Mistakes in the Labyrinth.

The stone groaned and quaked as it was disturbed for the first time in a long while. The stone began to shift as dust fell from creases that grew deeper and deeper until the silhouette of a door appeared in the giant yellow stone. Finally the slab gave one last groan before it slowly swung out like a door might, revealing two figures.

The first through the portal was a handsomely dressed made with an embroidered suit jacket over a dark button up and vest, a deep blue scarf wrapped around his neck. The man's hair was a light brown, cropped shot along the sides of his head, the rest flopping forward against his forehead, some of the hair angled out where a hat might have sat. He was attractive even with the serious expression currently on his face as he eyed the world he was stepping into. With one last look around he turned back around to reach his hand out, still a bit apprehensive.

The next and last figure to come through was an elegant looking woman with long golden hair and a dress of the palest blue material. She smiled when she finally had both feet planted on the yellow stone, her smile brightening the man's face until he was no longer frowning. She looked around herself as she stepped away from the looking glass, maintaining the hold on his hand as she placed her other hand on her stomach, swollen beneath the material of her dress.

"We mustn't be long," Jefferson told her, looking around them. "This place is as dangerous as Wonderland and twice as crazy,"

"No place can be as ludicrous as Wonderland," Alice smiled at her husband, lifting her hand to pat his cheek. "But I agree that we should be on our way. This doesn't feel like an overly cheerful place,"

Hand in hand, they approached the impossible labyrinth in search for the ingredients they'd been set to gather from the goblin populated world. It was for the most part a world that kept to itself but there was always the interested traveler or the risk taking jumper willing to cross into the world. It was no surprise that the Mad Hatter and his Alice were the type of people even when expecting a child.

"'ello,"

Their steps stuttered in surprise, causing them to look about before Alice noticed the odd looking caterpillar looking up at them from its perch on the wall. It was a gorgeous little caterpillar that vaguely reminded her of Caterpillar from Wonderland. However, while Caterpillar was an oversize being that answered everything in riddles whilst smoking from a Hookah, this caterpillar was a tad different.

"Hello again," Alice greeted with a small curtsy.

It frowned at her, squinting its small eyes at her as if trying to see her more clearly. "I don't remember knowin' no child carrier, Miss,"

Alice glanced over at Jefferson uneasily before clearing her throat. "Sorry. My mistake,"

"You here for the King?"

"No," Jefferson said with a bit of bite, wrapping an arm around Alice's waist. "We're here for a few things and then we'll be on our way… You don't happen to know the way through this labyrinth, do you?"

"Who me? No, I'm just a worm," the worm sighed, tossing its head happily. "I wouldn't be trying to find my way through this place anyway, especially when she's a child carrier. The Goblin King loves babies. Tried to steal one but a confused yellow and blue girl came through like a tornado and mucked everything up,"

"We'll be on our way soon enough," Alice assured the caterpillar with a kind smile. "It was nice to have met you, Mr. Worm,"

"Mr," the worm snorted, tossing its head again as it crawled into one of the many holes in the labyrinth wall.

"Come along, Alice," Jefferson sighed, pulling her along through the labyrinth. "I hate this this place,"

Alice rolled her eyes. "You hate every place,"

They walked the labyrinth, collecting what they needed until they snuck into the troll village, careful about how saw them as they found the odd goblins, the ones that would help a human. They were few and far between but they were there and Alice greeted them all like old friends even though Jefferson knew she'd never been there before.

"Jefferson," Alice suddenly gasped, one hand on her swollen stomach and the other propping her up against a wall of the nearest hut.

Jefferson was instantly at her side, his hands on her. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"We need to leave,"

Jefferson frowned. "Alice?"

"I'm going into labor," she gasped out to him, her eyes wide with panic. "She's coming-" She suddenly hunched pain rocketing through her lower abdomen. "She's coming now,"

One of the odd goblins watched them from their hut before waving a mangled hand at them, tossing a main of straw textured green hair towards the house. Neither of them were inclined to follow the goblin but when Alice was hit by another contractions, they knew they had no choice. Their baby was coming now and there was no chance of making it to the portal in time.

Jefferson lifted Alice up into his arms and carried into the small hut.

It took only thirty short minutes before their baby arrived. A girl. Grace. Alice cradled the small child in her arms as Jefferson crouched at her shoulder, running the pad of his thumb over the child's plump cheek. The spell was broken, however, at the horrible sound of the goblin horns, sounding the arrival of the King to his city in search for the child he knew to be there. Alice clutched her baby close to her chest before tears began to fall anew, turning to look up at her husband.

"The number of people that go into the hat must come out,"

These were the same words that he'd told her a million times since he first met her but now he only seemed confused by them. She ignored his confusion, removing her child from her chest to hand the baby over to him.

"You need to take her, Jefferson. This world is notorious for child napping,"

His eyes seemed to widen as he looked down at their daughter, seeming to finally comprehend what she was saying when he looked back up at her. He frowned, shaking his head as he moved to give their daughter back to her. "I'll stay. You know how to use the hat, Alice. Take Grace and run back to the portal. Come back for me,"

The tears dropped down her cheeks as she shook her head. "I can't go…"

"What are you talking about?" he frowned in confusion. "Of course you can,"

"I'm sorry, love," she said with a shake of her head. "I can't feel my legs… I'm too tired to run right now… you must go,"

Jefferson wasn't one to cry but Alice could see the tears welling up as he looked between his newly found daughter and his wife whom he loved more than anything.

"Take her, Jefferson," Alice breathed, lying her head back against the pillow. "Take care of her,"

Alice's eyes dropped shut and a shuttered breath left her before she was lying still against the makeshift cot. Jefferson's eyes watered furiously but he knew that he couldn't wait if he wanted to save their child… the last remnant of their love.

He leaned forward and kissed Alice's forehead. "Fairfarren, Alice,"

With that, he swept out of the hut and ran back to the portal, their child clutched in his arms.