I knew this was coming. It was just a matter of time. I absolutely fell in love with Hatter and Alice, so I couldn't resist dipping my toes. The only things I found myself disappointed in was the Cheshire Cat's incredibly short appearance (the best Cheshire Cat EVER! CREEPY!), and the adaption of the March Hare. Mad March was a great assassin, admittedly, but it always bugged me, so thus the only supporting OC in this story was created. Hopefully you'll like her.

Summary: When "David" Hatter went through the Looking Glass, he said goodbye to the memories of a life now behind him. Fate, he's convinced, seems to have a sick sense of humor though.

Beyond the Looking Glass

Chapter One

"Son of a-!"

Hatter rubbed at his nose, glaring at the offending piece of concrete. It was Jack Heart's parting shot at him, he supposed; not warning him about the lovely landing he could expect. While he suspected Jack would make a fine king (an admission he would never vocalize upon pain of death), Hatter didn't think he could stomach speaking to him with deference considering they had essentially vied for the affections of the same woman and nearly come to blows once…or twice.

Speaking of said woman…

"Alice!" He scrambled over to where she lay on her side, partially curled into a fetal position, and Hatter felt a surge of panic as he tried to figure out what to do. The abandoned building echoed his steps as he raced for an exit – any exit – and Hatter scowled when he only found himself getting turned around again and again. Up one stairs, down another, one hall after another…

And Alice thought Wonderland was batty?

Fed up, Hatter cracked each finger on his right hand before he fisted it and slammed into the wall facing a street, satisfied when a chunk of wall as big as he was tall crumbled away and fell to the street below.

"Hey! I need some help up here!" Thank God; someone was there. Man or woman, he didn't really see, and Hatter ran back to where he'd left Alice, frowning as he realized she was cold. What little he'd brought over was in a single bag but, thankfully, he'd brought the coat he'd given her to wear during her trip to Wonderland with him. He wrapped it around her, hoping to keep her warm, and was practically bouncing with impatience when he finally heard the echoing tap of shoes on the floor coming closer.

"Bout bloody…" He paused mid-sentence, head tilting. Well…now that's a shocker

Arch green eyes regarded him steadily, a phone already to the woman's ear. "Yes, 911? I need an ambulance to the old construction site near Prospect Park. There's a girl unconscious." She nodded and hummed in the affirmative a few times before flipping it shut in one graceful movement, booted feet tapping slightly as she regarded him with steady eyes.

Hatter returned the look ten fold. "Well," he finally said with a tense smile. "Fancy seeing you here."

"I can say the same for you." The Wonderland-thick accent showed itself then along with the sly curl of a smile. "'ello, Hatta."

"Long time no see, Marchie."

"I'd ask what you were doing here," she sighed, "but our illustrious king already gave me the short version of it. Never could make a quiet entrance, could you?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Looking back, his smile dimmed as he paced back to where Alice lay agitatedly. "Why is she not awake?"

"She's likely fine," she soothed with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Perhaps a mild concussion is all. Hardly anything to write home about."

"Concussion?" Hatter's voice dropped a decibel…or three. His knowledge of medical things was the bare basics only, but that didn't sound like nothing to him.

Anyone else would've been frightened by the sudden pitch drop – a clear sign that he was getting mad – but Abigail March had always been a bit of a peculiar bird in that she'd only ever found his irritation exceedingly funny. Clearly, several years of exile from Wonderland had done nothing to cure that.

"That charming little thing that right fist of yours has given more then one person in our youth," she shrugged. "I reckon her head took a knocking when she landed is all."

"That's not nothing!" he snapped.

She merely waved him off again and hurriedly tossed the clothes she'd been carrying at him…as well as the ugliest looking hat he'd ever seen. It was hard and a god awful blinding yellow that Hatter immediately wrinkled his nose at. "Change into those before the ambulance and police get here." When he didn't move, she snapped with a sharp clap of her hands that echoed loudly around them, "Quickly!"

"Alright, alright…" He did so, against his better judgment, and folded his own neatly into the small bag he'd carried over with him when he was done. "Well?"

"Good enough." Her eyes narrowed, however, and she swiped his favorite hat from his head and replaced it with the yellow monstrosity firmly. "Much better. You can pass for a construction worker. The lawmen here will take a dim look if you don't have a good reason for being in this place at this time of night."

He had a million questions – why she of all people was here being one of the top – but bright blue and red lights flashed outside the building windows, the echoes of men shouting as they came closer to where they were.

"Pretend you don't know English and follow me," she pointed out, any traces of her accent gone.

Hatter stayed silent as he followed her, blinking when spoken to and doing a remarkable job of convincing the cop who approached him that he was a halfwit who didn't understand a ruddy thing he was saying. At the same time, Abigail answered it for him, explaining how he was her cousin, David, and how he'd just started his first day here but had forgotten his phone and how they'd seen Alice run into the building as they came to pick it up. It all sounded very credible in its simplicity – it was also a bunch of hooey, but that was neither here nor there.

He did nearly blow it, however, as they began rolling Alice away and prevented him from getting in the big garish red and white vehicle with her.

To anyone else, the hand Abigail placed on his arm was comforting, but Hatter had to gnash his teeth together at the painful grip on his right arm that was sensitive enough as it was. Abby had her own special talents, but the vice grip wasn't one of them – that was all natural and decidedly just as painful as it'd been the last time she'd used his only weakness against him.

"He's from a very old values family," she explained with the ease of a seasoned liar. "He's a bit concerned whenever a woman is injured whether she's a stranger or not, I'm afraid. Feels it's his duty to take care of them and what not."

This seemed to be an acceptable answer because the cop stopped looking at him oddly, though Abigail refused to let him go until everyone had left and all feeling in his right arm had fled.

He held his numb arm to him and glared at her. "I need to be with Alice." If it sounded like a whine, Hatter was certain he was just imagining things.

"I crossover for two years and I miss you turning into a lovesick puppy," Abigail said to herself, amused. The accent, as if it were the most natural thing, was back in her tone as well. "Well then, come on. We can drive to the hospital and you can see your darling Alice. Though her mum is likely there, so remember your story, David."

He grimaced again in distaste. "Hatter, Abby, Hatter. I'd like to use that name as little as all possible."

"Name please?"

"David Hatter," he smiled, trying not to grimace. Abby was outside waiting for him, obviously with no intention of leaving him there, so he consigned himself to simply making sure she was alive and well before letting the woman drag him off to bugger knows where. If he had his choice, he'd sit here until Alice was let out, but for better or worse his old pal Abby March was charged with acclimating him to this whole new world by the orders of Jack Heart and the Resistance.

Hatter took the temporary pass and followed the nurse's instructions. She seemed to preen bigger when he grinned at her, pleased that he had what he wanted, and stepped into the elevator that was essentially this world's version of the bus car at the Great Library. Pressing the three as instructed, Hatter tapped an impatient rhythm on the floor as the elevator took its sweet time arriving at its destination. He was cold, he was in clothes that made him feel like a gutter churl, and he was using his birth name more then he had in his entire life (which to most Oysters was a very long time) in just under an hour.

Alice's room wasn't difficult to find – he just knew, instinctively, where she lay and paused as he watched an older woman step outside, her sun-kissed hair cut short and her face the picture of sympathy and concern. She bore a passing resemblance to Alice, and sure enough he noticed out of the corner of his eye that it was her room.

"Can I help you?"

"Ah, yes. My name's Hatter." He took off the wretched yellow hat joyfully, extending his hand. "I just wanted to make sure Alice was alright? I…"

"Oh!" Recognition lit in Alice's mother's eyes. "You're the construction worker who found her?"

He wasn't entirely sure why, but he flushed slightly at the lie. Perhaps it was the incredibly huge hug Carol Hamilton gave him when he nodded in the affirmative.

"I can't stay long," he said, true regret in his tone. That, at least, was true. He wanted to stay, but Alice was asleep and Carol assured him with a grateful smile that Alice was fine; as if he were the one responsible for her being that way. "I've got my ride home outside but I just…"

"Please…we would love to have you over for dinner some time when you're not busy…as a thank you. I shudder to think what might've happened if you hadn't found her." Carol jotted down a number for him on a piece of paper and Hatter took it gratefully. He had no idea what the numbers meant or how to use a phone (the ones they had in Wonderland were essentially just for show – odd little pieces of set dressing from another world – except for the few who had those nifty portable ones imported. Hatter had never seen a need to have a cell phone so he'd never gotten one – a fact he rather regretted now); it was simply one more thing Abby would have to show him.

"I'll do that. I'll be in touch then." He gave his most charming grin – the one he knew melted the hearts of any woman breathing – and subtly tossed the yellow monstrosity that certainly was not a proper hat in a trash bin before he got outside and came face to face with Abby.

Some of his lingering hesitation to leave must have shown because Abby smiled slightly, motioning towards the parking structure where she'd left her car. "Want some chocolate and cream cake?" She grinned, a blinding copy of his own, and patted his back affectionately. "You can stay at my place 'til we get you situated here and the like. Just like old times, eh? I'll even tell you all about the wankers I've been dating here over the cake."

"Hmm. You mean the 'What's their names agains'?"

"Exactly! And you," she smiled, "can tell me all about how you stole Alice from that pampered princeling!"

And here I thought I was leaving all of Wonderland behind, Hatter thought ruefully once he was in the car and clinging to the door handle for dear life as Abby drove down the streets like a mad woman. Never thought Wonderland would come find me…even if it is its rejects.

So what do you think? Horrible? Trash? Moderately entertaining? My logic was that from the sound of it, Hatter had experience being the bitching board for at least one woman in his life (hence the chocolate and cream cake line – two things that scream female comfort food) and I couldn't really see him having a sister and such. The only person I could think of was a friend, and when I think friend to Hatter I think March Hare…which Mad March was supposed to represent, but no. Hence Abigail March is born in my brain. I hope she's likeable.

Anyway, as I am an utter review whore…please review! I'd love to hear your thoughts. They always inspire me to write more, to be honest. *Hint HINT*

Next Chapter: Hatter and Alice, post ending. How WILL he explain that kiss off, anyway? XD