Sorry about the longer wait, I'm trying to "get fit" which is "really hard" and "extremely exhausting." But you don't care about that, do you? You care about what's down there! (Move. Eyes. Downward.)

Disclaimer: I don't THINK I own anything of Alice in Wonderland...but it'd be amazing if I did.

Inspirational Song: "Get Down on Your Knees and Tell Me You Love Me" - All Time Low

. . . . .

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Alice turned around to see the White Queen gliding up to her from across the balcony. It was an evening just as this, a long time ago, when Hatter had strolled up to her on this very same balcony. She'd been watching the fireflies dance over the tops of the trees. Their lights were much brighter here than in the Otherworld. Then again, everything was brighter in Wonderland.

"As ever," she replied. "Do you ever get used to it? The view?"

Mirana simply shook her head with a dainty smile across her angelic face. She settled beside Alice and basked in the beauty for only a short moment of silence before asking her Champion a question. "How has your time here been, Alice? You have not become. . . bored, perhaps?"

"No, not at all!" Alice exclaimed, looking back at Mirana. "I never could be. If there is one impossible thing out there, it's that you can never know all that Wonderland has to give you."

"I agree," Mirana said placidly. "I had just wondered, considering your last journey here and back was so very. . . exciting, to say at the least."

Alice chuckled. "I suppose that's one way of putting it. But no, I couldn't be happier here, really."

Mirana scrutinized her with that all-knowing look she wore so well. Alice had seen that expression on a caterpillar-turned-butterfly many times before. Mirana then spoke to her in the gentlest tone possible, given the situation.

"Then why, if I may ask, Alice, were you wearing such a troublesome expression when I stumbled upon you?"

Alice blushed. "No disrespect, Your Majesty, but I don't believe you could stumble even if you wanted to."

Mirana smiled and tucked a blonde lock of hair behind Alice's ear. "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing," she said quietly.

"I'm sure I am more than capable of help to you."

"It's fine. . "

"Alice. Look at me."

If she hadn't really known Mirana, she would have said that she'd willed her supernatural powers against her. But she did know her, so that was not the case. At any rate, Alice's brown eyes met her strong ones.

Mirana's voice was steady and full of reason. "I told you not more than a month ago that you could speak with me about anything. Don't you remember?" Alice nodded. "That offer still stands. I do hope that you not only look at me as your Queen, but as your friend. I consider you mine, am I not yours?"

"Of course you are my friend," Alice said plainly.

"Then please, trust in me that we can discuss anything." Her kind smile was clearly asking for her acceptance and understanding. And although Alice had always looked to her Queen for guidance, she never really had thought of her as one she could go to for. . . possibly trivial things. But if anyone in this world was the Voice of Reason, it was Mirana.

Alice sighed, giving in. "It's about Hatter, you see."

Mirana nodded. "I had suspected as such." Her brow furrowed. "Forgive me, Alice, but I had believed that you two were doing quite fine. Actually, much more than fine. The whole castle has absolutely been buzzing about your courtship. They find you to be a marvelous pair. As do I."

"No, no, I love him, I really do," she explained quickly. "And he loves me, I'm sure. It's just. . . that. . . " Alice twiddled her thumbs. Was she really going to ask the Queen about what was troubling her?

She felt a cool hand squeeze hers reassuringly. Alice looked up to see a trusting smile on Mirana's face.

Alice looked her in the eyes and took a deep breath. "I really do love him but I'm just confused as to the limits when it comes to courting in Wonderland!" she gushed. She felt a deep blush spread across her cheeks and hung her head. She was sure Mirana knew what she had meant.

Alice heard the birds flying above them singing a song of peace. It was a beautiful song, but so unrelated to her situation. So much was going on now, it was a wonder the birds could still sing. Even if they didn't know what was going on.

The same cool hand that had squeezed hers before placed itself under her chin, making Alice look shyly back up to Mirana's gaze.

"Alice, that is not a bad thing. You are not from here, you would not know, and that is a very insightful question. Don't regret asking me your questions." She let go of her chin, but Alice didn't turn away. "Propriety here is very different from the manners that would be expected of all in your world. I assume you know this?'

Alice gave Mirana her best 'Trust me, if anyone in this world were to know that, it would be me' look.

Mirana laughed lightly and continued. "Well, in Underland, every individual is different. Hence every couple being different. Some do believe that the levels of basic society apply to the situation, but most simply do not care," she said casually.

"So," Alice said. "Everyone is different?"

Mirana nodded. "Meaning the 'limits', as you so delicately put them, are different to each and every couple." She looked at Alice from the corner of her eye, facing the view of her land. "You and Hatter are able to do whatever you please."

Alice shrugged, trying to portray that this news didn't fill her with an exuberant sense of joy. "I didn't realize the magic of Wonderland extended that far."

"Magic has no borders, Alice." Alice smiled softly, but Mirana did not look away. "Why do I have a feeling that there is still more adding to your troubles?"

Alice looked at the Queen beside her with slightly widened eyes. Could this woman read minds? She'd heard rumors of the March Hare, sure, but the land's ruler?

Mirana laughed at Alice's astounded expression. "I'm simply intuitive, that's all!"

Alice smiled. "Yes, well, you're right about that one, too." A small laugh died in her throat and her smile quickly fell to a frown. She wasn't questioning if she could talk to Mirana about this topic or not, she knew she could and actually should. The topic itself was simply. . . depressing.

Mirana patted her back, once again assuring Alice to speak. "It's just that. . ." Alice gathered her muchness and sighed. "I've finally found a man I love, and my family won't ever get to meet him. For so many years my mother scrounged up suitors for me, hoping that I'd one day settle down with a husband and start a family. I'm sure she was convinced that I'd never find a man." Alice rested her head in her hands with her elbows propped up against the stone banister of the balcony. "Even if she wouldn't approve of him, and I doubt she would, I'm sure she'd like to know that I won't turn to dust when completely alone. "

"Ah, Alice. . . " Alice looked up at her and found that her eyes were sad. "I'm afraid I cannot help you on this one. " Alice's heart sank. "It would be against my vows to make anyone act against their own will. If your mother or sister or anyone from your world wished to visit you here in Underland, they'd have to willingly do it themselves."

"That's never going to happen," she whispered.

"Then I'm very sorry, Alice. . . I cannot help you there."

Alice nodded. She hadn't expected Mirana to be able to help, anyhow. The only person from the Otherworld who knew she was down here was Hamish, and she found it likely that he had forgotten all of what happened. The chances of Helen and Margaret Kingsleigh leaping down the Rabbit Hole were extremely slim.

She only wished that after she had left them happy, that they had stayed that way.

. . . . .

Many miles away, a lone Dodo Bird was resting against a TumTum tree. He'd been waiting quite a while now after receiving his smoky message, but still his blue butterfly friend hadn't arrived with his urgent news. After many paced circles around his favorite tree and the Sun suspending a little lower than it had before, Uilleam stood up (with the help of his cane, of course) and started walking in the direction of where Absolem was surely to be.

Absolem had never stood him up before, so this worried Uilleam slightly. The surrounding atmosphere didn't exactly help, either.

It was happening again. Underland felt what was coming and it wouldn't be any good. The trees held their breath, the rocks never twitched, and even the smallest critters that were so fond of gathering were coming out less and less.

A large bird swooped down at him out of nowhere. He dropped his cane in his haste to crouch down onto the overgrown path. He stared at the retreating bird's figure with his mouth agape. Had that been. . . ?

No, no, certainly not. The whole JubJub Bird flock had disappeared after the Bloody Big Head's death. They couldn't come back now. Unless, some unknown force called them back. . .?

Uilleam reached for his cane and shakily stood up. He'd need to ask the White Queen for another strengthening potion soon.

Uilleam gasped. He had stood up face-to-face with a particularly large leaf. This was not so strange, but the fact that Absolem's crumbled body lay there was. He could see his little chest heaving and breathed a sigh of relief. He scooped him up and ran as fast as he could, heading towards Marmoreal.

Forget the strengthening potion, he thought. We're all going to need a sip of immortality before this is all over.

. . . . .

Insanity: Poor little butterfly!

Rachel: I love Absolem very much. Do you really think I'd kill him off?

Insanity: That depends on which of us is the killer.