Jervis Tetch hummed happily to himself as prepared his supper of grilled oysters. "'A loaf of bread,' the Walrus said, 'Is what we chiefly need: pepper and vinegar besides are very good indeed - -now if you're ready, Oysters dear, we can begin to feed,'" he said, removing the oysters from the oven and placing them on a plate. He was cutting the bread when a knocking came on his door.
"Now I wonder who that could be," he said to himself, frowning as he went to answer it. "Most rude to interrupt a man when he's preparing his supper. Very ill-mannered indeed."
He opened the door, and suddenly beamed. "Alice! What a pleasant surprise!"
"Hello, Jervis," said Alice Dodgson, holding her daughter in her arms and smiling at him. But Tetch sensed a slight uneasiness behind the smile, an uneasiness or an unhappiness. Something was troubling her.
"Uh…may I come in?" she asked slowly.
"Yes, of course," he said, holding the door open for her and ushering her inside. "Come in and get warm. Little Alice looks positively frozen!" he said, pinching the baby's cheek. She giggled happily.
Alice's daughter was named Catherine Alice Dodgson, but Tetch never called her Catherine. To him, she was always Little Alice.
"Do you like oysters?" he asked. "I've just prepared supper, and I'd be happy to share."
"Oh…no, thank you, Jervis," said Alice. "And I'm really sorry to interrupt you when you're in the middle of dinner…"
"My dear, I would prefer to starve to death rather than miss a visit from you," he retorted. "Although I must say it is unexpected. Is something the matter? Where is Billy?"
Tears came to Alice's eyes, which she tried vainly to conceal. "Uh…he's…uh…at home," she whispered, taking the seat Tetch offered by the fireplace. She took a deep breath. "Look, Jervis, I'm really sorry to put you in this position, but I didn't know where else to go. I didn't know who else I could trust, but you've always been a true friend to me, and I know…you'll believe me."
"Believe what, my dear?" he asked, concerned. "What is it?"
Catherine held out her arms to Tetch, giggling, and Alice handed her to him. While Catherine curled up on Tetch's lap, Alice stared into the fire, playing nervously with her hands. "Billy's…uh…Billy's fallen in with…kinda a bad crowd," she whispered. "Some people he's met through work…bad people, y'know?"
"Criminals?" asked Tetch, quietly.
"I wouldn't be surprised," she said, nodding. "Anyway, they've…changed him. He…he stays out late, he drinks, I call him and he doesn't pick up his phone…I dunno where he is half the time…" she trailed off, tears in her eyes. "I just don't want him to do something stupid," she whispered. "Something that he'll regret, or something that'll hurt him or me or Catherine. So tonight I confronted him and told him he had to stop seeing these friends of his. We fought. We've never…fought like that before…he…he didn't take it well…"
She trailed off, tears in her eyes, as she absently raised a hand to her cheek. Tetch stared at her. "Did he hit you?" he whispered, aghast.
"Not…not hard," she murmured. "Anyway, that was the final straw. I couldn't stay after that. I grabbed Catherine and told him I wasn't gonna come back until he decided what was more important to him – these people, or his family. And…and then I left. And I came here. And I'm so sorry to put you in the middle of this…"
"Do not apologize," interrupted Tetch. "Do not ever apologize to me. What you did took a lot of courage, my dear, but it was right. You know that, don't you?"
She nodded, tears trailing down her cheek. "He's…he's not like this, Jervis!" she gasped, burying her face in her hands. "I dunno what's wrong with him! But he's not acting like the man I married! I keep telling myself he's just going through a rough time, but it's not fair to make me suffer for that! It's not fair to make Catherine suffer…"
She broke down sobbing. Catherine began wailing at seeing her mother in tears, and Tetch shushed her gently. "Alice, my love, you must let me talk to him," he murmured. "I'm sure I can make him see what a fool he's being…"
"He won't listen to reason, Jervis," she murmured. "I've tried."
"Then perhaps he needs to speak to someone who is famous for being unreasonable," he murmured. "And talking nonsense."
She forced a smile. "I appreciate the thought, Jervis," she murmured, taking his hand. "But I don't want you to get any more involved than you have already. This is between me and Billy, and we have to sort it out between the two of us." She took a deep breath. "I know it's a lot to ask, but until we do…can Catherine and I stay here?"
"Of course, my dear, you don't even need to ask that," he said, firmly. "You must have my room. I'll stay out here on the sofa…"
"Jervis, I can't kick you out of your own room…" she began.
"Everything I have I owe to you," he interrupted. "And therefore the room is yours."
She smiled sadly. "Thank you," she whispered. "You don't have to do any of this…"
"What do you expect me to do, my dear?" he asked. "Send you and your beautiful child back to a man who would strike you? Or perhaps you would rather I throw you out on the streets? I am not a madman anymore, remember, and even when I was, I could never have behaved so cruelly toward you."
"You're so sweet, Jervis," she whispered, pressing his hand tightly. "Thank you."
Catherine had curled up in Tetch's arms and was now napping contentedly against him. Alice took her back gently, taking great care not to wake her up. "I…uh…I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered, standing up and heading for the bedroom. "Goodnight."
Tetch caught her hand. "Alice, if…if he continues to be unreasonable…if no words you say can convince him that he needs to take care of his family…I can…if necessary…control his mind to make him see reason."
She stared at him. "You'll go back to Arkham if they catch you…" she began.
"Your happiness is worth that, my dear," he interrupted.
She smiled. "We'll…try to work things out on our own. But thank you for the offer, Jervis. Thank you for everything."
She drew close to him and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight," she whispered.
She entered the bedroom and shut the door. Tetch stared after her, sinking down in his chair and running his fingers through his hair, trying to process all that she had told him. When he had first met Billy, he had judged him as the worst of men, but that had been primarily because he was jealous of him. His opinion had changed the more time he spent with him, and he could hardly believe that he had been right in his estimation all along. It just didn't make any sense. It didn't seem…right somehow. It was all wrong. Alice and Catherine being here was all wrong. It was nonsense.
He buried his face in his hands. "Not again," he whispered. "Once you start down that path, it's a slippery slope into madness. I can't fall down that rabbit hole again. I can't. I mustn't. I can't return to Wonderland."
But with Alice here at last, he wondered if he really had a choice.