I'm on a role! I've got chapters popping out of my ears! Tee hee – the story has began it's spiral toward the grand final!!

A/N: To any readers who may find this first section to this chapter a little random (when its back in "reality-world" with Alice's mother) refer back to Chapter 10 – when Alice has her little 'fit' – it'll make more sense if you re-read that!

Disclaimer: I really do wish these were my original characters. I wish I created Wonderland. Sigh.....

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Alice's mother stood straight, scolding while her face was pinched and unpleasant. The scolding was high-pitched and went on and on and on, the voice ringing through the house like a cat who got it's tail caught.

"...And if you think you can just waltz in here – whoever you are – and simply take whatever you 'need' from my daughter's bedroom, no less, then you are sorely mistaken, sir. In fact, I think you should just..."

She droned on and on while the soldier ignored her. He continued to gallop through the girl's room, looking and looking and searching and searching. Every drawer was opened and every corner checked. He continued his search while the woman kept scolding. He was really beginning to get sick of it all...surely one small bump to the head would do no harm...

"....Not to mention that I have no idea who you are, even if you do claim to be an 'acquaintance' of Alice, well young man, if you are so well 'acquainted' with her, perhaps you know where she is!! so I suggest you just get out now..."

The young man ignored her still, not hesitating for a moment under her snarls. Besides, he was under orders, and it was a good thing the he had been in the Queen's particular good graces as of late. The solitary soldier smiled to himself, reassured of the fact.

"...are you even listening to me?!? I SAID GET OUT NOW! GET OUT BEFORE I INFORM THE AUTHORITIES! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU FOOL!..."

Sighing, the young man twisted around to face the older woman properly for the first time. She must have seen the 'I'm really sick of all that noise you're making' expression on his face and the large bat he was holding in his hand, as her own face swiftly shifted to an expression of horror and surprise. Without any more ceremony, he thumped her on the head with the bat, sending her flying to the floor with a spectacular thud. He grinned over her unconscious form with such vigor it would put the Cheshire cat to shame.

"I'm sorry," he pretended to look sincere, "I truly am – but I'm working here, and you were really starting to grate on my nerves."

He turned back to the disheveled room, slightly annoyed he hadn't found what he was looking for yet. He stood in the middle of the blue rug, thinking of where he should check next. He spotted an untouched cupboard, and grinned at it like it was his next victim.

"So," he spoke to no one but himself, "now it's time to take matters into my own hands." He glanced at the clock on the wall, seeming startled at the time.
"Don't worry Alice," his smile turned sour, "I'll be joining you shortly."

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Alice lay in her bed as early morning rays welcomed her to the day, listening to the sound of her own even breathing.

She smiled luxuriantly to herself, stretching out as if she were the Cheshire cat in a gloriously good mood. The sun had come out particularly well, her sheets were still crisp, and her hair was still smooth and soft – opposed to the usual wild tangle it often got itself into during the night. What was there not to smile about? With a jolt of agony, her good mood faded as memories of the previous night came flooding back to her with painful force.

Nothing happened, she told herself firmly. She winced slightly as the memories continued to push against her mind, willing themselves to be embraced and recognized. Stop it, she thought to herself angrily, stop it, stop it, stop it. You are engaged, Alice. You cant believe a word he says; you are engaged.

Yes, she was engaged. The ordinary fact caused Alice to reach for her ring on her finger; a reflex reaction for whenever Arthur entered her thoughts (which was an uncommonly rare thing nowadays), but as she felt for the rather awkwardly large diamond, only bare skin met her touch. Concerned, she looked down, praying that her eyes might spy what her fingers could not.

It's gone?

Panic built up in her chest as she checked again, and then again. Frantically, she leapt out of bed and began searching the tidy room for any sign of a shimmer or a sparkle. Objects and clothes were thrown about over her head as she dug into every nook and cranny. Straightening herself, she wondered if she had lost it during one of his small misadventures. No, no, no, no; she couldn't have lost it, she couldn't afford to have lost it! It was worth a goldmine, surely she would have been not so careless as to simply drop such a valuable thing? No, perhaps she had just misplaced it...

"Looking for something?" Came a familiar voice from her doorway, the smirk practically audible.

Alice spun around in surprise, sending more of the room flying, only to find the Hatter grinning lazily at her, his arm outstretched as her ring was pinched nimble between his two forefingers. He used his other hand to perform a 'well, come and get it then' motion.

Blushing furiously, though glad she had already out on her dressing gown, she took tentative steps toward him till she managed to retrieve the lost treasure from his tight grasp.

"Uh – thanks?" She said this like a question, "how – how did you...?" She trailed off, baffled by it all.

"How did I find it?" He finished her question for her. He grinned at her apparent confusion, happy to indulge her with the tale of his heroic finding. "It was in your dress pocket."

"Oh," was all Alice could express to such an extraordinary piece of trivia, then she blushed again, "and, uh, what were you doing in the pockets of my dress?"

This seemed to make the Hatter hesitant, but not in a way Alice had expected. "Yeah, well, that actually brings me to some bad news." He bit down onto his bottom lip, his forehead creased.

"Bad news? What bad news?"

The Hatter sighed, his playful countenance being abandoned for a far sober, morbid face. "I'm afraid earlier this morning we encountered an...unpleasant visitor."

"Here – in this house?" Alice asked, wondering what would be so unpleasant about that.

"No, I mean here – in this room," his eyes looked worried.

Alice froze. "Well, come on!" She was impatient for the details, "tell me what happened!"

Hatter sighed deeply again, his head unconsciously rolling to one side, making a recent flesh wound on the side of his neck obvious. "I heard some rattling up here a few hours ago – at first I disregarded it – thinking it was only you. It continued, and, well – I got worried, so I came up to check. I was greeted by a young soldier, who works for 'the Queen,' as he told me-"

"Queen?" Alice cut him off momentarily, "Which Queen?"

The Hatter just shrugged, his broad shoulders slumping in a way that made Alice realize how exhausted he must be. "Who knows? He didn't say which one – not that you would expect him to, really," he added with a humorless chuckle, "I – I thought he was going to kill you. But instead, he just had a heap of your clothes in his hands. 'The girl's scent for the cats – makes her easy to hunt down' he had told me before leaping toward the window. I tried to grab a hold of him, but he slashed at me with his knife," Hatter motioned to the nasty gash on the side of his neck, "I managed to save this pretty blue dress though - Lord knows you'll need something to wear," he added rather cheekily, "and so, in the pockets of that dress I found that ring." He concluded the small horror story with a triumphant smile, signaling to Arthur's ring in her palm. Seeing the ring in her possession again seemed to cast a shadow over his mood, though, and he dropped his voice one octave lower.

Throughout this rather graphic account, where the Hatter found small, dry jokes to make himself chuckle, Alice had been staring at him in horror. Cats. After. Her.

"That's your engagement ring, isn't it?" He tried his best to conceal his bitterness, but longing and grief still shone through his eyes. "Funny – you said it was just a gift when I first asked you about it."

Alice sighed, hating herself when she hurt him like this. It was impossible to keep him happy, and her former life going at the same time. She knew all too well that at one stage, she would have to choose.

No; she would only have to carry out the decision – she had already made her choice long ago.

"Yes; this is the ring my future husband gave to me," she told him solemnly, hoping his would take the subtle hint, and at the same time wishing he wouldn't. She knew his words would cut him, but she knew he would get over it in time. Well, she hoped he would get over it, she truly hoped.

Saying those words brought about an acute aching in her own chest. She was already filled with sadness; picturing her future life with Arthur in gray monotones, but there was no other choice. She saw no other choice. It was enough to make her heart break, the pain the realization brought her, but she would have been able to stand that; her pain was bearable, it was only the agonizing pain that had twisted on the Hatter's face that made it unbearable to her. She could allow herself to suffer, but not the Hatter.

The Hatter understood her perfectly, she could tell by the way his face collapsed, as if he had built himself a dream, and someone had come up and snatched it from him. He tried to smile at her, but his lips only managed to part slightly, his attempted laugh coming out as a short cough as his eyes shone wet with tears. She meant it, she really did mean what she had said. He understood her meaning perfectly, but he had to remind her, he had to, just to give his heart the ability to function.

"Please," he whispered to her pleadingly, unable to help himself, "five days."

Alice sighed. "It won't help, Hatter," she tried to soften her words, but she knew in the end anything she could do or say would be to no avail, "time won't change my decision. I'll follow along with your 'five days,' but...but I don't want to give you all that time to get your hopes up, because I know I'll just be crushing them in the end. And I don't want to see you crushed."

"No," Hatter began to tremble, frightened she may be demanding to be brought home now, "please – Alice – don't do this..."

She held up one finger. "But I agreed to five days, so I will carry out my promise. I just wanted to warn you, that's all." She sighed softly to herself, knowing she was going to hurt him in the end.

And she hated herself for that.

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Under Victoria's orders, the army of men and cats were combing the forests and woods, seeking out the villages and towns, and prowling though houses at any time of day, their goal nothing but finding the Queen. And once she was found; death would soon follow.

And then her death would bring about Alice's – which all of the army anticipated with great eagerness.

But where was the Queen in all this eagerness?

She was alone, smiling to herself as she saw five cats stealth their way right past her. Idiots, she thought to herself lazily.

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Victoria was happy. It is a simple word to describe her state; but the feeling was so genuine within her veins, it would be a lie to describe her otherwise. She was happy for so many things. First, the messenger she had sent out had returned unharmed, carrying a fist full of clothes that Alice had worn – that had made her happy. Secondly, the young soldier who she found herself relying on increasingly had also returned – from the above realms – claiming it was true Alice had a family, and even a future-husband waiting for her – that trivia had made her quite happy; now her plans would run so much smoother knowing that. And thirdly, she had just sent out a news-bearer to declare the unhappy news. She smiled to herself as she recalled her instructions to him.

"Announcer?" She had called him over to her privately.

He looked apprehensive as he immediately responded to her lazy call, running to station himself before her. He had dropped to one knee. "Yes, Miss Victoria?"

She smiled ruefully at him, though she did her best to look forlorn. "I need you to announce some unhappy news, dear sir," she heaved a heavy sigh.

He looked up at her, startled yet curious. "And what news may that be, m'lady?"

She sighed again, lowering her eyes in pain. "All Wonderland must know that the Queen of Hearts has been found dead."

His jaw had dropped, and he cast a quick look around him. He spoke to her again, but this time in a hushed whisper. "But...but, m'lady, thats...thats not true – she is missing; not dead."

Her entire act dropped, and faster than he could regret his words, she had flicked out a small knife from her sleeve, her eyes glowering at him as her words were dark and threatening. "I could always get a new messenger if you are not up to the job..." Inconspicuously, she gently pushed the tip of the blade against where his heat would be, pressuring it enough so it tore through his uniform, but not quite puncturing the skin.

"No," he stammered, gulping hard, "I am capable Miss Vic...Your majesty, I am loyal; Victoria is for Victory." He displayed his allegiance by quoting the oath.

"Good," she purred before releasing him from her grasp.

He stumbled away, relating the same news to the rest of the messengers, who looked shocked, but otherwise nodded dutifully to their future Queen.

Victoria smiled. Now it was only a matter of time.

Victoria was still smiling; no doubt the word had spread throughout Wonderland already. It was simply a matter of finishing off the Queen for real, silencing Alice and any that stood with her, and then she could claim the crown peacefully. Perhaps it had been too much to convince the civilians the Queen of hearts was dead, but in all honesty, once you start something like this there is no real boundaries anymore. All there is are levels of insanity. With the throne so close, why not speed things up and seize the opportunity? Yes; Victoria was happy.

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Upon hearing the 'unhappy' news, Alice, Hatter and Hare sat numbly at the table, having no appetite and absolutely no conversation. Each once was lost to their individual fears, each one seeing their what could have been reasonably happy future mangle and twist into a pit of nothing. The Queen was gone. The Queen of Hearts was dead. They stared into their hands, wondering what this meant for them, and in particular, what it meant for Alice.

Alice was the first to speak, her uncertain voice filling the air after such a dismal silence.

"Does," she paused, considering the question hesitantly, "does this mean I'm safe now?"

Hare stared at the table, trying to swallow the news rather than his scones. "One would think so," he whispered quietly, though for some reason he didn't feel relieved.

"So it's over," Hatter felt the skepticism in his own voice, "it really is over." The Hatter couldn't believe it. He was glad for Alice, but the gladness was washed away by the ocean of agony he felt at the news. With Alice no longer being pursued, with the promise of a better Wonderland, what was the point in her staying any longer? The only thing she would stay for would be himself, the Hatter, and she already had made it quite clear that 'they' would never happen. So this is it, he mused painfully, fighting back the tearing sensation in his chest, she'll be gone; out of our lives – for good.

Freedom was what Alice should have been feeling; she should have been flying on her feet, but instead she felt bleak; pointless. If she was now safe, why did she still feel as though she were being hunted?

"This doesn't feel right," she managed to put out, and didn't need a response to know that the others felt the same queer sensation.

"Alice," the Hatter finally found the courage to look at her directly, "I don't believe the Queen of hearts was ever hunting you."

Alice turned pale, knowing that the words he spoke were only too true; why, she should have known it all along! The only problem was, that whoever had been hunting her, was alive and well...

"If not she," Alice cast a frantic look at the Hatter, "then who?"

Before he could respond, there was howling in the distance, as the growls of the Queen's cats ripped through the villages, right through into the Hatter's ears. They were far away, but it would not take them long to get here – especially having Alice's scent...

"Quickly!" He ordered, practically bounding out of his chair.

"Where are we going?" Hare asked, dazed by the sudden burst of energy.

"Out of here!" Was all the Hatter managed to reply, before another howl from the cats brought them to a standstill – they were closer; they were already much closer.

Her pulse hammering in her ears, Alice leapt up and pushed them all into action. She teared down the hall to grab her coat (rational in all situations) and bounded out the door after the Hare and Hatter. "Which way?" She cried, seeing as no one was moving. The Hatter thought for a moment, then something clicked – Alice could have sworn she saw a light bulb flash over his head for a brief instant.

"Follow me," he ordered, running out the front gate and down the path – running toward the sound of the approaching growls. He continued to bolt, unfazed by the fact he was leading them toward the army of cats.

"Are you mad?" Alice yelled from behind him, her knees quaking from all the pressure to keep pace with his long, lanky legs.

"Yes," he answered. He halted on the path, and this time Alice did crash into him.

"Warn someone before you do that," she grumbled from the ground.

"Hate me later," he informed her, then pressed his hand against a very familiar tree, "and get inside."

Ignoring the way the light scorched her eyes, she dived into the tree, feeling the Hare behind her as he followed suit. The Hatter was the last to jump in, closing the tree behind them just in time before the cats raced passed, their snarls barely audible from within the tree.

Alice drew along, deep breath, hating the way she was looking out at her peaceful home just moments after she had raced to escape an army of insanely barbaric giant cats.

"That was close," the Hare pointed out, his eyes half-paralyzed from the shock.

Alice furrowed her brow, kicking herself for not seeing the answer the whole time. "Victoria," she snarled the name under her breath, then released the air with a sigh, "should have known."

"Well, now we do," the Hatter laid a comforting on her shoulder, trying to subtly steer her with his hand so her back would face the view of her home, "at least we know the enemy now."

"But it's unfortunate how the enemy seems to know us so well already," she puffed.

"Viccy?" Hare seemed genuinely surprised at this new information, "don't tell me Viccy is the one on to us!"

Hatter sighed. "Viccy most certainly is."

"Well," the Hare shook his head in frustration, "this changes things. We can't go back home anymore. She knows we're there-"

"Shh," Hatter commanded suddenly, clasping his hand over his friend's mouth.

"What is it?" Alice asked curiously.

"Hear that?" He whispered, leaning his head against the bark that stood opposite to the glass wall, listening to the muffled murmurs, "listen."

Alice and Hare followed his example, pressing their ears up to hear the conversation. A woman's voice was speaking.

"I don't care what it takes – I just want her dead."

Alice's stomach flipped.

"Your highness, we have searched continually without any sign of her. No one has seen the Queen."

"Do I need to burn down the forest myself? GO AND FIND THE QUEEN, AND WHEN YOU DO, KILL HER."

"And Alice?"

There was a pause, then the woman's voice rang through. "No, leave her be for now. I want her for myself – we will not strike at her yet."

"As you with, m'lady"

Silence.

Alice looked up at the Hatter, and he looked down at her.

"I won't let any of that happen to you," he dutifully swore. But he had misinterpreted the fear in Alice's clear blue eyes.

"Who cares what happens to me! Don't you see? The Queen is alive. Victoria is after the Queen – we have to find the Queen of hearts!" Alice shone with determination, her fist beating down on her open palm.

"Victoria is also after you. You are our priority, Alice," Hatter crossed his arms. Whatever little stubborn trick she would try to play on him, it wouldn't work, he was sure of it. He would not stand by and see Alice practically kill herself over some old Queen.

"No, Hatter," she told him earnestly, "if you give the Queen up for me, what good would that do? I would just go home and Wonderland would have no ruler. But if we tried to get to the Queen – even if it meant risking our live–my life," she corrected herself; she would do it, but she would give the others a choice, "then at least Wonderland would still have it's rightful ruler."

"What if the Queen of hearts is not the rightful ruler?" Hare piped up.

"I believe any choice would be better than Victoria," she said.

Hatter watched her, knowing this girl simply had to be losing her mind. "No," was all he offered.

"Hatter," Alice glowered at him, "don't be difficult."

"Alice," Hatter pleaded in return, "don't be foolish."

Hare glared at the two of them, knowing how their bickering could explode. "I'm out of here – I'll check to see what's going on out there."

"Be careful," Alice warned him as he turned to leave. A snort was all she received as a reply.

She was alone with Hatter in the tree. Again. She glowered up at him, unwilling to let any deja vu take hold of the atmosphere. She had expected a goofy grin on his face, but instead found him to be gazing out over the lawn, his face twisted down. "So," he muttered darkly, "here ends the second day."

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Okay, I'm not overly excited about this chapter – it was kind of a 'fill in'...but I'll make up for it in Chapter 14! Maybe I'll re-write it, maybe I'll just deal with it....I dunno -we'll see how we go. Sigh....I hate being disappointed in your own writing......meh – I'll get over it. lol.

Anyone care to cheer me up with a review? Hint hint? Or even if you have any ideas to make this chapter better. P.S – the goal is still 40 reviews lol...come on, we can make it as a team! Lol – share the love!