Disclaimer: I wish the astoundingly beddable Hatter were mine. But he's not, so…please don't sue me!

Warnings: sexual content

Summary: The casino is destroyed, Hatter's on the mend, and Alice has brewed a steamy surprise for Wonderland's new hero! M-rated extended scene from chapter 9 of my AU-twisty Alice fic, Leather, cinnamon and allspice. Can stand alone. Don't need to read the fic to enjoy the naughty ;D

A/N: Extended edition of the bath scene in chapter 9 of Lc&a. Not much is changed throughout the original stuff, so if you've already read chap 9, you can skip a chunk of this if you feel so inclined ;) Extended segment begins about halfway through.

Shadow of the past: I do believe there are outdoor bath scenes in both Crouching Tiger and Flying Daggers, but perhaps the hot stone aspect is more prominent in Flying Daggers...? I should re-watch them, it's been a while! Anyway, weird that it's in both, I hadn't thought about that before! Thanks for pointing that out and next time feel free to PM me :)

"What's the surprise, Alice?" Hatter's eyes were screwed shut, and he spoke with hardly-restrained excitement.

"You'll see!" Alice took the awkward crutch from under his right arm, the one not in a sling, and supported him on her shoulders so he wouldn't stumble over the uneven ground. After all, she'd been the one to request that he close his eyes, so at the very least she could make this little trek easier for him. Not that she needed an excuse to wrap him around her… Propping the crutch against a tree, she led him downhill along the forest path.

Just yesterday Alice had discovered the source of a spring that trickled into a small waist deep pool before it filtered off into the grotto where they'd gone skinny-dipping. Her cheeks burned at the memory, which seemed like forever ago.

It had taken a lot of doing to prepare this surprise for him. When she'd learned that the last of his bandages could be removed and it was okay for him to be submerged in water for a proper bath, she'd asked the medics to leave it up to her and not mention anything to him. They'd cocked their eyebrows and smirked knowingly, but offered no protest to the Alice of Legend.

Just Plain Alice spent the daylight hours collecting masses of smooth stones, heating them in a fire she'd built poolside. She continuously fed the fire to keep the temperature up. When the stones were heated through, she shoveled half of them into Hatter's bath, keeping the rest in the flames to add in as needed while the water gradually cooled. She'd gathered large branches to temporarily block up both mouths of the pool, hoping to prevent as much loss of heat as possible. She was pleased with how steaming the bath water had become, and thanked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for giving her the clever idea.

Alice caught Hatter peering shiftily at her through his squinted eyelashes. "No peeking! Not until I say so!"

"Can I guess, at least?"

The girl snorted. "Sure, whatever. Give it a shot." They'd reached their destination, anyway, so he'd find out soon enough.

Hatter stopped abruptly, squeezing his arm around Alice to bring her to a halt. His eyes remained shut, but the crooked curl of his lips told her what was on his mind.

A delicious tingle ran down the length of her spine.

"Hmmm…" He whirled her around to face him, reaching for her hand and rubbing his thumb along the delicate skin of her wrist, standing with his weight on his left leg. He continued to follow her instructions, never opening his eyes. "Is it smaller than a bread-and-butter box?"

Alice playfully smacked his good shoulder with her free hand, grinning from ear to ear. "Nope!"

"That rules out a cuppa tea, then!" Hatter wrinkled his button nose. "Is it a pretty Oyster girl?" A lecherous smile crept across his scruffy face. "Preferably without too much clothin'?"

That was patently bold, and although Alice would normally be turned off by such forwardness, out of Hatter's Cupid's bow mouth it was…hot.

"If you play your cards right!" She did her absolute best to sound nonchalant, not wanting to betray the effect he had on her, and was moderately satisfied with the result.

"Really? Is it a hot bath, then?" his voice was hopeful.

"No fair! You peeked!" Alice laughed, only mildly dismayed that he'd guessed her surprise so easily. Any disappointment was supplanted by the pride she felt for nailing precisely what he would want at that moment.

Hatter's espresso eyes popped open. "No peekin', cross me heart! I just happen to think a steamin' hot bath would be quite lovely, is all." He inched closer to her, lilting to the left with his limp.

Alice leaned back slightly at the intensity in his gaze, but she stood her ground, heart going a mile a minute. Her vision tunneled on the wild man before her, his untamed hair tousled in a feral halo about his face. Her eyes roamed lower. His chest was bare save his bandages and arm sling, nipples erect in the chilly breeze of early evening, gray scrubs clinging scandalously low on his narrow hips. Alice could see the outlines of his abdominal muscles and the fine treasure trail vanishing tantalizingly into his waistband. She failed miserably at pretending not to notice that he, like herself, was going commando, and her grey-blue eyes widened of their own volition. Oh god oh god oh god…

"So, if I play me cards right, said steamin' hot bath comes with a steamin' hot, very pretty, very wet, Oyster girl, yeah?

Now there's a dangerously attractive scenario. "Uhhh," Alice's mind raced for something witty to say, but came up dry. "You wish…" she meant for it to come out as challenging banter, but her voice sounded weak and wobbly.

"I see…" Hatter toyed with the round buttons of her purple coat until he had unfastened each one. He slid his right hand under her collar, closing what was left of the tiny gap between them and bringing his lips to her ear.

Alice stood transfixed, indulging in the fiery tingles running rampant through her body at his touch.

"But y'know, love," Hatter whispered in her ear, "in my condition, I need some assistance…preferably from someone with a…gentle touch." He smoothed his hand down her back, slinking the coat off her shoulders into a crumpled heap on the grass. "And I don't really fancy askin' Charlie for help, so a very pretty, very wet Oyster girl oughta do nicely."

The brisk breeze blowing over her bare arms played but a minor role in eliciting a shiver from Alice. She was wet, alright. How was he able to do that to her? "Uhm…" she murmured again.

Hatter smirked, beaming his dimples at her.

The man was infuriating; he knew precisely what he was doing to her, didn't he?

"I'll make this easy for ya. I've been terribly gentlemanlike thus far, yeah?"

Nod. Gulp. "Mmm."

"But…I did buy ya off Ratty, y'know, and bein' owned by me has its…stipulations."

Her blue eyes bugged out of her head. Get a grip, Alice. "Oh? What kind of stipulations, exactly?" It didn't even occur to her to be offended by his statement. They both knew he didn't actually own her, of course, and she certainly didn't mind playing along. Not with him looking at her like that.

"Well, for starters, I only got one arm what works, don't I?" he insinuated.

Alice regained a portion of her wits, and her fingers began working nimbly at the bandages that still riddled his upper body. She had difficulty fathoming how he had recovered so well in such a short span of time, but she chucked her questions and chalked it up to fricken' Wonderland. Besides, Hatter had proven to be nothing less than remarkable from the instant he'd spun around in that white chair in his teashop, so should she really be surprised that he evidently had Wolverine-like healing powers? All of his wounds had closed and looked relatively healthy. The scars were pink and fresh, but no longer painful. Nothing was infected and his spirits had been soaring. His left humerus and right femur were damaged from the bullets, hence the crutch and sling, but even his wrists and ankles were fully scarred over. Most astonishing of all? His fractured ribs appeared to have miraculously fused back together, because he didn't once complain about any tenderness or discomfort there. Charlie's ancient remedies and Hatter's power "nap" had apparently done the trick.

Without a word, Alice carefully disengaged Hatter's left arm from the sling. He hissed as she gently lowered his arm so that it hung straight at his side and discarded the sling on the ground next to the pile of used bandaging. His eyes clenched briefly before he gazed back down at her with a serious stare.

"And a bum leg, don't forget that."

Alice held back a smile. With how low those baggy scrubs were riding and how stretched out the elastic was, he could probably shimmy out of them with no more than a wiggle of the hips. Plus, he was barefoot, so it's not like he had to untie his boots or anything that would be remotely difficult with his injured leg. But she obliged him, willing herself to peer into his eyes and not at his exposed lower half as she tugged the elastic away from his body and allowed the scrubs to fall and pool at his feet. Every fiber of her being screamed look down! But she challenged herself to fight the urge.

Hatter grinned at her suggestively, gripping her shoulder to steady himself as he stepped out of the scrubs. "Now you."

That gruffly seductive tone might have been the end of a weaker woman, but Alice had an agenda. "The water's cooling, and it's a bit nippy out here," she indicated Hatter's hard nipples.

He chuckled and flashed her an impish smile, drifting his eyes to her chest and cocking an eyebrow at the stiff peaks poking through the thin fabric of her white tunic.

Alice giggled like a silly schoolgirl. Since when did she giggle like a schoolgirl? "C'mon, you!" She helped him limp along to the pool, supporting him as he gingerly dipped into the water.

"Wow! This really is hot! But not too hot…it's perfect!"

She grinned, delighted that her surprise was such a hit. "You can actually sit and relax, there's a smooth rock shelf jutting out from that side."

"Really? Thanks, love." Hatter hobbled the couple feet to the ledge and seated himself, sighing heavily. "How'd ya get the water so warm?" His eyes followed her movements.

"Like this!" Alice shoveled up a scoop of glowing stones from the fire, and with a "watch out!" dumped them sizzling and hissing into the shallow water.

"Oi! Bloody brilliant!"

"Glad you approve."

The soothing sounds of lapping water and forest insects permeated the hushed stillness that spanned the distance between them. Hatter's eyes glinted at her in the dim light of dusk.

Alice cleared her throat, plucking up her nerve. "So, I believe you mentioned something about the stipulations of being owned by you?" She cringed. She'd intended to come across as sultry, not so…matter-of-fact.

Hatter visibly perked up, lifting his right arm out of the water to settle his elbow on the bank behind him. "I did, didn't I?"

"Well?" Alice gulped, feeling utterly exposed under his sharp gaze, despite the fact that she was fully dressed.

His stormy eyes narrowed. "The clothes," he tilted his head and gestured at her. "Take 'em off."

Instead of bristling like she would with any other man at such brash words, (especially in light of her recent nightmarish encounter with Mad March), Alice shuddered pleasantly and grasped the hem of her shirt. Truth be told, it was quite possibly the hottest thing she'd ever heard. This was Hatter, after all. And Hatter had nothing to do with Mad March, or any other man from Alice's past, for that matter.

She trusted him. She knew he truly respected her and that if she didn't really want any of this, she could refuse and he wouldn't push her or make her feel bad. Besides, this was his surprise gift, and the Hero of Wonderland deserved a reward, didn't he? She broke out into gooseflesh thinking of herself as Hatter's reward. Alice was a modern, independent, strong woman, but there was something titillating about the concept.

Only Hatter could bring about such contradictions in her, and Alice found it refreshing and arousing. She made up her mind right then and there to wholly embrace this side of herself with him. Besides, she wanted him. This was her reward, too.

"Slowly," he ordered.

Alice obeyed, gradually tugging the shirt over her head, her raven locks tumbling free onto her shoulders and resting atop her perky breasts. She met his gaze, the ardent gleam in his eye emboldening her to run her hands along her exposed skin, giving him a little show before leisurely slipping her pants off her hips and dropping them to her ankles. She stepped out of them and waited, gliding her hands up and down the sides of her ribcage and hipbones.

"You're beautiful, y'know."

He sounded so sincere, Alice had no choice but to believe him.

"Join me?"

A naked Alice smiled shyly and made her way to the pool, lowering herself into the steaming bath. She was thrilled at how well the hot stones had worked. "I've got soap," she swallowed, "want me to wash your hair?"

"Yes, please. That would be lovely."

She waded over to stand in front of him, reaching past his head to grab the bar of lye soap from the stack of towels she'd had the foresight to snag from the medical tents. He brushed his fingers over her stomach beneath the water's surface, and her already heat-flushed skin turned crimson.

"Here, scoot forward."

Hatter did as she asked, gripping her hip with his right hand and planting a kiss squarely between her breasts.

Alice squeaked.

"Apologies, love," he nuzzled his scruff over her skin. "Can't help m'self."

"No worries," she choked out. Honestly, she didn't object in the least. But it was his turn for some pampering. Reluctantly, she pried his fingers off her and wriggled into the space on the ledge behind him, straddling her legs on either side of his.

Gently fisting her hand in his unruly mane, she tugged his head back to dunk his hair in the water. She lathered the soap in her hands, massaging his scalp. The nurses had given him cold sponge baths and washed his hair in a basin, so Alice wasn't faced with the task of ridding him of all the caked blood that had once plastered him from head to toe. She could concentrate on soothing him with her touch, encouraging him to relax in the heat. When she'd rinsed all the soapy residue from his locks, she moved on to the rest of him, exceedingly careful with the delicate scar tissue covering his body and the painful injuries in his arm and leg.

She extricated herself from behind him, moving around to wash his legs and feet. She took her time, rubbing his sore soles with firm pressure, using her limited knowledge of reflexology and eliciting all-too-sexy groans of pleasure from his chest.

Alice was too turned on, and indubitably did not have enough self-control in this particular situation, to risk washing his…bits. Hatter chortled when she shoved the soap into his hand and told him he could finish the rest himself, thank you very much.

"Ya sure?" Hatter faked a pathetic cough. "But I'm injured and helpless! I need a woman's touch, if ya know what I mean…"

Yes, Alice certainly knew what he meant, but the populated camp was too close for her liking. It was silly, she knew, but being celebrities as the Alice of Legend and the Hero of Wonderland, she worried that some pervert might spy on them. There would be plenty of time for that later. And lots of other things…

"Shut up, Hatter!" She waded to the other side of the pool and, without having to exit the warmth of the bath, reached for the shovel and transferred another pile of scalding-hot stones from the fire into the water. She wasn't through with Hatter's gift, not yet.

She took a moment to observe him. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful, reclining so his head rested against the bank. Two gibbous moons and a few bright stars were reflected on the tranquil surface of the water. Twilight had nearly faded entirely, and the glow of the firelight flickered over his relaxed features. Her heart swelled.

Settling herself back into the space between Hatter and the bank, Alice began massaging his aching muscles, starting with his neck and shoulders. She remained ever mindful of his injuries.

She kneaded the nook where his neck met his shoulders, working at the knotted tissue. He'd been through so much, had been under so much stress, all because of her. Tears stung her eyes, and she squeezed her lids, taking a shaky breath and clearing her mind. He was okay. She was okay…

…And they were essentially naked together in a hot tub.

"Mmm, feels good," Hatter mumbled, his voice low and husky in his trancelike state. He melted into her touch.

Fuck. Alice had been drifting in and out of sexual fantasyland since he'd regained consciousness and she could purge her worries; it was ridiculous of her to believe she could handle being completely nude in the steaming water, massaging an equally nude Hatter.

But handle it she did. Sort of…

It was torture, but a most welcome torture. She decided it couldn't hurt to indulge herself a little, pulling his body flush against hers so that his head lay on her right shoulder. She breathed in his spicy clean scent as she slid her palms down his arms and commenced massaging his hands.

The entire front of her body was pressed to him, skin on skin. Alice barely registered that she was rubbing her smooth thighs and calves ever so slightly against the rough contrast of his leg hair, which was somewhat softened from the soap and hot water.

While the stones had been heating, Alice had borrowed a dull razor from the supply tent and, after sterilizing it in the fire, had carefully shaved her legs and underarms with some lathered lye soap while she bathed in the grotto. She'd even trimmed her bikini area a little bit, very cautiously, "just in case" they wound up naked together in the bath. Shaving with the blunt blade had taken forever, and she'd vaguely wondered why she bothered, almost giving up halfway through to pitch the piece of metal in frustration. She usually had a no shave policy with new guys anyway; it made her self-conscious enough to keep things from going further than she knew they should. Nevertheless, the giddy schoolgirl Hatter had awakened in her wanted to feel as desirable as possible tonight. For all she knew, men in Wonderland didn't give a rat's ass about body hair on women, and she had an inkling Hatter would find her attractive in a potato sack, but shaving made her feel sexier. The last thing she wanted at this moment was to feel unappealing, even if he didn't actually see her that way.

She couldn't recall ever being this sexually attracted to a man; just the thought made her stomach lurch and her nipples tighten. It took every ounce of her willpower to refrain from licking his neck. That neck… The man had an exceptionally lickable neck, and Alice fixated on a singularly alluring vein running down into his collarbone.

Before she realized what she was doing, she was tracing the pulsing vein with her left index finger, following it unchecked with open-mouthed kisses, flicking out her tongue to savor his damp skin. He tasted of fresh spring water, soap, and the signature allspice that she would forever associate with him.

The fingers of her right hand unintentionally brushed what could only be his…enthusiasm…for her. The tiniest rumble of a growl escaped Hatter's chest. Fucking hell…that was hot.

She wickedly toyed with the notion of going for it and giving him a "happy ending," god knows the man could use the release, but shoved it emphatically from her brain. What the shit was wrong with her? She was never this…loose…with men. Leastways not without a decent amount of whiskey in her system. And even then she managed to show some reserve.

Now was not the time…was it?

To be perfectly honest, Alice didn't trust herself to leave it at nothing more than a happy ending, and Hatter shouldn't be doing anything…taxing…

…Right?

She "accidentally" grazed his erection again, nibbling at his ear. This time he snatched her hand away, raising it to his mouth and sucking on her wrist.

"Mm…vanilla," he murmured into her skin, moving on to her forearm and tracing his tongue along her Oyster tattoo.

Alice sighed, crushing her firm nipples into his back and continuing to devour his delectable neck. Fuck it. Mr. Wolverine-Healing-Powers seemed well enough. She trailed her free hand down his chest to his stomach, thrilling when Hatter bit into her flesh as she tentatively stroked the sensitive tip of his rigid length. The bite jolted her synapses and traveled straight to her already-aching core.

"Oh no ya don't. Naughty Oyster."

Hatter clutched her arm with his sledgehammer hand, and Alice found herself whipped around and straddling his lap before she could even blink. His eyes had the same luminous glow as the evening they'd watched the sunset from Charlie's lookout. He was studying her intently, pressing kisses to her palm. His left arm remained limp at his side, resting underwater on the rock ledge.

Alice bent forward, cupping his scruffy cheek and kissing him sweetly on the mouth. "Hatter?" she whispered, "I wan–"

But she didn't get to say what was on her mind, as Hatter swiftly captured her lips with his, so she told him with her body instead. She ran her fingers through his savage hair and drew herself closer to him, pouring all her gratitude, relief, trust, and love into the kiss. There was no awkward teeth gnashing, and their tongues tangled softly in tandem.

His right hand took ownership of her body, his metal rings intensifying the sensations on her skin. He didn't stop kissing her, his touch roving along her face and neck, down her back and over her legs underwater. "So smooth," he muttered against her mouth.

Shaving had definitely been worth it.

But Alice forgot about congratulating herself on a job well done when Hatter grazed her inner thighs daringly close to her thatch of dark curls. She pitched forward breathlessly when he broke their kiss, blue eyes flying open. It took a second for her pupils to focus, but when they did, they dilated at the smoldering expression etched on his features.

His jaw was set, his slightly narrowed eyes, mere inches away, piercing into her. He ventured his hand higher, and Alice held her breath.

Black eyelashes fluttered, lids veiled steel-blue irises, and air puffed from swollen lips when Hatter narrowed his eyes further, brushing his deft fingers along her folds. Leaning forward and fisting his damp hair, Alice caught his lips in a fervent kiss and thrust her hips against his hand, subconsciously giving him the go-ahead.

She gasped when he responded by easily slipping a finger inside her very ready, very aching, very wet heat, his thumb inscribing a slow, teasing circle along the outskirts of her clit.

She moaned into his mouth and lowered her own hand, wrapping around as much of his girth as the span of her small fingers would allow, intent on reciprocating. But Hatter pulled out of her and grabbed her wrist, again breaking their kiss. Alice whimpered at the loss, and he shot her a warning glare.

"Tsk, tsk, little Oyster," he shook his head.

Alice would be damned if they'd play this little game. "I want to," she panted.

One corner of Hatter's mouth lifted in a lopsided smirk. "I don't doubt that, love. But this?" he gestured obscurely. "This is my gift, innit? My reward? I am the Hero of Wonderland, aren't I?" He spoke lowly, with finality. "And I do own ya. So we play by my rules."

And with that extremely arousing, unbelievably cocky speech, he thrust two fingers inside her without giving her a chance to protest, dipping his head to suckle on her breasts floating just atop the water's surface.

Alice tossed her head back, a throaty groan escaping her lips. His fingers filled her, gently stretching her tight walls and warming her up, foreshadowing the inevitable. She needed to touch him, and her hand wandered lower, honing in on its previous target.

When her little hand once again caressed the velvety soft skin of his arousal, Hatter pulled out for the second time and grasped her wrist, halting her ministrations with a snarl.

"I told ya, Oyster. My rules."

Alice raised an eyebrow, a sarcastic pout on her face as she snuck her other hand to grip his erection, achieving one languorous stroke before he managed to imprison both of her wrists in his right hand.

"Cheater," he growled good-naturedly. "Takin' advantage when I can only use me right arm."

"Well then I guess we're at an impasse! I can't very well control what my own hands are doing when you're using your legendary hand on me like that!"

"Do ya want me to continue?"

"What do you think, Mr. Magic Hands?"

"Well…" Hatter deliberately placed her hands on his shoulders. "Judgin' by those foxy sounds you were makin'," he cupped her breast, leaning in to nibble on her ear and causing Alice to shiver. "And judgin' by this…" he roamed his hand down her body to press his fingers against her slick sex. "I'd say yes." He lightly grazed her, teasing her by slipping only his fingertips inside her entrance.

Alice whimpered…again. He could reduce her to whimpering in a matter of seconds, and she was surprised to find that she rather liked it.

"And if, indeed, ya do want me to continue," he huffed in her ear, "we play by my rules." He punctuated his meaning with a hard thrust of his fingers, digging the heel of his palm into her clit and nearly sending her over the edge.

Alice was too far-gone to provide a coherent response, and she clutched his wild hair between her fingers.

"We've all seen what you can do with that sledgehammer!" Owl had asserted.

But Owl didn't know the half of it, and Alice had an inkling that this was only the tip of the iceberg.

Hatter worked furiously to bring her to release. She was so close. Alice opened her eyes wide and gaped at him. His brown eyes were just as wide, and his jaw was slack. He was gazing at her in awe, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was witnessing.

He increased his pressure, squeezing the fingers that were buried inside her towards the heel of his palm, which was rubbing hard strokes over her clit. They panted heavily, staring into each other's eyes, pupils blown wide with lust.

Alice felt the familiar fluttering of her vaginal muscles, her breathing quickened, and wham! Her orgasm exploded from her throbbing core and spread all the way to her fingertips. She curled her fingers even tighter in Hatter's chestnut hair and moaned up into the sky.

Hatter didn't stop, persisting with the motions that had tossed her over the edge. He kissed and nipped at her neck, shoulders, breasts…anywhere he could reach with his mouth…prolonging her orgasm until she peaked again. Her muscles clamped violently around his fingers, and her cries echoed in the night air.

He slowed then, kissing her softly on the throat and gently bringing her down from her high.

Alice tried to catch her breath, settling her chin on Hatter's head as he trailed feathery kisses along her collarbone.

"Damn," she rasped, unaware that she'd even spoken. She whined quietly when he removed his fingers and circled his arm around her waist, tugging her closer, then groaned when she felt his hard length brush against her stomach.

Her body demanded that he be inside her.

In the back of her brain, a tiny voice shouted that she was moving way too fast with Hatter. It was also reminding her that they didn't have any protection, (whatever kind of protection they used in this crazy place), and it's not like she'd been taking her birth control pills since arriving in Wonderland. But the voice was easily ignored, drowned out by the blood pounding in her head and the sensations of entwining her naked body with his. The water was still warm, and the night breeze blew a cool contrast over their exposed, glistening skin.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, mussing his hair as he pressed his hand into her back. He desperately squeezed her into him, as if she could never be close enough. She wasn't close enough; she needed to be closer. Alice rolled her hips and mewled as she rubbed her sensitive clit against Hatter's rock-hard arousal. She was more than ready for him, there was nothing preventing him from slipping inside her. She positively ached for him to fill her, to give her what she was missing.

Hatter ground his pelvis against hers, and Alice decided it was time to remedy her aching need. Both their needs. Screw waiting, they'd been through enough together. They deserved this.

She was just about to lift her hips and take him inside her when they heard voices, loud enough to distract the couple from their state of shared bliss. It sounded like shouting.

Goddammit!

They froze. Why now? The shouts grew closer, and Alice glanced down at Hatter in dismay.

"Can't a bloke seduce his lady in peace?" His voice was muffled, his face buried in her neck and his breathing heavy.

Alice giggled, willing herself to get it together. "Rain check?"

Hatter jerked his head up, his dark eyes boring into her. He fisted his hand in her hair and tugged her into a fiery kiss, forcing his tongue into her mouth to taste her.

Alice surrendered herself to his assault for only a moment, her brain, though foggy, not allowing her to forget completely. She attempted to shove him away, but he simply pulled her tighter, tilting her head to the side so he could eat at the tender junction of her neck and jaw.

"Hatter…" Alice protested weakly. "Someone'll see…"

"Don't care," he muttered gruffly.

And with that, he seized her lips again, and she responded in kind.

The voices were a little closer, and they identified Charlie shouting their names in the distance. God fucking dammit!

"Charlie, now's not the time!" whined Hatter under his breath, resting his forehead against hers as they panted into each other.

Alice regretfully pushed him away, disentangling her limbs from his. She really didn't feel like getting caught by the crazy old knight, naked as a jaybird, in a hot tub with Hatter. And who knows what he would do to the "Harbinger" if he discovered them in this situation? Charlie was way old school, and might get the wrong impression.

"C'mon, let's towel off and get dressed before Charlie finds us like this. Anyway, you're supposed to be resting!"

Hatter clasped her hand, preventing her from moving away from him completely. It seemed he couldn't bring himself to stop touching her. "Soon, yeah?"

He looked so forlorn, like a puppy that just had his favorite chew toy taken away. Alice couldn't help but laugh. She pecked him on the nose and smiled at him. "Yeah, Hatter. Very soon."

He grinned. "Good, cause I dunno how much more of this teasin' I can take!"

She burst out laughing. "You're not the only one! I'll be up all night fantasizing about you." Her cheeks flushed and her pulse quickened from being so frank with him, but she was okay with it. She knew he didn't mind. In fact, he probably liked it.

Dimples and a smirk, exactly what Alice was hoping for. "Ya promise?"

"Promise." It was fun to banter with Hatter like this without worrying what he would think of her. With past boyfriends, she'd felt like she was being phony, trying too hard to be witty, often hiding her true feelings. With him, she'd decided to let herself go, opening her heart and her honesty, for good or bad. It was truly refreshing.

Wow, being yourself. What a concept! Maybe that's what being in love was like, then? She couldn't wait to see what it could be like with him, and excitement bubbled in her bones like a shaken bottle of corked champagne.

"In fact," Alice continued airily, her joy evident in her voice, "I can pretty much guarantee you that I'll be taking care of things myself tonight," she winked. "But I'm not blessed with the skilled sledgehammer, so don't worry, it'll just make me want you all the more!"

Then Hatter winked back and said something that made her laugh so hard she started choking.

"Alice, if ya play your cards right, I s'pose I'd be willin' to help ya with that."

Neither of them slept very well that night.

A/N: I know, I know! Poor Hatter didn't get his happy ending :( I hope you enjoyed anyway! I never intended for anything resembling smut at this point, but Hatter is damn persistent…could you resist? I didn't think so ;) Stay tuned, I'm thinking there might be another M-rated scene from a future chapter of Lc&a. Not sure yet…