With Friends Like These

Rosaline put an arm around Alice. "Are you okay?" she asked.

All around them, their friends and soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield. Those who lost someone in the fight clung to one another and started their somber walk home, arm-in-arm. Hatter and Rabbit were talking quietly nearby, heads bent together.

Even though they defeated the Red Queen and her magically-manufactured men, it didn't feel like they had truly won anything. So much death and despair had occurred there in such a short time.

"I will be," Alice replied.

Rosaline turned to face Alice and put her hands on either side of her face, caressing her cheeks softly. "You did it," she said, unshed tears making her eyes appear glassy and wide. "You came back. You defeated the queen. Again. You're just..."

"Amazing," Hatter finished for her.

He and Rabbit came up behind Rosaline.

"Remarkable. Extraordinary. Marvelous," Hatter went on.

Alice was surprised she had never seen it before. It was so obvious to her now. The way Hatter looked at her. The glint in his eyes that only appeared when he gazed at her, then instantly vanished when he set his eyes on someone else.

Hatter was in love with Alice.

His earlier rant made so much more sense to her now. And she was reminded that she had wanted to talk to him about that.

"Hatter," Alice said. "Let's talk for a moment."

She hated to let Rosaline go, but she had to. She needed to do this, and she needed to do it alone.

Hatter and Alice stepped away. Alice leaned against a skinny white tree polka-dotted with brown spots. She stared at Hatter a moment, considering how to begin. She didn't want to hurt him. She loved him.

Of course, she loved him. From the moment she sat down to tea with him, Rabbit, and the mouse during her first visit to Wonderland, Alice knew she had met someone who would be a part of her life forever.

She just didn't love him the way he wanted her to.

"Alice?" Hatter asked.

"Hatter," she said and put a hand on his arm. "You know I love you, right?"

Hatter nodded. "Of course, Alice."

"But I am in love with Rosaline."

Hatter nodded somberly. "She's not good enough for you, Alice. No one will be."

She didn't know what to say to that. Rosaline was the princess; if anything, Alice wasn't good enough for her. But she appreciated what Hatter had said. He clearly thought a lot of Alice.

"Friends?" she asked and held out her hand to him.

"Friends." Hatter said, smiling as he took her hand.

When she joined Rosaline and White Rabbit, Rosaline playfully bumped her shoulder. "Everything okay?"

Alice nodded. "With friends like these, yes, everything is okay."

Rosaline looked down, not meeting Alice's eyes. "You know, you're missing someone."

Alice tilted her head. "Who?"

"The Knave," Rosaline replied. "It's time you made things right with him again."

Alice wasn't opposed to it, she knew Rosaline was right. She just didn't think The Knave would accept her apology. He had said he couldn't forgive her. So, why would he bother to hear her out?

Still, she couldn't shake the image of the betrayed look on his face when he had seen Alice. She did need to at least try to make things right. She took off to the center of town.

When she got to The Knave's shop, she didn't hesitate at the door this time. She went right in. She had survived yet another battle with the Red Queen, lost her love before getting her back, and escaped an insane asylum. She could handle this. She wasn't afraid anymore.

"Jack," she said, getting his attention.

He was locking up the money in the safe behind the counter. He turned around at the sound of her voice.

"Is Rosaline okay?" He asked.

Alice nodded. "Yes, your potion worked. She got her memory back and we won the battle with the Red Queen. She's gone."

Jack gave her a small smile and put his hands in his pockets. He looked like he was waiting for her to say something. Possibly to address why she was there so late.

"I'm sorry I betrayed you," she said. "I set you up. I shouldn't have done that. I should have known you could be trusted with the truth and that you would have helped me anyway. I shouldn't have lied."

"Are you asking for forgiveness?"

She stepped closer to him. "No. I just owed you an apology. It was important I said it, even if you're not ready to accept it yet."

He paused, considering her words.

"Are you going back to your world now that the Red Queen is defeated?"

Alice shook her head. There was nothing there for her anymore.

"No, I'm staying. Wonderland is my home."

Jack smiled. "Good. We need you."

Alice tilted her head. "We?"

Jack let out his hand for her to shake. She took it gladly.

"Welcome back home, Alice."