Hello everyone. I know it's been a while. Too long, for sure. Hopefully you're still with me and remember what's going on. In case you feel lost, here's a brief recap: Carol was murdered, Alice and Hatter have returned to a changed Wonderland, and Jack and Duchess are trying to figure out how to save the kingdom. Good, now you can read on and find out what happens next.

Thank you Ubiquitous, for being my Beta.

Now I hope you enjoy. Things are getting delightfully darker.....

Disclaimer: All things Alice 2009 belong to Syfy and Universal Studios. I'm not making a profit off of this story.

Liberation

Duchess dabbed the Suit's forehead with a damp towel, whispering what sounded very much like lullabies. This Ace of Diamonds—a man old enough to be her father—had been in her life since she was a child, and had been a close confidant for years.

Jack knew it was hard for her to watch him die.

But the King of Wonderland tried to keep his manner impassionate. This was not the first man he'd seen on his deathbed as a result of being loyal to the crown. The Ace had done his duty. He had attempted to carry out Jack's orders and had valiantly returned in order to deliver distressing news. This man deserved respect and praise, not emotion.

The team of messengers Jack had sent to try and convince Alice to return to Wonderland had been ambushed by a contingent of the former Queen's supporters. All of them had been brutally murdered; struck down by the rebels. The King's men had not gone to the Mirror Hall prepared for all-out battle. Jack cursed himself for not having the foresight to arm his men. It had cost them their lives, except for this Ace; he had only been spared so that he could deliver a message from his mother's supporters:

The time has come.

As soon as he heard the words, Jack had the Hospital of Dreams put on alert for possible attacks. He hadn't thought his mother's supporters were so organized; another misstep in his judgment. He underestimated his mother's connections and the level of dissent for his reign among the people. The only thing he'd proven was his inability to rule Wonderland effectively.

"Isn't there something else we can do for him?" Duchess asked, looking up at her husband.

"I'm afraid not. The doctors have done all they can."

The doctors had told Jack the damage was irreparable. Multiple stab wounds from short swords had punctured the Suit's vital, internal organs. It was a miracle, they'd said, that the Ace had even made it back to the fortress alive.

Jack frowned down at the man and asked, "You're sure they have the Stone?"

"I am, Your Majesty."

If the ring that controlled the Looking Glass somehow made it into the hands of Jack's mother, she would have the means of trafficking in more Oysters to drain of emotion. And if she was able to do that, then Jack's reign would fall to her.

But the Queen was still in prison. At least that much was in his favor. There was still time to get the Stone back.

"Majesty," the Suit wheezed, "there's more."

Jack had to kneel at the man's side in order to hear him, his voice was so weak.

"Go on," Duchess prompted when the Ace remained silent.

"They had a mission," he responded.

Jack's brow furrowed. "You mean more than to steal the Stone and bring it to my mother?"

The Ace nodded. "They were sent to kill Alice, the Alice of Legend."

The man fell into a fit of violent coughing and Duchess redoubled her efforts to soothe him. She looked to Jack to see how he was taking this bit of news, knowing that Alice had been Jack's final hope to keep Wonderland from war. His face gave nothing away, but Duchess knew he must be panicking.

"They went through the Glass as I was sent off," the Ace continued. "I'm sorry. I. . .I couldn't stop them."

"You did all that could've been asked of you," Duchess told him, teary eyed.

"Yes," Jack agreed. "Rest now, knowing that your heroism will not go unacknowledged. I give you my sincerest thanks for your services and for your loyalty."

The Suit closed his eyes, mumbling his thanks and a few kind words to Duchess. His eyes would not open again.

Mary Elizabeth Heart felt the shift in the atmosphere and knew the time had come; her long awaited liberation was at hand. Her patience—and it had taken all of her willpower to force herself to be patient—was paying off.

The former Queen of Hearts couldn't wait to be free of the infernal, black walls that made up her prison chamber inside the Hospital of Dreams. Her jailors believed that a room with no color—or any light at all for that matter—would curb her bloodthirsty nature, would tame her into some submissive nitwit.

Imbeciles, the lot of them.

If their "treatment" had done anything, it had caused her desire for revenge to grow exponentially. Five years in solitary confinement had left her with a lot of time to think, and a lot of time to plan. After her supporters released her from her prison, she intended to carry out her plans for revenge on the Resistance, her son, and anyone else that supported the new monarch.

Mary Elizabeth would take back control of Wonderland, reign over the people, and take pleasure in their suffering.

But first, the girl would pay.

The former Queen's blood boiled just thinking about the little twit who had cost her her kingdom, her freedom, and her sanity—because five years alone in a dark room changed one's mind for the worse. Before she went after her son and his crown, she was going to make sure Alice was dead. If she wasn't already, that is. The girl would've been a prime target for Mary Elizabeth's supporters.

But a part of her wanted Alice to be alive; she wished to see Alice suffer with her own eyes, maybe even cause that suffering with her own hands.

Five taps sounded at the door of her chamber. A cruel, twisted smile spread across her face at the noise; it was the signal to be ready. Her inside man—the royal guard it had taken her two years to turn against King Heart—had proven his loyalty and his ability to her. Perhaps she could make him her chief executioner once she escaped. She'd be needing a new one, after all.

A few seconds after the signal to be ready, a screeching alarm went off throughout the hospital. Mary Elizabeth brought her hands to her ears, the horrible sound almost crippling her.

Then, the door to her chamber burst open and the room was flooded with the florescent lighting of the hospital corridor. It was too bright for the woman's eyes and she cried out in pain. She snapped her eyes shut, thinking she would go blind.

Someone rushed into the room—her inside man—and placed what felt like giant headphones on her head. The padded discs covering her ears blocked out the cries of the alarm. Now she could only hear a slight buzzing and the sound of her breathing.

Then the man placed a pair of glasses on the bridge of her nose and Mary Elizabeth slowly opened her eyes, afraid for her vision. The lenses of the glasses were tinted a deep red, diluting the light in the room to a tolerable level. With her sight restored, she looked upon her inside man for the first time; until this point she had only been able to hear his voice. He was much more imposing than she had originally expected, and she was pleased with her supporter. He'd make a fine executioner.

He gestured to her that they were leaving.

The former Queen followed the man along multiple hallways and through many doors. Along the way she saw the devastation her mini-army of supporters had caused at the Hospital of Dreams: guards, doctors, nurses, and even other patients lay in bloody pools here and there. Limbs were missing from a few, and others gasped for breath, coughing up blood. She watched in delight as her supporters put a sword through the chest of any person that so much as twitched.

It was possibly the most beautiful thing Mary Elizabeth had ever seen. If she had had the ability to cry, she might have done so. Such was her feeling of joy.

It didn't take Duchess long to figure out that the Ace had passed on, but she couldn't draw herself away from him. Jack stayed with her, resting a hand on her shoulder. As they silently gave their final respects, the large wooden doors to the Great Hall were thrown open. The commotion startled the King and Queen, bringing them back to the present moment.

"Your Majesty!" the old knight called out, making his way over to the pair.

One of Jack's guards followed behind him, saying "I'm sorry, Your Grace. He insisted the matter was urgent and wouldn't be persuaded to wait."

Jack waved the Suit off as Charlie made a low bow, which Jack returned out of respect for the old warrior.

"My Liege, I have wonderful news. Just Alice and her harbinger have returned!"

Both Jack and Duchess were struck speechless. Charlie beamed and puffed out his chest, the vision of a proud man.

Finally Jack asked, "Where did you get this information?"

"I was contacted by the Spirits of—"

"Spirits? Spirits, Charlie!" Jack shouted, his bafflement turning into anger.

The old knight was taken aback by the sudden change.

"I cannot waste my time with things like spirits and black magic. Unless you have a legitimate source, I cannot believe that Alice and Hatter have come back to Wonderland."

"The Spirits are not wrong," Charlie insisted, sounding indignant that he was not being taken seriously.

"Don't you understand? Alice is probably dead right now."

"Jack. . ." Duchess chided gently.

Charlie's eyebrows shot up. His voice went soft. "W-what?"

"My mother's supporters ambushed my men at the Looking Glass and stole the ring, Charlie. They went through the Glass with orders to kill Alice."

"It can't be true."

Jack hated to hurt the old man's feelings, but he couldn't listen to whimsical claims that Alice had returned when he was certain she was dead, or in imminent danger.

Duchess stood up, shooting a scathing look at her husband, and walked over to the old knight. She took Charlie's hands in her own, squeezing in encouragement.

"Tell me about this vision," she said.

Charlie shifted uncomfortably, blushing from the unexpected attention. Before he could answer, someone ran into the room—another Suit.

"What now?" Jack barked, making the man stop in his tracks.

"My King, the Queen. . .your mother, has been broken out of prison."

"What?" Jack bellowed.

"She's escaped," the Suit replied meekly. "We're debriefing the survivors now, but we believe it was an inside job."

Jack turned away from the small crowd, then back again, his face red with anger. He looked at the Suit. "Go find my daughter and bring her here."

The Suit bowed and trotted off to do his King's bidding.

"I don't want Kimberly out of our sight until we know my mother's whereabouts," he said in Duchess' direction. She nodded in understanding.

Charlie stepped toward King Heart. "And what about Alice?"

Jack pivoted and fixed narrowed eyes on the old knight. "Even if she's alive, and even if she's somehow made it back to Wonderland, I don't have time to worry about her. My family and my kingdom are what matter."

Charlie bristled at the King's tone. "What kind of man leaves a woman unprotected in an unfamiliar land? What kind of King abandons his allies when they are most in need? You, Sir, are a sorry excuse for either title."

Jack came up to Charlie until the two men were eye to eye. Jack's anger dissipated a little, and his eyes turned sad.

"You're right, Charlie. I've failed many of my people and I've failed Alice too." He put a hand on the old man's shoulder. "Please, if you believe in what you saw, go and find them. Bring them here."

"You're giving me a mission? By myself?"

He couldn't tell Charlie that none of his other men could be spared for a mission he thought foolish and sure to fail. So he said, "Yes, Charlie. I believe in you. You'll bring Alice back safely."

Charlie bowed again, taking his leave.

As the old knight made his way out of the Great Hall, the Suit who had told them of the former Queen's escape came back with a little girl in tow.

Once she had sight of her father, Kimberly Heart ran up to him and he scooped her up in his arms. Relief flooded through him just seeing his daughter and her bright smile. Jack didn't think his mother had the ability to make an attack on his family yet, but it was better to be cautious.

"Papa, you look sad," Kimberly said, looking too serious for a three-year-old.

"Don't worry about me, honey."

The little girl easily accepted her father's answer and focused on a new topic. "Can we go to the garden?"

"Maybe your mother can take you?" Jack asked, looking at his wife, who nodded.

Jack kissed his daughter's brow and handed her over to her mother.

"Take guards with you," he told Duchess.

"Shall we?"

Alice looked from Hatter to the door that led outside. "After you."

He smiled and stepped forward, opening the door. Poking his head out, Hatter saw a man standing off to the side, his clothing shabby, patched together and much too large for him. A sword hung at his side, telling Hatter that this was not someone he wanted to make acquaintance with at the moment, unarmed.

"Hatter? Why aren't you moving?" Alice whispered behind him. He tried to wave her back with his hand, but she didn't see his silent warning and gave him a little shove out the door. She stumbled out behind him.

Alice froze when she saw the man standing outside.

"H-hello," she said in a small voice, hoping that the sword at his side was for the man's personal safety.

"Who're you?" Hatter asked straight out. Politeness was not his first priority. There was no way to tell if the man was an ally or if he was somehow involved in the murder of Carol Hamilton.

Alice's eyes scanned the platform the Mirror Hall was situated on and she tugged on the back of Hatter's jacket in mild panic. There was blood all over the concrete, and many of the trails led to the edge of the platform, as though the bodies had been dumped over the side.

"Hatter," she whispered, pulling more intently.

But Hatter's focus was on the man before them, who had unsheathed his short, fat sword; a sword that was still stained with blood.

"I know who you are," the sentry said in a thick cockney accent. "You're that blasted Hatter."

"Maybe I am. Maybe I ain't."

The man wasn't the brightest and looked at Hatter, considering his answer.

"Nah, you're him. You're wearing a hat. No one wears hats here anymore." His eyes fell on the girl standing behind him. "And that'd make you Alice."

Without any form of warning, the man lunged forward, trying to slice through Hatter in order to get to the girl behind him.

But Hatter was quick to react. He kicked out at the man's arm to deflect his sword, then brought his right hand up underneath his jaw in a quick uppercut. The sentry stumbled backward, giving Hatter the perfect opportunity to finish him off.

He didn't kill the man—simply because Alice would disapprove—but he knocked him out. Then he disarmed him, taking the sword, its sheath, and a small dagger that was strapped to the man's boot.

When he turned around to look at Alice she was incredibly pale.

"Al—"

She held up a hand, made a few quick steps behind a column, and relieved the contents of her stomach. She came back a moment later.

Alice saw his spiked eyebrows and knew he was asking if she was okay.

"I'm fine," she said, then asked, "Why do people keep trying to kill me?"

"Dunno, but look at this." He held up a playing card that looked all too familiar. "It was in his pocket. I think it's safe to say he's with the Queen."

***

After securing the sentry with Alice's belt, they headed for Hatter's old Tea Shop, figuring it would be the best place to start. Alice had forgotten just how much she hated the city of Wonderland, built up in the sky instead of out on the ground. The nice, flat ground.

"Almost there," Hatter said, squeezing her hand.

Alice was glad he was leading the way. She would have never been able to navigate the walkways of Wonderland, especially now that the city had changed and deteriorated; buildings were filled with holes—some small but others as big as Alice—and the smell of smoke from many fires made breathing difficult.

They didn't run into anyone on the way to Hatter's former workplace and home. But they considered that a lucky break, even if it was odd. They didn't know who they could trust on this side of the Glass anymore.

"How much time do you think has passed since we were last here?" Alice asked as they approached the front entrance of the Tea Shop.

"No idea. Quite a bit, I'd wager."

"Well, we've been gone two months. Isn't there some kind of conversion calculation that can tell us exactly when we are?"

"Time in Wonderland is never stable. It's said to have a mind of its own."

She believed it.

They made their way inside the shop and, at first, nothing looked out of the ordinary. In fact, the Tea Shop looked much the way it had after Mad March and the Queen's men had ransacked it while looking for Hatter. But as they moved back to Hatter's office, things became stranger.

There was a jungle in Hatter's office. Well, it was more like overgrown grass that hadn't been tended to in years. Alice swore she saw a few trees here and there among the bushes and weeds that had taken root. She wasn't sure how a lawn and a few potted plants had taken over the area in such a pronounced way, but this was Wonderland. Anything was possible.

"Well, I guess we won't be sleeping on the couch," Alice said, realizing that she couldn't even make out if there was still a couch there.

"Not to worry. There's always the bunker."

"'The bunker'?"

Hatter threw her a smile, and then his jacket, taking up the sword from his hip and beginning to hack a pathway through the dense foliage like a Wonderland version of Indiana Jones.

At last he made it to one of the walls. He pushed away some ivy, revealing a square indentation in the wall. He proceeded to remove the four rings from his ring and pinky fingers, placing them inside the square just so.

When the fourth ring was inside the square, Alice heard a faint click. Hatter pressed his hand to the wall and it swung inward.

"A secret bunker?" Alice asked, amused, but thankful for his resourcefulness.

She stepped inside the small room and surveyed his secret bunker. The walls were made of shelves; some were lined with cans of food, others with various colored bottles of Tea, and one wall was specifically dedicated to clothing, most notably hats.

There was a bed and a small table with a lamp. And stacked up in one corner were clear boxes containing a range of guns and ammunition.

"Is the artillery really necessary?" she asked.

He smiled. "You never can know when you'll really need some firepower. Might be useful seeing as there's people trying to kill you."

Alice nodded. "Good point."

Well, if you didn't like anything else, I hope you liked what I did with the (former) Queen of Hearts. I really, really enjoyed writing her. Probably a little too much, haha. Thank you for reading, and it would mean the world to me to know that people still care to read this! All it takes is a little review. Then: Me = :)