The man in the doorway moved for Alice as she fell, but Hatter was there first. He supported her weight against his legs, crouching awkwardly to both shield her and face the stranger. "I'm sorry Sir, I must have missed your introduction." Hatter's smile was bright and inviting but his narrowed eyes, quickly losing their emerald color, indicated he was anything but pleased.
The older man stopped and held his hands up in a gesture of peace, "Charles Kingsley." His gaze met Hatter's, equally stubborn, "and I might inquire as to who you are and," he glanced at Hatter's protective stance, "what your intentions regarding my daughter are."
"Kingsley? Daughter?" Hatter straightened slightly, "that would mean you are her father and oh – oh dear, intentions. I don't have any. Well that's not to say that I feel nothing for your daughter. Quite the contrary, I just meant I did not have any negative intentions. But I thought it best to start by saying I had none as you, being her father, would not want to hear anything about any fellow having anything to do with his daughter. At least that is what I've heard from other fathers and their daughters. Of course Alice is not just any daughter so I'm sure that makes you not just any father and so – "
While Hatter was still flabbergastedly trying to answer Kingsley's question Alice recovered, flying from Hatter's grip into her father's arms. "Papa!" Burying her face into his chest she stood there, incoherent questions coming out in small sobs.
Phillipe the bird looked on crossly, plumage changing from spotted red to dark brown, "Really Charles we do not have time for this."
"Alice. Oh Alice," Kingsley stroked her hair, "my darling daughter."
She looked up into his eyes, blue like her own, "How is this possible? I thought I would never see you again. Why you have not changed a …" Her face suddenly went blank and she slowly retreated from his embrace, backing away until she was leaning up against Hatter.
"Alice please, it's not how you think."
"You have not changed at all. At ALL." This time as she looked at him her gaze was cold. "For thirteen years we mourned. For thirteen years you were living but a breath away from your wife and children."
Phillipe held up a wing, "Now is not the time."
Time this, time that. All the bird ever protested was there was not enough time, Alice thought bitterly. She chose to ignore the bird, continuing, "I was here! In Underland! You could have at least given me a sign, a letter, something! Anything!"
"It is not that simple," her father protested.
"No, what is simple is being dead and gone. Instead you are here very much alive but dead to all who loved you which is but one step away from being truly dead." Alice's voice was low with anger and frustration and when Hatter gripped her shoulders he could feel her shaking. "How could you agree to that? Under what circumstances could you –" Several emotions screeched across Alice's face even as her words screeched to a halt. Somewhere between pain, confusion, and a glimmer of realization, Alice turned into Hatter's embrace, clenching at the back of his molted jacket.
"Alice," she heard her father plead, "I will explain everything once we have time."
Time.
Oh.
Time, whom Alice had been so slyly evading, finally caught up with her, as the last effects of Mirana's potion wore off. Hatter pushed her slightly away from him as he felt something damp against his shirt, staring wordlessly at the red stain growing slowly from above her heart.
Her father reacted faster this time, taking her from Hatter's grip and carrying inside the small cabin, settling her form into a chair. "Phillipe?"
Phillipe followed them in, sighing as if he had expected this (which considering how often he had been ignored, he surely had), "Charles, there is still one thing she must do lest Time and that knife claim their due."
Hatter did not comprehend the bird's words so much as he saw the understanding and resignation in Alice's look. Her blue eyes told him she had known she was dying, that she had been dying all along. No. Not again. She would not leave him again. Especially not like this, torn away by a foe he had banished before. Time – the bastard – would pay. Hatter looked around the small house wildly until he found his target. With a haggard cry he plunged his sword into the clock's face in a frenzied gesture. "SHOW YE SELF O' ROBBER!" Gripping the sword with both hands he tore through the face in a downward motion. Glass, cogs, and springs popped from their places, and as the clock was cleaved in half so too was the fabric of reality. "OUT WI'H YE TIME. I SLAYNE THEE ONCE AN' I CAN DO IT AGAEIN!"
"Cease, or would you see this world shattered to save one girl."
Hatter growled, "For her I would shatter a thousand worlds." He glanced down at Alice, whose dress was becoming rapidly less blue. "TIME!" His cry was hoarse and desperate as he split the present further apart.
"Stop." Phillipe tore the sword from Hatter's grasp (no minor feat) and handed it to Alice, "she must be the one to do it or the bargain will be void." The bird shifted face from that of a falcon to that of an owl, "will you accept child?"
Accept, accept what? Alice had caught Hatter's gaze when she felt her wound reopen. She had tried to look confident, tried to assure him with her eyes that she meant to live through this, would live through this. Outward Alice, though, apparently only managed to look resigned. Inward Alice tried to protest but she took too long and suddenly she was in a chair and Hatter was hacking away at something. It was destroying him, she could see that, whatever cause he fought desperately for was eating away at his sanity at an alarming rate. Then the bird with too many forms offered her his sword, if she accepted would Hatter stop? Maybe that's what he meant. Accept and Hatter will be out of danger. She stretched her hand out, staring at the fingertips as if they belonged to someone else as she could not see her wrist through the haze of blood and pain. Alice's fingers curled round the hilt just as Hatter lunged for his sword, "I accept."
I swear everything will be explained. Just not in this chapter. Mwahha.
Does anyone know at what point in time "Dad" came into use? I feel awkward making Alice shout "Father!" but I feel like in the late 1800s people didn't use "Dad."
Thanks for all the reviews and hope you enjoy reading!
Cheers,
- Savi
