Very sorry for the longer update, my friends! I just crawled my way out of... *whispers dramatically*...Finals Week. GAHHHH! Yes, yes, very scary and all that jazz, but I made it and can finally continue my writing. Don't worry, we're SO CLOSE to through with this thing. Trust me.
Disclaimer: "What do you own of Alice in Wonderland?" "Nothing!" "Really? Who does?" "Why, Lewis Carroll, Disney, and Tim Burton do, of course!" "Oh!"
Inspirational song: "Better Days" - Goo Goo Dolls
. . . . .
"All you have to do step through and you'll be back home."
The White Queen, Alice, and Hamish were all standing in a room the size of a large closet of Marmoreal's highest story. Dusty shelves lined the walls, stacked and stacked with boxes of unknown assortments. The lighting was dim, but Alice could still see the dust particles floating around in the air, attempting to mimic the fluency of the famous Cheshire Cat's movements.
In front of them, leaning against the wall, was a shining, full body-length mirror with a gilded frame. A Looking Glass, according to Mirana.
Hamish's brow furrowed and scratched at his neck, unbelieving. "I- I must admit, I've seen plenty of strange things here, but traveling through a mirror? How is that even possible?"
And that was why Hamish couldn't stay in Wonderland. Yes, he'd been given the choice to stay, and Alice thought the White Queen had even wantedhim to, despite the fact that he had killed her sister. But they all knew the answer before he had the chance to open his mouth. Hamish would be going home, because his true home was back in London. Not anywhere in Wonderland.
The White Queen smiled at him. " I wouldn't let you slam into any hard surface under my command, Hamish." Her smile shrank. "Be sure you're making the right decision by doing this. I'm afraid that once you land back in your home, there'll be a likely chance that you won't remember your time here."
Hamish's confused gaze locked on Alice. "Then how'd Alice get back?"
Alice grinned at him. "I'm just that special." Hamish raised his eyebrows and Alice laughed. "There was no way I was going to forget Wonderland again. The last time I came here, when I defeated the Jabberwocky, it was my third visit. I made sure that I would remember that time, and I did."
The White Queen smiled softly. "Will you remember this time, Alice?"
Alice shook her head. "I won't have to worry about forgetting. I'm still staying."
Hamish's eyes widened slightly. "What?"
The White Queen looked back and forth between the two, before saying, "I think I'll let you two be now." She touched Hamish's arm. "It was a pleasure meeting you." Hamish nodded numbly, still staring at Alice. Mirana left the room swiftly, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
"You're not coming with me?"
Alice looked at the person that stood before her. Not long ago, he was a strict, no-nonsense, and slightly foolish taunt. But now, his eyes were alight with a liveliness that had never before existed, his cheeks were swollen with energy, and he had never seemed so free in all of his life. Alice was having trouble keeping up with him through all these changes. He had gone from her disliked acquaintance to her responsibility to her enemy to her friend. And if she thought it was tiring, Hamish had to be exhausted.
If she were him, she'd probably be aching to go back home, back to familiarity, too.
But she couldn't go back, no matter how close of friends she and Hamish ever would be.
She shook her head at him. "I can't go back with you, Hamish. This is my home. I had planned on staying all along, ever since I first jumped down that hole. Well, even before that I had planned on coming back to Wonderland." Her gaze was hard. "This is my home," she repeated.
Hamish studied her face for a long moment before sighing and turning his head to gaze at the Looking Glass. "I understand," he said. Suddenly his eyes widened and he was looking straight at her again. "I'll never see you again, will I?"
A part of Alice's brain laughed at Hamish's denseness. Yes, the Hamish I know is still in there. The part of her brain that knew this was not a time for gleeful laughter made her nod.
"And what if I do forget everything about this place? What if I don't even remember following you down that rabbit hole?"
Alice shrugged. "Then you forget." Hamish's eyes saddened before Alice added, "But you won't even feel the loss, Hamish. You won't feel like a part of you is missing. I can promise you that." She smiled at him. "You'll just feel like a bigger and better Hamish. You will be Hamish: The Good Man."
Hamish grinned. "After all this, I better be!"
Alice laughed along with him, before calming down and losing her smile to sadness. "You're sure you don't want to stay, just a little while longer? It won't even be that long up in London-"
"No, Alice," he said, looking hard at her. "This is your Wonderland, not mine. My world's up there." He pointed upward.
Alice nodded solemnly. "I understand completely."
The two just stood there for a moment, relishing the very last time they'd have with the other. Even though they hadn't been friends for that long, actually, a very short time in reality, but even despite that, it was sad to see the other go.
As softly as the wonderful git could manage, Hamish asked her, "Alice? How does one normally say goodbye in this world?"
Alice smiled. "Fairfarren, Hamish."
Hamish nodded and grinned. "Fairfarren, Alice."
With those last words hanging in the air between them, Hamish turned and faced the Looking Glass. He gave it a quick once-over before taking a deep breath and exhaling it loudly. Hamish took one step through the mirror, his leg penetrating it as if the Looking Glass turned liquid.
That was the moment Hamish Ascot left Alice Kingsleigh's life.
. . . . .
Alice softly closed the door behind her, peering at the White Queen. She was standing in front of the window across from her. The entire room was bare, except for that window, letting in a new day's glow. Alice walked up from behind Mirana, stopping when she stood right beside her. The Queen was still, staring out the window as if the world's most important message was scrawled upon it.
"Are you alright, Your Majesty?"
Mirana turned to Alice and answered her question with one of her own. "What do you think happens? After one has passed?" Her lower lip quivered.
Alice swallowed hard. "Well," she said. She had a feeling that a dishonest answer would be most applicable to this situation, but she would not lie to her Queen. She would be raw fully honest with her instead. "Where I come from. . . We believe that if you spend your life doing good deeds, you will spend the eternity of your afterlife in the most wonderful place you could possibly imagine. Now, if you spend your life following Badness. . . You won't exactly achieve ultimate happiness."
Alice watched her Queen carefully, wondering how she would react to her words. Slowly, Mirana nodded. "Racy wasn't always so wicked and cruel, Alice." She swallowed hard and her next words caused chills to slither down Alice's back. "Just as a part of me is attracted to Darkness, a part of my sister was attracted to Light. She's where she belongs now."
The White Queen fully turned to Alice and conjured up a smile. "Alice, always remember that you can come to me. For anything. Even if you simply wish to speak about. . . lifeless flowers," she smirked.
Alice grinned. "I'll remember that, Your Majesty."
The two women stated their friendly goodbyes before leaving the room, heading in opposite directions. Alice had someone she had to find. . . Had things to say, loose ends to tie up.
She hadn't seen the Hatter since their arrival at Marmoreal last night. Alice had skipped supper; she was far too tired to settle down for a meal. She likely would've fallen right out of her chair. So instead, she had said her quick goodbyes and dragged her feet all the way up to her chambers, where she gratefully collapsed on her bed. Only now, after all the obstacles were out of her way, could she focus on what she had to say to-
"Oomph!" Alice butted heads with someone in the dimly lit corridor and could already feel the blush warming her cheeks. "I'm so sorry-I wasn't paying any-"
Her words were cut off at the sound of a low chuckle and Alice widened her eyes before laughing, as well. Hatter straightened his jacket and readjusted his hat, eyes sparkling.
"One of these days we're going to seriously injure the other, constantly bumping into each other like this." Alice laughed again as he shot her his well-known, gap-toothed grin.
"I was just looking for you," she said.
"Really?" His brow furrowed.
Alice nodded. "Yes, I didn't really get a chance to speak with you last night and . . . and. . . " And, what, exactly? "How are you feeling?" she blurted.
"Oh, well, I'm much more muchier now. Who would've guessed that the slurvish feline would be the one to fix me up?" He giggled gleefully and his orange hair brightened.
"You seem to be in a cheerful mood," Alice noted.
"Why shouldn't I be?" He raised his eyebrows. "You've managed to deal with Hamish responsibly, the White Queen's Crown is completely secure, the Bloody Big Head is dead at last, and you're still here." His tone lowered when he finished speaking and his eyes softened.
Ignoring the way his gaze made her insides warm, Alice asked him, "But what of Stayne and his horrible army?"
Hatter's eyes darkened. "Wae'll all deal wit him soon eanough," he said in a deep brogue.
Alice nodded. "I'll have to work out a plan with the Queen. . . " Alice's voice trailed off at the way he was staring at her. His eyes were so soft, yet so concentrated that Alice would've dropped to her knees to know what he was thinking. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Alice. . . You know I care about you very, very much?" She nodded and Hatter narrowed his eyes slightly in deliberation, letting out a lungful of air. "Why did you do what you did at the beach?" he asked, eyes still in slits.
Alice bit her lip at the unexpected question. "Err. . ."
"Because," he interjected. "I happened to enjoy that time at the beach. No matter how many times I go back to that moment, I cannot fathom what thoughts must've gone through your mind to take you away from me." He sighed and his bow tie drooped. "Again."
Alice shook her head. "Hatter-"
He continued to speak, appearing to not have heard her. "But, honestly, it's not that shocking. You're so wonderful and brave and courageous and muchy that it aches my heart to even think that you would ever possibly, unlikely, on a very small chance ever care for me the way I care for you! Really, Alice, you make me gallymoggers! That is when Time makes my mind play its meddling tricks on me and makes me watch that scene at the beach again! Were you trying to tell me that no matter what happens, we can never be true to each other? Was that it?"
"Hatter, I-"
His words quickened and he began to fiddle with a button on his jacket, panicking. "Alice, the time I spent without you was so horrible and dark and Futterwacken-less! Yet, as I look at you now, I just want you to be happy! Please don't stay here for me. If your heart desires it, please go back Up with Hamish and continue your life there so I can try to make mine here. I can only ask that you don't forget me. I could hardly live with that, because I love you, Alice!" he blurted with wide eyes. Quickly, he slapped a bandaged hand over his mouth.
Even more quickly and without thinking, Alice removed his hand from his mouth and tossed herself onto Hatter, closing her eyes and pressing her lips against his. She wound her arms around his broad waist. Hatter's eyes widened and he leaned back in shock. Then slowly, his eyes shut and he held his Alice in his arms, completely and truly content.
Reluctantly, Hatter had to pull back to gaze at Alice with the eyes of the happiest man alive. But at the same time, confused. "Alice?" he whispered. "I don't understand."
Alice played with an orange curl of hair that hung by her cheek. "Hatter, I need you to understand," she breathed. "I'm not going back Up with Hamish. I don't want to go back Up for anybody, anything, or any reason stated." She smiled softly at him. "I love you, too, Hatter."
Hatter's breath caught in his throat. "Truly?"
Alice nodded. "Truly."
"Oh, thank you, My Alice," he breathed. They leaned into each other again, reveling in the other's warmth and love that would go on forever and ever.
Because when life is that good, even Time slows things down to take pleasure in it.
. . . . .
Rachel: One. . .
Insanity: Two. . .
Rachel: Three!
Rachel & Insanity: AWWWWW!
Rachel: I hope that gushy moment was enough to suffice your Hatter-involving-desires, you crazy fangirls. . . . Because I'm totally not one of them. ;)