Chapter 1: the good, the mad and the Alice
Her face radiated as light from Underland bounced indifferently on her ivory glazed features; he perceived it similar to a well-polished porcelain teacup, too valuable for his bandaged handling. Her lavish locks that fell perfectly unequal with the serene whisper from the wind made him whom whether his hats were worthy of this glory. Her reflective eyes that made him remember the creamy tea that gave him the most comfort. The most angelic smile that could keep even a mad man calm, collected and sometimes astonishingly sane. Who could forget her madness that was positively full of interesting ideas just as him and the muchness that was much more muchier everyday. When she left, his canvass of life started depicting grey shades. He was afraid to admit that he was more negatively mad as he used to be without her, so he saved all his loneliness turning it to the mad happy energy for the hopes of preparing himself to seeing her again, it was a tremendous sacrifice, he wouldn't want to see a sad sympathetic expression from her. The way he saw it she is a bright star that could compete with all the prism colors of Underland's horizon, a star that lit his mad mind , mad life and a star that no ifs, ands nor buts unreachable.
It was time for the much-awaited teatime. The hatter brewed a fresh batch of vanilla orange tea. He decided that tea was not supposed to be just vanilla, it needed more muchness to it. Muchness in the case of taste, aroma and color. Mally was putting an edge on her needle-sized sword. March was preparing the small pastries to go with it while all the fixings' were properly mismatched and unorganized.
She was standing on the luscious green grass, just inches away from the table full of broken teacups, spilled tea and flying sugar cubes. Even with all the chaos around, she still has the means to standout perfectly undisturbed. As the hatter stepped outside of his humble abode to present his latest creation, he was drawn at the sight of the girl, no definitely not a girl. The woman that could make his irises change into the emerald green and topaz color with a hint of mild pink shining like diamonds, made him swing faster than a pendulum out of glee, made his heart pulsate and the woman who was more valuable than all he possessed, more valuable than all he possessed, more valuable than his hat. She was the only asset in this world that he bloody eagerly wants to call his.
She swiftly turned, hearing the soles of his brown footwear. He was waiting for her for a very long time.
"Hatter", she glided to him closing the few feet distance in full smiles. The hatter gently sat his teapot, unable to break even a single look into his sight of perfection.
" It is nice to see you again still mad as ever making tea- grinning wonderful and mad- you see I fell into a hole again, the second hole that I fell in wasn't there but a large shrubby hole on my own garden did a tri—"
"Alice", he interrupted sharply while smiling with his incredibly high cheekbones.
"I'm fine", she took a deep breath, she equaled the enthusiasm of hatter, who was very puzzled on how was she as excited as him and incredibly more talkative today. He had a hard time figuring out the difference in their actions and the possible actions of their differences. Is this just a figment of his imagination, for Alice was wonderfully mad in this time of day or maybe it was his madness taking over him this time of day?
"Am I going mad, Alice is you really h—", his chessire smile was starting to whither away when Alice suddenly clung to him and snuggled on his chest. He almost suffocated, which was not because of the death grip that Alice was giving him, it was because of how ecstatic he was to even remember breathing.
"I am here, all the best people are, I missed you so much", the hatter could almost feel contentment in his heart that was so fulfilling that he stood motionless unable to react to this privilege. Alice was starting to ponder why the hatter was not giving her an equally strong embrace, so she slowly raised her head.
"Hatter", she saw him turn his stare to her, she was at least happy to see his eyes in its most jubilant color.
"Why is the raven like a writing desk", he inquired with seriousness in his features. It was all that he could mutter out.
"I still haven't the slightest idea", they smiled at each other's presence.
The hatter reverted to his old self, his hand in both her shoulder blades.
"Alice not too tall, not too small, just the proper sized Alice, I have missed you too –tsk tsk tsk- you are awfully unpunctual, naughty," the hatter stated. He held up one of his shapely hands, waving his pointer finger and finally tapping her cute button nose while Alice was half-startled, trying to contain a rosy red blush.
"Hatter, may I ask you something", scowling tenderly while a smile crawled in her lips.
The hatter took a step back; he removed his famous hat, twirling it like a baton before swinging it before him like a courteous gentleman.
"The champion of Underland and the savior of us all against the red bloody big head needs of my assistance." I will be very much honored to oblige"
He took her hand, landing a fragile kiss on her pale knuckles "what sanction may I serve my lady".
Hatter was impeccably much of a charmer, it was his oozing self-confidence and refined gestures that could bring a pinkish glow to her pale corpse like skin.
"May we have our conversation somewhere discreet?"
"As you wish, how 'bout a quick stroll, right this way", he positioned her hand between his angled lean arms.
As they made their way to the unknown venue, Alice could feel the warmth from his coat and the cool feel from his wide palm. He was just the mad hatter that she needed. The rainbow that would complete her morning sky. The man that she knows could feed her craving for adventure. The man that could make her imagines six impossible things before breakfast. The man that has the most beautiful eyes, true that the eyes are the windows to the soul and his was transparent pure and unpredictable. Set all that aside she felt the nervousness in her knees; could she possibly have the nerve to tell him?
"How was your stay in Otherland" her broke her train of thoughts.
"I made new adventures in Otherland but none could compare my adventures here"
It made him smile, his eyes shining brighter. The stroll was indeed long, they exchanged questions and answers. Alice asked how the White queen, Mally, Bayard, March and even the Bandersnatch was doing, she also shared her journey to China and how there were very interesting fabrics that he could use for his detailed projects and the different cultured herbal tea that was not much of her liking. The hatter listened bearing in mind this moment that he was sharing with her. He was indeed a good listener. He held again in his arms his source of sunshine.
They walked through the woods, across the pond, through absalom's garden and finally a glasshouse. She was in awe. It seems to be a greenhouse but the glass walls were colored with different hues of green, it was impossible to see through. It shouts hatter in every theme cause it shaped like a teacup. She was a bit concerned that all greenhouses have plants housed in their care and she is well informed that flowers in Undrland are not inanimate, they tend to listen occasionally and they disrupt conversations.
"Hatter, this place is extraordinary but it wouldn't be private if there are flowers listening, it is in fact a greenhouse", his forehead crumpled, his eyes darted in different directions.
"I don't see any foliage, my lady and may I ask dear Alice what is a greenhouse?", his forehead returned to its original state, fairly tilting his head to wait for an answer.
"It is a glass house that contains many plants and flowers", the hatter returned her statement with a smile.
"You may be surprised that this dwelling does not contain plants or flowers", he laughed hysterically in the highest pitch that she could only hear from a mad man. He pulled out a piece of cloth hidden inside his pocket and attached the two ends with his calloused fingers.
"No peaking", Alice could only return a small lingering smile.
The hatter held her hand like a light soft petal. He opened the entrance, placing one hand at the back of her waist.
"Ladies first", he led her inside. He untied the knot of the blindfold.
"VOILA!"