Holding up the ring in triumph, Alice could have laughed at the roar of approval coming up around her, at the heroes' victory, at the fact that many of the Oysters (and when had she started using Wonderland terminology?) probably had no idea what the ring was; but she didn't laugh, because she knew the cost, and she didn't know the future. Right now though, just right now, that didn't bother her, and she turned her head to smile at Hatter. It was a smile of comrades, a smile that said, Look, we both got what we wanted together. And maybe even, You were right.
Hatter smiled back at her, and did one of his hat tricks, and this time Alice didn't pointedly not watch, because before she hadn't wanted to admit that it was impressive and he was clever and she always wanted to watch him, but now, well, now…
Alice took a few steps towards Hatter and they slid into a hug as natural as sunshine. Hatter sighed into it and they lingered, because now they had time, and he said "That feels good" again, but then he couldn't stop himself from a small cough and a bigger wince, and Alice drew back in alarm.
"Hatter?" She exclaimed and examined him closely with narrowed eyes. "It's not just a few cuts and bruises, is it?" Her eyes lit on his ear, and her voice lowered from concern towards horror. "Hatter, there is blood coming out of your ear."
He looked discomfited by her sudden attention, and a hand came up to touch the offending body part and scrub away some dried blood with a wince. "Yeah, well, I had Dee and Dum in to play, didn't I? It's nothin' to be worried about, no how—any how," he corrected the phrase grimly, as it put him in mind of his jailors, and after pushing his hat a little better into place, smiled brightly at Alice. "I'll be fine."
This tired phrase didn't even slightly deter Alice, who looked even more horrified and was rapidly checking over his body for injury. "Dee and Dum? But why? What could you even tell them, they already had the ring!"
Hatter barked a laugh. "Resistance leader, remember? But I expect it was for their own amusement as much as anything else. Anyway, when they couldn't get anything from my mind they just moved on to my body." His statement was corroborated by another cough, this time bringing up blood to show on his shirt cuff, and he hissed in restrained pain. His eyes darted back to Alice to see if he would get away with it.
"Hatter," Alice said, "You are not fine." Her hands hovered over his body as she looked around worriedly. "Where should we—where is some—"
"Alice," Hatter interrupted and rested a hand on her shoulder, brought it up to cup her face when that didn't quite grab her attention. "Calm down, just a bit, right? I'm far from bleeding out, there's no need to panic."
She looked up at him helplessly. "But you're hurt, Hatter, and it's because of me."Her voice cracked, and a hand came up to scrub furiously at her eyes before she turned her head to keep looking around. "And I don't know where to go to take care of you, or with what, and, Hatter—oh, Hatter, my Dad."
Hatter enfolded her in his arms in another hug, a different kind of hug, bittersweet and aching with her shoulders shaking under his arms, her head tucked into his shoulder, her hands grasping at his jacket. He turned his head so his lips met her ear, and luckily, her short gasps of trying-not-to-break-down-in-front-of-an-entire-alt ernate-universe-I-just liberated stopped and she was able to take a deep breath and exhale into his lapel.
"Don't worry, Alice," he said quietly, "We'll go to my place. Safe, well-stocked, out of the way. At least until you get your feet under you." He felt Alice nodding into him, felt her breathing calm. She shifted gently and he let her pull back as she smiled at him, okay for now. They were okay. They could heal.
So, of course, that's when Jack stepped up. "Alice! Are you alright? What happened, how did you escape? And…" He gestured at the crumpled casino/palace. "Well, clearly, a lot has happened."
While he talked, Hatter released Alice completely and stepped back, ready to be put aside, prioritized away, already trying to get over it, to remind himself that what was best for Alice is just best. Alice had to grab his sleeve to keep him from retreating completely, and looked at him concernedly before responding to Jack.
"Um… Hatter and I both escaped at the same time, and used the Oysters… people's… bad emotions to—" she shook her head, looked back at Hatter, bloodied and bruised and looking down at the ground arm limp in the sleeve she held. "Jack, do you think you could you could 'debrief' me later? I think we need some time to recover."
Jack looked between her and Hatter, eyes very slightly narrowed. "Of course, of course—I can offer you both rooms at my own safe house, if you'd like?"
Alice felt a tug on the sleeve she was holding, but only gripped it tighter. "Actually, we have other accommodations in mind, but thank you." At the same time, she barely raised an eyebrow and looked between him and the Duchess, whom she'd seen standing very close together during that last confrontation. She and Jack were over, and they both knew it, and while they should probably talk about it sometime, now was not the time.
Jack got the message, but took it well. "Of course. Only call on me if you—either of you—need something. I believe the Library will the new seat of power, if you will report there when you are sufficiently rested…? Yes, quite, good." He inclined his head gracefully, then hesitated for a moment. "And… thank you, both, so much, for your service to the kingdom."
He leaned in and kissed Alice's cheek, and then deliberately stepped over to Hatter to shake his hand. As he did, he leaned in to whisper something in his ear that Alice couldn't catch. He nodded at both of them one last time and stepped away, and they were alone again, as alone as two people could be on the edge of a small crowd of celebrating Wonderlanders.
Alice looked back to Hatter, stepped closer to readjust his hat for no reason, noticing that he let her. "What say we get out of here, huh?" And she hesitated to bring it up, but… "Hatter… didn't your shop get ransacked by those suits?"
"What, you think I live in my shop? What do you take me for?" He cocked his head just-so, spoke so dramatically, and it was so Hatter and not what she had just seen him become that she laughed and found her smile again. "No, important resistance go-between like me? I got me own safe house, hidden and proper like. Not too far from here, really, but we should still catch a boat."
It was not hard for the Champion of Wonderland and her Vassal to catch a ride, and one boat and a secret passage or two later they slipped through a cunningly hidden door into Hatter's place.
It was surprising, in a way Alice couldn't pin down at first. There was the eccentric Wonderland style, of course, all clean lines and fixtures she doesn't know the purpose of, and she could see some of Hatter's style in the beautiful (and well-used ) hatrack and glass tables, but it was so… cozy. There was a brown paisley sofa, and a bright blue armchair, and the carpet was soft. No part of Wonderland had ever seemed remotely cozy before, and Alice finally felt like she could relax. It took her a moment to stop savoring the feeling before remembering why they were there.
"Hatter, where's your first aid kit?" she asked, looking back at him from where she had been taking in the place.
"Oh come on now, you haven't even taken off your coat yet, and it's straight to business?" he sighed and shook his head mournfully, "I should have known." Alice rolled her eyes and started to take off the purple coat Hatter had lent her, it seemed like so long ago, but he beckoned her to turn around and insisted on helping her out of it. He hung it on the coat rack by the door, and almost in retaliation, she slipped behind him to help his coat off.
She was glad she did when she saw what was under it.
"Hatter! What happened?" she whisper-shouted, fingers hovering over scorchmarks, holes in his shirt over more and more wounds. It was a stupid question, she admitted to herself as he laughed raspily.
"Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumber, o' course." He didn't even try to say he was fine, this time, and Alice took his wrist and started leading him to the hallway, determined to take care of him without any more delay. He pointed to the bedroom and she left him seated on the bed (purple) while she rummaged in the glass bathroom cabinet for his first aid kit.
When she returned, he had already removed his shoes and shirt, and even hat. She took in a breath when she saw the vicious wounds he'd earned, that still didn't distract her completely from the smooth skin and muscle that had always been covered by so many layers before. And even just the absence of his hat… suddenly the situation seemed much more intimate than she had expected, she reflected as tamped down her desire to run her fingers through his hair, to set it right and mess it up again.
Instead she sat down next to him quietly, and dug around in the kit to pull out a clean cloth and antiseptic, to clean his wounds. She started on his face, gently washing away blood and dirt and sweat, wincing with him every time she had to go directly over a cut or scrape. She washed away the blood that had come from his ear, hoping the internal damage would heal on its own—she was no doctor. That blood trail took her to his neck, and then torso, and she silently encouraged him to lie back on the bed as she went for the blackened skin as tenderly as she could.
The silence was strong, but comfortable. Loaded with good things. Thank you, Alice was saying with every dab, and the way Hatter looked at her… well, it spoke volumes all by itself.
It was really too bad Alice was too focused on his torso to see it.
It took a long time, but finally everything was clean and bandaged and done for now, and Alice and Hatter both sighed in relief at the same time, and shared a brief chuckle at that.
"Well, I'm knackered, and I don't have a guest bed, so I'm off to kip on the couch," Hatter said finally, gingerly sitting up and making to leave.
Alice was horrified. "Hatter! I'm not kicking you out of your bed! Plus, you're injured, from trying to rescue me—there is no way I'm—"
"—well there is no way I'm going to let the bleedin' Champion of Wonderland, let alone a lady, sleep on the couch when I am perfectly fine with—"
"—actually, as I've brought up, you're the one who's bleeding, and you did just as much to save Wonderland you know, we were in this together and—"
"—besides I wouldn't get any rest if I knew you were out there on my bleedin' couch, would only feel guilty the entire night, really you'd be doin' me a favor—"
"—Fine!" Alice interrupted suddenly, fed up. "Let's just… share the bed, okay? It's definitely big enough." Which was true.
Hatter hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Alright then. I know how to keep my hands to myself, don't worry."
Alice's eyes softened. "I wouldn't worry, Hatter. I trust you, remember?"
Hatter let out a long sigh, a happy one. "Yeah."
And nothing else needed to be said, as they both slipped under the covers on either side of the bed and slipped with equal ease into long peaceful sleep, trusting each other to still be there in the morning, along with all the things that were left to say.
Whew, I stayed up late to finish this. Might be worth it if you drop me a line or two! Also, let me know if this is worth continuing… I may have a couple ideas, but they lack encouragement.
