“How have you been?” Alice asked, keeping the space between sentences brief and natural.

“How have I been? No, I’m not the star here today, I want to know how YOU have been. Tell me all about what you’ve been up to in the mortal world.” March asked as he glided over to the sink and pulled off a pair of gloves before washing his hands. “I hope you’re not too banged up after what Mad put you through.” He pulled out his personal handkerchief, looking her up and down.

“Oh no, not at all, not anymore. CC helped clean me up just right.” Alice said, waving her hand at CC, giving them the spotlight and taking it off her.

 “She was all cut up, bruised and dirty. Don’t let these two fool you. Mad put her through the wringer.” CC glared at Mad who held his hands up to his chest, balled into a fist clenched in worry.

“I’m sorry! I got caught up; she was safe the whole time I promise.” Mad wore a complicated expression, he was smiling, but his eyes were large and doe like.

“It’s just a Wonderland initiation.” March jested. “Typical of Mad though to run around headfirst and think about things later.”

“Okay, that’s enough. I’m fine I promise.” Alice came to Mad’s defense. She was the one complaining earlier, but now it felt far too much coming from someone else. It was just some teasing, banter, a jest between friends, but there was an underlying hurt they were jabbing at she couldn’t ignore.

“You’re probably going to be sore tomorrow.” CC slapped their clawed hand teasingly on her upper back, “You look like you’ve gone soft in the mortal world. You’ve been pushed too hard because Mad doesn’t know when to stop.” CC changed their target and continued to tease.

“Geeze thanks CC. But really, I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” Alice said between gritting teeth.

“I did help her.” Mad lamented.

“Yeah, you helped her alright. Almost helped her loose her head! She’s mortal and fleshy. If she gets hurt, she can die Mad! Don’t forget that. She’s not like the rest of us. Injuries can be permanent to her.” The blood in CC’s veins began to boil. They were used to Mad’s recklessness, he had always come to them as a friend to lick his wounds. But to drag Alice in all this was too much; outlandish!

“Now, now,” March ushered, stepping between CC and Mad, “She’s here, she’s safe now. That’s all that matters. Why don’t we let the errors from the past go, and let’s go catch up with a long, lost dear friend. Yes?” March asked calmly and smoothly, defusing the volatile situation with quick soothing words as he gravitated away from the group. “CC, come help me make the tea snacks.”

The feline’s face shifted into a smile at the mention of snacks and their small body danced out into the hallway.

“Yes, snacks! I’m starving and can use the drink.” The two of them walked out, laughing, and chatting with one another, leaving two alone once more.

Awkwardness filled her senses once more at the realization the two were now alone. Alice tried to follow the others, angling her body, squeezing past Mad playing gatekeeper of the bathroom door. His tall looming frame held up; he was strong and unmoving, refusing to budge an inch. Alice managed to stop, avoiding bumping into his chest. He had dressed down, a white shirt half opened, her eyes were level with it, and she couldn’t help but admire the exposed skin. Flawless; a deep sun kissed tan blushed with warmth. Her cheeks exploded with blush, her eyes jumped to meet his, attempting to avoid the attraction building in her body. He was staring down at her. He looked away when their eyes met; words were written in them. He wanted to say something.

“You, okay?” He managed to push the two words out of his mouth, he looked back to meet her eye to eye. She was so much shorter than him, Alice realized as her neck was fully craned back. Touching the top side of her head, his fingers rustled her newly washed hair.

“Truthfully, are you okay?” he asked again as he bent from his waist, lowering himself to meet his forehead against hers. The warmth pressed against her skin, sending a wave of pleasant shivers down her spine. From this distance, she could catch the lingering aroma of his body, citrus and pine.

Her face was flushed, blushing as she watched the words trace the corners of his lips, his concern touched her. The frustration and fear she had from before melted away as she felt his skin against hers, and his lips inches from her own.

Kiss him. Kiss him, her brain echoed as her heart fluttered and her stomach spun in excitement. The impulsive thoughts wracked the back of her brain, thumping around in ecstasy. Lean a little more forward, trip, be clumsy, he would catch her in protection and steal the kiss then and there. Her mind was racing with fever over the thought.

Don’t tell them anything, March’s words intruded into her fantasy, pushing her back into reality. The modality of it transformed the pleasuring tingles that caressed her spine, warped them into sharp, stabbing daggers and deflated that balloon, causing her stomach to drop.

“I’m better now, truthfully, you don’t need to worry.” A lie. She wasn’t okay. This wasn’t okay. None of it was “okay.” She was caught up in lust, the fantasy of it all. The words from March quashed away her desire to stay. Reminded her of the logic she had been fighting against with every wistful pull from Mad. Reminding her of the reality of her situation. A memory that told her explicitly why she couldn’t stay. Reminding her she belonged to reality and logic, not dreams and fantasies. She knew she shouldn’t stay. Couldn’t stay.

“CC bandaged me up real good.” Alice said smiling, trying to seal the lie with the truth. Tying it with a bow in anticipation of acceptance. Mad looked at her, concern written all over his face. Pulling back, he looked away. Did he not believe her, had March already said something? Alice wondered. Reaching towards him she asked instead, “Are you okay?”

“I’m sorry. I got you caught up in my mess.” He paused and looked back at her. He ran his elegantly long fingers through his messy poppy hair. It was long, tied into a ponytail with just enough falling to frame his beautifully angular face. “I wasn’t thinking. I saw you and just— I got so excited. I didn’t think of anything besides you. I’m so used to just doing what I want—I just— I don’t know.” He paused. “I can’t excuse dragging you through that. CC was right, I could have gotten you killed. And I can’t believe I didn’t consider that till CC said something. I was just so happy and excited—”

“Hey. Woah,” Alice interrupted, worry pulled at her brows as she watched the anxiety consume him, spiraling his words one into the other. “Everything is fine, everything’s going to be fine. I know I got upset earlier, and there is a lot we still need to figure out, but it doesn’t seem like I’ll be going anywhere anytime soon. There’s not much we can do about that right?” Alice explained to him, half-truths mixed with reality that had begun to settle in. Suppressing her own anxiety and worry, she wanted to comfort him. There would be no point in either of them becoming unsettled and worried.

“Look, we’ll just move forward and figure this out as we go right? I’m going to be sore in the morning from all this running, so we should just relax for now.” Alice chuckled, once again using it to break the tension. “I haven’t exercised this much since I was in high school.” She laughed, her hands patted her thighs, the lactic acid started to settle as the adrenaline wore off. Her body slowly started to ache and scream.

He offered a half-lit smile, “It’s good to see you back in those clothes. It’s like you never left.” He gently grabbed the collar of her shirt, holding the fabric gingerly between his fingers. He ran the tip of his thumb across the stitching. “Alice—” he started, her name in his mouth caressed her ears. His voice low and sultry, her body craved more of it as her insides were ignited. The two stared into each other, both completely aware of the heat blazing between their eyes. Alice wanted him to lean in, just gift her with the kiss she was craving. Present her with a long-lost kiss, let her tongue taste his again.

Mad of course wanted more of the same, to drag his fingers across her skin, to feel her softness underneath his hardness. He missed her for so very long. He had imagined what it would be like to see her again. Wondered what a reunion between the two would be like. Fantasizing and admiring everything he had taken for granted before. Mad leaned in closer, his towering frame over hers, cast a shadow of warmth and desire.

Kiss him. Kiss him. Her brain repeated.

“Come on!” CC’s aggravated voice carried down the hall and snapped the two from their lust filled trance.

“We made the tea and we’ve finished setting up outside.” March said as he carried the tarnished tray with an assortment of cups and a misshapen tea pot.

“We’re coming.” Mad called and Alice reached out to grab his hand, causing him to pause. She offered a sly smile, lighting her face up with embarrassment. He returned the smile and squeezed her hand, gently weaving his fingers into hers. They held hands till they rejoined the group.

Alice’s face dropped; the outside she had just been reunited with was brand new. The day had gone, the sun had moved away and in its place the moon shone with its own brilliance, blanketing Wonderland with her shadow, attempting to lure others into sleep. The chairs and table that had welcomed her were all replaced, transformed into a cozy atmosphere that no longer expressed the webs of loneliness. Instead, a smaller table greeted her, shrunk to fit four people intimately yet comfortably.

Small scattering lights gracefully illuminated the dark night air. Artificial glows emanated from dancing decanters, proving an extra sense of familiarity. A string of hazy blue lined the tree house, stringing neighboring trees together, creating a calmness across the group. A comforting embrace fueled by imagination.

The night air hung a brisk silence. Slightly chilled and comfortable as the sounds of the surrounding woods announced themselves; uninvited guests arriving to the soiree. An orchestra of sounds, natural in their rhythm, surrounded the group. Chirps from crickets sang in the night. The cooing of doves nestled in for the evening, created a thumping base. The flapping of an owl as it watched for scraps of a meal, melded together, singing together in harmony in the night air.

Happiness cradled Alice’s chest. This was what she always wanted to have been real, wishing this sense of familiarity existed for her in the mortal world. A silent smile pulled at her lips.

“Wow you got it all set up.” Mad proclaimed as he bounded towards the tea pot.

 “You had most of it done already, we just finished a few of the lights,” March said as he adjusted the black gloves encasing his hands, like he had just finished replacing them.

“Let’s serve them up and start drinking!” CC proclaimed, pouring the tea from the imperfect pot. It was green, crooked and covered with bumps and blips, imperfect wells in the ceramic. The amber liquid cascaded down into cups that were in no better shape.

 “To old friends!” March raised his glass, a handkerchief held between the handle and his fingers.

 “To making it through another day.” CC said holding up their cup, as they took a leap onto the chair, extending their short height to be more aligned with March’s ears.

“To new memories.” Mad proclaimed with a long, wrapping smile and eyes filled with enthusiasm.

 “Here! Here!” Alice raised her cup and with great joy, clinking together a melody of misshapen cups that sang an offbeat tune. Tea splashed across their hands and flowed onto the table in a carefree mess. To old friends, and new memories. Alice repeated the words as she followed suit and drank.