Sleep had not come easy to Alice tonight. She and Hatter- or David, had gotten into another fight. It was different than the others though. They were both very passionate people and had been known to have a spat every now and then. This fight had landed Hat- David on the couch of her and her mother's apartment. It all started with that; her mother and that stupid name.
Oh how Alice hated that name. It was much too plain and ordinary for him. Of all the names to pick from he chose that. Sure, it was a good name, but it just wasn't Hatter. Her Hatter. It was hard enough keeping their adventure in Wonderland a secret, she didn't like lying about him too. She had told quite enough lies to last her a life time.
The troubling look her mother had given her when she explained where Jack had went (home to England to take over his parents business), and why she kissed David like they were long lost lovers had been enough. No wonder she couldn't sleep between fighting with Hatter and all the lying, on top of the nightmares she'd been having. Her brain was about to explode.
She flipped over to her right side and half opened her eyes. From this angle she could see a sliver into the living room. Hatter's socked feet were propped up on the end of the couch and she smiled. He was still there. She wasn't sure why, but there was always this part of her that feared he would just get up from the dinner table and walk back through the Looking Glass for good.
It wouldn't be that hard for him to find considering they had moved it into the apartment and out of the alley for safe keeping. It would do no good to leave it where just anyone could fall through it. Not that Wonderland was that dangerous of a world now that Jack had taken his place at the thrown. There were still tea junkies running around and Jack's mother was somewhere. Her son didn't have the Heart to be-head her.
After Alice was back home and settled into her new life with Hatter, he had sent word that he was going to marry Duchess. He still loved her, he understood her decision to stay in New York and be with Hatter. He had banished his mother to the Outlands; whatever that meant. Hatter explained later that it was the most dangerous area of Wonderland. Jack said that she was welcome to come back whenever she wanted to.
She had to admit, it was nice to get word from Jack, but having a Suit burst in from the closet and hand her the letter during dinner was the part that bothered her. She sent back a reply asking him to be more careful. After all, her mother wasn't known for keeping secrets. Thankfully she had been out that night. That was two days ago and when the fighting had really started getting out of hand.
Hatter had always felt threatened by Jack and the letter definitely did not help him feel any safer. He was just as worried about her leaving as she was about him. After all she would get a kingdom with Jack. What could Hatter give her? The normal life she wanted and the man she loved. The fight had ended before she was able to say that though, and so he ended up on the couch, probably just as awake as her.
She closed her eyes and remembered the fight they'd had on the beach in Wonderland after crashing into the water from the flying Flamingo's. The fire and passion in his eyes hadn't been there tonight. He was losing the very essence of Hatter just being here with her. He was turning into David after all. Sighing, she opened her eyes and was surprised at what she saw.
Dinah was sitting in front f her, that same smile on her face she remembered from the forest. That had just been a dream though, and maybe that's all this was. Carefully she tossed the blanket off her and slid into a seated position. "Dinah, what are you doing here?"
"Meow." Was her only answer and she turned, egging Alice to follow her.
"Oh alright." She sighed and rested her bare feet on the cold hardwood, grabbing her shoes from the end of the bed where she had kicked them. Fortunately she was still dressed, to upset after the fight to change. As she crossed into the living room she saw that Hatter was not on the couch anymore. Seemed odd since he was there a few minutes ago, but stranger things had happened.
And would happen.
Hatter lay on the couch staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. For a man that slept alone his whole life it shocked him at how easily he had gotten used to having Alice next to him. It was impossible to sleep without her now. Even when she was only a few feet away, but perhaps that was the part that was driving him crazy the most.
He knew that she was still mad at him, but he couldn't take it anymore. Just as he talked himself into taking the chance of facing her rath, over the chance of being allowed back into their bed, she came into the living room. He sat up, but she wasn't looking at him; in fact she wasn't looking at anything.
He had seen her sleep walk only once before but she had smacked into a wall and woken herself up. This time however, he could tell that wasn't going to happen. It was like she was following something. As she got closer to the closet her got more and more worried. After all, it wasn't like there were only coats in there.
"Alice!" he called, trying to get her attention, but she didn't even blink. "Alice!" her hand was already on the door knob.
By the time he got up and untangled from the blankets she already opened it. He could see the glint of light from the mirrors surface, but by the time he untangled himself from the blankets and got across the room, it was too late. Even as he grabbed her arm the whirlpool of a tunnel grabbed her and she was gone.
