Thanks for beta-ing this, rhien! Small canon-divergence in part one, seed no doubt planted from one of Iellix's fics.
Part 1 — Wonderland
It was dark by the time they made it back to Charlie's encampment. Alice was so tired. She knew her companions must be, too.
They had had to travel by foot. The horses had been let go before Charlie and Hatter entered the casino; they would have found their way home long before now.
Alice hadn't made it very far in the woods last night before falling asleep. And then she'd gotten up before dawn.
Let's see, what all have I accomplished today?
Wander through the wilderness to be found by a psychotic headhunter, check.
Taken into custody and interrogated, check.
Found out my father is alive, here, somewhere, check.
Torture session, check.
Rescued, check. (She really should thank them again.)
Hand-to-hand battle, check.
Confront one of my greatest fears, check.
Fall into a lake (for the second time) and swim to shore, check.
Hike through a forest, check.
She was deliriously tired.
Hatter said he would see her back to camp and then set off to contact the Resistance.
"You should rest first," she told him. She didn't know how he'd spent his morning, but they finished the day together, so she knew he had to be at least half as tired as her. And half as tired as this was still completely exhausted.
Certainly tired enough that she didn't have any fight in her when he said they'd be sharing the bed this time.
"Because last time, you took off," he explained.
She nodded and asked if he had a side he preferred.
He opened his mouth, no doubt ready to argue, before realizing what she said.
"Er, no. Not really," he answered. "You?"
She shrugged. "I always end up in the middle."
She sat down on the edge closest to her and rubbed her legs. She wondered how many miles they'd covered. Should she be thankful the flamingo had carried them part of the way?
Alice stretched out. It felt good to lie down.
She felt the mattress dip when Hatter joined her.
She was so, so tired. But not sleepy at all. Her muscles spasmed and her mind jumped. He was here, somewhere. She had to find him.
Hatter interrupted her thoughts by asking "So your prince gets what? The edge? The floor?"
"What?" She opened her eyes. They were both on their backs, but his head was turned to face her.
"If you end up in the middle. Where does that leave his highness?"
"Oh." She blushed. She didn't owe Hatter any answers.
But she was still upset with Jack for cheating on her, and there was nobody else to talk to.
"I, um… never stayed over." She kept her eyes on the sky. "And I live with my mom, so… that would be awkward."
"I see," was all Hatter said. He didn't have any other questions (or jibes) for her, so she assumed he'd fallen asleep.
After a while, Alice rolled over on her side. It was a colder night than before. She pulled her knees her to her chest to try and maintain her body's warmth.
That purple coat was probably still around here somewhere. But that would mean getting up. She didn't want to wake anybody up, either.
She ran one hand over her bare arm and tucked the other one underneath her. If she could just fall asleep, she wouldn't even know she was cold…
And then Hatter was moving and the whole bed shook and creaked. Alice looked over her shoulder just in time to see his leather jacket descending on her.
His brows were furrowed and he looked cross with her.
She hadn't asked him for the jacket.
"Thanks, but you don't have to-"
"You've got goosebumps," he grunted. And then he repositioned himself so that he was closer to her.
Alice tensed up out of habit and looked away again. He was going to get clocked if he tried anything.
But he didn't. Just let his warmth transfer along between them, and she felt her whole body begin to relax.
He had her back. She believed him. That he would contact the resistance and try to help her find her father.
She wasn't alone.
Until she woke up.
Hatter was already gone.