Heartless: An Alternative Ending.

We start at the scene where Catherine slays the Jaberwock. Raven saved Mary Ann from the pumpkin cage. Jest is trying to reason with Peter. Hatta is n

The beast's head fell with a hard thumb into the twisted vines and mess of grass. Catherine discarded the sword and fell to her knees in exhaustion. Everyone had stopped in silence, gawking at the massive carcass in awe and relief. Everyone, that is, except Peter.

Peter peter.

He looked at Catherine with murderous eyes. His lips curled up in a snarl and he spun around towards Jest with his axe held high, ready to swing.

"NOOO!" Cath screamed, her voice cracking and desperate. She tried to pull her herself up but she knew she wouldn't make it in time. Just them a striped tail appeared on Peter's shoulder poking him sharply in the neck before curling up to a smiling Cheshire cat grin and disappearing back into the night. He yelped and swung so hard past Jest that he was knocked off balance and he tripped over his wife's spiked and now limp tail. He groaned trying to get himself back on his feet but Hatta had reached him by then and wacked him in the head with his cane rendering him unconscious.

"That will do just fine for now" he stated.

Mary Ann and Raven had gotten to Catherine pulling her up on either side. She searched through her tears and the thick dusk air for Jest. As they got closer to where Hatta had stopped Peter, she could see his lean dark silhouette coming towards her through the dusk fog. His golden eyes fixed on her in determination.

"Why didn't you run?!" He scolded her while pulling her close and hard in an all enveloping hug. He backed off slightly, cradling her head to face him directly, leaning into her, their foreheads together, both still out of breath and now crying. "You saved us, Cath."

"No," she cried, pulling back, "I doomed us. The prophecy." Shaking her head and looking at the others, frightened.

"Pardon me but we can save the commentary for another time soon, " interrupted Hatta, "they'll be looking for you. Actually, I believe they already are, correct? Back to my shop. With haste."

They drudged their way out of Peter's yard. Mary Ann wasn't following. Catherine grabbed her hand but she stayed still and shook her head.

"Mary Ann, come on," Catherine pled, "we must be quick. Come with us! We'll figure it out. Come on, please. We have to go now."

"Go Cath. Hurry. I'll stall them as long as I can. I'm so sorry for everything. Hurry!" She ran in the opposite direction away from the cover of the forest. Jest put his hand on Catherine's lower back, gently urging her along before she grabbed onto his smooth gloved hand and broke into a run. She had him, she squeezed his hand a little and he squeezed back. He was with her and that was all that mattered right now.

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They burst through the doors of Hatta's studio, scaring the March Hare right off his seat, smashing his tea cup on the ground.

"What is the meaning of this?" He asked, startled, then calmly, "Would anyone like some tea?"

Paying him no mind, Hatta pushed Jest and Catherine towards the back and through a door to his small and cluttered office space. Once they were in, he stood in the doorway and paused stopping his gaze upon Cath.

"You. I am glad I was wrong about you," his lavender eyes were sincere and even apologetic. "Now, shhhhhhh," he said, putting his finger up to his lips, "I need to find out what's going on out there".

Jest stood up and slammed his hat onto the desk angrily, leaving piles of papers spilling onto the floor.

"It's too dangerous! Have you absolutely gone mad, friend?!" Hatta gave him a coy half smile that made her uneasy and laughed while closing the door.