The Mad Hatter approached Alice on the battlefield. The White Queen had just collected the blood of the Jabberwocky in a glass bottle and given it to Alice as her key to go home.

"Alice? You're not to be leaving are you? We have only just begun to do all the things that we need to do together. Tea, tarts, tables, tumbles," Alice interrupted by putting her hands on both sides of Hatters soft pale face. "I will come back Hatter. I promise. I won't be able to stay away for long." The Hatter's eyes wilted almost like a flower. Their color faded from a bright and shining green to a dark and solemn gray.

"You will forget about me again." He sadly lowered his head to the ground. Alice shifted from foot to foot thinking of something she could say to cheer him up. She couldn't stand to see Hatter sad. Her heart was already aching because she would have to leave the magical world of Underland and go back to face Hamish in the boring world of Aboveground. She couldn't bear it. "I will think about you everyday until I can come back to see you. The time will fly by. I would stay here with you if I could, but there are things that must be done, and things that must be said. I will find my way back to you." She lifted his chin with her hand.

Hater looked at Alice, this time with hope in his eyes, which turned them to a glowing orange. "There is still something that must be done before you go. I am investigating things that start with the letter K. Knight's, king's." He leaned close to her and whispered. "Kisses." He wrapped his arms around Alice's waist, pulled her close to him gently and kissed her. Alice had shock set over her, that faded quickly to bliss. Her arms reached around Hatters neck and it was as if a veil had been lifted, uncovering something she knew was there all along but couldn't be sure of. As she kissed his soft lips and her fingers twisted around his wild hair her heart swelled. Hatter loosened his arms around Alice and he withdrew his lips from hers. A smile as big as Alice had ever seen him have spread across his face. Alice giggled and mirrored his smile. She noticed his top hat was now crooked from all the moving about while they were kissing. She straightened his hat and turned around with blushed cheeks to see everyone starring at them. Surprisingly not in disbelief, but relief. Chessur showed up next to Hatter "It's about time." He said. His big wicked grin shined so brightly. He then disappeared into the air. Hatter did not respond to Chessur's comment, he only looked at Alice in admiration. He was already mad, but at that moment he went even a little madder if it was possible. He was mad about Alice. His brave, pretty, smart, Alice.

"Thank you everyone. I will see you soon." Alice called out to everyone. The White Queen waved her royal hand and wished Alice a safe trip. Alice turned back around to face Hatter once more. She opened the bottle that would take her back to Aboveground and drank the potion. "Come back to me Alice." Hatter said as held Alice's hands. His face began to fade from her sight, and Alice leaned to kiss Hatter one last time, but he faded into the darkness.

Hatter was left holding onto the empty bottle. He held it tightly as tears rolled down his porcelain face. A beautiful blue butterfly showed up fluttering about around his face. "She will return to Underland Hatter. So, try not to go too mad will you?" Hatter looked up to see it was Absolem. His transformation to a butterfly was no surprise to Hatter. "I hope you're right, if my Alice does not return to me, I don't know what I will do, or what will happen, or how I will" He started rambling on and on in a high pitched voice. Absolem just sighed and flew away. The White Queen approached Hatter and tried to console his ramblings but Hatter only then started walking in circles sputtering even more. The White Queen put her hands up in front of her and quickly moved out of the way when he almost unknowingly ran right into her. The Hatter had gone mad again and it would take time for him to return to the Hatter Alice knew. Alice was the only one who could ease his madness, as much as madness could be eased.

Meanwhile, Alice was falling up the rabbit hole this time, back to Aboveground.

As she flew past beds, ticking clocks, empty picture frames and other illogical things she began to see light coming from Aboveground. Before she knew it she was climbing out of the rabbit hole. She shook off her dress and boldly headed back to face Hamish. Her head was dizzy and a bit disoriented but that did not faze her in the least bit. She was determined to set things straight. She knew her Mother was probably in hysterics and Hamish was losing his patience. She rolled her eyes as she ran through the lush green field and through the maze of bushes.

Alice's mother had enough embarrassment from Alice's antics. If she were to see Alice again she swore she would

beat that girl into submission, lady or not. She would make her marry Hamish if it was the last thing that she did. "Lowell!" She cried. "Go fetch Alice. I've had enough of this. Bring her to me first." she whispered into Lowell's ear angrily. Just as Lowell set out to find her, Alice appeared from around the corner. Everyone silenced as she walked to Hamish. He was standing in front of the crowd of guests who were still seated, right where they were. Alice realized that it was only minutes that had gone by in Aboveground.

"Alice?" Hamish said.

Lord Ascot looked Alice up and down. Her dress was shredded on parts of the bottom, and it was covered in dirt. "Good Lord. Are you alright?"

"What happened to you Alice!" Alice's Mother called out to her.

"I fell down a hole and hit my head."

Lady Ascot turned up her nose at her. "You look like a frightful mess."

Alice was not going to waste anymore time. "Hamish." She said loud enough for all to hear. "I cannot marry you. You are not the man for me." The look on his face made her want to laugh. A, how dare she do such a thing to me, sort of face. "Sorry Mother. I will not marry him no matter how much you wish me to. I will not be a burden to you either, I will make myself useful in my own ways." She now looked over to her Aunt. "There is no prince Aunt Imogene. You really need to talk to someone about these delusions. I'm sure you will find someone though, maybe not a prince, but someone, very sweet." she said gently.

Then to her sister "Margaret, I must speak to you privately. It's come to my attention that your life may not be as perfect as you think it is." Lowell began quickly walking away from the crowd. Margaret scowled and began running after him suspecting his infidelity. His lover followed behind them.

"Your Daughters swim naked in the Havershim's pond. Mrs. Chatterly." Mrs. Chatterly looked over at her Daughters guilty faces and snatched them up from their chairs by their ears.

"Sorry, girls."

Alice looked around.

"Have I forgotten anyone?"

Lord Ascot lifted his finger. "You have forgotten me."

"No Sir, I have not forgotten you. We have business to discuss."

"Let's talk in the study." He said gesturing with his open hand for her to come to follow him.

"Yes Sir." She followed him into the house.

Lady Ascot protested by yelling and screaming, but it was no use.

Once Alice was inside everyone seated outside closed their gaping mouths and resumed the party. Hamish was not upset by Alice's rejection for long. He was already making advances to a few ladies at the party.

In the study Alice saw a rolled up map in the corner of the room. She went to pick it up and laid it out on a table in the middle of the room. Alice had ideas flooding her mind. Her Father always told her that anything was possible as long as you had enough imagination but she never fully understood that until she returned to Underland. After defeating the giant Jabberwocky, and saving Underland she really did believe that anything was possible. It also helped that she knew Hatter would be impressed by her crazy ideas.

In her head she could hear him cheering her on.

"My Father planned to expand his trade company to include Bombay." Alice searched over the map. "But, I don't think he was looking far enough."

Lord Ascot looked at her like she was mad. Alice just smiled at him.

"Why not expand the company's trade route all the way to China? It's vast, the culture is rich and we have a foothold in Hong Kong." She exclaimed.

Ascot thought for a moment. He remembered the way Alice's father would get a spark of genius in his eye. Alice looked just as he did years ago.

"I agree Alice. I do believe that I have found a way to keep you in the family." He smiled.

Alice was intrigued. "Go on."

Ascot gave Alice a proposition. If she was to join in with his company, they could travel to China together. Ascot knew that he could use Alice's imaginative ideas, just as he did her Father's ideas. Alice accepted with great distress in her heart. It would be a long time before she could see Hatter again. The trip to China would take maybe a year or longer, but she could not leave until everything Aboveground was settled. She had to be sure her Mother would be supported financially and that her Fathers ideas and company would prosper. Her Father would have wanted it. She also knew that he would have wanted to see her happy and that meant for her to return to Underland as fast as she could.

She wished so badly that her father was still alive so that he could see Underland. He would have loved the absurdity of it, with all its talking birds and flowers, mad hares and painted roses.

"We leave in a three days" Ascot did not want to delay.