ALICE IN WONDERLAND – THE NEXT GENERATION

Disclaimer : Nothing is mine, except for the children. Obviously.

Author's note 1 : OK so this title is really bad. But I didn't have any ideas and I absolutely needed one to publish this.

Author's note 2 : I might make a few mistakes here and there, mistakes that seem obvious to anyone reading this but me. Please do not flame, I'm not ignorant, I'm just French. I've been learning your language for eight years or so and I'm quite fluent ; but since this is not my everyday language, I might make stupid mistakes. Don't flame, but do tell me when I make some. Please note that this is also the first time I'm writing in English.

Author's note 3 : Since I'm French, that implies I'm living in France. So I didn't recognize the city where Alice lives; for all I know it could be London or Chicago, for instance. So I decided to make her live in New York City.

Prologue

New York City – 5 years after the miniseries.

Alice was kneeled over the bowl, throwing all she knew. Hatter's voice came from behind the bathroom door : "Alice ? You okay ?"

She wiped her mouth, sighing. She had been sick every morning the past two weeks. Her period should have come a week ago. She knew what was happening-of course-but she was afraid to tell Hatter. What would he say ? She sighed again. Well, let's find out... she came out of the bathroom to see her husband waiting for her, resting against the wall, a look of genuine concern on his face.

"It's been two weeks of that, Kettle. Don't you think you should go and see a doctor ?"

"I'll go tomorrow," Alice agreed.

She would need an osbtetrician after all, if she was indeed pregnant.

"Hatter... May I ask you a question ?"

"Anything you want, Kettle." he replied.

"Did you ever consider having children ?" she asked.

The question seemed to startle him. Finally he said : "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know ? You must know if you ever thought about having children !" she demanded.

"Well, yes, once or twice. But back then I was running the Tea Shop, and I had no woman in my life and even if I had, I didn't think it was the best time to have children. So I just put it in the back of my mind. Why are you asking this anyway ?" he asked.

"Well...", she trailed off

How was she going to tell him ?

"You might want to consider it..." she said...

He blinked. Did she mean... ?

"You're pregnant ?" he asked, stunned.

"I think I could be." she whispered.

For a moment he thought she was joking, but she sounded deadly serious. He blinked once, then twice. When it finally sunk into his head, he had a reaction that would stick with him for years.

He fainted.

Wonderland – that same day.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH! I will kill you for that, Jack Frederick Heart! You will never touch me again!" the queen screamed.

"You're almost done, Your Majesty!" the seven of Diamonds assisting the Queen in her delivery said nervously. "Only a few minutes now!"

Jack Frederick Heart, the King of Wonderland, paced behind the door of his wife's chambers. Diane had been there for ten hours of labor and he still hadn't any news other than the screams coming from the other side of the door. He had specifically commanded that unless extreme emergency, he was not to be disturbed until the birth of his child. He knew that the whole palace hoped the Queen would give an heir to the throne; every time a woman had been Queen because of her birth instead of marriage, it had turned out to be a disaster. As for him, he only wanted his wife and child to be healthy, whether it was male or female.

They had already planned the names they would give the baby; if a son was born, he would be named Alexander Winston Heart. Diane had insisted that the former King should be remembered after Jack's mother had revealed how he had died. A daughter would be named Alissa Carolyn Heart, in memory of both Alices of Legend. Although he had suggested naming her 'Alice', his wife had firmly refused. No way would she name her child after her husband's old flame, no matter how popular she was. They had to compromise on Alissa, which was close enough without being too close.

And now, there he was, waiting for his son or daughter to be born. He couldn't help but worry about Diane, especially when he heard her screaming. Finally, a kind of caterwaul startled the King. The seven of Diamonds came out of the chambers, a tiny thing in her arms, "Congratulations, Your Majesty... it's a beautiful little girl !"

Jack held the baby in his arms, smiling at her, "How is my wife ?"

"Tired, but fine", assured the girl. "She's waiting for you."

New York City – a few months later.

"Congratulations ! It's a boy !"

Hatter gulped when the midwife gave him the baby, "What if I drop him ?"

Alice laughed softly, "You won't drop him, silly ! And you won't break him, either."

"He's beautiful", whispered Hatter. "Thank you, Kettle."

"You are as responsible for that as I am", she reminded him. "But yes, he is beautiful."

The baby yawned and closed his eyes.

"He's falling asleep", whispered Hatter. "What do I do ?"

"Put him in his bed, of course", Alice answered. "He'll sleep a lot at the beginning."

Hatter gently laid his son in his bed, "Sleep well, Andreas."