Hello again, my dear readers. First off, I would like to make a public apology for being such a b*tch as to wait so long to post. I blew you all off, and I'm sorry. I posted a longer apology on my profile, just so you know. Second, I hope this chapter is good. It's really short, and I don't think I did a very good job on this one. But, um, c'est la vie, I suppose. If you're reading this and you were one of the people who were forced to wait, thank you for sticking by me. If you're reading this whole story for the first time, I hope you enjoy it.

The Shopping Excursion

When Alice finally got home that night, her mother had only rolled her eyes and reminded Alice that they were going shopping tomorrow. Alice groaned inwardly at the thought, because she really didn't like shopping. But then again, maybe it would be fun. With that in mind, Alice had slouched off to bed. As she was getting ready for bed, she mused over how tired she was, but before she could explore the observation any further, she fell asleep.

oX8Xo

The next morning, Alice woke up earlier than usual. Rubbing her face, she stumbled into the shower, still half-asleep. Half an hour later, she walked into the kitchen feeling much more conscious. Her mother smiled at her from where she was making pancakes. Alice yawned and stretched before slumping at the table and giving her mother a tired smile back. Alice couldn't figure out why she was so tired all the time. She had never been a morning person, but…

"Honey, how many pancakes do you want?" Her mother's voice brought Alice out of her reverie. She shrugged. "I'll give you three, then. Oh, and Alice? The dojo called. They were wondering if you would teach classes again, if you feel up to it. They said they understood that you got pretty badly hurt." That last sentence brought Alice's eyes up to her mother's uncomfortable face.

"Mom…"

"Okay, honey, I may have told them that it was worse than it really was, but what could I do? I'm your mother! And I wanted you to have time to figure everything out with Hatter." The words came tumbling out in a rush before Carol checked herself. The next sentences were much more controlled. "Honey, I know how much the dojo means to you, but I wanted to see that you were in control of the rest of your life. After what happened with Jack, I wanted to make sure that you were okay." Carol handed Alice a plate of pancakes and turned back to the stove.

Alice didn't know whether to laugh or yell. She decided to do neither, but a few giggles escaped anyway and her mom looked at her curiously. Alice tried to regain her composure. "Mom, I don't think that I've seen you act lie that since…since I can remember. Why are you so worried?" Carol shrugged.

"You know, honey, I don't know what Hatter has done to you, but I'll have to thank him for it. A few days ago, you would be shouting at me. You're like a teenager again. I'm glad that you're so…relaxed, I suppose. But remember that you're still a responsible adult, and you have to act like one, whether you like it or not." By now Alice had sobered up, and she looked at her mother carefully.

"You didn't answer my question, Mom."

"Didn't I? I guess I was worried you would be upset about being away from the dojo. Apparently not. Now eat your pancakes; we have shopping to do." Alice refrained from making a remark about how silly that last sentence sounded and obliged. As soon as the dishes were cleared, she and her mother were heading out the door.

"So, where are we going?" Alice asked her mother. She hadn't been shopping in a while, and she was surprised to find that she was excited at the prosepect of buying clothes. 'Ahem!' The Voice cried. 'You're buying a bunch of clothes? Why? You're clothes are fine! You don't, um…augh! You're being-'

"Oh shut up!" Alice mouthed, and the Voice disappeared. It was losing ground quickly, because, honestly, it didn't have a leg to stand on. Alice suddenly realized that her mother had been talking while she, Alice, had her little conversation with the Voice. She looked at her mother, embarrassed. "Hey mom? Can you repeat that, please?" Carol looked at her daughter, a little surprised.

"Sure, honey. I said I thought that we could go to the Body Shop and Sephora, as well as some clothing stores. They're in this new department store; I can't remember its name…" Carol trailed off. "Does that sound all right, honey?" Alice nodded. It was strange to see her mother so excited over something like clothes shopping. She realized that it had been a very long time since she and her mother had gone shopping. That was why Carol was so happy. Alice made a mental note to do things with her mother more often.

A few more blocks and Carol led Alice into a large department store. Alice followed her mother into The Body Shop and walked over to the perfumes. She had decided that she needed something to wear the next time she actually went somewhere with Hatter. Maybe she would wear it the next time she saw Hatter, whether they went out or not…Alice focused on the fragrances in front of her; choosing one at random and applying a little to her wrist to try. She sniffed it, deciding that it was too intense for her. Putting it back she picked another and tried it. It was better, but not to her taste. She continued to try on perfumes for a few minutes before her mother called her over.

"Honey, what do you think of this color lipstick?" Alice then remembered what shopping with her mother was actually like. It was going to be a long shopping trip.

oX8Xo

When Alice and Carol finally got home, their bags heavy and their wallets light, it was already getting dark. Carol unlocked the apartment door and both walked in. Carol went to make dinner, leaving her bags in the living room. Alice headed off to her room to hang everything up. She couldn't believe the amount she'd spent. So much money! Delving into the first bag she could reach, Alice grabbed a hanger and an article of clothing, making quick work of hanging it up. She repeated the action with the rest of the bag's contents before moving onto the next bag. She stopped her manic work when she reached the things that would go in drawers, carefully folding and sorting the clothes.

Her hand paused at a light green sleeveless tunic. It was embroidered with beads and sequins around the collar and was silky soft, and it was one of Alice's favorites. She decided to wear it when she went to see Hatter, and she dug through her drawers to find something to wear it with. Stopping suddenly, she pulled out a black pair of leggings that stopped at her mid-calf. They were tossed on the bed next to the shirt. Digging through accessories, Alice found a wide brown belt punched with flowerlike designs, and that landed on the bed too. Finally Alice grabbed a pair of knee-high brown boots with gold buckles and a pair of gold hoops. Looking over her decisions, Alice nodded to herself. That would work. She went back to folding clothes and finished just as the phone rang.

"I'll get it!" She called to her mom. Walking over and grabbing the phone, she smiled to hear Hatter's silky voice.

"So, what did you do today?"

So that's it. I feel like I wrote Carol way out of character. I can promise better chapters later, but I just wanted to get this one out. Um, I'm also going to be writing a sort of fluff piece for Primeval with a high school AU. I apologize if I'm stealing anyone's ideas. School is starting soon, so I'll probably be posting every Saturday. Hopefully. I love you all and I must say you are the best.