Chapter 22, please enjoy!

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"Thank you," Aunt Imogene whispered, shutting her eyes briefly for a moment, and Alice wanted to wrap her arms around her aunt and just stay in this moment forever, but they needed to go.

"Imogene, we need to go." Alice told her, reaching for her aunt's hand and pulling her up to her feet. "Right now."

"Yes, of course." Her aunt agreed, standing up so quickly Alice nearly fell backward as she did the same. "We have to hurry though, they do checks on us hourly."

"Alright," Alice ran over to the door with her Aunt on her heels, and pressed her hear close to the wood. She couldn't hear anything outside, and thankfully, they were alone.

"Follow me," Alice whispered and then the two women were of, running as quickly as possible to the pen window where Alice had come from. They were so close, now Alice could feel the cool breeze as they rounded a sudden, yet familiar corner, when they heard a low threatening voice.

"Stop right there," he said and both of them froze, and then Alice me the hard dark gaze of Stayne. Or as he was known in this world, Nigel Doyle.

"I knew you would do this, Alice." He said in a bored voice, as he leaned casually against a near wall. "You are getting quite…predicable, aren't you?"

Alice glared at Stayne with distaste while Imogene placed a hand on her back. Startled, Alice turned slightly and saw Imogene was nodding to the still opened window. Alice gave her aunt a small nod and took a hesitant step forward, eyes still on Stayne but he was shaking his head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Alice." He warned, and Alice looked away, back towards the window. And while she gazed at the window and felt the night's cold touch she heard a loud click that echoed throughout the halls.

"I will use it, you know." Stayne said a matter of factly and beside her Alice felt her aunt stiffen. Cautiously, Alice turned her head back to see Stayne.

He had a gun in his hands.

Alice had never seen a gun up close before, and seeing one only five feet away in the hands of a man who would love nothing more to end her life with the easy slip of the finger didn't make her feel much better.

"Stayne…." Alice said calmly, but he pointed the gun at her directly now, and Alice shut her mouth.

"Oh, so now you'll be silent, hm?" He asked. "I should have gotten one of these sooner then. Though it wasn't easy you know. I took it from your sister's home. Margret, isn't it?"

Alice was frozen with terror and angry, so the knave kept speaking.

"I went to her house after you returned. It's still abandoned you know, everything just as she left it. I almost wish that I could have kept her around, you know? She and her husband were so interesting." Stayne let his voice trail of while his words dawned onto Alice.

"What did you do to them?" She hissed.

"Me?" Stayne asked, his face the perfect mask of innocence. "Oh, I didn't do a thing. In fact, I have not the slightest idea where they even are."

"You're lying!" Alice cried, and her aunt grabbed her suddenly, mouthing. Be quiet.

It was funny, how in a locked asylum, the craziest one of all was outside, and pointing a gun at her and her aunt, who were at least somewhat sane. But it wasn't funny that no one had come to their rescue yet.

"You know, I don't believe we've met." Stayne said conversationally, moving his gaze onto her aunt. "You must be Imogene."

Alice's aunt was utterly silent.

"You know, I knew your friend." He continued. "Oh, what was his name….that's right! Phelan. Phelan the Prince of hearts."

Aunt Imogene's eyes widened, and something in her eyes shined, which made Alice only feel much worse, because she knew that something was coming. Something bad.

"He was a great king." Stayne continued. "A true leader. But, it was just so sad what happened to him."

"What?" Imogene's voice came out in the smallest of whispers.

"He and his wife had many differences." Stayne was saying. "But, I think what really pushed her over the edge when her younger sister was given the crown. After that, well, she was against anybody. And then…"

"Stayne..." Alice threatened, but he barley looked at her.

"She found a letter one day, signed Imogene. But she knew it wasn't from her mother. After that, she knew she could never trust him. He might have left her he could have been having an affair. Shree knew his love wasn't hers so…" He stopped for a moment and made sure Aunt Imogene looked him straight in the eye when he told her. "She killed him."

That's when the Kingsley woman tackled him.

"Alice!" Aunt Imogene cried, and Alice was grabbing for the gun, while Stayne did his best to push her off him. Her hands felt the barrel of the gun, it's cool metal brushing her fingers and sending a cold chill up along through her body.

With a grunt, Stayne kicked her in the stomach, and Alice felt back, with the gun still in hand. Quickly, just a second quicker than Stayne, Alice scrambled to her feet and pointed the gun at Stayne.

She'd expected him to at least like slightly afraid, but he just stared at her, with an amused expression.

"Don't. Move." Alice told him, her voice dripping with hatred.

"Oh, are you threatening me, Alice?" Stayne asked softly, and Alice felt her finger itch to pull the trigger.

"Yes, I am." She said automatically.

Stayne snorted. "Like you even could," He took a few steps toward her. "You're too weak to pull that trigger. You didn't kill the Jabberwocky, the vopal sword did. And we both know that no matter what-"

Suddenly, Stayne fell to the ground, and behind him stood Imogene, with a large book in her hands.

"I was sick of hearing him talk," She told Alice causally.

Alice nodded. "Me too,"

Alice stared down at the gun in her hands and then laid it on the floor. She couldn't use a gun, she knew she couldn't. They stared walking towards the open window, thankful that no one had come to find that they were leaving, when she heard a small scratching noise.

Curiously, Alice turned and walked over to one of the doors, despite the look she got from her Aunt. The scratching noise was faint, utterly so but it kept bothering Alice. Hesitantly, she opened the door, and peeked inside.

It was dark inside, but through the window and the light of the moon she saw that inside there was a desk, a bed and a book shelve and on the desk, was a cage. And inside, was an utterly familiar figure that Alice nearly screamed with delight at the sight, but instead, she just whispered.

"Mctwisp?"

Did we all forget that Mctwisp was still missing throughout all this? I mean seriously, he is still a character on Wonderland, right? Please review because you love my random rants and cliff hangers and such.