Take My Hand (Rewritten)

chapter 2

Once again Alice found herself falling down a dark hole surrounded by magnificent, marvellous objects whizzing past her. She didn't scream or yell, however she did smile and let herself be filled with joy as she came back home to Underland.

She fell to the ceiling with a thud, but was ready for the decent the floor, this time. Alice drank as much of the pevilldasher as was necessary, but made sure to have the key in her hand first. Then she went through the door and ran to Tarrant's table, where Thackeray, Mallymumkin, the Hightopps, the Tweedles, McTwisp and Time were having tea.

"Do you remember the first time that you came to tea, Time?" Tarrant laughed.

"Yes you three made a fool out of me, so I stuck you all at one minute to tea Time, until your fair Alice came to tea." was Time's reply.

"She's not my fair Alice, she's probably someone else's fair Alice, in overland. Someone who isn't mad, enjoys quadrille and her mother approves of..... Excuse me" at that Tarrant got up to leave the table.

"I'm no one's fair Alice, Tarrant," Alice called after him.

He spun round, with the biggest smile on his face. "Alice!" Tarrant said.

Alice could hear everyone else greeting her too, but she wasn't listening. She stared into the big green eyes of Tarrant Hightopp. "Hello Tarrant." she said wrapping him in a warm hug.

When she pulled away, he noticed her hair was shorter than he remembered, not a lot, but a bit.

"Is your hair shorter?" he asked, with all seriousness.

But she laughed anyway, "yes it is Tarrant, but it was a lot shorter," Alice chuckled.

"But why cut such beautiful long hair?" said Tarrant who looked like he might have a fit.

"It got in the way whiles I sailed, but I did regret cutting it, just not when I was around my nephews who would have really enjoyed pulling it out strand by strand, and as I am not my mother or sister, I do not put my hair into high elaborate hairstyles, so cutting it was best," Alice once again chuckled, but the laugh and smile had turn in a false one. And this did not go unnoticed by the Hatter.

"Are you all right my dear?" Tarrant asked most sincerely.

"I'm fine," she lied but she realised that the Hatter saw straight through her lies and corrected herself.

"No," she said whiles falling to the ground.

Tarrant then apologised to the group saying that even the champion of Underland sometimes needs to be taken care of. Then lifted her in his arms and carried her to the hat shaped house just up the lane and found place for her to stay, and for him to look after her. Meanwhile McTwisp informed their majesties that Alice had returned