Hello, again! Thank you for reading, I have a fresh chapter straight out of my oven of a mind down her for ya. :)
Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own anything of Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll, Tim Burton, and Disney do.
Inspirational Song: "What I've Done" - Linkin Park
. . . . .
Alice groaned once more, lifting a hand to her head. She felt as if she'd just gone head-to-head with a slithy tove. Literally.
She sat up in bed, her hair falling around her face in blonde waves. She was still in the infirmary, but she could tell that time had passed. Judging from the light streaming through the window, it was about mid-day. This was assuming a whole day hadn't already passed, of course.
Alice slowly slid her exposed legs off the bed, not wanting to exert too much energy too soon. She noticed that the table besides her bed was occupied by an empty glass and a half-eaten buttonberry sandwich. She furrowed her brow at the plate before finally rising and taking a look at herself.
She'd been washed, she knew, for there was no leftover residue of her blood anywhere in sight. Alice grimaced, remembering the pain and dizziness she'd experienced. Stayne had done that. That frumious, slurvish, and completely vile man had done this to her, and in her own world, too. Of course, her new world was Wonderland, but that didn't grant any consolation at the moment.
Their plan hadn't worked. Stayne had fled, leaving a mess behind. Alice attempted to suppress her anger. She would use that strength to her advantage later.
Her plain dress had been replaced with a flimsy gown. She placed her bare feet on the floor, shivering from the cold, but stood up with no trouble. Mirana proved again and again to be practiced with her medicines.
The thought of Mirana made Alice look around curiously. Where had everyone gone?
She left the room, taking nothing with her. Alice wandered the halls, searching for anyone who could give her information on the day, what had happened after she'd lost consciousness, or how long her and Hatter had been gone in the Otherworld.
She opened the door to the Throne Room and entered. The bright room at first seemed bare, but as Alice searched further, she spotted Sir Lawrence fiddling with something near the base of the White Queen's throne. He hadn't heard her come in, for Alice could see his back arched in concentration.
She began to walk down the aisle towards him. The crystalline tiles were cold on her feet. "What, exactly, are you doing?" she asked, voice confident. She was glad to hear the strength back in it.
Sir Lawrence stopped in his work. "Back on your feet so soon, Champion?" he asked without turning around. He began to quickly finish up his work.
She craned her neck, trying to see what he was up to. "How long have I been out?"
"About an hour and a half, possibly two." Alice sighed with relief as Sir Lawrence stood and turned to face her. His face was hard as stone. Alice glanced over at the throne; nothing seemed changed. There were no tools, no signs of work. Nothing.
"What were you doing?" Alice asked again.
He studied her briefly, running his hand through his cropped, pink hair. "Ensuring the Queen's safety," he said.
Alice snorted. "Is the Queen aware of that? Whatever that may be, considering you haven't provided me with much of an answer." She placed her hands on her hips, lifting a brow.
"Just know..." he drawled, "that I will never, ever, as long as I am in her service, let anything happen to Her Majesty." His eyes pierced hers, trying to convey some significant meaning. Alice tried to pry away the mask that must have covered Sir Lawrence's true expression. For the millionth time, she failed to do so.
"Alright," Alice said exasperatedly. "Now, I was wondering if I could find some answers. You're the first person I could find, so if you could..." She shrugged.
His eyebrows rose. "Ask away, Miss Alice."
"How long has it been? From when Hatter and I left to now, I mean," she added.
"It's been two days now," he said. "Time was in our favor. He takes pleasure in aiding the White Queen."
"What's happened in that time?" A thought struck Alice, instantly making her angry. "And why were those creatures there below the Door in the Mushroom Forest? They're supposed to be in the Outlands, are they not?"
"Yes, they are. However, things did not. . .go according to plan," he said evasively. Alice continued to stare at him. He rolled his eyes. "We were forced to retreat, Miss Alice." He continued on, ignoring her slight gasp. "We had taken up guard below the Door, a group of my finest soldiers and myself, to await your arrival. We were all standing there, just standing, when they came. It was so sudden, so loud, that we were taken off guard. We were driven away." He dropped his head.
Alice contemplated the man before her, this man of brute strength and masculinity who would surely be taken by grief after having to retreat. She took a few steps closer and placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with round eyes.
"I know you, therefore I know that you did your best. At least, now we can say that we know where they are," she added with a small smile.
Sir Lawrence smiled, more for Alice's benefit than his, and slowly placed his hand atop Alice's. "I say the same to you, Miss Alice."
Alice's eyes fell as her feeling of shame grew. "I'm not sure about that now. Stayne is gone. We achieved nothing."
His hold on her hand tightened slightly. "Ah, but that is not true. We may not know of the Knave's location, but you succeeded in drawing him out of the Otherworld. We know that world is safe once again, thanks to you." He bowed his head once, releasing her hand.
Alice looked up at him again and was shocked at the sight. There was no mask. Sir Lawrence's eyes were completely open to hers and, with a mixture of surprise and happiness, she realized she liked what she saw there. They hadn't truly spoken since the Mutando Day, and now here they were. For the first time in a long time, Alice pondered the idea of friendship with this man.
"Alice? You're awake!"
Alice's arm fell to her side and she quickly turned to see the owner of that voice. Hatter stood in the doorway, head and hat tilted to the side as he looked up at Alice and Sir Lawrence. He then shook his head and ran up the few steps to envelop Alice in an embrace.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, stepping back. His eyes skirted to Sir Lawrence, who had been standing there awkwardly and looking away from the couple before meeting Alice's again.
"I'm fine," she said quickly. "Thank you for protecting me," she said more quietly, caressing his cheek. Hatter's eyes softened.
"No need to thank," he replied.
A not-so-discreet clearing of the throat brought the pair back to the present. Alice saw with sadness that Sir Lawrence's mask was plastered back on. His posture was erect. "You know, milliner, I still haven't reprehended you for disobeying direct law of the White Queen," he said coldly.
Hatter's expression darkened. "Aye had tae make sure-"
Alice rolled her eyes. "Really? Are we really doing this yet again? I've only been up for about five minutes and you two are ready to go at each other's throats." She gave a big sigh and placed her hands on her hips, looking at the two children.
Hatter immediately came to her side. "Of course, Alice, you are right. I'm terribly sorry. Let's get you back to rest, shall we?"
"She is no child, milliner, she can take care of-" At Alice's look, Sir Lawrence had the sense to stop talking.
Hatter led Alice to the infirmary and, taking her shoulders, plopped her down on the bed. Immediately, Alice began to protest. "Really, now, Hatter, this is unnecessary-"
"You must rest, Alice. Mirana said you'd lost a particularly large amount of blood and gotten a concussion, whatever that may be, however, it doesn't sound like a good thing to have," he rambled. "In order to be and feel your best once again, you must sleep more, drink more, eat more, and then, of course, sleep more! And then you, oh, well, I'm not sure what comes after that, probably sleep-"
"Hatter!" Alice interrupted. "I'm not ill, or weak, or anything of that sort! I'm angry!"
"You must-" Hatter went on, before cutting off. "Angry?" he asked, bewildered. He kneeled down in front of her bed. "But, why are you angry, Alice?"
"Because," she began, standing up and walking over to the window, "Stayne is out there in Wonderland, doing who-knows-what, and I let him do it. I let him get away." She placed her hand against the window, looking down at one of Mamoreal's courtyards. Bayard and his wife, Bielle, watching over their pups as they played around the yard. The one pup ran up to her brother, trying to take him by surprise and nip him on the ear. Her brother saw her coming and tackled her instead, completely winning the playful fight. The first pup, the daughter, had bitten off more than she could chew.
Alice turned away.
Hatter met her gaze and smiled, removing his hat to place it on the table. He stood up. "That's funny," he said.
Alice's brow furrowed. "Excuse me?" she asked.
"Not in a comical way, of course," Hatter quickly recovered. "It's just that, well, I had thought the same thing about myself, you see." He brushed a speck of dust off the brim of his hat, examining it. "I was the one who could have ended this with the single slit of his throat. I had my sword drawn, I had it at the monster's throat, I had held my bloodlust for a moment, but I failed. Failed, Alice." He looked at her then. "I may have ruined Wonderland."
Normally, Alice would laugh when Hatter referred to the land with her nickname, but this was no time for that. Alice wrapped her arms around the Hatter, feeling relief as he returned the favor.
"I don't blame you at all, Hatter," she said. "I'm glad you didn't do it."
He looked down at her with a puzzled expression. "You are?"
"Of course," she said. "Hatter, if you had killed that man, if you had killed that monster, you would be torturing yourself over it now and forever on. You don't need that blood on your hands. That's not for you to do," she said with a sense of finality.
Slowly, comprehension dawned on Hatter. He untangled himself from her, a careful look in his eyes. "Then who?" he asked cautiously. Alice looked at him. Hatter gasped and took a step back. "Alice! You can't mean. . . ?"
"You may not have to do it, Hatter," she said solidly, "but I-I want to." She inwardly cursed herself for allowing her voice to falter. She could read it as hesitation in Hatter's eyes. "I'm the Champion of Underland. My hands cannot go clean forever."
"But, Alice, the danger-"
She interrupted him. "You know it's true. A Champion for a Queen, who both go without a forceful hand? There would be no reason for a Champion." Her eyes hardened. "I must do this. He went back to my former world for revenge and, well, I want it, too."
Hatter studied her. He studied this girl hard, this barefoot girl who was dressed in a hospital gown. Besides that fact, Hatter saw that her body had strengthened, her eyes had gone dark, and her stature was proud.
"You are the Champion," he whispered. "I have to respect that."
A portion of the darkness that clouded her eyes vanished. "Thank you, Hatter."
"However," he said louder now, "don't think that means that I won't go as far out of my way as possible to help you on your way to get it. You have to respect that, too, for not only are you the Champion of Wonderland, but the love of my life." His lisp was heavy as he spoke. "And, if I may request it, I'd like if you could respect that, as well," he ended hesitantly.
Slowly, a sweet smile appeared on Alice's face, causing one to appear on Hatter's, as well. "Of course," she agreed. "Of course, Hatter."
Even as the pair embraced each other once more, the both of them were already scheming away in their heads. Hatter's on how to protect his Alice from danger, and Alice's on how to smoothly extract her revenge of the frumious Ilosovic Stayne.
. . . . .
Insanity: Alice has become badass!
Rachel: Do you think she realizes it? Or likes that?
Insanity: All I know is that Hatter obviously doesn't. ;)