A/N Disclaimer: This may come as a shock but *gasp* I don't own Alice in Wonderland or the characters even though I wish I owned the Mad Hatter. This is based on the Tim Burton version of Alice in Wonderland. This is just a one shot but I am planning on writing a longer story about both of them. I don't think I got the Mad Hatter just right since he is actually quite hard to write for and I've only seen the movie twice and haven't fully gripped him. I'll let you decide whether I got it right or not. Enjoy!
The mad hatter saw her vanish in front of his eyes and knew she would not only forget about him, even though she said she wouldn't, but he also knew she was never coming back to Underland. The White Queen stood some distance away in order to give the two the space they needed while saying good bye.
She knew the mad hatter stood there with his heart breaking, she had a very good idea about the way the two felt about each other and she had been so certain that one of them would have said something.
She once again kneeled by the jabberwocky, trying not to wretch at the smell, as she produced another vial and quickly filled it with the blood of the beast.
She walked towards Tarrant and held out the gift to him. He looked at it puzzled, Why is she giving me such a gift.
"Believe me you have earned it Tarrant. Not only for protecting me that horrible day but what you have continued to do ever since then. I will tell you as I told Alice, this will allow you to do what you wish."
He accepted the vial from her with caution as if it would burn him to touch it. She encouraged him to take it and he finally did so. He looked at the purple liquid inside and could feel his stomach turn at the thought of drinking the jabberwocky's blood.
If Alice can do it so can I.
He opened the vial with care as if it was the most fragile thing in all of creation. He pinched his nose with the hand that did not hold the vial and he quickly downed the contents. He was still able to taste the fowl blood and he wondered how Alice had not gagged on it as he did now. It tasted like all the rotten things ever known to any one.
He began to think of what he wanted, he wanted to be with Alice. To feel her touch him again, to smell her, to taste her, to see her, to be by her side forever. He could hear water, feel the ground begin to rock as the White Queen began to dissolve as Alice had only moments before.
"Don't forget us Tarrant."
"I won't."
She waved at him as he completely disappeared and was on a ship. He had no idea how he had ended up on a ship, he had wanted the blood to take him to Alice. Was she on the ship?
He looked around, trying to spot her when all of a sudden his eye saw the back of a girl with long curly blond hair in a blue coat. She was at the bow looking ahead of her. He was sure it was her, he wanted so badly to go wrap his arms around her but she had left him in Underland. She could have chosen to stay with him but she didn't.
Why hadn't she stayed? Did she really think he was mad? Did she not feel anything for him? Maybe he was the only one who had feelings for her, maybe he should have stayed in Underland where he belonged. A world that was so much brighter then hers, a world that was too dull as if someone had forgotten to paint it.
He stood rooted to the spot, he couldn't decide if he should leave or go up to her. Then he thought, How would I be able to go back anyway? Would I just have to want it? Or does the power of the jabberwocky blood only work once?
The wind began to pick up and there was shouting amongst the crew. He heard the sails drop and they soon billowed as the wind filled them. He could feel the ship begin to move, the people on shore began to wave to those they knew on board but he paid none of it any attention.
He had eyes only for the woman who stood only five paces away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flutter of blue wings, they landed on Alice's shoulder for a moment and then the butterfly flew off again.
He could not see her face but Alice was smiling, thinking about the wonderful adventure she had in Underland as she now knew it was called. She thought of the hatter and all he had done for her. She had the strangest feeling come over her as she thought about the hatter.
Was it regret at leaving him? Why was she doubting her choice now of all times? There were things she had to do here. Maybe when she had accomplished them she would go back and see the hatter again.
She took one last look at the water that would carry her to new worlds and turned around but stopped short when she saw a man standing close behind her, a man she had not heard walk up.
He looked like he was internally struggling with something, he was not making eye contact with her but was looking at the boards that made the deck of the ship. He was mumbling under his breath, something about not being wanted here.
His voice sounded so familiar and if she could just see his face, but his long, orange, curly hair was shrouding his face and the hat he wore didn't help either, a hat that she instantly recognized.
She bent down a little to peer under his hat and hair trying to see his face. She whispered in shock at the realization of who it was, "Hatter?"
He looked up suddenly, scaring Alice and causing her to take a step back. He looked like a deer caught in the head lights and that's when she saw his eyes. They were not as big as they had been in Underland but were still a good size. They were not as vibrant a green either, they were a bit darker but still green. He no longer had a white face or the vibrant pink under his eyes which she now knew to be circles under his eyes because they had been replaced with a grayish color, the color one got under their eyes from lack of sleep.
He still had the same clothes on but they had become more everyday so he would blend in more with the population at large. To her delight though his hat remained the same as it always was, the pink ribbon still trailing down his back, the hat pins still sticking out.
She felt rather upset at the thought of him being "normal" but she could tell from his face that though his appearance had changed, that's all that had. He looked at her as she looked at him and she could see in his eyes that he was happy to see her again just as she was happy to see him again.
"Alice it is you!" he gushed. He could barely hide his joy and before she could reply he had taken her up in a hug. She was only caught off guard for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him. She realized how thin he actually was, his clothes hiding the fact. She frowned and realized she knew so little about this man, a man who had helped her and saved her.
He leaned back to look at her as he said, "You're still the right size. You never seemed to be the right size there."
She laughed and said, "No I guess I never was. How did you get here?"
His happiness was replaced with dejection as he took her question to mean she did not want him here.
The Scottish accent that seemed to come out only when he was upset with something came out now as he said, "The same way you did."
She looked up at him and saw that his eyes had become a darker color, his eyes still change with his mood I see. But why is he upset? I was only curious. The it dawned on her.
"You think I'm not happy to see you…"
"There ya are pretty lass," the accent was more pronounced now.
She quickly hugged him to her again and whispered loud enough for him to hear, "I am so very glad to see you again Tarrant."
She felt him relax in her arms as she said his name.
She's never called me Tarrant before.
He was once again hugging her, his head resting on top of her head as he breathed her scent in. She still smelled of Underland, like earth and leaves, all the good things that his world and hers had to offer.
She was afraid to ask the next question but she was just too curious as she asked, "So what brings you to my world?"
He looked at her as if she should know the answer and as soon as it had passed through her lips and she saw his eyes lighten she should have known.
"I came to see you."
She smiled at him and said, "I'm glad you did. I was just thinking about you and there you were when I turned around."
He looked down at the ground as he confessed, "I was wondering whether or not you would care to see me again," he looked up as he continued, "You seemed so happy to go home and leave…" he petered off.
"Leave you?" she finished for him. He nodded his head in affirmation and she continued, "I was happy to go home," his features fell as she said it and once again he looked at the deck, anywhere but her face.
She took his chin gently in her hand and lifted it so he had to look at her. He began to squirm under her gaze.
"I told you there were things I had to do here. I couldn't not come back. People needed answers to questions they had asked me. I needed to take control of my father's enterprises again. I wanted to stay but there was just too much pulling me away."
"And not enough pulling you to stay in Underland…with me," he said the last two words so quietly Alice almost didn't hear him.
Her mouth opened as if she was going to say something but nothing came out.
Of course, why didn't I see it before? Why didn't I let that feeling keep me there? There were things to be done here. But I could have stayed, nothing was that pressing really. They had to be addressed. And now they are.
"Tarrant…what do you feel for me?" she asked very quietly.
He looked at her with shock and confusion. He opened his mouth but closed it again as he thought about what she had asked.
What do I feel for her? There is something…I felt so empty when she left…like she was taking a part of me with her…I felt sorry that she had to face the jabberwocky alone…I felt fear when I thought the beast would kill her…risked everything to distract it while she regained her footing…felt comfort when she told me I was mad but all the best people are…felt longing for her touch when she let go of my face…felt…love underneath all of it…love that showed itself most on the balcony of the White Queen's palace and again when she left…but she didn't see it…maybe I didn't make it clear…
She looked at him with worry as he seemed to recoil into himself as he thought about her question.
She gently called, "Tarrant," and put her hands on his face as she had in the Red Queen's palace in order to calm him down. She saw him come back to himself as he closed his eyes, he breathed in slowly and she felt him lean into her touch.
"Tarrant open your eyes," he did as she said and she saw what she needed to know. Everything he felt was in his eyes, even here in her world. She saw the pain at her leaving, the hole that had been made by her absence even though it had not been that long, but above all she saw the love he felt for her.
She could feel tears begin to swell, blurring her vision. She blinked and they rolled down her face. His fingers were quickly on her face brushing them away. He smiled at her and she smiled back, allowing her own emotions to show.
"Tarrant…I'm so sorry…"
He looked at her with his head cocked in silent question.
"I'm sorry I didn't see it before."
"What didn't you see?"
"That I love you…and that you love me back…" she said it as if maybe she had gotten his feelings wrong and that was only what she wanted to see.
He lifted her chin with his pointer finger and looked her in the eyes.
"I love you with all my being."
His head slowly came down to reach her and his mouth was soon on hers. She tasted like peaches to him and he knew it had been worth the foul taste of the jabberwocky's blood to get to her.
Her arms wrapped around his neck as she deepened the kiss. His hands were wrapped in her hair and she liked the sensation it caused. When they parted she leaned her head on his shoulder and once again his check rested on the top or her head.
"Will you stay with me?" she asked.
"For as long as you want me to," he replied, the happiness coursing through his entire being.