Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 30 Hatter

It took every bit of my strength to tear myself away from Alice's side, but I know I needed to walk away from that room before I drove myself mad. It was the same routine, beat the hybrid for a bit then rub the balm across my knuckles and allow them to quickly heal before I went to my little tarts side and took care of her. I brushed her hair out so it wouldn't knot then I gently would shift her body to a new positon so she wouldn't feel any pain when she did finally wake. 
I nearly threw myself into one of the garden chairs from frustration at feeling completely useless.
"Patience was never something you had an abundance of Hatter." I look up and see Duchess smiling at me. She pushes a plate of what looks like my lemon scones towards me.
"Hare gave me the recipe and my parents fetched some of your lemons." I start to protest but before I can get the words out she raises her hand to stop me.
"How is starving yourself going to help your Alice? From what I've heard she would never forgive you if you starved yourself. So eat and have some water at the very least." I say nothing but I take a few bites and down a glass of water. The pain in my stomach eases a bit but I can still feel the knot in my chest that hasn't disappeared since I first saw her laying in that basement.
"So, your plan is to keep beating up yourself until she wakes? How's that going for you?" She gives me her no nonsense stare and simply waits for me to answer. I know she won't take silence as an answer. I finish the scone and pour myself another glass of water before I finally answer her.
"What else am I supposed to do? I have no way to help her more than I am. I'm useless in this and I'm doing what little I can." I can't hold back the frustration in my voice. She keeps her face neutral as we sit in silence and she allows me to sit with my feelings. Having said those words out loud the air felt thicker than tree sap in the summer time.
"Have you talked with Cheshire about these feelings? He may be the leading expert on feeling like you failed the ones you love most. Ask and see how he's dealt with his feelings." She smiles at me and sips her tea. We let the silence hang between us as I try to process my emotions.
"How do you do it?" I look at her and she's looking toward the house.
"Do what?" I follow her gaze and start looking for what she's looking at.
"Be bonded with someone. To take that leap and be sure that your doing the right thing. With everything you have gone through trying to save Alice, you may still loose her. How can you live with that unknown?" We both watch as Hare exits the house and walks towards the woods. We already know where he's going, to the Heart estate for more pears. Cheshire had been called to a meeting for only the guardians and we didn't know how long they'd be. I sigh and finish my water again.
"Would you rather be with out Hare in your life? You don't have to bond your magic together like I did, but if your doubting your connection to Hare it may be easier to walk away now. Our whole world has been stuck in it's own routine. Nothing too exiting has happened here in our life times. Probably not even before our grandparents time. If not for the guardians keeping the news of all this quiet then our world would be tossed into chaos. No one else even knows that we slept for so long. And why cause unnecessary panic? That's the unknown. Would you rather be calm and keep your routine never doing anything different? Or would you rather have the excitement of new adventures? No one else can make your choice, Duchess. Not even Hare. That's also for him to decide to love you. I love my little tart more than I could ever say. Since the day I saw her I knew she was special. I thought maybe she'd end up just as a funny story of how a child ended up at my table for tea with no invitation. Who could have known that she would end up being an original line and my claimed half?" Duchess is silent and continues to stare at the spot where Hare disappeared into the woods.
I started to pour myself some tea when I hear Alice scream. I drop the tea pot in the grass as I launch myself towards the house. My blood runs cold when I see Time standing over Alice. She's still screaming before he places one hand on the middle of her chest and her scream dies down till we can only hear her whimper softly.
"Hatter. Place your hand under mine." I move without thinking, following his instructions. Her skin feels like she has a fever. Time is muttering something as he moves his hand off of mine and places two fingers on the center of her forehead.
I have only heard rumors of what Time looked like. He almost never emerged from his home deep in the woods. He's not what I expected at all. I expected him to be small and frail. Burdened with the power to control time itself, but he's tall and looks about Alice's fathers age. His face is plain with a short beard, no one you'd think to look twice at. His suit is old fashioned like the paintings we've seen from the early days of Wonderland. As if he chose to keep himself locked in that era.
"Your Alice is making the difficult journey back home. It can be quite painful so she may scream a few more times, but don't fret. She'll survive. Beatrice is using what's left of herself to protect her descendent. A small dose of magic will help." He's soft spoken and sounds bored. As if being here is just another chore to him. I'm to focused on Alice to fully realize what he said.
"Why are you here?" He looks at me like I'm a simpleton, but gives me no answer. He brings out a small bag from his waistcoat, it smells like lavender and something else familiar that I can't place. He takes a pinch of the bags contents and rubs it over Alice's upper lip and again just above where my hand is. Another scream rips through Alice and he back bows towards the ceiling.
"Hold her still or she'll break something." Time snarls at me and I press her firmly back into the bed. He starts to mutter again and I realize it sounds like the words Mrs. Leo was saying when she was trying to track Alice. The seconds seemed to last a lifetime before Cheshire came barreling into the room. He moves to Alice's head and moves to slice open his paw mixing his blood with what Time had placed on her.
"Warnings are always appreciated my old friend. You know this is easier when we're working together." Cheshire moves seamlessly with Time as they chant while mixing blood and that powder over key parts of Alice. I can feel the call of old magic choking the air in the room before Alice starts to thrash. I move to sit on her legs and hold her hands in mine. Time And Cheshire finally say the final words and the room becomes eerily calm. The room turns almost icy cold as Time and Cheshire look at Alice waiting for something. Her breathing evens out and the room finally warms again.
"Your line has grown stronger. None of the others could have survived in the pocket." Cheshire looks at him startled.
"That's where she went? How did she make it to the pocket?" Time just shrugs and takes a needle from his lapel. He pricks his finger and traces a small symbol over Alice's heart.
"Only the magic knows for sure how or why. We are merely hosts for the games it plays." He pats Cheshire on the head before he turns to leave the room.
"I'm tired. All the excitement has drained me. I feel like we all deserve a long spring, don't you?" He's out the door before either of us can answer.
"Sleep well my friend." Cheshire starts to purr as he settles by Alice's side again. I look between the empty door way and Cheshire about to ask what exactly happened but he cuts me off.
"Save your questions Hatter. When she wakes we'll all get the answers we crave." He lays his head on her shoulder and closes his eyes quickly drifting off to sleep.