So, we've all noticed the connection between Alice and Hatter, but what exactly is that connection? I believe it is true understanding—something that is difficult to come by these days. This is from the White Queen's pov. Enjoy!

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I watched the young woman disappear before my eyes, back to her own world, a place I was sure was far less mad than this one. Probably far less exciting, too, but I understood. She had her reasons.

Feeling the weight of my crown on my head, I knew I could never repay her for what she did for Underland. And yet I could not help but feel some resentment for her.

For in the wake of her disappearance stood a Mad Hatter, his expression lost, the familiar maddening spark gone from his eyes.

We had been good friends, he and I, once. But it was a long time ago, before the torturous rule of my elder sister, before Underland was set aflame. A forgotten time. Only now could people dare to remember, to rebuild their lives. Happiness was in the realm of possibility once again.

But, for him, I wasn't so sure.

For as long as I can remember I have considered Tarrant to be mad. His insanity progressed when Underland was under Iracebeth's rule, but he had always had this wonderful quirkiness about him. His way of thinking was unexplainable and usually unfollowable. Often, when he talked to me, our conversation veered far from the original topic. So far, in fact, that I sometimes couldn't remember what we were talking about in the first place. He could connect every thought, of course.

I had never met anyone quite like him, until I met Alice.

I knew from the moment we began speaking that they shared that same unique thought process. They had a way of making everything make sense, yet it seemed as though they were making everything up as they went along.

I knew Tarrant had never experienced that connection before, of communicating with someone who knew exactly what you were saying and why you were saying it. I also knew that now that he had experienced said connection, nothing else would compare.

I realized I had been staring, for he finally came out of his own reverie, the dull green eyes meeting my own. We did not move for a moment, I gauging his emotions, he collecting them. My decision made, I strolled to him confidently, though I felt anything but.

"Tarrant," I said gently, stopping in front of him.

His eyes only dropped to the stone beneath our feet, the brim of his hat covering his eyes.

"My Queen," he replied formally. Emotionlessly.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me slowly.

"She will return, Tarrant, one day," I told him with all the sincerity I could muster.

His eyes widened a fraction of a millimeter, daring to hope. "She will?" he asked.

I nodded, giving a tiny smile.

"Why would she do that, my queen?" he asked, genuinely curious.

I shook my head at his ignorance.

"You understand each other. She thinks in the same way you do. She will find that there is no one else quite like you, no one else who sees the world the way she does. And when she realizes that, she'll be back," I said. When his expression remained unconvinced, I continued, "She is in love with you."

He was silent for a moment, then, "… That is totally, completely, uncomprehensibly mad," he concluded.

I smiled again. "I'm told that the best people are."

Suddenly, the spark ignited, the laughter returned. He grinned widely.

"Yes," he agreed, "Yes, they are."

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And that's my bit. Uncomprehensibly and unfollowable are spelled incorrectly on purpose, by the way. I just thought it sounded madder. Review, if you like.