Alice and What Came After: Between the Glass
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Alice – no rights, no claims, nada – it belongs to SyFy and Nick Willing. Rex, Sid, and Nancy belong to ITV/Impossible Pictures. Sarah, Connor, Damon, and Chase are my own creations.
Chapter Fourteen: Ana Attacked
Chase escorted her up to her room after they walked around the garden. Dinner had been delicious and full of Wonderland delicacies. It had been years since she had a hot meal and a warm bed to sleep in.
But Jessica knew better to than let her guard down around Damon Heart and his Suits. If he felt like it, he could order her death.
She would sleep with one eye open, just like she had every night since she was buried alive.
She said good night to her ignorant half-brother. Chase had a kind soul, but he was no match for their brother. Damon was pure evil. Not many people could compete with that kind of darkness. A person needed to have a touch of darkness in order to deal with evil.
Jessica had been touched by the darkness that fueled Damon. She knew how evil thought. She could predict and out think Damon. She just needed to stay alive a little bit longer.
She slipped out of her dress and underneath the covers with just a loose nightgown on. The persona of Ana faded away as she clicked off the light. Only watchful Jessica remained.
And it was Jessica who felt the cold steel of the Vorpal Blade on her neck.
Back in the wilderness of Wonderland, Connor Hatter awoke with a massive headache and his hands bound behind his back. He had a bad feeling that this was going to become more of a habit the longer he was in Wonderland.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he grumbled to himself. Sarah would have been more aware of her surroundings. She wouldn't have been jumped by these… savages.
But he wasn't Sarah and she wasn't there. He was alone.
"This has to be a nightmare…"
"No, this is real. I promise," a familiar voice said. "It would be easier if it a nightmare though."
He looked up only to see an older version of himself. A wilder version complete with long hair and the beginnings of a beard. There were a few scars on his face. Other than that, the two men were dressed similarly in jeans, boots, a sweatshirt, and a jacket. Except that Connor had a waistcoat over his sweatshirt under his jacket, while the other man just wore a leather jacket over his hoodie.
"Who the 'ell are you?"
"Kyle Heart. Who are you?"
"Oh my God…" he whispered. " I'm Connor Hatter. I'm you in a way. I think…"
For once in his life, Connor looked and felt unsure. Judging by the gravestones, he had ended up in some twisted version of Wonderland—a version where he was a man named Kyle. He wasn't Sarah's little sister and David Hatter wasn't their father. Not here.
"What?"
Connor cleared his throat. "I'm you. Well, if your—our parents had escaped. In my world, we were born and raised in New York. I was fifteen when Damon Heart murdered his father and shot Sarah—my sister. I killed Damon five years ago. Well, five years ago in New York time… I'm not sure how long it's been here…"
"So what are you saying?" this other version of him asked.
"We need to fix this. Where is Jessica? Your sister?"
Kyle sighed. "Dead. Jessica is dead."
"What?"
Connor felt his chest constrict. This isn't possible… she can't be… no…
"No one's seen or heard from her in over fifteen years. Not since we were both disinherited and banished."
"How do you know she's dead?"
Kyle scoffed. "Take a look around, mini-me. If my sister was alive, do you think Wonderland would look like this? No."
"When did all this start to happen?"
"Around the same time my half-brother, Damon, took power. He's the King now—the King of Hearts and of Wonderland. His advisor is our grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Heart. He's the reason that Wonderland is in ruins. He's ordered the death of anyone even suspected of plotting against him. He's paranoid and because of it, at least a third of Wonderland has been destroyed. People. Property. Anything that stands in his way," Kyle said softly, with a hint of disgust at his half-brother's actions.
"What about the Looking Glass?"
"It just shut down one day. Rumor has it that some woman is getting it fixed. The plan is bring Oysters back to Wonderland for the tea trade."
Connor paled. If Damon succeeded, the entire future of Wonderland was at stake. Wonderland wouldn't last long if Emotion Tea regained its popularity.
"We have to stop them," Connor insisted, facing his older self. "We need to stop Damon."
"That's impossible. Even considering overthrowing Damon is treason. You'll get us both killed."
Connor sighed. "Not if you and your little 'friends' help me. Damon can be defeated. I've done it before. He won't know what hit him."
"My friends?"
He nodded. "Yeah, the other… refugees?"
Kyle frowned, puzzled. "Refugees? Don't you mean the Resistance?"
"That's the Resistance?" Connor asked, staring at the group of five men and women wearing rags and carrying makeshift weapons. These were the same bunch of people who had kidnapped him in the woods.
"What's left of it. Well, there's maybe twenty others scattered throughout Wonderland."
"What the 'ell happened?"
"Damon had them murdered."
Connor closed his eyes, remembering the bodies of Dormouse and the Ratcatcher. He thought about his mother's grave, his sister and father's disappearance (and likely deaths), and Damon's rule in this alternate version.
"We have to stop him. Sarah would've stopped them."
"Who's Sarah?" Kyle asked, his eyebrows raised in mild confusion.
"My sister. She's my Jessica. That's actually her middle name. Sarah Jessica Hatter. I'm Connor Kyle Hatter."
"And your mother is Alice… Alice of Legend?"
"Yeah, Alice Hamilton of New York. She's my—our mum. D'you know you look like 'im?"
"Like who?" It was Kyle's turn to frown.
"Our dad. David Hatter. The Mad Hatter. Owns the old Tea House."
Kyle stretched his legs out. "The Mad Hatter? My father is Jack Heart."
"No… if it was Jack, you'd be blond. You're a Hatter… like me. Damon doesn't share our blood. Neither does Chase."
"You know Chase?"
"Yeah, unfortunately. He broke my sister's heart."
"You mean… they were…?" Kyle's words faded. He ended up using hand motions to get his point across about Jessica and Chase doing the horizontal tango. The look of pure disgust never left his face.
"Ummm, yup. They're not related though—we're not related to the Hearts. We're Liddells—the true rulers of Wonderland. Not Hearts. God no," Connor explained quickly.
Kyle didn't seem at all convinced.
"Look, I'll show you. I've got pictures."
"Pictures?" The word seemed foreign to his rugged double.
"Umm, they're like small, instant paintings. Of people."
"Really?"
"If you untie me, I'll show you. I've got 'em on my phone. Oh… that's a device to talk to people over long distances. Mine's portable."
Curiousity won over Kyle. He cut Connor free, allowing the younger man to retrieve his phone. They sat side-by-side as Connor flipped open his phone.
His battery still had a little bit of juice left. It was enough to let him pull up some old pictures of Sarah, their mother, and their father. Chase was in one picture with Sarah, the two of them laughing during happier times. There was one of him with Sarah and their dad. It was a bit out of focus—Alice was rubbish with cell phone cameras—but it showed the strong resemblance between father, daughter, and son.
"Jess…" Kyle whispered, staring at Sarah's pictures. "She looks so happy…"
"She usually was," Connor said. "She loved Wonderland."
"What happened to her?"
"I don't know."
Damon Heart stood over the sleeping blonde woman.
In her sleep, Ana of Diamonds seemed peaceful, not the conniving little bitch he knew she was. Her slender body disappeared underneath the heavy covers, hiding away most of her curvy frame. He could see her delicate neck and clavicle. Her blonde hair trickled down her neck in loose curls, accentuating the pale skin.
It would be so easy to snap her neck.
He raised the heavy sword. He touched the blade to her neck like an executioner measured his axe against a prisoner's neck before beheading them. She didn't stir.
The Vorpal Sword cut through the air easily. The only problem was that the sword missed its mark.
The silk nightgown she wore reflected small fragments of moonlight, illuminating her movements as she rolled clear of the blade. She dropped to the floor smoothly before moving into a defensive position. He smiled at that. She was a fighter. It would make killing her that much sweeter.
He raised the sword again, swinging the blade at her midsection, forcing her toward the bed, where the remains of her pillow lay scattered. She grunted.
Damon stepped closer, catching a chunk of her hair as he climbed onto the bed. He slipped the sword right up next to her neck.
She cried out in surprise, her body thrashing despite the sword level with her throat. It would be very easy to decapitate the woman. It would be so easy to crush his brother's little romance and their distant cousin's potential grasp for the throne.
But first, he wanted to have a little bit of fun with her. It had been a long time since he'd been with a woman. He might as well enjoy her before he killed her.
Jessica struggled, trying not to let the sharp steel slice into her neck.
Not again. I won't let you do this to me again…
He straddled her hips, holding her still on the bed. Bile rose in her throat at his unwanted touch. Her instincts assessed the situation; trying to figure out how to unseat him, avoid decapitation by sword, and escape.
"Go ahead… scream…" Damon taunted in a breathy whisper. "No one will hear you. No one will save you, you little blonde whore…"
Her brown eyes bored into his. "Let go of me!"
Damon leaned in closer, his breath hot on her face. "I don't think so. You've been found guilty of treason against the sovereign of Wonderland…"
She cried out, her fingernails clawing at his face.
He backhanded her soundly, leaving blood dripping down the corner of her mouth.
"You like this?" he growled, his arousal very clear.
"Get away from me, you pervert!"
He smacked her again. "Language, my dear cousin. Language…"
Jessica tried to keep her fear contained. Damon thrived on fear—it was nourishment for his twisted soul the way chocolate cake was for other people. Then again, most of his subjects weren't lying on their backs with a broadsword at their throat and his pelvis grinding into their hips.
Her nails were too short to do much damage. She couldn't get the right leverage to flip him thanks to the sword and his simulation of sex.
You twisted little fucker…
Damon didn't recognize her as his half-sister. He just seemed to be getting off at the very idea of having the woman his brother had eyes for. She was a prize to him. He had no idea that they were closely related or that she'd gladly stab him in the back.
"That's what a real man feels like," he hissed into her ear before licking a drop of blood from her throat.
Jessica shivered. She had thought after all those years and preparation that she could take on Damon. She'd been wrong. She'd been so wrong.
Kyle… if you can hear me… help… It's Jessie. I need you. Damon… it's Damon… You have to stop him… Please…
But Jessica had a feeling that her silent cry for help would fall on deaf ears. The odds of her brother still being alive or conscious enough to receive her message were slim.
She closed her brown eyes for a moment, trying to summon what remained of her strength and anger. She was the daughter of Alice of Legend. She was the rightful heir to the throne—not Damon the demon. She was her mother's daughter.
He'd killed her once before. She couldn't let him do it twice. Wonderland needed her.
Jessica curled her right hand into a fist. She let her power concentrate in her knuckles. She could feel the anger joining the tiny bit of magic that occasionally manifested there. The combination made her hand tingle.
Above her, Damon shifted his weight.
She struck, her fist slamming into the side of his head.
There was a loud sound as bone struck bone. Damon faltered for a moment, giving her precious seconds.
Jessica shoved him again, tossing him away from her. The sword slipped; freeing her neck.
She picked up the heavy blade.
Damon grunted, coming back to his senses as she backed to the edge of the bed, the Vorpal Sword in her hand. She leveled the lethal blade at him.
"Don't you dare touch me!" she cried.
He touched his cheek, his fingers wet with his own blood. "You little bitch…"
"Come any closer to me and I'll make sure you're never capable of having children—or raping anyone."
"Rape? That's what you think this was?" He sounded insulted.
"What else is it called when you wake up with a man on top of you in the middle of the night and a sword at your throat?" Jessica snapped.
He didn't bother to reply.
"What was your plan? Huh? Kill me?"
"The plan? The plan was to fuck you senseless like the whore you are and kill you as a warning to anyone else with delusions of taking my kingdom."
"Delusions?"
"You want my throne. I saw you with my brother. You wanted him. You planned to use him to get on Wonderland's throne. Tell me, did you sleep with him?"
Jessica looked disgusted. "No—never!"
"You're lying to me. I don't care. Keep the sword. I don't need it. But trust me when I say this, you little bitch—if you even think about taking my throne, you'll be dead before sunrise. And next time, it won't be so pleasant…" Damon hissed in warning, stepping right up next to her. He didn't seem to care that she had the sword at his throat, drawing blood.
"Get out of my room."
"Kill me and you won't leave my kingdom alive."
"I'm already dead."
He frowned in confusion at her words.
Jessica tightened her grip on the sword. This is it… I can finally kill—
The doors to her room burst open. In came a Club, scurrying about in his black robes like a little mouse trapped in a maze with a cat. "Your Highness, I hate to interrupt—"
"What is it?" Damon snapped.
"The rebels. They've been spotted."
"And?"
"Your half-brother, my King. He is leading them. They're coming here," the terrified Club said.
Kyle! You're alive!
Author's Notes:
Ehh, this is my third version of this chapter and I'm still not that happy with it. It's a tricky chapter.
Kyle's look is based off the series 4 filming pictures of Andrew-Lee Potts as Connor Temple for Primeval. See Casey Dee's, author of Always and Forever (two awesome AlicexHatter stories), profile for links to the pictures. I figured an older, tougher look was needed since he's been living out in the woods for fifteen years.
A little note on ages/time. Connor and Sarah Hatter are 20 in New York. They were fifteen when they defeated Damon in A&WCA. In Wonderland time, Jessica and Kyle were 20 when Damon took over, making them 35 now, 15 years after Damon took power and banished them. However, since Jessica spent several years on the other side of the mirror, she is closer to her late 20s than her mid-30s.
I hope Kyle and Connor's talk isn't too off. I thought Kyle would be pretty open to trusting Connor despite all the trouble he's been through with Damon.
Yes, I made Damon a rather sick guy in this chapter. He is really sick. But there is a practical application for him straddling her aside from his simulated rape.
In self-defense, we had to pretend to be asleep on mats in order to practice being attacked. When you are sleeping, your attacker will straddle you around your hips and put their hands on your neck. In order to get free, you have to buck your hips up rather hard (to throw off their balance) and use your hands (one on say, their right ear, the other on their left shoulder) to push-pull them away from you.
It's very hard to do, especially if you're attacked while lying on your back or your stomach. If you're on your side, it's easier to throw off their balance. It's a really strange move to practice, but I thought given the fact that Damon's a creep, he wouldn't be against raping "Ana" before killing her, especially since she's fighting him. He's in love with power, so it's more about the power and control to him than the sex.
However, since Jessica is a fighter and a beloved character, I let her turn the tables on Damon before he could actually rape her.
As always, please, please comment. Your thoughts and reviews mean so much to me. I'm in my last week of finals, so it might be another week or two until I pound another chapter out, but please keep the reviews coming! Thanks so much for reading!
