Chapter 21, enjoy.

Disclaimer: Still do not own anything Alice in wonderland.

Getting to the asylum seemed to be the easiest part of their plan. Hamish had arranged for him, after Hatter had formally apologized to him, which Alice didn't even have to ask him to. Once inside, they drove to the asylum. Hatter holding the reins and Alice sitting inside the carriage itself, dreading what she was about to do. She'd never broken into anywhere before, and now she had to go inside and take her aunt out without being noticed? This was something Chessur would be able to do in a snap, but Alice, her evaporation skills were poor at best.

Irisa would be able to do it too, and Alice smiled at the memory of when she'd actually met Irisa for the first time. She'd never thought that they'd become as close of friends as they had, but it was true. And now, with her being married to the Hatter but Alice with him at this very moment, well it was all just much too confusing for her to handle.

They horses stopped suddenly and Alice heard Hatter's voice telling her that they were here. Show time.

Alice stepped out of the carriage and darted down the back of the streets whole Hatter walked up to the front door. He would tell them that he was new to the area and seeking a position as a doctor, and while they were distracted, Alice would try to find a way instead.

Alice hoped that whoever opened the door wouldn't pry too much as to why Hatter wanted the job and would come at night, and that someone had left a window open or possibly a door unlocked.

Sadly, it was the window and less then gracefully Alice jumped up to it and grabbed onto the ledge, pulling herself up and landing down on the floor while her skirts landed around her like a cloud. Luckily, the window was on the same floor as her Aunt was so it wouldn't be like she would be walking down a random astray of hallways for the entire night, and after Alice stood and straightened her skirts so she looked at least somewhat presentable, Alice started walking around, careful not to pass any windows or certain doors were voices could be heard from inside.

Finally, she stopped at the right door and pressed her ear close. Hesitantly, she reached for the knob when she couldn't hear any voices inside and turned it, just enough so that she could, see inside and saw thankfully her aunt was there, sitting on her bed, her eyes shut and her body pulled close to her chest.

Alice pushed the rest of the door open and walked inside, shutting the door quickly behind her and on pointed feet rushed to her aunt's side.

"Aunt Imogene," Alice whispered urgently, shaking her aunt slightly. "Aunt Imogene wake up!"

Her aunt mumbled in her sleep and Alice bit her lip to prevent herself from speaking to loudly. She kept shaking her aunt, pleading with her to wake, splashing her with a bit of water when she finally realized that her aunt must be heavily sedated.

With a frustrated sigh Alice slid down next to her aunt's bed and placed a hand on her head. What could she do now? She couldn't just drag her aunt out of here by force; she wasn't strong enough for that at all. But, maybe if she…no that wouldn't work either.

"Come on, Alice." Alice said out loud. "You have to do something."

Above her, she heard her aunt roan, and Alice kneeled up to see that her aunt had turned over on her side and an idea struck Alice hard.

"You have to get up, Alice." She whispered to her aunt. "You need to wake up, because I need you. Underland needs you."

Her aunt groaned, louder this time, and Alice whipped her head around to see if someone had heard her, but was graciously rewarded that no, she hadn't.

"Alice, wake up." She whispered furiously, leaning in close. "You need to get up. Helen needs you, and you need to help her. Remember what Imogene had told you about….about making Phelan happy? Well, I think you should still do that. You need to help me so that I can help save Underand. Please, wake up."

Before Alice could even finish, her aunt had startled away staring at Alice with a gasp, her eyes never focusing on anything more then once but finally settling on Alice. She slumped in relief, and then, leaned in quickly. "Alice what are you doing here?"

"I read your diary," Alice told her, and then it all tumbled out. "Imogene, I realized that you're the Alice my mother needs to hear so she can wake up. A bad man made her like that, and knew that the Alice he had in mine would be locked up so that no one would ever be able to find you and mother would stay like that forever. But I figured it out, and you have to help me now."

"Alice..." Aunt Imogene mused. "You mean you know…"

"About you and Phelan." Alice told her. "And I know that he's gone now and…and a new queen has taken rein. A kind woman named Mirana, who is Iracebeth's sister, but is nothing like her. Oh, if you could just meet her, you'd know what a wonderful queen she is."

"Maybe I can," her aunt whispered.

Alice blinked. "What?"

"Alice," Her aunt said softly. "I want to help my sister more than anything, but I want to ask you something. Something I want you to promise me you will do."

"Yes, anything." Alice replied, sure she knew where this was going, but not entire sure she wanted to believe it.

"I want you to take me with you," The original Alice said, in a quiet voice. "Bring me back down the rabbit hole and back down to Underland. I need to see it, just one more time, child. You don't know how long it's been."

Alice stared at her aunt, imagining what it must be like for her. The most beautiful place, taken away from her and now, begging for more than anything to go back, just to see it again.

"Of course," Alice whispered, nodding just to make her point absolutely clear. "I'll take you with me back down to Underland."

I love Aunt Imogene, and I really think she should go back, so she is. All secrets are out, maybe. Most of them anyway, so now all they have to do is get back to Underland, with Stayne in tow and beat him, once and for all. Problems solved! Review?