A/N: Ok, so this was going to be much longer (and in fact, there's more written), but everything after this seemed to get away from me and just cease being even halfway acceptable. Also, I suck at titles today.
Anything in italics is either memory or dream. Or both-ish.

As always, I own nothing here, all I have is too much time on my hands. ^_^

Hatter watched as Alice was pushed through the looking glass, her last words ringing in his ears. "And lots of other things." Oh, he knew what he wanted that to mean, so many things he wanted that to mean. And maybe she had even meant some of them… she had almost kissed him the once; but that was here, in Wonderland. Not in her world. He was just a character from a kids' story to her, all he could ever be. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to breathe around the knot in his chest. It wasn't easy, but after a few breaths, he felt as though he might be able to keep on with it without thinking about it too much. Opening his eyes and cocking his head to the side, he tried so hard to flip that switch in his head that has always let him walk away from any situation with a smile on his face. Spinning on his heel, he knew it hadn't worked, but he plastered on a grin anyway and strode towards the door, pretending he didn't hear Jack calling his name. It was easy enough. Ignoring Charlie was more difficult, but he made it out the door all the same.

He wasn't thinking. He was trying desperately not to think, let his brain just turn off for a bit. His feet took him back to his Tea Shop on auto pilot, and he forced himself to continue not thinking about how different even that was going to be now.

"Oi, this is gonna take a lot of chocolate and cream cake," he muttered to himself as he wandered back to his sanctuary. He looked down, just noticing again the purple velvet jacket that was still clutched in his hand. Absently, he tossed it on the sofa. After a moment, he tossed his hat down as well. He wandered over to a mirror in the corner and peered at the face there, tipping his head to all angles to examine it thoroughly, wincing a bit at the still ugly marks marring the visage. "Still," he mused, "Not too bad, considering." The face in the mirror smirked a bit, relishing the memory of shattering the ceramic face that Mad March had been wearing, watching the body fall, limp and twitching. It had felt good.

'That feels good.'

The memory, image, feel of Alice's arms around him, her body right next to his came back, unbidden. Hatter shook his head to clear all that away, turning away from the mirror. All of a sudden he was so very, very tired. His feet carried him back over to the couch where the velvet jacket still lay. He told himself he was just too tired to hang it up as he flopped down, clutching it to his chest. He was absolutely not hanging onto it because it still smelled like her hair, her skin, even her sharp smell of sweat and fear. And if anyone had told him he looked like Charlie curled up with his teddy bear as he fell asleep, he would have been hard pressed to avoid delivering a sharp right hook.

He looked at her, though she didn't want to open her eyes, she was afraid of heights, but he took her hand and led her to safety. Her hand was so warm. And now he was meeting her, drenched raven haired girl in a sopping blue dress, yet still holding her head up so proudly. Now she was pressed up behind him on a flamingo speeding away from danger, or was it riding on a horse? He can feel the warmth of her even though his leather jacket. And she's running from the Jabberwock, and all he can do is run after her, he's always running after her, chasing, but is she running from him or the monster? He'll save her from the monster. But she's saving him from Dodo, or was it the Suits? He's never seen a woman fight like that, damn that girl can fight. But they're on the beach, and they're fighting, and he burns with anger and frustration and he feels so warm in spite of the dripping clothes he's wearing. And he's burning inside, because it hurts in and out, and he wants to smash in the mad faces of the Doctors Dee and Dum, but even the burning can't wash out the warm, and he hides in the warm, because the warm is her. And he'll share that place with her if he can, as he has to pull her away from her father, dying, dead. He'll always share it with her, if he can, because she gave it to him, walking in the woods. He's bending down, and can she really be leaning up to meet him? But then there's Jack…

Jack. Jack sitting on his coffee table. Jack staring at him, his expression unreadable. If Hatter hadn't been so damn tired, he might have made himself care, but he thought that caring right now might be dangerous.

"What do you want?" Hatter asked, making his tone as annoyed as possible. Jack – the King – shrugged and cast a glance around at his surroundings.

"I was just wondering how stupid you really are," Jack said, standing and moving to investigate some bauble on Hatter's desk. Hatter struggled to sit up, scratching his head, his mind still reeling from the dream he'd been lost in.

"King or not, you come in to my home an speak to me like that, I may have to teach you some manners."

"Fortunately for me, I brought a body-guard," Jack replied, casting a glance back over his shoulder. Hatter turned to follow his gaze and saw Charlie staring open mouthed at his surroundings, most notably at the collection of teas that Hatter still had displayed along the back wall. Suddenly aware of eyes on him, Charlie startled and stood up to attention, huffing a little.

"I must say," Charlie said, narrowing his eyes a bit at Hatter, "If I had known that you were a purveyor of these particular goods, we might have had some trouble between us."

"Yea, well, looks like I'm out 'a business now anyway."

"I'm sure that we'll find a good use for the Tea Houses around Wonderland soon," Jack said. "But we digress. I was asking you how stupid you are." Hatter narrowed his eyes at the King, warning clear in his expression. Jack continued, unperturbed. "If you are an idiot, then you would be absolutely useless and I won't allow you to go near Alice's world." Hatter's eyes narrowed further, but most of the warning left his face.

"What?"

"What do you think?" Jack asked. "All of Wonderland knows there's something special, something unique about that girl. Even with the Looking Glass under my control, I can't take the risk of someone or something slipping through to her world and targeting her. There are other paths through, though old and difficult, and there's no way to control them all." Jack wasn't looking at Hatter anymore, just staring off into space a bit. "If she had stayed here, she could be properly protected, but as she's chosen to go back to her own world, she'll need someone there to watch over her. With my duties as King, I… I can't very well be the one." Jack paused to clear his throat and seemed to collect himself back from whatever in-between place his attention had strayed to. "And I think we both know why valiant Charlie here needs to stay in Wonderland." Charlie drew himself up as tall as possible.

"Though it would be my honor to go forth and be Milady's guardian for as long as my legs would carry me," Charlie said, apparently to the ceiling, "My King has requested I remain and be his own personal guard, and I cannot shirk my duty." Hatter couldn't suppress a tiny smile, and even allowed Jack to share it for a moment. If the King was going to be nice to ol' Charlie, well, he'd earned that much anyway.

"So, Hatter," Jack said, "What do you say? Do you think you have what it takes to make your way through her world and keep her safe?"

"Well you seemed to do well enough over there, so it would be a snap for me," Hatter quipped, "But Alice seems very capable of taking care of herself." It was too much to think about, to hope for. A good reason to go to her, to see if she really wanted him there…

"Maybe, but I for one would feel better knowing she had an extra pair of eyes there to watch her back." Jack ignored the teasing this time. Hatter didn't trust it.

"Why are you doin this?"

"Because, I want her safe… And I want her happy." Hatter snorted, and at the sound, Jack's eyes blazed; and for a moment Hatter saw more than he ever expected to see in the other man: anger and passion and indignation and overprotective fear… Hatter saw the son of the Queen of Hearts. "Don't think I didn't hear her ask you to go with her! Now, if you are too stupid or too selfish to want the same things for her, then you don't deserve to go! If that's the case, then I will find someone else, someone I trust to go and watch her from a distance. Believe me, I'd rather know you were far away from her." With a dreadful quickness, the fire went out of Jack's eyes, and he began to stride towards the door. He'd just made it a step beyond Hatter when Hatter knew that he was going to miss his chance.

"Wait!" Jack paused and turned back to face him. Hatter bounced nervously on the balls of his feet, suddenly looking everywhere but at the King. "Let me grab a hat?"

fin

As always, comments and concrit are love.