This is just a short little one-shot that I wrote for English class. I got an A on it so I decided to post it. I really am quite pleased with it. Please enjoy!

"What do you expect?" Alice cried. The Hatter was begging her to stay, saying he couldn't stand to lose her yet again. "For me to stay in a different world, with a man whose real name I don't even know? That is not logical!"

"You don't have to stay with me, just stay," Hatter begged. His eyes were large and pleading, forever chipping away at Alice's resolve.

Alice sighed dejectedly. "I wish I could stay, but I've got nothing! No home, no money, no job, nothing!"

"You could stay in Marmoreal with the White Queen," he said quickly "and I'm sure she would have a job that you would enjoy! Just please stay!"

Alice glanced at the door that would take her back to London. She thought about what the Hatter had said. She knew he loved her, he had said so himself, but all he wanted was for he to stay. Stay in Underland where he could see her from time to time without having to rocket through Time and Space. Stay where she could truly be herself, without being judged and without the looks that said "Are you crazy or just stupid?" Or she could go back to London, back to her family, back to corsets and stockings.

'I may have been born in Overland,' Alice thought 'but I was always meant to stay in Underland. In Wonderland.'

"I'll stay," she told him. Alice could see the joy shining through his bright green eyes. "But," she added, causing the joy to be replaced with wariness "you must tell me one thing."

"Anything," he promised fervently.

"What is your name?"

Hatter laughed; a deep booming laugh instead of his usual mad giggle. "Tarrant," he said. "Tarrant Hightopp."

Alice grinned. "Well Mr. Hightopp, would you like to go for a walk?"

"Why yes I would Miss Kingsleigh," Tarrant said with a grin that would rival Chessurs. He looped his arm through hers and they walked away.

They struck out through the woods and walked for hours, talking about meaningless nothings, always avoiding the subject they wanted to broach the most. Just as the sun was about to kiss the horizon, they entered a clearing. It was the same clearing they had walked through many moons ago when she was small enough to ride upon his shoulder. It was the clearing where the Jabberwocky had made its first strike and wiped out the Hightopp clan. Wiped out Tarrants family.

"We should go," Alice said worriedly, tugging on his arm.

Tarrant ignored her and strode forward, shaking off Alice's grip. He stopped on the crest of a small hill and looked toward his feet.

"This is where I last saw my parents," he whispered brokenly. "They were standing here, enjoying the festivities. They looked so happy. That was the last time I saw them before I abandoned them to save Mirana."

Alice approached him and gently took his hand. "You didn't abandon them," she said firmly. "You put your life on the line to save your queen."

"Say it how you wish, they are still gone," he said sadly.

"When you are ready," Alice said carefully "if you wished it, I would help you rebuild your clan."

Tarrant turned and looked at her for a long while. Then her brought their intertwined hands up and gently brushed her face with the back of his hand. Slowly he leaned in and kissed her on the check.

"Thank you Alice," he said against her skin. "Thank you so much."

Well that's it. I hope you enjoyed this little piece of fluffy angst. I enjoyed writing it! If you want me to add more to it I will, but if not, this is all there is. Let me know what you want me to do and I'll try to do it! Review please!