I don't own Alice in Wonderland or any of its characters. Based on the 2010 Tim Burton film and Bri-Chan's "When Curiosity Met Insanity."

Note - I am not familiar enough, probably, with WCMI, however, I have been and currently am reading some and have seen enough to be gripped with fascination with the Hatter, in particular. I may be attempting this Cross-over too soon, but I just couldn't wait. Darned plot bunnies! Written for the Alice and Tarrant Advent Calander for Live Journal Christmas.

Alice and Tarrant step through a Forbidden Mirror, and what they find defies anything they could have expected.

The Black Mirror

Chapter 1

Tarrant was giggling in such a high-pitched timbre that Alice wondered what she may have gotten herself into by agreeing to allow him to decide what they would do that day. But he soon stopped giggling when he pulled her into one of the Castle's most Secret Rooms and closed the door, enclosing them in darkness.

"You see, this room is so secret that even Mirana did not know about it until shortly before her parents died. It contains many interesting things, it does!"

"Tarrant!" Alice whispered, concerned now, "if Mirana didn't even know about it, then why do you, and more importantly, why come here at all? Isn't it...dangerous?"

Tarrant giggled again, but cut himself off before Alice could become concerned about his barely-controlled glee.

"I know many, many things, my precious Alice!" he lisped excitedly. "I know ever so much, and I want to share it all with you!"

Alice was flattered beyond words; but surely this venture was foolhardy! If there were interesting and secret things here, surely there was a reason for the secrecy! Surely that meant there could be great danger. The White Queen had just been reinstated! She didn't want to take the slightest risk that their actions could, in any way, jeopardize the repair and regrowth that Underland was now achieving under her Rule.

Tarrant took Alice in his arms and pulled her to him for a hug. He was relieved that she allowed the embrace. She had just Returned and he didn't know how she felt about him. Oh, he knew how he felt about her, and he was dropping hints every chance he got. She was, so far, reciprocating! She would eagerly and happily hold his hand and allow his embraces. And she even, on her own initiative, would more and more often kiss his cheek or his chin!

He was almost positive that Love for him was blooming in a most healthy and wondrous way. But today, he not only wanted to share a special day with her to help that Love along, he also wanted to share an adventure the likes of which even he could not know.

He had heard Mirana whisper to Absolem about the Looking Glass in this room. It wasn't one of the Looking Glasses that transported one to another part of Underland; no, this one was far more special. It took one...

"Tarrant, could we please have some light? I'm getting nervous," Alice suddenly whispered.

Tarrant would bow to her desire, of course, but as she now clung to his lapels and whispered up into his face, he wanted so badly to remain in the dark for just a few more minutes. Or moments. Just long enough to close the almost infinitesimally small distance between them and claim her lips in a kiss that would tell her everything she would need to know of his fathomless feelings for her.

But he did not. Not yet. He would wait until they were next alone together in the Queen's Gardens. Or at tea after Thackery and Mally were gone. Or...

"Tarrant!" she whispered again, more urgently.

"Oh, yes! Of course!" He knew his mind had been wandering again, though in a most pleasant direction. He pulled out a matchbox and lit one, and then illuminated several candles that he could see on a nearby table that Alice could not. His eyes were more than reflectors of his Moods, after all.

When there was sufficient lighting Alice relaxed, but disappointed Tarrant by releasing him to peer about the room in now unabashed curiosity. All over the room were items of varying sorts: books, oddly shaped candles, statuettes, clothing, old pieces of jewelry, goblets, hinged boxes, hand mirrors, urns, vases, pieces of crystal, old coins, and on and on.

Alice's eye was caught by the very item he had brought her to see. In one corner of the dusty room, so dusty that it could be smelled while it tickled their nostrils, stood a large rectangular looking glass. However, it was not ornately decorated as the ones Alice had seen in the past. This one was framed in a plain dark wood. And the surface was not reflective, she noticed, as she moved closer to inspect it. It was a solid black. She gingerly reached towards it, only to have her wrist captured by Tarrant's hand.

"Don't touch it yet, Alice," he said. "We'll touch it soon enough, but together and holding hands. I want us to go to the same place, you know!"

"So, like the others, this will take us someplace else in Underland?"

Tarrant almost giggled again, but stifled it quickly. "My dear Alice, it does indeed take us someplace else in Underland, but it also will take us somewhen else."

He saw her brow furrow and her eyes narrow slightly as she digested this information. "Somewhen? So we can travel in Time?"

Tarrant grinned and interlaced his fingers with hers. "That would be correct, dear Alice."

As she pondered on what he had confirmed, he was relishing the fact that she not only was sweetly failing to not protest his terms of endearments in his addressing her, but that she was actually tightening her grip on his hand. His automatic sense of protection and affection of her blanketed him in a warm haze and he had to battle his Mind from wandering to currently forbidden places. But he smiled again nonetheless.

"So, is this safe?"

"Yes! Her sense of curiosity and of adventure is too strong to resist this opportunity!" Tarrant boldly but gently took her other sweet little hand in his.

"Of course, my dear Alice! I'll be with you, for one thing. Besides, Underland had been peaceful for a very long time before...well, you know."

Alice smiled up at him. "And how do we come back? Is there a Black Glass on the other side?"

Tarrant shrugged. "I don't know, Alice. I do know that there is a portal wherever we step out; be it another glass, a pool of water, or even a mist that we can pass through to return."

Alice tried her best to appear sceptical and disapproving, but she could not. She ended up giggling.

"You win, Tarrant! I'm nervous, but I'm also excited! I can't wait to see where and when we are after stepping through!"

"I have a better idea on stepping through, my dear," Tarrant said silkily, feeling unusually confident as he took Alice's hands and placed them on his waist. He then wrapped his arms around her. "Now, hold on to me tightly, dear, and let us step through together."

Alice couldn't believe what she saw. Before them loomed a large manor house with a circular carriage drive. Gas-light posts with small things that resembled brightly burning candle flames enclosed in tiny glass cylinders inside the glass panels atop the posts illuminated the outside of the lovely home. The house itself wasn't as large as the Kingsleigh home, but it was definitely more stately. The grounds were at least seven acres, by Alice's reckoning, and when she squinted all around their surroundings, this was the only house in sight.

"Alice...I don't know where we are," Tarrant said, sounding troubled.

Alice shrugged. "Tarrant, you said as much before we stepped through the glass! You said we could be anyplace in Underland and at any time!"

And then Alice remembered the mirror and quickly turned around. "Tarrant...I don't see our way back!" The beginnings of panic began to form in her belly and choke her throat. If they couldn't get back...

"Alice, it's all right!" Tarrant burst out. "Look down!"

She did. Just where they had stepped through the Black Looking Glass was a spot at their feet that resembled black ice.

Wait...ice? Alice blinked, laughed and took another look around. It was snowing! How could she not have noticed before? Ah, that was because, as a Londoner, she was accustomed to snow. Only now did she recall that snow in Underland was only common in the mountains.

Tarrant was gaping. "Alice...it's snowing here! How dastardly unpleasant!"

"Unpleasant? Oh, Tarrant, don't you like snow?"

Tarrant looked into her face and saw her obvious joy at this irritating, and thankfully rare, phenomenon. His annoyance quickly faded, however, and was replaced with sudden appreciation. If his dearest Alice liked snow, then it logically would follow that so could he.

"I love snow, my dear! I just wasn't expecting it."

Alice's face brightened with a smile more dazzling than the strange lights that illuminated the front of the large brick house before them.

"Well, it is snowing and this house looks positively lovely. And...oh, Tarrant!" Alice rushed forward and Tarrant hurried after her. "Look!" she cried, "there are wreaths on the gas-light posts! How did I not notice before? And the front door has a wreath with a red bow! Tarrant, could it be that this person or family celebrates Christmas?"

"Krissmiss?" Tarrant asked, puzzled. "Alice, what is Krissmiss?"

"Oh, I'll tell you later! Why don't we knock on the door and see who lives here?"

"And find out just where and when we are," Tarrant added.

"Tarrant, I don't think that's wise. After all, we came here through a Looking Glass that we aren't even supposed to know about! Won't that just raise uncomfortable questions?"

The Hatter pondered. She was right. Besides, from the look of the strange lantern posts, they could well be in the future. That thought made him very uneasy. It would be much simpler to contend with and deal with the past rather than the complete unknown of the future.

Tarrant had to hurry to catch up to Alice, who was nearly at the front door, her tiny feet leaving small dusting prints in the light coating of snow.

Alice hesitated at the large front door with its enormous wreath. It was easily the largest wreath she had ever seen. Why, even the Kingsleigh home's larger front doors never held one so enormous. Whoever lived here was obviously very fond of greenery, or perhaps Christmas itself! Oh, the possibility of a place in Underland that not only knew about Christmas but celebrated it, made Alice feel warm inside.

"Would you like me to knock?" Tarrant asked her, noticing her hesitation.

Alice nodded. "I am eager to meet whoever lives here, yet I am very aware that we are intruding." Her voice suddenly began to quiver. "Tarrant, I love adventure, but this...this is most...we may anger someone with our...intrusion." Her voice trailed off. It wasn't proper to simply present oneself at someone's home and expect to be admitted and welcomed without question.

Tarrant smiled and took her arm. "Alice, dear, cease your worries!" he said gallantly, pleased at this opportunity to be her hero even in the smallest of ways. "Remember that we are in Underland! You needn't be so proper here! I'm sure we'll be more than welcome."

He was so calm and confident that Alice found herself taking a deep breath and smiling. He was right, of course! This wasn't London Society, after all!

Tarrant seized the door knocker that he suddenly realized had the form of a top hat at its base and rapped on the door.

"A top hat?" Alice whispered with a grin. "How quaint!"

"Yes, how quaint," Tarrant replied, with a strange feeling that it wasn't going to seem so quaint in a few moments...

The door opened and a white-haired freckle-faced man with the largest nose they had ever seen opened the door. His bright orange coat seemed to brighten at the sight of them and his oddly large and disproportionate green top hat quivered with what seemed to be barely controlled delight.

"Alice! My dear Cricket, you have returned at last!"