Marchy and Hatter ran through the maze of broken buildings and abandoned green spaces. The Spade suits were not far behind and were determined to capture Marchy once and for all. Hatter was oblivious to why they were chasing March but all their time together told him it wouldn't be good. Dodo would never take March in so they were looking for a new place to hide. Marchy led Hatter to a building with the door chained but loosely. They just barely managed to slip inside and they ran into a vacant room, happy for the chance to catch their breath.

"What have you done now, Marchy?" Hatter asked in between heavy pants.

March looked at his long time friend and shook his head, "I don't think I should involve you in this, Hatsy."

Hatter stared at him in disbelief and perhaps even disappointment. How could he say such a thing? They had been riling up trouble for both the Red Queen and her Suits as well as the Resistance since they were boys. Sure there were times they would cause some trouble on their own; however, they never failed to let one another know what was going on. March was the only person Hatter had ever trusted since the March family had taken him in after his parents were – punished – for being involved in the Resistance. The March family were in the queen's court and well to do but the spoiling they bestowed on their son, who simply goes by March or Marchy by most, caused him to have no respect for anyone around him. Marchy would go on sprees that would embarrass his parents to the point where the Red Queen wouldn't stand for it anymore. Hearing that they were now her targets, the March family ran, with young Hatter in tow. Marchy and Hatter were pushed into a secret passage his parents had long built into their home which led outside the Casino. Once they reached the outer door to the passage, they could see Marchy's parents being arrested by the Aces. Hatter and Marchy both knew what their fates would be if they tried to fight back so they ran instead. Because of the March family's association with the Red Queen, the Resistance refused to help them. Hatter would be tolerated by the known leader of the Resistance, Dodo, but not without suspect considering the March family had been raising him from the age of five. So they spent the past many years, going from hide out to hide out, doing what they could to eat and even get an occasional oyster tea. Stealing and hustling had always been their way but as of late, Marchy was getting more bold, violent even. So now, Hatter wondered if he did want to be involved in whatever March had done this time.

Marchy looked into Hatter's eyes and smiled. "Aw," he started. "C'mon, bub. Stiff upper lip. I'm trying to get us established with a legitimate business."

"Legitimate?" Marchy nodded. "So legitimate that the Spades are now looking for us?"

"No, Hatter. Just me. They only want me."

Again, Hatter was feeling the hurt of this betrayal. "It's almost always been us Marchy. If they take you, they take me as well."

"Hatter," Marchy said. "Hatter, you need to stop this trusting in others. We've had some good times but it's time to start looking out for me now. And you need to start looking out for you. I've already started something special for you to get you going. Follow me."

They got up and looked around the building. They quietly walked through the large entrance room and into a hallway. Marchy opened the first door they came to in the hall and it was filled with bottles of Passion and Lust. Hatter wasn't sure what to make of this as Marchy opened each door to reveal astonishing stocks of oyster teas: Hope, Serenity, Excitement, Peace, Contentment, Self Importance... There were so many stocked here. This hall of stocked closets led to a room that was in the interior but had no roof. It was one of the few places where soil had settled and small patches of green grass had begun to grow.

"What is all this?" Hatter asked.

"Well, it was going to be our office and even loft but I'm afraid the Spades caught wind of me..." Marchy trailed off.

"Lemme guess: They caught on to you stealing all these teas didn't they?"

"Well, believe it or not most of them I bought. I didn't tell you but I was able to get hold of my parents jewels," Marchy paused a second knowing that telling Hatter these secrets would burn him even more. "So," he continued. "I have purchased quite a few; however, others were in fact stolen and you don't want to know how."

"So what now?" Hatter asked blankly, not sure how to take all this secrecy from his best friend.

"Now, I leave the tea shop to you, my friend."

Hatter turned and looked at Marchy in shock. "Me? Why me?"

"Look, my old friend," Marchy walked over to Hatter and put his hands on his shoulders. "I've been doing some pretty nasty deeds – sometimes for the Resistance, but sometimes also for the Queen."

Hatter flung his hands in between March's arms and flung them away. "What do you mean nasty deeds for the Queen? After what she did to our families how can you EVER do anything for HER!"

"Because my rope came to it's end and I didn't have a choice. But I may have gotten a little carried away." They heard the Spades approaching the block with their careless hollering at one and another to look in this building and check that building. "Look, just open this tea shop. An old friend from school days, Dormouse, will be here in the morning to help you get this heap turned into a profitable place for you. Just do me a favor and stay the hell away from Dodo. He's nothing but trouble."

Hatter just stood as Marchy walked passed him back down the hall. Neither of them looked back. March had made his decision and was leaving Hatter. Hatter was too hurt to let March know how he really felt about this. You had to be hard and coy to survive in this increasingly harsh world, and that is exactly what Hatter would be from now on.

What Hatter didn't get to see was Marchy running past the two buildings adjacent to the future tea shop and drawing the Spades away. Finally, on the edge of the city, hundreds of feet from the ground, March stopped and turned to face the Spades. Ten walked forward and grabbed March's hands. "You do this again, Mad March, and the Queen will have your head!" A scarab hovered by where they were standing, they boarded and headed toward the Casino.

Years had passed and Hatter had indeed become a successful owner of the tea shop. It resembled a mad house with people screaming at one another for this tea or that tea, make this trade or I'll offer you this for that tea. Hatter had begun to play both sides of the table, so to speak. Not that he would ever admit this or show his feelings to anyone, he was hurt that the Queen had taken all he had in two families and his best friend, but he was also jaded by the Resistance for not taking him and Marchy in when they had to escape the Casino as teenagers and needed the most help. Hatter didn't fit in either world but did what he could to survive. He's supplied the masses with the addictive oyster teas, made a little money to live comfortably. But then he would also take the excess in profits to the Resistance. Food was a hard thing for them to come by since they were all now in hiding. Hatter also enjoyed the reputation this earned him. He wasn't fully trusted by either side but both sides needed him. To say that Hatter was comfortable was an understatement. But his handy little world was about to once again be shattered, but by the least person in the world he expected.