Disclaimer: I do NOT own Alice in Wonderland, blah. blah. blah. AND this is NOOT based on the film!! There are similarities, but I swear I did not know the general film line!!
Hello! I decided to update this more, mainly because I think it will be shorter than my other stories. Teehee. I SAW the film! I wore a tea dress, all for the Mad Hatters tea Party ^^ It is a great film and I advise for you all to see it in 3D! Matt Lucas in Tweedle dee and dum! And Stephen Fry (The Favorite gay genius legend) is the Cheshire Cat, who is soo fluffy and huggly. Anway!!...
This is a tester... lets say. I have change Alice's name to Lacie for the time been so distiction between her and the old Alice (her mother) is easier. However, please tell me if you like the change or not. I may change it back if you all are not keen!!!
Enjoy....
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"Merry Unbirthday!"
He continued smiling at her and she smiled back, although behind the smile a feeling of shock came across her. Her smile slowly turned into a frown. The man looked down at her, she was still leaning against him. The little light that shone into that alleyway, framed her face of luxurious beauty. To him, she looked angelic.
"My mother used to say that to me on my birthday." She looked at the man, who chuckled and hung his head to the floor.
"Was your mother mad, if you daren't mind me speaking?" He muttered this under his breath.
"… I-I, do not think so." Lacie was caught off guard, by this very rash and daring question. Her frown deepened, which made the cat regret speaking in such a manner.
"It seems that only certain maddened individuals, like myself, shall say that." He looked up and half smiled. "Sorry."
He nodded curtly and lifted her hand from his arm, beginning to turn away.
"Hey! Don't walk away!" Lacie's eyes widened as put her full weight on her foot, and nearly buckled to the floor. She cursed herself for been so ignorantly weak. She reached out for the invisible arm, leant too far forwards and once again knocked the poor man to the floor.
"Oh dear, sir. I am so terribly sorry!" Lacie wailed. She thought she had truly knocked the poor man out, but she began to feel his shoulders trembling. She had pushed him face down to the floor, and now she assumed she had made him cry. She gingerly shuffled off his back and sat next to him.
"Sir?" He spluttered, and raised his head. Tears streamed down his face, her heart nearly stopped, as she firmly believed she had made him cry, but the tears were in laughter. His laugh tumbled from his chest, and it was a magical laughter. She found herself laughing with him.
"I am alright!' He wiped his tear, and chuckled. "Deary me, Miss. I do believe that is the second time you have knocked me off my feet today! Please warn me next time."
He stood up and brushed himself off and once again hoisted Lacie to her feet, but he was careful not to let her go this time.
"What is your name, Miss?" He smiled. He did not think that telling her he already knew her name would be wise.
"Lacie Von Phantom. May I ask you of your name?"
"Yes."
A silence followed. Lacie clamped her lips together in thought and chuckled. He was obviously taking her much too literally.
"Thank you. What is your name, sir?" She raised an eyebrow.
"I am Finley Del Gatto. At your service madam." He bowed his head, mainly because he as still holding her up, so that she would not fall again. "However, Fin is just fine."
He flapped his free hand.
She smiled. "Thank you for saving me Sir Finley, Fin."
He chuckled heartily.
"To be honest, I shall truly believe if I had not have been stood their like a lummox, you may have been able to escape yourself." He smiled. He also did not want to tell her that when he first saw her, it had knocked the breath from him, so he stood and smiled.
"How did you know it was my birthday?" Lacie spoke up.
"You have that distinct unbirthday sparkle in your eyes." She smiled at him and blushed. "Also the watches song… called to me…"
He trailed off and flicked his head behind him and hissed. His purple eyes glinted.
"Are you-?"
"Shh!!" He snapped. He muttered curses under his breath, and Lacie almost found herself laughing as she heard them very from "Bloody buggering bastard!" to "Fuckadoodledo". But despite this, she firmly saw that this slightly unrefined man was much more gentleman than that plonker of a husband to be.
"Do you want the bestest merry unbirthday ever?" He spoke quickly and looked at her once again, no longer smiling. His eyes sparkled in annoyance.
"Yes, sure." She grinned. He smiled manically.
"Fantastical!" He suddenly bent low and hoisted her up in his arms. "Hold on!"
She wrapped her hands around his neck. "Why-?!"
She screamed as suddenly he bent his knees, almost becoming swallowed by the cobbles below. Which seemed to crackle and enclose around his feet. He then sprung up into the air with such a force, causing the calm wind to bombard them both. Lacie yelled in shock, and clutched her dress that rippled. She did not seem to notice that his lower body had disappeared completely, leaving only a trail of purple mist, threading through the winter cloudscape.
She looked around her and saw that hey were floating above London. She laughed in delight and let the wind envelope her. Somehow, against all her hopes, she believed this was a dream. Everything the rational part of her mind told her, was that there was no way a man could fly. Lacie, was not the type of girl to go cavorting of with a stranger, yet this stranger had saved her and there was something extremely mysterious about him, making her want to find out more. That was the way in which her curiosity acted. She hoped it was not a dream. Deep within her she began to remember her mother; Alice had believed that a miracle happened everyday. She looked up to Finley; perhaps this was that miracle?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A well-dressed building that almost resembled a castle stood, situated somewhere in the vicinity of the River Thames, watched London fly by. The white stones, where somehow un affected by the smog's of the newly industrialised city, its French windows were open and thin red and white curtains would occasionally billow into the fresh outside air, before returning to the shelter of the building. The columns rose from the bowels of the earth into the carved roof above in the heavens, yet the whole building, to a trained eye, seemed false even perhaps fabricated.
Clink! Tik-tok-tik-tok-tik-tok. Clink! Tik-tok-tik-tok.
A strange noise emitted from within one of its many breezy, light rooms behind the sea of whispering drapes, red and white. One would have a battle on their hands to get through. Occasionally the drapes would move aside enough to see a ring clad hand, placing a chess piece firmly on a marble chessboard, or one of those hands hurriedly strike an assortment of clocks, that made the table leg upon which the chessboard lay.
"Hmm. Slower than usual, dear Eliza!" A soft voice exclaimed.
Two sisters sat opposite one another, one clad head to toe in elegant white, one clad in opulent red. The White one smiled at her red sister, who remained silent only making any signs of life by the steady rise and fall of her chest. She was as still as a statue. The one in White, wore a white veil that covered her hair, but not her pale beautiful face. Her dress was puffed out by an assortment of white petticoats underneath. She lifted a white knight and delicately placed it upon her lips in thought. She then gently moved him forwards and tapped the current ticking watch. As soon as this one was turned off, it caused the next to begin its ticking.
The Red sister leant forwards, her ebony black hair fell in curled wisps down below her shoulders and floated about her in the breeze. She wore a single red rose in her hair, which was held in place by cream beads. Her dress puffed out like rose petals, yet the sleeves of her dress were cream and embroidered in beads and lace. Her lifeless grey eyes scanned the board and she placed a pawn forwards and leant back once more, after hitting the clock.
"Dear sister, I do believe you are losing your touch!" The White sister smiled as she placed another piece down. She sighed when she received no response or acknowledgment. "Still as mute as every I take it? I really do hope, this small quarrel of ours won't ruin our relationship!"
She exclaimed, just as her sister brought her hand crashing with a thundering force upon the clock, causing the pieces to float up for a moment. Yet still she remained silent, glaring at her older sister.
Just then a footman dressed in luscious green, in a white wig, flapped his way through the battlefield of drapes and bowed low.
"Madam. You are requested back at your abode." He addressed the sister in red. Her eyes flashed in what seemed to be relief, and she stood up. Her white sister also rose and floated over to her. She enclosed a white hand over her sisters.
"Til next time, my dear." She bent and kissed the Red Queen on the head, but she pulled away.
"Yes, until next time." Her voice was monotone and cold.
She walked through the drapes following her footman. The White Queen sighed once more, watching them disappear. She then called for her footman, who bowed upon seeing his master.
"Yes, your highness?"
"Remove these red drapes." She flapped her hand and spoke in a curt manner. She looked out the window to see two figures dart across the sky.
The Red Queen stared out of her carriage window, as they began to near her estate. The white sky was turning a very dark purple as twilight neared the horizon. She sighed; it seemed to take them awhile to reach the outer rims of London, where her estate lay. They passed through the coppice gates and into her domain, her sanctuary.
If the White Queens building was a castle, then this one was a palace. It was carved from aged gold and the certain areas that had been painted in copper had oxidised into green. Columns reached all the way to the sky almost, and atop them where faintly red figures.
She stepped out of her carriage, and let the cool night air swallow her. Her pale face swam in the silvery light beginning to sparkle from the stars. The footman bowed and escorted her towards the door.
"Ma'am, your visitor awaits within." She nodded. As the footman entered the building he changed into a frog the size of a human, and he hopped his way through the building to serve tea.
She entered a darkened grand room.
"Your majesty." Cingoli stood in the room, admiring a photo enlarged on the mantle piece, of The Red Queen and her mother. A smilar one with her sister lay to one side, clearly a newer addition to the memories. He bowed as she entered.
"What do you want, sir?" Her monotone voice chimed out.
"I have just come back, from another event which I believe is tied to your… battle, so to speak." He coughed slightly. He was not very sure what if this conversation would help the investigation or not; as he seriously doubted that he would ever reveal its true nature to his superiors within the Force.
"Another murder?" She stood with her back to him, but he could tell something sinister played on her face. She was enjoying this?
"Yes, a watch maker. She was found dead a few hours ago. I can confirm there is a new character."
"How odd." The Queen smiled in malice and tapped her teeth with her fingernail. "He seems to do as he is told then."
Cingoli stood in distress as the Queen laughed. He cursed the fact that he seemed to be left out of the loop, all because he was no longer of use. All because he was no longer the true Caterpillar.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Lacie sat atop a derelict building. She gaped in amazement as she stared around her. This place was situated in London, yet wild deer and animals ran this Gothic old building, who were normally indigenous to the countryside. Trees sprouted from roots within the building, spreading leaves up through the roof. She sat amongst the moss, which was strewn across the roof. A Bell tower loomed behind her, standing tall. It was a wonder she had never spotted this place before.
"I wonder why, I have never seen this… it is right in the centre of London. It's heart almost." She remained seated and stared at the view.
Finley stood behind her, cleaning out his pipe and refilling it with tobacco. He chuckled slightly and sat down next to Lacie, puffing on his pipe to light it and threw the match over the egde.
"It is because, people do not look in places where they believe there is nothing to be found. That is why the heart of London has been left alone so long, so much so it has now broke." He smiled sadly. Lacie nodded, and stared at the pipe. It was carved from copper, parts had oxidised, turning bluely/green. The handle was ivory with a Rabbit, a caterpillar, a cat and a heart on it.
"That is a beautiful pipe." She smiled. Finely took it from his mouth and inspected it.
"I wanted to look like Sir Sherlock Holmes. What do you think?" He placed his pipe back and made a thoughtful look.
"Unfortunately, sir, yourself and Mr. Holmes bear no resemblance. He is dark haired, if I can recall from the last time I spoke with him, whereas yours is like starlight!" She exclaimed. "Why is your hair so?"
"I fell into a vat of flour, as I running away from frightful mother and my equally frightful brothers and sisters. I have never fully managed to remove this hazardous flour from my hair!" He chuckled at his joke.
She nodded and fished in her pocket. "Do you mind awfully?"
She produced the cigarette tin. Finley smiled.
"I do not mind in the slightest, however I do find that particular brand hideously awful." She just shook her head and popped one in her mouth. He stroke a match and lit it for her.
"Does your father know?" Finely tilted his head and rested his pipe arm on his bent leg.
She inhaled deeply and shrugged. "I do not think he would care."
"Do not say that! Surely he cares; he may just have a strange way to show it."
"If he cared so much, he would listen to me when I tell him I don't want to marry Mr. Abercrombie and he would never have agreed without my consent in the first place. If mother were here, I am sure she would do something." She bit her lip.
Finley remained silent. Willow wisps of smoke curled about them, almost creating clouds around them. He exhaled slightly and stood up, placing his pipe in his pocket and walked before Lacie. He knelt down.
"Let me look at this foot." He took her foot and began to probe it, inspecting the bones. "He probably thinks, what he is doing is the right thing. As a great man once said: "Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so."
"Shakespeare." Lacie smiled.
Finley looked up and nodded. "Most people do not know about him much anymore, the genius he was. Do you write?"
Once again the change in topic caught her off guard. "No. Why?"
"Do you do anything creative?"
"I love playing music; if you can call that creative."
"Yes, I do." He grinned; his white hair glinted. "Do you create your own melodies?"
"I certainly do, it the thing that allows me to escape." She looked at her foot, flexed it and gasped. "My goodness! You fixed it! How?"
"Magic!!!" He wriggled his fingers through the air. "Here take my coat. Yours is all torn."
She looked down and realised it certainly was torn and very badly. "You really do not have to, sir."
"Finley is fine, sir makes me feel like an old wrinkly Caterpillar" He laughed at his private joke. " And I insist. Also to take your coat which is invariably completely ruined, by those men i can only call dogs. I may be able to mend that for you in a jiffy." He spat the word "dogs".
"No, no. It is fine! I can do it myself."
"If you do not leet me, I shall teear it from your back and fix it aanyway." He sort of hissed, purred the words. Lacie sighed and shrugged it off, while placing his coat around her shoulders.
"Do you like cats?"
Once again Lacie was caught off guard. What was this? Question the poor girl to death, with wierdly sponataneuos questions?
"I prefer them to dogs... why?" she raised an eyebrow in amusement.
Finley smiled and turned himself to face the clock tower, feeling the grooves of the stone surface, covered in emerald ivy.
"Look at the sunset!" She stood up and stood by his side. The sun was setting, hiding behind the horizon as the sky turned orange and pink. Birds flocked through the sky, as a wind brushed against the two figures, stood atop the Old Palace of the Queen of Hearts.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He landed nearby her street, on the soft cobbled floor. He placed her down beside him and smiled broadly.
"Here we are mi lady!" He bowed low. "Oh! Before it escapes me, here is another present! Ahem!"
He cleared his throat. Lacie pulled the thick coat around her, and shivered.
"A very merry unbirthday To me To who? To you Oh, you
A very merry unbirthday To you Who, you? To you Oh, you
Let's all congratulate us with another cup of tea A very merry unbirthday to you
Now statistics prove, Prove that you've one birthday, Imagine just one birthday every year Ah, but there are 364 unbirthdays Precisely why we're gathered here to cheer
A very merry unbirthday A very merry unbirthday For you? For you Now blow the candle out, my dear And make your wish come true A very merry unbirthday to you!!"
In the last verse he lit his match and Lacie leant forwards to blow it out. She closed her eyes and blew. When she reopened them, he had gone. She imagined she saw a smile hang in the air.
~*~*~*~*~*~
She woke up on the chemise in the drawing room. She yawned and looked to the clock, seeing it was just at 6 pm. She laughed at her silly dream and looked out the window into the dark sky. Everyone would be home soon. She stretched and stood up, but realized her arms felt heavy. In fact everything did. It was then she noticed she was wearing a mans coat. His coat. The watch tucked deep inside. The realization that it had not been a dream shook her.
"My mother's story is coming to life before me."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Author's Note:
I was gonna call the Cheshire Cat, Casper. But that is similar to her brother and white rabbit Jasper, so I decided against it. I like the name Finley (the fire engine... haha... it is a kiddies TV show on Cbeebies... I do have little siblings... I do not just watch it... heheee)
Del Gatto means of the Cat... I think ^^' in Italian. I wanted a name which means cat but alas I found none.
Who is good? The red Queen or White Queen?
Teehee!
I hoped this was ok...
"We are such stuff as dreams are made on, rounded with a little sleep"- Tempest, Shakespeare.
Till Next Time!! ^^
XNancyX