Disclaimer: Sadly, Alice in Wonderland belongs to Lewis Carroll, Disney, and whoever else owns the rights. Only original characters and ideas belong to me.

AN: This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, probably because it's the last one of the story. But fear not! Remember, there will be a sequel, but since I'm heading on vacation tomorrow, it won't be posted for a week or two, at most. Sorry, but that's just how things are. Thanks to everyone who's been reading, and I'll see you all at the sequel!

Chapter 9: Out in the Open:

After Ali had left to return to the dance (and to give my excuses for not being there), I holed up in my room and laid down in bed, trying to figure out what the hell I was going to do now. Obviously, marriage to the Hatter was not an option. I'd have to turn him down, explain that although I was flattered by his interest, I was leaving soon, and could not accept it.

'That should work,' I reasoned out. 'It's straight to the point, and it's quite true. I'm sure he'll understand.'

But would he really? He'd said he loved me, and no man had ever said that to me before –or at least, not in that way. My male family members loved me, but this was the first time a man was in love with me. Wouldn't it figure that the one man to propose to me was from a fairy land come true?

Needless to say, I didn't sleep well, if at all, and spent a good part of the morning making up for it. Thus, it was after noon when I woke up, still slightly groggy, but in relatively one piece. I had a light lunch that a maid brought me, and was about to get dressed when that same maid came bustling in, a white gown in her arms.

"My lady, the Queen wishes to see you and Lady Alice at once," she said. "You are to wear this."

I had never worn white the whole time I'd been in Underland, and wondered what was going on. I didn't argue, though, since it'd been sent by the Queen, and because I didn't have the time.

I was dressed quickly, and followed the maid to a place I'd never been to before: the Queen's private quarters. Outside the doors stood the White Rabbit, who bowed and opened an immense white wooden door for me. Ali, clad like I was in white, was already inside, standing before a beautiful throne made of a pale golden wood, with a white marble table beside it. On the throne sat the Queen, clad in her glorious white gown, and with a serious look on her face.

"Laura, welcome," she said as she nodded to me. "Now, there is something I must discuss with the two of you, as it is a matter of great importance and urgency."

From the folds of her gown, she produced a scroll. "This is the Oraculum, a record of all the days of Underland, from the beginning to the end. I have read through it to this very day, which I have not done in many years, and discovered something I had not expected."

She unrolled it to a certain point, and showed it to us. It was me and Ali, the two of us in her parents' attic, touching the envelope that brought us here. Below it was written: The Arrival of Laura Mason and Alice Cunningham.

I could only think of one word: damn. The Queen knew who we were, and we were in huge trouble.

"That is not all," the Queen continued, unrolling the scroll even more.

The images that followed made me blush; they showed the different times the Hatter and I had been alone together, and of his marriage proposal. I winced and looked away at that point, only to find Ali staring coldly at the magic paper.

"At this point," the Queen said, rolling up the scroll, "I would very much appreciate an explanation."

Beside me, Ali was a silent statue; there would be no answers coming from her. Knowing my friend, she was probably thinking of a way to talk us out of this, but I knew it wouldn't work. I sighed. 'I guess it's up to me, now.'

"Majesty," I said, stepping forward and falling to my knees before her. "I admit the truth to you." Behind me, I felt Ali stiffen. "My friend is not Alice Kingsley, Slayer of the Jabberwocky and Hero of Underland. She is Alice Cunningham, many-times-great-granddaughter of Alice Kingsley, who died long ago in a distant land."

I swallowed hard and tried to gather my courage. "I apologize for the way we have taken advantage of your hospitality and your kindness towards us. I tried to convince Ali – which is her nickname, as she dislikes being called Alice – to tell the truth of her identity, but failed. She persuaded me that carrying off the charade wouldn't hurt anyone, as you would have your long-lost hero and we would leave immediately after the celebrations. However, I did not feel right about it, so I warned her that should anyone suspect the truth about her, I would admit everything and accept the consequences, which I shall."

Taking in a deep breath, I slowly let it out. "It was wrong of me to allow this to go on for so long. I only hope you can forgive me, and forgive Ali, for what we have both done. I plead for mercy and forgiveness, Majesty, though we deserve little of these."

The silence that followed deafening. I could feel Ali becoming tense behind me, but I pushed her out of my mind. This was her fault, and now we had to face the consequences of our actions. After all, I was guilty, too.

Gentle fingers slid under my chin and lifted my face up. Instead of finding a face full of anger and hurt, I saw brown eyes filled with kindness, and a small smile on those unusually red lips.

"I am ready to show mercy to you," the Queen softly replied. "I know you to be a good, honest soul, Laura, for you have shown it to those around you."

Then her face hardened, and I saw the royal mask slip into place. Now she was going to act the queen and ruler she was, and she was going to say something Ali and I might not like.

"However, a punishment must be given in order to maintain the balance of justice in Underland," she declared, voice ringing throughout the room. "Therefore, I must dispense a punishment worthy of the crime."

I bowed my head again. "I understand, Majesty," I whispered. "We are ready to accept it."

The Queen shifted in her seat, and I sense that she was sitting straighter than she had before. "The punishment for you, Laura, is this: Although I know you wish to return to your realm, it is not in my power to do so."

My head began to swim. I couldn't go home? Why not? What was the point in my staying?

But the White Queen wasn't finished. "The Oraculum has shown me that your fate lies here in Underland, and therefore, you must remain here. It is not only for the good of my people, but also for you."

Despair hit me with such force that if I hadn't already been kneeling, I'd have fallen to the floor. I had to stay here? For how long? She hadn't been specific, but maybe it would only be for a little while?

"Alice," the Queen intoned, "The punishment for you is to return home without your companion. You will never again enter Underland under your own power, or for your own gain. Only an accidental fall through a Rabbit Hole or the need of another may call you here."

I heard her rise from her chair, and felt the Queen's hand slip under my right arm. "Come, we must inform the Court of this," she said, her other hand tilting my head upwards.

As we made our way through the hall, the Queen dragging me behind her and Ali trailing us both, I tried to think of what this would mean. Me, stuck here in Underland? What would I do here? Would I be put to work in the kitchens of Marmoreal, or sent elsewhere in the kingdom to carry out the Queen's orders? She said I had a purpose, so did she have something particular in mind for me to do?

'At least you'll have friends, if they still want you,' reminded a small voice in the back of my head. 'What about the Cheshire Cat, and the Hatter? I'm sure they'll be thrilled you'll be staying.'

But would they still like me? I wasn't so sure. They might feel betrayed and angry, and then I'll be stuck in a strange world with people who wanted me tossed out like garbage.

By now, we'd reached the throne room, which was filled with courtiers. To the side stood the March Hare, Mallmkun the Dormouse, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the White Rabbit. Above them hovered the Cheshire Cat. To my surprise, he winked at me and gave me a friendly nod. I was beginning to wonder where the Hatter was, when I felt someone behind me, and it wasn't Ali.

Turning my head, I almost jumped when I saw the Hatter, a concerned look on his face. I gave him a strained smile as I was pulled before the throne, Ali to my left, and the Hatter behind my right shoulder, a silent pillar of support. Somehow, I doubted that he'd be there in a few minutes.

As the room grew quiet, I hung my head down, a feeling of great shame flooding though me. A hand gripped my shoulder, causing me to turn. It was the Hatter, and he was offering me the strangest handkerchief I'd ever seen: white, covered in a rainbow of embroidery designs. Well, I think it was white; it was hard to see the original color underneath all the patterns.

"Eyes like yours shouldn't have tears," he whispered, smiling affectionately at me.

I couldn't resist smiling back as I took the offering and quickly used it to dry my face. I hadn't even known I was crying until now. "Thank you," I whispered, offering it back to him.

The Hatter waved his hand at me. "Keep it," he said. "I have many more, and it seems you have use for it."

Again I thanked him, and clutched the lovely square in my hands as the Queen began to speak.

As the Queen announced the whole thing to the Court, Ali stood and fumed. What was the point in all this? She had already decided on the punishment for both her and Laura, so why was she making a spectacle of them and their charade? Was she trying to make a point?

'If she is, what's the point in that?' Ali wondered. 'I mean, it's not like any of these people are going to disobey the Queen like we have. They all love her too much.'

Inside, she was both furious and frightened. She was angry that Laura had spilled the whole thing out, that her friend had turned on her and chosen to simper and beg for forgiveness from the Queen instead of standing proudly and admitting that they'd done nothing wrong.

'Which we haven't, really,' Ali thought as the Court began to look somewhere between shocked, angry, and disgusted.

So they'd attended a few dances, gotten free room and board, and some nice clothes. So what? If Laura hadn't said anything, or if the Cheshire Cat hadn't been so nosy, no one would have known the difference.

"And now I ask if these two ladies have anything to say before I send Ali back to her world," the Queen said, looking at them.

Ali shook her head, knowing that if she said anything, she'd only make things worse. Laura, of course, curtseyed and went to stand before the Queen and Court, twisting a funky-looking handkerchief in her hands. Where had she gotten that ridiculous thing?

Glancing over, she saw the Hatter giving Laura a look of support. Well, duh, of course that's where the handkerchief came from! Ali still didn't get the whole attraction between her friend and the wacky hat maker, nor did she support it. She couldn't imagine what things would be like for her poor friend, stuck here with him while Ali went home.

Her stomach clenched at the idea of going home without Laura. What would she say to her friend's parents, not to mention her own? How would she explain Laura's disappearance to everyone? That Laura went for a walk in the woods and never came back? People would think the worst about Ali and her family, and then what would happen?

Laura was speaking. "I would like to apologize to everyone for the horrible way we have used and betrayed you," she said, soft voice carrying across the room. "Ali was wrong for lying to everyone, and I am ashamed to have taken part in this as well. There is no excuse for what I did, and I truly wish I had said something long before now."

She swallowed hard and gripped the handkerchief tighter. "As my friend leaves for our home, I resign myself to my fate as a citizen of Underland, for however long I am here. Through hard and honest work, I hope to one day earn back the trust that I have broken. Thank you."

Laura curtseyed to everyone and quietly resumed the spot where she had stood. The Queen cast Ali a questioning look, asking once again if she had anything to say, and again, Ali shook her head. She had nothing to say to the people of Underland.

She did, however, have something to say to Laura.

Ali and I had only a few minutes to talk before she was sent home. I'd thought that she would have a few fond words of farewell, but apparently, I was wrong.

"How could you rat us out like this?" she hissed, pacing the small room where we had been led to for our goodbyes. "If you'd just kept quiet or lied, we would both be going home. How am I going to explain this to your parents and to mine? What about the police? They'll think I killed you or something! What if there's an investigation?"

"The Queen never said how long I'll be here," I said, somehow eerily calm. The Hatter's handkerchief was in my hands, and it was starting to look pretty beat up. "If or when I go home, I'll tell people that I was kidnapped and drugged by strangers, and that I don't remember much. That'll get you off the hook."

Ali threw her hands up in the air. "Yeah, that's just dandy, except for the fact that I'm going home without my best friend!"

I began rubbing my temples. She was making this more and more difficult, and we didn't have much time left together. "Ali, please don't make this harder than it already is," I pleaded. "Just hurry and give me a hug before someone comes to get us."

She stopped and looked at me for a long moment before rushing to squeeze the life out of me. "Oh, god, Laura," Ali gasped into my ear. "How are you going to be able to stand it here?"

"I'll manage," I whispered back. "I'll miss you like hell, though."

That, at least, got a watery chuckle out of her. "If the Queen lets you, will you write and let me know how you're doing?" she asked, pulling back. "Promise to write, if you can."

Faint footsteps were approaching, and I knew our time was up. "I promise," I swore, just as the door opened.

To our surprise, the Hatter walked in, a solemn expression on his normally cheerful face. "It's time," he said.

Ali and I both fought back tears as we left the small space and returned to the throne room. The Queen stood there, a small crystal vial of purple liquid in her hands. When we both stood before her, the Queen offered the vial to Ali.

"This is Jabberwocky blood, the same that took Alice Kingsley back to her realm," the Queen explained. "I have mixed it with several other ingredients so that you may return to the right time and place."

Ali accepted the vial and looked at her in concern. "So…how does time pass here?" she asked. "How will it affect Laura?"

The White Queen smiled. "Time is relative here. It can be the same day, or yesterday, or tomorrow. Time is what you make of it, Alice. And you should be proud of the name you bear, for it is a great and noble one."

Ali nodded. "Thank you, Majesty, for your kindness," she whispered. "It's been a very strange and unusual experience. I'll never forget it."

She cast one long look at me, opened the vial, and drank. "I'll keep my eyes open, Laura!" Ali called as she began to fade from view. "Don't forget about home!"

Then she was gone. And a second later, I burst into tears.

I couldn't help it. My best friend was gone, and I was stuck in Underland, where I wasn't sure if I would be welcome. How could they do this to me, all because of a couple pictures on a slip of paper? Why not just invite me back later, when they knew I'd be of use to them? What was the point in my staying here like this?

Someone touched my shoulder. Wiping my eyes, I looked up into neon green eyes that were giving me the kindest look I had ever seen. "Laura?" he whispered as he offered me a hug.

Touched by his concern, I let him put his arms around me. As I put my head on his shoulder, I couldn't help but think what a strange, gentle man he was, even if he was a bit mad.

"Let it be known that the Lady Laura is to be treated with the same kindness and respect with which she gave the flowers in the Royal Garden, as well as the Cheshire Cat and our royal hatter, Tarrant Hightopp," the Queen declared. "She will be given rooms near my own, and is to be considered a guest here in Underland until the day she decides to become one of our citizens for good."

To my surprise, the entire court curtseyed and looked perfectly happy to follow the Queen's orders. As I wondered why this was, the Hatter grinned and looked over at me.

"They like you," he said, releasing me from our hug so he could take my hand. "Because you have shown kindness, respect and honor, they know you to be a good person worthy of the Queen's favor. You have been accepted as one of the White Queen's Court." I blushed as he gently squeezed my fingers. "Now, you should follow that nice woman over there. She will take you to your new rooms. I will come find you after you've settled in."

Nodding, I turned and followed the court lady waiting for me, my hands still absently clutching his eccentrically stitched handkerchief.

She was staying! Laura was staying, and Tarrant felt like the happiest man in Underland. He didn't know how long she would be here, but the longer she stayed, the greater the chance of him finally wooing her into marrying him. Then, she would stay here for good.

Straightening his tie, Tarrant began to think. Though time was once again on his side, there was still much to do.

AN: That's the end! The sequel will be up in a couple weeks, at most, and I can only hope that it meets with everyone's expectations. Thanks so much to all who have read and/or reviewed! See you in Wonderland soon!