As the mist hit, Alice's mind traveled back to key events over the span of separation from her husband and daughter.

Alice felt the sharp blade of the axe slice through her neck in time to see the look of horror on Jefferson's face, just before the portal closed.

The pain was overwhelming, but all she could think was how thankful she was that they got away. The second thought was wondering how she was still able to think. Shouldn't she have been dead?

Apparently not.

Her eyes opened as she felt fingers gripping the hair at her scalp. She had to bite back a scream at seeing her body thrown over the shoulder of one of the Queen's guards just feet from where her head was swinging carelessly in the wind.

After the third time that Alice's cheek smacked into the side of the guard's leg armor, it was becoming increasingly difficult to hold her tongue. At the fourth, she snapped, "I may be a prisoner, but you savages could show some semblance of having hearts!"

That earned a blow to the head hard enough to knock her unconscious.

Alice couldn't tell you how long she had been knocked out. Snippets of conversations could be heard over the span of what felt like days.

She just remembered that what awaited her when she woke was something she would never forget.

It seemed the Queen learned a few tricks beyond simple beheading.

It wasn't anything she ever wanted Jefferson to know.

"How did you come to be here?" The Knave of Hearts called out, asking the question presented to him by his Queen.

Alice stood as still as she could while her face fought against contorting in pain, "A looking glass – a portal, if you will."

The Queen whispered into the horn under her veil, and the Knave turned his eyes back to Alice with a scowl, "Where is this portal?"

"My husband's hat," Alice answered and screamed as a red hot poker pressed against her bare back. "Ah! I do not lie! What do all of you call him… The Hatter? You all know of his powers."

"Where is your husband now?"

"Safe. He's where you can't use him or his magic."

That had been the wrong answer.

"How did you come here before? The first time."

"The white rabbit," Alice gritted out as the small creature poked his floppy eared head out from behind the Queen's throne. "I think you already knew that, your Majesty. I have had years to wonder why I saw such a curious creature in such a common place as was my family's garden. You sent him to fetch a toy, did you not?"

Alice didn't receive an answer. Instead, she saw the Knave share a look with one of the guards in a silent order to make her "whither and cry."

As much as she wished she was, Alice was not so strong as to withstand the punishment she was given. Standing stark naked in the Queen's court – with members of her court surrounding her – she crawled and begged for release as hot pieces of iron were shoved into her skin and clamped onto her limbs.

Begging for release turned to begging for death after a long three years, when escape seemed like it would never come.

All Alice wanted was to see Jefferson and Grace – both of whom had rightfully assumed her dead. It would have been easier for them to assume that. She could only imagine the fury that would consume Jefferson if he knew the truth.

Death never came.

When Alice wasn't suffering before the Queen, she spent her time in a cell barely large enough for her to stand in or cleaning various things in the palace.

The Queen was breaking her day by day.

That was when a glimmer of hope came, or so Alice thought.

Alice wandered from room to room in the underground of the palace, dusting and polishing with a dazed – almost drugged – look in her eyes. A drab, black rag of a dress hung off of her frail figure which was weak from years of overexertion.

"Miss!" A small voice squeaked out. "Miss Alice!"

The white rabbit hopped over to Alice, his fur ruffled and a frantic look to him. Alice tilted her head to the side in confusion, "You…" The voice came out a lot harsher than she would have thought possible in her given state.

The rabbit flinched backwards, "I – I know, Miss. I did something so awful! The Queen, she's t-t-terrifying!"

Alice's voice was monotone and broken, "I found the love of my life in Wonderland." She paused for a moment. "I also found my grave. Both of those things were thanks to you."

"I want to right my wrongs," The rabbit claimed. "I can't get you to your home, not exactly. But I can get you out!" He hopped a few feet down the barren hallway before turning his head back just slightly. "Follow me, Miss!"

Alice weighed the options for a moment. After some thought, she realized she had nothing to lose. Following the rabbit was a risk, but she could feel nothing anymore. The threat of torture didn't even faze her. She hobbled along behind the rabbit, a limp in her step from the most recent beating she had received.

She had spoken in too harsh a tone in the Queen's presence. The woman hadn't taken kindly to it.

The trip was short and when they reached their destination, Alice let out a noise full of more emotion than she had shown in years. Why? Because before her was a looking glass… so much like the one that appeared inside Jefferson's hat. The markings on the frame were strange and foreign, but it was the same concept.

It was a way out.

Alice shot her eyes down to the small rabbit, "Where will this take me?"

"I-I don't know, Miss," He answered with a heavy stutter. "I just know that the Queen does not know it is here, nor do her guards." That was unsurprising. Even Alice had never been this far back into the corridors in her years in the palace. "It's… it's an escape."

Alice turned her eyes back to the portal as she took a step forward and let her fingers trail just centimeters over the surface, "Thank you."

The rabbit spoke no more. He merely nodded and hopped from the room with no backwards glance.

"I could get home…" So many possibilities ran through Alice's mind. There were so many different ways her reunion with Jefferson and Grace could take place. She could see them again. It was an exhilarating thought.

With a heavy breath, she stepped forward…

Alice could say with all of her heart that one day she would find that damn rabbit and skin it alive. She would enjoy every minute of it. There was a reason that mirror was hidden away in the deepest depths of the castle.

She would also learn that the looking glass was a one way trip. It was unlike Jefferson's in that respect. Once you stepped through, there was no sign of a way back.

You were stuck.

This time, she wasn't alone. That was the only ray of light in an otherwise dark spot.

Alice landed roughly on the hard ground below and immediately heard a shriek of surprise. With a tiny groan, she pushed herself into a sitting position and clutched at her wrist – which was most certainly sprained. Her blue eyes turned up to see a pretty brunette girl watching her with wide eyes. There were a few other cells that were visible from where she sat, and all manners of men and creatures were trapped inside, "Where am I… Who are you?"

The girl stepped forward and moved down so that she was at eye level with Alice, "My name is Belle. We're… I don't quite know where we are. Deep underground in a prison of some sort." Belle reached out to gently examine Alice's wrist with a small wince. "It should heal just fine… How did you get here, exactly? In my cell, I mean. Miss…?"

"Alice," She answered quickly. "But, please don't call me Miss." The idea of rabbit stew filled her head. "I was trapped in another realm. I found a way to leave… it brought me here. It wasn't what I expected." She tilted her head towards Belle. "How did you find yourself here?"

"I was at a pub having a few drinks," Belle visibly cringed at what the memory held. "I was nursing a still broken heart. I left and I was attacked from behind… I never saw who did it. A guard, I assume. I woke up here." She gestured to the small cell. "I've heard rumors, but I've never seen for myself…"

"What?"

"We're underneath the Queen's castle."

"Which Queen?" Alice asked hesitantly.

Belle bit down on her bottom lip, "Snow White's stepmother."

The days passed by in a blur as they turned to weeks, then months, then years. Alice never saw anyone but guards pass through to throw nearly rotted food into the cells. The girls had to learn how to make do with what they were given.

They relied on no one but each other. It wasn't as if they had much choice.

Alice and Belle became confidants to all past events in life. They consoled one another during the bad days and cried together during the worse. They were, simply put… best friends. It seemed such a childish label for how close they were. They were so much more, but there was no word for it.

Alice had to find Belle. With Jefferson's whisper of "Rumpelstiltskin" just moments before, she had a pretty good idea of how to find her. That was exactly what she was going to do.

Wait, Belle… was she trapped underneath the hospital as well? Had she gotten out? She must have. Alice could feel that she was out, if she was ever there at all. She had been trapped in the same prison; she must have suffered the same fate in this world.

Jefferson went down there… but seemed so shocked to find Alice there. What had he gone down there for if it wasn't her? A better question – who had he gone down there for?

No… How did he know where to look? No, it couldn't be. It was impossible.

Or was it?

As the mist began to fade, Alice felt her head spinning. That had always been a problem for her – when she was overwhelmed, things in her head turned fuzzy.

Before she had a chance to speak, she felt the world slip out from underneath her.

Everything went black.

I can't promise when the next chapter will be up. I'll get it out as soon as I can.
Please review!