Alice watched with wide eyes as Dodgson crumbled into a pile of dust. Time stood before the pile, his fists clenched and his breaths ragged. It almost sounded as if he were trying to hold back tears. Finally, he glanced over his shoulder at Alice, and she could see the rage and sorrow building up inside of him. His expression spoke years of regret and hatred, all of which had come to a head at that very moment.

But before she could say a word, a gust of wind blew through the tent, scattering Dodgson's remains. Alice closed her eyes to keep the dust out of them, and when she opened them again, Time was gone. Still bound by rope, she craned her neck in an effort to find him, but he had disappeared.

Someone stumbled into the tent, nearly tripping over her.

"Alice!" Ina exclaimed.

Ina pulled her into a tight embrace. Alice hissed as a sharp pain shot through her shoulder where she had been stabbed, and Ina to pull back. Panic was written all over her face, so Alice forced a smile to reassure her she was all right.

"I'm sorry," Ina said. "I didn't mean to stray from the plan, but when Tart came running out chattering and fretting, I panicked and couldn't stop myself."

Tart poked his head out of Ina's pocket and gave a soft chirp.

"No, it's fine," Alice said, looking back at where the pile of dust had been only seconds ago. "The plan worked. It's done."

Ina followed her gaze, her brow furrowing. "He's gone?"

Biting her lip, Alice glanced at her sister. She tried to read her expression, which was always a challenge. Was she sad? Relieved? A mixture of the both? Whatever she was feeling, it was impossible to tell just from looking at her.

"Yes," Alice said softly. "He's gone."

Ina stared at the empty tent a moment longer before nodding her head and turning back to Alice. "Then that means you're the new Queen of Thieves. As well as the leader of the Swans."

"Well, there's still Dodgson's minions to consider. The battle is far from over."

Pulling out one of her daggers, Ina gave a crooked grin and cut the bindings from Alice's wrists. "The battle is indeed far from over, but not concerning them."

Tilting her head to the side, Alice raised an eyebrow, but Ina refused to elaborate. Rather, she helped Alice up and led her back outside to the camp.

Alice was expecting to be met by a mob of angry thieves armed with deadly weapons. She was not expecting to find them tied up and thoroughly beaten with not only Norine standing by but also all of the Swans.

"What happened out here?" she asked as she surveyed the damage.

Bill stepped forward, wringing her hands and averting her eyes. Alice had never seen her look so meek and apologetic. "Alice, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said. You're not a child. You're a woman, and you're our leader. I should have had more faith in you. And I don't want you to think that we followed you here because we thought you weren't capable. It's just, while you are indeed our leader, you're also our family. And family watches out for family."

Still shocked by the scene before her, Alice was unable to respond, which seemed to make Bill all the more uneasy.

"Good thing they came," Norine piped up. "Could have been a lot more damage on our side if they hadn't."

Letting out a long breath, Alice met Bill's eyes and smiled. But instead of replying to her apology, she threw her arms around her and squeezed her tight. Bill seemed unsure of what to do at first, but after a few seconds, she awkwardly returned the embrace.

"So what happens now?" asked Dodo.

"Alice takes her rightful place as Queen, of course," Bambi said, smiling at Alice.

"Alice," Ina whispered. "What about Ace?"

The mention of his name sent Alice's heart racing. She pulled away from Bill, her mind racing with horrible images of Ace bleeding to death. Without another word, she left her friends behind and rushed back to the tent.

She tore the tent flap open and began searching for Time. She rifled through the chest, tore the bed apart, and basically turned everything inside out. "Where are you?" she shouted. "You promised! You promised me you'd save him if I did this for you!"

There was no response, and the silence was driving her mad. Twisting her fingers into her hair, she paced back and forth, trying to figure out how she could find him. The watch came to mind, but she realized it was no longer in her possession. She searched the tent again, but it was nowhere to be found. Tears streamed down her face as she tried not to think of the possibility that Time had tricked her.

"Alice, what's going on?" Ina asked as she entered the tent.

"He promised," Alice said through the tears, still pacing. "He promised that if I did this for him, he would save Ace. He promised."

Ina stayed standing by the tent entrance, watching Alice as she continued to mumble to herself and walk in circles. "Maybe there's some way to reach him. What about—"

"The watch is gone. I don't know where it went, and I have no idea how to get to Nowhere. Blast it all, if he played me, I'm going to—"

And then a memory surfaced. A memory from when they had first arrived in Hickory Dickory.

Legend says that Time himself built this clock tower. Many folks believe that he resides there.

The End of Days Clock Tower. Wasn't that where she had ended up after leaving Nowhere? It had to be the key to finding Time.

Alice rushed past Ina and ran back into the camp. She ignored her friends as they questioned her, too intent on finding that scoundrel before it was too late.

She had to get to the clock tower. She had to get to Nowhere. And she had to get Time to help Ace.

Even if that meant threatening him with the Vorpal Sword.

Although, could Time be killed? Was he even a real person?

She shook her head, too panicked to be able to consider such baffling thoughts. All she could think of was Ace.

He had to be all right.

She'd make sure he would be all right.

Or else heads would roll.

But before she was even able to reach the road, a strange sensation took over her body. It felt like she was running through treacle. The sounds of the forest began to fade, and her vision blurred. Then, in an instant, the world went black.

~

When Alice's eyes fluttered open, she found that she was no longer in the forest. There were swirls of purple and white beneath her, and as she glanced about, she found the same swirling clouds all around her. It took only a moment for her to realize where she was.

Scrambling to her feet, she searched for Time, ready to beat him into keeping his promise. But he wasn't there. And neither was Ace. All that she saw was one of those pictures that Time had conjured up before. But this one wasn't moving. It was a still picture of a woman. She seemed a bit rough around the edges with her blonde hair in a tangled braid and scars all over her skin. Still, she was beautiful. There was something about her that exuded energy and excitement. Her spicy green eyes were filled with fire and curiosity. She looked like she might jump out of the image and challenge whoever she met to a good row.

There was something familiar about her. Something very familiar. As Alice gazed at her, she felt a gnawing sense of longing, a warm, aching sensation. For some reason, tears pricked at her eyes and slowly slid down her cheeks.

"She was something else. Impulsive and short-tempered. And boy could she hold a grudge. But she was—"

"Mesmerizing," Alice muttered, still staring at the woman's image.

Time appeared beside her and gazed at the picture as well. "Mesmerizing. Yes, she was quite mesmerizing."

Shaking her head slowly, Alice felt another tear run down her cheek. "I don't even recognize her. I don't remember anything about her. All I have are the stories others have told me."

"Yes, well, she was quite infamous. Even beyond the tribes, folks knew her name. Still do. She'll go down in history." He glanced over at her. "Much like yourself."

Alice finally tore her gaze away from the picture of her mother and narrowed her eyes at Time. "Me?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, but he kept a straight face. "Indeed. The petty thief who overthrew a vicious queen and then ran off to destroy the most despicable King of Thieves that has ever been. Your infamy will be told for years to come."

"I didn't kill Dodgson. You did."

"Yes, but that's the beauty of being Time. No one really believes in you. You're just a concept, a story told to children to teach them a lesson about dilly-dallying. No one would ever think I'd be capable of killing someone. Well, aside from old age."

"Where is Ace?"

He let out a breath and rolled his eyes. "You and your mother, only one thing on your minds." His eyes strayed to the image once more, and his face pinched before he swiped at it, causing it to fade away. "I still have a bit of business with you."

Alice gaped at him as he turned and walked away. "More business?" she said, chasing after him. "I did exactly what you told me to do. You told me you would save Ace if I helped you destroy Dodgson, and I did. And now you say there's more you want from me?"

With rage pulsing through her veins, Alice reached for her smol but found that it was missing. Then she remembered Dodgson cutting it from her belt. It must have still been in the tent. Clenching her fists, Alice charged at Time, ready to use her nails to claw his eyes out if she had to.

But he turned around just as she reached him. Stretching out his lanky arm, he pressed his hand against her forehead and stopped her in her tracks. "Really, I know you're her daughter and all, but this is getting ridiculous."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alice said as she swung her fists at him and attempted to get around his hand, "but I want you to give Ace back to me."

He heaved a sigh. "When I said 'business,' I didn't mean I wanted you to do something for me. I meant I need to do something for you. Or rather, give something to you."

She stopped her flailing and glanced up at him. "Something for me?"

He gazed down at her with one eyebrow cocked. "Are you quite done?"

When she didn't reply, he withdrew his hand and fidgeted with the cuffs of his jacket. Alice watched him warily, still not certain she could trust him.

"After your mother died," he said, avoiding her eyes as he spoke, "I knew that Dodgson would go after you next, seeing as you were the rightful Heir. So I sent you away."

"You sent me away?"

"Yes. I transported you to Hearts where I hoped you would grow up safely."

"How did you manage that?"

He waved his hand in the air. "How many times must I say it? I'm Time. I'm capable of things that regular people are not. Anyhow, when I sent you to Hearts, I also took something that belonged to you."

Alice waited for him to elaborate, but he stalled, tugging at his lapels and shifting his weight from foot to foot. Finally, though, he turned his eyes to her. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised her eyebrows at him.

"I took your memories."

There was a long silence as the words lingered between them. Alice stared at him in disbelief, both at what he had just said and at how nervous he seemed standing before her. Once the confession had sunk in, she took a deep breath.

"You took my memories?" she repeated.

He nodded. "I thought that it would be safer if you didn't remember who you were or where you came from. I knew that if you were anything like your mother—and you absolutely are—you would return before it was time and end up getting killed. So I took them. Or paused them, really."

"Paused? What are you talking about? You're Time. How can you have power over memories?"

"What are memories but pieces of time played over and over again in your head? All I did was freeze them temporarily. Well, most of them. It seems a few escaped considering the name you gave yourself."

Alice shook her head, still unable to grasp this new revelation. "All these years that I've wondered about my past and my family."

"I know, Alice, and I am sorry for any pain the lack of memories has caused you. Truly, I am. But it was for your own good. I wanted you safe."

Furrowing her brow, Alice eyed him suspiciously. "Why?"

He started. "Why what?"

"Why were you so intent on keeping me safe? What did it matter to you what became of me?"

Swallowing nervously, Time went about adjusting his cuffs once more. "Because you were part of my plan. I needed you alive if I was going to put an end to Dodgson."

No. That wasn't it. There was more. "Time, what was my mother to you?"

His hands stilled, and for a long moment he stared into the empty space of Nowhere, as if lost in his own memories. When he turned his eyes to her, Alice saw a deep tenderness in his expression. She knew that look. It was the way Jest had looked at Cath when they were reunited. It was the way Ace looked at her on the day they were married. And she was certain it was the way she looked at Ace every day she woke up with him by her side.

"She was all that mattered," Time said softly.

The tears returned to Alice's eyes, but before they even had a chance to spill down her cheeks, Time reached out and touched her temple. A jolt of something like electricity hit her, and a jumble of images ran through her mind.

A stuffed cat named Dinah.

Eating chocolate cake with Bill.

Forcing Ina to play hide and seek with her.

Dodgson's unnerving stare.

Her father.

And her mother.

Every memory from before she woke up in Hearts came back at once. It was relieving and overwhelming and wonderful and terrifying. It was like a hundred people trying to talk to her at once, and the confusion of it all sent her spinning. She clutched at her head in an attempt to still her racing thoughts, but it did no good. She just spun faster and faster and faster until—

~

She woke with a gasp. Her newfound memories were still swirling in her head, though they had quieted down a little. Rubbing her temple, she sat up and searched for Time, but he wasn't there. In fact, she wasn't even in Nowhere anymore. Gazing about, she realized she was back in Hickory Dickory. The sun was rising over the quaint little shops and houses as the mechanical wonders whirred to life.

Someone stirred beside her. She glanced down, and her heart leapt into her throat.

Ace smiled up at her, one eye closed as he rubbed his head. "I feel like I just fell down a rabbit hole," he said.

Alice let out a strangled cry and threw her arms around him, showering him with kisses and tears. He held her tightly, his warm breath on her neck convincing her that he was really there.

Alive.

Ace was alive.

"I'm so sorry, Ace," she whispered through her tears. "I should have told you. I should have told you everything."

"It's all right," Ace said. He pulled away a bit to look at her, and Alice realized that he, too, had been crying. "Although, maybe you could explain what just happened. Because the last I thing I remember was being stabbed and you crying over me. Did I by any chance die?"

Shaking her head, Alice started to tell him the story, but her attention was caught by a clanging sound coming from behind them. She looked over her shoulder and found that they were sitting in front of the End of Days Clock Tower. And coming tumbling out of the tower was a pocket watch. It rolled towards them and stopped right by her feet.

She picked it up and turned it over in her hand. The tarnished metal was shaped into a rib cage, and as she popped open the door, she saw the familiar A engraved right where the heart should be.

Alice looked up at Ace who was staring at the watch with his brow drawn. He tore his eyes away to focus on her, and a smile tugged at his mouth. "Care to explain where that came from?" he asked.

Leaning forward, Alice caught his lips. Ace drew her closer and deepened the kiss with a sigh. The feel of his lips against hers sent waves of joy and relief through her entire body, and it was only her need to take a breath that made her pull away.

Smiling up at him, Alice clutched the watch tightly. "I'll tell you all about it on our way back to the Black Swans' camp."