Reggie looked at Alice in confusion, not quite sure how to react to what she had just told him. "Wh-wha-what, my dear?"

Alice stepped closer to Reginald and put her hands on her hips, "You heard me correctly, Hatter."

The Hatter was enjoying a nice cup of tea with his best friend when he saw a familiar blonde head bob in the distance. He nearly choked on his tea as he saw her getting closer, soon he face to face with his old friend. She had changed over the years, not at all the child she once was. Time had treated Alice kindly; she had grown into a beautiful woman. This of course, made the Hatter quite a nervous person. He wasn't used to being around beautiful women, aside from the White Queen (though to be fair, everyone loves the Queen).
"He-hello Alice", the Hatter greeted her cheerfully.
"ALICE! HELLO WOULDYOULIKEACUPOFTE AOREIGHT?!" the March Hare jumped up and down while he greeted his friend.
"No, not now I'm afraid, I need to speak to Reginald privately if you don't mind." Alice said, looking away from the Hare.

"Oh, alright then...I'll just take some tea." He then bounced off into the distance toward the interesting looking house that the two friends shared.

Alice then walked over toward the Hatter and motioned for him stand up, to which he anxiously complied.
"I've been thinking a lot recently, and it's made me look at things in a new light. You are my best friend, and you always have been, Reggie. Even during the years spent apart from each other I still felt close to you, like you were just around the bend. Were you aware of that?" Alice looked at him, not entirely waiting for an answer.

"I-I was not aware you felt that way, but I have always considered you one of my dearest friends. When you interrupted the unbirthday party so many, many years ago I could tell that you would be someone special in Wonderland." the Hatter told her, summoning up all of his courage at once.

"The thing is, Reginald..I don't want to be just someone special in Wonderland. I want you to think I'm special as well, you see." Alice said, trying not to sound nervous as to where this was going.

"You are special to me, Alice! You have been one of the best friends that I could have ever hoped for." the Hatter told her reassuringly.

"That's it though, Reginald..you are best thing I could have ever hoped for. You are everything I could ever want. I am in love with you, Reggie and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with you." she exhaled deeply as she confessed the secret that she had kept inside for so long now.

"A-Alice, I had no idea you felt that way." the Hatter now looked as if he might be sick, this could not be happening. Alice; fair, kind, enchanting, and beautiful Alice could not be confessing her love for him, the raving Mad Hatter.

"I do, and I have for quite some time now. ", and with that, Alice leaned in and placed a kiss on the Hatter's lips. She looked at him and giggled, he looked as if he might die of shock at that particular moment.

"HE FEELS THE SAME WAY FOR YOU, YOU KNOW!" the March Hare shouted from one of the many windows of the house.

"HARE, I SWEAR I WILL GET YOU FOR EVESDROPPING!" the Mad Hatter shouted back at his friend, fighting back a laugh. He loved his friend, even if he was a little mad sometimes. After all, the best people are.

"Reginald Theophilus the third, do you love me in the way that I love you?" suddenly serious, Alice looked at him waiting for an answer.

"I-I do, but..you deserve to be happy, and surely someone as amazing as yourself would be happiest outside of Wonderland. You have so many opportunities ahead of you, why waste them by staying in a place such as this?" the Hatter sincerely inquired.

"Because I love you, and I want nothing more than to stay in Wonderland for the rest of my life and be with you. I could get a job here, they have plenty of little shops that I'm sure would be more than happy to hire me.. Oh PLEASE, Reggie..let me stay with you in Wonderland forever. I love you so much."

"Are you sure though, my dear? This is a big choice and you might need to think about something such as this before you act on it. Would you really be willing to live with me and Hare and stay in Wonderland? What about your sisters? You have such potential to go to school and make something great of yourself, Alice." the Hatter looked at her seriously, wanting her to deeply consider her choice. Of course he loved Alice and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life, but he also didn't want to keep her from anything in the other world.

"I am as sure as you are mad, Reginald. I love you" she told him as he pulled her in and kissed her passionately.

"I love you too, Alice." he said to her as he held her in his arms.

"ABOUT TIME SOMEONE SAID SOMETHING, I WAS STARTING TO THINK IT MIGHT NEVER HAPPEN!" the March Hare yelled as he hopped back over to the table, resuming his cup of tea that he had previously abandoned.

"Oh Hare, you're such a silly character." Alice laughed as she sat down opposite of the Hare, pouring a cup of tea.

"One lump or two, Alice?" the Hare asked her as he reached for the sugar.

"Two please, thank you." she said but then fell into a fit of giggles when she noticed a certain sleeping dormouse in the sugar. "Um..Hare?" she attempted to get his attention.

"Yes, m'dear?" he said as he stuck the spoon inside, immediately waking the sleeping dormouse from his name.

"Eep!" the mouse squeaked and jumped out of the canister and began frantically running around the table.

"QUICK, THE JAM!" the Hatter yelled; diving for the jam and tossing it to Alice, who had the dormouse in her hand. The dormouse promptly calmed himself after a nice serving of jam was placed on his nose.

"Belle is looking for someone to be partial owner of her bookstore, Alice..if you'd be interested." The Hare told her.

"You really do hear EVERYTHING with those ears, don't you?" she asked as she laughed and sipped her tea.

"Hey! Not everything, I ignored it when you two were being all mushy gushy to each other!" the Hare exclaimed in protest.

"Sure, only because there's a little thing known as SELECTIVE HEARING, my friend." The Hatter told him as he poured his best friend another cup of tea.