REVISITED
Based on the TV Miniseries "Alice"

A.N. Yay! New chapter! So, I'm giving fair warning (before you get to expectant) that I probably won't put new chapters up as fast as this. I will try to get them up asap, but my schedule keeps me pretty busy. I hope you guys love this next chapter.


The King of Hearts smiled almost bitterly at the sound of his name. Pushing himself up from his seat in her doorway, he turned towards the couple.

"You're looking well," he replied, his tone soft and precise. It completely contrasted the rest of him. Alice felt herself grown uncharacteristically cold as she took in the state of Wonderland's new King. Jack's normally well-styled, bright blond hair was now mussed and streaked with bits of dirt. A thin scratch lay visible just below his hairline. He wore dark blue jeans that seemed the worse for wear below a mangled, button-down blue shirt covered by a geometric pattern. One sleeve of the shirt was rolled down. The other was marked by a long, violet-colored stain.

"My God! Jack!" Alice exclaimed, shoving the pizza box and her bag into Hatter's arms, "What happened to you?"

She ran to her ex, catching him as he teetered forward. He grimaced as she touched his shoulder, but allowed her to lean him up against the cool metal of the frame.

"Jack, what happened?" Alice repeated herself, glancing him over. She saw that he seemed to favor supporting his weight on one foot, leading her to suspect he may have sprained the other, "What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't trust the hospital," he replied, his voice sounding almost bemused. He looked up at her, a dark seriousness filling his blue eyes, "The mirror is broken, Alice."

"Wot?" a male voice sounded behind her, startling her. Glancing back, Alice saw Hatter right behind her glaring daggers towards the injured king, "Wot do you mean 'it's broken'?"

Alice glanced back at jack, wanting to know the answer as well. She watched a brief glimmer of contempt flicker across his face only to be replaced by a sudden, almost weary sadness.

"I mean what I say, Hatter," he replied, the sadness coloring his tone. It was the first time he let any sort of real emotion filter into his voice, "The Looking Glass...it's broken. The barrier between the world's is gone."

Alice pulled back, stunned by the statement. Glancing back at Hatter, she felt her blood run cold watching him suddenly turn pale at the words. Her heart felt as though it skipped a beat or two as she tried to comprehend the meaning of the words.

"No," she heard Hatter breath, letting his bag slip down from his shoulder and increase the weight on his arms, "No, yer lyin'."

"I wish I were," replied Jack.

"Wait, wait," Alice interjected, aware that the news in and of itself was bad. Yet the two men's reactions seemed to imply more then just a door to Wonderland being broken, "You mean the Looking Glass is broken, literally? How?"

"Shattered into a million pieces," Jack responded, his voice dropping to whisper, "The details are unimportant."

"They're damn well import'nt!" Hatter exclaimed, pressing in behind Alice. She gave him a shove back, feeling claustrophobic and becoming more aware this was to the place to be having this conversation. However, Jack's voice brought her back to attention.

"Alice," Jack continued, ignoring the outburst, "The door between Wonderland and this world is gone. I..." he paused to look up at Hatter, "And he are trapped here."

Alice stared at Jack, a cold and hot chill running through her at the words. Wonderland was gone. Well, not exactly gone but inaccessible it seemed. She looked back at Hatter, feeling her chest squeeze painfully. He had backed away from them, falling back against the wall. His face a fallen, both pained and stunned. The pizza box lay discarded on the ground beside her as well as the bags. She watched as he reached up, pulling the hat off so he could run his right hand through his messy hair. He paused, pulling the hand down to stare at it. In that moment, he looked to Alice like nothing more than a lost little boy.

It was enough to shock her into action. Turning around, she grabbed hold of Jack's arm, swinging it over her shoulder. She felt him wince as she gingerly wrapped her free arm around his side. One or two ribs bruised, she thought to herself,s tarting a mental checklist of Jack's injuries. Her job as instructor at the dojo forced her to take an emergency training seminar simply due to the injuries that could occur during fights. The training told her Jack need to get to the hospital, but Alice was aware of how stubborn he could be. Plus, she felt the slightest inkling in her gut that perhaps he was right about the danger it presented.

"Okay," she said, "Hatter, grab the pizza and the bags. Jack, you're going to have to grit your teeth and help me get you in the apartment."

The two men blinked, looking at her at the same time. She couldn't help but notice the way Hatter suddenly shoved his hat on, clenching his right hand into a fist. Shooting him an annoyed glare, she began fishing through her jacket pocket. This wasn't the time for jealousy.

"Allow me," said Jack, producing the key suddenly. Alice looked at it before glancing up to glare at him. He shrugged in reply.

"Old habits," he muttered, fitting the key in the lock. Alice felt Hatter behind her, but she ignored him, her focus on moving Jack. With a little effort, the pair managed to maneuver the king into the apartment. About halfway in, Hatter suddenly appeared on his other side.

"Go get the first aid kit," he ordered, leaning over to look at Alice, "Don' worry, I've got 'im."

Alice pulled away, her neck and upper back relieved of the weight. She ran towards the kitchen. Her mother had worked as a nurse once upon a time and as such, kept a well-furnished first aid kit in the left drawer beside the sink. Pulling out the large, white box, Alice turned and headed towards the living room. Hatter had managed to set Jack down on the couch, stepping out of the way at her approach.

Setting down on her knees beside him, Alice once again looked Jack over. The king's eyes were now closed, though his breathing was still normal. She realized he looked a good deal paler then the last time she had seen him and that a bruise was beginning to darken the edge of his left eye. Frowning, she opened the kit.

"Hatter, get me a couple rags, soaked in hot water," she ordered, "Put soap on one of them."

If he had any arguments towards helping Jack, they seemed to have died away with the news of the Looking Glass. Without so much as a sound, Hatter walked off towards the kitchen. A few moments later, Alice heard the water running.

"Thank you," Jack suddenly said, causing her to jump in surprise. Glancing down, she saw the man's eyes were open again. He was making no efforts this time to disguise his discomfort, "I had no intention of bringing you into this, Alice, but I knew of no one else in this world to turn to. You've done so much for us already..."

"Jack," Alice interrupted, pulling out supplies from the kit to distract herself from the praise, "Don't talk. You're injured."

The comment caused a slight chuckle to emanated from Jack, only to be buried by another grimace. Momentarily embarrassed, Alice reached for his shirt. Shooting him an apologetic look, she gently pulled the surprisingly coarse material up his torso until she saw the edges of a large bruise forming on his side. Looking back up at him, she found Jack staring stoically back at her.

"This might hurt," she warned, gently brushing the bruised area with her fingertips. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Jack, but thankfully felt no edges or bits of bone. Relieved she pulled the shirt back down slightly and turned her attention to his leg. Repeating the same procedure, she found his left ankle was already beginning to swell.

" 'ere you go," Hatter's voice sounded above herr. She turned to find not only two towels (one white and one soapy and red) but also an ice pack from the freezer. Looking up at his face, she saw his eyes darken and his jaw stiffen as he examined Jack. Smiling up at him, she patted his arm reassuringly before taking the ice pack. Using some wraps from the kit, she gingerly placed the pack on Jack's ankle and tied them into place. Deciding there was little she could do about the bruising on his side, she turned her attention to his face. Using the two towels, she cleaned the gash. Applying antibiotic ointment to the wound, she bandaged it and used the remaining wrap on his side. when she finished, she sat back on her heels.

Jack's eyes were closed again, his breathing even but too fast for sleep. Letting out a sigh, Alice ran a hand over her face. Another hand settled on her should and she looked up to meet Hatter's sad brown eyes. He motioned to the kitchen, not waiting for Alice to stand before walking off.

"You okay?" she asked, knowing the answer as she approached him. He was leaning against the counter, the lost boy look on his face again. He glanced up at her comment.

"Fine," he replied, his voice cracking with false cheerfulness, "Jus' bloody fine, Alice."

She walked up to him, raising a hand to his face. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of her touch. The world had become a much darker place in the short span of an hour. Before, he could go in between the worlds at, well, the drop of a hat. Not that he ever needed to get away from Alice, but he had always taken comfort in the fact he could take needed time away in Wonderland, whether to cool off, relax, or think. There was something important in reconnecting with his own world or universe that not even Alice could do for him. Wonderland was home, even with its dangers and histories. Now, according to Jack at least, there was now way to reconnect to that. Hatter found himself almost completely abandoned. He was now a man without a past, but thankfully still holding a future.

"I have to see," he said quietly, covering Alice's hand with his own, "I have to see the mirror."

"Okay," replied Alice. He shot her a double take in surprise.

"Wot?"

"I said okay," alice replied, though she looked for all the world like it was the last thing she wanted, "You should. I'll..." she glanced at Jack, "I'll keep an eye on Jack while your gone. Maybe...Maybe you can find us some answers."

'Alice," Hatter began.

"Go, she interrupted, dropping her hand to gesture at the door, "Go."

"Alice," he started again, gratitude filling his expressive eyes. He leaned over, gently kissing her.

"I'll be back soon," he whispered, pressing his forhead to hers. Straightening, he ran to the door, hollering for her to lock it when he left. A moment later, she was alone. With nothing but Jack's breathing as her only company.

Back                         Home                              Miscellaneous Television Fanfic Page                          Next

Your Name or Alias:      Your E-mail (optional):

Please type your review below. Only positive reviews and constructive criticism will be posted!