I laughed as Hatter did tricks to entertain the group. He spun plates, juggled cups, and balanced his hat on his heel. He was very talented. The twins poked my arm and pointed towards Cheshire, who was glaring at Hatter for almost breaking his good dishes, scolding him harshly and telling him to "put those down at once!" Rab chuckled at him and said it was all good fun. Everyone was relaxed and happy. It was a sight I hadn't thought I'd get to see.

Rab sat down next to me as I took a sip of tea. "So, was this your goal?" I asked.

He didn't look at me, but he smiled. "Well, it's a start. We have plenty to do before Wonderland is back to normal. But it's definitely a start."

We both fell silent as we listened to the laughter and watched the smiles. As we sat there, I suddenly remembered something I had forgotten to ask. "Hey, Rab?" I said.

"Hm?"

"How did you know I would be able to come back?" I asked.

He shrugged lightly. "To be honest, I went on a hunch," he told me. "You are the Queen's son, a royal. Those in the royal family have always been able to travel to and from Wonderland as they please."

I gaped at him. "You risked my life on a hunch?" I asked.

Rab chuckled as if it was a simple fact. "I apologize, but it was a very positive hunch," he assured me.

"What would've happened if your hunch was wrong?" I asked.

"Well, even if you didn't inherit the traveling traits from the White Queen, you're still a Wonderlandian," he explained. "So, if you had been like the rest of us, you'd have been cast out."

I set my tea down with a clatter and turned to give him a shocked stare. "And you were okay with that?!"

He set his tea down as well. "No, but it was a fifty-fifty chance and I'm good with numbers." He smiled at me. "I was okay with that."

I scoffed, but it was good-natured. "Jeez, Rab. Sometimes I can't tell if you're a good guy or a jerk," I said.

His eyes merely twinkled with delight and he took another sip of tea. "You are not the first to say so," he said.

Just then I noticed Cheshire staring at me and I stood up. "Kitten calls," I said, walking across the living room towards Chesh. Rab nodded in understanding. 

When I reached Cheshire's side, I asked, "What's up?"

Cheshire pulled me to his hip. "What were you guys talking about?" he asked, appearing troubled.

"Nothing particularly important," I replied. Then, to change the subject, I turned to look at everyone with a smile. "I'm glad it's over..." 

Cheshire watched me as I leaned back against him, gazing out upon our friends. He leaned too and we just stood there watching, smiling at the happy atmosphere in the room. He grabbed a muffin off a nearby table and we shared it as we talked. It was like the horrors of the red queen had never happened. 

Standing there, I slipped my hand into Cheshire's and squeezed it. He looked at me in surprise. I checked to make sure no one was watching before I stood on my tip toes and gave his cheek a light kiss. Chesh stood very still as I whispered softly, "I love you."

He turned away and I saw his cheeks turn red. Then he turned back around and planted a passionate kiss right on my lips, far less shy in his affections. "I love you too," he said against my lips.

I smiled and closed my eyes as we held hands, forgetting about everyone else in the house. We were simply content to take in each other's love. This was short lived as someone cleared their throat and I suddenly realized we'd been hugging for longer than was proper. We turned to see everyone in the room staring at us and I blushed crimson. Quickly, I took a few steps back from Chesh, who also looked a little embarrassed.

Rab was smiling and shaking his head, while the twins just looked uncomfortable and made an excuse to go goof around outside. Mouse and March looked disinterested and went back to ent=joying their muffins, and Hatter sent me a wink and a thumbs up. I felt as if my face might burst into flames.

Finally, Rab spoke up to clear the air. "All I can say is don't do that in front of the Queen," he warned.

I mumbled that I was going to the bathroom and made a quick exit into the next room. As I walked towards my room, Cheshire following after me. "Maybe we can pick this up tonight when we're in private," he said.

I felt the blush return and shooed him off. "Get lost, creep." He chuckled but obeyed and I closed my door. Weirdo.

*******

I picked up the dirty teacups from the coffee table and took them to the kitchen while Chesh tidied the living room. Everyone had long-since left and we were alone again, just taking in the silence of each other's company. It was relaxing after such an ordeal as we had just had.

As I washed the cups and saucers, Cheshire came to stand beside me, resting his head on my shoulder. "Can it always be like this...?" he murmured softly, eyes closed.

I chuckled and reached up to give his ears a slight rub, earning a small, deep purr of happiness from his throat. I sighed contentedly before my happy smile faded and I went back to washing dishes. "I wish..." I said.

Cheshire frowned at this and sat up to looked at me. "What do you mean? You are going to stay here and live with me, aren't you?" he asked.

I stopped washing dishes and my hands rested on the edge of the sink. "I want to," I said, not fully answering.

Cheshire seemed to droop. "But?"

I sighed. "I still have my mom to think about, and school. I can't just drop out." Suddenly, I felt all the anxiety I'd been ignoring crash around me. "And who's to say I'll even fit in here in Wonderland? I was raised in a world of order; the complete opposite of Wonderland..." 

Cheshire turned my face to his with a frown. "You already fit in," he said. Then he hugged me. "You fit perfectly in my arms at least, and that's really all that matters."

I laughed lightly at his little joke, but it wasn't as enthusiastic as Chesh had probably been hoping for. I pulled away and started putting clean dishes away to keep my mind occupied. "I mean, it's not like I want to leave," I said.

"Then stay here. Everyone likes you, and I couldn't dream of a world without you," Chesh said.

I shook my head and closed the cabinet. "It's not that simple," I said. "Even if I quit school, I can't leave my mom alone. I can only imagine her reaction if I told her that I wasn't going to go to school anymore and that I wouldn't be home either."

Cheshire fell silent. Then he said, "Technically... She is the Queen..." He seemed to have an idea. "All she has to do is come back here and be queen. Then you could stay here forever."

"Yeah, but..." I looked away. 

Cheshire's hope diminished and he tilted his head in confusion. "You... do want to stay here... right?" he said.

I sighed. "Of course, I do, I just..." I didn't know how to explain it. I wanted to stay in Wonderland more than anything in the world, it wasn't even a matter of my feeling I didn't belong there. In fact, I thought I belonged there more than I ever had in my own world. I just felt torn between my world, and the world I wanted.

His eyebrows came together and he shifted his eyes away from me. "Are you afraid of Wonderland...?" he asked.

I shook my head quickly. "No! I love it here. There's nothing I'd like better then to get to stay here with you."

Suddenly, Cheshire grabbed my wrist, and pulled me into his room. He closed the door with a slight bang. My breath caught as he lifted me up and pushed me onto my back on the bed. "Cheshire," I started to scold.

Cheshire loomed over me. "Then stay with me," he said.

I stared up at him with a mix of emotions. This made no difference. His wants and my wants didn't change what I had begun to feel was wrong.

Seeing I wasn't convinced, he placed his hand on my stomach, slipping it under my shirt and roaming upward; his fingers were soft on my skin. Despite this, however, I flinched and grabbed his wrist to stop him. "What're you doing?" I asked.

Cheshire didn't answer me, pulling my hand away and trapping it above my head. I stared at his hand as it lifted my shirt and rubbed over my chest. I shivered from the combination of fear and cold, but didn't fight him. "I'm not ready..." I said. "Please," I begged him.

Sensing my unease, Chesh loosened his hold on my wrists and leaned down to kiss my abdomen, running his tongue across my skin instead of his fingers. I closed my eyes and rested my head back, suppressing a moan. I shifted nervously though, and Cheshire soothed me. "Shh..." he whispered.

As I weakened into his embrace, he sat up to look at me, a deep sadness in his eyes. "Don't you understand?" he asked. He brushed his fingers over my forehead like feathers and down to my collar bones. "I can't live without you," he murmured. "I need you. Right next to me."

When he snuggled into me, and relaxed into his heat. "But I shouldn't be here... not in this crazy world..."

Cheshire chuckled softly. "You snuck into a castle to save an idiot like me. I'd say you're crazy enough to live here," he said.

I laughed back for a moment. Then a silence fell over us. "I guess..." I finally said, giving in.

I felt him smile against my neck and he hugged me tighter. After a few minutes though, I sat up. Untangling myself, I crawled out of Cheshire's arms and got off the bed. 

"Where are you going?" Cheshire asked.

"I'm going to ask Rab if-"

Before I could finish, Chesh grabbed me and pulled me back, resolutely making me sit in his lap. "Rab can go get the White Queen and tell her the good news in the morning," he said. He bit down on my neck, a small gasp leaving my lips. "I'm not letting you go anywhere."

Before I could do anything, he rolled me over and trapped me between his arms for the second time. "Prepare yourself, Alice. No one's here to save you this time," he said, leaning down to kiss me.

He was playing dirty, but I decided to let him have it. I kissed back and brought my arms up around his neck. I could hardly keep up with him the rest of the night. But I would remember all of it in detail. That night Cheshire burnt his love into my body like a branding so that I would never forget it. 

*******

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