Here's another chapter! Comments, please!

Alice in Wonderland II: Underland's Champion

Chapter 2: Concerns

"Alice! Thank goodness that you're home!"

"Mother! Margaret!"

Alice smiles widely as soon as she finds her mother and sister having tea on a balcony in their backyard. The two women gracefully stand up and rush over to Alice. They hug her tightly and smile happily at knowing that their daughter/sister is finally home after so long. Lord Ascot smiles and places his hands behind him as he watches the familial reunion.

"Are you feeling OK?" Helen wastes no time in looking Alice over. "Has the trip been well?"

"It was extraordinary, Mother," Alice smiles at the memories of her adventures. "You should have been there. So many places with different people, food, clothing… It was amazing! Did you know that China has a massive wall that protects them from outside invaders? They call it the Great Wall! To think that so many people have built it in the last few centuries!"

Helen smiles at Alice. "I'm sure that it was pleasant, dear. But let's talk more during tea." Helen looks up and smiles politely at Lord Ascot. "Lord Ascot, it is so good to see you doing fine as well. Would you care to join us for some tea?"

Lord Ascot smiles graciously as he removes his hat. "I'd be pleased do, Mrs. Kingsleigh…"

Soon the four sit down on the table and share tea with sweets. While Helen enjoys the tranquility and the fact that her family is back together again, Margaret demands to know what Lord Ascot and Alice have done and seen during the last four years. The partners answer to the best of their knowledge. Alice smiles at most of Margaret's questions; she must be envious of her younger sister having the opportunity to explore the world. Margaret is delighted to know that Alice has brought back souvenirs for her and Helen.

"And it's true that the soldiers died in the wall while they built it?" Margaret asks. Alice nods solemnly. "Yes, it's sad…"

"Ladies, I do hate to interrupt this pleasant talk, but I must get home." Lord Ascot says as he stands up. He puts on his hat and neatly folds his napkin before he puts it down on his plate. "I wish to see my family again…"

"Oh, of course." Helen nods and smiles politely. "Do send my regards to Mrs. Ascot and Hamish, please?"

"What? Haven't you spoken to them?" Lord Ascot blinks in confusion. Helen's face looks grim. "Why?" Alice suddenly looks concerned. Helen is only uncomfortable around Lady Ascot whenever something has gone wrong.

"Lady Ascot and Mother got into an argument." Margaret blurts out. Suddenly she covers her mouth and Helen glares at her in disapproval.

"What happened?" Lord Ascot demands. Helen is silent before she glances at Alice. "Well… Hamish's fiancé has cut off the engagement…"

"Why?" Alice looks surprised. Margaret clears her throat uncomfortably. "After Alice blurted out about Hamish's disorder… It was hard for anyone to accept his offer."

"Lady Ascot actually blackmailed the girl into marrying Hamish." Helen says quietly. "But it turns out that the blackmail was useless; everyone already knows that she isn't interested in men."

"Interested in… Oh!" Alice and Lord Ascot blink in surprise. Suddenly Lord Ascot looks suspicious. "But… I just got a letter from my family about a week ago. How long ago did the engagement break off?"

"Just yesterday." Margaret says. "Then Lady Ascot came down here to yell at us about how Alice has ruined her son's chance to have a family. And she said some other rude things and vowed to never speak with us again."

Alice and Lord Ascot are silent before they glance at each other. Alice looks so guilty even though Lord Ascot's face seems sympathetic. Then he looks at Helen. "I will talk with my wife, Mrs. Kingsleigh. She has no right to say horrid things about your daughter and my apprentice at your own home. Nothing she will say will change my thoughts about Alice. She is a good woman and a wonderful partner."

Alice smiles weakly while Helen seems to relax. "Thank you, Lord Ascot. I know you are right. Please do take care." Helen stands up and pats Lord Ascot's arm. Lord Ascot smiles and nods before he turns to Alice.

"I will walk Lord Ascot back to the carriage." Alice says confidentially. Then she smiles at Margaret. "As soon as I return, I want to see my nephew." Margaret's eyes shine brightly as Alice takes Lord Ascot's arm and gently leads him out of the balcony. They walk quietly through the living room and exit the building. They are silent as they walk through the front yard's garden. As they reach closer to the gate, Lord Ascot speaks quietly. "I'll make sure that my wife will behave during our reunion."

Alice looks up at him in disbelief. "We're still holding onto that tea party? After what she did?"

"Alice, my wife may be stubborn, but she still is my family as much as Hamish is. I'll be honest to admit that I'm surprised that Hamish even got the chance to have another fiancée. And it isn't because of you; it's because of him in general."

Alice gives Lord Ascot an amused yet shocked look. "You say that about your own son?" She teases.

"He isn't as interesting as you are and that is all I will say on the matter." Lord Ascot chuckles. Alice is silent and the man notices her tense reaction. "Alice? Are you all right?"

"I'm just worried…" Alice says quietly. "Ever since I left that engagement party, everyone has treated me differently. As if I'm an unstable child…"

"Well, you certainly put on a show doing that small dance in front of everyone… What did you call it again?"

"Futterwhacken."

"Yes, that's it." Lord Ascot nods. "I'll admit that I was surprised that you had the audacity to do it." Soon they walk through the gates and stop by the carriage. The footman opens the door for Lord Ascot and waits patiently as the man faces Alice. He gently places his hands on her shoulders. "Now, Alice. I am going to tell you something that you should take into consideration. People will mock or disdain you for something that makes you different. Yet remember that there are people that will embrace that difference with welcoming arms. Don't let anything or anyone change you; you have the choice to make anything possible. Always remember that."

Alice smiles widely up at Lord Ascot. He is possibly one of the only few people that knows her so well. She can trust him with anything. He is almost like the father that she missed for thirteen years. "Thanks, William. I really appreciate that."

Lord Ascot simply smiles and pats her shoulder. Then he removes his hat and takes a seat inside the carriage. Alice watches as the footman closes the door and jumps onto the carriage before the driver drives them away.

:)(:

"Oh, he's adorable!" Alice cries as soon as she sees her little nephew. Margaret has set up a bedroom in the Kingsleigh residence in case Lowell is out of town for business. Since he will be gone for at least a month, Margaret decides that it would be a wonderful opportunity for her three-month old son to see his grandmother and aunt.

Alice's eyes sparkle in delight as Margaret carefully handles the heavily clothed infant to her. Alice sits back on the living room couch and stares down at the slumbering child. He has his father's black hair and facial structure. But he has his mother's fair skin. Suddenly the infant opens his eyes slowly and Alice smiles when she sees the blue eyes that all the Kingsleigh children have inherited.

Helen and Margaret smile as they sit next to Alice and look down at the child. Suddenly Alice's face looks thoughtful and she playfully taps the infant's nose. The infant coos as he grabs Alice's finger but continues to stare up at her. "If it weren't for the hair, I'd say that he looks a little like our Dad…"

Margaret smiles affectionately down at her son. "That's what I thought too… He does have Daddy's eyes…"

"What's his name?" Alice looks at Margaret. The older sister smiles. "Stefan… Stefan Kingsleigh."

"It fits him." Alice smiles down at Stefan before she hands him back to his mother. Margaret carefully holds the infant. "I think someone is hungry…" She teases the baby before she looks at her family. "Excuse me for a few moments, please…" Then she leaves the living room to feed her child.

Helen and Alice are silent as they watch Margaret leave. As soon as she is gone, Helen looks intently at Alice. "Alice, there are a few things that we need to talk about…"

Alice turns to look at her mother and sees the stern eyes. She feels uneasy but nods as she waits for her mother to speak.

"I am not particularly happy about what happened four years ago…" Helen starts out slowly. "… Nor am I happy about you leaving London after notifying us of your departure…"

Alice lowers her head. Helen's expression softens as she gently tilts her daughter's head up. "Alice, you must understand that Margaret and I have worried endlessly for days about your well-being. Even though you and Lord Ascot have sent us letters about you being fine, we couldn't help but worry. It's been so long since we have last seen you…" Helen smiles as she looks at Alice up and down. "Now that you're back, I see a lot of changes in you."

It is true; Alice has changed physically in the last four years. Her body grew more petite and noticeable; she has the body of an hourglass although she still has small breasts. Her hair has grown longer but it looks more thick and shinier. Her skin and eyes are the only things that haven't changed; she still has the sky blue eyes and porcelain white skin. Alice herself wonders how she hasn't tanned during all her travels.

Although she looks different, she is still the same. She is still as stubborn and persistent as she is the day she left. And she hasn't forgotten the reason why she wished to finish with her father's dream.

"But I must ask… Are you still having those dreams?" Helen asks quietly. Alice looks up at her with unsurprised eyes. After her father died, Alice always told her mother about her dreams regarding Wonderland- or rather, Underland. Helen decided against setting Alice up for therapy. Instead, she always comforted Alice through the dreams just as her father had done. Alice isn't sure if Helen believes her dreams or not; she always seems indifferent about them.

"Not for a while…" Alice admits thoughtfully. "They rarely come and go… I haven't given them much of a thought…"

"Have you told anyone about-"

"Only Lord Ascot. I trust him; he's my partner."

Helen nods in approval. "Good. But are you sure that you are doing fine?"

Alice smiles as she pats her mother's hand. "I am, Mother. Really. In fact, I'm glad that I've helped our family by continuing Father's company. Now that it's finished, he can rest in peace."

Helen smiles at Alice. "So much like your father… Charles would have been proud of you…" She slightly shakes her head before she stands up. "And while we are on the topic about resting in peace, I think it's time that you get some rest. You've had a busy journey."

Alice smiles as her mother offers her a hand. She takes it. "All right, but I must show you the gifts I brought you. Come with me." Then she gently leads Helen out of the living room towards the stairs in her private quarters.

:)(:

Meanwhile, a small rabbit hastily jumps through bushes and twigs as he bolts through the forest. He pants heavily and readjusts his small shirt as he continues to run. Soon he reaches to a clearing and bolts down the flat road through the pink trees. He soon passes through the gates and enters Marmoreal.

McTwisp huffs as he pats his dirtied feet on the entrance floor mat. Once free of dirt, he hops through the entrance room towards the throne room's doors under the dual stairs. The stony soldiers acknowledge him and let him enter the throne room.

The council members look at the door as soon as McTwisp enters. The rabbit pants as he hops down the small path between the crowd. He greets the White Queen with a bow before her throne. Mirana looks a bit surprised before she stands up and looks at her Council. "Would you all please excuse us for a moment?"

The council members merely nod and turn to leave the room. Several of them take different doors as they leave. As soon as McTwisp and Mirana are alone, the queen kneels down to look at the rabbit more levelly. "What news do you have for me, McTwisp? Has Alice returned to her home?"

The rabbit nods and stands up. "Yes. I just found out that she has been gone for a family business trip for four years." McTwisp huffs as he crosses his arms. "And to think that I've been looking for her two years ago every day since then!"

"Well, do you know how long she'll be staying?" Mirana asks gently. It is obvious that she isn't bothered by the rabbit's aggravation.

"Probably for a while. Said that she was done with her father's dream…"

"Who's done with who's dream?" A voice demands. Mirana and McTwisp look up to see Mallymkun with Bayard and Uilleum. The Dormouse looks skeptical as she crosses her arms.

"Alice has finally returned home." McTwisp states calmly. "She's been out in a business trip; that's why it took me forever to find her."

Mallymkun blinks in surprise. "Alice? Ya sure?"

"Of course I'm sure."

"She's been gone on a trip? That explains why she's late… Naughty, Alice…" A voice pops out of nowhere. Everyone turns and sees the Hatter walking into the room with a grin on his face. Although his smile seems cheerful, his face and eyes say otherwise. He looks paler than usual and his eyes are unusually dark grey.

"Tarrant." Mirana greets the Hatter with a pleasant smile. "How nice of you to join us."

Ever since Alice has left, Mirana has assigned Tarrant to be her personal tailor and hatter. Tarrant was happy to do the job since it gave him many opportunities to display his fashion to the White Queen and her Council. However, Tarrant seemed to grow more depressed in the last two years… His optimistic outlook seems more forced and he has a distant look in his eyes. He would always state that Alice is only late but would eventually return, but his hopes began to dim the longer she was gone… Other than Mallymkun and Thackery, Alice was his dearest and closest friend. It felt lonely without her.

He missed her muchness.

"I came here to tell you that your order of dresses is ready." Tarrant formally removes his hat and bows before Mirana. "But what's this I hear about Alice being gone? Where has she been?"

"In a family business. Apparently her father wanted to start a trade route in a place called China. Alice wanted to finish the business and left with his business partner for four years. She just returned to her home this morning." McTwisp explains.

"Ah," Tarrant nods in understanding. "That sounds quite like the Alice I know. Such a bold girl the lass is… It seems that she hasn't lost her munchness after all!" He grins.

"Do you think that she remembers us?" Uilleum asks hopefully. Mallymkun scoffs. "She forgot us the first time she came back! Why would she remember us now?"

"Mally, that's a bit unfair. She was a child when she first came here. How is she expected to know the difference between reality and dreams?" Mirana points out calmly. Mallymkun remains silent.

"She promised." Tarrant says suddenly. "She promised that she'd be back. And I know that Alice never breaks a promise."

Mirana smiles and places a hand on Tarrant's arm. "I know she'll come back, Tarrant. Just be patient. She just returned home. Surely she has a family that she wants to spend some time with."

Tarrant looks thoughtful before he nods. "Alice is so late… Naughty girl." He chuckles as he shakes his head.

Suddenly the door opens. Everyone looks back and sees a tall man entering the room. His hair is short and nicely groomed and he seems to be wearing a general's suit (white, of course). However, his eyes are hard and cold as he smiles pleasantly at Mirana.

"My Queen…" The man bows low before the queen and gently takes her hand to kiss it. "I have returned from word of the Outlands."

"Stefan…" Mirana smiles politely before she gestures the man to stand up. When he does, she asks, "Have you found anything?"

"Nothing." The queen's close advisor shakes his head slowly. "We searched for the Red Queen and Knave of Hearts everywhere… They seem to have vanished. Perhaps they are hiding somewhere in Underland?"

"It is possible…" Mirana looks thoughtful. "But everyone knows to never help my sister or Stayne as long as I am in rule. They shouldn't be too hard to find." She looks at the mysterious man. "Alert the captain of the guards just to be safe. Tell the leader of the search party to look more carefully. I will not have either of them ruining our chance to see Alice again."

"Alice?" Stefan pauses and looks curious. "As in Underland's Champion? The same Alice?"

"Yes. Now go." Mirana dismisses her advisor with a polite wave of her hand. Stefan bows low before her before he turns to leave. But before he leaves, he stops to briefly greet Tarrant with a curt nod. "Hightopp."

"Blake." Tarrant's eyes narrow as he darkly speaks in a roguish tone. The Hatter glares at the advisor as he leaves the room. As soon as the door closes, the Hatter lets out a disgruntled sound. "I don't like him."

"You two have been rather… Tense around each other." Mirana looks concerned as she stares at Tarrant. "Is something going on between you two that I need to know about? Perhaps I can help."

"He has been scoffing about my job." Tarrant grumbles darkly. "Telling me about how it made me look like what I am now. Says it's freakish that my eyes change color and how orange my hair is… There's something familiar about him too… I just don't like him…"

"Tarrant, you have nothing to worry about…" Mirana smiles sweetly as she places a hand on his shoulder. He looks at her. "He's been my advisor for over a year. He has proven to be very trustworthy. I will admit that he is a little blunt and strict with his beliefs, but that's who he is. Don't let him get to you."

Hatter remains silent. Mirana smiles brightly. "Besides, we must get ready for Alice's return! You wouldn't want her to see you depressed, would you?"

Hatter's eyes turn into a flash color of green. He smiles slightly and nods.

"But how do we know if she will come back?" Mallymkun points out. Mirana pauses before she turns to McTwisp. "McTwisp, keep watching Alice. Find out if she plans to return. When you know, alert us immediately."

McTwisp nods before he turns to hop out of the room. When he is gone, Mirana dismisses the other people before she turns to leave the room. But she stops over the hallway when she hears Tarrant and Mallymkun speaking.

"But she promised… She promised that she'd come back…"

"Don't get your hopes up, Tarrant… Whether she does or not is up to her."

Mirana sighs as she continues to walk away to her study room. She needs to clear her mind before she makes plans.

Read and Review, please!