(I felt like I needed to write and luckily for you guys, it happened to be this that I wanted to write. Hmm… 2 chapter updates within one weekend? WOO! Tell me what you think!)

Alice had been calm for the past few days. She remained the champion of Underland and Mirana had ordered her a new sword made. This one was simply a make-shift weapon until the vorpal blade was returned to its rightful place. Lost in thought, the girl wandered the castle grounds and found herself in the stables.

Alice found herself thinking of Tarrant Hightopp. She visualized him, standing in front of her. His top hat placed carefully on top of his unruly curls, his eyes filled with lust, his magenta lips up turned in a certain delicious smirk. Alice bit her bottom lip and thought of the day she had walked in on him while he was getting out of the tub. She blushed at the thought, cursing herself. 'Alice, you are a proper young woman. You are not to think of things such as this!' She thought. But still her mind lingered on the memory of his fully naked form before her.

She squinted and held her hands up to block the sunlight. She suddenly saw a large familiar monster with blue-gray fur and black spots. A smile danced on her lips as she approached the large animal and watched his tiny ears perk up. He jumped up practically and darted at her, but was quickly restrained by the chain and collar around his neck.

He rolled over on his back and Alice tossed her arms into his fur. She snuggled him, "My bandersnatch!" She cheered. He growled in happiness. She scratched his belly while grinning. He made a continuous stream of sound that was oddly enough like purring from a cat. Laughter filled the air from the petite blonde girl as she played with her pet. Soon he rolled over and laid flat against the ground so Alice could reach the back of his collar. She undid the strip of leather and felt him lurch forward, her holding on tightly to his fur.

Alice found herself holding on for dear life as the frumious bandersnatch roared to life in all its glory, leaping over the short stable fence and into the wild of Underland. She pulled herself up into a sitting position, her hair blowing wildly in the wind.

She found herself recognizing less and less as the creature dragged her away from her current lodgings. "Where are you going?" She shouted, as if this creature had ever spoken to her before. The bandersnatch just kept running. Alice made a mental note to let it out in the wild every once in a while.

Looking around everything was suddenly familiar. The bandersnatch stopped and Alice looked around. In the middle of the forest was a staircase that led up to a door. Alice remembered it as the door she had come through the second time she journeyed to "Wonderland" three years ago. She slid off of his back and started up the staircase slowly.

She felt the bandersnatch pulling at the end of her dress. She heard a tearing sound and realized that she'd have to get that repaired when she returned. 'I wonder if I go in there again, will there be a door that leads to my world?' She turned to look at her pet, then glanced back. "My curiosity has been touched, I must find out!" She insisted aloud. "But what if there is no way back?" She groaned and then smiled thinly. "If I don't look then I'll never know!" And with that she hurried up the stairs to the door.

She inhaled deeply and reached a tiny hand out to touch the door knob and began to twist it. Just then she heard the bandersnatch behind her. It let out a most feral growl that sent goose bumps flailing across her arms. She turned to see what was wrong and what she saw, she had not expected.

Stayne, the knave of hearts, was standing there, nonchalant as ever. She released the doorknob and flitted down the stairs, drawing her new sword that was on her hip. "What are you doing here?" She snarled.

"Hello, Alice. I see you are your right size now," He gave an evil smile. She pointed her sword at him as he stepped forward. She stepped back. "Now, now, Alice. Is that anyway to greet an old friend?"

"You were never my friend." She hissed. The bandersnatch, a creature with a mind of its own, lunged for Stayne. He pulled a mace from behind his long dark cape. It took one swing to the forehead for the large beast to come hurling down and sliding into the trees. A tree fell from the impact of the furry being hitting it. "Come, Um. Put up your sword. Be my woman, and I promise you won't complain."

Alice stepped back, "I will never be your woman! I'm –I'm already committed to someone."

"Oh? And I suppose it would be that insufferable madman?"

Alice's gaze darkened that he would know that. "I'm right?" The evil thing of a man cackled, "You can't be serious? He isn't a real man, Alice. He even cried your name when I whipped him in the Red Queen's dungeon. That imbecile couldn't possible please you in the ways I can."

Alice's eyes widened. Those long scars on Tarrant's back… He'd been whipped? Like, with an actual whip? She growled and felt her eyes tear over. He'd screamed for her? Was it to save him or to say goodbye? "You bastard," She snarled, "You'll pay for that!"

She charged at him. He swung the mace and snapped off the flimsy steel of her blade. "Oh the language!" He purred. She dropped the sword and swung her fist at his jaw. He leaned out of her reach. She punched him in the stomach, but it did not affect him as she had hoped it would. He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm, pulling her closer to him. "I like you, Alice," He whispered, his hot breath against her neck fueled her rage.

"Let me go," She growled through clenched teeth. Her knee shot up to a place where no man should ever have a knee. He jumped back before she could injure him. He smiled and brushed his black hair back out of his face, "Feisty."

She stepped back as he jumped on her, pushing her to the ground under him. Alice felt his lips crash down on her own and then on her neck, biting her hard. She screamed in pain as she felt a sticky substance falling down her neck. He pinned her wrists to the ground and started kissing her again. She struggled beneath him, all of her thoughts focused on Tarrant. What would happen to him if she were to return beaten and raped? What would happen if she didn't return at all having been killed?

She screamed again, this time Stayne kissed her and slid his tongue into her mouth. Alice bit down until she tasted blood. He lurched back with a yelp and raised a hand.

Alice felt a sting on her cheek as he slapped her. She took this opportunity and grabbed the left side of his neck with her right hand and pushed him off of her. She rolled over to her broken weapon and raised it. He drew his mace and raised it as well, "You'll pay for that." He promised, swinging the ball and chain at her. Alice knew she wouldn't make it out of its reach. She raised her left arm and let the spiked metal sphere hit her. The pain was searing, but she knew she would have to gain a cut or two to make it out of this. She lunged at him and with great luck.

Her broken sword cut his side as he jumped out of her way. He swung his mace again, and she ducked. Suddenly Stayne was screaming in agony. Alice looked up to see that the bandersnatch had regained consciousness and had sunk his teeth into Stayne, lifting him off the ground. Alice would be greatly amazed if Stayne lived through the blood. "Good job, boy." She whispered, stroking his fur. She watched as the beast lowered itself as best it could and she climbed up, after falling about four times.

"Take us back to the castle." She murmured, kicking his sides gently. Alice could feel the blood leaving her body through her arm and held on desperately. Even though the beast was walking, she was so woozy that she feared she'd fall off and be trampled. Stayne grunted every so often, but other than that there was no indication that he lived. As the two entered the royal grounds, the guards held them at spear point. "Get the queen, now." She demanded, climbing down. Alice fell to her knees and held her head.

"Champion Alice," Once of the guards grabbed her shoulder and knelt down beside her, "Are you alright?"

Alice shook her head and fell back into the guard's arm. "Fetch a healer, now!" He shouted. Alice closed her eyes and felt herself blacking out, the word "Tarrant…" dying on her lips.

(Writing this, I found myself hating Stayne even more :/… And this also shows more of Alice acting as the champion of Underland more so than the curious child who wandered into Wonderland. All of Underland thinks she's more of a brave warrior than a curious woman who believes in herself. So, what do you think will happen next? I love to hear speculations! Was it bad? Good? Review and tell me what you think! )