"Finding Hope" - PG-13 - 1/10
"Finding Hope"
By N_E_Star
PG-13 (for strong language)
Nearly a year after the overthrow of the Queen and Wonderland is still rebuilding - and King Jack is struggling right along with his kingdom.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction for the TV mini series "Alice". I am in no way connected to the production and no money is being made.
Act One -
In which King Jack is Bothered, A Royal Survey is Ordered and Hope is Found.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Start of Scene One
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The study had long ago grown dark, but Jack was determined to read the latest round of arrest reports that had been delivered today. A prickling sensation on the top of his head caused him to look up and there, just at the edge of the light cast by the lamp on his desk, stood his mother.
She was dressed not as he remembered from the last time he saw her, but in the style she had worn when he was still a small boy - a black and white dress with a form fitting top, a full skirt and a high neck. Her hair was done up and her crown, something she hadn't worn since she become obsessed with the emotion teas, was woven into it.
Jack lept to his feet, “What are you doing here?”
The Queen just stared at him.
“How did you get in?” he asked, then quickly followed up with, “How did you get out?”
The Queen continued to say nothing, but her eyes followed Jack as he moved towards her. The look that she had on her face was one of disgust. Just before Jack reached her she finally spoke, “You are such a disappointment”.
Jack awoke with a start.
His neck was covered in sweat, he could feel his shirt sticking to his chest and back and his legs were tangled in his bed clothes.
After freeing himself from the sheets he made his way across the room to the attached bathroom. He stared at the sink as it filled with cool water, once it was half-filled he closed his eyes and shoved his head under the water. After a moment he came up, gasping for air and shaking water drops across the room.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror he heard the echo of his mother's voice.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The new King's Council room was nothing like it's counterpart in the casino had been.
Where as the council room at the casino had been large with all white lights and mind teasing black patterns - a room built to cower any that came in to it - the council room that Jack now used was small (in truth he could barely fit the whole council in to it at the same time) with navy blue walls and neat white trim around the door. There was no table, just his desk at the one end and an array of leather chairs.
Right now a quarter of the chairs were filled by members of the committee which oversaw the dispersal of food through out the kingdom.
"It should have been avoided," Jack said. "The fact that a storehouse of food went bad -- I can't even begin to fathom how that can happen in a land were people are starving."
"You're Majesty, there simply is no commutation taking place between the different regions." An Eight of Clubs said.
"Not even between towns in different sectors of the same region," A Seven added.
"The tea riots left people scared, sire," The Eight continued.
"By god, I won't just sit by and let my subjects die," Jack exclaimed, leaping from his chair. "I don't care if I have to go out and deliver the supplies myself, this will stop!"
"Might I suggest a smaller step first, your Majesty?" A minor Heart spoke up.
"Yes, of course," Jack said with a distracted wave of his hand.
"Why not host a summit?" The Heart said. "Get the local leaders to talk to each other."
"We tried that two months after the casino fell," A six of Spades cut in, "Everyone talked and talked and every word they said was a lie."
At the head of the room Jack began to pace, "Well then, we will just have to make sure we know what the truth is before the summit."
"Your Majesty?"
"Yes," Jack turned to the room, "I will order a Royal Survey. I want teams riding out to all the towns and villages in Wonderland. Find out what people are there, what their needs are and what they have to bargain with. At the same time they will spread news of the summit." He returned to his seat with some thing approaching a smile on his face.
"It could work, sir."
"Would need to be careful in the selections of the surveyors..."
"A Club to handle to paperwork side of things..."
The room broken in to small knots of conversation, identifying and attempting to solve any problems they could think of.
"Well then, if everyone is happy here," Jack rose from his seat and walked towards the door.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The rest of his morning had been filled with one endless meeting, as one Club replaced another with hundreds of documents that only he could sign and questions only he could answer.
“I can't do this any more,” he said suddenly, causing the Club that was standing at his side to step back in shock.
“Your Majesty?”
“I need a break,” he said in an attempt to smooth the Club's bruised ego, “I'm going for a walk - alone!” he added as a Spade moved to follow him.
The walk was just what he needed. A few moments of quite to settle his thoughts and get rid of some of the nervous energy that had built up.
Turning past a tree he was shock to see Alice standing in front of him. “What's wrong?” he asked, his voice full of concern. “Did some thing happen to the mirror? Are you alright?”
The sound of leaves rustling caused him to look up from Alice, and there, at the edge of the trees, was his mother.
She was dressed in the same black and white dress that she had been wearing in his dream two nights ago, her hair done up with her crown set on top.
“Mother?”
The Queen held out her hand and Alice walked over to stand next to her.
“What's going on here?” Jack asked.
“God, Jack,” Alice said, “What a disappointment you are.”
Jack awoke with a start.
After freeing himself from the sheets he made his way across the room to the attached bathroom. He stared at the sink as it filled with cool water, once it was half-filled he closed his eyes and shoved his head under the water. After a moment he came up, gasping for air and shaking water drops across the room.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror he could see that dark circles had formed under his eyes. Stepping back away from the sink, he pressed his back to the tile wall and heard the echo of Alice's voice joined with his mother's.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jack was hesitant to go to bed that night. The dreams of the last few nights had left him shaken.
“What I need to be is well and truly tired.” he said to himself “I sit at a desk all day, there must be too much nervous energy left over.”
With that he turned and walked out of his room, making for the gym that the Spades had set up.
The room was quite and only dimly light (Spades, after all, were always very early risers) so Jack had the space all to himself. He walked over to a treadmill and began at a light jog.
After fifteen minutes he increased the pace to a full run and let the rhythm of the tread being pulled around its wheels and the thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump of his feet lull his mind away from all the nagging questions of that day.
After an hour of running, Jack felt truly bone weary. Stepping off of the treadmill, he took a long drink of water from the bottle he had brought with him before wiping his face with a towel.
“Well done lad.”
Dropping the towel, Jack spun to see who was in the room with him.
“Nice form, you got that from me you know.”
There, in the shadows, sitting on a weight bench was his father.
“Oh, you might not believe it now, but back in my day I was quite the dandy. There were several girls that had set their caps at me. But I only had eyes for you're mother.”
“And a fat lot of good it did us.” His mother stepped out from behind a punching bag. “Just look at him, Winston, your son.”
“Yes my sweetie, he is a looker just like his old man.” his father said with a wink.
“No, no, no. You fool.” his mother said, the anger in the her voice coming to the forefront. “Look at what he's done with the kingdom.”
“Oh, yes, that.”
“Yes, that.”
“Well...” He father got up and walked over to him, “I mean, what else could you have done? It's not as if you've sent the whole kingdom teetering to the brink of disaster.”
“That is exactly what he has done, Winston,” his mother called out.
“Oh really?” He father looked at him for a moment be fore going on, “Oh, well - now that is disappointing.”
Jack awoke with a start.
“Well, shit.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Sire?”
Jack awoke with a start, “What? Yes? What?” he had fallen asleep at his desk.
“I'm sorry, sire, but the first reports from the survey teams had come in,” a Six of Clubs gingerly set a folder on the corner of the desk before backing towards the door. He slipped out before Jack even had a chance to pick up the report.
“Who was that?” Jack looked up to see Stonebridge, his personal Ten of Spades, standing in the door way. “I don't think I've ever seen a Club run so quickly.”
“It was a Six and he found me asleep at my desk,” Jack admitted.
Stonebridge looked at him for a moment and then let out a laugh. “The poor kid,” he said after he managed to collect his breath, “I don't think there's an entry in the handbook about the proper etiquette for waking a monarch who's napping in his office. I think you have to be at lest an Eight before they cover that.”
“I'm glad you find the situation humorous, since I have live for your enjoyment.” Jack said dryly as he tried to focus on reading the report.
“It's the Club I found funny,” the Spade pulled a chair over to the side of the desk and sat down, “You falling asleep in the middle of work; that I find worrying.”
Jack felt his eyebrows rise in shock, “You're worried because some dry report on the annual crop harvest totals for the western Spatha region over the last fifteen years.”
The Ten gave him a look that, for a second, Jack could have sworn was very disrespectful indeed. “I have noticed that over the past week you have seemed...” he paused for a second - Jack could only imagine he was searching for a tactful way to continue - and then said “like a tea head who's about to flip.”
Well, maybe not that tactful after all. But Jack understood the sentiment behind it. Stonebridge was one of his closest body guards and the man that saw more of his personal life then any one else.
Jack rubbed a hand over his face, “It feels like I'm going from one emergency to the next, trying to do something, to help in some way, but all I accomplish is to wear myself out.”
“Can I suggest something” Stonebridge asked.
“Go ahead,” Jack said with a sigh as he leaned back in his chair.
“When you were with the resistance you were more of a foot solider, you were on the ground doing things.” the guard glanced at him, as if to gage Jack's reaction to what he was saying, “But since you've become King you are removed from the action, as it were. You don't get to see the effects your action have.”
“So I need to remember that my actions have effect, even if I'm not there to see them.” Jack said.
“Well, honestly - no.” he corrected. “I would suggest that you take a few days, get out from behind this desk and see the effects for yourself.”
Jack sat up, intrigued by what the Spade had just said.
“And it could be even more of a help.” Stonebridge continued, “All the Clubs talk about is that the Survey is under staffed.”
The plan began to role through his mind. A Royal Surveyor, out in the countryside - among the people. Learning what they needed, what they truly cared about, what he could do to help!
“Stonebridge, you are a genius!” he said, pushing away from the desk and springing to his feet. “That's just what I need, a week - or maybe two - away from this blasted desk and out in the open! It will be perfect, just the two of us, seeing Wonderland and meeting her people!”
“The two of us sir?” he echoed back.
“Are you suggesting I go completely alone?” Jack asked.
“Hell, no.” Stonebridge said emphatically, “Do you have any idea how much I hate wearing this tie?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
End of Scene One
Act 1, Scene Two
By N_E_Star
PG-13 (for strong language)
Nearly a year after the overthrow of the Queen and Wonderland is still rebuilding - and King Jack is struggling right along with his kingdom.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction for the TV mini series "Alice". I am in no way connected to the production and no money is being made.
Act One -
In which King Jack is Bothered, A Royal Survey is Ordered and Hope is Found.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Start of Scene One
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The study had long ago grown dark, but Jack was determined to read the latest round of arrest reports that had been delivered today. A prickling sensation on the top of his head caused him to look up and there, just at the edge of the light cast by the lamp on his desk, stood his mother.
She was dressed not as he remembered from the last time he saw her, but in the style she had worn when he was still a small boy - a black and white dress with a form fitting top, a full skirt and a high neck. Her hair was done up and her crown, something she hadn't worn since she become obsessed with the emotion teas, was woven into it.
Jack lept to his feet, “What are you doing here?”
The Queen just stared at him.
“How did you get in?” he asked, then quickly followed up with, “How did you get out?”
The Queen continued to say nothing, but her eyes followed Jack as he moved towards her. The look that she had on her face was one of disgust. Just before Jack reached her she finally spoke, “You are such a disappointment”.
Jack awoke with a start.
His neck was covered in sweat, he could feel his shirt sticking to his chest and back and his legs were tangled in his bed clothes.
After freeing himself from the sheets he made his way across the room to the attached bathroom. He stared at the sink as it filled with cool water, once it was half-filled he closed his eyes and shoved his head under the water. After a moment he came up, gasping for air and shaking water drops across the room.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror he heard the echo of his mother's voice.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The new King's Council room was nothing like it's counterpart in the casino had been.
Where as the council room at the casino had been large with all white lights and mind teasing black patterns - a room built to cower any that came in to it - the council room that Jack now used was small (in truth he could barely fit the whole council in to it at the same time) with navy blue walls and neat white trim around the door. There was no table, just his desk at the one end and an array of leather chairs.
Right now a quarter of the chairs were filled by members of the committee which oversaw the dispersal of food through out the kingdom.
"It should have been avoided," Jack said. "The fact that a storehouse of food went bad -- I can't even begin to fathom how that can happen in a land were people are starving."
"You're Majesty, there simply is no commutation taking place between the different regions." An Eight of Clubs said.
"Not even between towns in different sectors of the same region," A Seven added.
"The tea riots left people scared, sire," The Eight continued.
"By god, I won't just sit by and let my subjects die," Jack exclaimed, leaping from his chair. "I don't care if I have to go out and deliver the supplies myself, this will stop!"
"Might I suggest a smaller step first, your Majesty?" A minor Heart spoke up.
"Yes, of course," Jack said with a distracted wave of his hand.
"Why not host a summit?" The Heart said. "Get the local leaders to talk to each other."
"We tried that two months after the casino fell," A six of Spades cut in, "Everyone talked and talked and every word they said was a lie."
At the head of the room Jack began to pace, "Well then, we will just have to make sure we know what the truth is before the summit."
"Your Majesty?"
"Yes," Jack turned to the room, "I will order a Royal Survey. I want teams riding out to all the towns and villages in Wonderland. Find out what people are there, what their needs are and what they have to bargain with. At the same time they will spread news of the summit." He returned to his seat with some thing approaching a smile on his face.
"It could work, sir."
"Would need to be careful in the selections of the surveyors..."
"A Club to handle to paperwork side of things..."
The room broken in to small knots of conversation, identifying and attempting to solve any problems they could think of.
"Well then, if everyone is happy here," Jack rose from his seat and walked towards the door.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The rest of his morning had been filled with one endless meeting, as one Club replaced another with hundreds of documents that only he could sign and questions only he could answer.
“I can't do this any more,” he said suddenly, causing the Club that was standing at his side to step back in shock.
“Your Majesty?”
“I need a break,” he said in an attempt to smooth the Club's bruised ego, “I'm going for a walk - alone!” he added as a Spade moved to follow him.
The walk was just what he needed. A few moments of quite to settle his thoughts and get rid of some of the nervous energy that had built up.
Turning past a tree he was shock to see Alice standing in front of him. “What's wrong?” he asked, his voice full of concern. “Did some thing happen to the mirror? Are you alright?”
The sound of leaves rustling caused him to look up from Alice, and there, at the edge of the trees, was his mother.
She was dressed in the same black and white dress that she had been wearing in his dream two nights ago, her hair done up with her crown set on top.
“Mother?”
The Queen held out her hand and Alice walked over to stand next to her.
“What's going on here?” Jack asked.
“God, Jack,” Alice said, “What a disappointment you are.”
Jack awoke with a start.
After freeing himself from the sheets he made his way across the room to the attached bathroom. He stared at the sink as it filled with cool water, once it was half-filled he closed his eyes and shoved his head under the water. After a moment he came up, gasping for air and shaking water drops across the room.
Looking at his reflection in the mirror he could see that dark circles had formed under his eyes. Stepping back away from the sink, he pressed his back to the tile wall and heard the echo of Alice's voice joined with his mother's.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jack was hesitant to go to bed that night. The dreams of the last few nights had left him shaken.
“What I need to be is well and truly tired.” he said to himself “I sit at a desk all day, there must be too much nervous energy left over.”
With that he turned and walked out of his room, making for the gym that the Spades had set up.
The room was quite and only dimly light (Spades, after all, were always very early risers) so Jack had the space all to himself. He walked over to a treadmill and began at a light jog.
After fifteen minutes he increased the pace to a full run and let the rhythm of the tread being pulled around its wheels and the thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump of his feet lull his mind away from all the nagging questions of that day.
After an hour of running, Jack felt truly bone weary. Stepping off of the treadmill, he took a long drink of water from the bottle he had brought with him before wiping his face with a towel.
“Well done lad.”
Dropping the towel, Jack spun to see who was in the room with him.
“Nice form, you got that from me you know.”
There, in the shadows, sitting on a weight bench was his father.
“Oh, you might not believe it now, but back in my day I was quite the dandy. There were several girls that had set their caps at me. But I only had eyes for you're mother.”
“And a fat lot of good it did us.” His mother stepped out from behind a punching bag. “Just look at him, Winston, your son.”
“Yes my sweetie, he is a looker just like his old man.” his father said with a wink.
“No, no, no. You fool.” his mother said, the anger in the her voice coming to the forefront. “Look at what he's done with the kingdom.”
“Oh, yes, that.”
“Yes, that.”
“Well...” He father got up and walked over to him, “I mean, what else could you have done? It's not as if you've sent the whole kingdom teetering to the brink of disaster.”
“That is exactly what he has done, Winston,” his mother called out.
“Oh really?” He father looked at him for a moment be fore going on, “Oh, well - now that is disappointing.”
Jack awoke with a start.
“Well, shit.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Sire?”
Jack awoke with a start, “What? Yes? What?” he had fallen asleep at his desk.
“I'm sorry, sire, but the first reports from the survey teams had come in,” a Six of Clubs gingerly set a folder on the corner of the desk before backing towards the door. He slipped out before Jack even had a chance to pick up the report.
“Who was that?” Jack looked up to see Stonebridge, his personal Ten of Spades, standing in the door way. “I don't think I've ever seen a Club run so quickly.”
“It was a Six and he found me asleep at my desk,” Jack admitted.
Stonebridge looked at him for a moment and then let out a laugh. “The poor kid,” he said after he managed to collect his breath, “I don't think there's an entry in the handbook about the proper etiquette for waking a monarch who's napping in his office. I think you have to be at lest an Eight before they cover that.”
“I'm glad you find the situation humorous, since I have live for your enjoyment.” Jack said dryly as he tried to focus on reading the report.
“It's the Club I found funny,” the Spade pulled a chair over to the side of the desk and sat down, “You falling asleep in the middle of work; that I find worrying.”
Jack felt his eyebrows rise in shock, “You're worried because some dry report on the annual crop harvest totals for the western Spatha region over the last fifteen years.”
The Ten gave him a look that, for a second, Jack could have sworn was very disrespectful indeed. “I have noticed that over the past week you have seemed...” he paused for a second - Jack could only imagine he was searching for a tactful way to continue - and then said “like a tea head who's about to flip.”
Well, maybe not that tactful after all. But Jack understood the sentiment behind it. Stonebridge was one of his closest body guards and the man that saw more of his personal life then any one else.
Jack rubbed a hand over his face, “It feels like I'm going from one emergency to the next, trying to do something, to help in some way, but all I accomplish is to wear myself out.”
“Can I suggest something” Stonebridge asked.
“Go ahead,” Jack said with a sigh as he leaned back in his chair.
“When you were with the resistance you were more of a foot solider, you were on the ground doing things.” the guard glanced at him, as if to gage Jack's reaction to what he was saying, “But since you've become King you are removed from the action, as it were. You don't get to see the effects your action have.”
“So I need to remember that my actions have effect, even if I'm not there to see them.” Jack said.
“Well, honestly - no.” he corrected. “I would suggest that you take a few days, get out from behind this desk and see the effects for yourself.”
Jack sat up, intrigued by what the Spade had just said.
“And it could be even more of a help.” Stonebridge continued, “All the Clubs talk about is that the Survey is under staffed.”
The plan began to role through his mind. A Royal Surveyor, out in the countryside - among the people. Learning what they needed, what they truly cared about, what he could do to help!
“Stonebridge, you are a genius!” he said, pushing away from the desk and springing to his feet. “That's just what I need, a week - or maybe two - away from this blasted desk and out in the open! It will be perfect, just the two of us, seeing Wonderland and meeting her people!”
“The two of us sir?” he echoed back.
“Are you suggesting I go completely alone?” Jack asked.
“Hell, no.” Stonebridge said emphatically, “Do you have any idea how much I hate wearing this tie?”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
End of Scene One
Act 1, Scene Two