A/N: It's the day after the second chapter was posted and I was in such a writing mood that I popped this chapter out and wanted to post it early. Chp four on the other hand may come this weekend depending on how long it takes me to write the "leaving Underland" scene since Alice has only ever drank the potion or woken up to leave. Never the whole journey out so don't know how im gonna do that AKA ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE WONDERFUL. Although for this chapter I must say I love it but feel more description may have helped but I couldn't find many places where I could make it super detailed and put the full picture from my head to your's without slowing down the pace of the story. So oh well on that I guess...

As always italics are thoughts, emphasis and flash backs. While bold/italicsis the hatters madness talking.

Disclaimer: sadly i do not own Alice in wonderland or any of it's other series although if I did Alice and Hatter would have those one/two kisses that were written in the script. Well maybe, BUT I DO OWN THIS IDEA (: ALSO PHOTO CREDIT TO THE LOVELY kara-lija from deviantART

now time for chapter three

Chapter 3: Roadblocks

My anger grew stronger with each step I took and for once I had no worry if my eyes had changed color or not. I didn't care if another more furious and wild side of me took control, for once I would be grateful for it. I wanted them to see my rage. They needed to see it and understand that I was not going to back down. That for once they could not stop me, that Tarrant Hightopp would not give in to demand, that I would be reckless.

Anything to see Alice.

My suspicions were confirmed that, yes my eyes were now a piercing red, by the looks of the royal guards and other town citizens scattered together as their eyes widened, or they jumped back, or gasped. A smile spread across my face probably only adding to the malicious look I had put on.

I looked at each creature individually judging them on how well they would stand up against me. The common folk looked like they would run at any sign of risk. I moved my attention to the White Queens royal guards who were few and far between, judging by their collective stature they would stay only because they had to.

"You will not be leaving Tarrant, you are a...risk that we will not be taking." One guard mustered up taking a brave step forward. On his metal shoulder sat a tiny little thing with flapping blue wings. Absolem.

I let red-eye'd Tarrant take over saying and moving however he pleased, "Now is this ye' speakin' lad or is it that nuisance sittin' on ye' shoulder?" I gestured to Absolem.

"No, Hatter, it is me speaking. It is all of us," he threw his hands up with the sounds of clanking metal. "Many of us do not go to Upperland and there are reasons for that. And Hatter I know you know why, we are not what they are used to up there. If one of us, you, were to go up there...well who knows how they would react. We will not chance it." I would have believed him to and maybe have reconsidered if it wasn't for his shaking voice.

"Aye, th' voice o' bravery should ne'er tremble me knight. People might 'hink ye aren't capable o' such a demandin' job, ye un'erstan' me?" Metal clanked together as he nodded and stepped back into the ranks.

In the distance from behind me I heard the sound of what I could assume to be reinforcements unmistakable by the sound of clanking metal and galloping horses. They would be here soon and send me - or more likely drag me back home. Before I had a chance to look behind me and see how close they were or make a run for the portal, a purple mist caught my eye.

"Why hello friend," mussed the Cheshire Cat as he came into view. His tail brushed under my nose as he moved away from me to swaying through the small crowd. "My oh, my the trouble you're stirring up. Whatever will you do?" The still see-through cat was trying to egg me on into starting something that would be entertaining to him. Something that once started would end in a way unfavorable to me. I knew him to well to fall for his tricks.

"No' ta thing tha' would be o' entertainin' ta yew." The bothersome cat rolled his eyes expecting such a response.

"Anything ol' red eyes does is entertainment enough I can assure you, Tarrant." On a normal day that would have stung.

"Why I'd like ta see ye try an' dew somethin' for ye'self for once ye little-" The anger inside me was spilling over and all of it was being directed now at the cat.

A metal hand fell onto my shoulder halting my words. "Tarrant," the soft voice called my name and I turned around to come face to face with another servant of the White Queen. Sitting on a completely white horse was Mirana of Marmoreal staring down on me.

" 'twas tha' stupid cat ye highness." I bowed at the waist my arms finding themselves one on either end of my torso. My left arm curved infront of my stomach as my right became hidden behind my back. Behind me sounds of the others bowing before the White Queen were heard.

"Let's not worry about Cheshire for now Tarrant," Mirana replied without giving me any hint to what she was thinking or feeling as I rose from my bow. Lifting one leg around she slide off the horse with great elegance. "Now tell me Tarrant why are you and this crowd blocking the portal?"

"Aye, not me Mirana. For they be blockin' my way not th' other way 'round."

"So it seems under closer inspection ," Mirana took a step toward the crowd who were all still bowing. "You may stand. Now, why do some of my knights stand with you against one of your own?"

The guard from earlier stepped forward, Absolem was no where to be seen now, that coward had probably flown off the minute he saw the queen coming. "The Hatter wanted to go up to Underland you see your Highness," he paused as if everything should have been as clear as day for his queen.

"And?" She commanded softly forcing him to finish.

"He is not a 'regular' my lady nor has he ever been up to the other land. Surely we all know how mad he can be, hence his nickname the Mad Hatter, if here he is not considered normal what will they ever think of him up there? It just doesn't seem safe." There was a murmur of agreement in the crowd.

"I see," the queen mumbled stepping away from the crowd and back to her horse in deep thought.

I opened my mouth in protest against the guards words but my queen put her hand up to stop me. "Tarrant I want you to relax, you will not be judged unfairly here anymore." She let both of her hands come to my shoulders holding me in place as if I were a squirmish child. I stood still unsure of what was being requested of me. Mirana looked me in the eyes with pleading in her own. Whispering only so I could hear her, "Tarrant you must relax, it isn't like you to stay this angry for so long."

Up until then I had forgotten my eyes were a different color. I had let the anger wrap itself around me so tightly I had forgotten it was there. I had let it take control of me, let it become me. It had wound me up and used me for it's own vindictive purposes. I let go of a deep breath I didn't know I was holding as my shoulders drop underneath her grip.

Mirana did not let go until all of my muscles had relaxed letting go of their tension. "Now that's the Tarrant I know, green eyes and all." She smiled at me letting her hands fall from my shoulders back down to her sides.

I whispered a silent 'thank you' in her direction as she turned her attention back to the crowd. "I understand now what you all mean and there is only one thing we can do," Mirana waved her hand in the air signaling to one of her knights to bring her a scroll. "The only logical choice in front of us is to send him up."

The crowd filled with confusion, "Do you not understand the dangers this poses my queen?" The knight stepped forward questioning her, while he himself was on the verge of anger.

"The only danger I see is my people fighting between each other." She lifted her hand and the scroll was placed in it immediately. "Now let's see here," Mirana mumbled as she opened it looking for something specific.

Unlike the muttering crowd I stood behind my queen frozen to my place and unable to move. What in the world did she think she was doing?

After a moment of searching her face lit up and she smiled. "Ahh, here it is. Everyone gather around, please." They shared bewildered expression but did as their queen had ordered. "Now everyone this is the Oraculum and as most of you know it tells the history and future of all of Wonderland." Mirana paused giving them all a moment to take in the fact they were actually going to glimpse at the Oraculum - something commoners rarely did unless dire to them. She waited for their gasps of shock to die down. "And this is today," she moved it by slowly so everyone had a chance to see it. Then she turned it towards me.

On it was my own familiar face walking through an area of Underland that looked very similar to the area I was in right now. Ahead of me on the other hand there was no crowd just the many buildings holding all of the different portals. As the picture moved at a snails pace it showed me opening the door to one and going in. The rest could be assumed from there.

"Now the Oraculum only shows every day down here in Underland so we don't know what all will happen when leaves us. But stopping him is out of the question for the Oraculum has it written as so. Departure Day will happen and Tarrant will be using a portal to the destination he obviously must go." Mirana rolled the scroll back up without any hesitation or worry about the crowds reactions. Handing it back to the knight who retrieved it for her, she looked sternly at the crowd. In the same way a mother would like at their child, daring for them to try something.

The creatures went off their separate ways muttering under their breath about what a waste this all had been. While the Queens guards left in another direction and did not rejoin the ranks of their comrades. They would surely be in for it when they did finally return to the Queen's Palace.

Mirana bent down and handed me the travel bag I didn't realise I had dropped. "May I know where you're going to Tarrant?" She asked me with a knowing smile.

I looked into her pale eyes wondering how much I should tell her. "I miss her more than anything Mirana, I miss my," my voice faltered, I couldn't say i missed my Alice for she wasn't mine to own nor love. "I miss my friendship with her extremely. But that's not all my Queen, I feel something isn't right with Alice you see…"

The queen's features faltered if only for a second at the thought of her champion being unwell. "What makes you think this, Tarrant?" She spoke softly concern slipping into her measured voice.

"It's hard to explain in short detail, but I shall try. I was walking here and I had stopped to sit down when a memory came to me. The one of Time and my's altercation the one where I recieved the watch?" I half-questioned knowing she knew what I was talking about but wanted to make sure she could conjure the memory sturdily to her mind. She nodded and I took it as my signal to continue, "The whole conversation my estranged friend and I shared flooded my brain and when it had all been played out two things stood out that I had never noticed before.

"The first being time had said when I go to Upperland; which until tonight wasn't questioned. But as you know Mirana my family hasn't gone 'up' since we arrived here to make a permanent stay. And, not only that but I had never had any interest in going up." I paused to let the first observation sink in.

"Well it is Time Tarrant, he knows everything I suppose." Mirana stated but not in a way that showed I was inferior to her and her royal blood but just as a simple fact. It's nice to be treated like I'm on the same level. Just one more thing that made me glad Mirana was in charge again, and not her twisted sister.

"But that's not the stranger of the two my Queen, this moment with Time took place much before Alice had ever come into Underland but...but Time you see, he mentioned Alice. Something I didn't notice until now and why the mention of someone I didn't know make me question him at the time...Well I was so worried over my own fate I must have not listened to anything not pertaining directly to me too closely." I sighed thinking of how foolish I had been.

"What did Time say?" Mirana's voiced hitched and her face contorted into that of nervousness barely visible in the moonlight, all signs of neutrality gone now.

"Time had said when Alice needed me, and now thinking it over it worries me. What could be happening with Alice that she would need me, need me in Upperland?" I knew Marina couldn't answer my question with a reply but just getting it out there was enough.

"I don't know Tarrant, I don't know…" She looked behind her at her servants ready to do anything at a single command from her lips. Mirana motioned for me to follow her away from them and out of hearing range, although they could still see us. Mirana looked at me trying to find any other sign to help her understand. Seeing my queen in a state of confusion was something I didn't quite enjoy. "Your eyes Tarrant, they've gone dull."

I sighed, just another thing my eyes did that betrayed my right to secrecy over my own feelings. "I'm worried about her, why would she need my help so badly? Sure, I've done things to help her out when she's need me or protected her even but that's different than this."

"She needs your help specifically this time, when before the help could come from anyone. Is that what's scaring you Tarrant?" Mirana even in a time of worry she could read people like a book. I nodded not wanting to admit how scared I actually was. What if I failed my Alice?

She must have seen the look on my face, "Well you will do just what is needed of you Tarrant and more , that I know for sure." Forgetting herself she pulled me into a tight hug, "If it's for Alice, you can do it."

"I hope so Mirana, I hope so…" I whispered as I wrapped my arms around her delicate frame, she smelled sweetly of peaches I noted.

Pulling away from the embrace she raced back to her horse as if she were on a mission. One of the guards who was just as bewildered as myself laid a hand on her shoulder asking her something I couldn't hear. But she just brushed him off ignoring him as she retrieved something from her saddle pouch. Rushing back to where I was still standing she handed me the item.

"It's a two way mirror. I have the other so we can communicate all you have to do is look in it and think of me and I'll appear. I believe they still work in Upperland, if not...well if this doesn't work I will be sending someone up in a few days if I haven't heard from you." I smiled at the gesture.

Unwrapping the mirror I examined it. It's glass was clean although it's metal handle had a tint of black patina to it's intricate work showing it's age. "Thank you, Mirana." I told her as I wrapped it back up and placed it inside one of my many jacket pockets.

"Well you better get going now and see what our champion needs, yes?" I nodded doing a mental check I had everything I needed. "Well, then you best be off. The door that will lead you straight to Alice is in the first building you will see, good luck Hatter."

I started to turn away when Mirana grabbed my arm, " I mustn't forget to tell you, the time between our two worlds is very strange. When she was here last Alice was only gone for an hour or two but she was here for days. Time is longer here, usually, but not always Tarrant." She paused trying to sort out her thoughts, "Oh well it's all very complicated to explain even for me but when you go up there is no telling how much time has passed for either of our worlds. Does any of this make sense?" She laughed at her self but I smiled having a vague idea of what she trying to tell me.

I smiled down at my queen as I again turned to leave the faint hints of a soon approaching sunrise at my back. I was on my way, soon I would be with Alice and I could help her with whatever she needed. I hoped everything would turn out well and that I could provide what she needed.

I could hardly hold in my glee of seeing her again, her blonde hair, her soft pale skin, blue eyes, her muchness…Oh how I had missed her muchness, I thought letting my mind wander to things that would fill my head with only thoughts of her. As I walked my head swirled with memories of our short time together, her cascading waterfall of blonde hair, of how she smelt strongly of lavender with hints of vanilla. How I had always admired her for her wit, and not just her flooring beauty.

Before I could actually see her though I had to find her, and London was a big place to search for one girl in particular. But, anything for my Alice.

well I hope this met your standards and you'll let me know with a review and if it didn't tell me why and I'll try and improve. If you review, follow, or favorite me or this story - did I say review? - it would mean so much to me and give me that warm tingly feeling in my stomach that every writer loves. :D