fell away and Alice thought she was being squeezed through a tiny bit of space. The feeling of Cheshire swaying next to her was a comfort. She relaxed and trusted things to do as they would.

--

"Hare!" Alice cried when they slammed down on the garden path. Cheshire lay gasping beside her.

Hare stepped out the front door, wiping his hands on the white apron. The amused smile on his face faded when he saw Cheshire's missing limb.

Instantly he was there, helping the younger man stand and make his way into the house.

"Did you treat it?" He asked when Alice entered the room.

"Yes, though I don't know what I used. Caterpillar packed it and Cheshire told me in what order they should be used. The wound was healing when I bandaged it."

"That's some small relief." Hare sighed, he unbuttoned the shirt and began to cut away the bandages. "I've sent a call to Hatter, he'll be here to look it over soon."

Cheshire looked at Hare for a moment, "Thank you." He whispered.

"Don't thank me. You're in for a world of hurt, my friend," but he smiled all the same. He reached up and brushed some hair away from Cheshire's shoulder. Cheshire had a good three inches on him.

Alice sat in a chair near the far corner of the room. She had no urge to look at the wound again. It hurt a part of her to know that Cheshire was hurt. And now that she knew he was hers… it hurt even worse if that made any sense.

A half hour passed before Hatter came through the door, looking tired, as if he'd sprinted down all the steps. "It better be important… Hello Alice." He greeted. His eyes instantly went to her and then they went to Cheshire. He flinched. "What on earth did you do to yourself Cat?" he questioned.

Cheshire rolled his eyes. "I was using an orb and The Raven grabbed my arm." he smiled, showing teeth. "I'm going to skin that bird when I get my hands on him."

"Hand. You're down to one." Hatter answered. He shooed Hare away and began to examine the wound. "Good… Nice… still time…" he mumbled over the course of running his fingers across the almost healed skin. "We've lucked out on the fact that it hasn't healed over yet. I can still work on it without too much pain for you." He looked towards Alice. "Was this your handy work?"

"I did what I could, I really didn't know what I was doing." Alice said, shrugging.

"You did well, if it had been Caterpillar this wound would be healed completely and adding the robotics to it would cause our dear Cat a lot of pain." Hatter looked at Cheshire, "you do want me to replace your arm, don't you?"

"Of course!" Cheshire said, "It's my sword arm I've lost!"

"No need to shout." Hatter said dryly. He rose. "I have a operating room down the hall. Let me set things up and we'll get started. March, if you don't mind would."

Hare stood, brushed his fingers through Alice's hair, and started after the taller man.

Alice looked at Cheshire when they were alone. "This is what you want to do… isn't it?"

Cheshire nodded. "I want my arm back Alice." He replied.

Alice nodded. "I understand."

--

Half an hour later, and Alice watched Cheshire be lead away by Hatter.

"You should rest a while," Hare said. "But we have another guest as well…" he hesitated.

Alice rose and walked into the sitting room.

"Hello, Alice." Hearts greeted.

----

EN: Is there where the evil laughter is supposed to be cued? Lol. Anyway, there you have it, Alice's heart has finally be one by one guy. Not to say that there aren't more who need winning.
I didn't mean for Cheshire to stand as Alice's Truth (A word which means, that in your truth's eyes you see yourself for who you are.) But He wanted that role and I gave in.

So, Hearts… You're about to see a side to her that I was surprise to discover. Hearts, to me, is very one sided. But She wants to stand and explain her second half of the story. A bit about why she did what she did. I really like her character. She's bitter but only because people made her that way. You'll also find out who HER Truth is. Heh, it's a major surprise that I bet you can't guess (If you do guess I'll credit you in the next chapter.)

Peace out!

Hearts.