A/N: Oh, hey guys. I need to say couple things about this little one-shot. English isn't my first language so I know there'll be a lot of mistakes in this text, but hey - I tried my best at this! Honestly, I should find someone who'd beta this, but to hell with that. Carring on with my babbling, this picture of Alice Kingsleigh just popped into my head when I was listenin' to Ozzy Osbourne's Back on Earth (which is a main theme for this) and I just want you. So before you start reading this fic try to look up for them on YouTube or somethin'.

About story: I was thinking and thinking... and thinking more about that specific connection between Alice and Underland(Wonderland) and my tired and sore mind come up with this little crazy, mad, wonderful idea. What if Burton's version of Alice got connection with time and maturity, or passing time and adulthood to be precise? Alright it's messed up I know, but I've got that feeling inside that I'm right. And so here we have all grown-up Alice for the third Time in Wonderland.

Disclaimer: I do not own Alice or The Chesshire Cat. Only this small bunny-plot.

Summary: Time loved to mess up with Wonderland's residents, we knew it all along. But then Alice never seemed to mind that as long as it didn't count Her. She escaped Him and his twisted way of humour but He remembered her. And so one day, years after her second visit in Underland (Burton's ver.) she's needed again. But the things she learn about that place aren't too good. It looks like Underland didn't change at all, maybe even she made it worse...

"Time's up"

In the place called Tulgey Wood, in the meadow where last flicks of fire where still burning; silent footsteps can be heard. They were slow, painfully slow. After couple seconds it's owner stopped, just before a very Hatter's hat.

A petite, female hand reached for it.

Simple sigh escaped girl's mouth. She probably wasn't aware of this or clutching hands hard on hats surface. With knuckles snow-white, ragged breathing and tear stained cheeks she just stared at it. Her baby-blue eyes seemed to see something far more than old, very weared and burned hat. Once a time long pink scarf now – now (oh so much!) tattered – didn't last even half way it's primary lenght. Soft whiff caused it's torn end to smear sadly upon her small hand. With breath catched in breasts, eyes wide with so much sorrow and pain, the girl closed her eyelids for a second. When she looked again on her face appeared a very mournful yet still a smile.

**T's U**

- And so you came... - On right, somewhere above her appeared The Cheshire Cat. His tail twisting and curling in it's own way. - I didn't believe it. But much funnier thing is to believe in something like that – said, pointing towards the hat. - It's such a horrible news, isn't it? Come back only to find out that our dear, beloved and always oh so mad hatter Tarrant is gone...

Gone. Gone. Gone! That... That oh so uninterested tone of this Cat! How dared he? Speak in such a manner about Hatter's death? Almost like it didn't affect him any way. Blood boiled in her veins and she even heard herself snarl dangerously under nose.

- Chessur how dare you! - she demanded, looking right at him. With her brows furrowed in quiet anger, waited for an answer. None came. Only that spooky wide smile of his. - I thought you were his friend. My friend...

Cat disappeared only to reappear next to her. Looking into her big blue eyes, he saddened a bit.

- We've got our times in the past – he said, twisting his body wildly. - But now is not the past, never be again I suppose. So why waste any more of Now than we already had? Hm... What do ye say Always The Alice?

Girl called Alice frowned more in confusion than anger. And then, then she shook her head vigorously. Took one step, another one – she backed away a little from a form of The Cat.

- I didn't waste a time! I've got a things to do in Aboveland! - she defended herself, even bitter than before.

- Dear girl, you where out in... like wha? - Chessur purred dangerously, starting to fade away. - Five years? - he countered, finally disappearing.

- I'm not a girl anymore! - she huffed aloud, almost shouting. Her fingers tightened once more on a hat. - And I still don't believe it! This doesn't exist! It's all my imagination, I must be completely and utterly bonkers... All of this, it's just a dream – a horriful nightmare!

- And yet again you're part of it, aren't you? - called a voice from somewhere... everywhere. Alice looked around frantically but didn't see anyone. - So much muchness you've had once. Now it's all gone just like our poor hatter. A shame really, I'd love to get my paws on that hat's of his someday though.

- Come out Chessur! I'm not going to talk with wind!

- Then don't. It's not like you want to anyway, aye? You said so yourself, you're not going to talk with wind. So for once just listen... Listen...

Alice sighed under breath. Standing still she waited for next words to spill out cat's mouth. However that strong feeling of oddity didn't want to leave her, only making her hands to twitch uncomfortably from time to time.

- We expected you to come back here at some point in the future – spoke voice again. It's low and wicked tone filled all meadow, making Alice shudder from it's coldness. - We presumed you'll be late as always you were, but didn't expect it to be so leit. Your lateness made Underland this way and not the other. You forgot what you said on that day; The Frabjous Day to be precise...

- I did not do such a thing! - Alice raised her voice, feeling strongly offended by cat's comment. - I did not forgot! - Her nails digged deeper on hat's edges. - I never have! I always remembered Underland, Hatter, You, Red and White Queen...

- Yet you would not come back all by yerself, ay? - Chessur's wide smiling teeth came into sight. - Why though Alice? If you remembered us, what keept you Aboveland for so long? Ye'now maybe if you came sooner Hatter could be a very much alive? Certainly he would sit at table's head, waiting for you to come back... Hm... I miss those always late, mad tea parties.

Wide smile went blank at those words. Alice seemed to sense a change of cat's mood by that. And for a second she felt like a born fool. As a matter of fact she never – ever – cared 'bout Underland's population feelings, only her own. For her being in this crazy, mad world was just a dream. And if it really was a dream, why she should care about those strange lookin' creatures? It was her dream, so she was the most important in it, wasn't she? But now watching slowly materializing Chessur she wasn't so sure anymore.

- Chess-

-Don't – he whispered not meeting her eyes. All his being seemed to be mournful, even those always so bright blue streaks in gray fur looked like were washed out of colour. - Since your going everything started to break. Piece by piece like some sick and twisted puzzles. We weren't aware of that though, not until Ghobbler appeared in Marmoreal. On that Horrdly Day we found out that Red Queen seemed to find a way to recreate her Jabberwocky...

- Ghobbler?

The Cheshire Cat slowly nodded.

- Ghobbler indeed. Anyway, The White Queen wasn't shocked at all (I think she saw that coming in Oraculum) and I could even say she waited for that day. The big ghostly Jabberwocky landed on palace square with Red Queen on it's back, looked like could destroy all the place in a mere second if not for Red Queen's fury. And so Iracebeth dropped on earth with her head high, she took her time looking around too. Oh I will never forget that look of hers big bloody head and twisted smirk.

- Hatter?

- Hatter? - Chessur purred, only to twist in the air. - That day he died. He had enough of waiting and killing Time. Wanted to save You...

- Save me? - Once again Alice repeated dumbly.

- Yes. - The purr in this word was long and sad. - The Mad Hatter wanted to save The Alice, stupid thing as it is he never saved you but caused to come back. Stupid, stupid, stupid thing it was really. Well if it wasn't for McTwisp you for sure weren't here right Now. It's a shame that we meet only when your help is needed. But nothing to worry about, almost everything is done here.

- What? What do you mean by that?

- How's that you don't know? - Chessur asked, looking stoned. - You're The Alice, aren't you?

- You were the one who told me I've lost my muchness.

- Indeed. But whenever that stopped you?

Alice frowned a little.

- No.

- No.

- Yes.

- Yes? - The Cheshire Cat repeated twirling in the air.

- I mean No!

- No matter what you do, the road is already chosen. It's only a matter of You if you accept it or not. For now I'm gonna visit some old friend of mine if you excuse me...

- But-

'But' seemed to repeat itself in that empty meadow. She was left alone with her running thoughts. It wasn't bad though, hearing soft whispers of wind in her hair she could almost imagine that 'here' and 'now' is just a illusion. Simple nightmare like many of them. Turning her eyes on a hat she've got a sinking feeling. This was real. Oh so real! And she didn't want it to be real. Clutching hat in hands, she shivered. Looking on a very Hatter's hat she even did not notice dark clouds in the sky. They were turning deeper shade of gray when they came closer, still Alice was too lost in her blossoming madness to care.

Drip-Drop / Tick-Tock / Drip-Drop

Tick-Tock / Drip-Drop / Tick-Tock

The very wet blue and white dress clung to small Alice-frame. She did not care though staring at the hat. Reliving times of her childhood, silly demands and her oh-so-cleverness, she honestly started to feel ill. With every passing second her stomach began doing flips and flops which almost made her vomit. She had to gasp for fresh, rainy air for this unwelcomed sensation to stop.

"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"

With wide eyes, she turned around instantly but found no one there. Still the question hovered somewhere in the air and she almost could hear it – see it even - written in the sky on the dark clouds. Oh, how she wanted to have an answer to this but even The Mad Hatter did not know it, how could she?

"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"

- I haven't the foggiest – she whispered feeling tears sliding down her cheeks.

This last time when she saw him, heard him... If she knew it will be their last chance... to what? Thought shocked her, she was out of her mind really. To say something more? Or do? Hug him maybe? Her cheeks grew warm at this and heart skipped a beat. Bitter and sick feeling in stomach changed into fuzzy one. What that meant?

"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"

Again that question. She heard it but owner of that voice wasn't anywhere near, she knew it. It was her imagination or madness for sure. Pure soreness filled her mind, body and heart. She couldn't keep it anymore, there was too much of it. And so she wept. Silent tears slid down her pale, round cheeks when she closed her eyelids.

**T's U**

Next time she opened her baby-blue eyes she found herself walking back into that meadow. With soul on her arm she walked step by step, oh so very slowly between burnt trees. In this place called Tulgey Wood, in this meadow where last flicks of fire where still burning; her silent footsteps can be heard. They were slow, painfully slow. After couple seconds she stopped, just before a very Hatter's hat.

Her petite, female hand reached for it.

Simple sigh escaped her mouth. She probably wasn't aware of this or clutching hands hard on hats surface. With knuckles snow-white, ragged breathing and tear stained cheeks she just stared at it. Her baby-blue eyes seemed to see something far more than old, very weared and burned hat. Once a time long pink scarf now – now (oh so much!) tattered – didn't last even half way it's primary lenght. Soft whiff caused it's torn end to smear sadly upon her small hand. With breath catched in breasts, eyes wide with so much sorrow and pain, she closed her eyelids for a second. When she looked again on her face appeared a very mournful yet still a smile.

That's when she decided to wait. And wait it was long, but The Cheshire Cat never came and rain never touched her skin. But she looked closer at the hat. It seemed for her somehow smaller than last time she recalled it. A lot smaller just a... "proper-Alice-size". Blinking she wiped off tears with the back of her hand.

"Why is it you're always too small or too tall?"

- I'm not Now – she answered gazing at hat. Curious she rolled it in her palms. - Curiouser and curiouser...

With trembling hands and ragged breathing she put it on her head. Such a strange feeling seemed to radiate from that hat as if it wasn't just a hat but more like a living person. And it fit perfectly on her small head which was a great surprise to her. Then came the light, sun streams were falling blindly everywhere from behind not-so-dense-anymore clouds. Wrinkling her nose a little, she looked up only to squint her eyes and hide them under her hand's shadow.

"No matter what you do, the road is already chosen."

- I understand...

Smiling a faint little ghost of an Alice-smile, she turned around and begun to walk away. In accompaniment of golden sun streaks and her long blond hair swinging from side to side she went back where was her place.

Yes, Alice Kingsleigh was finally coming home.

The End.

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