'Has there ever been anyone else?' The words cut through Hatter like a knife.

He was sat with his arm around Alice, her head resting comfortably on his chest as they talked. As always their conversation had drifted back towards Wonderland and despite Hatter's desperate attempts to divert the conversation away, it had eventually reached the subject he hated most. His past. And this area was particularly sensitive. Alice must have noticed his silence because she nudged him playfully.

'Come on! You know all of my ex boyfriends and dark secrets, it's only fair I get to hear yours!'

Hatter sighed, shifting his position before getting up to get a drink. At least that's what he told himself he was doing. Not noticing that he returned to his seat a few moments later without the drink he had said he was getting, Hatter smiled weakly at the oyster he had fallen in love with.

'I'd rather not talk about it.'

Alice twisted herself to look at him, her eyes studying his face carefully.

'So there has been someone else?' She smiled, raising her eyebrows slightly and watching closely for a reaction.

'Of course not! Whatever gave you that idea?' Hatter grinned widely and let out a slight giggle, a sure sign he was lying. He stood up with much more force than he intended, striding towards the door.

Opening the door awkwardly, he ran his fingers through his haywire hair. Even with this world's wide range of hair products, his hair was still uncontrollable. With a quick flick, his hat was on his head and he was outside. He hadn't wanted to leave Alice. It would hurt her that he had left without explanation, he knew that, but there was no way he could have stayed with her for any longer. The memories he had tried so hard to forget had begun to resurface. They were the memories those psychotic twins had used in their torture in an attempt to break him; the most painful memories. Even as he walked, he could feel the aching in his chest beginning. He reached his destination in record time, his pace of walking increased by his growing desparation to be alone. The top of a small hill, not unlike the one he had climbed to find Alice after getting a message to caterpillar was where he stopped. At the top was a single tree, heavy under the weight of millions of buds of blossom, which Hatter fell down against, placing his head in his hands in an attempt to clear it.

The memories were more vivid now and the pain was beginning to increase. Alice was right, there had been someone else, although words couldn't express how hard Hatter had tried to forget her. He sighed, taking his hat off his head and cradling it on his knee. He had almost forgotten her and meeting Alice had finally helped him to heal and move on. But now Alice was bringing it up and there was no way of stopping his mind from wandering down memory lane.

Hatter lifted his head as he felt a drop of water drip onto his cheek. He glanced up expecting to see rain but the sky was clear. He was crying. It was the first time he had cried since that dreadful day and once again she was the reason for his tears.

His body had begun to shake and with a gasp he released the tight hold he had on his hat, flopping against the tree. He was angry. Angry at himself for being so weak, for letting himself remember her. He loved Alice now, he knew that. He had fallen for her the moment she walked into his tea shop in Wonderland but still the memories had taken hold and he felt there was nothing he could do. He closed his eyes, letting the crackling images form a picture. He was remembering the day he had met her.

-x-

Kicking his feet up onto the desk, Hatter breathed a sigh of relief. He'd just had to deal with a nasty case of excessive use of excitement. The poor guy had gulped down the entire bottle and was now being escorted out of the teashop by the suits who as always, gave him a look of utter mistrust. Hatter didn't care. He didn't need their trust, only their co-operation. On the one hand, they were right not to trust him. He was, after all, feeding their enemies but on the other hand, it did mean they were keeping a closer eye on him which wasn't making his life any easier. He half-heartedly picked up the cup of tea he had been drinking before the disturbance had occurred and lifted it to his lips. In the same moment Hatter spat out the sip of tea he had just taken (if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was cold tea), he heard someone clear their throat. Swinging his feet down from the table he swung round in his chair to see what appeared to be a speaking tower of boxes.

'Hello?'

Hatter wasn't sure if that was really the way you addressed a talking pile of boxes but he gave it a try. As he expected, from out behind the boxes popped a face. But it wasn't the face he'd been expecting. For a start, it was female and a lot younger than the face that usually came with the usual delivery of emotions from the casino. Those two factors were strange enough but what made this face so different from any other he had seen before was the expression it was wearing. It was as though this girl, whoever she was, was high on some unknown emotion that even oysters hadn't discovered yet which made her look as though she had somehow managed to swallow the sun.

'Who are you?' It felt rude to be asking but it was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

The girl grinned.

'A friend, I hope.'

She stepped around the pile of crates, taking the clipboard she had tucked under her arm and passed it to him. Hatter took it gingerly, unnerved slightly by her answer.

'What happened to the usual guy?'

The girl shrugged.

'Oh, the Queen had his head chopped off so he's probably been moved to another department.'

Hatter raised his eyebrows questioningly, struggling to hide his worried expression. He was starting to come to the conclusion that this girl was off her rocker.

'They're never beheaded really. Unless they've done something really bad. They're just moved to another department for a while, until the queen forgets she's beheaded them, then they go back. Dad's been beheaded at least three times already and he's only been working with the clubs for five years.'

Handing the clipboard back when he had finished signing it, Hatter couldn't help smiling. Her mood was infectious and she had completely cheered him up with her senseless babbling.

'How long you been doing this for then?'

'Only a couple of days but I'm only doing it for a couple of weeks. Just until I'm eighteen, then I can go and work in the casino. My Dad says I'd make a great diamond.'

Hatter might have imagined it, but he was sure he saw some of the light behind her eyes go out as she mentioned the casino, as though she wasn't as excited as she was pretending to be.

At seventeen, that only made her five years younger than Hatter himself although he had initially thought she was much younger.

'You don't believe I'm nearly eighteen do you?' The girl's dark blue eyes began to cloud over.

'Not many people do but hey, maybe one day I'll be able to use looking young to my advantage?'

She grinned again and Hatter got the impression that she was one of those irritating people who managed to find the positive side to everything.

'Anyway, I've got other deliveries to do. I'll see you round Hatter.'

She giggled at his confused expression, pointing to the clipboard.

'You should really make your signature harder to read, anyone could forge that!'

She made as if to leave but turned back.

'My name's Kyra by the way.' And she was gone in a whirlwind of smiles and long blonde hair.

As he watched her go, Hatter found himself chuckling. That mound of paperwork he had to do suddenly didn't seem like so much of a chore.

So that's the first chapter done! If you liked it, please tell me. - Reviews make me very happy. This idea came to me in a burst on inspiration but it may take me a while to get it written up since I have to juggle exams and revision so please don't be upset if I don't update very quickly.