A/N: So funny story. Apparently, I wrote this months and months ago and since it was on my Tablet and not computer, I emailed it to myself. Months and MONTHS ago. I got the email today. I swear, I changed maybe five things in this. Apparently past and tired me was a good writer. Anyway, enjoy this long overdue Hatter/Alice fic!
Alice sighed as she gently lowered herself down the rabbit hole. This had been so much easier before, when she had chased McTwiss down the hole. That had been six months ago. Six months since she'd seen her marvelous Hatter. Six months in which he could have entirely forgotten her.
Alice paused in her maneuvering to lay a hand on her distended belly. A soft kick nudged at her hand, perhaps a sort of reassurance from her unborn child. Alice smiled and squared her shoulders. If he didn't remember her, she'd make damn sure it came back to him. With one final shove, Alice was down the hole.
Down, she fell. Down further and further until Alice was sure she'd never hit the bottom. There were a few things Alice had to push out of her way, pianos and such, that she easily recognized from her previous visit. A couple items seemed to come dangerously close to her belly, but her hand protecting it seemed to ward off anything that could do true damage. The flipping ceilings seemed to be gentler, as if they recognized Alice as one of their own. Alice pondered for a moment whether it would be safe to drink the pishalver, but decided after a moment that Wonderland probably would have made allowances for her baby. She grabbed the key, drank the pishalver, and ran to the door. As she slowly pushed it open, Alice gasped at what she saw. Gone were the laughing flowers, the strange creatures. Now, her Wonderland was inhabited by... nothing. A darkness filled the horizon and spiky spines of once-green plants stuck up all over. Cold winds blew, barely stirring the skeletons of life. Alice wandered in horrified silence. Nothing moved, nothing made a sound. The oppressing depression of the place made Alice subconsciously press at her belly, as if to reassure her child. Alice walked for almost an hour before she heard a small clear voice,
"Alice?" Alice knelt down,
"Mallyumpkin! What happened here?" she asked. Mally coughed and slowly stood, her needle sword doubling for a cane.
"It was the Hatter. You left again, and he was sad. But then, then he got mad. Oh, it was a terrible thing. He lost control, he did, and nothing calmed him. In a flash, he killed the White Queen. A huge wind hit, and it seemed like it wouldn't stop. Killed most everything. He was so mad. But now, now you're back, maybe he'll calm down. But Alice, do you look different? You look fatter." Alice laughed at that, and it seemed the whole world seemed to perk up for a moment, then sigh in disappointment.
"I'm pregnant, Mally. Going to have a baby."
"Oh you are? Well, best of luck to you. Who's the father? Is he here?" asked Mally craning her neck to look around Alice. Alice, however, blushed.
"Well, he is here..."
"Well? Who is it?" said Mally after a moment. It seemed that, despite her haggard appearance, the conversation was doing Mally worlds of good. The spark was returning to her eyes, her muchness flowing back through her veins. Alice shifted her feet,
"He's... no one you'd know." said Alice, losing her nerve at the last second. Mally, however, was not deterred.
"There was hesitation there, my dear! Who is it?" she said happily. Alice looked down at the little mouse before sighing and putting a hand on her lower back.
"You can't tell anyone."
"Who is there to tell?" Mally pointed out. Alice nodded.
"Very well. My baby's father is Tarrant Hightopp, also known as the Mad Hatter."
Silence. Mally responded, for the first time in her life with silence. Then, she clapped her wee mouse hands,
"This is great! I'll take you to him, you tell him about the baby, and then everything will be okay again! Alice, you arrived just in time!" Mally ran over and hugged Alice's hand. "C'mon, we'll leave right now!" Mally looked ready to scurry off, but Alice said,
"Wait, Mallyumpkin! Won't he be angry with me?"
"Naw! He's missed you so much, he'll be happy just to hear you're alive and remember him!" Alice seriously doubted this, but shrugged and followed Mally. Perhaps he'd be happy and perhaps he wouldn't, but either way Alice was determined he know.
For nearly three days they traveled. At first, Mally would run ahead of Alice, but soon the mouse tired, so Alice allowed her to nest in her hair and merely tell her directions rather than showing. The two stopped frequently, for Alice was hardly in a state conducive to long journeys, and the infant often decided to wreak havoc with Alice's bladder. As they traveled, Mally got Alice caught up on everything the girl had missed.
Hatter had set up his court in the old windmill near where he had taken tea for years. The windmill was crumbling, standing only because Hatter refused to let it die. Hatter's court, as far as Mally knew, was composed of Absolum and March Hare, the only two creatures still alive and willing to return to the mad man who was now their king. The trio generally spent their days with Hatter staring angrily into nothingness, Absolum smoking absentmindedly on his pipe, and March Hare uttering nonsense. Truthfully, Mally wasn't sure the individuals were even aware of each other's presence. Well, that's about to change, thought Alice. At least, I hope it will.
At last, they reached the windmill. Mally shook her head as she listened in vain for Hatter's insane laughter. She whispered to Alice,
"Now, no matter what he says or does, don't leave until he's heard what you've got to say. He's a man, and men don't know what they want until they have it."
"You aren't coming with me?"
"Heavens no! The Hatter wouldn't want to see me in there! No, I think it's best you go in alone. He'll want to see you and only you." Mally pushed Alice toward the door. "Go on, then." She said, giving Alice's ankle an extra push. Alice nodded, took a deep breath, and knocked. From inside, she could hear something shuffling across the floor. March Hare opened the door. His fur was still matted and dirty, but nothing else seemed to have changed. He shouted,
"You're late for tea!" Alice nodded with a semi-smile,
"Yes, I'm sure I am. Could I see the Hatter, please?"
"Oh dear." said the hare. Alice couldn't help but agree with his sentiments.
The hare led her past the machinery of the windmill, cogs broken and rotting. Up they climbed, up and up to almost the top. Alice wasn't sure how much longer her legs could take this. Pregnancy didn't make stairs any easier. Suddenly March Hare stopped in front of a door. He loudly announced,
"Miss Alice for Tarrant Hightopp, King of all Wonderland." The hare pushed the doors open, and Alice gasped. What had happened? Hatter, who before had been a lively man fluttering from one topic to the next, now sat on an ornate wooden chair. His skin was pale, almost translucent. His eyes were sunken deep into his skull, glowing orange globes that burned with anger. He did not look up when Alice was announced, nor when she entered.
"Tarrant!" She shouted. Still no response. "King Hightopp!" she shouted. Alice sighed in frustration. She stomped her foot, "HATTER!" Perhaps it was the way she said his name, or the accent with which she said it, but it was this word alone that pulled Hatter from his strange trance. The first thing he saw was Alice, and the whole world seemed to burst into bloom. The room brightened, the sky cleared, and green suddenly spread over the fields. Hatter seemed to take all of her in. Her long blond hair, nervous yet happy blue eyes, slightly expanded bosom...and swollen belly. The world again went dark, his eyes returned to orange, and Hatter fairly growled,
"Alice, is it? There are no Alices welcome here. Begone with ye, lass." He waved her away. Remembering Mally's words, Alice ignored him and said,
"Hatter, I-"
"GO!" he shouted. Alice stepped closer until they were barely a foot apart. Hatter was steaming, orange eyes flashing and unruly red hair fluttering about his face. Alice poked him right in the chest,
"I will not go, because you and I have business to attend to. Because the child I carry is yours. Because... because..." Alice laid a soft hand on Hatter's cheek, "Because I love you." The Hatter looked up now, green flecks appearing in his vicious orange eyes.
"You love me?" His eyes darted down, but not before Alice could see them slowly growng greener and greener. "You were with no other man? No one else could have done...this," He waved at Alice's belly, "To you?" Alice looked Hatter straight in the eye, clear blue to shining green.
"No one. Mother was surprised anyone even was allowed to do this to me. I have something of a reputation as a peculiar person." said Alice in a stage-whisper. There was a soft smile spreading across her face as she spoke. Hatter grinned,
"That's just your muchness coming through." Without hesitation, Hatter swept Alice into his arms. One arm went around her back, his other hand coming to rest on the considerable bump between the two. "So, you love me, are carrying my child...and I have yet to ask your hand in marriage? What a lazy man am I." Hatter stepped back and knelt down. Alice smiled and giggled as his hat tickled her chin. He took her hands in his, "Alice. Dear sweet Alice Hightopp, will you help me make hats and children, rule a kingdom and our household, and live by both passion and love? In short, will you, dear Alice, give me reason to Futterwacken?" Alce stood for a moment, confused.
"You are asking me to marry you, are you not?"
"I am." Said Hatter. Alice smiled,
"Then I will." Flowers burst into bloom, the sun shone, and suddenly the land was lush and green. Hatter swept Alice up in his arms and kissed her. It was a soft kiss, a sweet kiss the smacked of honey and tea. The kind of kiss that tasted like...more. Alice pulled back, laughed, and kissed her fiancee again. The baby kicked happily as Hatter's hands slowly moved up and down, finding hips he remembered and breasts he worshipped.
"Well, isn't this a nice change?" said a strange voice, a voice neither Alice nor Hatter had heard in a long time.
"Chess?" queried Hatter. A large fluffy blue cat appeared, a toothy grin on his face.
"Good morning, Tarrant. And Alice, how nice to see you. You've certainly grown since your last visit, haven't you? And how long are you staying this time?" Alice looked over at Chess from Hatter's arms.
"Hello, Chess. I was hoping on staying forever, if that's quite alright."
"Why would it matter if it's alright with him? I'm king and I say you can stay." Said Hatter indignantly. Alice smiled, then gasped as the baby kicked. She grabbed Hatter's hand and pressed it to the spot, laughing at his expression as the baby kicked again.
"Is that...?" He asked. Alice nodded. Chess yawned,
"I don't suppose I could feel the offspring as well?" Alice pulled him over and placed his hand on her belly as well. Chess pretended nonchalance, but soon he gave into the awe. His paws were feeling the future ruler of Wonderland. Alice giggled,
"Chess, that tickles!" Chess looked down to see his paw had slowly sunk into Alice. He grinned and wiggled the paw around, accidentally nudging the baby. He withdrew his paw,
"Glad to see you back again, Alice. Now, if you'll excuse me.." Chess lazily floated out the window, disappearing as he went. Alice turned back to Hatter. She smiled and shrugged,
"We're having a baby!" Hatter pulled her closer and said,
"We're having a baby."