The Shadowlands

Chapter 1: Return to Wonderland

Alice lounged on her bed, bored and tired. In front of her, a small notepad with scribbled characters lay on the bed. They were the characters of Wonderland
that she remembered so fondly. Foremost on her mind was Hatter, than the Jabberwock, and then March... All people who she remembered, all people she
wished she could have once again by her side.
She missed Jabberwock's fatherly, warm touch, even his sudden tamtrums; March's joking attitude and funny, long ears; and then... Hatter.
Sighing, she sat up, flipped the notebook with the crude caricatures of her missed ones slowly. Alongside those first three were the Cheshire Cat, the White
Rabbit, any drawing that you could open a copy of 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Through the Looking Glass' to find.
Although her drawings were worse in the certain 'artistic' viewpoint.

She stood, glanced at her watch, froze, and then rolled her eyes, "Geez! I'm late!"

Grandmother's house was still dusty as ever, rather bag for one solitary old lady to be living in.

"Grandma? I'm here..."

"Got your bags, honey? Didn't forget your pajamas like last time, did you?"

"No, Grandma..."

"Oh, I'm making some cake too... Why don't you go get yourself roomed in, Alice? I'll call you down when it's ready."

Alice nodded, went upstairs. However, her mind was on other matters than 'spending the night at Grandma's' house. She hurried to the guest room, threw her
bag in there, and then pratically sprinted up to the attic.
There, in all of its unknown glory, was the aged grandfather clock. Its hands inched to the right slowly, a bit off time, a bit off key. She could hear the tick, tick,
tick of the gears rotating inside when she listened for it. Alice ran over, yanked open the clock's glass door, peered inside. Only two weights on fine chains,
swinging slightly. She sighed, closed it slowly. She had been checking for the last two years, checking every time she went to Grandma's to see if the portal to
Wonderland had opened again.
Apparently, it hadn't.

Sighing, she turned around, exited the attic.

Alice unpacked her things slowly, folding up scrunched-up clothes and stuffing them into a drawer. A weekend with Grandma. This would be fun. Grandma
would probably take her to the bookstore again and she'd be able to buy her much-needed copy of 'Edgar Allen Poe's Short Stories'. She had lost her previous
copy and it was her favorite collection of short stories...

"Alice! Cake's ready!" called Grandma.

Alice smiled faintly, started for the door. Suddenly, a crash echoed out from upstairs. Stopping, Alice glanced up before her heart quickened.

Upstairs. The attic.

When Alice slowly peered into the attic, she gazed at the clock, curious. Nothing was different, nothing had changed about it.
However, about five feet to the right was a mirror which had fallen,miraculously unbroken.
Alice walked in, moved silently towards it. The air of the attic was warm, moist even, which was unusual.
Something was different.

She nudged the edge of the looking glass with the tip of her shoe before bending. Grabbing it by the false gold frame, she lugged it up, glanced at the
surface, and froze before hurriedly propping it up against a box.

Where her reflection should have logically been, Hatter stood, facing her, face questioning and searching. His black hair contrasted sharply with his pale white
face and his crisp crimson overcoat. Atop his head sat a rather battered old top hat, one that had obviously seen better days.
Besides him fidgeted March. Long, gray ears flopped around wildly, whiskers quivered, and eyes widened gleefully. Unlike Hatter's rather normal, somewhat
dressy clothes, he had the same dented armor that Alice had become so familiar with during her last trip to Wonderland.Turning, he pointed at Alice excitedly,
only succeeded to smash the tip of his finger painfully against the glass. He let out a silent yelp, one that Alice didn't hear, and sucked on his finger sullenly.
He was pressing his other furry hand against the glass. Alice could see the see the bottom of his paw squished up against it.
Behind the two was an empty room that she could easily say was in the main Wonderland castle.
Hatter gazed at Alice through the glass before smiling sharply.

Alice heard was whispers, familiar but distant still. Hatter came up to the glass, began pushing steadily against it. March joined him. Alice just stared, ecstatic,
elated, and a bit confused at the same time. Why didn't they just try the clock?
Suddenly, Hatter and March tumbled through the glass, sputtering loudly as they hit the ground in front of Alice. Hatter, on the bottom, groped blindly for his
hat, March disoriented on top of his back. Glancing around with bleary eyes, he latched them on Alice, smiled toothily, and then bounced up to bless her with
a friendly hug, "Alice!"

"M-March!" Alice could barely pronounce the simple word.

Hatter found his hat finally, crushed under his chest, sighed, popped it into a shape that could be called only roughly cylinder, staggered up, and then shoved
March out of the way to crush Alice in his arms. "Alice, I've missed you! You didn't come back!"

"I've been trying!" Alice warmly returned the embrace, hearing the sniffles in his voice, "'Cept the clock won't let me through!"

"Oh. Yeah... about that... We've been sort of closing off the Time realm..."

"Why?"

March interjected hurriedly as Hatter's face grew a furious red, "Well... There's been problems with your father... You know? Or should you just guess?"

"Jabberwock?"

"Yes..." hissed Hatter angrily, his yellow shadowlander eye turning into to black as his green one glittered dangerously. "He's an obstinate monster." He fell
silent for a moment before forcing a grin, clapping an arm over Alice's shoulders, tugged her close against his chest, and whispered, "So... This is your world.
Show us around, maybe? That'd be nice before we had to go back."

March punched him playfully in the shoulder, "You're just trying to get out of meeting your father."

"Hey... He's going to be checking up on my diet and... I know! I just know he's going to find out I've been cheating!" Hatter scowled before pushing Alice out of
the attic in front of him.

March followed them, shrugging happily, "Well... You know I have to tell him."

"Yes. 'For my own good'..." Hatter chuckled somberly before stopping, gazing stupidly at the overhead light, "What the heck is that?"

Alice sighed. Coming from the seventeenth century or eighteenth century or whatever this century of the twisted past they had come from, they wouldn't
even know what electricity was. "It's... uh... trapped lightning. A... torch."

March and Hatter stared at it before March asked quietly, "A torch of lightning... Okay! Next thing!" He bounded forward, excited to see what else Alice's world
had to offer, the chain mail clinking like keys as he raced into a room.
The bathroom.

Alice was about to follow him, having an uncertain belief that he would think of the toilet as a bowl of water or something of the like, when Hatter pulled her
back, tapped a finger on her nose. "So... Have you missed me?"

Alice stared up in his hopeful eyes and admitted, "Yes."

"A lot."

"Yes."

Hatter licked his lips, bared his sharp teeth in a smile. Letting his hand slide down the side of her face, he whispered, "You have no idea how tempted I've
been to come through the last three months."

Instantly, Alice stiffened and sputtered, "Three months? I've been back two years."

"Oh!" Hatter's eyes glinted happily. "That means you're... let's see. Seventeen now, right? Perfect age for marrying. I have a ring for you. I melted down my
locket to make it. See?" Teasing a small chain from underneath his jacket, he pulled out a small circle of gold.

Alice stared stupidly at it. She could remember how overly protective of that locket he had been. He had... melted it? For her? "Well... thank you..."

Hatter's smile grew wider in satisfaction and he hugged her lovingly, "Anything for you. So, should we marry? We'll live in Wonderland and have such a lovely
family."
Alice felt her blood run cold even though his embrace was warm. So he was also still set on marrying her in a slightly creepy and obsessed way. The very
thought sent shivers down her spine."Um..."

March bounded out of the bathroom, wide-eyed. "Hatter! What are you waiting for? C'mon!"

Hatter released Alice, took her hand, and tugged her after March, smiling, eyes glazing as they travelled to some imaginary scene off in the distance. Alice
pursed her lips, regarded his face. It seemed more relaxed since the last time she had seen him. "So... how's... 'Father'?"

Hatter paused before scowling, "Still alive, unfortunately. Now he has all of the Shadowlands under his rule, and he's been trying to send regiments of soldiers
through Time's domain to come through and kidnap you back to him. And... Time basically had, well... still has his own little war going in there. We helped, not
that he needed any. He has all these creepy little gear monsters that-" Hatter let go of Alice's hand, meshed his fingers together, stared at them, and then
cracked the knuckles, "Let's just say they're really, really, really hard to kill. So Time had banned travel through his land, not that it stops White. White had
special permission and he's still extra careful."

"He's been trying to get me back?"

"There's something like five reports of it anyway. Well, if you're actually asking how the Jabberwock is doing... I would say he's starving himself, nearly
suicidal. He's threatened to kill himself, you know, so the militaries and all those other branches are doing everything they can to get to you."

Alice stopped and gaped, "He's going to kill himself?"

"Either by starvation or the sword. He hasn't really eaten anything for three months, unless you count that one imagination fury he went into. You know...
When he goes and tries to eat everybody's head." Hatter glanced curiously at a clock before asking, "That's a very, very, very small clock. Where's the
pendu-"

"Alice! You brought friends?" came Grandma's thrilled voice. "You could have warned me! I'd have baked more cake." She giggled.

March called up, "Hatter! Get your sorry butt down here! There's cake! And weird things that make the cake!"

After a few hours of just exploring the house, Hatter and March decided together that it was time to return to Wonderland. Each grabbing Alice up by the arm,
they towed her up the stairs and down the hall.
Alice said weakly, "Don't I get any say in this?" Inside, she was the happiest a girl could have been. She was going back to Wonderland!

"Uh, no." said March.

"And March is going to be late for May's little dinner party as it is." remarked Hatter, pulling a golden pocketwatch from his coat's pocket, glancing at it, and
then sighing. "And father will be sure to be angry that we've brought Alice back."

"We can just tell him that we did it to make sure Jabberwocky wouldn't get her."

"Or that she and I are engaged." Hatter stopped for a moment before happily saying, "Let's go with that one!"

March shook his head, sniffing, "Nah... You'll want to carry it through as it is. So... Safety." They entered the attic.

Hatter glanced at the mirror with hesitation, hand straying up to his top hat, before he asked, "Can I be in back this time?"

"Why? So you can save your top hat or fall on top of Alice?"

"Both."

Alice grimly stared at the mirror. They were acting like she wasn't even here, as was the usual way they did things. "I can hear you, you know."

"Yes, we know, and-"

Suddenly, the grandfather's clock door slammed open. Out stumbled a bleeding Shadowlander, panting, eyes mad and feverish. Seeing Alice, he smiled softly
before whispering in his native language, "The princess!"

Hatter snarled, shoved Alice into the mirror, "How'd the heck he'd get through?"
Alice felt as if she was falling into ice. Her skin numbed, her eyes froze. She thought she'd be only an ice cube when they reached Wonderland when she
staggered out onto the floor of Wonderland's capital castle.

Chapter 2: Plans For a Visit

Chesapeake and Lyona were sitting at a table, surrounded by papers and documents. Watching Alice silently as she glanced around, dazed and a bit
offbalanced, they stood, walked over, and helped her up. Alice felt squished between the lion's crimson uniform and the unicorn's silver-blue puffy shirt as
they gave her a brief hug.

March and Hatter, a bit delayed, fell out onto the ground, Hatter once again on the bottom, his hat partially squashed by March's rear. March groaned quietly
before leaping up and gazing at the mirror with quivering whiskers. "You think he was the only one who got through?"

Hatter moaned, massaging his forehead, "Hopefully."

Chesapeake sneered, "You're hat's squashed, Hatter. What are you talking about?"

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Governor." Hatter began to stumble up, essaying to pop his hat back into shape. "There was a breach through Time's
domain and a Shadow-" The mirror spat out the Shadowlander, who landed on Hatter, pinning him flight. Groaning in pain, Hatter finished his sentence,
"-lander got through."

The soldier leapt up, drew his dagger, glanced around wildy before latching eyes on Alice. He pointed at her and spat something harshly in Shadowlander.
Guards dressed in blue livery stationed at the doorway drew their swords, stalked forward, ready to engage this intruder.
The Shadowlander hissed through his teeth, backed away from the guards, dagger glinting with blood in his hands.

Hatter slowly stood, teeth gritted. "Just get my father! The man will listen to my father!"

"I'm here, I'm here..." said a quiet, raspy voice. Hatter jerked his head towards the corner, narrowed his eyes.

"You really need to not do that."

The Bandersnatch came forward, throwing an apple from hand to hand, "Well, I can do what I want as long as it's not breaking your laws. I am a dignitary."
Glaring at the soldier, he ordered something in the rasping, lilting language of the Shadowlands.

Instantly, the Shadowlander dropped his dagger, fell to his knees, bowed as he trembled in fear. Alice stared at the man. She remembered the dark armor that
blended so perfectly into pure black skin from the siege on the capital's siege. Glancing at Hatter, she asked, "Wait. He, " She pointed at the shivering soldier,
"was going to take me back to Jabberwock?"

Bander smiled softly, "Nice to see you too, dear niece. I assume that's about right. Jhavonte's been such an odd one lately, ordering a war against Time just to
get to you."

At the word 'Time', the soldier glanced up, hesitantly murmured something.

A look of unnerved annoyance crossed Bander's face, "And... apparently, Time has been temporarily disabled. Good thing you went today or dear brother
would have been hugging Alice to death just about now."

Chesapeake and Lyona glanced at each other, nodded glumly, and quickly left the room. Hatter blanched, "They killed Time?"

"Well... Don't be so suprised, Hats. Remember when you did that?" March crossed his eyes and jokingly reminded his close friend.

"Yeah... but I was proven innocent, remember that too! Bill did that!" Hatter's hands were groping together, twitching nervously.

Bander rolled his black eyes, "Calm down, Imagine, or you'll go mad."

Hatter sighed, let his hands drop down to his sides, "But why...? Time always seems to blame me."

"He's usually right. Remember what you do to all your watches?"

"...They all break?"

"Exactly. Now, stop blaming yourself, faun over Alice or something, and let your dad talk."

"Thank you, March. Actually, I came down for two reasons. One: to make sure if Imagine's been following his regime... Which he hasn't." Bander latched an
angry eye on Hatter.
Hatter tried to redeem himself, "I went two months with no meat... March made sure... Can't I have a little meat once in a while?" He gazed pleadingly at
Bander.

"No, especially when a 'little' includes eating two people, even if they were criminals!" Bander threw the apple at Hatter, knocking off his top hat.

"Ah... Papa... I just couldn't help it... They just looked so yummy... And March encouraged me!" Hatter bent, scooped up his top hat, and brushed it off slowly,
eyes solemn.

"No, I didn't!" squawked March, affronted and enraged. "You made that up!"

Bander rolled his eyes, glanced at the Shadowland soldier, said quickly in the lilting language, "Go out to the courtyard and tell my escort that you will be
joining them for now."

"But... the princess..." The soldier pointed to Alice.

"We'll figure something out. Go."

The soldier scurried from the room, shoving past the Wonderland guards. Hatter smirked sullenly, "'Figure something out', huh? What are you going to do? Ask
Jabberwock if he wants a portrait of Alice? There's no in between with him."

"Is that what he said?" March tapped his finger against his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes. I know that, Imagine. Maybe... we could agree on something. I don't want dear brother to kill himself because of Alice, but you don't want Alice to be
taken to Jabberwock. And that's my second reason. What about a visit?"

Instantly, Hatter and March were bristling. Hatter hissed, "No! Jabberwock does not belong in Wonderland, even for a visit!"

"What about Alice visiting him?"

Alice listened carefully and said softly, "Isn't anyone going to ask me?"

Everyone stilled, glanced at her, and then Bander thumped a hand against his chest, smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, Alice. I'm just used to not asking
women for their thoughts. Of course, we'll ask you. Do you want to go meet your father?"

Hatter was about to snap a retort angrily, but March shoved him, "Let Alice speak!"

Alice bit her lip, thought for a moment, and then nodded hesitantly, "Yes... I want to see him."

Freezing, Hatter groaned, "No... Alice... Don't go to that horrible place... They'll eat you alive..."

Bander chuckled and clapped his hands together, "Don't worry, Imagine. I'll make sure she has immunity during her stay."

"But-"

"No. Alice has decided. Besides, it is her father who we are talking about." The Bandersnatch turned, pulled a folded paper from his pocket, opened it, peered
over it, and then sighed, "Besides... this came through the glass five hours ago. Jabberwock attempted suicide. I told you he would. I'm just afraid that next
time he'll succeed."

"What?" chorused March and Hatter, incredulous.

Hatter and March went off to hurriedly gather all of their things and scavenge up some dresses for Alice, leaving Alice to wander about the somewhat familiar
but now totally different castle. Whereas it had used to be dark and gloomy when Jabberwock had lived there, it now flooded over with tapestries, intricate
paintings, and beautiful marble carvings. She found her wandering way to the Imagination Rose room, which was now unlocked and open. The rose had grown
to its fullness, with little plantlings surrounding it. It pulsed with the imaginative light that Jabberwock so craved.
She went outside next. The northern wall that had been broken through during the siege still lay in disrepair, but workers scrambled around as they lugged
huge stones to proper piles. The rebuilding had started. Overhead, on the ramparts of the three remaining walls, patrolled white-armored cards, their glaives
shining brightly in the midday sun.
Alice was just about to reenter the castle when she found herself tackled from behind. Struggling, she heard a low purr above her, "Alice! I knew you were
back but you are so hard to find!"

"Cheshire!"
The lavender tiger appeared, sitting on her back with a broad, natural smile crossing his face. Sniffing into her hair, he crooned, "You came back. Let me
guess: Hatter?"

"And March."

"Alice!"

Stepping off her back, Cheshire helped Alice up as she glanced up at four frantically waving cards atop the walls. She recognized them as Demeric, Hubble,
Labros, and Hartland. She was startled to see Hartland in such clean armor, remembering how it had been smeared with dirt and grass when he had
protected Imaginine. She waved back shyly, "Hello!"

Hartland turned to the others, shooed them back to their work., before calling down, "We'll come find you when the shift's over. Hope you're well!" He turned
and ran back to look over the wall before resuming his patrol.

"Cards take their job too seriously, Alice. Don't worry, they care for you." Cheshire rubbed against her side.

"So, how are you?"

"Fine. I've been voted official spymaster, but they can never find me, so that job's unofficially been passed to Sajni, the card. He's really quiet, so he can
notice things that others don't. Nobody knows he's around when he is, and -Should I say?- he's told me lots of very juicy gossip that he's heard around the
castle."

"Ha! Really, Sajni? The mousy one?"

"Is that how you view him? I do also." Cheshire stretched, claws exiting their furry pads before pulling back in. He yawned before sniffing, "Well... I'm very
sorry to have to leave, but I'm currently running from Lyona. She's been hounding me for the alphabet that I was supposed to translate from the
Shadowlands..." He leaned forward and whispered, "And I haven't done it. Hatter hasn't gotten the time to come around and help me with the squiggles."

"What's he been doing?"

"Oh... Visiting the Shadowlands as a Wonderland ambassador. He positively hates it. Oh, shoot! Got to go! Goodbye." Cheshire disappeared as Lyona came
sprinting furiously out of the castle.

"Cheshire! Come back here!"

Alice quietly giggled and entered the castle.

With some help from the maids who scurried around in the halls, Alice made her way to the Jabberwock's old office. Entering it, she paused when she saw the
Bandersnatch reclined lazily at the dusty desk.

"Oh. Alice. Hello. What are you doing in here?" Bander smiled warmly at her.

Alice wandered over to the little side room that had been hers two years, or three months, before. Glancing in, she said, "I wanted to see if everything was
still here."

"Really? I've taken some stuff back. Some books, some documents... Nothing much. It's pretty much the same, except now, instead of Jabberwock's room, it's
my room for whenever I'm here." Bander closed his eyes and started whistling shrilly.

Curious, Alice came near him, "Well... Hatter hasn't really been open to tell me about Jabberwock. How's he doing?"

"You wouldn't recognize him."

"I wouldn't."

"He's partially insane, starving, not to mention tempermental. You won't recognize him."

Alice fumed, suddenly sullen and guilty, "And it's all because of me, isn't it?"

"Yep." said Bander bluntly before glancing at her and sniffing, "And... we'll be going back through the Looking Glass as soon as Imagine and his rabbit are
ready. So... Are you bringing anything?"

"Yes. Hatter's getting some-"

"You won't need it. You'll be provided for. Jabberwock will see to that. He's been ranting how much you deserve to be with him, how much he deserves to be
with you... Something like that. He probably already has something like five hundred dresses for you if he's been preparing."

Alice glared at him, "You're joking."

"Why would I? He's the King. We just have to follow his every whim unless it breaks previous agreements... Such as treaties." Bander stared up at the ceiling,
coughed, and then murmured, "And that's why we went through Time's land, because we have no treaty with him. You should have seen it. His soldiers tore
my men apart. That's why brother sent in a dragon legion. Really effective. One of them probably killed Time himself. Don't worry, though. The old geyser will
be back up and running like his clocks tomorrow." Bander blinked, stood, and then grabbed Alice roughly. "Let's go."

Alice squirmed in his hold, "Hey! Let me go!"

"Why? So my brother will have more time to kill himself? I think not. We're finding March and Imagine and then we are going back through the Looking Glass."
He dragged her to the door, shoved her out, followed, caught her hand again. "And you are going to cheer up my brother immensely. He'll be so thrilled. And
he won't try to kill himself'; that will be a plus."

Alice brooded silently as Bander tugged her down the hallway.

Chapter 3: Shadows of a former Dictator

Hatter fumed churlishly, glaring at the Looking Glass angrily, "You know... I just want to break it right now."
The four travellers stood in Chesapeake's and Lyona's empty office in front of the mirror. Each of them held a small knapsack, packed tightly with clothes and
essentials. When Alice checked hers, she saw Hatter had scavenged up the dresses he had been in charge of getting for her under the Jabberwock's orders.
She wondered if she could even fit in them anymore.

March put a hand on his shoulder, his other ruffling Alice's blonde hair. "Don't. It's either that or four days on horseback and I just know you'll be tempted to
eat your horse."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." mumbled Hatter back, stealing Alice from March and cuddling her against his chest. "Very funny. Maybe next time I go mad, I should just eat
you."

Bander glared at him, "Don't even joke about that. Now, go through."

"No!" replied Hatter furiously. "You do! You're the prince!"

"You'll break it behind me!"

Alice rolled her eyes, stepped forward. March bounded to her side, took her hand, and then announced, "Me and Alice will go through first. Goodbye,
cowards!" Partially thrusting Alice in front of him, he dove in behind her through the mirror.

The icy sensation left as quickly as it came upon her, and Alice fell out upon hard stone tiles. Seconds later, March fell out on her, squishing her. Alice
groaned, "Ow..."

Scrambling up, March dragged her out of the way just as Hatter and the Bandersnatch tumbled out, entwined and struggling. Untangling himself from his
father's legs, Hatter hissed, "I - hate - Looking - Glass - transportation!"

"Be happy, Hatter. It's not that bad." March helped Alice up, brushed her off, and then smiled when the door on the opposite end of the bare room opened and
a helmeted Shadowlander guard glanced in curiously.

"Prince Bandersnatch? Are these guests? Should I call the servants?"

"This is the infamous Alice, soldier. We're going up to the council chambers. Get the bags up to the guest rooms."

"Yes, sir."

Turning to the two Wonderlanders and Alice, Bander grinned wryly, "Now, before we present Alice to Jabberwock, I just have to show her to the council. Come
on. The faster we get this finished, the better." He walked to the door, the guard bowing out of his way, before exiting and disappearing into a brightly lit hall.

The council room was large and circular, brightly lit by scattered candelbra and oil lamps. Dark, intricately painted walls surrounded the marquet floor and the
comfortable chairs. At the head of the room was a grand table, covered in neatly stacked papers, quills, and ink pots.
Glancing up from a book as Bander called, "Hello?", the wizened old man peered feebly at him for a moment before smiling softly, "Bander... Back already?"

"Yes... and I've brought guests."

"Your son?"

"Alice and the rabbit too."

Stiffening as Bander opened the door wide and ushered the others in, the elder stiffly stood, staggered out from behind the table, and adjusted his spectacles.
His plain dark green clothes rustled as he sniffed, "That is Alice? The one who the King wants?"

"Yes." Bander said loudly, switching back to Wonderlander, momentarily startling the council member, "And she needs to be checked in as a visitor."

"Oh... Yes..." The man's voice was hesitant and grumbling. Turning to his desk, he shuffled through the papers before pulling out a form, sniffing, and then
glancing at Alice, "You are Wonderish?"

"Uh... Yeah."

The man scrambled down something, checked off a few boxes, and then, turning again, came close and regarded her. He pursed his wrinkled lips, cast his
black eyes to Bander, "Did you check her for weapons?"

"Yes."

Alice was affronted. "Weapons?"

"Yes. Okay. You're good then. Bander, take her up. The King went into an Imagination fury an hour ago and we had to strap him down. He might still be in it, so
don't undo him."

"I won't. I want to retain my mind, you know." Taking Alice's hand, he turned and pulled her to the door.

Following them, Hatter leaned to March and growled, "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"

"'Cause the last time you came, Jabbers tried to behead you with an axe."

"Well, yes... But other than that? He could be in a frenzy! He could eat us, March!" Hatter stopped for a moment, licking his lips nervously.

March rolled his eyes, grabbed him, tugged him forward, "Just come on, Hats! I trust your dad! Why can't you?"

Alice heard Jabberwock before she saw him.

Faded, far-off screams began echoing through the corridors about ten minutes after they had left the council chamber. As they mounted staircases and turned
into new corridors of this huge maze, the shouts of fury grew louder and louder.
They reached a large, ornamental door where the screams seemed to be coming out from behind. Shivering, Bandersnatch creaked open the guard, glanced
inside. Alice caught a glance.
A Shadowlander was strapped down to a hard stretcher by his wrists, ankles, and neck. Back arching as he screamed in anger, he struggled against his bonds,
messy, greasy, crimson-striped hair sloshing around with each vain movement. His midnight black eyes rolled in rampant insanity as the two guards at the
side of the restraining bed glanced up at the door, hands on their hilts. On the floor was another guard, obviously dead.

"How is he?" asked Bander softly.

Hatter stared before asking, "What the heck happened to him?"

Alice gasped. Jabberwock? March drew close, unnerved. The soldier glanced back at Jabberwock, who had stilled for a moment, shrugged, "We sent Ambrose
down to fetch some dispensables. He should be back soon, with some other comrades. We'll feed him. It's good he went into a fury, or else he wouldn't have
eaten anything today."

Agitated, Bander licked his lips, came in, went over to his brother's side, and then leaned over, "Jabberwock?" Jabberwock's claws jerked up, trying to reach
Bander's head. The thick leather straps stopped them. Snarling, Jabberwock spat into Bander's face. Bander wiped the spittle away with disgust, turned back
to the horrified Wonderlanders and murmured quietly, "This is not the best time for you to be here..."

Alice started forward, eyes glittering in dumbfoundment, but Hatter caught her shoulder and pulled her back, "Don't go near him, Alice. He'll eat you."

"But-"

"Ay! Out of the way!" A Shadowlander pushed rudely past Hatter, came forward, saluted sharply. "I've got the dispensables. Should I bring them in?"

"They are bound?"

"Yes."

"Bring them." ordered the Shadowland captain, glancing at Bander and the others uneasily.

The guard ran back out, came back tugging a manacled prisoner, a gagged, sobbing teenager. Shoving him to the floor, he glanced behind and growled,
"Well, come on!"

Other guards came in, each one bringing with him a bound captive; in all, there was five. When all of the prisoners were on the floor, shivering, the captain
peered at Bander curiously, "Do you want to feed him? Or do you want to watch?"

Turning, Bander herded the others out, "Time to get out. They're going to feed him."

Alice protested, "What? That's mean!"

"So? They would've have been executed this Sunday anyways. To this end, they serve a purpose. Now... We wait." Bander walked over to a couch tucked into
one of the alcoves of the hall, settled down, crossed his legs, and then patted the couch besides him, "Imagine."

Hatter sidled up to Alice, "Nah... I'll stand."

High-pitched screams started behind them. Alice's blood froze. Hatter's hand found her way to her neck and tightened gently. Alice thought it oddly
comforting. Glancing up at his face, she saw it a pasty white, paler than usual.
This was scaring him.

March thrust himself between themselves, threw an arm over both of their shoulders, and pulled them to him. His eyes wide, he trembled, "Okay. I'm freaked
out now. Normally, I wouldn't, but seeing Jabberwock like that..." He shuddered, glared at Bander.

"What? It's not my fault, rabbit."

"I'm not a rabbit!" hissed March, annoyed.

Suddenly, from inside the room, the screams and enraged howls stopped. They were replaced by loud, yowling orders. "Let me out! Let me- No! I won't eat
another! I refuse! Let me go!"

Understanding, Hatter licked his lips before asking, "He's awake, isn't he?"

"Yep." replied Bander, slightly happy.

Alice had heard the noise; to her, it had sounded like a cat's tortured yowl. "What? What did Jabberwock say?"

"Let him out. That he doesn't want to eat another prisoner. Things like that. He's just really mad."

Inside, there were quiet murmurs, Jabberwock's furious repeated orders, and then the doors banged open. Standing there in all of his unwashed glory, long
stripes of sweat dripping down his bare chest that stretched tight over visible ribs that shuddered in and out with every rattling breath. Fetid yellow eyes,
blackened with anger, travelled from Hatter and March to Bander before shuddering to a stop when they found Alice. His hair, now shoulder length, swished
as he twitched visibly. His claws, still slick with prisoners blood, tightened around the door jambs before he bared his teeth in a hungry smile.
Next second, Alice was on her back, Jabberwock on top of her. Her chest hurt where he had hit it. Weeping into her shirt, he clutched her to his dirty chest.
"Alice! Oh, Alice! Finally! I've got you back! Oh! Oh! Alice!"

Alice dared not move, his claws digging dangerously hard in her back, his head lost in her shoulder. Hatter glowered at him, "What a welcome... Did you even
see him hit her? I didn't."

Bander smiled softly, "No... I just think he's too happy to care."

Alice gulped, finally regained her courage, and hestiantly hugged him, "Hello..."

Jabberwocky sniffed as he slowly tugged her up, arms shuddering in their apparent weakness. They were spindly and thin. He crawled up, never loosing his
hold of her, afraid she would disappear into the air. Gazing into her eyes, his eyes flickering through their colors at such a rapid pace that Alice became dizzy
just looking at them, he whispered, "Alice... I've missed you..."

"I've heard." replied Alice, lost for a reply.

"I must be so disgusting to you... So dependent..." Jabberwock crushed her in a new embrace. "But I don't care. You're my daughter..."

Hatter was visibly sickening. Turning away, he cleared his throat and then whispered, "I hate this."
March shouldered him indignantly, "Look at how happy we've made him?"

"Jabberwock? Happy? I want him dead!" growled Hatter, shadowlander eye twitching.

Hearing his name, Jabberwock blinked, glanced around, saw Hatter and March. Instantly, the look of ecstatic satisfaction dropped from his face. Glaring at
Hatter, he murmured angrily, "You."

"Yes. Me. What'd you expect? That I would let Alice come here without coming along so you wouldn't have a chance to kill her."

Jabberwock clutched her to him protectively, Alice hanging in his arms like a rag doll. "I wouldn't hurt her! She's mine!"

Rolling his eyes, Hatter retorted, "And if you had gone into your craze, what would you have done? Thrown posies all over her?"

Jabberwock stilled before smiling suddenly. "Yes. I would have eaten your imagination instead."

Alice started reddening in his arms. His arms were too tight. Wiggling about, she gasped, "Ow! Ow! Loosen up!"

Jabberwock worriedly turned his eyes to her, loosened his arms, caressed her hair with his grimy claws lovingly, leaving long streaks of red in the field of
yellow. "Oh... I'm sorry, dear Alice! So sorry..."

Hatter was about to say something, but Bander leapt up, grabbed him, and dragged him away, protesting. "Let's leave the King to his daughter. Come. Your
brothers are probably excited to meet you again."
March cast one last glance at the rocking Jabberwocky, shot an apologetic grin to a sullen Alice, and hurried after Hatter and Bander.

Chapter 4: Interlude of General Talking

Alice had to endure a whole half-hour of caressing, tearful kisses, and loving embraces from Jabberwock. After that, however, he turned very self-conscious,
said he needed to clean himself up, as she did. Her dress and hair sported dirt and blood from his public display of affection. He had taken her to his room,
made sure she was at home and happy before ordering a servant to fill his bath.
As he took it behind the closed door, he kept calling questions, excited and curious. "What have you been doing?"

"Living through school."

"School. Is it a good school?"

"Yes."

A slight pause as Jabberwock sloshed in the water, scrubbing at his claws furiously. Then: "Is it the best school?"

Alice blinked in surprise before giggling, "No."

"What? Why?" Jabberwock stilled, listening attentively.

"Well... because there's no such thing as the best school."

"Is too." Standing up, Jabberwock stepped out of the bath, stepped weakly to the mirror, brushed his hair down hurriedly, and then picked up a razor. He
began sawing it through his hair halfway down his cheek. "So... How have you been in your world? Any enemies? Any problems?"

"Nah... Just an occasional bad grade on a paper."

"That's the teacher's fault. That's my excuse, same as when I was tutored..." Jabberwock momentarily stopped cutting his hair, inspected himself in the
mirror, and then glanced down at his chest, seemingly noticing his physical decay for the first time. Sighing, he asked loudly, "Are you hungry?"

"A little."

"I've seen you've grown a bit. How old are you now?"

"Seventeen."

"Seventeen?" Jabberwock stiffened before calling indignantly, "What happened to sixteen?"

"It passed. It's been two years in my world."

"Two years? It's only been th-"

"Three months. Yes. I know."

Jabberwock smiled softly before cutting at the last few strands of too-long hair. "Well... You're still the same. Just a bit older..."
Alice was a bit unsure if to take this as a compliment or an insult, so she stayed quiet.
"Alice?" Jabberwock looked up, sweeping the hair off the counter. When uncomfortable silence continued, he frowned worriedly, knotted a towel round his
waist, opened the door slowly, "You still there?"

"What? Yeah. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Well... Did you really try to kill yourself?"

Jabberwocky licked his lips, exited the bathroom, went to the wardrobe, glanced through the clothes before locating a modest light blue suit. Biting his
chapped black lips, he whispered, "... Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I felt hopeless. The stupid soldiers couldn't get past Time and get to you to bring you back to me, the council was badgering me about coming out of
my depression, and... I was starving. I just... lost everything with you going away..." Hot tears welled up in the Shadowlander King's yellow eyes before rolling
down his cheeks like rain against dark glass. He turned his head so Alice wouldn't see in his humiliation. He began to dress, hoping it would mask his
miserable memories.

Alice shuddered, remembering that last day in Wonderland. She licked her lips to calm herself and then murmured, "Well... You saved me... You know... Bander
had his sword, and you tried to save me."

Jabberwocky glanced back at her slowly, cheeks wet but smile fond, "I remember. I just wish that I could have stayed conscious long enough to ask if you
could stay."

"It's okay..."

"Only because you're back." Trailing over, Jabberwock slumped down next to hers, shuddered with restrained emotion, and then said quietly, "And I can be
your father again. I can love you again. That's all that matters."

Hatter sat at a table, two of his five brothers sitting across from in. Behind him, March was playing happily with the littlest brother, who was enthralled with
March's ears, as every Shadowlander seemed to be more or less.
Arbere, the second-born, was clinking his wine glass against the table in thought, "So... Dear Uncle has his precious Alice girl now?"

"Yes..." mumbled Hatter sullenly.

"Why are you sad?" asked Mihiel, leaning forward. As the third-born, he was the only one in the family who refrained from wearing fancy clothes. His coarse,
rough, plain chemise shone dully in the light cast off by the windows. "I mean, Uncle isn't half-insane anymore, or won't be, anymore. We'll actually have a
King now."

Startled, Arbere shoved him, "Don't say that! You could be executed for saying now."

"So? Imagine's not going to rat us out. Vermont won't either."

Vermont glanced up, hands wagging soft, furry March's ears back and forth in random order, "Huh? Wait? What?"

"Never mind us, Vermont. We're talking about adult things."

Vermont was instantly hooked. Squealing, he jumped up and ran over, "You're not adults!"

Madly brushing his fur back into place, the March Hare glanced over, "I can agree, but only for Hatter. He's so immature sometimes."

Arbere and Mihiel burst out laughing, one's laugh deep and snorting, the other's high and varied. Arbere sniffled back into a rather calm state, smirked,
"Maynard should have come."

"He still hates me, doesn't he?"

"All because you insulted one of his paintings. You never do that. You hear that, rabbit?" Arbere turned his gaze to March, "Never insult one of Maynard's
paintings."

March glanced at Hatter, "Well... Okay. Is he a little brother or a-"

"Big brother." Hatter replied.

"Oh."

Mihiel smiled, leaned back in his chair, itched at his shirt, "Well... Yes. He went afterwards you left to ease his hurt feelings with some pleasurables. Have to
say he wasn't too happy even coming back. He ripped up that painting and burned it, was depressed for a whole week."

"Egotistical, isn't he?" smirked Hatter.

"Ah... Don't say that, Imagine... What does that mean, anyways?" Vermont jumped onto Hatter's lap, snuggled down.

"Nothing, Vermont. Hey, how's your school going?"

"My tutor says I'm a yvetter."

March blinked and asked, "What does that translate too?"

Searching through their minds momentarily, Arbere and Mihiel glanced each other, shrugged, and chorused, "Monster?"

Hatter nodded slowly, "Yep. Monster. Why does he say that, Vermont?"

"Because I hit my partner."

"Why'd you hit your partner?"

"She told me Uncle was going to eat me."

"Oh..." Hatter sighed, glanced at Mihiel and Arbere for help.

Arbere sniffed, "She shouldn't have said that. Next time, tell her that you told Uncle and he said he would eat her."

Mihiel glared at his older brother, "That'd be mean. They're just seven-years."

"So?"

Vermont raised his hand, waited until Arbere pointed to him. "She also said Maynard was going to eat me."

This time, Arbere and Mihiel scowled. Mihiel murmured, "I could believe that."

"Oh, yes..." breathed Hatter softly. "He's an Eater, isn't he?"

"Yep. Works every Sunday eating up prisoners who didn't have time to be beheaded or hung or killed in a conventional way. He's usually bloated when he
comes home. Sometimes, he can get through the executions and all the prisoners killed, so... He tries to find time to eat dinner with us then... even though he
usually ruins it."

"Except when he brings Adameer over."

"Adameer?"

"His Eater teacher."

"Teacher?" Hatter repeated stupidly, "They teach you how to eat people?"

"Yes... Why do you ask?"

Alice watched Jabberwocky argue with a frightened cookmaid angrily when she apologized that there wasn't any bread at the moment. He kept hissing out
phrases in Shadowlander that sounded like crackling, old leaves having the wind beat the heck out of them.
Alice finally tugged at his shirt, "I can have crackers."

"You sure. I mean, you said one of those stupid 'sandwi-"

"I can have crackers."

Licking his lips, Jabberwocky translated her words into a harsh demand that sent the maid scurrying away in fear. Jabberwock sniffed, turned to Alice, "You
changed so I wouldn't lose my temper, didn't you?"

"...Yes."

"Good girl. You care." Beaming, he ruffled her hair before dragging her to a table, sitting her down, plopping down in the chair next to her. They waited for a
few moments before the maid came hurrying back with a plate of crackers. She set it hastily in front of Alice, bowing repeatedly, then turned to leave.
Jabberwock narrowed his eyes, spat an order.
Freezing, the maid slowly came back, shivering. Jabberwock reached out, grabbed her neck, dragged her down, and then placed his hands against her
forehead, eyes glittering hungrily as he hissed, "Imagine."

Next second, the maid squirmed, clamping her hands over her mouth as she tried not to scream. Alice stared, bewildered that the lady would just subject
herself to this. She glanced up at Jabberwock's visage. His eyes were fluttering upwards in satisfaction as he moaned softly. A small thing of drool crept at the
corner of his lips.
"Jabberwocky!"

"Huh?" Jabberwock snapped to attention, eyes still flickering. Turning them to Alice, he asked, "What?"

"Stop it! You're hurting her!" Alice slapped at his hands angrily.

Sighing, Jabberwock released the maid, who fell back, clutching her head with tears silently streaming down her cheeks. She turned, ran from the imagination
eater. He stared lustfully after her, licking his lips, "I really have to eat, Alice... I do, just like you. All the servants in this castle are more than willing to give me
their minds. You don't need to worry. If they don't want to, they don't have to. I just say what I want and I'll get what I need."

"Don't do it just because of that."

"Do you want me to starve and go crazy than?"

"Well, no."

"Than let me do it every... once in a while. That'll hold me up." Jabberwock patted his stomach, moaned in want and hunger, and then closed his eyes, "I'm
just so hungry..."

"You shouldn't have starved yourself." Alice crunched down on a cracker, chewed, swallowed.

For a few moments, silence reigned except for the times when the crunching of crackers broke through its veil. Finally, Jabberwocky asked solemnly, "What
happened to calling me 'father'?"

"Huh?"

"You used to call me 'father' or 'dad'. Now you call me by my last name. What's wrong?"

"Oh..." Alice paused before telling him, as well as herself, "It's just been so long..."

"Do you not consider me as your father anymore?" inquired Jabberwocky grievingly.

"Of course I do!"

Jabberwock sighed in relief, "Thank you... I don't deserve you... Not at all... You're too nice." He reached over, pulled her, along with her, closer, and kissed the
side of her head lovingly. "I'm just happy I got you back..."

Alice felt guilty. She wondered how Jabberwock would cope when he found out she would have to leave back for Wonderland and home.
She could only imagine. Slightly, so Jabberwock wouldn't take notice to it.
Chapter 5: Dinner

When Alice and Hatter finally rejoined, it was that night at the dinner table. Apparently, the Bandersnatch had arranged a dinner to 'celebrate' the return of
his brother from misery. Jabberwocky went, brought Alice along.
Alice itched at her heavily brocaded dress. In some amazing feat of determination, Jabberwocky had sorted through many different sizes himself to find one
that he liked and was her size. She just felt obliged to wear it.
Jabberwocky sat stiffly next to her, equally uncomfortable. He hadn't worn the itchy livery for a few weeks now, resorting to only the things he found
comfortable and, of course, miserable, as his mood had been. Atop his head sat a heavy silver crown, wrought with opals and lapis lazulis, which was set off
beautifully by his gray and soft golden dress suit.

Hatter was sullen, seated all the way at the other end of the table. Like Alice, his father had dressed him. His long-sleeved silverish-blue overshirt faded off to
black pants, ornamented with small stitchwork 'x's. His battered hat sat on top of a coat and hat hanger in the corner. To his left was seated Vermont; the
space to his right was empty.
Bander, two places to the left of Vermont, sitting by Mihiel, was talking quietly with Arbere to his right.

Jabberwock cleared his throat, the people quieted, and he asked, "Who are we waiting for?"

"Maynard."

"Always late..." muttered Arbere. "Yet better that than never."

Alice gazed hungrily at the plates of food that lounged around the table. Carefully arranged slices of veal garnished with parsley, bowls of yellow rice with
little bits of almond in it, a plate of chocolate... She was particularly attracted to that. She glanced down at her empty plate, then to the empty space in front
of Jabberwocky. He had only asked for wine.
Jabberwocky noticed her gaze, raised his hand, ran his fingers across the top of her head. "You hungry...?"

"Yes..."

"Bander, if he isn't here within five minutes, we're starting without him and-"

The long doors behind Hatter creaked open with a dull moan. Everyone turned to gaze at them as a Shadowlander dressed in gaudy orange livery peered in,
ashamed, "I'm... late, aren't I?"

Bander sighed, "Just come in and sit down, Maynard."

Coming in, Maynard bowed in Jabberwock's general direction, glanced about, saw where he was to sit next to Hatter, and then paused before grimacing.
Taking his chair, he sat down, scooted away from his white brother. Hatter scowled at his plate, eyes straying to some meat laying just out of reach. Bander
noticed, whispered, "No... Imagine... No meat." Then, he turned to glance at Jabberwock, asked a silent question with raised eyebrows.

Jabberwocky waved a hand, "Start."

Instantly, Alice reached for the chocolate. Taking one, she put it on the edge of her plate. She helped herself to a bit of rice before starting to eat. Hatter was
worse off. The second he reached for the plate of veal, Bander ordered harshly, "No!"

"Ah... Papa..."

Smirking, Maynard took a thin slice of meat, hid it under some salad leaves and shrimp, and then poured some white, speckled sauce over it. He cut it slowly
as he whispered under his breath, "Stupid..."

Hatter murmured back, "You're the brat." He glanced up, gazed at Alice, and then called quietly, "Alice... could you pass the rice down?"

Alice glanced up, swallowed her rice, nodded, and then took up the bowl of rice. Standing, she walked it down, handed it to him with a smile, and then turned.
Before she could start back, Maynard turned his chair, regarded her curiously, "You are Alice?"

"Yes, I'm-" Alice took her first real glance at his face, froze, and then squeaked, "You look like Hatter!"

Hatter fumed, picked up his glass of water to wash away the annoyance, "Except he's uglier."

"I wouldn't say that. Yes, we're similar. I'm the original however. My name is Maynard, the first-born of dear father over there." Maynard jerked a thumb at
Bander, who was watching Jabberwock's scowl with a worried frown.

Forcing a smile as her heart beat fast from surprise, Alice stammered, "O-oh..."
Hatter put down his glass and glared at Maynard before directing to Alice, "Just because we're kind of twins doesn't mean that mean we have similar
interests. He's... arrogant."

"As you are. You're pointing out the same qualities of yourself in me, brother." Maynard bowed his head to Alice and cheerfully muttered, "I just wanted to
meet you. I'm sorry if I've upset you... or dear Uncle over there."

Sourly, Jabberwock said, "It's nothing."

After the dinner, Hatter waited till everybody but Jabberwock and Alice had left before straying close and gazing at Alice longingly. "Jabberwock?"

Jabberwock latched an unnerved yellow eye on his 'nephew'. Apparently, he did not trust this one. Clutching Alice close, he replied, "What?"

"I'm here to take Alice back to our quarters..."

Jabberwock bared his teeth, squeezed Alice closer, "She'll be sleeping in my room tonight, as she will for the rest of her time with me!"

"But... sir..." Hatter reddened.

"Go away! Alice is mine!" Jabberwock turned and dragged Alice after him.

Switching to Shadowlander so Alice couldn't understand, Hatter argued, "She's mine too!"

Jabberwock paused before whirling around and hissing, "Who says? Certainly, not I!"

"I do..."

"You? You are nothing! You have no voice in this. She is with me." Jabberwock turned once more, started walking for the door with Alice in tow.

Teeth gritted furiously as he bit back his rage, his madness, Hatter growled before spitting, "I hate you!"

"Good, because I hate you too. Now go eat March or something." Jabberwock pulled Alice from the room.

Hatter stalked after them, making Jabberwock stop and glare at him. His hands quivering, Hatter pointed furiously at Jabberwock and demanded, "Alice! Come
here!"

Alice felt her 'father's claws dig into her arm. Even if she had wanted to, Jabberwock wouldn't have let her. In reality, she was dreading sleeping in the same
room with him again. He always ended up crushing her under his bulk, though, with his starving body now, he might not be as heavy...
Couldn't she just sleep in an empty room?
Jabberwock scowled, reached slowly into his pocket before drawing out a small knife. Tossing it up and down, he glared at Hatter, "You want her? Come and
get her. I'll gut you!"

Hatter's reached down, reached into his boot, and pulled out one of his familiar long, thin daggers that he made himself. He hissed, "You don't have
immortality anymore, Jabberwock. All it takes is one stab to-." His voice strangled off as he stiffened.

"Then stab away. I think I'll keep your head. It'll be a centerpiece."

Yowling with rage, Hatter bounded forward, top hat toppling off his head. His eyes were now both black. The rage and hurt pent up inside his soul had slowly
accumulated to burst into madness. Jabberwock shoved Alice to the side, stepped to be between her and Hatter. His movements were unusually calm and
measured, unlike his frantic, head-strong, normally dangerous actions that he had used when he had fought Hatter in Wonderland.
Hatter swiped at Jabberwock angrily. Jabberwock blocked it, a small scowl coming across his face before he ducked and thrust himself out against Hatter's
stomach. Both daggers clattered to the floor as they both toppled over.
The next moment, they were rolling across the floor, Hatter trying to latch his fingers around his former master's neck with angry howls, Jabberwock grinning
maniacally and dragging his claws down any skin he could get to.

"Imagine!" Sprinting down the hall at full-tilt, Bander grabbed Imagine, dragged him back, struggling. Hatter hissed and spat like an angry cat, trying to reach
the Jabberwock. The King slowly stood, brushing himself off, grinning painfully as he felt the dark, hidden bruises pulse on his neck.

Alice stared in horror at Hatter, who was bleeding from dozens of scratches across his neck and down under his messed-up shirt. Fighting to escape his
father's hold, Hatter transferred his rage to Bander, angrily snapping his teeth as he tried to bite, arms flailing as he tried to scratch.
Jabberwock smirked, massaged his throat, and then rasped, "I want him executed."

"Jabberwock!" Bander glanced up at his brother, avoiding his son's attempts to attack.
"I want him beheaded by morning."

"Please, don't-"

"I WANT HIM KILLED!" shouted Jabberwocky, suddenly furious and eyes flashing a dark black, "OR I WILL KILL HIM MYSELF!"

Alice ran up to Jabberwock, glared him right up in the eye, "No!"

"He attacked me!"

"He doesn't deserve to die!"

"He does! He attacked-"

"You provoked him!"

Eyes darkening into pure black, Jabberwocky let a wry grin grasp his mouth, "He... tried to take you."

"Only because he cares! Now- Hey! Stop!"

Alice squeaked as Jabberwock seized her and pulled her close. His stomach rumbled ravenously as he hissed softly, "I'm hungry..."

Next second, Bander tackled him as Jabberwock snapped into a craze. Roaring in hunger, Jabberwock clawed his brother. Hatter, freed, leapt into the fray,
yelling at the top of his lungs.
Alice screamed in horror as Jabberwock's claws reached out, pulled her down. His other hand reached for her head, his smile dark, his eyes hungry.
Hatter snapped down on his forearm, teeth slicing into his forearm. Jabberwock yowled in pain before tipping Bander off of him and throwing himself onto
Hatter.

Alice yelped as a firm hand grabbed her forearm, dragged her back to safety. Behind her stood Maynard, eyes glinting in annoyance as he surveyed the
scuffle, a small sneer tugging at the edge of his mouth.
Bander crawled out of the battle, bleeding from his head. Behind him, Hatter was fending off Jabberwock's groping claws, punching angrily out at his 'uncle'.
Staggering up, he ordered weakly, "Maynard... Get the guards..."

Maynard drew his decorative rapier, tossed it to Bander, and then turned, hurried down the hall, whistling shrilly. A few moments later, guards ran into the
hall. Seeing Hatter and Jabberwock, they stood still for a moment before tackling the two down.
Hatter yelled as he fought two guards vainly. They forced him face-down on the ground, one holding his feet down, one keeping his hands together.
Four scrambled over Jabberwock, who, even in his weakness, was overpowering them. Each guard threw his full body weight down on a limb, be it arm or leg.
Jabberwock howled angrily, mouth foaming, before suddenly quieting and locking his eyes on Alice. His feral grin made her shiver before he licked his lips and
snapped his teeth at her. His claws flexed before, suddenly, he thrust up violently. One of the guards slid off with a squawk of surprise. In a moment,
Jabberwock was upon him, his claws digging deep under the helmet, draining, satisfying his hunger. His eyelids fluttered in ecstasy.

The other guards scrambled away from him, whimpering. They circled, waiting for a good point to run back in, catch their dangerous King off-guard, pin him
down to the ground so he couldn't fufill his macabre desires.
Jabberwock finished, grinned maliciously, turned his eyes once again to Alice. They flickered from black to gold and then black again. He stumbled up, came
towards her, and then paused a few feet away when the guards closed in. He spun to them, charged at one.

The guard went down, but the others came to his rescue. One, hooking his arm around Jabberwock's throat, pulled back. Choking, Jabberwock clutched at the
first guard's neck armor, pulling him up. He tried to bring his hand up to the man's head, but each choke took his hand farther and farther away from the
terrified soldier's face.
Maynard rolled his eyes, stepped forward, raised a fist, and then hit Jabberwock over the head harshly. Jabberwock stiffened before slumping, unconscious. A
long string of drool spooled down from his mouth to pool on the tile.

Bander glared at his oldest son and hissed, "You didn't have to do that!"

"Or what? Get eaten? Don't worry... He'll wake up."

Hatter was still screaming meaningless sounds. Bandersnatch glanced at him slowly before sighing, "Could you do that to him too?"

"Sure..." Maynard stepped over to Hatter, knelt, delivered the same firm blow. Hatter slid off into a dark sleep. As he straightened, Maynard rubbed his hands
together, "Probably the most useful thing they teach us as Eaters..."

Alice stared at the two unconscious men, horrified and still, before Bander grabbed her and whispered, "You're staying with me until we're sure that both of
them are safe... Come with me."
Chapter 6: Bully

"So... Hats had a run in with the Jabberwock?" March eyed Hatter's sleeping figure on the bed worriedly. In his hands was a moist cloth covered in blood and a
bottle of disinfectant that he made before coming. He always carried a little back-up medecine for such occasions.

"Yes... I can only guess that Imagine went insane and attacked... And then Jabberwock went into one of his feeding crazes... They're probably strapping him
down right now and feeding him dispensables..." Bander sighed, sat down on the bed next to the dormant man. "Well... Anyways... It is not going to be an
easy day tomorrow. Jabberwock wants Imagine executed, but Hatter's protected by being the ambassador from Wonderland, and so on..." Bander buried his
head in his hands and groaned.

By the door, Maynard regarded him silently before smirking, "I'll kill him if he has to."

"No, you won't."

"Why not? It'd make Uncle happy."

"It'd make me sad. Please don't think about killing your little brother."

"He's not my brother. He's not even Shadowlander."

"So?"

"It's a product of your affair."

Leaping up in sudden rage, Bandersnatch hissed, "Don't you ever say that again! I loved her!"

"You loved her, but you only escaped because Grandpa was in a good mood that day and Uncle pleaded on your behalf."

"... Yes... I know..." Bander sat back down with a sigh.

March glanced between the two and, ears erect and listening, asked, "What was that about?"

Maynard glared at him, "Nothing, rabbit. Return to your friend."

As he turned, March mumbled furiously, "I'm not a rabbit... I'm a bliddy hare. I swear, if I had to pluck a hair off of my body every time someone said that, I
would be bald!"

Maynard sneered before leering at his father, "So... This was over the Alice girl?"

"Yes."

"She looks nothing special. You're not going to have an affair with her too, are you, father? I would hate for you to be found with your pants down for some
ugly Wonderlander."

When March stiffened, Bander hurriedly said, "I like Wonderlanders. They're rather... colorful, if I may say."

"Still rather ugly. Too much color, hurts my eyes."

"You're lying."

"How would you know? You're made of lies. We all are. I could be lying to you right now, but, unless you know the truth, you wouldn't know... So... What will
happen to the Alice girl?"

"Jabberwock will keep her until they need to go back." Bander glanced at Hatter, patted his son's leg, and then smiled softly.

A look of rage crossed Maynard's face, but he forced it under a mask of disinterest, "And... Arbere told me that Imagine has feelings for her."

"Yes." March interjected before Bander could open his mouth. He bent over Hatter, gently smoothed a salve over the scratches.
Instantly, a dangerous gleam came into Maynard's eyes. "Does she have feelings for him?"

"I don't know." answered March quietly. "I... think she does."

"Think..." echoed Maynard before grinning wickedly to himself. Turning, he quietly slipped from the room.

Alice had been left in Bander's room. He had ordered one of his servants to watch over her while he went to check up on Hatter.
The servant was a pleasurable who had a very, very, very limited knowledge of Wonderlander.

Regarding a humiliated and embarrassed Alice who sat on the bed as she dressed in see-through, webbed silk veils, the lady smiled brightly, turned away. She
knew this Wonderlander was unused to having people change clothes right in front of her, but the master would want her tonight. She dragged up a light
towel of cloth, wrapped it around her, knotted it gently, and then glanced at Alice. "Girl?"

Alice didn't lift her eyes, irked, so the servant wandered over, held out her hands out wide, asked, "Nice?"

Finally glancing up, Alice nodded hesitantly.

"Master will like?"

"Uhm... Yes..."

Smiling widely, the woman bounced onto the bed next to her, laid down flat, and then asked, "Wonderland good?"

"Yes." Alice really wished she could be anywhere else than with this prostitute. How was Jabberwock? How was Hatter?

"Good clothes?"

Alice stood, walked to the door, "Yes."

Suddenly, frail looking but incredibly strong hands grabbed her shoulders, dragged her back. The pleasurable muttered, "Master said 'watch girl'. I watch."

Alice glared at her, huffed, went to sit on a chair. The woman stood there, watching her curiously before following her. "You of master of master?"

Not understanding, Alice sighed, turned her head away.

The door opened, Bander came in, ripping off his decorative jackets hastily, "Alice... Do you-" His eyes fell upon the pleasurable, who immediately stood
straight, and then smiled. "Do you mind if I send you to play with Vermont? I have business to attend to."

Alice nodded hurriedly, leapt up, ran to his side. "That'd be fine!"

The minute Bander had disappeared back into the halls, Vermont proudly presented Alice to his friend, "This is Princess Alice."
They stood in an indoor courtyard that held a glass roof overhead, making the air hot and humid. Tall trees, brimming with exotic colored flora, pointed at the
clear ceiling and, beyond it, the quickly darkening, painted sky. Flashes of crimson, yellow, orange, and purple splashed across the sky. On the trees hung
vines, heavy and leafy. The ground had once been tiled, but now dirt and sprouts took over, cracking the tiles into pebbles and turning it into a mini, realistic
tropical forest.
All that was missing was colored birds and monkeys, Alice kept thinking.

The friend bowed, glanced at Vermont, and asked something in Shadowlander. Vermont translated quickly, "He says you're pretty." He beamed, smile
breaking his midnight black face in half.

"Oh... Thank you." Alice playfully curtsied to the friend, who bowed hurriedly once more.

Vermont and his friend then showed Alice around the little indoor rainforest and, surprisingly, a small lake, quickly chattering between themselves. As soon as
the short tour was done, they sat on a bench by the lake and began arguing what game they should play. Alice listened in confusion as Vermont and his friend
rattled off short phrases in annoyance.

"I want to play cache-cache!" said Vermont heatedly.

The friend snapped his fingers at him, obviously not a respectful thing to do. "Tag!"

"Cache-cache!"

"Tag!"
In the middle of their arguement, a door slammed open. Vermont and his companion glanced up and around before resuming their arguement. Suddenly,
Maynard's loud voice came, "You should have seen the dog! He was insane and father still fauns over him like he was his first-born! It's pitiful! I mean, a
Wonderlander in a royal Shadowlander family! It's embarrassing!"

Another voice came, this one harsh and cracked, "I can say the same. And he's an Eater, too... It's so degrading to us."

"I know, and- Oh... Look." Maynard and another Shadowlander dressed in a bright suit appeared from the tress. "It's the other Wonderlander..."

Vermont, as well as his friend, leapt up, face frightened, and began to run, but Maynard suddenly stood in front of his little brother, blocking his escape. The
friend disappeared into the trees. A leering smile broke Maynard's lips, "Hello, little brother."

Backing away, Vermont stuttered, "P-p-please don't hurt me!"

Alice stood, annoyed at the constant babble she couldn't understand. Hotly, hoping for some understandable conversation, she said, "Hello, Maynard."

"That's 'master' to you, maggot. Now... Vermont, you look dirty." Snatching up his little brother, who struggled vainly, Maynard sneered before trooping to the
side of the lake and starting to swing him around. "How 'bout a bath?"

"No! No! No! Please! Stop! No! N- AHH!" Vermont went splashing into the water as Maynar let go.

Alice blinked, dumbfounded, before hurrying to the water's edge. Vermont sloshed out, dripping water and algae, beautiful and ornate suit ruined forever.
Fleeing to Alice's arms, he pressed his head against her stomach, sobbing. Alice glared at Maynard, who was chuckling maliciously, "That was horrible!"

"Oh... don't worry... You're next." Coughing a harsh order to his friend, Maynard watched as he grabbed Alice, held her as she wriggled in his grasp. Vermont
slid to the ground, crying helplessly.
Advancing on Alice with a sneer, Maynard nodded to his friend. Instantly, Alice was being carried towards the lake, Maynard holding her kicking feet, the
friend keeping hold of her arms and head. Alice screamed, "Let me go! Let me go!"

Maynard leaned forward, whispered harshly, "Or what? You'll tell Uncle?" They started swinging her back and forth.
Alice yelled loudly as she hit the water a moment later.

Jabberwock paced a room angrily. In the corner, four corpses lied atop each other, holes in their head, their minds gone and eaten. Turning to the locked door
yet again, he tried the knob.
Locked.
Hissing through his teeth, he banged at it, demanding loudly, "Let me out! I want my daughter! Where is my daughter?"

The low murmurs of the guards outside stopped before one called back quietly, "But... One of the Council came and said you had to eat until you were
satisfied before you could leave..."

"I don't care! Let me out!"

"I'm sorry... But we have more prisoners coming, Your Highness... You should be able to leave in an hour if you eat all of them."

"Ah!" Furious, Jabberwocky stalked over to one of the empty wardrobes that occupied the empty room. Overturning it, he kicked at it, angry and sullen at the
same time.
He wanted to see his Alice!

The door opened, someone was quickly shoved in, the door closed, locked. Jabberwocky regarded with disgust the shivering man who immediately fell to the
floor and placed his head on the ground in a bow. His stomach clenched in hunger, he felt the urge rise.
Pouncing on the man, Jabberwocky jabbed his fingers deep behind the man's ears. The man jerked, died, and Jabberwock felt a bit better, stomach processing
this new imagination and thought.
Jabberwock sighed, went to the bed, laid on it, and stared at the ceiling. Yes, he was hungry, but he wanted Alice more.
Moaning, he turned to his side and waited.

Chapter 7: Sleeping Over

Alice ended up in Hatter and March's chambers after Bander harshly reprimanded her for 'falling into the lake and taking Vermont with her'. That is what she
had told him had happened; she didn't want Maynard to desire vengeance against her. As it was, Bander had hurriedly allowed her to borrow some loose
trousers and an overshirt before slamming the door on her and returning to his pleasurable.
March was shouldering on his pajama tops when she came in. Glancing over his furry shoulder, he blinked before smiling, "Alice! I thought you had been
bliddy eaten or something! And... why are you dressed as a boy?"

As she shrugged, Alice's eyes immediately travelled to Hatter, who was curled up on the bed, shivering under a jacket. Nearing the bed, she asked, "How is
he?"
"He'll be good." March buttoned up his shirt, glanced at the mirror, and then grinned at it. He reached up, pulled a string of salad from his teeth. "I was really
sad when Bander said I wasn't invited to the dinner, so I got salad. With shrimp!" He whirled around, ran to the bed, leapt upon it.

Hatter gasped awake with a yelp as March crushed him. He stared up at the ceiling for a few moments before pushing March off the bed, "Get off, you bliddy
lout!" He saw Alice, froze, stared.

March rubbed his head where he had knocked it against the side table, "Eh! No pushing off your best friend! I got floor last night! I want the bed! You sleep in
the corner!"

Slipping off the bed, Hatter came close to Alice, smiled hesitantly, "Are... you going to sleep in here tonight?"

Alice scuffed her shoe, suddenly blushing, "I... guess so."

Hatter nodded happily, glanced at March, and then ordered, "Get off. Alice gets the bed."

"Ah..." March bounced off, went to the corner, kicked at some poofy comforters balled up there.

Alice smiled softly, "Thank you."

"Say nothing about it. It's the best I can do for you." Hatter took her hand, bowed his head, kissed it tenderly.

Alice's blush deepened. Her heart beat maniacally behind her ribs. Tugging it out of his hand, she quickly went over to the bed, sat on it, and averted her eyes
from him. Hatter stared after her, slightly startled. March snickered, "Ooh... Hatter... You just got rejected!"

Hatter reddened, hissed, "Shut up!" Stomping to the wardrobe, he slammed open the door, glanced at the clothes bitterly, and then pulled out some loose,
comfortable cotton pajama bottoms. He paused, glanced behind him at Alice, and then grinned, "Do you mind if I change?"

Alice pursed her lips. Grabbing up a pillow, she pressed it against her face and waited. For a minute or two, she heard the rustle of cloth, the chuckles of
March, felt the little, gray strands of fur stick against her face and tickle. She shifted, sighed. "Hatter? You nearly done yet?"

"I'm done." Alice let the pillow fall down into her lap, looked up into Hatter's face, which hovered just a few inches away. Yelping in surprise, Alice leaned back,
eyes wide. Hatter grinned as he laughed, "Did I scare you?"

"Y-yes."

"I'm sorry if I did." He sat down next to her, smiled at his hands, and then shot a secretive glance at her, "Why are... dressed as a-"

"I fell into a lake."

"...Oh. How did that happen?"

Alice chewed on her lip before sighing, "Maynard."

"What? Maynard?" A confused look crossed Hatter's face. March's ears stood straight up, swivelling towards them to listen.

"He threw me in."

Hatter's face slowly darkened, "Oh. That's Maynard for you. Around father, he's an arrogant, pretentious git. Away from father, he's a bully. When I came to
visit, he followed me around after I insulted his painting and, once I was alone, tackled me and nearly drowned me in the horse-fly trough."

March blinked, glanced back at them, a blanket in his arms, "What? You never told me that!"

"You didn't need to know, but now you do."

March shrugged, dropped the blanket, bounded over, step cheerful, "Well... Ready for sleep?"

"Alice needs pajamas." complained Hatter, putting an arm around Alice's shoulders and tugging her close.

Shivering in his hold, Alice glanced up at March's thoughtful face, the milky eyes staring upwards as they ran through options. "Well... A long shirt and some
undershorts?"
Hatter instantly stood, "Done." He hurried to the wardrobe, pulled out the named articles of clothing out, tossed them to Alice with an order: "Change."

Alice glared at him, "I'm not going to change in front of you!"

"Why not?"

"You're a boy and I'm a girl!"

"So? I changed in front of you."

"I hid my eyes!"

"Than I'll do that." Hatter took the pillow, stuffed it over his face as he sat down.

When Alice turned her glare to March, the Hare stiffened before crossing his arms and stating, "I don't care. I'm not attracted to people like Hatter is. I'm not
going to smother myself in a pillow."
Hatter reached out blindly, found March's shirt, dragged him down. March shrieked, "Hey! You're going to rip it!" His indignant squeals stopped as Hatter
stuffed his face down into the bed's comforter.

Alice hurriedly dressed, hearing March's muffled protests. When she finished, she glanced down at herself, frowned. The shorts were rather short, showing off
more of her thigh than she wanted, the shirt loose enought that the space in between the buttons sometimes spread apart to reveal the peachy skin
underneath. Crossing her arms in self-conscious bashfulness, she nudged Hatter's foot with her own, "I'm done..."

Hatter dropped the pillow, gazed at her, and then smiled softly, "You look lovely."

March gagged as Hatter let his head up. Gasping in air, he hissed, "Never do that again! I'm going to suffocate!"

Ignoring his comrade, Hatter reached out for Alice, motioning for her to come into his arms. When Alice hesitated, his eyes grew hurt, and he sorrowfully
whispered, "Please?"

Alice shivered, sat on his lap. His arms closed in on her, embracing her as his nose buried into her shoulder and took long breaths of her smell. March gazed
at the two before huffing, miffed, "Well... You two lovebirds can stay awake. I'm going to bed." Saying that, he stomped over to the covers in the corner,
flopped down on them, and then curled up on top. His ear stuck out at an awry angle as he sniffed, "And... Hatter... Please don't sleepwalk."

Hatter sighed, gently pushed Alice off his lap, stood, and wandered over while casting longing glances at Alice over his shoulder, "I'm coming... I'm coming...
Sleep well, Alice..."

In the middle of the night, Alice shivered, cold in the late night air. Reaching around blindly, eyes still closed, she essayed to find her comforter. Not finding it,
she sighed, tried to roll over onto her stomach.
Something held her down and she suddenly registered the pressure on her legs. Eyes flickering open, she sat up jerkingly. A thump followed as something fell
back onto the ground. Next moment, Hatter peeked over the edge of the bed.
Even in the dark, his eyes were shining brightly. They were glazed over, not conscious of what he was doing. Grinning slightly, he slowly crawled back onto
the bed, weighting down her legs again. He gently pushed her down, laid down, his head on her stomach. His eyes closed as his hands crept up her sides to
caress her shoulders.
Groaning as she realized the helplessness of this situation, Alice fumed. If she resisted and tried to push him away, he might turn furious and try to hurt her.
She turned her head to the side as Hatter shuddered with a satisfied sigh and dropped back to sleep.

March's long ears bobbed by the edge of the bed, his eyes peering over curiously as he tried to remain unnoticed. Seeing Alice's eyes on him, he smiled
toothily and explained, "He sleptwalked and woke me in the process. I was just watching him."

"Can you take him off?"

"Nah. I don't want to get bitten." March began crawling back for his covers.

Alice panicked, "What about me? I can't sleep like this!"

March paused, glanced back, thought, and then came back. Kneeling on the bed behind Hatter, he gently cupped his arms around his companion's arms and
began pulling back slowly, "C'mon, Hats... Alice doesn't want you."
Eyes flickering open again, Hatter growled deeply before yanking his arms from March and creeping to the side of Alice. He plopped down, dug an arm over
and under her, and then hugged her to him like a teddy bear. His golden left eye fixtated on March's face, daring him to try to remove him again.
March sighed, "Sorry, Alice... But he's set on sleeping on the bed."

"Can't you actually wake him up and ask him to go back to the corner?"
"Waking Hatter up before he does what he wants is a bad idea." said March simply. "Not to mention that it's hard."

Alice stayed still as Hatter suddenly shifted to lay fully on top of her. Her breath slowly escaped her lungs and she gasped, "He's crushing me."

March reached over, rolled Hatter over onto Alice's other side delicatelly. Hatter blinked, coughed, and then snuggled up against Alice, "Mmm..."

"Alice... Ask him what he wants."

"What? He can't hear me."

"Actually, he can. He just can't consciously."

Pursing her lips, Alice rolled her eyes, tugged her arm free, and then poked Hatter in the chest, "What do you want?"

For a few moments, Hatter's eyes just roved around aimlessly, empty and tired. Alice was about to tell March that there was no way that Hatter could hear her
when Hatter mumbled, "Alice..."

Alice stiffened before glancing frantically at March, "Please... get him off?"

Sighing, March leaned over Alice, rougly pushed Hatter off the bed. A few seconds later, his eyes, still glazed over, stared up over the side. March cooed,
"Hats... You got Alice... Come back to the corner so all of can sleep peacefully..."

Disconcerted mumbles before Hatter stood up, staggered over to the blankets, and sank down onto them, instantly asleep.

When Alice woke up the next morning, Hatter lay by her side, curled up and asleep. Apparently, he had sleptwalked again to her side. Sighing, she sat up, slid
off the bed, glanced down at herself and hurriedly buttoned up the stray button right underneath her neck.
March coughed, catching her attention, and then asked, "You're going to need clothes, aren't you?"

"I can wear the clothes I came in yesterday..."

"No, you're not. If me and Hats are bothered by it, then think what the Shadowlanders will think."

"But Bander-"

"Was probably too busy to care. We're going to be safe, just in case. I went out this morning and found a skirt." Holding it up, March peered out from behind
the blue floral print.

"Okay..."

"You can wear a white shirt of Hatter's. They won't care about that." March slowly marched to the bed, peered at Hatter, and then poked him grumpily, "Wake
up... I'm hungry..."

Hatter moaned, swatted at his hand, "Urf... Go away... I'm tired..."

"Hatter..." March knelt, blew on the back of his head, and then whispered, "You ate Alice."

Instantly, Hatter scrambled up, wide-eyed and frantic, "Wait! What? What do you-" When March drew back in uproarious laughter, he scowled and rubbed
furiously at his eyes, "That was a dirty joke to play!"

Alice couldn't help but giggle. At her voice, Hatter glanced up, gazed at her, and then ran over. Hugging her, he sniffled sadly, "I would have been so sad if I
had actually done that! Please don't laugh..." Hatter buried his face into her hair.

Giggling subsiding, Alice nodded, "Okay... So... Are we going to go down to breakfast?"

"If you want."

March stomped down a foot in joking frustration, "What happened to me? I'm hungry too!"

"Hungry... I was breathing Alice in all night... Don't even talk about hungry with me..." Hatter patted a hand against his stomach, which growled softly, and
then smiled faintly, "But I want... oatmeal. Think they have oatmeal?" He shot a curious glance at March.
"That's a change. Usually it's you griping about how you can't eat meat. This is good!" March bounded over, slammed a hand against Hatter's back, watched
as Hatter blanched. "You're getting better."

"No, actually... I still want meat... I just know Alice will be angry if I talk about it." Hatter smiled nervously at Alice.
Alice pursed her lips, watched his grin disappear.

The guards had kept Jabberwock in the room overnight after much debate among themselves. Now, as they all slept, lounged up against the wall,
Jabberwocky paced once more inside. His hunger was satisfied, his stomach bloated in the concave of his ribcage. Walking up to the door, he peered at the
doorknob before gripping it tightly and pulling at it. It still refused to turn, to allow him out of this stinking room. The smell of death had invaded it, lured by
some odd fifteen corpses deposited in various corners.
Nose furrowing, he glanced around, saw the window, sighed. He really didn't want to do that, but he was tired of waiting.
Strolling over to it, he unlatched it, swung it open, glanced at the town below before gulping and slowly climbing over the small railing that protected people
fro accidental falls. There would be a window right below this one. It'd be easy to break through and then find his way to Alice.

Lowering himself, Jabberwock slowly swung himself on the lower balcony, heart pounding with andrenaline. Quickly going up to the window, he tried it, found
it unlocked, went in with a relieved huff.
Inside, a maid was folding laundry, laying the clothes on the bed to be sorted later. Her back, turned, showed her business.

"Miss..." said Jabberwock, trying to sound comforting.

Whirling around, the maid instantly dropped to the floor and murmured worship for her King, "Oh, Your Majesty! I didn't see you! I-"

"Just be quiet. Now... do you know where my daughter Alice is?"

"With the Wonderlanders, Highness." The maid shivered.

Darting out of the room, Jabberwock scraped his mind for the faint knowledge of where the guest quarters were. He took a wild guess, started sprinting down
that way. At the level on which he was right now, he would have to go down around the kitchens and then mount some five staircases towards the west wing.
Hopefully, he would find Alice.

Alice cheerfully flaunted her new skirt, swirling around every few moments to watch it poof out like a mushroom. "Ha ha! Look at this! Isn't this so cool?"

Hatter glanced down at the edge of the skirt that was clipping against his leg. "Yes."

March sniffed, "It makes you look fat."

Instantly, Alice stopped, blushing, and Hatter shoved March in annoyance. March squawked, "What? What did I do? I'm only telling the-"

Suddenly, a heavy force thudded into Alice's chest, sending her flying back. After a few moments on the ground, dazed, she blinked, looked up into
Jabberwock's ecstatic face, "Oh... That hurt..."

Hatter was incredibly crimson in the face. Stomping his foot down, he hissed, "You didn't have to do that! You nearly killed her!"
Jabberwock ignored him. Tugging Alice up, he cradled her in his crossed legs, rocking back and forth as he hugged her lovingly.
"Did you hear me?" growled Hatter, frustrated.

Eyes snapping up to glare at Hatter, Jabberwock spat, "You sent me into a fury! It's all your fault! I should kill you!" He returned his eyes to Alice. The yellow
orbs turned soft and gentle instantly and Jabberwock cooed, "I didn't hurt you when I was insane, did I? I mean, I'm really sorry if I did..."

Alice struggled in his hold, annoyed that everybody seemed to want to hug her every thirty minutes. "I'm fine! I slept in Hatter's and March's room last night
and it was okay... We were just going down to eat breakfast. I'm hungry."

"I'll take you then." Jabberwocky stood up, started dragging her down the hall.

Trotting up next to them, March cheerfully announced, "Me and Hats were going to eat breakfast too! We can go together!"

Jabberwock stopped, glared back at Hatter, and then muttered, "If you dare even try to take my daughter away from me again, I will saw off your head and
make March eat it."

March's smile dropped and he then protested, "I try not to eat red meat anymore, Jabberwock! I turned sometimes vegetarian. Salad and shrimps! No red
meat!"

"Then you better not let Hatter try to take Alice." forced Jabberwock, keeping a wary eye on Hatter.

Hatter smirked, "Of course I won't... I'll just steal her some other time." He caught up with March, walked ahead.
Alice sighed as Jabberwock clutched her hand protectively and cautiously followed Hatter, pulling her behind him.

Chapter 8: Maynard

Hatter and March sat on one side of the small wooden table, Jabberwocky and Alice taking the other side for themselves. Hatter sat across from Alice, March
from Jabberwocky.
As they waited for Alice's eggs, March's cinammon toast, and Hatter's sugared oatmeal, Hatter and Jabberwocky glared at each other, fists tightening in hate,
eyes firey and inwardly furious.

Finally, Alice sighed, "Can't you guys get along?"

Jabberwock pointed an accusing finger at Hatter, "He stabbed me and betrayed me!"

Hatter rolled his eyes, held up a hand, and started to count off, "Let's see what you have done. One, you killed my love. Two, you tortured me. Three, you
turned me into a cannibal and I'm still suffering from that... Four... I just hate you."

Jabberwock pursed his lips, repeated, "You betrayed me."

The table lapsed into silence as the two resumed their hateful glaring game. Even when the food came, Hatter ignored his oatmeal.
Alice rolled her eyes, remarked to March, "You think this is stupid, right?"

March nibbled at his cinnamon-dusted toast hungrily, "Yep."

Suddenly, Hatter's and Jabberwock's eyes were on March, who wilted, "I mean... No opinion on my part."

Hatter sniffed, "Vengeance is not a petty thing, March and Alice. I will get my revenge."

Jabberwock smirked, "Oh, really? I mean, you dare try to kill me again and even the immunity of ambassadors won't be able to save you. You'll have tried to
kill the Shadowland King. Even if you somehow did murder me, the whole army would rise up to pursue you and make you suffer the worse way possible,
even if it meant invading Wonderland. How would your governors feel? Those two bliddy women wouldn't be able to resist for any length of time. Wonderland
would be wiped off the face of the world within hours."

March shuddered, "Don't say that..."

Face paler than usual, Hatter looked at his oatmeal, shrugged, took a bite, grimaced before swallowing it down. Setting down the spoon, he resumed his glare,
"What if you killed yourself?"

Jabberwocky scowled at him, "You're talking about Alice, aren't you?"

"You did say you would kill yourself if you didn't get her back."

"You take her and... I'll..." Jabberwock trailed off, tight-lipped and furious.

"You'll what?" challenged Hatter. "You'll kill me?"

"...Yes."

"Why the hesitation?"

"Because that will lead to a confrontation and we'll both get angry again and you will go insane... And you might hurt Alice." Jabberwock slumped down into
his chair.

Hatter's face twisted up in hurt. He shivered in sudden miserable sadness, "I know... You don't have to remind me."

When silence descended this time, it was a sullen and miserable one. Hatter and Jabberwocky mulled glumly over how they themselves could hurt Alice.
March sniffed, tossed the last piece of toast down his throat, and then licked his lips. "Alice... You want the rest of your eggs?"

Alice had only eaten a little. Pushing the plate over, she watched March start scarfing down the eggs with hungry vigor before glancing at Jabberwock and
poking him, "Could we go see the town today? I haven't been out of the castle."

Jabberwock glanced at her sadly, eyes grieving, "No... I'm not allowed out of the castle."
Startled, Alice asked, "Why?"

"'Cause he tried to run for Wonderland the first week he was back." answered Hatter as Jabberwock opened his mouth.

Jabberwock's teeth clicked together and he murmured, "Yes... That's why. I tried to run away... Got as far as the outer reaches of the city before Bander and
Maynard and Arbere found me... They knew in what direction I would be going..." His shoulders shuddered up and down as he took a deep, rattling breath.

"So you can't go out?"

"If you want... I can take you to the courtyard. That's how far I can go, but I'm watched constantly still..."

Alice frowned, "It's okay."

"No, I mean, if you really want to see the city... I can get Bander to take you."

"It's okay." repeated Alice.

"I'm sorry..."

Alice rolled her eyes and repeated forcefully, "It is okay."

Jabberwocky fell into a sullen silence, mulling over his thoughts miserably.

Jabberwock successfully stole Alice away from Hatter with the help of March. As the tall Shadowlander quickly clipped down the hall, his daughter jogging to
keep up with him, Jabberwock cheerfully said, "You know... There's an opera in the city. Maybe if I ask the council, they'll let us go... Just as long as we don't
wander about."

Alice panted, breathless. "Can we go slower?"

"No..."

"I need to lock myself in my room. I just remembered that the council was going to make me do something today... I just don't remember what. I just know I
hated it at the time and- Shoot... They're already there." Jabberwocky had been about to turn into the hallway that held the door to his room, but a small
group of guards and the old council member were already there, milling around the door. He continued on, face screwing up as he whispered, "Please don't
see me, please don't see me, please don't-"

"Sir!" The council member saw him, waved frantically, "Sire! Sire! Come back! You're going to be late!"

Jabberwocky cursed under his breath before turning, stomping towards them, "What?"

"You're going to be late!"

"For what?"

The council member blinked in surprise before asking incredulously, "You forgot?"

"Yes. What will I be late for? Maybe I want to be late for it. Maybe I never want to go."

"But you have to go to your own wedding!"

Jabberwock stiffened before turning, grabbing Alice's hand, and walking angrily away, "I am not going to get married!"

Regarding his furious face curiously, Alice asked, "What did he say? What do you have to do?"

The elder stomped a foot down and ordered indignantly, "Sir! You have to get married! It's tradition!"

"I don't follow tradition!"

"If you don't marry, then... then... we'll send Alice back to Wonderland."

Jabberwock stopped, glanced back in a look of fury, and then hissed, "You wouldn't."
"I would! Come back here so you can change into your wedding clothes and go get married. The princess is already ready and waiting."

Jabberwock slowly wandered back, face sullen, "Fine..."

Alice pursed her lips and complained, "What are you people saying?"

Turning downcast eyes to Alice, Jabberwocky muttered, "I have to get married... It's horrible..."

The council member smirked, switched to Wonderlander, "No, it's not... You know that we in the council get to choose who your first wife is. After that, you get
to choose."

"Than I'll only have one wife and she won't even be loved..." Jabberwocky sighed before grating, "Ironic that the very people who killed my first wife are now
giving me my first wife."

The man's face puckered into a sour grimace, "That doesn't count. Other than illegal, it was with a peasant. Kings and peasants don't mix."

Suddenly, the man lay back on the ground, Jabberwocky towering over him like a raging black tower. Eyes flashing, he spat, "Don't you dare say that!"

The council member gazed up at him in dumbfoundment before breaking out into a wide grin, "I understand, sire." He stood up, brushed himself off, and then
nodded to his King, "Now go in and get dressed. Alice will be dressed also."

Before Alice could protest, Jabberwocky said, "No, she will not. She's not going."

"You don't want her there?" The council member seemed shocked.

"She doesn't need to witness a tradegy. Have one of the guards take her to one of the Bandersnatch's sons so she can have fun. Don't worry, Alice... I'll come
find you." Jabberwocky cast one last glance at her, hugged her, disappeared into his room.

Maynard slammed the door open angrily, clutching a sheet around his waist and blinking wearily, "What is it? I'm sleeping! What kind of idi-" He froze when
he saw a grim-faced guard and Alice, standing side-by-side in front of his door.
Alice stared in horror at Hatter's half-brother. Why him, of all people? Did fate just hate her?

The guard sniffed, "The King is marrying and his daughter is in need of a watcher. Watch her." He shoved in Alice, who squeaked as she hit Maynard's bare
chest.

Maynard scrambled to catch his bedsheet that began to slide down. Clutching it to his waist, he hissed, "I am not a babysitter!"

"Now you are. Direct orders. Goodbye, sir." the guard turned, marched stiffly away.

Maynard cast a furious and annoyed glare at Alice, who's face paled as the Shadowlander bared his teeth in a snarl. "Well... Are you just going to stand there
and stare, girl, or are you going to come in?"
Squeaking, Alice hurried in, heard the door slam shut behind her, and then froze, gazing at the room in stupefication.
Dust. Everywhere. A thin coating covered the floor, footprints so easily visible in the layer of dirt. The counters surrounding the room were splattered with
dried, cracking paint and jumbled with scribbled-on papers, crumpled balls of yellowing parchment, folded easels, unwashed paintbrushes, and multicolored
rags. The tall four-post bed in the corner, curtains heavy and gray when they should have been crimson and airy, was totally undone. Five pillows lay
scattered on the floor around it. Then, there was the walls. Plain black paint hid the dust, accented their treasures. On each wall, crammed together to form a
sort of mismatched mural, were paintings and drawings, framed and dusty. They seemed to be the only thing in the room that were relatively clean, glass
shiny as they allowed the curious girl to view their beautiful innards.
Moaning, Maynard trailed back to his bed, crawled into it, and then allowed a hand to fall and grope for a pillow. He drew it up, put his head on it, and snarled,
"Now, stay silent and let me finish sleeping!" He closed his eyes, still tense and angry.

Alice neared the wall, eyeing the framed pictures with amazement. They all had a rather miserable undertone. The one right in front of her nose, for example,
displayed a dying bird with a rose sprouting from its side, thorns sharp and black, petals white with splashes of crimson. "Did you do these?"

"You touch them and I will snap your neck." Maynard grumbled, eyes still closed.

Alice stared at another, a large, charcoal sketching of a Gothic cathedral with high towers, ornate flying buttresses. She could make out the small faces of
stenciled gargoyles leering at her from some of the balconies. "These are good!"

Opening slowly, one of Maynard's eyes regarded her before he snorted and sat up, sheet trailing along his waist, "Oh really? I know better than to trust you.
You're just flattering me so I don't throw you into the lake again."

"No, really! These are good!" Alice stepped sideways, glanced up at one that was a city square, a fountain in the middle. On the edges of the gray square, a
troupe of children played hopscotch while an old flower women regarded them with a tired smile. Besides her was a noble, sequined suit flashing in imaginary
sunlight, waiting impatiently for the flowers he held in her hands.
Alice noticed that all the eyes were dull. The black conveyed no emotion, just the rest of the faces and bodies.

Maynard crept off the bed, struggling with his sheet so he wouldn't expose himself. He came close, leaned forward over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, "You
like these ones? I mean, they're nothing much." His voice was trying to keep the quiver of satisfaction away.

Alice nodded, "I like the hopscotch one the best."

"Ah... Hopscotch..." Reaching up with a clawed hand as the other kept the sheet up, Maynard gently pushed it upwards and caught it as it tipped forwards. He
brought it close to his face, regarded it for a moment with glittering eyes, and then sighed, "Not one of my best works."

"I like it." Alice's heart began slowing. Maynard didn't seem that 'bullyish' at the moment.

Maynard turned his dark eyes towards her before smirking. Putting the painting back up, he turned, went to his wardrobe, dropped his sheet. Alice quickly
clapped her hands over her eyes and turned, shivering. As Maynard changed, he said with an irritated tone, "You know, you have no need to hide your eyes.
My back is to you."

"It's... not how we do it where we come from."

Maynard paused buttoning his pants, smiled mischieviously. Wheeling around on his heel, he tiptoed up behind Alice, eyes glinting. Alice yelped when he
grabbed her by the shoulders, pulled her back, and began digging his claws gently but firmly into her armpits. The yell turned to laughter. "Hey! Stop it! Stop!
Stop tickling me!"

Maynard licked his lips, stopped, and then dragged her over to his bed. He threw her on it, ordered, "Stay there." Turning, he ran into the side room and
slammed the door. Alice waited silently, patiently, a small smile twitching at her face. Maynard wasn't bullying her. That was a good thing. After a few
minutes, the door opened. Maynard peered out curiously before sniffing, "You're still there?"

"You told me to stay here."

"I didn't expect you to listen me. What are you? A dumb dog?" Maynard came out, carrying out a half-finished painting. The half of it, Alice recognized it with a
chill, was Jabberwock, arching over the restraining stretcher, mouth open in a scream, eyes dark and savage with hunger. Propping it up against the wall,
Maynard drew back, gazed at it admiringly, "Do you like it?"

"Well... It's a good painting... But..."

"Yes, it's Uncle in a very humiliating position." Maynard knelt, scratched some flakes of paint off the edge of the canvas. "And yes... I had no ideas that day, so
I wandered towards the screams."

"Oh..." Alice bit her lip and watched him stare at his own work for another minute in quiet consideration before asking, "You like painting and drawing?"

"Yes." came the blunt, quick reply.

"... You're really good at it."

"Thank you. Now shut up."

Alice fell silent, feeling awkward and idiotic as Maynard ignored her. Finally, Maynard turned his now-dull eyes towards her and asked sourly, "Do you know
what time it is?"

"Um... Before lunch?"

"Hmm... I'm hungry... I missed breakfast, I can hazard a guess." Standing, Maynard trotted over to his bed, dropped to his knees, peered underneath. He
reached out, grabbed a hidden box, tugged it out, and then smiled grimly, "Another breakfast in my room... I really need to start waking up earlier." Slowly, he
tugged off the top of the box, revealing...

"Are those chocolates?" asked Alice suspiciously as she gazed at the small brown balls.

"Yes." Spearing one with a claw, he popped it into his mouth.

"You eat chocolate for breakfast." said Alice incredulously.

"Only because I'm too lazy to go down. I like my sleep." Maynard sucked on the chocolate, grinning, and then swallowed.

Alice gazed at the chocolates in envy, "Could I have one?"

Maynard stilled, glared at her, "Why should I do that?"

Blushing in anger at his arrogant words, Alice murmured, "That'd be nice?"

Maynard chuckled darkly, tossed her a chocolate, "You get one for liking my paintings."

Alice thanked him and ate the chocolate quickly. Creamy and buttery under a crispy shell, it melted across her tongue. She swallowed, smiled, "Those are
good!"

"Want another one?"

"... Yes, please."

"What will you do for it?"

Alice stared at him stupidly before asking, "What?"

"What will you do for it?" Maynard leaned in, putting his hands on her knees and gazing up into her face with a small smirk.

Alice's anger flared. Shoving him away, she snapped, "You are so selfish!"

Maynard's grin only grew wider. He crooned, "So...? Is there a point to that statement, one that I should heed, or should I just forget it in a few minutes?
There's no real way to change one's character... I think I'll always be 'selfish' and 'headstrong', as my father and you seem to always put it..." He sniffed
before chuckling suddenly, "'Headstrong.' I can agree with that. 'Selfish': yes. And what are you? Little Miss Perfect Maggot?"

"I'm not a maggot."

"You're certainly colored like one."

"Hey!"

"What?" Maynard began eating another chocolate.

Turning bright red, Alice hissed, "You are so mean!"

"I know that. Anything new that I don't know myself? Let's see... Nope. Nothing much. I just think I'm the same Maynard as I was yesterday."
Alice stood up, stormed past him, and sat in the corner, fuming as she glared at the wall. Maynard laughed, laid on his back on the dusty carpet, threw a
chocolate at her head, "You're too nice, Alice. Vermont would have tried to stab me if I had done the same to him."

"Thanks for telling me that... I'll bring a knife next time." muttered Alice dryly.

Maynard blinked before standing, setting the box of chocolates on his bed, and strolling up behind her. He kicked her back lightly, "You are tempermental, girl.
You shouldn't let me get on your nerves."

"It's hard too." sniffed Alice.

Maynard suddenly had his hand around her throat. Tugging her up, he dragged her back over to the bed, threw her there, sat on her back. He began eating
his chocolates again, smiling as Alice struggled vainly under him. "Now, now, Alice... You need to be more... open-minded. I'm just an annoyance. If you really
wanted to, all you had to do would to be to go to your dear father and ask him to execute me. I'm sure Vermont would be happier, not to mention all the other
little brats in the castle..." He smirked, smushed a chocolate against her hair, and then started on a new one.

Alice wiggled, yowling, "You sick weirdo! Let me go! Don't you dare put chocolate in my hair!"

"Ah... You're going to need a bath after this, aren't you? Something befitting a maggot."

Maynard, after cheerfully deeming himself full from his feasting upon the chocolates, tied her up, positioned her, and then began cheerfully sketching her.
At lunchtime, a knock came at the door, Maynard looked up from his paper, scowled before calling harshly, "Who is it?"

"Maynard, it's Arbere! Vermont told me you stole his stupid bird again. I've come to take it back."

Maynard's eyes brightened. Dropping the charcoal, he bounded to the door, yanked it open, peered out at his younger brother, "Yes...?"
"The bird. Where is it?"

"I ate it."

"You're kidding. Where is it?"

"I let it go."

"You wouldn't do that. It's in your room, isn't it? You stole it to draw it, didn't you?"

"What if I did?" Maynard's grin grew wide.

"Than you have to give it back." Arbere shouldered past Maynard, stalked into the room, glanced around, froze when he saw Alice. She gazed pleadingly at
him, the sock in her mouth muffling her protests. Arbere whirled to Maynard and hissed, "You kidnapped Alice?"

Maynard chuckled, "Nah... Just babysitting."

Arbere stomped to Alice, took the sock out of her mouth, started to untie her. "Alice? You okay?"

Alice coughed, her dry mouth emitting raspy breaths as she said angrily to Maynard, "Never do that again!" She blinked before mumbling, "Yeah... I'm fine..."

"Oh... I'm scared..." Maynard leaned against the wall, sneering. "And, by the way, you make a very good picture."

Helping Alice up, Arbere cast an annoyed glance at him, "Now... where's the bird?"
Maynard sighed, disappeared into the side room. In a few moments, he exited, holding up a bird cage. Inside, mottled and old, was a green and red parrot,
squawking weakly. Arbere snatched it away from him, regarded it, and then growled, "Birds need water too, dumbnut!"

"Huh." Maynard cast a disinterested glance at Alice before smiling broadly, "At least leave Alice here. I'm halfway done drawing her."

"No!" Arbere began dragging her towards the door.

Catching hold of Alice's skirt, Maynard refused to release her, eyes glittering maliciously, "I want to finish my drawing. Leave her."

"No! You're going to eat her afterwards after, aren't you?"

"What?" Caught off guard, Maynard let go, put a hand against his chest, and huffed, "That's only on Sundays! I do not eat maggots either!"

Arbere placed himself between Alice and Maynard, pushed Alice to the door, "Okay then... But you were probably going to humiliate her afterwards anyways."

"Yes, I was considering it." Maynard said softly, thoughtfully, "But now you seem to be stealing her away."

"Yes, I am! And don't you dare bother her again!" Arbere shoved Alice out with a hand, holding the bird cage in the other, and then muttered as soon as they
were in the hall, "Stupid Maynard..."

Chapter 9: What’s Happening Back In Wonderland?

Meanwhile, back in Wonderland, the Bandersnatch was paying the governors a surprise visit.
Still dressed in his formal, all-black suit with golden embroidery trailing the sleeves and pant legs, he inspected his white gloves, though slyly watching out
the corner of his eye the lion and the unicorn argue between themselves.

"No! We're not going to give the Jabberwock a wedding present!" said Chesapeake hotly, stomping a hoof on the stone floor.

Lyona glared at her, "It's nice to do, and, besides, we have an obligation as the sister country!"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Chespeake buried her head into her hands and shuddered, "Anyone but that tyrant!"

Amused, Bander shrugged cheerfully, "Well, if it makes you feel better, you can give it to me and I can give it to him."

"That's the same bliddy thing!"

Bandersnatch slowly strolled forward, drawing a small scrap of paper from his pocket. Unfolding it, he glanced at it before asking, "I talked to him before he
left. He was pretty miserable since he couldn't leave the princess until he's impregnated her... But he told me he wants something concerning a..." He
squinted at his own handwriting before questioning, "A... rose?"

Instantly, Lyona nodded, "An Imagination Rose. We can give him a snippet of it, can't we, Chesapeake?" She turned to regard her sullen companion's form.

"Why did you have to tell her that, Bander? She can't resist giving wedding presents."

"Please, Chesapeake." Lyona shouldered her friend.

"Oh, fine! Alright!" snapped Chesepeake irritably, looking up with an angry glint in her eyes. "We'll give him a little piece of the Imagination Rose and he can
go bloat himself on it. I hope you're happy when he dies of overeating!"

Chapter 10: Cheating on a Diet and a Wedding Present

Arbere watched over Alice for the next three hours, showing her around the humongous Shadowland capitol's castle. It was then when she realized that the
'cathedral' in Maynard's drawing had only been a small part of the 'castle'.
Huge walls, made of obsidian-like and dark stone, soared upwards for a thousands of feet, it's outside intricately carved to makes arches and figures in the
wall. Tall towers vaulted overhead, large windows making them ideal places to sight an approaching enemy or watch over the town.
As far she could see to the right and left, she saw dark, towering walls, windows appearing in the black-brown rock as her eyes travelled upwards.
On the sides of the main buildings were immense flying buttresses, carved to house many statues of past figures who glared down at the ground and those
who walked under their stare.

He took her to the top of the walls, which were incredibly thick, about five meters. The town she saw sprawled in all directions. Cottages, some with wood
roofs, some with thatched roofs, some a story, some two stories, some small, some large, crowded together beneath the imposing and threatening gloom of
the castle. Through the town lay cobbled, criss-crossing streets that sometimes broke into a wide public square.
In the distance, she could see another towering palace, although this one had been colored with varying marble and the obsidian stone. When Alice asked
about it, Arbere explained that it was the opera house.

After showing her that, Arbere took Alice back inside, complaining about the chilliness outside.

Just as the fourth hour started to steal upon them, a guard found them, told them that Alice was wanted by the Jabberwock.

Jabberwock was prone on his bed, sullen and angry, when Alice came in. The door closed behind her, throwing the room back into darkness.

Alice stumbled forward, reaching in front of her blindly, "It's dark!"

Jabberwocky sat up, eyes glowing crimson as they changed to see her body heat. He stood, circled around her, grabbed her shoulders, cooed, "I just got out...
It was a horrible wedding and aftermath... Come..." He gently pulled her to the bed, sat her down, and then flopped down beside her with a tired moan.

"So... How did the wedding go?"

"At the coronation, they said they would be looking for a wife for me... That's what I remembered... Just forgot it after a while. It just... caught me by surprise. I
guess that is what my father meant when he said the Council always popped up unexpectedly to make him do something he had been warned about before.
They just... pick the most opportune moments..." Jabberwock curled up next to her, shuddered.
"Well... the wedding itself... was... pretty bad. For one, I recognized the 'princess' that they wanted me to marry. She's a stupid airhead!"

"Oh."

"It's done and over with. For nine more months, I won't have to deal with her!" Jabberwocky smiled softly up at the ceiling before shivering, "I'm cold."

"Then go under the covers."

"I'll just use you for warmth..." Jabberwock squished his arms next to her.

"That's great... I've been used as a model and an arm warmer today..." Alice glared moodily at the floor.

"Model?"

"Maynard made a picture of me..."

"Maynard?" Jabberwock sat up, gazed at her incredulously. "They took you to Maynard?"

"Yes."
"How stupid can they get? Even I know that he's a bratty, little monster."

"I don't know. The guard just took me."

"I'm sorry..." said Jabberwock gravely. "I thought they would take you to Vermont or Mihiel... Maybe Arbere... But not Maynard."

"It's okay. You were busy."

"Yes... Busy..." Jabberwock took a pillow, squished it against his face, and let a snarl of anger escape into it. For a few moments after, he lay there, still, before
tossing the pillow away and apologizing, "I just need to get the resentment out. I so wanted to kill someone, but, if I did, then they would have taken you
away..." Jabberwock hugged her, pulling her down onto his chest doing so. He blew at the blonde hair that had fallen across his face, "I love you so much,
Alice..."

Alice felt her heart thud to her spine, heavy with guilt. He would be so heartbroken to know that she would have to leave. "I love you too..."

Hatter scurried into the room, clutching a small brown parcel in his hands, glancing guiltily right to left. Seeing March, he put a finger up to his lips, whispered,
"Can you close the curtains?" He kicked the door shut and locked it.

March gazed at him curiously, "What happened? Are you in trouble?"

"Oh, no, no, no! It's just..." Hatter lifted the parcel in his hands and said quietly, "I got the cook to give me some meat."

"Oh... You didn't..." March's ears wilted as he rubbed his head, a headache ready to pounce up.

"Oh, March, please! Just this once? I just have a craving." Setting the package down on the table, Hatter ran to the windows, dragged the heavy velvet
curtains shut, and then whirled to the table.

March watched him tenderly and slowly open the parcel, obviously savoring the moment. The Hare sighed, "Are you not being rather obsessive by shutting
the curtains too?"

Hatter shuddered in ecstasy as he poked a steak of bloody, raw meat, "Oh... he has ways of knowing. He always knows, even when I try to hide it." He bit
eagerly into the corner of the slice of venison, blood oozing out onto his lips.

March turned, rolling his eyes, "You are going to defeat all that dieting you've already been on."

"Oh... But it's so good." Hatter swallowed a large chunk of meat, stilled, and then groaned happily, "Mm..."

"If Alice finds out, she won't be happy." muttered March, trying to discourage Hatter.

Hatter sniffed, momentarily hesitating before pouncing on the rest of the steak. "She won't find out."

"How do you know? What if Bander finds out and tells her to punish you?"

"She won't care. She's used to it."

"She doesn't like it."

"She only doesn't like it when I kill it. If it's already dead, than she doesn't care." Hatter finished up the steak, patted his stomach in satisfaction, and then
cheerfully said, "I think I'll do that again!"

March snapped harshly, "No, you won't! You're going to destroy everything that we worked for!"

"What we worked for? You don't even have to work! You don't have a problem!" Hatter picked up the wrapping, licked at the crimson juice that covered it.

Pursing his lips, March marched over, ripped the paper from his hands, smushed it up in his hands. "No more meat."

"Ah... March..."

"I you get anymore, I will tell Bander."

Hatter glared at him before sullenly mumbling, "You're mean..."

"I'm doing this for your own good. Do you really expect Alice to marry a cannibal?"

"...No."

"And does craving blood and raw meat kind of classify you as a 'cannibal'?"

"...Yes." Hatter slumped back into his chair, frowned morosely, and then tried to complain, "But I just have this craving and-"

"'Cause you're an addict. The only way to get past your addiction is to stop eating blood!" March thumped him on the head.

Hatter flinched, rubbed his head in slight pain, "Well... I could... try..."

"You're not going to 'try', you're going to 'do'." said March fiercly.

"But... couldn't I have some meat every once in a while?"

"Yes, but only if you've been really good."

A small, tired smile tugged at Hatter's lips, "Really good? What does-"

"No more fighting Jabberwock."

The smile disappeared.

That night, Alice took a warm bath, being sure to wash out the smushed chocolate crumbs that Maynard had put there out of her hair. Afterwards,
Jabberwocky stole into the restroom, locked the door, and began taking a bath.
While she waited, Alice beat her hands in time on the cover of the bed. It was rather boring here. Nothing to do but wander about all day, eat, grow fat...
She sighed and laid down, her hair still wet and her white nightdress sporting small dots where dripping water had bombarded it. She lay there for a few
minutes, staring up at the ceiling, smiling softly as she heard Jabberwock hum to himself in the bathroom.

Suddenly, something batted against her leg. "Alice...?"

Alice sat up, glanced around, saw no one. "Huh? Who's there?"

Cheshire appeared by the window, licking a paw in mock hurt, "Oh... You don't remember dear smiley-face?"

"Ah! Cheshire!" Leaping up, Alice ran over to him, threw her arms around him, about to bless him with a friendly hug... when he vanished.

Reappearing behind her, Cheshire chuckled, "Got to be quicker on those spindly legs, Alice!"

The humming in the restroom stopped and Jabberwocky called, "Alice? Is there someone here?"

Cheshire disappeared, but his smile remained. He whispered softly, "Say no one is here."

"No one's here!"

Jabberwocky went back to washing himself, although suspicious. His eyes turned a bright red and he glanced at the wall before stiffening when he saw the
tell-tale outline of the Cheshire Cat. Standing swiftly, he sloshed out of the water, reached for a towel, "What does the Cheshire want, Alice? Why is he in there
with you?" He forced his eye not to transfer to the imagination-seeking blue. He didn't want to sprint after invisible cats all day just for a taste of imagination.
Although... Cheshire's was the best imagination.

Cheshire sighed, let his whole body appear. "Well... I have a present for you, your Royal Highness."

Jabberwock knotted his towel firmly around his waist, fingers fumbling with the cloth, "I don't believe you."

"Why don't you use that eye of yours and see if I'm telling the truth or not?"
Jabberwock paused, thought himself stupid for not thinking of that before, and turned his eyes a bright white. Slowly, he regarded the Cheshire through the
wall and ordered, "Say the present thing again."

"I have a present for the newlywed!"

Jabberwock saw no sparks of lies, so he grumbled, "How did you even know? It hasn't been even four or something hours!"

"I know... everything." joked Cheshire as Jabberwock opened the door and glared out, still refusing to let his twitching eyes turn to blue.

Alice laughed, "Yeah... Really..."

"You don't believe me?" Cheshire disappeared. As Alice spun around wildly, trying to find him again, Jabberwock watched him confidently prowl to the bed,
leap upon it, and curl up. He fazed back to Alice's line of sight. "Well... Maybe you're right, maybe you're wrong, but blue is red in some worlds and black is
white in others. My world just happens to be omnipotent."

Jabberwock scowled and walked forward, "You're just messing with words now. Do what you came to do and leave."

"You look rather dashing in a towel, Jabberwock." tried Cheshire, trying to flatter Jabberwock into a better mood.

"Cheshire..." growled Jabberwock in fierce annoyance.

"Okay, okay!" Cheshire arched up, reached over his shoulder, and unhooked a small velvet bag from one of his exposed vertebrae. He fiddled with it, opened
it, peered in, and then smiled cheerfully at Jabberwock, "Bet you can't guess what the whole of Wonderland sends to you!"

Jabberwock pursed his lips, thought. The image of Bander coming up to him and asking what he would desire as a gift floated before his mind's eye. Suddenly
bright-eyed and anxious, he murmured, "An... Imagination Rose?"

Cheshire's tail swished, "Ooh... Lost bet. Not good. I'm already in debt, since I don't recieve a pay..." Reaching in with his paws, he carefully drew out a rose
plantling, about the size of one's palm, and proffered it up for view. "You can plant it and it will grow. A never-ending 'meal', as you might say."

Jabberwock's claws twitched at his sides, his eyes quickly flickering to a powder-blue and locked on the rose. His smile grew ravenous. Forcing himself to walk
slowly, he neared the bed, reaching out, "Give it to me."

Dropping it to the bed covers, Cheshire leapt to safety, catty yellow eyes narrowed as he regarded Jabberwocky desperately leaping upon the rose, drawing it
to himself, and moaning in pleasure as imagination started coursing into him. His smile never died down though. Glancing at Alice, he remarked, "You're going
to have a very fat father by the end of the week."

Jabberwocky looked up, hands clenched tightly around the plantling. "Cheshire... Thank you..." The words issued from his mouth in a rather relunctant way, as
if he didn't want to thank this feline for the gift.

"You're very welcome. Just glad that I can help ourselves be on somewhat better terms." Cheshire scratched at his nose, sneezed. Sniffling, he said, "And...
Alice. I came to check up on Alice."

"I'm fine." Alice grinned brightly at him.

Cheshire returned the smile, only larger, pointier, and more natural. "Well, that's good to hear." He vanished before reappearing on the bedsheets,
dangerously close to Jabberwock. "Does it taste good?"

"Delicious..." Jabberwock glanced up at him before snapping out his claws.

Cheshire leapt back, always smiling, always cheerful. "I just knew you wouldn't be able to resist trying. I think it's time for me to leave now." He faded back
into the air.

Alice glanced around and then said, "Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Alice." whispered Cheshire's disembodied voice from around her.

Silence.

Hatter was asleep when Cheshire pounced upon him. Jerking awake, yelling in suprised fright, Hatter tumbled off the bed, hit the carpet, and groaned, "Ow...
What the bliddy heck?" Turning bleary eyes up, he saw Cheshire's white smile before groaning and placing his head back into his hands, "Cheshire..."
"I came to deliver a wedding present, then decided to come and check up on you. Where's March?"

"I don't know... He went out..."

"Our own poor, little Hare? What will the Shadowlanders make of him? A petting zoo?" Cheshire helped Hatter up and vanished as soon as their hands broke
contact.

Hatter's Shadowlander eye switched to magenta and he tracked Cheshire around the room as he replied, "No... They've gotten pretty used to him... They just
still are so enthralled with his ears."

"I would be too, if I didn't have nice ones." Cheshire batted an ear as he appeared by the table. "And... I smell venison."

"I had some for dinner."

"Uncooked venison."

Hatter's face twisted up as he blanched, "Please don't tell father."

"I won't. He might develop some personal interest in my kitty ears if I go anywhere near him." Again, Cheshire dissolved away.

Hatter bit his lip and asked after a few moments of quiet, "You're going to just wander about, aren't you? I can tell it by the way you're looking at the door."

"I hate that eye of yours. I used to be able to have some secrets." Cheshire materialized, sniffed, and then nodded, "I want to see the castle, maybe spend the
night as an uninvited guest."

"You're just trying to get out of your duties, aren't you?"

"Duties, duties, duties... Life is about life, not duties!" Cheshire's smile died down to a miniscule grin, "I do like having freedom to wander about and not be
stuck reporting what I can figure out of the Shadowlander alphabet!"

Chuckling, Hatter shrugged, "Guess we're the same then. I hate coming here, even though I'm ambassador. I mean, it's just so... evil."

"Evil."

"Go out into the town and go into the main square. You'll see. That is what people do for fun on Sundays."

"Ooh... My interest is piqued. Elaborate, if you please?"

"Just go see it, Cheshire."

Nodding, Cheshire vanished one last time with a closing remark: "Well... Nice to see you too, Hatter."

Chapter 11: Scared of the Dark

That night, Alice lay awake and sullen, Jabberwock's arm thrown carelessly over her in a dream. His hand still clenched around the Imagination Rose and,
every so often, a small satisfied grumble would crawl out of his stomach.
It was too cold. Alice shivered under the covers before scooting back against Jabberwock. His body warmth compesated for what the comforter and sheets did
not.

In the middle of the night, just as Alice began to fall asleep, the door creaked open and a small shadow stole in. Trembling, it made the way to the side of her
bed, sat down, peered over with large, frightened black eyes.
Her senses dulled, it took Alice a few moments to notice it. She stiffened, whispered, "...Hello?"

"Alice...? Could I sleep in here with you and Uncle...? Papa had to go somewhere and the dark scares me..." came Vermont's trembling voice.

Alice sat up, Jabberwock's arm slipping off of her. Peering at the small Shadowlander, dressed in light blue pajamas that turned navy in the night, she patted
the mattress next to her, "Sure."

Vermont scrambled up and instantly had her arm in his grip, sniffling wetly. His shivers sent bolts of sympathy to Alice's heart. Laying back down, Alice let
Hatter's younger brother curl up besides her, murmuring about the dark and its monsters, trying to keep from crying, and then patted his head, "It's okay..."
The next morning, Jabberwocky lay over the top of Alice and Vermont, his restless turning in bed having made him roll over onto them. His head rested on
Vermont's knees, his torso on Alice's legs.
Alice glared at him as Vermont quietly whined, "I have to go to the bathroom..."

"So do I. He always does this, though, and it is so annoying!" Alice remembered the countless times back in Wonderland where she had awoken trapped under
the Jabberwock. Flinching at the memory, she wriggled her legs under his stomach.

Drool slid out of Jabberwock's mouth as he snuggled his head into the comforter, "Umph... No... imagination... please..."

Vermont repeated, "I have to go pee!" He reached down and shook Jabberwock's shoulder.

Jabberwock's amber eyes flickered open before closing again. He murmured, "Vermont... What are you doing here?"

"Papa was not in the room last night and I was scared and you're my Uncle and Alice was here and-" Vermont began to rattle out.

Slowly situating himself so he didn't lay over the two of them, Jabberwocky sighed, "Okay... I get it..."
Vermont leapt up, toddled towards the restroom in awkward, little steps. Alice started to slide out of bed, but Jabberwock closed a hand around her wrist and
pulled her back in. "Alice..."

"What?" Alice asked grumpily, legs sore.

"Would you mind tying a string around the Imagination Rose while I go to the restroom? I'm feeling bloated, not to mention a little bit sick." Jabberwock closed
his eyes, held out his hand. In the palm lay the plantling.

Alice took it, hid it behind her back as Jabberwock opened his eyes and groaned. Cocking her head, she asked, "So... you can get sick off of imagination? How
does that work? I mean, you can't throw up imagination, can you?"

"I can throw up acid, just like you." Jabberwock placed a hand against his rounded stomach, lay back down, and tenderly scratched at it. "It's just the feeling
that comes."

He did look rather bloated, thought Alice with a silent giggle. She stood, went over to the unused desk in the corner, started shuffling through its drawers,
"Okay... I'll find a string."

"Fifth drawer, second over."

Alice found it, began tying it around the rose. Vermont stole out of the bathroom, face relieved and calm, before he saw her and bounced over excitedly,
"Whatcha doing?"

Alice heard Jabberwock stagger to the bathroom and close the door. Glancing down at the eager black eyes that gazed up at her, she explained, "I have to...
make a necklace of this or something."

"Ooh... Why?"

"'Cause Jabberwock eats this kind of stuff."

"I thought he ate imagination. Maynard always told me never to make up stories around him or he would eat my brain like porridge." Vermont's face puckered
up in little kid anxiety.

Alice grimaced, remembering the narcisstical, impudent Shadowlander. "Well, Maynard's lying. Jabberwock just puts his hand on your head and sucks out the
imagination."

"Does it hurt?"

"...Yes..."

"Is that why he eats plants instead? So he doesn't hurt anyone?"

"Oh... this is an Imagination Rose."

"He takes the Imagination from it?"

"Yes."
"I wonder what imagination tastes like... Do you know?" Vermont pressed up against her leg, peered at the rose in unbridled curiousity.

Alice knotted the string, held it up, and watched the flower dangle from the end. "Well... No."

"It's delicious."

Vermont and Alice whirled around to face Jabberwock, who was busy shrugging a shirt on. Vermont instantly ran forward, put his hands on Jabberwock's
stomach, and gazed up curiously, "Does it taste like chocolate? Chocolate's delicious."

"I wouldn't say that exactly." Jabberwock paused before ruffling Vermont's hair.

Vermont flinched under his hand before glancing at the door. "Do you think papa will be back by now?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'm going to go back and... I have to feed my bird." Vermont added the last part sorrowfully. "He's not doing so good... Maynard says he's going to die
soon."

"Maynard's lying." said Alice hastily, trying to cheer the now miserable child up.

Vermont chewed on his lip before confidently nodding, "You're right. Checkers can't die. I won't let him."

Alice restrained a giggle, "You named him Checkers?"

"Yes... It was Grandpa's old bird. I would have named him something different, but Grandpa had already named him."

Jabberwock grinned, "Checkers? You mean that squawky little thing?" A light of memory pulsed in his yellow eyes.

"Yes! You know him? Grandpa taught him lots of bad words, but he won't say them anymore."

"I bet I could make him say a few..." said Jabberwock thoughtfully, "since I did teach a lot to him."

"Oh, really?" Vermont bounced up and down in excitement, clapping his hands happily.

"Gladly. Just... wait till I have time to come over. Maybe this afternoon. Oh, and when you go back to Bander, could you ask him about the tresida? I think I
want to take Alice."

Instantly, Alice's eyes grew wide, "What's a," She struggled with the word, "tresida?"

"Opera." piped up Vermont.

Tapping Vermont's head softly, Jabberwocky said, "I was going to keep it a surprise, dummy."

"Oh... Sorry... Of course I'll ask papa about it. Could I go?"

"Ask Bander. If he says it's okay, then you may."

"Papa never lets me go to those..." complained Vermont unhappily.

"Maybe because they're long and tedious and only adults like them." smirked Jabberwock.

Alice sighed. An opera?

Later that day, the Bandersnatch appeared at the Jabberwock's door, dressed in a bright jade and black suit. Around his waist was wrapped a thick cloth belt
that made his waist seem somewhat thinner.
Jabberwock glared at him as he pulled on a coat, "Did you have to wear that color? You look like a sour candy!"

Bander pinched at his sleeve and inspected it curiously, "Well... I like it. If I do look like a candy, won't the girls come flocking? That'll be especially nice."

"Flirt."
Ignoring his brother, Bander glanced at Alice and smiled, "You look very pretty, Alice. Did dear brother find that dress for you?"

Alice sat sullenly on the bed, glaring at Jabberwock. He had ordered a maid mid-morning to bring the best dress she could find and dress Alice up. The dress
was nice, but Alice absolutely hated the tight corset that squeezed around her torso like a straitjacket. She cast glum eyes to Bander, "I don't like corsets..."

Jabberwock choked out a raspy laugh, rapidly brushed his fingers through his hair, and then glanced at Bander, "How do I look?"

"Better. Have you been eating?"

"The Cheshire Cat brought an Imagination Rose..." Jabberwock thumped a hand against his chest, pulled at the string around his neck, and then held up the
plant, eyes sparkling. "See?"

"That's nice... A flower. Let's go." Bander turned in disinterest and waved a hand at the guards accompanying him.

Hatter and March met them down in the courtyard, dressed their best and eager to leave for the opera. Jabberwocky was furious that Hatter was coming, but,
after much pleading from Bander, finally resented and sullenly tugged Alice into one of the two carriages.
As they rode for the opera, Bander and Jabberwock had a rapid-paced and snappy conversation in the Shadowlander language, the words lilting and cracking
before rumbling, somewhat like a miniature thunderstorm.
Alice tried to figure out what they were talking about, but she couldn't make any senses of the words.
The carriage jolted to a stop. A few moments passed before the door opened and a guard ushered them out, glaive at ready and free hand straying close to
his sword.
Alice remembered seeing the opera house from the distance atop the castle walls the day before, but the building surpassed her expectations at such
closeness.

Built in the gothic style, much like the palace, the opera house possessed many long spires of gray-black obsidian that jutted out of whitish-gray marble.
Statues lined the walls. Unlike the palace's, these ones had their hands held downwards, as if welcoming the crowd that milled around the intricately carved
oaken doors. Glazed windows allowed the outsiders to see inside through shades of green, red, and blue.
Guards parted the crowd, shouting hoarsely, "Make way, make way! The King is here! Make way for his Royal Highness!"

Jabberwock patted Alice's shoulder and whispered, "Don't stop. Just keep following me."

The captain of the guards gave him a curt nod. Taking a rasping breath, Jabberwocky stalked forward, eyes darting from side to side at the joyful faces that
milled behind the cautious guards. Cheers of respect and love rose from the people, they pressed forward, the guards harshly shoved them back.
Two men in pure white uniforms waited at the door. When Jabberwock came close, they bowed respectfully before saying quietly, "We will show you to your
box, your Majesty."

Alice stared behind them, enthralled with the main hall of the opera. Underneath the long oriental rugs lay polished maple wood flooring, shiny and bright as
if it had never been scuffed by thousands and thousands of shoes. Along the walls lounged marble statues, life-like, smiling, emitting the aura of friendliness
even though they had no heart to send it out from. Besides the sculptures were tall, leafy plants that held their perfect flowers out for anyone to smell. The
walls, beautifully painted with floral vines and birds atwitter in midflight, were adorned with gold threadwork. At the far end of the hall, two double-helix
staircases mounted the walls. Their twisting crimson-carpeted stairs assured that the people descending and the people mounting would never meet but walk
around each other dozens of times before reaching their destination.
Alice glanced up at the ceiling, gaped. A high, vaulted ceiling hung with crystal chandeliers, burning brightly with candles. Above were paintings of 'mythical'
creatures: a unicorn, a winged lion, a Gryphon. In the middle, a Shadowlander smiling wryly down at the floor below, a bow and arrow in his hands.

Broken chords began to echo out softly. Alice glanced around in surprise, latched eyes on Bander besides her, and then asked, "What's that?"

"The orchestra fine-tuning their instruments. They always do that when the doors first open."

Jabberwocky paused, turned, and called, "Alice... I said to follow me. I don't want you to get trampled by the people."

Alice hurried up to him, hearing a muffled sigh from behind her. She shot a secretive glance behind, saw Hatter standing where she had just been. His eyes
were on her. She stilled before motioning to him.
In an instant, he was by her side. "This is amazing, isn't it, Alice?"

Jabberwocky glared over Alice's blonde hair at Hatter with a sneer of disgust on his face, "You... are so annoying, you know that?"

Alice hit her arm against his side, glared at him, and then replied to an angrily blushing Hatter, "I like it. It is amazing."

Smiling, Hatter caught her hand and clasped it tightly before hesitantly saying, "But you're prettier."

Alice reddened, "Oh... Thank you."

Jabberwock rolled his eyes, looked back, snapped his fingers. Instantly, a guard was at his side. Tearing Alice away from Hatter, he pushed her gently into the
guard's arms and ordered, "Take the Princess up to my box and watch her till I get there."
"Yes, sir." The guard turned, marched a confused Alice away.

Watching them start up the double-helix staircase, Jabberwocky turned with a sigh to Hatter and then muttered quietly, "What do you want from Alice,
Hatter?"

"You know that... I just want to marry her..."

"I can't let you do that."

Hatter's face grew enraged, his left eye changing to black as he struggled with his anger. "You can't do that. You have no control over what my love is."

Suddenly, March bounded up, twirling a white flower in his hands, "Hats! C'mon! We can go up, you know?"

Hatter sniffed, turned away from Jabberwocky, "You won't be able to stop me from seeing Alice. I love her."

Jabberwock watched them stroll away towards the stairs before clenching his claws into fists, teeth bared in hatred. The guard who stood behind him asked
slowly, "Sire? Are you alright?"

"Yes. Just angry."

"At the Wonderlander ambassador, your Highness?"

"Yes." Jabberwock glared at Hatter's back, reached up, gripped the Imagination Rose, drained a bit of imagination just to comfort his suddenly roiling stomach.
He quickly strode forward, caught up with the two, and, grabbing both of them by their shoulders, leaned in between them and asked quietly, "I have a
question... Are you planning to take Alice back?"

March, unnerved, glanced at the slowly flexing claws by his cheek. "Uh... You're not going to eat our imagination if we tell you the truth, are you?"

"So you are?"

Hatter brushed his hand off, mounted a step, turned, and then glared at Jabberwock, "What do you think? Of course we are! She'll be coming back with us."

Jabberwock tugged March close, started rubbing his head gently against the suddenly frozen Hare's head. Silently thinking, he grabbed one of March's
shivering ears, teased it to the side, and then whispered, "Would you really do that to me?"

"I would love to do that to you!" snorted Hatter. "Watch you suffer as I suffered!"

March squeaked, "Jabberwock? Please don't stick those claws in my head. Please don't." His whole body was shuddering.

Jabberwocky released him, watched him race to cower behind Hatter. "Scared of me now, March?"

"Just when you get that close..." March peeked over Hatter's shoulder, eyes frightened.

Jabberwock started to walk up the stairs, face thoughtful. "I am sorry, March. I do like you. You're my favorite Wonderlander other than Alice, but, even then,
she's not even really Wonderlander... But this whole thing with taking Alice back is really going to be bothering me. The only way I can really think of keeping
her is to kill the two of you."

Hatter instantly snapped, "Immunity."

"I'd be glad to let you keep that immunity as long as you leave Alice here... But immunity only protects you from the death penalty, not the jails or whatever
else there is. Since the only things you've done so far is attack me, which would have merited a good whack on the neck with an axe, you got off... To make
you stay, I just have to find out if you've done anything that'll be able to make you need to have jailtime." Jabberwock brushed his fingers against his chin,
eyes bright and thoughtful, before glancingn incredibly pale Hatter and asking, "Does that sound good? You won't be able to be imprisoned for more than six
months, as the 'immunity' does say, but I think I can figure out ways even after that to make you stay."

March fur was on end, "You... wouldn't..."

Hatter gulped, growled irritably, "We read the whole immunity thing dozens of time. You're lying."

"I am," admitted Jabberwocky with a sigh, "but I can still figure out ways. Such as Maynard, your brother. Say I give him an axe, ask him to cut off your head.
I'm pretty sure he would do it."
"And I would kill him."

"Ah! And that's where Bander would get angry with you and send you back to Wonderland immediately. Without Alice." Jabberwock smiled.

Hatter huffed, turned, pushed March up the stairs, "We don't have to listen to this, March! Let's go!"

Following them with rather confident steps, Jabberwock chuckled, "Scared, Hatter?"

"Don't talk to me!"

"Why not? You're scared, admit it!"

Hatter whirled and spat, "The only one I'm scared for is Alice. She has a sociopath for a father, and he doesn't seem to know when to let go!"

"Oh... Who's the sociopath? Cetainly, not I. Last time I checked, you were the one who had an insanity problem."

"At least I'm not overprotective!"

"At least I'm not... Well, yes, I'm actually obsessed. But at least I'm not-"

Bander bumped into Jabberwock's back and hissed, "Don't make a public spectacle out of this, brother. Save it for a private place."

Jabberwock blinked and then nodded, "Okay... I'll bring this up later, Hatter." He shot one last glare at Hatter before shoving past both him and March and
stomping up the velvet-covered stairs.

Chapter 12: Chocolate Cake

Situated in the exact center of the second balcony, the Royal Box offered an excellent view of the dark stage and the orchestra pit. The guard had pushed
Alice in with a gruff order she didn't understand before closing the door.
Instantly, her eyes lit upon the familiar scruffy brown hair and she scowled. Maynard turned in his seat to glance at her, sniffed, "Oh... It's you. Why are you
here?"

"Jabberwock wanted to bring me."

Maynard huffed, settled down into his chair, and then murmured, "Who else?"

"Bander, March, Hatter. That's about-"

"You mean Imagine, no?"

"Well... yes, but I call him Hatter."

"Stupid, ignorant maggot. Can't even use a real name, can you? Too complicated for you."

Alice reddened before sitting in a chair and crossing her arms, "I'm not a maggot."

"Oh? Then prove it to me!" challenged Maynard, glaring at her with narrowed black eyes.
Alice fell silent, lost for ideas, and Maynard smirked, "Exactly as I thought. You can't unprove your own existence, Alice."

"Why are you picking on me?" she complained finally after a few seconds of silence.

"Picking on you? I tease everyone, you forgot that. It's just how I work." Maynard stood, strayed over to her, and bent down, eyes glittering as he stuck his
face up close to hers. Extending a finger, he pushed up her chin and sneered, "And... You might say that I specifically taunt you because you are pretty. You
also have my dog of a brother's heart in your hand. Think how fun it will be to break it."

Alice pushed him away angrily, "You're doing this because of Hatter?"

Grabbing her face, he forced her to look at him again and said slowly, "No... I'm doing this because you're-" Alice kicked out, heard him yelp, watched him
stumble back clutching his thigh. Hissing through his teeth, Maynard nursed his pain for a few moments before advancing on her, eyes furious, claws ready to
grab her. "You little-"
The door opened, Jabberwocky came in, distracted. Seeing Maynard frozen in his threatening position, he narrowed his eyes and growled, "What are you
doing?"

Maynard instantly fled to his chair, sat, crossed his legs as if nothing had happened, "Nothing."

"Alice, is he bothering you?"

Alice glared at Maynard before lying, "No."

"That's good then." Jabberwock stalked to the central tall chair, brushed off a small ribboned wreath that lay on its seat, and then slumped down, claws
digging deep into the beautiful ebony armrests. He glared out over the seats, that had begun to fill, and then muttered quietly, "Hey... Maynard... Are there
going to be guards at every door?"

"Huh? No, Uncle. Just the main front and back doors. The side doors will be open for the other viewers."

Jabberwock pursed his lips, mulled over this informationg, and then sniffed, "Tell me, is Bander looking for a new wife? I haven't seen him actually dress up for
a while."

Alice blinked. Dress up? Bander was always dressed up!

Maynard replied pleasantly, "Well... Actually, I think he is. He's been telling me he wants another son. I can just guess that he's looking for another wife to
give him one."

"Hm... So than I'll have six nephews."

"Seven, if you count Imagine. More than that if you count Uncle-"

"I don't." snapped Jabberwock.

Maynard shut his mouth, cast a glance at Alice, stood with a pained sigh, and then went up to the door. He opened it, about to leave, but bumped into March.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I'm-" March trailed off when Maynard reached up and ran his hand across the top of his head in sudden curiousity. His smile died down to an
annoyed frown as Maynard, enthralled with the fur, continued to pet him.

Hatter slapped his hand away, "He's not a pet."

Maynard blinked before chuckling, "Oh... Imagine... Alice and I were just talking about you."

Hatter shoved past him, pulled March in, and then turned to Maynard with a suspicious look. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not. Alice says she likes you."

Instantly, Jabberwock stiffened, slowly turned his head to glare pure hatred at Hatter.
Hatter, however, ignored him, face turning a bright pink as he glowed in pleasure, "Really?"

"Yes." Maynard stepped out, closed the door with a chuckle.

Bounding over, Hatter plopped down in the chair next to Alice, leaned over his armrest, over hers, and pressed in close. "Really? You like me?"

Alice shivered, her heart beating furiously as her mind raced around in circles. "Um... Yes."

Instantly, Jabberwock was behind them, shuddering with rage. Grabbing Hatter's collar, he dragged him up out of the seat, thrust him away, and then
dragged Alice to his lofty, kingly chair. Sitting down, he pulled Alice on his lap, locked her in with his arms, and glared at Hatter, daring him to try to take Alice
away from him. Hatter stared at him, dumbfounded, and then huffed angrily. Taking a seat, he pulled it up to Jabberwock's left side, set it down, sat. Growling
deep in his throat like a feral cat, Jabberwocky clutched Alice to him and cast a wary glare to the stony-eyed Hatter.

March sighed, sat down in Alice's old seat, "Well... I am now officially ashamed. Both of you have reverted to being immature in a fight over a girl."

Bander came in, carrying two wine bottles in a hand. Behind him, a servant followed carrying goblets. "Hey, Jabberwock! I got wine... Why's Alice on your lap?
She's not going to stay there the entire time, is she?" Setting down the bottles, he hastened to uncork them with a claw and poured a glass quickly before
handing it to his brother.

Jabberwock downed it quickly, handed it back for more, still stared icily at Hatter, "No, but she will not be sitting anywhere near Hatter. I don't trust him."
"Not this again..." Bander handed back the goblet, full, "You two just act like little kids around each other. Why do you-" He gazed at the empty wine glass held
up to him for more and then sighed, "Should I just give you the whole bottle?"

"Yes."

Handing the bottle to Jabberwock, Bander turned as Jabberwock sipped at it happily. "Now... Where did Maynard go?"

Maynard came back just as the opera began. The beginning symphony nearly deafened Alice and she sat sullenly with her hands clapped over her ears. Thirty
minutes passed, Alice grew lost in lilting words, loud music, and the constant dancing that abruptly broke out in the middle of a sentence, so it seemed.
Desperate to escape, she finally stood, started creeping for the door, but Jabberwock grabbed her hand, ripped his ecstatic eyes from the stage, and
whispered, "Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom." It was the truth; she had a mounting urge to relieve herself.

"Have Bander take you." Jabberwocky released her hand, snuggled into his chair, and resumed watching the opera, enthralled.

Tapping at Bander's shoulder, Alice murmured, "Will you take me to the bathroom?"

Bander had his feet propped up on the railing of the balcony, a small spyglass pressed up against his eye. He shushed her, ignored her question.

Hatter was asleep, amazingly, and March had already disappeared, running from the loudness of the orchestra because of his sensitive ears. So the only
person left to ask was...

"Maynard, I have to go to the bathroom. Would you take me?"

Maynard slowly glanced behind at her, blinked, and then staggered up. He trailed after her as she vanished out into the hall.
A guard glanced at her in curiousity before sharply saluting when Maynard came out. The prince yawned, showing filed white teeth, "Well... I didn't know that
it was going to be Sevoray again. I wouldn't have come if I had known... Oh well... Guess I"m stuck with you then... So... Bathrooms?"

"Yes. Do you know where they are?"

"Why should I tell you? I still have that bruise you gave me a half-hour ago. It's blue! I went to mirrors and checked. Blue and purple!" Maynard crossed his
arms and bared his teeth.

Alice bounced up and down, pleading, "Please? I have to go to the restroom!"

"Ha ha! You look funny doing that!" Maynard glanced at the guard, who was eying them curiously, and then muttered, "I'll show you." He started down the
hall.

Alice followed him slowly, watching his hands twitch in and out of his pockets, messing with the edges of his shirt, and finally reaching up to mess up his hair
back to its usual scruffiness. "That a habit of yours?"

"Huh? What?"

"Your hands?"

"Oh. Nah. Just something that happens." Maynard turned into a side hall, strolled down halfway, and then pointed at a plain wooden door, "Lady's restroom in
there."

Alice quickly went in, locked the door. After a few minutes, she fumbled back up the laces of her dress before opening the door and stepping out.
Maynard grabbed her from the side, twirled her around as she yelped, and then flicked at her frightened face, "You're too easy to scare."

"You freak!" hissed Alice.

"Hmm... I can accept that. So... What do you want to do now?"

"Huh?" Alice's eyes widened.

"I don't want to go back and I can tell that you don't want to either... So, what do you want to do?"

"... I don't know." Alice sighed in relief.

"Want to eat? There's a restaurant in the opera's basement."

Alice suddenly stiffened before asking, "Are you inviting me to dinner?"

"Sure, why not? Royals eat free. I'm hungry, besides, and I really, really want to eat. And I can tease you over dinner. It'll be fun."

Alice grimaced, "So there is a reason. I'm just someone to be teased?"

"Yes."

"Then no. I'll just go back." Alice whirled around on her heel, started stomping away.

Maynard pounced upon her, dragged her back, "No, you don't! I'm not going to go get fat alone! C'mon! Please?"

"Take back what you said about me being a maggot first!"

"If it satisfies you. You're not a maggot."

"Thank you!" Alice ripped herself from his grasp, brushed herself off, and then smiled mischieviously at him before punching him playfully. "See? Wasn't so
bad!"

Maynard scowled at her before grabbing her hand and tugging her down the hall, "Chocolate cake, okay?"

"That's fine."

The 'restaurant' was more of a cafe', housing small two-person tables and an unnoticed violinist playing solo in the corner.
Maynard had ordered two chocolate cake slices, one for Alice, one for himself. However, he scarfed his down in record time and began to reach over to steal
small bites of Alice's.

Chewing thoughtfully, Maynard said, "You know... I've been working on that picture."

"The one of Jabberwock?" Alice glared at his hand, which was once again straying over to smuggle another piece of fluffy cake to his mouth.

"Nah... The one of you."

Alice glared at him, "You tied me up, I remember. I still despise you for that."

"Yes, I know, but it was such a good picture. I've taken off the ropes and stuff, but I still need to get the rest of your body. Soon? Before you leave?"

"I'm not going back into your room unless I have someone with me."

"Than bring someone. I hate to leave a picture unfinished, even if it's one of a disgusting Wonderlander."

Alice frowned before retorting, "You're the weird ones, going around executing people and eating them!"

"Oh... So you heard?"

"About what?"

"About the Eaters?"

"Yes."

"You know that I'm one, right?"

Alice gazed at him in stupefication before sniffing, "You're lying."

"Why does everyone ask me that?" complained Maynard, scowling. "I'm a perfectly fine Eater. I fufill my quota every Sunday and, still, people don't believe
me."
Alice looked down at her cake before asking stupidly, "Why are you eating cake then?" She couldn't help but think of Hatter and his lust of blood. March was
okay.

"We don't have to eat flesh every day. Just Sundays. So... Yes. I prefer cake to meat." Maynard reached over , claws outstretched to steal another part of her
cake.

Alice whacked it with her fork, watched him hiss and draw back. "This is my food!"

"Oh... Come on... I'm treating you."

"You said 'royals eat free'."

"Well... yes... But you wouldn't have come if it hadn't been for me."

Silence descended for a few minutes, the warbling voice of the violin clawing its way into Alice's mind. Shaking her head, she sighed, put down her fork. "So...
you're an Eater?"

"Yes, and a pretty bliddy good one, too!" Maynard said fiercly, eying her cake longingly.

"Do you know that Hatter's an Eater? Well... used to be an Eater?" Alice asked.

Slowly, a look of surprise came upon Maynard's face, his mouth twisting up before dropping open, his eyes widening before glazing over, his hand frozen on
the table. "Imagine? Wait, what? He's not an Eater."

"In Wonderland, he was."

"But..." Maynard stammered, "W-Wonderland doesn't even have Eaters!"

"Under the Jabberwock they did."

Maynard mulled sullenly over this information for a while, biting his lips before asking, "Is that why Father continuously denies him meat?"

"I guess so."

Suddenly, a broad, malicious grin spread across Maynard's face, his eyes twinkling in eager planning. "Oh, I can work that into something!"

Alice glared at him suspiciously, "What are you going to do?"

"I'm not going to tell you. Why would I do that?"

"So I can warn Hatter."

"Which would completely ruin everything for dear brother." Maynard clapped his hands together before kicking Alice underneath the table.

Bending over to glare at his scuffed-up boots, Alice straightened after a moment, saw her plate gone, and then glared at Maynard, who was wolfing the
chocolate cake down, "You are so selfish."

Maynard paused and then pointed out, "But you got half of it." He speared a small cube of it with his finger, flicked it at her.

It missed, but Alice flinched as it plopped on the table in front of her. "You know... You've already ruined one of my dresses. Please don't get chocolate on this
one..."

"Ruined? Why ruined? You can always just get another." Maynard flicked another piece at her, which landed on the top of her hands.

Brushing it off, looking at the brown smear it left behind, Alice replied, "But Jabberwock goes through so much trouble to get me these."

Instantly, Maynard choked on the piece of cake he was swallowing, hacked it back out on the plate, stared at her in dumbfoundment, "Trouble? You are
kidding, no? Uncle is the King, not some lord or noble, but the King. If he wanted to, he could march up to me and say, 'Maynard. Get undressed, give me your
clothes, go running around in the town's streets wearing nothing but a helmet.' And... I would have to listen. As King, he can order any of us around, except
ambassadors, since they have immunity, and the council, because they get three valid actions a month. So, this month, they've already used up one with the
marriage, so they have two left, which puts all the more power in the King's hands."
"That's stupid. You wouldn't actually go running around naked, would you?"

"Actually, I would." Maynard crooned sarcastically.

Alice gazed at him for a few moments before giggling, "Okay... That'd be really funny to see, kind of. I'm not... making fun of you or anything, but the way you
put it was funny."

Licking his lips, Maynard stabbed his fork into the cake, avoiding the already-chewed up part, and held it up in front of his face, regarding it in mock
curiousity, "'Oh, look, Mister Cake. Maynard's going to eat you. Let's all giggle like Alice does'." He popped it into his mouth, shot a mocking glare at her.

Alice laughed, "You're mean sometimes, Maynard, and, then, at others, you're really weird and funny."

"I suppose that is a good thing." sniffed Maynard before flicking another piece of cake at her.

This one thudded against her dress and Alice's laugh died off as she hastily tried to wipe it away. It left icky brown smears as it parted from the ornate silk.
"Ah... You ruined it."

"Look who's selfish now."

"I'm not selfish! I just don't want to put Jabberwock through any kind of trouble!"

Maynard leaned forward and growled, "Why? Because he's your daddy? I put may father throught most kinds of trouble every day!"

Suddenly furious, Alice leapt up, stormed away, hands clenched into little fists at her side. Maynard stared after her before glaring down at the last piece of
chocolate cake, huffing, and standing up to run after her. Sprinting, he reached her side, stepped in front of her, stopped her. He sniffed and crossed his arms,
"I'm sorry if that upset you."

Alice glared at him fiercly, "Why are you apologizing? So I can nurse my 'selfish' feeling back to health?"

Maynard couldn't help but add a snide remark to his apology. "Okay, so you know you're selfish now, now come back and talk."

"You are so horrible." Alice pushed him away, headed for the staircases, heading for the quiet moan of instruments.

Maynard grew livid that she wasn't listening to him. "Alice! You come back here right now!"

"Or what? You'll eat me?" called Alice snidely.

Maynard was lost for words before smiling. Hurrying once more to her side, he grabbed her hand, pushed up against her, and whispered, "Or I'll find time to
stalk you everywhere you go in the castle."

"You do that!" Alice ripped her hand from his grip and began to mount the stairs, leaving Maynard behind with a confused smile on his face.
His heart was clenched in fury, but also in liking. Finally, a girl who reacted somewhat to his insults and tauntings! She was fun to mess around with! With a
happy sigh, Maynard turned, headed back for the restaurant. He might as well eat dinner.

Chapter 13: Memories of One Long Gone

The rest of the opera played out to the deafening symphony, where Alice finally picked up that someone had been sentenced to die earlier in the play and
now he was to be executed and all that other 'good' stuff. She watched the man disappear to be supposedly 'killed' and then flinched as the crowd leapt up,
applauding with a roar.
Jabberwock still sat in his seat, staring at the stage. Finally, he glanced at Alice, smiled softly, "Did you like it?"

"It was okay... I didn't understand much of it though..."

Bander sighed as he slid the small spyglass shut and stowed it in his pocket, "I'm going backstage."

Jabberwock glared at him, "Flirt."

"You know? Well, yes... The chorus girl who dance in the aria interests me."

Alice giggled, "You're so weird, Bander. You just look for girls to flirt with?"
"Well... yes." admitted Bandersnatch, "I actually found Mihiel's mom in the opera. I had to bother and bother Father just to let me marry her, but the fact that
she is the daughter of the Duke of Silvermayne Ridge kind of helped. Higher than a peasant, on the lesser levels of nobility."

Standing, Jabberwock placed a hand on Alice's shoulder, "Come with me, Alice. I want to show you something."

Bander glanced at them before reaching over and shaking Hatter's shoulder, "Imagine, wake up."

Hatter groaned, snuggled against the railing, and whispered, "Leave me alone..."

"We're going to go soon."

Hatter's eyes fluttered open, "Ah..."

"You can sleep in the coach if you want..."

"Yes... That'd be nice..." Hatter stood, stretched, then yawned wearily. Blinking blurry eyes, he glanced at Alice, smiled brightly, "Alice... Was the show good?
Did you like it?"

"...Yes."

Bander looked around, "Where's Maynard?"

"I don't know."

"Didn't he take you to the bathroom?"

"Yes."

Hatter eyes glittered, "Did you not ask me because I was sleeping?"

"Yes." Alice replied.

"You know that you could have woken me up. I would have gladly taken you."

Jabberwock squeezed Alice's shoulders, cast a glare at Hatter, and then smirked, "No, you wouldn't have. If it had come to that, I would have taken her."

Hatter pursed his lips before complaining, "You can't keep her for yourself! I want her too!"

"You don't want her to hear you say that? Is that why you switched to Shadowlander?"

"Yes."

"Fine. We'll talk about this later." Jabberwock turned Alice around, pushed her from the room.

Jabberwocky successfully found a side door that was unguarded, snuck out slowly, glancing from left to right. Behind him, Alice was gazing at his cautious
antics, "What are we doing?"

"I want to show you the town." Jabberwock, satisfied that no one was about, stripped off his jacket, folded it over his arm, and then undid the top button on
his shirt. "It's been such a long time since I actually got to sneak around town. I used to come into town all the time to meet Anna and Contessa..." A note of
sadness lowered his voice.

Alice came up to his side, "Where'd they live?"

"I can show you, but we have to walk fast and in side streets or the guards will find us. And-" Jabberwock whirled around as the door opened.

Peering out with wide, curious eyes, Hatter gazed at them with a hesitant smile, "Where are you going? Can I come?"

Jabberwock, about to object, fumed as Alice said cheerfully, "Of course."

Hatter stepped out, let the door close behind him. Stepping up to Alice, he put an arm around her shoulders and shot a mocking look at Jabberwock, who's
eyes flashed a black of fury. "Thank you, Alice..." He hugged her.

Taking deep breaths to regain his temper, Jabberwock hissed, "Well, are we going or not? Come on!"

What Jabberwock said about guards was true. As soon as they discovered that Jabberwock had escaped the opera house, they scrambled out throughout the
streets, trying to find him.
Watching another one ride past atop a horse, calling his name loudly, Jabberwock nodded as soon as it was clear, ran across the street. Alice and Hatter
followed, finding this game of town-wide Hide-And-Seek rather funny. Jabberwock hurried them along, ignoring their laughter.
After a good hour of sneaking through side streets, across small bridges, and avoiding large open squares, they reached a smaller district of the town. The
houses were small and quaint, wooden with thatched roofs. Little windows were scattered around on their walls and doors, frail looking wooden slabs. Each
one had a small patch of land by the side of their doors, where small flowers and vegetables grew in disarray.
Jabberwock suddenly halted, took a shuddering breath, and motioned for Alice. "Now... Alice... Which one do you think used to be where my sweethearts
lived?"

Alice regarded the identical houses in confusion. They were all the same; she was supposed to choose one out of them? "I... don't know."

Sighing, Jabberwock walked forward slowly, almost hesitantly, down the cobblestone street, stopped in front of one whose garden was thick in thistles. The
scratched scribbles of Shadowlander on the door announced it as number fourteen.
The windows were dusty and dark.
Stepping up to the door, Jabberwock swung it open slowly. Obviously, no one had lived here in a long time. He froze in the doorway, eyes glittering with
moisture as he stared through the doorway into where his love and daughter had lived.

Alice stepped up beside him, feeling Hatter's eyes on her back. She took his hand to reassure him and whispered, "I'll go in with you if you want..."

Nodding silently, Jabberwock crept in, face miserable and sorrowful.

The scratched wooden floor showed a thick layer of dust underfoot, the walls painted a dirty beige. The windows cast dark light through the dirty mess to
dimly illuminate the two-room cottage.
To the left was obviously the kitchen, which consisted of a small counter, a bowl that might have held waters or porridge in the morning, and some little
cupboards that lay ajar. Also, a small bowl in the corner would have been the 'bathroom'.
On the right was a bed, just a mattress on the floor. A ratty, chewed-on blanket lay in a ball on top. Across the floor sat small dusty toys, some broken, some
not. In the corner was a wooden box upon which was piled three books.

Jabberwock slowly crossed into the right room, eyes brimming with tears. Bending, he picked up a small lion, poked at the fluffy brown innards where it had
been split open by a curious rat's teeth, and then murmured sadly, "I haven't been here since before I was banished... They were here one day, the next day
gone..." His shoulders slumped as fat tears trailed down his cheek and his voice choked in emotional agony.

Alice stared at his shivering back. A hand clasped on her shoulder gently, she glanced up at Hatter, who was grimly silent.
Jabberwock suddenly stilled, staggered over to the book box in the corner, shoved it aside, and then pried his nails in the seam of the wood. The plank came
up, he thrust it aside, knelt, and then reached in. Carefully, as if handling the greatest treasure in the world, he pulled out a few papers, brightly splattered
with colors. He sighed with a shudder before turning and choking, "These were Contessa's... This was Contessa's room..." He gave such a sorrowful moan that
Alice felt obliged to walk over to him, let him embrace her, and start sobbing into her hair. His tears wetted her scalp, making her uncomfortable as the
papers crackled in his hands, but she stood still.

Hatter whispered, "I'm sorry..." His voice was ladened with genuine sympathy.

Jabberwock sniffled, wiped his eyes furiously, shaking visibly, "I just miss my daughter..." He drew Alice close, kissed her lovingly on her head, and murmured,
"I miss her..."

"I know you do..."

They stayed at the house only for thirty more minutes. The guards, finally guessing where Jabberwocky had gone, arrived, dragged the miserable Jabberwock
out of the house. Hatter and Alice watched from the porch as they worried over him, peering at him for any wounds, any bad thing that might have happened.
Jabberwock had lapsed into a kind of shock, his eyes staring at the floor, his mouth set in a hard straight line. Every so often, he would let a dry sob rack his
frame.

A guard rode back, came back with the coach rattling behind them. They pushed him in, paused, then motioned to Hatter and Alice hurriedly. Alice mounted
first, took a seat by Jabberwock. Hatter sat opposite.
The coach jolted off towards the palace.

Jabberwocky finally seemed to regain his senses about an hour after they had returned to the palace. Staggering up from his bed, where he laid motionless in
deep, mournful thought for the last hour, he stumbled over to where Alice was looking over the drawings of Contessa. Each one was made with chalk, now
horribly smudged but still recognizable. One was of her, represented by a little black stick figure with flowing black hair, standing on a green, fuzzy line that
represented grass. To her right was a short woman wearing a brown skirt; on the left, Jabberwock stood as a black shadow, only thing of color in the contorted
figure were the eyes, blurred yellow. Overhead, a sun with little 'm' birds flying around and through a blue cloud.
Then there was another, showing a badly drawn red lion, roaring at no apparent object. Also, standing alone on a page, was a detailed amateur chalking of
Jabberwock, his head oddly shaped, his eyes a bit on the off side, his smile too big to be real.
Alice couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathetic sorrow for her 'father'. This is what he had lost, a little girl...

When the claws gently laid upon her shoulders, she jumped, turned to see his soft, yellow eyes. "You're looking at Contessa's pictures... She was quite the
little artist, no?"

"Yes..." Alice patted his hand, resumed her inspection of the pictures.

Jabberwock pulled her up, sat himself down, and then placed her on his lap. He caressed her shoulders softly, nose pressed against the nape of her neck,
"Alice... Please don't ever leave me... Please don't leave me like Contessa did..."

Nodding guiltily, Alice murmured, "I won't..."

"Please..." Jabberwock hugged her tight and rocked back in forth, moaning sorrowfully. In his arms, Alice; in his memory, Contessa.

Chapter 14: An Unknown Feeling

The next morning, Alice awoke to Jabberwock's furious mutters. As she sat up, blinking, she heard Jabberwock trail off before saying sweetly, "Good morning,
Alice!" He lay on the floor, surrounded by official documents and papers. Slowly standing, he wandered over to the bedside and asked, "I didn't wake you, did
I? I'm sorry if I did."

Alice was just relieved that his sorrow had disappeared overnight. Rubbing her eyes, she inquired with a yawn, "Whatcha doing?"

"Signing things. They piled up these last three months and the council demands that I do it... So I am, just to please them." Jabberwock turned, kicked a stack
of papers, watched them flutter in every direction, "Except they're going to find them half of them ripped up. For instance, they're asking for four legal actions
a month. Perposterous! It's always been three and that's it!" Bending down, he picked up a paper, muttered as he scanned it, and then ripped it up into tiny
pieces. He allowed the white squares to flutter to the ground like snow before smirking, "And I've sent an invitation to the Baron of Splinter Spine."

"Who's that?"

Jabberwock's eyes flashed black in a sudden fury. Angry, he hissed, "The one who killed Contessa! I'm going to torture him and I'm going to kill him! I am!"

Alice stared at him before asking, "Can you do that?"

"Oh yes." A smug smirk of satisfaction came across his face as he crossed his arms. "He'll be dead, I'll be happy, and then I'll give his lands to you. That'll
make you happy, so, when you're old enough to live on your own, you can build your castle there. It's very beautiful, rugged country over there. Lots of
mountains, lots of forest, lots of sunsets... And it's right by my father's summer home, which wouuld now be technically my summer home... so it works."

Alice gaped at him, "What?" He was planning that far ahead?

"I think I'll take you to my summer home someday. It's really nice, not the dark architecture used around here... You'll like it." Jabberwocky settled back down
on the floor, twirled a quill around in his fingers, and then raised his other hand to drain a bit of imagination from the rose around his neck. "But I must finish
these... I'll be here all day..." He sighed in frustration.

Alice bit her lip. The very idea of being stuck in this room all day did not appeal to her in the least bit. "Could I go explore?"

"Yes... Just stay inside the castle and stay safe. I expect you back at dinnertime, okay? You know where the kitchens are, right? I'm sure one of the servants
there can speak a little bit of Wonderlander. Just go down and ask." Jabberwock chewed on the feather before scratching his large, loopy 'J', followed by a fast
scrawl that was supposed to read 'abberwocky', and then glanced around, "Now... where did that ring and wax go?"

Alice stood, went to the wardrobe, glanced at the two remaining dresses hanging, and then sighed, "Why can't I wear pants?"

"'Cause you're a girl." replied Jabberwocky bluntly, fingering a golden ring with his claws.

"I'm allowed to wear pants where I come from."

"If you wear pants here, I'm afraid you'll be just attracting unwanted attention. Wear one of the dresses I found for you. I like them."

"But they're corset ones!"

"Then don't wear a corset. Just wear a long shirt over it." Standing, Jabberwock went to his desk, grabbed a lit candle, and tipped it over a document. Yellow
wax dripped down before being pressed down upon by the ring. He left it there for a few seconds before lifting it up and regarding the seal, two stars with an
'x' nestled between them. "Hmm..."

Alice could tell he was distracted, so she sighed, took a dress and a shirt, went into the restroom to dress.

Finding her way to Hatter's room, Alice knocked on the door, waited for a few moments before the door creaked open and a yellow eye peered out. Instantly,
Hatter opened the door all the way and beamed at her, "Alice!"

March squawked, jumping as he tried to pull up his pants, "Hats! I'm getting bliddy dressed! Alice! Don't-" He fell, tripping over his own pant leg.

Hatter glared at him, "You have underwear on." Glancing at Alice, he motioned with his hand excitedly, "Come in! Come in!"

"Ah! Hats! I have no bliddy pants on!" March disappeared under the bed, his long thin legs still with the pants around the ankles.

Hatter chuckled as Alice stared, dumbfounded, "March's very peculiar about what we see of him." Raising his voice, he called, "We can only see fur, March!"

"As I can only see skin! Let me get my pants on!"

Hatter went over to the bed, bent over, lifted the dust skirt. Peering underneath, he chuckled, "How are you going to get it on down there? You have a tail to
deal with."

Instantly, Alice was intrigued. Bounding over, she asked, "March has a tail?"

"He just hides it under his pants. Hey, March, Alice wants to see your tail."

"No!" March's gray furred hand reached out, yanked the dust skirt down.

Laughing, Hatter leaned back, caught Alice's legs, and towed her to him. He pulled her down, hugged her warmly, "I had dreams about you last night."

Alice wiggled in his grasp, only felt it tighten gently, "I hope they were good dreams."

"Oh... they were."

March's voice came floating out from under the bed, "Bliddy heck, there's lot of dust down here! Oh, Alice? You should have heard what Hatter was saying last
night in his sleep."
Hatter kicked out at the bedskirt. March's voice broke off before he sobbed, "That was my ear... Ow... Hats..."

Hatter hugged Alice tighter, his body warming her back, "So... Jabberwock let you go out by yourself today? That's surprising."

"He has papers to sign or something."

"Ha! Lucky him." Hatter's voice dripped with cheerful sarcasm. Moving his hands to her stomach, he quietly massaged it and cooed, "Do you want to spend
the day with me, Alice?"

March snorted, stuck his head out from under the bed. Reaching out, he grabbed Hatter's boot and pulled at it, "Alice 'spend the day with' you? Do you know
how annoying it will be if you mad and I have to protect her from you?"

"I'm not going to go mad..." muttered Hatter grimly.

"You can't say that. It's not predictable unless you get really, really mad or really, really excited. Alice makes you excited. So... no. You can spend some time
with her, but wait till we're back in Wonderland before you start going mad around her. Anyway, Jabberwock will be likely to chop off your head."

Hatter reached up, tipped his tall hat off, and then smiled, "Maybe he'll just get the hat. I have to make a new one anyways."

"You're changing the subject on me."

"So? I'm not going to listen to you anyways. I'm spending my day with Alice. You're welcome to come if you want."
"Nah..." March pulled himself out from under the bed, pants tied up and securely fastened. "I'm actually thinking of going down and going back into
Wonderland for the day. I need to talk to May. She'll be worried and we are engaged. I just have this feeling that she's thinking that I am ignoring her, which
I'm not."

Thrilled, Alice exclaimed, "You're engaged?"

"Huh? Yes. Decemberist's so bliddy angry, but Grandpa's admitted me back into the family. I'm officially part of the Hare and Rabbit family once more!" March
thumped a hand proudly against his chest and then said, "And I think the theme for the next set of children are the days of the week. I just hope there's not
more than seven children in the family this year. Last year, there was -what?- twelve or something."

"What?"

"Hares and Rabbits have litters, Alice." explained Hatter. "It's very uncommon for them to give birth to less than two babies."

"So... I'm hoping for a boy and a girl at least, but, of course, I have to wait to get married... We haven't set a date yet. Nothing much." Standing, March went
over to the wardrobe, grabbed his socks, and began to pull them on over his gray hind paws. "But I want to wait till I actually get a ring. I mean, I'm such a
procrastinator. I should really get a ring. Hatter already has his and he's not even engaged and I'm engaged and I don't have one... Maybe that's what I'll do
today. Go through Wonderland's jewelry shops and try to find one." March rubbed absent-mindedly at his chest, cloudy white eyes thoughtful.

"Go do that then!" laughed Hatter, waving a hand at him, the other hand clasped around Alice's waist. Alice nodded at the Hare encouragingly, though half of
her mind was pondering the hand at her waist. Hatter hadn't been so bold since the first time she had visited Wonderland.

March glared suspiciously at them, "You're... not going to do anything romantic, are you, Hats? You know how you get..."

"I have it under control, March. You can leave if you really need to get a ring. I don't care if you stay."

March smiled faintly, "Really? You won't do anything brash?"

"No."

"Okay then... If you really think so..." March quietly walked to the door, picked up his boots which were right by it, put them on, exited.

Instantly, Hatter's lips were against her neck, kissing it softly, "Well... I lie."

"I heard that!" came March's indignant voice.

"That's why I said it while you still could hear me!" Hatter chuckled, hands travelling up Alice's side, "Mm... When was the last time you took a bath, Alice?"

Alice blushed and brushed his hand away, unnerved, "Um... Two days ago?"

"You smell like spice, but maybe that's just me." He licked her neck.

Alice jerked forward, rubbed furiously at the spot on her neck, "That's disgusting!"

Hatter licked his lips and muttered, "I'm hungry... I didn't have dinner last night..."

"What? Are you thinking of eating me?" Alice cast suspicious eyes to him.

"No!" Startled, Hatter stared at her, eyes wide in disbelief, "I could never do that! How about breakfast...?"

They went down, ate breakfast, and were just about to walk back to Hatter's room for some tea when Maynard saw them and hastily hurried over to ask them
if they could come with him. The front of his suit was spattered with paint, as was his face and hair, but he seemed so perfectly ecstatic that Alice couldn't
refuse.
Hatter came along glumly.

Entering his room, Alice paused to glance around in surprise. All the scrunched up papers were gone, the paints and pencils arranged in a relatively organized
way. In a corner, an easel stood tall and proud. Upon it...

"That's me!" Alice bounced over, clapping her hands. An exact likeness of her, all the way down to the base of her neck, stared out at her with soft stenciled
eyes.

Hatter gazed at it, blinking, and finally commented, "I like it."
Maynard glared at him, "Why did you even come? I still hate you for last time."

"I heard you burnt that painting. I'm glad."

Maynard's face contorted in fury. "That was one of my best and you insulted it!"

"Who wants to see people being hanged? I don't."

"You told me it was the most horriblest painting you've ever seen!"

"It was." Hatter replied calmly.

Huffing angrily, Maynard turned to Alice, spun her around, and then demanded, "Stay still. I need to get your shoulder's spread..." The charcoal pencil in his
hand went up, started lightly sketching a line to represent her shoulders. Alice stood perfectly still until Maynard finished, let his hand drop, and regarded the
line he had drawn. He nodded happily, "That should do. I can capture all your ugliness in one painting."

Hatter rolled his eyes, "She's not ugly."

"Actually, you're right, brother. You're the ugly one. I've never seen such an ugly face except in the mirror." Maynard threw the charcoal at him.

"You know you just insulted yourself, right?" Hatter picked up the charcoal stick, glanced it over, and then broke it in half.

"Ah! Why'd you do that? Charcoal like that's expensive!" Maynard stomped a foot down and complained angrily. "That's it! I want you out of my room! You
insult my paintings and ruin my art supplies! Just get out!"

"Alice, come on. We don't need to stay with this freak any longer." Hatter extended a hand towards the girl.

Quickly, Maynard grabbed her and stated, "She stays with me. I need to finish her drawing."

"You've already done so. You're doing a head portrait; the shoulders were the only part you needed. Alice comes with me." Hatter stepped forward, eyes
glinting angrily.

Maynard glared at him before sniffing, "You're going to fight me, Imagine? You know it's hopeless. I'm stronger, faster-"

"Stupider." Hatter hissed. "I don't want to fight you. I just want Alice back."

Maynard was about to retort when a sudden light came in his eyes. Shutting his mouth, he quietly pondered his thought before asking randomly, "Wait... I
excuse myself... I'm very sorry. You may stay... I heard you were an Eater. Is that true?"

Regarding his brother suspciously, Hatter nodded, "...Yes."

"Ah... Tomorrow is Sunday... Eater's day." Maynard put his thumb up against his chin, thought, and then said cheerfully, "I also heard you like meat!"

Hatter sensed something awry but answered, "Yes. Why do you ask?"

Slowly, Maynard glanced at Alice before smirking and lilting, "Do you want some flesh? I can bring something back from the executions tomorrow."

Instantly, Hatter's eyes glittered in hunger, "Really? I mean, would you?"

"Yes. Actually, I could bend a few strings and do it tonight, if you wanted. Tonight at seven?"

"Oh, yes! But... what about Father?"

"What are you guys talking about?" complained Alice.

Ignoring her, Maynard sniffed, "He won't find out. I'll make sure he's busy with something else."

"Oh... Okay then. Seven? Where?"

"Here. I'll take you down to where we'll eat."

"I'll be here." Hatter rubbed his hands together in excitement, glanced at Alice, and then happily said, "Me and Maynard are going out for dinner tonight,
Alice, to resolve some problems between ourselves."

"Oh, that's good. Could I come?"

Maynard cut in before Hatter could respond, "It will be an adults-only conversation, Alice."

"I'm seventeen!"

"Okay then... It'll be a private conversation. Between just me and Imagine."

"Oh... Okay then..." Alice gazed morosely at the ground.

Soft fingers found her chin, pushed her face up, and she peered into Hatter's loving face. "Alice... Let's go back to my room, okay? We can have that tea and
talk."

Hatter and Alice strayed back to Hatter's room, where he quickly prepared some peppermint tea. They sat, began their tea.
Hatter couldn't seem to rip his bright eyes from her as they sat drinking the warm brown liquid. Alice fidgeted, uncomfortable under his stare.

"Are you uncomfortable, Alice?" he asked after noticing her twitch for the seventh time.

Alice murmured, "No... It's just... you keep looking at me like that."

"Oh... I make you uncomfortable?" A look of hurt crossed his face.

"No."

"Than why my does my looking at you unnerve you?"

"It's just... you can't seem to do anything else..."

Hatter glanced down at his tea, swished it around, watched some sugar swirl up from the bottom like a small tornado. He sipped at it, set it down, stood.
Strolling slowly over to her side, he asked quietly, "Do you expect more?"

"Well... Last time, you were just so forward, and now you're kind of reserved."

"But I thought that me being forward scared you."

"It does, but it's better than feeling like I have a stalker."

Suddenly, she was up, his hands around her. Hatter clasped his hands on the sides of her head, held her still as his face neared, "I'll be forward then."

Alice's heart beat frantically. She whispered hoarsely, "You're going to kiss me?"

To answer her question, Hatter pressed his lips against hers, pressed up hard against her, moaned. Alice squeaked as his tongue snaked out into her mouth,
caressing her tongue. It was so uncomfortable... yet slight exhilierating!
Hatter broke the kiss, eyes flickering. Releasing her, he turned, rubbing at his eyes and shivering. "Wait... wait... Let me calm down... Eh..." Hatter sat down,
slumped back, closed his eyes, and began breathing deeply.

Alice could still taste him on her lips. Shuddering with andrenaline, she stared at Hatter. "Are you okay?"

"Just... need to calm down so I don't go mad... I don't want to hurt you." Hatter's eyes fluttered open and he glanced at her curiously, "How did you like it?"

"I... liked it."

"Really?" Hatter's eyes widened before a broad smile split his face. "Last time I did that was at the Masquerade... You were so angry at me."
Alice felt an odd feeling deep in her heart, blushed furiously. This was impossible! She couldn't fall in love with him!
"Alice?" Standing again, Hatter crept over, eyes hungry for more. "You remember, right?"
"Y-yes." Alice tried to force the feeling out, shivering in nervousness as his hands found her shoulders.

"You pushed me away." Hatter murmured quietly, his yellow left eye and green right eye boring into her eyes.

The brilliant eyes, whereas they would have used to just make her uncomfortable, now made her breathless. She couldn't think straight. How had this
happened? "I... I did?"

"You did. I wanted another one. Will you give me that one now?"

"I... I..."

Hatter embraced her, whispered, "You're blushing..."

Alice could only melt in his arms, feeling suddenly warm and protected. Oh dear... she could only think of how sudden this was. Such a feeling had never
occured before. "I know..."

"Why?" Hatter brushed his lips against her cheek, ignoring his flickering eyes.

She couldn't bring herself to say the words. "'Cause... 'cause... I..."

Hatter kissed her on the lips again, softly, gently as his mind threatened to dive into madness. As he forced himself to stop and take deep breaths, he
whispered, "I love you..."

Alice found his arms tightening firmly, keeping her locked against him. She let herself go, snuggled against his chest, "Me too..."

For the next hour, Hatter sat on his bed with her beside him and told her how much he loved her over and over again, sometimes interrupting it with a past
story or a memory that held some importance to him. When Alice finally interrupted his repeating ramble to apologize that she had to leave to return to
Jabberwocky, he sighed, whispered, "Okay... I'll see you?"

"Yes."

Alice left, went up to Jabberwock's room. He sat at his desk, burning papers with the candle, bored out of his mind. He was ecstatic to see her, asked her what
she had done. She told him that she had gone to Maynard's to watch him work on a painting of her. He expressed interest, asked if it was any good, and,
when she said 'Yes', said he wanted to see it.
He took her to the kitchens, where Alice asked for some soup. They gave her a creamy blend of chicken noodle and vegetable broth, which satisfied her.
After, he took her up to the high towers, to the balconies that towered thousands of feet above the ground and roofs of everything else. Alice thought she was
on top of the world, both physically and emotionally.

They went back to the room, dressed for bed. Blowing out the light, the Jabberwock wished her a 'Sleep well', she returned it with a 'Goodnight', and felt him
float off into dreams beside her.

And all she could think about was the kiss between her and Hatter.

Chapter 15: A Shadowland Custom

Early next morning, Bander jerked awake when a knock came at his door. Yawning, groaning, he stumbled up, scratched at his shorts, and staggered over to
the door, "Who's here?"

"Bander?" March's voice came.

Sighing, Bandersnatch opened the door and peered at March with bleary eyes. "What do you want, rabbit? What is it? Four in the morning?"

"I just wanted to ask you something. Did you invite Hatter to dinner last night?"

Bander rubbed at his eyes, "Hm? No. I had to go to one of Vermont's friend's parents' dinner parties. And, uh! I have a slight hangover now..."

"Well... If you didn't invite him to dinner last night, who'd he go with? He said he was going out to eat with family."

"So? Why does that concern you?"

"He was covered in blood when he came back."

Instantly, Bander's eyes were wide, awake, and furious. He tensed before snapping, "What?"

March cringed, "Please don't tell him I told you! I just want him to get better!" He really did. Hatter was his best friend, his closest companion, and it pained
him to see him fall to eating people and loving it.

Hatter, asleep when Bander stomped into the room, moaned softly as Bander shook his shoulder angrily. "Imagine! Wake up!"

"Leave... me alone... March... I'm having... such a wonderful... dream..." Hatter snuggled against a pillow, the dried black dust on his face cracking off to cover
the pillow in dried blood. Seizing him, Bander towed him up and viciously slapped him across the face. Hatter yelped before staring in horror at Bander's face,
guilt dancing in his eyes, "Oh... Father..."

Bander wagged a finger at his face, noting the the black spots on his jacket where blood had fallen and dried, "You deliberately disobeyed me! Who did you
eat?"

Hatter's eyes glazed over, "Mm... Maynard invited me..."

"Maynard?" Stiffening, Bander stared at him. "Maynard gave you a person to eat?"

"...Yes... A little boy..." Hatter's stomach grumbled.

Bander dropped him, absolutely furious.

Maynard already stood awake and painting when the pounding came at his door. Glancing up curiously from the almost finished portrait of Alice, he called,
"Who is it?"

"Your father." came the grating, angry snarl.

Maynard paused, noticing the tone of his voice, and then asked loudly, "This is about Imagine's and my dinner last night, is it not?"

"It is, and I have to talk to you." The doorknob rattled.

Maynard sighed in relief. He had locked the door overnight and he wasn't about to unlock it to allow an angry father to come rant at him. Instead, he quietly
faded back into the sideroom, face gleeful and pensive at the same time.

When Alice woke up, Jabberwock sat at his desk, moodily twirling a quill between his fingers. Seeing her sit up and glance around with blurry eyes, he smiled
softly, "Hello, Alice."

Alice yawned, patted a hand across her open mouth as she tried to stifle it. During the night, she had had a dream of Hatter. A rather neutral dream, if it
needed to be classified, but a dream of him nonetheless. "Good morning... What are you doing today?"

"Well... I'm expecting the Baron of Splinter Spine today... How should I kill him? Should I lynch him up, stab him...? There's so many options. Maybe I'll just
settle to draining his mind away." Jabberwock fingered the Imagination Rose, which now sat in a pot and rapidly sprouting up. A single leaf now hung around
his neck. A look of sweet satisfaction came across his face.

Alice gazed at him before sniffing, "Are you really going to try to kill someone?"

"Try? No... But I will." Jabberwock opened one of his desk drawers, pulled out a nail file, and began sharpening his claws. "I think I'll just drain his mind. If he's
brought his family, than I'll kill them in front of him, just to make him suffer as I did, and then I'll kill him. That'll be so nice..." Jabberwock propped his feet up
on the desk, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes. "And then I'll take their heads, cut them all off, and have them displayed as examples outside,
where everyone can see... And, anyways... Today is execution day, which reminds me... I want to go watch."

Alice's face screwed up, "You're not going to though, are you?"

"I really do..." Jabberwock murmured, "and I have till tonight before having to kill the Baron... I could go watch a few hangings..." He stood, moaned as his
back cracked, and then stretched, "They'll probably ask me to preside over them if I go though... I hate being King. It was so much easier when I was just a
prince."

Alice crossed her arms and huffed, "I'm not going."

"I'm not leaving you. Who knows who might try to kidnap you back to Wonderland?"
"I'm not going to see any executions!"

Jabberwock's eyes glittered angrily, "As your father, I demand it. As my daughter, you are Shadowlander, and Shadowlanders have customs. You will see to it
that you are ready to go." He stalked from the room, unusually furious.

Alice stared after him. That had been the first time he had actually been angry at her!

Jabberwock literally had to drag Alice to the coach, sit her down, and lock the two of them in so she couldn't escape. Moodily, Alice stared out through the
small carriage's window, watching houses and people pass quickly as the coach whizzed by.
They reached the main square of the city in half of a hour, and Alice felt a sick feeling crawl into her gut as she gazed at it.

The square was huge, maybe five square acres in total. No houses turned out on square, only showing their backsides and closed shutters.
Alice could see the reason why. In the center of the square stood a huge wooden platform, a tall 'T' standing up from it. Twenty nooses hung, ready for a
criminal's neck. The dark cobblestones paving the road made the coach rattle and bump its way to a stop.

Instantly, a small crowd of Shadowlanders milled around it, black eyes bright and mouths moving as they called loving respect to their King. The guards on
horseback rode up, chased them away before glancing around warily and allowing the coach door to open.

Jabberwocky stepped out, stony-faced and grim. The minute his foot touched the ground, the people watching burst into cheers, their arms waving in
excitement as they lavished praise upon their Majesty. Ignoring them, Jabberwock turned, held his hand out to Alice.

Alice morosely took it, came out. The Shadowlanders fell into silence, staring at her. Unnerved by their obsessed gazes, she glared at the cemented stones
underfoot.

Behind the gallows, the Royal Box was being hastily built. The guards worked incredibly fast, shoving wooden plugs through thick oaken beams. When it was
finished about ten minutes later, a soldier mounted, draped an inverted Shadowlander flag over the balcony. The black rectangle waved down, a silent
whisper splitting the air like a death sentence. Two red stars held the golden 'x' in between them.
The guards marched Jabberwock and Alice over, herded them up the stairs, and then took to their assigned positions. In each corner stood a guard,
emotionless face hidden by a dark helmet, their long sharp glaives in hand, the blades shimmering atop their pole.

The crowd around the execution platform grew every second, Shadowlanders flooding in from the streets. Some stood dressed in their best formal while
others flounced about in ragged clothes. Children darted underfoot. Men announced themselves to women, and women respectfully paid attention to that
name, filing it away for forgetting later.
Alice was shocked. They were all here to watch people die?

A lone soldier, sharp blade at his waist, mounted the steps of the platform. The crowd instantly fell silent. Taking center stage, the soldier bowed to the crowd
before unrolling a parchement and reading, "On this Sunday, we have gathered to watch the executions of the condemned. May they die in some honor." He
paused for a moment before announcing, "And, on this Sunday, we are blessed to have the Royal Majesty attend this ceremony. May he live forever." The
soldier bowed towards the Royal box and then continued, "Also, with him is the Princess of the name 'Alice'. She will be considered of our own for she is
daughter to the King. May she live a good life." Again, he bowed to the box.
Rolling up the parchement, he drew his sword, placed it in a small slat of the wood, left it, and then loudly said, "Today's condemned are all the thieves of the
Shadowland nation. They will be executed by the rope and the axe."

Strangled cries came from the crowd. Alice saw a sobbing woman seek comfort in the disgusted man beside her.

The soldier froze, glared out over the crowd. "And all protestors will be executed in the same fashion."

The crowd stayed silent, the hysterical sobs of the woman still floating over their heads.

Jabberwock's hand found Alice's and he squeezed it reassuringly, "It's not that bad, Alice... You can close your eyes if you want to. You just have to be here...
You need to know our customs."

"It's horrible!" snapped Alice. "What did he just say?"

"Today's theme is 'thieves', so they're executing all the thieves. They rotate it every Sunday. Sometimes they'll kill the murderers, sometimes the thieves,
sometimes the rapists, sometimes the vandals. That way, even a minor breaking of the law will make a person think twice, because they could still die."
Jabberwock snuggled down into his hard, wooden chair and began draining some imagination from the small piece of the Imagination Rose around his neck.
"There's so much imagination here... I used to hate it as a kid. I always had to bring a servant to drain from."

Alice glared at him, pursed her lips, and yanked her hand out of his hand.

A low, mournful wail cut the silence in half as a wagon full of sitting, sullen prisoners was dragged up close to the platform. Two guards reached up, grabbed
the foremost man, dragged him up onto the platform. He was slumped and silent, although his eyes dripped tears. He was resigned to his fate.
A Shadowlander dressed in a modest black uniform stepped up onto the platform. A dark mask covered his face, only allowing his black eyes to peer through.
In his hands was a heavy axe.
The soldiers shoved the prisoner down, slammed his head down on the block. One held the man's head down as the other drew back.
Nearing the block, the executioner readjusted his gloves before raising his axe.
Alice closed her eyes, turned away just as a loud, clear -Whump!- echoed out into the air.

The lifeless, jerking body of the Shadowlander was pushed off the platform, the head placed in a large basket.

The announcing soldier bowed to the quiet crowd and said, "Let the executions begin."

The executions went on with praticed ease, the prisoners killed quickly by the axe or lynched. Some cried, some stayed silent, some tried to run as the axe
raised or the rope began descending. Some of the people, friends or loved ones, cried silently as they watched the prisoners executed in cold, emotionless
fashion. The soldiers never flinched, the executioner never hesitated. The pile of dead bodies around the platform grew and grew, blood seeping out to stain
the first row of spectators' feet.

Jabberwock glanced over at Alice, who's eyes were screwed up, hands clapped over her ears. Reaching over, she tapped her shoulder and whispered, "Does it
bother you?"

Eyes still shut, tears of horror pooling at their edges, Alice hissed in his general direction, "Yes!"

"I really wonder who the executioner is. An Eater, no doubt, trying to get his job done so he doesn't need to eat any of the prisoners."

The wagon was almost empty. Four last prisoners, shivering against the walls, fought wildly as they were towed up onto the blood-soaked platform. The
executioner, cloathes slick and shiny from the blood on them, motioned for one, pointed at the nooses for the other three.
Obeying, the guards dragged one to the block, held him down.

Just as the executioner began to raise his axe, a startled cry rang out from behind. One of the prisoners sprinted across the platform, wide-eyed and
frightened out of his wits. Jumping down to the ground, stumbling over a body, he ran into the crowd, essaying to escape a horrible fate.
The crowd, however, pounced upon him. Dragging him back, they handed him over to the guards with silent, grim scowls on their faces. Countrymen against
countrymen.
The executioner quickly killed his prisoner, dropped the axe, went over to the stiff soldier who had allowed the prisoner to escape. Shoving him out of the
way, the Eater looped the noose over the struggling man's head and around his neck, tightened the knot, and then nodded to the guard with the rope.

So the lynching began, the soldier pulling the rope back and down. The noose lifted, dragging the man up to join his still jerking companions. Convulsing, his
eyes grew wide as he gasped for breath.
Then, he died.

An awful murmur went up from the crowd, some began to turn to leave. The same solider who had welcomed them stepped to the center of the platform,
bowed, "The executions are concluded. Thank you for coming."

Alice had not opened her eyes since the beginning of the execution till the end. Refusing to open them now and see the aftermath of the horror, she had
Jabberwock guide her to the coach. She felt for the seat, sat, felt the coach bounce slightly as Jabberwock sat opposite. She put her hand over her eyes and
burst out crying, "That was horrible!"

"You didn't even watch." muttered Jabberwock, eyes a dark yellow-black.

"I could hear!" Alice opened her eyes, glaring at the wooden floor of the carriage as it began to jolt off back towards the palace.

Jabberwock sighed, slid down to prop his feet beside her, and then muttered, "It's normal. Every Sunday, that is what happens. The turnout is quite amazing,
actually. So many people there to watch people die... You know... Once, my Father went down and did the customary first kill. I remember that."

"Don't do that! If you do that, I will hate you!" Alice turned her eyes up and glared fiercly at him.

"Remember: I wasn't the one killing them. Do not hate me." Jabberwock scratched at his neck, obviously distracted by a thought. "And... It'll be about time
that the Baron arrives... I'm still wondering how I should kill him..."

"Don't!"

"It's my revenge, Alice. He killed my daughter. You don't have to see what I do... I can leave you with Bander."

"Fine! Do that! I don't want anything with death!" Alice crossed her arms and fumed.

Chapter 16: Desire

Jabberwocky left Alice with the Bandersnatch, as promised, when he went to meet the Baron. Alice could only glare at his back before Bander closed the door
with a sigh, "I heard... I heard he took you to the execution today."
"Yes." muttered Alice glumly, plopping down on his bed.

Bander stared at her quietly, "He shouldn't have done that... I'm not going to take Vermont at all. If he wants to go, he'll have to go with one of his brothers,
but I will not take him and ruin his mind."

"I didn't watch... I closed my eyes."

"An excellent idea. That is exactly what I did when I was young and Father took us. Jabberwocky always watched. I always hid."

"It's disgusting!"

"I would beg to differ, but that is your own reasonable opinion. I won't try to change it." Bander sat besides her.

A few moments of silence passed in between them before Alice said angrily, "Jabberwock's going to try to kill the Baron of whatever Spine... Isn't that illegal?"

"He's the King. Nothing is illegal for him. There's some things that he's strongly advised not to do, but there's no rules for him. He knows it too... That's why
he's going to go through with it." Bander fingered his sleeve, thought, and then asked suddenly, "Did Maynard ask anything of Imagine yesterday?"

"Huh?" Alice was surprised by the sudden change in topic. "Maynard? I guess so... Hatter said he invited him to dinner or something. Why?"

"Oh... Nothing..." Again, silence crept in between them and caressed them with its invisible, ethereal claws.

"Can I go see Hatter?" Alice finally asked, chasing silence away.

"You may, but you have to give him this, alright?" Standing, Bander crossed to his desk, opened a drawer, and tossed Alice an apple. "Tell him he has to eat
that."

"Alright..." Alice gazed at the apple, a bit confused.

When Alice knocked softly at his door, Hatter was glumly poking at his knee in boredom. Head snapping up, he glanced at the door, scowled, and then
changed his Shadowlander eye to a crimson. Instantly, he squeaked, "Alice!"

The door opened a second later, Hatter standing happily before Alice. Grabbing her, he pulled her in, hugged her tightly, "Alice! Ooh! I was wondering when
you would come back!" He kissed the top of her head.

"Bander said you need to eat this." Alice pushed the apple against his chest.

Hatter gazed down at it before taking it, biting into glumly, "Apples... I despise apples. Want a bite?" He held it out.

Alice nodded, took a bite, and then gave it back, "Thank you... I just had a really bad morning..."

"Huh? Why? What happened?"

"I... Jabberwock took me to an execution."

"What?" Hatter chewed furiously at the apple before huffing, swallowing it down whole. Burping softly, he tugged her close and sniffed, "He shouldn't have
done that! You could have stayed with me! I mean, executions! They're horrible as it is! And I should know!"

Alice put a hand against his chest and nodded, "Yes... I was so creeped out."

Hatter swayed gently, patting her head gently, "It's okay now, dear Alice... Dear Alice.." He started humming lightly, the tone accompanied by his swaying,
eyes closed. Suddenly, March opened the door, his fur puffed out and gray. "Hats! I found-" He froze when he saw Hatter and Alice. "Ah! Alice! What are you
doing? What are you doing?"

Hatter's tone never faltered. his voice rising and falling.

"Hats!"

Hatter's eyes flickered open, dark and glittering. He smiled softly, "Hello, March..."
"Oh... You're mad... Okay..." March gazed at Hatter silently before sniffing, "Let go of Alice."

Hatter grasped Alice tightly and snarled, "No!"

"Let her go, Hats! You're mad!" March grabbed Alice's shoulders, yanked her away.

Hatter stiffened before crossing his arms and glaring at his friend. "Mine!"

"No. You don't get her when you're mad, even if it's rational madness." March placed himself between Alice and Hatter.

Hatter stepped forward, "Give me her."

"Hats... Wait a minute, okay? I need to show you my ring... The ring I got... Want to see?"

Hatter's eyes flickered softly. "Oh! Really?" His mind momentarily jumped from the subject of Alice to the matter of rings.

March dub a hand into his pocket, smiled, pulled out a small velvet box. He flipped it open, displayed a wide, guady, golden ring.

"Ooh..." Hatter came close and peered at it. "My ring is better..."

"I guess you are right. You did pour your heart and soul into making that thing..."

Hatter pulled at the chain, held up the ring, gazed at it with loving eyes, "For my love... Made with love..." He turned his eyes to Alice, grinned broadly, and
then licked his sharp teeth. "Love Alice."

"You're simple-minded, Hats, and stupid when it comes to this, you know?"

Hatter blinked, one eye flickering to yellow, another fleeing back to a jade green. "I'm not stupid..."

"Ah... Good. You're turning back." March flipped the box back shut, smiled, "You're getting better at being gentle when you go insane. That's really good."

Hatter grabbed Alice, hugged her happily, "Yes... It is good, because then I won't have a problem when me and Alice are married..."
Alice's chest tightened, her heart beating quickly. Marry? The idea didn't seem so bad anymore...

"Really good, you mean. It'd be best if you stopped having them altogether." sniffed March.

Suddenly, there was a sniffling snarl from behind them. Turning, Alice saw Maynard, leaning moodily on the the doorjamb. His face was twisted into a jealous,
angry scowl. "Oh... Alice... I thought you would be here..."

"Maynard?" Alice's eyesbrows were furrowed in curiousity.

"Ah... You remember a poor Shadowlander's name?"

Alice was startled with his sullen demeanor. "What's wrong with you?"

"I finished your painting last night and I told Jabberwock this morning to tell you so you could come have a look... Why are you ignoring me...?"

"I'm not ignoring you... Jabberwock didn't tell me."

"Oh... Then come with me. I need my work looked at." Maynard grabbed her hand and pulled at it.

Hatter hissed, "Give her back! She doesn't want to-"

"I do."

Hatter froze, staring at Alice, "You want to go with him?"

"He painted me. I want to see it."

"Then I'll come see it too."

The painting was hidden by a dirty, spattered sheet when Alice and Hatter followed Maynard into his room. Seating them on his bed, he smiled widely, bowed
mockingly, went to the side of the painting, announced cheerfully, "May I present to you: Alice." He grabbed the sheet, pulled it aside.

Alice gasped. Oil paint smattered across the canvas, tenderly brushed on with small, careful strokes. Alice the painting stared out at them, eyes soft and kind,
smile gentle. A turquoise dress covered her torso, her blonde hair cascading down to bunch up at her shoulders. A beautiful crystal necklace, derived from
Maynar'ds imagination, sparkled around her neck.

Hatter stood, stepped forward, eyes wide and admiring, "Wow... That is very good... It looks exactly like Alice..."

Maynard glared at him, "I don't want your opinion. I want Alice's."

Alice smiled widely as Hatter scowled. "I like it!"

"Really? I thought it was a bit too light... but I wanted your opinion first..." Maynard turned, glanced at the Jabberwock painting, which still lay propped up on
the wall waiting to be finished, and then sighed, "And I still have that one to do... I like your skin, Alice. Shadows are most fun to play with in painting. I can
never do that in painting with Shadowlanders. Our skin just doesn't do that."

"Um... Okay?"

Maynard smirked, "You're gullible, Alice. You need to think about what I tell you and say something 'intelligent'."

Hatter glared at him, "Be nice to her, Maynard."

Stepping up to his brother, Maynard drew himself up, poking Hatter in the chest. "Why? Nobody loves the nice ones. Everybody loves the losers and the one
who make the losers. Nobody could love you, though. You're too ugly and stupid to be loved."

Hatter bared his teeth, "How dare you!"

"Ha. I dare." Without warning, Maynard grabbed Hatter's shoulders, kneed him harshly in the groin, and watched as Hatter fell, howling as he clutched the
pain. He laughed uproariously as Alice jumped up. "No, Alice! Please, don't! This is hilarious!"

Hatter curled up, whimpering on the floor, before fainting from the pain. Alice glared fiercly at Maynard as she knelt down beside Hatter, worried. "That was
uncalled for!"

"I've wanted to do that for the longest time..." Letting out a sigh of satisfaction, Maynard gazed at her before seizing her, pulling her up, and squishing up
against her, "Just as I've recently wanted to do this." He kissed her.

Alice squawked in anger, struggled, but Maynard would not let her go. He grabbed the front of her dress, began ripping down the buttons, pushing her up
against the wall, moaning in eagerness.
Alice felt his hand travel down to her dress, start pulling it up. She screamed in fear.

He was going to rape her!

Maynard's eyes glittered maniacally as he reached up, grasped her underwear, began teasing it down. Chuckling as she wriggled helplessly, he cooed, "Now,
now, Alice dear... I think I've developed Father's interest in Wonderlanders... How odd is that?"

Alice got a hand free, began scratching wildly at his face. Maynard snarled and released her as one of her nails gouged out a long streak of flesh.
Alice stumbled to the ground, tried to crawl away frantically. Maynard, however, pounced upon her, held her down with a snarl, "Alice, Alice, Alice... You're
making this way too hard... Don't make me kill you too. You know what I want. Let me do it and we can just blame it all on Imagine..." He bent his head to her
ear and whispered, "He will be killed most definitely. It will be my word against yours, and Uncle already has such a grudge... It won't take much to convince
him, and, after that, Imagine will be dead."

Alice sobbed into the carpet as Maynard slowly began to unbutton his pants. He continued quietly, "And then... You will bear a child. Everybody will think it is
Imagine's child, and it will be disassociated from you and become a servant's little one. No one will ever respect it. But I'll know... I'll know..." He fiddled with
the ties to her dress, untying them with sluggish fingers, eyes glazed and hungry with want.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Maynard jerked up, smushed Alice's head down into the carpet as she opened her mouth to scream. He snarled, "What?"

"Maynard. Open the door." A voice Alice had never heard before answered.

Maynard stilled, eyes widening. "Adameer?"

"Yes. I have your report here. I have a few questions I'd like to ask."

"Can it wait?" Maynard glanced down at Alice with lustful eyes, licked his lips, and then slowly slid the back of her dress open, one hand still pressing her head
down into the rug to muffle her screams. "I have... something important going on."

The doorknob rattled, Adameer ordered, "Let me in. Now. You're never in something too important for me. I'm your teacher. I teach you your way of life."

"Ask through the door..." Maynard hissed.

"No. I need to see you face to face. Either let me in or come out." The door clicked against its lock as Adameer shouldered it roughly.

"Okay, okay... Just wait a minute..." Carefully but quickly, Maynard dragged Alice to the counter, grabbed some rope from on top of it, hastily tied her up. He
did the same with Hatter. Stuffing a dirty sock laying on the floor into her mouth, he stood, brushed himself off before buttoning up his pants. He cast a
ravenous look at her, whispered, "I'll be back in a moment, Alice... Just wait..."
He strode to the door, unlocked it, creaked it open, and then stepped out, shutting it firmly behind him.

A low, fast-paced conversation began outside, Alice trembling as the voice she had never heard spat questions at Maynard, who calmly answered.
She could just imagine him coming back, gloating over her, taunting her for being a defenseless little 'maggot', and then raping her. He would have fun doing
it, she knew, and the very thought made her cringe and tug at the ropes. The skin on her wrists chafed and grew raw, leaking watery serum as tears came to
her eyes.

The door opened again, Maynard came in, began to close the door. A dark hand stopped it, another brief phrase of Shadowlander was exchanged. Maynard
answered hurriedly, clearly unnerved.

Adameer peered at his pupil suspiciously, noting his sudden anxiety, "What are you hiding, Maynard?"

"Nothing."

"You're nervous. Last time you were like this, you had your little brother tied up and you were feeding him spiders."

"I'm doing nothing but painting."

"Painting what?"

"A... portrait... of Jabberwock." Maynard's eyes glistened as they came up with the lie.

"Huh..."

"May I go now?"

"I want to make sure you're not doing anything bad. Let me in." The hand was followed by an elbow and a shoulder.

Maynard slammed it shut. Adameer screamed as bone cracked loudly and quickly yanked his broken arm from the door. Enraged, the Eater cradled his
useless arm, braced himself, and kicked at the door with the heel of his clunky metal boot.
The door's lock broke, Maynard drew back as Adameer stalked in with fury dancing in his eyes, drawing his sword.
Adameer, six foot ten inches tall and wiry thin, was a dangerous, wild looking man. Dark gray scars ran up and down his face and arms, his dyed navy hair
brushing down by his shoulders. Seeing Hatter and Alice tied up, he paused, saw the condition of Alice's dress, and then hissed, "You rapist pig!" Raising his
sword, he swung it down at Maynard.
Maynard dove out of the way, shoved Adameer down, and bolted out into the hall.

For a few moments, Adameer lay still, staring at the ceiling, and then sat up, poking at his broken arm with curious pain. He slowly staggered up, stumbled
over to Alice and the still unconscious Hatter, began to untie them.
"You are Alice, no?" He teased the sock from her mouth and threw it aside with a grimace of disgust.

"Y-y-yes..." Alice stared at the mutilated face of her rescuer.

"And that is Imagine, the Wonderland ambassador?"

"Yes." Alice nearly cried in relief as he undid the ropes around her wrists, exposing her raw rope burns. He flinched.

"Ow... That looks bad."

"It hurts..." Alice began to cry.

Adameer undid her feet, dragged her up, and then began to do the same with Hatter. Lugging Hatter up, he asked Alice quietly, "Can you walk?"

"I... I think so..." Alice crossed her arms over her exposed chest. The buttons were all gone on her bodice. She felt exposed and airy without underwear under
her ruffled dress, but she didn't dare say that to this respectful Shadowlander.

"Good, 'cause you're going to have to walk." Holding Hatter up with his good arm, Adameer limped to the door, pulled him through with a moan of pain.

Alice followed, tears of relief on her cheeks.

Chapter 17: A Punishment and a Broken Mirror

Hatter blinked awake, groaned, and instantly curled up as a slow, pulsating pain pounded at lower abdomen. The last thing he could remember was pain,
Maynard's triumphant smile. A knee in the groin was not a pleasant thing...
And the pain, unbearable.
Struggling up to a sitting position, he glared around. A dimly lit, white room surrounded him, curtains seperating beds. The infirmary. How... quaint.
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, flinched as the pain pulsed fiercely. With it came a thought that, if this had been three months earlier, while he
was battle-hardened and ready for anything, he wouldn't have been caught off guard, he wouldn't have fainted from such a minor thing... But it hurt!
Moaning as he stood, scratching at it tenderly, he slowly stumbled to the curtain, yanked it aside, and startled a servant standing just behind.

Staring at Hatter, the woman asked quietly, "Are you fine, sir?"

"Yes... I just need a painkiller." Hatter limped past her, glanced around, and then inquired, "Where is Alice?"

"She is with the Majesty, sir... Giving an account."

"Account?" Hatter glanced back in surprise. "Account of what?"

"You don't know?" The lady's eyes widened in surprise.

Hatter's heart skipped a beat in worry. Had something happened to Alice? Was this because of him? "What? What hap-?"

March pounced on his shoulder out of nowhere. He hissed, "Are you just weak? I swear, I've never heard of you going down so easily."

"March... It hurt... It still hurts..." Hatter waved him off, waiting for a reply from the lady.

Looking about uncomfortably, she whispered,"Prince Maynard nearly raped her, sir."

Jabberwock paced furiously in front of his bed, Alice sitting sullenly on it, sipping a hot cocoa. His face was contorted in fury, his claws cutting into his hands,
but he ignored the pain, continued to fume. Finally, he spun to the ashamed Bandersnatch and snapped furiously, "Where is he? You know his hiding places!"

"I... I don't know, brother."

"I want him found! I want him castrated! I want him dead! All those. Can you even do all of those without failing me?" Jabberwock grabbed a chair, threw it at
Bander.

Bander dove to avoid it. Fearful eyes travelling up to watch his brother resume his furious mutterings, he glanced at a silent Adameer and whispered,
"Adameer...?"

The Eater stepped forward, cleared his throat, fiddled absently with his limp arm. "Well... Your Highness... I think there's the matter of... that he didn't actually
rape her... The worst the punishment can get is imprisonment for criminal intentions and all that other- Please don't do that."

Jabberwock had started to lift the only other chair in the room, ready to throw it at Adameer. Growling furiously, he threw it anyway, watched the Eater
sidestep it. The chair bounced off the wall with a crack. Eyes glowing in dark rage, he roared, "I want his head! I want him rotting by tomorrow! No honor at
all!"

Bander muttered, "But... Jabberwock... He's your nephew."

"He's no bliddy git nephew of mine!" Jabberwock searched for something else to throw, didn't see anything, so sat down next to Alice, crossed his arms, and
stared angrily at the floor.

"I thought the Baron's death put you in a good mood... She wasn't hurt." tried Adameer.
Jabberwock sullenly mumbled, "Yes... I did kill the Baron... but Maynard tried to rape her!" Again, he stood, pointed at Alice with a shuddering finger, and
growled viciously.

"We can't execute him on that charge. He's a royal. They get lighter sentences and are exempt from the Sunday themes." pointed out Adameer matter-of-
factly. "Even if we do find him, we can only put him in a jail cell for a year or so. I cannot strip him down of his Eater status either. He passed the test. There is
no way he could die without honor. And... he is third for the throne..."

Jabberwock was about to retort, shaking in fury, when the door burst open. Next second, Hatter was embracing Alice, sobbing, "Alice! Are you okay? I heard!
I'm sorry! I could've protected you! I could've-"

Leaping up, Jabberwock dragged Hatter off of Alice, shoved him away. "Don't you dare touch my daughter!"

Alice protested quietly, "Father..."

"No, Alice! Just be quiet!" Jabberwock sat between her and Hatter.

Hatter stared at her before sniffling, "It's all my fault."

Bander patted him on the head, "No, it's not... It's Maynard's fault. Don't blame yourself."

Amused, Adameer chuckled darkly before returning to the previous topic. "So... I'm saying we can't kill him."

"Then I will kill him! Give me an axe! I will chop him to pieces!" said Jabberwock indignantly.

Hatter was just as furious. "What? That isn't possible! He tried to hurt Alice!"

"I'm just saying-"

March appeared, panting heavily, at the doorway. Gasping for breath, he stumbled in, "Hats! Slow down! I can't run that fast no more!"

Hatter glared at him and snapped, "Shut up!"

March froze, crossed his arms, sniffed, "What the bliddy heck happened? Am I the only one besides Alice here who doesn't understand a drop of this blah
language?"

Stone-faced, Jabberwock stated, "Maynard nearly raped Alice."

"What?" Instantly, March's ears were erect and his eyes narrowed. "Is that why Hatter's so out of it?"

"As I was saying..." interrupted Adameer, glaring at March before resuming, "We can't allow you to kill him either. A Baron's a baron, a duke a duke... But a
prince cannot be killed, especially when he is third in line for the throne. Who knows what could happen?"

The furious debate when on for a few more minutes, Jabberwocky and Hatter becoming more and more incensed as Bander and Adameer defended Maynard.
March and Alice just stood on the sidelines, silent and confused. Jabberwock stood, stomped over to Hatter, pulled him up, and then growled, "Then we will kill
him! Us two!" Hatter nodded angrily, not caring that one of his most hated enemies was making them partners.

Bander sighed, "Imagine... Do you really want to kill Maynard? He's your big brother..."

"Not anymore!" hissed Hatter.

"Then what do you propose that we do?" called Adameer loudly over the cacaphony of voices.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, came March's soft suggestion, "Let's take him back with us."

Instantly, all eyes were on him. Jabberwock blinked stupidly, muttered, "What?"

"Take him back to Wonderland. We're still in need of some helpers around the castle, not to mention some government positions are open... He knows
politics... He could help."

A look of relieved happiness crossed Bandersnatch's face, "That's a great idea, rab- OW!"
Jabberwock had grabbed him by the collar, began hitting him over the head angrily. "You want to send the little brat to Wonderland? He gets to go but not I?"
His eyes were black with fury.

"You're the King and we know that, if you went to Wonderland, you'd stay, so no!" Bandersnatch said, struggling in his brother's arms.

Hatter glared at the floor, then turned his eyes to Alice, then thought, and then glanced at her once more. Biting his lip, he muttered, "Let Alice decide. She
was the one the git nearly raped."

Immediately, all eyes latched on Alice, who blushed in shame and turned her head away. "Do I have to...?"

The chorus of voices came: "Yes."

"I... I... don't want him to die... I like March's thing..."

"Fine then!" snapped Jabberwocky, eyes glinting with the inward anger that she hadn't given a sentence of execution. "Find the slimy git and throw him
through. Let the bliddy 'governors' deal with him!" He stomped to his desk, kicked the side furiously, and then hissed under his breath, "He still deserves the
axe..."

Bander and Adameer bowed out.

The searching guards finally found Maynard, hiding away in the wine cellar. They tied him up, dragged him to the Looking Glass room.
To see him off, Bandersnatch, Adameer, Jabberwocky, and Alice stood up stiff by the wall as he was dragged, screaming, towards the Looking Glass. "NO! I
don't want to go to that backwards country! Let me go! I won't do it again! I promise! No! No! No!" He saw Alice, bared his teeth in a lusting snarl, and hissed,
"Alice! Tell them to let me go! I didn't even get to do it!"

Alice's blood chilled.

The guards were having a hard time moving Maynard, who planted his feet against the stones and yelled his lungs out. Finally, Adameer growled, "Enough is
enough." Stomping forward, he grabbed Maynard by the throat, shoved him through.

Suddenly, Jabberwock was in front of the mirror, glancing it over, claws itching at his sides. Bander took a sharp intake of breath, "Brother..."

"Don't worry... I'm not going to try. I'll just end up back here..." Jabberwock reached out, grabbed the mirror by the frame, and threw it down.
The Looking Glass shattered. Little metallic droplets of the mirror splattered across the floor. Jabberwock kicked at the now-empty frame with a grim smirk,
"However, Maynard will not."

Hatter was furious when he found out the Looking Glass had been broken. Other than the obvious reason of Maynard, he was sure that the Jabberwocky had
done it to deter Alice's return to home.
For the rest of the evening, a rather tranquil and eventless silence passed over the entire palace. The night stole upon the scene, stole everybody's energy,
laid them all down to sleep.
In the morning, Jabberwock announced to Alice that they would be going to his 'summer home'. He had already instructed maids to pack up their belongings.

They left late morning in a bouncing carriage. Four hours later, they reached the mansion.

Situated on the banks of a great, dark, swirling river, the King's summer home was large and airy, marble columns supporting the roof over a delicate yet
sturdy porch. Reddish limestone walls towered upwards, spotted with bright, clean windows. The black roof proudly presented its skylights towards the blue
sky.
The interior was lavishly decorated, each room claiming at least one chandelier, one beautiful, soft, bright rug, and a threaded gold strand somewhere on the
walls. Alice glanced around with wide eyes as Jabberwock happily toured her.
After the late lunch, the sky turned gray and dismal. Droplets of rain rampaged across the skylights, throwing scattered dark light across the floor below.
However, Jabberwock was cheerful and satisfied that he had escaped the palace.

That night, after much pleading, Alice finally was allowed to sleep in a room alone. As she slipped off into comfortable sleep, she could only feel her heart
twist around inside.
She could only think of Hatter, haunting her mind with a ghostly smile and the whispered words, "I love you."

Chapter 18: A Summer Home

The next day, Alice woke up slowly to see Jabberwock sitting at the foot of her bed, eyes gazing at her lovingly. She blinked, smiled softly, "What are you
doing?"

"Watching you... Waiting..." Jabberwock's eyes flickered. "I want to take you riding. We can have a picnic. Come on... Hurry up..."

Alice groaned as she caught herself from slipping off the horse again. "This is taking so long! Where are we going?"
Jabberwock cast another glare at the three guards and the two pleasurables accompanying them. The pleasurables had been brought along to satisfy
Jabberwock's hunger, if need be, but Jabberwocky was deeply set on ignoring them. "To a meadow my father used to take me to. It's a great picnicking spot,
not to mention a quiet place to talk."

"Okay..." Alice glanced at the wicker picnic basket that held the sandwiches and glass bottles of water and wine and licked her lips. Her stomach growled in
want.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"The guards don't imagine much, so I'm not really... But I can still eat... Maybe..." Jabberwocky licked his lips and then spat onto the ground. "But I won't
accept forced imagination unless I'm really, really hungry."

"I'm glad you won't."

The pleasurables began to twitter to each other, causing one of the guards to hold up on his horse, tap on on the head with the butt of his glaive. The two
immediately shut up, but Jabberwock waved a hand, ordered, "Let them talk."
Instantly, the two women began chatting, the guard grimaced and rejoined his companions.

Jabberwock pursed his lips, came close, and then reached for Alice, "We're going too slow. Take the basket and come onto my horse."

"No... You go too fast." Alice sniffled before catching herself as the horse stopped suddenly. The horse-fly whickered, began to pull off the trail.

The guards cut the horse off, who huffed, and then resumed its steady canted. Jabberwock smirked, "Your horse knows you're a bad rider and wants you off."

"That's mean..."

"They like to take advantage, don't worry. Your horse doesn't hate you..."

After her horse tried to dislodge her from her saddle another three times, they reached the meadow that Jabberwocky had visited when he had been a child. A
large field, filled to the brim with long, tall, green grass, let out a whispering sigh as a gentle breeze shifted past. In the center, long flat rocks lay heaped in a
pile.
Jabberwock rode out, pranced his sword about in a circle, and then leapt off with a broad smile on his face, "Look! We're here! It's so beautiful, isn't it?"

Alice gazed at it, "Wow." It was pretty.

The guards trotted out into the clearing, slid off their horses, shouldered their glaives over their shoulders. Underneath Alice, the horse whinnied before
shaking wildly and making Alice tumble off. Groaning as the horse galloped off to butt against Jabberwock's steed, Alice staggered up, "That horse is evil!"

Jabberwock petted its flank tenderly, "It's a nice horse-fly. You just need to be stricter with it..."

The guards helped the pleasurables down before wiping at their hands with disgust. The pleasurables went flouncing off into the grass, giggling like fools.
Alice came over, "I'm hungry... Can we eat?"

Jabberwock unlatched the basket from the saddle, rooted through the cloth, and withdrew smaller basket crammed with sandwiches. "Of course. Let's eat on
the rock."

Jabberwock and Alice sat atop the tallest rock, gazing down at the horses and guards. The horses were romping about, leaping high into the air before
hovering down with their wings blurring with a slight buzz. The guards play-fought, their swords clanging hollowly as they fenced.
The pleasurables were eating their own lunch in the corner of the field, happily exchanging words as they ate the sandwiches that were left over.

Jabberwock watched as one of the guards tripped and found the other's rapier at his throat. The victor smirked, sheathed his sword, bowed to the loser. The
loser staggered up, slowly nodded to the victor in acknowledgement.
Jabberwock leaned forward, called down, "That was a good duel!"

The guards immediately bowed to him before mumbling, "Thank you for the compliment, your Highness."

"No need to thank me. Just saying that was very well fought."

"Again, thank you, sire."

Rolling his yellow eyes, Jabberwocky smirked, "Mindless guards..." He slid down the rock, motioned to one with a hand while the other hand caressed the twig
of the Imagination Rose around his neck, "Give me your sword. I want to fight."

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but we can't allow that. You may get hurt."

"Nonsense. Give it to me."

"I'm sorry, sire, but we-"

Snarling, Jabberwock wheeled around on his heel, stomped over to the pleasurables, and sat down with a fuming scowl on his face. Instantly, the women were
on their stomachs, bowing with tremors rocking their bodies.
The guards called weakly, "There's no need to humiliate yourself, your Majesty... You can sit with the princess... No need to soil yourself with the pleasurables
unless you want to."

"I can't fight? What kind of nonsense logic is that? I can't do anything!"

"You can drink, sir. You brought wine."

"Oh... yes..." Jabberwocky stood, scurried to the horse, and pulled out a bottle of wine. He scaled the rock back up to Alice, sat, uncorked the wine, and then
sipped at it with a rather angry frown on his face. "Stupid guards. Won't let me fight."

"Why can't you?"

"'Cause I'm King and they don't want to 'hurt' me." scoffed Jabberwocky before chucking the rest of the wine at the guards.

The guards blanched as the wine bottle cracked against one of their helmets, shattered, and sprayed them all with wine.

When they returned to the mansion, Jabberwock was in a neutral mood, angry at the guards but somewhat distracted by the pleasurables. Alice kept catching
him regarding the smaller one with hungry eyes, itching at his chest as he thought unclean thoughts.
When dinnertime came, Jabberwocky sent her down to the kitchen alone, went off to find the woman. Alice was sullen that he would even think of doing
something like that. After dinner, she decided to wander about outside, reveling in the tall roses and trees that leaned in around the mansion.

She was just bending to smell of blue rose when Cheshire's voice came, small and meek, "Are you trying to hide from me, Alice? I couldn't find you..."

Glancing about, Alice smiled as she saw Cheshire fade into view atop a tall tree branch. "Cheshire! How are you?"

"Fine. You just have to keep disappearing from the places I expect you to be at? What happened to staying at the palace? I was wandering around there for
three hours looking for you until Hatter told me you had come to... this thing." Cheshire motioned at the house.

"Yes? So? Do you have something to tell me?"

"Well, actually, yes." Cheshire vanished before appearing beside her. Sniffing at the sapphire rose, he blinked before moaning, "Mm... Beautiful smell... Well...
Anyways, someone wants to meet you."

"Who?"

"Well... First, let me ask: Are you afraid of bugs?"

"Not really..."

Cheshire scratched at his ear before batting at the leather bag around his neck, "Hey... Caterpillar. Alice won't be scared of you."

A small circle of smoke lifted out of the bag before a drowsy, lulling voice yawned, "Yes...?"

Alice stared at the bag, "There's a caterpillar in there?"

A cry of outrage rang out and a small, greenish-blue caterpillar peeked out, its small, black eyes furrowed in anger, "A caterpillar? A? I am the wisest of all
caterpillars! Do not classify me with the other flitter-flutters!"

"Oh... Sorry..." Alice said, seeing Cheshire roll his eyes.

Stretching his neck out of the bag, the Caterpillar glanced about, shrugged, took a long drag from its needle-sized hookah. "You're nothing like the last Alice.
The last one kept referring to me as terribly small. Three inches a bad height? Hah, indeed! I laugh in her face! Three inches is a very good height, thank you
very much! But... You're not even three inches. You're -what?- five feet?"

"Five foot seven."

"A good height to be also. Actually, any height is good as long as it's you." The Caterpillar changed from its bluish-green to a pasty greenish-white. "If it's not
you, than it's not your height either. Maybe that's the problem..." He puffed out a large purple ring that ran around Cheshire's head like a demented donut
before disappearing.

Alice gazed at the Caterpillar, confused, "Okay..."

Cheshire took a paw, flicked Caterpillar softly, who fled back into his bag, "Be nice to Alice, Caterpillar. She's stuck with the Jabberwock at the moment."

Smoke poured out from the top of the bag, "Yes, I know. Terrible person, that Jabberwocky. I was watching the executions when he killed the Royals. Terrible
thing for a monarchy to topple just like that to plummet straight into a dictatorship. At least it is somewhat back now."

"You're right, Caterpillar, as you usually are."

"As I usually am, of course." the Caterpillar peeked out, beady eyes narrowed in pleasure. "And, Alice, have you gone mute? I've come to meet the new Alice,
and now I only know a girl who hasn't even said a word other than some general introductions. Where is the small tidbit that holds my attention? A small gift
perhaps...? Or just a small fact that I can chew on for a bit?"

"Oh." Alice smiled hesitantly. "Um... I... uh... don't know..."

"You don't know? That is good to know." The Caterpillar glanced about, gazed at the flowers hungrily, and then puffed a big, square smoke ring up into the air.
"A tidbit of information that will give me something to ponder about... Would you mind picking a flower for me? I haven't eaten for a while."

Alice wordlessly picked up rose, softly pushed it down into the leather bag. Instantly, the Caterpillar popped up, his hookah in two right hands, a petal in one
left hand. He munched on the blue petal before muttering, "Cheshire? Do you want to add anything?"

"Other than the fact that I'm uncomfortable here, no."

"Being uncomfortable makes us do things we would normally never do. Stay uncomfortable." The Caterpillar settled down into his bag, yawned, his tiny arms
all stretching outwards. "Unless it is time to sleep, which, for me, it is. Well... I just wanted to meet you, dear Alice, and have a bragging right to having met
you... I hope you find amusement here in these wretched Shadowlands."

Cheshire stuffed Caterpillar down into the bag, tied it shut, and then hung it from his neck. He smiled apologetically at Alice, "I'm sorry, but he's usually a bit
arrogant." He vanished from sight, but his voice kept coming, "Even though he's still a grubby, green worm like always."

"I will turn into a butterfly one day... Just have to stop smoking first." muttered Caterpillar's voice before the garden grew silent once more.

Jabberwock finished with the pleasurable an hour later, immediately went out to find Alice. He found her sitting on a bench by a small lake that sparkled with
moonlight and starlight. Settling down beside her, shivering from the chilly night air, he whispered, "Why are you out here? You could be inside warming up
besides the fire, not freezing out here... I don't want you to get sick."

"I won't get sick." Alice poked a stick into the water, watched the bold fish swim up to inspect it.

Jabberwocky scratched at his neck before leaning forward and stirring the water with his claw. The fish immediately fled. Sighing, he straightened before
muttering, "Nothing alive likes me."

"That's not true. I like you."

"That's different. You're my daughter. Everything else is scared into respect or hates me... I'm a freak." Jabberwocky cuddled up against her, his skin cold.

"You're not a freak."

"I eat imagination... Wouldn't that classify me as one?" Jabberwock fingered the rose around his neck, smiled softly as he drained some.

"No."
"Oh, Alice... You're too nice..." Embracing her, Jabberwock sniffled into her shoulder, "You can be mean sometimes... I do like to hear my lacking points so I can
improve them and make life better for you."

Alice pursed her lips, glared at the fish who had wandered back to gaze curiously at the two giants standing at the edge of their pond. She couldn't tell him
that she did wish to escape the overattention, the somewhat selfish 'Let's force Alice to stay here' idea. "I do want to go back to Wonderland and home
sometimes..."

Instantly, Jabberwock's arms tensed around her. His voice held hurt, "Why would you want to do that? I can supply all your needs here... You needn't go back."
He hugged her tighter to him, as if afraid she would disappear through her claws. "There's nothing back there... I can give you the best of everything. The
best clothes, the best food, the best schools... Anything you want."

"It's not the same. It's not home."

"To me it is..." grumbled Jabberwock.

"But not to me. I miss my mom... and my grandma... I promise to come visit as soon as I figure out how to travel through the clock or the Looking Glass."

Suddenly, Jabberwock's eyes were a deep black, his sullen fury taking form as he smushed his arms in around her and yowled into her shoulder, "I don't want
you to go back! You're my daughter! I've already lost one! Don't make me lose another!" Hot tears dripped from his face down to soak into her dress.

Alice's heart sank with guilt. Gently, she caressed his hair, "It's okay... It's okay... I won't go..." She wasn't sure whether that was a lie or the truth on her part.

That night, Jabberwocky refused to sleep alone, instead dragging her to the large bed, pushing her under the covers, and then wrapping his arms around her
so she couldn't escape his grasp. Alice glared at the red covers as Jabberwock drifted off to sleep, snoring softly into her golden hair.

She let sleep take her relunctantly.

The next day, Jabberwock fidgeted the all morning, gazing at the woods with envious eyes. At lunchtime, he told Alice that he would be wandering out and he
would be back by dinnertime. He wouldn't elaborate on what he was to do.
Jabberwock left, leaving Alice alone in a breezy mansion, the sky a threatening gray above the black roof.

A few miles away, Hatter, March, and Bander were arguing on top of their horses. Hatter whined, "But I want to see Alice!"

"No! We're not going to interrupt brother's retreat just to see Alice! He's probably resting at the moment!"

"How do you know? For all you know, he can be killing everybody!"

"He wouldn't do that..."

March's ears were laid back, his nose quivering, "I don't like these woods... They smell of tigers. Not cute Cheshire tigers... The big, mean ones..."

Glancing back at him, Hatter smiled, "Don't worry. I"ll protect you from any tiger."

"Of course you will, will that tiny little dagger of yours you got strapped in your boot. Do you know how pitiful that is against a tiger?"

"Yes, but I could still do damage. I have teeth too, you know."

Bander halted, glared at Hatter, and then narrowed his eyes, "You're kidding, right? If you dare try to eat a tiger, I will make sure you throw it all up. I don't
want you even thinking about eating raw meat."

Hatter pursed his lips, "Fine. I'll cook it first!"

"Imagine! No! No eating tigers." Bander ordered.

"Fine, fine..."

March slid off his horse, skipped to a tree, and began sniffing about, "I'm not kidding. I smell tigers. It scares me... Do we really have to see this, Hats? Can't
we just wait?"

"No. I want to see where Alice is, except someone is making us lost!" Hatter shot a furious glare at Bander.
"I'm not getting us lost... I'm just having a hard time remembering directions." Bander toyed with the small compass around his neck. "It's due south-east, but
there used to be a trail... I guessed no one has used it in a long time, so it's gotten lost. They went in the southern way, we're going in from the west. It's
different."

"Yes.Of course. You had to take us the hard way." Hatter pursed his lips before sniffing, "I feel dirty Let's stop soon and have lunch."

"There's a river that should be just up ahead. We can stop there."

March was having a wonderful time splashing in the shallows of the river, "Hats! Come in! Come in! The water's nice and cold!"

"Mm." Hatter chewed at his bread. "No water right now. I'm getting tired."

"You're no fun!" March pulled up his pant legs even higher, kicked at the water happily.

Bander was stretched out on a rock, sunning himself. "It's nice here... Imagine, go play with your bunny." He scratched at his chest.

Hatter chuckled, devoured the rest of the loaf of bread, and then stood up. Stripping off his shirt and pant down to his underwear, he jumped into the water,
yelped. "Bliddy heck! It's cold!"

March bent over, dunked his head under the water. Spluttering up, he shook the extra water from his fur. "It's refreshing!"

"Ah... But it's still cold..."

Hatter shivered, glanced back at Bander, "Don't you want to swim too?"

"Nah... I stay away from the water in this place."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well... Jabberwock likes swimming in it."

Hatter cocked his head, "What's wrong with that."

"He swims in his changed form. It's not fun to be swimming and have him toss you out of the water for fun. Sometimes, he even eats swimmers he doesn't
know. He can go pretty far upstream and downstream in either way."

"Oh... Do you think he'd really do that? I mean, he doesn't like leaving Alice..." Hatter glanced distrustfully at the water.

Bander sat up, gazed at his son, and then shrugged, "He trusts her to be safe here. That's why he brought her in the first place. I think he wouldn't mind
leaving her for a little swim in the river."

March bounced farther into the water, not caring that his pants soaked up the water like a sponge. "I don't care. This is fun! Hey, Hatter! Want to catch a
fish?" He dove underwater, swam for a bit, and then splashed up, gasping for air, "Bliddy fish! Can't catch him!"

Hatter chuckled, "You think you can catch a fish, March? You can barely even swim!"

"Not my fault my fur gets so heavy!" March swam out to a rock in the middle of the river, pulled himself up, and then hacked out some water from his mouth.
He shook his head, making his fur stand up on end, and then brushed it down hurriedly. Sitting down, he waved at Hatter, "Come on, bring some food over
and we can eat out here!"

"The food's going to get wet!" called Hatter.

"So?"

"You don't want soggy bread, do you?"

"Well... no... Just leave some for me, okay, then? I'm going to sit here for awhile..." March leaned back, stared at the sky with bright, milky eyes. For the next
fifteen minutes, he stayed out on the rock, just watching the clouds and humming randomly to himself. Hatter sloshed out of the water, began to dry himself
off while the Bandersnatch traced shapes in the air with disinterested boredom. March finally sat up, glanced at the shore, and then called, "Hats?"

"Hm?" Hatter glanced up, a strawberry disappearing into his mouth.

"I'm coming back over... What do you have in there?"

"Well... let's see... There's bread, some meat, lots of strawberries and oranges," Hatter picked up an apple, crinkled his nose in disgust, and then threw it over
his shoulder, "apples... Oho! Carrots!" He picked up a carrot, glanced it over.

"I want that!" March scrambled back into the water.

Bander glanced lazily at a smug Hatter, "He likes carrots?"

"He loves any vegetable. He'd rather have carrots than strawberries actually, although, personally, I despise both."

"Eat your vegetables, they're good for you." Bander shifted to a more comfortable position.

Hatter chuckled grimly, glanced at March, who was swimming against the current, pausing, and then letting himself drift with the current. Laughing, Hatter
started to munch on the carrot. March saw, waved a hand, "Hats! No! That's mi-"

Suddenly, the water erupted under him. Jabberwock launched March up into the air, snarled, and then plucked March out of the air and clamped his mouth
shut around him.
Hatter dropped the carrot, eyes wide with horror, and then leapt forward, "Jabberwock! Spit him out!"

Jabberwock started choking, yellow eyes glazing over as he tried to swallow March down.
Bandersnatch scrambled off his rock, ran over, "Stop it! Cough him up, brother! That was March! That was the rabbit!"

Eyes growing wide, Jabberwock retched, spat March out. Rolled up in a small ball, March was shivering, sobbing into his own fur, "Please... No..."

Hatter instantly stumbled to his knees next to March, pulled his friend up, and worriedly brushed at the slime covering him, "March, March! Are you okay?"

"Hats..." March threw his arms around Hatter and started crying hysterically, "It was scary!"

Jabberwocky coughed, licked his lips, and then shoved a furious Bander with a paw. Bandersnatch snarled, "We just came to swim! Nothing else! And stop
eating swimmers!"

Snapping his jaws, Jabberwocky waded back into the water, growled, and then slid back under. Seconds later, the top of his head reappeared, his narrowed
golden eyes locked on the three on the shore. He sniffed before sliding back out, stomach close to the ground and head waving to and fro. His black tongue
snaked out, nudged March.

March cringed away. "No more trying to eat me!"

Jabberwocky coughed, shoved Hatter away with his nose, and then rumbled out an apologetic growl. Bandersnatch hit him on top of his scaly head. "See...
You've made March miserable! That's what happens when you eat the people swimming in the rivers!"

Shaking his head, Jabberwocky turned, ran, and leapt out over the water. The splash he created was humongous, creating small waves that splashed up on
the beach.
Hatter and Bander glared out over the water, March shivering miserably at their feet.

When Jabberwock came back, soaking wet but happy, Alice cheerfully greeted him with a ink drawing. Although horribly blotted and smeared, the ink had
dried into something resembling Jabberwock.
Jabberwock accepted it happily, posted it up on the walls of his bedroom.
That night, when they lay in bed, Jabberwock already asleep and Alice awake and thoughtful, the eyes of the image gazed out over the room, dark,
thoughtful, and protective, just like the real thing.

Chapter 19: A Proposal

The next morning, Alice woke up to Jabberwock's snores. Blinking tiredly, she sat up, shoved his arm off of her, and wearily slid out of bed.
She dressed quickly, went down for breakfast.

It was raining again, so she was stuck inside. Throughout the day, she cornered the servants of the house, asked them questions, but all in vain. Hardly any of
them knew Wonderlander, and those who did were too frightingly respecting to answer.

Jabberwock went swimming again, leaving Alice to her boredom until he came back with a broad smile on his face. However, when he caught the sniffles that
night, he became miserable and sullen.
Alice was just relieved to have a bed all to herself again when he somberly told her she could sleep alone so she wouldn't catch the cold.

A whole week passed, four out of the seven days rainy and dreary. Alice actually looked forward to going back to the capital. They went back on the eighth
day, the four hour carriage ride nothing compared to seven days of boredom. Over their absence, Hatter and March had sent a request for a new Looking
Glass to be delivered. However, Chesapeake and Lyona sent a reply that they were 'unable to deliver due to complications at the border'.

Hatter was packing his saddlebags sullenly, mumbling faint phrases to himself, when the knock came at the door. Glancing up, he growled, "Who's there?"

"Hatter... It's me... Alice..."

He bounded over to the door, slammed it open, threw his arms around her and embraced her happily, "Alice! You're back! I missed you so much!"

"Umph! Hatter! You're squishing me!" came Alice's muffled voice.

"Oh! Sorry! Wait! Just wait! I've got something!" Hatter released her, grabbed her hand, towed her over to the bed, sat her down. He went back, closed the
door, and then glanced at her slyly. "It is a good thing March went for a walk..."

"Why's that?"

"Oh... Nothing." Hatter scrambled over to his wardrobe, grabbed his fancy crimson jacket, pulled it on. Next, the top hat came off of the hangar and onto his
head. He kept shooting secretive glances at Alice.

Alice noticed, huffed, "What is wrong with you?"

Ignoring her, Hatter muttered angrily, "I'm not dressed right... I'm not dressed right... Boots? Where are the boots?" He bent down, stuffed his hands into a
drawers, searched, came up with shiny, polished boots.

"What are you doing?"

Again, he let her words pass over his head. Tugging his boots on, he glanced them over, smiled, "Those will do."

"If you're busy, I could leave."

"Oh, no, no, no! You have to stay! I'm just not ready!" Hatter knelt, went on his stomach, peered under the wardrobe. Reaching out, he withdrew dusty, white
gloves. He wiped them off hastily before taking something out of them and hiding it in his pocket. He put on the gloves, stood, dusted himself off one final
time, and then held his arms out wide, "How do I look?"

"Good. You're going somewhere?"

"Nah... Just want to get dressed up for this." Hatter paced before the wardrobe, eyes glinting with a strange light.

He was nervous, Alice could tell, ridden with anxiety. "For what?"

Hatter blushed, slumped down on the bed. "It's... just an impulse."

"O...kay..." Alice glanced at him before turning and gazing at the floor in embarrassed silence.

The silence lasted for a few minutes, worming its way down into both of them, filling them both with a sort of heavy shame. Finally, Hatter stood, wandered
around the bed, and stood in front of her. His eyes were dull and lifeless. "Alice...?"

"What?"

"Are you mad at me?"

Startled, Alice glanced up into his face, said, "No! Of course not!"

"Than why aren't we talking?"

"I guess... it's because I just dropped by and you were busy with something."
"I'm never too busy for you."

"That's nice, Hatter..." Alice blushed.

Suddenly, Hatter was on his knee, his hands wrapped around hers, his eyes bright and hopeful. "Really?"

"Yes..." Alice squeezed his hands, smiling. Her heart beat quickly.

Hatter stared at her face before slowly licking his lips, standing. He turned his back on her, "Alice..."

Alice gazed at his back. "What?"

Whirling arouund, Hatter took her hand again, eyes sparkling with the utmost love, "Alice..." He dropped to his knees once more, kissed her hand, and then
tugged at the gold chain around his throat. Catching the golden ring dangling from it, he held it up.
"Will you marry me?"

Chapter 20: Acceptance

"Will you marry me?"

Hatter offered the ring up to Alice with that simple phrase, offering it along with his love, his heart, his soul, his entire being. His eyes were glittering with
moisture, filled with hope for acceptance, filled with fear of rejection.

Alice's blood stilled in her veins, her mouth dropping open in surprise. He was proposing to her? Asking her to marry him? Her heart thudded in her chest
excitedly. Pulsing, her mind ran through all the memories of Hatter that she had, both good and bad. The face that had at first looked at her with little regard,
but now regarded her with love. The hands that had once held knives, but now held a ring. The eyes that had bored into her soul with remembering hatred,
but now glittered with hope and fear.A moment went past, then a minute, in a startled silence.

Hatter's eyes slowly travelled up, "Alice...?"

Alice threw herself onto him with a squeal of joy, bowling him over, knocking his top hat loose, "Of course I will!" Her heart danced in joy; she was going to
marry Hatter!

Hatter stared up at her blushing face, eyes wide, disbelieving, before a broad, ecstatic smile crossed his features. He whispered weakly, "You will...?"

"Of course!"

Hatter's left eye dulled to a black as the other grew moist, "Oh... Alice..." He began to sob hysterically with happiness.

Alice's smile grew gentle and loving as she wiped the tears from his cheeks, "Yes...?"

"I'm so happy!" Hatter buried his streaming face into her shoulder as he pulled her down. His watering eyes showed insanity, but his voice spoke reason:
"We'll finally be married! We'll be able to love each other," He embraced her strongly, "forever and ever!"

After a half hour of cuddling up to each other, speaking quiet, meaningful words of love to one another, they finally began to stray to important topics as
Hatter regained his sanity.
"So... Jabberwocky... I'm worried about Jabberwock..." Hatter murmured, his hand caressing Alice's head, which was against his chest. His fingers fiddled with
individual strands of blonde hair. "I know he won't let us be married... He would never stand for it... And if we want to marry here, I have to go and present
myself to him and ask for your hand in marriage... and he definitely won't say 'yes'... He won't even look at me, I bet..." He sighed, shifted under Alice, and
then hugged her close, his jacket rustling against her dress.

"So we can't marry?" Alice asked sullenly.

"We can... Just not here." Hatter kissed the tip of her nose gently, eyes happy but frustrated. "We need to go to Wonderland."

"So we have to go to Wonderland?"

"Yes... Problem is that Jabberwocky broke the Looking Glass... He certainly won't you let you get anywhere close to a horse-fly, let alone ride it four days for
the Wonderland border."

"I can ride. We could do that." complained Alice, feeling slightly guilty about thinking of deserting her 'father'.
"And his soldiers will catch up." whispered Hatter. "No... I was packing to already go back. I can bring the new Looking Glass back, go through that."

"How long will that take?"

"Eight to nine days, round trip. Four days there, four days back, a day of rest in between... And that is if we don't run into any problems."

Alice, somewhat relunctant to leave Hatter, made her way back to Jabberwock's room, knowing he'd be rather angry that she had not been back by
dinnertime. As she entered, the Jabberwocky glanced up from his book, sniffed wetly. He still suffered from the aftermath of his cold. "Where have you been?"

"I went and talked to Hatter..."

His eyes narrowed, "Nothing happened, I hope?"

"No."

Nodding in satisfaction, Jabberwock shut his book, stood, wandered over to her, pulled her to the bed, and then settled down with her on his lap, "That is good
to hear... I was talking with one of the guards before dinner. They're planning to leave tomorrow morning. Finally. They're distracting, especially to you... I'll be
happy when they leave." He stroked her neck before kissing her tenderly, "I worry as a father that they will try to steal you away from me..."

"They won't." lied Alice.

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

"What were you and Hatter talking about?" His fingers massaged her shoulders.

"Nothing."

"Then you wouldn't have been talking. Please, do tell?" His eyes changed to the lie-detecting white.

"Trivial things."

"Nothing else?"

"No."

Alice felt Jabberwock's claws fall limp as he saw the lie. He sniffled sadly, "Why do you lie to me?" His voice carried hurt and loneliness.

"It's personal... About his crush on me."

"Ah...Not my favorite subject." the Jabberwock hugged her, squeezing her happily. "Now... Do you want dinner?"

The rest of the evening passed with little excitement for Alice, incredible anxiety mixed with happiness for Hatter. March came back from his little stroll
through the palace's halls. The instant he walked in, Hatter pounced on him, eyes wide and excited, "Guess what?"

March groaned under him, ears limp, "You're killing me, Hats... What?"

"I-I-I proposed to Alice!" Hatter savored the words on his tongue before continuing quickly, "And she said 'yes'! She said 'yes', March! Can you believe it?"
Hatter slid off the March Hare, laid on the floor with his eyes watching the ceiling in dazed happiness.

March blinked, sat up, glanced at him. "You... proposed?"

"Yes! And she said 'yes'!" Hatter bounced up, threw himself on the bed, and began eagerly stuffing the rest of his clothes into his bag.

March smiled broadly, "Well, congratulations!" Standing, he brushed himself off, picked a piece of fuzz from his coat. "We should get married on the same
day! May would love that, and it would double the fun, wouldn't it? A double wedding!"

Hatter's face suddenly darkened, "About that... We need to smuggle Alice through the Looking Glass we bring back."
"Huh? 'Smuggle'?"

"Yes. We can only get married in Wonderland." Hatter pulled down his top hat, grumpily wiped at it, and then tried to push out a dent. The fabric ripped, his
finger poked through, and he stared at his stupidly before sighing and squashing the hat down into a small lump of felt. "I really need to get a new hat. I'll
make one as soon as we get Alice back to Wonderland."

"You seem so confident."

"I should be! I just got... How would you put it?"

"Accepted?"

"Yes! I got accepted!" Hatter clapped his hands together happily.

The next morning, Hatter and March stood outside, loading their saddlebags onto their horse-flies. The great mustangs snorted eagerly, pawed at the dirt
ground, their clipped gossamer wings fanning out uselessly from their shoulders. Hatter was latching on his saddlebags onto the saddle. "You got the food,
right, March?"

March chuckled, "Already hungry?"

"Yes..." Hatter cinched the saddle tighter, glared at the horse's belly, and poked it. The horse let out a sigh and Hatter tightened the belt once more. "Do you
have any idea why they're giving us show horses?"

"Uh... No... Why don't you ask Jabberwock?"

"Why would I ask Jabber-"

"You're leaving." Jabberwock muttered.

Hatter whirled around, stared up in Jabberwock's placated, satisfied face. He blinked after a moment of silence and then snarled, "What are you doing here?"

"It's my castle. I can be where I want. I came to see you off and make sure you don't suddenly change your minds and stay. I had to talk to some of the
guards, anyway." Jabberwock crossed his arms, smirked.

"I don't trust you." hissed Hatter. "You would have been up in your bed, sleeping, if you weren't down here up to something! What are you doing?"

"Why would I? You're going away, I'm happy to say, and I get to keep Alice. I couldn't be happier..." Jabberwock shook his head in amusement, smiled sharply,
and then continued, "And why are we even talking? I'm keeping you from going through those gates. Go away." He waved at Hatter with a hand.

Hatter shot one last suspicious glare at his old master, stalked back to March. Hefting himself up on the saddle, he snapped, "We're leaving now."

The guards who would join them just till the borderline glanced up, smiled grimly, and leap upon their heavy war-stallions. The guard captain nodded to the
Jabberwock, saluted, trailed over to his horse. Lifting himself up, he called a command.
The soldiers' arms snapped up in a salute to Jabberwock, who smirked happily, turned, and disappeared back into the palace.

Chapter 21: A Conflict with Time

While Alice woke up slowly back in the capital, Hatter, March, and their escort pounded down the dusty dirt road towards Wonderland’s border. To their right
were the fields of crops: corn, lettuce, spinach, and other such plants. To their left, a large river.

The guards were quiet and focused, their dull, black eyes empty as they surveyed their protégés.

Hatter’s black hair bounced up and down as he glanced behind at the soldiers, turned his eyes to March, and then muttered, “First, they give us show horses
that can’t run for beans, and then they send ten more soldiers than they need to. Doesn’t that seem odd?”

March sighed. “Stop being paranoid, Hats. They’re probably just being extra careful, and Jabberwocky did say he wanted you over the border. He probably just
sent the ten to push you back over the border.”

“Still…” Hatter cast his eyes to the front.

A few minutes ahead, a wagon loaded with dry, yellow hay was tilted over the ditch running by the side of the road, one of its wooden wheels hanging over.
The moaning lows of oxen mixed in with the frantic orders that the peasants called to each other. The Shadowlanders hurried about, some tugging at the side
of the cart, trying to right it, while the others tried coaxing the oxen to pull harder.
Half of the guards pulled ahead, eyeing the peasants suspiciously. The captain held up his spear, yelled, “Make way! Make way for the Ambassador of
Wonderland!”

The people in the road scrambled away. As they galloped past, the soldiers catcalled the peasants. The last guard, as he rode by the side of the teetering
wagon, hefted himself up and landed a solid kick against the wood of the wagon. Uproarious laughs erupted as the wagon lost its balance.

The Shadowlanders in the ditch, holding the wagon up, screamed as it groaned towards them. The wagon crashed to its side, trapping at least peasant
underneath it. Desperate yells came as some began drowning in the mud of the ditch.

Hatter wheeled his horse about, furious, “You gits!” Leaping off his horse, he scrambled down into the ditch, began digging a little girl out from the suffocating
pile of heavy wood and straw.
March followed him and began to help another.

The guards watched silently, eyes once again dead and emotionless. One booed, but the captain turned halfway on his horse, thwacked him over the head
with the butt of his spear.

Only one person died, a man who had been crushed by the heaviest part of the wagon. The others who had been trapped suffered from broken bones and a
bit of mud down the lungs, but, other than that, they were fine.

Hatter reprimanded the guards severely, but they glared at him with distaste. Meanwhile, March furiously brushed his clothes free of mud.

The wagon was repairable, according to the thankful peasants, but the hay was lost to wind and mud.

That evening, the group camped at the edge of a forest. The trees were dark, their black trunks towering far overhead, their leaves rustling in teh unsettling
winde that shoved gray-black clouds across the starry sky. The moon, full and a whitish-gray, showed its empty gray craters.

The guards circled around a bonfire, still in their black armor, roasting small animals they had trapped in the last hour. Hatter was enthralled with the smell
with roasting meat. “Mm… That smells good…”

March bopped him on the head, “No. No meat for you.”

“Ah…” Grabbing a close saddlebag, he dug through it, withdrew an orange, and then began peeling in somberly. “You know… I hate fruit…”
One of the guards decided his squirrel was roasted enough, withdrew the stick from the fire, and then began gnawing at it. Hatter’s eyes slid over, his
stomach growled, and then he groaned, “Oh, dear Lord… That looks so good…”

“Look away, Hats… Look away.” March reached over, gently grabbed Hatter’s chin, and forced his head to turn.

The guards ate ravenously, devouring their animals in hasty eagerness. Once they had finished, they drained their canteens of water, began eyeing March
and Hatter with narrowed black eyes.
Standing, the captain stretched before setting his hands to his hips and turning his eyes toward Hatter. “The Wonderland Ambassador… I heard that he was
insane. He looks sane enough to me…”

March shouldered Hatter, “What’s he saying?”

The captain continued, smirking, “I don’t see why they needed to send all fifteen of us. Five of us could have protected him just as easily… And then kill him.”
He raised a hand, motioned with a finger.

Instantly, all fifteen guards were up, bristling, swords in hand, eyes latched on the two Wonderlanders, especially Hatter.

Hatter’s eyes snapped wide, “What are you doing?”

“You haven’t figured it out yet, Wonderlander?” sneered the captain, fiddling with his rapier. “The King wants you dead. So you will die. He ordered us
personally.”

“Bliddy heck!” Hatter stumbled up, pulling March up.

March was shivering, “What’s happening?”

“They’re going to kill us, March!” Hatter hastily took his dagger out.

“You think you can beat all of us, Ambassador? Just put down the knife and we will kill you quickly.” The captain raised his hand, ready to give the order to
attack.
Hatter backed away and whispered, “March… What do you think?”

“If I had my bliddy cleavers, I would say we would have a decent chance at killing four of them before dying.” March’s ears were laid back on his skull, fur
puffed out.

“And you don’t. When he gives the order, we need to run. We need to run like the bliddy Jabberwock is after us himself. Understand?”

March had no time to agree. The captain dropped his hand, the soldiers roared, leapt forward to kill the two Wonderlanders.

Turning, the two fled, leaping over the first few bushes. March, taken by animalistic adrenaline, sped ahead of Hatter, who sprinted faster and faster as he
heard the crashes and angry yowls of the soldiers behind them.

They ran for their lives.

Suddenly, the whickers of aggravated horses came from behind, and March cursed, “Gits! They’ve got horses! No bliddy fair!”

Hatter panted, “Just find somewhere to hole up.”

“Hole up? Fine. There’s smoke nearby. Come. We can live out the last few minutes of our lives locked in some little house.” March changed direction abruptly,
crashed through the bushes.

A minute later, the noise of the mounted soldiers close behind them, they came to a small, wooden cabin, simple with no windows and but one door. The door
was ajar to the grassy clearing, a small girl playing with her doll. Running up, March scooped up the girl, who squeaked in surprise, ran into the house. Hatter
followed, slammed the door shut.

Startled, the Shadowlander family inside glanced up from their bowls and plates. Their wide eyes showed confusion and horror. The girl broke away from
March, hurried over to her mother.
Hatter fumbled with the lock, finally clicked it shut, and then slid down against the door, panting heavily, “Don’t… worry. Please, don’t worry.”

Gruff voices came from outside, accompanied with the furious whickers of the warhorse-flies. A fist banged against the door, “Open up in the name of the
King!”

The Shadowlander family continued to stare at the two intruders.

“Open up or we will break down the door and kill everybody!”

As the grandfather slowly staggered up, Hatter whispered weakly, “Please… Don’t…”

The old man hesitated, then sat with a sigh.

The door shuddered as the guards began beating against it. The heavy, oaken wood would stay up for a few minutes, but no more. March curled up next to
Hatter, licked his lips nervously, “Well… Guess this is the end, old buddy… we’re going to die, aren’t we?”

Hatter shuddered, face pale. “But I can’t die… I haven’t married Alice yet…”

“Is that all you can think about? We’re about to die!” March shoved Hatter angrily.

“Die… We’re about to die…” Hatter echoed, his hands shaking violently. His eyes took on a glazed look before he suddenly whispered, “Clock.”

“What?”

“My pocket watch! Where is it?” Hands scrabbling at his clothes and diving into his pockets, Hatter’s face took on the look of frantic anxiety.

“You’re going to lose your life and you’re worried about your watch?” squawked March furiously.

“No! It’s not that!” Hatter pulled the watch from his pocket, flipped it open, and then peeled off the glass cover. Gulping, he began winding the hands around
backwards, eyes glinting with fright.

“What are you- You do that and Time will come through to get you! He still hates you, remember?” March grabbed Hatter’s hand, tried to stop him.
Hatter shrugged him off, froze as the shaft of a spear broke through the door right by his shoulder. Staring at it as it retracted, he stammered, “Either way, we
die. At least we can escape Time.” He went back to setting the clock.

The clock suddenly started to whir loudly. Hatter swallowed one last time before putting his lips by the ticking hands and hoarsely whispering, “Time.”

Instantly, the clock hands stopped. A cold voice issued from the pocket watch: “Hatter… How dare you?”

“Please… Time…”

Suddenly, dark strands of liquid shot out of the clock face. Wrapping tightly around Hatter’s neck, they began to tighten. Hatter choked before ripping them
away and throwing the watch to the middle of the room.

Even before it hit the floor, the watch poured out black fluid. Collecting on the floor, it wrenched up into the form of a man, tall and lithe, impossibly thin, a
small, ticking clock in the center of his chest. A mouth open, showing jagged, uneven, sharp teeth. Silver eyes narrowed as they locked on Hatter. “You have a
lot of nerve even contacting my master.”
Behind the person, the Shadowlander family gawked before scrambling to the opposite side of the room.

Hatter groaned. “Oh… Pendulum… Why’d Time have to send you?”

“He thinks I’m the best suited to destroying you.” Pendulum licked his teeth, clawed his fingers. Strands of the black liquid making him stretched out,
separated from him, clawed up into definite shapes before hardening into gears and chains.
Two great beasts, between the size of a lion and a dog, panted besides Pendulum. Gears creaked as long, one-sided blades that served as claws flexed. The
joints groaned as the things glanced about. One caught sight of the trembling Shadowlander family, let a long, silver chain tongue loll out of its mouth. Sharp
teeth glittered with drool.

Pendulum petted its head lovingly, “My children hunger. They feed off those who destroy Time… Like you. Your flesh will suffice. And, since I’m already
here…” He snapped his fingers.

The beast to his right hissed, sprang at the Shadowlanders. Knocking the young man down, it clamped its etched metal teeth down onto the boy’s neck,
snapped the bones underneath the skin easily, and then ripped off a mouthful of flesh.

Hatter backed up against the door, terrified as the other advanced. Weakly, he pleaded, “Pendulum… Please…”

Pendulum wagged a finger, “No, no… No arguing. Die quietly, Hatter. I don’t want my children hurt.” He turned, walked towards his eating child and the
cornered family. Scratching at his stomach, he murmured, “Easy, easy… You have time to eat… Now… which one do I want for myself?” He licked his lips.

The mother fainted, sliding against the father. The little girl was sobbing hysterically into the shoulder of her grandfather.

The door broke in half. Whirling about, Pendulum hissed, “What the-”

The second hell-beast leapt for Hatter, yowling angrily. Hatter ducked, the creature flew over and smacked into the soldier trying to find his way in through the
splintered remains of the door.
The soldier screamed as he fell back.

Instantly, Pendulum’s eyes were glazed with hate, “Soldiers? Shadowland soldiers?”

Hatter’s eyes glittered with the smallest amount of relief he could muster. So Pendulum did hate Shadowlanders. He just hoped he hated them more than he
did him.

Pendulum stalked forward, snarling. His arms lengthened, hardening into silver blades. “Hatter, you brought me to Shadowland soldiers?” He slashed at
Hatter angrily.

Hatter ducked and the sword cut deep into the wood wall. As he jerked it free, he kicked at Hatter harshly and furiously. He raised his arms, ready to cut down.

March leapt onto Pendulum’s back, dull, little claws digging into Pendulum’s face as he pulled back. “Hatter! Get away!”

Hatter stared up at Pendulum, who howled furiously. “March! Get off of him!”

“What? Why- Ah!” March struggled as dark tendrils of liquid began pulling him into Pendulum.

Pendulum stilled, eyes focused. His swords shivered as he began to envelop March.
Leaping up, Hatter ripped March away from Pendulum, who blinked before snarling and going after them. Screaming out of pure horror, the Wonderlanders
pelted outside.

The clockwork beast was spreading chaos among the Shadowlander soldiers. Four already lay dead on the ground, two guards dragging a wounded third back
between them.
The captain was shouting desperately, “Formation! Formation!”

Pendulum sprinted out of the house, stopped, and then whistled loudly. The other creature appeared at the doorway, covered in the teenager’s blood.
Shivering with fury, Pendulum pointed at the soldiers and spat, “Kill.”

The creature launched into the fray. With a solid leap, he grabbed a mounted soldier’s leg, dragged him down, and began shaking him about like a rag doll.

Pendulum went after Hatter, hissing like an angry snake. “Hatter! Come back here!”

Hatter and March broke back into the trees, hearing the chaotic sounds of battle behind them.
“Hatter! Why’d you have to do that? I’d rather die normally!” sobbed March, half-running, half-leaning against Hatter.

“I thought it’d go better! And- Argh!” Hatter tripped as a long, black tendril whipped out, caught his ankle, and pulled him back.

Reeling him in, drool spooling down his chin, Pendulum lilted, “Hatter… You’ve given us so much trouble… It’s time to end it.” He dropped onto Hatter’s back,
claws digging into Hatter’s shoulders. “You will be a most excellent meal… Now, stay still.” He began looping his arms around Hatter.

Next second, he was screaming in pain as a sword jammed through his chest. The captain of the guards yelled furiously, “No! He is ours to kill!” He swung his
sword to the side, throwing Pendulum off of Hatter. He stood over the stunned, terrified Wonderlander, breath coming ragged and forced.

Pendulum slowly crawled forward, pulled himself up, and then retched up black blood. He recovered after a few seconds, glared at the captain, “How dare
you?” His claws itched into long scythes.

The captain tensed, kicked Hatter out of the way to make room for footwork if he had to fight.

Pendulum launched himself at the Shadowlander, screaming angrily. Slashing at the Time monster, the Shadowland guard yelped as his sword passed right
through Pendulum.

The next moment, Pendulum had him in a fatal embrace, fat tendrils covering the soldier in seconds. He slowly pulled the lump into himself, suddenly calm,
and then became still as disgusting gurgles came from his body.

Hatter hastily scrambled up, hurried over to a petrified March, “Come on! Now’s our chance!”

“B-b-b-but… He just… He just ate… He just ate that-” March’s finger trembled as he pointed at Pendulum.

“Yes, he ate him! He’s digesting now! Now’s our chance to get away!” Hatter pulled March after him, stumbling quickly away from Pendulum.

Pendulum slowly turned his silver eyes towards them and rasped, “Hatter…” His voice and face was calm.

“Keep digesting, Pendulum! Keep digesting!” Hatter sped up.

Pendulum cast his eyes down at himself before patting his stomach, “Yes… But my children need food…” He stiffened.

“No, Pendulum, don’t-”

Another clockwork beast ripped out Pendulum’s back, snarling. Setting livid red eyes on Hatter, it bounded forward with a howl.
“Ah, shoot!” Hatter pushed March down so the beast wouldn’t tackle him down.

The beast snarled as it sailed over their head, hit the forest floor, clawed its way around to hiss.
Somehow, Hatter’s hand still had its knife. Rolling over onto his back, he scooted back from the salivating beast, who slowly drew near, and clutched the knife
in his hand. His teeth chattered in fright.

The creature snapped its jaws, stepped over March, who froze in horror. It crouched down, ready to pounce on Hatter.

Pendulum glanced at them lazily.

A Shadowlander came pounding through on a terrified war-horse. Yelling as he fought to keep it under control, he called desperately, “Ambassador! You can
fight! You know this enemy!” He drew the spare sword strapped to the saddle, threw it down on the ground by Hatter. “Help me kill it!”

Hatter took up the sword in a second, swung it out harshly. It hit the clockwork monster right on the neck, chipping halfway through before grinding to a halt
in the metal. With a groan, the creature crumpled.

Pendulum let loose a howl of anguish, eyes snapping wide. The two other clockwork beasts ran into view, instantly went up to Pendulum, who slumped onto
them with sobs. “Hatter… How could you? How could you do that to my child?”

Leaping off his horse, the Shadowlander took up his stand besides Hatter, “Do you know how to kill this thing?”

“No.” Hatter stumbled up, hefted the sword up, and spat at March, “March, get out of here.”

March stared at him, “What about-”

“Get out of here, March. He’s after me.” Hatter shivered as Pendulum suddenly stopped sobbing, raised hate-filled eyes to glare at him.

March nodded, eyes wide and fearful. Stumbling up, he whispered, “Stay alive.” He turned and fled.

Pendulum drew himself up, eyes glinting angrily. “Hatter… I’ve had enough of this.”

Hatter couldn’t help but goad, “And you still fail to kill me.”

Pendulum stalked closer, arms turning long and sharp. His teeth bared, he hissed, “I won’t fail this time!” He leapt for Hatter.

The Shadowlander beside him, Hatter met his attack, blocking him with gritted teeth. The Shadowlander took a swing at Pendulum’s head. Pendulum ducked,
snapped out with a hand. The blade glanced off the Shadowlander’s armor. Cursing, Pendulum doubled his attack, aggressively and wildly swinging at the
two. Hatter took a step back, heard something snap behind him. He cast a glance behind to see the two Clockwork beasts pacing, making a boundary, hungry
and waiting.

The Shadowlander stumbled as he tried to regain his footing and avoid the creatures. Howling triumphantly, Pendulum cut forward, speared him through the
neck. The soldier choked before sliding off the blade and thumping to the ground.

Instantly, Hatter bent, hauled it up, and backed away, feeling the overpowering aura of hatred as Pendulum glared at him.

“Hatter… Come back.” He followed.

Turning so the dead body was between him and the monsters, Hatter whispered, “I know you want this.”

“I’m hungry… My children are hungry… We want both of your bodies… Give my children the dead one. I will have you.” Pendulum licked his lips.

Hatter continued to back away, Pendulum and his children trailing slowly after him, knowing there was no escape for their prey now. If he ran, he would be run
down. If he fought, he would be defeated.

In any way, Hatter was dead already in Pendulum’s silver eyes.

This slow, torturous dragging and following continued for another five minutes, Hatter becoming more and more desperate at the body became more and
more heavy.
Suddenly, he was out of the trees, standing on the blank, rocky space that bordered the edge of a great limestone cliff. Below, he could hear the sloshing of
water, the mighty river rampaging fiercely.

“Hatter, there is no use running. There’s nowhere to go but over, and you will most certainly die. Come back to us…” Pendulum’s swords slowly twitched back
into hands and the smile on his face grew wide, pointy, and ravenous.

Hatter glanced down, gulped. He really didn’t want to die, but, if he had to, than which way was better? Over the cliff or into Pendulum’s stomach?
Taking a deep breath, he dropped the body, held up his hands, let the sword clang down onto the rock.

“That’s it, Hatter… Now just come to me…” Pendulum held out his hands as if he wanted a hug. “I will make it quick and painless. Let us be done with this war
between you and Time.”

Hatter gazed at him with tearful eyes, shook his head slowly, “I was going to get married, Pendulum. I was going to marry… Alice is waiting for me.”
Pendulum’s hands motioned, “Leave the pain of regret behind. Come to me.”

Hatter turned, ran forward, and launched into the air. Instantly, Pendulum snatched forward, missed, and howled in anger. “Hatter!”

Hatter plummeted, his arms and legs above him, his face turned towards the sky. The cliff face blurred to his right.

Then, pain as he hit the icy, cold water, slapping down onto his back. Darkness as the water enveloped him, cutting off air and light. Nothing after that one
last image of March that one last image of Alice fled before his mind’s eye.

Atop the cliff, Pendulum shoved the body of the soldier to the creatures, who began to rip into it voraciously. Glaring down at the water, he muttered, “That
was stupid, Hatter… Very stupid, even for you.” He turned, glanced up at the sky, and then sighed. “Our time is up, my children… We will go and hunt another
day.”

They faded into swirling, silver dust, which vanished into the wind.

Chapter 22: Having Survived

It was a full six days before March stumbled back over onto Wonderland soil, weak and weary. The border guards found him, faint from exhaustion, and rushed
him to the capital right away.
He lay in the infirmary, breathing softly as he slept. By his bedside sat May Hare, his fiance'.
After a full day of sleeping, the March Hare woke up, weakly demanded something to eat. May hurried out to find something.

As soon as May's dress flounced out of the room, March glanced at the worried governors, who had come to visit him, and started to sob as he told them the
story of what had happened.

Chesapeake and Lyona, not to mention everyone who heard the news, were furious.

Meanwhile, back in the Shadowlands, a guard had reported to Jabberwock on the third day that the execution squad, plus the two to execute, had
disappeared and had only been found the day before. The guards: all dead. The ones to die: nowhere to be found, but some footprints, presumably Hatter's,
had gone to the cliff and had never returned.
Jabberwocky fumed over the fact that Hatter might have escaped, but slowly let it go to rest and returned his attention on the unknowing Alice.

Alice was becoming anxious around the tenth day, remembering Hatter saying something about it being 'eight' to 'nine' days. She finally worked her courage
up to ask Jabberwocky. Standing behind him as he sealed papers at his desk, she cleared her throat, "Uh... Father?"

Jabberwock's intense, golden eyes swiveled about, along with the rest of body, to peer at her. A broad smile split his lips, "Yes, Alice?"

"Uh... Do you know when... Hatter and March will come... back...?" Alice fidgeted with her dress.

Jabberwocky's eyes darkened and his smile vanished to reappear as a scowl. "No." he muttered bluntly and returned to the documents.

"Are you sure? I really, really want to see them..."

"No."

"When will be the next time they come?"

Jabberwock stood, blew out the candle, and then glanced at her. Hefting a sigh, he trailed over to her, took her hand, seated her on the bed, and then
whispered, "There will be no next time, Alice... At least for Hatter."

Alice's blood chilled. "W-what? Why?"

Jabberwocky let a fake tone of sorrow pass into his voice, "He's dead."

Alice's world froze, her eyes wide as she stared at her 'father'. Her heart sank like a rock, bouncing off the bottom of her ribcage before thumping into her
stomach. Something still choked up her throat as she asked weakly, "But... But how?"

"They were riding along a cliff and... Hatter's horse spooked and threw him off over the edge... They haven't found his body."

Alice began to sob, hot tears dripping down her face. So that was it. Hatter was gone. How could this be even possible? "A-a-a-and we were going to- to get
married too..." She threw herself over the covers and cried into them, thinking of Hatter, thinking of joy that could have been.
Jabberwocky watched her in dumbfoundment. Had she said 'married'? Blinking slowly, he sat down next to her rocking body, patted her gently on the
shoulders as he drained globlets of Imagination from the Imagination Rose. He didn't want to hurt Alice anymore than she was right now, but the imagination
that Alice's mind spouted now was most tempting.
"I'm... sorry, Alice..."

"How could he die?" Alice bawled, hitting the covers with a fist.

"He could." answered Jabberwock unsurely, clearly unnerved by how she was reacting.

Turning puffy, red eyes to him, Alice hugged him and continued to cry hysterically into his long chemise. Jabberwock stared down at her before gently putting
his arms around her and rocking back and forth, cooing, "It's okay, Alice... It's okay..."

Alice became sick the next day and was confined to bed to be sniffling and miserable. Worried, Jabberwock tended to her personally, constantly telling her
that life without Hatter would be just fine, that she would be alright.
Alice never said a thing; in fact, she didn't say anything at all. Whenever the grieving brothers of Hatter came to visit, wearing ceremonial black, she would
just turn away, grieving inwardly, showing nothing on the outside.

Her health began to decline, and Jabberwock finally snapped and told her irritably that she was acting just as a five-year-old would and forced some soup
down her throat.

The forced feeding continued for three days before Alice finally began eating by herself again, Jabberwock's eye always on her, filled with the desire to protect
and the glint of obsession.

It was a full week before her physical body healed from its sickness, but her soul was broken. She deliberately avoided Bandersnatch and his family, lest she
remember Hatter.
Jabberwocky was uncomfortable with her change from flouncy, happy, little girl to miserable, sullen, little girl, so, every night, he would cuddle up to her, ask
what was wrong, try to comfort her in any way possible.

Alice never answered.

All the while that Alice had been recuperating, March had come over his weakness and had begun a long-lived and furious debate on what they should do
about Hatter and revenge. March argued that Jabberwock should be brought to justice, which the governors retorted with a 'he can't'. So he pleaded that
Jabberwocky be assassinated; again, they replied with 'he can't'.

On the twenty-sixth day after the horror, a border guard came, thrilled and ecstatic, to tell them that Hatter, the one everybody was so sure was dead, had
wandered back over the border.

March rode with a full guard to where the Mad Hatter was.

The old reddish barn didn't look at all important; if March and the guards hadn't had know, they would never had stopped. The elderly lady living there told
them about the man inside, the man she had found sleeping in her barn three days before. March pratically shoved the main door open rudely, stomped past
the surprised old man, and peered inside the bedroom.

Hatter lay in a bed, eyes closed, chest falling in ragged gasps. From the sweat on his head, March could tell he was in fever, but nothing could keep his heart
from exploding with joy. Rushing in, he dropped to his knees by Hatter's bed, shook his friend's shoulder gently, "Hats! Hats! You're alive!"

Hatter's eyes flickered open, stared at the ceiling, and then slumped over to March. A weak smile grew on Hatter's face before he whispered hoarsely, "I
guess I am, huh?"

March began to sob, grabbing Hatter's hand and sniffling into its scratched palm. "I was so worried, Hatter! I thought you were dead! I thought my best friend
was dead!"

"I'm not..." Hatter said before gently patting March on the head.

"Do you need anything?" March asked, rubbing his tears away in happy shame.

Hatter nodded slowly, "Water please... With sugar in it... I think I'll throw up on anything else."

March scurried down, retrieved the requested liquid, and then gave him it. As Hatter drank it down, March stared at him before asking softly, "What
happened?"

"You ran off. Pendulum killed that guard who was helping me. He nearly killed me. I jumped off a cliff and nearly di-"

"You what?" asked March incredulously.

"I jumped off a cliff. It was not fun, believe me."

"What'd happened after that?"

"I... woke up on the river's edge... There was a girl tending to me... I ran away from her and wandered about till I came along a road... After that... I guess I
went mad, 'cause I woke back up in the middle of the forest. A few scuffles here and there, but I managed to avoid guard patrols and such." Hatter struggled
to sit up, succeeded, and then murmured, "How long has it been, exactly, since we left the Shadowlands?"

"Twenty-six."

"Oh... We could have been there and back by now... Alice and I could have married..." Hatter reached up, tugged at the chain and ring around his neck
worriedly, and then whispered, "I wonder if she knows."

"She probably does. Why wouldn't she? I mean, she was expecting us back days ago."

"But... How are we going to get back in?"

"I could probably still go."

"Where you go, I go, March. I can't go back there. They'll kill me." Hatter put his head in his hands and groaned.

"I don't doubt that, but you can't go back into there. Even if you get to the palace alive, Jabberwock will personally kill you."

"Jabberwock can die, for all I care. Actually, I don't care anymore. Let him go on with his life and me and Alice will go on with ours."

March's nostrils flared, "I can't believe you just said that."

"What?"

"That you wouldn't hate him anymore."

"What? I didn't say that. I said that I wouldn't mess with him no more. He stays in the Shadowlands, Alice and I will be here. I'll still mess with him if we meet.
I'll still hate him. I'll still despise him with all of my heart." Hatter crossed his arms, pushed the blanket down, and then slid weakly out of bed. He staggered
over to March, leaned on his shoulder, and then said weakly, "Take me back to the capital."

"You're too weak to go on horseback."

"Than walk me back. I'll rest for a day or two and then we can go back."

March rolled his eyes, forced himself to not say anything. Hatter could not go back; March wouldn't allow him.
He would not allow his friend to go to his grave.

Hatter managed to reach the Wonderland capital, travelling half of the way on horseback before sliding off and staggering the rest of the way. He refused any
help from March and the guards, said he would get there himself, by his own will and doing.
A very nasty surprise was waiting for them back at the castle.

Sitting atop the battlements, Maynard, two weights fastened around his wrists, called mockingly, "Imagine! See you've got some cuts there? What happened?
Did Alice," He raised a hand, traced a finger across the scab on his cheek where Alice had scratched him in self-defense, "scratch you?"

Hatter stopped, glared at March, "Why isn't he in a cell?"

"I have no idea."

"Imagine...?" Maynard's taunting voice came again.

"March, could you kill him?"

"No. The governors hate him too, don't worry, but no one's allowed to hurt him. Bliddy heck of a distraction, I think."

Maynard glared down at Hatter before grabbing a loose stone and throwing it down. It missed Hatter, bounced on the ground before settling down into the
dirt. Pausing, Hatter glared up and asked fiercely, "What?"
"You didn't answer my question. You look like you got beat up. Tell me, can a little girl really do that to you?"

"Your Uncle tried to kill me." sniffed Hatter bluntly before turning and continuing.

"Ah! I bliddy well wish he hadn't failed!" called Maynard loudly before fiddling with the weights on his hands. The guard beside him tapped him on the head,
warning him with a stern eye. Maynard cringed away from his touch, "Don't touch me, maggot!"

The next day dawned bright and early for March, late and dull for Hatter. Still in pain from the many cuts and scratches and bruises that spattered his body,
he took three painkilling herbs, threw up a half hour later, and then weakly decided to take only one.
For the entire day, Hatter complained about nothing else but wanting to go back and get Alice. The one time Maynard wandered close to tease him, he
couldn't help but goad Hatter with lusting thoughts he had been having for Alice.
Hatter nearly killed Maynard, would have done so if March hadn't stopped him.
The day after that was even worse. Hatter lapsed into a feverish insanity attack, ranting on and on about Time and Alice and then Time again. Dozens of time,
he tried to escape the infirmary, snapping at the nurses, threatening to devour them all, but the nurses managed to restrain him to the room.
The third day, Hatter recovered fully, his fever vanishing to leave his eyes bright and eager. His pain, dulled by medicine, went forgotten as he wandered
about the castle, continuously asking, "When are we going to go back? I want Alice..."

March finally lost his patience and snapped, "You're not going back, Hatter! I don't want you to die!"

Afterwards, Hatter was lost for action, losing himself in the halls of Wonderland's capital castle.

A messenger was sent to the Shadowlands with the angry letter, demanding why Wonderland's ambassador had been nearly killed. It also told them that
Hatter was fine, no thanks to them.

The Shadowland Council was horrified. They had known nothing about Jabberwock's devious plot againts Hatter.
They immediately set up a meeting with the King.

Jabberwock, furious as he paced the room, cast glares at the three council members in front of him. "What do you mean he's not dead?"

"He's not dead. Why would you even want him dead? You've violated all the laws we have about Ambassadors' immunity!" hissed the old council-member.
The others, both younger, nodded in agreement.

"He's not the Ambassador anymore! I strip him as his title! I will not accept him!" Jabberwock growled angrily.

Alice watched him, eyes dull, heart heavy. "What's wrong...?"

Jabberwock cast angry eyes at her, bared his teeth, "Oh... Alice... You'll be happy for this news..." His fingers clawed.

"What?" Alice glared down at the ground.

"It seems that your... lover is not dead."

Alice's brain was slow in the uptaking. When it finally clicked, she jerked up, staring at him, eyes wide, "Hatter's not dead?"

"No."

Alice thought she would die as her heart beat ridiculously fast, pulsing in joy. She leapt up, ran to Jabberwocky, hugged him, "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

Jabberwocky glowered at the council members over her head, "There's no need to thank me. I would have preferred him dead."

Alice's miserable sadness was gone from her soul, replaced by bouncy joy. Giggling happily, she just continued to embrace him. "But you told me!"

Jabberwock's frown slowly twitched up, his eyes calming as he lifted shaking claws to her hair and dragged them down gently through the golden mess. "...I'm
glad you're happy..."

Alice glanced up, eyes bright and hopeful, "Could I see him?"

Instantly, Jabberwock's face darkened, "No!"

"What? Why?" Alice blinked.

"I said no!"

Alice knew he knew of the marriage plans. He had pried into her mind once she had started talking again. When he had found out, he had been terribly angry.
"But... We already said we would marry..."

"And he didn't go through the proper procedures... It was not legal. The marriage is null. You won't marry him." Jabberwock clutched her close.

The council-members cleared their throats. The elder grated, "Sir. We are still in the room. We will not let this die down like a trivial matter."

"It is a trivial matter."

"It is not."

"It is t-"

The old man exploded, "It is not a bliddy trivial matter! You tried to kill an Ambassador!"

Jabberwock glared at the man before hissing, "Out of my room. Now."

"We will not leave until you write a letter of apology to Imagine."

"I will not do that. Now leave, or I will kill all of you."

The council-members didn't even flinch. They just turned around and left with furious mutters.

Chapter 23: Turning Dark

March was wandering the halls, calling for Hatter, "Hats! Come on! Where are you? The bliddy governors want t' talk to you!"

No answer.

Sighing, March turned, scuffed a paw against the ground, and then glanced at a staring maid, "Do you know where he is?" Hatter hadn't come to breakfast
and no one had seen him since the day before.

"Hatter, sir?"

"Yes."

"I saw him with... that Shadowlander..."

Maynard glanced up, startled, when March pounded furiously at his door, "Maynard!"

"Huh? What? Who's that?"

"It's March! Where's Hatter?"

"Oh... Wait a minute. I just need to finish up something and then I'll come open the door..."
March glared at the wood as his sensitive ears picked up, "Hurry up! Get your clothes on!"

Whiskers twitching, the March Hare called loudly, "You're not doing anything inappropriate, are you?"

"No, no..." Maynard voiced.

"Than what are-"

The door opened, Maynard peered out. In his hands was a small washcloth, spotted pure black. "What do you want?"

"Someone said Hatter was with you. Is he?"

"Yes, he is."
"May I see him?"

"Yes, you may." smirked Maynard, moving aside so March could step in.

March strolled past him, eying him supsiciously, before glancing around the room and seeing no one. He paused, started to turn back, "Where is-" Someone
pounced on him, leaping out from behind the door. March fell down face-first, groaned, "Hatter... That hurt... Why do you always have to-" He glanced up at
the person on his back, froze, and then gawked, "What?"

Hatter smiled broadly at him, "Think I can go now?"

March struggled up, growled furiously at Maynard, "What the bliddy heck did you do to him?"

Hatter's skin was now the pure black of the Shadowlanders. Maynard shrugged, "Well... We made a deal. Don't worry. It's temporary dye. As long as he
doesn't take rub at it, it won't come off."

Hatter nodded, "And I'm going to go back with you, except not as Hatter."

"What... What do you mean?"

Hatter scrambled up, stood next to Maynard, and then glanced at his brother, "Don't we look alike?"

"Fine, you're bliddy twins! What are you talking about, not going back as Hatter?"

"I'm going back as Maynard."

"That's bliddy stupid! Jabberwock hates Maynard too!"

Maynard bared his teeth in a mocking smirk, "He's the one who sent me here. I would gladly help dear brother here," He put an arm over Hatter's shoulders,
pulled him close, "to get back at him."

Nervous as he remembered that he was the one who had first thought of sending Maynard to Wonderland, March hesitantly asked, "So... you don't like it
here?"

"Huh? I like it... I'm just homesick, sort of..." Maynard scowled.

"Oh..."

Hatter pushed Maynard away, "So we made a deal. I steal Alice back, we go through the Looking Glass, send him through, and then block the Looking Glass
from this side... Oh, and, by the way, we need two Looking Glasses. We need to give one to my father so he can get through, but I'll make sure he hides it
well. Understand, March?" He smiled brightly at the dumbfounded March Hare.

"But... You're not Maynard..."

"Precisely. Which is why he is going to stay here for the rest of the day and recieve all sorts of learning on how to be a bugger." Maynard grabbed Hatter's
hair, began pulling him to the side room. "And... besides that, I have to figure out how to hide his eyes. I don't have colored eyes. He does. It'll give him away
in a minute. His voice too." He thrust Hatter into the room, glanced back at March, and then sneered, "This is where you get out of my room so I can work on
my masterpiece."

"But-"

"If you stay, you'll get in the way. Why don't I just give you some stuff to go get and you can bring them back?"

March stared at Maynard before nodding stupidly, "Sure."

"Holau berries, mint leaves, Arack petals. Oh... And would you mind bringing me something to eat? I've been working on him since this morning..."

Sullen, March nodded again and called, "Hats? Do you want something to eat?"

"Could you just bring some tea, please? We can have tea together after this." Hatter's excited voice came from the room.

March sighed, "Fine..."

"Oh! And don't tell anyone, please!"

"...Why?"

"I want to surprise people!"

March rolled his eyes, exited.

When March came back with the herbs and berries, Maynard chased him away, told him to come back in an hour.
March fumed as he waited, finally came back.

Hatter was sitting on the bed, no longer cheerful. The black streaked rag was knotted around his head, across his eyes. Clear serum leaked out from
underneath, mixed with pained, gray tears.

March stared at Hatter before hissing at Maynard, "What did you do to him?"

"I dyed his eyes. That's temporary too. It just stings." Maynard was gazing at himself in the mirror before bringing up a small silver razor and brushing it close
to his cheek.

March went over to Hatter, sat down next to him, and poked him in the shoulder, "Hatter... Are you okay?"

"My... eyes... hurt..." Hatter's shoulder rocked in pain.

"Why'd you let him do it, then?"

"It's the only way... to get Alice. I'd let him do anything to me."

Maynard glanced away from his mirror. "You're pathetic. You could have probably done it yourself. I just turned you from a maggot to a... kind-of maggot."

"I really wish you wouldn't say that." moaned Hatter, laying down and curling up into a small, little ball.

"I can say what I want, and you should probably mark my words, 'cause you need to talk like me. Stop being your pathetic, little, maggoty self and try to
imitate me. It'll help people believe who you really aren't." Coming over, Maynard forced Hatter's face up and scraped the razor over his cheek carefully.
"And... Time to take your bandage off." He raised the razor to the cloth, sawed through the knot, and pulled it off.

Hatter's now pure black eyes blinked in pain as they stared up at Maynard's face before he forced a smile. "I can still see. That's good, I guess."

"Of course you can see. If you couldn't, what use would you be to me?"

Hatter stood up, staggered, and then whispered, "I'm dizzy..."

March helped him balance. As Hatter began to topple over, Maynard held up a finger and smirked, "Oh... He'll be dizzy for the next minute or so before
fainting. I'd lay him down to bed if I were you."

True to Maynard's words, Hatter did fall unconscious for a short while, overcome by the new chemicals that had soaked into his skin. When he woke up, he
was grumpy and sore, so March lured him out to have tea.

Fuming, Hatter sipped at his tea, his fingers trembling around the glass. "I wish there had been a friggin' easier way."

March's ears were perked up and his smile happy, "You've already done it, so don't complain. I just hope that stuff does come off. You look exactly like
Maynard... Unsettingly like Maynard."

"Hope it comes in handy." Hatter downed his tea and reached for the tea pot.

Suddenly, a knock came at Hatter's door. He glanced up, growled, "What?"

Cheshire's voice came, "Hatter? I came to see if you were okay."

"I am."
"Can I see you?"

"Sure... March, could you open the door?" Hatter poured himself a new glass of tea.

March sighed, stood, went to the door, and opened it. Nobody stood outside, but Cheshire's startled voice came seconds later as his small smile came into
view, "Where's Hatter?"

Hatter glared at him. He decided to try, decided to take a first practice. Lowering his voice, he hissed, "What do you think? He's gone and hidden his ugly
face!" Putting on an angry face, he sipped at his tea.

"Maynard, what are you even doing in here? Where's your wrist cuffs? You're not supposed to take them off."

"I didn't want them any more."

"That's not the point! They're there so you don't go running after girls trying to violate them!" Cheshire bristled.

Hatter eyed him before chuckling, "Cheshire! It's me!"

A look of confusion came over Cheshire's face, "What?"

"It's me: Hatter!"

"Hatter?" Cheshire came close and peered at his face suspiciously. "Why are your skin and eyes black?"

"I had Maynard dye them. I'm going to go back into the Shadowlands as Maynard."

"But Maynard was sent away. Wouldn't they not let him in either?"

"I'm going as a bratty translator." Hatter smiled broadly out at the air. "Then, I'm going to go find Alice, get her through the Looking Glass, and come back.
Wash all this horrid stuff off, get married..." Hatter reached under his shirt, drew out his chain, fingered the ring lovingly. "And I'll give her this ring. And then
we will be together."

"You've planned this out. Only problem: Jabberwock. What are you going to do about him?" Cheshire vanished.

Unseen to the others, Hatter changed his left eye to the heat-seeking color, but the dye hid it away. Tracking the Cheshire Cat around the room, he murmured,
"I have no idea. Hopefully, he won't find out that it's me."

Cheshire reappeared. "I have a sudden desire to scratch you. You look just too much like Maynard to me."

"You scratch me, I will bite back." muttered Hatter sullenly.

"Ah..." Cheshire disappeared, fled back through the door.

"Don't tell anybody!" called Hatter.

When Hatter confidently strolled into the Governors' office, they glanced up, groaned. Chesapeake growled, "Guards, will you please escort the Prince out?"
They looked back down.

The guards stepped forward, reaching for Hatter's shoulders. Hatter wrenched away, "Ah, c'mon! I'm not Maynard, okay?"

Lyona and Chesapeake jerked up, eyes wide. Together, they echoed, "Hatter?"

Hatter bowed, "I've been dyed. How do I look?"

"You look like an arrogant git."

"Thank you." Hatter glanced about. "So... Do you have the two Looking Glasses?"

"Yes." Lyona pointed to the corner, where two long mirrors lay against the wall, half hidden by burlap sacks. "Specially made to order. Heavy frameworks so
they're not broken easily... They'll be linked to the one there." She pointed a finger to the other mirror hanging on the wall.
"Good. I want to leave tomorrow morning. Early, of course."

"You're going? I mean... They nearly killed you."

"So?"

"So? You've only got one life!" Chesapeake snorted.

"And I want to spend it with Alice... Which is why I'm going back. Tomorrow." Hatter turned around, glanced at the guards, went up to one, plucked the man's
dagger from his belt. "Thank you." Tossing it up and down, he turned his eyes to the governors. "So... I need some clothes."

"What?" Lyona blinked her golden eyes.

"Maynard won't lend me clothes. I need some fancy clothes to pull off the look just till I get to the Shadowlands. After that, I can raid his wardrobe in his room
and take some of the clothes he left behind."

"Fine... We'll give you money..."

Hatter caused quite a panic in the city when he went searching for fancy suits and uniforms. Half of the city was convinced the Jabberwocky had returned,
knowing nothing more than that the dictator had pure black skin and there was now someone fitting that description running about town.
Half of the guards, unaware of Hatter's 'change', turned out to catch 'Maynard' and brought back Hatter.
Hatter had to explain the situation once again, and the guards finally sent Hubble and Hartland to buy fancy clothes.

That night, Maynard did escape the castle. When the guards finally caught on, he had abducted two girls, raped them both, and then had led the guards on a
merry, little goose chase around the town.
Apparently, Hatter and March figured out, Maynard had some obsessive lust for Wonderland's girls and wasn't afraid to go after what he wanted.
Maynard was brought back early morning, satisfied and happy, and thrown into the dungeon for serious misbehavior. Coolly, Hatter went down when he was
awake, thanked him a final time.

As he left, Maynard called, "When you come back... Will you bring Alice around? I really want to see her."

Hatter, unnerved by the lustful longing in his eyes, left quickly.

By the end of the hour, March, 'Maynard', and their escort were on their way to the Shadowlands.

Chapter 24: Deception

After four days of riding, March, Hatter, and the Wonderland guards reached the Shadowland Capital.
When Jabberwock heard who the new ambassador was, he arranged a meeting immediately. He would apologize to March, plus cheer up Alice in one fell
sweep. When he walked into the hall, Jabberwock had Alice by the hand, smiling broadly, "March! I'm so glad you're the ambassador now! Alice here was just
dying to see-" He froze, jaw dropping open when he saw 'Maynard'. "M-M-Maynard!"

Hatter smiled, eyes locked on Alice, and then forced a smirk. "Yes, it's me. Thought you could lock me up in Wonderland forever?"

Jabberwock's suprise turned to anger, "You git! You're not allowed back here!"

"I'm just here as a translator for the Hare. Don't worry..." drawled the Mad Hatter, feeling pain inside. It hurt him to not be able to run up to Alice, drop to his
knees, embrace her, kiss her, assure her.

Alice stared at Hatter, not recognizing him him for who he really was. Her heart fluttered with fear. Pushing up against the Jabberwock, shivering.
Jabberwocky pulled her close, eyeing Hatter angrily, "You're... not still interested in Alice, are you?"

Hatter's fake, gloating smile vanished. "No."

"Good. Otherwise, I would have to kill you." Jabberwock's claws tightened around Alice's shoulders.

"That'd be bad." Hatter switched back to Wonderlander with a scowl.

Glaring at Hatter suspiciously, Jabberwock finally turned now frustrated eyes to March and hissed, "Was this your idea, bringing the brat back so he could
torment Alice to get back at me?"
March shivered in anger, "You tried to kill us! You sent that bliddy execution squad!"

"It was only for Hatter. It was their own choice to try to kill you too."

"You shouldn't even have sent them." huffed March, crossing his arms and glaring at Jabberwock angrily.

Alice's eyes had grown round and wide as she had listened. Turning to the Jabberwocky, she said furiously, "You said it was an accident!"

"Alice..." mumbled Jabberwock slowly.

"You told me it was an accident! You tried to kill them?"

"...Yes, but only Hatter."

"That's horrible!" Alice turned her back on him, crossed her arms, fumed. She finally glanced up and directed to March, "How is Hatter?"

Jabberwocky cast annoyed eyes at her as March smiled grimly, "Hurt... He did fall off a cliff, you know."

Hatter stayed quiet, eyes on Alice longingly. She was asking about him and he couldn't even act like he cared. "He had to be bliddy stupid to do that."

Jabberwock sniffed, gazed at Hatter, and then nodded, "Yes. Pretty stupid." Turning, he grabbed Alice's hand, towed her from the room. "Come on, Alice. I took
you so you could see March, not Maynard."

"But I want to ask March about Hatter."

Furious, Jabberwock whirled on her, "Enough! Enough with Hatter and his nonsense! You have been talking incessantly about him! Hatter 'this' and Hatter
'that'!" He grabbed her shoulders, peered deep into her eyes, eyes angry and miserable. "You've forgotten all about me, Alice! All that seems to matter to you
now is him!" Jabberwock hugged her and whispered into her shoulder, "It hurts me. I'm your father and he's a psychopath... and you care more for him than
you do me."

Alice stared at him, "I care about you."

"Than why don't you ever listen? I try to protect you..." Jabberwock cuddled up closer to her.

March and Hatter were staring through the open door, March disinterested, Hatter furious. He began to stalk forward, forgetting about playing the part, before
March stopped him with a hand and harshly whispered, "What the heck are you thinking to do?"

"She wants me!" Hatter muttered back. "And I want her too!"

"And you'll just go in there to have your head ripped off by the Jabberwock?"

"... No."

"Just wait, okay? You can see her later."

Hatter relunctantly held back.

Jabberwock paused, glared at the two peepers, and then snarled, "Do you mind?"

March was put into their old room and Hatter...

Staring around at the dusty paintings, Hatter sighed, laid back on the bed. Why'd he have to stay in Maynard's room? The dark, painted eyes followed his
every movement, making him uncomfortable.
His only solace was the painting of Alice, which he stared at with longing. Even painted by that git, Maynard, it was especially well done, captured her
brilliance, her life.

"Maynard? Maynard? You there?" came Bander's voice, along with firm knocks against the wood.

Hatter sat up, eyes wide, and then hurried to the door. Opening it, he found himself immediately in Bander's and Vermont's embraces. "Maynard! You're
back!"

Hatter squeaked, Bandersnatch's arms crushing his spine, Vermont's littler arms squeezing his thigh. "F-Father! Let me go! You're killing me!"
Releasing him, Bander drew back, a grim smile on his face, "So you're the translator for the rabbit... Fine. I hope this teaches you a little humbleness while
you're at it."

Vermont pulled at Maynard's leg, his bright eyes glittering as he peered up at Hatter's face, "Maynard... Tell me about Wonderland. I really want to hear about
Wonderland."

Hatter was pained. His own father and little brother couldn't even recognize him. Silently, he shoved Vermont's arms off. "Another time, perhaps."

"Ah... Why? I want to hear about Wonderland... You're so mean..."

Hatter forced a smirk. "That's who I am."

"Yes." Bander sighed. "So... How is Imagine?"

"Same stupid maggot as ever." It wasn't so hard to insult himself as he thought.

"Be nice to your brother. And... You still have the painting of Alice?" Bander glanced at the canvas, grimaced, and then muttered with pure poison on his
voice. "You will not touch Alice."

"Could I talk to her?"

"No."

"But-"

Bander's eyes narrowed before spitting, "I did not father a rapist, Maynard! I will not have you being tempted again! Yes, she is pretty, and kind, but she's
Imagine's, not yours or mine!"

Hatter's eyes snapped wide. "You like Alice?"

"Wonderland's girls just hold some importance with me." Bander sniffed. "But I flirt, not rape, and I know when to not even try. Stay away from Alice. No
pleasurables. No anything. I'm punishing you."

Hatter thought quickly before muttering, "I thought the punishment of being sent to Wonderland was enough."

"I don't think so. Now... Let's have lunch. We're going with Adameer."

Lunch with Bandersnatch, Vermont, and Adameer went rather badly. For one thing, Adameer was rather angry at 'Maynard', and Hatter was more than lost on
what to think of the Eater.
When they returned from the lunch, Hatter had the unsettingly unnering feeling that someone was following him. He reached Maynard's room, figured out
that he hadn't been followed, but had been the one following.
Adameer stood in the center of the room, regarding the paintings with curious eyes. One arm cradled in a cloth sling, the other itched at it inadvertently.
Hearing the door open, he glanced up at Hatter, who stared at him, before motioning with his good hand. "Why don't you come in... Maynard?"

Hatter's blood froze in his veins. "Adameer?" Slowly, he stepped forward.

"So... Raped any young girls lately? Or should I say... lusting?" Adameer casually traced a finger down the painted Alice's cheek.

"Um... no."

Adameer glanced slowly back at him, eyes glittering, "That's what not what the Hare told me."

"You talked to Ma-... Well... Yes..." Hatter cast fake guilty eyes to the ground.

"How many?

"Two."

"That's not good... A question: What are you doing here?"

"I'm the translator for the bliddy rabbit."

Adameer sauntered over, gazed him the eye, "Just to tell you, Maynard, I don't like my reputation ruined, especially by my star pupil. Even a near rape is
something that makes me ashamed to be your teacher... I never want to hear you even thinking about it again. If you do, I will not hesitate to alert the
Jabberwocky and have you sent back... For good."

Hatter flinched, "Oh... Okay..."

Shoving past, Adameer whispered, "I trust you to be a good person...Oh... And, Maynard?" He paused.

Hatter turned, "Ye-"

Next second, he lay on the ground, staring up at Adameer, who shook his uninjured hand as a small smile broke his lips. "That's for breaking my arm,
Maynard. Consider yourself lucky." He turned and left.

The rest of the day passed, Alice soliciting March, asking him of Hatter. March answered them gladly, then shooed her away for dinner before coming around
to Hatter's/Maynard's room. He came in without knocking, stopped, and then blinked. Hatter hissed through his teeth as he whirled away, "Knock! I'm
dressing!"

"Why are you changing right now?"

"'Cause my old ones are all dirty with dust! Have you seen how much bliddy dust is in this room?" Hatter pulled on some underwear, glared at March, "Why
can't I sleep in your room?"

"Wouldn't that be obvious that you weren't Maynard after that?"

"But it's so lonely here! And dirty!" Hatter went to the bed, ripped the covers off, and pointed furiously at the spotted covers. "I'm not sleeping on that! Who
knows what the bliddy heck those stains are?"

"It's probably nothing." March sniffed. Turning, he waved a hand, "I'm going to go get dinner. Want anything? I can sneak it back up probably."

"Meat?"

"No."

"Okay then... Pasta."

"Fine." March exited the room.

March came back with dinner a half-hour later. After eating, he left, leaving Hatter to sulk alone in Maynard's room. Hatter messed around with some paints
and charcoal before finally laying down on the bed and closing his eyes to rest.
In the small side room, which he had explored earlier, a old, creaking grandfather clock swung its two pendulums, ticking out each second for anyone who
wanted to listen to hear.
Just as the twilight was falling, Hatter fell asleep. If he hadn't, he would have heard the ticking die off. As it was, he stayed calmly asleep, waiting for morning
to come.

Glinting, silver eyes peered out of the depths of the clock, narrowed and furious. Slowly pulling himself out, Pendulum glanced about before crawling across
the floor. He reached the open door, carefully scrutinized the sleeping figure on the bed in the next room, and then smiled. He stood, strode over, leaned over,
and then reached down. Soflty, he caressed Hatter's neck before crooning, "Hatter... I know it's you..."
Hatter remained asleep, and a flash of annoyance sparked Pendulum's eyes. Kneeling on the bed, bending over Hatter, he licked his lips, hungry, "You're
lucky, Hatter... I'm being punished for nothing. Time was most angry when he was told that I had gone out and feasted with my children, mad that I had
messed around in human affairs... Yes... He was... He told me I couldn't hunt you down... It is a shame, really, seeing that I could have eaten you now..." He
bent his head, dragged a long tongue over Hatter's neck.

Hatter's eyes flickered open, blinked wearily, and then snapped wide. Before he could jerk up, terrified, Pendulum smushed a hand over his mouth, pinned
him down, and hissed, "Oh, I have such the desire to kill you right now!"

Tears of horror began leaking out of Hatter's eyes as he muttered pleas and promises under Pendulum's hand.

"I'm not going to kill you, Hatter..." muttered Pendulum, licking Hatter's forehead longingly. "I really wish I could... You'd make an excellent and satisfying
meal... I'm held-back though. If I try, than Time will disable me... I don't want that."

Hatter's sobs subsided. He stared up into Pendulum's face before relaxing.

Pendulum slowly let his hand drift off of Hatter's face. Taking a deep breath, Hatter muttered hoarsely, "You came just to scare the heck out of me, didn't
you?"
"Yes. I just love to watch anything go wrong with you." Pendulum purred, sitting back and rubbing his stomach. "But I can't watch for long. I do have Time's
domain to protect, my children to feed, all the little trivial matters."

"Snatching people coming through the clocks?"

"Only for my children. I reserve myself for the major abusers of Time... Don't worry. Your White Rabbit friend is on my good side."

"That's... good to hear. And... let me guess: if I ever go back in there, you'll kill me?"

"Gladly."

"Thanks for the warning."

"That also goes if you ever summon me again. I'll just pull you through before you can get away." Pendulum gazed at Hatter for a moment before holding out
a hand. "You left this behind." In his palm was Hatter's golden, beat-up pocketwatch.

Hatter snatched it away, tucked it into his pocket. "Thank you. Now go away. You're scary."

"I'm glad you think so." Standing, Pendulum paused. He turned his silver eyes back to Hatter and whispered, "Keep that clock with you everywhere. When you
break it, I'll know and come to repair it. You've kept so many broken watches from me, all tucked away at your old house where I can't get at them... I can fix
them, you know." He started walking back for the clock, stopped again, and then smirked, "Oh... And you're getting married, is that it?"

"Yes." Hatter replied uncomfortably.

"Who is the rather unlucky girl?"

"...Alice."

"Ah..." Pendulum quickly strode back into the side room, started fiddling with the clock's hands, and then called softly, "I will see you again when the clock
breaks. Please don't break it on purpose, though, or fill it up with butter and tea." He slipped back into the clock.

Pendulum came out of a clock right by Jabberwock's room, silver eyes glittering. Sliding to the ground, he backed up against the wall that hid in shadows and
watched the lone guard guarding the hall fidget with an ill-fitting glove, cursing under his breath.
The soldier never knew what hit him. Pendulum killed him quickly, dragged him hastily back into the clock, and then returned, a broad smile on his face.
Stepping up to the door, he pressed up against the crack, slipped through, and instantly fled to the darkest corner of the unlit room.
Jabberwock snored softly in his bed, Alice curled up against him, shivering in her sleep. Satisfied that there was no movement, Pendulum slinked up to the
side of the bed like a cat, crawling across the floor till he lay at the foot of the bed. He carefully, silently stood, crept up onto the bed, and gazed at Alice's
face curiously. To himself, he muttered, "So... You're the one who Hatter's to marry? You are rather... odd-looking..." His stomach growled, his hand went to it,
and he rubbed his stomach gently as he sighed.

Turning his eyes to Jabberwocky, Pendulum leaned over, peering at him with just as much interest. "And... you're the King of the Shadowlands... You don't look
like much..." He sniffed, softly laid himself in between them, and then shuddered, "You are both warm... Perfectly warm..." He shifted so he could peer into
Alice's face, whispered, "You're Alice. I must remember this. Remembering is hard for Time, I've found."

For the next ten minutes, he continued mumbling to himself, basking in the body warmth of both bodies before forcing himself to sit up and grumble as his
stomach clenched in hunger. He glanced back, smiled, "It was nice to meet you... Maybe, next time, you'll see me..."

The next morning dawned bright but late, allowing Jabberwocky and Alice to sleep just until lunchtime, when a guard came knocking with questions whether
or not the King would like to speak with one of the council members. With a disappointed sigh, Jabberwock sent Alice away to wander.
Alice's travels about the palace bored her, so she finally went to see March.
They had an afternoon tea, talked about happy subjects, and then disbanded hurriedly when Hatter (or, as Alice thought, Maynard) stomped in to discuss
Pendulum's little visit the previous night.
Hatter was hard-pressed to restrain himself from Alice, longing for her with all of his heart, but he kept the worst of the feeling at bay, chased her away
relunctantly, and then talked to March about Pendulum.

Stirring his tea sullenly with a spoon, watching the brown sugar crystals melt away, Hatter muttered, "He says he can't kill me because Time said so."

"That's good." March sipped at his tea before pausing, ears cocking, "And...?"

"Not very much else. Just warning me about going through the clocks and such."

"Or else he'll kill you, let me guess?"

"Yes."
March shook his head with a sigh, "Too bad... I wonder what he was before he went all haywire in the head and converted to Time."

"Certainly no human. Probably a lion or a wolf or something, considering his... his... 'children'." Hatter's nose wrinkled with disgust.

March's ears pressed back against his skull, his fur puffed out, and his whiskers trembled. "Children? Bloody monsters, Ha- I mean, Maynard."

"The door's closed. You can call me 'Hats'."

"Okay. Hats. I'm still trying hard to not let your name slip. It's hard, you know?" March reached for a lemon slice, squeezed some lemon into his tea, and then
asked, "And you're using Alice's cup, aren't you? Isn't that obsessive?"

Glancing at the blue teacup in his hand, Hatter shrugged, "We can share things." He drank down his tea, set down the cup, and then muttered solemnly, "And
having to be mean to her is so hard for me... When will the Looking Glasses be ready?"

"They're ready, but they're guarded by a whole bliddy lot of guards. There's never a chance we would slip past them with her. Better to wait till this Sunday
for that big thing of theirs."

"Ah... Sunday? That's six days away!"

"So?"

"I can't be mean to Alice for that long!"

"Then don't. Avoid her."

"But... That's worse!" Hatter glared at the floor.

"Then don't talk to her. Then you don't have to say mean things."

Hatter suddenly snapped angrily, "Maybe I'll just tell her and ask her to keep a secret, huh? Isn't it that just simple?"

"Well... That has risk."

"It's better than being mean to her!" Hatter stomped from the room, furious.

March stared after him before glancing down at his tea, growling, "Bliddy mood changes."

Chapter 25: Torture

The next two days passed with no excitement. Hatter continued posing as Maynard, succeeding in every aspect, and March became relaxed and confident
that they'd be able to pull this off.
Alice still strayed away from Hatter whenever he came to a place where she was, scared and uncomfortable around 'Maynard'. Hatter was emotionally pained
every time she shot him an unnerved glance and quickly walked away; to him, it was as if she were really rejecting him, not Maynard.

On the third day, back in Wonderland, the White Rabbit was rudely shaken awake. Yawning as he stumbled into the Governors' office, his quivering whiskers
twitched as he blinked wearily at Chesapeake and Lyona. "What? I was having such a wonderful dream..."

"We need you deliver three letters." muttered Chesapeake, holding out three folded and sealed envelopes, small ribbons hanging down to show that these
were official.

White sighed, took them, and began inspecting the scribbled adresses. His white ears wilted slightly when he read the first two, "Cheshire and March? I mean,
March is in the Shadowlands... I have a little problem going there, but nothing much... But Cheshire? Have you got his address?" He added the last part
sarcastically, waving it about.

"We trust you can find him." said Lyona pleasantly.

White nodded absently, slipped the two letters into his pocket, and then regarded the third. Instantly, he froze, eyes widening, and then spat, "No! I will not!"

"You're the only messenger on his good side, White!" Chesapeake huffed. "We just one little letter delivered to Time asking what he's done about Pendulum's
actions against Hatter."
"Deliver it yourself!" fumed White.

White muttered angrily under his breath as he set the clock, winding the hands backward till the clock groaned to a stop. He waited a second before flicking at
the hands. A low whirr signalled the door opening. Taking a deep breath, White shot one last furious glance at Chesapeake and Lyona before ducking into the
clock.
Instantly, he stood in a sprawling, dimly-lit hall. Held up from the floor by black chains, reddish-brown gears ticked against each other. The sandstone floor
underneath his feet was covered with dust and metal shavings. The walls, everywhere he could see them, were covered with clock faces, each of their hands
moving at a different speed, set to a different time.

He felt soft breath on the fur of his ears, glanced up to see a Clockwork beast regarding him curiously, claws hooked into the sides of a gear. It coughed its
approval before bounding down and through a clock to another part of time.
White's heart clenched. He hated it in here now. Before, when anyone could have travelled through Time's domain, it had been safe, not swarming with these
cursed Clockwork creatures!
Strolling forward, he shivered. So he had to find Time. He wished that he could just be eternally late for this one, but still... punctuality was a virtue to him,
one he wished to keep but had a hard time doing so.

He called loudly, "Time? I have a letter for you?"

For a few seconds, there was no response. White was about to sigh in relief and hurry on when a drawling voice called out, "White? Is that you?"

"Oh... Pendulum." White glanced glumly at the clocks in the nearby wall.

Pendulum stuck his head out of a clock, smiled, and then disappeared back into it. "Of course. Me and Clockwork switched positions today. I take daytime and
he gets night-time now. You have a letter for the master?"

"...Yes... What are you doing in that clock?" White leaned over to peer curiously into it.

"Fixing." Pendulum huffed, snaked out, and then held out a hand. "Give me the letter. I'll deliver it to the master."

White quickly handed it over, turned with a happy, anxious sigh. "Thank you! Now I can go deliver the two others."

"Who are you delivering them too?" asked Pendulum casually, tucking the letter into the small belt around his bare waist. From it, small, frail-looking tools
swung silently.

"The Cheshire Cat and the March Hare. It'll be hard finding where Cheshire is, though..."

"If you're willing to wait, I'll figure out where he is." offered Pendulum.

White shook his head hastily, "That's fine. Maybe on the way back from March."

"Okay then."

"Oh. A question: Where are the... Shadowland clocks?"

"Do you know where the bridge is?"

"Yes."

"Go across that and you'll be in the Shadowland clocks. My children have flocked over there to guard, but they'll let you pass." Pendulum returned to the
clock, slipped inside, and then moaned. "Stupid gears won't turn for me!"

"I wish you luck." White muttered sarcastically before turning and racing for the Shadowland clocks. He hated being here, even if he was still on Time's good
side!

When March popped out through a clock in the servant's sleeping quarters, the Shadowlanders just stared at the fluffy, white rabbit that had come through
the grandfather clock. March apologized quickly, went back through, searched for a clock that would put him somewhere in the castle.
He finally found one that plopped him in the council chamber. Immediately surrounded by wary guards, he explained the situation, held out letter for the old
council member to take. Adameer, who had been in the room asking the elder a few questions, was given the letter to take up to March.

Adameer hurried out, walked for about ten minutes down the hall, and then dipped into an alcove, began carefully undoing the wax seal.
The letter unfolded in his hands, he began to regard the bold cursive handwriting with a scrutinizing eye. It was illegal what he was doing, but it was more
important to serve the King, root out any plots. They'd never had had an Ambassador before; there might be some revenge plotted for trying to kill the old
dignitary.
As he read, his eyes widened with surprise before narrowing in anger.
Hatter was taking a nap when an angry fist rapped against the door. Groaning, he blinked, yawned, and then called, "What?"

"Open up." hissed Adameer.

Hatter sighed. Not again. Standing, he slowly strolled to the door, opened it. The next second, two guards grabbed him roughly, shoved him down onto the
floor. Yelling, Hatter fought, nearly threw them off, and then fell under two others. Adameer stomped in, eyes furious and teeth bared, "Who are you? Are you
Imagine? Answer me!"

"I'm- I'm Maynard!" cried Hatter, frightened. They had found out! How?

Adameer kicked him harshly, snapped, "No, you're not! You are not him! How dare you even say that you are even him? You are Imagine, aren't you?"

Hatter cringed around the pain in his abdomen. "...Yes."

The small slapping sound of clapping came from behind Adameer. Hatter froze in horror when he saw Jabberwock there, a grim smile on his face. Glancing at
the Eater, Jabberwock nodded, "Well done, Adameer..."

Adameer bowed to him. "I knew you would want him, Sire."

Hatter struggled violently but vainly under the four guards as Jabberwocky calmly came over and kneeled in front of him. "Hello, Hatter... I trust you had your
fun duping all of us the last few days. Adameer is especially angry... as am I." Reaching out with his claws, he grabbed Hatter's hair, forced his head up, and
glared into horrified eyes. "You were going to steal Alice from me, weren't you? You even disguised yourself. If your Governors hadn't sent a letter telling
March that the real Maynard had escaped his cell, than we would have never known."

Hatter moaned. "You can't hurt me... I'm-"

"Not anymore. I stripped you of the position... Now... You're just a Wonderlander who wandered over into the Shadowlands." Standing, Jabberwock waved a
claw, the guards stood with Hatter hanging weakly between them, and then ordered with a hint of grim satisfaction edging his voice, "Take him to the fourth
dungeon. Adameer, I trust that you will do your share."

Shooting daggers of hate at Hatter through narrowed black eyes, Adameer nodded forcefully. "It will be my pleasure."

"Leave him alive though."

"Yes, Highness." Adameer turned, motioned with his hand, stomped out into the hall.
The guards followed with Hatter.

Hatter recognized the hard, wooden stretcher that he had seen Jabberwock strapped down on the first day. He struggled as the four guards emotionlessly
pushed him into it, strapped him down by his ankles and his wrists. They left the neck strap loose and hanging before tugging the stretcher up, folding the
legs, and setting up at an angle against the wall.
They were in a dimly lit room, torches flickering angrily every five feet on the dark, stone walls. The uneven floor was covered in loose dirt and foul-smelling,
rotting hay. A small, battered desk sat in the corner, its surface empty and dirty.

Adameer waved the guards away, waited till the door was closed, and then turned hate-filled eyes to Hatter. He bluntly growled, "You tricked me."

"I was only trying to trick Jabberwocky." Now that Jabberwock was gone, Hatter felt a bit relieved. Adameer, however, was still making panic tiptoe into his
soul.

Snarling, Adameer went to the corner, grabbed up a small bucket that sloshed with water, took the small, rough rag from it, and, returning to Hatter, started
to scrub furiously at his face. "You disgrace Maynard! I will get this... cursed dye off!" He withdrew the cloth, glanced at the stained black edge curiously
before smiling faintly when he saw the small spot of pink skin where he had rubbed. He dropped the cloth back into the bucket. Reaching into his pocket with
a hand, he withdrew a small, leather pocketbook, flipped it open, teased out on of the small knives inside. Hastily, he shoved the rest back into his pocket
before setting to work on Hatter's clothes, cutting them off with hateful determination set in his eyes.

Soon, Hatter lay in the nude, steely eyes glaring up at the ceiling, trying not to think about it as Adameer set to scrubbing the dye off furiously once more. His
clothes, along with the few things in his pocket, such as the pocketwatch, a handkerchief, and a small bag with some coins, lay in the corner.

This took about two hours to complete, Adameer working tirelessly to rid Hatter's skin of the black, revealing bright skin that was tinted a light gray. Drawing
back, his sleeves rolled up, decorative jacket wet with noticeable black spots, he regarded Hatter with narrowed eyes before chucking the towel back into the
bucket and stripping off his jacket. He threw it aside, began unbuttoning his ruffled, white long-sleeve shirt. "You know, Imagine... You could have avoided
this. You couuld have stayed in Wonderland... Now look what I have to do."

"You going to torture me?" challenged Hatter, trying to be brave when his voice so trembled with fear. His gut clenched into a small ball.
"What else would I do?" Adameer went over to the desk, opened the uppermost drawer, and began rifling through the metal instruments. "Really, if you
hadn't been disguised as Maynard, I would have considered letting you stay. Say... If you had been disguised as the Prince Bandersnatch, I would have
definitely let you continue... Just not Maynard." Adameer raised a hand holding a long, thin knife, inspected it, and then smirked, "But that won't change now,
will it? I think the hardest thing for me to do is put you through this and expect you to live..." He turned, kicked the drawer shut behind him, and advanced on
Hatter. Throwing the knife from hand to hand casually, he glanced Hatter up and down before sighing, "I guess I'll just have to be creative."

Hatter flinched as Adameer set the blade to the pulsing artery in his neck, pressing uncomfortably against his Adam's apple. "I've been through torture
before."

"But probably people who wanted you alive when they finished." Adameer pushed slightly, smiled as the blade broke the skin and the tip dug into Hatter's
flesh.

Hatter jerked before growling hoarsely, "I've survived Jabberwocky! I can survive you!"

"You don't seem to understand that Jabberwock wants you after I finish with you. Do you think he'll just talk to you. I figure he has something very... special
waiting for you. It is funny, really, seeing him so kind, protective, willing to serve around his daughter, and then, when he sees you, he grows arrogant,
dangerous, lethal..." Adameer began slowly pulling the blade down, watching the thin line of crimson lengthen with dull eyes.

Hatter squirmed, but the restraints held him. Finally, he broke down, began sobbing, "Please... Please..."

Adameer slowly withdrew the dagger and began prodding Hatter in the stomach, "It's not the first time I've done this, Imagine. There's more that I've been
responsible for. This is simple, but very effective." A small, wry grin chasing away his scowl, he pushed the dagger excruciatingly slow against Hatter's left
side. As the pressure augmented, Hatter gasped before screaming as the blade pierced his skin and sank to its hilt into his stomach.

Adameer dragged it out, regarded the crimson blood on the blade, "You know, Hatter. That just hurt. There's no permanent damage in what I'm doing to you. I
just missed all your main organs... Let's see, the other side will do." He placed the tip against the opposite side of Hatter's abdomen.

Hatter's breaths came in shallow, hyperventilating gasps, his dyed eyes hiding his dive into insanity. "Ple... Please..."

Adameer stabbed him again, Hatter's back arched against the board as he let out a fearsome roar. His mind broke, leaving nothing but madness behind.

Jabberwock had entertained Alice since the arrest that morning, still somewhat distracted by the feeling the satisfaction that had settled across his mind like a
blanket. When he finally sent Alice away to bother March, he silently stole down to the dungeon, knocked softly at the heavy, oak door.

Adameer's quiet voice somehow permeated the door, "Yes?"

"It is Jabberwock. Unlock the door."

The clicks of locks disengaging sounded before the door swung open, and Adameer peered out, a blood-covered knife in his hand. "Sire? I wasn't expecting
you so soon."

"Soon? It has been close to five hours!" Jabberwock shoved past him, stopped, and then quietly gazed at Hatter.

Limp and unconscious, Hatter lay against the wood of the table. Each of his ragged breaths shook his frame, which was riddled with long gashes that dripped
blood down to crimson-black puddles on the ground. Adameer closed the door, stalked to the side of the stretcher, and then poked Hatter visciously in the
side. "He went insane about five minutes into it. I had to knock him out to stop him screaming."

Jabberwock slowly walked up, eyes glinting, "Oh... Really? Well... This is good work. I think I like him better this way." He reached out, caressed Hatter's hair
with his claws, and then smiled. "Leave."

"But... Sir..."

"I said 'leave'." repeated Jabberwock in a falsely pleasant tone.

Sighing, Adameer scooped up his jacket and shirt and retreated through the door.

Jabberwock paced in front of Hatter, glad that the tortured man wasn't having any dreams. He wanted this to last as long as it could, watch Hatter suffer for
days and days before finally ending it. To preoccupy himself as he waited for Hatter to wake up, Jabberwocky took up the damp washcloth and began
sponging off the blood. Whenever the cloth touch a cut, Hatter would jerk uselessly against the restraints before settling down.
Smiling, Jabberwock finished cleaning Hatter up, turned, grabbed the chair before the desk, and then sat down. He crossed his right leg over his left, set his
clasped hands on his knee, and watched Hatter as he began to stir.

Moaning, Hatter blinked back to consciousness, saw Jabberwocky, mumbled hoarsely, "Water..."
Jabberwock continued to gaze at him, small smirk on his face.

"...Please... Water..." Hatter broke into a fit of coughing.

Standing, Jabberwock took the dirty, bloody washcloth, dipped it into the black, filthy water, and then held it up to Hatter's lips. Hatter sucked at the moisture
with a small grunt, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the water, however filthy and bloody it was. After a few moments, Jabberwock took it away, dropped it to
the ground, and then set a claw at the top of one of Hatter' cuts. Slowly, he dragged it down, causing Hatter to yell with pain. "So... here we are, Hatter... I
actually might get to kill you this time."

Hatter gulped down air as Jabberwock's sharp claw left the cut, which freely dripped blood. His words were forced and tortured, "Make sure you do it this
time. I'm still set on Alice."

Eyes flashing, Jabberwock grabbed Hatter's shoulders, dug all ten claws deep into them. As Hatter screeched, he hissed, "Alice doesn't even know it's you!
For all she knows, you're just Maynard! That is what you were going for, no? She cares nothing for Maynard! She actually despises him!" Jabberwock, his
claws still lodged deep into Hatter's flesh, began to drag them now, opening ten new, very deep gashes as he continued. "She will believe that you are still in
Wonderland, and she will be happy with that. Do you actually think I would ever let her go back, Hatter? As long as she's fooled into thinking you're alive,
she'll be happy and let me keep her here. You are a very bad distraction to her..." He yanked his bloody fingers from Hatter's wounds, watched Hatter slump
and cry helplessly. Bending in close, he whispered, "You will never take Alice from me."

Hatter sobbed, "I will, I will... I'll find a way. She's mine... She said 'yes'. We'll love each other. She'll never go away from me. If she goes away, I'll follow. I-"
Hatter's eyes rolled wildly as vivid pictures passed through his mind.

Jabberwock punched him harshly, watched his head loll to the side in a daze as blood began trickling from his mouth. "No, you won't!" Setting his claws to
Hatter's head, he sank them in, began feasting on Hatter's mind ravenously. Hatter's screams rocked his body, back arching away from the back of the board,
fingers clenching into fists. After a second, Jabberwock ripped his fingers out, a maniacal smile on his face, "You will never leave this room. I'll have my fun
with you for the next few days, and then I will devour both your imagination and body. There'll be no more of you for Alice to love. Your very memory will be
tainted by the horrors you've already done. She won't even want to remember you... How's that?"

Hatter took a shuddering breath through his sobs, spat blood at Jabberwocky. As Jabberwocky wiped the disgusting spittle from his shirt, Hatter muttered
angrily, "Do you what you want... Alice will always love me. She will never forget me. She will never-"

Jabberwock's eyes grew enraged and he went into a tamtrum. "No! She won't! She will forget about you! There will be no more Hatter! No... No more
Imagine! There won't be anyone left to love her except for me!"

"...Selfish..."

Jabberwock slapped Hatter across the face, turned, stomped to the door in a furious mood. Slamming it open, he startled Adameer, who was waiting outside.
As he stalked past, Jabberwocky spat, "Prepare him for tomorrow. He'll be my dinner for the next few days. I don't care what you do to make him imagine, but
just do it!"

Adameer saluted, disappeared into the room just as a lonely, loud sob echoed out of the dungeon.

Chapter 26: Protection from an Enemy

The next morning, March went to Maynard’s room, found no one, and became very worried after a few hours had passed and no word of Hatter had come
around. He searched vainly, straying down to the kitchen, wandering the halls, calling ‘Maynard’ over and over, wishing ever so much that he could just
scream ‘Hatter’ and be done with this tormenting game of hide-and-seek.

That same morning, Alice noticed that Jabberwock left the Imagination rose necklace behind, becoming very ornery and tempted at lunchtime. Alice watched
him wander off to retrieve it.
The day passed with March’s worry growing more and more frantic. Finally, he went to the Jabberwock.

“Please…? Will you help me find Maynard?” March pleaded, his hands fidgeting in front of him.

Jabberwocky was itching at his claws, gazing off into space. “And… why would you want to find him?”

“I… I…” March stuttered, trying to find an excuse. “I… I was told to watch him, you know… since he did rape two girls in Wonderland. The Governors said to
watch him so he wouldn’t do it here too and get more comfortable about doing it.”

“Oh… Is that it?” Jabberwock smiled, fantasizing about Hatter’s imagination. His mouth watered at the very thought, exactly as it usually was with Cheshire’s.
“I can give you a guard or two.”

“What if he attacks Alice again, Jabberwock?” asked March, trying to get more that ‘a guard or two’.
“She’ll be with me for the rest of the day, I think. I don’t think he’d dare come near me and lay hands on her.” Jabberwock scratched at his stomach, glanced
at Alice, who was fuming on the bed. “You seem unhappy, Alice. Why?”

“You went from being grumpy to being distracted and now you're being mean to March. He wants to make sure that Maynard doesn't rape anyone. Help him."

"If that's what you want." Jabberwock sighed. "March, I'll get you your guards... Just... get out. Oh... Wait... Maybe Bander took him."

"Bander?"

"He left early this morning for his summer home. Do you think he might have taken Maynard?"

"...He might..."

"I'll give you some guards, just in case. Now go away."

March ran out of the room, fur fluffed up and bristling.

Even with the guards, March couldn't find Hatter. He was incredibly worried and irritated by lunch time.

Below, in the dungeon, Adameer was slowly feeding Hatter some very watery porridge. Hatter's cuts had scabbed over, now black, now covered with bits of
yellow pus.

Hatter groaned in agony as Adameer popped a small pus-filled wound, allowing the infection to ooze out. Adameer flicked the yuck away. His face twisted up
in disgust. "You catch infection easily."

"...Your fault." Hatter said weakly.

"I have to prepare you for the King tonight... That means cleaned up, healthy, sane..."

"You actually stand for this?"

"I do. He is my King. I'd do anything for him."

"Even feed me to him?" Hatter spat into Adameer's face.

Adameer cuffed him on the head angrily. "You ungrateful piece of garbage! I could have killed you yesteday! Is this how you repay me?"

"I don't say 'thank you' to those who torture me!" Hatter struggled vainly for a few moments.

Adameer reached over, dragged his fingers against Hatter' neck. "Well... you'll be glad that I won't be torturing you today then. Instead... We're going to play
a game together."

Hatter glared at him supsiciously. "What-" He choked off his sentence as Adameer pushed some porridge into his mouth. He swallowed, tried again, "What
game?"

"A word game. Just for fun."

"Oh... I don't want to play."

"If you don't play, I get to castrate you."

Hatter flinched, "Okay... Okay..."

Settling down on the rickety, wooden chair, Adameer leaned back, smiled, "Let's see. I will tell you a word, you must answer to it. Meat."

Hatter pondered before muttering, "Food."

"Ah... Your desire for blood. If you want, if you give the King a good meal tonight, I can give you some."

Hatter smiled grimly, "Fine..."

"Now... March."

"March?"

"Yes, your rabbit."

"Um... Fur?"

"There is no right or wrong answer. Just say the first thing that comes to mind." Adameer grinned like a foolish child.

"I don't want to play any more."

Sighing, Adameer stood, went to the desk, found a sharp knife, "Okay, then... I really didn't want to do this, but... if you insist..."

"No! No!" Hatter struggled, "I'll play! I'll play!"

Adameer smirked, "Well... I 'm rather tired about it also. I'm going to turn you onto your stomach so I can start on your back. Do I need guards to help me or
will you let me do this and not give me any trouble?"

"...No need for guards."

Stowing the knife in his pocket, Adameer reached down, undid Hatter's ankle straps, regarded the red strips of raw skin around the prisoner's ankles. Next, he
unstrapped Hatter's wrists, caught the man as he slid weakly down, unable to hold himself up. Adameer quickly turned him around, restrapped him onto the
hard table, left one hand free, then ran a hand down Hatter's back. "Do you want a knife or a whip? I'll let you have the choice."

Hatter flinched, let his free hand curl up under him, "Whip."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes... Or nothing at all."

"A whip it will be." Adameer went back over to the desk, pulled out a long, coiled leather whip. The ends swung with small lead weights.

Hatter endured the scourging, was saved when the Jabberwocky came in, eyes hungry and smile bright. Adameer washed the whip with the stale water in the
bucket, left quickly.

Hatter's free hand made a fist weakly and shook as he sobbed into the board, "You... You cowards... Have to tie me up before beating me..."

Smiling, Jabberwock grabbed his head and cooed, "I've been waiting for this... Please imagine now..."

"No." Hatter forced his mind to nothing.

"Do you want me to add more cuts to what you already have? I think not. Now imagine." Jabberwock pulled his head back and scratched a thin line across his
cheek.

Hatter relunctantly let a few pictures fall into his mind, felt Jabberwock rip them away ravenously. He sobbed at the new pain. Jabberwock smiled, pressed
closer, "More. More... I've just been so hungry... More, Hatter."

Hatter forced, "You're like a selfish child. You're going to die. I'm going to make you die as soon as I get out of this... As soon as I get out..." His head lulled to
the side as a feeling of euphoria came over him. A moment without pain. What a relief.

Jabberwock grinned, "You won't... You'll never escape." He put his fingers to Hatter's temple once more and chuckled, "Now... More."

Jabberwocky successfully drained Hatter of some imagination, went back up to his room and Alice with his stomach contented. Hatter stayed in the dungeon,
tormented by Adameer, who had become especially angry for some reason.

As he twisted small staples of metal into Hatter's wounds, he smirked, ignoring Hatter's pained yells. "You know, Hatter. I called down to the other dungeons.
You're going to feed yourself tonight. I'm treating you... You seemed to make Jabberwocky happy tonight."

"You mean... a prisoner?"

"Of course."

Hatter's shoulders unclenched and his mouth turned up in a tired smile. "Will you untie me for it?"

"Yes. I'll even leave you alone to eat in peace."

As if on cue, a knock sounded at the door. Adameer gruffly called permission, and a guard creaked open the door slowly. "Sir? I have... a prisoner for you?"

"Bring him in."

The guard shoved in the bound prisoner, a trembling, old man who looked more disoriented than dangerous. Adameer nodded, dismissed the guard, and then
began unstrapping Hatter. "A rule: No trying to escape while you're unbound. You're weak and hurt and I'm waiting outside with a sharp sword. Other than
that, just knock on the door when you're done." He shoved Hatter towards the man, nodded grimly, and then stomped to the door. He exited, the door locked
behind him.

Adameer waited four hours before going back in to find Hatter curled up in the fetal position on a collected pile of dirty hay, snoring loudly as his muscles
twitched. He was covered in blood, his stomach bloated, the smile on his face soft, gentle, and satisfied.
Adameer rolled his eyes at the sight of the decimated corpse before kneeling down next to Hatter and smiling faintly. Hatter appeared rather innocent.
Standing, he decided to let Hatter rest where he was, gave the sleeping man one last smile, and then left the room.
In the middle of the night, Hatter coughed awake, feeling a cold touch against his skin. He blinked wearily, slowly sat up, glanced around blearily.

Pendulum was devouring the scrapped remains of the prisoner, cramming large chunks of meat into his mouth. His silver eyes were narrowed with pleasure.
When Hatter coughed, he jerked up, hissing. Then, when he saw who it was, his teeth bared in a smile. "Oh... Hatter... I thought I wouldn't wake you... Seems
you have yourself in a bad position..." Pendulum licked some blood from his hands.

"You're very, very noisy when you eat." Hatter laid back down, groaned in pain as his scabs crackled.

Pendulum crawled over, peered at Hatter happily, "You are naked... Why?"

"'Cause they want to humiliate me."

"Do you want clothes?" Pendulum poked Hatter's bloated stomach.

"Would you go steal some for me?"

Grabbing Hatter by the shoulders and dragging him up, Pendulum smiled happily, "I don't want you to die here. You die when I get you, when I get my chance
to kill you. I stole Clockwork's shift just to come search for you. Surprise, surprise when I found you being tortured! I thought you were all good and happy up
in that plush room of yours."

"Problem is that Jabberwocky hates me." Hatter moaned through his pain.

"And he will probably kill you, will he not?" Pendulum leaned forward, sniffed at the scabs, and then began scratching idly at one. "I can offer you some sort of
protection..."

"What?"

"Myself." Pendulum watched as a single drop of blood oozed out of the small cut before licking it.

"What do you- Ah! What are you doing?" Hatter tried to scramble back as Pendulum started to melt onto his skin.

"Hatter, I'm not going to do anything bad to you... I'm going to be your protection." Pendulum melted down completely, spread across Hatter's chest like a
liquid iron shirt, and then hardened. He slowly stretched down to cover Hatter's pelvis and legs.

Hatter moaned, "That feels so uncomfortable."

"But it will protect you."

"How? You can't cover my face. They can still cut off my head." Hatter stumbled up, fidgeted as Pendulum rustled across his skin, breaking open his scabs and
absorbing some of the blood. Hatter flinched, "Could you stop reopening my wounds?"

"No." Pendulum tightened slowly around Hatter's chest. "I need to keep up my strength."
"You're lying. You've got no need to 'keep up your strength'. Are you kidding me? You're a manifestation of Time!"

"You got me there... I guess I just want a taste."

Hatter sighed, settled down, and then closed his eyes to fall asleep again. "Just... don't try to kill me while I'm sleeping."

"I would never even dream of it." cooed Pendulum.

Chapter 27: The Plan and a Pet for Alice

The next day, Adameer waited until lunch time before coming back to strap Hatter back onto the stretcher. He was startled at the sudden appearance of the
skin-tight black armor around Hatter's body, tried to peel it away, but failed. Ashamed at his failure, he dismissed it after a few pokes and prods, strapped
Hatter back in, face down, and then left again.

"Very touchy man, that one. Prodding me as if he's never seen Time before... He didn't know, did he?" muttered Pendulum, slowly reaching out to undo the
straps of Hatter's right hand.

"Don't unlatch everything, okay? I'm too weak to take on Jabberwocky on my own and I don't want to fight him and lose." Hatter smiled as his right hand
came free.

"And... what are you planning to do when he comes? Just sit and rot while he tries to kill you? And... Could I bite him? Time's been ever so angry since I've
been snatching away people through the clocks. No more eating people unless they're already dead, he says. But I can bite."

"I actually like that rule, Pendulum. It makes you safer... But no. Jabberwock will keep me alive, and, tonight, I need you to tell March. Could you do that? Tell
March?"

"Tonight, sure... But I'll stay here till then."

Hatter's and Pendulum's conversation for the hours that passed strayed from topic to topic before Pendulum began to feel violently homesick. He cuddled
closer and closer to Hatter's body, moaning about how he missed his children. Hatter found it most uncomfortable.
Hatter began to gasp as Pendulum's hug began to tight, "Too much! Too much! Bliddy heck, get off if you're going to crush me to death, will you?"

Pendulum sobbed openly, "I want my children..."

"Then make one here and play with it or something! Just stop killing me!" Hatter struggled, his one free hand scrabbling uselessly over the black armor.

Pendulum slowly loosened before mumbling miserably, "Could I...?"

"You didn't ask last time when you were trying to eat me! Just do it and stop crushing me!" Hatter glared down at the black.

The next second, he heard a little whine from behind him, turned his head around as far as his neck would allow to see a tiny little clockwork monster, no
larger than a small cat, mewling pitifully on the floor. Unlike the ones that Pendulum had made before, this one was rather cute, much like a roly-poly puppy
before it changed into a lean, mean dog. A tendril poked out of the dark armor around his chest, curled around the creature, and then lifted it up to embrace it
lovingly. "My child..."

"There. You have your little... thing, so stop whining." Hatter said, just happy that the pressure on his chest had been lifted.

Pendulum crooned to the little beast for the next half hour, still rather homesick but happy. When the doorknob on the door creaked down, however, he
quickly crammed it in between Hatter and the board, settled back down and around Hatter once more.

Obviously grumpy, Jabberwock stomped in, stopped, gazed at Hatter for a moment, and then snapped, "Who gave armor?"

"No one." replied Hatter defensively.

"Fine then. Don't tell me." Coming over, he scratched a dark claw over the black armor, curious. When nothing appeared on the hard surface, he allowed his
hand to travel up to Hatter's ear before whispering, "Do you want to hear about Alice?"

"Yes."

Jabberwock smiled softly, the grim countenance gone and replaced by the thought of love. "Alice... is becoming more and more beautiful to me every day.
She's trying to be nice, so she's so easy to trick, so easy to take advantage of. Just this morning, the guards wouldn't listen to her but started a friendly
conversation with her. They know that they could get executed for that, talking back to a royal without permission, but they know that she won't let that
happen... Something they never should do. It's like... she brings a whole other world here just by being here. She makes me happy, she makes other people
more friendly and happy... But she misses you... And that is the only thing I hate about her now." Jabberwock's smile vanished into a scowl.

"I'm sorry to hear that. A father shouldn't hate anything about his... 'daughter'." muttered Hatter sarcastically, glancing down to eye the Clockwork beast. The
small, yellow eyes gazed back up at his face in curiousity, the small maw open and the chain tongue lolling out as it panted.

"I can hate something she does but not who she is." Jabberwock turned, sat on the chair, and then leaned back with a quiet moan, "There's just so many
things that she's so good at: being nice, trying to be friendly, sympathy, mercy... Maynard should never have gotten off as he did. I would have gladly killed
him... That's one of her weaknesses, you know: mercy. Another is just that she is a girl. Any person could abduct her and I'm scared that someone will actually
try. I count you out of the list now, since you're stuck down here, but you know what I mean. Maybe the next striving young Wonderland ambassador, maybe
even March, maybe someone else, could come and steal her away. So I've thought about severing all ties with Wonderland after you're dead. That'll be my
reward for... killing you. A... reward for myself..." His smile inched back, somewhat forced and pained. "They can have their own little country, me and Alice
could have ours. She'll be Princess, I'll be King, and I'll watch her grow up and become someone who'll show the people just those qualities that I love about
her. We could stop warring, Hatter, and settle down and become a trading nation or... No, actually, that's rather impossible. We could still be a warring nation,
but have a few nice people back home. And it would be all because of Alice. She can change things, Hatter. I know she's changed my life by me just loving
her."

Hatter sighed, "Same for me."

"I love her more." said Jabberwock bluntly.

"I could argue with that, but I seem to be in a position that you could easily end that arguement." Hatter raised a hand to softly caress the Clockwork beast's
head, flinched when it grabbed his index finger and began nibbling at it gently. When no sudden pain or blood came, he relaxed and said, "But I do love her...
a lot."

"Except your love is dangerous for her."

"How could any love be dangerous?"

"It could harm her. You could go insane one day and eat her up."

"I would try to avoid that at all costs possible." Hatter was wondering why they were even having this conversation.

"It doesn't matter. You won't have to avoid it all because I'm... going to kill you... Not today though. You're still full of imagination. I've grown rather tired of
eating the same, old imagination from the Rose all the time. Live imagination has sorts of... flavor that the Rose cannot replicate." Jabberwock stood, stalked
to Hatter, and placed his claws on the back of his head before chuckling, "But you're lucky today. I'm not hungry." He let his claws drop.

"Then why did you come down?' questioned Hatter indignantly.

"To torment you with words about Alice."

"She wouldn't like that."

"The thing is, she wouldn't like any of me if I showed her what I've done. I'm trying to desensitize her in that sense, but, still... Her reaction to the executions
would be the same that she would have to me if she knew..."

"I don't think so. She knew what you were when she lived all those months in the capital of Wonderland. It was her decision to come back and find you and
comfort you... I personally would have not given a care and kept her in Wonderland. She just wanted to come in and make sure that you got all better."

Jabberwock's yellow eyes glinted with hidden emotion as he forced a quivering smile. "She's too good... I don't deserve her. She's my daughter, and I don't
even deserve her..." His shoulders slumped as he restrained a sniffle.

Hatter nodded slowly, not saying a word, eyes once again travelling to the little beast, who was clambering up his chest to sniff at his collarbone. Sneezing,
the monster climbed up onto his shoulder.
Jabberwock froze, stared at it, and then cocked his head, "What the bliddy heck is that?"

"I... don't know." muttered Hatter, feeling Pendulum squeeze around his middle.

Grabbing the creature up, Jabberwock held it up, scrutinized it with a curious, narrowed eye. The thing wriggled with happy, little squeaks. "A... metal dog?"

Pendulum grumbled under his breath, "My child."

"What was that, Hatter?"

"Um... I don't know."

Jabberwock set the Clockwork monster on the floor, watched it stumble about before it pounced on his boot and chewed at the ties. "It's cute. I think Alice
would like it."

As Pendulum fumed, Hatter asked hesitantly, "You're going to give it to her?"

"I think I will... She's been rather lonely." Jabberwock bent, tickled the beast's head. It blinked before glancing up and nibbling at his finger.

Hatter smiled softly. "That'll be good for her then to have a pet." The next moment, he gasped as Pendulum tightened indignantly. "...As... As a friend, I
meant."

"Yes..." Jabberwock replied absently, slowly picking up the creature. "She'll like it."

"I hope she does."

"Huh..." Blinking, Jabberwock turned his eyes to Hatter, "Hatter?"

"Yes?"

"Just to ask... If I sent you back to Wonderland, would you promise to never come back and try to take Alice?"

"You know I couldn't do that." sighed Hatter.

The Jabberwocky nodded gravely. "I've been thinking... I've put you through a lot of pain... Lots of torture, both in Wonderland and here in the Shadowlands. I
hoped you would have learned your lesson and learned how to forget Alice, forget her, go back, and never want her back. You were my general... I can't seem
to forget that."

"If you can't forget your most hated general, then what makes you think I can forget my love?" Hatter scowled.

"Just... saying..." said Jabberwock faintly. "If you can't let her go, then I guess I should just kill you."

"You seemed pretty set on it yesterday and all those days before."

"I've been having bad dreams. They just make me think."

"Keep your thoughts to yourself. I either leave the Shadowlands with Alice or I don't leave at all."

Jabberwock sighed, "It's your choice..."

"I think it was always my choice."

Without a word, Jabberwock turned, the small Clockwork creature in his arms, and left the room.

When Jabberwock trailed into the room, Alice glanced up from her drawing, smiled, "Hello! Where'd you-" Her words trailed off when she saw the little metal
monster trot in after Jabberwock, wide-eyed and curious.

"I'm fine." said Jabberwock gruffly, glancing back at the creature. "Um... I got a... pet for you."

Alice stood, quickly went over, knelt, and then motioned with her hands to the suddenly cautious creature, "Really? It's so cute! Come here, puppy... Why's it
metal?"

"I have no idea." admitted Jabberwock.

The creature nosed into Alice's hands, grunted softly before taking one of her fingers in its mouth and chewing at it gently. Laughing, Alice scooped it up and
hugged it against her chest. "Thank you!"

Jabberwock watched Alice silently for a few moments as she played and caressed her new 'puppy' before asking, "What are you going to name it?"

"Name it? Oh... I don't know... Is it a boy or a girl?" Alice wrestled the squirming creature down into the carpet as it squeaked happily.
"No idea."

"I think it's a boy. Let's name it Zero!"

"It's yours. You can name it."

Pausing, Alice glanced up at him, at his tired yellow eyes, his slumped shoulders. She stood, leaving Zero to snuffle into the carpet. Putting a hand on
Jabberwock's chest, she asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

"...Nothing."

"You're lying. You can tell me." Alice hugged him.

Jabberwock returned the embrace, began to stroke her blonde hair with trembling fingers. "Alice... Why did you come back for me?" His claws dropped to his
sides.

"What?"

"Why did you come back? I was such a monster back in Wonderland. Why would you ever want to come back to me?" Jabberwock's eyes glittered wetly.

"You're my father!" Alice said stubbornly. "I didn't want you to be all alone and sad and- and suicidal here!"

"That's no reason..."

"Yes, it is!"
Zero crawled over, pounced on the hem of Alice's dress, began tussling with it happily. Alice ignored it as she continued, "You're my father! I love you for that!
I never had a father and you let me have one!" She gave him another hug, squeezing gently.

Jabberwock didn't respond, his throat choked with emotion. Quietly, he kissed her on top of her head as he slowly closed his arms around her and began to
rock slightly from side to side. His breaths were loud and sniffling, his whole body shuddering as he tried not to cry.

After two hours comforting Jabberwock and helping him return to a cheerful mood, Alice eagerly took Zero to show March. However, the instant she walked in
with Zero cuddled up in her arms, March glanced at it, stiffened, and then instantly leapt atop the bed, crouching, shivering in fright. "Dear God, Alice, put
that down! Put that down!"

Alice set Zero down on the floor gently, watched him wheeze awake. "What's wrong? He's my new pet."

"Pet? PET? Are you kidding me, Alice? That's a monster! That's one of Pendulum's bliddy little monsters!" March quickly unsheathed a dagger, gazed at the
cat-sized Zero with wide eyes.

Zero stumbled up, trailed after Alice as she came over. "His name is Zero and he's nice. Don't stab him." Picking him up, she set him down next to March.

March's ears went back against his skull, his fur stood on end, and his whiskers went into a frenzy. However, he stayed still as Zero smelled his leg. Coughing
his approval, the creature clambered up onto his leg, sprawled across it, and began rubbing the side of his head against the cloth of the pant. Teeth gritted, he
hissed, "Where did you get this?"

"Jabberwock gave him to me."

"Gave him to you? Does he have any idea how... how... dangerous these things are?"

Zero sneezed, squirmed up against March's shirt, and began chewing a button. Alice giggled, "Sure. Dangerous."

"It's not funny! These things nearly ate me and Hats back in the forest! Except they were bigger, lots bigger!" March stretched his arms out wide to illustrate
to Alice.

"Obviously not the same thing. Zero's nice."

March poked at Zero, who released the button, seized his finger, and then began inspecting the gray fur and little black claws. He flinched as Zero began
rubbing against the fur. "Sure... very nice. Oh... Alice, have you seen Maynard? I... really need to see him."

"No. Why do you need to see him?"

"I... I need a few translations here and there. I just can't find him. He's disappeared."

"Oh... If I see him, I'll tell him that you need him."

"Okay... Thanks."

The effect that Zero had on any guard who had fought in Time's domain was incredible. They'd instantly freeze, stare, and then start shivering like mad,
remembering the other Clockwork monsters that had taken down so many of their comrades. As it was, Alice had to face off quite a few who wanted to kill her
pet, telling them that 'Zero was nice' and 'He would never hurt anybody'.
Weary at the end of the day, Alice went down to the kitchens to scavenge up something to eat. As she ate her sandwich, she watched Zero disappear
underneath the counter, sniff around, and jump up onto the counter. The maidservants ignored him as best as they could as he sniffed at the fruits and
vegetables. Disinterested, he turned, curled up, and began to whimper bitterly.

Sighing, Alice left her sandwich, went to pick him up, and brought her over to the table. The instant she set him down, he jumped on the sandwich, ripped a
small piece of chicken from the middle, and began to choke it down noisely, grunting in satisfaction. To save her sandwich, Alice asked for a piece of chicken,
set it down by Zero, and watched as he began to devour it ravenously. He finished before her and so sat in front of her, watching her sandwich with hungry
eyes.
She gave some of the crust, ate the sandwich, and then sat as he went off to explore the kitchen again. This time, he successfully opened a low cabinet,
disappeared into it. After a few minutes, he came out, muzzle covered in sugar.

The servants had had it. Irritably, they chased him out of the kitchen area, barred him whenever he tried to reenter. Giggling at Zero's now sour disposition,
she carried him back up to Jabberwock's room. Jabberwock was sitting at his desk, his face emotionless, his eyes focused at something off in the distance.
Alice decided to not bother him and set to quietly playing with Zero as he daydreamed.
After ten minutes, Zero decided that Jabberwock had daydreamed enough. Scampering over, he leapt up onto the King's lap, began attacking one of the
buttons.

Jerking back to reality, Jabberwock glanced down, saw Zero, and then forced a smile, "Oh... Hello." He glanced up. "Alice?"

Alice smiled apologetically, "He got away from me. Sorry if he bothered you."

"It's okay. I like him." Jabberwock patted Zero on the head before asking, "Did you eat dinner?"

"I gave Zero some chicken. I had a sandwich."

Jabberwock rolled his eyes, "You really need to stop eating sandwiches. It's unladylike."

"I like them."

Zero clambered up onto Jabberwock's shoulder, grabbed a mouthful of his hair, and began tugging at it. Leaping up, Jabberwock grabbed him and hissed,
"Ow! No! No! Stop it! That hurts!"

Alice bounded over, helped Jabberwock escape Zero. As he rubbed the side of his head, Jabberwock glared at the creature, "He has to chew on everything,
doesn't he?"

Snapping at the tips of Alice's hair, Zero growled happily as Alice traced a finger across one of the gears that ticked slowly. "I guess so. You should have seen
him when we were walking around the castle."

"I can only imagine." Jabberwock sighed. He sat on the bed.

Alice plopped down next to him. Bouncing off her lap, Zero grabbed Jabberwock's sleeve, pulled at it with a low, playful snarl.

That night, as Alice, Jabberwocky, and Zero slept upstairs in their nice, warm bed, Hatter had Pendulum release him from the board and then stripped
Pendulum off. After conferring on what the plan should be, Hatter watched as Pendulum disappeared into the grimy pocketwatch.
A few minutes later, Pendulum slipped out of a tall clock in a hall, eyes glinting and smile pointy. All he had to do was find his way into March's room and tell
him before he was free to leave for his home. He just wanted to be with his children and surrounded by creaking gears and swinging hands. He could go back
as soon as he told...
Coming to March's door, Pendulum slipped through the crack of the door, reformed, and then crept to the side of the bed, where March lay curled and
shivering in a nightmare. Slowly, Pendulum placed his hand on the Hater's shoulder, "March..."

March's ears perked as his eyes fluttered open, "Huh...? Who-" Seeing Pendulum, he opened his mouth to scream in horror, but Pendulum clapped a hand over
it.

"Shut up! I have a message from Hatter!"

"Humpher?"

Removing his hand from March's mouth, Pendulum nodded quickly, "Yes. Hatter. I'm going to tell you now, but you can't do anything till tomorrow morning,
okay? Promise?"

"...Yes. Whatever it is."

Pendulum settled down on the bed, whispered, "Hatter is in one of the dungeons, being tortured. Tomorrow morning, you're going to lure Alice to the Looking
Glass and I'm going to figure out how to have someone take him up there. Either that or I'll take him myself. When you're all together, you'll go through the
Looking Glass."

March stared at Pendulum, ears quivering, "Hats is being tortured? How... How did they find out?"

"Don't know, don't care. Just don't do anything till morning. Make sure the Shadowlanders know nothing." Pendulum stood, ran to the door, and slipped
through the crack before hurrying to the clock and jumping back through into Time's domain, happy as could be.

March stared at the door before groaning and rubbing his eyes. How could he sleep now?

Chapter 28: Escape

The next morning, wet and rainy, dampened everybody's spirits, especially the Eaters and the guards who were to oversee the executions. Jabberwock
seemed to be the only one who was happy, cozy in his heavy fur-lined jacket. He kept flicking at Zero's nose, who was sniffing around hungrily at the carpet.
His cheerful mood vanished once he found out that Alice had no intention to leave for the Sunday executions.

He followed her around the room, eyes wide and pleading, "Please, Alice...? Today's theme are all the rapists... I know that you could appreciate that... Just
imagine that all of them are Maynard or something... Just... please come with me..."

Zero was biting at his boots, fiddling with the laces with clumsy, sharp claws. Alice sat on the bed, glared at Jabberwocky, and sniffed, "I'm not going to watch
people die. I'm not! You can go and watch if you really want to, but I'm not going to go!"

"Ah... come on, Alice..."

"No!"

Sighing, Jabberwocky turned, stumbled onto Zero, and then cursed violently as the creature shot out from his foot, yelping in pain. He leapt upon Alice's lap.
As he licked his paw, sniffling, Jabberwock pointed a furious finger at Alice and growled, "You're coming!"

"I'm not!"

"I'll drag you to the carriage if I have to! I don't want to embarrass you, but I want you to come!"

"I'm not going to go!" hissed Alice, furious.

Zero stood, bristled, and began to growl deeply at Jabberwock. The exposed, little gears in his back whirred quickly. Jabberwock's eyes flashed black, but,
before he could snap something about Zero, the door tapped out a knock.
"Who is it?" spat Jabberwocky.

"March." came the Hare's voice.

"Fine... come in."

March opened the door, peeked in, and then asked hesitantly, "I came to see if Alice wanted to have... a breakfast with me?"

"She's already had breakfast." snorted Jabberwock furiously.

"Then lunch."

Jabberwock was about to deny him but Alice stood and nodded, "I'll go with you." Zero trailed at her heels, eying Jabberwock angrily.

"But-... Alice..." grumbled Jabberwock.

"I'm going with March. Have fun at the executions." Alice stomped out of the room, leaving March and Jabberwock staring at each other.

March simply asked, "Arguement?"

"Yes." muttered Jabberwock darkly.

"I won't ask." March scurried out of the room, leaving Jabberwock lonely and angry.

Hatter was crouched in the corner, waiting for Pendulum to come back and release him from his prison. As he stood in front of the door, he heard soft
footsteps outside, called quietly, "Pendulum...?"

"Yes... Yes, I'm here..." called Pendulum distractedly.

"What are you waiting for? Let me out!"

"Just... let me finish eating... I've got some armor for you, but there's still some meat in it." Disgusting ripping noises came from outside.

Hatter pounded at the door, "Just open up and let me have the armor! Why'd you even bring armor back?"

"I thought you might need it, 'cause I'm not going with you and I could only find one person who'd take you to the Looking Glass. The only problem is that you
have to meet him two halls above. He's too scared of me to come down here where no one would hear him scream." After a few more minutes, the door
opened, and Pendulum dumped some shiny, wet armor onto the floor before growling, "Just like the guard. Tasty but too loud. Just as you said."

Hatter poked at the armor before sighing, and began to pull it on over his bare skin. "You could have gotten me pants too."

"I'm not your servant boy, Hatter, just put those on, I'll direct you in the right direction, and then I'll go back in Time's domain just in time to catch the meeting
with master." Pendulum's hand wringed together,

"That's nice." Hatter said distractedly as he buckled the breastplate around his chest, heard the chain mail clink softly.

"I'm just a bit nervous..." muttered Pendulum, glancing quickly behind him. "If this doesn't work, I don't get to kill you, and, if it does work, then you still might
have to die anyway before I can get to you. You never know, but I do. Time sees things. He's allowed me to see little bits of it too."

Hatter paused before gazing at him curiously, the sword in his hand, "What do you mean?"

"Something's going to go wrong, but I can't say what."

Hatter glared at him before snapping the last buckle, standing up in his new armor, and glancing over himself, "You're lying. This will go perfectly fine and me
and Alice and March will be safely back in Wonderland, safe from the Shadowlands."

"... If that's your delusion, then, by all means, continue to believe it."

"Sir? What do you mean you're not going? The carriage's ready and waiting!" complained the captain of the guards as Jabberwocky stood shivering under the
arch, staring upwards at the gray, dismal sky.

"I don't want to go. I've changed my mind." Jabberwock pulled his fur jacket closer around his body and shivered. "And I think I'm coming back down with a
cold..."

The soldier sighed, "If you wish, Sire... Everybody was looking forward to seeing you at the execution."

"They're not there to see me." said Jabberwock miserably. "They're there to see death." Turning, he strode towards the door that would allow him passage to
warmth and dryness.

The guard called loudly, "I hope you have a good day here, Sire! Don't catch a cold, please!"

Chuckling grimly, Jabberwock answered quietly, "Okay, okay..."

March waited with Alice in his room, stuffing the last of his essentials into his bag. Alice watched his shivering ears, worried, "What's wrong?"
"Everything bliddy's wrong!" March latched his bag, turned, and stumbled to the door. "First of all," Glancing at Alice, he smiled bitterly, "Hats is here and well,
as so I've heard. Maybe not so well, since he's been tortured, but still alive. Second, Pendulum has shown interest in our situation only because he wants to
kill Alice. Third, the plan can go wrong at so many points!" He opened the door and put the bag out on the tile.

Alice's eyes grew wide, "Hatter? He's here?"

"Yes, that's what I just said!"

Alice broke into a wide smile, her eyes joyful, "Can I see him? Please? I've missed him."

"We're meeting at the Looking Glass to go back through and-" March glared down as Zero curled around his leg and began to wrestle with the straps to his
boot.

"Going back through? Can I say goodbye to the Jabberwock? Write a little letter or something?"

"No. Too risky to even go back there now. He finds out before we actually go through, me and Hats might as well say goodbye to our heads... and minds... and
anything else that Jabberwock would take." March bent down, picked up Zero, tapped him firmly on the head. Zero coughed. Then, he clawed his way up to
March's shoulder before winding around his neck and moaning. March frowned in distaste. His hand went up, took Zero by the middle, and then set him down.

Alice sighed, "What then? He's going to be so sad when I leave..."

"You can write him a note from Wonderland." March turned and disappeaered into the hall.

Alice slowly followed him. As she turned into the hall, she started to ask, "Do you think that-" She stopped, however, when she saw March staring up into a
tall, dark monster's face.

Pendulum licked his lips, "Hello, March. I was just coming to tell you that the place of meeting has changed. Kitchens. You'll see Hatter and an old man."
Turning his silver eyes to Alice, he grinned, "Hello, Alice. I've talked to you before."

Alice stared at him, "What? No, I haven't."

"You weren't awake."

As Alice squeaked in started anger, March asked worriedly, "Why has the plan changed?"

"No apparent reason. I'm just telling you..." Leaning down, Pendulum scratched Zero's head lovingly. "How is my child?"

"...Good." March hissed.

Turning silver eyes up, Pendulum latched them on Alice, smiled, and came over. He extended a hand and then whispered, "I'm Pendulum. Nice to meet you."

Alice reached out to take his hand and shake it, but instantly found herself in an embrace from Pendulum. Clutching her to him tightly, he whispered harshly
into her ear, "Your father is still here."

March stomped his foot down, "Let her go, Pendulum."

Pendulum drew back with an apologetic smile, "Just giving her a hug of congratulations. She'll be married next time I see her, most likely... Be a good boy and
watch them, okay?" He directed the last bit at Zero. Zero snorted, went back to Alice, and bit at the hem of her dress with a small, loving growl. Smiling softly,
Pendulum said, "He likes you."

"I know he does." Bending down, Alice scooped up Zero and hugged him happily.

Pendulum nodded faintly, "Just be careful."

Jabberwocky stalked down the corridor, grumpy and uncomfortable. He was off to torment Hatter again, eat a little breakfast, find Alice after... A busy but
boring day in his opinion.
He reached the door of the dungeon and immediately froze. Ajar, the door showed that no one stood in the room. The blood in Jabberwock's veins boiled to a
stop, his eyes turning a dark black as anger surged through him. He whirled around, sprinted down the hall.
He knew exactly where Hatter would end up.
Hatter quickly strode after the elder council member, who was worriedly glancing left to right and back to the left. He had told Hatter that the only reason he
was doing this, helping a prisoner escape, was because he disapproved of the King's behavior against him.
Seeing no one, the council member waved with a hand, "Hurry! The Time monster said your companions would meet you in the kitchens. We need to meet as
soon as possible and leave. The more time we stay-"

"The more chance that we will be found out." Hatter finished. "So stop talking and keep going!"

Falling silent, the council member scurried down the hall, came to a door that led into the kitchens, and ducked through. Hatter followed him, the loose-fitting
armor clanking lightly as he went through the door.
They waited for about ten minutes before they heard March's anxious voice echo down the corridor, "Bliddy heck, Alice! Stop going back for that thing! If he
doesn't want to come this way, than let him go his own."

Hatter's eyes widened as his smile grew eager when he heard Alice whine, "Zero! Come here."

Stepping forward, Hatter urged the council member forward, "They're right outside. C'mon."

The council member followed him cautiously as Hatter rushed out into the hall, nearly running into the bristling March. Instantly, March's fur fluffed down, his
eyes wide and round as he stared at Hatter. "Hats!" He leapt forward, gave Hatter a massive hug.

Hatter's spirit bubbled with excitement and relief as he returned the friendly hug, "March! How are you? How's Alice?" He peered over March's shoulder at
Alice, who's mouth fell open in startled joy.

Alice bounced forward, threw her arms around Hatter. "Hatter! Oh, Hatter! I'm sorry that you nearly died! If I'd known, I would have-"

Hatter pressed a finger to her lips and whispered, "It's okay. I'm fi-" He stopped when he felt something lick his ankle. Glancing down, he immediately shrieked
when he saw Zero and stumbled back. "What the bliddy- Alice! Don't touch that!"

Alice bent to pick Zero up. Caressing his head, she muttered, "He's my pet."

"Some bliddy bad choice for a pet! Those things nearly ate-"

"You and March in the forest. He already told me." Alice said matter-of-factly.

Clapping his hand on Hatter's shoulder, the council member nervously demanded, "We need to go."

"Fine... Alice..." Hatter seized Alice and hugged her firmly before whispering, "Ready to go back to Wonderland?"

"Yes... but I want to say bye to Jabberwocky."

"You can do that later. Come." Hatter tugged at Alice's hand and began to tow her down the hall.

March stared after them before calling jealously, "I missed you too, you know..."

Hatter paused, smiled, and then offered his other hand, "As did I. You need to come too, you know."

The council member, Alice, March, Hatter, and Zero made their way through the halls quickly, avoiding the more travelled halls in preference to the narrow,
older corridors. With each step, the council member became more and more nervous, shaking with trepidation. March was the same. Out of the adults, Hatter
seemed to be the only one who was confident and calm. Hurrying side by side with Alice, he kept leaning down and whispering words of reassurement to her,
along with planting gentle kisses on her cheek. Alice found it all very calming. Zero ran, nipping at their heels playfully. He was not the least bit worried, but
that was because he did not understand.
A few times, Hatter demanded they stop to let Alice rest, causing the council member and March to nearly suffer nervous breakdowns. In the end, Hatter
ended up sullenly carrying Zero, who refused to run any more, and Alice trotted as fast she can to keep up with the others.

When they reached the hall with the door that led to the Looking Glass room, the council member stopped, dug a rolled-up parchement from his pocket, and
handed it to March, "Give that to your governors."

"Okay." March tucked it into his pocket.

They neared the door, the council member in front and sighing with relief. Hatter's muscles tensed in excitement. In a few seconds, he'd be heading home
with his love and his best friend, away from his enemies.
The council member nodded, took the knob at the door, turned it, and opened the grand door. "It's in-" His sentence cut off as his eyes grew wide and
horrified.

Next second, Jabberwock snapped out, large steak-knife teeth slicing into the council member. The old man jerked, eyes rolling back as blood spurted out
from his mouth, before falling limp. Growling venomously, Jabberwock turned his great head towards the terrified others, spat out the corpse, and began
easing himself through the door.
Hatter stumbled back, cursing in his fear, "Bliddy- Alice! March! Come on!" Turning, he began sprinting as fast as he could for the end of the hall, Alice
dragging behind him as she tried to keep up. March instantly ran after them.

Jabberwock roared angrily, pulled himself through, reared back. His head smashed against the ceiling. The roar cutting off, he groaned before sniffing the pain
away. He began to run after the three, claws sliding across the smooth tile.
The Wonderlanders rounded the corner. The next second, Jabberwock slammed into the wall, his claws finding no purchase on the smooth floor. The wall
cracked under him, but held. Staggering up, he hissed furiously and began his pursuit again, adjusting his gait so he wouldn't repeat the experience of
slamming into a wall.

His long legs, his springing motion carried him much faster than any human's or hare's legs could. He gained.

Hatter, March, and Alice, who was still carrying Zero, turned the corner and came into a hall full of curtained alcoves. Seeing a chance to hide, Hatter pushed
Alice into one and ducked in after her. March took the opposite. As he pressed into the corner, panting, Hatter mumbled, "I hate being so useless against
him..."

Alice quivered, feeling Zero find comfort in her arms. She hated it when Jabberwock changed.
Jabberwock scrabbled into the hall and stopped, seeing no fleeing prey. Growling, he bent his nose to the floor and began drawing in long, deep breaths,
trying to find the scent. Hatter pulled out his sword slowly, making no noise. The rapier seemed to dimish in Alice's eyes; how could that stop the
Jabberwocky? She didn't want for her father to be hurt, but she did want to go back, but she didn't want to leave him pining and angry, but she didn't want
Hatter to die...
Contradictions.
Jabberwock nosed past the first curtains, a small moan vibrating out of his throat. He paused at the second set of alcoves before pawing one of the curtains
aside and sniffing at the interior. Finding nothing, he let it drop with a grumbling snarl and came to the third pair of curtains, the ones that March, Hatter, and
Alice were hiding in.
Hatter stiffened as his black snout pushed into the curtains, sniffing, smelling. Alice could see small driblets of snot running down from the nostrils.
Smelling nothing through his clogged nose, Jabberwock turned, ignored the curtain March was behind, and then went for the fourth curtains angrily, frustrated
and furious.

Suddenly, Zero wormed out of Alice's arms, scampered towards the curtain. Squeaking, Hatter snatched at him, missed, and the small, metal creature
bounced into the hall, pounced on Jabberwock's long, swishing tail.
Pausing, Jabberwock glanced behind, eyed Zero with an annoyed red-black eye. He twitched his tail, making Zero slide off, turned, and then blew a fetid
breath at Alice's pet. Zero blinked before happily bouncing up and butting his head against Jabberwock's snout.
Jabberwock nosed Zero, trying to make him turn back and lead him to Alice. Taking it as a game, Zero clacked his teeth together before turning and running
about in a circle before heading back towards Alice and Hatter's alcove. From where Alice was, she could see him coming, waved her hands frantically, telling
him to stop. If Jabberwock found them, he'd eat Hatter, and she didn't want that.

Zero paused, confused. Jabberwock's dark shadow fell across him. He glanced up, saw the dragon watching him in expectation. The gears in his back clanked
as they slowed to a stop and his eyes went from their usual glittery and happy shine to a dull and furious glow. Turning, he began to hiss and spit, very much
like a cat, at the Jabberwock.
Jabberwock snarled at him, making Zero think again and run in terror... right into Alice's arm.

Head snapping through the curtains, pulling them away, Jabberwock snarled at Hatter and snapped at him. Diving out of the way, Hatter avoided being bitten
in half and furiously swung the sword out. It scratched against the scales, making a small scratch, only angering Jabberwock all the more. Shoving his
shoulders in, he planted himself in between Alice and Hatter, body twisted into an uncomfortable position as his head weaved back and forth, waiting for an
opening to snap out and finish off this impudent Wonderlander.

Hatter backed away out into the hall, eyes narrowed. In Alice's arms, Zero whimpered in fear. From the other alcove, March peered out, saw Hatter, and then
hurried to his side, his small dagger in his hand, looking rather useless.
Jabberwock snorted, took a threatening step towards the two. His mouth opened, revealing all the pointy teeth and the black tongue, ready to recieve two
Wonderlanders as breakfast.

Hatter gulped, whispered to March, "I distract him, you get Alice. The other Looking Glass is in my father's room, right?"

"Yes, but... I can't leave you!"

Jabberwock charged forward and, with a sweep of a paw, sent them crashing back. Hatter moaned as he staggered up hastily, "Just get Alice and go! Or do
you want to be the one to distract him?"

"I'll go, I'll go!" March started to crawl against the wall, trying to past Jabberwocky.

Jabberwock switched angry eyes from him to Hatter, deciding that he was the bigger prize. Stepping forward, he lowered himself, ready to pounce.
With a sudden burst of energy, Hatter rushed forward just as Jabberwocky leapt for him. The dragon sailed over his head, landed with a thud, and began to
turn around. Hatter sunk his sword deep into his hind leg with a roar of anger. Jabberwock howled before furiously thwacking Hatter away with his tail. Hatter's
sword still in his flesh, he limped as he turned, teeth bared and eyes livid.

March grabbed Alice, pulled her up, and then whispered, "Bander's room. Now." He began to run with her, Jabberwock not noticing them as he advanced on
Hatter.
Alice looked desperately back, "Hatter!"

Tongue flicking out of his mouth like a snake's, Jabberwock circled Hatter, eyes fastened solely on him. Hatter eyed him nervously, his hands empty and
clenched as he wished desperately that he had some sort of weapon.
Jabberwock's head whipped out, mouth open and a echoing roar splitting the air. Hatter jumped back, but not fast enough. He screamed as one of the teeth
clipped through the armor and speared completely through his arm. He felt bone break, felt the pain flash up his nerves and into his head like a thousand
needles, delving into his skin before bending in every which direction.
His head rearing back up, Jabberwock shook Hatter like a rag doll, the man hanging from his mouth by an arm, before spitting him out, glancing about for
Alice, and then huffing angrily.

Changing back, he stomped over to the moaning Hatter, knelt on his chest, started choking Hatter, and hissed, "Where is March taking Alice?"

Hatter forced a pained smile and rasped, "Why would I tell you?"

The claws clenched, Hatter started gagging. Jabberwock furiously demanded, "Tell me!"

"Go find them... yourself."

Jabberwock stiffened. Glaring at Hatter with pure hatred, he snarled, "It's a simple question. Would you want to die over it?"

"... Who wants to die at all...?" smirked Hatter weakly, his air slowly being cut off by the ever-tightening hands.

Jabberwocky stared at him before loosening his hands and asking quietly, "Please, Hatter... Where did March take my daughter?"

"We're taking her back to Wonderland."

"I'll catch the horse."

"There's another Looking Glass."

A look of horror passed over Jabberwock's face, "Another..." He staggered up, half-ran and half-limped down the hall, his leg bleeding sluggishly, knowing
where Alice and March would be.

As it was, Alice and March were staring at the Looking Glass, each silent, hoping that, at any minute, Hatter would run through the door and join them. After a
few minutes of silent waiting, March said quietly, "You can go through..."

"I'm waiting for Hatter." Alice stammered, clutching Zero in her arms.

"So am I. Go through. I'll make sure he comes back."

"No, you go. We'll go through together."

"I've known him longer so I'll stay behind. He wants you safe. In Wonderland."

Alice sighed as the arguement showed no sign of dying down. "But he loves me more."

"Seniority beats all. Go through." March sidled up to her side, took hold of her, and tried to shove her through.

Growing red in the face, Alice spat, "I'm not going through without-"

The door slammed open, Jabberwock standing there with the look of pure terror on his face. Seeing Alice, he took a weak step forward, "Alice!"

In her moment of surprise, Alice shrieked as March grabbed her up, tossed her through the mirror with an grunt. The last thing she heard was a pained yowl
from the Jabberwock, a desperate scream that pierced into her mind and broke her heart.
Then, silence.

Alice dropped to the floor, nearly crushing Zero. The mirror behind her cracked a second later before exploding, raining broken mirror shards on her that
disappeared after a few seconds of glittering like fallen snow on the floor. Zero squeaked as he stumbled up. Seeing her lying there, he bounded over, began
nosing at her hair with small whimpers.
Alice glanced up, dazed. Wonderland. She was back in Wonderland. The mirror... She glanced at up the empty frame of the Looking Glass, seeing the silver
back, no reflection.
Where was Hatter? Where was March?
With a sudden wrenching gasp, she began to sob.
Five days passed with no news of March and Hatter both. Many people thought that the Jabberwock had killed them for revenge of taking Alice while others
thought there was still a chance of them being alive. The latter proved to be right. On the sixth morning, two weary horses stumbled over the border, their
two riders happy but tired.
Hatter and March were immediately brought back to the capital, where Hatter was rushed to the infirmary to be treated for an infected, broken arm. March
was charged with telling the whole story to the delighted Alice.

Tussling at a knot in his fur, March grumbled, "Um... The second you went through the Looking Glass, Jabberwock tried to go through after you but I broke it...
The moment I did that, he just broke down. I've never seen such a bad wreck... He was on the floor, crying and everything. He forgot about me and I went
back to get Hatter and we just got the bliddy heck out of there. We had to use the more... inconventional roads once news got out though. He wanted our
heads and, boy, did he sound angry from what people were saying."

Maynard was grumbling in the back of the room. He had been stalking Alice but the guards had posted two guards on him, just in case that he try something.
Glaring at March, he hissed, "He has all right to be angry! You stole-" He bit off his words when the guard to his right cuffed him over the head.

Alice shot a angry glance at him, "Let March finish the story."

"Well... that's pretty much it, Alice. Hats when insane on the third day, but, other than that, it was okay. All the other times, he was ranting on and on about
leaving his ring back in the Shadowlands. He wanted to go back and get it but I wouldn't let him."

Maynard smirked, "Pretty boy lost the pretty ring... Typical."

"Shut up, Maynard."

"You shut up." muttered Maynard defensively, gazing at Alice with hungry eyes. The guards sighed, grabbed his arms. Roughly, Maynard shrugged them off,
sighing as he said, "I'm sorry... Please let me stay... I want to look at Alice..."
The guards ignored him, seized him firmly, dragged him from the room.

A smile twitched at March's lips, his ears perking, "Well... That's nice. The annoyance has been taken out. Where's Zero?" He glanced about the bed, cocked
his head as the dust skirt shifted, and then called, "Zero..."

An uncomfortable silence stretched after his call for a few seconds, only broken by a sudden yelp from under the bed. Zero emerged, dragging a wriggling rat
by the tail before releasing it, watch it run a ways before pouncing on it again.
Instantly, Alice was on her chair, screaming.

After the rat incident, which March had nicknamed 'the most hilarious thing I ever saw in my life', Alice reprimanded Zero over and over, hoping he would
never drag another mouse or some such thing home. Zero, not paying attention, was gazing at March's ears, eyes longing and tongue lolling out.
By the end of the visit, Zero had successfully attacked March's ears, found another mouse, and eaten it. Alice let it pass sullenly; if he wanted to eat mice,
than it was better than having mice run around.

She went down to see Hatter, who was happy to see her. He apologized again and again for losing the ring, promised to find another one for her. She left after
a hug and a kiss.

That night, cold and lonely, found Alice becoming violently home-sick. The event of Hatter and March had brought the guilt and sadness back. Whether she
missed Jabberwocky or her real home, she couldn't figure out, but she told herself that she would write him an apologetic good-bye not and he would
hopefully not be angry at her for leaving. She just felt so guilty, leaving him, so guilty for breaking his heart yet again.

The night tormented her for a few hours before finally allowing her to close her eyes and drifting off to uneasy dreams.

Chapter 29: I just Want to Be With Alice

For the next two days, Hatter continuously tried to escape the castle and wander into town, desperate to buy a ring for Alice. However, the nurses kept
thwarting his endeavors, ordering him to remain in the infirmary and let his arm heal.
So, instead, he would call March down each day and they would plan the double wedding.
Alice became fast friends with May, March's fiance', and they spent many a hour chatting about their future husbands. This, however, turned out to more of a
rivalry to prove whether the Mad Hatter or the March Hare was the better spouse.

The third day, Hatter successfully escaped the infirmary, went into town, scouted for a ring. He couldn't find one that satisfied him, so he bought a small
locket, the mirror image to his old one, determined to have another ring made.
He found his way to a goldsmith's shop, pleaded with the man make him a quick thing.

Hatter grudgingly handed the locket over once the goldsmith agreed, waited. When he recieved the ring back, shiny, round, and smooth, he grumbled as he
walked home, turning it in his hands. He had wanted to make it, but his cast sort of got in the way...
Then, the fourth morning dawned.

Zero nuzzled against her chest, Alice blinked awake as a rough hand shook at her shoulder. She gazed up at the frantic face of Hubble, "Alice!"

"Huh...? Hubble?" Alice closed her eyes again.

Wrenching her up out of bed, Hubble ignored Zero's squeaks as he awoke and saw what was happening. Hubble pinched her awake, "You need to come, okay?
Please? It's important!"

The instant Alice stepped out into the courtyard, she froze before sighing, "Oh dear..."

Curled up in the corner of the courtyard, Jabberwock glared out at the guards who milled about at a safe distance, shivering as they readied for any surprise
attack. His scales were grimy, his eyes furious but relieved.
Hubble bent over and whispered, "Maybe... you could talk to him and make him go away? Please?" His voice carried apprehensive hope.

A hand grabbed her shoulder, dragged her back through the door. Livid, Hatter hissed, "No! You have spears! Attack him!"

Hubble faltered, "But... He can't be killed..."

"How did he even get here?"

"Um... He came over the wall early this morning."

"Well, chase him away or something!" Hatter turned, fuming.

Alice pulled her hand out of his grasp, making him turn back and latch a confused eye on her. "I want to see him."

"But... Alice..."

Alice heard the small pitter-patter of metal against stone and dirt, glanced towards the door, and then groaned.

Sprinting, Zero ran over to Jabberwock, leapt upon the dragon with an excited squeak. Jabberwock glared at him before shrugging him off and nudging him
away. Zero, not deterred, went in between Jabberwock's forepaws and nuzzled against his scales, purring.
Alice sighed, "Well... I have to go get Zero anyways."

"I can get him." offered Hatter, fingering his cast nervously. "He doesn't have to see you."

"I should say sorry. I left without saying good-bye." Alice passed through the door, leaving Hatter miffed and angered.

When she was halfway across the courtyard, Jabberwocky glanced up, saw her, froze, and then bared his sharp teeth in a loving grin. Stumbling up, he weakly
limped over to her, his left hind leg up and hurting. He bent his head down, sniffled into her dress.
Alice noticed he still had his cold, for his nose was running. Patting him on the snout, she said softly, "How'd you get here?"

Changing back, Jabberwock hugged her, arms trembling in exhaustion. "I ran away. I wanted to see you. Why'd you go away?" He burst out bawling, his frame
shaking as he sobbed into her hair.

Alice sighed. Not again...

The Governors were less than happy to have Jabberwocky back, but they extended expected hospitality to the Shadowland King. Jabberwock refused to
accept it, but asked for only one thing.

Chesapeake sighed, "You want us to lie to whoever comes to get you about where you are?"

Jabberwock nodded miserably, "I just want to be with Alice..." He was shivering violently, his eyes a jade green to show his sickness.

"You know we can't do that." Lyona muttered.

"Why not...?" Jabberwock leaned against Alice, eyelid struggling to stay open.

Leaping up, shuddering with anger, Chesapeake yelled, "You're not even allowed in Wonderland! You shouldn't be here! You-"
Lyona reached up, dragged her fellow governor down and back. As Chesapeake struggled in her arms, she hissed, "Just go away and don't get in the way of
anything, Jabberwock!"

Jabberwock took refuge in his old quarters, stealing Alice's old, dusty bed for himself and falling asleep instantly. Alice, relieved at the pause of selfish
affection, went to the infirmary to chat with Hatter.
Hatter was struggling with his cast, trying to take it off as a nurse tried to stop him. "Hatter, sir! Your arm's not going to heal if you take that off!"

Hatter snorted, "It'll heal! Let me take this bliddy thing off!"

Zero sat at his heels, gazing up at the hands scrambling above his head with interest. He had no idea what was going on.
Alice coughed, making Hatter glance wildly back at her. "Hatter, leave the cast on."

"Why should I? It's uncomfortable and I don't nee-"

Zero jumped up, clamped his sharp teeth around the cast, and dragged Hatter down, happy he had finally caught the white thing that had been tempting him
for so long. Hatter swore violently as pain rocketed up his arm.
Alice helped him escape Zero, watched him sit down on the bed and resume his attempt to take off the cast. The nurse just watched in frustration.
"Hatter... Leave it on... Your arm won't get better if you take it off."

"I want it off!" pouted Hatter. "If Jabberwocky attacks me, what can I do with it? Bop him over the head?" He waved the cast around, eyes wide and grim.

"This is about Jabberwocky?"

"Yes! Of course it is! He's come back to take you away!" wailed Hatter. "He'll take you away and I won't be able to get you back."

"How can you be sure?"

"... I just can."

Alice giggled and sat on the bed next to him, "I won't let him take me away, okay?"

Before Hatter could respond, the creak of the door opening behind them. Next second, Maynard's drawling voice echoed jealously, "Oh look... Isn't it the
happy couple?"

Hatter glared back at his brother before hissing, "Where are the guards who are supposed to watch you?"

"I gave them the slip." Maynard came in, eyeing Alice hungrily but warily. "I've just been walking around looking for Alice."

Hatter put his arms around Alice, clutched her to his chest protectively, "You can't have her!"

At the foot of bed, Zero gazed at Maynard curiously before padding over and sniffing at his pants. Maynard gazed down at the small creature before smirking
sullenly and patting Zero on the head. "Alice... Why are you always with Hatter...?"

Alice grimaced, hugged Hatter around the waist, "We're going to be married!"

"And why did you have Jabberwocky come too...? It's making my life all the harder."

Leaping up, Hatter bristled in fury. "Your life? Just because you're addicted to raping innocent girls doesn't mean you have to try to find Alice when she's
alone! Now, get out before I call the guards!"

Maynard leaned against the wall, turned his black eyes to the nurse. "Well... I didn't even notice that you and Alice were in here. I came for her." He pointed at
the nurse, who paled and scurried behind the curtains that seperated the beds. "You're usually out, Hatter, and nobody else comes down here."

Stalking up to Maynard, Hatter slapped him across the face, angered greatly, "You get out now!"

Maynard stared at him, a hand straying up to touch the cheek Hatter had slapped before his eyes narrowed. His teeth baring themselves in a snarl, he hissed,
"You git!" Lunging forward, he grabbed Hatter and punched him harshly.

Instantly, Hatter and Maynard were rolling on the ground, Maynard's hands around Hatter's neck, Hatter scratching wildly at his brother's eyes with his good
hand. Alice leapt up, demanded loudly, "Stop it! Stop it!"
Reaching out, Maynard grabbed her foot, flipped her off her feet. With a sold kick, he pushed Hatter back before pulling himself on top of Alice and quickly
kissing her neck as his hands cupped against her chest.
Zero pounced upon him, eyes glowing in anger. Quickly, he bit down on Maynard's shoulder.
Maynard roared with pain, grabbed Zero's head, and tried to rip the little Clockwork beast's teeth out of his skin, but Zero wouldn't let go. Hatter tackled
Maynard from behind, putting him in a headlock in one smooth motion, and drawing his arms tight. Maynard stiffened before rasping, "Okay... I'll get off... Let
me go."

Alice could see that the Mad Hatter was struggling to keep his sanity. His eyes were flickering from yellow and green to black before fuzzing to their normal
colors. The arms around Maynard's neck tightened.

"Imagine... Let me go!" Maynard grabbed Hatter's arms and struggled.

Blinking, Hatter loosened his arms before kicking Maynard off of Alice with a hiss. "You're going back into your cell! I'm making sure of it!"

Zero still had his teeth in Maynard's shoulder, growling deeply in his throat. Maynard began pushing at him with a grimace of pain and frustration on his face,
"So what? Three or four days afterwards, I get to go back out... Bliddy heck! This thing won't let go!"

Alice stared at Maynard, a hand placed on her chest in disbelief. Her face finally reddened and she squeaked angrily, "You... You freak!"

Zero released his hold, hissed at Maynard, and then ran to Alice and cuddled up to her chest, glaring at Maynard indignantly. Touching his fingers to the bite
wound, Maynard sighed as his fingers came away wet and slick, "Bliddy dog."

Hatter pointed at the door furiously. "Out!"

Muttering under his breath, Maynard staggered up and exited the room, his eyes narrowed and angry.
Hatter stared after him before saying, "I hate him!"

Alice stood, Zero nuzzling her neck lovingly as he wriggled in her arms. Quietly, she said, "Thank you for not going mad and killing him."

"I would have liked to." sniffed Hatter, crossing his arms before latching his eyes on Zero and smiling wearily, "Zero's a good guard... thing. I like him. He tries
to protect you..."

Alice hugged Zero and playfully said, "You're such a good, little monster!"

Hatter's eyes instantly were assailed by a glint of jealous envy. "I like hugs too, you know..."

Giggling like mad, Alice set Zero down and gave Hatter a loving embrace. "I know you do!'

That night, Alice was once again in her own little bed, Zero curled up on her stomach. Her eyes, closed peacefully, fluttered in her sleep as her chest rose and
fell with each calm breath.
She never heard the door open and Maynard slowly step in, his eyes narrowed and sly. He had bribed the night guard to leave him alone and had found his
way to her room...
Quietly stealing over to the side of her bed, lips turning up in a small smile, he regarded the peaceful Alice, his fingers twitching at his side.

He kneeled down on the bed, leaned over her, bent his head to her stomach, and breathed in as he stopped, eyes glinting with hesitation. Zero sniffled
awake, sneezing hoarsely before blinking at this intruder with weary curiousity. After a few seconds, he stiffened before opening his mouth, ready to bark.
Grabbing him, Maynard made a fist around his muzzle, keeping his mouth shut. Zero struggled as Maynard continued to admire Alice, his fingers hovering
over the blanket. His smile slowly died down.

Bending over, he laid next to her, fuming to himself. She looked so peaceful... Even though all he wanted to do right now was violate her, he couldn't bring
himself to do it. For some reason, the thoughts of Alice's happy face, whether in the opera or at the Shadowland palace, and her kind words banished his
desire for the moment.
Zero escaped his hold, glared at him, and then nipped at his fingers, hissing softly. Maynard didn't respond, too engrossed with moving as close as possible to
Alice as he could.
Snapping his little jaws in the air, Zero clambered over the small mountain of Maynard's shoulders, fell into the small valley between him and Alice, and then
began pushing against Maynard, trying to make him leaver.

Maynard let a hand travel down and petted Zero, immediately making the pet still and begin to purr. His other hand reached out and slowly flicked at a stray
blonde strand of hair. His eyes filled up with moisture before he choked back a sob and buried his head into the blanket.
He wanted Alice so badly!

Zero grew irritated when his hand stopped its caressing. Baring his little metal teeth, he clamped them around Maynard's wrist, flopped it down onto the
blankets, and then wormed under it, whimpering with want. Maynard began stroking him again, eyes miserable and smile sad.

Chapter 30: Poisonous Insanity

The next morning, Alice woke up slowly, her mind fuzzy still from an odd dream that had revolved around Zero saving her from mice. As she sat up, she
moaned and pushed at the arm that held her down, "Jabberwock..." She glanced over, expecting to see the familiar face of her father.

Maynard's dark eyes glared up at her. "I was sleeping."

Alice screamed, wrenched away from him, and fell off the bed. Instantly, Maynard sat on her back, keeping her down on the floor as he chuckled bitterly,
"What, Alice? You're not happy to see me?"

"Get off of me!"

"Say it nicely and I will." Twisting around, Maynard caressed the back of her neck before bending down and lipping the skin, entranced by her slightly herbal
smell.

"Ah! Stop! Stop it!"

Zero peered out from under the bed, a bug in his mouth, and crunched down his breakfast before leaping on Maynard's back, digging in with his
claws.Maynard froze, eyes growing wide, before slowly sitting up and, reaching behind, carefully pushing Zero off. His back hurt like fire. "Ow..."

Alice scrambled across the floor as Maynard slowly slid off of her. Rubbing at the slight spot of spit on her neck, she hissed angrily, "What are you doing
here?"

"I was sleeping..." Maynard crawled over to her, leaned forward, and blew a breath into her face gently, smiling. His fingers clenched against the ground.

Alice scooted back, repulsed. "You can go sleep in your own bed!"

Maynard licked his lips, feeling urges arise inside of him. "What fun would that be? I want to be with you." Why couldn't she be happy to see him, give some
ridiculously 'nice' reason why he shouldn't even be here? Where was the old Alice who grew so irritated with him but always found ways of pointing out his
faults?
This one just kept harping on about the same subject.

"If you touch me, I'll scream."

"I'll bite out your tongue..." Maynard leaned forward, pursing his lips together, wanting a kiss. Maybe then she would change back to the real Alice.

Alice pushed him away, cringing. "Please... Please... Just go away..."

Zero jumped onto Alice's chest, braced himself, and growled at Maynard, claws twitching violently. The gears in his back whirred quickly.
Maynard sighed and sat back. "Your puppy doesn't want me to do anything to you... How annoying."

Alice clutched Zero to her, glaring at Maynard, "He's a nice monster... And he's not a puppy!"

"Aha..." Reaching over, Maynard lured Zero away from Alice with a finger, his smile miserable. "Come here, puppy..."

Zero followed Maynard's finger, eyeing it curiously. When Maynard stopped his hand to let the creature sniff it, Zero licked at it before pouncing at his jacket
and biting at one of the buttons. With a wrench, he tore it off before letting it go, watching it roll across the floor, and chasing it away.

Maynard smiled softly. "Your little monster gets to touch you, Alice... Why can't I?"

"You tried to rape me, remember? I think you should stay away from me because of that." Alice watched his hands warily.

"But that a long time ago... We were always talking before that and I got to touch you lots. Pinch you, slap you... Why can't you just... like me anymore?"
Maynard sighed before bringing a hand down to his pants and tugging thoughtfully at them.

Alice regarded him furiously, "It changes thing that you tried to rape me!"

"Now you're just being redundant... I heard you pleaded for my life, according to the guards that had me before sending me here."

Alice sniffled before admitting, "Yes..."

Maynard leaned forward, eyes beginning to sparkle in ravenous lust. "I've been thinking about you... Every day. Every hour. Every single second I've been in
this cursed, little, backwards country. I started amusing myself each night pretending that you were there with me, but dreams aren't enough... Oh no... So I
moved on to girls. Whenever I had my fun, I made pretend that they were you and that you were enjoying it... But, with the real you, it's different. I want you,
the real you." His black hand reached out, tugged at a lock of her golden hair. "Alice... Why can't you be nice to me?"

Alice shivered. That was the creepiest thing she had ever heard. "Um... You tried to rape me?"

"Than I'll continue to be lonely and wanting..." Maynard bowed his head to her face, licked the tip of her nose before kissing her forehead. "I'll have my fun
stalking you." His hands dipped to her chest, where he began to unbutton the top button.

Alice had had enough. Shoving him off, she snapped, "Get out of my room!"

Maynard's eyes narrowed, "No. Not until you change back to Alice that I know."

Before Alice could respond, Zero leapt upon Maynard's shoulder, attacked his ear. Screaming as the small metal teeth shredded the thin membrane, Maynard
staggered up, scratched at him wildly. "Get off! Get off, you dumb little animal!" He threw Zero to the ground, turned furious eyes to Alice, and then lunged
for her, eyes glinting in carnal hunger.

Without thinking, Alice punched up and out. Maynard fell, clutching his groin with a soft moan of pain. Scrambling up, Alice ran for the door, slammed it open,
and sprinted out and down the hall, Zero bounding after her happily, black blood on his muzzle.

Maynard admitted himself to the infirmary soon after, telling the nurse that a dog had come out of nowhere and attacked him. Sympathetic but wary, the
nurse laid him down on a bed, bandaged his ear, and then left to fetch a guard, just in case.

Maynard, as soon as the nurse was gone, stumbled up from his bed, shoved open the cupboard doors, and began rooting through the herbs and salves inside.
Finding what he wanted, he pulled out a small bottle of silverish, ones he recognized as the juice of the 'Yvetteros Barrows' in the Shadowlands, literraly
translated into 'Nightmare Berries'. Unlike most poisons, it could only induce the horrific, insane stupor that it was so famous for through nasal absorbtion.
The smell alone would make you mad.

Slowly, Maynard stalked over to Hatter's bed, took a deep breath, and then poured a few drops onto the pillow. He watched the silver drops roll across the
white cloth before soaking into it.
Smirking, Maynard placed the Yvetteros Barrows back into the cupboard and quickly exited the room.

When Hatter smelled enough of it, he'd snap into insanity, and he would be momentarily free to escape into town and find some cute Wonderlander girls.
Maynard couldn't help but shudder as he fantasized on what kind of reaction Hatter would have to the Yvetteros. He was already insane; what would another
layer of madness do to him?

Alice's rejection had left him angry and full of unsatisfied lust. He needed some time alone with someone to fill that desire and make that want go away.
Just some time...

Hatter went back to the infirmary to find some pain relievers midday, his broken arm throbbing and paining him. Hand scrambling through the jars, he found
the small berries that would dull his pain, and quickly scarfed them down.
A feeling of nothing came over him, his limbs numbing to the point of not even being there. Forcing one foot in front of the other, stumbling a few times,
Hatter sat on his bed, laid his head on his pillow, and closed his eyes as a feeling of tiredness washed over him.
His pillow smelled sweet, like honeydew melons on a hot summer day and honeysuckle flowers. A small smile coming across his face, he nuzzled down into
the bed.
After a while, a feeling of euphoria washed over him, along with a dizzy headache. Sitting up, he swayed as his unfocused eyes slowly slid from thing to thing,
the objects wavering in and out of view in his eye. The vertigo got to him; bending over, he vomited.

Gasping, bile dribbling from his mouth, he staggered up, tripped, fell flat on his stomach in his own throw-up. His fingers jerked uncontrollably as his eyes
started to glaze over in madness.

Jabberwocky had awoken. As Alice sat and chattered cheerfully with him, he shivered under the covers, his fever high and his nose running with watery snot.
His voice had descended from raspy and hoarse to quiet, cracked mutters.
"How is it outside...?" mumbled Jabberwock, pulling the heavy comforter tighter around him. His eyes, still their emerald green, quivered as they flicked to
her.

Alice smiled softly, "Sunshiney."

"Ah... That's good..." Weakly, Jabberwock reached out and scratched at Zero's head. Zero licked the hand before leaping up onto the bed, curling onto
Jabberwock's lap, and laying down to sleep.

Alice's smile grew bigger, "He wants you to get better."

"Does he even know that I'm sick?" Jabberwock's hand travelled to her face and caressed it softly. "I'd much rather hear it from you."

"I hope you get better too."

Jabberwocky spread his arms wide, "Hug?"

Satisfying his request, Alice embraced him gently, hearing his claws rustle against her dress as they massaged into her back. "Of course."

Jabberwock moaned, "And will you stay here to talk with your sick father...?"

"I do want to wander about..."

Sighing, Jabberwock tugged her down and squeezed her as hard as he could, which wasn't much in his weakened state. "Just come back... Don't forget about
me..."

Suddenly, the door burst open. A guard, frantic, glanced hurriedly about before locking his eyes on Alice and hissing, "Alice! You need to come!"

"Huh? What? What's happening?" Alice's eyebrows peaked in confusion.

"Hatter's gone mad and he wants you!"

Instantly, Jabberwock had his hand securely fastened about her wrist. He pulled her close and whispered, "Don't go. Stay here with me. He's insane. He will
hurt you." He kissed her atop the head softly, his arms loving and warm around her. He didn't want her to go...

Alice wriggled out of his hold, stood, "I have to."

"Then... I'll come..." Jabberwock started standing, stumbled, and then gagged. Before he actually threw up, he slumped back down on the mattress and
mumbled, "Stay..."

Alice patted him on the shoulder reassuringly and turned to follow the anxious guard. Zero glanced after her, then at the sullen, disappointed Jabberwocky,
then after her once more before bounding up and racing after her.

The minute Alice peeked into the infirmary, her hands flew up to her lips as her eyes widened. A small shriek stuck in her throat.

The smell of blood and vomit coated the room, along with the small, left-over scent of herbs. Hatter, covered in the crimson, was busy indulging on a dead
nurse, biting down on her arms and ripping out mouthfuls of meat with groans of satisfaction.
The guard glanced in from behind her, shivered, and then asked, "Can you reason with him?"

At the sound of the voice, Hatter glanced back at the door, smiling. His eyes, completely black and dull, showed his insanity as he swiveled his body around,
bowed, and then returned his eyes to Alice. "Hello. May I get you something?"

"...Hatter."

Hatter's eyes snapped wide, his eyes seeing nothing but strangers in the woods. "You speak of me? Do I know you? Ah... Sorry... I didn't see you there." He
glanced to his right, nodded to some imaginary person, and then chuckled, "Yes, March. Tea would be fine. And cake?" He turned back to the body, bent his
head, and licked some blood from the woman's rent-out throat.

"Hatter!" Alice wailed, trying to distract him.

This time, Hatter was angry. Stomping about to face her, he snarled, "Who are you and what is it that you want?"

"I want you to stop, Hatter!" Alice stepped forward, only to be held back by the guard. Zero cowered at her heels, scared by the anger in Hatter's voice.

Hatter sniffed, "...Stop? Stop what? Having a perfectly good time with my friend here, isn't that right, March?" He glanced back, stiffened, and then echoed,
"March...? Where are you?" He bent down, peered under the bed before righting himself and sniffing, "Oh well. He probably went off to get some cake. Would
you like to wait for March? I can give you some candies while you wait." Pulling a bloodied scalpel, or a letting knife, from his pocket, Hatter reached into the
torn open torso of the woman, deftly severed a few pieces of flesh, and then pulled out...

Alice felt sick as she saw the heart in Hatter's hands. He advanced towards her, holding it out like an apple. "A chocolate for the stranger... For the stranger,
yes." A stupid smile came across his face, one that would have made her giggle if the blood hadn't spoiled the mood.

Alice gulped, "I'm... fine."

Hatter offered it up to the guard, who flat-out swore him out, and then knelt to hold it up in front of Zero's face. Zero sniffed at it before grabbing it between
his teeth, turning, and running into the hall. Alice was about to turn and reprimand him when she felt slick fingers at her side. She glanced forward, came face
to face with Hatter's bloody visage. His eyes narrowing, he murmured, "Who are you?"
"I'm... Alice." she stuttered, frightened. He never had had this kind of madness before.

"Why do you have four soldiers with you?"

"Four?" Alice turned back just to see the one guard, who shrugged, and then replied, "There's only one... and my pet."

"Your pet?"

"The one you gave the... the... chocolate to." Alice struggled with the words.

"You mean the paige boy? He's your pet?" Hatter was confused.

The guard snapped harshly, "Snap out of it, Hatter! You're bliddy hallucinating!"

Hatter stared at the guard before smiling grimly. "Oh... You're with him."

Next second, the guard gurgled as Hatter plunged the knife deep into his throat. Jerking it sideways, Hatter grinned with crazy glee as the artery pumped
valuable blood out. The man slid to the ground, dead.
Hatter bent down, ignoring the horrified Alice, and slowly sliced a piece of flesh for himself. He chewed at it, swallowed, and then glanced up in surprise when
Zero, the heart still in his mouth, butted him in the shoulder. "What...?"

Zero spat the heart out in front of him, eyes narrowed and gears grinding furiously. He placed himself between Hatter and Alice, sat, stared at the Mad Hatter
with wary eyes.

Hatter gazed at the heart for a few seconds before picking it up and inspecting it, "What's this?"

Alice decided it was time to leave. Backing away, she hissed, "Zero, come on. Come on."

Hatter turned his eyes towards her, suddenly tearful, "You're not going to stay for tea?"

"Um... I have an important errand to run."

"An errand? I need to do some errands. I'll come with you." Hatter stood up and followed her, smile predatory.

Shuddering, Alice forced, "It's alright... We wouldn't have the same errand, probably."

"I need more tea for my party. Would you know where I could find some? Would you have some? Give it." Hatter held out his hands, one still holding the heart,
as if wanting to recieve a gift.

Zero lunged forward, snapped his teeth around Hatter's ankle. Swearing loudly, the Mad Hatter kicked him off, bristled in uncontrollable fury. Furious, he
grabbed at Alice, hissing. Alice ducked, scrambled away.
Glaring after them with muttered curses, Hatter bent down to inspect his leg, where the bite wound oozed blood. Suddenly, his face broke into a smile and he
roared with laughter, "Aha! Good one, March! That was a good one!"

Alice glanced behind her, staring at Hatter's rapidly diminishinig figure. What had made him so mad all of the sudden?

The Governors ordered the lower levels of the castle be sealed off until Hatter came out of his insanity attack. The guards stationed at every staircase could
hear his echoed laughter, his thoughtful conversations to his 'friends', and then his furious screams at nothing. They heard him destroying furniture, attacking
walls and other nonliving things with his knife, and then screaming with hatred, his words filtered out by the resounding yells that echoed afterwards.
Alice kept to her room, hugging Zero for comfort. The whole ordeal had frightened her, made her remember Jabberwock's words: "He's insane. He will hurt
you."
It was true that Hatter would have hurt her in if she hadn't run, but that didn't make her love for him less. He just had his difficulties...

The guards who weren't on 'Hatter duty' figured out that Maynard was no longer in the castle. They sent out five guards to sweep the town and found him
napping in some alleyway. He hadn't raped anybody.
After they brought him back, Maynard was in a grouchy mood, still angry at Alice but now somewhat set on changing her view of him back on what it was.

Jabberwock and Alice were talking when he peered in and said softly, "Hello?"
Zero's head bobbed up before he hissed a warning.

Glaring up at him, Jabberwock rasped, "Go away, rapist." His hand tightened around his daughter's fingers.
"I just need to talk to Alice..." Maynard turned hopeful eyes to Alice.

Alice sighed, "What?"

"Please... Just right outside if you want. I'll do it with the door open too if you're not comfortable." Maynard pleaded.

Alice sullenly stood, strolled out to the main room, hearing Jabberwock weakly protest behind her. A bit hesitant, she stood in front of Maynard and sniffed,
"What?"

"I... I'd like to apologize for this morning..." Ashamed, Maynard glanced down.

Alice smiled softly. "Well, I'm happy you do."

"I'd also like to say... that relations between us can be so much more and... that's how I want them to be... If maybe we could, you know... forget about me
trying to rape you and be sort-of friends again? I'll try my best not to be tempted..." Maynard said, eyes losing their sparkle into an black oblivion of guilt.

Alice stared before smiling. Maynard apologizing? "I'd be fine with that."

"And you have to be the old Alice... The one who gets annoyed for getting her dresses messed up... Please?" Maynard leaned in closer, struggling with
conflicting inner feelings. On one hand, he just wanted to grab her there, forced her down to the floor, have her way with her, but, on the other, he wanted to
be friends, know her better, redeem himself if possible.

Alice's smile grew bright. "I'll try!"

Suddenly, she was in a hug, Maynard tortured by her happiness. "Please... don't tempt me."

Jabberwock coughed indignantly from his bed, glaring at them furiously. Breaking the hug, Alice bounced over to him. He sniffed softly, "You shouldn't even
touch him... I know his type. Just being around you will make him want you... Just stay away from him."

Alice glanced back at Maynard, who was staring at her with the most hurt longing in his eyes that she suddenly felt cornered, trapped in this room with the
Jabberwock. "Um... He can try... It'll stop him raping girls, hopefully."

"It's not girls that I am worried about, it's you." Jabberwock caught the edge of her dress, reeled her in, and kissed her on the forehead. "Once I get over my
fever, I can come make sure nothing happens to you, but wait till then before trying anything dangerous, like hugging Maynard." He shot a look of hatred over
her shoulder at his nephew.

Maynard pouted, "I can hear you..."

"I hope you bliddy take it to heart then, 'cause, if you hurt Alice in any way, I'll take off your head myself!"

"...I'll remember that..." replied Maynard.

Lowering his mouth to Alice's ear, Jabberwock hissed, "And that goes for Hatter, also!"

As soon as he saw that a guard would be accompanying them, Jabberwock grudgingly let Alice leave with Maynard. Maynard kept his eyes from her, knowing
that he would tempt himself if he watched her too much. As it was, he was just dying with lust with her voice floating through his ears.

Seeing his pained expression, Alice said quietly, "Should I shut up?"

"Keep talking." said Maynard bluntly, closing his eyes with a sigh. Zero snipped at his pant leg, making him jump.

"Okay... Um... Are you going to start painting again?"

"Drawing. Paints here are nothing. Drawings." Maynard glared at Zero suspiciously.

"I bet they're good."

Maynard flinched, his lust rising. "Don't compliment me!"

Alice fell silent, seeing the guard watching them carefully. After a few minutes, Maynard hissed in hatred, glared at the guard, and scowled, "I hate them."
"The guards?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Maynard tugged at the weights on his wrists furiously, "They make me wear these!"

"That's probably to keep you from-"

Maynard latched a livid eye on her and snarled, "Raping?" His other eye twitched. "You said you wouldn't bring that up. That never happened."

"...Sorry."

Slowly relaxing, Maynard grumbled to himself. His lust wasn't going away, which was not a good sign. He needed to find a way to banish it before it tempted
him into actually doing something. Alice would hate him, not to mention the guard would probably bash his brains out while Zero tore him apart his legs.
"Insult me."

"What?"

"Insult me."

"Why?" asked Alice, exasperated.

Suddenly, Maynard's hands were around her throat, his eyes wild, "Just do it!"

Leaping forward, the guard dragged him off. As Maynard screamed furies and blasphemies and Zero barked shrilly, Alice stared at him, croaked, "You're a
stupid... artist. You draw badly. You-" She continued, watching Maynard stiffen before settling down with a satisfied smile on his face.

"That's it..." he moaned, eyes glistening. His lust calmed, turning to slight irratation.

The guard dropped him, nudged him with his foot. Stumbling up, Maynard gazed at Alice, started chuckling. She faltered, "Do I have to keep insulting you?"

"Not anymore..." Maynard said happily, scratching at his shirt.

"Alice!"

Alice turned, saw March waving frantically down at the other end of the hall. His gray ears perked and shivering, he bounded towards her and stated hastily,
"Hatter wants to see you."

"Is he still mad?"

"No... He just came out of it. Angry as angry can be. I wished he had stayed mad, 'cause he's just uncontrollable now, bashing everything up! He's going to
end up poisoning himself if he destroys the infirmary. Please? You can calm down!" March fidgeted nervously.

Alice sighed, "Fine..."

Hatter was livid, stomping around and throwing things against the wall in one of his black rages. He yelled at the guards at the door, "That wasn't natural! I
was poisoned! Poisoned, you hear?" He roared his anger, grabbed a chair, threw it across the room, watched it slam against the wall.

March peered in, eyes wide, "Hats..."

"March!" Hatter whirled to face his friend, teeth bared, "I was poisoned! I was bliddy poisoned!" He started for the door, but the guards readied their swords,
he hesitated, and then backed away to his bed.

Maynard watched him quietly, knowing that if he went by the pillow, he'd fall back into insanity for Yvatteros Barrows's poisoning smell lasted for twenty-four
hours.
Alice stepped in, asked quietly, "Are you okay/"

"Okay? Okay? Bliddy heck am I not okay! I was poisoned! I killed two people and they won't let me out!" Hatter pointed furiously at the door as he stood,
grabbed her, and hugged her with shaking arms.
Alice squeaked in his strong grip, "They'll let you out soon."

"But I don't know who poisoned me and what they used! It is not my fault!" Hatter shoved Alice away in anger, turned back to his bed, grabbed the small
ceramic vase on the bedside counter, and threw it at the guards.

After the loud shattering clash, Maynard muttered, "Don't take it out on Alice."

"And you! What are you doing here? What are you doing so close to Alice?" Hatter hissed at him. "She's mine, not yours!" He seized Alice by the shoulders,
clutched her to his chest defensively.

Maynard bit his lip before smirking coldly and stepping into the room, "If this is how you act after each insanity attack, I don't think you'd be a good husband
for her."

Freezing, Hatter stared at him before growling dangerously, "What did you say?"

"I'm the one who poisoned you. I wanted to see how you would act towards Alice during and after your attack. Seems you've failed." lied Maynard, sneering.
He had only done it to escape the castle, but this excuse would cause so much more anger.

Hatter's eyes turned from their furious glitters to a sullen, waxy dullness. "You... were testing me?" The small scalpel was in his hands, turning in his fidgeting
fingers.

"Yes."

Hatter roared and lunged at him, knocking him down. Before he could do more, March tackled him over, restrained him as he yowled, "You slimy git! You have
no right! You put Alice in danger! You freak!"

Maynard stood up calmly, dusted himself off. "I'm telling the Jabberwock."

"You tell him, I'll make you eat your words and your tongue along with it! Let me go! Let me go! Let me kill the ba-"

Alice stomped her foot down angrily, "Stop it! You're all acting like little children!"

Falling limp under March, Hatter sobbed, "He had no right... He put you in danger of my insanity... It's not fair..."

Maynard smirked, but immediately lost it when Alice whirled to him and snapped, "And that was not funny! Two people are dead because of you now!"

Unnerved by the furious, little, blonde stormcloud in front of him, Maynard said the first word that came to his tongue: "So?"

Alice screamed in frustration, stormed out of the room. Zero was cowering behind the guards, quietly nosed his way to her with a small whine. She glanced
down at him and snorted, "Come on, Zero. We can go somewhere where we won't be bothered by... by children!" She called the last part loudly, furious.

Alice found refuge in her room, locking the door and sitting to fume on her bed. Zero sat next to her, silent all for the ticking that came from his body. After a
half-hour, a slow knock came at her door.

"Who is it?" she hissed.

"...Alice..." came Cheshire's voice.

"Oh... Come in..." Alice's anger fell into a miserable mood.

The door opened, no one entered, and then the Cheshire Cat appeared by Zero. Startled, the Clockwork creature yelped, jumped onto Alice's lap, and
shivered as he eyed this new intruder. Cheshire smiled gently, "I heard what happened... First couple's squabble always leaves a trail of destruction."

Alice sighed, "Maynard poisoned Hatter, Hatter went insane, Hatter killed people. Then, Hatter go better but was very angry and he tried to kill Maynard. Why
is it 'kill, kill, kill' with everyone around here?"

"Really? I'd rather settle for a treaty." Cheshire laid down on the bed, rolled over onto his back, and then itched at the lavender fur that covered his stomach.

Zero, interested, crept forward, pounced on Cheshire's abdomen, and then began messing around in the fur, nuzzling it and sneezing. Cheshire blinked,
glanced down, and then batted at him with a paw gently. Zero chased the paw up, dancing on his hind feet as he reared, trying to snap at the tiger's forepaw.
Instead, he just fell over backwards.
Alice giggled as Zero, affronted, bounced back up and went after the paw again, only to stop, bewildered, when it disappeared. Chuckling, Cheshire carefully
pushed him off. "If you must know, Hatter's been more miserable than you can even imagine. He won't even talk to March, the poor Hare..."

"He deserves it." replied Alice scornfully. "He tries to kill everything."

Cheshire turned gentle yellow eyes to her and whispered, "Not you."

Suddenly guilty, Alice stammered, "Well... Y-yes, but he tried to kill Jabberwocky and Maynard and... and..."

"He's just trying to protect you. He loves you. Jabberwock tried to keep you, is still trying, as I hear. Maynard tried to rape you and he's still trying also, sort
of... Hatter just feels stressed because he has to watch out for you and look out for himself in the process."

"So you're saying it's my fault."

"No. I'm just saying that you have different types of people interested in you and they don't go well together. The only thing in common with all of them is
that, simply," Here, the Cheshire Cat disappeared, "they care for you."

Alice smiled softly as Zero squeaked in surprise, rushed to her side. Caressing his head, she murmured, "I just wish they didn't fight over me."

No answer came.

Chapter 31: A second Attempt

That night, Alice went down to the infirmary, searching for Hatter so she could apologize. He sat on his bed, turning the new golden ring in his fingers slowly,
his eyes watering with tears. Hearing the door open, he sighed, glanced at the door, and paused before sniffling and turned his head back to the floor again.
Quietly, Alice sat next to him.
For a few seconds, they sat in silence before Alice murmured, "I'm sorry..."

Hatter bit his lips and croaked, "No... It's my fault... I just was angry..." His voice cracked as he spoke, as if he would burst into sobs at any moment.

Hesitantly, Alice leaned against him, feeling his muscles immediately relax under her head. His hand trembled as it reached up to stroke her head. Softly, she
murmured, "I lost my temper too."

Putting his arms around her, Hatter kissed her gently on the cheek, "But I went mad and killed... And I ate... I know how much you despise that... You must
hate me right now..."

Alice snuggled up against him, "No... I still love you."

Hatter sighed, his eyes glittering with love as he caressed her, "With all your heart?"

"Yes."

Moaning with happiness, his sadness and guilt gone, Hatter laid down, placed his head on the new pillow the nurse had provided him with. Suddenly, his eyes
dulled with sullen moodiness and he sniffed, "I'm such a bad future husband... I can't even keep you safe from me..." He let a few tears roll out of his eyes,
hiccuping as he tried to say something through his choked-up throat.

Zero, whining, reared up to put his forepaws onto the edge of the matress, huffed, and then leapt up. Settling down on Alice's lap, he sniffed at Hatter's pants
before turning his face up and snapping at some of the blonde curls that teased him. Alice smiled as she lay down and let Hatter curl his arms around her and
pull her close.

"Alice... Thank you..." sniffled Hatter as he breathed deeply into her hair. His hands softly petted her gray and blue dress at her sides before sliding down to
interlink around her stomach.
He shivered against her for a good ten minutes before sliding off into a heavy, black sleep. His arms relaxed around her as his breath grew even.
Tired also, Alice snuggled against him, closed her eyes.

As she drifted into her dreams, Zero wriggled to be in between them, sighed as the bodies' warmth assailed him, and began chewing at Hatter's shirt happily.

The next morning found Jabberwock furious, grumpy, and ill-tempered. For one thing, his cold and fever still refused to leave, staining his body with sweat and
conquering his strength with continuous shivers and the horrible feeling of bile rising to his throat. Also, the Bandersnatch had arrived early that morning,
furious and demanding that he come back immediately to the Shadowlands.
However, since he was sick, Bander fumingly said he would allow a day or two more before they would ride back.
As for March, he woke up late morning, dressed, kissed May a good morning, and then decided to wander down to the infirmary and see how Hatter was
doing. He strayed down the cold, stone halls, wishing that the flickering torches hung up on the walls could just emit a bit more heat...
When he strode into the infirmary, he cheerfully started, "Good morning, Hats! How are you? Headache from yest-" He froze, staring at the bed.

Hatter and Alice lay side by side, Alice's back pressed against Hatter's chest, his legs curled up against her bent ones. His shirt lay in shreds on the floor,
where Zero was quietly playing with the small scraps of off-white cloth. Glancing up at March, he sniffed before standing, bounding over to March, and
wriggling against his leg, wanting a caress. March bent down, gave him a quick pat, and then silently crept to the side of Alice's and Hatter's bed. He peered
at them both before he crawled onto the bed, poked Hatter in the shoulder, "Hats... Wake up."

Hatter's eyes flickered open, one bright yellow, the other a brilliant light jade. Glancing up at March's flaring pink-gray nose, he smiled shyly, "Shh... Me and
Alice are sleeping."

"It's nearly midday. Are you just going to sleep all day?"

"Mm..." Blowing some blonde hair away from his face, Hatter gently tightened his arms around Alice and kissed the back of her neck. "Depends on how long
Alice is here..." Eyes suddenly widening, he shifted, glanced down at himself, and then scowled, "Where is my shirt?"

"I think Zero got it."

At his name, Zero charged March's legs, hit them, bounced off, and then leapt back up to his feet, his chain of a tongue lolling out of his mouth. Grabbing
March's pant leg, he tugged at it, growling playfully.
As March swore at the little Clockwork creature, Hatter sat up, yawned, and then scratched at his chest lazily, "I think he's going through the 'chew
everything' stage. You know... puppies do it. Maybe he's the same."

"Maybe this is why bliddy Pendulum makes them already full-grown, so he doesn't have to deal with the annoyance." March shook Zero off, glared at the
small monster. Zero just stared up at him before laying down and brushing at his nose, sneezing.

March turned and instantly yelped as Zero jumped forward, grabbed the back of March's boot, began chewing at it furiously. Hatter chuckled. Reaching down,
he pulled Alice's pet from March's shoe, set him on the bed, and watched as he wriggled up next to Alice's head and began snapping at her hair.
Alice gave a sharp cry of pain when Zero unwittingly pulled out a few hairs. Jolting up, she glowered at Zero, who still had a few stray blonde strings hanging
from his mouth as he stared up innocently at her. She flicked his nose before glancing about, "Oh... Hello, March."

"Enjoy sleeping next to Hatter?"

Alice nodded, rubbing the top of her head, but blushed when Hatter answered for her, "Yes... We were so warm."

"And Zero had the time of his life killing your shirt."
Excited, Zero leapt off the bed, hit March in the chest, dropped to the floor with a small clunk. Scrambling back up, he attacked March's laces, growling shrilly.
March glared down at him, "And, about that... Take this bliddy animal outside before he kills himself."

Alice and Hatter watched Zero bound around the courtyard, still in his hyper mood. The ground underneath him flicked up dust everytime he moved, making
his trail easily marked by the haze of dust he left behind.
Hatter chuckled as he chased a messenger boy's sprinting feet, "You're really going to have to get him a bone to chew on, Alice. Look at him!"

Alice called, "Zero! Leave the poor boy alone!"

The page sprinted off with the ultimate look of relief on his face as Zero stopped, turned his small head towards her, barked, and then raced for the barracks.
He scratched at the door, wanting in, before losing interest, bouncing to the window. He leapt up, perched on window sill like a cat, and peered in.

Alice saw a guard come to the window and peer at him curiously through the pane of glass. Zero stared at him before jumping off the sill and wandering
cautiously around the corner of the barracks. With one last bark, he disappeared behind the building.
Hatter grinned, "He's a cute little monster... Unlike the ones that Pendulum tried to kill me with."

"So... What's the story between you and Pendulum? You make him sound like he hates you so much."

"He does... We've had a major understanding. They thought I killed Time, but it turned out just to be an accident... And then there's all the pocketwatches that
I've broken... He fixes watches and always tells me that the ones that I break are always the hardest for him to fix. He just gets really, really annoyed and
dangerous over the simplest things. He's grossly overprotective of his clocks and... those... children things of his." Hatter grimaced.

Alice was about to respond when a loud, piercing shriek pierced the air. Out from behind the barrack, a small, black cat ran for dear life, yowling at the top of
its lungs as Zero chased it madly, hissing and snapping at its tail.

"Zero!"
Zero pounced, bowled the cat over, and the two instantly became a whirlwind of dark fur and flashing metal, one on top for a second, the other flipping the
adversary over the next.
Alice ran forward, grabbed Zero up, and shook him, "No!"

Zero struggled to escape her hold, furious eyes on the cat. Flicking its tail around wildly, the cat hissed up at him, challenging him. Zero finally swung up his
hind legs, scratched at Alice's underarm, dropped as she yelped, and then leapt back into furious battle with the cat.
Hatter stepped up beside her, worried. Gazing at the long, pink stripes on her underarm, he asked, "Are you okay?"

Alice grew angry, ignoring Hatter, "Zero!"

Zero paused, huffing, the cat securely held under him. Gazing up at her, he snipped his teeth together before lowering his head and chewing at one of the
cat's ears. The cat yowled in pain, its screech slicing through the air like a knife.

Alice reached down to pick him up. Zero immediately bristled and growled deeply, warning her hand away. Hesitating, Alice glanced up helplessly at Hatter,
who shrugged. "Do you want the cat to die or not?"

"Please! I don't want the kitty to die!"

Suddenly, Zero was flipped over in the dust, dazed. Pulling his foot back, Hatter nudged the cat, which instantly sped across the courtyard and vanished
behind one of the buildings.

Alice stared at Hatter before squeaking in disbelief, "You kicked him!"

"He's metal. Look... He's all better now."

Zero scrambled up, glanced around wildly for the cat, and then lowered his nose to the ground and started sniffing. He ran about in circles, losing the scent,
before sitting and sulking. He moodily let Alice pick him up but snapped at Hatter's fingers when the man tried to brush away the thin coat of dust that
covered him.
Hatter jerked back his hand, eyes narrowing, "He's angry at me now..."

Alice tapped Zero on the head angrily, "No trying to eat cats!"
Zero sniffed, glanced up, and then began wriggling as his memory of the cat faded away and the happy, bouncy, little Clockwork 'puppy' came back.
Stretching up, he licked Alice's cheek before jumping out of her arms, attacking Hatter's boot. Hatter sighed, "Back to the same old Zero... Trying to chew
everything up."

The day passed with little excitement after Zero's fight with the cat. Alice totally forgot about Jabberwocky and spent the whole day with Hatter, feeling closer
and closer to him. Their wanderings stretched from the kitchen, where they ate lunch and dinner, to the Imagination Rose room, where they sat and stared at
the twisting, blooming rose with silent awe, cuddled in each other's arms. Zero found this all very boring, found some vines to chew on.
They spent the night with each other again, Hatter's body once again postioned protectively around her. In his arms, she felt comfort, unconditional love
showered over her as he crooned loving words to her.
Zero just slept at the foot of the bed.

In each other's arms, they fell asleep.

That night, angry that Alice had been ignoring him, Jabberwocky snuck out of his bed, stumbled weakly around the castle in search of her. He finally found her
and was furious to find her with Hatter.
He woke them both up, spewed hatred at Hatter before dragging Alice back to his room, forcing her to lay down on his bed, and then placing himself between
her and the edge of the bed, preventing any escape that she might have planned.
Alice was too tired to care. She fell asleep right away.
The next morning, Zero vanished without a trace. As soon as she found out, Alice went into a panic, enlisting March, Hatter, and a very relunctant Maynard to
search for her missing pet. March and Hatter pursued their job diligently while Maynard just followed Alice around, gazing at her more than turning his eyes
aside to search for Zero.
A guard brought him in at midday, explaining that he had found him in town with a black cat. They had been sleeping side-by-side on the doorstep of his
wife's shop.

Alice kept Zero with her for the rest of the day, scolding him repeatedly for running away. He didn't seem to care.

The rest of that day passed quickly with no exciting event coming up. However, the next day was Jabberwock's day to leave.

Screaming as the Shadowland guards dragged him out into the courtyard, Jabberwock howled, "Let me go! Let me go! I want Alice!"

Bander stepped to Hatter's side and whispered, "I bet you're happy I'm taking him away."

"Yes. Now, if you really want to make me happy, take Maynard with you too." muttered Hatter in reply.
"Sorry... Can't do that until he's served out his whole sentence." Adjusting his coat, Bander gave his a quick hug before saying cheerfully, "Goodbye!" and
turning to follow Jabberwocky.

Jabberwock struggled against the ropes that bound his arms to his side and screamed, "I'll change! I swear I will! Bring Alice at least! I want my daughter!"

Alice sighed, "What is he saying?"

"That he wants you."

Rolling her eyes, Alice trotted up to his side, watched his eyes switch to her, stay on her for a second before he grinned wildly, "Come with me."

"I can't."

"Please?"

"I'm staying. You can come visit, if you want to."

Jabberwocky flailed against the guards dragging him to the horse. Bander sighed, "Dear, dear... He's being difficult." Drawing a small vial from his pocket, he
uncorked it, walked up, and then forced it under Jabberwock's nose. Jabberwock stiffened before falling limp and unconscious. Unceremoniously, they hefted
him over the back of a horse like a hunted animal, tied him down roughly, and then saluted to Bander.

Hatter smiled widely, pointy teeth bared, "Oh... I love you, father... That is such a funny sight to see..."

"Don't laugh at him. He'll wake up tonight and throw a tantrum and we'll be the ones suffering then." Bander scowled, corking the vial. "He'll be in such a
horror of a mood." Checking the ropes, he nodded satisfactorly before swinging himself up, nestling down into saddle, and smiling, "So... Send me an
invitation to the wedding, all right?"

Hatter's smile faded, "Do you know how rude that is asking for-"

Not listening, Bander spurned his horse-fly around, galloped through the open gates. The Shadowlander escort, taken by surprise, quickly staggered up to
follow him.

For the next week, Zero's incredible desire to chew everything kept finding Hatter's shirts on the floor, torn up. As the days passed, he had grown a bit, no
longer the little cat size but now more of a small dog size. Hatter was forgiving with his shirts, but once he started to make a new top hat, he became
relentless on trying to protect it.
Alice became an overseer to the 'Hat War', as March called it. The game: Zero tried to take Hatter's hat while Hatter tried to finish and protect his hat.
Hatter won, made himself a new, glossy top hat. He was all smiles that day, proudly wearing it everywhere around the castle, even when they ate. March
reminded him that it was rude to eat with a hat on, but Hatter's reply was a scoff. Determined, Zero would lay in wait until they fell asleep, then try
desperately to reach the tempting black hat on the coat hanger far above him. He tried jumping, he tried climbing, but the hat refused to come down.

After two days, he gave up, sulking whenever he saw the hat.

Hatter and March continued to plan the wedding, consulting May and Alice for every other detail. While May paid great attention to 'how' they were to be
married, Alice just focused on the thought of finally marrying Hatter.
Their sleep-overs caught the attention of Chesapeake and Lyona, who would send down a guard everyday to watch over the two, to make sure Hatter would
not take advantage of dear Alice.
Incensed that they would even suppose that, Hatter pranked the guard, gifting him with a poisoned wine that would make him sleep. Once the soldier was
against the wall, snoring loudly, he and Alice stole to another bed, nestled against each other, and slept.

Zero always slept at their feet, eventually worming his way up to munch on Hatter's shirts sometime in the night. Becoming a bit irritated as he began to run
out of shirts, Hatter tried not wearing one to bed. This only led to Alice waking up with her nightgown frayed and Hatter's pants all chewed up.

Hatter came to her one day, holding a thick bone in his hand, held it out. "This is for Zero."

Zero enjoyed his new toy immensely; however, Alice and Hatter did not. In the middle of the night, they would hear the scraping of metal teeth against bone,
which would make them sit up, glance around in curiousity, and then figure out that it was just Zero. Two days after he had recieved it, Zero sulked when
Hatter took it away.

When March and Hatter finished the planning for the double-wedding, they celebrated by leaving for town and drinking tea at the local tavern. This, however,
gave way to a challenge from some off-duty guards, and March and Hatter ended up drinking beer until they were drunk. The guards brought them home.
Alice watched Hatter bend over the chamber pot to vomit again, flinched, turned away as the horrible retching began to start, "You shouldn't get drunk,
Hatter."

Zero wandered over to Hatter, quietly nosed him in the side. When Hatter slapped at him, he squeaked, jumped back to Alice. Baring his teeth at the
Clockwork creature, Hatter forced, "Not my bliddy fault! The guards were-" A look of pain came over his face and he retched into the pot again.
Alice sighed, "You could have not taken that challenge."

"They bet five whole crowns on it that me and March could drink a whole barrel of beer..." Hatter glanced up, wiped some driblets of bile from his chin, and
then stumbled up, clutching at his stomach.

"If you're going to throw up again, by all means, stay over there."

"Ah... Alice... You're angry..." Hatter slumped next to her on her quilted covers, leaned against her, "It's because of me..."

"You're throwing up in my room. I think I have the right to be a little annoyed."

Hatter kissed her, making her flinch as the stink of beer and vomit wafted out of his mouth. "I'll take care of it in the morning... Let's just go to sleep."

Alice saw Zero bending his head over the chamber pot, tongue extending to taste the liquid inside, and snapped, "Zero! No! That's yucky!"

Pausing, Zero glanced over before tottering over to her feet and wriggling against them. He covered her feet in spit as he licked her. Hatter kissed her again,
"Please? I'm tired..."

Alice sighed, laid back with Hatter scrunched up around her as usual. His hands caressed her shoulders before settling at her sides. She muttered, "Just don't
throw up, okay?"

Hatter tugged her close, nuzzled his face into her hair, "Of course..."

The next morning, both Hatter and March woke up with horrible, grinding headaches and banded together to find a quiet place to recuperate from the hang-
overs.
Alice was playing happily with Zero when the door creaked open. Slowly, Maynard peered inside, eyes lost and wanting, "Alice?"

Alice smiled brightly at him. "Hello, Maynard!"

Stepping in, Maynard sniffled, "We haven't talked for a while. You've been avoiding me."

"I haven't... I've just been busy."

Struggling to keep his anger down, Maynard spat, "With Imagine, or Hatter, or whatever you bliddy call him!" His claws clenched into fists.

Alice stared at him, seeing him tremble in hidden fury, "What's wrong with that?"

Maynard stiffened before sighing, his anger gone, and sitting down next to her. "I... You know..." Zero tackled his knee, began clacking his teeth down on the
pants. Hitting out, Maynard knocked him off with a grim smirk, "Stupid dog."

"Don't hit Zero..." said Alice indignantly, casting him a reproachful look, hugging Zero when he came to seek comfort her arms.

Maynard struggled with the notion that it might be possible that Alice liked the Clockwork creature more than she did him. His teeth bared in an angry snarl,
"I'll hit him if he bites me. He deserves it."

Alice glared at him, "He doesn't know better."

Snapping in a fury, Maynard slapped Alice angrily. Standing, he growled, "Why can't you do that with me? Deny that I ever did anything wrong? You're nice to
everybody except me!"

Alice stared up at him, her cheek bright pink where he had slapped her. "You... you slapped me."

Grabbing her shoulders, Maynard shook with unbridled anger, "And I'll do more than that!"

Before he could set about doing anything, however, Zero leapt for his leg and clamped his teeth into the back of his knee. Howling in pain, Maynard dropped
Alice, swung around, kicked out at the little monster. Zero flew across the wall, crashed into the wall, stumbled up dazed and disoriented, but otherwise
unscathed.
Alice froze when she saw a dagger appear in Maynard's twitching hands. Where had he gotten that from?

Turning to her, he seized her, forced her against the wall, and pushed the dagger against her throat, eyes bright and sparkling, "Call your dog off."
As Zero snapped out of his stupor, began racing across the carpeted floor with anger dancing in his little eyes, Alice choked desperately, "Zero! No!"

Zero stopped, stared up at her, and then whined. Maynard leaned forward, put his mouth to her neck, and kissed her softly, "Now... Alice... You will do exactly
like I want... You will tell no one... Take off your dress."

Alice said weakly, "Maynard... Please don't..."

Maynard's eyes flickered and he flinched as his mind fought against itself. He was destroying Alice's trust right now; she'd never trust him again. He wanted
her so badly, wanted both her body and her love...
He dragged the knife down to the neckline of her dress and hissed, "Do you want me to take it off for you?"
Alice swallowed, her throat dry and her mind numb in fear. Slowly, she unbuttoned her dress, let it slide down, was left standing in her underclothes.
Maynard's eyes were glazed with lust as he regarded her. "Now... You will take off my shirt."
Her fingers trembling, Alice reached forward, began to unbutton his dark-blue chemise. Maynard watched her fingers closely, making sure she wouldn't try
anything. He shouldered off his shirt once it was entirely unbuttoned, switched the knife to his other hand, and then pressed close. "Touch me." he ordered
quietly, straining to restrain himself. Alice would do this on her own accord.

Trembling in fright, Alice stared up at his face, her muscles freezing up, her heart pulsing furiously. Maynard waited for a few seconds before taking her hand,
dragging it up against his chest, and whispering, "Touch."

Alice broke down into tears, sliding down to the ground. Maynard gazed down at her, his predator's eyes widening with lust at this display of weakness.
"Please... Please, Maynard... Please... I don't want to..."

Maynard knelt beside her, slowly pushed her down onto the ground. Pinning her shivering arms to the floor, he bent his head, kissed her cheek, her neck, her
shoulder, moaning in earnest. "Alice... Please... No noise. No noise at all..."

Zero was running around in circles, torn between Alice's order of 'No' and the apparent danger to his mistress. Finally, he ran up to her and Maynard, began
barking, claws twitching into the carpet.
Maynard snarled, slapped out at him, sending him flipping backwards to land on his back. Scrambling up, Zero ran to the door, began scratching wildly at it,
howling.

Maynard leapt up, hissed, "Stupid dog!" He stomped over, delivered another kick to Zero.

Alice scrambled up while his back was turned, backed away. There was nowhere to run; he was standing in front of the only door.
Maynard, glancing back, sneered softly, "Alice... I thought you were going to do as I said. I don't want trouble." He turned, slowly, and began walking towards
his, his steps light and calm, his confidence strong and hungry. He held out a hand and cooed, "Just make this easier for both of us. I won't be hard on you...
not like the others. I don't want to break you... Just come, please."

Alice pressed up against the corner, trembling violently, "Stay-stay away!"

Smiling, Maynard came towards her, his hand loosening his pants, "We already made so much progress, Alice... It's just to show how much I love you." He
brushed a finger against her cheek.

"Just... stay away!" Alice cringed away from his hand, tears sliding down her cheeks in torrents of fright.

Maynard's lust broke out. Grabbing her, forcing her down to the ground, he began furiously kissing her as he unbuttoned his pants. "Oh, Alice! I just love you!
You're such a nice, little brat!"

He froze just as he was pulling up her shirt, for a knock sounded at the door. Hatter's voice, gentle and friendly, called out, "Alice...?"

Maynard clapped a hand over Alice's mouth, dragged her so they were hidden by the bed. Harshly, he snarled softly, "You talk and I'll snap your neck!"

Alice sobbed quietly into his hand.

Outside, in the hall, Hatter knocked again, smile dying off his face. In his hands was a small bouquet of little daisies, which he hoped would help her forgive
him for his grumpy mood that morning. "Alice? Are you in there? It's Hatter."

Maynard hissed under his breath, "Go away! Go away!"

Zero, finding his way to save Alice, slammed into the door, bounced off, and then crashed into it again. Instantly, the door opened and Hatter yelped as Zero
missed the door and drove into his legs. "Zero?"

Maynard crouched down over Alice, mouth snapping shut and eyes glittering in hatred.
Hatter stepped in, glanced about, saw no one, "Zero, you're here by yourself?"
Zero rushed back in, scrambled up onto the bed, and then jumped down on the other side, landing right by Maynard and Alice. He spat at Maynard. Slowly,
Hatter came forward, "What is-"
He saw them there.

Hatter had been stabbed two times and Maynard seven times in the ensuing battle. They both now sat in the infirmary, restrained by ropes as they tried to
get at each other, swearing they would rip the other's head off.
Alice stood next to Hatter's bed, watching him furiously fume and shoot hate-filled glares at Maynard, who sat sullenly on the next bed over. "I came to give
you bliddy flowers and he was going to hurt you! I shouldn't be tied up! Untie me and I'll kill him! I swear I will!"

Maynard smirked wearily, "I can't die while I'm here, remember? I'm Shadowland royalty..."

"So? I'll take you to the border, gut you there!" Hatter struggled violently against the ropes that crossed his bandaged chest and his legs.

"Don't talk about how much you want to kill me. Remember, if you hadn't come with your stinking flowers, I would have been having the time of my life right
now..." Maynard moaned in disappointment, slumped back into his pillow. Unlike Hatter, he was just tied by his wrists and ankles to the sides of the bed with a
little bit of freedom. He brought his hand up, inspected the livid, burning 'R' that the guards had branded there on the back of his hand. It had already scarred
over. "Why did they brand me even if I didn't get to rape her...?"

"They've been putting that off since the two others..." muttered Hatter furiously, turning his face to him and spitting at him.

Maynard jerked as the spittle hit his bare shoulder. "Stop!"

Alice put her hands on Hatter's arm, stopping his imminent retort. As he glanced at her, eyes falling from hate to worried love, she said quietly, "Does it hurt?"

"Only as much as it can. Are you okay?"

"Yes... I'm just happy that you came by."

Maynard said loudly, "I'm not!"

"Shuddup! Nobody asked you!" snarled Hatter before turning eyes back to Alice and smiling gently, "It's the thought that counts."

"What?"

"I brought you flowers, hoping you would forgive me for being a total git this morning... Did you like them?"

Alice thought back to the flowers that still lay on the floor of her room, partially crushed in Hatter and Maynard's struggle. "Yes."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Yes. You didn't need to get me anything."

Maynard growled from his bed, "Hello? Am I just hearing stupid little things about presents over there? Of course you need to get things. Imagine can't help
feeling guilty, so he compensates for that by bribing you to get himself on your good side again. Do you know how pathetic that is?"

Before Hatter could snarl a reply back at Maynard, Alice said, "I don't want to hear anything from you either, Maynard."

Shocked, Maynard stared at her before sighing, "Alice... Just one time, please? Then I'll be satisfied and won't bother you again."

"NO!" hissed Alice and Hatter together.

Hatter was released that night, herded out of the infirmary by the guards before he could realize his oath to hurt Maynard. Sulky, he followed Alice to her
room, curled around her, and immediately fell asleep. His warm breath blew through her hair, heating her scalp, and his fingers rested across her side, giving
her the feeling of protection.
Alice made sure not to push fully against his chest, where two livid, black spots on the white bandages showed where his stab wounds had started bleeding
again. However, he pulled her against him, making himself flinch in pain, but then letting the pain go to be replaced by love.

His Alice. Not Maynard's, not Jabberwock's, not anybody's.

His.

Chapter 32: Preparations

Dawning bright and early, the next morning also brought a promise of rain when a low fog rolled in onto the village. Overhead, the sun still shone, the birds
still chirped, but the air refused to release its moisture, chilling the guards who had patrol that morning.
Hatter was tugging at his hat desperately, hissing, "Give it back."

Zero growled happily, refused to release it. He finally had the hat! Alice giggled on her bed, her hand stifling the sound while her face turned pink with
suppressed laughter.

"Zero! Please! Let go!" wailed Hatter.

Zero's jaws snapped open, Hatter fell backwards, and instantly was squirming under Zero, who licked his face eagerly. "No! No! Stop it!"

Alice erupted into laughter, bounced off the bed, and pulled Zero from Hatter's chest. Sitting up, he glanced around for his hat, found it, and jammed it over
his head with a sigh of relief. Alice smiled, "You like that hat, don't you?"

"Like it? I spent a bliddy day working on this! That's really hard to do... And it's such a nice hat." He reached up, poked at it. "Isn't it?"

Alice nodded.

Reaching out, Hatter grabbed her by the dress, hauled her down, and then hugged her with a loving smile pasted across his face. "You're too sweet. You know
that you can say it's a very ugly hat, if that's what you think of it. I don't have to wear it, if you want."

"I do want to see your hair every once in a while."

"Hair? No offense meant to anyone, but the only hair that I would like to see is hair like yours. The color of sunshine." Hatter blew at it.

Zero jumped up, snapped at the golden strands, and then tumbled into Alice's lap. He began wrestling with her dress, sneezing every few seconds before
suddenly stiffening, staring up at her face with sudden interest. Leaping away from her, he raced to the door, scratched at it with a sudden whimper.
Alice and Hatter glanced at each other, smiled. Hatter whispered, "Want to go for a walk?"

Zero bounded through the Wonderland's capital town with excited vigor. Shopkeepers on either side, dressed in leather aprons or flour-specked shirts
depending on their profession, stared at the little metal Clockwork beast as he ran from door to door, sniffing everything, taking in the worm's eye view of
Wonderland and all of its scents.
Hatter and Alice followed, laughing at Zero's antics as he chased the small children with eager barks. Whenever the children got too scared, they would call
him back, scold him gently, and then send him on his way to explore again.

Then, he found the black cat.

Seeing the cat seated on a small stone fence, watching him warily, Zero grew stiff, staring at the animal, and then leapt up and started covering it with
excited licks. As Alice and Hatter watched, he tackled the cat off of the wall, landed on his back as the cat landed on its feet. With a sniff of disdain, the cat
flicked its tail at him, teasing him to stumble up.
Zero scrambled up, followed the cat obediently. Hatter and Alice gazed at this with bemused incredibility.

Hatter blinked. "They tried to kill each other the first day they met and Zero's now following the bliddy cat like a gosling... Funny!" He burst into laughter.

Alice bent down, petted the cat as it demanded a caress with a loud mew. Her smile brightened, "It is rather odd."

Zero butted his nose against the cat's side, making the feline hiss a warning at him. Not to be scared off, Zero seized its tail, dragged it back, and then began
to snuffle his nose into its fur. Annoyed, the cat growled deep in its throat.
Whining, Zero bumped up against it, knocking it over. Instantly, he laid down, trapped it under his paws, and began to wash the cat, who yowled its protests
loudly.

"Zero... Leave the poor cat alone..." giggled Alice.

Zero blinked before resituating himself and, gently turning the cat over, sniffled up and down its belly before sneezing into the black fur. The cat batted at him
in frustration.

Hatter took Alice's hand, tugged at it, "He's not going to leave the cat. Come one. We can go find him later."

Relunctantly, Alice left with him, glancing back to see Zero still nuzzling the cat in a friendly manner.

Hatter took her to a candy shop before luring her ever so slyly into a bridal store. The minute she stepped inside, the girls of the shop swarmed her, prodding
her, making assumptions on what would suit her best. Apparently, it was no big secret that she was to married to Hatter soon.
As Hatter got dragged away to be fitted for his suit, Alice found herself stripped of everything but her underclothes and being carefully measured for her
wedding dress. Blushing as the girls gazed over her body and chattered excitedly to each other, Alice just turned her eyes to the ground, clamped her lips
shut, and tried not to be terribly too shy.
They tried what Alice thought to be hundreds of different sample dresses, each one lacier and frailer than the last. When the matron on the shop stomped in,
furious that the girls had gone ahead without her go-ahead, they scrambled out.

With kind, motherly fingers, the matron unlaced the back of Alice's dress, "So, dearie? Looking for a lovely dress for your great day?"

"Um... Yes." Alice shivered as the dress pulled away, leaving her cold and unprotected all for her underwear.

"Do you have any idea what you would like? A veil perhaps? A modest cut around the shoulders?" The matron lovingly folded up the exquisite dress, set it on
the counter. "We could also make something a different color, if it would please you. Anything is possible when it comes to marriage dresses."

"... That's nice." Alice muttered shyly as the matron turned to her and waited for an answer.

"What exactly would you like?"

"...You can ask Hatter... He knows."

The matron stepped from the room, leaving Alice to sigh in relief and glanced about. All these dresses, so beautifully and intricately sewn, only to be worn
once and then kept for memory!
After a few minutes, the matron came back with a small paper in her hands. Handing it to Alice, she asked, "Anything that you don't want?"

Reviewing the list, Alice cocked her head before shaking it, "No..." She handed it back.

"Then you will have a nice dress. I personally agree that this will be very, very cute." the matron replied, pleased.

Afterwards, Hatter and Alice found their way back to the place where they had left Zero. As they approached, the black cat, fur puffed out like a bottlebrush,
purred loudly before glancing over at Zero. He was on his back, feet twitching in the air as he snored softly.
Alice giggled, poked him in the stomach. Eyes blinking open blearily, he sniffled before falling off the wall with a small squeak. He lay there on the ground,
dazed for a moment.

Hatter grabbed him up, tucked him under his arm, and then led Alice back into the labyrinth of streets, squares, shops, and cobblestones. She took in the
sights cheerfully; she had missed Wonderland so much when she had been away and this was the first time she had a real chance to explore it.
Upon arriving at the castle, Hatter excused himself to wander about, find March, and tell him that he had been measured for his suit. March, grouchy that
Hatter had beat him to the point, zipped away with May to do the same.

After rubbing the fact into March's face, Hatter returned to Alice, began telling her his fantasies for their wedding. A warm smile stuck to his face, he cooed,
"We'll have it here in the castle. I want to have it in the Imagination Rose room, because it's really big and pretty..." He leaned against her, whispered,
"There'll be lots of other flowers too. Lots of roses and... other flowers. Only March will be there... He'll be my best man. You'll be in your dress and I'll be in my
suit. We'll look so beautiful together. And I'll... And we'll walk up to the priest, we'll sit through the boring stuff, and then we'll say our vows and we'll kiss and
we'll go to the wedding party after. There'll be lots of cake... I just hope not plum cakes. I like the white, fluffy kind." He smiled, hugged her close. "And then...
we'll have to dismiss the guests, one by one by one." He sighed.

Alice asked, "And how much is that going to come true?"

"Um... The flowers are not going to happen probably. And I don't plan to stick around and say goodbye to all of the guests."

Alice giggled and punched him in the arm, "That's rude!"

Hatter chuckled, "So? They can excuse themselves. It's very simple: open the door and leave. I don't need to stick around and be bored when I could have
such a lovely time talking with you. We can steal the cake probably and stuff ourselves here in the room."

"You want me to get fat!" joked Alice.

Hatter seized her, cuddled up against her, and they laughed together.
Zero just glared at them before pushing his nose into the carpet and ignoring their combined laughter.

The next morning, Alice and Hatter woke up to the loud squeaks of Zero's captured mouse. As Alice blearily became accustomed and asked, "What's that
noise?", Hatter frantically distracted her, remembering the story that March had told him about Alice's freaking out over a mouse.
Zero swallowed down his breakfast, ending the horrible squeaking. Hatter finally calmed, but Alice, confused and tired, kept asking him persistently.

"It... it was one of those chirping bugs... A grasshopper..." lied Hatter.

"Oh." sniffed Alice before pulling the cover over her head and falling back to sleep.
Zero followed Hatter out of the room after the man had dressed. Huffing finally in annoyance as the little metal creature determinedly followed him, Hatter
took him outside, watched him bounce about in happiness.

March found him, sidled up next to him with a little, satisfied smirk on his face, "I know something that you don't."

Tearing his hungry eyes from a bird, Hatter muttered, "What?"

"Promise me you won't try to eat that bird first and I'll tell you. I thought you had the blood thing under control. You haven't been hungry for the longest time."

"I promise. Now what?"

"Maynard got away and the guards can't find him. He's not in the town or anywhere."

Growling indignantly, Hatter hissed, "What? How? Where is he?"

"I don't know how he got out." retorted March indignantly. "He's a bliddy escape artist or something! And there's a horse missing. We can only guess he's run
away out of town and into some other part of Wonderland. We'll here if he causes trouble." March reached over, flicked at his hat before leaning close and
whispering, "May cut holes in all of my pants. Could I borrow some of yours?"

Surprised, Hatter stared at March and asked, "What? Why?"

March sullenly turned, flicked his short, gray tail up, "She thinks my tail is cute... She wants me to show it."

Hatter clapped a hand across his mouth and guffawed, "You need to show Alice!"

"No! Just lend me some pants, please?" March pleaded.

Struggling to keep his laughter down, Hatter nodded, "Fine, fine! Just come to my room and we can find you something."

Hatter brought March to Alice's room to show March's tail to her. As March struggled in a headlock, Hatter playfully ordered, "Show her! C'mon! It's just your
tail!"

"No! It's my tail! Stoppit! I don't want to show her! Only May can-"

Hatter wrestled March around, Alice staring wide-eyed at them from her bed. Zero ran around them in circles, barking excitedly.
Tripping, March fell to the ground, Hatter on top of him.
Alice's eyes immediately locked on the gray, poofy tail that shivered on the back of his pants. Her first reaction? "Oh! It's so cute!"

Hatter began flicking at it, "Why do you hide it, March? The ladies like cute, little, fluffy things. You would have been a lot more popular if you hadn't hidden it
away."

"Ah! Stop touching it! It's my tail!" March wriggled, trying to scramble away.

Zero had seen the tail. Freezing in his tracks, he stared at the poof before his eyes grew longing. Next second, he leapt for it, began batting at it. March jerked
up, flipping Hatter off, and staggered up. Backing up against the wall, he shivered, "No more tail! Just give me pants, okay!"

Hatter smiled, nodded, "Fine. We'll go to my room. Alice?"

"I'll stay here. I don't think March wants me to come."

"As soon as I'm getting those pants, I'm changing right there." sniffed March. "I don't want to ruin your mind."

Hatter nodded, pushed at his shoulder, "Come on! Come on! We need to go find those pants!"

March stole some black pants from Hatter, pulled them up, and then threw his old ones away. As soon as he felt more comfortable, they began chatting about
their soon-to-be wives. However, soon it turned into a 'Who was better' contest.
"May's better. She can cook." sniffed March, glaring at Hatter.

"Alice's prettier."

"Doesn't count. Must be provable."

Hatter sighed, scrambled for an answer, "She's nicer."

"I can believe that."

"She... doesn't cut holes in my pants."

March flinched, "Ooh... You got me there. Well... May will give me more children."

"More trouble to begin with."

"More love to go around."

Hatter twiddled with his fingers, thinking, and then said, "Alice... um... She's Alice. How can you describe Alice?"

March chuckled, "That excuse will thwart anyone, wouldn't it? 'She's Alice. What else must I say?'"

"Exactly!"

"I was kidding. So... May beats Alice."

Hatter reddened, "No way! Alice is so much better! She... she... doesn't have to spend fourteen million hours in the bath like you or May!"

Glowering, March replied, "It's for the fur. If you haven't noticed, we're absolutely covered in it."

"You get fleas."

"That's why we take 'fourteen million hour' baths."

Hatter and March stared at each other, their eyes bright and proud, confident and defensive, before Hatter sighed, "Let's just say they're equal."

March nodded, "It'll make it so much easier."

The next week passed quickly. The wedding dresses came in from the bridal shop, as did the grooms' suits. Hatter hid Alice's dress away, telling her that he
wanted it to be a surprise for her on their wedding day.
In any case, Alice was too busy to try on her dress and admire it. Zero was going through a rather strange phase where he was constantly searching for cats
and dogs and trying to mate with them. Alice's new job were to save the cats and dogs from the indignity.
She saved all of them, or most of them, she hoped. There were just too many cats and dogs.

When she locked Zero into the room, she'd wander about the castle, hearing more and more congratulations directed her way:
"Good luck, Alice!"
"I hope your marriage goes well!"
"Don't let Hatter bite ya!"
Everyone seemed to know of their wedding and were making a great head-start on wishing them well, for the actual wedding was planned in two weeks.

Hatter became rather irritated at the people who wished him 'Good luck' and 'Congratulations'. For one thing, he didn't enjoy the distraction and attention.
The other reason, he despised the fact that people kept making references to his madness.
He politely but firmly asked that no more comments about marriage be directed his way.

March loved the attention, as did May. They'd parade about the castle, arm and arm, and force everybody to see them, made people think 'What a happy
couple'. March then bragged to Hatter how much he loved May and how lovely she was that she could be presented to the whole, entire world, while Hatter
sort of hid Alice away.
Hatter's response to this, along with a furious glare, was, "If you want the world to see her, why don't you go make babies on top of the walls? I bet everyone
would be happy to see you then."

March stopped bragging to Hatter.

Invitations started to leave with messengers. March insisted that the entire Hare and Rabbit family be invited, while Hatter struggled to think of even one
person to invite. He was rather reluctant to invite his own father, so when Alice asked if they could invite Jabberwocky, he told her angrily, "No! I'm not going
to have that git ruining our wedding!"

Afterwards, March went out of his way to write Alice an invitation, sealed with wax, for the Jabberwock and sent it without Hatter's knowledge.
The invitation took four days to reach the Shadowland capital, seeing that there was no Looking Glass to help speed up the messenger. Without a word, he
gave the letter to a guard, told him it was for the King, and quickly left, scared stiff of all the scorn-filled glares that were directed his way.
Jabberwock furiously read it, reread it, and then cast a glower at Bandersnatch, "You have to let me go."

"I don't trust you. You have to prove to me that you're trustworthy of coming back... without a fight."

"Please?" Jabberwock grabbed his brother's shoulders, stared pleadingly into his eyes. "Just the wedding? I'll come back straight afterwards." He was
obviously lying.

"You're kidding me." Bander shrugged his hands off.

Jabberwock sniffed, "I really want to go... I can see Alice."

"And ruin my son's wedding."

"...What if I wear shackles or something similar? I can't ruin his wedding if I can't move. Anyway, she needs someone to walk her down the aisle."

"I could do that... As her Uncle."

"Please?" begged Jabberwocky, clasping his hands together. "If you don't give me permission to go, then I'll find a way to get there. I'll have to run away again
or-"

"Triple guard. That won't happen."

"I can go to the council and ask."

"They won't allow you unless I put in a good word for you."

Jabberwock thought for a few moments before sniffing, "I could go through the clocks."

"Then you would be dead and never see the wedding. I'll think about it." Bander turned, strayed out of the door, leaving Jabberwock sullen and angry with the
wedding invitation in his hands.

Two weeks passed too quickly. When the evening before the big day drew in, Hatter paced restlessly in front of Alice's bed, fidgeting nervously. His face,
twisted with eagerness but also hesitation, happiness yet reluctance, kept shooting glances at her. Zero, uncaring, followed at his heels, enjoying this game of
'follow the leader'.
Finally, he stopped, ignored Zero's bump into his legs, and sighed, "Alice... I'm sorry... I just don't feel ready."

Alice smiled faintly, her insides wriggling as if she had swallowed a bunch of bouncing bugs. "How do you think I feel?"

"You look calm."

"I'm nervous, believe me."

Hatter stumbled over to her, sat down by her side, and then looped an arm around her to pull her close. Trembling as he smelled her hair and nested his nose
in it tenderly, he whispered, "Nothing like what I'm feeling, I can bet."

Embracing him, Alice forced a giggle, "Nervous, little butterflies fluttering about in your stomach. I think I can imagine."

Slowly, Hatter laid back onto the covers, ignoring Zero as the creature clambered up and began chewing at his sleeve. "I think I would describe it as rats."

Alice flinched, "Ew..."

"Yes, I know. Uncomfortable... But I'm not ready!" he pouted. "I mean, I know that as soon as we're before the priest tomorrow, I'll go mad or something and
I'll completely ruin the whole thing!"

"No, you won't..." reassured Alice.

"Then I'll trip and make a fool of myself! I just know!" Hatter grabbed his hat as it started to tip off his head. Zero stared at the hat, entranced, and Hatter
gave him a suspicious, wary glare, "No, Zero. No hat for you."
Alice smiled, "We'll be fine... Just no hat when we're up there, okay?"

"What? Why? It goes perfectly with the suit."

"Please?"

"Fine." Hatter smiled brightly as he hugged her tightly and kissed her on the lips, "Anything for you."

Chapter 33: The Wedding and its Immediate Aftermath

The night passed quickly. As the dawn broke slowly over the distant, dark hills, casting light over green grass and light yellow wheat, Alice and the Mad Hatter
were rudely awakened by March. Jumping onto their bed, fur fluffed up in excitement, he crowed, "Wake up! Wake up! Today's the big day! Hats! Wake up!"

Groaning, Hatter punched out, missed, and then pressed the pillow against his face, "...No... Let me sleep..."

"Okay then. Alice! Up and at 'em! Maybe if you get ready, Hats will follow your example!"

Hatter huffed, kicked away the covers as Alice moaned. "Fine, fine! I'm getting up!"

March jumped off the bed, his tail flicking behind him. He was wearing some of the cut pants again. Zero saw the tail, stared, and then leapt up to bite it.
Yowling, immediately losing his excited cheer, March grabbed Zero and tried to pull him off with a sob, "Ow, ow, ow! Off! Get off!"

With the help of the now wide awake Hatter and Alice, March escaped Zero's teeth and sat on the bed, reaching behind to cradle his bleeding tail, sobbing
quietly. Alice reprimanded Zero harshly, "No biting March, Zero!"

Zero sulked, disappeared under the bed.

Softly, Hatter rolled March over and examined the bit tail, "Serves you right for jumping about... Ow... It looks painful..."

A pained sob was the only reply.

Hatter ran off and came back with some bandages and pain relieving medicine. He applied some of the balm to March's sluggishly bleeding tail before
wrapping it up gently.
"Thank you, Hatter..." whispered March.

Hatter nodded, "It's fine... We should start getting dressed, shouldn't we?"

"Yes."

Hatter and March went to dress in a seperate room, leaving Alice with the wedding dress and Zero. Watching quietly as Alice tried to shrug the dress on, he
kept coughing softly, seemingly laughing at her frustration as she failed to reach the ties in the back.
She went out of the room, found a guard, had him lace up the corset in the back.

Light and fluffy, the dress poofed out at her waist to fall down in a classic, old-time dress syle. Its layered sleeves floated down to give her an elegant look.
Silky and colored an extremely light blue, almost white, its lace trimming brushed with small sighs over the floor as she strolled back in the room.
Zero, immediately interested, sniffed at her dress before grabbing one of the little pearls at the edge of the cloth and tugging at it.
"Ah! No! Zero! Stop!"

Zero let go, gazed up at her face.

Alice bent down, patted his head, and smiled, "No chewing on this dress, okay?"

Zero purred happily.

Hatter tugged at his black suit, regarding the ruffles that started under his neck to disappear under the neckline of his jacket. Silky, the darkness of the suit
blended perfectly into his pants. The gold embroidery on the sides of the pants swirled into vines and flowers. His shoes, buffered and polished, shone in the
torch light. White gloves extended from the light, grayish-white cuffs, detailed with a embroidering of a sun on the back.

March was dressed in a dark green suit, the mirror of Hatter's in all except the color. Pulling at his gloves, he sniffed, "Ready to say your vows?"

"Mm..." grumbled Hatter, his insides squishing against each other in nervousness. "I'm ready.. I'm just... nervous."

"I just can't wait till the after-wedding party. Dinner's bound to be good!"
"Is that all you can really look forward to?"

"No... I can't wait till be married... I just hope Decemberist doesn't get all mad and bristly on me." March reached back, scratched at the back of his pants, and
winced as his tail twitched. "Zero just had to bite me today, didn't he?"

"You were flicking it around like nobody's business."

"So? No excuse to bite off someone's tail!" March crossed his arms and huffed.

Once they were reunited, Hatter and Alice marvelled at how the other looked, complimenting each other until March mockingly said, "What are you doing?
See who can come up with the better compliment? What did you just say, Hats? 'You look so beautiful'? We already know that! And, anyways, May's better."
He leaned against his fiance', who tugged happily at one of his furry ears.

Hatter glared at him, "Each to his-"

"-own. Yep. May's mine. So she's prettier." March latched his arms around May and nuzzled her cheek, ruffling the calico fur.

Hatter took Alice's hand and smirked, "Let's leave the love bunny and go get married."

"Hey! I'm coming! I'm coming!" March whined, pulling May behind him as he trailed after Hatter and Alice.

The entire Rabbit and Hare family was there, seated on hard wood benches that had been pulled into the Imagination Rose room. A bright white arch stood in
front of the towering rose, decorated with gauze ribbons and white veils. The tapestries on the walls had been taken down, cleaned, and now shone in all of
their colored, sewed glory. The floor, scrubbed, the walls, washed, the ceiling, hung with small flowers that dangled on strings.
Alice gazed upwards in awe, seeing the small tendrils of the Imagination Rose writhe around the tall, potted flowers that had been placed around the arch and
along the walls, making the plants bloom perfectly.

When the two couples walked in, the long-eared relatives of March turned in their seat to gaze at them. Some whoops came from the men, some happy
giggles from the women...
And a small mob of children instantly swamped March and May, dragging them down.

"Uncle March! Uncle March!" they cried together, crowding around to hug March's legs.

March yelped as he tripped, turned it into a tackle that took down four of the older children. Laughing, he held them in his arms, shouting, "I got you! I got
you!'

They screamed joyfully and wriggled. The other children bounced about, some turning their interests to May, some continuing to call for March's attention.
Alice, enthralled by all the little bunnies and hares jumping around so close to her. Without thinking, she reached out, touched one of the small rabbits' ears.
The rabbit turned around, eyes widening, and then cheered, "Alice!"

She was instantly in the middle of a wiggling throng, the little children cheering:
"Uncle White told us about you!"
"Ooh! You're the Jabberwock's daughter! You don't look like a monster!"
"Dummy! She wouldn't be a monster! She was adopted!"

May shooed them away, "Leave dear Alice alone, kiddies! You can talk to her after the-"

"Imagine?"

Hatter flinched, glanced back to see Bander, peering in at them curiously from the doorway. Instantly, the little children shrieked, ran. "It's a monster! It's a
monster!"

Bandersnatch sniffled, "Monster...?"

Hatter sighed, "What are you doing here?"

"I got an invitation."

"What? I didn't invite you!"

"Oh... Well, who did then?"

March raised a hand, "Me."

"Oh, thank you, March." Bander stepped in, glanced at Alice, and then smiled, "Jabberwock is outside. He's stuck there until we can get him a blindfold."

March nodded, "I can get one." Breaking away from May, he disappeared out the door.

A few minutes passed, Bander angrily questioning Hatter on why he hadn't been invited by him. When March sprang back with a small strip of cloth, he
disappeared down the opposite hall. Alice heard quiet mutters.
Then, March, one of Jabberwock's claws on his shoulder, came back in. Jabberwock stumbled in after him, the blindfold across his eyes. He was dressed all in
black, darkness that was only illuminated by some sparse golden buttons and embroidery. "Alice? Alice?"

Alice stepped forward as she heard a collective gasp from the Rabbits and Hares behind her. Jabberwock's groping hands found her shoulder, travelled up to
her face, and then stroked her cheek. "I wish I could look at you, Alice... Promise that I will get to see you."

Alice hugged him. "Of course."

Bending to hug her, Jabberwock whispered, "There is no need to marry Hatter... Please think about it..."

"I want to marry him."

Hatter grew red in the face, "Are you trying to stop her marrying me, Jabberwock?"

"I'm just telling her that she has a choice." Jabberwock straightened, smirked in the wrong direction, and then held out a hand. "Come here, Hatter..."

Warily, Hatter stepped forward and touched his hand. "What?"

Jabberwock held his hand tight, slowly found his shoulders, and then growled, "If you ever hurt Alice, I will rip out your guts and eat them."

Hatter shoved him away, "Go sit down before you trip and fall on something."

"Was that a threat?" bristled Jabberwock.

"Say that it was. Go sit down."

Grabbing his brother's hand, Bandersnatch towed the sullen Jabberwock to a free wooden bench, forced him down, and then sat beside him. Alice heard
heavy thumping of boots at the door, turned to see stiff Shadowland soldiers standing at either side of the door, eyes casting about warily in search of danger.
The little children cautiously peered out from behind their affronted and apprehensive parents, staring at these two 'monsters' in their midsts. One of the
mothers leaned to her neighbor and whispered harshly, "They invited Jabberwock?"

Jabberwock's blindfolded face jerked up, his ears having caught the remark. Baring his teeth, he started to reach up for the cloth, "Who said that?"

Bandersnatch slapped his hand down, "No. I don't you to go into one of your Imagination furies in the middle of the wedding. Remember, we agreed on this?"

"...Yes..." Jabberwock slumped.

The children slowly snuck out, came closer. The guards at the door eyed them with grim snarls on their face before huffing and deciding they were no
concern.
A little snow-white Hare reached out cautiously, touched his knee. Jabberwock stiffened but did nothing.
Seeing that nothing had happened, the children squealed and pounced on him.

Sputtering, Jabberwock furiously ripped away his blindfold, glared down at the two bunnies that had found their way onto his lap, and then forced a grin while
the others crowded onto the bench on his other side. "Didn't you ever learn to ask?" His yellow eyes shifted to a sapphire blue.

The Rabbits and Hares, staring up at him, nodded in awe. One of the little ones on his lap poked at his golden buttons and asked, "Are you really a monster?"

Jabberwock lowered his face, peered into the young one's eyes, "I can show you afterwards." His claws reached up, traced through the fur on the rabbit's
black fur.

The adults were glaring at him, shivering in anxiety. They knew only the evil Jabberwock, the one who had killed so many during his terrible reign over
Wonderland. They did not know this kind one, nor did they trust him.
All for March. Marching up to the crowd of happy children around Jabberwock, he shooed his hands at them, "Come on! Come on! Orderly lines!"
Giggling, the children rearranged themselves on the bench next to Jabberwocky, shortest to tallest. The littlest, a small pinkish-white rabbit, stared timidly at
Jabberwock's lap, a finger in her mouth.
March bent down and laughed, "And what happened to you? You're pink!"

"Fredrick rubbed berry juice on me this morning..." said the rabbit distractedly, fidgeting at her fluffy white dress before looking up into Jabberwock's face and
asking, "May I sit on your lap...?"

Jabberwock's eyes, which had travelled up to lock on the Imagination Rose, flickered as he turned them to stare at the little child. He gazed at her curiously
before smiling softly, "If you must."

Instantly, the pink rabbit was curled up on his lap, clutching his hand in her small arms. Jabberwock stiffened before sighing, snuggling down, and petting the
rabbit on the head.
"Me next..." said the next littlest jealously.

Bander leaned over and whispered, "You're very popular..."

"I like this..." purred Jabberwock, his fingers ruffling the rabbit's fur.

Chesapeake and Lyona scurried in, hastily readjusting their dresses. "Sorry, we're late! You haven't been waiting for us, have you?" stuttered Chesapeake in a
panic, pulling up the neck line of her dress.

"No... Just sorting out seating arrangements." said Hatter sarcastically, pointing at Jabberwock and Bandersnatch.

"Oh... Well, she is his daughter. Jabberwock, you'll walk her down the aisle?"

Jabberwock straightened, eyes widening before nodding. Standing, he set the rabbit child down on the bench, came over, and then took Alice's arm before
pulling her from the room.
March clapped his hands, "Flower girls... Where are you?"

Two of the Hare children leapt up, scurried over with bright smiles on their faces.

The minute the doors opened again, Hatter paled to a pasty white-yellow, mouth mouthing words. Grabbing his arm, March shoved him, making him jerk back
to reality. Breath rasping as he took a deep breath, he walked into the room. March was at his side.

Slowly, Jabberwock pulled her close and smiled grimly, "Are you sure...?"

"Yes." Alice snuggled up against him.

Jabberwock stroked her hair softly, "You won't forget me...?"

"How could I?" Alice shoved him playfully.

"Really...?" His voice trembled with pent-up sobs.

Chesapeake, standing at the edge, motioned frantically at them, "Alice!"

Jabberwock glanced up, startled, before casting yellow, pleading eyes to her and whispering, "Are you sure? Are you really, really sure?"

"I am!" Alice said, pulling at his arm.

Tears began to trickle out of Jabberwock's eyes, his anguish becoming overly apparent. He rasped, "Please... Don't leave me."

Chesapeake grew indignant. "Come on!"

Alice gazed at Jabberwocky for a few moments before saying quietly, "I love him." She turned, began walking down the aisle.
Murmurs rose from the viewers, some turning in their seats to see Jabberwocky, staring after her, his face twisted up with bewilderment and loss. May, whom
Decemberist was to escort to March, quietly edged by him with her brother in hand, took Alice's hand, and let Decemberist lead them stiffly to the waiting
grooms.
Alice stepped away from them, took Hatter's hand. With that, Jabberwock began sobbing hysterically at the door. Sighing, Bandersnatch stood, went to the
doors, stepped out, shut them behind him, and then began, vainly, to try to comfort his brother.

Hatter drew her close. March did the same with May. With a clear, deep voice, the priest began: "
"We are gathered here to witness the exchanging of vows that will bind this couple together in the covenant relationship of marriage. When this ceremony has
ended they will leave this place as husband and wife for the very first time.
Who gives this daughter in marriage?" The Priest glanced around.

Flinching, Hatter jerked a thumb at the door, "He's outside."

The priest glared at him, "He needs to say-"

"He agrees."

Turning his eyes to March, he asked, "And you, March?"

Decemberist stepped forward, "I agree. Our Father passed away last year and left me as my brother's guardian."

The priest sighed, "Fine... Let's see... where were we? Oh yes." He cleared his throat, continued: "The institution of marriage is not a casual one. Since we live
in an age where so many people have little or no respect for marriage, we need to constantly reassert that true love in marriage is pure and sacred, not to be
scorned. And, according to the laws of this State, there are things necessary to constitute a marriage. A ring...?" The priest glanced at Hatter.

Hatter dug the chain out from under his suit, held it up, and smiled nervously, "Have it."

Transferring his gaze to March, the priest waited as March fumbled through his pockets to finally pull out a neatly folded handkerchief. He unfolded it,
produced the ring. "Here it is."

The priest nodded, coughed, and then tried to find his place before sighing. "Is it okay if I marry one couple first and then the other?"

"That's fine." chorused Hatter and March. Blinking, they glanced at each other before smiling.

"Thank you. Now, Hatter and Alice, marriage is far more than a ring of gold. It involves a new relationship between you both and brings many new
responsibilities... Hatter... Krank Bandersnatch?" the Priest tried, unsure of the name.

Hatter sniffed, glanced behind them, and then muttered, "Bandersnatch will be fine. I gave myself the other name a long time ago..."

"Fine. Hatter Bandersnatch, when you leave this building, you will be the head of a new home, you will be the provider forAlice and her protector. You must
not only give your first loyalty to her, but also give her honor. Though you will be the head of the house, you would be foolish not to seek her council."

Suddenly ashamed, the Priest stared at Alice, blinked, and then asked softly, "What is your last name, Alice?"

"Liddell."

The Priest sighed in relief, "Alice Liddell, when you leave here today, you will be the wife of this young man. You must be in submission to him and be his
comforter throughout life. You must comfort him "

Alice nodded, staring at the Priest. When would the 'I do's come?

"Hatter, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife? Will you love, honor, cherish and keep her as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes."

"Alice, will you take this man to be your wedded husband? Will you love, honor and obey him as long as you live?" The priest's kind, gray eyes watched her.

Alice nodded quickly, "Of course!"

The Priest snapped his book shut, tucked it under his arm, and then motioned to Hatter. "Hatter, the ring? Please place it upon her hand."

Hatter offered a hand to Alice. Placing her small fingers next to his, she watched with a sense of thrill as he slid the golden ring onto her fourth finger.

"The ring has long been the emblem of eternity symbolizing the endurance of the sacred covenant made this day. Hatter, will you please repeat after me? I,
Hatter, take Alice to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till in
death we part, and with this ring, I thee wed, and pledge my faithfulness."

Hatter repeated.
The priest turned to Alice. "Now, Alice, it is your turn. Please repeat. I, Alice, take Hatter to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward,
for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till in death we part, and with this ring, I thee wed, and pledge my faithfulness."

Alice rattled it off, relishing the words as they slipped off her tongue. What power in such words! Words that would marry them!

"Forasmuch as you two have consented together to be married, and have publicly declared it before these witnesses by the giving of a ring, now by the power
vested in me by this State, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife." The Priest put a hand on both of their shoulders, nodded, and then said the words
that sent shivers of excitement through both Hatter and Alice: "You may now kiss your bride."

Hatter had Alice instantly in his arms, his lips pressed against hers, his hands at her side with a gentle but firm hold. Startled at the sudden, intense kiss, Alice
recovered quickly, threw her arms around him and pressed her own kiss against Hatter's, made it all the more powerful.

"I now present unto you Mr. and Mrs. Bandersnatch." announced the Priest, bowing his head.

After March's and May's ceremony, the Priest upped and left, leaving the four newlyweds and their invitees to celebrate.
They left the Imagination Rose room, paraded down the halls with loud cheers, hollers, and, every once in a while, a lewd cat-call. Reaching the grand hall of
the castle, they entered to find long tables, draped in white table cloths, brimming with food. The Hares and Rabbits leapt upon it.

Jabberwock was sitting gloomily in the corner, glaring at the floor. Unlike the others, some of the Rabbit and Hare children were trying to cheer him up.
Nestling into his lap, the little pink rabbit smiled and said shyly, "Please, Mr. Monster...? Will you please be happy?"

Jabberwock shuddered, covered his face as hot tears began dripping from his eyes again.

The rabbit raised her furry paws and, tugging at Jabberwock's claws, peeked underneath, "Peekaboo..."

Jabberwock turned his eyes away, saw Alice, and turned all the more miserable. Slumping back into his chair, he stared at her like a man who had lost
everything but his most precious possession, had taken care of that possession, loved it, kept it safe, only to have it stole right from between his hands. In a
way, that was what had happend.
Alice came over, hugged him, "Are you okay?"

"Alice... How could you do this to me...?" Jabberwock pulled her down onto his lap next to the pink rabbit and sobbed into her dress.

"I love Hatter. We got married. Don't worry, I still love you." she said cheerfully, embraced him again.

"But you love him more!" wailed Jabberwocky, his sobbing growing more and more wretched and lonely. "You love him and you're going to leave me! I'll never
see you again! He'll hide you away and I'll die without you! That's why he's done it! That's why! Alice, you're breaking my heart!" His fingers clawed into her
side, pulling her closer.

The rabbit stared up at him before glaring at Alice fiercly, "You hurt Mr. Monster!"

Startled by both of their sudden outbursts, Alice faltered, "Well... I had to get married... and-"

Jabberwock cried, "You could have been married in the Shadowlands! I could have arranged that! You could have married him there and I could see you every
day and... And... You married him here! I can't be here every day! I can't even come here often!"

"I don't think Hatter would have liked that."

"Then I could have married you to someone else!" sniffled Jabberwocky, his eyes the yellow, blurry mirror of ultimate grief. "And now... He's going to take you
from me..."

Hatter strolled up, glanced over them, "Hello... Jabberwock. What are you still crying about?"

Jabberwock stiffened, stared up at him, and then bared his teeth in fury. Standing, dumping Alice and the rabbit child from his lap, he shuddered as he spat,
"You git! How dare you play with my love? You steal her from me and then rub it into my face!" His claws were flexing at his side, sharp and deadly if they
needed to be.

Hatter eyed him warily, "I wasn't rubbing it into your face. I was just asking. I thought that... since you're my father-in-law now, I should at least ask."

Jabberwock grated, "You disgust me! Why would I ever want a son-in-law like you? If I had had a choice, I would be back in the Shadowlands with Alice and
you would be rotting down in the dungeon!"

"My feelings for you are no different."

All of the sudden, Hatter was wiping spit from his face in disbelief as Jabberwock leered, "Do not even compare yourself to me! You think you deserve Alice?
You deserve nothing but death! You should be killed by your own countrymen as it should have been when they judged you. You know why they let you live?
'Cause that one last battle. You betrayed me, that's why they let you live. You are a rotten thief, a no-good traitor who can't stick with what stupid little things
he has with him and goes after what honorable people have. You steal lives, Hatter. Think of what Alice could do with hers if she wasn't married to some to an
arse like you!"

Hatter's face twitched into a snarl. "What would she be, Jabberwock? A little princess to you? You would cage her up and never let her go!"

"Better that than letting her free to die!" Jabberwock slapped Hatter across the face.

Eyes had been drawn to the arguement. The second the slap was delivered, silence reigned throughout the room, all eyes rooted on Hatter, who was staring,
dazed, at Alice. Slowly, as he recovered, he turned his flickering eyes back to Jabberwock and bared his teeth. "How dare-"

Next second, March had one of his arms, Bander clasped the other as Hatter fell into a black madness. He yowled, trying to reach Jabberwocky, who regarded
with a cold, hate-filled glare.
Decemberist hurried up, reached down, grabbed Hatter's legs, and held them as Hatter thrashed about, fully subdued with no hopes of escape. Dragging him
back, the two Hares and Bander tried to calm him, to no avail. Spitting like an enraged cat, he snarled in Jabberwock's direction.

Chesapeake and Lyona sighed together. Standing from her chair, Lyona motioned to them. "We can lock him into a room. Come." She stalked out the door.

The three dragged him from the room.

The Hares and Rabbits took Alice under their wing till that night, treating her like part of the family until, one by one, they began to leave. Jabberwock never
left from her side, his eyes glittering like fire, full of hatred and scorn. His mind was grinding furiously around this dilemma, trying to find a way that he could
save Alice from Hatter.
The simplest solution: kill Hatter. But how?

While Jabberwock was brooding over his predicament, Alice played with the little rabbits and hares. Finally, the little pink rabbit worked up her courage again
and, tugging at the Jabberwock's pant leg, asked shyly, "Could you play with us?"

Jabberwock's eyes slowly transferred down at them before he smiled morosely, "I am a bit hungry... Let's go back to the Rose room, okay?"

Alice shot a questioning glance at him, her fingers fidgeting at the band around her finger. "You're going to eat some of the Imagination Rose?"

"I plan to, yes. It'll make me feel better, not to mention fill my stomach and amuse the little bunnies." Reaching down, Jabberwock flicked at the pink rabbit's
ears.

The child giggled happily and, grabbing his hand, hugged it to her chest, "Carry me!"

With no effort, Jabberwock raised his arm, the little girl dangling from his arm. "Fine. I'm carrying. Now let's go."

Jabberwock shed all the little children who had hitched a ride on his back, his arms, and his legs once they had reached the Imagination Rose room. The little
children bounced about, excited. "Mr. Monster! Mr. Monster!"

Jabberwock herded them away from the door. "You really want to see a monster?"

"Yes, yes!"

Alice gazed at Jabberwock as he shed his decorative jacket. "You're going to change?"

"Yes." said Jabberwock huskily, staring at the Imagination Rose in hunger.

Alice strolled over to the children, pushed them back more, "More room. More room." She didn't want any of them to get inadvertently squished.

Jabberwock's form shuddered, his smile pointed and bright, before the black dragon reared in his place, snapping his jaws up in the air. Instantly, the little
children screamed in mock horror, turned, and tripped over each other as they began to ran. Some ended up on the ground in piles, giggling, while others
raced about. "Monster! Monster! Chase! Chase! Chase!"

Jabberwocky's teeth twitched up in a smile. Clacking his teeth together, he bent his head, snuffed out a breath at the children. Gently, his black tongue slid
out, he wrapped around and drew up the little pink rabbit, then turned to place her on his back. She giggled and bounced up and down, "Monster!"
The children flocked around his paws, each desperate for a ride. Huffing, Jabberwock carefully laid down, relaxed as the children scampered up his sides and
jumped all over him.
Alice watched before straying forward and smiling, "I thought you were going to eat. Seems you're too busy amusing the children."

Jabberwock's stomach grumbled. Raising his head, he snapped at the air before pulling himself by his claws, his scales scraping shrilly against the ground.
The children shrieked in joy, enjoying the ride, however slow it was. Reaching the Imagination Rose, he snapped down a branch before pulling it into his
mouth and gnawing at it, eyes closing in satisfaction.

The children, becoming bored after a few seconds of not moving, slid down his back, and then proceeded to use his side as a slide, cheering each other on,
trying to slide down as fast as they could. The little pink rabbit crawled slowly up his neck, using scales as handholds, and then found herself in the crown of
spines that was situated at the back of his skull. She clambered over it after a few tries and sat atop his head, using the spikes as handholds to keep her from
slipping off. She drummed her feet against the top of his head, laughing, "Mr. Monster! You're fun!"

Jabberwock paused, eyes rolling up, and then tilted his head back. His tongue snaked out. Trailing up, it tugged her off. Curling around, he deposited her on
the ground before shaking the children off, staggering up, and rearing back on his hind legs. He set his forepaws on the trunk, which cracked threatingly, and
clamped his teeth onto the main branch. His eyes widened before rolling back in unmatched satisfaction. Rumbling out his throat, a loud growl made all the
children laugh and scurry about him.

"Chase! Chase! Chase us!"

Releasing the Rose, Jabberwock let himself drop down, belched, and then spun around. The rabbit on his head yelled in joy, laughing gayly. Playfully, the
dragon chased some of the Rabbit children and Hare children, bowling them over with his paw.
Alice smiled before freezing when Jabberwock locked his eyes on her and grinned, his sharp teeth bared.
She backed away, "No, no, no..."

Jabberwock pounced on her. Grabbing her up in his mouth, he laid down, transferred her to his claws, and then began to drag his tongue across her.
The children quieted, watching in interest.

Alice thrashed vainly, "Ah! No licking! No licking!"

Jabberwock huffed, stopped, clasped her to his scaly chest. Curling his neck down and his tail around, he positioned himself around her, completely
encompassing her with walls of flesh and scales.
Alice glared at the wall before sighing.
Jabberwock eyed her, his yellow firey eyes regarding her with longing eyes. How could she leave him for Hatter? Hatter was insane and horrible... Why did she
love him?
Slowly, his tongue snaked out, flicked at her as he moaned sadly.

Alice touched his nose, caressed it softly, "Don't be sad..."

The children scurried up his side, slid down the opposite side, and crowded around Alice. Affronted, Jabberwock drew back, his eyes narrowing.
"Alice! Alice! You're so lucky to have Mr. Monster as your daddy!"

Alice smiled, "Yes, he's nice, isn't he? He's a wonderful father!" She turned her grin up to Jabberwock.

Jabberwock's scales flared, his eyes widening before he crooned and nuzzled her with his nose. His scales shuddered in their flared position as the children
poked at them in curiousity.

March's voice came from over the wall. "Jabberwock? Are Alice and the little kiddies in there?"

Jabberwock peered over his shoulder, blinked, and then drew himself up. Sniffling, he paced back to the Rose and began draining some as March was tackled
by the mob of children.

Hatter's insanity left him about two hours later, and he came right away to find Alice. The instant he saw her, he pounced on her, hugging her tightly, "Alice!
I'm sorry!"

Jabberwocky glared at him, his dark scales rigid and flaring. His nostrils flared, his teeth bared, he turned and snarled. He had no incentive to act nice and
gentle now, since the children had gone away.

Hatter pulled at Alice's hand, eyes locking on Jabberwock. "Please... can we leave? I don't want to get in another fight..."

Nodding, March smiled, "Yes, it's late." He whirled on his heel, paraded to the door, "Time to go make babies!"

Startled, Hatter snapped, "Don't announce it!"

Jabberwock hissed angrily, started towards Hatter and Alice.
The Bandersnatch appeared at the door, surrounded by soldiers. "Jabberwock, let them be."

Snarling, Jabberwock continued to come closer. Bander sighed, motioned with his hand.
The soldiers trooped forward, placed themselves between the couple and the angry father. Jabberwocky tried to step around them, but the soldiers blocked
him. A dull whine emitted from Jabberwock, his eyes narrowing and his paws fidgeting as he gazed at Alice pleadingly.

Alice waved at him, turned, and left with Hatter.

Moaning, Jabberwock slumped to the floor, shivering as he stared after them. Once again, she turned her back on him, leaving him for Hatter...
His mind roiled in hate.

Chapter 34: Take Me

Zero, ecstatic to be let out of the locked room, bowled Hatter over the moment he was out. Sitting on Hatter' chest, he proceeded to attack the buttons.
Sighing, Hatter pushed him away, "No. This is my suit. I'm keeping it. No chewing on this okay?"

Alice giggled, but her laugh changed to a small shriek when Zero went after her dress. Shooing him off, she made sure her dress was still all there before
kneeling and hugging Zero, "I want to keep this dress."

Hatter nodded absently, "Same for my... suit. What time is it?" He glanced about before sighing, "I'll go find a clock..." Turning, he strolled down the hall,
fidgeting with his gloves. His whole body shivered with left over excitement and joy. There was new vigor there in him now that he was married; Alice would
always be there for him and he for her. His love, satisfied, was shifting all other feelings out of the way, pushing a place in his soul and mind that would be
reserved just for Alice.

Alice smiled and stole into her room, Zero following her happily. Sniffing at her shoes once she had cast them off, Zero pushed his snout into them as Alice
flopped onto the bed, exhilierated. "Oh, Zero... I wish you could have been there, but you would have probably chewed on the Rabbits... Hatter's going to be
here a lot more now... I'm so happy!" She took her pillow, squealed into it.

At the shrill sound, Zero glanced up, the shoe stuck on his muzzle. Shaking his head, he sneezed it off before running to the bed, leaping up onto her
stomach, and wriggling as she petted him. She laughed, "You're happy, aren't you?"

Hatter appeared at the door, a miniature grandfather clock, as tall as Alice's knee, in his hands. Lugging it in, he set it down, smiled, "Twenty to midnight...
The wedding took up the whole day, didn't it?"

Bobbing her head up and down, Alice agreed, "It didn't seem that long..."

Zero leapt off of her stomach, stumbled over to the clock, and sniffed at it in interest. His eyes glowed with a sudden bright light. Nipping at the small tab, he
yanked open the face of the clock, thrust his muzzle against the hands, and then began to wind them backwards.
Hatter winced as the hands began to whir backwards by themselves and Pendulum's voice came through, cheerful, "Oh! Hatter and Alice! Have you been
taking care of my child?" Dark threads slipped out of depths of the clock, wormed their way out, and then stroked Zero's head.

Alice stared, "What the-"

Hatter groaned, hit his cast against his forehead, then frowned, "You haven't met Pendulum, have you? Pendulum, Alice. Alice, Pendulum."

"I've met her... but she was asleep."

Surprised, Alice blinked. "Huh?"

"In the Shadowlands. I lay with you and Jabberwock for a few minutes. You were both so warm..." With a moan, Pendulum jerked his arms out of the clock,
grabbed the rug, and used it to drag the upper half of his body out. Glancing back, he sighed, "Couldn't you have gotten a bigger clock? I'm processing some
meat right now and I can't go through tight places."

"Your own fault." sniffed Hatter.

Pendulum smiled as he took Zero into his arms. "Well... I have the need to eat... And so do my little ones..." Stroking a hand down Zero's back, he grinned
softly. "Let's see... What have you gotten into your gears?" He worked his hand down into the depths of Zero, who stiffened, and then drew out a few small
twigs. Throwing them to the floor, he turned Zero over, regarded the gears that chugged slowly to make up his abdomen. "Hm... Leaves?" He worked a small
leaf out of the gears and watched it float to the floor.

Zero jumped up, wiggling in excitement. Opening his mouth, he whined.

Pendulum's eyes softened, "You're hungry... Of course." He brought his hand up to Zero's mouth, the fingers growing long. Holding his mouth wide open, he
brought his other hand, pushed the palm against Zero's mouth, and then forced some half-digested meat down his throat. Zero jerked before ripping away
from him and coughing.
Hatter's face grew pale, "Uh... That'd so... disgusting."

Alice could only stare.

Dragging the rest of himself through the clock, Pendulum stumbled up before brushing his shoulders off and turning his silver eyes to Alice. "I don't think so...
You are Alice. Did you already have the wedding or am I jumping too far ahead?"

"We got married today..." muttered Alice, staring up at the silver eyes and the jagged teeth.

Pendulum turned to Hatter, held out a hand, "Congratulations."

Hatter didn't take it. Sighing, Pendulum pulled his hand back, glanced down at Zero, "So... Has Alice taken good care of you?"
Bringing a paw up to his nose, Zero sneezed before butting his father's shin with his head.
"Oh... She has? That's very nice of her. And what about Hatter?"
This time, a little whine before a cough.
Turning to Hatter, Pendulum asked, "Where is your hat?"

Hatter immediately clapped his hands over his black hair, "My room, but the little monster can't have it."

"He says he wants it."

"It's mine. If he wants one so bad, you buy him one."

Pendulum sighed, glanced back at Zero, "Hatter doesn't like you touching his hat. Just stick to his clothes, alright?"
Zero reared up on his hindpaws, placed paws on his father's waist, and then whimpered.
Instantly, Pendulum's eyes brightened. He cooed, "Oh, really? That is nice of you. Alice, Zero says that you are his mother."

Alice blushed, "Well... I guess so."

"He also says that you will be soon a grandmother."

Hatter and Alice, startled, asked together, "What?"

Smirking, Pendulum teased, "You'll just have to find out on your own if you don't already know!"

Hatter glared at him, "You're a git, you know that?"

"As are you, Hatter." The smirk feel from Pendulum's face. Turning, he gazed at the clock before sighing softly, "There's need of me back in Time's domain...
We will talk later." With that, he slipped back through the clock without a sound.

Zero stared at it before nudging the hands back into place and closing the clock face with a good push of his muzzle. Alice continued to stare at the clock
before glancing at Hatter and asking, "What was that all about? What did he mean 'grandmother'... and how can he fit through something so... so small?"

Hatter sighed, bent down, and scratched Zero's head. "My only guess is that Zero got out during that mating spree of his and you didn't save one of the cats
or dogs or whatever. Thinking about it, I can only shiver. Imagine, a little fur and metal monstrosity!"

Zero attacked the button on the cuff of his sleeve. Relaxing slightly, Alice asked, "And... what exactly is he?"

"What? A manifestation of Time. A veritable monster. He might seem refined and polite now, but, once he has a reason to kill you, he'll devour you and give
your bones to his children." He pointed at Zero. "Zero's a thousand times better than the other little creatures. He's like an angel compared to all of them."

Alice giggled before holding out her hands, "Zero! Come here!" Zero bounded to her, jumped up on the bed, and then snuggled into her lap, purring. Smiling,
Alice motioned to Hatter, "Come here!"

Hatter strayed over, shedding his decorative jacket. Balling it into a small ball, he threw it onto the bed before sitting next to her and, putting his arms around
her, cooing, "So... A question: Since you already have a..." He glanced at Zero before grinning, "-a child, albeit how metallic he is, do you want another?" He
kissed her cheek.
Slow on the uptaking, Alice thought for about two minutes, pondering this, and then nodded.

Hatter smiled softly, kissed her lightly on the cheeks. "I just wanted to ask first... Just to make sure I don't make you uncomfortable."

Alice hugged him happily, "We're married. Nothing you could do would make me uncomfortable. Unless, of course, you're mad and trying to eat someone."
Flinching, Hatter whispered as he pulled her close, "Please don't joke about that."

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you." Alice pecked him on the cheek, her eyes twinkling in joy.

Zero watched curiously as Hatter quickly caught her face and turned the quick kiss to a long, drawn out one, slowly pulling Alice closer and closer. Finally,
Zero sighed as he became bored, shoved his nose into the sheets, and closed his eyes.

The next morning passed Hatter and Alice on by, finally coming back as midday to wake them up.
Groaning, Hatter sat up, scratching at his bare chest, feeling Alice beside him. He smiled before leaning over her, kissing her cheek lightly, and whispering,
"Wake up, Alice..."

Alice curled up, "Urmph... Go away... I'm tired..."

Hatter chuckled before saying, "Do you want me to go get March and have him come chase you out of bed. It might be embarrassing seeing that you have no
clothes on..." He kissed her shoulder, traced the contours of her shoulder blades and collar bone, and then shook her gently. "Please, Alice?"

Grumpily coming awake, Alice sat up, rubbed at her eyes furiously, "Fine, fine... I'm awake! I'm just tired, okay?"

Hatter smiled, kissed her again, and then stood. Making his way over to the neat pile of his clothes, he chased through it till he found his underwear. He pulled
it on, sighed, "I have to wear this again... I forgot another pair of clothes last night. It's still in my room..." He began to shoulder on his shirt.

Alice glared at him, tired and longing for more sleep. "Then go find some more. Wake me up when you get back." Pulling up the covers over herself, she
snuggled back down into the mattress.

"Alice..." Hatter came over as he pulled up his pants, "Please... We can go have a special breakfast together and celebrate our first night together as a
married couple..."

As he walked past the dust skirt that hung down from the bed, Hatter yelped and leapt back as Zero snapped out at his pantleg, coughed in disappointment
when he missed, and then disappeared under the bed again. Alice sat back up, a grimace on her face, "Fine... If there's breakfast, then fine." She yawned,
staggered out of bed, and then wandered over to her wardrobe. Opening it up, she reached blindly inside, her eyes heavy with sleep, and then began to put it
on without much care.

Laughing, Hatter went over, helped her pull it up the right way, tied the laces. "I'm not tired. How come you are?"

"Umph..." Alice leaned against his chest. Closing her eyes, she tried to fall asleep right there.

Hatter gently shook her awake, "Come on... Breakfast will wake you up."

Apparently, March and Hatter had secretly planned this breakfast together, both stealing May and Alice away into the town to have breakfast at a fancy
restaurant. Happy to say, Alice found a comrade for her grumpiness when March appeared grouchy and tired, while May bounced up and down in happy vigor.
She kept mumbling, "Two months, two months, two months."

Hatter commanded the arrangement, his normal taut attitude gone and replaced by a gracious one. He led them to a table, sat them all, and then took a seat
by Alice.

"Two months. Two months, Marchie!"

March rolled his eyes, groaned, and then put his forehead against the table, "That's great, May... Just let me sleep now."

Alice imitated him, cradling her head in her arms that crossed on the table. Hatter asked pleasantly, "What's in two months, May?"

Startled, May stared at him as if he was a total moron before sniffing, "Till I have my babies."

Alice sighed, glared up, and muttered, "It's nine months..."

"For you, maybe, but not for Hares... Isn't that right, Marchie?" She shoulder March.

"Anything you say, dear..." mumbled March in exhaustion. "Except, tonight, I'm sleeping on the floor 'cause you don't shut up. Talk, talk, talk... Just like when
we were kids..." He groaned.

The return to the castle was a welcome one to Alice. For one thing, Zero had caught a butterfly that had flown into the halls and presented it, still fluttering, to
her. She let it go, of course. On the other hand, she found her warm bed, laying in wait for her. Crawling underneath the covers, she dozed off.
About an hour later, the door creaked open, and Jabberwock peered in with slitted eyes. Seeing Alice, he crept in, closed the door behind him, and then sat on
the bed. Zero jerked up to gaze at him. Recognizing him, he stood, went to him, and nosed his stomach softly, whining for a caress.
Jabberwock ignored him, laid down beside Alice, and then started to shudder with sobs. He had been planning to come and kill Hatter the night before, but
Bander had stopped him before he could realize it as a truth. He swore to do it that night, end it, steal Alice back...

But not by horseback. Through the clocks.

Standing, he staggered over the clock, fiddled with the hands. After a few minutes of waiting impatiently, Jabberwock slumped with relief as a grinding voice
came through the clock. "Who speaks, Shadowlander?"

"Jabberwock."

"I am Clockwork. What is your business?"

"I want to arrange safe passage through the clocks tonight."

"... That is Pendulum's time. I'm sorry, but I cannot make plans during his shift."

"Could you ask him?"

"Yes. Wait." The clock slowly returned to normal as Clockwork left it.

After a few moments, the clock ground to a halt before its hands vaulted backwards. Clockwork sighed, "He will not let his children attack, nor will he attack
unless provoked. Do not test him. He's unnaturally ornery today."

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you very much..." Jabberwock shut the clock face's cover, sighed dejectedly. Now... all there was to kill Hatter and steal Alice
through the clock and back to the Shadowlands...
Returning to the bed, he softly traced a hand over Alice's side, eyes gentle and loving. His mind slowed to a dejected groaning pace, all of his thoughts
centered on his daughter and her rash decision.
Why had she done it? Was it because she really loved Hatter? It that was so, why? She could have so much more. She could have a prince, a future king, a
baron or duke at least... Why a little maggot like Hatter?

Zero came over to him, nosed into his jacket pocket. Withdrawing some crumpled tissue, he tore them up to little pieces before reaching in again and
grabbing a stale cookie one of the children had put in there the day before. He devoured it messily, covering the blanket with crumbs.
Jabberwock watched him before whispering, "I'm going to go now... and come back tonight. Don't bark please... Okay?"

Zero snuffled at his pocket, searching for more.

"I'll bring you more cookies if you don't bark... Tonight though." rasped Jabberwock. He had an unnerving feeling that this creature was smarter than it
appeared.

Zero's eyes found his face before he nipped at his hand, smiled, and sneezed.

Jabberwock sighed, taking it as a yes, and, standing, walked to the door slowly. He took one glance back, swallowed a ball of reluctance, and left.

When Hatter came back, it was late evening. Waking Alice up gently, he led her, still sleepy, to the kitchens. Alice ordered a small bowl of beef barley soup
while Hatter picked out some bread and some apricot jelly, slapped it all together, and ate his little sandwich. Now, as he glared at his empty, crumb-covered
plate, stomach rumbling, Alice sighed, exhausted, and pushed her soup to him. "Here. You can have this."

Hatter gazed at her, "Are you sure? You haven't eaten anything from this morning."

"Zero hasn't eaten anything since yesterday. Feed him." Alice groaned, put her head on the table.

"Why are you still tired?" sighed Hatter, standing. Stepping over to one of the cookmaids, he quickly rattled off that he wanted a small, plucked chicken.
Without a word, the cookmaid found one for him, shooed him out of the hustle and bustle area.
Dangling it over Zero, watching the creature's eyes grow wide and wanting, he asked, "Are you coming down with a cold? Or is it just exhaustion?"

"Exhaustion."

"Oh... I won't wake you up tonight, I promise."

Zero leapt up, snapped his teeth around the chicken's legs, and then tugged at it. Hatter refused to release his hold, so a little tug-of-war began. Zero, close
to the ground, eyes glinting while Hatter easily held the chicken and dragged him forward.
"Just let him have it." mumbled Alice.

Hatter let go, and Zero began to ravenously tear the chicken apart. Gazing at her for a moment, Hatter reached over and put a hand on her shoulders, "If I
really bother you, you don't have to lie."

"Bother? You're not bothering me! I'm just tired!"

"Are you sure?" Hatter's eyes were serious and caring. Even if it meant finding out that he bugged the creeps out of his wife, he would want to know so he
could try to improve.

"Yes, I'm sure... I just want to sleep." Alice muttered.

Stepping to her side, Hatter tugged her up gently and whispered, "Then I'll take you to bed. I'm a bit tired to. We'll go to bed early, alright?"

Alice yawned, "That'd be nice..."

Hatter nodded, kissed her on the cheek, "If it makes you happier tomorrow, then anything."

Alice and Hatter lay sleeping in their bed, Hatter sprawled out all over the place, snoring loudly; Alice curled up in a ball and smiling in her dreams. Zero was
chewing at the bedskirt, growling playfully as he amused himself, when he heard footsteps stop outside of the door. Blinking, he turned towards the door,
sniffed, and then neared it.
The door creaked open, Jabberwock peered in.

Instantly, Zero was up against his leg, whining softly.

"Yes, yes... Good dog..." Jabberwock shifted the axe from his left hand to his right, squatted, and patted Zero on the head. After, he reached into his pocket,
drew out two small sugar cookies, dropped them on the ground before Zero, who immediately jumped on them happily.

Jabberwocky drew close to the bed, the footsteps of his bare feet dulled by the carpet. The claws around the shaft of the axe tightened. Slowly, Jabberwock's
grim smile grew into a silent snarl.
There was Hatter, dormant, his for the taking. One quick blow would be all that was needed to seperate the maggot's head from his shoulders, or a heavy
slam into the chest would decimate his organs, his lungs, his heart, make him die instantly. The idea of killing Hatter filled his innards with a warm, fuzzy
feeling, but also a sense of guilt. He had contemplated the effect that the first 'killing' of Hatter had upon Alice, how she had sulked, how she had mourned
him. What would the real murder do to her mind, now that she was married to him?
Jabberwock's claws gripped the wood, and he raised the axe over his head, his eyes glittering in self-assured victory. However, a small, wriggling feeling of
hesitation paused his hand. Alice could come quietly; why kill Hatter? Why? To complete his own revenge? If he left him alive, there would always be the
chance that he would come back and steal her away. He could prevent that... as he could not prevent Alice dying emotionally if he killed Hatter.

His arms started to ache as his mind fought against itself. Finally, Jabberwocky let his hands drop with a sigh. Rounding the bed, he reached down, took Alice
by the arm, and dragged her out of bed.

Grumbling, Alice slumped to the floor, curled up on the rug, "Hatter... No..."

Hatter coughed, moaned in his sleep, and turned in his sleep, taking Alice's place on the bed.

Jabberwock knelt, put his free arm around Alice, and cradled her against him as he stood. She snuggled against his chest, seeking the warmth. "Mm..."

Silently, Jabberwock went to the clock, noticing that Zero was following him with eager eyes. Setting Alice down, he quickly adjusted the clock, turned
halfway, and threw Zero another thin sugar cookie. Zero pounced upon it, crunched it down, and then went to the sleeping Alice's side and sniffled at her.
Turning his eyes to Jabberwock, he smelled him, nose snuffling, and then stuck his head in his pocket, pulled out the remaining three cookies, and began to
eat them.
The clock's hand sped backwards at full speed, signalling that it was now time to go through. Taking Alice, Jabberwock slowly and carefully pushed her
through, casting frantic glances back at Hatter.

The man smirked in a dream, muttered, "Alice... kiss..." He pushed the covers off the bed with a sudden jerk. Rolling onto his stomach, Hatter reached over
the edge of the bed, groping blindly for the covers, still three-quarters asleep and a quarter awake.
Jabberwock turned his back to the clock, backed up into it, and then laid flat at his stomach and began to crawl through backwards. What a small clock! Totally
unsuitable for recieving anyone bigger than Alice, who was just the right size!
Still in his hand was the axe.

Zero brushed his muzzle free of crumbs, hiccupped, and then licked Jabberwock's face in a friendly manner. Jabberwock smiled softly, "Thank you for being
quiet... but I have no more cookies. You've been a great help though."
Zero snuffled at his coat, sighed, and then, jumping on his back, squirmed through the minute space between the top of the clock and Jabberwock's back,
disappeared into Time's domain.

Jabberwock was about to chuckle darkly when a loud -THUMP!- broke the silence. He stared in indignant horror as Hatter jerked up from the floor, clasping his
hands over his nose as he swore violently. "Bliddy heck!" Stumbling up, he clamped his nostrils shut, stopping the small flow of blood, and then glanced at the
bed, seeing if Alice was still asleep.
Alice wasn't there.

Bewildered, Hatter froze. Behind him, Jabberwock scrambled frantically to force the rest of himself through the clock before he could see. He didn't want a
fight. He just wanted Alice.
Hatter turned just as Jabberwock disappeared into the clock, seeing only a fleeting image of Jabberwock, but that was enough. A shadow of fury crossed his
face.

Inside the clock, Jabberwock grabbed up Alice, who was blinking awake blearily, "Hurry, Alice!"

Alice gazed up at him, lazy with weariness, "Huh...?"

"We're going home!" snarled Jabberwock.

Alice's eyes went suddenly from sleepy and closed to wide and awake. Staring at Jabberwocky as he dragged her, she said stupidly, "But... I want to stay."

All the resentment that Jabberwock had been housing inside him broke out. Whirling to her, he hissed, "I will not let you marry that maggot when you can be
so much better! You can marry a prince, Alice! I only want the best for you, and the best for you is also what I want! You are coming with me!"

Zero sniffed around Jabberwock's heels before glancing up, stiffening when he saw another, larger Clockwork creature peering down at them hungrily from a
cranny in the wall. He bristled before stealing up to Alice, low to the ground, and finding refuge under the umbrella of her nightgown.

Alice grew angry, "I've already married him! We're going to have a child!"

The claws around her arm grew tighter, as they did around the axe. Eyes glittering in hatred, Jabberwock spat, "You have already pleasured him? Well, then,
we'll just have to get rid of the child when the thing comes! Come on!"

Hatter's voice called out furiously from behind him, "Jabberwock!"

The Clockwork beasts, who had been gathering above to watch the their brother and the two intruders walk through their land, jerked around to latch eyes on
Hatter's figure. In his hands, a dagger. On his face, a mask of fury, along with a bloody nose. Instantly, their mouths dripped drool, remembering this new
man.

Jabberwock glanced behind, saw that there was no way that he would be able to outrun Hatter with Alice's resistance slowing him down. Shoving Alice
forward, he placed himself between her and Hatter, the axe in his hands, ready to be used and to kill. "Stay away! I'm taking Alice back and I will kill you if
you try to even touch her!"

Hatter stopped, shivering in both the cold that rose from the gears and metal parts of the clocks and harsh fury. His fist gripping the handle of his dagger, he
demanded angrily, "Give Alice back."

"No!"

As Zero shivered between her legs, Alice ordered, "Both of you, put your weapons down! Jabberwock, I'm going with Hatter!"

Jabberwock, without warning, whipped a hand back, backhanded her. She slipped backwards, fell to her back, and then stared, dazed, her left cheek smarting
as he snarled, "Do not talk back to me, Alice! I am your father! I decide what you do and how! You will never speak back to me again!"

Dull clapping came. Jerking to stare at Pendulum as he strode out of a clock, Jabberwock bared his teeth and hissed while Hatter began shivering in terror.
Calmly, Pendulum latched his eyes on Hatter and motioned with a hand, "I remember warning you about coming into Time, Hatter."

"Pendulum..." Hatter rasped.

"But I see... that you two are about to have a fight?" Pendulum glanced between the two.

Jabberwocky nodded furiously. Hatter imitated his action, only nervously.

"I will take the loser..." cooed Pendulum, melting back into the clocks.
Jabberwock and Hatter stared at the clocks for a few moments before Hatter gulped, "I'm not going to be that loser."

Jabberwock threw the axe down, "Are you so sure?" His shoulders hunched, his eyes glittering in rage.
The next second, sharp teeth clipped in the air as black claws scratched against the ground. Narrowing his eyes, the Jabberwock spat at Hatter, his tongue
flicking out.

Alice stomped her foot down, "No! No fighting! Stop it!"

Jabberwock leapt for Hatter, snapping his jaws. Hatter leapt to the side, quickly calculating, one, how he would reach the axe so he could use it against
Jabberwock, and, two, how he would beat the Jabberwocky.
Snorting, Jabberwock whipped out his tail, sending him flying back. Hatter slammed into a gear, plopped down, and then staggerd up, wincing in pain.

"Stop fight-"

Alice squeaked as a cold hand clasped over her mouth. Slowly, Pendulum whispered, "Please do not intefere. I don't want to have to hurt you. You've done
nothing to me. You've taken care of my son, never damaged Time before. You are an innocent. Innocents need not be hurt."
Zero whined at his father's leg, scratching at it in fright.

Jabberwock bit out at Hatter, but the man dove under the snapping jaws, tumbled up, and ran for the axe. Grabbing it up, he whirled about, the axe gripped in
his hand.
Hacking a confident laugh, Jabberwock closed in. He circled around Hatter, his eyes glinting angrily, his teeth clapping together loudly. Hatter watched him
warily, waiting for any twitch in the dragon's neck or torso to give his next move away.
Never did he the tail whip at him from behind.

Yelling in surprised pain as the tail slammed into his legs and flipepd him over, Hatter groped desperately for the axe as it scittered out of reach. Before he
could do a thing, Jabberwock's tail wrapped tightly around his ankles. Jerking him up, Jabberwock maliciously smashed him against a gear.

Hatter's struggled with the thick coil around his legs, clawing at it and beating at it. Each time that Jabberwocky slammed him against the wall of metal, he
would fall silent for a moment, stunned, and then resume his vain attempt.
Growing tired of smashing Hatter against the wall, the dragon crouched before throwing Hatter high up into the air.

The Clockwork beasts' eyes were riveted on the flailing man as he rose and fell.

Jabberwock's head weaved as he matched Hatter's position, his tongue flicking out as he measured how fast Hatter was falling. Then, SNAP! Jabberwock
swallowed him whole, his eyes fluttering with the intense feeling of victory.

Instantly, Pendulum howled with fury, "No! I get the loser!"

The Clockwork monsters mobbed Jabberwocky, dragging him down with their sheer determination and numbers. Pendulum stomped up to Jabberwock's head
and ordered harshly, "I get the loser! I get him! Throw him up! Now!"

Jabberwock thrashed violently before spitting up Hatter. Surrounded by a pool of fetid slime, Hatter lay gasping, dazed and twitching.
Pendulum grabbed his shoulders, smiled, and then whispered, "Hatter... guess who lost the fight?"

"No... please..."

Pendulum sat him up, knelt behind him, slowly leaned over, and dragged his long, red tongue over Hatter's neck, "We get to have you..."

The Clockwork monsters slid off of Jabberwocky, allowing him up. Shaking his head, Jabberwock quickly padded over to Alice, changed back, and grabbed her
hand, "Come on!"

Alice stared up at him before hissing, "No!" She shoved past him.

Catching her arm, Jabberwock growled, "What are you-"

Alice, overcome with anger, turned and scratched out at him. Yelping, Jabberwock released her, stared at the five long scratches down the top of his forearm,
and then rasped, "Y-you scratched me!"

"You deserve it!" Alice stormed towards Pendulum. Zero followed her with a whine. Jabberwock just stared after her, mouth agape.

Hatter struggled weakly as Pendulum licked his neck clean of slime. The monster was just placing his teeth against Hatter's neck when Alice hissed,
"Pendulum!"
Pausing, Pendulum sighed as he glared up, "What? I'm about to eat, can't you see?"

"Let him go!"

Staring at her, Pendulum smirked before chuckling loudly, "You are kidding, right? Let one of my biggest prizes go?" He stroked Hatter's hair tenderly.

Hatter sobbed loudly, locked in Pendulum's arms, "Alice..." His whole world was weakness and pain, his whole mind rent between love and fear. He was going
to die. Alice would be left without him. Jabberwocky would win. Alice..

Alice shuddered before snapping, "What do you want?"

Freezing, Pendulum cast narrowed eyes at her, then to Hatter, and then back to her. He thought for a few moments and, then wrapping Hatter with a few
strong wires of the liquid that made him, he stood up, crossed his arms, "What are you suggesting?"

Recovering from the intial shock of Alice hurting him, Jabberwock stalked forward furiously, "She proposes no-"

Next second, he was against the wall, two spears of Pendulum's dark matter pinning him through his shoulders like a beetle to a card. He gasped in
pain.Pendulum glared at him, obviously not in a good mood anymore. "You will not speak to me, Shadowlander. Truth is, I hate you two just the same. Hatter
just happened to be the loser. However... Alice..." He turned slits of silver to her, "Alice has a proposition."

"What do you want?"

Pendulum surveyed her, "Try me."

"Anything!" Alice sank to her knees and, clasping her hands together, started to sob at Pendulum's feet. "Please, just let him go! I love him!" Besides her,
Zero stared up at his father.

Pendulum reached down, grabbed her hair, forced her face up. Peering at it, he asked, "Anything?"

"Yes! Anything!" Alice nodded frantically.

"What about you are my meal instead of him?"

Alice froze, mind dead with fear. Death? Eaten by this monster? All to save Hatter from him?
"Yes."

Pendulum licked his lips as Hatter burst out, "No, Alice! Please, don't!"

Slapping Hatter across the face, Pendulum glowered at him, "Your wife is fully devoted to you, Hatter. You should be glad. A body for a body. Fair and equal."

"No, do not let her! She... She has no idea what she is doing!" Hatter wrenched around in the black ropes binding him, struggling furiously. "Leave her!"

Pendulum glared at both of them, "Should I just give one of you to my children and eat the other of myself? I hate choosing between people."

Jabberwock roared, "You touch Alice, I'll kill you! I swear I will!"

"Or I can give two of you to my children and eat one myself..." said Pendulum thoughtfully, scratching at his belly, drooling at the thought of a good meal.

Scared but determined, Alice said, "You let both Hatter and Jabberwocky go and you can eat me."

Pendulum gazed at her for a few moments, contemplating the proposition. Finally, a hungry smile broke across his face, and he extened a hand with a purr,
"Agreed. I will let them both go in exchange for my right to devour you."

Hatter and Jabberwock screamed together, both doubling their efforts to escape. Hatter screamed, "No! No! No! Not her! Please! Not her! Take me! Take me!"

Jabberwocky howled, "Stay away from her, you git!"

Slowly, her heart quivering in her chest, Alice took his hand and shook it once. Instantly, Pendulum leaned forward, hugged her, and began to engulf her in his
black matter, purring, "Agreed... We agree... Two free... One gone..."
Alice's world went black.

Chapter 25: Those Nine Months

Darkness, with only the slightest sparkles of light. Then, a tingling feeling at the back of her mind which quickly wrenched into a horrid migraine. She tried to
push it away, but it would not, persisiting to torture her.
Her eyelids slowly opened, momentarily blinded by the light that poured into her eyes. The headache intensified.
A fuzzy form leaned over her, gray against a flickering orange. As her eyes lost their blur, she could make out the familiar shape of a top hat.

Alice smiled softly and croaked, "Hatter..."

Hatter put a hand on her head, gently caressed her blonde hair, "Are you okay...? How do you feel?" His eyes shone with tears of joy, his face the picture of
relief.

Alice's eyes slid off to the side, blurring her vision again. Closing them for a second, she took a few shallow breaths before answering raspily, "A... I've got a
headache... What happened...? Where's Pendulum...?"

Hatter's face clouded as he cupped her hands in his. "He couldn't go through with it. I have no idea why, but he just stopped after a few moments, spat you
out, and went off to sulk. He's still in Time's domain, and, once Time found out what he had done..." Hatter whistled, "Bad times for Pendulum."

Grinning wearily, Alice weakly tugged his hand up to her face, brushed it against her cheek, "Did you... bring me back?"

Hatter blushed, avoided the question. "Do you want some water? Your voice sounds pretty horrible."

"Did you bring me back...?" repeated Alice, falling into a fit of coughing afterwards.

Standing, Hatter grabbed a small jug of water from the counter at the side of the infirmary bed, poured some water in a small mug, and then held it up to her
lips with the gentle order, "Drink."

Alice drained the glass, fell immediately asleep after, her weak body shutting down in order to recuperate.

Alice woke up five hours ater, in the late afternoon. Hatter still sat by her bedside. Smiling as he saw that she was waking, he stood, bent over her, took her
hand, and asked, "Feeling better?"

Gazing up at him, Alice gave one nod before whispering, "Yes."

"Alice...?"

Alice's head slowly lolled to the opposite side to see the Jabberwock sitting sullenly in a chair, fidgeting with his claws. His eyes were down-cast and his frown
nervous. Immediately, Alice smiled, "Father."

Jabberwock slowly let his eyes meet hers before sniffling, "It's all my fault. You got eaten because of me..." His eyes filled with tears.

Alice snuggled down into the pillow and ordered quietly, "No crying." With an extra effort, she turned her head back to Hatter and said, "No fighting either."

Jabberwock wiped furiously at his eyes, "No need to worry. I don't want to happen again, so me and Hatter made a pact."

"...Pact?" Exhausted, Alice's mind processed the word slowly until she finally formed an answer. "What?"

Jabberwock looked pained as he said it, "You... are married to Hatter, so you get to... stay with him. I get visits... Visits... And he can't hide you... And I can't try
to steal you..." He sniffed sullenly.

Alice flinched as, out of nowhere, Zero leapt up onto the bed, wriggled under the covers, and began to attack her fingers, butting his head under them in want
of a caress before nipping at them, annoyed at their slow response. As she itched at his head, he relaxed, rested his head on her stomach, and sneezed
happily.
Hatter smiled, "Oh... And Zero... kind of went mad after Pendulum ate you... That's what me and," He cast a glare at Jabberwock before saying, "Jabberwock
were thinking."

"Mad?" Alice scratched Zero's chin, feeling the dog-sized beast begin to purr, vibrating against her stomach.
Hatter pondered on how to answer before hitting on an idea. Taking a piece of blank parchment from the opposite bed, which held all the papers he had been
occupying himself with while he waited for Alice to awake, he waved it around, "See this. This is sanity." Carefully, he folded it in half, tore it down the line,
and then presented the two halves. "Each half of this is half reason, half impulse. This is Jabberwocky when he goes furious. He loses half of his reason."

Jabberwock nodded solemnly, "I'm sorry..."

"His reason goes to pieces." Hatter dropped one half of the paper, folded the other in half, and then ripped it again. Holding up the two new halves, he said,
"This is me. No reason and all impulse. And then... There's Zero when he's mad." Turning the paper over, he began ripping little squares off at it, making
paper snow rain down on Alice's blanket.

Alice stared at the small pile of parchment before lifting the cover, taking Zero's head in her hands, and cooing, "No... You're not a bad puppy. You're a good
one."

Zero broke contact with her hands and nosed into her shirt. Snuffling, he peered at her happily before sneezing.

"I think that's his way of saying 'yes' or 'I am happy' or just being a happy, little monster." commented Hatter. "And that's the only thing that I've been able to
find out."

Zero glanced up at him, stood, and strutted up to Alice's head. Laying on her chest, he proceeded to lick her face, causing her to giggle and squeal, pushing
at his muzzle, "No! No! No licking!"

Jabberwock smiled sadly as he regarded his grinning, happy daughter. His soul had been torn apart the instant she had disappeared into the depths of that
monster, the instant Pendulum closed up, cupped his hands overs his belly, and sighed in gluttonous satisfaction. There had been no backing out of it on
Pendulum's part, but Hatter and Jabberwocky had both decided that it was better that she not find out that they had helped each other...
She'd never let them hear the end of it.
This had all been a product of his own selfishness, he knew that, wanting Alice all for himself, hating Hatter for stealing her away. He could understand the
consequence, but he still felt that constant urge inside to grab her, embrace her, never let her go... But he and Hatter had made an agreement, that was true.
He would just have to wait and sulk and look forward to the days he got to visit.

He didn't want Alice to be hurt in any way.

Sniffling, Zero perked up, gazing at Jabberwock, and then leapt from the bed to his lap. He nosed around in his pockets for a moment, searching for a sugar
cookie. When he found none, he sighed, drew back, and snuggled in Jabberwock's lap.
Jabberwock dragged his claws gently across the metal before repeating softly, "I am sorry... you know..."

Alice turned her eyes to him, smiled brightly, "Don't worry. I'm fine!"

Hatter leaned over, "Are you sure?"

"Just a headache the last time I woke up, but I'm fine now. When can I get out of this bed? I'm hungry!" Alice struggled weakly up into the sitting position.

Hatter quickly a hand on her back and on her shoulders, helped her steady herself, "Slowly now... You've been asleep four days."

"Four days!" squeaked Alice, eyes widening.

Jabberwock's shadow fell across her. Shoving down the bedcovers, he pushed an arm under her legs, put the other arm across her back. Effortlessly, he pulled
her up, readjusted his hold, and then carried her to the open door. "I'll take you to the kitchens. I remember where they are."

Fuming, Hatter stomped after him.

Alice grew uncomfortable having the two mens' eyes rooted on her the entire time she ate her soup. Finally, she mumbled, "Don't you have anything better to
do than worry about me?"

"No." they said together. They glanced at each other, sniffed, and then turned their heads away from each other.

Sighing at their apparent dislike of each other, Alice shoved the half-eaten bowl of soup forward, placed her head on the table, and complained, "Can't you
two ever get along?"

Jabberwock and Hatter slowly turned to look at each other before Jabberwock smirked, "No."

Hatter nodded, "I agree. There'll never be a chance."

"You two seem to be almost good with each other right now... Why can't it always be like this?"
Hatter fidgeted with his hands, "Well, if you want, I can try."

Huffing, Jabberwocky crossed his arms, "As will I. But I still hate him."

Hatter was about to retort angrily when the door opened. March, strolling in cheerfully, paused when he saw them and then clapped his hands excitedly,
"Aha! Alice! You're awake!"

Smiling at him, Alice nodded, "I am."

March bounced to the table, took the chair beside her, and then whispered, "How are you doing, Alice? I heard these two got you eaten, but they won't tell
me."

Hatter reached over, grabbed his ear. As March yelped, he muttered, "And you needn't know. It was a mistake... on his part." He jerked a thumb at
Jabberwock.

Scowling, Jabberwock slapped Hatter's hand off of March's ear. "And it was someone I know who made Alice give herself up to be eaten in the first place!"

March rubbed his smarting ear miserably, "You two are so mean... Alice... Why do you even stay here with these complainers?"

Hatter pursed his lips, "'Cause she's my wife."

"And she is my daughter." added Jabberwock sourly.

March sighed, "Ah... Alice, Alice, Alice... they're fighting over you still... Come on. We're going to leave these two for a while, let them sort out their
differences."

"We've already done that." growled Jabberwock.

"Well... do it some more." March helped Alice up, led her from the room. Zero followed.

For a few moments, Jabberwock and Hatter sat silently, refusing to look at each other. Finally, Jabberwock hissed, "Once every month. Promise that."

Hatter muttered, "Yes, I promise, as long as you don't try to take Alice."

"And you don't hide her."

"Seems like a solid plan." nodded Hatter in satisfaction.

Jabberwock left that afternoon, accompanied by the Bandersnatch and his escort of guards. Before he left, he cuddled with Alice, crooned sorrowful, tearful
goodbyes, and promised to be back soon. Bander said his goodbyes also, to both Hatter and Alice. His disposition was overly cheerful, for they were taking a
new Looking Glass back. As he said it: "Hopefully, this will be the last one that breaks. I hate riding for four days."
After he left, Hatter stole Alice out to town, took her to a candy store, and bought some chocolates. Now, they sat on a low wall, eating chocolates happily.
Nibbling at a little bar of chocolate, Hatter asked, "Do you like it?"

"Yes..." Alice leaned against his shoulder, smiled softly.

Zero was gnawing at her shoe, growling softly as he tried to tell Alice he wanted a chocolate. Giggling, Alice tossed him down a small truffle of chocolate.
Happy, Zero leapt upon it.
Hatter smiled, asked, "You must eat better. You haven't eaten for four days and, even then, you don't eat much. You have to eat more."

"My stomach's not that big, remember?"

"Soon, it will be. You're eating for two, remember?" Putting his arm around her, Hatter stroked her stomach lovingly.

Alice leaned against him, smiled, "I don't think I have to eat that much."

Hatter chuckled, leaned over, kissed her on the lips, "Spindly. That's what you are."

Suddenly alert, Zero whined as he glanced about. He sniffed loudly before leaping up, sprinting down the length of the wall, and vanishing around the corner.
Alice stared after him, "What is he-"
Reappearing, the black cat meowing sullenly in his gentle jaws, Zero proudly strutted back to Alice and deposited the cat on her lap.
Hatter regarded the cat, its round stomach quivering as it sniffed at her dress, and then sighed, "I guess that's going to be Zero's wife..." He poked at its
stomach.

The cat hissed at him. Smiling, Alice scratched at its ear, turning the spitting to a low purr, "That'll be cute to see. Little Zero cat things."

Hatter smirked, "That will not be fun for the cat, I think."

The cat jumped off of Alice's lap, flicked its tail up, and then began padding away. Zero grabbed its tail, pulled it back, whimpered.
Glaring at him, the cat hissed before scampering away, its stomach bouncing up and down. Zero moaned. Staring after it, he pushed up against Alice's legs
and sniffled.
Hatter smirked, bent, and patted Zero on the head softly, "You're just going to have to wait."

Zero nosed Hatter's hand before sneezing into it. Hatter flinched, wiped furiously at the snot on his hand.

Alice took the chocolate box from his lap and giggled, "Ew! No touching the chocolates now!"

Smiling, Hatter leaned over and kissed her, "That's okay, because you can eat the rest."

"Aw... You just want me to get fat!" joked Alice.

Hatter laughed, "Why would I want that?"

"...'Cause you're odd like that."

"No, I'm not!" said Hatter indignantly.

"I'm just joking!" Alice punched his arm playfully.

The next week passed with little excitement. May began showing the signs of pregnancy, a small bump forming on her abdomen. Entirely intrigued by it,
March began showing public affection not to May, but to her belly.
As they sat at the breakfast table on the seventh morning, Alice stared as March caressed May's stomach through her dress, pressing his ears against it, a
satisfied thrum purring in his throat, "Ooh... yes... You're going to be nice little children, aren't you? Three or four or five little children all for me and May... I
want a boy. One boy. Please let there be at least one boy."

May cuffed him over the head, "Stop it! I can't eat over you!"

March came up slowly, rubbing his skull, "Urmph... That hurt..."

Hatter fiddled with his hat, a piece of toast in his mouth. As soon as he finished readjusting his hat, he crammed the rest of the bread into his mouth,
crunched it up, swallowed, and then coughed, "March... Why are you so amazed by it?"

March's eyes couldn't seem to rip off of May's stomach, "I want my children."

"Well, you're going to have to wait about two more months. So keep the fondling for the last week." Reaching over, Hatter embraced Alice. "You can hug. See?
Hugging is not bad. Nor is kissing." He kissed her shoulder.

March sighed, began eating his toast, grimaced, and then quietly pushed it off the table into Zero's waiting mouth. Happily, Zero snapped it down.
Alice smiled as she peered down at him, "You like that? You want mine?"

Zero clicked his teeth together, bounced at her side. When she pushed her toast off the table, he pounced on it, wolfed it down.
He snuffled about for more afterwards before ducking under the table and nibbling at March's pant leg.
March yelped, glanced underneath, "Stop it!"

Zero huffed, curled up, and then sneezed violently.

Another week passed, followed by another two, and then three more. Pretty soon, it was the last week before May's expected birthing. Alice was nervously
thrilled to see how large her belly had gotten in the two months, bouncing whenever she walked, sticking out and causing an obstacle.
March began with his obsession again. One night, Hatter secretly took her to March and May's room, showed her his best friend, using May's stomach as a
pillow, mumbling the days of the week under his breath.

Alice still was rather slim, though she couldn't help but feeling a bit more tired than usual.
Hatter and Alice essayed to take a walk into town every day, sometimes a short and quick clip to the local candy shop, sometimes a longer stroll to the edge
of the town and walk past the pastures and look at the cows and horseflies.

One day, when they were returning from the town, Zero ran off frantically. Sighing, Hatter and Alice followed him, quickly lost him, and then searched vainly
for the missing pet.
They finally found him and, with him...

Alice squealed in joy when she saw the little poof of black fur in between in between his paws. "Oh! It's so cute!"

Groaning, Hatter put a hand on his forehead, "Great... another pet. Where's that bliddy black cat?" He glanced around, saw no kitty, gritted his teeth.

Zero's little kitten child mewed as it stumbled blindly about. Nudging it with his nose, he directed it towards Alice.
Alice nearly melted with pleasure as the poof crashed into her leg. Its eyes closed, its fur scruffy and downy, it rolled over onto its back, exposing little gears
ticking down his torso and stomach, and meowed in agitation.

Zero snuffled up to it, nosed the roly-poly kitten back to its feet, and then took it up by the scruff of its neck. Standing, he paced over to Alice and whined.
She held out her hands and Zero plopped the kitten down into them. Alice shivered in delight and then began petting the little cat, "Oh... It's so cute..."

Hatter reached over, ran a finger down its spine. "Yes... It's cute... But it doesn't have a mother anymore. Who's going to feed it?"

Zero snipped at his leg, sneezed, and then turned, ran off. Hatter started to go after him, groaning, "Not again..."

He didn't have to go too far, for Zero found something on the ground, licked it up, and then turned. Shoving past Hatter, who sighed, he went up to Alice,
whined.
Alice set the kitten down. Gently, Zero turned it around, unrolled his tongue to reveal a small black bug, and then pushed it into the kitty's mouth.

The kitten crunched down and swallowed, making Alice balk with disgust. "Ew!"

When Alice, Hatter, Zero, and Zero's kitten returned to the castle, Zero immediately vanished with his child.
Alice and Hatter sighed, let it pass, and returned to their room.
Zero came back a few hours later, carrying a small basket in his jaws. In it, the kitten lay, curled up, in torn up bits and pieces of cloth. To the side was a small
loaf of bread. Zero set the basket in the corner, curled around it, and sniffled happily.

Alice and Hatter instantly went over, peered over the edge of the basket, and then laughed quietly at the sight of the sleeping kitten.
"It's so cute!" exclaimed Alice, wanting to touch it, but not willing to interrupt its sleep.

Hatter smiled, shifted to be behind her, and then hugged her to his chest softly, "Not as cute as you."

"But it's furry!" joked Alice, pushing herself back and knocking him over.

Hatter wrestled to keep her to his chest. Stroking her hair, he whispered, "Does it really matter? I think you're incredibly cute. Cuter than any kitt- OW!" He
jerked before sitting up and glaring at Zero, who had his teeth around his bare foot. Zero growled.
"Fine, fine, Zero... Cuter to me. Your kitten's the cutest non-Alice thing there ever was. Could you let go of my foot now?"

Zero released his foot, sneezed in satisfaction, and then reached into the basket and nosed the kitten awake. Yawning, the kitten squeaked before stumbling
up, blindly tottering around, and tripping over the bread. Mewing, it sniffed at the bread. Instantly enticed, it began nibbling at it with its small metal-looking
teeth.

Alice giggled, clapped her hands, "Oh! Look at it!"

Hatter smiled, "You are easily fascinated... as always." Seizing her shoulders, Hatter dragged her back, kissed her neck, and then began playing with her hair,
"Especially with little pets that come from nowhere."

"They're cute." Alice reached back, fluffed her hands through her hair.

Hatter chuckled, began patting it down. "You should look in a mirror. Then you'd just melt with adoration."

Suddenly sullen, Alice muttered, "I'm not that pretty."

"Of course you are..." Hatter stroked her sides, kissed her head.

"There's tons of girls who are prettier than me."

"But none of them hold such importance to me... You're so much better than all those others." Hatter cradled her before leaning forward and cooing, "So much
more important... So much more."

Alice smiled, twisted about, and hugged him warmly. "Thank you."

Four days later, May gave birth to three wriggling Hare babies. March, ecstatic, wouldn't leave the birthing room for anything, hovering over the three, naked
children with shivering ears and fidgeting paws. Excited out of his mind, he kept squeaking, "Children! Children! Oh, I'm a father!"

May glared at him from the bed before grumbling, "Shut up and let me sleep. I'm exhausted."

"But, May, we have-"

"Okay then. Next time, you have the children and then I won't let you have any sleep. How's that?"

March paused before whispering, "I'll be quiet."

Alice and Hatter stared in from the door, covering their mouths to suppress their laughter. Hatter called softly, "Ooh... March! You're wife's threatening you!"

March crouched beside one of the cradles, peered over the side, and then squeaked, "I don't care! I have children! This one will be Monday, that one will be
Tuesday, and the last one over there will be Wednesday." He shivered in pleasure.

"Wow, March." smirked Hatter sarcastically, "Very inventive names."

"It's the theme this year. Lovely... Hello, Monday. Hello... Ooh, you're so cute. I wonder what color you'll be... I hope you're gray... You'll be gray, all right?
Gray's the best color."

Irritated, May snarled, "Shut up!"

Alice crept in, gazed at the three pink and speckled babies, and then asked, "No fur?"

"They'll get in a week or so... Until then, blankets!" March scurried from the room, ears perked in excitement.

May huffed, "Finally! Peace!" She pushed the pillow over her head, settled down to sleep.

During the time Alice and Hatter were out ogling at the babies, Zero's kitten had opened its eyes for the first time. Tottering around with its legs splayed and
its fluffy tail up, it followed Zero with adoring eyes, mewing.

Zero was teaching his kitten how to jump and was becoming rather exasperated. Every time he jumped up on the bed, the kitten would wriggled against the
ground before leaping forward. Every time, he would flip through the dust skirt, mew as he righted himself under the bed, and then become distracted
immediately with the dangling length of cloth.

When Alice and Hatter came in, Zero was whining, the kitten gazing up at him with longing in its eyes as its tail wiggled against the carpet.
Alice bounced forward, bent, and petted it happily, completely taken by the cuteness of it. "Oh! You're eyes are open! You're so cute!"

Hatter grinned. "Should I go get breakfast for the little thing?"

"Yeah!" squeaked Alice, tugging at one of the kitten's pointed ear. Staring up at her, the kitten sniffed at her fingers before batting at it clumsily with a paw
and only succeeding to knock itself over. Hatter left.

Zero crawled down, mouthed the kitten, and then drew him up onto the bed. Mewing, the kitten toddled to the pillow, pawed at the edge, and, finding the
opening, crawled inside. Zero watched the pillow curiously before nosing it over. Inside, the kitten meowed loudly before quieting. Alice giggled, took the
pillow, and shook the kitten out.

Blinking its pale white-blue eyes, the kitten yawned, scooted forward, and nuzzled against Zero's leg. Zero knocked it over before curling up around it and
proceeding to wash his kitten child.

After a few more minutes, Hatter came in, a small ceramic bowl filled with diced fish in his hands. Straying to the bed, he sat down, poked Zero, "I have food
for your little monster thing. C'mon."

Zero gazed at him before nudging the kitten forward.

The kitted stared up at Hatter, wide-eyed, before sniffing, smelling the soft odor of fish, and coming closer, hungry. Hatter set down the bowl. Slowly, the
kitten peered over its edge at the whitish-pink fish meat inside. Stomach letting out a small rumble, it tipped the bowl over, slowly began eating the fish.

Hatter groaned, "Ah... Now I'll have to get a new blanket for us tonight."

"It's just a bit of... fish." said Alice dryly, wincing at the smell.

Hatter licked his lips, "Raw fish is delicious, exactly."

Alice groaned, "Ah... not this again."

"Oh, don't worry. I've gotten over my addiction pretty much. Haven't had much of a craving, really. Just... fish without blood in it... Would that count as
breaking my diet?"

"Cook it first, please..." Alice muttered.

Hatter sighed, "Fine..."

The kitten started choking on a cube of fish, his retching accompanied by disgusting little gurgles. With a solid cuff, Zero whacked him in the back with his
paw, and the kitten spat up the fish up. Instantly, it began to sniffle out its discomfort, trundled over to Zero, and found comfort by Zero's side.

Hatter gazed at the pile of fish, trying to resist, before moaning, picking up a cube, and slowly popped it into his mouth. Savoring it, he groaned in pleasure,
"Oh..."

Pursing her lips, Alice crossed her arms, "What happened to cooking it first?"

"It was just there..." Hatter mumbled before shoving the rest of the fish back into the bowl, holding it out to Zero, "Do you want it?"

Zero grabbed it, wolfed the meat down noisely, and then nudged the ceramic bowl back to Hatter.
Taking it, Hatter gazed at the emptiness of the ceramic bowl and then sighed, "I'm hungry..."

Hatter and Alice went to the kitchen to have dinner, ate, and then came back to the room. After they changed into their nightclothes, they tried to shoo Zero
and the sleeping kitten off the bed.
Growling, bristling, the Clockwork creature snapped at Hatter's hand as it drew close to shove him off. Hatter jerked back before saying angrily, "Ah, bliddy
heck! This is our bed! Not yours and your kitten's!"

Zero glared at him, curled around his sleeping child, and warned him away with a snarl.

"Alice! I need help!"

Zero wouldn't snap at Alice, but he refused to leave the bed.

Finally, Hatter growled, "That's fine, that's fine... We'll just sleep on the floor. I'll go get blankets..." He left the room.

After a few minutes, Hatter came back with fresh blankets, and two pillows. Dumping it on the floor, he flopped down, groaned, "Stupid dog... and cat thing..."

Alice smiled softly, came over, and sat down next to him, "It's okay."

Hatter snuggled down into the comforter that acted as their mattress, pulled the top comforter up over himself, and then reached out for Alice. "Come sleep."

Alice obediently came over, slipped under the covers, and hugged him happily, "I love you, Hatter."

"I love you too." Softly, Hatter kissed her on the lips, crossed a leg over hers, and then pulled her close lovingly.

Over the next eight months, both Zero and his little poof grew. Zero ended up being the size of the monsters that populated Time's domain. The kitten
stopped growing once it, or he, as they found out later, hit the size of a cat.
Alice's belly expanded also. In the third month, the bulge appeared, and it quickly grew to its full size as the months progressed.

The kitten, whom they named Tick, had a fascination with the mountain that rose out of her stomach. Every opportunity he had, he would clamber up onto
her tummy, curl up on top, and listen, enthralled with the small gurgles that issued from the child within.
Hatter, too, was obsessed with it. When the seventh month came around, he stopped taking her on walks, kept her confined to the castle.
Becoming bored, Alice found time to play with Zero and Tick, visit March and May, and watch Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday grow their fur. Monday's fur
was black, Tuesday's white, and Wednesday's gray.

Jabberwocky visited in the fifth month, stayed for four days, never left her side, and then had to be dragged back to the Shadowlands. During his short visit,
he presented her with a few new ornate dresses as gifts. When Alice joked that they were now 'too small', he said quite seriously: "Those are for after you give
birth. Not before. You'll rip them if you try to get into them now."

In the seventh month, Alice recieved the news that Jabberwock's bride, the princess he despised as an 'air-head', had given birth to a male heir, whom they
named Sanxi. Alice wanted so desperately to see what her little half-brother was like, how he looked, but Hatter refused to let her go. Meanwhile, in the
Shadowlands, Jabberwocky tried to use his son's birth as an excuse to come see Alice, but the council refused, deeming Sanxi to travel by either horseback or
Looking Glass.

Then, the eighth month came, and Hatter restricted her to her room, becoming incredibly ornery whenever he found her outside and chasing her back to her
room. Not that it matter. The added weight in her abdomen made Alice uncomfortable, and she found that much-needed comfort laying in bed all day, only
standing to relieve herself in the chamberpot and to open the door for Tick or Zero.

Every night, Hatter would come in, change quickly, and then lay besides her, hugging her, caressing her stomach, kissing her. His tense, excited muscles
relaxed whenever he laid by her, and his irritability would fade away to love and peace.

He was uptight about her pregnancy. He knew there was a chance she could die in childbirth, and that scared the heck out of him. It made him sullen, angry,
agressive, but he never confessed this fear to her. However, Alice noted his increasingly morbid attitude as it drew closer and closer to the eighth month's
end.

Jabberwocky cornered the Bandersnatch, demanded that he be allowed to go to Wonderland to be there for the birthing of his grandson. Again and again,
Bander stole away, only to find himself stalked by his brother, who persisted.
Finally, he went to the council, pleaded Jabberwock's case, and finally had their consent. They left the next day, arrived, and Jabberwock immediately went
about to persistently staying in the room with Alice at all times.

The first night, he and Hatter had an arguement.

"No, no, no, no, no! He is not going to sleep in here!" Hatter stomped furiously to the Jabberwock, grabbed him by the shirt, and pulled him furiously towards
the door.

Jabberwock slapped his hands away, eyes glinting angrily, "I am staying with Alice! I haven't seen her for three and a half months! What was our original
deal? Once every month! You just haven't been keeping your part! You were supposed to set up visits with the council, remember?" He shoved Hatter back.

Hatter hissed, "I've been busy taking care of Alice, if you haven't noticed!"

"I could have been here to help you too, you know!" snarled Jabberwock, his fists clenching at his sides.

The yelling match proceeded until Alice waved her hands about and demanded loudly, "No! No more fighting! Either you're stay here and get along or you
fight and leave."

Hatter and Jabberwocky glowered at one another before nodding sullenly and saying together, "Agreed."

Alice struggled to sit up, instantly had Hatter there to help prop her up. Smiling through her discomfort, she asked Jabberwock, "Do you mind sleeping on the
floor?"

"Can't I sleep in the bed with you?" moaned Jabberwocky.

Hatter glared at him, "That's where I'll be sleeping."

"You owe me!"

Alice sighed and laid back down, "If you don't stop fighting, both of you are going to sleep on the floor." Her hand went to her round stomach, and she
caressed it gently.

Hatter sat down by her, put a hand on her belly, "How is it?"

"Fine."

Glowering at Hatter, Jabberwock hissed, "I get bed."

"Just shut up! She's my wife!"

"She's my daughter and you've been breaking your promises!" Jabberwock sat down next to her, clutched her arm to him.

Alice pursed her lips, "What if I want to sleep alone?"

Pausing, Hatter pondered this and then smiled. "Jabberwock, you get that side, and I get this side. No sneaking up onto Alice's bed tonight."

Jabberwock stood, glared at him, "Fine! And that goes for you too!"

That was how much of the evening went, a comment from Hatter leading to a full-on shouting and insult battle, or vice versa. When it came time for sleeping,
Jabberwock curled up on the carpet to the right of the bed, a blanket providing him comfort. Hatter was the same, only to the left of the bed.
Zero and Tick curled up by Jabberwocky, the kitten intrigued by this new man while Zero recognized him as the 'cookie' man. Jabberwock didn't refuse,
hugging Tick to his chest like a small teddy bear as he slept.

Untrue to his word, Hatter only stayed on the floor for a while. As soon as he heard Jabberwock's soft snores, he crept up onto the bed, curled up next to Alice,
and, petting her stomach happily, drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Alice woke up to the quiet, harsh whispers of bickering. Blinking wearily, she propped herself up onto her elbows, peered at Hatter and
Jabberwocky sourly, "What happened to not fighting?"

Jabberwock and Hatter shut up immediately, glanced at her. Coming over, Hatter leaned over, kissed her on the forehead, "How are you?"

"I'm fine... Why are you fighting?"

"Nothing..." Sitting down, Hatter bent, put his head against her stomach, and then smiled softly.

Jabberwock came over, reached down, grabbed Hatter by the back of the collar, and then hauled him up, "What are you doing? Don't touch her!"

"What? Why?" asked Hatter angrily, wrenching out of his grasp.

"It's bad luck to touch a pregnant woman's stomach!"

"What kind of silly superstition is that?" Hatter shoved him.

Alice had had enough. Sitting up, she snapped, "I told both of you: no more fighting! Now, both of you, get out!"

As they glared at each other and walked to the door, Hatter mouthed, "This is all your fault." Jabberwock bared his teeth at him in anger. Together, they went
out, and Alice instantly heard the solid whack of a fist against a face.

For the next three days, Jabberwock and Hatter's feud escalated, turning from insults and enraged shouts to fistfights and then finally to full-out 'try to kill the
other' sprees.
Unable to leave her room, Alice asked March to make sure they didn't hurt themselves,

On the morning of the fourth day, her contractions began, sharp aches that pressed down into her stomach. Hatter and Jabberwock, who had been arguing in
the corner quietly, immediately stopped, went into a panic together, and rushed to find a midwife or a nurse.

Two nurses came, shooed Jabberwock, Hatter, Tick, and Zero from the room, and set to work consoling Alice as the girl's contractions became more and more
painful. After an hour of gasping and pushing, Alice gave birth.

The first reaction of the nurses was to cut the child's umbilical cord, wash the slime and blood from it softly, and then wrap it in a soft, clean blanket. That was
when they noticed the odd thing about the child.
One nurse stayed to cradle the baby as the other stepped out to ask Hatter something. Alice lay in the bed, sleeping after the rough delivery.

Hatter's suspicion aroused when the nurse gave him a quick glance over, frowned in confusion, and then asked, "You... are half-shadowlander, correct?"

"Yes... Why?" Hatter blinked.

Jabberwock peered over his shoulder, worried, "Is something wrong?"

"The... child is gray."

"Gray?" Hatter repeated. "What do you mean by gray?"

"...He's gray. A very pale gray."

Jabberwocky's yellow eyes glittered, "But how is Alice?"

"She is fine."

Hatter was staring at the nurse stupidly, trying to process the information, "But... what about... my child? Gray? What do you mean?"

The nurse glared at him, "Come in and see for yourself. The baby is gray."

Hatter staggered into the room, pale-faced with confusion but relieved that Alice was okay. Jabberwocky followed him slowly.
The baby lay in the blanket, curled up, sleeping softly. His skin, a light pale gray, shone with the glow that most babies possessed when they were little. A few
small tufts of black hair lay plastered to its scalp, its chubby little cheeks puffed up as he sniffled in his sleep.
Hatter stared at the infant before softly caressing his son's cheek, his heart melting with love, "Oh..."

Jabberwock gazed at the baby before smiling gently, "May I hold him?"

Hatter instantly held out his arms, "Me first."

The nurse glowered at him, "The mother first." Straying over to Alice's side, the nurse gently shook Alice's shoulder, waking her up from her deep sleep. "Mrs.
Alice... Do you want to hold your baby?"

Blinking sleepily, Alice turned the exhausted eyes up and then nodded, "Okay..."

The nurse helped her sit up, handed her the baby, stepped back as Alice cuddled him to her chest. Alice gently toyed with the baby's few strands of hair,
marvelling at the softness of the skin.
The baby's eyes opened as it awoke. A blue eye stared up at her from the right, a green eye from the left. Alice smiled gently and cooed, "Hello, there..."

The baby yawned before issuing a small wail. Instantly, Hatter was fidgeting in nervousness.
Glaring at him, Jabberwock sniffed, "What are you so nervous about? Alice is fine and so is the baby?"

Hatter didn't answer, just stared at his wife and his child in utmost love that was tinged with agitation.
The baby's chubby, small gray arms reached up, waved around, and then fell against the blanket as it closed its eyes to fall asleep again.

Zero snuffled to the side of the bed, gazed over the side of the bed, and then jumped up. The nurses squeaked indignantly, tried to shoo him off, but he would
not be moved as he whined for Alice's hand. Slowly, Alice smiled and caressed his metal head.
Zero caught her hand, sniffed at it, and then spat something out onto it.

Alice shrieked, threw the little black bug away. "Ew! Zero! No!"

Crestfallen, Zero slid off the bed, found the bug, and then huffed for tick. Sitting, he positioned click in between his legs before pushing the bug into his
mouth. Tick swallowed.
Jabberwock chuckled dryly, "He wants you to feed the baby little bugs, Alice."

Alice regarded Zero and apologized, "The baby can't eat bugs. I'm sorry, Zero."

Zero sighed, set about to licking Tick's ears to distract himself from his failure to help.

Alice fed the baby before drifting off to sleep again. Taking the baby, the nurses put him in a small cradle next to the bed, turned, and left, leaving Hatter and
Jabberwock, Zero and Tick, to gaze at the small infant.
Hatter desired to hold it, but pined away in his nervousness that he would accidentally hurt the child. Jabberwock just watched it happily.
Snuffling, Zero began dropping small pieces of cloth inside the cradle, only to have Hatter take them out indignantly. Tick had no such interest. All he wanted
to do was play with the new thing that had appeared in the room. Hatter and Jabberwocky kept him away from the cradle.

That evening, Alice woke up again, her body relieved to have the extra burden of a child gone. She felt thin again, could sit up, could walk about as she hadn't
been able to do for the last month. She also found herself obsessing over the baby, coming over quickly at his every little whimper, watching him, feeding him
whenever he seemed hungry.
Jabberwock was litterally dragged by Bander back to his room.

As she fussed over the baby, Hatter asked softly, "So... What shall we name him?" He was
Alice paused only to glance back at him, smile, and then turn back to the baby, "I don't know. You name him. I'll be fine with anything."

Descending into a dark silence, Hatter ran through the names in his head, glowered at the floor, and then sniffed, "How about Ash, since he's gray?"

Alice stopped, turned to gaze at him, "Ash?"

"What? You don't like it?" said Hatter somberly.

"No... I like it. So... Ash?"

"Ash Bandersnatch. Rhymes." Hatter commented.

Alice giggled, went over to him, and kissed him happily, "Yes, it does."

Gazing up at her, Hatter smiled softly before pulling her down onto his lap and nuzzling his nose softly in her back, "I love you, Alice."

Alice twisted around, ruffled his hair, "Do I even have to respond to that, silly?"

Hatter laughed in mock disbelief, "Of course!"

Alice hugged him warmly, "I love you too!"

Chapter 36: A Runaway and a Returning Enemy

When Hatter and Alice awakened the next morning, Jabberwocky had disappeared from his room, from the castle, and from the capital itself. Furious, the
Bandersnatch and the escort of soldiers mounted their horses and scattered, essaying to find their lost King.

Jabberwock chuckled grimly to himself as he heard a distant, strangled shout in Shadowlander. He had traded his clothes to a rough, young Wonderlander.
Shrugging the dirty leather jacket on tighter, he pressed up against the wagon he was walking besides, hiding in the dark shadow that was cast across the dirt
road.

The peasants gazed at him in solemn curiousity, knowing this black-skinned stranger was a Shadowlander, one who should not be in their midsts. However,
he had paid for their silence, a gold crown to each of them, a whole month's wages stuffed into one simple secret.
They were expected to hide him if any other Shadowlanders came.

The night before, he had found out that Maynard had disappeared from the castle also, and this had set him to thinking of his own escape. He knew that they
would be angry and come search for him, but he told himself he would not be found. He wanted to be free of the royal obligations, return his happy, rather
free life.

A Shadowlander pounded down the road past the wagon, calling his name vainly. "Lord Jabberwocky! Lord Jabberwocky!"

Jabberwock chortled happily, took a piece of hay from the wagon, and began chewing on it.
A little peasant girl came up to his side, asked softly, "Sir... We need that... That's for the cows... Not for you..."

Blinking, Jabberwock stopped chewing at it, glanced down at her, and then smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay... Just don't eat all of it, please... The cows like it too, you know..."

Jabberwocky reached a hand down into his scruffy, rucksack pants and drew out a small pouch. Digging a silver coin double the size of his thumbnail out, he
handed it to her. "I'll keep that in mine."

The girl's eyes grew wide, "Sir! No! I can't take it!" She tried to shove it back into his hands.

Jabberwock sniffed, "It is nothing."

"But... I could buy a goat with this..." The child held it in her hands as if it were a priceless diamond. "Or a lamb..."

"Then buy one..." Jabberwock grew distracted, his eyes turning a light sapphire as he watched the girl's imagination sparkle. Instantly, his mouth watered, his
stomach squeezing in hunger.
The girl clamped the the coin to her chest happily, "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

Jabberwocky licked his lips before asking, "Are there any cows around here?"

"Yes, but they're not my family's... They're the Ortegoras... Brian is one of them... And he hit me."

"That's... mean..." forced Jabberwock.

"Yeah, it is. I don't like it."

"Actually, I have to go somewhere now. I'm sorry." Jabberwocky stepped away from her before nodding to her, "I might see you later."

"Okay... Thank you... I hope you come back, Mr. Shadowman..."

Jabberwock managed to find his way to the outermost field of the Ortegoras. As the little girl had said, the peasant family had cows.
Licking his lips, Jabberwock lurked at the edge of the trees, eying the bovine. At the moment, they were nothing, animals just chewing their cud...
But for a dragon, they'd be delicious.

Changing to his dragon form, he skulked about in the shadows of the trees, his black scales camouflaging him , regarding an unsuspecting cow that had
wandered too close to the fence that seperated forest from pasture.
He waited patiently.
Finally, he pounced forward, surprising the cow, who barely had time to turn. However, it was too late. Scooping it up in his jaws, Jabberwocky swallowed it
down whole, choking it down, and then retreated back to the safety of the forest as the other cows ran in terror.

Clacking his jaws together, his hunger now satisfied, he slid forward, his scales clinking together as he moved. Travel went faster if he was in the change, and
he wanted to leave the capital far behind. It'd be harder for them to find him the farther he was...

After a few minutes of trotting forward, Jabberwock heard voices, low and dull. Lowering himself to the ground, he crawled forward, eyes glittering in golden
curiousity.
Two boys, one sixteen, one thirteen, sat in the clearing, wrestling playfully. "C'mon, Brian! You're stronger than," The boy to the left flipped the boy down onto
his back, "this!"

The thirteen year old, Brian complained, "You've got more than a few years on me! How am I supposed to beat you?"

"You just don't try, do you?"

"I do! I do!" Huffing, Brian crossed his arms, and turned.

Jabberwock bared his teeth as the boy saw him, hissed softly. Brian's jaw dropped before he began to stammer, "H-h-hey... There's... There's a big... There's a
big thing over there..."

The other boy looked, froze, and then began to back away, "What the bliddy heck is that?"

Snapping his jaws, Jabberwocky clawed forward, directed a mock snarl at the two.
Brian began shivering in horror, "That's... that's..."

"Jabberwock..." said the other in terrified awe.

Jabberwock taunted them by clacking his jaws shut over the two. One boy fainted straight away. The other fell to his knees in horror, covered his eyes.

Without another sound, Jabberwock bounded away, hoping they would keep their mouths shut. That had been fun though, to scare them, to make one of
them faint clean away. He must have become such a boogeyman to the locals, to incite this type of fear.

Changing back, he started humming to himself, trotting forward deeper into the forest.

Alice bounced the baby in her arms as she cooed lovingly, "Ooh... you're so beautiful! Beutiful baby! Oh, yes!" She bent forward, kissed Ash on the nose.
An innocent, ecstatic laugh giggled up from Ash as it waved its arms around. One hand gently hit her cheek, stayed there, and then made a fist around a lock
of Alice's hair.

Alice laughed in glee and rocked the baby lovingly in her arms. Behind her, Hatter was toying with a piece of pale fabric, a needle held in his mouth as he
regarded the cloth with confused eyes. Finally, he pulled the needle from his mouth and complained, "I can make a hat, a masquerade suit, but I can't make a
sock. How odd is that?"
Zero and Tick sat in the corner, wrestling each other. Knocking Tick down, Zero grabbed the cat's tail, pulled it happily. Tick hissed angrily.

Alice twirled around, the baby's laugh boosting her happiness, "It's okay! Oh, isn't that right, Ash? Daddy can't make a sock for you. You'll forgive him, won't
you?"

Hatter chuckled, "What about a little hat for him?"

"That'd be cute."

Hatter laid back on his bed, held the cloth over his face, and began folding it, eyes glittering as he remembered how a baby's bonnet should be like. As he
pinched a fold in the fabric together, he reached into his pocket, drew out some white thread, and quickly threaded the needle using just his one hand.
He started sewing as Alice came over. Sitting down next to him, she peered over and joked, "Please don't tell me that you're going to make an itty-bitty top
hat."

"I think that would actually be much cuter than a baby's bonnet, but I've never done a miniature of anything. Baby's bonnets are already small... so I'll stick
with that."

Ash gurgled in Alice's arms, his small arms waving about. Happily, Alice kissed him again, "Yes, you'll be so cute with a bonnet. You'll like that, won't you?"

Tick bounded over, trying to escape Zero. Leaping up, he sniffed loudly at Ash before purring, his tail flicking up and down.

Alice petted him, "Hello, Tick."

Zero trotted over, grabbed Tick's tail, pulled him off the bed. Tick yowled in surprise before ripping away from Zero and diving under the bed.

A little driblet of spit slid out of the baby's mouth, and Alice wiped it away.
Hatter's fingers twitched quickly as they stitched up the corner of the cloth with amazing, experienced speed, "You know, I haven't made a hat for a long time,
and, suddenly, I'm making a baby's bonnet. It's rather unusual." He knotted the string, tugged at the sides of the cloth to make sure it would hold, and then
flipped it over.

"It'll be cute, don't worry. Even if it isn't, Ash can make it look cute."

"Oh, like those knitted baby clothes that May made for the little kiddies? Those are atrocious. Purple does not go with gray."

"I agree."

"And May said she was going to make something for Ash, too... It'll turn out to be some horrible yellow color. I think Ash would look better in black or gray or
white. She should make a little black suit for him."

"Why don't you do that?"

"A little suit? I told you, I've never done anything smaller than me pretty much. Hats my size, suits my size, nothing ever one or two sizes away from mine."

Alice laid back, snuggled against his side, "You could try. I'm sure you'd be sort of good at it."

"I'll try later."

"Okay."

Zero stuck his snout under the dust skirt, snuffling around for Tick. Suddenly, he stiffened before he slowly pulled out his muzzle. Tick was hooked onto it, his
claws digging into the natural cracks his father's metal skull possessed. Amused, Zero licked his son's ticking underbelly before pawing him off and, grabbing
his tail again, dragging Tick to the corner again, ignoring the annoyed yowls.

Ash burbled happily. His green eye and his blue eyes sparkled brightly as he smiled.
Hatter grinned softly, dropped the fabric, and leaned over to take Ash's little hand. Rubbing it softly, he pressed his lips against it and kissed his son's hand,
"You're right, Alice... Ash is very cute... We've created a masterpiece, haven't we?" He transferred the kiss to Alice's hand.

Alice giggled, shoved him away playfully, "Masterpieces are for paintings and sculptures! Not for little children!"

"Well, then!" Hatter grabbed her, wrestled her down, being careful not to hurt Ash. "Guess we have a statue for a son! I mean, he's certainly the right color!"

"Ash, did you hear that? Your father thinks you're a statue!"
Ash's eyes were round as they stared up at her face. Slowly, a little gray hand lifted, and he began to suck his thumb quietly.
Hatter dragged his fingers through her hair slowly, whispering, "No, I don't..."

"I was joking!" Alice placed her head on his chest, twisted into a more comfortable position.

Tick escaped from Zero again. Pouncing over to the bed, he leapt up onto the comforter, rushed over to Ash, sniffed at him, and then went to her other arm.
Cuddling beneath it, he closed his eyes before purring.
Zero came to the side of the bed, huffed, jumped up, and then nosed his son. Tick meowed loudly, batted a paw at him. Softly, Zero tugged at his tail. Tick
hissed angrily, his fur poofing up.

Alice reached down, worked Tick's tail free of Zero's jaws, and then tapped Zero on the head, "No... Be nice to Tick..."

Whirring, Zero's gears quickened. He crawled onto Alice, laid down, and then began to rumble out a satisfied growl.
Hatter lay pinned under it all. Groaning, he reached down, tried to shove Zero off, "Ow! Get off! You're squishing me! All of you are squishing me!"

Zero snuffled, pulled himself farther onto Alice, and then began to inspect Ash. Smelling him, he softly growled before taking the infant's hand in his mouth
softly and caressing it with his tongue.
Hatter slumped under Alice, "Alice... could you get Zero off... Please?"

Alice poked at Zero, "C'mon... Get off..."

Huffing, Zero rolled off of her. Attacking the corner of her dress, he pulled at it furiously, growling for her to stand up.
Alice stood up, both Ash and Tick in her arms. Tick purred contentedly, Ash staring at the cat with wide eyes.
Smiling, Alice bounced both of them up and down. "Oh, yes! You like the kitty, Ash? Yes, you do! Yes, you do!"

Hatter took in a sigh happily, picked up the fabric of the bonnet, "Finally... I can breath again..."

Three days passed. On the third day, Jabberwock reached the Crystal Coast, smug that no one had yet found him. He wandered across the shores, stealing
out of sight whenever he saw people coming. After a few hours of searching, he found his way to the ruins of Imaginine, where fire and the sword had laid the
Imagineer city to waste.
He decided he would stay there for the night before moving on.

Also on the third day, Maynard was found hiding out in the warrens by a small village where he could snatch girls away, have his macabre fun with them, and
then return them later, dazed, bewildered, and drugged by herbs that grew abundantly in the warrens.
He was dragged back up to the capital, where Chesapeake and Lyona lectured him on and on about how this was not going to help him in any way. They then
sent him down to the dungeons where he'd be branded again for the rapes.
He ended up with seven new 'R's marching up and down his forearms.

Now that Maynard was back in the castle, Hatter became very, very grumpy, for, once he had found his way out of the dungeons, Maynard began to appear
around their corner of the castle, looking like a hungry dog searching for a cat he knew was nearby. Hatter moved Alice to a new room on the fourth floor,
making sure that Maynard would hear nothing of it. Every time he went out, he would demand that she open the door to no one but him and March and
anybody she knew personally.
Pretty soon, after a week of not leaving her room except for meals, Alice grew tired of being cooped up, and so would take Zero and Tick for walks, the two
trotting at her side as Ash either slept in her arms or glanced around with curious, new eyes.

The second day she took this up, she ran into Maynard.

She was returning from her walk around the castle grounds, cooing cheerfully to Ash as a bored Zero began bothering Tick's tail again, nipping at it and
making his child poof up in annoyance. Tick glared at him, put his tail in between his legs, and ran forward to hide by Alice's dress.
Alice laughed, "Zero! Don't do that! One day, you're going to bite his tail off or something!"

Zero gazed up at her, started to sneeze, but then froze. Eyes glittering, he glanced ahead. He sniffed tentatively before hissing softly and crouching down, his
gears rocketing to such a fast speed that the ticks blended together to make one dull whir.
Alice followed his gaze, saw nothing, "What is it, Ze-"

Maynard rounded the corner, tugging at new weights on his wrist angrily, cursing to himself. "Bliddy guards. 'Oh, you have to wear these again!' Argh!" He
stopped, banged the metal hard against the wall, growled when they refused to come off. "Those gits! I hate these! Hate, hate, hate, ha-" His eyes rose.
Instantly, he stiffened, stared at her.
He had changed. His once meticulously groomed hair was now long and ragged from the dirty ten months he had been away from any bath. Across his cheek
and chin was slight stubble.

The hair on the back of Alice's neck prickled in discomfort. "Oh... Hello, Maynard." Her voice carried distaste.

Maynard blinked before smiling softly, "Alice... How are you? I thought of you often."

"I'd rather not talk to you." said Alice bluntly, turned around to walk away.
Miffed, Maynard stalked forward quickly, coming close, and then stopped when Zero snarled at him, "You still have the bliddy dog... and a cat? When did that
happen?" His smile was hopeful, as if he hoped to lure her back with small talk.

"His name is Tick."

"Nice name... Whose baby?"

"He's mine and Hatter's."

Maynard's eyes snapped open, wide with disbelief. "Yours and Imagine's...?" he echoed. After a few moments of silence, his eyes grew hard and his face
furious, "You pleasured Imagine?"

"We got married." said Alice simply, turning to watch him warily.

The furious glint in Maynard's eyes turned into lustful longing, "Mm... Must have been absolutely... delightful..."

Alice turned around, began striding forward again. Suddenly, dark arms were around her chest, around Ash. Pulling her close, Maynard hissed, "When?"

Alice froze, heart beating hard in nervousness. If she tried to break out of his arms, she might hurt Ash...
"When what?"

"How long ago was he born?"

"... Seven days..."

Maynard mused over this for a few moments before releasing her and stepping back, "Seven days... Imagine must be so... pleased... " His voice dripped
malice and lust as his right hand travelled down her front.

Zero hissed furiously at him, snapped at him. Snarling, Maynard released her, stepped back from the huge dog, "Stupid dog!"

Alice shivered in relief before scurrying away from him. At her side, Zero growled in hatred, warning Maynard off as he started to come after Alice. Maynard
stopped, eying the Clockwork monster, before calling after Alice angrily, "You can't hide behind everyone else forever! I will get my time with you!"

Alice bit his lip before glancing back at him and asking softly, "Was... that a threat?"

"Say that it was." sneered Maynard, itching at his stomach.

Alice shuddered before striding away. The whole way, Zero cast black glares at the man, daring him to come close so that he could rip his legs off.
Tick was just relieved that Zero wasn't chewing on his tail.

That night, Alice and Hatter lay in bed together, Ash between them. They fell asleep, curled up around their child.
The next morning, Hatter blinked awake, his eyes bleary and cornered with night boogers. Yawning, he sat up, stretched, and then rubbed the blurs from his
eyes.
When he glanced up, he froze.

Maynard was bouncing Ash gently in his arms, the baby still asleep. Seeing Hatter awake, he smiled softly and whispered, "Such a beautiful baby boy,
Imagine... What is his name?"

Flinching, Hatter snarled, "Ash."

"Ah... Hello, Ash..." Maynard tickled the little baby's cheek before cuddling him close to his chest and lilting, "Imagine... How can something so lovely come
from such a monstrosity..." He stroked the infant's head softly, toying with the few black strands of hair.

As he slowly stood, Hatter growled warily, "Don't touch him."

Ignoring him, Maynard slowly raised angry eyes to Hatter and said calmly, "He doesn't even look like you, Imagine... Gray? Is that a recessive gene? There's
never been a gray child... It's rather a pleasant color... Calming..." His arms tightened visibly when Hatter took a step closer. "You come any closer and I'll snap
him in half!"

Hatter stiffened, quickly backed away. Slowly, carefully, he asked, "What... do you want?"
"Amazingly, I have no idea what. I just... want to touch..." Maynard cradled the baby, his arms loosening, and then murmured, "This could have been my
child..."

Hatter grimaced, "And that would have meant that you would have raped Alice. No. I prefer not to think of it that way."

Glancing lazily at him, Maynard said quietly, "I could snap his bones so easily... Cut him open with my claws... I don't think it is your place to be saying
threats..."

"It... wasn't a threat."

"Than a slur."

Hatter gulped before pleading, "Will you please give him back?"

Maynard's eyes suddenly glowed with an inner, predatory light, "Oho! You've grown soft, Hatter! This is pathetic!" Stepping back, he lowered his head to Ash's
head, kissed it softly, and then mumbled, "Your father is weak, little one... You should be ashamed..."

Hatter glowered at him, "Please."

"You never used to say 'please'. What you used to say is 'I'm going to tear your bliddy head off'... What happened to that?" Maynard went to the opposite side
of the bed, gazed down at Alice, and then continued softly, "Did dear Alice steal if from you? All your anger and hate? Or have I gotten it? I feel so... angry
right now..."

Hatter saw his brother's hands close around Ash's neck, roared, leapt for him. Startled, Maynard dropped him onto Alice's chest as Hatter hit him full-on.
Alice jerked awake as Ash let loose a wail as he awoke. Seeing the men struggling just a foot away, she grabbed up her baby, scooted to the opposite side of
the bed, stumbled up, and retreated to the corner where Zero and Tick was just coming awake.

Hatter's eyes flickered from yellow and green to black and then back again as Maynard tried to latch hands around his neck. Teeth bared in a excited, hate-
filled smile, Maynard bore down on Hatter, ignoring the punches in his determination.
Falling into madness, Hatter screamed his hate, swung out, knocked Maynard back. Instantly, he leapt forward, following this intruder who dared threaten his
family.

Zero staggered up, growled, and placed himself between Alice and the two fighting men. Horrified, Alice stammered, "Z-Zero! Go help- go help Hatter!"

Zero refused to move. However, Tick bounded forward, but, instead of engaging Maynard, he ran around the fight, assessing this battle from all viewpoints.

Maynard laughed as he met Hatter's charge by raking his claws across the man's face. As Hatter clapped hands over his face, startled by the pain, he grabbed
Hatter's shoulders, drove his knee up into Hatter's groin.
Hatter fell to his knees, letting loose a pained screech. Before he could stumble up, Maynard kicked up harshly. His foot connected with his enemy's face.

Hatter fell backwards, gasping as his nose gushed blood. Smiling victoriously, Maynard strode to his side, knelt, and whispered, "Imagine... You're such a
weakling... I'll make sure you're buried somewhere nice after I take Alice for myself..." He started to stand.

Hissing, Hatter lurched up, tackled the surprised Maynard down. Before Maynard could react, he dug his sharp teeth deep into Maynard's neck.
Maynard froze as Hatter started to chew. His eyes rolled backwards in inward pain as he gasped.

Tick went beserk, fuzzing out like a sea urchin as he saw what was happening. Sprinting back to Zero, he cowered underneath the rumbling Clockwork
creature.
Hatter moaned with pleasure, drawing himself up to arch over Maynard as he tasted blood for the first time in many months. Tears rolled down Maynard's
cheeks as he raised his claws, tried to shove Hatter off, but Hatter wouldn't move, too obsessed with the taste.

Alice was in tears, as was Ash in her arms, "Hatter! Stop it!"

Hatter did not recognize her voice. To him, it was a distant echo. All he needed to worry about was restraining this impudent as he had his meal.

Slowly, Zero padded forward, sniffing warily at the metallic scent of blood in the air. Coming close to Hatter, he regarded him for a moment before suddenly
charging Hatter and knocking him off Maynard.
Yelping, Hatter quickly stumbled to his feet as Maynard hastily crawled to the door, his throat gushing blood from the good sized hole in it, and letting himself
out. Instantly, Hatter licked his lips, started stalking to the door.

"Hatter!" wailed Alice.

Pausing, Hatter turned glazed, black eyes to Alice before sniffing and exiting the room, intent on finishing his meal.
"Zero! Get him!" demanded Alice desperately, gazing at her pet pleadingly.

Zero sniffed, went to the door, nosed it shut, and then called a gruff order to Tick. Hastily running over, Tick jumped upon his father's back, stepped through
the gears, and then reached up to bat the lock to the 'locked' position.

Alice stared as Zero turned, growled a warning to her, and settled down in front of the door so she wouldn't be able to leave.

"Z-Zero..."

A friendly snarl, as if to say 'You're not going out and neither of them is coming in. You need to be safe.'

Ash finally quieted in Alice's arm, glared at her with watery eyes. Gulping nervously, Alice forced a agitated smile and brushed away a hair lock from his face,
"Oh, hello, Ash... I'm... sorry if we woke you..."

Ash just stared up at her, his blue eye and his green eye confused.

Chapter 37: Two Presents from The Jabberwocky

March strode down the hall, muttering angrily to himself as his nose twitched nervously. "Hats! Where are you, Hatter?" He stopped, cocked his ears to the
side, and then sniffed, "Bliddy Hats..."

Behind him, Alice gazed solemnly at the long gray ears, hoping they would hear something. "Do you have any idea where he could have gone?" She had left
Ash with May, who had happily accepted to babysit.

March glanced around, pursed his lips, and then turned to ruffle her hair. "Of course, Alice. We just need... to find them, that's all. You said Maynard right?"

"He tried to get away. Maybe he did?"

"And then Hatter would be wandering about looking for a meal... Ho hum... That wouldn't be good." Wheeling about on his heel, March continued down the
corridor, calling Hatter's name.

They searched for fifteen more minutes, checking all the unlocked rooms, the empty halls, and the stone staircases on the lower level that they came across.
Finally, they found Hatter, curled up on the floor, full and sleeping.
March grabbed him up, dragged him back to Alice's room. The whole way, Hatter never woke up, too absorbed in his dreams.
As Alice frantically tended to Hatter, wiping away the drying blood from his skin, March went off to search for Maynard.

Maynard fumed in his cell, shivering under a bloody blanket. When March came to the bars, it took him a while before he noticed it, but he instantly bared his
teeth and rasped, "What do you want, you bliddy rabbit?"

Fur fluffing up, March growled, "You tried to kill Hatter's son."

"So what if I did?" Maynard turned on his cot so that his back faced March, slumped, and then pulled the covers around him tighter.

"I could have the governors send you back to the Shadowlands as a murderer, not a rapist. I think the punishment would be greater, no?"

Stiffening, Maynard slowly glared about at him before hissing, "You wouldn't!"

"I would!" threatened March, fur bristling. "I'd tell them especially that you tried to kill Alice's child. Think about how the Jabberwock would take that!"

"Jabberwock..." mused Maynard, distracted. "Jabberwock knows of the baby already?"

"Yes, he came and saw it before running off."

"Oh! He ran off!" Leaping up, Maynard left the blanket behind, ran to the bars, and pressed up against them, curious and excited. "Jabberwock ran off?
Really?"

March stared up at him. His neck was throroughly ripped away. As he watched with disgust, he could see little threads of flesh knotting themselves together,
trying to heal. "Um... yes... They're going to find him though."

Maynard smiled, eyes far-off, "Does Jabberwock like him?"

"What?"

"Does Jabberwock like his grandson?"

"...Yes. Why?"

Maynard's grin grew bright, "Just wondering..." Turning about, he strolled back to his cot, picked up the blanket, and began ripping shreds from it. He knotted
these around his neck to make a bandage.

March said dryly, "If you're planning something... I can have you-"

"For the moment, the only thing I'm planning on is getting out of this cell again and going to have something to eat... I'm hungry." Maynard commented, his
eyes glittering.

March cast a suspicious glare at him, "Okay, then... Just stay away from Alice and Hatter, okay?"

"Fine. I'll stay away from them."

Nodding, March backed away before turning and scurrying down the hall.

During the next week, Hatter and Alice kept watch for Maynard, certain he would come again. However, they were relieved when they saw no signs of interest
from him. Slowly, they calmed, went back to their busy lives of taking care of Ash.
Jabberwock was found, dragged back to the Shadowlands. He had begun building a little shelter in the rubble of Imaginine, only to have some local salvagers
notice him and report to the local regent, who, in turn, reported to the capital. Bandersnatch was overjoyed at the news, oversaw the capture of his brother,
and lectured him severely on running away.

With both Jabberwock gone and Maynard's interest banished, Hatter started to relax again physically, his tenseness vanishing, as did his constant suspicion.
The month dragged on slowly.

Then, exactly twenty-seven days after the incident, Maynard decided to act. Alice woke up to Hatter's furious mutters. Sitting up, she saw him pacing the
room, his fingers fidgeting together nervously, his eyes wide and frantic. "Hatter?"

Jerking about to see her, Hatter swallowed the air in his suddenly dry mouth, squeaked, "Alice!"

"What's wrong?" Alice rubbed her eyes wearily. "What time is it? It's still night-time!"

Hatter's eyes watered, "Alice..."

Sensing the choked-up sound that usually accompanied tears, Alice eyes widened, her body tensing, "What's wrong?"

Hatter crawled onto the bed, hugged her to his chest, and then burst out sobbing. Alice felt his hot tears against her shoulder, his fingers clawing into her
back in his grief. Lost, she repeated her question again and again until Hatter rasped, "A-A-Ash..."

Her blood froze. "Ash? What's wrong with Ash?"

"He's gone... He's not in the crib..." Hatter's sobs intensified.

Alice blinked before slowly wriggling out of his hold, "What? He's gone?"

Hatter's 'yes' was choked with sobs.

Sliding out from beneath him, Alice hurried over to the crib, glanced over the edge, and froze. Only the smooth top of the blanket stared up at her, the ruffles
of the knitted blanket balled up in the corner.
No Ash to be seen.

Once Hatter had stopped bawling and recovered from his shock, he and Alice went to wake the guard corps. At the news of the kidnapping, the soldiers
hastily readied themselves, and, a half-hour later, half rode out on their horse-flies to search for the missing baby while another stayed behind to search the
castle.
Maynard was nowhere to be found, as was one of the destrier horse-flies.

Morning came, the sunset colored pink and yellow against the purple sky before fading to the usual light blue. The clouds travelled happily across the sky, not
heeding the desperate and agitated mood below in Wonderland's capital. The peasants whispered rumor that Lady Alice's child had been kidnapped by the
rapist Shadowlander who had terrorized them so many months before.
They were exactly right.

The day passed, and so did the next, with no news of either rider or victim. Alice and Hatter began to lose hope, remembering Maynard's intent to kill the
infant a month before. What would stop him now from doing that? They began to withdraw to their room and cry together, missing their little baby.
March, Zero, and Tick tried to comfort them, the latter two trying to distract their grief with little antics of play-fighting. Alice might giggle before lapsing into
sadness, but Hatter was unshakable. His tears would not stop, and, when he was dry, he would just lay in bed and shiver.

His heart was breaking, simple as that. He wanted his son back, he wanted his child, and he hated Maynard all the more as he thought about it. He had
fathered a child with Alice, and his desire to have that child back began to destroy his confidence and will. He stopped eating, talking, unless if it was with
Alice. Even then, Alice would have to insist for him to eat, would have to repeat questions many times before he would answer. His eyes developed a
permanent glitter of miserable loss and anxiety.

When it had been a month since Ash's disappearance, Hatter let go of all hope, slumped into a horrible time of withdrawal for a few days where he would do
nothing but sit and stare with sorrowful eyes at the empty crib, and then began to open up again. Slowly, he began to venture out of the room with Alice and
March, began to regain his strength.
Then, a month and a week after Ash's and Maynard's disappearance, he approached Alice and asked for another child.

Alice hadn't given up hope, but she agreed with Hatter.

Then, just a week later, urgent news came from the Shadowlands that the Jabberwock would be coming over the next day. A miserable Bander came through
before, gave his condolences, and then vanished back through the Looking Glass to prepare his bags for the next day.
Hatter was still very solemn, but his attitude had been becoming increasingly better. He didn't mind Jabberwock coming through as long as he didn't try to
take Alice from him again.

The next day, Hatter and Alice sat on the bed, talking quietly to each other when March burst in, his ears erect and his fur poofed up, "Hats! Alice! The
Jabberwock's here!"

Hatter lifted dull eyes to watch his friend before smiling faintly, "Very well... We're coming..." He stood, offered his hand to Alice.

Alice took it, embraced him, and whispered, "Try to be happy."

Hatter caressed her head softly, kissed the top of the blonde head, "I'll try."

They locked Zero and Tick in the room and followed the bouncy, excited March Hare to the Governors' office. As they neared the door, they saw the
Shadowlander escort milling outside, talking happily among themselves, flirting with the two disgruntled Governors. Unlike before, they seemed casual and
laid-back this time, clapping each other on the backs and joking around.
Alice gazed at them curiously, Hatter ignored them, and they both strayed past the guards into the room. From the group of guards, Bander gazed at them
sullenly.

Instantly, Alice lay squeaking in Jabberwock's arms as he exclaimed, "Alice! Oh, I missed you!" He squeezed her tightly before releasing her and whispering,
"I've brought my son! You want to see him?"

Alice smiled softly, "Sure..."

Motioning with a hand, Jabberwock beamed proudly as an elegantly dressed lady stepped forward, a small bundle in her arms. Alice regarded Jabberwock's
son and smiled. Dressed in a soft, velvet imitation of a formal suit, he wiggled happily. Soft yellow eyes stared up at her before the child squeaked a laugh,
reached up for her hair.

Hatter's face grew miserable, his mind tortured with memories, "Jabberwock..."

"Huh? Oh, Hatter. You want to see too?" Jabberwock sneered, obviously knowing his pain.

"I just lost a son... This is painful..."

"Oh, about that, I have presents for both of you, to show that I am truly and deeply feeling..." Jabberwock's voice was mocking as he placed a hand against his
chest and shook his head in fake sorrow.

Alice glared at him fiercely. How dare he make fun of her and Hatter's sorrow!

Turning, Jabberwock picked up a plain, wooden box tied shut with rough cord, turned again, and then held it out to Hatter, his eyes suddenly hard, "Alice will
not see what is in it. You will open it in that corner and Alice will stay in that corner." He motioned to two different corners of the room.

Nodding, Hatter took the present, slowly walked over to his assigned corner, and began to loosen the ties. After a few tugs, the knot popped free, and Hatter
pulled the lid from the box. Immediately, he froze when he saw what was inside.
March bounced over, "What's in the box? What's in the-" He stopped, stared, and then turned and retched, vomiting on the floor. Gasping, he snarled at
Jabberwocky, "What the bliddy heck did you do to-"

Jabberwock crossed his arms, smirked, "I put him through the same process as Hatter... I hope you're happy. I had my fun with him before he died. I know that
I am happy... although Bander isn't... Where's Bander?"

Bander's muffled, miserable voice came through the closed door, "I'm not going to come in with him like that..."

His eyes glittering with hateful glee, Hatter glared up at Jabberwock and rasped, "Where is my son?"

"And that's Alice's present." Turning to Alice, Jabberwock smiled before pulling her to a large wooden box whose lid wasn't all the way on, "I wasn't sure how
to wrap him, but I wanted it to be a surprise." He let her go, waited.

Alice pounced on the box, shoved off the top, and then stared down at the familiar gray infant who stared up from his bed of blankets. Slowly, carefully, she
reached down, picked up Ash, and then burst into joyful tears as Ash giggled at her touch, "Oh, thank you! Thank you!" She clutched Ash to her chest.

Jabberwock smiled softly, "Maynard came about two weeks ago with him, said he would give him to me if I wiped his slate clean and allowed him back.
Personally, I thought that he had killed you to steal him, so... I..." He glanced back at Hatter, who was staring at Ash with joyful eyes, the box still in his hand,
"...Did things to him. Ash was rather sick, so I gave him to my wife to be nursed back to health... So I know she's good for something." He glared at the
Shadowlander princess.

Hatter set down the box, wandered over to Alice, and then wrapped his arms around both her and Ash. Hugging them gently as tears trickled down his cheeks
to drip off his chin, he whispered, "Oh... We have him back, Alice..."

"Giftwrapped and all..." Alice joked, too happy for words.

Releasing Alice, Hatter turned to Jabberwock, regarded him, and then embraced his father-in-law, "Thank you, Jabberwock."

The Jabberwocky stiffened, staring down at Hatter, and then glanced helplessly at Alice, mouthed, 'Help?'

Alice giggled, wiped some tears from her flushed cheeks, "Hatter, come here... Hold Ash for me."

Hatter instantly stood before her, arms out to recieve his son, his eyes bright and ecstatic. Handing Ash to him, Alice watched as Hatter cradled him in his
arms happily before looking at Jabberwock and asking, "Could I hold your baby?"

Jabberwock nodded happily, "Of course! He's your brother, if you think about it." Glancing back, he barked an order to the princess, who strode forward, held
out the baby to Alice. Alice took him and bounced him up and down, seeing the baby's eyes flash yellow, green, blue, red, white, and then back to yellow
again as he stared up at her face, a thumb in his mouth. "His name's Sanxi, right?"

Nodding, Jabberwock grinnned, "Yes. Sanxi Jabberwock. Since he's your brother, would that make him Ash's uncle? Is that how it works? Yes, of course. Guess
it helps that Sanxi's older."

Alice laughed before hearing March's surprised squeak behind her. Turning, she saw March trying to tug his ear out of Ash's grasp. Hatter roared with laughter,
"Serves you right, March! You were teasing him with those ears!"

March mumbled as his whiskers trembled, "I didn't expect him to grab- AY! No, no, no! Don't put my ear in your mouth! No!"

Ash sucked at the end of March's gray ear, wide-eyed and staring at March's indignant face.

Jabberwock chuckled, pulled Sanxi from Alice's arms, and then bounced him up and down, "Well, well... I must warn you about Sanxi then, March. He's
teething right now. It'll hurt a lot more if it was with him than if it's with Ash."

March sucessfully pulled his ear from Ash's small fist, pulled it down in front of his face, and then began to pinch off the spit, grimacing. As soon as he was
finished, he let it pop back up, straight in the air, and then sniffle, "I'll keep that in mind."

Hatter and Alice cooed over Ash for the next hour, breaking their obsessed fascination with their child only to talk a few phrases. Jabberwock became quite
irritated, drowned his frustration by tending to Sanxi.
Afterwards, however, Hatter took his 'present' and his family back to the room, locked the door, and then went to where Zero was sleeping in the corner.
Nudging him awake, Hatter knelt, holding the wooden box in his hands, and asked, "Zero... Would you mind eating something for me?"

Zero glared up at him sleepily before yawning. Staggering up, he butted Hatter in the chest gently.
Setting the box down, Hatter glanced back to see Alice watching him curiously, smiled nervously, "I don't think you want to see this, Alice."

"What's in the box?" Alice asked, cradling Ash in her arms.

"Maynard's head." said Hatter simply, bluntly.

Alice gulped, her mouth suddenly dry, "His... head?"

"Without any eyes, ears, tongue, or nose." Pulling the box to him so that his body blocked Alice's view of it, he opened the top, reached in, and grabbed a
fistful of sticky hair, "It's rather disgusting."

Alice turned away, heard a digusting -squelch- as Hatter pulled the thing up out of its box. Quietly, Hatter asked, "So... Zero? Will you eat it?"

Sniffing at it, Zero blinked before sneezing, seizing it in his metal jaws, and turning to hide his eating in the corner. Tick meowed, scurried up on Zero's back,
and tried to peer over Zero's head, curious.
Standing, Hatter brushed the tainted hand across his pants, smelled it, snorted the smell out of his nose, and then turned, throwing the box down to the side,
"Disgusting."

Alice shivered at the sickening ripping and devouring sounds that came from the corner. Jumping, startled, as Hatter's hand found her shoulder, she forced
herself not to look back at him lest she cast a glimpse of Zero's meal, "Could we change rooms after this...? Please?"

"Of course... Anything you want." Hatter hugged her, his hands crossed over her stomach, and then whispered, "Maybe I should have waited another week
before asking for another child..."

"It's okay... We can have two children!" Giggling, Alice turned around in his arms, kissed him on the cheek.

Hatter smiled softly, kissed her back on the lips, "If you're fine with it..."

Chapter 38: A new Baby and a Warning

Jabberwock stayed for a week, using every excuse he could muster to get out of going back to Shadowlands. Finally, Bandersnatch cornered him in the
Governors' office, forced him back through the Looking Glass with not as much as a 'Goodbye' to anyone. Without the chatty Shadowlander guards, the castle
resumed its usual silence, the echoing halls having nothing to repeat as the guards stalked around on their daily patrols.

When March found out that the Mad Hatter and Alice were planning on having another child in nine months, he asked May if they could have more children.
May's response, a disbelieving shriek, made it all the way to Alice, who was walking about in the halls: "Are you kidding? Are you bliddy kidding? They're
going to have two children in all! I already have three! Three, do you hear that, Marchie? I don't want seven little poofs running about! Just wait till these ones
grow up!"

A few minutes later, Alice heard the quick patter of feet behind her, looked back just to see a blur as March raced past her. "Watch out, Alice! May's on an
bliddy rampage!"

May appeared at the end of the hall, her calico fur puffed out. "Marchie! Come back here!"

"Sorry! I can't hear you!"

Alice watched May chase March away, stared, and then giggled nervously. What a funny couple!

Hatter came back that night with all sorts of baby clothes, plus a little baby's bonnet that he had made himself. As a joke, he had also made a little top hat, a
little lopsided, but still cute whenever it sat upon Ash's head.
Ash's hair grew like mad over the next month. From the few black strands burst forth a little bush of dark hair, contrasted sharply with his light gray skin.
March began hiding away in Hatter and Alice's room whenever May became angry. Between the three babies and herself, she had become very grumpy and
often took it out on March whenever she had a bad day. However, she soon figured out where he was hiding, would storm in, drag the sullen March out.

As the third month since Ash had come back drew to a close, Alice developed a small bump on her abdomen. Excited, she showed Hatter right away, who
smiled softly and said, "That's lovely, Alice... Do you think it'll be gray again?"

Alice hoped not, but didn't tell Hatter this.

In the seventh month of her second pregnancy, Ash learned how to crawl, using his windmilling arms to pull himself across the floor. This scared the heck out
of Tick, who had come to think of the baby as a 'stationary' object. Zero happily became the babysitter when no one else was available and Hatter and Alice
wanted some alone time.
The baby was born at eight and a half months, turning out to be a beautiful baby girl who had a full head of blonde hair. Her skin, much to Alice's relief, was a
pearly peach. Her eyes, however, were a sickly yellow, which made Hatter nervous.
Hatter insisted that Alice name this baby, so Alice chose the name 'Fleur'. She knew it meant something in French, just not what. When she tried to explain
why she had chosen it to Hatter, he regarded her inquisitively and asked, "French?"

Alice just stopped trying after a while.

Sometimes, Hatter would mutter, "They all look weird because of me!"

Alice would glower at him as she bounced her two children, "I like them like this! They're cute!"

Faltering, Hatter would reply, "But... I didn't mean it in a bad way..." Afterwards, he would get a look of guilt on his face and sulk about.

Tick was obsessed with the two little children once he got over the fear of Ash crawling. Every day, he would let Ash chase his tail around, saving it in time
from the baby's longing little fingers, and, if Ash did manage to seize his tail, he would whirl about, roll the baby over easily, and prance about as Ash giggled
happily.
Because of this, Ash never needed any toys, or a teddy bear for that matter. At night, when he lay in his crib, Tick would sneak in, curl up beside the little
baby, and shiver under the blankets, warming both himself and his bedmate. In the morning, Ash would have his chubby, gray arms around the cat, hugging it
to his small chest.

Zero began to grow jealous and would lay on Tick to prevent him from creeping away in the middle of the night. This eventually led to a fight in the middle of
the night, waking Hatter and Alice as the two things battled it out in the corner, yowling and hissing as metal scraped against metal.
Afterwards, Tick was temporarily banished from the room by Zero, who would chase him away whenever the cat tried to come in. This exile lasted for a few
days before Zero finally forgave his son, brought him back into the room. However, Tick was still forbidden to go anywhere near the crib, or Zero became very
ornery and bit harshly at his tail.

Tick still managed to find ways, however. Sometimes, he would pretend to creep under the bed to catch a mouse or a bug, only to come out on the other side,
leap up on the bed, sneak across, and then leap from bed to crib. Most of the time, Zero didn't catch him this way. Other times, Tick would distract Zero with a
little ball that Hatter had brought in for them one day, batting it harshly away before leaping up hurriedly into the crib and huddling under the blanket so he
would not be found.

Alice thought this exceptionally cute and began to wish for home. What if she could go back and get a camera, at least? Take a few pictures of her children
and send them back through to her mom with a note: 'Hi, Mom. Alice here. I've gotten married. These are my two children. Aren't they cute? Have a nice day!
-Alice'.
She kept her desire secret from everyone, though, especially Hatter.

Jabberwock came the week after Fleur was born, excited that he had another grandchild. With him, he brought a few itty-bitty dresses, intricately and
delicatelly sewn for little baby girls.
Cradling Fleur in his arms as he followed Alice about the room, Jabberwock crooned, "Yes... You a good baby... Good baby..."

Fleur stared at him, her yellow eyes wide and a little drop of drool dripping out of the side of her mouth.
Alice laughed as she folded one of the five little dresses and put it in the wardrobe, "You're scaring her!"

Jabberwocky flicked the spit away from the baby's mouth, "No, I'm not. Tell your mommy I'm not scaring you, huh, Fleur? I'm not scaring you."

In response, Fleur whined, screwed her eyes shut, and tried to turn in his arms.

"Okay, okay! She's scared! She wants you!" said Jabberwock hurriedly, dumping Fleur into Alice's arms. As Alice soothed her little girl, he gazed at her before
sighing, "Alice... I've got a favor to ask?"

"What?" said Alice, not paying much attention to him as she cooed at her baby.

Jabberwocky glowered at her before saying, "Once you pay attention, I will tell you."

Alice sighed, walked past him, sat on the bed, and then motioned to him, "I'm paying attention."

"Now you are..." Jabberwock grimly said, slumping down beside her, "Well... You know that council leader who I killed when you escaped...? There's a new
man, a very annoying young man who reminds me way too much of Maynard... Well... So-said council member's been riling up the council with... things. I'm
just worried..."

"How's that 'asking a favor'?" questioned Alice, watching him with confused eyes.

"Well... He hates Wonderland, and he's making the whole council hate Wonderland... I have to sit in on one of their meetings every two months, and the last
one was very... unnerving, to say in the least." Coughing, Jabberwock drew a clawed right hand to his chest and mimicked, "'Wonderland is populated with
maggots and loathsome little animals who have risen and struck down man! It is an open and bleeding wound on our treaties' and such other things... Like we
have any other treaties..." Jabberwock sniffed dryly before muttering, "I think they'll try something. I just want you to ask Hatter to send a couple more guards
up to the border, that's all... Just to be safe. I've heard he's still pretty important in the general scheme of things..."

Alice stared at him before asking irritably, "Can't you stop them?"

"They have three free decisions per month... They could start a war with any of those..." sighed Jabberwock.

"Can't you tell them not to? I mean, you're the King!"

"I've tried already. That git scoffs at me, says I'm weak because I fraternize with you..." Jabberwock stood, went over to the wall, and then dragged a claw
across it, musing thoughtfully. "And the council has been protecting him... I tried to have his mind, but the guards stopped me, said that I could not touch
him..." He sighed.

"I didn't mean kill them..."

"If that's the only way, I'll be happy doing that..." muttered Jabberwocky. "I'd do anything to stop an invasion on Wonderland. One reason: you're here, and so
are my two beautiful grandchildren..." Lovingly, he glanced over at Ash, who was hugging a meowing Tick to his chest, and then to Fleur, who had fallen
asleep in Alice's arm. "Another reason... I like Wonderland. During the time I lived here, I felt so free... There's no executions... I have no idea why I tried
making Wonderland more like the Shadowlands anymore... It seems stupid now. I guess I thought fear would help me crush the resistance..." He wandered
over to Ash, sat down behind him, and then drew him to his lap. Ash fell over in surprise, squeaking, and then windmilled his arms, laughing gaily as he tried
to sit back up.

Alice pondered what he had just told her before forcing a joke, "You've got all the resistance you need in your lap! Look at him!"

Gravely, Jabberwock glanced at her and whispered, "I'm not kidding, Alice. I really think they'll try something."

Alice's blood chilled at his serious tone, his sullen face, his darkened yellow eyes. "I... was just trying to cheer you up..."

Smiling softly, Jabberwocky stood, Ash in his arms, Tick at his feet, and strode over to her. He bent down, kissed Alice atop her head, and then whispered,
"Thank you for that, Alice, but I really mean what I say. I don't want you to get hurt, nor Ash or Fleur. Hatter doesn't matter." Ignoring Alice's squeak of
indignation, he continued, "If it comes to it and you're stuck here, I'm going to make a deal with Time again, but with the real Time, and the clocks will be
there for you if you need to escape. If it never comes, then it never comes, but I want to make sure that no harm comes your way... especially you..." He
stroked her head, his eyes soft and worried.

Alice stared up at him, a dark feeling wiggling at the bottom of her stomach. He was so convinced that he was going to risk talking to Time again, maybe even
to Pendulum...

"Do you understand? You promise that, no matter what, if they get here and start battering down the gates, you'll escape?"

"...Y-y-yes..."

"Say 'I promise'."

"I promise to escape if the bad guys get here." said Alice softly, shivering at the thought.

Jabberwock smile dropped and he mumbled, "I just really hope that it doesn't happen, Alice... I'll do what I can in the Shadowlands, but, just in case..." He sat
by her, put an arm around her shoulders, and hugged her somberly.
"I just want you to be safe."

Chapter 39: The Warning takes Meaning

The Jabberwock returned to the Shadowlands next day. The second he could escape Bander, he strayed away to the council room, intent on finding the
council member who was stirring up so much hate against Wonderland.
He was a stocky fellow, an Eater who had dropped from the Eater training to take up the spare spot in the council. Other than a missing ear, a product of a
duel long ago, he was a bright, young man, about twenty, and Jabberwock could not bring himself to believe that this boy could rile up so much resentment.
He did look so much like... him.

Shuffling papers as Jabberwock came in, the council member glanced up, smiled broadely, and dropped in a bow, "Milord, welcome back."

"Hello..." said Jabberwocky stiffly, his eyes scouting about and seeing no one.

Returning to his papers, the man whistled through his teeth, filed the parchment away in a small chest, closed the box, locked it, and then hung the key
around his neck. "Well... If you were planning to watch our meeting, I'm sorry to say that you are late..."
"I did not want to watch."

The council member paused, slowly turned his black eyes towards his King, "You are here for something, sire. I can tell that much."

"I want you to tell me what you're planning for Wonderland." Jabberwock took a step forward.

After staring at him for a few moments, the council member smirked, "Oh. You're worried, your Highness?"

"I just want to know."

"We were actually talking all about that in the meeting." The man busied himself with gathering up the quills and the spent ink pots. "We've decided that it
cannot be tolerated."

"We or just you?" Jabberwock's face set in a grim mask of hate.

"Well... I was the only one for it at the beginning of the meeting, but then I presented my case and they agreed."

"What are you going to do?"

"We're going to try something new."

"Such as?"

"We'll send in a small assassin squad to take the capital. Once we take it, we'll put in an appropriate leader. They'll still have their freedom, literally speaking,
but it will be the Shadowlands that will have governing rights. Nothing much."

"What about the treaty?"

"That is why we're not launching a full-out war." The man turned, started towards the door.

Snarling, Jabberwock blocked him, "I forbid it!"

Startled, the council member stared at him before sniffing, "You are biased, Milord... We're not going to lay the whole land to waste."

"I forbid you to do anything to Wonderland!"

"I am sorry, sir, but we have already used one of our rightful rulings to bring this about. The assassin squad is being rounded up right now, and they will
embark in a few days."

"At least warn them!"

"And have a whole army against our little regiment? No, I don't think so... And we will be going up by the south, just in case you have said anything..." The
council member latched a suspicious eye upon Jabberwocky.

"I said nothing." lied Jabberwocky, crossing his arms. "And there is no need for an assassin squad... We can negotiate with them. I can work out a deal."

"Your Highness, your Highness... That is exactly your problem. You're just too... diplomatic now. The Jabberwock that I used to know, the real Jabberwock, was
the one who jumped to brash decisions. Now, you're taking everything carefully and cautiously, all because of your Alice." The man spat her name with
hatred. "You forgot your kingdom for a stupid brat who's gone and betrayed you for an enemy! You nearly killed herself because of her, and that is what she
does for you? You should abandon her and never look back!"

With a quiver of anger in his voice, Jabberwock spat, "Just as Father disbanded your father from our family?"

The man froze, eyes wide, and then muttered, "That has nothing to do with this conversation. Father was disbanded for utterly selfish reasons on part of the
former King."

"And I attended his execution when he tried to overthrow Father. Is treason a reason to be selfish when you are the one who will be betrayed?" Jabberwocky
smiled when he saw that this personal conversation was making the man extremely uncomfortable.

Slowly, glinting with anger, the Shadowlander's eyes glared up at the King, "I've been raised out of this family, nursed on tales of how grand and nice it is to
actually live so close to the King, and I've just gotten close enough to actually start to feel as part of the family again. I will not let this go to ruin! My father
always talked so enviously of you that I could only swear that I was in paradise when I found that I would be so close... 'Cept you've changed, and you've
changed for the worse, all because of miserable, little Wonderland. Wouldn't you agree... Uncle?" His tone challenged the Jabberwock.

"You are not permitted to call me that." snarled Jabberwocky, claws clenching at his side.

"Just because of my Father's sins?" growled the man, turning away from him. "I see no fairness in that!"

"My brother tried to kill Father!" Jabberwock hissed.

"And he nearly bliddy succeeded too!" roared the council member, losing his temper. "And I wouldn't be the one ordering an attack on Wonderland now,
would I, if that were the bliddy case?"

Jabberwock stared at the man in disbelief as he turned about, stomped back to the table, and began furiously pacing around it, waiting for Jabberwocky to
move. Softly, seeing that there was no way to change his estranged nephew's mind, he said, "What sort of assassin squad are you sending?"

"Five dragon legionnaires. That should do the job quite nicely..." mumbled the man, his face tired from his sudden outburst.

"Could... Could I ask for Alice's safety? And my grandchildrens'?"

"Fine, fine... I will have it arranged..." said the man grudgingly, refusing to meet eyes with him.

Sighing with both relief and frustration, Jabberwocky turned and strode out of the room.

That night, Jabberwocky made two important arrangements. The first, with the forever loyal Adameer, was to make sure that the Wonderland takeover would
not change in anyway and so not hasten to destroy the beautiful country. Jabberwock truly believed that Wonderland had a chance if it was only five dragon
legionnaires, even though it would send many of the cards to the grave just trying.

The other was with Pendulum, who was on duty in Time's domain that night. Grudgingly, Pendulum took his plea to his master, recieved the answer, and then
came back with a sullen, "Yes."
As Jabberwock sighed with happy relief and started to close the clock's face, Pendulum said softly, "Is... Alice okay?"

"Yes, she is." said Jabberwock gruffly.

"She was with child when I tried to eat her... A very small child, not developed... Did she have a child?"

"Two."

"Are they little?"

"...Yes."

A wretched sob pushed through the clock, startled Jabberwock severely. "Master won't let me have any more children... I want more..."

Blinking, Jabberwock hurriedly pushed the clock face shut, took in a deep breath as the sullen cries stopped.

A week passed before the small assassin squad left, pounding towards Wonderland on their heavy warhorse-flies. The day they left, Adameer came up, grimly
waving a short council order about in his hands.

By order of the Royal Council, directed to the Assassin Squad assigned to Wonderland:
One) You will see to it that all governing bodies in the Wonderland governing body are swiftly executed.
Two) You will see to it that resistance is crushed and dealt with harshly.
Three) You will see to it that all personal relations to the King are permanently severed. This includes the previous Wonderland Ambassador, his wife, his close
companion (the furred one), and any others in their company, be they children or women or animals.
Four) You will not alter course from your given route. You will only conquer the capital and only then spread outwards in search of above persons.

Jabberwock was furious. They thought he wouldn't see that they had sneaked Alice into the assassination objectives?
Before he could stomp to the council chambers and kill all these insolent gits who dared order his daughter's death, Adameer hurriedly asked him, "Do you
want me to go and warn-"

"Alice. Yes... Wait... Actually..." Jabberwocky turned to the clock, hurried to it, jerked open the cover, and then whispered harshly, "Pendulum!"

After a moment's pause, Pendulum sighed, "Umph... What do you want?" He sounded tired and sullen.
"Can I send someone through really quick? Please? I have a message that really needs to be delivered!"

"Hm... Give it to me and I'll take it."

Adameer stared at his King and the clock before squeaking, "You're making a deal with the Time monsters?"

"Yes... Pendulum? I need you to tell Alice that there's going to be five dragon legionnaires in Wonderland sometime in the next eight days and-"

Pendulum yawned, pushed a hand through the clock face, reached blindly, "Paper."

"I don't have a bliddy paper!"

"I don't do the memorization... Paper. Give me a paper."

Whirling about furiously, Jabberwock ripped the paper from Adameer's hands, pushed it into Pendulum's, and hissed, "Fine! Give that to Hatter!"

"Huh...? What happened to Alice...?"

"No more message for Alice! Just give that to Hatter!" With a solid kick, Jabberwock forced the claws back into the clock.

Alice and Hatter sat on their bed, cuddled up against one another as they crooned over their children. In Hatter's lap sat Ash, his nose running with a small
cold while Fleur lay asleep in Alice's arms.
Hatter teased Ash with a small stuffed bear he had brought home from his walk that afternoon. Ash stared up at the brightly colored toy before sniffling,
balling his fists in Hatter's shirt, and hiding his face from the bear.

Alice cradled Fleur and whispered, "He doesn't like it."

"Why?" complained Hatter, throwing the toy to the ground, where Zero was waiting. With the amount of toys that Hatter brought home and that Ash rejected,
he was growing rather fat. Leaping upon the plushie, he gobbled it down before sniffing at Hatter's feet, wanting another.

Alice giggled at him, reached down with a hand, and caressed her pet's head, "You're a moving trash can, aren't you?"

Zero sneezed into Hatter's pants before attacking the cloth. Hatter sighed, shoved him away with a foot, "And he doesn't mind if someone's wearing what he
is eating..."

Snuffling, Zero glanced up as Tick played with the only toy that had ever escaped him: a small mouse plush that had a bell nustled somewhere deep into its
stuffing. With longing eyes, he hacked a small growl.
Tick immediately seized the plushie in his teeth, scurried under the bed to prevent Zero from stealing his toy.

Alice laughed and leaned against Hatter's shoulder, "Look what you've done now! You've gone and made Zero a toy-eater!"

"Ick..." groaned Hatter, pulling Ash above his head, the little boy laughing as he flew threw the air with the help of his father's gentle hands, "I'll just have to
stop getting the soft ones then. Get little metal things so he doesn't want to swallow them."

Suddenly, Zero stiffened, gazing between the two to the door behind. He saw snaking black threads seep through the cracks of the door, pulling themselves
through before disappearing as they dropped to the carpet.
Pendulum quickly slid across the carpet, a flat shadow, as Hatter glanced back, "What? You mad at me for saying that, Zero? I don't mean it."

Pulling himself under the bed, Pendulum silently coughed up the small parchement, spat it out on the floor, and made to grab it up when a small frightened
squeak came from his right. Slowly, he glared over to see Tick, staring at this intruder, his gears whirring fast as his mind raced in confused anxiety.
Instantly, Pendulum lunged for him, only managed to bonk against the top of the bed as Tick sprinted out, yowling as his fur fuzzed up.

Leaping up, Hatter stared at the poofball as he ran to the corner, cowered there in fright. "What's wrong with you? Something under the bed?" He placed Ash
on the bed, knelt, and lifted the dust skirt to peer underneath.

Miserable, silver eyes met his, "... I wanted to hug my child's child..."

Jerking back, Hatter yelped, "P-Pendulum! What are you doing under my bed?"

Pendulum silently pulled himself out from under the bed, ignoring Alice's sharp intake of breath, and then held out a hand, the little letter in it, "Message."

"From who?"
"From the Shadowlander King." sniffed Pendulum, eyeing his grandchild in the corner with longing eyes. Immediately, Hatter took the paper.

Seeing that the new man was no threat, Tick cautiously tottered over, tail whipping from side to side as he drew close. Warily, he sniffed at Pendulum's mangy
pants, found them disgusting, and batted at it with a little hiss of disgust.
Bending down, Pendulum scooped him up. With deft fingers, he flipped him over, inspected the little gears that mad up the cat's underbelly with expert eyes.
"Hm... You're a cute little one... First grandchild, I might add..." He hugged Tick to his chest.

Zero butted up against his leg, whined for attention. Dropping down to sit upon the carpet, Pendulum petted his son's head lovingly, "You've made a
wonderful little child... And you've grown! Look at you now!"

Unrolling the paper, Hatter scanned his eyes over it, taking in the ornate, complex writing of the Shadowlands before stiffening and hissing, "What the bliddy
heck?"

"What is it, Hatter?" asked Alice, watching Pendulum warily as he saw Ash and crept towards the child.

"It's... an order... to assassinate us?"

Ignoring Hatter, Pendulum peered over the edge of the bed at Ash, who stared back, and then smiled, "Your child looks luscious, Alice."

Unnerved, Alice dragged Ash close and glared at Pendulum fiercely.

Grabbing Pendulum's head, Hatter flipped him back, glowered down at him, and waved the letter in the air angrily, "What is this? Jabberwock gave this to
you?"

"Yes... I took a nap before delivering it, if that changes anything." Yawning, Pendulum sat up, scratched at his gaunt belly slowly, and then licked his lips as he
gazed at Fleur, "Ooh... That one looks even more-"

"Did he say anything to you before giving you this?" asked Hatter angrily, his hand crumpling the paper.

"Hmm? Something about the bliddy beasties that disabled Master..."

"Dragons?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

Pendulum scratched his head, "Not more than ten, but not less than... three. I can't remember."

"Just exactly how long was your nap?" inquired Hatter furiously, throwing the ball of paper at him angrily.

"Hmm? Two days."

Without another word, Hatter stomped from the room, growling furiously under his breath.

Pendulum stayed another fifteen minutes, playing with Zero and Tick happily, ignoring a worried Alice. After he was satisfied, he bid her a polite farewell,
vanished out the door.
Alice, her soul agitated as she remembered Jabberwocky's warning, distracted herself by feeding her two babies and laying them down to sleep, whispering
reassuringly to them as they wormed under their blankets before falling asleep.
Just as the painful worry was fading away, the doorknob rattled before Hatter called, "Alice... The door is locked... Could you let me in!"

Leaping up, Alice scurried over to the door, yanked it open, "Hatter, what did the-" She trailed off, staring up at her husband.

The familiar, off-white dented armor, still stained with very old bloodstains, covered Hatter again. The dirty cloth bandages wrapped around his head just as
she remembered, and the metal mouth guard, etched in sharp little triangles, parted to reveal his sharp teeth as he grinned and held out his gauntleted
hands, "So? Remember this?"

Alice's eyes grew wide and round as she stared at him. It was like the first time she had met him, there in the Tea Party Garden, him and March devouring her
mom's boyfriend before her and the White Rabbit like it was some sort of game...
A past nightmare had stepped into her room.
Zero, from the quarter, gave a small growl, not recognizing Hatter in his get-up.
Recovering, she snapped irritably, "Take that off!"
Startled, Hatter asked innocently, "What? I've been unprepared for all the fights since you came back, and now I'm going to be ready and waiting... I just
needed to make sure this still fit... Little tight around the middle..." He fingered the chewed up length of cloth that rounded his middle, serving as a makeshift
belt. He sighed, stepped towards her, his yellow eye sparkling as he watched her, the other hidden by the cloth. "So... Should I get it refired? It's all dented up
and... Should I get it fixed?"

Alice pursed her lips, "Sure, Just... Take it off."

"You don't like it?"

"I... just remember the first few weeks after we met, when you were trying to... kill me."

Hatter gazed at her before muttering, "I'm sorry... I'll take it off..." He began to unlatch the breastplate.

Alice watched him strip down to his breeches and shirt, take up his armor, and dump it into the corner unceremoniously. Zero's low growl turned into a
surprised sneeze. Softly, she said, "You can get it fixed... If you want to."

"No, if it really bothers you that much, I can just scavenge some pieces from the guards... I gave the Governors the note, so I'm sure that the guards will be
way too busy to notice if I sneak a few pieces from each of them."

"You can wear your armor." said Alice, feeling a bit guilty.

"You don't mind."

"You just don't need to wear it now."

"Oh, okay. Just wanted to see if it still fit and then I thought, 'I should surprise Alice!' I guess I did." Reaching for her, Hatter ruffled her hair before quickly
brushing his lips across her cheek.

Cheer wriggling out of her, Alice giggled and shoved his head away playfully, "You surprised me! You needn't worry about that!"

Hatter pounced on her, trapping her in his arms as he embraced her strongly, "Got you now!" His laugh melted Alice's worry down.

Alice wiggled in his arms, giggling like a lunatic, "Come on! You can't hold me forever!"

Easily keeping his hands around her, Hatter towed her to the bed, sat down, "Of course I can!" He began to tickle her.

Alice's giggle became shrieks of laughter as she jerked about, "No tickling! No tickling!"

Zero and Tick watched quietly from their corner, wide-eyed and still, before Zero snuffled, turned to Tick, grabbed him by his tail, and began to groom him
happily. Irritated, Tick gave a small hiss, but it was ignored.
Hatter stopped tickling her and, leaning towards her, he whispered, "You said something a few days ago about Jabberwock... You said he would make a deal
with Time about you escaping through the clocks if need be?"

Alice instantly grew somber, "Yes."

"Take it if the bliddy assassins get past the wall. Don't worry, I'll come find you and Ash and Fleur..." He glanced lovingly at the small cribs, at the two small
sleeping babies inside.

Fuming, Alice crossed her arms, "They won't be that hard. We know they're coming."

"Five dragons, Alice... Do you think that will be easy?" asked Hatter softly.

"...No... But you can beat them."

"I'll be sure to give them a few pinpricks before they kill me." muttered Hatter sarcastically.

Indignant, Alice punched his arm, "Don't say that!"

"Fine. I'll kill as many as I can. After you're through the clock."

Alice frowned, "...I can fight. I can give the children to May and I can stay and fight."
Staring at her, Hatter echoed, "...Fight?" His face grew red before he burst out laughing, "You? Fight? Don't be preposterous!"

Alice glared at him, "What?"

Standing, Hatter reached into his pocket, blinked, then reached into his other pocket as he muttered, "Where is it...? Aha!" Drawing out the small switchknife,
he flipped out the blade, started jabbing out at the air, mimicking Alice's voice, "Aha! I can fight! See? See? I'm gutting the lot of you!" He smiled as Tick
bounced up to attack the fluttering laces of his boot and turned to Alice, pushed the blade back into its hilt, and then smirked at Alice, "No. I don't think you
can fight."

Glowering at him, Alice turned around, smushed her face into a pillow, and grumbled, "I can fight... just not that good..."

"Alice? What did you say?" Hatter crept onto the bed, tried to push her over.

Alice blindly pushed his hand away, curled away from him.

"Alice?" Hatter's eyes lost their jovial glint as he crawled over her, bent down and tried to pull the pillow away. "You're mad at me...? Why? I was just saying
that you can't fight... It's true... You know it's true."

Of course she knew it was true! Alice slowly pulled her face out of the pillow, glowered at him, and muttered, "But you don't have to make fun of that."

"... I'm sorry. I thought it'd make you laugh... You know, a little self-mockery to lighten the mood." Hatter bent, kissed her on the cheek.

Alice slowly relaxed, forgetting her anger, and then shoved at him gently, playfully, "Self-mockery is when you insult yourself, idiot!"

"Oho! She lives!" Hatter straddled her, pinned her two arms down with one hand, and then started to kiss her up and down her neck as he snuck his fingers
towards her armpit.

Alice gasped as he began to tickle her again before thrashing about, "No! Aha! No- tickling!"

That night, Hatter fell asleep early, sprawled over the bed as he snored loudly into the blanket. Glaring at him as she tried to figure out where she would sleep
on the taken-up surface of the bed, Alice fumed, arguing with herself whether she should wake him up and force him to move.
Just as she made a move to wake him up, a soft voice purred from behind her, "Hello, Alice..."

"Cheshire?" Alice whirled about, glanced about at the empty air.

Fading into view, the Cheshire Cat licked a paw and muttered, "I'm sorry I've been gone so long. Been taking up spying in the Shadowlands and little things
like that... Beautiful country, really, but not so beautiful customs..." He glanced over at the cribs, his smile grew brighter, and he whispered, "So... You and
Hatter have been busy?"

Alice blushed, "Ash and Fleur."

"Aha... A boy and a girl. How delightful!" Cheshire flicked his tail as he eyed Tick, who was staring at him with wide, green eyes. "And I see that the little
puppy grew up and had a cat? How does that work?"

Alice laughed, "Not sure."

Warily creeping over to Cheshire, Tick mewed softly before rubbing up against the greater cat's lavender paw, purring. Cheshire flipped him over with a quick
flip of the forepaw, watched the gears whir faster, and then grinned widely as the cat's caution disappeared to be replaced with playfulness. As Tick attacked
his paw, Cheshire directed to Alice, "Well... By the panic going around, you already know that the Shadowland council has dispatched an assassination squad
headed for here, right?"

"Yes."

"Hm... First time to be late for anything, I guess..." sighed Cheshire, fading from view.

Using all four legs, Tick balled his claws into the fur, hung in midair as Cheshire vanished. Alice watched in bemusement as Cheshire lifted his invisible leg,
regarded the fluffed-up cat as it struggled to hold on, "Curious little fellow you have here."

"Tick, come here and leave poor Cheshire alone." giggled Alice. Instantly, Tick dropped from Cheshire's paw, scrambled over to her, and leapt up into her
arms, shivering with excitement.
Cheshire chuckled before padding to the door, creaking it open, and stepping out. Alice watched as the door closed, as if by a gust of unfelt wind, and then
squeaked as Tick bit her finger. "Ow!" Hurriedly, Tick leapt off her lap, scurried under the bed, and, then a second late, ripped out from underneath the bed,
ran over to Zero, and hid under the sleeping Clockwork creature's gears, glinting eyes peering out from the shadow.

A soft murmur tugged at her ear, and she glanced up to see Ash peering inquisitively over the side of his crib, bright-eyed and hoping to find her. Laughing,
Alice went over to him and pulled him out of the crib, "Oh, hello! Did I wake you up? I'm sorry if I did." She nuzzled her nose against his.

Ash stared at her face before giggling happily and reaching out to grab her hair. As he pulled at it gently, entranced at the golden strands, Alice turned, went
back to the bed, and then pushed at Hatter with a free hand, "Hatter! You're taking up the whole bed!"

Smacking his lips, Hatter curled away from her touch, "Mmmph..."

Alice settled down on the bed, laid down, and then caressed Ash's scruffy black hair as he wiggled in her grasp, trying to escape his mother's hold and crawl
about. Slowly, she placed him between her body and Hatter's, watched as Ash pulled his way up to Hatter's head and started playing with his Hatter.
Hatter mumbled softly before sighing and blinking awake wearily, "Alice..." He rolled over, came face to face with Ash, paused in surprise, and them smiled
pointedly, "Oh. Ash. Hello. Playing with my hair?" Ash touched his father's nose, eyes widening, and then fingered Hatter's lips, curious at what the features
were. Hatter smiled, petted Ash's head, and closed his eyes, determined to fall back to sleep. Next moment, his eyes snapped open as Ash grabbed his hair
and tugged at it, laughing gleefully. Groaning, he pushed Ash back towards Alice, "Alice... Help..."

Alice took Ash, smiling as Ash giggled uncontrollably, sputtering baby sounds as he waved his small gray arms about wildly. Sighing with relief, Hatter settled
back down to sleep.

Ash wriggled out of Alice's arms, went over to Hatter again. Gently, he took Hatter's hand in his own small ones, inspected the fingers with a happy, innocent
smile on his face, and then began to suck on one. Hatter's eyes opened slowly before he glanced down at his son, grinned, and then pulled him to his chest,
"C'mere, you little rascal!" Ash laughed as he nuzzled into Hatter's warm nightshirt.

Alice scooted close, put a hand over Ash to lay it on Hatter's side, and cuddled against Ash, trapping him between her and Hatter, "What about me?"

Hatter smiled, "Of course you! And Fleur? Where's Fleur?"

"Sleeping still."

Hatter glanced behind him at the crib, grinned softly, and then lay back down and let Ash play with one of the buttons on his shirt as he kissed the top of the
baby boy's head, "Both of them look like you, Alice. Beautiful."

"I think Ash looks more like you than he does me."

"Well... maybe he does..." admitted Hatter as he pushed up Ash's chin to look into the baby's different colored eyes. "But I hope he'll be more like you than he
is me."

"Why's that?"

"'Cause you're nicer." Hatter leaned over, kissed Alice on the nose.

"You're nice too." argued Alice, basking in the feeling that the kiss left her with.

Hatter sat up, pulled Ash onto his lap, and then waved the baby's arms about, "Oh, look, he's trying to tell you something." Bending, he placed his ear by the
baby's face, who stared at him in confusion, and then glanced at Alice with a smile on his face, "He says that he loves you and wants to be just like you."

Alice punched him playfully, "Of course, and then he says the same exact thing for you!"

They both broke down laughing, waking up Zero, who moodily growled in their direction before turning over, leaving Tick without shelter. Hastily, the cat
scrambled under one of the cribs, shivered there, staring up at the three people on the bed.

Hatter glanced at him, asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know. He's been really antsy since he bit me."

"He bit you?"

"It didn't break the skin. Just a hard nip." Alice held up her finger to show that no damage had been done.
Tick whined softly, his stare turning to the dust skirt. Rolling his eyes, Hatter stood from the bed, bent, and lifted the cloth to peer underneath, "What?
Something under there again?" For a few moments, he surveryed the dusty carpet under the bed before glancing at Tick in disbelief and asking, "You're
scared of a lizard?"

Tick went into hysterics, sprinting about the room as a little blur of black, avoiding the bed. Huffing, Hatter reached for the lizard, grabbed it, and drew it out
from the dark. The lizard stared about, its beady eyes wide in terror. "Tick! It's more scared than you are of it!"

Alice gulped as she looked at the lizard, "Um... Hatter?"

"Huh? What?"

"Could you... take that away from me, please?" Alice scooted away from Hatter and the lizard.

Hatter stared at her before pursing his lips, "It's just a lizard! It's nothing to be afraid of!"

"I'm not scared... I'm just... I just don't like lizards." said Alice uneasily.

"Your father is a lizard!"

"... A dragon... And only some of the time..." corrected Alice softly.

Irritated, Hatter snapped, "Fine! Look! Lizards can't hurt you!" Holding the lizard up by its tail, he swung it back and forth as it jerked in his grip.

"Hatter! Let it go!" pleaded Alice.

Hatter sighed and, without another word, held it up above his mouth, opened wide, and dropped it in. Swallowing, he slowly turned his eyes to Alice and
smiled, "See? No harm done."

Alice squeaked in disgust, "Y-y-you ate it!"

"Either that or you screaming your head off when I dropped it on the ground."

"But... but... You ate it!"

Hatter crawled back on the bed, leaned over, "Yes?" He tried to kiss her.

Alice stopped him, "No way! You're breath is going to smell like a yucky lizard!"

Seizing her hand, Hatter kissed the back of it softly, "Which you shouldn't be afraid of. I thought you said you could fight earlier. What happened? If a simple
lizard could defeat you, than what chance do you have?"

Alice cuffed him gently but firmly over the head, "Don't make fun of me."

"I wasn't..." Hatter rubbed his head and glowered at her before slumping down on the covers, closing his eyes. "Now... bedtime."

"But-"

"Now."

Sighing, Alice settled down, pulled Ash to her chest, and closed her eyes.

Tick, his courage slowly coming back, crept under the bed, mewing softly. Instantly, he grabbed his toy, which the lizard had been sitting on, and dragged it
from under the bed, scared that another such intruder would come to steal it away.

Chapter 40: The Attack

Eleven days had passed since the assassin squad had left the Shadowland capital with their instructions. Now, road-weary, they rested on a distant knoll that
had an excellent view of the Wonderland captial. The captain, tall and somber as he pressed a small spy-glass to his eye, quietly surveyed the far-off castle
and the streets that led up to it.
One of his soldiers bit into an apple, chewed, and then lay back on the grass with a moan, "Apples, apples, apples... A man can't just live off apples and
bread... Where's a little beastie? We can talk to it while we're cooking it."

The captain slapped his spy-glass shut, glared fiercely at the man, "No conflict allowed outside of the capital unless we are the ones attacked. Those are
orders!"

"Can't we just steal into one of those orchards we saw? Steal some peaches or something other than bliddy apples?" The soldier chucked the apple away,
watched it splatter against a tree.

Murmurs of assent came from the others, and the captain pondered the question before pointing at the quiet one who sat in the shadows, who jerked in
surprise. "You. Go get some other fruit. Nothing else, understand?"

"Yes, sir." Saluting, the man leapt up and scurried away, his sword and two daggers wagging from his belt as he ran.

After a few moments, the captain returned to regarding the capital through the spy-glass. He smirked before demanding, "Someone, map."

The soldier who had started the protest against apples sighed, leaned forward, and picked up a stick, "Ready."

"Main road, straight to the main gates. Twelve branching streets at regular intervals... A road all the way round the castle... The whole town is a bliddy
square!" Huffing, the captain dropped the spyglass. "Perfect symmetry! And everywhere, people! There's going to be people bound to see us!"

The man had made a rough map on the dirt. Sitting back, he sneered, "Then fight our way in. Go in hard, come out hard."

"And lose our appetites before we get to the governors? No..." muttered another, rubbing his stomach.

The first man flinched, "Look... Just because you're an Eater doesn't mean the rest of us look forward to eating them... I think I'll just kill mine and get away
with that."

Nodding, the captain directed a cold glare at his underlings, "So... Who wants who?"

Instantly, the soldier who had problems with apples raised a hand. When the captain nodded at him, he said, "I want the governors."

"Fine. So we still have the old Wonderland Ambassador and the rabbit and their families, who wants-"

A guard leaned forward, eyes bright, "The Wonderland Ambassador has a wife and... two children?"

"Yes."

"I'll take them. I heard the Ambassador is a great dueler..."

"Okay. The Rabbit and his family?"

The Eater sighed, raised a hand, "I'll take them."

"Fine. The one who went to go get fruit for you gluttons will take care of the guards?"

"Yes, sir... I'll tell him." smirked the other one.

After a moment of silence, the Eater asked quietly, "And you, sir?"

"Patrolling, making sure that none of your targets escape the castle. I want this to be a smooth and clean operation. Nothing more, nothing less. Especially
you!" The captain pointed a shivering finger at the Eater, "No pigging yourself!"

The Eater smiled and replied sarcastically, "Wouldn't dream of it."

"I mean it! That's why you were disbanded from the Eater corps! Because you enjoyed your job too much!"

"Alright, alright." sniffed the man, inspecting his metal gloves in search for dirt, which there was aplenty of. "When will we go?"
"Early tomorrow morning. Good night's rest for everyone, which means no staying up late and whining about not having no beer." said the captain fiercely,
glaring at the soldier who despised apples.

The soldier gazed back innocently, "What? That was yesterday night, and it wasn't beer that I wanted, just a spot of gin."

"No more of that!"

"Yes, sir."

Jabberwocky paced on the dusty, reddish-brown floor, glancing at Pendulum every so often in agitation. He had been coming for the last few days, waiting for
Alice to come, having no idea when the fight would start.
Scratching at his stomach, Pendulum lay in the crook of the turning gear, sighed, and muttered, "Stop doing that."

"Huh? What?" Jabberwock stopped, stared up at Pendulum as the gear turned him upside down.

Unfazed by the sudden change, Pendulum bared his teeth and hissed, "Walking around like it's the end of the world! You're making me hungry!" With a growl,
he turned his head away as the gear righted him again.

Jabberwock huffed, "You're always hungry!"

"Well done." said Pendulum sarcastically as the gear ticked on. "You've just pointed out something obvious. Applause for the stupid man." He clapped his
hands together harshly.

Blowing out an idignant breath, Jabberwock went back to the chair he had brought in, settled down, and then flipped open a small novella he had brought
from the palace's library. He began to read.
After a few moment, he felt something dripping on his shoulder, glanced back into Pendulum's face. The monster's mouth was open, his jagged teeth
showing. What Jabberwock had felt was a drop of drool. Shivering, he asked angrily, "Will you please just stay away from me?"

"I'm bored."

"Go be bored somewhere else. You've been doing the same exact same thing for the last five days." Jabberwock turned his eyes back to his book.

"Time's done away with all my children. He took the last one away yesterday... I have no one to play with now. You want to do something?" Pendulum propped
his elbows up on the back of Jabberwock's chair, leaned over him curiously.

Jabberwock rolled his eyes, closed his book, and then turned his chair to glare up at Pendulum, "Fine... What?"

"I don't know... Fight?"

"You want to fight?"

"Not really, but I'd rather do that than be bored..."

"Anything else?"

Pendulum thought before grinning slyly, "I heard the Shadowlands had pleasurables..."

"No." said Jabberwock bluntly.

"But why?" Pendulum whined. "I could make children and have them born out there and Time wouldn't be able to take them away and-"

"No."

Slumping, Pendulum glowered at the back of Jabberwock's head as the Shadowlander picked his book back up and flipped it open to the current page. After
long minutes of silence, he muttered, "Can I pleasure you?"

Whirling about, Jabberwock hissed, "No! Just get away from me, you depraved freak!"

Pendulum scurried backwards before calling miserably, "Then what about a game? Something fun?"

"Fine. Stay there. I'll stay here. First one who moves from his spot loses." Jabberwock turned to his book, began reading furiously.
For the next three hours, Jabberwocky struggled through the book. He loved reading, but the plot was screwed about in circles, confusing him, the characters
unbelievable, the situations awkward and ill-worded. Even for a short story, it took him that full three hours to finish it, rereading it two times to finally
understand it.
As he shut it, he heard a tired sigh from behind him, glanced back to see Pendulum, standing in the same exact spot as he had been three hours before.
Staring, Jabberwock asked, "What are you doing?"

"I can't move, remember? The game?" Pendulum said quietly.

Jabberwocky stood, cracked his back and neck before muttering, "You win. Now, enough of that."

With a happy moan, Pendulum stumbled over, draped an arm over Jabberwock's shoulder, and leaned on him, "I win... Yay."

Jabberwocky shoved him away, "Don't touch me!"

"Oh... Shadowlander... You're mean..." Pendulum faded back into a clock and vanished.

Huffing, Jabberwocky stomped over to the clock Alice would probably come through, gazed at it, and then sighed, "Alice, where are you...?"

Hatter sat on the bed, furiously stitching up his top hat as the grim snarl on his face showed his anger. In the corner, Tick sat sullenly, his side smarting from
Hatter's delivered kick. He hadn't known the hat was off-limits and Zero hadn't been there to warn him away...
Alice's glare at Hatter never wavered as she fed Fleur, the small child suckling from her breast. "I can't believe you kicked him."

"He tore my hat in half!" hissed Hatter, not looking up. Next second, he swore loudly as he pricked his finger.

Alice's glare intensified, "You don't have to kick him. And why are you so angry?"

"He tore my bliddy hat in half! I worked hard on this! And now it's torn!" Hatter sucked at his bleeding finger, turning a bright red.

"So? It's just a hat."

"But it's my hat." complained Hatter, resuming his stitching.

Fleur finished having her meal of milk, and Alice began to pat her gently on the back, a rag covering her shoulder, waiting for her to burp. "And you shouldn't
have left it on the ground where Tick could get it!"

"I was playing with Ash."

Ash had stolen Tick's toy and was shaking it, glowering at it as the bell rang dully inside. He wanted the noise. How to get the noise? Alice glanced over at
him, and her frown turned to a smile, "That was nice of you," Her glowering eyes turned back to him instantly, "but you didn't have to kick the-"

March burst in, his ears erect and his whiskers shivering, "Hatter! I need a stitch-up, quick, or May will kill me! I tore one of her dresses and... she'll kill me."
He held up a plain white dress, the hem ripped just a little.

The look on his face sent Alice into giggles, "Oh, March!"

Hatter gazed up at his best friend, smiled softly, "Of course, if it'll stop your death coming about."

March threw the dress to him, hastily exited the room before Hatter could say anything else. Sighing, Hatter surveyed the rip and rolled his eyes, "The lazy
idjit... Anybody could sew this up..." Leaving his top hat to the side, he started to sew the rip together.

Alice smiled softly, "You're doing the dress first?"

"My hat can come later." said Hatter bluntly, his eyes narrowed.

Sensing the awkward, uncomfortable aura raising from him, Alice asked, "Do you... want me to go away?"

"Huh?" Hatter jerked upwards to stare at her before, anger disappearing, he reassured hastily, "No, no! I'm just... angry because of the hat, not at you!"

"You just get all grumpy and I can't tell... If you want some time alone, I can leave."

"It's okay... I'm fine with you being here... I just want to fix my hat..."
Alice flinched as Fleur burped over her shoulder, the noise accompanied with a small trickle of spit up. Removing the soiled rag, she glanced around, sighed,
and then balled it up and let it drop to the floor. She went over to Hatter, sat next to him. With a sigh, she leaned against him, "And...?"

"What? Am I supposed to say something?" Distracted, Hatter quickly kissed the top of her head before turning his eyes back to the dress again.

Alice, irritated, knocked the top hat from the bed, heard Hatter's small gasp, and then stopped him as he went for it, "You need to work on not getting so
angry."

"But... my hat..." Hatter stared at his hat as Tick saw it, glanced at Hatter, and then began creeping for it.

"Say I'm sorry to all of us, especially to Tick. You kicked him."

After a few moments, Hatter forced somberly, "Sorry, Alice and Ash and Fleur and Tick for not being an understanding person. Instead, I was a selfish git." He
stared down at the dress in his hands before turning to Alice, leaning over, and kissing her on the cheek, his anger and resentment gone, "How's that?"

"Good." Alice bent down, scooped up the top hat just as Tick leapt for it. Hissing in surprise, the cat tumbled under the bed.

Hatter took it, glanced between the dress and the hat, and then vigorously started on the hat. "This will take less time. After that, I won't have any reason to
be angry again. That'd be good for all of us..."

That night, they slept well, curled up around each other with Ash dozing off in between them and Fleur dead to the world in her crib. However, when dawn
came...
The door slammed open, an angry yowl shredded the air with a fury. Jerking awake, Hatter glanced around wildly, confused by the noise that issued from
nowhere. Alice's eyes snapped wide, and she instinctively pulled Ash to her chest. Bristling, Cheshire appeared over them, looking much larger with his fur
puffed up and his smile twisted into a snarl. He struggled as he spat, the underlying hiss wrenching the words out of proportion, "Hatter! Where are you? The
bliddy assassins are here!" He vanished.

Hatter jerked, instantly leapt off the bed, and scrambled over to his pile of armor.

Alice wasn't sure how he got it on so fast, but, just a minute later, he leaned down to her, whispering, "Don't forget... Escape through the clock when it comes
time." He pressed the cold, metal mouth visor to her forehead, made a kissing noise behind it, and then straightened. He turned, began to walk towards the
door.
Alice grabbed his hand, suddenly desperate, "Come with me!"

Softly, Hatter unlatched her hand from his arm, "I have to go tell March if Cheshire hasn't already told him. May will come here and come through the clock
too. She'll help you. I have to stay and help March."

"Than make him come too!" whined Alice.

"Alice... You don't understand. We don't stand them down here, they'll come after us still... I love you." Before she could protest, he ran to the door, shut it.

Alice could just stare before bursting into helpless tears.

Cheshire raced down the hall, hearing the distant sounds of battle from outside in the courtyard. Only ten minutes before, the five dragons had come over the
walls, snapping their jaws and eager to finish their mission. The guards were holding them off, hopefully, allowing the wifes of Hatter and March to escape
through the clock. All the other women could too, probably, or they might just hide in the lower recesses of the castle, trying to avoid attention.

A roar came down the corridor, way too close to be from outside. Bristling, Cheshire sprinted as fast as his heavy paws would allow, rounded the corner, and
saw a sight that made his blood boil.

One of the black dragons, leering as his head reared back, had cornered March and May. March stood in front of his wife, a sharp sword in his hands, his fur
poofed up wherever it poked up from his off-white armor. Behind him, May shivered in fright as she managed to keep all three children in her arms.
Without a care for his own safety, Cheshire howled angrily, bounded forward, leapt up at the dragon's right forepaw, dug his teeth deep through the dragon's
scales and into his flesh.

The dragon roared at the sudden, inexplainable pain that sprouted up his leg. Angrily, he swatted at the hurting spot, knocked Cheshire off. Fading into view,
Cheshire snarled at the dragon, challenging him, determined for the Hares to escape.
May took the chance, ran for the end of the hall. Black eyes snapped towards her, the dragon yowled furiously, and whipped his tail at her.

She tripped, shrieked as she twisted about to not crush the children beneath her.

As the dragon advanced on her, Cheshire jumped onto his back, latched his claws deep into the scales, and clambered up. Annoyed, the dragon paused
before twisting around and biting at him.
Cheshire leapt forward, avoiding the sharp teeth, and then, racing to the place where neck met torso, bit harshly.
The dragon hissed, tried to reach him but couldn't. Furiously irritated, he turned his angry eyes towards May and March, saw only a flash of a sword as March
thrust it deep into his neck. He jerked back, ripping the sword's hilt from March's hands. March spun around, yelled, "May! Out!"

Snarling, the dragon knocked him aside as May scrambled up, holding her children close to her as she ran.

Chesapeake and Lyona stood on either side of the large double doors as they buckled under their attacker's slams. In both of their hands were large, heavy,
double-headed axes, and their guards shivered on either side, waiting with their spears.
The door's lock snapped and the heavy slabs of wood slammed forward. Chesapeake and Lyona had to jump to avoid a painful smack, but instantly crouched
in wait. The dragon stalked in, not seeing them at the sides, his eyes focused forward as he drew in long, rattling breaths. With a yell, Lyona and Chesapeake
leapt forward, swung their axes in unison at the back of the dragon's forepaws.

Next second, the dragon was on his stomach, blinking in dazed confusion, not registering the pain from his severed muscles. However, when he tried to move
his legs, he couldn't, and he panicked, writhing about, flipping to his back and using his tail to whip the advancing guards away. Small, choking snarls bubbled
out of his throat.

The guards rounded the dragon, came in towards his head. Frightened, the dragon snapped at them before whining, trying to move his severed forepaws, to
escape. With no pity, the guards slammed their spears down into the underside of the dragon's skull. With a startled choke, the Shadowlander hissed one final
time before slumping, dead. Chesapeake and Lyona wiped furiously at the black blood that spattered their fancy clothes before ordering harshly, "Half of you,
find March, help him. Other half, Hatter. We can take care of ourselves!"
The guards nodded and, without a word, sprinted off to fulfill their Governors' wishes.

Jabberwocky had brought another book and was quietly reading it when he heard a startled cry come from the clocks. Glancing towards it hastily, he saw May,
holding two of her children, stumble out onto the floor, quickly set down the two children in her arms, and then reach back through the clock.
When she withdrew them, her other child and Ash lay in her arms.

Alice came through, holding Fleur tightly to her chest. Her face, pale, was worried and taunt with agitation, as was May's.

Jabberwocky leapt up, hurried over to help. "So the assassins have-"

"They're here. Bliddy big lizards." spat May, glaring at him reproachfully, as if this was his fault.

Instantly, Alice pressed against her father and half-sobbed, half-pleaded, "You've got to help Hatter... I don't want him to die."

Staring down at her, Jabberwock gulped. Help Hatter? "Hatter can hold his own."

"Please... Then just go through and help them all..."

Ash giggled happily as he tugged at one of the baby Hare's ears. Squeaking, Wednesday reached over, grabbed a fistful of black hair, and pulled.

A ghostly chuckle came from above them, and the three adults jerked to look up, staring at Pendulum stared down at them with a broad smile. "Troubles? I
can help. Time's just ungrounded me!"

Alice began to shake, but May snapped, "I know you! White told me about you! You're that monster thing!"

Pendulum lowered himself, brushed himself off, and then bowed, "At your service. And my name's Pendulum and I don't view myself as a monster."

"Fine. Go through and help my husband." huffed May bluntly. "Or you. You're some high and mighty Shadowlander too!" She jabbed a finger into Jabberwock's
chest.

Affronted, Jabberwock said, "I couldn't go through and fight against them! The council would then have a very good basis to kill Alice as my punishment! I'm
not going to risk that!"

Pendulum licked his lips, "I would."

"Fine! You go through and I can keep Alice safe!" challenged Jabberwocky fiercely.

"Accepted on one condition." Pendulum paused, waited for Jabberwocky to acknowledge him.

"What?"

"Let me see your dragon form again. I admire it very much..." Pendulum's voice had many layers of envy on it, threatening to topple over into jealously.
Jabberwocky rolled his eyes, turned, sprinted, and then changed. Pacing about, he latched a blazing yellow eye on Pendulum and snapped his jaws. With a
sigh of pleasure, Pendulum stepped forward, whispered, "I think I can manage that..." He gazed at Jabberwock for just another few moments before turning,
leaping through the clock with an eager snarl.

Hatter peered around the corner, hearing the snorting growls as the dragon snuffled up on his trail. The monster had been following him for a few minutes
now, taunting him by threatening him with growls and snarls, self-assured that he would win, confident that matters could be taken care of with a little fun
along the way. However, his prey had ran away, and he couldn't find it.
His muzzle to the ground, the Shadowlander sniffed, bumped his head into a table, and then maneuvered around it, growling in annoyance. Where was his
target? And the family? Where was the family? The Alice girl and the two children? He hadn't seen or heard or smelled anything of them yet.Just as the
dragon's snout pushed around the corner, Hatter stabbed his sword deep into the creature's snout, jerked it out and leapt back as the dragon's black blood
spurted out. Roaring, the dragon reared back, hit his head hard against the top of the hall, crouched, glared reproachfully upwards, and then glowered at
Hatter, his cheer fading away. His prey had been fun till it had decided to hurt him; now, it died.

Hatter squeaked and ducked away as the dragon bit out angrily, dancing away from the steak-knife teeth. The dragon growled deep in his throat and followed
him.
Hatter led him on a not-so-merry chase around the castle, the dragon collecting the heads of spears and arrows in his hide as guards joined Hatter,
attempting to help him. All the more furious, the Shadowlander snapped down half of the guards, staggered after Hatter with pained and livid steps. This
mission was supposed to have been easy...
Then, the dragon found himself with Hatter stuck in a hall that dead-ended. Turning, Hatter held out his sword agressively, ready to fight for his life. His yellow
eye narrowed as he surveyed his enemy.The dragon's mouth opened, his tongue flicked out, and he started to move to bite out at his prey when he heard a
loud scrape from somewhere behind him. Huffing angrily, he glanced over his broad shoulder.

Clicking as the gears that made it whirred at full speed, a long slender paw showed itself before the huge metal beast pulled himself around the corner.
Instantly, Hatter paled under his decorative bandages, his eye widened, and he whispered, "Oh, bliddy git..."

Pendulum walked calmly into view, standing under the torso of his child, "Ah! Hello, Hatter! Alice sent me to save your sorry hide."

The Shadowlander stared in horror at the Clockwork dragon that mirrored him. Long metal jaws with sharp etched teeth clicked shut as furious blue eyes
surveyed the black dragon, and metal claws flexed against the floor, scraping up gray dust. Its torso, a maze of metal gears and chains, gave off a grating
hum as it thrashed a long spiked tail, some spines on its back lifting to show agression.
Hatter forgot about the black dragon and squawked furiously, "How dare you bring one of your children anywhere near me?"

"You've been living with one of them for the last two years..." said Pendulum miserably, losing his happiness at the angry question.

"But the ones you keep try to eat me!"

Recovering from his intial suprise, the Shadowlander turned and bristled at this intruder and his child. Pendulum's silver eyes flared before he chuckled, "Oho!
You don't like me, do you?"

The Shadowlander snapped in his direction furiously, however, his eyes were warily locked on the Clockwork dragon.

Reaching up, Pendulum patted his child's side lovingly, "Are you hungry?"

Both of the dragons bristled as they glared at each other.

Without emotion, Pendulum coldly ordered, "Kill the Shadowlander. And don't kill Hatter." He turned around.

The Clockwork dragon sprang forward, hissing, and knocked the surprised Shadowlander off his paws in a moment. It snapped metal jaws around his
advesary's tail, started pulling furiously as he kept the struggling assassin down with sharp metal claws. As pain assailed his rear, the Shadowlander
screamed, torturing Hatter's eardrums.

Hatter scurried around the battle, ran to Pendulum's side, and said breathlessly, "Well, that's nice of you to not tell him to attack me, but Alice is safe?"

"Yes. Jabberwock has her and May."

"And March?"

"Is not in Time's domain. He must be like you, fighting."

"Yes, but-"

With a sickening crunch, Pendulum's dragon crushed the bones in the other monster's upper tail. The Shadowlander roared with pain, struggled, freed himself
for a moment, and tried to flee. However, the Clockwork creature jerked him back by the tail, set to sawing through it with its teeth.

Flinching as more yowls of pain attacked his eardrums, Hatter hissed, "Do you have to make all your children so bliddy agressive and hungry?"
"I actually like it." murmured Pendulum.

"Of course you would. It's exactly how you act."

"I take it you don't mean that as a compliment."

Suddenly, a splattering rip echoed through the air. Finally free, the Shadowlander ripped up and down the hall, nearly bowling Hatter and Pendulum over as
the Clockwork monster chewed on the severed tail. Hatter stared after the gushing stump and said, "That is certainly going to bleed out..."

"It'll help my child track him..." Pendulum cheerfully said, clapping his hands. With confident, proud steps, he went over to his child, asked happily, "Is it
good?"

The dragon latched a blue eye on him before sniffing dryly.

"Of course it is. I told you it would be."

Hatter stared at Pendulum's back, at the blood-soaked Clockwork dragon, and then felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he paled to a sickened green.
This kept becoming odder and odder every second...

The two dragons in charge of keeping the guards in the courtyard down stared in horror as the bloodied dragon sprinted from the castle, the bloody stump on
his tail dripping blood all over the dirt as he gasped for air. Instantly terrified, the captain nudged his underling, demanded that he told him what had
happened.
The wounded Shadowlander quickly, deliriously sputtered everything that had happened: how there had been his victory sitting before him when a great
metal beast showed up; how that metal beast had held him down as it sawed off his tail, torturing him; how he had escaped with his life barely, and how he
was still going to lose it.

As he finished, he slumped away, the blood gone from his body, his eyes glazing over with the sleep of death.

Scared to the bone, the captain and the only other remaining dragon escaped over the walls, horrified that they may meet this told-of monster. What kind of
beast could hold a changed Shadowlander down and torture him so? There was no such thing! It must be a nightmare, or a manifestation of the Devil himself!

With their hurried departure, the castle grew once again quiet.

Chapter 41: Abandonment

Jabberwocky was relunctant to let Alice return to Wonderland, even when Pendulum came back and reassured him happily that the assassins were gone.
However, Hatter grew very, very impatient and came through to 'help' her back through.
However, Hatter was furious when Pendulum refused to take his dragon child back into Time's domain. "You take that bliddy dragon back!"

"No. I'm not supposed to make children any more. Time will eat me alive."

"I hope he does, but he's not going to stay here!"

Ignoring him, Pendulum just shoved him out forcefully out through the clock.

Irritated, Hatter found the dragon in the dungeon, where he had dragged the two dead dragons down and had begun to eat them.
He began to yell at the Clockwork monster harshly, "Get out! Out!"

Startled, the Clockwork dragon sullenly let himself be chased out of the castle. The guards made sure he got out of the town before he became tempted by
any little villager. Hatter came back to the room, angry and annoyed that Pendulum had left his child out in Wonderland. Slumping down on the bed, he
growled softly, "Stupid Pendulum..."

Alice sat down next to him, Fleur sleeping in her arms. Laying down, she whispered, "Well... at least we're safe now."

"Yes..." Hatter bent over her and kissed her softly.

"You're not going to take your armor off?"

Softly, Hatter pulled her down and happily cuddled next to her, "No... not yet... not yet..."

"Why?"
"If I take my armor off, I think I'll never put it back on... I mean... What can they do now? There's nothing more for them to try... We can beat them and they
can't send a big army against us without dishonoring themselves... Jabberwocky is also the King remember. He's going to have more than a fit when he gets
back to the Shadowlands. I won't be surprised if he sends us the councils' heads in present boxes... with a little note that says 'Here you go. A head for each of
the family'." Fuming, Hatter stiffened, pulled her closer, and began to slowly rub his forehead against her shoulder. With a moan, he added, "Alice... I'll never
let anything happen to you..."

"I know that, silly!" Alice poked his hat, tipping it off.

Suddenly, from under the bed, they heard a sniffle and a soft yowl. Shivering, Zero poked his head out from under before hastily pulling himself back in. Tick
growled half-heartedly as Zero tried to push him out from under.

"...I know... I'm silly... You're silly too..." With a soft hand, he caressed her, his hand travelling down her chest to her stomach, resting there.

Alice whispered, "Let me put Fleur in her crib."

"Yes... That would be a good idea."

Silently, Alice stood, went over to the crib, placed her baby inside, and then went back to Hatter. He pulled her down, snuggled up to her, "I love you, Alice..."

"I love you too, Hatter..." Alice murmured as his hand reached the nape of her neck and brushed it repeatedly.

Zero pushed Tick out indignantly, growled. Tick glanced around and mewed pitifully, shuddering in fright.
Alice sat up, peered over the side of the bed, "Zero? Tick? Did you hide under there the whole time?"

Zero growled, reached out, and, cupping his claws around Tick, pulled him back under.

Hatter pulled her back down, sighing, "No matter, no matter... I took medicine..." Reaching around her, he began to kiss her, rocking against her softly. Slowly,
he rolled onto her, his hands slowly sliding down her sides with love.
"I love you, Alice... So very much..."

March walked in and caught them in the act. Staring, he shivered with surprise before Hatter glanced up, sweaty, and saw him.
Instantly, he pulled the covers up to mask both Alice and himself, bared his teeth, and hissed, "Knock!"

"Um... Sorry..." March backed out of the room.

Hatter kissed Alice lightly on the cheek, whispered, "I'll be right back..." Standing, he dragged up on of the sheets, wrapped it around his waist, and stalked
out.

March instantly shut the door, bristled, and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"What?"

"You're going to have three children?"

"No... I gave myself some herbs... No children..."

March calmed, "Good..."

"Why are you here?"

"Oh... That... Clockwork monster is back... And you're the only one who can kind of... you know, run him out of town..."

Groaning, Hatter turned back to the door, "I can't deal with that right now, March... I just need some peace with Alice now..."

"Some peace."

Hatter glared at him, "Why don't you go do the same with May? Show her that you love her and you want to protect her? That's what they both need right
now, especially May. She nearly got eaten? Go hug your children, go kiss them. Have a thought about how they feel."

"...I also came to tell you that Tuesday's caught something... He needs a little bit of medicine... Can you come and look at him? You've always been better with
medicines." March's ears wilted.
Hatter paused, nodded quietly, "Of course. I will do that... Just let me get dressed." He disappeared back into the room.

Alice watched him and asked softly, "Coming back to bed?"

"No... I have to go treat a poor, sick baby Hare... Stay here and play with Ash and Fleur... I have to go afterwards to go chase off that Clockwork dragon again
after... Probably won't be back for a long time."

"That's okay."

Hatter found some underwear, pulled them on, then covered them with soft, brown breeches. As he pulled on his shirt, he came over and kissed Alice, "Love
you."

"Ah... Why do we always say have to say this to each other? I love you for always! You do not need constant reassurance!" Reaching up, Alice caught his
head, kissed the tip of his nose happily.

"Of course. The same for me..." He hugged her before straightening and leaving.

Hatter came back that evening, grim-faced and stony. As he quickly packed up some things, he explained to Alice, "Little Tuesday's very, very sick... I'm going
to spend the night in their room, just in case he worsens..."

Alice nodded as she bounced Ash and Fleur in her arms, "That's fine. I hope he gets better."

"He will... He just might need some... strong medicine... I'm going to go down to the infirmary to get some. I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Yes. I'll be here."

"Good..." Hatter rubbed at his shirt, distracted by his thoughts, and then murmured, "Alice, take Ash and Fleur outside. Have March go with you. You can show
them flowers and nice little things... Please? Oh, and don't let Ash eat rocks."

Alice giggled, "Of course I won't! I'll take them out for a while."

"That's good... Have a good time." Bending over, he kissed her atop the head.

The evening passed quickly, as did the night, but the morning went too slowly for Jabberwocky as he waited in his room, tapping his claws impatiently against
each other.
Then, the knock on the door that he had been waiting for. With a small eager growl, he leapt up, called, "Come in!"

The door opened, and, unceremoniously, Adameer and Bander dragged in the impudent council leader. The man sobbed softly into his gag as his head bled
sluggishly.
Clapping his hands excitedly, Jabberwock asked, "The others?"

"Already dead. He killed them. Psychotic little brat." Bander motioned to the man.

Adameer crossed his arms with a harsh laugh, "Well, good riddance. There's no remaining council to appoint any new council... Seems we've gotten into a
dead end. An especially dead end." He tapped the man on the head.

Jabberwocky nodded, "I will have take care of killing him... don't worry."

"...We want to help." muttered Adameer.

Bander stalked over to his bed, "Not I. I'll just... watch... Once he dies, we won't have a council any more... It'll be paradise..." He laid down happily. "No more
having to answer to them..."

Taking the man from Bander, Jabberwocky dragged him to the corner, cradled the man's head in his hands, and began to whisper, "Please... please imagine...
I want to have my fun before I eat..." He tugged the man's gag and pulled it from his mouth.

"You can go to heck!" hissed the man.

"And I can have my meal..." Jabberwock slowly dug his claws into the man's head, grew happy as filling thoughts rushed through him. His eyes, a powder
blue, rolled back into his head as he moaned in utmost pleasure.
"Jabberwock... You're enjoying this too much..." muttered Adameer, coming close and taking a knife from his pocket, "And you have to let me kill him a bit
too... Tell me when I can slit his throat."

Jabberwocky bared his teeth furiously, ferally, "Mine!" He swiped out at the Eater.

Adameer leapt back, "Okay, okay! No need to eat me too!"

Focusing back on the council member, Jabberwocky leaned forward, unhooked his claws from the man's skull, and whispered, "I'm sorry... I've been dealing
with my hunger for the last few days..."

"Well, good to see that you have some self-control..." mumbled Bander.

"You can go... all die..." sobbed the council member loudly. "Go get eaten by... Maynard's ghost or something... He was better than all of you... He should have
been King... He'd have set this country to rights..."

Jabberwocky smiled, purred, "Of course, but I don't want this country right... I want it good." He caressed the man's face softly before digging his fingers deep
under the man's cheekbone, his claws plunging up through the flesh and exiting under the tongue.

The man choked in pain and on the sudden flow of blood that trickled down his throat. "No... Please..."

For the next few minutes, Jabberwocky drained some of his mind before drawing back and motioning to Adameer, "Slit his throat."

Adameer nodded, came forward, and held the knife to the man's throat, "With pleasure."

Alice scrambled to the door when she heard the knock. Happily, she yanked it open, leapt on Hatter, and hugged him lovingly, "Hatter!"

Hatter returned the hug softly, "Hello, dear Alice..."

"How's Tuesday?"

"He is still sick, but better than yesterday. He had a seizure last night... Little rabbit seizure. Scariest thing I've ever seen."

"Huh..." Alice released him, grabbed his hand, pulled him into the room.

"What is it?" he muttered, weariness staining his voice.

Alice bounced over to Ash, who stared at her up from his crib, and said, "Tell your papa what you know?"

Ash gurgled.

"No, no... You said it yesterday."

Ash giggled softly before clapping his hands together excitedly, "Papa! Papa!"

Hatter instantly was at the crib, wide-eyed, "Ash! You talked!"

"Papa!"

Reaching down, Hatter grabbed his son, pressed him to his chest, and softly patted his back, "Oh... That's nice of you, Alice, to teach him how to say that."

"I spent the whole time with March trying to get him to say that. March was really helpful."

"Oh, yes. Very helpful... Had to go berserk when Tuesday went into his seizure. Acting like the world was on fire and he was stuck in the very center of it. Poor
March... Nearly gave himself a heart attack. His body just goes... haywire when he's mad."

"Is he okay?"

"Foaming at the mouth, making odd little noises... No, I didn't think he was okay at the time. I've only seen him do that three times... Once with February...
That was horrible... And you saw what he did to Decemberist... He did that when he was mad... And then there were the other times... I won't tell you about
those, but he went on a... How can I say this?" He thought for a few moments, silent.
"What happened?"

"I'm not going to tell you... acutally..." Hatter kissed Ash on the cheek and gazed at Alice lovingly. "You don't need to know." He bent over, pressed his lips
softly against hers.

Ash beat at his father's chest with small open hands, happily squeaking, "Papa, Papa, Papa!"

"What is it, Ash? You want something."

"Papa, Papa!"

Hatter's eyes grew weary again, "Oh dear... You won't ever stop saying that, will you?"

"Papa!" Ash raised his hands high over his head and squealed in delight.

The next day, Alice tried to coax Zero and Tick out from under the bed, but they would not leave, eyes wide as they persuaded her not to drag them out.
Hatter tried to help her, but Zero would hiss and spit at him, aggresively setting the point that neither he nor his son would come out.

Hatter then recieved the news that the Clockwork dragon was back, again, and, having raided the stables and eaten a couple of horses, was snuffling around
the courtyard, warning off guards that came close with hate-filled growls. Hatter was to report at once to the courtyard and help the guards be rid of this
troublesome beast.

Stalking out, Hatter furiously shouted, "What the heck are you doing here, you mechanical monster?"

The dragon jerked blue eyes to him, snuffled, and then paced over with a soft growl. He nosed Hatter, his long, chain tongue slipping over him before the
dragon closed his mouth around him, carried him up, and wandered over to the corner.

Hatter glared at the teeth sticking into his side, pounded at his snout, "Let me go!"

The monster dropped him to the ground, put a paw over him to keep him down, and then quietly began to settle down, keeping the man under his forepaws.
He clicked his jaws over the man's head and then slowly began to croon softly.

Hatter struggled vainly under his paw before locking his eyes on the dragon's and ordered coldly, "Let me go."

Instantly, the dragon let him go, growled softly, backed away. Hatter sat up, brushed himself off angrily, and then ordered, "I want you out of the castle. Now."

The Clockwork monster hacked, brought his tail down to Hatter, and wrapped it around him. Softly, he carried him up as he turned to his back. With a small
snarl, he set the man on his chest.

Hatter stomped a foot down hard, "Out of the castle!"

Purring, the Clockwork dragon ignored him.

"I said 'Out'! Are you as stupid as you are ugly?"

The dragon rolled over, knocking Hatter from his stomach. Standing, he raised a clawed paw to his chest, scratched at it, and then opened his mouth wide.
His neck throbbing, he retched silently before vomiting up half-digested horse-fly meat all over Hatter.

Gasping, Hatter staggered up, now colored a putrid-red. From their distant sidelines, the guards gaped. Sniffing, the dragon nosed him, whining. "What the
bliddy heck do you want?" roared Hatter angrily.

The dragon extended his tongue, licked him softly, slurping up the liquidy goopy soup.

"I'm not going to eat your vomit."

Suddenly, the dragon bristled angrily, snapping his jaws above the man's head.

"What is wrong with you? I don't want to eat! I just want you to go away! You're a freak of nature! You shouldn't even be here! Go kill yourself in the
mountains or something!"
The dragon hissed, brought the tip of his tail to his mouth, and bit down angrily at himself. Then, circling, he growled furiously, his tail in his mouth. Drawing
the dagger from his waist, Hatter ordered furiously, "Now! Out!"

Sniffing, eyes angry, the dragon sprinted across the courtyard, vaulted up over the wall, and disappeared. Instants later, screams from the town. The guards
ran for the gates, agitated. As the heavy doors opened with a groan, they squeezed through and headed towards the screams, ready to fight for the
townpeoples' lives.

Fuming, Hatter stomped up to the stairwell that led up to the top of the wall, mounted the stairs quickly, and then leaned over the parapet. Below, the
Clockwork dragon was snapping furiously at some of the guards that came too close.

"Dragon!"

Jerking up, the dragon instantly settled down and coughed a reply up at Hatter, his tail stirring slightly.

"If you don't leave, I will not like you anymore!" Hatter couldn't believe he was saying this.

The Clockwork monster's eyes narrowed before he opened his mouth wide, growled sorrowfully up at him.

"If you leave, and promise not to come back for another two months, I will... I have no idea. What do you want?" Sighing, Hatter leaned over further and
gazed down at the dragon in annoyed curiousity. "You certainly seek approval... But what else?"

The dragon let a small pitiful moan raise from his throat before he glanced about, saw a guard, grabbed him, and began to smother him in his arms, crooning
softly.

"You just want me to not hate you?"

The dragon thought for a moment before curtly nodding and releasing the guard with a hiss.

"Fine then. No returning for antoher two months and I willl spend a full day with you..."

The dragon instantly turned, sped away down the street with an excited roar. Hatter glared after him, smirked when he tripped over himself, and then turned
away from the parapet as the dragon stumbled up, confused at what had made him fall flat upon his face.

Pendulum had abandoned his son, and now the monster sought out another to take his place. He knew Hatter, so he had chosen Hatter.
As it dawned upon him, Hatter groaned, slapped a hand against his head, and then stalked towards the stairwell, brushing furiously at his bloodied clothes.
"Got to go talk to Pendulum... Bliddy Pendulum... Urh... Gonna slap him across the face for this..."

Chapter 42: Preparing to Move

"I'm not taking him back." sniffed Pendulum, scratching at his stomach in irritation.

"He's bothering us! He ate half of our horse-flies! Why won't you take him back?" Hatter fumed as he crossed his arms. "He's trying to replace you... And he's
chosen me..."

"Is that why he tried to feed you?" asked Pendulum sourly, motioning at Hatter's ruined clothes.

"I guess. Could you please at least tell him to leave me alone."

Thinking about it, Pendulum smirked before saying, "No. You deserve some... discomfort. And if you kill him, then I will come after you and kill you."

"And I'll-"

"No... Actually, I'll eat one of your children."

Hatter froze before muttering, "Fine... I won't kill it. But could you-"

"No."

Flying into a rage, Hatter yelled, "I want him away from my family! I want him away from me!"

"Well, I'm not going to." replied Pendulum snobbily, enjoying the anger that spewed from Hatter's mouth as he swore violently.
Hatter came back to his and Alice's room, angry and hungry. The smell of meat, however disgusting it was, enticed him, reawakening his thirst for blood.
Ripping his clothes off, he threw them in the corner, roughly pulled on some new ones, and then growled furiously, "Stupid Pendulum won't take his son back."

"What... what's that all over your clothes?"

"Horse meat... Half-digested horse meat. The stupid thing threw up all over me." Hatter rubbed at his hair, caked in blood, and started to flake it off.

"Ew! Go do that somewhere else! Stop it!"

Hatter stopped, glowered at the floor, and then asked, "Have Tick and Zero come out from under the bed yet?"

"No... Still won't... And I think Zero nearly ate Tick a few hours ago... Sounded like a fight happened under there..."

"...Huh... Sure it wasn't a mouse and they fought over it because they were hungry?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay... I'm going to go clean up... I'll... see you later." Sullenly, Hatter stalked out of the room.

Alice took Ash and Fleur out for a walk around the castle walls before returning to her room an hour later. She walked in, froze, and then shrieked, "Ah! Put
that town!"

Hatter was swinging a little mouse from its tail, ignoring its squeaks as its little paws waved useless about. Glancing at her, Hatter smiled, "I know what you
heard... Come watch this." He motioned for her to come over.

Slowly, warily, Alice stepped over, stopped a good ten feet from him, and then saw Zero and Tick's heads sticking out from beneath the bed, their eyes set
greedily upon the mouse. Instantly, she snapped, "No! You're not going to feed the poor mouse to them!"

"Once they come out, I will... Till then..." Hatter raised the mouse to his mouth, bit off its head, chewed, and swallowed. He devoured the rest of the mouse in
a matter of seconds.

"Ah! No!" Alice jerked back as Hatter reached into the small wriggling bag that was tied at his side. "No! You can't do that anymore!"

"... I'm hungry... And they need to come out from under the bed... It's fine, don't worry..." Hatter dragged out another mouse, held it up, and began to swing it
gently back and forth.

Zero and Tick moaned in longing, torn between the desire for the mouse and the fear of coming out from beneath the bed.

Hatter crooned, "Come on... Come on... I know you want it..."

Tick crawled out, his fur fluffed up, before leaping up for the mouse, knocking it from Hatter's grasp, and then chased it to the corner. Jumping upon it, he
snapped it up in his teeth, curled up around it, and began to devour it savagely.

Zero ripped out from under the bed, tackled Tick, and tried to rip the mouse from him.

Hatter watched them, chuckling, "That's not the only one... I have more..."

Instantly, Zero's eyes were on him, hungry and longing. Sprinting forward, he pounced upon Hatter, knocked him from his chair, and, tearing the bag from his
waist, dragged it over to the corner where he preceded to tear it and the mice inside it apart.

Tick finished his mouse, jumped into the fray to steal some mice from Zero.

Alice screamed as one escaped, came scurrying towards her. However, before it reached her, Hatter jumped for it, caught it up in his hand, and tore into it,
wild-eyed and hungry.

A little unnerved by Hatter's sudden hunger, Alice took Ash, Fleur, Tick, and Zero to March's and asked him to talk to Hatter and calm him down. Leaving May
and Alice together with the little children, March went sullenly to Hatter's room.

Hatter was having an insanity attack; what Alice had witnessed was the first stage of his madness.
Growling deep in his throat, Hatter eyed him warily as March came forward caustiously, his hands held out in front of him to show he had no weapons. "Hats...
It's okay... It's me... See? Just plain, old March..."

Hatter glowered at him before standing up and creeping towards him.

March backed away, "Hatter... Remember me? It's March. March, Hats... March."

Hatter paused before smiling softly, "March... Yes... I know you... Why are we here?"

"Where are we, Hats?" asked March, trying to play along.

"The Shadowlands and- AH!" Hatter flinched away from an imaginary hand, "No! Don't touch me!"

"Who's trying to touch you, Hats?"

"...Jabberwock... Please don't..." Putting his head in his hands, Hatter squatted and shuddered, his dark eyes wide as they stared at the carpet.

March sighed, went over to him, and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I won't let him get you, Hats..."

"Oh..." Hatter relaxed under his hands. "Thank you, March... Thank you..."

"Now, Hats, I need you to calm down so you won't be mad no more... Okay?"

"I... I... calm? I can do calm..." Hatter shuddered under his hands, eyes widening once more.

March huffed angrily as Hatter began to sob uncontrollably as some invisible demon tormented him. Drawing back his foot, he kicked his friend solidly in the
rear, sending him flying to the floor. Hatter cringed around, casting terrified eyes up at March. He saw his friend no more, but a monster. "What have you done
with March? What have you-"

March hissed, "Snap out of it, Hats! I'm March!"

"You're... You're... March... March... I want March..." Hatter glared up at him with tears rolling down his cheeks.

"You want March. That's really nice to say. I'm right here!" March yelled loudly, trying to get the point across.

After a few moments, Hatter sniffed, "March?"

"Yes. I'm March. You're Hatter. You're mad right now. Get off your bottom and calm down so you'll turn normal again."

"March... Where's Alice...? Where are my children...? Jabberwocky took them..." pouted Hatter sorrowfully.

"No, he didn't. They're in my room. Now calm down! Do you have to lay down on the bed to calm down? If that's what it takes, then do so!"

"...Okay..." Hatter staggered up, threw himself on the bed, and began snuffling into the pillow, wiping his running nose and eyes.

For the next few minutes, March watched Hatter shudder on the bed, shivering as he slowly made his way back from insanity. After ten minutes, he sat up,
blinked, and then moaned, "I went mad, didn't I?"

"That you did."

"I didn't... hurt anybody, did I?"

"Just a few mice."

"Oh... That's good then... If I didn't hurt anybody..."

"What would the poor mice say?" said March teasingly, relieved that his friend was back to 'normal'.

"...They'd say I was a big, bad monster."

"So... Don't do it any more. Remember: no blood or raw meat?"

"...Yes." Hatter glanced sullenly at his feet, "Guess I kind of lost it there..."

March went over, sat down next to him, and put an arm around his comrade's shoulder, mumbled, "So... Hatter... I just have to ask... When are we going
home?"

"Home?"

"To the forest... I'm getting a little homesick... And, thinking about it, we haven't been to our real houses since before we moved the tea party to that bliddy
meadow... Wonder how our houses are..."

"Probably run-down and infested with animals."

"Better go see to that then, huh?" March widened his eyes and gazed at Hatter pleadingly.

Grinning widely, Hatter grabbed one of his ears and wrestled March down, "Think we should? How long would that take? A couple of weeks? How could we
subject the ladies to that?"

"We could leave them here and go fix them up. We could do your house first and then do mine."

"Deal!"

March and Hatter left the next day, headed for their homes in the forest, leaving Alice, Ash, Fleur, May, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at the castle. This
marked the three month absence of the two husbands.
During this time, May and Alice became close friends. Every day consisted of Alice coming to May's room and letting Ash playing with the little Hares. He was
especially fond of Wednesday, the gray Hare and him tussling off in the corner while the black and the white Hare stared at them with calm eyes.

In the second month, Ash began to imitate the Hares, who had been started to totter around on their hind legs unsteadily. Ash tripped a few times, only to
stumble up again determinedly. The two gray children began misbehaving. Ash and Wednesday went out of their way to tackle Monday and Tuesday and
break into little, harmless play battles on the floor.

During this time, Ash learned the words 'Mama', 'dog', 'cat', and, for some reason, 'rabbit' instead of 'hare'. Everytime he saw Wednesday, he would beat at
Alice's arm and shriek happily, "Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit!"

Which, of course, Wednesday couldn't retort to. For all he knew, he was a rabbit. However, he returned the 'insult' unknowingly by calling Ash, "Kitty."

Fleur grew a little bit, her black hair lengthening to her chin as her pale, pearly skin brightened to healthy peach. She began to be able to sit up all by herself,
play silently with the beloved toy that Alice had brought home one day. The grubby cloth bumblebee was always with her.

One day, Alice and May sat in May's room, Alice reading a book quietly as May hummed and knitted an atrociously purple hat for Monday. Alice was unsure
how bright lavender would look on a boy Hare, even if he was black.

Black sniffled at his mother's feet, his ears drooping. He had torn his other hat, for which May had given him a good spank across the bottom and a time-out.
Whenever he tried to crawl away, May would catch him with her nimbly hind paws, drag him back.
From the corner of the room, Ash's voice screamed out as the little boy tackled his gray friend. Instantly, Wednesday was yelling back, "Kitty!"

May sighed, glanced up, and called, "Can you boys never be quiet? Look at Monday... Be quiet like him."

The white Hare sat in the corner, watching Ash and Wednesday play-fight with wide eyes. With an excited squeak, Wednesday rolled Ash over, lay upon him
quickly, and then laughed hysterically as Ash struggled to sit up. "Kitty!"

May rolled her eyes, glanced at Alice, and then grinned brightly, "Wednesday's just like March when he was little. He used to roll me over and sit on me also...
He'd sit there for hours, amusing himself while I was stuck under him... Guess Wednesday and Ash are going to be just like Hatter and March... Stuck together
with honey and trouble."

Ash happy giggles disappeared into furious screams as Wednesday began to pull his hair.

Leaping up, Alice scurried over, seperated the two gray children, grabbed Ash up in her arms, and brought him back over to the chair. He sniffled into her
shoulder, "Mama... Rabbit..." He glanced back at a sullen Wednesday before pushing at her chest, trying to escape her arms, "Rabbit!"

Alice put him down, watched Ash stagger over to Wednesday on his legs, and then fall upon the hare, knocking Wednesday over.
May laughed, "It's good thing that we'll live close to each other or they might-"

The door slammed open and, instantly, Alice was squawking in an embrace as Hatter squeezed her tight. Rubbing his unshaven cheek against hers as her feet
swung a foot off the ground, he whispered, "Alice! How are you?"

Alice stared up into his face before smiling widely, "Hatter!"

Setting her down, Hatter returned the smile lovingly, his cheeks darkened by the stubble, "Well! You seem to be happy to see me!"

"I... It's a surprise. I mean, you weren't here and then -BAM!- you're here all of the sudden."

Behind her, March still was swinging May about in an embrace, his ears twitching uncontrollably, "May! Got you! Ah! Seen you gotten fat again! I love you-"

Next second, he lay on his back on the floor, staring up at the ceiling with a dazed smile on his face as May shivered in anger, "How dare you say I'm fat?"

Hatter waved a hand, smile nervous, "He's just joking, May."

"Yesh... Just joking..." Rubbing his nose, March propped himself up on his elbows before shrieking with delighted surprise as his three children pounced upon
his chest. "Ah! Monsters!"

"Daddy!" yelled the Hare children in happiness as March grabbed them all up in his arms and spun around with them pressed close.

Hatter was about to chuckle when he felt short arms travel around his leg and embrace his knee softly. Glancing down, he smiled faintly as Ash stared up at
him with adoring eyes, "Oh, hello, Ash! How's my little," Bending down, he scooped his son up, "champion going?"

Ash snuggled against his chest, mumbled, "Papa."

Alice went over to the bed, grabbed Fleur and her bumblebee gently, and brought them over to Hatter, who bent over and kissed his little girl on the forehead
softly, "And my little princess?"

Still absorbed in her toy, Fleur paused to glance up at him with yellow eyes before giggling and biting on of the bumblebee's antennae. Hatter chuckled, set
Ash down, and took Fleur from Alice. Cradling her in his arms, he cooed, "Yes... You're fine... Got a new toy..." He tickled her nose. Fleur poofed out her cheeks
before letting a loud giggle burst forth. Instantly, Hatter planted a kiss on the tip of her nose, "Yes, beautiful girl... I love you too."

Alice laughed, hugged Hatter, "So... Got everything done?"

"Of course. Wouldn't have come back if I couldn't offer something great for my two little children... We've fixed up the houses, huh, March?" He glanced over
at the Hare.

"Yes! And we put an orchard directly in between them! Apple trees... Just so Hatter doesn't have an excuse to go eat something with blood." March glared at
Hatter.

"...Hey... It was just a bat... It scared the heck out of me..."

"No reason for you to-"

May clapped her hands excitedly, "An orchard? Oh! That's great! Are there only apple trees?"

"We bought some apple, pear, peach, apricot, and... avocado saplings and put them in... Hats insisted on the avocadoes..." March sighed as his children
wriggled in his arms.

"What? I like them... And that way we don't just have everything in spring... And I want to put in an Imagination Rose... I just need to steal at slice of it."
sniffed Hatter, bouncing Fleur up and down.

"But what about the houses?" asked Alice softly.

March smiled, "My roof caved in, so I had to make a new one. Instead of using left-over fur like last time, I used wood this time... Two chimneys... You know, to
let people know that it's a Hare house." Turning his milky eyes to Hatter, he asked in curiousity, "Do you remember why I did that in the first place? Put fur on
my roof?"

"...I think you were just bored one day... Remember? It was raining..."
"Oh... Yes... Now, I remember... And Hatter's house was horrible. We spent most the time fixing up his house."

"Not my fault someone wanted to tear down all the walls." Hatter glowered at March.

"Too many doors. We opened some space to make some new rooms... And I wanted him to put in a second floor. I mean, come on... One story?" His voice
came out strangled.

"Just because you needed two stories for your house doesn't mean I want mine to have it too... You have stairs that little children can fall off of..."

"Oh..." Chuckling, March turned to Alice and said brightly, "Hats fell of my stairs. He was so mad!"

Hatter reddened, "And March nearly killed himself with an axe."

"Correction: You nearly killed me with an axe."

"Well... You nearly killed yourself when you got stuck in the chimney, not to mention you were black for two weeks straight."

"And you fell through the floor."

"And you fell through your roof." retorted Hatter, grinning sharply.

Before March could reply, May shook his shoulder and asked, "When are we going to go?"

"We could leave tomorrow if you want."

Hatter glanced at Alice, raised his eyebrows, his green eye glistening as his yellow eye slowly changed to a white, "Do you want to leave tomorrow, Alice?"

"Sure."

Happy that he saw truth, Hatter hugged Fleur to his chest. "Well then! I should get to town and buy us a wagon. We don't want to leave behind some
important stuff, would we?"

March clapped his hands, "Like May!" Ducking under his wife's fist a minute later, he scurried from the room, calling, "And her big bottom!"

Stone-faced, May glanced at Alice and said in a false, sweet voice, "Excuse me, Alice, but would you watch my children while I go beat some matureness into
my husband?"

"...Yes?"

"Thank you." May ripped out of the room.

March's startled squeak came from outside before he yelled, "Ah! NO! Not the jacket!" A loud ripping noise came before May stomped in, her fists clutched
around March's chemise.

Glaring at Hatter, she muttered, "Actually... Why don't you do it?"

March peered sullenly in, the fur on his bare chest fluffing up in indignation, "May... That was a good shirt... You didn't have to rip it..."

May threw it at him, "Then stop insulting me!"

March stood up and tried to redeem himself. "I'm... not insulting you... I'm proclaiming my love for you through... saying things about your body."

Alice and Hatter groaned and looked away as May shivered in fury, "Well, if you want to do that, compliment my face and not my rear!"

March cringed. "No anger, please..."

Hatter tugged at Alice's shirt and whispered, "Time to go..."

Chapter 43: New Homes

Hatter and March went to town and came back with two wagons full of things: two queen-sized feather mattresses, five smaller mattresses for the children
when they grew a bit older, quite a few soft down pillows, blankets, iron nails, enough oats to last the four horse-flies they were taking a year, bolts of cloth,
lots of thread, yarn, and needles, and many other things. March focused on food while Hatter quickly ran over the necessities they just had to bring with
them.

May leaned over to Alice as they watched the two men grow frantic as they stuffed as much as they could into March's cart, "This is just preposterous. Look at
them!"

Interested by the new word, Ash told Wednesday, and, for the rest of the day, Ash and Wednesday toddled by side, yelling, "Po-pah-stuss! Po-pah-stuss! Papa
po-pah-stuss!"

As soon as they had finished loading the wagons, Hatter scurried off to the Imagination Rose room, snuck out a cutting of it, and hid it in his coin purse. A
flower for Alice... She always seemed to be more of a 'flower' girl and a cute, fluffy creature than anything else... Seeing a rose outside in the orchard would
make her happy.

That night was spent restlessly and morning came too early. As it was, Ash and the three Hare children lay in the back of Hatter's cart on the feather pillows,
sleeping soundly as the wagon jolted down the dirt road. Alice held Fleur in her arms in her seat next to Hatter, happy that it was misty and not sunny;
otherwise, the children would be awake and grumpy. They had been on the road for three hours already.

Glancing over at Hatter, she grinned brightly and asked, "So... Is it pretty?"

"What?" Hatter couldn't go sleep with the children, and his weariness made him ornery.

"The house. Is it pretty?"

"...Sure. Yes..." Hatter's eyes narrowed before he yawned loudly, leaned back, and slumped against the wooden seat, glaring out at the horseflies.

Alice gazed at him before leaning over and kissing him, "Don't be grumpy."

For a moment, Hatter was unresponsive. Then, his eyes brightened, his grimace turned to a soft smile, and he brushed his lips over her cheek, "I'll try."

"That's good." Alice pushed his head away playfully, "Now watch the road."

A few minutes passed before Hatter twisted around in his seat and glanced behind at March's and May's wagon, "Wonder how March is dealing with Zero and
Tick... They didn't really want to go in that wagon. Oh... wait... I think Zero's coming up on your side..."

Zero sprinted up on the right side of the wagon, Tick latched on between the gears that whirred and spun wildly with his fur puffed up. Sprinting ahead, Zero
paused, sniffed at the ground, and then glanced up at the wagon and barked. The horse-flies paused, momentarily scared, before backing up against the
wagon, their eyes rolling as they snorted.

Hatter sighed, "Zero... We're trying to go faster, not stop."

Zero sneezed before breaking into a howl and racing into the field at the right, vanishing into the long grass. Growling, Hatter swore loudly before sliding
down from his seat, landing on the ground, and stomping around the horse-flies. "I am going to kick that-"

Zero reappeared, dragging a limp body face-down from the grass. Instantly, Alice shrieked softly, and Hatter hurried over to flip the man over. A second later
however, he drew back, drawing his dagger, baring teeth.
The Shadowlander coughed and whispered weakly, "Please don't kill me... I was just on guard duty... I wasn't there to go after you or your wife..."

March ran up from his wagon, ears cocked forward, "What's wrong? Who's th- Ah! Bliddy heck! I thought they all went back!"

Hatter hissed, "You're one of the five sent to kill us!"

"I was transferred in last minute. I didn't want to go... so I opted for guard duty... Please... Don't kill me..." The Shadowlander hacked before rolling over and
throwing up onto the dirt. He gasped as soon as the bile cleared his mouth and added softly, "And the council is no more... And my own army tried to kill me
when I went over... and my captain was killed..." He shuddered.

Hatter bit his lip before asking, "And you've been wandering since then?"

"Yes..."

Pondering this slowly, Hatter finally sighed, sheathed his dagger, "Take your armor off."
His shivering fingers fidgeting as he undid the leather straps that held his armor together, the Shadowlander sluggishly slid out of it, pushed it to Hatter's feet,
and then sobbed into the dirt. "Please... Food... Do you have food?"

Hatter turned to the March Hare, who stared at the shivering Shadowlander, and ordered, "Bread and cheese."

March turned, scurried to his wagon, and hastily brought back the food. Handing them to the Shadowlander, he watched as the man began devouring it
ravenously, not even chewing as he swallowed down chunks and blocks of the bread and cheese. Hatter glanced up at Alice and said, "Alice, could you make
some room in the back? We're bringing a guest."

"What?" squeaked March, fur standing on end. "He's one of those who came to kill us!"

"And he knows better than that now. We're taking him with us."

"But.. Why?" asked March faintly, lost.

"...'Cause I said so." said Hatter bluntly. Reaching down, he hauled the Shadowlander to his feet, dragged him over to the wagon, helped him into the back.

The Shadowlander curled up in the corner opposite the children, stared at them, and then whispered, "Thank you."

"What is your name?"

The Shadowlander opened his mouth, shut it, opened it again after a thought, and then struggled to say in Wonderlander, "W- Winter..."

"Winter?"

"Y-y-yes."

"Okay then, Winter... Why don't you go to sleep? I'll wake you up when we get to the house, okay?"

"Th-thanks to you..." Winter shivered against the wooden wall of the cart before laying down, pulling himself into a little ball, and slipping into sleep almost
immediately.

After thirty more minutes, Ash woke up with a yawn, sat up, and then, grabbing Wednesday's ear, tugged at it with a happy squeak. Sniffling, Wednesday
opened his blue eyes, stared up at Ash, and then smiled, "Kitty."

Ash grinned, "Rabbit." He crawled onto Wednesday, was about to grab his ears again, and then paused to stare at the man curled up in the corner of the
wagon. Slowly, he staggered up, stumbled over, and poked at the man with a confused 'hmm?'.

Alice, seeing him awake, turned and shooed him away from Winter, "No, Ash... Leave him alone."

"Mama!" Ash pressed up against the wagon's wall, his different colored eyes barely peering over the edge to regard his mother.

Hatter glanced behind and smiled, "Hello, Ash! Sleep well!"

"Papa!" squeaked the gray child.

"Alice, you have to teach him 'yes' and 'no' soon, okay?" joked Hatter.

Wednesday crawled over to the Shadowlander, bent his head to peer between the man's arms and into his face, "Kitty?"

Ash tottered over to him, fell on him, and pulled his ears. Wednesday shrieked loudly.

The Shadowlander's black eyes flickered open before he quietly reached over, separated the two boys, and then set his head down to sleep again. Hatter
reached back, tapped his boot, "Hey, wake up... We're nearly there."

Moaning, Winter sat up, glanced above at the branches that let soft sunlight through. He blinked before asking, "We are in the forest?"

"Yes."

"I thought you lived in the castle. I thought you called that 'home'."
"We're moving. Tomorrow will be the first day I've lived in this house for a long time."

"...Oh... Is it a farm?" Slipping over the wall of the wagon, Winter slid onto the seat between Hatter and Alice and glanced ahead, "If so, I could help."

"We have an orchard, but nothing's grown yet."

"I used to have a farm. I could help."

Hatter pursed his lips, glanced at the man, and then asked, "Are you just hoping I say 'yes' so you have somewhere to live?"

"I can't go back to the Shadowlands yet, so... Yes..."

"Depends. Let's see how everyone copes to you first. Then I'll decide."

"...Thank you."

They reached the houses thirty minutes later, Hatter whooping with joy as they arrived.

March and May's house was large and spacious, the wooden slat roof sporting two chimneys made of brick. On each wall, several windows showed through
the alternating brick and whitewashed plaster. A wooden porch wrapped all around, covered by a small rain-roof carved in the Victorian style.

Alice loved her and Hatter's house all the more. Unlike the 'too big' feeling that March's house gave her, Hatter's house was smaller, cozier, and warmer
feeling. It possessed heavy brick walls that faded to wood as it neared the roof. The roof, triangle in shape, was wooden also, and had a single chimney.

Between the two houses was an orchard, about three football fields long and four wide, held many, many little plantlings, bordered by a tall, beige wall.

The minute they stopped, Winter jumped out of the wagon, shouted, "I'll help!", and ran to the bag of the wagon. Pulling down the back, he grabbed a large
sack, staggered towards the house.

Hatter jumped down, "Hey! That's my job!"

"No, no, no! I'll do it!" Winter tried to the door knob, found it unlocked, and stole in.

Alice stared down at Hatter, "You didn't lock it?"

"There's nothing in there. Winter! Bring that back! That goes to the stable!"

Winter stuck his head out, black eyes wide, "Stable?"

The rest of the day was spent dragging everything inside the two houses and setting things up. Winter made sure to be useful, which annoyed and relieved
Hatter at the same time.
As night drew close, they rendezvoused at March's home to have a delightful supper of roasted vegetables and a quickly baked apple pie from the supplies
they had brought. The whole time, Winter chatted gaily with Hatter, saying how he would set up snares and bring in good meat for dinner if that is what he
wanted.

Hatter just replied with a gruff yes before forcing himself to eat his share of mushy vegetables.

Fleur had her small meal, and Ash, Tuesday, Monday, and Wednesday were left to their own devices with spoons and bowls of mashed up vegetables. The
Hares managed to get it all down their fronts while Ash managed to have half of vegetables in his stomach by the end of dinner before falling asleep in his
chair.

Determined to prove himself useful, Winter told Hatter that he would take Ash back to the house and lay him down to sleep. Sullenly, Hatter allowed him to do
it.
After a few drinks of wine and happy conversation with March, Hatter returned with Alice to their new home, where they found Ash dressed in his pajamas,
laying on their bed as he slept, and Winter downstairs, curled up in the corner, sleeping also. Alice lay Fleur to sleep in her small crib, and she and Hatter fell
asleep curled up around Ash. Zero and Tick fell asleep in the corner.

The next morning came late. Waking up groggily, Hatter rubbed his eyes as he faintly registered Zero's snuffling nose against his hand. He moaned, "Zero..."

Zero grabbed his hand, dragged him out of bed, and watched him slowly stagger up from the floor before leaping to the window, nosing it, and whining softly.
Hatter stalked over, awake and grumpy, and glanced out. Winter was working in the orchard, prying up stones from the ground before dragging them to a
small pile. Apparently, he had been working for quite some while, for the ground was pocked with holes.
Hatter dressed slowly before wandering out.

Winter was so engrossed in his work, working up a rock from its buried place, that, when Hatter spoke, he yelped, tripped over himself, and fell flat on his
back. "What are you doing, Winter?"

"Oh... You... I'm... I'm working the ground. Trees don't grow well with rocky soil."

"...I can help." Hatter stepped forward.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Winter stumbled back up, took the rock, gave it a solid yank, grabbed it as it slid up through the dirt, and then towed it over to the pile. "I
have to earn my place. You should let me work so I can show you."

"You really want to stay that much?"

"There's no other person I know in Wonderland who has friendly relations with the Shadowlands..." Winter gave him a hopeful smile through his dusted teeth,
"And this country doesn't exactly appreciate me... I could stay here, maybe, until you ask for leniency from the King?"

"That only happens if I'm appointed ambassador again... which I doubt will happen."

"But you could ask the Wonderland ambassador to be to ask on my behalf?"

"Maybe." Hatter sighed, took another step forward. "Sure you don't want help?"

"Please, sir... I can do this."

"... If you want to help, you can go in and make breakfast with the food we have there."

"Yes, sir!" The Shadowlander saluted happily, hurried into the house.

Alice awoke to the taunting smell of eggs and the coaxing aroma of potatoes. Staggering up, she groaned as she toddled into the kitchen. Winter glanced up
from the fire, where the copper kettle was brewing tea alongside the dark iron pans that held the food. Smiling, he said in broken Wonderlander, "Morning,
Ambassador wife! Good?"

Alice stared at him before nodding, "Yes... I'm fine. And you?"

"Good. Food?" He motioned at the cooking breakfast.

"Yes, please..."

Hatter peered in, eyes wide as he smelled the food, "Mm... That actually smells good... Oh, good morning, Alice!"

"Did you force him to do this?" asked Alice, glancing at Winter as he began to hum happily.

"No. He's trying to help about the house... If you need help, just ask him. He'll deny you if he doesn't want to do it, so don't be shy."

Hatter was about to step in when March came ripping out of the orchard, his ears erect, "Hats! You're awake! Hey, a man just came to my house and said he
had something to tell- Oh, dear Lord, what is that smell?" Stopping dead in his tracks, March took a deep breath before shoving past Hatter and asking,
"Where's the food?"

"Winter's making it... What man?"

"Go see. He's at my house. Either that or in the orchard coming over to find you." Drawing close to the fire, March glanced at Winter, looked at the food, and
then asked, "Could I have some?"

"Food for you? Yes, sir."

"Oho! I'm a 'sir', Hats!" March clapped his hands, eying the food hungrily.

Hatter glowered at him, "Of course. Thinking with your stomach... I'm going over to talk to him." Slowly, he stepped through the door out into the sunshine.
March wandered over to Alice, clapped a hand onto her shoulder, "Hello, Alice! You are so lucky to have this Shadowlander!" Lowering his voice, he whispered,
"That looks so much better than what May is cooking... So Hatter did steal the eggs from me..."

"Mmm... But at least she can cook... I'm not good at cook-"

"NO!" roared Hatter's voice from outside. "No! No! No! That freak abomination is not going to be led here! You can't- You already what? Ah! I hope you burn
alive!"
Next second, he sprinted in, slammed the door, rasped, "Anyone needs me, I'm hiding under the bed. No one go outside. There'll be a dragon here in
approximately five to ten minutes. Till he leaves... I'm hiding there under the bed. And don't tell it!" He raced into the adjoining room.

A miserable knock came at the door, "Hatter... He'll eat me if he can't find you..."

"Good for you!" came the shouted reply.

March sniffed, sat down at the table with a smile, "Must be the Clockwork dragon again... I heard he's taken an admiration to Hatter."

"Not true!" screamed Hatter as he pulled himself under the bed. Zero and Tick glanced up from their corner before suddenly stiffening, leaping up to peer out
the window, and then bolting like mad to join Hatter.

"Oh... so that's why they wouldn't come out." thought Alice, staring as she heard the guard sigh and leave.

A few minutes passed before March and Alice stiffened when they heard heavy footsteps from outside and the constant, excited whir of gears spinning at high
speed. Instantly, Winter crouched to the floor and hissed, "Clockwork."

The door shuddered as the dragon nudged it. After waiting a few seconds, he bent his head to peer through a window, a bright electric-blue eye staring
through at Alice and March before roving in search for Hatter. He passed on, moving to the next window down.
Alice pursed her lips before slowly straying to the other room. Peering at the bed, she said, "The dragon's here."

"Go away... He'll know I'm here if he sees you talking to me..."

"Hatter..."

The window clinked behind her, and she turned to see the dragon nudging it softly before whining loudly. Sighing, she went over to the window, unlatched it,
opened it, and leaned out, "What do you want?"

The dragon pushed her out of the way, whimpered as he stared at the bed.

"AH! Stop it! Stop it! You blasted traitor!" Hatter struggled as Zero dragged him out under the bed.

Instantly, the dragon's nostrils flared, the spines down his back flaring up before he flicked his tongue out and growled in a friendly manner. Staggering up as
Zero disappeared under the bed, Hatter dusted himself off furiously, "All right, all right! You found me, you... Oh! Can't you just leave me alone?"

As a response, the Clockwork dragon wheezed a longing growl, making jerking motions with his paws.

"Fine... I'll come outside... Just don't tear down my house..." Sullen and angry, Hatter stomped from the room.

Glancing up from the food, Winter warned, "There's a Clockwork outside. Best not to go out."

"I know... He wants me."

"You?"

"He's my friend, don't worry... I'll be back sooner or later." Hatter yanked the door open and passed outside. Instantly, he was in the dragon's paws, cowering
under heavy metal nuzzling, "Ay! Stop! That hurts!"

The dragon snuffled, released him, and then squirmed against the ground like a wriggly puppy, eyes set on Hatter, imploring and wide.

"... I guess I promised you a day last time..." muttered Hatter grudgingly. "Fine... What do you want to do?"

The dragon stole Hatter away for the rest of the day, and, when he came came home that night, he brought with him two dead deer that had been obviously
killed by the dragon. Dropping them outside the door as the dragon stared happily at his back, Hatter didn't bother to knock, just slammed the door open and
stomped in. Once again, he was covered with dried blood.
Winter started up as Hatter snapped grumpily, "There's two deer outside. Skin them and we're going to have venison tonight. You're cooking."

Alice glanced up from the comfy chair by the fireplace, where an orange flame crackled cheerfully, "Oh! Hatter! You're... back... and covered in blood again..."

"I know that! And the dragon won't leave." Hatter kicked the door shut before standing aside to let Winter meekly open it up again and steal outside. The low
whine of the Clockwork monster snuck through the open doorway and filled the room.

Alice bit her lip, "But at least he's a nice dragon. He hasn't tried to kill us or anything."

"Nice? He's Pendulum's child! He'd eat us with no hesitation if he didn't want to make me his father!" Hatter turned to the doorway and roared, "Go away!"

The whining stopped before the dragon twisted his head to peer inside, his eyes wide and pleading.

Hatter slammed the door, stormed over to the fire, sat, and then began to pull off his soiled boots, muttering furiously under his breath. Underneath his tinged
red-brown leather boots were his white stockings, stained a horrible crimson-pink.
He swore loudly, "Bliddy heck! I won't have any clothes if this keeps up!" He threw one of the bloodied stockings into the fire behind him.

Alice tried to calm him down with a joke, "First Zero and now this!"

At the mention of his name, Zero glanced up. Between his forepaws lay Tick, sleeping on his back. Zero had been using his small tummy as a pillow. Hatter
glared at the metal 'dog' and sniffed, "Pendulum's children just hate me. That's it... I should just bring Pendulum in here and burn him in the fire... That'd kill
him... Swords don't kill him... Fire would though..." Hatter began pondering over this, a small smile slowly floating up onto his face.

The door shuddered as the dragon pressed up against it, chasing the smile from Hatter's face. Hissing, he shouted, "Go sleep in the orchard or something!
Just leave me alone! I need some time to myself, you blasted monster!"

With a moan, the dragon backed away from the door, sniffed sadly, and ambled off into the orchard.

After a good twenty minutes, Winter came in with a large side of deer meat. He started to cook it, filling the house with spiced aromas.
Hatter was arranging his things in his room when he slapped a hand across his forehead with a groan. The Imagination Rose! He'd forgotten to plant it.
Digging it out of his coin purse, he shrugged on his heavy coat, shook his wet hair which had just been washed clean of dried blood, and stalked into the main
room. He held the seedling in his hands.
"Alice? I'm going to go plant this... I'll be right back... If I'm not back in ten minutes, then the dragon's being selfish and trying to throw up all over me... Don't
go out." Without another word, he opened the door, let himself out.

Alice stared at the door, bouncing Fleur in her arms as Ash played with the fringe of her death, his small, pearly teeth shining as he smiled down at the thread
he was steadily pulling out of the cloth. After a few moments, Alice turned her eyes to him and nudged him with a foot, "No."

Hatter shivered, glanced up at the sky, where stars had started to sparkle. The moon was large and silver, illuminating his path. Stumbling into the orchard,
he glanced about, searching for a space where there wasn't a tree.
There, in the center, was a perfect place. Quickly, he hurried over to it, bent, dug a small hole, and, plopping the small rose cutting down into it, covered it
quickly.

A quiet whir came from his left before he felt hot breath on his hair. Glaring up, Hatter pushed the dragon's muzzle away, stood, and threatened, "You throw
up on me and I'm going to ram it back down your throat. Don't you dare."

The dragon growled softly before nuzzling his hair with his nose, crooning.
Hatter pushed him away again, "And don't touch me!"

Letting out a choked hack, the dragon blocked him as he turned to hurry back to the house. Hatter stopped, glowered at him, "Let me go back."

The Clockwork beast whined gently before grabbing him with a paw, laying down, and hugging Hatter to his metal chest.

"Ack! No! Let me go, you big metal bugger! You're bliddy cold!"

Too late. The dragon was already asleep.

Hatter fumed under its metal arms, glumly aware of the sharp claws that were just a few feet away. "Hey! Wake up! You git! Wake up!"

Winter went out a half-hour later of listening to Hatter scream and swear in both Wonderlander and Shadowlander, successfully pried him free of the dragon's
arms, and dragged him back in to have some venison and vegetables. Grumpily, Hatter set about eating up his portion ravenously, causing Winter and Alice
to stare at him in awe as he ate the thick steak of deer meat in under three minutes. The few vegetables took him much more time, but he forced himself to
eat it. He felt much better afterwards.
Instantly, the plate was held out to Winter. "More meat."

Nodding, Winter took it, a dazed look in his eye, and went to get another steak for Hatter.

Hatter patted his stomach with a hungry sigh before seizing Alice and planting a noisy kiss on her cheek, "So! What happened today?"

Alice squirmed in his embrace before laughing and setting her fork down, "Ash played with Wednesday for a bit. Fleur fell asleep, and... she's still asleep."

"Ah... Really?" Turning in his seat, Hatter tapped the sullen Ash atop his head. "Is Wednesday your friend, Ash?"

"...Kitty..." Ash poked his fork unhappily into a carrot, began to bring it towards his mouth, and then squeaked in fury as it fell off onto the floor, where the
motley assortment of carrots, beans, pea, and corn already lay. Angry, he threw his fork across the table, nearly hitting Tick, who was sniffing at some pieces
of gristle set aside as scraps. Tick fluffed up, surprised as some metal object flew past.

Taking his fork, Hatter speared a green bean, coaxed Ash's mouth open, and then popped the vegetables into his mouth. As Ash clapped his hands happily
and chewed, Hatter grinned pointedly, ruffled his son's hair, "Of course. Is Wednesday a kitty? Say 'Hare', Ash. 'Hare'."

"Kitty."

"No. 'Hare'."

"Har?"

"Close enough." Hatter pushed a small round of carrot into his son's mouth before glancing at Alice and asking, "Why didn't you give him some meat?"

"It's too tough for him to chew."

"How do you know that? You never even tried to give him any."

Winter came back with a warm steak of venison, pushed it across the table to Hatter. Taking his knife, Hatter sliced the corner off, diced it into very small
cubes, and then, picking one up, pushed it to Ash's mouth.
Ash chewed at it slowly before his eyes brightened and he swallowed it happily, "Mm! Papa!" He reached for Hatter's plate.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Hatter shooed off his son's hands. "I'll cut it for you, Ash. See, Alice? He likes it."

Alice chewed at a little piece of venison herself before smiling, "So he does... Don't try to go feed Fleur now!"

"I won't... Here you go, Ash." Hatter fed Ash another piece of meat.

Tick sniffled closer, tempted by the meat. Just as he was about to pounce upon it, Winter caught him, dragged him off the table, and then set him down under
the table, where Zero snored softly. Zero snuffled awake, glanced at Tick, and then nipped at his tail gently.

Ash slipped out of his chair, crawled down onto the pets, and then snuggled close to Zero and Tick, "Doggy."

Hatter peered underneath, "Hey, Ash? You don't want anything to eat."

"Doggy." Ash closed his eyes.

"Well, well... Guess I get to eat the rest of it." Hatter smiled, began to eat his steak quickly.

"Slow down, Hatter!" Alice poked his shoulder.

"Mmph? What? I'm hungry." Hatter swallowed down a large chunk of meat and happily itched at his stomach, happy as the sense of fullness crept into it.

"Doesn't mean you have to eat it so quickly."

"Sorry..." Hatter leaned back, pushed the plate away, and, pulling Alice to him, sat her on his lap and kissed the back of her neck softly, "If it bothers you so
much, I won't do it again..."
Alice felt his hands crawl around her waist and entwine gently in front of her. He lipped her skin happily before whispering, "Come, Alice... I'm tired... Let's go
to sleep." He pulled her up.

Alice nodded, held her hand out to Ash, "Come, Ash... It's sleepy time."

"Sweepy time?" Ash bounced to take her hand, smiling.

"Yes. Shh... We don't want to wake Fleur up."

Bending down to ruffle Ash's hare, Hatter crooned, "And we don't want to get all excited now. Papa wants to sleep. Papa's tired."

"Sweepy time for Papa!" Ash ran ahead, waving his hands high in the ear as he shrieked with delight.

Hatter chased him, caught him up, and began tickling him furiously, "Ha ha! You little animal! What are you doing? We said to be quiet!"

Ash screamed on the top of his lungs, scratching at Hatter's hands, "Papa! Sweepy time! Sweepy time!"

Alice gazed at both of them before joking, "What happened to being quiet?"

"No such thing!" screeched Hatter, throwing Ash onto the bed, jumping on him, and resuming his tickling.

"Calm down! Calm down!" ordered Alice, smiling broadly as she tackled Hatter and Ash.

Working together, Hatter and Alice dressed the thrashing Ash before wrestling him down onto the small mattress in the corner and threw the blanket over the
bed. Finally calming, Ash snuggled down into the covers and giggled happily, "Papa! Mama! Kitty?"

"You can play with Wednesday tomorrow. It's too late now." replied Alice.

"...Kitty?"

"No kitty right now!" smirked Hatter as he undressed. "Jeez... It's hot in here... Don't you think it's hot in here, Alice... Winter! Could you extinguish the fire
please?"

"Yes, sir!" Winter scrambled up to obey in the other room.

Undressing, Hatter stretched his arms high over his eyes before yawning loudly and itching at his bare chest. "Mm... Time for bed... Ash, stay in bed."

Ash, who had been creeping out from under his covers, froze before sliding back under the covers with wide eyes. "...Sweepy time for Ash!" He buried his
head down into the pillow.

Hatter laughed, "And sleepy time for Hatter and Alice too! Now, be quiet, Ash, and go to sleep."

Chapter 44: Time Overthrown and Regained

A week passed. The Imagination Rose sprouted up quickly, and, for some reasons, the rest of the saplings grew at a break-neck speed, trying to outdo the
rose. Winter was awestruck and confused. How could trees grow so fast? There was no possible way! However, he tended the orchard determinedly, showing
his helpfulness to Hatter every opportunity he got.

One morning, Alice awoke to Hatter's enraged screams from outside as he tried to chase the dragon away.

"Go away! I said go away! You've been here a week! No! Don't you dare throw up on me! I don't want you here!"

Stumbling up out of bed, Alice cast a glance to the corner, where Ash and Tick were curled around each other, the gray boy hugging the black kitty to his
chest with a happy look of ecstasy on his face.
Alice smiled before wandering over to Fleur's crib. Bright yellow eyes gazed up at her as Fleur bubbled and waved her hands about.

Another wave of yells from outside: "No! No! No! March is not a chew toy! Let him go! And the messenger isn't either!"

Alice sighed, picked up Fleur, and cradled her in her arms as she went to the window to see what was happening.
Fur matted with saliva, March sat in a daze on the ground as Hatter waved his arms about wildly. The Clockwork dragon backed away, whining shrilly, his tail
whipping about in agitation. At the dragon's feet was a horse, neighing under the dragon's claws.

"Throw him up! Throw him up!"

The dragon coughed before retching up. Flopping down on the ground, a young page boy, dressed in the now red-stained royal livery lay unconscious on the
ground. Hatter rushed in, dragged him back, and then snapped at the dragon as it lowered its mouth to the horse. "No! You can't eat the horse either!"

The dragon huffed, raised his paw. The horse-fly whickered in terror as it staggered up and galloped away.

The page boy was dragged in immediately and set by the fireplace, where the fire crackled happily. After a good thirty minutes of no response, he gasped
awake, choking as he escaped from a horrible dream, sat up, and glanced wildly about.

Alice smiled at him softly, "Are you okay?"

"Oh! Lady Alice!" The page hurriedly stood up, tripped over himself, fell to the ground.

Hatter instantly stood over him, face grim. Reaching down, he hauled the page up by his collar, seated him back down on the chair, and asked, "Are you
stupid, boy...? You just had to ride your horse right up to my dragon..."

"I thought it was the nice one!" complained the page, "And besides! It didn't eat the other messenger!"

"Next time, think before you ride your horse up to something big and with plenty of teeth. You have a message?"

"... Yes." The page answered, glaring at Hatter angrily before commenting, "You're big and you have lots of sharp teeth, too..."

"Message?" sighed the Mad Hatter.

The page sighed, shifted on his seat, and then sniffed, "Time's been overthrown..."

Instantly, Hatter stiffened, as did the March Hare, who had been combing his fur furiously by the fire. Eyes wide, ears erect, fur slowly standing on end, March
stared at the boy before asking, "Overthrown?"

"It's Pendulum, huh?" growled Hatter furiously, digging his pocketwatch from his pocket. Glancing at the still hands, he bared his teeth before throwing it
down. "Definitely Pendulum."

"Yes, sir..." mumbled the page boy. "And he wants his children..."

Instantly, the anger faded from Hatter's face to be replaced with relief, "Of course ! Take the dragon! Oh, thank you! I can't believe this! Finally to be rid of
that nuisance! But..." He glanced up at the ceiling and smiled, "Tick and Zero stay with us..."

"...He also says he wants his 'deal'."

Hatter's eyes gazed up at the ceiling before confusion clouded them. Turning his eyes back to the page, he cocked his head and asked, "Deal?"

"He won't say what, sir... He said you would know. And Alice."

"A deal? What deal? I don't remember any..." Hatter trailed off before blinking. "A deal? With Alice...?" He instantly grew red in the face, furious, and howled,
"NO! I will not give her to him!"

Startled, Alice asked, "Wait... What's going-"

"Remember, Alice? Remember when the Jabberwocky tried to take you back through the clocks? And Pendulum was about to eat me and you gave yourself up
and-" He choked off, his eyes rolling back into his head.

March grabbed him just as he went mad, held him back as he thrashed angrily, roaring at the top of his lungs. "No! Alice, get back into the room and lock the
door!"

Winter appeared at the door, black eyes wide and open, "Sir? Sir? What's the matter?"

March pulled Hatter down as Hatter began foaming at the mouth, jerking in his insanity, "Winter! Get the boy and take him outside!"
Winter may not have understood all of it, but he quickly ran past, dragged the horrified page boy out of the house.

Hatter's insanity passed quickly, only lasting a few minutes before his sanity snapped back and Hatter became glumly calm and sullen. March called to Alice
that it was now safe to unlock the door, and she brought Fleur and Ash out to comfort their ailing father.
His voice cracking as if on the verge of tears, Hatter pulled Ash to his chest and gently swayed back and forth, "Pendulum can't honestly think that I'll give her
up..."

The page, standing by the door, ready to make a quick escape, muttered, "He does... And, if I may say so, he's been ever so bold to come out of the clocks
and kidnap people to eat."

"Bliddy git."

"We've burned all the clocks in the capital, so he's-"

"You what?" screeched Hatter, his hands clenching into the folds of Ash's clothes. "Are you insane? Pendulum will kill you all for that!"

"And he's been attacking some of the villagers to prove that... He says he'll stop if you pay up."

Holding his head in his hands, Hatter moaned, "Why is it always me? Why do these things always happen to me? This is horrible!"

"Maybe because you make enemies out of everyone." sniffed March, patting his shoulder.

"You're not my enemy, are you, March?"

"Of course not!"

"So not everyone... At least I have you and Alice and my children..." Hatter hugged Ash softly, his eyes glittering with moisture.

"Ah... no... No growing sentimental now..."

Hatter's voice rasped as he forced, "But Pendulum wants to take away Alice..."

"Well, we won't let that happen, will we?" March sniffed before motioning to Alice and mouthing, 'Hug him.'

Alice came over to Hatter, Fleur in her arms, sat next to Ash on Hatter's lap, and leaned back into his arms. As the trembling arms went around her, tightened
around her middle, embraced her, she murmured, "I love you, Hatter..."

"I love you too, Alice... That's why he can't have you..." Hatter wiped away the beginnings of a tear into her dress.

"AH! I said no sentimentality!" March bopped Hatter on the head.

Glowering at March, Hatter smiled before chuckling grimly, "I should pull off one of your ears for that."

"But you won't. So that's why I did it." March let his ears flop down comically.

The page coughed to catch their attention, "So... Sir Hatter? I need someone to help me getting the dragon back to the capital..."

"I thought there were no clocks left in the capital."

"There's one... Pendulum says that if we completely shut him out, he'll come through in one of the village clocks and kill everybody there before making his
way back."

"And... of course... the Guvnors sent you here?"

"Yes."

"Fine..." Standing slowly, gently pushing Alice and Ash off his lap, Hatter stretched wearily before saying, "We'll leave in an hour... We'll give the dragon back,
hope he's happy with that."

The page paled, "So you're not going to listen to him?"

"No. I never have really... Hmm... Think I could break my pocket watch in front of him? That'd be fun just to watch him frizzle up with anger."

"Please... don't..." said the page weakly.

Hatter and the page left that day, rode four hours to reach the capital before dark, and quickly herded the dragon into the walls of the castle. The guards were
relieved to see them, but still grimly silent and wary as they glanced about.
Hatter led the dragon through the halls until they reached the governors' office.

Chesapeake and Lyona were seated at their table, heavy axes beside their chairs. Instantly grabbing the weapons as the door opened, they glared fiercely at
it until they slumped with relief when Hatter peered in. "Oh... Hatter... It's you." breathed Lyona.

Chesapeake smiled faintly, "You've brought Pendulum's children?"

"Child. Tick and Zero wouldn't come even if I had tried. I brought the dragon."

"Pendulum should like that... You can go give it to him."

"Me?" squawked Hatter angrily.

"He asked for you too. He wants to talk."

"I don't!"

"Just go and talk to him, Hatter... It might save someone time."

Pendulum stared up at the Clockwork dragon's face before glancing at Hatter and asking, "Where's the other two?"

"They wouldn't come."

"Oh... That's too bad..." Pendulum neared the dragon, reaching out with a hand.

Balking away, the dragon snarled a warning, making Pendulum pause before sighing miserably. "Fine... You don't want me anymore... I can understand."

Hatter's neck prickled as its hair stood at end. "You're... You're not going to take him?"

"No."

Hatter stomped his foot down, stormed towards the door, "Fine! Go ahead! I'm not taking him back!"

Next moment, he was laying flat on his back, staring up into Pendulum's livid face "And...?"

"What? I brought your child, so let me go and stop bothering us!"

"Where is Alice?"

Hatter's blood froze before he grew furious and hissed, "She is not yours!"

"She is! Either that or you are! You give her to me or I'll eat the both of you!"

"You can't have her!"

"She gave herself! It is her body! You have no say in it!" Pendulum's silver eyes flashed angrily.

"And this comes from a monster that can't even be trusted by his master? Why should I listen to you?"

"'Cause I want you to..." Pendulum hauled Hatter up, held him close, and then whispered, "Where is your pocketwatch?"

"My pocket. Let me go."

Pendulum dug his hand deep into Hatter's coat pocket, drew out the pocketwatch, and, releasing Hatter, cradled it in his hands before sobbing quietly, "It's
not working either..."

"None of the clocks work. Only Time can make them work."

"I can do it too..." sniffled Pendulum, tapping at the pocketwatch's glass front. "I just... need more help."

The dragon rumbled out a growl and, snatching Hatter in its firm but gentle jaws, dragged him back to protection as Pendulum's form distorted to plunge into
the broken pocketwatch. After a few minutes, Pendulum reappeared, chucked the pocketwatch furiously back at Hatter, "Bliddy- Just take it away! And bring
me back my two children and Alice!"

Hatter tucked his pocketwatch into his pocket, turned stiffly and hurried out, swearing under his breath.

Hatter, disregarding the fact that it was already night, set out back for his home immediately. He arrived around midnight, stormed into his house, made a
fire, and slumped down in front of it, glaring at the flames moodily. Outside, the Clockwork dragon sniffled close to the door, but didn't whine or whimper,
quietly resigned to sleeping outside.
Winter, who was curled up in the corner on some blankets, silently watched him for a while before crawling over and whispering, "What is wrong?"

"The Time monster. He wants my wife."

"Why?"

"Because he's a no-good git!" Hatter hissed, his hands gripping the arm rests of the chair. "And he enjoys torturing me! I hate him! I hate him so much! I'd
boil him alive if I could!"

"The black liquid one? I was stationed in Time's Domain and he was the one who killed the most."

"I believe you too! He's a bliddy murderer and, now that he's conquered Time, he thinks he's all high-and-mighty and can boss everyone around! Time is not
supposed to mess with the outside world!" Hatter pounded a hand down on the wood.

"...Time is conquered... That means the clocks don't work, right?"

"Only a few."

"Ah... May it be possible to go and free Time? He would be most helpful."

"Free Time? If I even go within ten feet of him, he'll-" Hatter stopped, thought for a moment, and then glanced at Winter, "He might forgive me for all those
broken clocks... That would be good. Not to mention I get to keep Alice and my life... But where would-"

"You have never explored Time's Domain like we have... I know exactly where Time would be. The lower levels, where there's no clocks and... Hardly any
guards."

Hatter stared at him in disbelief, "How do you know?"

"The metal man. He's nice. He took us there to free some captives. Time got mad at him though."

"Metal man...? You mean Clockwork?"

"Yes, the metal man. He looks scary, but he tries not to fight."

"...Yes, I know. I've made previous dealings with him. You think he would really help us?"

"He's the only one who can't make the clocks run without Time, isn't he? Why would Pendulum dispose of him if so?"

"You're right... But this is crazy! If Pendulum catches us anytime before we reach Time, then we're dead!"

"Then we better not get caught... I'll stand by you to the end."

Hatter glowered at Winter. "What makes you say that? We haven't even known each other for a week and some days."
"You didn't kill me." said the Shadowlander simply, "You should have. I tried to kill your family, even if I only stood on the sidelines... You fed me, you gave me
a home, you gave me work, you are nice to me. Your wife is nice to me, and your son delights me with his antics... I like your family."

"But is it an 'like' that you're willing to go get yourself killed?"

"I'm already dead, sir, to my home country. I see no difference if I stay alive or dead."

Hatter stared at Winter, whose face was the mask of calm innocence. "I can't believe what I'm hearing."

"You don't have to. I'll fight for you."

"Great... My own personal army." growled Hatter sarcastically.

"I'm not an army!"

"I didn't mean it literally, Winter."

"Oh... Should we go? We can be there and back before morning."

"If we make it."

"So? Yes? I can go have my armor on in ten minutes."

"Same here. So...?"

"Fine. Don't wake Alice, though."

Alice woke up a few minutes, hearing low voices as a low clanking sound issued. Groaning, she sat up, glanced around in the dark, and then stumbled out of
bed. Silently, she stumbled to the slightly ajar door and peered out.
Hatter, dressed in his armor, leaned over his pocketwatch as Winter fiddled with something in the back. Quietly, he hurried him on, "Quickly!"

The clock began to whir. Quickly, Winter shoved it into Hatter's hands, and Hatter whispered harshly, "Clockwork! Are you there?"

A few seconds passed before the grinding voice came, "Hello? Hatter, is that you? You should be nowhere near a clock! Pendulum would rip you apart!"

"We're going to come in and try to free time... Can you distract Pendulum while we-"

"Free Time? Of course I'll distract him! He's been a ba-"

"Good... So... We're going to come through. Can you keep the clock running for us, just so we aren't cut in half?"

"Yes."

"Winter, go through." ordered the Mad Hatter, pointing at the clock.

The Shadowlander slowly forced a hand through the pocketwatch, grimaced, and then slowly slid through, fitting through the impossible size of the golden
watch.

Growling softly, Hatter slipped through after him, the pocketwatch clinking to the ground as he vanished. Alice gasped, hurried over, picked up the watch, and
then shivered as her fingers slipped into the watery face. Why had Hatter and Winter gone through?

She stared at it for a few minutes, pondering on what she should do, before glancing back at her room, gulping, and quietly sliding into Time's domain.

Hatter and Winter hurried down the still hall, their footsteps echoing unusually in the usually noisy air. Without the ticking of clocks, the groan of gears, Time's
domain was silent and dead, no noise but their feet ringing out.
Clockwork had left them to find Pendulum and distract him with 'false' business. At the current arrangement, the two armored men would be able to reach
Time's cell down on the lower level of Time's domain and release him before Pendulum was any the wiser.

"This way." ordered Winter, turning down a narrow connecting hall. Hatter followed him, glancing uneasily about. Clocks, clocks, clocks... All still and broken.
Suddenly, they came to a dropoff of solid ground, facing a humongous gear that had ceased its restless turning to lay dormant on its stick. Without a second
glance, Winter jumped onto it, hurried forward, clambered upon the adjoining gear, and began working at a lever furiously, trying to get the gear to unlock
from its position.
Hatter came next to him and, helping him with the lever, gave a solid grunt and wrenched it down.

Next second, he shrieked as the gear dropped out from beneath them. The stiff, still hands of the clocks blurred out of focus as they fell and, finally, they
crashed down as the gear slammed to a halt.

Groaning, Hatter sat up, hearing Winter scramble up without a sound and leap off one of gear's metal teeth and land on another one.
Hatter rolled his eyes and followed.

Alice wandered about, calling Hatter's name loudly as she glanced about. Why was everything still? Was this because Time had been overthrown? And where
was Hatter? He had just seemed to disappear!
"Hatter!" she yelled desperately, her hands tightening at her side with annoyance.

Several hundred meters away, Pendulum glanced up from his seat, a soft smile on his face, "Mm... What was that?"

"What was what?" Clockwork asked, glancing up from the clocks he was fixing. "There was nothing. Um... You see this gear here... When Time is not in control,
you have to pull this gear here, just a little, and it'll start again... That's just with pocket watches. The bigger clocks, such as the grandfather type-"

"No, Clockwork. I heard something." Pendulum started to stand.

"Please, Pendulum... I thought you wanted to know how to fix these. So, bigger clocks-"

"You're hiding something from me." muttered Pendulum, standing up and itching at his chest.

"Sir...?"

"I'm going to see what that was. Do you want to come, or do you want to stay here?"

"... I'll... come..." Clockwork whirred up, dropping his clock to the floor and stomping after Pendulum, hissing angrily under his breath.

"Why are you angry? You are hiding something from me!" Pendulum growled, stopping and glowering at him.

"I'm... I'm not..." stammered Clockwork sullenly.

"Mmm... Fine then. I'll see when I find what it was." Pendulum turned, continued stalking forward.

Clockwork followed.

Alice kept calling for Hatter, not knowing that Pendulum was coming closer. As he neared, he heard her voice, heard the name, paused, and then grinned
wildly, "Oh, no, Clockwork... You didn't..."

"What?"

"You brought Alice in? Oh... That's so nice..." Pendulum crept to the wall, lengthened his claws, began climbing up.

"What are you doing, dear brother?" whined Clockwork.

"I'm going to surprise her... She'll be so frightened, but it will be especially amusing... Mmm..." Pendulum flattened against the wall, flowed upwards, into the
cracks, and vanished.

Alice huffed in frustration as no answer came. She turned, glanced back, and sighed. How was she going to find her way back to that one particular clock?
She was already lost! With a small intake of breath, she sat against the wall, crossed her arms, and began to ponder on where Hatter could be.

Suddenly, she felt hot breath on her hair before a dark, liquid hand flowed onto her shoulder. With a small moan of happiness, Pendulum grabbed her before
she could jerk forward away from him. "Oh Alice... You're such a nice present... How'd Clockwork get you away from Hatter?"

Squeaking angrily, Alice struggled against his arms, "Let me go! I'm just looking for Hatter!"

"Oh, no matter, no matter." crooned Pendulum, his dark matter slowly creeping forward to grasp her sides.
"Ah no! Don't you dare try to eat me!" Alice jerked her elbows back, only to have them sink into Pendulum's abdomen.

Moaning with pleasure, Pendulum licked her neck and cooed, "I won't eat you... But I do have ownership on your flesh... I plan to use that."

Alice gasped as a something stabbed into her back. Instantly, she choked as Pendulum grabbed her hair and pulled her head back roughly with a sneer. "You
will be an excellent mother for a child and then I will eat you... It's perfect. I'll make a perfect child and then have myself a perfect little meal!" He dragged his
tongue across her neck before nipping down and smiling as Alice jerked. He licked at the blood that slowly trickled out.

Coming round the corner, Clockwork froze before swallowing a little ball of hesitation and saying roughly, "I was saving her for you for tomorrow morning.
Don't you want to wait?"

"Tomorrow morning is the same as the next minute if there is no time... Go fix some clocks or something. I have an Alice to take care of..." He slowly began to
pull Alice back, more and more of his liquid body clinging to her.

"But-"

"Go away and leave me alone!" snarled Pendulum over Alice's shivering blonde head.

Clockwork growled harshly, spun on his heel, and stomped away.

Alice sat still as Pendulum taunted her, scraping his sharp teeth against her throat, manipulating dark tendrils of himself to dig into her side and draw blood.
Alice flinched, gritting her teeth as another thick spear used her abdomen as a pincushion. "You monster! Let me-"

Pendulum stopped her scream with a gag of himself before brushing his teeth against her ear and whispering, "Hatter will never save you... You're mine
now..." Standing, he tugged her up, carried her down the hall.

Alice struggled, "No! No! Let me go!"

"Mmm... I think not." Pendulum reached up and dragged a sharp claw across her nose, making a little cut.

Alice began to cry. Once again, she was helpless! Why did this always happen to her?

Winter and Hatter were on the lower level, searching for the cell where Time was, but to no avail. Every cell they checked was empty, every room dusty and
unused.

"This is stupid!" growled Hatter as he slammed a door shut.

Winter bit his lip, "I... I could swear that this would be where all the prisoners were-"

Suddenly, from down the hall, they heard a loud sigh, "Hatter? Is that you?"

Hatter stiffened before rushing forward, "Time? Where are you?"

"Above you. You've passed me several times, and I was just waiting to see if anyone thought to look up... Nobody does so nowadays..."

Startled, Hatter glanced up to see Time speared to the ceiling at many different points. At every joint, there was a spike of black wood.
Time was a lithe giant of a man. More or less ten feet tall, he looked rather normal: tan skin, dark brown hair, no irregular physical properties like Clockwork or
Pendulum. However, his piercing eyes, a crimson red, possessed small hands in the pupil, continously whirring about, keeping the time.
He was dressed in alternating white-and-black armor adorned with ticking clocks embedded into the metal. Hatter wondered why he hadn't heard the ticking
before.

"Well... Are you just going to stand there, Hatter, or must I hit you over the head before you help me? I guess that is why you are down here with that...
Shadowlander." He hissed the last word, glowering at Winter, who shivered in fright.

Hatter glared defiantly up at him, "First, you must promise not to hurt him."

"Not to hurt him? I'll just tear him apart. I'll make it so it won't hurt. And you? You can be forgiven, but not them."

"No killing, maiming, or anything to the both of us. Ever."

"Fine..." muttered Time, baring his sharp teeth, "But the deal is void if he dares attacks me!"
"Deal. Winter, come here so I can stand on your shoulders."

Coming over, Winter bent down to allow Hatter a steady foothold on his shoulders before standing, lifting the man over his head. Struggling to keep his
balance, Hatter grabbed ahold of one of the black spears, straightened, and rasped, "How'd you get yourself stuck up there?"

"Simple trap that I fell for. I forgot that the rule is this: Never allow Clockwork to have children, and always allow Pendulum to. You refuse him that right for
any length of time, he's bound to revolt within the year. That way, they don't revolt. Pull it out now so I can get one of my hands free. And then my neck. It
has been paining me for so long."

"Um... The one through your neck? Won't you bleed out?"

"No. Just do it, please, Hatter, before I change my mind and kill you both. Actually, I'll do it. Just get my hand."

Hurriedly, Hatter yanked down on the spear, but it wouldn't give way. After several tries and nasty, rude, but somewhat encouraging remarks from Time, he
just threw himself onto it, hung onto it, and then yelped as the spike pulled out of Time and the wall above the pinned man and plummeted to the floor.
Instantly, Time began to rip the spears out of himself easily with his now-free hand, his blank face showing no apparent pain or emotion. When he had
completely freed his upper body, he reached down, yanked the spear holding his knees out.

Time crashed down to the floor. With a dull curse, he leapt up, brushed himself off, and then glanced around, "It's too quiet. Do you know where Pendulum is?
I have a problem to deal with him."

"... Clockwork said he would distract him."

"Really? I shouldn't punish Clockwork, should I? He is terribly simple-minded, like a small child actually... He brought me food during my time up there,
although I couldn't swallow with my throat all blocked up."

"How could you talk then?" asked Hatter in interest as Winter stared up at Time with terrified awe.

"...Hmm... Never thought about that. Doesn't matter now, does it?" Time swept down in a bow to the two, "And thank you for assisting me. Kriy marak de
silvatas, Vinterlontier."

Winter started in surprise as Time spoke the 'thank you' in Shadowlander, "Oh! Say nothing... of it... sir."

"Good." Time straightened. "Because I am not used to saying 'thank you's. Now... I think we should liven up this dead ground a bit." He grabbed both Hatter
and Winter, tucked them under his arms, and then began to run.

Hatter immediately felt the puking feeling creep up into his stomach as the surroundings blurred and they were suddenly where they started at. He
remembered Time being fast, but not this fast.
Setting them down, Time glanced about before glancing at the nearest clock, purring, "This should do..." and placing a hand against it.

Instantly, gears groaned about them and hands started to whirl around as they caught up to their time.

Pendulum glanced up in startled horror as the clocks around them began to whir. In his hands, Alice, unconscious and bound, had been about to be put in an
out of way cupboard. Dropping her, Pendulum stared at the clocks, silver eyes widening in terror before he began to turn, preparing to sprint.

Suddenly, he slammed against the wall, Time standing where he had just been. As Pendulum slid down, dazed, Time smirked triumphantly, "Good morning,
dear Pendulum! I've seen how delightfully perfect you've been keeping my Kingdom... Now... I wish to take it back."

Pendulum choked as Time flashed in front of him in less than a second, grabbed his throat, and threw him high into the air. Time blurred as he propelled
himself upwards after his treasonous underling.
Next second, Pendulum splattered down in several pieces, his silver eyes wide with disbelief and pain. He struggled to pull himself together as Time landed,
stormed over to his torso, which was missing his left arm and ended mid-chest, and sneered, "My, my, Pendulum... Look at you... Gone to pieces."

"T-T-Time... I-I'm sorry... I... I just wanted-"

"Children, I know, and I won't make that mistake again." Reaching down, Time hauled Pendulum's half up, ripped off his head, and threw the torso to one
corner, the head to another.

Pendulum groaned, the arms of his torso twitching as it pulled itself across the floor, "What are you going to do?"

"I was thinking of putting different parts of you all over so it'd take a month before you were all you again. But I decided against that already. I was thinking... I
don't know. No meals for the next year?" Pendulum moaned, making Time smile broadly. "That's what I will do."
"But... Sir..."

"Oho! So now I'm 'sir'! A day ago, I was 'pitiful' and 'helpless'! And- Who's that?" Catching sight of Alice, Time paused, his crimson-gold eyes startled.

"That is Alice... Hatter's wife..." mumbled Pendulum weakly, his torso reaching his head. His hand grabbing his head, he pushed it against his stump of a neck,
moaned as the dark liquid bonded, and then twisted about to glare at Time. "And my future meal."

"Not anymore. She is Hatter's." Pacing over to Alice, Time picked her up easily, bent his head, and peered into her face. "Hmm... She is the girl that came
through first with the White Rabbit... I remember back then. Minute was here as Time Keeper and he absolutely hated that rabbit... Huh... I'll be right back,
Pendulum, to tear you apart some more. You better not hide, or I will consider spreading your pieces to the farthest and hardest to reach corners of my
Kingdom." He wiped some drying blood from her neck and, turning, sped off into one of the clocks.

Grumbling, Pendulum began dragging himself to his other arm, furious. How had Time escaped? His imprisonment had been perfect!

Hatter was horrified to find that Alice had followed him and Winter into Time's Domain and had suffered at Pendulum's hands. He took her immediately back
through the clock to their home, quickly took her to bed, and sprinted over to March for any herbs that the Hare had with him.
March was furious when he heard of Winter and Hatter's night escapade: "You bliddy did what? Are you kidding me? You risked your lives and Alice's? Are you
bliddy stupid?"

The dragon prowled about outside as Zero raced about the room in worried agitation. Tick slept on in Ash's arms, Ash still asleep too.

Hatter stayed up the rest of the night, tending to Alice's wounds with soft, gentle hands, being careful to not cause her unconscious pain. Finally, he fell
asleep, slumping over the side of the bed with a look of worry on his face.
Winter gently pushed him up on the bed, put a blanket over him and Alice both.

The next morning, Alice awoke with the most excruciating pain lancing through her entire body. Crying out, waking Hatter up instantly, she writhed on the
bed, sobbing.
Hatter felt the start of madness coming on, hurried from the house, and ended up attacking March as the Hare crossed the orchard to come see the progress.

March sullenly came in with a bleeding ear and dusty clothes, quickly locking the door behind him as he heard Hatter's angry yowls and the dragon's huffing
snarls. Strolling into Alice's room, he watched Alice twitch in pain before pulling a vial from his pocket, popping off the cork, taking a deep sniff, and then
coming over to her. He held it up to her lips with a soft whisper, "Drink this."

Alice let it trickle down her throat just as the tears trickled down her cheeks. Instantly, a sense of numbness came over her before she slipped down into a
dark, dreamless sleep.

Chapter 45: A Shadow

The potion that March had given Alice, a mixture of Radalac moss and the extract of Holligur berries, sent Alice into a deep, painless coma. Hatter was furious
at him for taking advantage of Alice while he had been having an insanity attack, but quickly calmed when March explained the pros to having Alice
comatose. For one thing, her pain was gone; another, Hatter would be able to sew up her wounds without a fear of having them torn open.

For the next two weeks, Alice lay in bed, unresponsive as Hatter kept infection from her cuts and gently tried to keep her uncomfortable. Ash was confused on
why 'Mommy' was 'sweeping' so much, but quickly dismissed it to steal over to March's house to play with Wednesday.

Fleur however, began to wilt away, growing sick without the loving embrace of her mother. Seeing this, Hatter panicked, scrambled over to March's home to
ask May if she would help.
May took over Fleur and offered to take care of Ash too, if Hatter wanted. Hatter agreed, only thinking of Alice.

So it was that it came to be only Hatter, Winter, and the comatose Alice that stayed in Hatter's house.

Alice's wounds slowly healed, growing fainter and drying out as the second week dawned. Seeing that the gashes were getting better, Hatter force-fed her
some Rodna to wake her up.

Slowly, Alice's mind fuzzed back to life from its deep sleep as her eyes flickered open with dried yellow sleep boogers edging her eyelids. The dark shadow
above her head blurred into view: Hatter, smiling softly as he brushed the hair out of her eyes, "Alice? Can you hear me?"

"Humph?" Alice mumbled, her mouth refusing to open to let the word 'Hatter' pass.

"Oh, Alice! I'm so happy that you're okay!" Hatter shoved his hands around her, clutched her to his chest as he sniffled happily into her bare shoulder, trying
to keep back tears.

Alice's muffled voice said into his shirt, "What... what happened? All I remember is Pendulum and I was in Time's Domain and you and Winter had disappeared
and-"
"Pendulum got you." sobbed Hatter, his tears worming out from his clenched eyes as his voice choked.

"...Yes... I remember that. He... He... Ow!" Alice flinched as one of the cuts on her side twinged annoyingly.

Hatter immediately sat back in his chair, wiping his tears away, "Are... are you okay?"

"Yes, but... How long ago was this? I mean, look at this!" Alice poked at a scab on her side, blanched as a slight irritation raced up her side, and then said, "It's
pratically healed!"

"Not all the way... You've been out two weeks."

"Two weeks?" echoed Alice incredulously. "Two weeks, but- Where Fleur and Ash?"

"With May. Are you sure you're okay? What did Pendulum do to you? You were bleeding, but not that badly... I would have expected nothing back from-"

'You will be an excellent mother for a child and then I will eat you... It's perfect. I'll make a perfect child and then have myself a perfect little meal!' echoed
Pendulum's voice from her memory. Instinctively, Alice flinched, remembering the pain that had ripped into her neck the moment after he had said that.
Sitting up weakly, she whispered, "Hatter...?"

"Yes, Alice?" Hatter bent forward, kissed her softly.

"Am I pregnant?"

Instantly, Hatter leapt up, furious and red in the face. "You really think I would do that? Take advantage of you while you were in the coma? I'd never even
think of it! How dare you accuse me of such a thing? Well, yes, I had to undress you, but that's only because I had to get to your wounds! I'm not bliddy
Maynard!" He glared fiercely at her, tense and annoyed to the most extreme measure.

"But..." Alice muttered, glancing over herself, remembering Pendulum's sneering voice.

Hatter glowered at her for a few moments before his eyes snapped wide and his face paled, "Wait... He didn't-"

"I... don't know... He said something about me being a mother and-"

Hissing angrily, Hatter rushed out into the main room as his eyes flickered darkly. Next second, Alice heard something crash against the wall, and Winter's
startled, worried shriek as Hatter screamed and swore loudly, "That bliddy freak! I'll kill him! Winter, give me my sword and- Winter!"

"Sir?"

"Give me my bliddy sword! I'm going to kill that monster!"

"Sir..."

"Just give me my friggin' sword!"

"You can't kill him!"

"I can! I... I'll throw him down the darkest hole known to the world and watch him rot down there and flood it and put fire down it and-"

Alice called softly, "Hatter..."

Instantly, Hatter stood at the door, his long sword in his hands, a sharp, pointy dagger in his other. Eyes glinting dangerously, he snarled, "What?"

"I... It's okay... You don't have to go back in there..."

"I can at least tell Time to kill him! That much he owes me!" Hatter stomped over to the bed, threw down the weapons in livid anger, and slumped down onto
the covers, glaring at her. "And he has wronged you... If he truly did that, then he should die!"
Alice reached out for him, and Hatter slowly slid over into her arms, slowly hugging her as his tense muscles unknotted under her fingers, "Alice... I don't want
this... You're mine..." He snuffled into her shoulder.

Alice kissed him softly on the cheek, "But it's better if you don't go back in."
"Oh... Alice..." Hatter leaned into her, pushing her back down on the covers as he began to sob quietly, "But Pendulum hurt you... He has to pay for that..."

Alice slowly relaxed back into the matress, feeling incredibly tired even though she had just emerged from a coma two weeks long. "It's okay... I just don't
want you to go back in and get hurt..." She brushed her fingers through his hair slowly as his sobbing receded.

Hatter stiffened before propping himself up, readjusting himself so he wasn't lying completely on her, and asked quietly, "You don't want me to go because I'll
tear all those black guts from that git, or do you don't want me to go because you're worried?"

"I'm worried."

The tears began again as Hatter moaned in confused hate and curled up to her side, shivering violently. "Alice... You put yourself in so much danger... How
could you?"

"I was following you."

"Why'd you follow? You knew it was dangerous." Hatter slowly pulled the covers over himself and her before holding her close in his taut arms.

"Because it was dangerous and I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Ah... Never do that again... If you had died, I would die too..." Hatter rubbed his running nose against her back, sniffling as he essayed to push his tears back.
"I would have killed myself... I wouldn't have been able to live without you..."

"What about Ash and Fleur?"

Stiffening behind her, Hatter pondered this before softly saying, "I... I don't know..."

"You honestly wouldn't leave them without a parent, would you?"

"I... No..." admitted Hatter, eyes moist and miserable.

"Then don't talk like that."

"I could give them to the Jabberwock and then kill myself." said Hatter after a few moments.

Alice twisted in his arms and bopped him on the head, "No! No more suicide talk!"

Sighing, Hatter snuggled up close to her and whispered, "Okay... As long as you're alive... I won't talk about it... I won't act upon it either..."

"You better not." sniffed Alice before she closed her eyes and let herself sink into Hatter's warmth.

The next week passed quickly as Alice recovered. Hatter, still incredibly irate that she might be pregnant with Pendulum's child. Ash, happy that his mommy
was awake, wouldn't leave her alone, even forgetting Wednesday in favor of her warm lap and arms, snuggling up to her chest next to Fleur, who quickly
brightened as a flower showered with sunshine and life-giving water.

Then, a messenger arrived to hurry Hatter back to the capital. Jabberwock had come through the Looking Glass, expecting to visit with Alice, but, when he
had found her gone, he had flown into such a rage that he had nearly killed several guards in his fury.
The minute Hatter stomped into the room, he dove to the side to avoid the wooden chair that smacked into the guard behind him. Snarling, Jabberwocky
hissed, "Where is my daughter? Where have you taken her? I want Alice!"

Annoyed, Hatter brushed himself off as he stood, "Alice is at my house in the forest."

"And you didn't think to bring her? You fool! You knew I would want to see her!" Jabberwock stormed towards him, Bandersnatch shaking his head in shame
behind his furious brother.

Hatter pursed his lips before sniffing, "She is in no condition to ride."

"No- No condition? What the bliddy heck do you mean 'No condition'? Have you killed her? Is that it? You're hiding something from me!" Jabberwocky swung a
fist at Hatter.

Hatter ducked, hearing Jabberwock grunt with angry, startled dislike. "She got hurt, that's all." He wish he could tell himself the same thing.
"You lie!" Jabberwock grabbed for Hatter's head with his claws, but missed.

Bander finally spoke, his voice sour. "Brother, stop picking on your nephew... You're just angry 'cause you're getting fat and Alice isn't here."

"I'm not fat! I can still catch him!" Jabberwock's claws snapped for Hatter's shoulders.

Hatter skipped back, stared as Jabberwocky struggled to contain his anger, shuddering with fury. Slowly, he shot a questioning glance at Bander and asked,
"What's this about?"

"Doesn't Jabberwocky look fatter to you? He's slower too. He nearly killed me when I told him so."

"I'm. Not. Fat." hissed Jabberwocky, glaring down at his shirt. "It's not my fault that people want me to eat their imagine back home. They tempt me, and,
personally, if I can say so, I think I'm exactly where I was before I got banished... Where's Alice, Hatter?" He glared up at Hatter, who gazed in disbelief at him.
"You said she was hurt?"

"...By Pendulum. We went in to rescue Time and she followed without us knowing and... Pendulum... kind of hurt her."

"Kind of?" asked Jabberwock suspiciously. "What did he do? Bite her? Scratch her? She's recovered, no? What did he-

"Well... She may be... expecting a child from him."

Jabberwocky froze, stared at Hatter, and then echoed in a dazed confusion, "Expec... expecting a child from... him?"

Behind him, Bander crouched in the corner, pulled himself into a tight little ball, and mouthed to Hatter, "Run."

Jabberwocky threw such a ferocious, murderous tantrum that he changed, chased Hatter around the castle with the intent of killing this git who had allowed
his daughter to get hurt. However, Hatter kept to his toes, and he successfully led Jabberwock on a tiring goose-chase. Finally, Jabberwock slumped to the
ground, panting heavily as his sides heaved. His angry, flaming eyes calmed slowly as he caught his breath before he put his head in his paws, snuffled loudly
as he began to cry.

Hatter, peering around the corner ahead, saw that Jabberwock had lost all desire to kill him in that split-second, gulped, and crept out, "Are... you okay?" His
father-in-law deserved a kind word, at least, even if he didn't feel like giving it.

Jabberwock changed back, kneeling on the grounds as tears ran down his cheeks in torrential waves. "No, I'm not! I'm fat and my daughter's hurt because of
you!" He clutched at himself and rocked back and forth, sobbing loudly.

Cautiously, Hatter came forward, "Well... She's healing now... She just has a few scabs and-"

Jabberwock grabbed his foot, gazed up with pleading eyes, "I want to see her. Take me to her. Please."

Hatter stared down before forcing a smile. "Fine."

The next day, Alice was startled when she heard the door crash open and, the next second, Jabberwock rushed in, threw himself onto the bed, and began
embracing her happily, "Alice! Oh, Alice! You weren't there and I was afraid that something had happened to you!"

Alice stared at him before smiling brightly, "Hello, father."

"Is that all you can say? After I've worried and worried?" Firmly but gently, Jabberwock ripped up her shirt, glanced over her wounds as she squeaked angrily,
"Hmm? Doesn't look so bad... Guess Hatter was telling the truth."

Alice yanked her shirt down as Ash stared up at his grand-father with a look of faint recognition on his face. "Ash! Hug your grandpa!"

Ash peered over the edge of the bed, blinking as he gazed at Jabberwocky, who slowly turned his yellow cat-pupil eyes towards him. Crawling up onto the
bed, Ash poked Jabberwock's side, "Hug."

"No, give him a hug."

Jabberwock seized Ash, gave him a quick, great hug, and then plopped him down on the covers. Dazed, Ash stared up at him before erupting into laughter,
bouncing up, and crying, "Agin! Agin!"

Ignoring his grandson, Jabberwock stood, quickly strode over to Fleur's crib, peeked over the edge to see Fleur's bright eyes staring up at him. Softly, he
hunched over the side, tickled her chin gently with a claw, "Hello, little flower... How are you?"
As a reply, Fleur sneezed onto his hand, causing Jabberwock to freeze in surprise before bringing his hand up, wiping it against his shirt, and turning back to
Alice with a solemn expression on his face, "I... wasn't going to come straight off and ask... but did Pendulum really... you know...?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not?" complained Jabberwock, his face growing even more miserable, "I mean... Did he take your maidenhead? Well... I guess Hatter already did
that, but did Pendulum take it too?"

"What the heck is a ma-"

Hatter stepped in, pursing his lips, "You didn't have to leave me behind."

Jabberwocky waved a hand, "You're too slow."

"You bliddy near killed your horse!'

"... It wouldn't go any faster..." said Jabberwock sullenly after a slight pause.

"It doesn't need to go any faster and- Oh! Hello, Ash." Hatter bent as Ash latched onto his leg.

Ash waved his hands eagerly, "Papa! Papa! Mommy and Fleur... Mommy... and Fleur... Fleur and Winner... and-"

Jabberwocky chuckled, "Just wants to talk, doesn't he?"

"Of course he does." sniffed Hatter tenderly, patting Ash on the head before glancing about, smiling, and squatting to peer Ash in the eye, "Hey, Ash? Where's
Zero and Tick? Where's doggy and kitty?"

"Kitty! Kitty har!"

"No, not Wednesday. Kitty. Tick. Meow."

"Oh! Kitty and Doggy..." Ash paused, unsure what to say, before grabbing Hatter's hand, pulling him happily to the window, bouncing up onto the chair by the
window, and pointing excitedly out at the orchard wall, "There!"

"Good, good... Are they with the dragon?"

Startled, Jabberwock asked, "Dragon? What dragon?"

"One of the metal monsters that Pendulum created and sent out here... He likes me, so he follows me around. And there's also one of the dragon legionnaires
out there."

Jabberwock's temper flared, "A legionnaire? One of those who attacked you and Alice?"

"Well, yes and no."

Jabberwock burst out, "Why the bliddy heck do you have so many dangerous things so close to my daughter? It's like you want her to get hurt or something!"

"No, it's not that. It's-"

"I should have never let her marry you! She'll just keep getting hurt because of you!" Jabberwock sat on the bed, hugged Alice to his chest protectively.

Alice sighed as his arms crushed her, "You're crushing me..."

"Oh! Sorry!" Jabberwocky released her instantly.

Ash bounded down from the window seat, scurried over to the Jabberwock, pulled himself up onto his lap, and tugged at the fancy jacket eagerly, "Pway!"

"You want me to play with you?"

"Pway wit me and kitty!"

"Kitty...?" Jabberwocky cast a questioning, irritated look at Hatter.

"He means March's son."

"...Humph... Okay, Ash... Let's go play with the kitty..." Jabberwocky glanced back, bent over, and kissed Alice before whispering, "I'm going to go play with
Ash and I'll be right back, okay?"

Alice poked his chest playfully, "That's fine! Play with him for as long as you like!"

Smiling, Jabberwocky bent and grabbed up Ash. He held the squealing child high as he mockingly roared, "I got you! I got you!"

"Ah! Pway! Pway! It a moster!"

"Rar! I am a monster!" said Jabberwock with a chuckle, setting Ash down and chasing him playfully out of the room.

After only a few minutes of cuddling together with Alice, Hatter sighed when a roar came from outside, "Bliddy Jabberwock... causing trouble again." Standing,
he stomped to the door, went through the main room, and exited the house.

Jabberwock stood in his changed form, his head arching back as he peered up at the tempting branches of the Imagination rose, mouth open while he drooled
hungrily. He snapped up, hissed as the vines jerked away from the sharp teeth. Off to the side stood the Clockwork dragon and Winter stood, watching the
black dragon warily.

Ash and Wednesday clapped in awe, staring up at the black dragon. Ash began to shriek happily, "Doggy! Doggy!"
He was comparing Jabberwock to the Clockwork dragon, who he often confused with the metal Zero.

Jabberwocky bared his sharp teeth and bit out at the branches again. This time, he grew furious when the rose evaded him once again.

"Having troubles with catching your meal?" smirked Hatter after watching Jabberwock chase a thick vine to no avail.

Jabberwock snarled, angry, before finally chomping down on his target vine. The branch thrashed before falling limp. His yellow eyes rolled back in pleasure
as he began to feed.
Ash and Wednesday cheered happily and began to run up to the Jabberwock as Hatter stalked forward. Grabbing up the two children, Hatter carried them
back with a small order, "No. You don't get to be any closer."

"But doggy-"

"No."

Jabberwocky chewed at the vine, ripped it from the main stalk, and then choked it down, moaning as his hunger filled, only to be renewed again with the sight
of more imagination. With an eager, ravenous hiss, he chased another vine that jerked as it tried to escape.
Winter came over, brushing at the thin coat of dust that spread across his whole frame, "The King's happy... though he was very angry when he saw that you
had the rose... What is it called? An Imagination-"

"An Imagination Rose... Jabberwock's going to be bloated by day's end..."

"And... about Jabberwock? Didn't you bring guards for him? I mean, the King shouldn't be without guards."

Jabberwock's head snapped around before he hissed loudly at the Shadowlander, as if to say, 'Guards? Don't even talk about guards!'

"...Sorry, sire... I'm just saying."

Jabberwock huffed and returned to snapping at a vine.

Bander and some guards arrived that evening to find Jabberwocky bloated and hurting as he essayed to digest the vines he had swallowed earlier. His
digestive acids ate away at the rose, but the plant just kept growing back inside his stomach, and, by the looks of it, the rose was growing back faster than he
could digest.

Softly, Bander patted Jabberwock's stomach, earning a moan from his brother, "Come on, Jabberwock... You never had this problem before."

Jabberwock twisted away from him, tortured by the mere touch.

Hatter chuckled softly, "This is hilarious to watch."

Leaning against his arm, Alice made a fist and punched it against his shoulder gently, "Don't say that."

Winter was hurriedly rushing about, agitated as he watched his King suffer, "No, no, no! The King is not supposed to feel pain!"

With a sudden wrenching moan, Jabberwock stagged up and began to vomit horrendously. First, liquid white-yellow bile dripped out of his throat before a
tangle of vines dropped out. Instantly, the soldiers pounced forward, grabbed the wet vines, and began to drag them out of his throat as Jabberwock gagged
and choked.

Ash and Wednesday pranced in between the soldiers, squeaking happily. Tick and Zero bounded behind them, barking (and meowing) eagerly. They grabbed
the plant and proceeded to help the soldiers.

Jabberwock's throat cleared as he gagged violently. The ends of the vines fell to the ground and he slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

Alice smiled before clapping her hands together, "Come here, Ash! We have to go get dinner ready!"

At the mere mention of 'dinner', Winter and Hatter turned to stare at her, only to be followed by Bander's hungry eyes. A light grin brightened his dark face
before he asked, "Dinner? Should I send someone out to hunt?"

Dinner that night was a festive event, the soldiers gaily singing loudly as they roasted their hunted deer out in the orchard, right by their pitched black tents.
Ash, excited because of the jubilant singing, snuck out from Alice, Hatter, and Winter's small, more discreet dinner, and joined in with the singing,
unknowingly cursing in the foreign language.

The Clockwork dragon watched over Ash, happily regarding his 'little brother'. The soldiers instantly stopped when the dragon started to roar along with the
song, only Ash continuing to sing in his shrill, hoarse voice.

Hatter was furious when he found him. Dragging him back inside, he lectured his son before sitting him firmly back down before the plate of cooked
vegetables. Jabberwock sat moodily in the corner, petting Tick's furry back softly as he glowered at the food on the table.

Finally, he growled, "I see no way on how I would ever be able to eat real food."

"I see no way on how I would be able to rip imagination from someone's head and eat it." retorted Hatter without skipping a beat.

"Mmm... Wouldn't I give something for some good imagination right now..." moaned Jabberwock happily as he scratched at his stomach. "One that wouldn't
grow in my stomach and threaten to explode me."

"... You've already digested everything?"

"Not really... But... Just saying."

"Keep your disgusting appetite to yourself."

With a grunt, Jabberwock stood up, holding Tick in gentle claws. Slowly, he stalked over, set Tick down on the table, and then, taking Hatter's shoulders in his
hands, he bent down and whispered, "Do not dream tonight."

Hatter yanked himself from his claws and growled angrily, "You... are so full of yourself."

"No, I'm not... I'm just warning you. I don't like it when you take to insult me right in front of me."

"I wasn't-"

"'Disgusting'? Imagination is the best thing you could ever have! It's delicious! And... Look! What would you call that?" Jabberwock pointed a sharp finger at
the plate of vegetables and venison. "That is what I call disgusting... Do you have wine? I want wine."

"Sure... Winter! Could you go get some wine for-"

"The King? Yes! Of course!" Winter leapt up and ran for the the cupboards.

Instantly, Jabberwock sat in his place, leaning forward and tickling Ash's nose with the tip of his claw gently, "Come on, Ash... Eat your vegetables. They're
good for you, even though they're thoroughly disgusting."

Ash glumly stabbed one of the vegetables before putting it into his mouth and chewing slowly, "No like."
"Ah... I wouldn't like it either."

"Share." Ash shoved the plate to Jabberwock, who stiffened as he stared down at the cut up pieces before sighing. After a few seconds of staring, Ash blurted,
"Eat!"

Jabberwock pursed his lips before slowly grabbing the fork, forking up a carrot, and put it into his mouth. With a soft moan of disugst, he chewed, swallowed,
and then put the fork down, "There."

"Eat! Eat! Eat!" Ash pounded his fists against the wood.

Winter came back, holding a dusty bottle of wine in his hands. He set it down before his King, uncorked it, and then hurried away to find a glass.
Glumly, Jabberwock took up the fork once more, speared more vegetables, swallowed them quickly down, and then, seizing the bottle of wine, began to drink
straight from the bottle.

"Jabberwock, that's gross." squeaked Alice, giggling.

"Making your son happy holds more importance to me. Heck, this is even worse than I imagined!" Jabberwock began to voraciously devour Ash's food,
drowing out the taste with the wine. His face puckered up in disgust

Winter came back with a glass. Seeing that Jabberwocky had already stolen away the bottle, he sighed, sat back down.
Jabberwock consumed the rest of Ash's food quickly, his eyes flickering from their usual jade yellow to a horrible, sickened green. With an angry huff, he
shoved the plate away, groaned, and put his head in his hands with a quiet sob. "Tell Bander... that I need him."

Winter lunged up, sprinted through the door. After a few moments, Bander strolled in, rubbing happily at his jacket, "Jabberwock! Hatter's little servant boy
just came and said-" He froze when he saw Jabberwock hunched over the table. With a soft hiss, he hurried to his brother's side and growled, "What the heck
did you do to-"

Alice was staring at her father, watching him try to hold back tears as his stomach began to torture him once more. Hatter smirked, "He ate Ash's food to
'make him happy'."

"What? Do you know what happens to him when he eats real food when he's normal?" Bander pulled Jabberwock back, tilted his head upwards, peered down
into the watering jade eyes. "Jabberwock... You know that..."

"I had wine with it..." said Jabberwock softly, his voice choked.

"Wine's no problem, but the other stuff is."

Alice pulled Ash to her lap, ruffled his dark hair, and asked, "What happens when he eats regular food?"

"Little, itty-bitty pieces are okay, but anything more than a handful is... Oh... Jabberwocky..." Bander pulled Jabberwock up as Jabberwock began to nod off, his
eyes glazing over.

"Leave me... with... Alice... please..." strangled Jabberwock, clawing at Bander's arms weakly.

"Jabberwock, there's a place for you outside and-"

"Alice..." Jabberwock bit down harshly into the Bandersnatch's forearm.

Yelping, Bander let him go, watched him slump to the ground before gagging violently. However, nothing came out.

That night, Jabberwock slept in the queen-sized bed, curled up around Alice as he shuddered silently, his pain torturing him horribly. Bander stole Winter's pile
of blankets, slept in the corner next to Zero and Tick, just to make sure nothing happened to Jabberwocky.
Hatter slept on Ash's small mattres, and Fleur lay dormant in her crib, as she had been for most of the day.

In the middle of the night, Jabberwock staggered up, ran from the room, and became violently sick in the main room. Afterwards, he wandered outside,
dragged one of the soldiers from his tent, and demanded imagination.
When morning came, Jabberwock lay outside, dozing against the Clockwork dragon's side. Bander decided to take advantage of Jabberwock's doziness and,
dragging him up onto the horse, set off for the capital with him, and Winter, in tow.

With Winter's leaving, May took over cooking and, instantly, Hatter was complaining, whining, furious about the vegetarian meals that May kept cooking.
However, after much experimenting, Alice and May found that Hatter would voraciously devour anything with avocado, which the Imagination Rose kept in
abundant supply.
The next week passed, and then the week after that, and, before Alice and Hatter and the Hares had noticed, three months had passed.

That was when Time came for a visit.

Ash and Wednesday came shrieking from the house, terrified. "Monster! Monster!"

Hatter was helping March trim the trees while Alice and May picked fruit. They had taken this chance of working outside since the Clockwork dragon had left
to hunt. Jerking about, Hatter sighed before growling, "What?"

"A monster! A monster!"

Hatter snorted angrily before suddenly freezing when Time, his dark brown hair shinging rather golden in the sunlight, suddenly appeared before him, wiping
at his armor, "Hatter... You don't listen to your children, do you?"

With a yelp, Hatter stumbled back with a curse, "Time! What are you doing here?"

Ignoring Hatter's question, Time pursed his lips before sniffing, "And the monster they're talking about is Pendulum, not me."

"You... You brought Pendulum here?" squeaked Hatter angrily.

"Of course. He has to apologize, and he was just constantly, constantly going on and on about-"

Coming over, Alice stared up at Time, "Who're you?"

Time swept down into an overexaggerated bow, his armor clinking softly as he muttered, "Time, at your service, and my little dog, Pendulum, is pining away
inside waiting for you. I think he'll eat himself at the rate he's starving at. Oh... and... I go in first."

"But... We don't want to see him." mumbled Hatter angrily.

Grabbing Hatter's shoulder, Time dragged him towards the house, "Just come. We're going to settle this."

Sighing, Hatter turned and said to March, who was about to follow, "March, stay."

Alice followed them slowly, shivering. She didn't want to see Pendulum.
The minute Time stepped into the house, followed by Hatter, Pendulum jerked up from the corner, his eyes wide and hungry. "Time, could I please, please
have some food... There's so much here... Or can I eat him?" Pendulum pointed a tapered finger at Hatter, his gaunt figure shuddering in ravenous want.

"No." replied Time as he let go of Hatter's hand and stomped forward. Grabbing Pendulum by the shoulders, he wheeled him around so he faced Hatter, kept a
hold on his shoulders, and then ordered, "Say sorry to Hatter."

"...Mm... Just a bite. That's it..." croaked Pendulum, staring at Hatter as a long string of drool crept from the corner of his mouth.

Hatter crossed his arms and backed away, bumping into Alice as she came in. "...Alice? Could you go and get Fleur out of the next room, please?"

"Oh, the child? You need not worry." said Time as Alice started for the door. "I forbid him to touch the girl-child. So... yes. Pendulum, say-"

"I'm sorry, Hatter, but could I have just an itty-bitty something to eat. Master said that if you said-"

Time cuffed Pendulum over the head, "That's only if he offers, stupid!"

"Hatter, please! I'm going to die if I don't have something to eat!" pleaded Pendulum, slumping back against Time as he moaned.

"Stop whining, you little moron."

Slowly, Hatter stepped forward, bent down to peer into Pendulum's miserable eyes, and said forcefully, "You. Hurt. Alice. I can't forgive you."

Pendulum's tongue snaked out, reaching for Hatter's face as he groaned in want. Hatter pulled back slightly, evading it, and Pendulum sobbed softly,
"Please... Just a bite."
Cheerfully, Time dragged Pendulum back, deposited him on the ground, and then pried a watch from his armor. "So... The apology is done, now... all that is
left to do is to see if Pendulum really did deposit a child... Come here, Alice." He stepped forward.

Hatter pulled Alice back, growled, "What are you going to do?"

"Just going to speed up everything... See this?" Time held up the watch, "This is Alice's clock. With just a wind-up, I can speed everything up about her to, let's
say, five and a half months?" He began to furiously wind the watch.

"Stop it!" hissed Hatter, snatching at the watch as Alice gasped.

Time pulled the watch back from Hatter's groping fingers, smiled, "Six months. Seems that Pendulum did deposit."

Hatter was furious as he tugged Alice close, who was staring down at the rather large bump that protruded from her abdomen. "Stop it!"

"What? You don't want to get rid of it now? I do." Time popped open the watch's clock face, began to twist the hands forward.

Hatter lunged for Time, only to stumble into thin air. Time appeared on the opposite side of the room, swinging the golden watch back and forth, "Tick tock,
eight months."

Alice staggered over to a chair and sat, uncomfortable. Her stomach was now round, a perfect reflection of the eight month she had been pregnant with Ash
and Fleur. Twitching, Hatter growled, "Stop it!"

"Oh, come now, Hatter! Think of it! You'll be rid of waiting for the little monster!" Time tapped the winding stick impatiently.

"Look! This isn't a game! Stop messing with her... her..." Hatter blushed furiously as he motioned at Alice.

"I like messing with people. I'm just not supposed to unless I have direct reasons to... And Pendulum sort of qualifies me for doing this." With a smile smirk,
Time spun the hands around.

Alice went into labor the second Time 'fast-forwarded' his watch. After thirty minutes of gasping, pushing, and other such torture, Alice gave birth.
Hatter stared at the black goop writhing about as he dragged Alice, who had fallen asleep immediately after delivery, back. Pendulum, however, not deterred
in the least, pounced upon his child, cupped his hands around it, and held it up with a happy smile, "Look at it!"

Time rolled his eyes, "I've waited eighteen hundred seconds. I'm bored. Let's go back and take that thing with you so it doesn't bother them!"

Pendulum hugged the black goop to his chest and said defensively, "It needs food first."

"Food?"

Softly, Hatter muttered, "How can that... be a child? It's a puddle of goo."

Time shrugged, "That is something that Pendulum just knows. To him, it's the most beautiful thing in the world. Can't see why he couldn't make it more...
metal, like his other children. And why are we talking in this accursed language?"

"Because he'd get angry."

Pendulum stood, glanced around with bright silver eyes, and then asked, "Hatter, do you have blood? Anywhere?"

"No, I don't. Only blood flowing through our veins, which you are not going to have. And, besides, shouldn't you... go?"

"Go? But... There's no food back there... Time? Could I go hunting so I could feed him?"

"Yes."

"Okay... I'll leave him here. Be back as soon as find something yummy to eat." Pendulum set his child down before scurrying to the door, letting himself out to
the main room, and then pausing to poke his head back in. Gazing at the staring Tick and Zero, he rasped a small growl before running to the front door and
leaving.

Zero and Tick crept to the small pile of goop. Time sighed, "He asked you to protect it, didn't he?"
Zero sneezed loudly before nosing the black liquid. It recoiled from the metal touch before attempting to slink across the floor. Tick stopped it.
Stepping over, Time leaned over, peering at it, "I wonder how Pendulum communicates with it."

Hatter grumbled, "I don't care. Just as long as it goes away and Alice and I never have to look at it again!" He caressed Alice's hair with gentle fingers as he
quietly laid her down on a blanket. "And, while you're at it, take away the metal dragon outside too!"

"Huh... I'll consider it." Time bent down, a finger extended to poke the goo. Next second, he appeared behind Hatter, eyes wide, as the little pile of goop
reared up, "It tried to bite me."

"Time... You're such a coward."

"I'm not... I'm just uncomfortable of what will happen if I rip it up and Pendulum comes back to find it torn apart. Pendulum will go mad if he finds his child
dead or, in this one's case, ripped up but still alive."

"You're worried about how Pendulum will react? You're still a coward for that. I can stand up to him, his most hated enemy, and you can't. You're the one who
can tear him apart with your bare hands!"

"And you're the one who has the inflated ego and over-agressive personality."

"And you're the one who gets so overly vindictive because of the littlest things. Where's that pocketwatch? I want to smash it as soon as the two of you go
back through."

"You do that and I'll have reason to hate you again."

"And that won't make a difference, will it?"

"Other than that I'd let Pendulum have his first meal since... today -I'm planning to not let him have any more till next year-, I would have to figure about what
I would have to do with your wife and your children..."

"You are such a git!"

"As you are." Time grabbed Hatter by the neck and, pulling him back, quickly cracked his neck to the side.

Hatter yelped, ducked out of his hands, and snarled, "What the heck did you do?"

"You're tense. I just cracked your neck so that you would feel better."

"That hurt!"

"And...?" Time waved a hand, waiting for Hatter to say something.

"...It feels better... Thank you..." growled Hatter, rubbing his neck while he glowered sourly at Time.

Pendulum returned after an hour, bloated and satisfied. Immediately, he went to the black puddle that was his child, somehow 'cradled' it in his arms, and,
making one of his hands into a tube, stuck it into the goop to feed his child.
Alice slept on, exhausted.
An hour later, Time sat moodily at the table, staring down at his steak as he complained, "Pendulum, just stop feeding it and let's go back. I'll let you hunt.
Just, come on!" He took up the fork, stabbed a vegetable, and sniffed at it dryly before reaching over and dropping it onto Ash's plate, "Here you go, little boy.
Eat all your vegetables and make your father and your mother happy. And, while you're at it, here you go." He took his plate, tipped the plate over Ash's, and
shook off all the other food onto the little boy's plate.

Ash glared at the food before putting his fork down, turning on the bench, and complaining to Hatter, "Mommy... Where's Kitty?"

"He's eating with March."

"Why?" he whined, balling his gray hands into fists.

"'Cause March doesn't want Wednesday over here while Pendulum's here."

"Why?"
Instead of answering, Hatter reached over, grabbed Ash, and pulled him to his chest, "Ash! I got you! Come on! I'm going to help you eat your vegetables!"
Hatter sat down with Ash on his lap, grabbed the fork, and began to feed Ash, who squealed with delight.

Time groaned, began to hit his head against the table. "I. Want. To. Go. Back. Home. Pendulum! I'm ripping that thing away from you if you're not finished in
the next minute!"

Pendulum glared up before baring his white teeth and hissing, "He still needs lots of food."

"Fine, you can go hunt! It's simple! Just come on!" Time stood up, fidgeting in annoyance.

Hastily, Hatter added, "And you're taking the dragon home, remember?"

"What? Oh, sure. Yes. Whatever you want. Pendulum! We leave now!" Time stomped over to Pendulum, grabbed his underling's neck, and hauled him up.

"Master... Please..." Pendulum struggled to keep hold of the child as he tried to wrench forward out of Time's grasp.

"Ah, no! You're not staying here to be a stupid, doting father! We leave now!"

"Ah..." Pendulum yanked his hand out of the black goop before lowering his head and blowing onto the goo, "Come on... Right yourself." He dropped it.

The instant it hit the ground, the liquid jerked into the dinstictive form of a small child before it twisted down into the black puddle again. It began creeping
across the floor, undulating and reshaping as it tried to solidify.
Pendulum began to follow, but Time held him back. "Either you take it back right now or we leave without it."

"Just let him get into shape, alright?" snorted Pendulum crossly.

With a sudden burst of speed, the puddle fled towards the table, disappeared under the bench. Instantly, Ash slipped off, knelt to peer underneath, "What's
that?"
The next moment, he squawked as three black threads snaked out to wrap around his wrist. The black liquid quickly followed it to envelop his arm up to the
elbow. Ash held up his hand, glanced it over, and then shook it curiously.

Instantly, Hatter leapt up, pulled him up, and began to furiously pull at the liquid, "Pendulum! Get this off!"

Pendulum bounded forward. Kneeling, he regarded the black, bared his teeth in a dark smile, and then frowned as Time stomped a foot and snorted, "Come
on! I want to go back! Clockwork doesn't work beyond midnight! Clocks! Stopping! Everywhere! It would be a horrible time for me to go and put them all
manually back to their correct times!"

"Then go back and leave me here."

"You'll eat Hatter."

Ash blinked, glanced down at his arm, and began to smile, "Tickles!"

Hatter hissed, "Pendulum, get him off!'

"What? He's just eating."

"Eating? Then why is it... tickling him?" said Hatter, outraged.

"You want me to show you?" Pendulum reached forward, clawed his fingers into his son's liquid flesh, and began to slowly pull. The liquid slid off, revealing the
three thin threads digging into Ash's flesh. As Pendulum began to pull him back, it twisted, trying to reattach himself. However, Pendulum jerked him back, the
threads slid out, and, instantly, Ash's laughs turned to whimpers.

"Ow..."

Hatter pulled Ash to him, scooted away from the writhing liquid that tried to desperately to get back at Ash, "Go on! Leave! Now!"

Time smiled, "Finally! Some words of wisdom! Now, let's go, Pendulum."

"I will, just let me get... Oh, come on!" Pendulum struggled with his thrashing child, who formed into the child form again before melting down, breaking from
his grasp, and lunging at Ash again.
Hatter swatted at it, only to have it seperate, race up Ash's front, and vanish under his shirt. Snarling, Hatter yanked his son's shirt up to see Pendulum's freak
child latched around his middle, slowly expanding and constricting.
"Pendulum! Take it off!"

"Pendulum! We're going back now! Just take it!" hissed Time, fuzzing about the edges as he grew annoyed.

"Ah! Stop talking, the both of you!" Pendulum spat, clapping his hands onto the sides of his head. "He doesn't want to leave!"

"Then we'll leave him here and come get him tomorrow!"

"But-"

"No! You're not going to leave him here stuck on my son!" said Hatter hotly.

Pendulum froze, stuck between the two voices combatting over his head before grabbing Ash, digging his claws roughly into the flesh liquid, and dragging his
child off off of Ash. Ash squealed in discomfort as three more dots of blood revealed themself.

This time, Hatter dragged Ash back farther before snapping, "Out! Out!"

Time seized Pendulum and his child, dragged him back, "You heard him! We're leaving! Now!"

That night passed with little noise. Alice and Fleur, already asleep, stayed asleep while Hatter lay Ash to bed and went to sleep himself. Morning came, Alice
woke up slowly, yawned, and quietly dressed out of her sweaty clothes into clean, fresh ones.
Ash woke up a few minutes later. Glancing up from the fire where she was making breakfast, Alice smiled as he toddled into the room, bleary-eyed, "Oh...
Hello, Ash. How are you doing?"

"Mommy..." With a soft moan, Ash attached himself to her dress, hugging her as he nuzzled his nose into the fabric. "Kitty..."

"Is that the only thing you can think about? Wednesday?"

"Kitty..."

"He's your best friend, isn't he?"

"Mommy..." Ash pulled at her dress before pulling back his shirt sleeve and pointing at the three scabs at his forearm, "Look! Look!"

"Oh, Ash... What happened?" Alice lay the pan of eggs and potatoes down, knelt, and inspected the scabs.

"Blackie."

"What?" asked Alice in confusion.

"Blackie."

Before Alice could ask 'what' again, Hatter stumbled in, a hand pressed against his stomach, "Hey... Alice... I don't... Could you get March...? I don't feel... so
good..." He slumped over the table, taking long, rattling breaths as he tried not to vomit.

Instantly, Alice set down the pan, ran out the door.

When Alice came back with March, Hatter was leaning over the chamberpot, barfing every few seconds as Ash sat on the bench, staring as he munched on a
semi-raw potatoe wedge. Seeing Alice, Ash frowned, pointed, and declard, "Papa sick."

March hurried over, his small knapsack dropping to the ground as he shouldered it off and knelt besides Hatter, "Hats... What's wrong?"

Clearing his mouth of whitish bile, Hatter gasped before smiling and chuckling softly, "Don't know, but it doesn't really hurt... Just... doesn't feel right..."

"You're throwing up. What do you mean, 'it doesn't really hurt'?"

"It just doesn't... You have stomach medicine?"

"Yes."

"Give." Hatter held out his hand, fingers twitching.

March dug a small vial of clear liquid from his bag, handed it over, and watched as Hatter downed it in a gulp. He helped Hatter up and to the room.
He came back a few seconds later, wiping his hands against his shirt, "Alice, I don't know what's wrong with him, but don't give him eggs or potatoes. I
recommend some porridge."

"...Okay..."

"With honey."

"Okay. So you don't know what's wrong with-"

Suddenly, a very loud curse rolled out of the side room, and, staggering, Hatter stalked out. He pointed furiously at his abdomen, "It came back! It bliddy
came back!"

Around Hatter's waist was a black band: Pendulum's child, slowly constricting and expanding as it held its hold on him. March stared before questioning,
"What is that?"

"That's the bliddy Pendulum's freak baby! Yesterday, it was trying to eat Ash and now it's eating me!" Hatter grabbed the liquid and began to pull at it
frantically.

The liquid recoiled from his touch before releasing him and dropping to the floor, where it lay still before starting towards Ash.
With a furious growl, Hatter stomped down onto it, making it splatter outwards, "Bliddy monster!"

Two hands formed out of the liquid, scratched at the floor, and then pulled itself forward. The liquid reformed, huddling into the form of a small child before it
curled up into the fetal position and shivered violently, whimpering.
Hatter stared down at it before rolling his eyes. However, Alice scurried over, bent over the child, and touched it, "Is this-"

"Pendulum's child, yes! The one that he put into you and-"

Alice yelped as the child reached out, grabbed her hand, and a thin thread sprouted from his thrist to dive into her wrist. Immediately, a feeling of numbness
sprouted across her hand as the little liquid child hissed softly.

Hatter reached down, grabbed it, and dragged it away from Alice, "No! You're not going to start on her too! You're going back through the clock!" Two sparks
of liquid lavender lit up in the child's face as he tilted his head back. A mouth, full of sharp teeth just like Pendulum's, formed before he bared his teeth, hissed
angrily.
"Ah no! You don't hiss at me! You're going back to your father!" Hatter began to pull him into the side room.

The child thrashed furiously before turning liquid again, slipping through Hatter's hands, and, reforming, sprinting towards the awed Ash. Grabbing the gray
boy, he hugged him close before growling as Hatter stomped towards them. Grumbling words issued through the growl: "My brother."

Hatter froze, stared, and then snapped, "He's not your brother! You're a bliddy little monster who drinks blood!" Just a few feet to his right, March gawked as
he stared at the little monster.

"Mine!" Pendulum's child hugged Ash closer, who began to giggle as little threads from his captor's skin drove through his.

"Ash, get away from him!" snarled Hatter.

"But... I like brother!" Ash hugged Pendulum's child back, making the black child thrum with pleasure.

Hatter glared at them before saying softly, dangerously, "Get away from him."

"My-"

"He's not your bliddy brother!" Lunging forward, Hatter grabbed Pendulum's child, ripped it away from Ash, and then scooped Ash up and cradled him against
his chest.

Pendulum's child slunk down to the floor, turning to his liquid again. Growling, he slid to the corner, where Tick and Zero had been watching the whole scene
with wide eyes. Popping up, Pendulum's child grabbed Tick, hugged him, and cuddled against Zero's side, shivering violently, "Bad, bad man... Doesn't like
me... He's mean... Very mean..."
Exasperated, Hatter sighed, "Can't you just go away?"

The look that Pendulum's child's eyes shot at him obviously held thoughts of murder. "Bad man."

"Bad monster. You know you can't drink other peoples' blood without permission!"

"Bad man! Bad man!" howled Pendulum's child as he hugged Tick tighter.

Snapping into a fury, Hatter wheeled about and snapped, "I'm getting Pendulum, and he's going to take you back before you hurt anybody else! March, make
sure he doesn't attack Alice or Ash or Fleur!" He disappeared into the side room.

A minute after Hatter had vanished from sight, the child stumbled up, began to creep towards Ash, eyes bright with longing, but they immediately darkened
when March stepped to block him from Ash. "No. You're not going to touch him."

"But... He's my brother." pouted Pendulum's child. "I need to help him."

"Help him with what? Removing all the blood from his body?" challenged March with a small, weary smile.

"... His blood's-"

Pendulum stomped out from the side room, silver eyes glowing with anger, "No. You are not going to stay here. Come on."

"Ah! No!" Turning, the child ran for the door.

Next second, he was being dragged, screaming, back by Pendulum. Angrily, Pendulum spat, "I told you you cannot come back here!"

"But brother-"

"No! You're not to come back through!" Pendulum vanished into the side-room as Hatter shoved past him, a bright smile on his face as he watched the big
monster drag the little monster back toward the watch.

By that afternoon, Pendulum's child had stolen back through the watch, broken it so Pendulum couldn't come through after him, and had begun to stalk Ash
wherever he went. Becoming paranoid, Hatter carried Ash for most of the day, only setting him down for a few minutes at a time and aggresively protecting
him from the little monster.

Then, night came, Hatter fell asleep at his post, and, when morning came...

"Ah! Get off of him! Get off of him!" Hatter dug his fingers into the liquid and pulled at it vainly.

A low gurgle came from Pendulum's child as he constricted around Ash's back and chest. Sobbing into his pillow one moment, giggling the next, Ash choked,
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Papa! It hurts! It hurts!"

Frantic, Alice scurried around behind Hatter, Fleur clutched securely in her arms in case the monster decided to suddenly switch from toddler to baby.

"Let go!" ordered Hatter again.

This time, the black liquid twisted up, bit into Hatter's hands, and refused to let go as Hatter yelped and tried to pull his hands away. "My brother."

"He's not your brother and- Stop! Ow!" Hatter's eyes began to water as threads of dark matter began to force up his forearms.

"Bad blood. Let me clean him."

"You're not cleaning him! You're drinking him dry!"

"I put it back..." said the black child sorrowfully.

"You vomit it back into him? That's disgusting! Just stop- What are you doing to my hands?" Hatter stared down at his hands, which had numbed suddenly.

"I make it so it doesn't hurt."

"You make it so it doesn't hurt when it should obviously hurt!" Hatter wrenched back, making the black liquid stretch out between his hands and Ash's back.

"I can make it hurt though, bad man." threatened the child angrily, trying to drag them back together.

Hatter smacked at the hands furiously, "Let go of both of us!"

Next second, Hatter began to giggle insanely as a sense of euphoria raced up his arms, "No, no... What are you... doing? That... tickles..." A dumb smile
crossed his face.

Dragging him back, Pendulum's child enveloped Hatter's arms up to the elbows and pushed more and more of the euphoria causing liquid into both Hatter
and Ash. Before long, they were both giggling non-stop. Hatter's eyes flickered, showing his descent into happy madness.

Alice just stared, horrified, before nudging the black liquid with her foot, "Stop it!"

"Mm... Not you too... I just need to transfer some blood between the two. Brother's blood is missing some things, but it also has too much of other stuff..." The
goop tightened around both of the men, pulled them closer together, and then sighed, "And the bad stuff is yummy."

"...Oh... If you're doing it to help them... and it won't hurt them... then that's... okay..." muttered Alice, unsure.

"I won't hurt. I make them happy."

"... You were born yesterday. How can you talk already?"

"I just can. I learn by listening. Talk more and I'll be able to make big words like... 'permission'. The angry man used that word."

"His name is Hatter." replied Alice, confused on how to reply.

"Hatter... Bad man. He doesn't like me."

"He thinks you're going to hurt Ash."

"I wouldn't hurt brother... May I touch sister?" A long thread snaked out of the black mass and started up towards Fleur. Stiffly, Alice watched as it caressed
Fleur's skin before it withdrew back into the liquid. Pendulum's child whispered, "Thank you for not being suspicious like... the bad man."

"I don't think he's bad."

"Not when he's happy, no."

A few more minutes passed, Hatter and Ash's giggles dying off as they fell into a deep sleep. Finally, Alice asked, "Do you have a name?"

"No."

"Could I name you?"

"Why?"

"... 'Cause I guess I'm your... Technically, your mother." Alice glanced down at Fleur, stroked her cheek softly.

The black liquid stopped undulating for a second before it crammed back into a form of a little child, his bright lavender eyes staring up at Alice, "Does that
mean I can stay?"

"I'm fine with it, if you don't try to eat people like Pendulum does. Or if you don't drink people's blood if you have no reason to."

"Really?"

"So... Can I name you?" In the back of Alice's mind, a thought wormed up: 'He's not a dog, Alice.'

The black child nodded, staring up at her with suddenly hungry eyes.

For a few moments, Alice thought silently, uncomfortable with the oddly-colored eyes that stayed stuck on her. Finally, she asked, "How about... 'Shadow'?"
"Not very imaginative, is that?"

"...No. I could think up another one if you-"

She flinched as he bounced forward, hugged her happily, "I like it."

"...Okay..."

The purple eyes turned up slowly to stare at her, "You are uncomfortable?"

"Just a little." admitted Alice.

"Why?"

"You just... remind me of Pendulum. He was going to kill me."

Shadow blinked, bared his sharp teeth, and then announced, "I don't like Pendulum either. He's not my father anymore. I don't want him to be my father, so
he's not." Alice stared down at him as he cleared his throat before continuing, "And I will protect you," He puffed his chest out with pride, his lavender eyes
flashing a dark, dark purple, "because you're my mother."

Smiling softly, Alice knelt down and gazed into the purple eyes, "That's nice, but I think it would be better if you got along with Hatter."

"The bad man was easy to sedate. He's nothing much."

"He's saved my life a lot of times."

"But what if I was a monster? What if I was Pendulum? I could have et you by now." complained Shadow.

"Eaten, not 'et'."

Shadow waved it off. "No difference."

"There is to." Alice couldn't help but smile.

Pausing, Shadow thought for a moment before avoiding the issue, "What's your name?"

"Alice."

"And sister?" asked Shadow, eyes wide as he pointed at Fleur.

"Fleur."

"And Ash is brother and bad man is Hatter?"

"Yes."

"And the furry man?"

"March."

Shadow digested this information for a few moments, his eyes gaining their original lavender color as he mulled over his thoughts, and then yawned. Turning,
he snuck back over to the sleeping Hatter and Ash, snuggled up against Ash, hugged his 'brother', and fell asleep almost instantly.

Alice gazed at the three sleeping forms before sighing and sitting down on the bed. In her arms, Fleur chewed softly at one of the attenaes of her bumblebee,
eyes huge as they stared up at her face. Grinning wearily, Alice ticked her daughter's nose, "Hello, Fleur... Sorry if I scared you?"
Fleur gurgled her reply, rose her arms, grabbed some blonde strands of hair, and began to play with it happily, gurgling with satisfaction.
"Are you going to start crawling soon? Yes, you are, aren't you?" Alice set her down on the bedspread, watched Fleur roll from her back to her stomach, flop
about like a fish. "Or are you going to make me carry you for the rest of this year?" With a small giggle, Fleur curled up around her bumblebee, began to
squeak random syllables and laughs as she held her beloved toy in her arms.
"Or are you hoping to sprout wings like your bee and be able to buzz about?"
Fleur only replied with a giggle as she tugged at one ot the bee's little cloth legs.Laughing, Alice laid back and watched Fleur for a few more moments before
yawning, snuggling her head down into a pillow, and pulling Fleur close.

Within moments, Alice was asleep, and Fleur giggled uncontrollably as she chewed at one of her bee's legs.

Chapter 46: A Visit

A week passed while Shadow and Hatter worked out their differences before Hatter would finally leave Shadow alone with Ash. He still was angry at the
monster child for biting him.

"Look at this!" he would say, furiously pointing at the scabs on his hands, "Look at this! Why'd he eat my blood too?"
Alice would always have to calm him down afterwards.

The Clockwork dragon returned from his wanderings and instantly grew obsessed with Hatter once more. The second night he was back, he stole Hatter away
to the orchard, where he kept the struggling man against his chest like a teddy bear, crooning love that fell upon deaf ears.

The third morning, Hatter went insane, tried to kill both the Clockwork dragon and Shadow. He failed at both attempts, but Shadow began to percieve 'the bad
man' as a threat to his 'brother'. As a result, Shadow began to keep Ash away from Hatter. Furious at this, Hatter demanded that the monster leave, but
Shadow refused. Because of this, they began competing, if nothing else, for Ash.

Several nights, Alice awoke to the bickering arguements between Shadow and an angry Mad Hatter, Ash in one of their arms, the other trying to have the boy
in their arms. After several bad nights' sleep because of this, Alice finally snapped. She would sleep with Ash in the big bed, Hatter slept on the little twin-
sized mattress, and Shadow sulkily lay between Tick and Zero.

This continued for about a week before Alice put Ash back in the small bed and said, "I hope you can agree that Ash can sleep alone."

The next morning, Shadow was between Hatter and her, nuzzling up to her stomach as he purred. This was the last straw for Hatter. He rode for the capital,
the Clockwork dragon following, of course, brought a pocketwatch, returned with the dragon, summoned Pendulum, who was furiously angry at his son.
Pendulum dragged the screaming Shadow back through the clock, which Hatter broke immediately afterwards. Shadow was not to be deterred, however. He
came through one of the clocks at the capital and, after two days of walking, arrived at their doorstep, dusty but happy. He immediately latched onto Ash and
wouldn't let even Hatter coax him away.

Finally, Hatter relented sullenly to let Shadow stay, as long as he didn't spend each and every day latched onto Ash like a leech. Shadow happily agreed and
instead stayed on Alice. Alice had to reassure Hatter that it didn't hurt or he would have been furious and the whole fight would have started over again.

After two weeks of staying with them, Shadow began to sneak out to hunt. As a result, he began sprouting up, soon just a foot shorter than Alice. He also
became fast friends with the Hare children, especially little, white Tuesday. Monday found himself without his usual playmate and became incredibly lonely
until Alice instructed Tick and Zero to cheer him up. The 'doggy' and 'kitty', as Monday called them, distracted him from his loneliness and became his favorite
friends. He was suspicious of the Clockwork dragon, but avoided any conflict with it.

Then, a month after peace had descended, discord exploded when Alice asked if they could so how the Jabberwocky was doing.

Stomping his foot, Hatter stormed in front of the bed, "No, no, and no! We do not need to go see him! He can take care of himself and-"

"I haven't seen him in a long time?"

"So? There is no need to see him! No need at all! We're not going to go through the Looking Glass to see how the bliddy-"

"Please...?" asked Alice quietly, brushing her fingers through Ash's hair. Around his middle sat Shadow, once again a black belt of liquid that stuck to his skin.
"I want to see him..."

"But..." Hatter wilted. "Why?"

"'Cause I miss him."

"How much?" asked Hatter suspiciously.

"He's my father, Hatter!" Alice squeaked, turning red in the face.

Biting his lip, Hatter thought for a few minutes before huffing, nodding, "Fine... I can see Bander too, I guess... And Ash! No sneaking off to sing with the
soldiers this time!"

Ash nodded, his mischievious smile showing the obvious lie, "Yes, Papa!"
"Good... Then I guess we should-"

"Ash!" Alice grabbed Ash and hugged him tightly. "We're going on a trip!"

"Trip! Trip! Trip!" Excited, Ash bounced on her lap, clapping his hands together as Hatter stared at him in lost dumbfoundment.

"You... you already told him, didn't you?" he muttered softly.

Somewhat muffled, Shadow's voice floated up from beneath Ash's shirt, "She told us. Said we get to see Ash's grandfather. My step-grandpa, I guess you
could say."

Hatter glowered at them before suddenly brightening with an idea, "We can leave Shadow with them!"

Under Ash's shirt, Pendulum's child rustled before sniffling, "That's not nice..."

"I know it's not, but you're not nice either."

Alice whispered reassuringly, "We won't leave you."

"Alice!" moaned Hatter. "You can't honestly like that little monster!"

Calmly, Alice hugged Ash close to her as she replied, "I can't say I don't. For one thing, he was stuck in me for nine months. Another, he's Ash's friend; we
wouldn't want to seperate them, would we?"

"...He was only in you for-"

"It's still the same."

Swelling with pleasure around his 'brother's abdomen, Shadow cooed, "She's still my mother."

Hatter was about to retort when Ash giggled loudly and cheered, "Mommy!" He threw himself back, latched his arms around her neck, and gave her a hug,
refusing to let go. His happy laughter was accented by the audible purr of Shadow.
Alice giggled along with them, leaving Hatter to stare stupidly at them, lost on 'why' they were so happy.

The next morning, Hatter, Alice, Shadow, Ash, and Fleur left for the capital, leaving March and May behind to deal with both the orchard and their frantic,
excited children. The Clockwork dragon followed them half of the way before turning off to the side and vanishing for a while before rejoining them an hour
later. By midday, they had reached the castle, and, after Hatter gruffly denied the Clockwork dragon passage into the courtyard and they all politely said
"hello" to the bored governors, they passed through the Looking Glass into the Shadowlands.

The guard who was assigned to the Looking Glass, startled, immediately scurried off to find the Bandersnatch. Only a few minutes after they had arrived, he
came bounding in, his eyes wide and his smile joyous, "Alice! Right when I need you! Come! Come!"

Instantly, Hatter turned back to the mirror, "We're going back. This doesn't sound good."

Alice caught his sleeve and directed cheerfully to Bander, "Something happened?"

"Well, other than the fact that Jabberwock is now having an affair with my first wife, which I'm entirely aware about, and he's just getting over an ear
infection, nothing much. Except... he's gotten into the depressive, 'I want Alice' thoughts again... Come on! Come on!" Bander's happy smile faded as he
recalled the sense of betrayal that he was feeling, and he muttered, "And now I just have to catch him with my wife..."

Startled, Hatter blinked before asking slowly, "Jabberwock's... having an affair with your first- Wasn't she... Maynard's-"

"Argh! Must you talk?" Bander grabbed Alice's arm, making sure not to hurt Fleur, and dragged her to the door. "Just let him see his daughter and his
grandchildren before instigating one of your little fights!" He pulled Alice from the room, leaving Hatter and Ash staring.

Glancing up at his father, Ash cocked his head and asked, "That's other grandpa, right?"

Jabberwock, once again gaunt and scraggly, sat on his bed, staring up at the ceiling as he chewed absently at his bleeding lip. His yellow eyes, glazed over
with thought, didn't blink much as the span of time went from a minute to five to ten. In his lap, toying with a small wooden soldier, sat Sanxi, bright amber
eyes glittering happily. Little claws scraped against wood as he held it up and squeaked, "Solder!"
Jabberwock nodded, not hearing, and pushed the toy out of his face, his gaze never breaking from the ceiling. At the knock, he blinked, thrown out of his
reverie, and called softly, "Who is it?"

"Bander. I have a sur-"

"Bander.. I'm sleeping..."

"No, you're not. You're sitting on that bed just as I left you. Can I come in?"

"...Why?"

"I have a surprise!" came Bander's indignant voice.

Behind Bander, Alice giggled quietly, Fleur staring up at her hair before joining in with the giggles.
Hearing the faint, high-pitched laughter, Jabberwock jerked to gaze at the door, eyes switching to a glowing red. He took one glance at the tell-tale shapes of
heat on the other side of the door before scrambling up, leaving Sanxi on the bed, and slamming the door open. "Alice!"

Alice found his arms around her the next second, his body arced to avoid squeezing Fleur as he tightened his arms, "Oh, Alice! I missed you! I couldn't come
'cause I got sick and I got a new lover and Bander wouldn't let me and-"

Bander coughed, "And he went all mad on us once again."

Ignoring his brother, Jabberwocky towed Alice and Fleur into his room, muscles tense with surprised happiness, "Sanxi! Look who's here! It's your sister and
your... niece, right?" He shot a questioning glance at Alice, who shrugged, before nodding. "Yes... Your niece."

Sanxi stared at Alice as if he had never seen her before. Pushing his lower lip out in a little boy pout, he pointed a claw at her and Fleur and asked, "Who's
dat?"

Jabberwocky sighed, "Alice and Fleur. Listen, okay?"

Behind him, Bander sighed before strolling away.

"Yes, papa..." Tottering up, Sanxi carefully slid off the bed, bounced over, and hid behind Jabberwocky as he stared up at Alice. After a few moments of toying
with his toy soldier, he asked quietly, "Will Awice pway wit me?"

"Ask her."

"Awice, do you wanna pway?" Sanxi held up his toy soldier, a hopeful smile sprouting onto his face.

"She doesn't understand that. Talk Wonderish."

Sanxi grimaced before sputtering, "A... Awice... pway?"

"Of course!" Alice knelt, set Fleur down, and watched as her daughter flipped to her stomach and began to inch away, gurgling happily on the carpet. Smiling,
she closed the door slowly before tapping Sanxi on the head, "What do you want to play?"

"Solders! Solders!" Sanxi's toy soldier found its way to her hands before Sanxi stood stiffly, shoulders hunched, and began to march about. "You solder and I
solder and we fight."

Jabberwocky chuckled before ducking down, sweeping Sanxi up, "And what about me?"

"Papa solder too!"

Alice giggled, "Of course he is."

Wrestling Sanxi in his arms, Jabberwocky threw him down onto the bed before jumping upon him and saying, "Got you!"

"Ah! Papa got me! Awice! Help! Help!"

Alice hurried over, began to playfully tug at Jabberwock's shoulder as he laughed loudly, "Alice! Come on! You have to save your little brother from the big, old
monster!"
"Ah! Monster! Monster!"

Jabberwocky let Alice pull him off before standing on the bed, raising his claws over his head, and roaring a mock battle cry. With a delighted scream, Sanxi
rolled backward, fell off the bed, thumped on the floor, and then scrambled up. "Awice! Awice! Wun! Wun!"

Before Alice could 'wun' away, Jabberwocky grabbed her, pulled her back, and gave her a tight hug. "Sanxi! I got Alice!"

Turning back, Sanxi raced back for the bed, stopped at the edge, and peered over the edge, yellow eyes glittering happily as he squeaked, "Bad monster.
Awice dead. Bye-bye, Awice."

Jabberwock snorted with disbelief before leaning forward and whispering, "You're supposed to save her..."

"Aha! Twick! Twick!" Sanxi grabbed the cover with his hands, pulled himself up with a small grumble, and then tackled Jabberwock's arm. Pulling it away from
Alice, he urged, "Wun, Alice, wun! I twicked! I twicked!"

Jabberwock seized them both, held them both in an embrace, and then chuckled into Sanxi's hair, "Got you both. Monster got you both."

"Ah! We both dead!" Sanxi fell limp in Jabberwock's arm, playing dead.

Jabberwock smirked before playing along, "Oh no! I killed him, Alice!" He let her go, flopped Sanxi down onto his back, and then poked his son's stomach
softly. "I think we should cut him open and see what killed him."

Sanxi's eyes fluttered open before he squawked, "No! Monster killed me! No cut!"

"Oh... Did you hear that, Alice? He says he wants to be cut open..."

"No! No! No cut!" Sanxi sat up, grabbed Jabberwock's arm, and exclaimed, "Cut monster!" He tackled Jabberwock.

Jabberwocky let himself be pushed back before grabbing Sanxi, holding him up in the air, and smiling, "Monster doesn't want to be cut."

Struggling vainly, Sanxi finally relaxed before glancing back to see Fleur staring at them, her bumblebee hugged against her chest. Sanxi blinked before
kicking his feet and muttering, "I want Fweur to pway too."

For the rest of the hour that Alice stayed in Jabberwocky's room, Sanxi played with Fleur. However, while Sanxi wanted to play 'Soldiers' and use Fleur's
bumblebee as the monster, Fleur decided that she wanted the toy soldier to be the lady bumblebee and went about mashing her toy against his toy and
squeaking happily. When she finally lost interest in that, she proceeded to chew at the soldier's head.
"Ah! No! Solder not food! Out of mouth! Out of mouth!" Sanxi grabbed at the toy's legs and pulled it from her mouth.

Fleur giggled, clapped her hands, and then grabbed her bumblebee back.

"No! That monster! That monster!" Sanxi grabbed the cloth toy back and positioned it again.

For a few moments, Alice and Jabberwocky watched as the two children stared at the bee, waiting for something. Finally, Sanxi raised his soldier over his
head, whacked the bee with it, and screamed, "Got ya!"

Alice turned to glance at Jabberwocky and asked curiously, "Is he always this energetic?"

"Believe me, he is." Jabberwock itched at his shoulder as he returned Alice's gaze. "Usually, he's not this quiet. He's a literal thunderstorm when it comes to
bedtimes."

Hearing a little shriek, Alice glanced back at the children, where Fleur had stolen back her toy and Sanxi was desperately trying to grab it back. Fleur refused
to let him have it, and Sanxi fell into a sullen silence, glowering at the toy in his hand. Jabberwock chuckled dryly, stood, and, going over to his son, knelt to
whisper in his ear. Sanxi immediately glanced up at Alice, smiled, and called, "Sister Awice! Sister Awice! Papa says you have another fwiend for me!"

Jabberwocky glanced at Alice and mouthed, "Ash. Tell him about Ash."

"Oh, yes! I have a son, about your age, and-"

"Where is he?" cried Sanxi, not caring for the information. "I wanna fwiend!"

Ash and Sanxi were instant friends, launching directly into a heated game of 'Soldiers', which ended up with the Jabberwocky being the monster yet again.
They wrestled playfully about for a few minutes before Jabberwock found Shadow hiding under Ash's shirt.
"What the- Pendulum?" Jabberwock took an involuntary step backwards, eyes widening before they narrowed. Reaching down, he grabbed Sanxi, who was
about to tackle Ash, and dragged him back. "What the heck is Pendulum doing wrapped around Ash?" He shook with confused anger. In the corner, Fleur
glanced up from her bumblebee before giggling.

With a small growl, Shadow yanked down the shirt before muttering, "I was sleeping... Leave me alone..."

"Alice! Why is Pendulum on-"

Hatter sniffed dryly before casting a glance at Alice, "...That's Shadow... He's Pendulum's son... We kind of... adopted him, thanks to Alice."

Ash nodded, lifted his shirt, and pointed at the black that covered his abdomen, "He's brother."

Sanxi started to come forward, but Jabberwock held him back, glancing between Ash and Alice before asking suspiciously, "You adopted a little... blob of goo?"

Instantly, Shadow squawked indignantly, pulled away from Ash, and wrenched up into his form. Glaring up at Jabberwocky, he crossed his arms and snorted,
"I'm not a blob!"

Apprehensively, Jabberwock stared down at Shadow before licking his lips nervously and asking, "And... you don't hurt Ash?"

"No." Shadow began to step back to Ash before pausing, glancing at Sanxi, and, turning, asking, "Could I touch him?"

Jabberwock glanced at Alice, a question in his eyes, and, when she nodded, he stepped back hesitantly, "I... guess so..."

Kneeling, Shadow leaned forward, patted Sanxi's head, "Hello... I'm Shadow... What's your name?"

"Sanxi! Sanxi!" Sanxi leapt forward, tackled Shadow, "Monster!" Suddenly, he stood alone, blinking as Shadow melted against him. Not noticing the black that
blended in perfectly into his skin, he glanced about wildly, "Where's monster?"

Forcing a grating chuckle, Jabberwock dragged Sanxi to him, pulled up his shirt, and poked at his stomach, where Shadow's black skin camouflaged him
perfectly. "'Kay now. Get off my son."

Sanxi began to giggle, "Ah! Tickles! Tickles!" He ducked out of Jabberwock's hands and, staggering to Ash, shoved him over and pounced upon him, his
laughter continuing all the while.

Sighing, Hatter inspected his fingernails, trying not to look angry, "He's laughing. You know what that means..."

Instantly, Jabberwock was on guard. Glowering at Hatter, he hissed, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Shadow... insists on tasting people's blood."

Instantly, Sanxi was in Jabberwock's hands, his shirt up and Jabberwock prying Shadow off of his skin, "You little freak! Get off my son!"

Shadow clutched vainly at Sanxi, the threads that he had slipped into Sanxi's skin stretching as he tried to get as much taste as possible. "Ay! Ay! Ow! No! I'm
just testing it! Let go!"

With a final furious growl, Jabberwock ripped him off, only to yelp as Shadow flattened against his arm, dug in a sharp thread, and tightened uncomfortably.
"Ah! Get off, you little-" His voice wavered before a slanted grin shoved up onto his face. Slurring his words, he murmured, "Yes... Get... Get off..."

Hatter gazed at them, eyes wide, before smiling brightly, "Okay, Alice! Time to go! We leave Shadow here with Jabberwock, 'cause it seems they've already
bonded. Would hate to break the friendship." He turned, made for the Looking Glass.

Jabberwock's eyes slowly travelled to alight on his son-in-law's turned back, "Huh...? No... Don't go... yet..." He staggered forward, his steps unsure. Reaching
for Hatter, he missed, stumbled, and then whispered, "Stop... stop moving, Hatter."

Hatter blinked, "I'm not, really. You just went right past me."

"Huh...? Bliddy monster... Get off..." Jabberwock scratched weakly at Shadow, who continued to tighten in anger.

Alice sighed, "Okay, Shadow. Get off."

"But, mother... He hurt me... And I'm hungry..." complained Shadow, snaking up Jabberwock's arm to the elbow before settling down. Jabberwock flinched
before staggering back to lean against the wall, breath deep and gasping as he fought off the wave of sleepiness that overcame him.

"A... Alice... Help... me, please..." Jabberwock slid to the ground, propped up against the wall. Clapping her hands, Fleur crawled to him, began to pull herself
up onto his lap.

Alice stepped forward to help, but Hatter grabbed her shoulder, stopped her, smiled, "No... Shadow's right. Jabberwock deserved it."

"Hatter! You're just doing this to spite him!" said Alice, stomping her foot.

"Ah, come on! Jabberwock deserves some humility every once in a while." Hatter blocked her as she tried to shove past again, twisted so he could embrace
her, and then sat down, dragging her down with him, "And Shadow's 'part of the family', no?"

"That's mean!"

"Trust me. All that Jabberwocky is feeling right now is numbness, pleasure, and exhaustion. There's no pain."

"But-"

With a slight gasp, Jabberwock forced himself awake as he began to nod off. Glancing about weakly, he saw Alice before smiling softly and nodding off to
sleep. Alice stared at him, at the small smile on his face, and then at Sanxi, who had his shirt up, leaning over to inspect the three little pinpricks on his
stomach. She thought for a moment before snapping, "It'll teach Shadow bad habits."

Here, Hatter hesitated before sniffing into her hair, "We can allow it this once."

"Ah! You're impossible!" Alice huffed and crossed her arms.

Bander came in ten minutes later, found Jabberwock dozing off in the corner while Hatter rocked back and forth with Alice in his arms. In Jabberwock's lap,
Fleur played happily with her bumblebee, while Ash and Sanxi continued to batter the poor wooden soldier in their play.

Hatter wouldn't let Alice tell Bander why Jabberwock had 'inexplicably' fallen asleep. So, as Bander dragged his brother out, intent on taking him to sleep in a
proper bed, Alice turned and growled, "You should have let me get Shadow at least!"

"Why? There's no reason too... But now I want to stay to see how Jabberwock's bliddy feeling when he wakes up!" Hatter clapped his hands together, his face
breaking out into a grin, before he exclaimed brightly, "It'll be brilliant! He'll be too weak to do a thing and I can see him like that!"

"That means we're staying for dinner, doesn't it?"

"Yes... Maybe I can get Bander to let me have some meat... Rare, of course. And we can give Fleur and Ash some chocolate and-"

There came a violent curse from behind them, and, jerking about, Hatter gaped when he saw Time stumbling out of the mirror. Swearing softly as he brushed
off his armor of cobwebs, Time latched his eyes on Hatter and spat, "You bliddy don't like me, do you? Breaking every bliddy little pocket-watch that comes
into your grasp! But I finally got you! You came to a place where there a bliddy clock I could go through, and what do you have to go do? You have to go
sauntering off through a bliddy mirror! Argh!" Time took a few raspy gasps before putting a hand against his forehead to calm himself, "And, then again,
swearing in front of children is never a plus... Let's forget I did that."

Hatter sighed, "Is that why you're coming through a mirror and not through a clock?"

"Oh, yes... About that. I thought you were still at Wonderland's capital, so I went there and I got in a big fight with one of the Governors - Chesapeake? She's
the one with the horn, no?- because she issued the order to burn the clocks when Pendulum had taken over and so on... So I geuss I was a bit late when I
came around to find you... But, the Shadowlands? What are you here for? An execution?"

"... Alice's father is the Jabberwocky."

"Oho!" Time's eyes grew wide before they took on a mischievious glint. "And I take it that you two don't get along?"

"Never." interrupted Alice, glowering at Hatter, still angry at the definite amusement he displayed towards Jabberwocky's pain.

Time chuckled loudly, "Well then! Having him as a father-in-law must seriously put a damper on all the family reunions, for sooth? What am I rambling on
about? Hatter, please, please, please don't break any more watches... Or I'll send Pendulum through to eat you up." Time pursed his lips, crossed his arms,
and waited for Hatter's reply.
"Could you tell him to come? His son's still bothering my family and-"

"Aha! You didn't listen to me! I knew it!" Time pointed a triumphant finger at Hatter, who blinked and gazed at him questionably. After a few moments of
uncomfortable silence, Time turned his finger towards himself, glanced at it, and sighed, "And... I shouldn't have tried, is that it?"

"Yes. I like breaking clocks because these are the encounters I don't like having." replied Hatter with a mockingly friendly tone.

"... That doesn't mean that your breaking of thirty-three pocketwatches can go unexcused." Time muttered.

"And...?" Hatter waited for him to continue.

Time glared at him before growling, "Where's the little goop-ball?"

"Shadow?"

"Oh, how cute. You named your pet. Where is he?"

"He's on Jabberwocky."

"...Guess that means it's time to go bother Jabberwocky about all those soldiers he sent through my kingdom... And get that little sludge-ball back for
Pendulum. I'll see you later, okay?" Time vanished, fizzing out like a bad lamp.

Time flickered back into view at the foot of Jabberwocky's bed, eyes bright and more golden than crimson. Fast travel always sent little bolts of andrenaline
through him, a feeling he loved. Besides, there were no clocks in Jabberwock's room; he wouldn't have been able to come by conventional means.
Gazing at the sleeping figure on the bed, Time clapped his hands together and said loudly in a sing-song voice, "Come on, little Shadow! Guess who's here!
And- Oh, just get off the man, you little goop."

Next second, Shadow pulled himself out from under Jabberwock's shirt, grumbling, "Time... What are you doing-" He missed the side of the bed, flopped off,
and gave a sickening -Splat!- as he hit the ground. Groaning, he slunk under the bed. "You're... not here to punish me, are you?"

"Of course not. Just that Pendulum's on my nerves and you're one of the reasons. And... Jabberwocky..." He cooed the name. "I need you to wake up."

Jabberwocky slept on, oblivious.

Sighing, Time clambered onto the bed, crawled up besides the Shadowlander, poked him irritably, "I said 'wake up'."

"Urmph... Go away... I'm sleeping..." Jabberwock began to come out from under the effects of the drugs that Shadow had put into his system, only to continue
sleeping. Turning to his side, leaving Time only his back to stare at, he curled up and fell back to deep, restful sleep.

Time pursed his lips, pried one of the clocks from his armor, began to finger it gently as he said softly, "Jabberwock... Wake up... Or else..."

Jabberwocky heeded not this warning.

Rolling his eyes, Time started to twist the clock's hands backwards as he whistled brightly.

Suddenly, Jabberwocky sat up, eyes wide, and cupped his hands over his ears in pain. "Ow! Ah, not again! Not aga-" He saw the legs beside his, blinked, and
then turned slowly to stare at Time. His yellow eyes flickered with recognition before he hissed angrily, "What are you-" He flinched in pain as Time continued
to wind the clock backwards, ignoring him. As soon as the new wave of pain diminshed, he reached over, intent on ripping the clock from Time's hands and
smashing it to pieces.

Time held it out of his reach, smiled brightly, and started, "Now that I have your attention... I need to talk to you, Jabberwocky."

"Ah, for pain's sake, at least stop the hurt!" Jabberwocky's ears rang and throbbed, the infection in them come back to torture him yet again.

"Oh, of course." Time took the clock, flicked the hour hand one number ahead, and Jabberwock's pain instantly subsided.

Sighing with relief, Jabberwocky put his hands down before growling, "And why are you on my bed?"

"'Cause there's a little puddle of goop waiting for someone's feet under the bed. Ah! Ah!" Time exclaimed as Jabberwocky started to step off. "Wouldn't do
that! He'll suck your feet dry!"
Jabberwocky hesitated before sitting back sullenly, "Urh... What do you want to talk to me about?"

"First off, it's only me who's going to be saying things, not you. One, never send your bliddy soldiers into my kingdom without permission. Two, don't you dare
break any clocks after I leave. Three, don't ever, ever put me out of commission again... Clocks that don't work don't tell time... And time is essential." Time
glowered at the canopy before nodding cheerfully, "And that's it. Short talk. Can you understand all of it and take it to heart? Or do you not have a heart to
put it in?"

"I have a heart!" squawked Jabberwocky indignantly.

Time smirked, "Of course you do. It's that pulsing little red thing next to that massive ego of yours."

"Ego? You're the one who has the ego!" Jabberwock glared at him.

"Oh, yes. I seemed to have forgotten about that. Is that because someone put me out of commission and someone recently speared me to the ceiling?
Hmm... Let's all weep for poor Time... He just keeps running into bad luck, doesn't he?"

"And don't try that on me. I'm not going to sympathize for you."

"Of course you're not. I was directing that to the little monster under your bed. Shadow? Where are you, Shadow?"

Under the bed, Shadow was staring at a small cockroach, terrified. Hastily backing away, he squeaked, "Y-y-yes, sir?"

"You sound scared. Don't tell me you're scared of the monster under the bed too, are you now? Come out and be nice to Jabberwocky here."

Shadow scurried out, relieved to be away from the insect. Bowing quickly to Jabberwock, he said, "Sorry for putting you to sleep but- Ah!" Shadow leapt up
onto the bed, shivering violently as he saw the bug scramble out from beneath the dust skirt. He clutched at Time's arm, shuddering as Jabberwocky peered
over the side of the bed and snorted, "Wait... Is there a joke here?"

"Guess there is. Dear Lord! So cockroaches are really monsters! They'll eat you up someday... I guess. Maybe not Shadow here, though... That'd be like eating
pitch, wouldn't it?"

Shadow whimpered, "Get it away! Get it away! I don't like bugs!"

Thirty minutes later, Jabberwocky came storming into the room that Hatter and his family were staying in. Glancing up, startled at the sudden intrusion,
Hatter smiled in relief when he saw it was just Jabberwock, "Oh, hello? How are you feel-"

The next moment, he lay on his back, dazed, his cheek smarting, his head spinning, as Jabberwock stood over him, a furious black thunderstorm. "You git! You
just let your little monster thing get me!"

Alice squeaked, "Stop it! No fighting!"

Pausing, Jabberwock huffed before shaking his leg in annoyance, "Come on, monster. Off my leg."

With a grumble, Shadow slid off of Jabberwock's leg, out from under the cuff of the nice pants that he wore, and then inched to Hatter, where he slipped under
his clothes to plaster himself over his skin. Next moment, Hatter twisted up to glower at Jabberwock, his nose bleeding freely, "You didn't have to punch me!
And, Shadow! Get off!"

Irritated, Shadow snorted, "No. I'm sleepy and I need a body... So... Yeah... Good night..."

Hatter sighed before growling, "Still no need to punch me!"

"Of course there is! And, what's more, I'm taking Alice to dinner! And you're not coming! And, you know what? I'm not going to return her tonight either!"
Jabberwocky sputtered, obviously still rather weak, but quickly recovering. "And- And I'm taking the children too!"

Hatter stumbled up before snarling, "She's my wife, and they are my children!"

"And you're the git who-" Jabberwocky paused when he felt someone tug at his pant leg. Glancing down, he saw Ash frowning up at him.

"No bad words."

"Oh... Sorry..." Jabberwocky bent, picked up Ash, and, bouncing him up in his arms, stuck his black tongue out at Hatter and strode over to Alice. "Come,
Alice!" He took her hand, tugged her towards the door. Fleur in her other hand, Alice couldn't do much but follow with staggered steps.
Hatter began to follow, furious, "Ah, no! You're not going to take-"

"Shadow!"

Suddenly, Hatter's eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he slumped forward. Alice shrieked, tried to go back, but Jabberwock reassured her quickly,
"Don't worry. It's the same exact thing that happened to me. I just asked Shadow to do that when we were coming here."

"But- But... That's mean! You took advantage of him!"

"I did." admitted Jabberwock. "But he'll be able to sleep well... Now, dinner. And you are going to sleep in my room tonight. I was not joking when I said that.
Sanxi and Ash can sleep on the floor -Sanxi loves making forts out of pillows and blankets-, and Fleur can have her own crib."

"And you get to crush me flat by morning, is that it?"

"I'm not that heavy, are I? I have been trying to lose weight ever since Bander told me that I was getting fat." Jabberwock stopped and poked himself in the
stomach. "Oh... And where's Sanxi?"

"Bander took him somewhere."

"Oh... I can figure that out later... Now... Dinner! Wait... I should get Sanxi for dinner, shouldn't I? Of course I should... Let's see... Bander's room. This way."

Bander's first wife, the one that Jabberwocky allegedly was having an affair with, was the one who was watching Sanxi. Glancing up with soft black eyes as he
entered, she smiled brightly, "Good evening, milord."

Ignoring her, Jabberwock let go of Alice's hand, set Ash down, and held out his arms to the miserable Sanxi who sat in the corner, "Sanxi! Come here and hug
your father!"

Sanxi glared at him before sniffling, "You weft me wit her..." He pointed at Bander's wife.

"No. Your uncle did. I was off being attacked... by a monster!"

Instantly, Sanxi stood, his interest captured, and hurried to his father's side. Grabbing the edge of his shirt, he stood on tiptoes and whispered, "What
happened after uncle pulled you out?"

"Another monster came!"

Sanxi shrieked with delight, "And then?"

"I fought them off! But only the big one. The little one's nice if you're nice to him." Jabberwocky bent and planted a kiss atop his son's head.

Sanxi's pleasure instantly diminished, and he wiped at his black hair furiously, "No kissies! Solders don't get kissies!"

Ash joined him, "Yes! No kisses for soldiers!" He took his stand next to Sanxi, stood stiffly straight, and saluted.

Alice smiled, "Not even from your mother?"

Here, Ash faltered. "Well... okay... But one kiss." Ash held up a finger.

Bending down, Alice pecked Ash on the nose. Instantly, he wiped his hands across his face and said, "Yucky! Yucky kiss!"

Jabberwocky grinned wryly, "Of course, isn't it, Alice?" He winked at Alice before continuing, "See, I give the best kisses."

Ash paused before glancing up at him, "...Could I have one?"

Nodding, Jabberwocky knelt, pulled Ash close, and licked his grandson's cheek quickly. Ash squealed in disgust, wrestled away from him, and wiped frantically
at his face, "AH! No! Yucky, yucky!"

Dinner that night was a grand, fancy one, Jabberwock's 'family' seated around a table delicately arranged with small platters of cut fruit, salad, some very thin
slices of veal, chocolate truffles, and...
"Aha! Sandwiches!" Alice couldn't help but point out with triumph.
Jabberwocky pursed his lips, "Yes... but only because you and Sanxi insist on them."

"Oh... He likes them too?"

As if on cue, Sanxi saw the little finger sandwiches, squealed, "Yay! I wanna one with green! I wanna one with green!" He jumped onto his chair before making
room for Ash besides him. Ash clambered up to sit next to his friend.

Jabberwocky smiled softly, "And... it's the only way I can get him to eat vegetables..."

"So he's not an Imagination eater?" asked Alice curiously.

"Not that I know of yet... Think about it. He wouldn't be able to play with his friends without snapping into a fury. And me? I just had to get into the habit of not
changing my eyes whenever I think someone's imagining..."

"That's good."

Jabberwock's grin broadened, "Why are we stalling? The boys want their food... Come on, sit down, and you can eat." He sat, patted the chair besides him.

Alice settled down, Fleur on her lap, and reached forward for a little sandwich as Sanxi pounced to do the same. Giggling as the little Shadowlander grabbed
as much as he could, brought it to his plate, and poked Ash to show that they had food, Alice took two little ones before nibbling at the edge of one.
Jabberwocky's claws found their way to an apple slice, which he dumped onto her plate. "And... since I have sandwiches for you, you have to satisfy me and
eat a little bit of everything."

Alice blinked before nodding, "Fine." Taking up the apple slice, she chewed at it as she watched Jabberwocky take some more food to put on her plate.

"And... there you go... And- Hey! Sanxi!"

Glancing up guiltily, Sanxi frowned as he put back the chocolate. "But... papa... I et a sandwich." He pointed to the plate, where there was still about six
sandwiches.

"You took all of those, so eat them."

Without a word, Sanxi grabbed them up, reached over, plopped them ceremoniously back onto the platter, and then said cheerfully, "I'm done!"

"...Fine... You can have some chocolate."

Instantly, Sanxi was cramming a truffle into his mouth while Ash watched, a sandwich at his mouth. Blinking, Ash turned to Alice and asked, "Can I have a
chocowate?"

"Eat your sandwich first."

Ash complied, stuffing the rest of his little sandwich into his mouth and, while he still was chewing, reaching for a chocolate.

That night, Jabberwocky and Alice watched as Ash and Sanxi piled pillow after pillow up on the floor before draping a sheet over to make a make-shift tent.
Giggles abounded as they dove under, dragging quilts behind them.
Fleur crawled across the floor, tried to follow, but the boys pushed her out. "No gwirls!"

Alice sighed as Fleur started to sniffle, dejected, hugging her bee for comfort. "Jabberwocky, will you tell them to let Fleur-"

Jabberwocky already stood behind Fleur. Kneeling, he ruffled her blonde hair and muttered as he lifted the blanket, "Boys, let Fleur in."

"No sisters!" shouted Ash, yanking down the cover. "Only boys!"

A flicker of anger turned Jabberwock's eyes to a dark gold. Holding the cover up, ignoring the protesting boys, he set Fleur in gently, "There you go, Fleur..."

Sanxi moaned, "Papa... Fweur doesn't pway solders right. She ets them!" He held up his wooden toy soldier.

Ash nodded, poked at Fleur's back, "We don't want her."

Jabberwocky's eyes narrowed, "Either you let her in or you're sleeping in a regular bed, the both of you."
Sanxi and Ash sighed, "Alright..." Or, in Sanxi's case: "Awright..."

Letting the cover down, Jabberwock stood, wandered back over to Alice, "There she goes... I won't be surprised if one of the boys bops her over the head."

"Let's hope that doesn't happen."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it happened, I'm just saying." Jabberwocky settled down next to her, yawned, and then laid back.

When Hatter woke up, he lay on the carpet, his whole body aching. Sitting up, he moaned as he rubbed his pulsing head before stiffening as he felt the touch
of liquid flesh against his chest. With a weak growl, he ripped his shirt up to reveal Shadow, six thick visible threads planted securely in his flesh as the little
monster gurgled in his sleep.

He began to pry Shadow off when the liquid child awoke. Grunting, he tightened his threads around Shadow and muttered, "No... Let me sleep..."

"Please... just stop stealing my blood..."

"I'm just... cleaning it..." yawned Shadow before one of his threads swelled, slowly pulled out of Hatter's skin, and jabbed down right underneath his armpit.

"Ow! Oh..." Hatter grew dizzy. "Shadow... Please... You don't have to put me to sleep."

The feeling faded as Shadow swelled with annoyance as Hatter's muscles tensed under him, "Relax, then!"

Slowly, Hatter forced himself to calm, and Shadow began to pulse in rhythm with Hatter's heart. After a few minutes of sitting there, getting over the weak,
sick feeling that invaded his body, Hatter rasped, "Where's Alice?"

"Went with stepgrandfather..."

Hatter groaned, flopped back onto the carpet, "So... you're going to keep me down the whole night?"

"I'm starving... The longer I stay on you, the more filth is in your blood, and the more filth I can eat... So yes. And it messes me up if you move..."

For a good ten minutes, Hatter stayed still, glancing down his front to watch Shadow swell with his blood before squeezing it back into him. Finally, he sat up
again, began to stand.

Shadow grumbled, "Hey..."

"I'm just getting on the bed..." Hatter slowly pulled himself onto the bed, laid down with a groan of relief.

Shadow bloated like a balloon before squishing down into his normal, close to skin position. "Do you want to sleep?"

"Uh... Not really..."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I don't trust you."

Instantly, a sense of euphoria washed up his chest, and he struggled not to giggle as Shadow reassured, "You can trust me..."

"You're... you're eating my blood... and you keep drugging me... How could I trust you?"

With a dull snort, Shadow tightened slightly before Hatter felt the first feelings of overbearing exhaustion drop down on his eyes. Struggling to stay awake, he
grated sluggishly, "See...? That's what I... I mean..." He fell into a slumber as Shadow settled back down.

"Good night."

The next morning dawned late and ugly, a dark thunderstorm waking up Sanxi and Ash with its loud thunder. Terrified, they ran, shrieking, from their tent to
find refuge in between Jabberwock and Alice, who woke up. Grumpy and annoyed, Jabberwocky turned his back to them, snuggled back down into his covers,
and fell back to sleep. Alice, however, stayed awake and comforted the two frightened boys.
Finally, Sanxi proposed that it was a monster outside, and the soldiers were beating it off. "Isn't that wright, Awice?" Sanxi glanced up at her with bright,
trembling eyes.

"Of course."

Instantly, the two boy bounded off her lap, were at the window, tugging back the curtains. Not noticing the lightning, they pressed up against it and glanced
down, straining to see if there was a monster in the courtyard below.

With the new harsh gray light pouring through the window, Jabberwock sat up, groaned, and then snapped irritably, "Can't you two let me sleep?"

Sanxi jumped back up on the bed and bounced onto his father's lap, "Wakey! Wakey!"

Jabberwocky dragged him into his arms and mock sneezed into his hair, making Sanxi shriek.

After everybody was dressed, the group went down to the kitchen to pick up breakfast. Sanxi ate the most, devouring three slices of toast, an apple, and two
muffins. Alice just had a muffin while Ash stole an orange from the fruit bowl. Fleur had the soft flesh of a peach, cut up into itty-bitty pieces.
Of course, Jabberwocky had nothing.

Afterwards, they wandered away, much against Jabberwocky's desires, to Hatter's room.

Knocking on the door for the third time, Alice glanced back at Jabberwocky worriedly, who shrugged, "Don't look at me. I didn't do a thing."

Sighing, Alice twisted the doorknob, creaked the door open. A spear of light split the darkness, shredding it in two. The bed was empty, the covers ruffled and
bunched. Alice pursed her lips, turned to go when she heard a soft groan, "Alice...?"

Turning back into the room, Alice squinted into the dark to no avail. She called, "Hatter...?"

"To your right."

Alice stumbled to her right, hands outstretched. The sparse light dimmed as Jabberwocky took her place in the doorway, glancing about curiously, "It
shouldn't be this dark... Huh..." He reached back, grabbed a torch from its bracket, and held it out into the room.

Instantly, light flooded the room, and Alice squeaked when she saw Hatter plastered to the wall, Shadow's liquid body spreading outwards in a star shape as
he kept Hatter there. As soon as the light hit him, Shadow recoiled, tensing before relaxing with a hiss.
Hatter smiled weakly, "Hello... Could you please get him off of me...? I've been here since I tried to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night."

Alice stomped towards Shadow, poked him, and demanded, "Get off of him!"

With a lazy voice, Shadow softly murmured, "Where is Ash...?"

Ash and Sanxi bounced in together. Freezing together, they stared at the black veins of liquid that threaded against the wall before Ash clapped his hands
excitedly, "Blackie!"

With a little moan, Shadow slid off of Hatter, his numerous threads pulling free of the man, leaving lots of little circular wounds. Hatter slid to the ground with
a groan. Dropping to the floor as a shapeless puddle of liquid, Pendulum lay there for a moment, unresponsive, before slowly wrenching up into his form, now
as tall as the Jabberwock. Licking his shiny teeth, he patted his bloated stomach before muttering, "I'm satisfied, but I still need a host."

Jabberwock's face twisted into a grimace, "You are just the perfect little parasite, aren't you? Yesterday, you were -what?- Alice's height, and now you're my
height! How much blood did you take from him?"

"None." grunted Shadow. "Just the filthies in the blood..." Creeping over to Ash, he slid back down into his liquid form, crept up his 'brother's pantleg, and
vanished from sight. Instants later, Ash pulled up his shirt to reveal the moving black stain that spread across his stomach. "That tickles!"

Sanxi bent to peer at it. With a little black finger, he poked it with curious eyes shining in his face, "Little monster or big monster?"

Pendulum sighed, settled down, and then yawned, "I'm going to sleep now... I'd advise Hatter to do the same..."

Hatter indeed was a little on the pale side. Helping him up with one hand, Fleur in the other, Alice led him over to the bed, where she lay him down and
watched as he shivered with relief. "You okay?"

"Never better..." he managed to say sarcastically, "Except that little... freak... was bothering me all... night... " He reached for her arm, hugged it to his chest,
and murmured, "Will you stay till I wake up?"
"If you want to, sure."

"...Mm... Stay..." Hatter dragged her down, hugged her, and then fell to sleep, his head on her shoulder.

Jabberwock frowned, set the torch in bracket, and came over, "You're not going to stay, are you?"

"Of course I am!"

Jabberwock let a small breath escape his lungs before muttering, "Fine, then... I'll take the boys and amuse them then... I'll come back around lunch time?"

"Sure..."

Jabberwock turned to go, motioning to the two boys, and saying, "Come on. We're going to find you two something fun to do."

Sanxi and Ash clapped, "Yay! Yay! Fun! Fun!" They followed Jabberwocky from the room.

Laying Fleur down onto the covers, Alice leaned against Hatter and brushed her fingers through his hair as Fleur curled up around her bee. He moaned softly
in his sleep, leaned into her, smiling in his dreams.

Jabberwocky found Bander, convinced him to give him permission to ride out to the forest with the two boys. Bander agreed sullenly on the condition that
they would have an escort of guards.
Of course, Jabberwock left with the escort, Ash and Sanxi on the saddle in front of him, and then burst ahead of them. He had chosen the best horsefly for
himself, left the others behind.

They arrived at the clearing just outside the forest, where Jabberwock dismounted, helped the two down from the saddle, and then clapped his hands, "Okay!
Soldiers! Who wants to play?"

"Me! Me!" cried Ash and Sanxi together.

"Okay... I'll be monster?"

"Yes! Yes!"

Jabberwock chuckled, stepped back, and then grinned as the outline of his forms began to grow fuzzy. A second later, he snapped his jaws in the air, black
tongue flickering out as latched two playful, firey-golden eyes onto his son and his grandson.

Ash, who had never seen this before, screamed as Sanxi clapped his hands excitedly, "Monster! Monster!"

Jabberwock reared back, head arching back before he clicked his teeth shut above their heads. Ash sank to the ground, his weak knees failing him.

Sanxi grabbed his friend, dragged him up, and then went sprinting for a stick. Grabbing it up, he smiled toothily before bouncing over to the Jabberwock and
whacking him on the side. "Aha! Got you! Bad monster!"

To Jabberwock, the hit was nothing more than a little pressure to his side. Sniffling, he gently pushed Sanxi over before lowering his head to nuzzle Ash.
Instantly, Ash fell back, scared out of his mind.

Sanxi glowered at him, "That's not solder."

Ash stuttered, "M-m-monster..."

"It's papa... No fear." Sanxi bounced to Jabberwock's paw and embraced it happily.

Jabberwock huffed in agreement before stiffening as he heard hoofbeats. Blinking, he bent down, picked Sanxi up gently in his mouth, followed by Ash, and
then ran into the trees, hoping to lose the guards.
He ran for a few minutes, weaving through the trees, before stumbling upon a river. Stopping along its edge, he snuffled before gently setting a clapping
Sanxi and a fainting Ash down. With a small moan, Ash hugged Sanxi closed, still terrified of the Jabberwocky.

Quickly, Jabberwock slid into the river, laid himself flat, and then huffed at Sanxi and Ash. Instantly, Sanxi clapped his hands, "Boat wide! Boat wide!"

Jabberwock sucessfully evaded the escort of guards and spent the rest of the afternoon gaining Ash's trust. Soon, Sanxi and Ash were 'beating' the 'monster'
with sticks, allowing Jabberwock to bowl them over with a quick bat of a paw or a hasty flick of a tail.
Ash tackled the tip of Jabberwock's tail, giggling happily, as Sanxi took his long stick and hit Jabberwock's hind leg with it. With a sniffle, Jabberwock rolled
onto his stomach, feigning death. Instantly, Ash and Sanxi pounced onto his stomach, bounced up and down. "We won! We won!"

Jabberwock curled his neck up to snap playfully at them before huffing a happy growl.

"Let's swim! Another boat wide!" demanded Sanxi, tapping his stick against Jabberwock's chest.

Jabberwocky hissed a laugh before glancing at Ash.

"Yeah! Yeah! Boat wide!"

Jabberwocky, Ash, and Sanxi stayed out for the rest of the day, only to return to the castle without the guards. Bander, who had been waiting impatiently for
his brother, was furious that he had evaded the escort and took Ash back up to Hatter's room.

Hatter had woken up only an hour before, still weak, still angry, but ravenous. With Alice's help, he stumbled down to the kitchens, ate a massive amount of
toast and jam, consumed several pots of tea, and then, unsteadily, staggered back up to his room. They arrived just as Ash came running down the hall with
Bander. "Daddy!"

The impact of the hug against his leg knocked Hatter over, but he instantly curled around to grab Ash and hug him happily, "Ash! How are you?"

"Good! Papa! Grandpa took us on a boat wide!"

"He did...? That's nice..." Forced Hatter, grimacing.

From beneath his shirt, Shadow grumbled, "And Ash nearly fell in and I would have had to save him..."

"I don't want to hear anything from you, Shadow... And get off my son!"

"... Mmm... Why?" Shadow grumbled.

"I. Don't. Trust. You. So get off him."

"Will you let me ride on you?"

"No! You can walk on your own!"

"Ah..."

"Get off of him!"

Sliding out from underneath's Ash's shirt, Shadow wrenched up into his form before stumbling forward, "I don't like walking."

"That's because you're lazy."

"I'm not lazy..." whined Shadow as he strode towards Hatter.

"Then walk around on your own two feet for a while."

"Fine... I will!" Shadow crossed his arms.

Shadow successfully restrained himself from warm bodies and, as a result, was ornery and complaining by that night. Finally, with a weary growl, Alice
allowed him to sneak up onto her.
In the morning, she was weak and sick, just as Hatter was, and Shadow had grown another foot. When Jabberwocky came to fetch them for breakfast, he was
horrified, hurriedly dragged Alice down to the servant's quarters, and forced Shadow off of Alice and onto a servant.

The day passed quickly after that, Alice regaining her energy while Jabberwock stole the boys away once again.

That evening, Shadow appeared outside the room, incredibly tall and bloated. Hatter refused to let him in.
Leaning against the door as Shadow grumbled on the other side, Hatter slapped at the little tendrils of liquid that tried to inch through the cracks of the door.
"You're not coming in!"
"Hatter... I want my brother and my mother..."

"Uh... no. I think not."

Shadow attacked the door with fury, "Let me in!"

"No." Hatter sat against the door, filling it vibrate behind him.

Snarling, Shadow gave up on the door, stomped backwards, and stiffly sat on the floor. "I'm not going to move from here until you let me in."

"Fine with me... I'll just stay here until the guards chase you away."

"I'll eat them all." threatened Shadow, shuddering with anger.

"Huh... Good luck with that..."

Jabberwock came a few minutes later, carrying Sanxi in his arms, and chased Shadow away so Hatter could open the door. Stepping out of the room, Hatter
let Sanxi pass before shutting the door behind him and sniffling, "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"...Yes... If you don't want to get too far away from the room, then we can talk just over here..." Jabberwocky pulled him to the side.

"What are you acting all nervous for?" Hatter watched him suspiciously.

Slowly, Jabberwock dug his hand into his pocket, withdrew a piece of paper from his pocket, and held it out. "Read it."

"...Why? What is it?" said Hatter softly, cracking the wax seal before he unfolded the parchment and began to read the document. After a few moments, he
glanced up and snorted, "You're joking, right?"

"I'm willing to give you a title, land, full citizenship..." Jabberwocky fidgeted with his shirt, obviously despising the moment for what it was. "Anything you
want... Pleasurables, servants, slaves... March could live with you too, if you feel that is necessary..."

Hatter stared at him before saying angrily, "You're just doing this because of Alice!"

"I can't go to Wonderland every day to see her! It would be better if she lived closeby! You don't even have to live here. You could have your own little manor
somewhere close. That way, I could visit and see my grandchildren and-"

"Are you in your right mind? You know I despise this place!"

"But... Just think about it... Talk to Alice..." pleaded Jabberwocky, eyes brimming with hope. "I don't care if you live in Wonderland for three quarters of the
year and then come live here for the remaining quarter... It would just make me happy to be able to see my daughter..."

"...I'll think about it." Hatter finally muttered, pocketing the paper.

After his talk with Jabberwocky, Hatter found a clock, went through, and recruited both Time and a very furious Pendulum to come capture Shadow and take
him back into Time's Domain. They searched the whole castle before finding him in the servant's quarters once again, having just devoured some people and
shivering with content.
However, his satisfaction died away the minute he saw his father, who shook with fury. "P-Pendul-"

Next instant, Pendulum and Shadow were locked hand-in-hand, Pendulum stretching to restrain his flailing son as Shadow screamed, "No! No! No! I don't want
to go back!"

Time rolled his eyes, glanced at Hatter, and said softly, "He's following the same exact pattern Pendulum went through. Don't worry. By next week, we'll have
squashed him back into obeying. Pendulum! Just knock him out so we can go back."

With a dull hiss, Pendulum thrust several threads of himself into his son before clamping his teeth down onto Shadow's throat. Shadow howled before falling
limp under him. Growling happily, Pendulum pulled him back before complaining, "What the heck have you been feeding him, Hatter?"

"He feeds himself... and he ate some of my blood, some of Alice's blood, some of Ash's blood, and then whatever else he just ate."

"Oh... Shadow... You've been splurging..." Hauling Shadow up, Pendulum sniffled.
Time groaned, "I cannot believe this... How many people does he have inside him, Pendulu-"

"...Several."

"As in how much? I need to know so I can punish him properly."

"...I'm not going to tell you... he shouldn't be punished for feasting."

Snorting, Time growled, "Not if he was feasting upon cookies and cake... But we're talking about humans... Not the same, Pendulum. Not the same."

Reluctant, Pendulum muttered, "Five..."

For a few moments, Time stared at Pendulum before shaking with fury, trying to restrain himself. Voice shuddering with anger, he hissed, "Five?"

Pendulum licked his lips nervously, "Please don't get mad, Master... He's just a child and he-"

The clocks on Time's armor shattered with a sharp crack, making a small cloud of flashing glass that dropped to the floor. He froze before snarling, "A child
doesn't eat five people!"

Pendulum stared dolefully at Time before muttering, "And those twenty people you just killed?"

Indeed, the clocks on his armor had stopped ticking. Glancing down, Time grunted sourly before snapping his fingers. The clocks began whirring once more.
With a groan, Time rubbed his forehead before growling loudly, "When we bring him back in, I want him in my room right away..."

"Master... please... He's just-"

"Old enough to know what's right and wrong and he's giving me a bad name!" Time pointed angrily to himself. "So just take him to my room and I'll punish
him and then you will not let him back out of my Kingdom! Understood?"

"...Yes..." Pendulum took up Shadow, carried him out the door.

Jabberwocky left Sanxi with Ash, Alice, and Fleur and wandered up to Bander's room, happy and excited. He was incredibly satisfied when he found Bander's
first wife there and no Bander. Instead of going back up to his room, as they had done the first few times, they began to fraternize in Bander's room.

In the middle of it, Bander walked in. Freezing in the doorway, staring at Jabberwocky and his wife, he pointed a trembling finger and cried, "Aha! Got you!
Finally caught you!"

Rolling his eyes, Jabberwock sat up, cast a grim glare at Bander, and growled, "So you did."

"That's my wife! Not yours!"

"...So?"

"You cannot steal my wife!"

"I'm not stealing..." Jabberwock itched at his chest before stretching and slipping off the bed. Walking over to the small pile of clothes, he started to pull them
on.

The Bandersnatch stared at him with disbelief, "You don't even care, do you?"

"No... And you've been neglecting her, she told me. Ever since I killed Maynard... Because of that, I think I am going to divorce her from you and marry her
myself."

Bander pursed his lips before saying, "I'm fine with that, but you could have asked permission first!"

"...Why would I ask permission?" Jabberwock sniffed.

"...'Cause it be nice considering that I'm your brother?"

Jabberwock stuck out his black tongue, "I thought'd it be more fun considering you took Alice away from me without asking." He buttoned his shirt up.
Avoiding eye contact with his wife, who smiled nervously up at him, Bander complained, "Is that all this is about? Getting back at me for taking Alice?"

"Oh no, Bander... I just had to have your wife..." crooned Jabberwock, his voice sarcastic.

"And, about that..." muttered Bander, finally turning his eyes to his wife and glowering at her, "We will be having a talk about your infidelity here."

"That's where you're wrong." pointed out Jabberwocky. "I'm the King. I could have any women that I want. She's still technically your wife, but she's mine
now."

"Ah... Jabberwock..."

"Mine, mine, mine..." Jabberwock leaned over and ruffled Bander's wife's hair.

"You're disgusting, do you know that? You can't even go marry another lady... You have to steal mine..."

"Huh... Maybe it's the fact that I was sort of forbidden to have my first marriage?"

"Kings and peasants don't get married."

"Maybe I should make a law about that."

"... That's in the original Constitution, so no, you can't. The council was something you could change, but not those marriage rights."

"Or maybe I'll just marry all your wives... Leave you with no heirs. Forbid you to hae any more. Oh... Wouldn't that be just positively sad?" Jabberwock grinned
maliciously.

"I don't like your jokes."

"I'm not joking."

"You'd really do that to me?"

Jabberwock locked a golden eye on his brother, "...Depends..."

"Jabberwock, you're running circles around my head... Why don't you go find a single Duchess or Baroness and marry her and leave me to my women... Not
her, of course." Bander jerked an angry thumb at his wife, who flinched. "I don't want a wife who'll turn from me, even if it is for the King."

"Aw... Thank you, Bander... I accept your gift..."

"It wasn't a bliddy offer!"

"You just told me you didn't want her."

"Legalize it first!"

"Isn't my word enough?"

"Get it down on paper and let me sign it and have someone witness it and-" With a huff, Bander bit off his string of words and glared at Jabberwocky before
hissing, "Just get out."

Jabberwock waved a hand nonchalantly, "Of course..." He strolled out of the room.

Jabberwock fetched Hatter, Alice, Sanxi, Ash, and Fleur to take down to dinner. As the previous night, when it had just been Alice, Jabberwock, Sanxi, and Ash,
they sat at a small table, full of platters, and began to eat.
Halfway into the meal, Bander stomped in, eyes flashing, dragged up a chair, and stole Jabberwock's empty plate. Glaring at him, Jabberwock muttered,
"You're still mad, aren't you? Let it drop."

"No." Bander took a piece of bread, began to chomp on it furiously.

"... Well... I'll have the papers to you sometime tomorrow, okay?"
"... You just like rubbing this in my face, don't you?"

"Of course."

Alice, who couldn't understand a thing, kept eating, Fleur clasped in one hand. However, Hatter and Sanxi glanced up, attentive. Curious, Hatter asked,
"What?"

"Your father caught me with his first wife."

"...Oh. Never mind." Hatter grimaced, returned to his veal.

Bander's eyes locked on the meat before he growled irritably, "And you're eating meat?"

"...Yes."

"Put it back or give it to someone else."

"Father... It's well-done... And absolutely dry. No blood at all..."

"Put it back."

Sighing, Hatter forked his meat onto Ash's plate and grabbed a thin slice of cheese. Munching on it, he sniffled, "No juice at all..."

Ash glared at the slice of meat on his plate, "... Do I have to eat that?"

"Yes."

"Ahh... Sanxi? You want some?"

Sanxi reached over and grabbed it, "Yes."

"Hey! I want some too!" Ash took the other end, took it back from Sanxi, and then reached for Hatter's knife.

"Uh, no! No knife."

"But I have to cut the meat." complained Ash.

"I'll cut it for you." Taking up the knife, Hatter reached over and began to cut the meat up.

Ash glowered at his hands, "I wanna do it."

"...Maybe when you're older."

With a sniff, Bander reached over to grab a piece of chocolate. "Alice? Have you been making sure that Imagine hasn't been having blood?"

"Yes." said Alice defensively.

"You sure...?" Bander asked suspiciously.

"Yes."

"Fine. I believe you." Bander returned to his meal.

Jabberwock swished the wine in his goblet around, gazing down at the red liquor with amused yellow eyes, "That's how to do it, Bander. Scavenge up
embarrassing information from your son's wife." He raised his goblet to his lips.

The next moment, he yelped and clapped his hand over his nose, his chin running with wine. Beside him, his hand returning to his fork, Bander smirked,
"Having trouble there, Jabberwocky?"
"What the heck did you do that for? You got bliddy wine up my nose!" Stumbling up, his light beige shirt stained purple-red, he staggered off to the side where
he began to violently snort, trying to get rid of the hurt in the back of his nostrils.

"Oh, why do you think?" said Bander fiercly.

"You moron! Ow! And you ruined my shirt too!" Jabberwock bared his teeth at his brother, shaking angrily.

Hatter began to chuckle before erupting into full-out laughter, joined by the two little boys. "Aha! That was priceless! Beautiful, to say the least!"

"Glad you liked it!" hissed Jabberwocky before stomping to the door. "I'm going to go change. And your family is sleeping with me again tonight, Hatter!"

Hatter's laughter died off. "...What? Why? Just because I laughed?"

Without answering, Jabberwocky stalked from the room. Huffing, Bander growled, "He's just grumpy 'cause he's vain. He's more upset about his shirt and his
dignity than anything else... And that I actually did it..." He leaned back, chuckled, and itched at his stomach before sniffing loudly, "Sanxi, do you want to
spend the night with Vermont?"

Alice blinked, "But I thought... I thought that Jabberwock was-"

Hatter glared at her, "First of all, that's if I let him, which I won't. He doesn't have a little black pile of goop to stop me this time."

"And," added Bander grimly, "I'm out to make him miserable. Seperating him from his son and grandchildren and you will be sure to do the trick."

Alice blushed, "Can't you just... not include me in this?" Turning her eyes down, she brushed her fingers through Fleur's blond hair. Her daughter had fallen
asleep around her little toy bee.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't have anything against him and he's my father."

"Ah... what a nice daughter." growled Bander angrily. "Perfect in every way."

Alice and Hatter glared at him. Frowning, Hatter snarled, "Do you mean that in a bad way?"

"No... Just that it doesn't make me happy, since my plan is to make Jabberwock suffer."

Hatter blinked, "I thought... you didn't like your first wife that much..."

"I like her... It's just I can't look at her without being painfully aware how Maynard dishonored our family. Not a good thing. But... Jabberwock is stealing my
wife! It's unhonorable, not to mention incredibly betraying! She's mine! My wife! Not his!" Bander slapped a hand against his chest, indignant and furious.

"... Yeah, yeah... Go nurse your wounds in peace and leave us out of it." sniffed Hatter, crossing his arms.

Bander huffed, crossed his arms, leaned back, and glared at the table with angry eyes.

Chapter 47: A bit of A Family Feud

That night, Jabberwock took successfully stole Alice from Hatter. Later, though, Bander lured Sanxi and Ash away from Jabberwock's room, nearly had Alice
too. However, Jabberwock, furious, chased him away and stole Alice back.
"Who the heck does he think he is?" Jabberwock hissed as he dressed, Alice's back to him.

Bander wasn't done. In the middle of the night, he stole in, carried Alice away, came back to do the same with Fleur. He woke Hatter up to have him help
safely carry them back through the mirror into Wonderland. He fetched Ash from his room, sent him through, and then hid the mirror away in a dark corner of
the castle. Then, he scurried down hurriedly to the servant's quarter, found the ugliest pleasurable he could, who was still rather pretty, and dragged her up
to the King's room. He ordered her to lay next to the snoring Jabberwock and fall asleep. The pleasurable, a bit confused, obeyed. Bander wasn't finished.
Stealing down to the guards' barracks, he spread a false rumor that there had been an assassination attempt on the King just the night before. Panicking, the
chief captain sent half of the soldiers up to guard the King's room and lectured the escort from the day before about how important it was to protect their
King. With a small smile on his lips, Bander strolled back up to his room, where he delivered the promised rant to his first wife before banishing her from his
room and grumpily falling to sleep.

The next morning, Jabberwock woke up slowly, his back aching from his twisted position. Groaning, he rolled over, bumped into the person next to him, and
closed his eyes again, trying to fall back to sleep. "Um... Sorry... Alice..." He yawned, snuggled back down into the covers.
The pleasurable next to him dozed on, curled up into a small ball under the covers.

After a few more minutes of failing to fall back to sleep, Jabberwock sighed, sat up, and stumbled out of bed, grumbling. Striding to his closet, he yanked it
open, began to dress. As he buttoned up his chemise, he growled, "Alice... Wake up... It's bliddy morning."

When he heard nothing from behind him, he blinked, turned, and glanced at the bed. Coming over as he finished up the buttons, he reached down, tugged
the covers back, "Alice? Wake u-" He froze, staring with horror at the sleeping pleasurable.

Muttering in her sleep, the pleasurable rolled over, curled back up, and fell back into a quiet sleep.

Jabberwock stared at the pleasurable for a while, mind not comprehending, and then snarled, turned to the door, and stomped to it. He jerked it open,
stormed out, his bare feet smacking against the tile.

The two guards who had been stationed on either side of his door snapped to attention, hurried after him, "Sir!"

"What?" growled Jabberwock irritably, paying no more attention to them than needed. However, after taking a few steps, he glanced back to see them
following. "Why are you... following me?" Jabberwock paused, watched them stop, and then took a few steps forward to groan when they scrambled forward
like ducklings following their mother.

"We were sent up here to make sure you stayed safe, sire." muttered one.

"And that you didn't wander off to someplace unsafe, your Majesty."

Jabberwock snorted, "What do you mean? The palace's perfectly safe!"

"... Not... entirely." grumbled the guards together.

"Ah! Just... stay away, understood? I don't need you following me on my heels the entire day!" Turning, Jabberwock began to stomp down the hall. When he
heard the heavy thudding of armored boots following him, he wheeled about, rolled his yellow eyes, and hissed, "What part of what I just said did you not
understand?"

"Sir... We have to stay with you... And there should be more of us, really... We just drew straws because you didn't like guards... But it's possible to switch us
around if you're not pleased... with us..." The guard motioned to him and his companion, who nodded curtly in agreement.

"I don't want any guards! Not you, not anyone! So stay away!" Jabberwock stalked forward.

The two guards followed him, their eyes resuming the dull glassy look of sullen duty. When Jabberwock turned to yell at them, one said bluntly, "We need to
stay with you... Orders by the Prince."

"What prince?"

"Your brother, Sire."

"Wh- Bandersnatch?"

"Yes, your Highness."

Jabberwock huffed an angry growl, snarled, "What did he tell you?"

"That the King was almost killed yesterday... Why?"

"Nobody tried to kill me! He lied to you to get back at me! Now go away! I'm bliddy fine!"

"... We'll stay. Thank you for the concern, your Majesty..."

Jabberwocky turned, stomped away in furious defeat, the guards following him quickly.

Bander blinked wearily up from his washbasin when the furious knock came from the door. His razor, pressed against his black cheek, slipped down to his side
as he rubbed his eyes and muttered tiredly, "What?"

"Bander! Open this door this instant!" came Jabberwock's angry voice.
Groaning, Bander stumbled over to the door, creaked the door open, "What?"

The guards tackled him the instant they saw the razor. Holding the struggling, now wide-awake man down, they pried it from his fist, tossed it across the
room, and then roughly dragged him up. Baring his teeth at them as he yanked his shoulders from their gauntleted hands, Bander snarled at Jabberwocky,
"What the heck was that for?"

Jabberwock glowered at him, the three other guards behind him bristling as they mimicked him, "Really? Do you think I know? I think it was the fact you were
holding something sharp and pointy. Why the heck did you assign so many guards to me...? I can barely walk with them crowding around me, and, whenever
I trip and fall, they insist on searching every inch of me for any bruise or scratch..." His voice was laden with sarcastic hate.

"... Should have thought about that before you messed with my wife!" Bander poked him angrily in the chest.

The guards dragged him back, furious, as Jabberwock's shoulders slumped, "So this is how it is? I fraternize with your wife because I like her and it's a good
way to get back at you for taking me away from Alice, and you go and recruit the whole guards corps to trail me and take Alice and my grandchildren away...
Do you think that's going to help?"

"No... But it surely feels good to watch you suffer!"

Jabberwocky smirked, waved a claw, "Oh! Look! I'm suffering! Really, Bander... You think it'd take a couple of guards and incessant bugging to make me
suffer...? Now that that's over with, where's Alice?"

"... I sent her back through the Looking Glass..."

Instantly, Bander was staring up into Jabberwock's murderous eyes, his neck stinging under the tightness of his brother's claws. "You what?"

"I sent them all back through the Looking Glass!" Bander stuck his tongue out.

Throwing Bander down, Jabberwock whirled on the ball of his heel, stormed towards the Looking Glass room. Of course, the guards scurried after him.

Jabberwock was back only fifteen minutes later, ranting and raving with fury. After he and Bander engaged in a fist fight, Jabberwock having locked the guards
out of the room so he could, the Jabberwocky stomped fumingly to his room, vented his rage on the pleasurable for a good five minutes before chasing her
out.

Now muttering as he tossed under his covers, Jabberwock cursed Bander over and over again. Pictures of Alice's smiling face, followed by the smaller ones of
Ash and Fleur, flooded his mind, making him yearn for them all the more.

"Bliddy Bander... Just want to see my... daughter and grandchildren..." He snuffled into the pillow, which had lost half of its feathers in the beating he had
administered upon it. "I don't get to see them that much... Fool! When one of your other children gets married, I'll take away your grandchildren and... send
them away to Wonderland and ban you from going... You stupid git..." Jabberwocky rolled to his back, itched miserably at his woven pajama top. He missed
the warmth of Alice...

Sitting up, he slipped out of bed, stomped over to the window, opened it, and leaned over the railing. Far below lay the ground, and, out in front of him, to his
right, to his left, lay the town, some houses possessing twinkling firelights. The flames flitted through the window panes, dancing about like fireflies set loose
on a starless night.

How easy it would be to show Bander that the Shadowlands didn't need a King that wasn't even allowed to see his own family...

Chapter 48: Depression

Alice and Hatter had been back three weeks when the call came from the capital. The messenger, a familiar face, once again galloped too close to the
Clockwork dragon, and Hatter had to scold the beast furiously before the dragon would release either rider or horse-fly.

Wiping saliva off his shirt as Hatter ranted on how stupid he was, the messenger boy sniffed, pulled a soggy paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and then
frowned when he saw the ink running. "Great. Just great. I ride all this way to be swallowed and my message is unreadable..."

"Well then! You don't need to be here! Go away!" Hatter made a move to grab the boy's collar, intent on throwing him out the door.

"Wait! Wait! I know what it said! No need to put me back out there!" The messenger boy glanced uneasily at the door, where the Clockwork dragon was
looking in curiously, confused by the angry voice of Hatter.

"You... You read it!" hissed Hatter, turning red. "That's private mail, you little-"

"...Do you want to know or not?"

"...Fine."

The messenger boy drew himself up, cleared his throat, and then stated, "Your father is at the castle."

"That's all? Get out of my house and leave us to our peace! And stop tempting my dragon! He's not supposed to eat people!" Hatter directed the last bit at
the Clockwork dragon, who snuffled and drew back sullenly. He had been eyeing the messenger boy hungrily.

"... There's more."

"Fine! Out with it! What happened? He got divorced? Fine! Now, get out."

"...Well... He did get divorced, but-"

"Ah! Just go away!" Hatter turned, stomped out of the house, and furiously gave chase to the dragon, who had stolen the messenger's horse away.

The messenger boy stared out the window before glancing worriedly at Alice and asking, "Could I tell you?"

"Yes." Alice smiled brightly at him, bouncing Fleur in her arms. The little girl was wrapped her bumblebee, which now sported a rather offensively purple dress
which May had sewed exactly for that reason.

Slumping when he saw his horse being spat out, dazed but still alive, the messenger sighed, "Well..."

When Hatter stormed back into the house, he was instantly met by the frantic Alice. "Hatter! We're going to the capital, now! Do whatever you need to do,
'cause we need to go and-"

"Huh?" grunted Hatter, caught off guard. Regarding her, he glared at the messenger boy, "What the heck did you do to her?"

"... I told her the rest of the news, the news that you didn't want to listen-"

"Fine. Tell me now."

"Jabberwock's gone and disappeared. Three weeks now."

"...Ran away?"

"Don't know, sir."

"So... Why is my father in the capital...?" Hatter asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

The messenger wringed his hands, "Well... He came to say that if Jabberwock appears on your doorstep that you have an obligation to turn him back over
and... He also wants to have a reason to get out of running the country. He's been kinda a step-in for Jabberwock, not as powerful or anything... Just part of
the new parliament they formed and..." The messenger glanced helplessly up at Hatter's darkening face.

"No! I'm not going to go see Bander!"

"But... Sir..."

"No!"

Alice snorted, "Well, I'm going! So either you're coming with me or not!"

"You're not going! Jabberwock's not even there! If anything, you want to stay here just in case he does end up on our bliddy doorstep!" Hatter motioned
furiously at the door.

From the corner, where he had been tugging at Tick's tail, ignoring the pitiful yowls as he sat on Zero's back, Ash blinked before yelling, "Bad word! Bad
word!"

As it turned out, Hatter grudgingly left for the capital to satisfy Alice. Thankful, the messenger boy thanked her many times before galloping after Hatter,
supposed to accompany him back. The Clockwork dragon sullenly stayed in the orchard, curled up around the base of the Imagination Rose.
That night, March and May and their three over-exuberant bundles of fur came over for dinner. Alice had been able to make something only slightly burnt, and
May and March choked it politely down. March even whacked one his children over the head when they held up a piece of overcooked meat and complained,
"Yucky! It black on the corner!"

After the Hares had left, Alice had her playtime with Ash and Fleur, actually helped Ash through the entire ABCs. Ash, excited, went around chatting as Alice
dressed him for bed, "A b c d e h e j q t r s y v!" Alice only giggled and reminded him of the other missing letters before patting him down into bed and, laying
Fleur in her crib, then went to fall asleep herself.

In the middle of the night, she awoke to Ash's giggling. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes, glanced over, and then froze when she saw a familiar form kneeling
over Ash's sleeping form.

"Shadow!"

Jerking up and around, Shadow smiled sharply before whispering, "Mother!"

"What are you do-"

"Pendulum was busy with our guest, so I had an opportunity to sneak out to visit..." Crawling onto the bed, he hugged her, licked her cheek, and then sniffled,
"How is little sister and brother?"

Alice shuddered, "They're fine, but-"

"Oh... that's good. You're tense... Are you scared of me?" Shadow's voice carried hurt.

Alice gazed up into his lavender eyes before lying, "No. Just scared of how angry Hatter will be when he gets back."

Shadow shivered with pleasure now that he knew his mother did not fear him. "I can eat him, if you want. I wouldn't mind eating him for you. Anything for
you."

"No! Don't you dare eat anybody!" said Alice hotly, slapping at his chest.

Her hand splashed against his liquid flesh. Glancing down, Shadow cocked his head before chuckling, "Pendulum taught me things! Want to see?" Standing,
not waiting for her answer, he turned in the direction of Ash's little mattress. Reaching out with hands, he stretched them out a good five feet, reached down,
carried Ash back to himself, and then hugged him with a happy sigh. "See? I can have fun with my brother now. I can play his little games with him and make
it fun for him!"

Alice smiled, an action that masked her frantically beating heart. "That's nice... Why don't you put Ash back down now? He has to sleep."

"...Yes." said Shadow after a moment of staring down at Ash's round, gray face. Stretching, he laid his 'brother' down on his little mattress, pushed the
blankets to cover him, and then turned back to Alice. He crept to lay beside her, eyes brilliant even in the dark. "So... How has the last few weeks been? Has...
Hatter," He spat the name with hate, "been good to you?"

"Yes." Alice was a bit unnerved by the way Shadow said his name.

"Bah..." Shadow huddled down into the covers, obviously angry at this answer. "He's a bad man."

"No, he's not."

"He hates me. He's a bad man."

"Just because he doesn't like you makes him a bad man. Actually, I think you deserved it. You ate some people and-"

"That is what humans are for, is it not?" said Shadow lazily, rolling onto his back. "To be eaten."

Alice was horrified by this answer. "That is not true! What am I then? Your next meal?" She was furious, red in the face, and ready to slap Shadow for his
careless and unnerving answer.

"Of course not! You're my mother! You're... useful, unlike some of the other ones..." Shadow thought for a moment before muttering, "Exactly like the bad
man. But you and Ash and Fleur, maybe even the Hares... You're the good kind of people."

"That's nice, but I still think Hatter is nice." said Alice defensively.
"I guess so... But I think he's a bad man still." Shadow slowly melted down into the covers.

Glancing down at the covers, Alice sighed, "What are you doing?"

"Hiding."

"From Pendulum?"

"Yes."

"Shouldn't you go back?"

"Why would I do that? Time is still punishing me... I can't do anything right, can I? I even managed to break Clockwork, that old clunker..." Shadow sighed,
slowly slunk up from the cloth with a grumble. "Time was so angry... He hurt me..." The tinge of sadness made his voice low.

"Well, I'm sorry, but maybe you should have thought of that before you ate people!" Alice tapped him angrily on the head.

With a dull moan, Shadow slunk closer to her and whispered, "You're mad at me..."

"I am!"

"I'm not a bad person..."

"Are you even a person?" Alice couldn't help but reply.

"Ah..." Shadow stared her face with wide lavender eyes that glittered miserably. "Don't say things like that..."

Alice was about to reply when she heard the front door creak open. She shoved Shadow, inadvertently pushing him from the bed, "Get out of here!"

Seconds later, Hatter wandered in, weary and yawning. Seeing Alice awake in the bed, he paused before asking, "Zero and Tick are outside... You put them
there?"

"They wanted to sleep with the dragon..." Alice muttered, hoping her nervous hands would not betray the fact that Shadow was in the room too. She really
didn't want Hatter to get mad.

"Ah..." Hatter stumbled over to the bed, sat, unlaced his boots, took them off, and then crawled up onto the bed, not bothering to change into his
nightclothes. "Well... Bander told me that Jabberwocky was there one day, gone the next... And they haven't been able to find him at all... No trace... at all..."
His head slumped down against the pillow as he fell asleep.

Instantly, Shadow slid up onto Hatter's back, a puddle of black liquid. Travelling into the small valley between Hatter and Alice, he sniffed, "And he didn't even
ask how you were..."

Alice glared at him. "Just because he didn't ask doesn't mean he doesn't care."

"... Sure would help establish the fact..." Shadow grumbled.

The next morning, Alice was making eggs, one of the only foods she had mastered, when Hatter walked in, rubbing his eyes. Seeing her, he yawned, sat at
the wooden table, and mumbled, "Good morning..." His voice was tired and heavy.

"You... didn't sleep well, did you?" asked Alice softly, turning to watch him put his head in his arms, eyes dull.

"I slept... just don't feel like I did..." Hatter yawned.

Alice turned back to the eggs, saw them done, and hurriedly pulled them off from over the fire. Quickly transferring them from long-handled pan to plate, she
hurried them over to Hatter, set them down before him before scavenging up a fork and a knife for him.

When she came with it, he was asleep, snoring softly into the table. Giggling, she shook his shoulder, waking him, "Come on! You have to eat!"

"Mm... Do I?" Hatter eyed the eggs wearily before picking up the fork and stabbing at a piece, somewhat dejected.
Sensing something wrong, Alice asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

"...Huh... I'm just tired... And father chewed me out yesterday... I made some comment about being happy that Jabberwock had disappeared and he slapped
me and told me I was a stupid son and I should not talk like that unless I wanted to become a bastard... Said he'd cut me off from the family..." Hatter sighed.
"Ironic thing is that I was one since I was twelve and then, all of the sudden, he turns up suddenly. Literally pops up out of thin air... What if it had been any
other Shadowlander? What if had been Adameer or someone like that? I might have been still a son without a father or a mother." He took a piece of egg into
his mouth, chewed slowly, and then glanced at Alice with sad eyes. "And the sad thing is that he's so stressed right now that I think he'd actually do it..."

"That's horrible!"

"Well... The whole Shadowlands in on the verge of imploding, I guess... That's what happens when their king just suddenly offs and disappears... I'd be pretty
stressed just trying to keep civil war at bay and still having to care about your family."

"So... Jabberwock's just gone missing?"

"Yes."

"They have no idea...?" Alice asked softly.

"Nope." Hatter put down the fork, stared at the eggs, and then glanced at her, "Do you want the rest? I'm not that hungry..."

Hatter went to visit March after Alice had eaten, and, the instant the door closed, Shadow peered out from the bedroom with a gleeful, malicious smile, "Oho!
The bad man is going through a hard time! How perfectly delightful!"

Glaring at him, Alice snapped, "It's not funny!"

"Never said it was. Just said that it makes me feel good!" Shadow snuck out of the bedroom, neared the window, snuck a glance out, and whispered, "He's
going through a depression. Think of it. More circumstance like those and he might even consider suicide. How wonderful would that be? Then there would be
nothing to keep me from staying with you and brother and sister!"

Alice shook with rage, "Hatter's not going to commit suicide! How dare you even suggest that? Go back into the room, hide yourself, and shut up!"

"Why?" Grumbling, Shadow slunk to the table, sniffed at it, put a hand against his stomach.

"'Cause he's my husband and I love him!" squeaked Alice indignantly.

"Wait... Is the fact that he's your husband the reason you love him, or is it the opposite way?"

"I love him, so I married him!"

For a short while, Shadow mulled over this before changing the subject. "I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat?"

Grudgingly, Alice stomped to the cupboards, yanked them open. She rifled through, drew out a salted piece of meat, and tossed it to him. "Here."

As soon as it touched his hands, the meat disappeared, and Shadow moaned happily, "Thank you, mother..."

"Now go hide or Hatter will be angry, and, frankly, I don't think he has the energy to."

"Nor does he have the energy to protect you..." whispered Shadow, coming close to Alice. "I could do that... You don't need him." He reached out for her.

Alice stepped back, slapped away his outstretched claws, and hissed, "Either you go hide or I will tell Hatter and he will get Pendulum and Pendulum will take
you back."

Shadow froze, stared at her, and then, turning, staggered sullenly back to the room. Alice followed him, watched him slide back under the bed, and nodded
angrily before storming back into the main room.

The rest of the day was a secret war between Alice and Shadow. Shadow kept venturing out, hungry and intent on changing Alice's mind about Hatter. Alice,
furious, would chase him back into his hiding spot, began to wish that Pendulum would appear to take him away.

That night, as she sat across from the sleepy Hatter, who chewed slowly at a piece of meat, she whispered, "Could I ask something?"
Hatter glanced up at her before smiling lovingly and nodding, "Of course." His grumpiness had given way to a calm, just tired exterior.

Lowering her voice even further, Alice breathed, "Could you go get Pendulum?"

"Huh? Pendulum? Why?" Hatter's eyes flashed with suspicious curiosity.

"Um..." Alice was unsure how to say what she needed to say without mentioning Shadow, so she said simply, "I just need to see him."

"Why?"

"It's personal."

Hatter gazed at her, "Fine..." He stood, brushed himself off, and pulled his golden pocketwatch from his pants pocket. Opening the face, he wound up the
hands, listened, and then leaned forward into it.

The watch dropped to the table.

Minutes later, the watch jerked and rattled as it spat out Hatter. Momentarily dazed, he glanced around, found Alice, who held Fleur in her arms, and then
squeaked, "Alice!"

From the watch, which still jittered madly, Alice heard indistinct but angry words and small squeaks of fear. Glancing from it to the Mad Hatter, Alice asked,
"What happened?"

Hatter stared at her for a few moments before asking in a quiet voice, "How did you know?"

Alice was about to question his question when the clock bucked. Instantly, Jabberwock, eyes a dark yellow, lay atop Hatter, groaning. Softly, he muttered,
"Bliddy Hatter... You had to go and tell Time."

Scrambling out of the clock, Pendulum leapt forward, eyes wide and scared. However, Time's armored arm snapped out of the clockpiece, grabbed
Pendulum's foot, and dragged him back in. The Clock kept jerking for a few seconds more before stilling. Ash clapped, watching the display with amusement.
"Lookie! Clock!"

Red in the face, Time stepped out of the clock, dragging a moaning Pendulum behind him. Casting him aside, he glanced aside at Alice, forced a smile, and
said softly, "Hello, Alice. I've found your father. Guess where he was...?" He latched an angry crimson-gold eye on Jabberwock.

Righting himself, Jabberwock rubbed his head, muttered, "What...? I was just hiding..."

"You can't take over Pendulum's work!" yelled Time, the clocks in his armor shattering as his rage blossomed. "And Pendulum! How dare you skimp on your
work?"

Pendulum curled up into a small black ball, shuddering, "He needed a place to stay and I had a backlog of clocks to fix and-"

"Your job! Not his!" Time pointed a trembling finger at Jabberwock, his glare still fixated upon his trembling underling.

Jabberwock grumbled, "I was working for a place to sleep. Pendulum said a clock a day and I could sleep in his room."

"If you would have asked, I would have said 'yes', Jabberwock." growled Time, eyes narrowing.

"Pendulum said you would kick me out."

As Time whirled upon him, Pendulum cowered, "I just wanted some help..."

Time paused, nostrils flaring, and then slowly turned to glare at Alice. "Where is he?"

Alice stared at him, eyes wide, mind blank. "Who?"

"... That little goop-ball! Where is he?"

Alice pointed at the room, Hatter staring at her in confusion. Time stormed to the room.
Next second, Shadow flew out to splatter against the floor. Time stomped out behind him, furious. "I told you to stay inside the clocks, you little bugger!"

Shadow recollected himself, fled to Alice, and latched onto her legs, "No! I don't want to go back!"

Ash stared at him in surprise before squeaking, "Blackie!"

Time easily ripped him away, grabbed up the watch, stuffed him through, and then kept his hand over the face of the watch as he glared angrily at
Jabberwock, "No more hiding away with Pendulum without telling me first!" Pursing his lips, Jabberwock glared at him, matching his gaze. Time didn't accept
the challenge, glanced down at Pendulum, and nudged him with the toe of his boot, "Come on... We need to go back. And discipline your son!"

Pendulum hurried up, followed Time's instructions. Now, standing alone, Time glanced at Alice and Hatter, nodded gruffly, and stomped to the door to let
himself out.

The next second, Hatter and Alice stilled when they heard a surprised snarl from the Clockwork dragon, frantic barks and mews from Zero and Tick. They
stopped abruptly however, and Time reappeared in the doorway. Throwing the clock to Hatter, he hissed, "There! No more problems with you! And come say
'Geez! Pendulum's little monster-child came through again!'. Say that instead of avoiding the subject!" Without another word, he faded away.

That night, Hatter yelled at Jabberwock for a straight ten minutes before settling down angrily to listen to Jabberwock's story. It was a rather simple one,
really; Jabberwock had just been angry that Alice had been taken away and that Bander had humiliated him with the guards and the pleasurable, so he had
slipped into the clocks. There, he made a deal with Pendulum to fix clocks in exchange for a hiding place.

Hatter glared at him as he finished up, "You're lying."

Angered, Jabberwock hissed, "I'm not!"

"You can't fix clocks!"

"Pendulum taught me! I can!" Jabberwock brushed his fingers through Fleur's blonde hair.

The little girl bubbled on his lap, tossing her bumblebee up and down, "Bee! Bee!"

Ash sat besides her, watching the toy apprehensively before turning around and asking, "Where's Sanxi?"

"At home, Ash." Jabberwock bent to kiss his grandson's head.

"Ew! No! No kissies!" Ash clamped his arms around his head.

That night, Jabberwock and Hatter argued over who would get the bed, and they finally agreed that they would let Alice and the children sleep on the bed and
that they would sleep on the floor. Jabberwock took the blankets, Hatter took the pillows, and they found themselves glaring at each other, envying the
other's possessions.

"Give me a pillow." demanded Jabberwock, ignoring the glare that drilled into his forehead.

"First, give me a blanket." retorted Hatter.

"If we were in the Shadowlands, I could have you executed."

"If we were in the Shadowlands, I could kill you." smirked Hatter in a mocking, sweet voice, clutching the four pillows to his chest.

Jabberwock snorted, curled up under his two blankets, stayed silent for a moment, and then sat up and hissed furiously, "Bliddy heck, Hatter! Just give me a
bliddy pillow!"

"And give me a bliddy blanket." replied Hatter calmly.

Ash eyes grew wide as he watched the two men battle verbally from their two corners. Glancing up at Alice finally, he whispered, "They're using bad words,
mommy..."

"Yes... Don't listen to them. They're being babies right now." Alice answered.

"Curse you! I'm not giving you a blanket!"

"So I'm not going to give you a pillow!"

Ash looked up at Alice again, "They're being babies?"

"Yes."

"Babies can't make noise. They make lots of noise."

"Ah... They're being big babies that can talk and throw fits, okay?" Alice tickled him, earning a high-pitched giggle.

"But then they'd have toys!" squeaked Ash, excited.

"They would?" echoed Alice, playing along. "No... I don't think so..."

"They would! They would!" Grabbing a pillow, Ash bounded up, ran to Jabberwock, and jumped onto his lap without stopping. As Jabberwock flinched in
surprise, Ash pulled at his shirt, "Play with me! Play with me!"

Jabberwock smiled, cast a smirk at the enraged Hatter, and then whispered something softly into Ash's ear. Ash listened attentively, replied, "But papa won't-"

"Shh... It's a game..."

Ash dropped his pillow, which Jabberwock took quickly, hid behind his back, and rushed to Hatter. Leaping upon him, he stole one of Hatter's pillows, drew it
back, and hit Hatter in the arm with it, "Pillow fight!"

Hatter's angry eyes widened with surprise before glittering with pleasure. Taking another of the pillows, he whacked Ash back, "Really? Who's the good guy?"

"Me! Me! And grandpa the bad guy!" Ash pointed at Jabberwock.

Flinching, Jabberwock tried to correct his grandson, "No! Your papa's the monster! Not me!"

Too late, for Hatter and Ash pounced upon him. Ash playfully hit him with the pillow, while Hatter hit considerably harder.

"Ow! Ow! Bliddy heck, Hatter! What are you trying to do? Bash my brains out with your bliddy pillow?" Jabberwock put his hands in front of his face, bracing
himself.

Ash froze, perched on top of Jabberwock's chest, and then made a small fist. He plunked it down against Jabberwock's shirt and squeaked, "No bad words!"

Hatter stopped, the pillow over his head, while Jabberwock stared up at his grandson. Smiling hesitantly, Jabberwock lilted, "Oh... Did I say a bad word?"

"You said a bad word!" said Ash miserably before sliding off of Jabberwock's chest, tottering to the bed, reaching up for Alice's hand, and, with the help,
pulling himself up. Situating himself in Alice's lap next to Fleur, he muttered, "I can't play with babies who say bad words..."

Shocked, Jabberwock stared at him before glaring up Hatter and mouthing, "You bliddy freak! You went and turned my own grandson against me!"

Hatter smirked, reached down, grabbed one of the blankets, and stole back to his corner.

The next morning was laden with chaotic fits and battles between Hatter and Jabberwock. Jabberwocky discovered Hatter saddling up his horse, intent on
riding to the capital to tell the Bandersnatch that he had found the missing king. In a fit of rage, Jabberwock tore up all of the saddles, let loose the horseflies,
and angrily engaged in a fist-fight with Hatter, yelling, "I'm not going to go back! I won't!"

As soon as Alice hurried out to break them up, Hatter stormed through the orchard to March's home, enlisted him into the 'Take Jabberwocky home' force, and,
together, they lured him from the house, pounced onto him, managed to tie up his ankles before Jabberwock changed, slammed them away, and curled up in
the corner of the orchard to fume. However, he became tempted by the Imagination Rose and began to drain from it, losing his

March and Hatter stood at the gate, glaring at him, muttering to each other softly. "Think a net?"

"No." muttered Hatter, pulling on some gloves.

"How about we conk him out then? Take a big branch and-"
"That wouldn't work and you know it."

March's ears wilted, "Then what, Hats...?"

"...Want to walk to the capital?"

"No."

"Okay then... I think we should... Bliddy heck, I'm out of ideas... Never mind, let's just kill him." Hatter fingered a dagger. "I'll go get Time or Pendulum and
they can kill him."

"Huh... I don't think we should."

"Ah... Why can't we...?"

"... 'Cause that would be really bad... and Bander would hate you."

"... You're right... Let's just stick him with so much metal objects that he can't move and then we can drag him through the clocks to the capital."

"Let's not involve actual blood, please?"

Hatter groaned, "Then I'm out of ideas."

"Me too..."

After feeding off the Imagination Rose, Jabberwock strolled into the main room, back to his usual form, patting his stomach. Seeing Alice with a piece of paper
and a quill pen, Ash on her lap, he smiled, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to teach Ash how to spell his name..." Alice took the pen, scratched the word 'Ash' into the paper, and handed Ash the quill.

Ash stuck his tongue out in concentration as he copied down the 'a'. It was crooked, but readable. However, when he got to the 's', he added two new curves,
smiled, and then went on to scribble out a lopsided 'h'. As Alice gently scolded him, he drew a little circle in the corner in the page, placed two dots on the
circle, drew two curvy circles over it, and happily announced, "It's kitty!"

"That's Wednesday?" Taking the quill from Ash, Alice added a few whiskers, a nose, and then a small body. "Doesn't that look more like Wednesday?"

Ash stared at the drawing before sniffling, "I wanna draw it..."

"Okay." Alice handed him back the quill.

Jabberwock chuckled as he came over, watching Ash furiously pen lines and circles across the page. "So... Finally got a good grip on the pen, Alice?"

"I can actually write without blotting up the page..."

"That's good... But I must say," Snuggling down on the bench next to them, Jabberwock peered at Ash's drawing, "Ash is a much quicker learner than you."

Ash glanced up at Jabberwock, smiled, and then lifted the quill. He started to ink Jabberwock's face, grinning happily. Jabberwock stayed still, letting Ash see
that the ink didn't show up on his black skin. After a few moments, Ash pouted, "It's not working!"

Alice tapped him gently upon the head, "You shouldn't draw on people!"

Grabbing her hand, Ash put it on the table, reached forward to dip the quill back into an ink pot, and then scribbled on the back of her hand. He watched the
ink stain her hand before meticulously redrawing Wednesday upon her skin. Proudly, he muttered, "Kitty."

Jabberwock smiled softly, "Little children just love drawing, don't they...?" He ruffled Ash's hair.

Alice glanced at him before remembering Contessa's pictures, the ones they had found at the old house. He was obviously remembering them. "...Do you
miss Contessa?"

Snorting, Jabberwock put his head into his hands and muttered, "It's that obvious?"
"...Kind of."

"Well, yes. Right before I went into the clocks, I looked at the pictures again... Why do all little kid drawings have to look the same?" groaned Jabberwock.

Alice grinned softly, patted Ash's shoulder, "Hey, Ash... Draw something for your grandpa."

Ash and Jabberwock went on a small drawing spree. Jabberwock, who could draw rather well, would draw a small picture before handing the quill back to Ash.
He would then watch as his grandson drew a picture in return.

When Hatter came in, sullen after a long arguement with March regarding Jabberwock, he froze in the doorway, staring at the mounds of paper that
surrounded Jabberwock and Ash. After a few moments, he mumbled under his breath, "Geez... There goes our whole paper supply..."

Jabberwock glanced up, smirked, "At least Ash finds more fun with me."

Hatter bared his teeth at him, "Shut up!"

Before anything more could start, Alice snapped, "No! Don't you dare start a new fight!"

Hatter slowly let his eyes travel to her before nodding and saying gently, "If you don't want us to..."

Jabberwock smiled, took Ash into his arms, and hugged him, his eyes rooted suspiciously on Hatter all the while, "So I take that means I get to sleep inside...
And not on the floor?"

Hatter glared fiercely at him, "You're on the floor again."

"Ah... What about Ash's little bed? Can I sleep on that?"

"... Fine. But I get to sleep on the real bed with Alice." Taking Alice in his arms, Hatter embraced her happily.

"Then I get Ash as a teddy bear."

Ash wriggled in Jabberwock's arms, "No! No! I'm not a teddy bear!"

Jabberwock smiled, started to tickle his grandson, "But you are!"

"No! Ha ha! I'm not! I'm not!"

Alice shushed them, "You're going to wake up Fleur!"

"Oh... Sorry..." Jabberwock stopped tickling Ash.

That night, Jabberwock slept on the small matress, curled up next to Ash, while Hatter lay with Alice and Fleur in the bigger bed. The Shadowlander's snores
annoyed Hatter until, finally, Hatter snapped, went over, and tried to smother him with a pillow. Alice woke up to their angry yells, sat up with a weary eyes to
see their two dark figures brawling in the dark. Sighing, she grumpily pushed the covers back, stood.

Seeing her awake, Jabberwocky froze, hands around Hatter's throat. Hatter, his back to her, took a chance to tackle his father in law down. Behind them, Ash
squeaked as Jabberwock almost crushed him.

"Stop it!"

Hatter blinked, glanced back before smiling nervously. "Oh... Alice... I didn't wake you... did I?"

"Can't you two just stop fighting?"

"But-"

Furious, Alice pointed at the door, "Out! Now!"

"This is all your fault..." mumbled Jabberwock sullenly as he sat down at the table. "She wouldn't have kicked us out if you hadn't tried to smother me..."
Hatter took a seat and growled into his arms, laying his head down onto them as he sniffled, "Just be quiet..."

"... So... Since we're stuck out here with no blankets and no pillows whatsoever... Have you considered my offer?"

"What offer?" mumbled Hatter, glancing up wearily.

"Remember? My offer?"

"Oh... Yes..." moaned Hatter. He put his head back down into his arms.

Jabberwocky leaned forward, eyes narrowing, "So...? You haven't thought of it?"

"I have... but I don't want to talk about it right now... Especially not now."

"... But why? The sooner you agree, the sooner I will go back."

"Why?"

"Because the sooner you become a lord or baron or whatever I decide to put you as, you are required to come to pay homage to me every -what is it?- May?
August? So... every one of my vassals are obligated to be there, so I'd be sure that you'd be there then... And then I could give you an option of staying for a
quarter of the year... Or for the summer or winter seasons... But think of it, Hatter! I'd be happy 'cause I'd be able to see Alice. You'd be happy 'cause you
would finally have some power, which I'm sure is what you would just love to have..." Jabberwock smirked.

"Are you finished? I'm tired." muttered Hatter.

"You're not listening. Think of what I could not only offer to you, but to Ash and Fleur... Better schools better than any of the lay schools here... Ash and Sanxi
would be close friends. Think of that..." Jabberwock lowered his voice. "Ash could be the second voice for the future King of the Shadowlands..."

"Not. Interested." hissed Hatter.

"And Fleur? What about her being a queen?"

Here, Hatter jerked, stared at Jabberwocky, and snarled, "What nonsense are you talking?"

"Fleur could marry Sanxi when they're both older. A contract marriage... She'd be his first wife, the most important, the most-"

Hatter let his head fall back down to his arms, and he groaned loudly, "No."

"Hatter..." whined Jabberwocky.

"Just stop, alright! We'll talk about it tomorrow, with Alice!"

"I am sure she will take my side." snorted Jabberwock.

Alice woke up at midday, dressed, and went out to find Jabberwock and Hatter laying asleep on the table, both snoring loudly. She quietly scolded Ash when
he went to wake them, and let them doze for another hour.

Jabberwocky woke up first, eyes edged with dried whitish-yellow crust. Yawning, he glanced around wearily, cracked his neck, and then wiped the sleep
boogers away. "Oh... Hello, Alice... How are you...?"

"Good." Alice bounced Fleur in her arms, listening to her daughter's burbles.

Staggering up, Jabberwock stumbled over to her, held out his arms, "May I?"

"Of course." Alice smiled and handed him Fleur.

Jabberwock cradled Fleur in his arms, cooing meaningless, loving sounds to her. He smiled, bent his head, kissed her, and whispered softly, "She's so
beautiful..."

Alice grinned brightly, "Of course she is!"

Glancing at her, Jabberwock bared his teeth in a loving smile, "Just like her mother."

Alice blushed, "Thank you."

"Good thing she has nothing of her father's." Said Jabberwocky loudly, glancing over his shoulder at the dormant Hatter.

Hatter snuffled in his sleep, readjusted his arms, and settled back down.

"Look, he doesn't deny me." smirked Jabberwocky sarcastically.

"That's mean." Alice glowered at him.

"Well, it's true."

Hatter woke up a few minutes later, attacked by Ash. Now, watching Fleur totter around on her short, chubby legs, he muttered, "Do we really have to talk
about this?"

As Alice stared at them, having just heard an explanation of Jabberwock's offer, Jabberwock nodded, played with the piece of toast that Ash had rejected, "We
do."

"... What if I don't want to talk about it?" growled Hatter, shooting a hate-filled glare at Jabberwocky.

"Then I'll leave the decision to Alice."

"... Fine..." Hatter turned back to the table, hands clenched.

Jabberwock smirked, "Don't trust Alice with a decision, huh, Hatter?"

"... No, but I don't want to be stuck in a position I don't really want."

"Well... Let me count all the positive things about this." Jabberwock held up his hand, began counting off on his fingers. "Power, titles, land, a much bigger
home, schooling for the children... Should I continue, or should I set down the bad things? Let's see..." Jabberwock pursed his lips before announcing, "Nothing
wrong with it other than the fact that me and Hatter have to get along."

"... That's enough. I'm not agreeing." Hatter turned to gaze at Fleur again, watching her throw her bee up into the air, watch it fall, blink as it bounced off her
head, and then giggle.

Jabberwock glowered at him as Alice reached to tug on Hatter's sleeve, "But it's a good offer."

"... Is that coming from the daughter Alice or the wife Alice?" asked Hatter sullenly.

"Both."

"Take him out of the whole thing and think about it." Hatter turned sorrowful eyes to her.

"We wouldn't have to live there the whole time."

"So, let's see how this works out... He's sad for three-quarters of the year, I'm happy, then I'm sad for a quarter, and he's happy?"

Jabberwocky mumbled, "Better than being sad the whole time."

"For which one of us?"

"Me, of course! You think I like being seperated from my daughter?" Jabberwocky embraced Alice, glaring at Hatter fiercely, baring his sharp teeth.

Hatter gazed at him solemnly before sneering, "You know, I still remember when you wanted her just because you thought she was a bedtime story. You would
have sent me and March to get her, but we were drunk, weren't we? What were the words you used? 'I want to see if the fairy tale is true.'? You believed her a
figment of imagination, nothing more, and now you'd give up everything for her... Or so you say." He took his cup of water, sipped at it fumingly.

Jabberwock was instantly on guard. "I mean what I say..."

"Then why don't you try coming here more often? The Jabberwocky I knew, the headstrong, malicious, violent, and selfish one, would have just killed everyone
to get to her. Now, all you do is beg for delegations and run away."

"... And what about you? The only reason you hate me is that I killed that stupid princess of yours... It's in the past. Let it go."

Hatter sat silent for a few moments before muttering, "If you hadn't killed her, I wouldn't have met Alice."

"If I hadn't killed her, you two would be off in some slummy little town with children, and I would have my Alice."

"And since when is she yours?"

"Since I adopted her!"

"Those were the words of the old Jabberwock, the dictator who killed Wonderland. Last time I checked," Hatter glanced up at him with weary eyes, "you don't
hold that position anymore. In fact, you don't even have citizenship in Wonderland, and... Adoptions in Wonderland are only for Wonderland citizens, aren't
they?"

Jabberwock's eyes flashed an angry black, his claws clenched around Alice's shoulders, and he hissed, "I was King! My words were law! Law doesn't change
with time!"

"I think they do. So, Jabberwocky, please get your hands off of my wife and leave. Go back to the Shadowlands and adopt somebody else... Or pay attention
to your son. You wouldn't want him to turn into someone like me just because his father was off chasing some... 'fairy tale', would you?"

Shuddering with rage, Jabberwocky snarled, "How dare you?"

"I'm not daring. I'm just stating the obvious..." Hatter said, his voice tired, miserable.

"And, if I state the obvious," hissed Jabberwock, "How long is it till you snap completely, take a dagger, kill Alice and my grandchildren, and kill yourself after?
'Cause that's really how you're acting right now! You're more agressive, more irritable, more angry than ever before!"

Hatter stiffened, glanced at him, and muttered, "It's nothing. I'm just not feeling so good right now..."

"And what's that supposed to mean? You're tired of the world? You're sick? Either way, I don't want Alice with you!" Jabberwock slammed a fist against the
table.

Seeing how fast this was spiraling out of control, Alice grabbed Jabberwocks' arm and hurriedly squeaked, "It's okay! Please don't get mad!"

"Does he hit you, Alice? Does it ever seem he absolutely despises you?" Jabberwock's eyes glittered in black fury.

"Hatter isn't like that!"

"You could be lying to protect him! He could be hurting-"

Hatter glared at the table, silent, as Alice cut Jabberwocky off angrily, "He's not hurting me!"

Jabberwocky quieted, glowering at Hatter, and then growling, "And this depression? What will come of it?"

Hatter smiled wearily, but Alice could tell it was forced, "I can work through it. It just happens sometimes..."

"Oh, yes? Like when?"

"The entire period between when Bander stopped coming and when I met March."

"How did that turn out?"

"... I ended up having a job and a new friend."

"So... March only befriended you 'cause you were a sad, little boy." sneered Jabberwocky.

Hatter pursed his lips before slowly nodding. "But it stayed afterwards."
"So... what are you going to do about this, you depressive, little freak?"

"... I ... don't know... I'll just let it blow over, I guess..." Hatter wilted under Jabberwock's glare.

"I'm not just going to let Alice stay here if you're depressed."

Hatter stayed silent for a few moments before glancing up at Jabberwock, nodding, "I'll take your offer, on one condition."

Instantly, Jabberwock's angry demeanor died to a shocked look. "You will?"

"... On that one condition."

Alice stared up at Hatter as he bent to kiss her cheeks softly. His voice, gentle and low-key, whispered, "I'll just get over this and then I'll come to see you,
okay?" He hugged her, trembling.

"I could stay here with you..." Alice said softly, hearing Jabberwock growl softly behind them. He was in his dragon form, ready to race away to the capital. Ash
was already bouncing on his back. In front of him, Fleur was already sitting down sullenly in front of him, clutching her bumblebee to her small chest.

Hatter sniffled into her shoulder, "Don't worry... It'll blow over. I'll come soon. I just need to figure out myself right now."

"You sure...?"

"Yes, I'm sure... It'd be better than accidentaly hurting you." Drawing back, Hatter smiled sadly, "I won't be too long..."

"... Oh... Okay..." Unsure, Alice smiled hesitantly.The next moment, she squeaked when she felt a tug at her skirt. Glancing back, she glared at Jabberwocky,
who gazed pleadingly at her. "Fine... I'm coming, I'm coming..."

Hatter kissed her one last time before asking, "Do you need a help up?"

"Yes, thank you."

Hatter put his hands around her waist, strained a bit to lift her up. He let go to watch her pull herself up onto Jabberwock's spine and sobbed dryly, "I'll miss
you..."

"Are you sure? I don't have to-"

Jabberwock turned his head around, snorted at Alice, and then nudged her to a more safe position before starting off. Hatter's shoulders slumped as he stared
after her, sniffling, waving his hand slowly from side to side.

The guards opened the gates for Jabberwocky the instant he appeared and hurriedly escorted him, Alice, Ash, and Fleur towards the governors' offices.

Jabberwocky grumbled, "Why can't we just do this later? Bander is going to kill me..."

One of the guards glared at him and muttered, "Do you know how abusive your soldiers have been? They're angry that you're gone and they're starting
brawls all around just because they can't find you."

"Well, well... That must have been amusing to watch." mumbled Jabberwock. "And Bander? Probably the same attitude?"

"Yes."

Alice walked sullenly beside him, Ash's small hand in her right hand, Fleur's smaller hand in her left. The whole group travelled rather slowly for her, for Fleur's
steps were awkward and pigeon-toed.

"Alice, cheer up." Jabberwock paused to pat her shoulder.

Alice frowned, "Hatter couldn't have come even if he wanted to, could he have?"

"No. Depression is depression: dangerous." Jabberwock glanced forward, blanched when he saw the door that led to the Governors' office. "Oh well...
Goodbye, cruel world... Time to face a very angry brother."
The guards cast dark, sullen, but amused glances to each other as they hurried forward to jerk open the doors.

Bander, who was sitting in a chair inside fuming, glanced up with weary black eyes. Behind him, two slumping guards stood, eyes dull and bored. Seeing the
door open, they straightened only a bit, the butts of the glaives scraping across the floor. Sullen, Bander sighed, "What is it?"

Jabberwocky, still out of the line of sight, flinched, turned, whispered, "Time to hide." The guard behind him blocked him and glared at him angrily. Stiffening,
Jabberwock smiled faintly, sighed, "Fine, fine...", and turned to step into the doorway.

Bander and the guards were slow on the uptaking, staring at Jabberwocky with dull, lifeless eyes for a few moments as if they were hallucinating. Finally,
Bander stood wordlessly, stumbled forward, and whispered, "Jabberwock?"

Jabberwocky spread his arms wide, hesitant, "Yes, here I am."

The next second, he was screeching as Bander threw himself at him, eyes wide with rage. "Jabberwock, you bliddy git! I thought you were dead! I'll make sure
you're dead next time! Find your body, chop you up, and feed your pieces to the crows so you can't put me through this bliddy torture and-" Bander broke off
sobbing, hitting Jabberwock's chest weakly with trembling fists. Sinking down to the ground, leaning against his brother, he cried in both joy and anger,
"Curse you, Jabberwock... I'm glad you're back, but I only want to kill you right now..."

"...I hope that's not going to win over the brotherly love I hope is in you?"

"You owe me so much, Jabberwocky..." whimpered Bander, pullling at his brother's pants as he sobbed into them, "There's riots and uprisings and chaos and-"

Jabberwocky sighed, turned back to see Alice staring at Bander in astonishment, and pointed at his brother as he stated, "This is precisely the only other
reason I ran away."

Jabberwock had his fun torturing Bander's mind slowly. Desperate, Bander implored him to hurry back to the Shadowlands, show the people he was still alive,
restore peace and union; however, Jabberwocky drew out the process much longer than it needed to be. Finally, Bander snapped, rounded up all the rejoicing
Shadowlander guards together, beat Jabberwocky down, tied him up, and dragged him through the Looking Glass. Alice, Ash, and Fleur followed.

Through the windows they passed, Alice could see smoke rising from the city. Fires burnt along the rooftops of some houses, while others had been
demolished completely. So this was the chaos that arose from a disappearance of a King...

Bander immediately dragged the Jabberwocky, who muttered sorely under his breath, to his room, where Sanxi was playing with a few toys. Upon seeing his
father, he raced over, crying with joy, and threw himself onto Jabberwock. However, his happiness soon redirected upon Ash. They went off, with a small
escort of guards, to play in one of the indoor gardens.

For the rest of the evening, Bander lectured a sullen Jabberwocky and then scheduled an address to the people for the next day. He went down to the
barracks, sent the whole corps out into the city to spread the news.

Now, Jabberwock glared solemnly out the window, seeing the masses of Shadowlanders who surrounded the castle, eager to see their King. Bander stood at
his side.

Leaning over, Bander whispered, "You should go out and present yourself to them. Just a small glimpse will satisfy-"

"Am I an animal, to be viewed at their fancy?" muttered Jabberwocky grimly, turning away from the window to Alice, who was sitting on the floor to play with
Fleur.Walking over, he squatted, petted Fleur on the head before switching to Wonderlander, "I'd rather stay here with my daughter and my grand-daughter."

"... Jabberwock... They're your people." Bander pointed helplessly out the window.

"If they're my people, then that's fine, but I want to stay with my family."

"I'm your family too!" whined Bander. "Come on! Just for me? As an apology of a sorts?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so!" Jabberwocky glared angrily at him before turning, picking up Fleur, and cradling her happily in his arms, "Hello, Fleur... You have a mean
grand-uncle, or whatever Bander would be. Isn't that right?" He gazed into Fleur's face.

Fleur stared up at him, eyes wide, before nodding slowly, unsure.

"See? She agrees with me." Jabberwock sat her back down, lay down on the carpet. Reaching up, he ruffled Fleur's hair, smiled softly, and then whispered, "Of
course she does..."

"She had no idea what you bliddy heck you-"

Jabberwocky glared up at him, "Just get out."

"...Fine." huffed Bander, stormed to the door, and slammed it open to exit. The door creaked shut behind him.

The next two months were long for Alice, who missed Hatter sorely. She began to cry at night, much to Jabberwock's surprise. Frustrated at her tears,
Jabberwocky tried to spoil her sadness away, whether it be dresses, jewelry, or riches. The only time that she was truly happy was when she was with Ash and
Fleur, watching them play happily. However, whenever Ash asked, "Where's papa?", she'd burst into dry sobs.

Then, the third day after the two months had passed, Hatter came from the Looking Glass, frantic but happy. However, Jabberwocky found out before Alice,
hurried to find the desperate husband.

Finally, he found him in one of the halls.

Hatter saw him first, eyes widening, and then hurried forward, grinning in relief, "Jabberwock! Oh! Thank the heavens! I got lost and-"

Jabberwock glared at him, "You're over your depression already?" His voice held scorn and frustrated anger.

Hatter stopped at the tone of his voice before wilting, "Yes... March took me back to the Tea Party Garden, we had a week long tea party with cakes from May,
and then we went exploring and-"

Snorting, Jabberwocky growled sarcastically, "That's perfectly delightful."

"... Did something happen?"

"Alice is crying her guts out, you mean? That's what happened." hissed Jabberwock in frustration.

Hatter stared at him before faltering, "What...? Why?"

"She misses you..." said Jabberwocky softly after a few moments of hesitation. It pained him just to say it, let alone think of it.

"... Really?" Hatter's eyes shown with a mix of exulting joy and worry.

"Yes."

"Where is she?"

"My room..." growled Jabberwocky irritably.

Alice was watching Ash scratch his name into some parchement when the door creaked open. Sighing, she glanced over, "Jabberwocky? Fleur chewed up your
other quill... I'm sor-" She froze when she saw a familiar face in the crack of the door.

Hatter smiled, "Did she? I'm glad she just didn't choke."

Alice jumped up, making Ash slide with a surprised squeak off her lap to land on the covers of the bed, and rushed over. Throwing herself at Hatter, she
sobbed into her shirt, "Oh! Hatter! I missed you!"

"As did I." Hatter kissed her cheek, stroked her hair lovingly. "I thought of you each day, every moment, every second.."

Then, Alice shrieked as she heard another familiar, more unlikable voice come from Hatter, or, more particularly, under his shirt. "So did I."

"Ah! Is that Shadow?" Alice stared at Hatter's shirt as it ruffled before smoothing back out.

Hatter blushed, "... I made a deal with him... Seems he's the one who started off the whole depression thing... When he was hiding in our room somewhere, he
put some of that icky feeling stuff into me... I didn't even know until I went into Time's domain to check up on you... So... Shadow has to listen to me now, or
he dies, isn't that right?" Hatter poked at his abdomen.
"... Yes..." said Shadow miserably.

"So, if I ever go down into a 'natural' depression again, he'll give a small boost... Best I could do."

Hatter smiled, kissed her, and then squeaked as Jabberwock growled from the doorway, "... Please... No displays of affection in my room. You'll make me sick."

Hatter glared at him, "You're just angry that I'm here."

"... Not really. Remember? I get to grant you a title and all that other stuff and then you get to live here!" Jabberwock forced a smile.

Hatter's happy look disappeared into the very face of miserable anger. "... Oh... Yeah... That." He grimaced.

"So... What do you want to be?" Jabberwock asked, almost in pain.

Hatter seemed to be tortured in the same exact way as he replied forcefully, "Something small."

"Just a lord...? How about a duke or a baron, at least? That way I get to see Alice and my grandchildren more..."

"Fine. Whatever you want." sighed Hatter.

"Okay... I'll just have to have Bander witness it..."

"What? Absolutely not!" snorted Bander. "You're just giving him a title so you can go back and kill him afterwards and steal Alice!"

"I'm not." complained Jabberwock.

"Then why?"

"'Cause then I get to see Alice all the times I go to visit plus the time she comes to visit here. You know they have to stay to pay homage. At least Hatter
does, but he wouldn't leave Alice behind."

"... So it's for utterly selfish reasons?" Bander eyed him suspiciously.

"... Yes." admitted Jabberwocky.

"Fine. I'll witness it, but dont' you dare put a sword anywhere near his shoulders!"

Jabberwock grudgingly gave Hatter his title and sent an escort with him, Alice, and their children to their manor.

What had previously been the mansion of the Baron of the Splinter Spine, the one who had killed Contessa, now was theirs. The many acres of land,
overflowing with wild forests and lakes, was very beautiful, but Hatter despised it from the start. However, Alice fell in love with scenery, wanted to stay
longer.

"... What about March?" complained Hatter indignantly when Alice told him she wanted to stay just a bit longer.

The mansion itself was large and comfortable, but the garden was dotted with ponds. In the first week, Ash fell into two of them, came back indoors crying
and wet. Also, wolves from the forest would creep into the grounds, and Hatter became utterly frightened for his children. He demanded that they go back.

Alice finally relented, and they returned to Wonderland.

Chapter 49: Epilogue

From then on, Alice and Hatter met little conflict. Jabberwocky, happy that he had somewhat guaranteed himself Alice for a small part of the year, began to
pay more attention to Sanxi, the heir to the throne, and to his country. He first taught Sanxi perfect Wonderlander, drummed it into his mind that Wonderland
was their sister country, a country to be respected, to be loved, to be revered. Sanxi grew up with an undying admiration for Wonderland.

Alice bore Hatter two more children, another two boys, who they named Robert and Leon. Robert had inherited everything that was Shadowlander about
Hatter: he had black skin, eyes, and hair. Hatter loved him all the same. Lyon was just the opposite, however: extremely pale, orange-blond, and white-eyed.

Not to be outdone, March had two more litters, having his original three 'days of the week' (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) plus the four 'zodiacs' (Leo,
Aries, Virgo, and Cancer) and the two 'flowers' (Daisy and Rose).
Bander, feeling guilty about his anger, finally regained his first wife's good will and remarried her.

Jabberwocky soon found a new love in his life. He had snuck out of the castle, met the girl for the first time while he was drinking red wine in a local tavern,
and had instantly been reminded of his first wife. He had stolen out to visit her several times before bringing her back to the castle, imploring Bander to figure
out a way to make it legal. With much reluctance, Bander spent weeks sorting through documents and constitutions till he found a valid law that allowed
Jabberwocky to marry a peasant girl. He was soon blessed with a baby girl from a wife he had chosen lovingly, willingly. He named her Alyssa and proudly told
Alice the next time he visited that she was still his first and beloved daughter, but now he had another one, a sister for her.

Alice just smiled.

Years passed. Every year, Hatter, who still had Shadow under his thumb because of Time's threat, and Alice, along with their four children, would travel to the
Shadowlands and stay for a month or two so Hatter could pay homage to Jabberwock, his 'King'. However, Jabberwock was always much more eager to see
Alice than Hatter.

Jabberwock and Hatter's relationship was still strained, but it gradually died back down to a point where they could talk to each other without engaging in
fistfights.

At age thirty-six, Jabberwock died of liver failure, from his addiction to wine. Sanxi, age eleven, mounted to the throne. Alice and Hatter attended
Jabberwocky's funeral and Sanxi's coronation, where the new King took the seven year old Alyssa under his care and Bander took an oath to help him.

A day after he had been buried, Jabberwock's body was stolen from his grave. Alice and Hatter later found out that it had been Time, who had taken
Jabberwock to be his new underling. They kept this a secret from Bander and every other Shadowlander except for Sanxi and Alyssa, but would visit the
Jabberwocky to light up his day. He seemed happy with his new life inside the clocks, away from the stress of ruling a kingdom, and the only physical
difference he possessed was a small clock that was stuck into his chest over his heart.

When Sanxi was eighteen and Fleur sixteen, Sanxi took her for his first wife. Jabberwocky came to the wedding, which took place in the Shadowlands, nearly
gave Bander a heart attack. Fleur was crowned the Queen five days after their marriage.

Jabberwock would pop up out of the clocks every so often to check up on Alice and Sanxi and his grandchildren. Bander, after having been plagued by the
sudden apparitions of Jabberwock's 'ghost' around the palace, finally cornered him, found out the story.

Nine months later, Fleur gave birth to a little boy, who appeared to be more Shadowlander than Wonderlander. They named him Zarek, which had been
Jabberwocky's surname.

Ash remained single till he was twenty-one, when he married a young girl from the capital.

At the marriage, which took place in the Tea Party garden, Hatter had a gay time walking his son down the aisle, only to be replaced by Wednesday, who was
best man. He was the spitting image of March, except he had no faint white fur staining his muzzle, as March did. Afterwards, as Ash and his wife began to
listen to the preacher eagerly, waiting for the lecture to end and the kiss to come.
Leaning against Alice, Hatter sniffled quietly, "... Where did all the years go...? He was just two yesterday..."

Under his shirt, Shadow's lazy voice grumbled, "Does this mean I won't be able to see him anymore?"

Alice smiled, "He probably won't live with us anymore, but he'll come visit." She poked Hatter in the chest.

"... So Fleur... and now Ash..." strangled Hatter, tears brimming in his eyes. "And then it'll be Robert and Ly-"

Alice hugged him, reassuring him, "But they'll come back to see us. Don't worry."

Happy claps erupted around them. Hastily, Hatter peered forward, watching his son slip a ring onto the girl's finger, and then sobbed dryly, "There it is. He's
married. We'll have another grandchild soon... Will it be able to replace him?"

Alice shoved him playfully, "Oh, come on, Hatter! I really mean it! He'll visit!" Hatter had been exactly the same when Fleur had been married. All he needed
was a little reassurance.

Hatter embraced her, wiping his tears away on her shoulder, and then nodded cheerfully, his face blushed with embarassment, "I can stand cuts and all of
that, but I can't to watch my children get married... Rather ironic, no?"

Alice kissed him on the tip of his nose, "Yes."

Hatter pecked her back on the cheek, "I knew it was."

Giggling, then quieting to a happy smile as he saw Ash flounce with his bride towards them, Alice whispered, "Here they come."
"Momma! Papa!" Ash, his gray blush a bit pinker than usual, stopped in front of him, his hands clasped to his bride's. "I'm married! I'm married!"

Hatter was trying to smile. Alice could see that he was on the verge of tearing up again, unwilling to let this strange girl steal away his son . "Well... well,
that's just... fabulous..." He whispered in a cracked voice.

The next moment, Ash was hugging him happily, his head on his father's shoulder, "Thank you, father! Mother?" He released Hatter, turned to her with arms
wide.

Alice hugged him gently, "I'm happy for you."

"Ah... Thank you, momma..." Ash kissed the top of her head.

Alice swatted playfully at him, giggling, "Hey! No taking advantage of how short I am!"

"What? The top of your head is the tallest thing on you!" Ash put a hand to the middle of his chest before joking, "If I wanted to kiss your cheek, I'd have to
bend over double!"

Hatter joined Ash in chuckling. Alice shot a mock glare at them, "Oh? Well, I'd have to take a ladder just to give you a good-night kiss. Is that any better?"

"It is!" snickered Ash before bending to kiss Alice on the cheek. "I'm just joking, momma. I love you, and your height. Any taller, and Fleur would be the
shortest one in the family."

Hatter blinked before glancing around, "Oh, yes... Fleur came with Sanxi... Where are they? I want to see Zarek..."

"Me?" Jabberwocky appeared at Hatter's shoulder.

Hatter yelped loudly, jumped away from the former Shadowlander King, "Bliddy heck, Jabberwock! When I say 'Zarek', I mean my grandson, not the bliddy
ghost of my father-in-law."

Grimacing, Jabberwocky stuck out his black tongue, "I'm not a ghost."

"... Well, you were dead, and then you just have this ability to just sneak up on people... I think that qualifies you."

"... Shut up."

Ash smiled as Hatter started to argue angrily with Jabberwocky, grabbed Alice, excused himself from his bride, and towed his mother away from the two
quarreling men before whispering, "Momma, is papa going to cry like he did with Fleur?" His voice was layered with concern and apprehension.

Alice smiled, patted his shoulder, "Don't worry... I'll try to make sure he doesn't embarrass you."

Sighing with relief, Ash ruffled her hair before snorting mockingly, "Short."

"Tall!"

They laughed together.

Hatter stomped over, furious, as Jabberwocky trailed him, only annoyed. Grabbing Alice, Hatter hissed, "Tell your father he is a bliddy phantom!"

"Do I look see-through to you?" protested Jabberwocky.

"It doesn't matter whether you're see-through or not!" Hatter glared at him.

Jabberwock returned the annoyed look, "I could still punch you, you little piece of-"

Alice shushed him, "He's not a ghost, Hatter."

"But-"

Alice put a finger to his lips, stilling him, "No ghost."

"... But..." Hatter sighed before slumping, "He's a bliddy dead man..."

Alice giggled, glanced at Jabberwocky, "He doesn't look dead."

"... But he is... We went to his funeral and I was so happy and-"

Next moment, Jabberwocky had Hatter in his hold, thumping him angrily over the head, "Don't be happy when your bliddy father-in-law dies, you little freak!"

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!" Hatter wriggled, trying to escape the Jabberwocky.

Laughing, Alice hurried over to free her husband and to calm her 'dead, yet not dead' father. As soon as she broke them up and sent them on their opposites
ways, one to the punch table, another to where the groom and bride were recieving congratulations, she settled down on a chair, sighed happily, and glanced
up at the sky. It was a beautiful day, the sun shining overhead, the clouds rushing to the winds that wisped them into happy shapes, and then birds ganging
together to flock towards the warmer regions of Wonderland.

What a good day for Ash to be married, for the Hare family to come together with their family to celebrate a new bond. In the mix, the Shadowlander King,
the former one as well, maybe Time, who had made a big uproar at the beginning of the party when he had stole a part of the cake, and many other notables,
such as...

"Looking at birds, Alice?" The Cheshire Cat appeared at her side, licking his paw free of icing. "They're not as tempting as cake."

Alice glanced at him, smiled, "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

"I am. Cake, a marriage, even some champagne... I'll be having to make sure the Jabbers doesn't get a hand on some of that wine. Not sure what it would do
to him now. But, other than that... Won't be able to see stripes or dots tomorrow. I'll be too stuffed with cake and champagne to tell!"

Alice slapped him gently, playfully, "Stay away from the wine!"

"I said champagne, dear. Not the same, not the same." The Cheshire Cat vanished.

Alice smiled softly, returned her eyes to the sky to watch the sun send its hazy halo out to caress Wonderland with warmth.

A soft whisper, the Cheshire Cat's whisper, came at her ear, "Perfect, is it not?"

Alice nodded happily before whispering back, "Yes. A perfect day for Wonderland."