"Be back before you know it."

Those were the words Hatter held onto tightly. After she left, he went lifeless. He became detached from Underland. He just sat at the tea table with Thackery and Mallymkin, and he rarely talked. Her leave had taken its toll on him. But he always made two teas, one for him and one for Alice.

Hatter would drink his tea slowly, waiting...and waiting. He would wait there with his gapped smile until sunset. Then he would start lashing out at anyone in his way.

He became quicker to anger and sometimes there was no stopping his rage.

"Tarrant, you need to give up waiting. She's not coming back." Cheshire said, shining his claws on his fur.

"No, no. Don't you remember what she said? 'Be back before you know it.' She's coming back. She has to."

Hatter kept that smile on his face.

"Please, Tarrant. Do you really think she meant it?"

Hatter twitched slightly. His eyes turned from a bright green to a dark red orange. The bags he had under his eyes from sometimes waiting for Alice until dawn grew darker and darker.

He went into his daily rage a little earlier than usual. Cheshire didn't even have time to evaporate before a hand flew across his face. Hatter started his rant.

"Hatter!" Mallymkin yelled. Hatter kept on his rant. "HATTER!"

"Sorry...I'm fine."

Cheshire evaporated without a word. Mallymkin and Thackery left to get Mirana. This was getting out of hand.

"What a pleasant surprise Mallymkin! And Thackery!" She beamed her silky smile.

"My Queen, Hatter is only getting worse. We have tried to talk to him, but he just has fits. He's so sure she will be back."

"She very well might. Always be prepared."

A very small grin came into view.

"Cheshire, why such a small smile today?" the Queen asked, losing her own.

"I'm afraid our dear Hatter struck him today, Majesty." Mallymkin answered for Cheshire.

"Oh my." Mirana gasped, shaking her head and sighing softly, "This must stop. Our beloved Hatter is in pain."

Mallymkin only nodded.

Mirana and the dormouse headed back to the tea party, leaving Thackery and Cheshire behind. They saw Hatter sitting at his chair waiting with a huge, yet forced smile.

Then it started to drizzle softly. He slumped down and his smile faded into nothingness. Hatter heard the soft pitter-patter of footsteps in the rain, but he did not look up.

"Hatter?"

Silence.

"Please, Tarrant, look at me."

Hatter's head slowly rose. Mirana saw that his eyes were not the bright green they usually were. They were a faded blue. His depression had taken over him. He barely even had the will to raise his head. Mirana paused to think of what she would say.

"We want our Hatter back. This is not you."

"I would very much like to be back, but I'm afraid...that I've lost my muchness, my Queen."

Mirana remained silent as she walked over to his chair. She touched his cheek softly.

"Tarrant...oh, my dear Hatter. It has been two years. You must move on."

Hatter jumped on the table and his eye shadow became dark again. "I can't! You don't know how much I have longed to see her face or hear her voice..." Hatter trailed off.

Mirana looked shocked, but simply said, "You love her."

"Love?" Hatter's nose curled up.

He did not know whether or not this 'love' was a good thing. The White Queen walked away. Hatter slumped back into his chair and tried to dream of a place where he could be happy with her, although he did not know the meaning of this feeling.

Meanwhile...

"I'm back, Margaret!"

Alice's sister came rushing to her and nearly knocked her over with a hug. Margaret was talking, but Alice wasn't really listening. These past two years had been the hardest years in her life. Not from traveling, nor even from her mother passing, but from being away from Hatter for so long. She was just starting to begin to think, maybe Hatter wasn't real. Maybe he was just a dream.

"Alice?"

Alice jumped a little and came back to her senses. Of course he was real.

"Yes?"

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry…what?"

"What goes on in that head of yours?"

Alice shrugged and smiled. She kept thinking of Hatter and Wonderland. She would fight 1,000 Jabberwock's if that meant she could see him again. Her smile slipped off of her face knowing that it may never be more than a hope, a dream. Alice felt something on her cheek. Margaret's finger caressing her little sister's exhausted face. Alice felt like she might burst into tears. She must have let out a few tears, because her sister's face became quite worrisome.

"Alice, what on earth is the matter?"

"Have you any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"

"What?"

Alice said nothing. She just ran to her room and locked the door. She stood by her bed, thinking. She walked over to her mirror. How Alice wished to see the Hatter. She missed him so terribly, she almost couldn't bear it. She wondered if he was still even waiting. Suddenly, her mirror started glowing. Then she heard something.

"Tarrant...oh, my dear Hatter. It has been two years. You must move on."…"I can't! You don't know how much I have longed..."

Then the voices faded. Mirana and Hatter. She was sure of it. Alice put her hand on the mirror and her hand went through.

"How odd." She thought to herself aloud.

It was as though it were liquid. When she heard a few loud knocks on her door, she jerked her hand back. The substance the mirror was made of was like smoke. It followed her fingers a bit and then evaporated instantaneously.

"Can you let me in?"

Alice looked at the door, and then back at the mirror. It had stopped glowing. She walked over and unlocked it. Alice walked to her bed and sat down as Margaret walked in and sat next to her.

"Ever since you said no to Hamish, you've been different Alice. Everyone says so."

"How have I?"

"You're not as happy as you were before. Something happened to you."

Alice was silent for a moment.

"I'm going to Wonderland tonight."

"There you go with that Wonderland talk again. Alice, there is no Wonderland."

"Yes, there is. I'm sure of it."

"I'm afraid you're-"

"What? I'm what?" She just wanted to hear that word.

"You're entirely bonkers."

Not quite the word she was looking for. Then she remembered what had happened in the Red Queen's castle.

"Have I gone mad?"

'I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But let me tell you a secret. All the best people are.'

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you to see the doctor tomorrow. You're not quite right."

Alice only smiled and nodded. She had explained it a thousand times to her sister. She just didn't understand. Margaret stood up and hugged Alice good night. She walked out of the room, closing and locking the door.

Alice decided to write a letter to her sister.

Dearest Margaret,

I know you don't believe me about Wonderland, and I understand why. Just believe me when I say I love you very much and I always will. But I must go back. It's where I belong. I know that now. I will miss you.

Love Always,

Alice

She laid it on her bed and turned to her mirror as it began glowing again. This time, she went all the way through.