NoSpillBlood - Pablo is perhaps the best name for anything. ^_^
Vi - I always figured that Firefly would be a smoker, so it wasn't a far stretch to assume he's been hitting the reefer to help him deal with the withdrawals. Having him and Crane stoned together was just a delicious brownie treat for me. Annnnnd now I'm craving brownies...
Hey, I'm no review whore, but when you kids don't check in Spy gets worried. How about showing me a little sugar, huh?
Chapter Four: Prince of Space
**Jervis**
Around the tattered and wounded group the forest was encroaching upon the table set out before them.
The Hatter, seated at the head, poured himself a cup of steaming tea from a chipped pot and beamed widely at his dinner companions.
In his seat the March Hare was silent, pondering a question posed years ago, one long, furry ear hanging limp in his tea cup.
The Dormouse said nothing as well, awaiting the answer to the question posed.
"And you don't think it's suspicious that everyone connected with these drugs are dead or dying?" The Cheshire Cat demanded of the Caterpillar.
Always searching deep within himself and others for answers, the Caterpillar responded with a sharp, "ah, but therein lies the riddle. Why administer drugs that cause addiction? Everything about the League indicates that they'd kill us in an instant. Why addiction?"
The Gryphon 'hjckrrh'd' and woke from his dozing slumber near the path into the other realm, but said nothing on the matter.
"You're an idiot for going after them," the Red Queen snarled.
"Don't give me that," the Caterpillar shot back quickly. "You want answers just as much as the rest of us. Or have you forgotten about your poor plants?"
Hurrying about the table he had set so haphazardly, the Hatter refilled cups left and right, smiling the entire while.
The Mock Turtle, with his shell upon his back, grabbed hold of the Hatter roughly and shoved him back from the table. "Get away from me with that rotting corpse." He growled.
The Hatter blinked and eyed the March Hare who had accompanied him. Hurrying on, he slumped into an empty chair beside Alice and smiled shyly.
"Alice?" He whispered.
"You're only going to rustle up pain and anguish, Ed!" The Cheshire declared.
"Look, pal, the boss said I ain't allowed to let you call me 'Alice'." Alice said. "My name's Diedre."
The Hatter blinked. "No. You're Alice, a more perfect Alice has never Aliced."
"Keep moving." She ordered.
Embarrassed, the Hatter hurried on, pouring tea and flopping into his seat with a sigh.
The March Hare continued to ponder the question.
"I don't scare easily, Selina dear." The Caterpillar stated. "First we'll get to the bottom of this. Solve the riddle, if you will. Then we'll worry about what to do. Anyone who doesn't want to help out knows where the door is."
"I have an idea," the Gryphon finally broke in. "Why don't you all stop bitching about our problems and go and solve them."
"What's wrong, Jon? Are you coming down already?" The Red Queen demanded.
"Your voice grates on my nerves." The Gryphon snarled and went back to sleep.
The Hatter spied quiet words exchanged between the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat as she wove herself around his neck.
Alice pushed to her feet. "I think the cat has to go!"
"Too many cooks in the kitchen," the Duchess agreed.
The Red Queen made a soft, snort-like laugh. "Eddie, since when do the minions get to sit at the big boys table? Last I checked, they were only hired help."
"Don't you dare bad mouth Alice!" The Hatter exclaimed pushing to his feet.
All eyes turned on him and the Hatter dropped back into his seat complacently.
"Tea anyone?" He asked calmly
The Mock Turtle was the first to speak after the outburst. "If I wanted to work with a bunch of kids, I'd go make shoes in Bangladesh. I'm out."
"Don't burn your bridges yet, my friend." The Caterpillar said swiftly. "I think if you hold out just a little bit longer with my plan, you'll get your taste of sulphur and brimstone."
Still wrapped around the Caterpillar's neck and shoulders, the Hatter watched as the Cheshire wove lies into his burgundy hair.
At the table the Duchess and Alice both braced themselves for a fight.
The Hatter sipped his tea, hands shaking. He could feel the Jabberwocky enclosing upon them, it's hot breath on the nape of his neck.
"Who put you in charge?" The Red Queen demanded.
"I'm a thinker, Pammie. You're the doer." The Caterpillar replied.
"Yeah, and what I'm going to do right now is string you up, Eddie."
"String me up and I'll tell the entire table about what you did with me under the moonlight. Remember?" The Caterpillar shot back.
The Hatter noticed all eyes were suddenly open and turned on the Caterpillar's smug smirk.
Dipping in closer to his teacup, he prepared for war as all sides of the battle now seemed tensing and the Jabberwocky drew in one last breath before the snap of his scaly jaws.
"I'll just have to gag you then." The Red Queen replied calmly. "Maybe a vine down the throat to choke on?"
"Sounds like a typical Saturday night for you, Pam. Cramming things down your throat."
The Gryphon painfully drew himself to his feet, slamming a claw onto the table loudly. "Alright!" He snarled. "The next person who says a goddamned word gets fear gassed into oblivion!" He 'hjckrrh'd' and turned sharp eyes on the entire table. "I'm in pain, I'm bored and god help me I'm sober. So keep your sloppy maws shut!"
"Stop being a whiny bitch," the Red Queen said.
The Gryphon eyed her with his predator eyes, before nodding to himself calmly. "Okay, let's do this." He patted himself down, searching for something.
"Oh holy hell, he's really going to do it." The Caterpillar said, pushing to his feet and backing away from the table.
The rest of the table backed away.
"Alright, Jon, just calm down." The Cheshire tried to reason.
Pulling out something from the burlap satchel roped to his waist, the Gryphon tilted his head and held the object up high. "I'm not really in the mood to be in the middle of a bitchfest." He snarled.
"We're not really in the mood to be fear gassed, hon." The Cheshire said, moving to wrap around him. It was a long reach for her, as the Gryphon towered over all others, only beat out in height by the mighty Jabberwocky. "Put the toy away, Jonny." She purred in his ear.
At the end of the table the Hatter spied the Caterpillar cock his head ever so, just a twitch of a movement as he pocketed his hands in his trousers and angled his jaw. There was a glint of embers and hellfire in his eyes that was masked by ice.
The Hatter took a calming sip of tea.
"Let's not lose our heads," the Caterpillar finally said.
Ducking under the table in self-preservation mode, the Hatter made for the exit. Was the Queen of Hearts already starting on that so early in the morning?
"Great, where's he going now?" The Red Queen demanded.
Curling into a ball, the Hatter protected his teacup and his head from her wrath.
"I'll get him," the Mock Turtle sighed.
A hand gripped the Hatter's purple coat and he was dragged out from under the table, teacup and all by the Mock Turtle.
He struggled not to spill his tea as the Mock Turtle manhandled him.
"Look," the Caterpillar said calmly. "We're all a little messed up. Let's take three days to collect ourselves, in the meantime I need to find a new place to call home and Selina may I have a word with you?" He added the last bit so quickly that everyone needed a beat in time before it processed.
Sipping his tea, the Hatter blinked, watching as the Cheshire seemed to hesitate, before unwinding her arms from around the Gryphon's mighty shoulders. He felt the pressure of being held withdraw and he was released from the Mock Turtle's grip, still sipping his tea.
How sad. He was almost out.
The Hatter went on a mission to find a teapot full of tea.
As he wandered the slapdash table set up, he hefted all the broken and chipped pots he had gathered on his outings since they fled the Jabberwocky at the castle of the Caterpillar, there weren't many, but he had a knack of finding teapots.
Most of them were full, but they were too full. He wanted the one that was perfectly full.
As he wandered the table, he passed the Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat who were hell bent on getting out the door and into the cool morning air.
Finally near the mighty Gryphon he found the perfect pot and helped himself to a dash of tea, slopping it carefully into the broken, fine boned teacup.
The pot was grabbed from his hands by the Gryphon and tossed across the room, where it smashed on the hard floor.
Slamming the Hatter backwards onto the table, the beast leaned over him threateningly.
"If you don't throw out that fucking dead rabbit of yours, I'm going to pluck your eyeballs from your skull and let them dangle so that you can keep a fine eye on your shoes without ever tilting your head." The Gryphon rumbled.
The Hatter blinked up at him. "You spilled the tea."
Winding a strong taloned hand around his neck, the Gryphon 'hjckrrh'd' and squeezed.
"I will be your Jabberwocky, little man."
The Hatter's blue eyes widened and his mouth drew into a tiny pucker. "Oh."
"Now go out to the docks and give it a proper burial at sea." The Gryphon said.
"I don't think the March Hare would like that."
"I will destroy you."
"Ease up, big boy," the Red Queen commanded, sliding her hip onto the table beside the Hatter's shoulder. "Let me take it from here."
"Fine, but if he doesn't throw that rabbit out, I'm shoving it in a very uncomfortable place."
"Antarctica?" The Hatter asked, as the Red Queen helped him back to his feet.
The Gryphon 'hjckrrh'd' one last time, before hobbling off back into the other realm.
"Sweetie," the Red Queen began, her hand on his chest, rubbing a light circle on it. "Why don't you do me a favour?"
"You want some tea?" He warbled.
"No, baby," she purred, sliding her hand up his chest and hooking it over his shoulder. "But I want you to take the March Hare out to the docks and toss him into the water. Can you do that for me?"
The Hatter caught a whiff of something he couldn't put his finger on, something like ozone and earth, as the Red Queen tilted in close to him.
"Please, Jervis, toss the March Hare and the Dormouse out to sea, for me?"
"Alright, your majesty, for you." He whispered, turning to collect his friends.
A hand smacked against his bottom and he leapt in mild surprise.
The Red Queen beamed at him wickedly. "There's a good boy."
Watching his friends float out to sea, the Hatter removed his top hat and sighed.
"Begin at the beginning," he began softly, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."
He watched the sun rise up over the waters of the vast sea and smiled a little. It was like fire touching down, sending sparks of light and glimmers of stories untold across a vast, imperfect mirror. He liked the sunrise.
Feeling proud of his parting words, the Hatter spun on his heel and marched off, back towards the forest.
As his well worn congress gaiters clip-clopped on the weathered boards of the wharf, he rubbed his hands idly on his thighs. A hot cup of tea would solve the anxiety he was suddenly feeling. He couldn't even remember why he had to say 'farewell' to his most adored companions, but he did.
As he neared the entrance into the forest, he heard a commotion from around a corner and followed it curiously.
"If you think you can just come around my lairs, shaking your tail at anything that moves, you can guess again, kitten." The Caterpillar hissed.
Carefully the Hatter poked his nose around the corner.
The Caterpillar had the Cheshire Cat pressed against the wall, trapped by his arms and was growling lowly at her as she eyed him calmly, danger in her eyes.
"I will not put up with you fucking Crane, it'll only distract him."
The Cheshire laughed softly, it was almost a vocal shrug. "From what? He's laid up, no real use, what's a little fuck going to do? Besides from what I hear you've been fucking anything with tits."
Again the Hatter felt that horrible Jabberwocky breathing down his neck and he cringed at the feeling of white hot war glaring down at him.
For the longest time the Caterpillar glared steadily at the Cheshire Cat, before he stepped away from her, yanking hard on his over coat to smooth the wrinkles out of it. "You know, my dear, that attitude of yours won't get you very far in life."
"Oh baby, you haven't seen my attitude at full power yet. It gets better." She purred, wrapping his tie around her clawed paw and roping him in closer.
The Hatter could swear he saw lightening bugs dancing in the eyes of both the performers and tilted his head like a curious mutt.
Adjusting his tie, the Caterpillar eyed the Cheshire warily.
Electricity drove across the sky and all around and the Hatter gripped the corner's edge with curled fingers, watching as a beat of time passed.
Reaching out, the Caterpillar gripped the Cheshire's chin with long, graceful fingers. He tilted her head back, to look her in the eyes, a fined boned, waisted thumb sliding across the cat's plump bottom lip.
A storm filled the air, though the morning was clear and the Hatter smiled a little to himself.
The Caterpillar's mouth was a whispered smile as he dropped his chin slightly, in a nodding bow to the cat.
Her eyes were alive with what the Hatter could only describe as delicate vibrations ringing off of silver spoons despite the fact that they were - in fact- quite violet in colour.
Leaning his mouth down close to hers, the Caterpillar angled his head.
The Hatter ducked back shyly from peeping, only to drag his face out again to take the tiniest peek.
They were still there, close enough to kiss, with the Caterpillar's mouth just inches away from the Cheshire Cat's.
"Maybe you shouldn't be so eager to fuck the Scarecrow," the Caterpillar whispered hoarsely. "I hear two dominant's in bed don't really work."
The Cheshire's claws flexed into the Caterpillar's side. "Oh? And are you offering to just lie back and take it, Ed?" She asked.
He grunted from the claws to the side and tilted his head with a smile, the muscles in his sharp jaw line flexing. "Behave yourself, pussycat." He warned quietly, fingertips brushing against a cut on her high cheekbone from the incident in the belly of the beast.
The Cheshire Cat lowered long, thick lashes over her flower eyes and breathed out. "Lose the girls, Ed." She whispered darkly. "Because I'm not sure how long I can play nice with them."
"I can't do that, Selina." He replied.
"Okay, you've made your choice and I'll respect it." She replied, slipping out from between him and the wall.
The Hatter, seeing the Cheshire's approach, hurried back towards the gates and slid inside the forest in the nick of time.
He heaved a sigh and wandered through the forest, looking for Alice and a perfectly full pot of tea.