Cracked Chapter Five

Homecomings

Stayne sighed happily, and pulled Alannah into his arms. He gently stroked her arm, smiling as she gave a low purr of satisfaction and nestled against him. She looked up at him, and he smiled. "Thank you for saving my life."

Alannah placed her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat for a few minutes before answering. "I almost didn't." she whispered quietly, and Stayne gaped at her in shock.

"What do you mean you almost didn't?"

Alannah gulped, tears in her eyes. "I let my madness take over. I broke my Oath, and killed Humpty Dumpty for what he did to you. But even after he was dead, I was still…It took Tarrant forcefully reminding me of my duties as Healer to bring me back from that. If he hadn't been brave enough to approach me, I may have become locked in my madness." She shivered violently, and turned away from him. Stayne watched as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Alannah?" he asked, concerned.

"I have never lost control like that before. Even when Maxwell raped me, I still managed to hold on to my sanity. But today, I got a clear glimpse of what I am capable of, and just how dangerous I can be. You said once that you were nothing but an animal, but what about me? What am I? Am I worthy of being called human? Or am I nothing but a mad animal that has been reined in?"

Stayne sat up, and wrapped his arms around her. "Alannah, what you are is the woman I am still madly in love with. What you are is brave, smart, compassionate, passionate, gentle, beautiful, and strong. You are my perfect woman. I have shown you every side of my personality, and you have never once balked in your loyalty to me. Now, don't you think I'm capable of doing the same thing for you? It doesn't matter one whit what you did to Humpty, or how deep into your madness you fell on the field. I still love you, and I always will. Nothing in this world or the next will change my feelings for you."

Alannah turned to him. "I don't deserve a man as wonderful as you."

He chuckled. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing." He yelped in shock as she smacked him upside the head. "Ouch."

Alannah glared at him. "Smart aleck." Stayne smirked at her, and she sighed in resignation. "You really are impossible."

He grinned, and then kissed her gently. "Am I one of your six impossible things?"

Alannah smiled. "You are all my impossible things. Do you want to hear them all?" Stayne nodded, and she leaned against him and began to count off on her fingers.

"One. I am married to Ilosivic Stayne. Two. I have two beautiful children by him. Three. He will never leave me. Four. The Knave of Hearts is mine. Five. We saved each other. Six. My husband is a fantastic lover."

Stayne mock frowned at her. "Only fantastic? Come on, love. You can think of a better word than that. How about…mind blowingly fantastic? Or even marvelous. Marvelous works too. Out of this world, amazing, wonderful, sensational…" he was cut off by Alannah leaping on him and kissing him into silence.

"You are all of those things, dear. Now, do shut up and kiss me." She ordered him, and he happily complied. He pulled her down, lying on his back, and held her steady as she hovered over him, eyes locked on his. He watched as she slowly lowered herself onto him, groaning in pleasure as they connected, heat to heat. He kissed her, hands running through her silken hair, and moved inside her, loving the sensation. Alannah moaned in her throat, and felt waves of pleasure run through her as she matched his rhythm.

Stayne shuddered and cried out as he climaxed. Alannah followed a few moments later, and collapsed on top of his chest, tracing it with her fingertips. He twitched. "That tickles, love."

"Sorry." She moved her hand to his shoulder, and traced the scar left by the claws of the Jubbersnatch, and Stayne winced. "That still sting?" she asked, and he nodded.

"But it seems to have healed pretty quickly. Whatever you gave me worked wonders."

Alannah smiled. "It does, doesn't it?" She paused, frowning as a thought occurred to her. "He thanked me."

Stayne glanced at her in puzzlement. "Who thanked you?"

"That…creature. The one that attacked you, he thanked me. I smashed the box, and I think that killed him-and he thanked me. Why would he thank me for killing him?" Alannah looked at Stayne, confused, and Stayne shook his head.

"I don't know."

"I do." Was the reply above their heads. Alannah and Stayne gawped in shock at Chessur, who was staring at them with a smug expression. Alannah found her voice first.

"How long have you been there, Cat?" she asked in a deadly calm voice. Chessur purred smugly, and Alannah gave a strangled cry of anger and threw a pillow at him. He vanished, and Alannah growled in frustration as the pillow went through him. "Stay solid so I can hit you!"

Chessur reformed his head, and looked pleadingly at Stayne. "Could you keep your wife from killing me for just a few minutes?"

Stayne chuckled. "Alannah, let him live. He's got something to say."

Alannah snorted in frustration. "Very well. Say your piece, Chessur, then Get. Out."

Chessur smiled. "The Jubbersnatch was a strange creature. That box that you smashed held his life force. Once it was destroyed, the Jubbersnatch had only seconds to live. But as to why he thanked you-he had been treated as nothing but a slave by Humpty, and he was beginning to rebel against him. Since Humpty's mind was so fragmented by madness, his control over the Jubbersnatch was beginning to wane. But as long as he had the box, there was nothing the Jubbersnatch could do but obey every order given. The Jubbersnatch knew the only way he could be set free was through death. That is why he thanked you."

Alannah frowned. "But why ask me to do it in the first place? He could have simply smashed it with his tail. Why ask me?"

Chessur sighed. "That I don't know. Maybe he saw how enraged you were and took advantage of your maddened strength."

Alannah smiled ruefully. "Maybe." She glared meaningfully at Chessur, and he gulped, and then vanished. "You had better be leaving the room!" Alannah yelled to empty air. She grinned smugly as she heard the sound of a Cheshire Cat leaving in a tall hurry. She sighed, and then turned to Stayne. "Thank Time he's gone. Now, where were we? Oh yes…"

Stayne chuckled as her lips met his.

The next morning, Stayne and Alannah were standing out on the steps of the palace, eagerly gazing off into the distance. Tarrant was with them, just as excited. Mirana had sent a carriage to Sullivan Hall to fetch Alice and the children and bring them back to Marmoreal.

Tarrant was the first to spot a flash off in the distance. He grinned in joy, and nudged Alannah, then pointed off in the distance. Alannah and Stayne looked, and grinned just as widely as Tarrant.

The carriage came to a halt in front of the palace, and even before it had fully stopped Katarina came leaping out, pelting as fast as she could towards her parents. Alannah met her charge, sweeping her up into her arms and hugging her tightly. "Oh, my girl, I am so glad to see you!"

Stayne had his own armful. Michael had climbed out after his sister and came toddling as fast as he could towards him, squealing in delight. Stayne scooped him up, and hugged him. "Hello to you too, lad."

Alannah ran up to them, and wrapped her arms around them both, kissing Michael on the forehead. "Oh my darling boy, how I missed you!"

Katarina sniffled. "Momma, is the bad thing over with?"

Alannah nodded. "It is."

Katarina nodded solemnly. "Good." She chuckled. "Look at Aunt Alice and Uncle Tarrant!"

Alannah looked, and laughed. Tarrant and Alice were greeting each other with great enthusiasm. "Don't forget to breathe, you two." Alice waved a hand at her, and resumed kissing Tarrant. Arianna and Josiah watched, giggling. Finally, they came up for air, and Tarrant turned his attention to the twins, giving them each a smacking kiss on the forehead. "Welcome back, my lovelies."

"Welcome back to all of you." Mirana came out of the palace, smiling at the families that stood on the steps. She smiled as her gaze swept over them, noticing how close they held each other. "Come on inside, and we will have a feast!"

"I just can't believe it was Humpty Dumpty." Tarrant had finished telling Alice who had been behind everything, and she had been rather shocked. The four of them were in the Staynes' cottage, resting after the great feast Mirana had thrown. Katarina and Michael were in their room, sleeping, and Arianna and Josiah were curled up in their parents' arms, snoring softly. "He seemed so clever when I met him. He explained what all the strange words in Jabberwocky meant, and he recited some rather nice poetry to me. He was rather haughty, and I did find him to be a most unsatisfactory person, but really, I would have never thought him capable of…such things."

Alannah sighed. "Nobody would have. He was pride incarnate, and after his fall, both his pride and his mind were shattered beyond salvaging. He became bent on avenging the wrongs done to him-and his hatred would not allow him any respite. Now, not even the Queen's horses or the Queen's men will ever put Humpty together again."

Tarrant nodded. "True. Alice, dear heart, I think it is time we were heading home. We've got two very sleepy little ones, and unless I'm mistaken, you yourself are about to fall asleep."

Alice snorted. "Tarrant, I am not a bit…" she gave a cavernous yawn, and finished. "Sleepy." Tarrant laughed, and she glared at him. "However, Arianna and Josiah are no doubt ready for bed. So, Alannah, Ilosivic, good night to both of you."

After they left, Alannah walked to the door, locking it. She was about to turn and head back to the couch when she felt Stayne's lips on her throat. She sighed happily, and shivered as he spoke in a low rumble.

"I thought they'd never leave." He slid his hands up, gently cupping her breasts through her dress, and smirked as she groaned and leaned against him. "You know, I think we need to…celebrate yet another victory." He whispered.

Alannah whimpered in agreement, and Stayne swept her up into his arms and carried her into their bedroom.

He placed her on the bed, and she pulled him down into a deep kiss. Stayne kissed her, undressing her slowly.

He wanted to make this celebration last.

The wind blew across the deserted battlefield, over the body of the Jubbersnatch, and picked up the smashed and pulverized remains of the egg once known as Humpty Dumpty, tossing them about in the air and scattering them to the four corners of Underland.

Humpty Dumpty would never be put together again.

THE END.