I do not own Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

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Chapter Six

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Hatter bowed happily as the crowd clapped.

He did enjoy his dancing and enjoyed it even more when he saw all the bright and happy people who watched and cheered. He even enjoyed watching and cheering along to the other guests Futterwacken.

He looked around the crowd, hoping to find Alice watching and clapping along to the music. But she was no where to be found.

He walked past his friends and back into the entrance of the white rose garden. He was surprised to see the garden completely empty.

'Where is Alice?' he thought worriedly.

He spotted Alice's hat lying carelessly on the ground and he quickly ran over and picked it up, and pulled out a small piece of paper someone left in the hat. He hoped it was from Alice, telling him where she was.

But it wasn't.

His eyes flashed to yellow and they stayed that way as he ran out of the garden and back to the party.

He looked around, his anger growing more to see all the people happily dancing when his world was crashing down.

He ran to the table Mally and March were sitting at and pushed a teapot off the table. Mally and March jumped in surprise and the White Queen quickly moved through the crowd on her horse.

"Hatter!" she shouted over the music. Calling his name simply didn't bring him back this time. He looked up at the Queen angrily and thrust the note into her hands.

Mirana held the note a far distance from her face and read it slowly.

We have Alice.

Meet us in two days at the border of Marmoreal and the outskirts of Underland with the crown. Do not bring your army or Alice's head will be mine.

Iracebeth of Crims.

Mirana took in a breath, her face almost turning angry, but she kept herself calm. She pulled at the reigns of her horse and quickly got down.

"Hatter, calm down." she stated.

Hatter walked past her, pacing, his hands clenching and stretching out over and over again.

"Calm?! Calm?!" He yelled in his strong Scottish voice. "How can I be calm now?!"

Mirana took a breath. She needed to think clearly and she couldn't with Hatter in his current state. "Think about Alice." she said sternly.

"It is best you be calm right now, Tarrant. We need to be calm and go rescue Alice." Mirana explained.

Hatter's eyes flashed back to green and he frowned sadly.

Mirana turned to one of the knights standing near her, "I want you to round up a small troop and-"

"NO!" Hatter screamed, walking up to Mirana and the Knight.

"No?" Mirana raised an eyebrow.

Hatter took the note from Mirana's hand, "She said no army. I will not risk Alice's life on this."

Mirana gave him a look before nodding. "Alright. We'll have only you and I will go then."

"And me!" Mally chirped in, climbing up and sitting on Hatter's shoulders.

"This wouldn't be considered an army, would it?" Hatter asked, grinning. Mirana chuckled, "Alright. It only takes a day walk to the outskirts from here so we'll set out first thing tomorrow morning. It is best if you and Mallymkun to spend the night."

Hatter nodded and watched Mirana walk back to her horse.

He felt a ting of pain to see the White Queen act so calm. The champion of Underland has been kidnapped! They're beloved Alice was gone and in the hands of the filthy Red Queen and Mirana was acting like nothing seemed to be wrong.

He was close to going back into his angry but Mally snapped him back by putting a comforting paw on his cheek, "Don't worry Hatter. We'll get her back."

He smiled and nodded sadly, brushing some dirt off the top of Alice's hat.

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Later that night

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Darkness. Alice wished she could stay in the darkness. But as her mind came to she could hear the voices.

She was thrown come someone's shoulder; it felt scrawny and hurt to even touch. She felt a tight rope around her ankles and wrists and a gag in her mouth.

"You're risking killing yourself over all of this sweet revenge." Stayne stated, chuckling. "I will not die." Iracebeth said sternly

"When you kill Alice after getting the crown that hatting lunatic will lose it and finally kill you." Stayne explained.

Iracebeth huffed, "Doesn't matter. Once I have the crown again I'll have my army and they'll protect me. Seeing as you won't."

Stayne slightly groaned. "Would you shut it about me leaving? Maybe if you were more like your sister-!"

"Shut up! Do not compare me to my sister!" Iracebeth screamed. "You sound just like mummy and daddy!"

Alice rolled her eyes, 'Now I see who the favorite was.'

Alice felt them come to a stop and she closed her eyes shut tight. Stayne jerked Alice off his shoulder and dropped her against a half dead oak tree. She groaned when her head banged against the bark and blinked her eyes open.

Iracebeth was leaning down in front of Alice, her face inches away from Alice's nose. "Glad to see your awake, Alice." she spat out, sarcasm dripping out with every word.

Alice bit on her gag, her jaw clenching. "Nothing to say?" Iracebeth asked a sad look on her face.

She stood up straight, "Good. No one wants to hear your wretched little voice." she said grimly.

Stayne look a long piece of beat up rope out of a cloth bag and walked up to Alice. "Hello." He said, grinning wickedly at her.

She started to wiggle in her binds, but Iracebeth held her down while Stayne tied her to the tree.

"Hold still you little pest!" Iracebeth hissed, slapping Alice across the face. "Don't make me have to take your head before I get my crown!"

Alice grimaced. Now she knew what was happening. She was hostage for the crown of Underland. She knew the White Queen wouldn't give up her crown so easily. Alice was happy enough to die for the sake of Underland. She wouldn't want to even consider living knowing the Red Queen was back in power. As the champion of Underland she knew she needed to do what was right for the people, even if it meant she was going to die.

What about the hatter?

Alice's eyes widened at the voice in her head. She truly was going mad if she was hearing voices that weren't even her own.

'What about the Hatter?' Alice thought.

He was waiting for your answer. He might think you ran off on him. And even if he didn't think that, if you died what would happen to him?

Alice mentally shrugged. 'He'd move on. Time doesn't exist here. At some point he'd forget about me fall in love with some other girl.'

Are you sure?

Alice blinked in confusion. She was positive Hatter would move on. Why would he spend the rest of his life missing Alice after she'd die?

Who knows? He might even drive himself madder then ever and be driven over the edge because he misses you so much.

Alice shook her head as fast as she could, trying to shake the voice away. "Stop!" she said, but was muffled by the gag.

Iracebeth gave her a strange look as Stayne tightened the ropes. "Aww. What's wrong? Too tight, are they?"

"Tighter!" She barked at Stayne, and he obeyed. Alice groaned. 'He'd never kill himself over me.'

You never know…he is mad as a hatter, after all.

And finally the voice disappeared. Alice hung her head and mumbled, "No he wouldn't." but it was again, muffled.

Iracebeth groaned. "Stayne shut her up, will you?" She asked, walking away.

Stayne grinned and picked up a somewhat thick tree branch. "Nighty night Alice."

Her world was turned back into darkness once again.

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To be continued…

A/N:

i hope you liked it (:

i did tell u before the chapters would be shorter. sorry.

i'd also like to thank all of u who put this story on their alart's list :) 118 people have alarted this story and thats the most alarts any of my stories have gotten :D thank you all so much!!! :D

anyway..

review/alart(:/fave/all that jazz

tootles!

~Tayyylorr