Six Impossible Things

A small one-shot that I've had eating away at me I hope you guys do enjoy. Alice and Hatter pairing... reviews are more than welcome!

"Fairfarren Alice." He whispered into her ear.

Alice's neck shivered for a moment before she withdrew and everything came crashing around her. Next thing she knew, she had flown out of the hole, a sinking feeling residing in her chest. The White Queen, the White Rabbit, the March Hare, the Cheshire cat, the Mad Hatter and all the rest... would she ever see them again? Fighting back the urge to cry, she set her face to a composed manner. It was all over. From the moment she had buried the Vorpal Sword into the Jabberwocky's neck, she knew that her journey in Wonderland was drawing to an end. Turning on her heel, she headed back to the dread that was also known as Hamish. Oh he was so infuriating at times. How dare he tell her to be silent! If he were the last being on earth, she still wouldn't marry that boisterous redhead! Hmm... Red hair... The Hatter, mad Hatter, had red hair too. Intoxicating wild red hair... With a sudden thump to her chest, she realised that she would miss the Hatter most of all. Who else would keep him in half sane check but her? Sighing, Alice ran back through the maze and once again found herself on the gazebo, everybody shooting her murderous looks and muttering hysterically under their breaths.

"Alice, what happened to you?" Her mother's voice cut through her reverie.

Looking herself up and down, Alice became well aware of her mud stained dress and loose hair. The large scratch marks on her arm were also imminent, but that was the least of her worries at the moment.

"I fell down a hole and hit my head," Alice lied rather quickly.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, she heard a loud snicker that belonged to a familiar voice. Whipping around, she didn't find the culprit. Then, staring into the eyes of her mother, she turned away and looked up into Hamish's eyes.

"Well...? Are you going to marry me?" His curt voice cut into the air.

Hesitantly, Alice shook her head, stirring a gasp from everyone in the crowd.

"What?" His face was beginning to turn red and flustered.

"She said no you tyrant." A batty voice answered.

Silence roamed and Alice felt her eyes widened as she realised who the voice belonged to. Turning around, trying to pinpoint the location of the voice, her jaw started to drop as a figure rolled out from the shadows and strode purposefully into the gazebo. His wild red hair and yellow eyes were out in the open for all to see.

"Hatter!" Alice gasped in delight.

His gaze flickered to her and a smile briefly flashed upon his face before he set his wild gaze upon the lean and scrawny man that was in front of her.

"Who are you?" Lady Ascot plundered her way in front of the strange man, "Alice! Do you know him?"

Alice smiled to herself, "No yelling Lady Ascot. And yes, I do know him."

A sneer appeared on the woman's lip, "Who is he?"

At that moment Hatter stepped forward and took off his beautiful top hat and laid it upon his chest.

"Tarrant Hightopp."

A look of confusion brushed upon Lady Ascot's face, "I've never heard of you before!"

Hatter smiled and leaned forward, "I've never heard of you either."
A gasp settled over the watching crowd.

"Alice!" Lady's Ascot's shrill voice was driven to Alice, "Get this tardy man out of here!"

Alice bit down on her lip to stop laughing and she stepped towards her Hatter and slipped her arm through his, her forehead creasing.

"He's not tardy. He's mad." She shot back at Lady Ascot, leading the man out of the way.

With the Hatter on her arm, she turned to Hamish and everybody else.

"Sorry Hamish. Can't marry you. You're not the right man for me. Sorry if that troubles your digestion." She muttered to him.

Then she turned to her sister, Lowell, Aunt Imogen, Lady Ascot, my mother, the Chattaway twins and then Lord Ascot.

"No, I haven't," Answering his question about forgetting him, "You and I have business to discuss."

"Shall we speak in the study?"

Alice smiled and then turned away, towards the house. Then a split second decision crossed her mind, and she lifted up the hem of her dress and did a little Futterwacken, to the absolute delight of the man on her arm.

"That was very well done for your first time." Hatter laughed in her ear.

As soon as the meeting with Lord Ascot was finished, she walked out of the house again and found Hatter waiting outside for her, sitting on the concrete and conveniently pouring himself a cup of tea with a tea pot that had appeared out of nowhere.

Alice laughed back with him, her heart thumping wildly. She felt so happy, her Hatter was with her. Just as they neared the house, they took a turn and headed towards an abandoned path. She hadn't had a chance to talk yet privately with him, and she certainly wished to do so. What was he doing in the Upperland?

"Hatter, you're back!" Alice gasped loudly as soon as we were out of earshot.

He smiled toothily back at her, "I decided I couldn't leave you to fend for yourself up here in the Upperland. You wouldn't survive and you wouldn't remember me." He joked.

She smiled to him and shook her head, "You know I would never forget you." she said softly to her Hatter.

He shrugged and let go of her arm, doing a silly walk that also looked like a jig in front of her, "I know, but I decided I couldn't risk it. All is well in Underland, in case you were wonderland. Bloody Big Head is gone, as so is Knave. We are all at peace."

Alice smiled, "That's good to hear. I wish I didn't leave, but there were so many things I left up here."

Hatter turned back to her with a quizzical stare then a happy grin then a serious face again. With so many expressions, she could never really tell what he was in fact thinking.

"Is everything solved now up here?"

Alice merely shrugged, "I don't know Hatter, for the most of it, I guess, but I still have business to discuss with Lord Ascot."

He laughed loudly and obnoxiously, "I daresay, I cannot really place what I thought when I saw that he was asked for your hand."

Groaning she shook her head, "I could never marry him."

Once again, a serious look adorned my Hatter's face and he nodded, "Of course. You don't suit him. You need someone as half as insane as you."
Alice laughed at his choice of words, "Only you would say something like that Hatter."
He smiled jovially, "I know."
Walking furthermore, they happened upon a lake and Alice wandered forward and sat down. Out of nowhere, her stomach growled and her face turned red.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Hatter asked after a moment's silence.

With a short burst of giggle, Alice shook her head yet.

Hatter smiled widely and flopped down next to her, "Good, because you first must think of six impossible things."

Alice thought long and hard about six impossible things. Now that her business was done in the Upperland, she thought long and hard. All the things that seemed impossible were all things that were connected with the Underland. She no longer felt connected with the Upperland and instead, more than ever, connected with her Wonderland and Hatter. Thinking back, she smiled to herself as she realised she truly had nothing more to do with her life. Giving ideas to Lord Ascot had been pleasing enough, but it hadn't been as impossible as she wished for. Being drawn away from the impossible made her crave and want it even more. Still thinking, she realised with a start that the last things she had said to her mother, her aunt, sister and the rest sounded like parting words... like she'd never see them again. Impossible wonders filled her mind, and almost like magic, she had six impossible things that she wanted more than anything else in the world.

"Hatter, I thought of them."

"All six?"

Alice nodded, "Would you like to hear them?"

With a smile and dusting of his hat he giggled out of the blue then settled down and nodded.

"One, there is a land where drinks make you grow smaller and cakes that make you grow larger... where animals talk and cats disappear. Two, I will be back in that land forever. Three, I will live in Marmoreal. Four, there will be tea parties every day. Five, I will be a great Futterwacker, almost as great as my Hatter."

A spark of joy leapt in the Hatter's eyes, "Then as my duty as your half mad Hatter, I will make those impossible things... become possible."

With that, he grabbed her hands and soon they were off running and shrieking and laughing with joy. Passing the house and dispersing guests, then the maze, then the overhanging trees, finally to a large stump with a large hole in it, Alice stopped, catching her breath.

"Are you ready?" The Hatter asked in a happy voice.

Alice's breath was back and she looked at her friend. The one who had always been there for her and nodded, grabbing his hand tightly with hers...

"More than ever before..."
And with that, they jumped.

Down and down they plummeted, their interlocked fingers never letting go. Together they dodge pianos, couches, bookshelves, clocks, stairs, candles and all other falling things.

The last of the objects came and then the both of the bounced off a large springy bed and down again, crashing through a hard wall like substance. Alice looked up and just like before, she was upside down... and then CRASH, back on the right side of the world, back in sync with gravity. Then wildly looking around, hers eyes widened as she saw that were was no drink, or cake or key on the table in the middle of the room.

"Hatter! How do we get out?" She shrieked.

Hatter raised his eyebrows and started to laugh heinously loud. Alice raised shocked eyes to his glinting ones.

"How do we get out?" She repeated with her voice more forceful this time.

"Through the door, silly girl... the wood one, with a knob, cob, sob, tears, fears, dark, night, sprites, bandersnatch, catch, white, red, bonnet, light, mouse, sword, hat, fez!"

Alice gasped, recognising his complete lose of mind. Grabbing his face in her hands, she held him until he quickly stopped.

"Fez..." He muttered, "I'm fine."

Sighing, Alice smiled, "What door?"
With a wide and cheeky smile, he walked over to a door she didn't think she'd seen in the room before. It was large and black, and covered with paintings of flowers and lace.

"I've never seen this door before?" Alice wondered aloud.

A grunt came through the Hatter's mouth, "That's because it's my door."

"You have your own door?" An astonished reply came from Alice's mouth.

The Hatter turned and grinned at her, placing his hand on the knob and turning it slowly, with a satisfying click, "Of course. I am... of course... mad"

She smiled and linked her arms through his, "But of course my Hatter, let's go."

With a charming smile, he opened the door and they both walked out, the wonders of her Wonderland piercing into her brain once more. The misty sky was clearing up, and the flowers were brighter than ever. The trees and colours and everything were so much more vibrant. If it were possible, everything was so much more beautiful.

As they walked through the steps, Hatter stopped and gripped onto Alice's arm.

"What's wrong Hatter?" Alice asked, worry written all over her voice.

"What was the sixth? The impossible thing..." His voice wandered off.

Alice gulped and then looked into the eyes of the mad man in front of her. Images flashed through her mind. Who else but the man that had welcomed her to her most enjoyable tea party, who had protected her by giving his life to Knave, who stabbed the Jabberwocky's tail to distract it so she could go up the stone steps. Who else but the Mad Hatter could she find better solitude? Who other than the Mad Hatter could she place her trust? Who better than the Mad Hatter could she love? So taking a deep breath, she grabbed the Hatter's arms with her own and then brought her hand up to his face, stroking it gently. Then, ever so slowly, and carefully, she stood on the balls of her feet and let the wind brush over the both of them, slightly aware of the change of clothing she'd received as she'd stepped into Wonderland. Leaning forward, she carefully pressed her lips to the Hatters. Her cheeks started to burn with embarrassment, but this was her impossible to make possible. So she brushed aside all embarrassment and replaced it with courage and then grabbed the lapels of the Hatter's cloak and pressed deeper into the Hatter's own soft lips. Taken by surprise, but then gathering the situation, Hatter smiled and wrapped one hand out her neck and another around her waist, letting it trail and rest of her hip. Cautiously, he let his tongue flicker out and traced the bottom of her lip. Letting out the softest of moans, Alice curled her fingers in his wild hair and then soon, their kiss was a frenzied but gently battle of dominance. Hatter won out and he grinned in the kiss, making her laugh. Tugging on her bottom lip, Hatter then pulled back, confusion but satisfaction plastered upon his face.

"And the sixth..." Alice whispered, "Was that the Hatter, my Hatter, loved me as much as I love him."

With a smile, he noticed that his hands were still on her neck and hip. Leaning in, he placed a chaste kiss on her lips, pulling back again.

"You have to be mad for a wish like that."

Alice grinned, "Good thing you already are."