Title: Voice of Reason

Author: Bunny

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I'm alright with not owning, just let me play!

Summary: One-shot. After Alice's departure, Jack proves to be the voice of reason to Hatter.

A/N: Come on, you all know that Jack was the one to smack Hatter in the head to get him to follow Alice.

With a gasp she was gone.

The only remainder he had of her was the velvet coat in his arms. It was still warm. He wondered if it smelled like her.

Deciding here was not the place to check, Hatter sighed heavily readjusting how the coat folded over his arms. He did one more glance back at the mirror as if by some miracle she would be there. The only thing he noticed was Jack staring at him. The King of Hearts stood stoic and unemotional as always, but jerked his head towards the Looking Glass.

Hatter's head ticked. Was Jack, the King of Hearts and ex-boyfriend of Alice telling him to go after her?

Any hope of that flew out the window when the head suits came over to Jack. He had just been summoning his subjects. While the men in black rushed to their monarch, Hatter slid out the door.

Aimlessly walking, his feet eventually took him on autopilot back to his tea shop. Complete disarray, paper tickets littered about, broken bottles, tea stores raided; but he didn't seem to notice. Hatter numbly stumbled into his office plopping himself in his white chair.

This was what he had wanted, right? Freedom from the Queen's tyrannical rule. The resistance could go out in the world without fear and be treated as equals. Yet somehow it felt empty. The only reason any of this was possible was because of Alice and she wasn't here to celebrate.

"Alice," he muttered, holding up the coat bringing it up to face. Hoping it did catch her scent, he inhaled deeply. The smell of vanilla and sweet spice invaded his senses.

Entirely Alice.

It had only been a few hours since she left. Or had it been days? He hadn't paid attention to time. He inhaled the velvet again. Hatter couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of her catching him. Would she frown? Become embarrassed? Make fun of him? Laugh? Encourage him? Closing his eyes he spun his chair around in circles, his mind wandering to thought of Alice.

He had no idea how much time had passed while he spun around, but his eyes snapped open when a hand grabbed his shoulder stopping all motion. Instinctively Hatter slapped the hand away, standing up to meet the Ten of Clubs.

"The King of Hearts requires your audience."

Hatter scoffed. "I bet he does." Rubbing his face, he moved behind the chair draping Alice's coat over it. He would never wear it again; the coat indefinitely belonged to Alice. "I'm actually quite busy. Deciding what I'm going to do with my life now. Bit of an eye opener this has been."

Pursing his lips the Club continued, "His Majesty gave explicit instructions that you were to come with me. 'Especially,' and I quote, 'If you find him sitting around moping.' Which I do believe I found you in that state."

Now scowling Hatter stalked to the door, "I suppose I have no option in this."

"No."

"Bloody Jack."

Jack Heart was honestly the last person Hatter wanted to see. Ever.

The Heart Casino had collapsed, but Jack was able to set up in one of the many other palaces owned by his family. Hatter was escorted by the Ten of Clubs and a handful of Suits into the throne room. Adorned simply with red and white, Jack sat upon the only large chair in the dais reading from papers. Dressed in a crimson suit he passed finished papers to another Club standing at his right hand, ready for any request.

Hatter thought he looked incredibly pretentious.

At the sound of the door, Jack's head snapped up. "Ah, very good." Handing off the papers to the Club closest to him, he stood waving away all attendants. "Leave us be. We are just going to have a little chat."

The Ten of Clubs hesitated. "Majesty?"

Waving his hand again, Jack walked down the steps towards Hatter, posture perfect. "I insist. Just a talk between old friends." Old friends? What was he talking about? All attendants exited the throne room, closing the door behind them.

Hatter shrugged, more than a little annoyed being in Jack's presence. Walking to meet the King, he asked dripping in sarcasm, "So what is it that the great King of Hearts requires of a humbled tea shop owner?"

His answer was a punch to the jaw.

Seeing spots, Hatter stumbled backwards rubbing his sore face. Finding no blood on his hand, he looked back. "The hell was that for?"

"Are you such an unbelievable twonk?" seethed Jack, standing posture perfect yet again. That managed to piss Hatter off more. "Is your pride so great that you can't stand to ask for help?"

"I have no idea what you're on about!"

Once again a fist popped Hatter in the jaw.

Bouncing back from his second stumble, Hatter moved closed fisted towards Jack. "Striking a King is cause for a beheading."

Backing down slightly, Hatter smirked. "You are absolutely your mother's son." Seeing Jack's eyes slight, he knew he struck a nerve. Winding his fist back up once more to try to hit him, Hatter said, "There's not much anything to lose anymore."

Jack stepped to the side, obviously using one of the judo moves that Alice taught him to flip Hatter down. Starring down at him, Jack tilted his head mockingly as Hatter gasped to get his breath back. "This reckless attitude will get you nowhere." Groaning as he sat up he threw a glare, but said nothing. "Do you have any idea how long it has been since Alice left?"

Honestly having no idea, Hatter settled on shrugging.

"Two days ago."

That stopped him. He had missed two days?

"Did you realize that?"

Shaking his head Hatter mumbled, "No."

Jack stepped back towards his throne chuckling. "What a fool." Hatter once more rubbed his jaw. He stood forcing himself to remain neutral. This man could insult him as much as he wanted, because Hatter knew in the end he would end up leaving here and continue his life alone. Nothing else he said would upset him.

"Alice was a naïve and asinine girl." Hatter's head snapped him, eyes blazing.

"Her sense of judgment was something I clearly overlooked." Except that. He was tapping into the one subject that would drive Hatter to action from now on.

"There were nights we would be together and I would feel guilty about lying to her." A fire ignited in his stomach, a combination of jealousy and fury spread throughout every part of his body. Where the fire burned, his muscles tensed just as quick. Flexing his fists Hatter breathed to remain calm. If Jack kept this up he wasn't going to be able to control himself.

"I wouldn't have spent so much prep time with her had I known how quickly she switches from man to man…" Not quite sure how he physically managed it, Hatter launched himself across the room. Colliding with Jack he brought him down to the ground.

Pinning him down, Hatter punched Jack. In between hits, he yelled at the King. "You don't get to talk about her anymore! You lied to her! You used her! And you crushed her heart! And even then she only wanted the best for you and everyone else! She's a wonderful woman! She's resourceful! She's selfless! She's clever! You have no right to talk about her like that!"

Landing two more punches against the other man Hatter relaxed; giving Jack opportunity to flip him over. Holding him face down on the floor with his arm up his back, Jack asked simply, "You feel this passionately? Then why are you still here?"

Releasing him, Jack stood straightening his jacket and tie. Hatter's anger still not sated he moved to take down Jack once again.

"I would stay down if I were you," Jack ordered. Hatter couldn't help but smirk when Jack winced touching his chin. "You know the Looking Glass has yet to synch the times. For her, it has only been a few minutes since she's been here."

Standing anyway, he reached for his hat which had fallen off during the scuffle. Brushing it off he asked, "So, what? Are you telling me to go after her?"

"Of course."

The brutal honesty caused his anger to dissipate. Furrowing his brow Hatter pointed to the monarch in confusion. "Then what was the point of this tumble?"

"I needed to be sure you genuinely care about Alice. Willing to defend her honor and such. Just because she doesn't want me anymore, doesn't mean I don't want the best for her."

The dark haired man couldn't help but flashing a pride smile. "You calling me the best?"

"Not by a long shot," he replied snorting. "However, she rejected my proposal and offer to be Queen, and I am quite certain it wasn't simply because she wanted to go back to her old home."

Hatter cocked his head. Alice rejected Jack's marriage proposal? So that hug he had caught them in had been a hug good-bye. When she ran over to see him, she had been trying to say that she wanted him, not Jack. She didn't mean the awkward farewell she gave. How could he have been so thick? If only he had the guts to tell her what he really needed to say that day.

Now here was his second chance.

"How soon can I go through?"

"I thought you would never get around to asking."

Cuts cleaned, fresh clothes, tamed hair and Hatter was ready to travel to the other world. Although the flat hair bugged him a bit as he ran his fingers through it again. "Stop that," ordered Jack approaching the mirror. "Believe me, her mother is a nice woman, but it is rather obvious she likes a clean cut man." He slid the ring into place causing the mirror to shimmer.

Hatter snickered shaking his head. How had this happened? He was going home to Alice. He held out his hand as a sign of peace. "Thank you, Jack."

Gripping it firmly, he nodded, eyes blazing with sincerity. "Be good to her."

Hatter skipped up the steps to cross over. Stopping just before the mirror, he snapped and pointed at Jack. "Just to clarify; I still really don't like you."

The King's face reflected a hint of a smile. "The feeling is more than mutual."

Hatter gave a small salute, grinning madly, before stepping through the Looking Glass.