A Wonderfully Mad Idea

Disclaimer alert!: I do NOT own anything or anyone except the plotline of this little scene. If you thought I did, get out from under your rock.

Alice returned to the balcony after her brief conversation with Absalom. Tarrant Hightopp, the Mad Hatter, was still looking at the stars, waiting for her. She took a deep breath, a frightening, wonderful, utterly mad idea entered her head, and she smiled, stepping forward. Tarrant turned to look at her.

"There's been a rather strange turn of events," she said, casually, meeting his gaze and continuing to walk forward.

"There have been a great many strange events since you came back, Alice, my dear boy. I mean, being caught by Her Vileness, you tamed a bandersnatch, you're finally the right size, (it is such a wonderful size, you know,) and—"

"Hatter!"

"Thank you, I'm fine now."

"I mean a more recent event." Alice's smile got a bit wider.

"What would that be?" Tarrant asked. It certainly can't be worse than discovering that one is a figment of Alice's imagination.

"Underland, all of this, everyone I've met here, and everyone I haven't, is all completely real. You are real, and not just to me," Alice told him fervently.

"The idea that I could be nothing but a wisp of your imagination is disconcerting and painful, you know." Tarrant's voice was melancholy and low. Alice flinched, then came toe to toe with him.

Placing a hand on his shoulder, she asked, "Can you forgive me for hurting you?" Tarrant gave her a sad half-smile, and said, "In time."

"Like now?" Alice asked, placing her hands on either side of his pale face. Her heart raced, and she half wondered if this would work. The Hatter shook his head.

Kissing his forehead gently, she asked, "Now do you forgive me?" The only response Alice got from Tarrant was a non-committal, short groan. Alice slid her face to his cheek, smiling as she tickled his ear with a whispered, "How about now?" She felt the grin break across his face as she kissed his cheek, her heart did little summersaults at the sound of an almost breathless, "Yes. Yes, I forgive you."

"Tarrant," Alice whispered. Pulling back to look him in the eye, she raised her voice, "You're blushing." Alice barely had time to marvel at the pale purple his face turned and how it tried to be pink under the bluish white coloring of his skin.

"So are you, Alice," Hatter told her. Then they pulled each other forward and kissed for the first time.