In the Rough, chapter 4/40
Title: In the Rough (4/40)
Author: alittleoddish
Rating: Teen
Characters: Alice/Hatter, Jack/Duchess, Charlie
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Syfy's Alice.
Summary: "But this is starting to sound like a quest! Quests are such a pain, Alice, they really are. All horseback and food rations and traveling in groups and no truly hot tea, with significantly less sex against trees.”
Author's Notes:
Thanks so much for all of you who have given me such lovely feedback! ^_^ Again, thanks so much to my GORGEOUS betas, zombres and randombattlecry! They are simply fantastic, they always keep me on my toes to provide the highest quality of writing I can. Also, thanks to my amazing Official Fandom Soundboard abscondinabox, with whom I have spent many-a-Skype session discussing the ins and outs of characters and plot, and without whom this story would undoubtedly be a disaster.
Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three
Alice sat on one of the steps in the throne room, foot jiggling impatiently, watching Hatter pace back and forth with his head bowed and hands jammed into his pockets.
“Will you stop that?” she called to him. “You’re making me nervous.”
Hatter exhaled sharply, continuing to pace. “This place makes me nervous. Good things never happen in the Throne Room.”
“Well, it’s not like I have warm, bubbly memories of it, either,” Alice shot back, thinking of her Father and trying to barter head-on with the Queen, “but I don’t think Jack’s about to behead us. Everything’s supposed to be different now.”
“How do you know?” Hatter said. “He brought you to Wonderland the first time; for all we know, he planned this.”
Alice opened her mouth to remind him that nobody brought her to Wonderland either time, she stumbled through of her own free will, thankyouverymuch, but just then the doors to the throne room burst open.
It wasn’t like seeing any other ex, Alice realized; bumping into them at a bookstore or something and having that awkward, embarrassing “so… how are you doing?” chat. Seeing Jack again was like seeing an old crush from high school - a warm, nostalgic feeling that was satisfying in its complete detachment. So when Jack looked at her and smiled his perfect, white-toothed smile, striding over to kiss her hand and say “Alice,” in that warm tone she knew so well, Alice could honestly smile back at him and say “Good to see you again, Jack,” with no trace of irony.
And if it made Hatter jealous, well, that was just a small perk.
“It’s good to see you, too,” Jack said, his way of speaking just as posh as she remembered it. “Although one could hope for better circumstances, I must admit.”
Hatter coughed loudly behind them, and Jack dropped Alice’s hand. “Hatter,” he said, turning around. “Good to see you, too. You look like you’re doing well.”
“I am, thanks,” Hatter said, shaking Jack’s hand firmly and dropping it. Jack nodded and reached a hand toward the Duchess, who had been drifting by the door.
“I trust you both remember my wife, the Duchess?” he said, taking her hand and bringing her into the circle.
“You did get married, then?” Alice asked politely. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” the Duchess said. “We’re happy.”
The four of them stood there for a long, awkward moment.
(Alice was strongly reminded of her 10 Year High School Reunion, and if the situation had been less uncomfortable she would have laughed. As it was, she just bit her tongue and reached for Hatter’s hand.)
Jack coughed, breaking the silence, and nodded to some clubs. “Well, let’s get started,” he said, as he and the Duchess went to sit in their respective thrones, now equally sized and sitting right next to each other. The clubs brought Alice and Hatter their own chairs, and the four of them sat opposite each other like the parody of a double date.
“So,” Jack said, “Ten has given me the rough details, but I’d like to hear your side of the story.”
“There’s not much to it,” Alice said. “We decided to visit Wonderland for a few days - it wasn’t until we were already in the Glass that I knew something was wrong. Everything was…” she looked for the right words. “Darker? Slower, definitely. Then we were here, and your men told us the Glass had broken just as we’d arrived.”
“You were lucky,” the Duchess said with a sad smile. “If you had stepped through any later, you probably would have been lost. We couldn’t stop the Glass from malfunctioning the last couple of days, and we’re still not sure about how we’re going to fix it.”
“So what’s wrong with it?” Hatter asked. He was leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands rubbing slowly together: his get-on-with-it look.
Jack leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers thoughtfully. “As you both very well know, the Looking Glass is powered by the Ring of Wonderland, or more specifically, the Stone of Wonderland it carries. Unfortunately, it seems as though the Stone has died.”
“Died?” Alice asked. She blinked rapidly. “How can a stone die?”
“My researchers have been trying to answer that very question,” Jack shrugged. “Oddly enough, as far as we can tell the answer is ‘old age’, and it’s been happening for generations. Now that we have reclaimed the Library from the Resistance’s keeping, we’ve been able to find records from the White Knights chronicling the creation of a new Ring of Wonderland every hundred years since its inception. Apparently, the Stone needs to be replaced periodically.”
“How is it that you didn’t know about this?” Hatter asked, sounding every bit as frustrated as Alice felt.
Jack looked at him coldly. “Hatter, relations with my parents were strained, to say the least. It’s not like they left me some “How to Rule Wonderland” handbook. In fact, I believe that my mother neglected to tell me this on purpose, hoping that this exact scenario would come to pass - well, maybe not this exact scenario.” He amended, smirking. “I don’t think she would have ever dreamed that you two would stumble in yet again.”
“The point is,” the Duchess intervened, “we’re just as surprised by this as you are. This has all happened very fast, it was only a few days ago that the Glass started to malfunction. We promise,” she said, looking at Alice apologetically. “We didn’t do this on purpose, and we’ll find a way to get you home.”
Alice met her steady gaze, woman to woman - and believed her.
“Excuse us for a moment,” she said politely, grabbing Hatter’s arm as she stood. He took her cue, letting her lead him a few steps away so she could mutter to him privately. “Hatter,” she insisted to his stubborn expression. “We can trust them.”
She was then treated to the little shoulder-dance of exasperation, complete with heaving sigh, he did whenever she said something he disagreed with. “Alice,” he warned, “You don’t honestly believe that the Glass just happened to break once we arrived? That wasn’t a coincidence, Alice, they’re trying to keep us here. We came here for a little trip, not to be held captive by the Royals again!”
“First of all, stop being so melodramatic, and second, don’t you think I know that? I don’t want to stay here either, but I really think it was an accident. The Glass was acting funny before we even jumped through it, remember? I’ve gone through it enough times now to know that was no ordinary trip. I think they’re telling the truth.”
Hatter gave her a stern, pitying look so reminiscent of the one he’d once given her on a Wonderland beach that Alice would have smiled if the situation hadn’t been so serious.
“Think about it this way,” she tried. “Even if you don’t trust Jack to want to send me home… and don’t lie to me, I know that’s exactly what you’re thinking,” she said as Hatter huffed, “Even you can admit that at least the Duchess would want me gone. For her own motives, if nothing else.”
She watched as his shoulders slowly relaxed in a way that meant she’d won, and Alice smiled, a little secret smile meant only for him.
“It’s going to be okay, you know,” she said. He didn’t answer. She snuck up on her tiptoes to give him a little kiss, but Hatter suddenly decided that he needed something else, wrapping his arms around her waist and trapping her lips with his own. The kiss was raw, territorial, almost desperate, and even though Alice would normally have been mortified to put on such a display in front of her ex, she knew that Hatter needed this. So she tried to kiss him back with as much calm reassurance as she could muster, trying not to think about how much they must be looking like a pair of horny teenagers in front of the new King and Queen of Wonderland.
Someone coughed behind them, possibly a club, and Alice drew apart. “We should save that for when we’re safe,” she whispered in Hatter’s ear, and he chuckled into her hair. Alice gave his shoulders one last squeeze and turned back to sit with Jack and the Duchess, brushing her hair out of her face and trying to look as professional as possible.
“So,” she said. “What’s the plan?”
Jack cleared his throat, and Alice pretended not to see the little smirk he exchanged with his wife. “Well, since all paths seem to lead to the realm of the White Knights…”
“Charlie!” Hatter exclaimed. “That mad old codger, does he know anything about this?”
“That’s our hope,” Jack confirmed. “We sent for him yesterday - I meant to escort him by Scarab, but he insisted on coming by horse. He should be here by tomorrow morning. Hopefully he’ll be able to fill some of the gaps in our knowledge.”
“So, we just… wait?” Alice said.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Jack told her. “Of course we will provide you with room and board here in the Palace, and you are welcome to go wherever you please during your stay with us. I do advise you to be careful, however, if you choose to venture outside the Palace.”
“Why?” Hatter asked suspiciously.
“There are many citizens of Wonderland who miss my Mother’s reign of instant gratification,” Jack told them, sounding strained. He adjusted his collar with a decorous hand. “If they find out you’re here, Alice…”
“They might bear a grudge,” she finished. “Got it.”
Jack nodded and took the Duchess’ hand. As if this was a cue, the clubs threw open the door and stood aside. “We will send for you first thing in the morning,” he said. “In the meantime, my clubs will assist you with anything you require.”
“Thanks,” Alice said. Hatter nodded gruffly beside her.
“It’s my pleasure,” Jack said, and the Duchess smiled at her as they walked by, out the doors with a regal air.
A very nice Five showed them to their room, a large suite that looked like every other room in the Palace: black, white, red, and somehow cold. Even the large bed in the middle of the room did little to give the place any warmth. Five dropped off their bags by the door and left with a small bow.
Now alone, Alice and Hatter turned towards each other, identical looks of exasperation on their faces.
“This was not exactly what I had in mind when I said we would go have an adventure,” Hatter said.
Alice raised an eyebrow. “What kind of adventure did you have in mind?”
“Oh, you know,” Hatter said, turning to sit on the edge of the bed. “See what’s become of my teashop, spend a couple of nights on the outskirts of the Wood, have sex against a tree, maybe run from the Jabberwock once or twice. You know. Like camping.”
The corner of Alice’s mouth twitched. “Yeah, that sounds like every camping trip I’ve ever had.”
“But this,” Hatter moaned, flopping back against the bed. “This is starting to sound like a quest! Quests are such a pain, Kettle, they really are. All horseback and food rations and traveling in groups and no truly hot tea, with significantly less sex against trees.”
Alice rolled her eyes but moved to sit beside him on the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Hatter lifted his head to look at her, concern written on his face. “Sorry? What are you sorry for?”
“For having to see Jack, I know it makes you uncomfortable. For the Glass breaking,” she said. “I’ve sort of ruined our trip.”
“Hey,” he said, sitting up and taking her hand. He bent his head to look her straight in the eye. “None of this is your fault.”
“Hatter, every time I go through the Glass it breaks. I’m two for two, I’ve got quite a success rate.”
“That’s not you breaking the mirror, that’s… that’s bad luck, ‘s all it is.”
“So stuff just happens around me, huh?”
“Well, I mean, if the hat fits…” he said with a teasing smile. “And as for Jack-“
“Did you know that he proposed to me?” she interrupted. “It was before I went back home last time… before you met me in the Hall. He asked me to be his queen.”
Hatter’s face turned stony. “No,” he said. “You didn’t tell me that. I mean, I saw you two hug, but…” he scowled. “Wait, you’re telling me--”
“Because obviously, you idiot, I told him no,” Alice said. “I told him I was a different person, and that… that I wanted something different.”
Alice waited for this to sink in. Slowly, Hatter’s face relaxed into a smug expression. “You did?”
Alice shoved him. “Yes. I did. I didn’t want Jack then, and I certainly don’t want him now. I want you.” She threw her leg over his waist to straddle his lap, and his hands immediately moved to rest on her waist: a familiar position. “Hatter,” she said seriously, “You are the only one I want, ever. You know it, and I know it, and Jack definitely knows it.” She smacked his arm slightly. “Especially after that little display in the Throne Room!”
Hatter grinned lasciviously. “I’m not even going to pretend I’m sorry for that.”
Alice grabbed his hat before he could act and tossed it over the side of the bed, raising a challenging eyebrow.
Hatter’s eyes narrowed. “You know you’re going to pick that up, right?”
“Um, no. You deserved it.”
“Ooh, you little-“ he flipped her over and pinned her down, giggling, and although they both knew she could have thrown him off any time she wanted, it was far more fun to let him kiss her breathless, her fingers tangling in his cowlicks and his heart beating a wild rhythm against her chest.
As it turns out, they didn’t need to call for any assistance from the King’s clubs that night.
**
Next Chapter
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Author: alittleoddish
Rating: Teen
Characters: Alice/Hatter, Jack/Duchess, Charlie
Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Syfy's Alice.
Summary: "But this is starting to sound like a quest! Quests are such a pain, Alice, they really are. All horseback and food rations and traveling in groups and no truly hot tea, with significantly less sex against trees.”
Author's Notes:
Thanks so much for all of you who have given me such lovely feedback! ^_^ Again, thanks so much to my GORGEOUS betas, zombres and randombattlecry! They are simply fantastic, they always keep me on my toes to provide the highest quality of writing I can. Also, thanks to my amazing Official Fandom Soundboard abscondinabox, with whom I have spent many-a-Skype session discussing the ins and outs of characters and plot, and without whom this story would undoubtedly be a disaster.
Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three
Alice sat on one of the steps in the throne room, foot jiggling impatiently, watching Hatter pace back and forth with his head bowed and hands jammed into his pockets.
“Will you stop that?” she called to him. “You’re making me nervous.”
Hatter exhaled sharply, continuing to pace. “This place makes me nervous. Good things never happen in the Throne Room.”
“Well, it’s not like I have warm, bubbly memories of it, either,” Alice shot back, thinking of her Father and trying to barter head-on with the Queen, “but I don’t think Jack’s about to behead us. Everything’s supposed to be different now.”
“How do you know?” Hatter said. “He brought you to Wonderland the first time; for all we know, he planned this.”
Alice opened her mouth to remind him that nobody brought her to Wonderland either time, she stumbled through of her own free will, thankyouverymuch, but just then the doors to the throne room burst open.
It wasn’t like seeing any other ex, Alice realized; bumping into them at a bookstore or something and having that awkward, embarrassing “so… how are you doing?” chat. Seeing Jack again was like seeing an old crush from high school - a warm, nostalgic feeling that was satisfying in its complete detachment. So when Jack looked at her and smiled his perfect, white-toothed smile, striding over to kiss her hand and say “Alice,” in that warm tone she knew so well, Alice could honestly smile back at him and say “Good to see you again, Jack,” with no trace of irony.
And if it made Hatter jealous, well, that was just a small perk.
“It’s good to see you, too,” Jack said, his way of speaking just as posh as she remembered it. “Although one could hope for better circumstances, I must admit.”
Hatter coughed loudly behind them, and Jack dropped Alice’s hand. “Hatter,” he said, turning around. “Good to see you, too. You look like you’re doing well.”
“I am, thanks,” Hatter said, shaking Jack’s hand firmly and dropping it. Jack nodded and reached a hand toward the Duchess, who had been drifting by the door.
“I trust you both remember my wife, the Duchess?” he said, taking her hand and bringing her into the circle.
“You did get married, then?” Alice asked politely. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” the Duchess said. “We’re happy.”
The four of them stood there for a long, awkward moment.
(Alice was strongly reminded of her 10 Year High School Reunion, and if the situation had been less uncomfortable she would have laughed. As it was, she just bit her tongue and reached for Hatter’s hand.)
Jack coughed, breaking the silence, and nodded to some clubs. “Well, let’s get started,” he said, as he and the Duchess went to sit in their respective thrones, now equally sized and sitting right next to each other. The clubs brought Alice and Hatter their own chairs, and the four of them sat opposite each other like the parody of a double date.
“So,” Jack said, “Ten has given me the rough details, but I’d like to hear your side of the story.”
“There’s not much to it,” Alice said. “We decided to visit Wonderland for a few days - it wasn’t until we were already in the Glass that I knew something was wrong. Everything was…” she looked for the right words. “Darker? Slower, definitely. Then we were here, and your men told us the Glass had broken just as we’d arrived.”
“You were lucky,” the Duchess said with a sad smile. “If you had stepped through any later, you probably would have been lost. We couldn’t stop the Glass from malfunctioning the last couple of days, and we’re still not sure about how we’re going to fix it.”
“So what’s wrong with it?” Hatter asked. He was leaning forward, elbows on his knees, hands rubbing slowly together: his get-on-with-it look.
Jack leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers thoughtfully. “As you both very well know, the Looking Glass is powered by the Ring of Wonderland, or more specifically, the Stone of Wonderland it carries. Unfortunately, it seems as though the Stone has died.”
“Died?” Alice asked. She blinked rapidly. “How can a stone die?”
“My researchers have been trying to answer that very question,” Jack shrugged. “Oddly enough, as far as we can tell the answer is ‘old age’, and it’s been happening for generations. Now that we have reclaimed the Library from the Resistance’s keeping, we’ve been able to find records from the White Knights chronicling the creation of a new Ring of Wonderland every hundred years since its inception. Apparently, the Stone needs to be replaced periodically.”
“How is it that you didn’t know about this?” Hatter asked, sounding every bit as frustrated as Alice felt.
Jack looked at him coldly. “Hatter, relations with my parents were strained, to say the least. It’s not like they left me some “How to Rule Wonderland” handbook. In fact, I believe that my mother neglected to tell me this on purpose, hoping that this exact scenario would come to pass - well, maybe not this exact scenario.” He amended, smirking. “I don’t think she would have ever dreamed that you two would stumble in yet again.”
“The point is,” the Duchess intervened, “we’re just as surprised by this as you are. This has all happened very fast, it was only a few days ago that the Glass started to malfunction. We promise,” she said, looking at Alice apologetically. “We didn’t do this on purpose, and we’ll find a way to get you home.”
Alice met her steady gaze, woman to woman - and believed her.
“Excuse us for a moment,” she said politely, grabbing Hatter’s arm as she stood. He took her cue, letting her lead him a few steps away so she could mutter to him privately. “Hatter,” she insisted to his stubborn expression. “We can trust them.”
She was then treated to the little shoulder-dance of exasperation, complete with heaving sigh, he did whenever she said something he disagreed with. “Alice,” he warned, “You don’t honestly believe that the Glass just happened to break once we arrived? That wasn’t a coincidence, Alice, they’re trying to keep us here. We came here for a little trip, not to be held captive by the Royals again!”
“First of all, stop being so melodramatic, and second, don’t you think I know that? I don’t want to stay here either, but I really think it was an accident. The Glass was acting funny before we even jumped through it, remember? I’ve gone through it enough times now to know that was no ordinary trip. I think they’re telling the truth.”
Hatter gave her a stern, pitying look so reminiscent of the one he’d once given her on a Wonderland beach that Alice would have smiled if the situation hadn’t been so serious.
“Think about it this way,” she tried. “Even if you don’t trust Jack to want to send me home… and don’t lie to me, I know that’s exactly what you’re thinking,” she said as Hatter huffed, “Even you can admit that at least the Duchess would want me gone. For her own motives, if nothing else.”
She watched as his shoulders slowly relaxed in a way that meant she’d won, and Alice smiled, a little secret smile meant only for him.
“It’s going to be okay, you know,” she said. He didn’t answer. She snuck up on her tiptoes to give him a little kiss, but Hatter suddenly decided that he needed something else, wrapping his arms around her waist and trapping her lips with his own. The kiss was raw, territorial, almost desperate, and even though Alice would normally have been mortified to put on such a display in front of her ex, she knew that Hatter needed this. So she tried to kiss him back with as much calm reassurance as she could muster, trying not to think about how much they must be looking like a pair of horny teenagers in front of the new King and Queen of Wonderland.
Someone coughed behind them, possibly a club, and Alice drew apart. “We should save that for when we’re safe,” she whispered in Hatter’s ear, and he chuckled into her hair. Alice gave his shoulders one last squeeze and turned back to sit with Jack and the Duchess, brushing her hair out of her face and trying to look as professional as possible.
“So,” she said. “What’s the plan?”
Jack cleared his throat, and Alice pretended not to see the little smirk he exchanged with his wife. “Well, since all paths seem to lead to the realm of the White Knights…”
“Charlie!” Hatter exclaimed. “That mad old codger, does he know anything about this?”
“That’s our hope,” Jack confirmed. “We sent for him yesterday - I meant to escort him by Scarab, but he insisted on coming by horse. He should be here by tomorrow morning. Hopefully he’ll be able to fill some of the gaps in our knowledge.”
“So, we just… wait?” Alice said.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Jack told her. “Of course we will provide you with room and board here in the Palace, and you are welcome to go wherever you please during your stay with us. I do advise you to be careful, however, if you choose to venture outside the Palace.”
“Why?” Hatter asked suspiciously.
“There are many citizens of Wonderland who miss my Mother’s reign of instant gratification,” Jack told them, sounding strained. He adjusted his collar with a decorous hand. “If they find out you’re here, Alice…”
“They might bear a grudge,” she finished. “Got it.”
Jack nodded and took the Duchess’ hand. As if this was a cue, the clubs threw open the door and stood aside. “We will send for you first thing in the morning,” he said. “In the meantime, my clubs will assist you with anything you require.”
“Thanks,” Alice said. Hatter nodded gruffly beside her.
“It’s my pleasure,” Jack said, and the Duchess smiled at her as they walked by, out the doors with a regal air.
A very nice Five showed them to their room, a large suite that looked like every other room in the Palace: black, white, red, and somehow cold. Even the large bed in the middle of the room did little to give the place any warmth. Five dropped off their bags by the door and left with a small bow.
Now alone, Alice and Hatter turned towards each other, identical looks of exasperation on their faces.
“This was not exactly what I had in mind when I said we would go have an adventure,” Hatter said.
Alice raised an eyebrow. “What kind of adventure did you have in mind?”
“Oh, you know,” Hatter said, turning to sit on the edge of the bed. “See what’s become of my teashop, spend a couple of nights on the outskirts of the Wood, have sex against a tree, maybe run from the Jabberwock once or twice. You know. Like camping.”
The corner of Alice’s mouth twitched. “Yeah, that sounds like every camping trip I’ve ever had.”
“But this,” Hatter moaned, flopping back against the bed. “This is starting to sound like a quest! Quests are such a pain, Kettle, they really are. All horseback and food rations and traveling in groups and no truly hot tea, with significantly less sex against trees.”
Alice rolled her eyes but moved to sit beside him on the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Hatter lifted his head to look at her, concern written on his face. “Sorry? What are you sorry for?”
“For having to see Jack, I know it makes you uncomfortable. For the Glass breaking,” she said. “I’ve sort of ruined our trip.”
“Hey,” he said, sitting up and taking her hand. He bent his head to look her straight in the eye. “None of this is your fault.”
“Hatter, every time I go through the Glass it breaks. I’m two for two, I’ve got quite a success rate.”
“That’s not you breaking the mirror, that’s… that’s bad luck, ‘s all it is.”
“So stuff just happens around me, huh?”
“Well, I mean, if the hat fits…” he said with a teasing smile. “And as for Jack-“
“Did you know that he proposed to me?” she interrupted. “It was before I went back home last time… before you met me in the Hall. He asked me to be his queen.”
Hatter’s face turned stony. “No,” he said. “You didn’t tell me that. I mean, I saw you two hug, but…” he scowled. “Wait, you’re telling me--”
“Because obviously, you idiot, I told him no,” Alice said. “I told him I was a different person, and that… that I wanted something different.”
Alice waited for this to sink in. Slowly, Hatter’s face relaxed into a smug expression. “You did?”
Alice shoved him. “Yes. I did. I didn’t want Jack then, and I certainly don’t want him now. I want you.” She threw her leg over his waist to straddle his lap, and his hands immediately moved to rest on her waist: a familiar position. “Hatter,” she said seriously, “You are the only one I want, ever. You know it, and I know it, and Jack definitely knows it.” She smacked his arm slightly. “Especially after that little display in the Throne Room!”
Hatter grinned lasciviously. “I’m not even going to pretend I’m sorry for that.”
Alice grabbed his hat before he could act and tossed it over the side of the bed, raising a challenging eyebrow.
Hatter’s eyes narrowed. “You know you’re going to pick that up, right?”
“Um, no. You deserved it.”
“Ooh, you little-“ he flipped her over and pinned her down, giggling, and although they both knew she could have thrown him off any time she wanted, it was far more fun to let him kiss her breathless, her fingers tangling in his cowlicks and his heart beating a wild rhythm against her chest.
As it turns out, they didn’t need to call for any assistance from the King’s clubs that night.
**
Next Chapter
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