Disclaimer: I do not own American McGee's Alice (EA) or Doctor Who (BBC).

A/N: When writing this story, I considered Evanescence's Good Enough to be the romance theme for Alice and Richard, for those who want soundtrack suggestions.

EPILOGUE: Happy Summer Days

…...

Thomas Hargreaves voiced his displeasure immediately: "Just look at this mess! It may take days before the house looks presentable again!"

"At least we have no shortage of volunteers on that front." said Meredith in a reassuring tone, directed as much to herself as to her husband.

"No shortage indeed...of self-admitted criminals!" replied Thomas, showing that he was far from reassured. "What would our friends say if they saw this? The sooner everything's back to normal, the better."

"...But will things ever really be back to normal? After all, there's still Richard to..."

"You're right, my dear. Let's get that out of the way."

They walked through the halls, past several of the Mara's former victims. While they busied themselves with carting away broken glass, bloodstained carpet, and splintered wood, the owners of the house tried their best not to look at the carnage.

Instead they approached their son, still tending to the exhausted Alice, who quickly noticed their approach.

"Just so you know, it wasn't my idea to turn our home into-"

Thomas raised both his hands to silence Richard. "It's alright, Richard. We know. Vastra explained everything."

"...You're not...cross, or anything?"

"Not at all. Just worried. You're becoming your own man, after all. It is, admittedly, hard to be supportive when your definition of success is so different from ours...but after all this, it would be a grave offense if we didn't at least try."

Cautiously, Richard offered a smile, and thanks.

Thomas nodded, and then he turned to the other occupant of the room. "And we'll start with your...unconventional preference in companions. Miss Liddell?"

"Yes, Mr. Hargreaves?" said Alice in a sleepy voice.

"By all rights, I should loath to have you anywhere near my son. Your status, your condition...your history...There's no way you should be respectable by any definition. But today, I saw you as you truly are. A greatness that transcends all of your shortcomings."

With great hesitation, Thomas reached for Alice's hand...and placed it in Richard's own.

Both smiled from ear to ear, and Richard once again thanked his father.

"Please do not make me regret this."

"You won't."

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Trenton Haymitch and Toby Russell shared a wagon as they were carted off to prison once again.

"If I may ask a question, officer?" asked Trenton, a pleading look on his face. "Is the Royal Opera House...still in business?"

The policeman nodded, and Trenton breathed a happy sigh of relief.

Toby wasn't so happy. "How fortunate for you. I know I burned down my bookstore, and assaulted my wife. I'll have to rebuild my life from the ground up once my sentence is up."

"Don't be so sure."

Surprised, Toby turned around to see Madame Vastra's carriage riding right alongside them.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"I spoke to your wife whilst I was hunting you. She still loves you. Provided you come to your senses, of course."

Overwhelmed with shock and happiness, Toby fainted with a smile on his face.

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"You're ab-abs-solutely sure you d...don't want to meet Mis..Mister Sedgwick?"

"Yes indeed, Dodgson."

"B-b-but Alice! Im..magine the advances in s...science! Shared d-dreaming, D-d-Dark Places of the Inside...You're living poof—proof that that the...Society for Psychical Research st-st-studies real things! W...we wouldn't be a...a laughing stock...anymore!"

"That may be, but if we go public, then suddenly thousands of people know about the Mara. Thousands who have no idea how to resist its temptations. It's pain over being defeated won't keep it at bay for very long. I'm sorry."

Disappointment washed over Dodgson's face. "...I understand, Alice. It's just...I just...Ugh, I c-c-can't say it!"

"It's OK, Dodgson. Take your time. I've learned to be patient with you."

Strangely, these words didn't give Dodgson a comforted smile. Alice waited while he took some deep breaths and said:

"I...have to ret..turn to Oxford soon. But...but first...I have to c..confess something..."

"It wouldn't happen to involve Dr. Bumby, would it?"

Every muscle of Dodgson's body tensed up, as if he was ready to run...but Alice reached across the table and grabbed his hand reassuringly.

"I only saw glimpses, during the massive shared dream. I saw you confront something dark within yourself while you resisted the Mara. Just let me say that, if you can forgive yourself, then I'll probably be able to forgive you."

"...Thank you, Alice. Well...it all st-st-started when...when you were a ch..child...I thought...you were pretty..."

"Well. That, I can definitely forgive...as long as you understand my heart belongs to Richard now." said Alice, with a slight laugh. One which Dodgson hesitantly mirrored.

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George Renfrew sat opposite the Hargreaves family in their newly-refurbished drawing room.

"Well, I personally am shocked by how quick my children and servants were to forgive me. After I treated them so shamefully..."

"I think, on some level, they understand what you were going through." said Winifred. "Loss is a hard thing to deal with. I personally was surprised to learn how much of my life and personality was shaped by my husband's death!"

Meredith put down her tea so she could contribute. "But the important thing is that they forgive you. Now you can move on. Look forward to happier times."

"Yes...speaking of which, have the happy couple set a date yet?"

"They're taking their time." said Winifred with a giggle. "But I daresay it won't be much longer."

With that, she went to the window, in order to watch them playing 'Ring-around-the-rosie' with Peter, Pauline, and Pearl Renfrew.

"At times I want to feel guilty for trying to force them together the way I did," she said to no-one in particular, "but at the same time, it's clear those two were made for each other."

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"You mean it, Nan?"

"Indeed, Alice!" said Madam Sharpe, as she pulled the new, official-looking uniform off the carriage roof. "It's for Kathryn. She's hired!"

Alice was elated. "We kept our promise. She won't be forced to sell her body anymore."

Just before Madame Sharpe could enter the Pawned Queen, she turned back to Alice. "Just a quick question, though...how did you make that connection happen? Mr. Seneca never enters our part of town!"

Alice's smile faded...but only briefly. "A very apologetic Mr. Cardin Varnham."

"What?"

"I was just as surprised as you were. Seems he wanted to distance himself from his history of violence...And it turns out he knew a bloke who knew a bloke who knew a bloke who was willing to hire women."

"...you know, I might just be willing to accept his apology." said Madam Sharpe with a stern face. "Emphasis on 'might', however."

Alice merely smiled in retort, and Madam Sharpe took the new uniform to its new owner, past the recently-repaired doors of her brothel.

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"Alice, I did it!" shouted Richard from the street. He could barely keep still, he was so excited, and neither did he care about anyone who was watching...except for one small detail he wanted private.

Alice leaned out of her flat window to answer: "Did what?"

"I sold an invention! Let me inside and I'll tell you all about it!"

Alice shared his excitement at once, and hurried downstairs to let him into her flat.

Richard leapt into the hall the minute the door was open. "The railroad liked my new engine design! They paid a small fortune up front, and offered me a position as an assistant to the chief engineer! And I get to keep my name on the patent! I'd put money on production starting before the year's out!"

"This is wonderful, Richard!" beamed Alice with pride, as she grabbed his shoulders. "Your career's actually starting! I knew you could do it!"

Richard's excited shaking finally stopped, but his smile didn't fade a bit. "I know I wouldn't have made it this far if you didn't believe in me."

"Likewise, as I remember."

Richard paused, looking away from Alice as he tried to find the right words. Soon he settled on:

"Now I know you know your thoughts better than anyone else knows...but can I have a guess at what's going on in your head?"

"You may guess." said Alice with a wry smile.

In an instant, Richard pulled a ring out of his coat pocket, and presented it to Alice.

"My guess is...we've both put this off long enough. And we're sure we both want it. Alice, will you marry me?"

"Of course!" said Alice as they embraced... "but technically, I was thinking of how you would go about improving the Looking-Glass train."

They sat there for several minutes, laughing in each other's arms.

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Alice and Richard knocked on the doors of 13 Paternoster Row. Mentally, they steeled themselves for any number of strange occurrences. After all, Madame Vastra was a very strange woman, with strange preferences as well as stranger knowledge. It had saved their lives in the past, but still, they knew to be ready for anything.

They were not, however, prepared to have someone other than Jenny answer the door.

"Halt! This facility is under guard. State your names and intentions at once, or your atoms will be dispersed for the glory of the Sontaran Empire!" announced a squat, brown, circular-headed humanoid creature in a black suit.

Alice could tell right away that Richard was scared speechless, so she responded: "Um, I'm Alice, and this is Richard. Is this Madame Vastra's residence?"

"It certainly is. If you intend any harm to my employer, you will face the full wrath of the Sontarans!" stated the figure.

Alice pulled their visiting-cards out of Richard's trembling hand, and extended them outwards. "I believe she's expecting us. Would you be so kind as to announce us?"

"Certainly, my good man." stated the figure. It then turned around, and shouted: "Announcing a mister Alice Liddell, and a mister Richard Hargreaves!"

"Perfect! Send them in, Strax!" came Vastra's familiar voice from a distant corridor.

"Follow me!" ordered the figure Alice guessed was named 'Strax.' "And don't try anything funny!"

Strax led the two into Vastra's greenhouse, where Vastra and Jenny were already seated. Immediately after Alice and Richard seated themselves, Strax returned to 'guarding' the door.

At last, Richard found his voice: "That's...quite the welcoming committee."

"You'll have to forgive Strax. Sontarans are bred to be soldiers from birth, and are devoted to perpetual warfare and intergalactic conquest. He's bound to have some trouble adjusting to civilian life."

"...I see..." gulped Richard.

"Anyway, to what do we owe this invitation?" asked Alice.

"In response to your own. We would be honored to attend your wedding, but we have some conditions, which we could not announce in the mail."

"Like what?"

Jenny beamed an ear-to-ear smile. "We would like you to attend our wedding shortly afterwards."

Richard fainted.

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"Whu...where am I? And why am I wearing armor?"

Alice laughed as she pulled Richard out of the ditch. "Because you're the White Knight, of course!"

"White...Knight?" Richard asked, as he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. The surroundings of the White Queen's castle, where the ditch was located on the ceiling.

Richard clung to Alice in surprise, causing her to laugh again. "Really, Richard! This is the least scary place in Wonderland!"

A second passed before the details clicked together in Richard's mind: "We're in Wonderland? In a shared dream? But why?"

"You called the Banns, sent the invitations, and paid for the venue. But still there are a few things that need to happen before the ceremony, and I can't think of a better place than here to do this one."

Alice grasped his hand, and leapt off the ceiling towards the floor...which gave way, and the two landed in a very different room: a large hall with animals and chessmen in attendance, with the White Queen herself at the end. Everyone shuffled back and forth, carrying all sorts of white flowers and cloth decorations.

"Welcome back, Alice!" called the Queen. "I see you're just in time for your wedding rehearsal! Please do forgive us, for we are not quite ready ourselves!"

Richard took a while to adjust himself to the newer surroundings. As he did, Alice's Wonderland outfit visibly restitched itself to become a pure white dress, surprising him even more.

"Alice, I..." Richard said through a confused smile. "Isn't this an odd place for a wedding rehearsal?"

"I'd much rather make mistakes in front of people I know I can trust, thank you very much."

At that, Richard's smile faded briefly. "You still don't...?"

"I'm trying to put trust in your family, yes, but it's still a new thing for me. I'm not used to it yet."

Richard nodded, then brought his smile back. "Oh well. Practice makes perfect?"

"Indeed."

At that, the White Queen called out: "Alright! Places everyone! We're ready to begin the rehearsal! Furry creatures on the bride's side, chessmen on the groom's! Richard, come to us, your hair wants adjustment!"

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Alice, Dodgson and Dr. Wilson sat together at a small table, in a small room, in the corner of Dodgson's Oxford residence.

"I suppose you can guess why I called you here?"

Both Dr. Wilson and Dodgson nodded, but it was Dr. Wilson who spoke first: "Normally it is the father's duty to lead you down the isle, and give you away to your husband at the wedding ceremony. However, with your father being more than twenty years dead, that is impossible."

"So you w..want-t one of s...us, to be a sub...subst-t-ti...tute."

"Exactly." nodded Alice. "I ask you because both of you fulfilled at least one of the functions of a father at some point in my life. Dr. Wilson, you kept me safe and encouraged me as I grew up in Rutledge. Dodgson, you gave me the skills I needed to make it in the world. For that, I am grateful to both of you."

Dodgson seemed taken aback. "I m...must ad...mit, it's t...st-still surprising to hear you're st..ill grateful to me. After all I c-confessed to, not so long ago...I brought D..doctor B-b-Bumby into your life! If you'd le...learned...it any sooner, I st-still worry you'd have c-called me a mm...monster."

"I myself harbor a similar sentiment." said Dr. Wilson with a nod. "If I'm not mistaken, you still refer to your confinement within Rutledge's as one of the worst portions of your life, second only to the death of your family."

"Please don't be so hard on yourselves." said Alice. "You both regret the harm you inflicted upon me, and did your best to make things better. If we focused solely on the negative within people, there would be no decency left. Even the Doctor has done horrible things, after all."

"Speaking of, why is he not at the table? He's the one who started you down the path of trusting people again, after all."

"To be honest, Dr. Wilson," said Alice as her gaze briefly lost focus, "I tried. But Madame Vastra says the Doctor is refusing all attempts at communication. He wishes to be left alone, and he won't say why."

The conversation paused, as each thought about their own experiences with the Doctor during and after the incident with the Weeping Angel, before Dodgson spoke up again:

"Well, I..if not him, then...who? I p-p-personally don't fe..feel worthy of s..su...of such an...honour."

"Neither do I. I suppose the final choice is up to you, Alice."

Alice nodded, and looked between the two for nearly a minute before saying:

"Very well. I choose..."

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"The what?" Meredith asked her newly-married son.

"The Lobster Quadrille, Mother! It's a dance Alice invented. It's her sincere wish we dance it at our wedding reception."

"It's why," said Alice as she twirled her wedding-dress, "we requested the male guests wear red coats; they're the 'lobsters'!"

"And you didn't bother to tell us until the reception started because...?"

"I must agree with my wife." said Thomas. "We're bound to embarrass ourselves unless we know how the dance works beforehand!"

Alice smiled a cheeky smile. "I'd say that's part of the fun! But if you insist, Richard and I shall demonstrate."

She led Richard to the center of the floor, where there were two rugs: one blue, and one tan, to represent the sea and the shore. Air-filled balloons lay scattered around the floor.

Alice kicked the balloons into the crowd. "First step is to clear the 'jellyfish' out of the way..."

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"LET THE GAME BEGIN!" shouted the Red Queen, announcing the beginning of the Queensland croquet tournament.

Alice bowed to the crowd, and straightened her flamingo. With a firm but gentle strike, she sent the hedgehog spinning under multiple Card Guards. The assembled crowd, floating by on platforms and boats of all sorts, cheered Alice on.

"A fine hit," commented her opponent, the Jabberwock, who added a slow clap. "But don't rest on your laurels just yet. We have been practicing. You haven't."

"Duly noted."

Sure enough, Alice failed to reach a wicket with her next stroke, and had to pass her turn on to the Jabberwock, who extended his turn by hitting Alice's hedgehog with his own...

….to the dismay of the hedgehogs involved, as they both exclaimed "Ouch!" in unison.

While Alice waited for her turn to come around again, she noticed a familiar presence on the green.

"Hello, Cat. I see you've lost your fear of the Queen."

"We never lose our fears. The fact that half this domain remains populated, despite you having fought through and conquered it multiple times, is a testament to that."

"Well, I seem to have learned to live with them for now. Only time will tell if the choices I've made, and the people I've put my trust in, are the right ones."

The Cheshire Cat snickered. "Trust your instincts, Alice. They've never led you astray...when they bothered to lead, of course."

Alice smiled as her adviser faded away, and she returned to the game.

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"Merci beaucoup." said Alice to the shopkeeper.

As they walked away with their souvenir, Richard laughed. "You know, my dear, when I chose Paris as a honeymoon destination, I had no idea you were so fluent in French!"

"I learned it from Jules Verne." replied Alice, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Richard, however, was flabbergasted. "Really?"

"Of course. He dreams in French, so when I was-"

"No, not that!" exclaimed Richard, as he pointed down the street. "I mean speak of the devil!"

Where Richard was pointing, Jules Verne was sitting outside a bookstore, signing copies of his latest book Sans dessus dessous.

As they looked, Verne turned towards them, having seen Richard's motion out of the corner of his eye. When he saw Alice, his whole body seemed to freeze for an imperceptible instant.

"I think he recognized me!" whispered Alice.

Richard looked between the two, and said: "Well, why not. Let's get in line."

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"Hurry up, boy! There isn't a moment to lose!"

Alice stumbled through the door of the theatre, Strax almost shoving her through. Vastra and Jenny followed shortly afterwards.

Alice grumbled: "I'm just barely back from my honeymoon, eager for rest, and you drag me into another adventure?"

"My deepest apologies, Mrs. Hargreaves, said Vastra. "but we cannot wait any longer. This traveling magician is actually a Somnopsid in disguise, and he's rewriting the perceptions of whoever visits this show. We need to beat him at his own game in order to end this madness."

"For this task, we require a specialist in psychic combat, namely you." added Strax, as he continued to push her through the hallway.

"Alright, I'll do it!" Alice exclaimed, walking out of Strax's path. "Just give me a moment to concentrate, Humpty Dumpty."

Strax's face contorted in anger. "Humpty Dumpty! I'll see you tried for insubordination, you-"

Jenny sharply pulled Strax aside. "That's enough of that! Alice isn't a soldier, she's a friend. You don't go around threatening friends!"

Strax grumbled, and stepped to the side.

"What was all that about?"

"Strax had an accident a long time ago that inspired the original poem. He's a little sensitive about it."

Alice nodded knowingly at Vastra's explanation.

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"AAAAH!"

Richard screamed as he awoke, nearly falling off the bed.

Alice awoke at the same time. "What's wrong, dear?"

Once Richard stopped hyperventilating, he said: "Could you please stop pulling me into Wonderland? I barely made it out with my neck intact this time!"

"I'm sorry," said Alice through a groggy haze. ""But...these days, it doesn't seem to be up to me. Wonderland has been even more chaotic than usual since..."

"Since you got pregnant?"

Alice nodded, and sighed.

They leaned back into the bed, to try and go back to sleep, but after several minutes neither of them felt any sleepier.

Alice broke the silence. "What if my baby has their own Wonderland? Their own private corner in the Dark Places of the Inside? Will it be full of happy things? Or..."

"...Or will the Mara notice?" added Richard.

Alice turned over to face her husband. "I'm frightened, Richard. More than I have ever been in my life. Not for myself, but for my child. What kind of mother will I be? What if..."

The minute he saw tears form in her eyes, Richard pulled her closer.

"Whatever happens, you can count on me being right there beside you every step of the way. Doing my best to help you through whatever hardships life throws at us. And if you think about it...you survived a fire, insanity, Dr. Bumby, poverty and a Weeping Angel before we met. Compared to that, a normal life should be a piece of cake."

Alice smiled, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I don't know. I've heard what monsters children can be."

"Oh, one glance at your Vorpal Blade should set them straight."

They laughed, kissed, and went back to sleep.

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…...

…...

I have been brought low. The pain lingers. But I shall return. I always return. I am eternal.

As long as there is life, there shall be me.

As long as there is pain and suffering, as long as everyone fears the future, the wheel of time shall turn.

And when the wheel reaches its lowest point...that is when I shall strike. And strike I shall. Again, and again, and again, until I am triumphant.

No matter how many times I am defeated, in the end the Universe will belong to the Mara.

…...

…...

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All was quiet in the Hargreaves household. Richard pored over stack upon stack of blueprints for narrow-gauge locomotives, while Alice sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat to little Arthur Hargreaves in his crib.

All her attempts to put him to sleep, however, were interrupted by a grinding sound from outside their window. A sound somewhere between a key on piano wire and the tearing of space and time.

Vrrooooosssshhh... Vrrroooooooooooosssshhhhh...Vrrrrooooooooosssshhhh...CLUNK!

"What on Earth is that racket?" said Richard, disturbed from his train of thought.

Alice, who recognized the sound, smiled and said: "It's not on Earth."

She picked Arthur into her arms, and walked to the window. Sure enough, when she looked outside she saw a familiar blue box.

"Richard dear, we're about to have guests." she said as she walked to the door. "I suggest you make yourself at least somewhat presentable."

Richard groaned in frustration. "Great, now I'll have to start all over again..." With great reluctance, he stacked the blueprints into neater piles, put on an evening coat, and followed his wife.

Alice reached the entrance first, and opened it carefully. On the other side was a young woman, and a very much older man with a tall face and white hair.

"Doctor?" Alice asked.

"Alice Liddell." the Doctor stated in response, adding a slight bow. "Good to see you after all these years."

"How many years has it been exactly? You look so much older.."

"Actually, this isn't age. It's regeneration." the Doctor responded, and Alice gave a knowing nod before he continued: "But to answer your question...almost a millenium. I'm over 2000 years old now."

Alice's eyes widened for an instant. "That is a long time. I'm actually surprised you remember me." Then, she turned to the young woman beside her old friend. "Is this your new travelling companion?"

"Yes indeed." said the Doctor. "Alice, meet Clara Oswald. Clara, meet Alice Liddell."

"Charmed." said Clara, extending her hand.

Alice returned the handshake with her free hand. "Likewise. And technically it's Alice Hargreaves now."

This caught the Doctor by surprise. "You're married?"

"Yes, to me." said Richard as he finally appeared at the door. "Name's Richard. And you must be the Doctor I've heard so much about."

"And this is our son, Arthur." Alice said as she looked lovingly at the baby in her arms.

Again, the Doctor was surprised. "Really? He said his name was 'Typhoonami, the Great and Terrible Hungerer.'"

Alice, Richard, and Clara looked at the Doctor and the baby in confusion. The only word the Doctor offered in explanation was "I speak baby," followed by a shrug.

"...Well, it is almost tea-time." said Alice awkwardly. "Richard, could you hold Arthur while I put the kettle on?"

Richard did as Alice requested, and guided the Doctor and Clara into the house.

"Well, make yourselves comfortable, I suppose. I wasn't really expecting guests, so..."

The Doctor interrupted him: "Join the club. I wasn't expecting this either."

"What?"

"I can tell at a glance that this isn't the Alice who fought that Weeping Angel with me." the Doctor said, almost mournfully. "That Alice was cold and detached, sworn off men, and unable to function in the real world. In Wonderland, however, she was a warrior without equal, and the master of all things 'Alicey.' This...I could never imagine her being this happy."

Richard smiled. "Well, I'd like to be able to say I pulled her out of her pit of despair...but truth is, she did that on her own. All I did was throw her a line. And then she returned the favor; not just for me, but for half the people of London."

"Sounds like we've all got some stories to share." chimed in Clara.

"Indeed." said Alice, as she set the table in the nearby room. "Life hasn't always been easy, and it's all but guaranteed to have even more hardships in store. But one thing I'll say for sure is that I wouldn't trade this life for anything."

"What is life but a dream?" responded the Doctor, to a chorus of laughter.

Soon they all sat down to tea, and spoke of days gone by.

FIN!

Happy new year, and I hope you enjoyed A Dream of Fangs and Flowers!

As always, Fave/Follow, Review, and keep being the most wonderful fans of American McGee's Alice and Doctor Who!