Killian Jones walked around camp tending to his duties as the rebellion's resident former pirate was wont to do. He followed his daily routine trying to distract himself from what day it was. It was Alice's birthday. He wanted to see her. He hadn't seen her in so long. He hoped she was okay. Hoped maybe by some miracle she wasn't in that prison anymore. That dark, stone room that his pride had left her in all alone. He could still hear her cries when he slept at night. Could see parts of her everywhere he went. Seeing a small child felt his heart with a pain of longing. Hearing laughter sent pains of regret and guilt through his entire body. Did Alice still laugh? Did she ever find anyone to talk to? Was she to trusting? Was she scared? Did she ever escape? Or was she still alone in that one roomed stone tower with noone but her toys and her thoughts? All because of his pride. Did she still celebrate her birthday? He hoped she still did, the tower could get boring without there being something different every now and then.

Alice looked out the window with her spyglass, talking to the trees, her hat and stuffed rabbit, as she did.

"You know what that means?" she waited for an answer. The objects never gave her too many of those but she wasn't mean if they wanted to talk to her, she'd give them a fair chance. "It's my birthday." Alice laughed. "I think we're still trapped here. Maybe if I wish really hard." Alice sighed. She'd tried this for years and nothing happened. She missed her papa he always knew how to make her feel better. "Want any cake?" she offered Rabbit and Mr. Hatter. She blew out the candle on her cupcake. Nothing. Alice sighed. She'd try again the next year. She wanted to go some of the places she'd read about. Or even just outside. Maybe one day. "Mr. Hatter, how about a round of chess?" she grabbed the board and her and hatter played. There were a few pieces missing but the game was fun. She won by a long shot cornering the hatter's king. She held the white knight close to her chest as the night fell and the stars rose.

Killian looked at the stars in the night sky praying to the gods that Alice was alright. That she was happy and, a lumped formed in his throat thinking about it, most importantly alive. It hurt to be away from her all of the time but today it was always so much worse. Their separation hurt him all the more on her birthday. The day he had given up everything for her. The day he found out about her. The day that was always special for them both. It killed him to be away from her. He wished he could see her some. Even if only for a moment. Even if only on her birthday. But bloody hell he would tell her happy birthday. Even if she couldn't hear him.

Alice looked at the stars through her spyglass. She heard something. Or thought she heard something. She could never quite tell. She could swear she was going mad being trapped here. But papa always said all the best people were mad. "Did you say something, Mr. Hatter?" the hatter didn't respond. "I guess not. I though you or Rabbit said happy birthday. Mr. Hatter you sound a lot like papa sometimes."

"Happy Birthday, Starfish. I love you." he whispered as he stared up at the stars. It wasn't quite the same as her being there. But Alice had always been a special girl. Maybe, just maybe she'd hear him wherever she was.