I Do not own Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland
Chapter Twelve
Mirana could feel her knees buckling and she feared she'd loose her complete composure right there on the spot. There he was. Her long lost husband. Coming before her in the flesh, prisoner of her sister. She felt a hand on her shoulder and met eyes with the Hatter. He gave her a reassuring nod and Mirana took in a breath and stood up straight.
As for the Hatter, he wasn't so calm on the inside. As soon as he saw Alice emerge from the trees his insides began to flutter and do back flips. He was so happy to see she was perfectly fine and in one piece, beside the rips in her dress and the splashes of red paint. When he saw Stayne and the Red Queen, however, his eyes changed quickly to golden yellow and he clenched his fists.
Stayne held on to Alice and Manfred while Iracebeth walked in front of them, a smug look on her face. She glanced at Hatter and then smiled at her sister, "Hello Mirana."
Mirana gave her sister a cold stare and then met eyes with Manfred. He smiled at her, "My darling. You're still so beautiful since the last time I saw you." He told her. Mirana held her hands together and smiled at him, "Manfred, I've missed you. How is Lily?" she asked.
Manfred tried to reply but Stayne covered his mouth with his hand. "Not right now, sissy." Iracebeth said coldly, taking a few steps forward. Mirana felt her heart ache knowing she had no solid answer on how her daughter was, but remembered what was happening.
"I want them back, 'Racy." Mirana said sternly. "Want, want, want. That's all you say. 'I want this', 'I want that', blah blah blah. Well No!" Iracebeth screamed. "This time it is what I want!"
"You lying sack of soot!" Hatter screamed at the top of his lungs, taking a few steps forward, his Scottish brogue taking voice. "Her highness never dares to put what she wants before the people of Underland! You were the one who was always 'want, want, want', you pathetic, slash buckling blot!" He pounced on her, pulling a dagger out of his back pocket and holding it to her throat.
"I could kill you here and now, you wench. I could slit your throat and no one would miss you." He whispered menacing to her. "'Off with your head!'" he mocked, his voice going outlandishly high.
"You kill me, Stayne kills Alice!" Iracebeth whispered to him, her large forehead forming sweat and her body trembling. Hatter's eyes faded back to green and his eyes darted back and forth from Iracebeth to Alice.
He backed away and took his place back at the White Queen's side.
"Give me the dagger." Iracebeth said sternly, holding out one hand and using the other one to wipe her forehead. Hatter handed Mirana the dagger, glaring at Iracebeth, and Mirana handed Iracebeth the dagger.
She held it close to herself and started pacing in front of them, "Now, the deal is you hand over the crown, and you'll get your lovely Alice back. You'll even give your dotty little husband back. Have we got a deal?" she asked.
Mirana met eyes with Manfred and then with Alice. Alice started to shake her head. Mirana could not let Iracebeth rule once again!
Mirana slowly removed her crown and handed it to her sister. Iracebeth beamed happily and quickly snatched it away, placing it upon her pompous head. She looked ridiculous with such a little white crown on top of her dirty mess of curly red hair.
"Give us Alice!" Hatter bellowed, ready to jump Stayne to get a hold of Alice. Iracebeth snapped back to reality and walked towards the petite blond. "Ah, yes, our deal. Funny thing about those," She said bubbly. She quickly held the dagger against Alice's throat and grabbed a fist full of her hair. Alice winced and closed her eyes.
Hatter quickly took a step forward, thinking as to what he could use on his person to fight the Red Queen off of his Alice.
"You went back on your word!" Mirana said angrily. Iracebeth grinned, "Surprising, isn't it? Why would I give you your champion right after I got my crown back? Do you take me for a fool?" She screamed.
Hatter's eyes began to flash back and forth from green to yellow as he saw Iracebeth place to dagger tighter to Alice's neck until a small trickle of blood ran down her neck, mingling into her blond hair.
"Let her go." He growled. Iracebeth gave Hatter a puppy dog look. "What's wrong hatter? Upset your little heroine can't break free? That she's going to die right here and you won't do anything to stop it?" She asked, her voice dripping with taunt.
His eyes were downright golden now and he was ready to stab her eyes out with the many needles he had on his person. Mirana thought about breaking him out of his state, how violence wouldn't solve anything, but pure hatred started boiling inside of her. Her own sister went back on their deal, and was now going to kill Alice and probably her beloved husband as well. Truthfully, she wanted Hatter to attack them. To show them no mercy and to save her friend and husband.
Alice clenched her teeth and took in a slow breath. She could feel her clock ticking. Her time was over. It was the end, and she was prepared.
You're such a pansy.
'Leave me alone.' Alice thought coldly.
And let you give up on your life like this? What about 'Happily Ever After' and all that nonsense your sister filled you with as a child?
'Happily Ever Afters don't work in real life. They're meant for children's story books. I'm done for. I have nothing left to save me now.'
What about that knife? You still have time to defend yourself.
Alice's eyes shot open with realization and slowly moved her hand upward towards her ribbon sash.
"What's wrong Hatter? Upset that you're loosing your Alice to the same woman who destroyed the Hightopp clan?" Iracebeth asked coldly.
'That name…that's the name of the cook!' Alice thought, grabbing the cold handle of the knife.
Those words stung Hatter and he began to reach into his coat for his needles when Alice piped up. "You didn't." She mumbled.
Iracebeth looked back at her, shocked, and Alice quickly thrust the knife upward and stabbed Iracebeth through the throat.
Iracebeth's blood quickly dripped down and wrapped around the knife and Alice's right hand. Her eyes widen and her mouth gapped as she stared at Alice in horror. The dagger slipped from her hands as she pushed Alice away and started reaching around to grip the knife. She clutched the handle as she fell to her knees and looked around helplessly.
Hatter quickly walked forward and picked the dagger up from the ground. He stared aimlessly at the dagger, balancing it between the palm of his right hand and the pointer finger of his left.
"Cat got your tongue, Big Head?" He mumbled calmly. His eyes quickly flashed yellow and he gripped the dagger, bent down and sliced Iracebeth's neck through. Her body fell forward, but Hatter held onto Iracebeth's dirty red hair and he stared into her dark eyes.
"Off with your head." Alice mumbled, taking a few steps forward. Hatter nodded, "That is for my family." He whispered to her coldly. He dropped her head, and grabbed The White Queen's crown before it had contact with the pool of blood around Hatter and Alice's feet.
Stayne watched in horror at what just happened. He quickly tried to think of something so he wouldn't meet the same fate as the late Red Queen.
Hatter's head quickly snapped towards Stayne, his eyes still bright yellow. Stayne jumped back, letting go of his grip on Manfred. Manfred ran towards Mirana and Hatter took a few more steps towards him. Stayne was ready to run when Hatter reached for his needles and chucked them directly at Stayne's face.
Mirana buried her head in her husband's chest and Manfred looked away. The needles flew straight into his free eye, and the rest plunged deep into his cheeks and forehead. Stayne screamed in agony as blood drizzled down his face. He started pulling at his face, reaching for the needles. His vision blurred until all he could see was blackness. He screamed out again. "You've blinded me, you mad man! I can't see! I can't see!" Stayne screamed out, his free hand reaching around helplessly, trying to find the Hatter.
Mally jumped off of Mirana's shoulders and ran to Stayne.
Hatter's eyes quickly averted back to his green and he looked back at Alice. Alice smiled at him, her eyes watery. She ran to him, jumping over the lifeless corpse of Iracebeth, and locked him in a tight hug. He took hold of her, burying his head in her hair, taking in her scent and the softness of her skin. He completely forgot of the killing he and Alice just committed, of the attack of Stayne and his screams in the background, all he cared about was that Alice was safe and in his arms.
Mally crawled up Stayne's back and took out her sword. "I've been waitin' ma 'ole life for 'tis!" she said happily, sweeping her sword across Stayne's neck. He let out another scream and Mally jumped off of him just as he feel face first into the dirt road.
"May I look now?" Mirana shouted through her husband's shirt. Manfred looked back at the scene and grimaced at all the blood. "Don't look down, my dear." He whispered to her. She looked up at him a smiled, "I prefer this view, anyway." She whispered happily. He leaned down and kissed her.
"Lily is safe." He said. "I left her with a woman in a near by village. She is a loyal subject of ours and was more then happy to watch her for a few hours." he explained. "We shall fetch her at once!" Mirana announced, walking swiftly to her horse.
Hatter, however, didn't hear Mirana's announcement and kept hold of Alice. "I was so frightened Alice; I thought I'd never see you again." he whispered in her ear. Alice got a chill, pushing away from him. She gave him a full and heartfelt smile, "You? Frightened? That's not very muchy of you, Hatter."
He smiled, revealing his gapped two teeth.
"Tarrant." Mirana called. Hatter quickly turned around and faced the Queen, who was now mounted on her horse and the White King standing beside her. "We're heading to the nearby village. You two must come; Alice needs to be treated." She said, slowly pointing to her own neck. Alice quickly touched her neck and stared back at her hand, which had some tidbits of blood. Hatter's face looked panicked, "Oh my! We must get you help, Alice!" He said quickly, moving her towards his horse. Alice tried to stop, "The knife!" she called, looking back at the corpse of the Red Queen.
Hatter let her go and Alice ran to the body and yanked the knife out of the Queen's head and then ran back to the Hatter.
He quickly pulled out a hanky and helped her mound the horse. The White king led them towards the village, where all the seemingly old people and creatures stared in awe at the White Queen and King.
Hatter held onto the reigns of Alice's horse while Alice cleaned the blood off of the knife. Mally sat on Alice's lap, watching her clean. Finally, the initials L.T.H shining through.
"Hatter," Alice whispered down to him. He quickly looked behind him and gave Alice a concerned look, "What is it?" He asked, worried. "Did you hear what I said to the Red Queen, before I stabbed her?" Alice whispered. Hatter nodded, "You said she didn't, which confused me because I didn't know you knew anything besides what I told you your last visit here of the Hightopp clan and their deaths."
Alice nodded, handing the knife to him, "I met a girl." She mumbled. Hatter took the knife and studied it. "She was young looking, but seemed very bitter. She had freckles and red hair; she loved pepper so much her soup was black. Her name is Lizabeth Treena Hightopp. I wonder if you knew her." Alice explained to him.
Hatter ran his fingertips across the initials and nodded, "I-I had a younger sister. She was so small. Right here on me," He mumbled, tapping where his bellybutton would be. "I was certain she had died all that time ago." He mumbled.
"Unless that cook is using her name, I believe that girl is part of your family." Alice explained.
Hatter placed the knife inside his jacket. Just in front of them, the White Queen's horse came to a stop and Manfred was helping her down. They were in front of a small brick cottage. Hatter began to help Alice down.
"May I ask you something?" He asked. Alice nodded. Hatter bit his lip and then stared at her, a puppy dog look on his face. "You said her soup was black from the pepper, correct?" he asked. Alice nodded. "She looks a lot like you." She whispered to him. Hatter laughed, his smile growing wider, "I always thought so."
A/N
the rating has been changed to M, because I am paranoid.
I hope you liked this chapter:) their are only like...two chapters left i believe.
Yay, Stayne and the Red Queen are dead and Hatter and Mirana both have the loves of their lives back :)
but their are still some unanswered questions: will Alice say yes to marrying the Hatter?(do y'all still remember that? lol), will Hatter find his little sister? and Will we ever figure out whose voice is in Alice's head?
review and tell me what you think!
~Taylor