The Wrong Alice

Chapters – 1/? Probably 3...possibly 5...

Characters: Alice/Tarrant…anyone in Underland could be involved really…

Rating – T/PG-13 LOL! As if! This is gonna be an M once I am done with it!

Summary: What if Alice had made the trip to Underland more than she remembers while growing up? Of course there would have to be someone in Underland who remembered every single time she stumbled in…

Warning: The timeline is running off of the Tim Burton Movie (Where Alice was 19ish?) and may not be exact. Also may not be spot on about events in Lewis Carol's Alice in Wonderland. SO there. Lyrics below are from the song Afterglow by INXS.

Oh yea. ~Grumble~ I don't own any of it.

Here I am,
Lost in the light of the moon,
That comes through my window.

Bathed in blue,
The walls of my memory divides,
The thorns from the roses.
It's you and the roses.

Chapter One

Tarrant sighed once again as he wandered through the gardens of Marmoreal. She had left. Gone. Even after he suggested she stay. Things had been so different this time and he was sure, so very sure that she would stay. But it ended the way it always did. Leaving. If he was ever given just one wish to come true he would wish that no one would leave. Well, that and an endless supply of silk ribbon. Sometimes he went through it so quickly he would have to use his limited supply of patience and wait for more to be spun. It was impossible to contain all of the ideas before he received new ribbon. He probably lost at least 31 good ideas while waiting for ribbon.

Pausing in the moonlight, Tarrant mused for a moment on a room full of endless ribbon and all the hats he could make for Alice, which brought him back to his original reason for pacing among the still white trees. She had gone. Growing sullen once again, Hatter walked further into the garden and sat when he found his favorite marble bench. If he sat on it and leaned back slightly, he could watch the starry sky and the colorful streaks that would rush through the night. Auroras are what Alice had called them. Was that her third visit? Second? Tarrant shook his head sadly and removed his hat, setting it beside him on the bench. The night grew silent around him, save the sound of the Rockinghorse flies neighing softly among the roses.

"Tarrant?" A soft voice stirred him from his reflection and he stood as Mirana came from around a corner. He caught the hint of a frown shadow her features before her face lit in a small smile. Delicately she moved to where he stood and reached out to touch his arm.

"Absalom told me you were here. I won't stay long if you wish to be alone…"

"Your company is always a delight, your majesty."

"Tarrant, we are beyond such titles, are we not?" Mirana smiled and squeezed his arm reassuringly before sitting down on one side of the marble bench. He sat slowly and, although he had meant what he had told Mirana, Tarrant regretted giving her the impression that he wanted company at that very moment.

"A lovely evening." The queen was gazing up at the sky much as he had been.

"Yes it is." The silence that lingered around them was uncomfortable. Tarrant turned to look at his queen and smiled sadly. Perhaps she too was melancholy over the loss of her champion. He could cheer her by telling her of some marvelous hat he would make for her return to the throne, a large ceremony that would take place in a few days time. Yet with all the marvelous ideas forming in his mind all that he could make come out of his mouth was "She left."

"Again." Mirana spoke quietly but did not draw her eyes from the stars above. "I certainly thought that she was the right Alice this time."

Nodding his head in agreement Tarrant gazed up at the stars, almost content in the fact that someone else was thinking his thoughts too. It made him feel more put together and less…well…mad. Moments...minutes or perhaps even hours passed as they sat in stillness. Perhaps Time was also off pouting at the retreat of Underlands champion.

"It has been a long day Tarrant, I believe I shall retire." Mirana lifted herself off of the marble bench and looked down at the man who, earlier that very day, had helped her win back her kingdom. "Should you need anything, anything at all…"

"Ribbon." Tarrant smiled and closed his eyes. As he heard the queen chuckle and move down the path he added one more thing to his list, although under his breath and mostly to himself. "But I need Alice more…always have really…"

~12 years earlier…~

"Of course she had to go back Tarrant!" March shouted down the tea table to a sulking Hatter.

"She was such a spot of bright sunlight though! The hats she could have worn!" Tarrant drove himself further into his comfy chair. He didn't want to be practical about Alice leaving. Her arrival had caused such a ruckus. Nothing interesting had been happening before she strolled along. He had felt an instant connection to the child. Such wisdom wrapped up in a sweet package and youthful innocence. And the mad dashing about Underland! Making the Bloody Big Head all flustered and angry. Having a delightful time with the lovely girl leading the way!

"Hats would just fall off of that odd head of hers" Mally grumbled. "You wanna fit a hat? Finish the one for me! You took the measurements weeks ago!" she rubbed her ear absently thinking about the yellow silk that was supposed to be resting there.

"Hush Lass. You'll drive him into an even deeper steep." Hare shushed.

"Well?" she tapped her foot impatiently "I want my hat!"

"Fine, Fine." Tarrant slowly stood from the table and began to move toward the house. "I finished it Mally. Just got distracted is all. Distractions are nice from time to time don't you agree? Especially ones that bounce around and have a bit of the color blue about them…" stopping, Tarrant looked back to the table. "Blue lace wrapped around a white top hat. It would have looked very striking on that Alice girl."

Mally rolled her eyes as March sighed and poured himself some more tea.

"She wasn't the right Alice lad. She had to go back."

"I know." Tarrant lowered his head in defeat and was just about to go and retrieve the dormouse sized hat when a wonderful thought ran about his head. "She could return! When she is the right Alice! Oh wouldn't it be lovely!" He moved back to his comfy chair quickly and sat, looking down the table and off into the woods.

"What are you doing lad?"

"What about my hat?"

"Hush, both of you. We should wait until she returns. It won't be long now I know it. I can feel it. And when she comes back she will be the proper Alice. The right one."