Hey guys, this is the sequel to "Return to Madness" that some of you have been waiting for. There will be adventure eventually, but it is a story about the Hatter and Alice and their days while they are living together. I really hope you'll like it; I'll try my best :) Please review to let me know what you think and how I'm doing. I'm off to my German exam now. Later! Dray xx

Disclaimer: Oh how I wish I owned Alice in wonderland. Any of it. Ok, well maybe the film more, so that I could have the yummy Hatter all to myself :P Alas... to be Hatterless is such sweet sorrow.

The sun had been shining brightly since the right Alice had returned to Underland, but today was more beautiful than any other. In the morning, Alice had packed her new dress and said goodbye to a very disgruntled Bandersnatch. The White Queen had lent her and the Hatter two of the royal horses to take them back to Witzend, Thackery riding with Alice and Mally riding with the Hatter. They stood outside the palace gates at Marmoreal.

"I trust you will not forget about me, Alice. You still have a place here should you ever need it."

"Thank you, Mirana. Of course I won't forget you, you have been so kind to me during my time in Marmoreal. I will visit as often as I can."

"Take care of the Hatter, won't you?" The White Queen whispered to her.

Alice smiled back at her. "That is the main reason I returned to Underland."

Mirana nodded and went to the Hatter who had finished putting some material into a bag attached to his saddle.

"Your return to Witzend will be a loss greatly felt here. There is no finer hatter anywhere, thank you."

The Hatter turned pink. "Your praise is too high, your majesty - It was my pleasure to serve you. Perhaps I shall do so again one day."

"I would like that, Tarrant. Fairfarren to you all."

Alice, Tarrant, Mally and Thackery all thanked her before getting on to the horses and beginning the trek back to Witzend. Alice had ridden horses before and she was enjoying being able to ask the horse to do things instead of making it. She had always hated kicking them to get them to move. Alice looked over at the Hatter. He had obviously done this before, as he was sitting up proudly on his horse talking amicably with it. At a break in the conversation he turned to her.

"Pardon me, Miss Alice, but may I ask what you are looking at?"

"You. I'm sorry, I'm afraid I was daydreaming."

"A most entertaining practice, nothing to be afraid of. Why, in dreams one can do anything. Even fly."

"Yes, but one cannot live in dreams. Anyway, I have no need to anymore - in Otherland I had to get away from real life now and again. I had so many troubles, so much I had to be..."

"And now?"

Alice couldn't meet his eyes. "I have you."

The Hatter grinned in delight. He could hardly believe that Alice, champion and saviour of Underland, and the muchiest girl he knew, loved him. She had told him so. He had always considered himself to be fairly unimportant. He was a gentleman, of course, and a high-standing one at that, but when Alice had come along she had always made him feel... needed. She had treated him with kindness and had wanted his friendship, even though he was mad. She had even forgiven him when he had been unable to control his madness. The Hatter was not an insecure man, but he did wonder sometimes what Alice saw in this pale-faced mad Hatter when she was smiling at him as she was now.

Thackery had been uncharacteristically quiet. When Alice turned around to ask him if he was alright she found that he was fast asleep. Mally was sitting on the back of the saddle, sharpening her sword on a stone she had picked up on the path at Marmoreal. There was a small log in the road and Hatter's horse jumped over it. It wasn't a very high jump, but Mally chose that moment to stand up. She lost her balance and fell sideways off the horse, grabbing a hair of the tail of Alice's horse to break her fall. The horse was taken by surprise and reared up whinnying loudly. Mally fell to the ground and came dangerously close to being trampled. Alice lay her body along the length of her horse's neck and stroked it, whispering soothing words. The horse calmed and the Hatter alighted his to pick Mally up.

"Are you alright, Alice?" The Hatter got back on his horse with Mally and looked at Alice with concern.

Alice took a deep breath. "I'm alright thank you, Tarrant. Just a little shaken."

"I do apologise, miss - I was shocked by the sharp pain. It won't happen again."

"That's quite alright Theodore." Alice replied to the horse. "No harm done."

"Would you like to rest for a while?" Hatter offered.

"Yes please." Alice was embarrassed, but she was feeling a little weary. They found a grassy clearing in the forest a little further down the road and let the horses wander around while Alice, the Hatter Mally and Thackery all sat down on the picnic blanket that the White Queen had thoughtfully given them, with a small box of cakes and sandwiches and some frattenberry juice. It wasn't tea, but it tasted good. It was also electric blue. Alice decided that she didn't want to know, and chose a cake from the box.

A few minutes later, Alice heard a faint rustling. She thought nothing of it until she realised that it was coming closer to them. She froze, watching the Hatter as he noticed it too. He frowned, wondering what it could be. Heavy thumps could now be heard over the rustling of the plants, and Alice slipped her hand into the Hatter's and held on tightly. He gave it a squeeze, glancing at her and giving a reassuring smile. The rustling got louder and louder until into the clearing came the Bandersnatch, crashing through several bushes and almost landing on top of Alice. She sighed in relief and stood to pat it. Mally was furious.

"You stupid blundering animal! Ooh, why I oughta... gave me the shock of me life, you did." She was shouting, waving her finger at it. Alice laughed while the Bandersnatch ignored her. The March Hare was keeping his distance, but the Hatter stood next to Alice, carefully petting the Bandersnatch with her. They looked at each other for a second, until the Hatter leaned towards her and kissed her quickly. This, obviously, did nothing for Mally's temper.

"Oi, You two – no public displays!"

"Jealous, Mally?" Alice laughed, scooped the dormouse into her hands (carefully avoiding the tiny sword) and held her out to the Hatter, who gave her a kiss on her furry cheek. Alice was still getting used to being in Underland where things weren't entirely the same as in her world, but she was sure that fur wasn't supposed to turn pink. Mally's face seemed to glow.

"Put me down! Stop making fun of me..." But her voice held little of the conviction it had a minute ago. Alice giggled while the Hatter smiled indulgently.

Everything was packed up again, and Alice called the horses back. They set off once again towards home with Mally muttering indignantly to nobody in particular.