“SO, ALICE, HOW LONG have you known Dame Mary Ann?” Carlos was looking in every direction but at Alice. She felt her lips curve up in a slight smile.

“A long time,” Alice responded, “Will you hand me that wrench?”

They were taking apart the horrible clock in the middle cabin. Carlos said that he wouldn’t be of any use to them if he went crazy from lack of sleep and they all agreed that was fair. Because it was hardwired in Alice and Carlos had been at it for a while.

Carlos brushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes and handed Alice the wrench, “Has she always been single?”

Alice who had loosened the bolts stopped and looked at him over her shoulder, “This will go a whole lot easier if you just tell me what you want to know about her.”

Carlos flushed, “I am not interested in Mary Ann, I was only making conversation.”

Alice gave him a knowing look.

“What about you and that Jabberwocky? What is going on there?” Carlos countered and felt somewhat justified in the irritated glance that Alice shot him before turning back to her project.

“Jay and I have known each other for ten years,” she said shortly.

“I didn’t see him that night at the café when I came to pick up Lory,” Carlos prodded.

Alice remembered that night vividly, it was the same night that Jay had come back into her life.

“What are you getting at Carlos?” Alice wasn’t interested in playing games. If he wanted information she wasn’t going to make it easy on him. “And besides, you were just sniffing around my sister and now you want the goods on my airship Capitan. That doesn’t look too good.”

Carlos rolled his eyes, “Please, I never touched your sister. And you decided I wasn’t good enough for her before we ever went out. I doubt she has given me a second thought and I know that you were relieved when I left so cut the bullshit.”

Alice yanked hard on the edges of the contraption and it broke free from the wall. She couldn’t help the small shiver of satisfaction that she had from finally ridding the place of the awful thing.

“Now that we have this room useable again you won’t have to share with Mary Ann,” Alice said slyly.

Carlos’ brows came together, “Wait a minute, that wasn’t the intent of getting rid of that racket. We could hear it in our room.”

Alice noted that he said ‘our’ room instead of ‘Mary Ann’s.’ “Look, Carlos, Mary Ann is a very private person. I have never known her to take up with any men before but that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t.”

“So, you never knew her husband?” he asked cautiously.

Alice jerked her head up, “Husband? Mary Ann isn’t married.”

Carlos smirked finally have the in upper had about something, “She doesn’t know, but she did.”

“No way,” Alice went to argue when they heard a loud commotion out on the deck. They both hurried out to see Mouse, Jay’s younger brother in his Jabberwocky form with Lory on his back.

Jay ran up and helped Lory onto the airship and Mouse shimmered for a moment and then dropped to the deck in his human form.

“What are you doing here?” Jay demanded hotly, “You are supposed to be working at the Treacle Tart!”

Alice rushed up to her sister. They embraced each other tightly. Her younger sister was built in a slenderer way than Alice and was taller, but many of their features and mannerisms were similar.

“There was a small fire,” Lory shot a death glare over the where Mouse was standing. “Nobody was hurt. But it will be some weeks before we are up and running again. I hated staying in the back apartment with...” She broke off motioning to Mouse, “That.”

Alice hugged her close, “I am glad you are alright, but Lory, what happened?”

Mouse raised a brow, “Your sister’s jealousy is what happened.”

Alice felt Lory stiffening in her arms, “What a load of fucking bullshit!”

Mouse smirked, “And she has a dirty mouth as well.”

Jay smacked his brother in the back of his head, “Stop being an ass-wipe.”

It was Lory’s turn to look smug, “I let Mouse go in the kitchen to try and cook and next thing we knew flames were billowing out of the oven. The damage was mainly in the kitchen.”

“Who did you call to make the repairs?” Alice wondered.

“The Tweddle brothers, they said they had run into you not that long ago,” Lory smiled, “They sure are good eye candy.”

Mouse growled, and Alice rolled her eyes, “You two are acting like children,” she scolded. “We don’t need any more trouble on this mission. So, if you are going to stay you have to get along with each other.”

Mouse and Lory looked at each other considering their options and then they both nodded. Alice was quick to get them up to date on what had been happening.

“Where is the Mad Hatter now?” Lory wanted to know.

“There wasn’t any evidence that he had or hadn’t harmed the March Hare,” Mary Ann added. “And he was so upset that the authorities felt that he wasn’t to blame.”

Jay’s jaw tightened, and Mouse noticed it right away. “What is it, brother?”

Jay rubbed the back of his neck, “If you could have been there and saw him pulling a gun on us you would never have thought it was the same man that was sobbing into his teacup. I have heard of his mental illness and seen glimpses here and there. But nothing could have prepared me for what Alice and I encountered.”

Lory spoke up, “So, you still believe that the Hatter is involved in the kidnapping of the White Pawn.”

Jay sighed, “To be honest, I don’t know. But my bet would be that he is involved, I just don’t know if it is a split personality disorder that we are dealing with. Because if that is the case, the other versions of the Hatter may not have any idea what the others are up to.”

Alice rubbed her arms to ward off a sudden chill, “I think Hatter is guilty, and I am not sure that I buy the act that he is putting on. But even I have to admit, he is a damn good actor if it isn’t true.”

“Where did the gun end up?” Mouse asked, “The one that he pulled on you in the Woods with No Name? Could he have used that to kill the March Hare?”

“That’s a good question,” Alice answered, “But the March Hare was ripped apart, almost as if a wild animal had gotten to him. I don’t think that a man’s hands could have been capable of what we saw. It wasn’t a gun by any means.”

They sat in silence for a moment pondering who could shift into a ferocious beast besides the Jabberwocky. It was difficult because one often didn’t know someone’s shifter form and it was considered impolite to ask.

“What do we do now?” Lory asked Alice taking her hand.

Alice smiled at her sister and leaned her head against her shoulder, “I missed you, Lory.”

Lory laughed, “You missed my smart mouth or the way that I am always challenging you?”

Alice grinned back at her, “I didn’t say that I missed you a lot.”

Carlos pursed his lips, “What about the Knave of Hearts? His stealing had him banished from the Red Court. Maybe he kidnapped the White Pawn to try and convince the Red Queen that he is loyal to the crown.”

“That is a good idea,” Jay scratched his day-old stubble, “The Knave of Hearts has been friendly with the Hatter in the past as well.”

Alice and Lory nodded in agreement.

Mouse shrugged, “Couldn’t hurt.”

And so, they went to set course for the Knave or Hearts home which was past the Field of Flying Elephants, nestled high in the Hills of Doom near the Looking Glass House. All was well as they set their course and readied for a new adventure.

It wasn’t until night fell that issues began to arise.

“My sister will sleep with me,” Alice said firmly.

Jay shook his head, “There is no way that the bed in the middle room can accommodate two Jabberwocky’s. If you and Lory want to sleep there, you can be my guest, but I am staying in the room we are currently in.”

“You can’t expect my sister to sleep in the same room as your brother?” Alice screeched.

Lory blushed, “He is a pig, I can’t sleep in the same room as Mouse.”

Mary Ann shook her head, “Jay is right. The brothers won’t fit in that bed or any bed for that matter. You are going to have to bunk with Mouse, Lory. There isn’t another way.”

“If you touch her,” Alice got right in Mouse’s face, “I will rip your balls off. Are we clear?”

Mouse paled, “Yes, Ma’am.”