This is my first fanfiction I've ever written, so please be nice :) Each chapter only takes me about, twenty minutes/half and hour.
Please review. Nice things, and constructive criticism, but please don't be nasty c:
In this chapter we inroduce Jane, who this story is a lot about but we also see how much Hatter misses his Alice and that he's just trying to replace her.
There's a few hints about their relationship and what they mean to each other as well.
Chapter one - Left without Alice.
Hurry up!" Hatter heard an excited and bubbly voice say, it was what felt like the millionth time Jane had told him to 'come quickly, hurry up, run faster' but poor Hatter couldn't possibly run when his mind was swimming with thoughts. He thought of tea, time, hats, things that begin with the letter M, and Alice. Always was he thinking of Alice. Ever since she had left Underland those many months ago, he hadn't been able to get her out of his head, no matter how much time he spent with Jane. He constantly thought about Alice, he dreamt about her, and everything around him reminded Hatter how amazing the time he had with her truly was.
"Ah, wouldn't want to keep a lady waiting" He heard a sly voice say. He couldn't see who has made the remark but that was always a dead giveaway. "Why not? A lady has kept me waiting for months, although in her time it may be years, or weeks or days, or maybe she doesn't want to come back, or maybe she might not remember how, or maybe she remembers and is unable to, and god forbid that she decides England is a better fit for her and-" "Tarrant!" Chessur called "...I'm fine." He replied in that squeaky voice he always did after going on one of his many mad ramblings."So this is about Alice?" asked the cat that suddenly appeared on a tree branch almost right above Hatter, who stared at him with the most odd look upon his face, "Not that I don't mind the attention, but what exactly are you looking at?" said Chessur in a slightly snobby voice. "Ah Chess, some days I just wish I could wear a smile as large as yours, it seems that Hatter smiles are rare these days, real ones anyway" He said, looking down at his feet as if they suddenly became quite intriguing. "Many do, but nobody's smile is as perfect as mine" replied the cat as he slowly began to fade away again.
Hatter just stood there for a short while, or maybe it was long he wasn't really sure. He and time weren't exactly close friends, so for all he knew Alice could have left yesterday, but it certainly didn't feel like yesterday to the Hatter, although he could remember it perfectly. In fact, that very moment she left was played over and over in the Hatter's head all of the time. A hand slipped into his hand and squeezed it a little bit, he turned around half expecting to see Alice, although in the back of his mind he probably knew it wasn't her. His face fell a little when he realized it was Jane who had crept up on him. "Are you okay?" she asked him, holding his chin up so that he was forced to look in her eyes, "Yes, yes, of course! Just silly old me lost in my thoughts again. Although, I don't quite see how one can get lost in thoughts, I mean can people really get lost and not come back if their thoughts are that winding and twisting and roads keep disappearing and appearing, except there are no roads in a persons mind, yet maybe if-" Jane tugged on his arm slightly, pulling him out of his rambling state, "thank you, sorry" was all he said before taking her hand and walking off to yet another of their regular tea parties.
"What were you thinking about back there? You looked so very sad..." Jane was genuinely worried about the Hatter and he knew this. He didn't want her to worry more than she had to, so he just said "I was just thinking, about how a raven is like a writing desk." Jane just looked more confused than she already was, but decided not to say anything. She of all people didn't quite want to delve into the mind of a madman, as charming a madman as he is. Speaking of the raven and writing desk hurt Hatter and what hurt him most was that if Alice were here, she would not give him a confused look, but would merely giggle or ask why. Jane was a poor substitute for Alice, she was nowhere near as curious as Alice, and she had long, straight, brown hair instead of Alice's beautiful blonde curls, and she was definitely not mad enough to be Alice! She didn't understand the Hatter like Alice did, but he knew there were very few who did. Nobody could ever truly replace his Alice, but as far as Tarrant was concerned, Jane would have to do.
He was pulled out of his thoughts as a saucer came flying out of nowhere and knocked the tall hat right of his head, and as he tuned and bent down to pick it back up, a spoon was thrown at his bottom. Oh Thackery, you really are mad he thought. He was able to dodge the next three things that Thackery threw his way, and eventually got to the tea table and sat as his usual post, in that big comfy chair of his. "Sometimes I think you rival my own madness Thackery!" the Hatter exclaimed rather loudly, in a laughing manner. "Aha! But do you see me rambling on about almost nothing every five minutes?" Thackery asked, he too was joking. The joking turned into a rather heated argument between the Hare and the Hatter about who exactly was madder. Neither wanted to win and neither wanted to lose, it was an incredibley pointless argument, as were most that they had.
Jane just sat there, not next to the Hatter when Alice would sit if she were there, but across from Thackery. She felt uncomfortable, like she didn't know what to do with herself, she eventually decided to sit there and wait for them to finish their argument, instead of trying to break it up, as Alice would have done. See, Jane had no knowledge of Alice, and how close she and the Hatter were. Whenever she was around everyone was careful not to mention her, as she was easily upset and didn't want to feel as though she was just a replacement for Alice. Sometimes she would hear creature speak of 'Underland's champion' But when she asked who they meant, they simply told her it was nothing she needed to concern herself with. Jane was sure she was the first human girl to enter Underland, after all, how many people fall through mirrors a day without shattering them? Although Jane loved Underland and all who inhabited it, she couldn't help but always think,
I don't belong here.
