Title - Very good advice

Summary - Belle Howard isn't an ordinary girl. She's a manic depressive who likes nothing more than to sit peacefully by the rabbit hole. Until one day she receives a letter of urgency from the white queen. What challenges will she face and will she find a love as mad as herself?
(Mad Hatter/Oc) (Set in modern day)

Chapter title - Running to the rabbit hole.

Author - Billiebumface (Me)

Disclaimer - I do not own Alice in Wonderland or anything from it. I do however own Belle, her family and any other characters you don't recognize. The plot is mine too.

Warning - Contains self harm.

A/n - I was going to write an AiW fic ages ago when I first saw the film but I've only just gotten round to it. But anyway, hope you enjoy. Please read and review. Oh and the title 'Very good advice; is the song from the soundtrack by Robert Smith.

-C.1-
There is no known cure and the victim also turns into a zombie. After reading the last sentence of 'The compendium of Vampyres and other perilous creatures*', Belle snapped the book shut. She glanced around her bedroom in search of something else to do. There was a bookshelf full of books waiting to be read but Belle needed something different. Something with sound to drown out the noises from downstairs. With a yawn she moved over to her desk and switched her laptop on. As she waited for it to load she glanced at herself in the small vanity mirror to her left. Her black hair hung loosely around her pale face, the blue tips matching her cerulean eyes. She ran a green nailed, finger beneath her eye, across the dark circle that was forming there. She'd been on a downer for two days despite her medication and the lack of sleep was starting to show.
After 20 minutes of aimlessly checking her e-mail in box, 'Love cats' by The cure playing in the background, Belle had lost interest. Picking up an empty mug from her desk she left the confines of her room and started to make her way down the stairs. When she heard raised voices from the kitchen, she took a seat on the bottom step.
"Jessica, how long are we going to live like this?" Belle could hear her foster dad, Jame's voice.
"We fostered her in full knowledge of her bipolar. If you can't deal with her problems then you aren't the man you used to be." Snapped Jessica, Belle's foster mum.
Belle felt a tear trickle down her cheek. She hated being the cause of their arguments. She hated being talked about as if she were a possession. She hated being a manic depressive. She hated being Belle.
Leaving the mug on the stair, she crept back up to her bedroom and locked the door behind her. Before she had thought about what she was doing, she'd already reached beneath her bed for the small wooden chest, unlocked it and pulled something sharp and silver out. The something was now gripped tightly in her right hand, hovering dangerously over her left wrist. Part of Belle's brain knew that this wasn't what she wanted, knew this was just a depressed state and yet her right hand never moved away. Instead it pressed the shiny blade onto her wrist and slide it down towards her inner elbow, over the numerous faded scars made before. Belle sucked in a breath through gritted teeth, dropping the blade to the floor. She picked up her discarded pyjama bottoms and wrapped it around the wound before laying back on her bed and praying for sleep to return to her.

-
The next morning Belle was woken by the sound of a hoover downstairs. She looked at her left arm where her pyjama bottoms were stuck. Silently she peeled them off and headed into the bathroom. After she was clean and changed she headed straight for the kitchen, knowing that James would be at work already. She went into the top cupboard and pulled out two packets. Chlorpromazine and Tegretol, to keep her mood in check. As she took her last pill with a mouthful of water Jessica entered the room, forcing a smile at Belle, knowing that mentioning the fire two days ago would go against her seemingly happy mood.

-Two days ago-
Jessica could smell burning coming from the dining room and followed the smell through. Belle was sat with her back to the door on the table, looking down, unmoving. As Jessica moved forward she saw a metal rubbish bin with an ever growing fire inside, atop old papers.
"Belle, what on earth are you doing?" Gasped Jessica. Belle turned, tears in her eyes.
"Someone once told me that a fire makes a house feel more like a home." She murmured turning back to the fire but making no attempt to put it out.
"Oh Belle..." Sighed Jessica fetching a jug of water and pouring it over the bin. She jumped onto the table beside Belle and pulled her into a hug, letting her sob into her jumper.
"Baby, did you forget to take your meds?"

-The present-
"Morning love." She smiled grabbing a cloth to start wiping down the kitchen surface.
"Morning. I hope you don't mind but I was planning on going out today."
"Alone?" Frowned Jessica, knowing that she'd promised James to talk to her about the fire.
"Yeah. Just to the park and back." Belle lied. She always said she'd be in the park but as a matter of fact she'd only ever been there once.
"Ok love. But be careful." Agreed Jessica.
Belle grinned, pulled on her trainers and ran out of the door, towards the rabbit hole.

-
* The compendium of Vampyres and other perilous creatures is a genuine book that I own. It's actually really awesome and will be mentioned again in future chapters. It wasn't just something random that she was reading.

A/n - Please review I'd appreciate it. Sorry to anybody with Bipolar if I got anything wrong as I myself am not a sufferer. I used google to find out most thing but if anything is wrong that feel free to let me know and I'll try and make the corrections. Thanks x