Happy Birthday
(I don't own Batman, The Animated Series, The Mad Hatter, or Alice, but you guys know that, don't you?)
Rain softly pitter patters against the window of Jervis' Arkham cell. No clouds out today, no ball of sunshine.
"Another unfrabjous day..." He says softly.
After a few moments of looking at a particular brick, Jervis looked around for something to occupy his time before being called out for his morning gruel.
He suddenly remembers his smuggled surprise from his last venture outside the walls. A curious figure is housed in his pants pocket.
"Oh, I almost forgot about you!" He says with a small smile, "Hope you didn't mind the cramped space. The men in white wouldn't have appreciated your presence like I do."
The worry man of course doesn't respond. Jervis didn't seem to mind. A thought flashed in his mind of a distant memory before he fell down the rabbit hole.
Alice types away at a document needed for Bruce by Jervis concerning some material for an experiment that's near its expiration date. A sudden crash interrupted her letter. Her head turns to the source of the noise. It came from the room of her employer. Scared for her friend and boss, she rushes off her chair, and races to the door.
Not bothering to knock, she makes her way in. She softly gasps to see him laying under a few dozen boxes.
She jogs towards the boxes, and starts to move them, "Jervis, are you okay?"
Jervis fades in and out of consciousness. He sees a blurred vision of his beloved Alice looking concerned for his well being,
"Hmm…" The watercolor image starts to collide back into sense. "Alice?"
She blinks a few time, her hand on his forehead. Jervis could've passed out again in pleasure, but manages to stay afloat. His heart beating as fast as the speed of sound.
"You have a bump on your head. Stay still, I'll get you some ice." He wanted her hand to stay on his forehead, but by the time he could form a word, she left for the kitchen.
"Jabberwock.." He mutters.
It took her only a few moments to find the kitchen. The freezer door swings open and ice is collected in a Ziploc bag.
Jervis hears her little shoes clacking towards the door. He could feel his heart smiling and swelling at the same time.
With a twist of the knob, Alice comes in holding the bag of ice like sacred treasure. She dips back down to his level.
"Are you feeling better?"
"A little.."
She smiles, relieved. "I didn't know what happened…"
He blushes, "I slipped on a stray screw. I thought I picked them up yesterday, but thanks to gravity, I got my answer."
"Not meaning to be nosy, Jervis..but what are these boxes for?"
He chuckles lightly, "Not nosy, Alice..curious..just like the story.."
She shakes her head, "You and your Carroll."
He grins, "To answer your question, these boxes were needed to store some old electronic parts. I'm a packrat, my dear. Hope I didn't disturb you."
Her lips gently gasp, "Jervis, how can you say such! You're my friend, and I was concerned."
"I'm honored to be your friend, Alice.."
She places the ice onto his forehead.
"Warmth of a soft hand replaced by cold ice, only you could have such love, Jervis."
After a short silence, Jervis speaks to his secret crush, "Isn't your birthday coming up?"
She pinkens a little, "Why yes, it is…"
"What would you like?"
"Oh, you don't have to give me anything.."
"I insist."
She nods, "Let's have lunch."
He smiles softly, "I'd love that."
She laughs, "Lunch it is.."
The fantasy sadly ends as he hears the rolling thunder. He sighs miserably. He then remembers what he said in front of all his fellow rogues.
"I'd have killed her first!"
His face is horrified. "How could I even imagine myself killing her!" She was confused, she wasn't used to Wonderland…I'm sorry, Alice..forgive your Hatter..
He is disturbed yet again by an orderly that tells him that it's time to eat. After about a hour of eating garbage, he heads into the activity room, where he gets an envelope and paper. He makes an artsy birthday card that has Alice and Jervis on it. He writes:
My dearest Alice,
I admit that our last encounter was anything but pleasant. I remembered that your birthday is coming up. I hope that you'll forgive the crudeness of this card, but Arkham doesn't like pen, so please mind the black crayon.
I do hope that things are going okay for you. I think of you everyday, before the incident. I regret how it had to end up, but given the chance, things would've turned out differently.
Are you happy, Alice darling? I want you to be, even if it's with Billy. I wish things could be like they were, but that would be asking too much. I just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you, and no matter what, I'll always love you, and will be there no matter what. Enclosed in this is the last connection I have to the outside world, do with it what you wish. Happy Birthday, my curious friend.
With all my love,
Jervis Tetch
He slips the worry man into the envelope along with the home made birthday card. He slips it in under the guard's eye leaving it to be undetected.
*A few days later*
Sun gently beams onto Alice's blonde hair as she walks towards the mailbox. The smell of fresh wildflowers wafts through her nose. She opens up the mailbox to find some junk mail, a power bill, and a letter written in crayon.
"Hmm, none of my friends have children.." She says contemplating.
She opens that letter first out of curiosity and nearly drops the letter when she sees the drawing. She could've been knocked over with a feather. She races inside to sit down and absorb the letter.
After a few sentences, her eyes water as she remembers all those memories of an old friend.
Midway, she is reaching for Kleenexes, and at the end, her lips quivered with sadness. She sees a small lump in the envelope, and shakes it out. A small worry man falls out. It's a worry man carved to look like her. She scoops it up, and looks back at the letter
"Enclosed in this is the last connection I have to the outside world"
Hours later, Alice has a party with all her friends, she receives lots of gifts, but nothing compares to the little doll and card that rests on her nightstand.