Anything recognizable is the property of the appropriate owners. I do not make any claim to ownership, nor do I make any money from this.
Blast from the past! Finally decided to share this ancient piece just to get it out of my que.
Take a moment to check out my new poll!
Back Through The Looking Glass
It wouldn't take much to completely throw off his tenuous station in Wonderland. An injury, a revolution, even a bad cup of Tea. Unfortunately, Hatter did not expect it to be a girl. It was a normal day, as normal as it could be with Wonderland falling apart under the Red Queen's reign. He had just sat down to sip his drink, confident that Dormouse had things under control in the main room of the Teashop, when Ratty burst through the door babbling about Alice of Legend and Tea. Hatter listened vaguely, dismissing the smelly man's words as desperation for a hit. Those dangerous colorful liquids, shining so brightly in the clear bottles on the shelf. There's not a lot some men wouldn't do for a drop of Tea.
Disinterested as always with junkies, Hatter turned away from the door, prepared to pass the oyster off to Dodo, or the suits perhaps. The door opened, closed, and reopened as Ratty brought in this supposed Alice. As soon as he saw the woman standing on the edge of his grass, soaked through to the bone, he knew that she would be trouble. Alice of Legend or not.
Events occurred so quickly he hardly had time to think, acting on instinct to survive, to bring down the Queen of Hearts, and to keep Alice safe. The first moment he got to think was while camped out in the old White Knight City. Charlie ran off and Alice brushed her hands on her skirt. She went to lay down in the bed and he carefully watched her through the flames of the cook fire.
The brunette was such an enigma to him. She was physically and mentally strong, stubborn, sure of her actions and more than handy in a fight. But she was broken in some way by the loss of her father at such a young age. Hatter watched her snuggle into the plum velvet jacket, even forgot to breathe when she pulled the sleeve up and rubbed the soft cloth against her face. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to gently caress her cheek and run his fingers through her hair. He was sure the cloth would feel course compared to her skin and had to stop the line of thought that hadn't occurred to him since his first appraising look in his office.
He wilted, remembering why she had come through the looking glass. Jack, her boyfriend, her reason for fighting. Hatter stood from the fire and settled himself in the horse pen so he could still see Alice. He eventually slept, dreaming of her, of what might be if her situation was different. His dreaming brain supplied reasons why Alice would want nothing to do with him if she were single. He would have jerked himself awake from the nightmare soon anyways when he was woken by the horses stomping, a crow cawing irritatedly, and Charlie tripping over everything.
The dream left him bereft and confused but concern for Alice brought him back around. He asked what had happened but his mind was busy promising that he would follow Alice as long as she would let him, even if she never let him closer than that. His eyes fell on the jacket hanging from the empty bed, connecting the two. Not even pausing to consider if it was a good idea or not, Hatter simply mounted a horse and headed towards the casino.
When they found Alice, tortured within her own mind, Hatter was both so happy to see her and furious that the mad doctors had hurt her. Together the three of them fled the casino on the flamingoes. He thought he was in heaven while she held on around his waist, pressing her face into his shoulder blade. Blissfully ecstatic that she trusted him enough to mount the flying terror.
Again there was hardly any time to think as the flamingo plummeted from the sky. Panic subsided when they were all safe within the ruins again, only to have to sneak back into the city alone. A relatively uneventful trip later he rushed breathless back into camp only to see no sign of Alice. Getting directions to the hill she had said she wanted to climb Hatter was contemplating ways of keeping her in one place when he reached the top, huffing for air. She really had him on an emotional rollercoaster, far stronger than any binge on Teas.
The sadness in her eyes stabbed him in the heart and their almost kiss tore open his stomach and filled it with butterflies. With his luck recently he wasn't surprised by the interruption, just by who it was. The last days sent him through dismissal, lust, fear, frustration, panic, love, hate, and everything in between. Only determination kept Hatter from giving up on Alice. All of the hurt in her voice when he changed from saying 'we' to saying 'you' niggled guiltily at the back of his mind, but he had only been trying to put some distance between them if they did rescue Jack. But apparently he did not need rescuing. Until the suites appeared, however.
Yet again, Hatter rushed in not thinking about what may happen, this time his luck ran out. He woke to find himself tied to a chair, green blobs floating up and around, rejoining the floor with sick wet plops. The constant rolling movement was enough to make him sick to his stomach when the doctors Dum and Dee entered, grinning widely. Dread filled him, knowing they recognized him from when he rescued Alice.
The twins took delight in his pain, marking him freely with the electric rod and beatings. But Wonderlanders all have a bit of madness in them, his keeping him from being broken. Only the promises of what they were going to do to Alice brought him close to cracking. More and more of his madness leaked out as they jabbed him in the side again, sending electricity chasing along his cracked ribs.
True dread only surfaced through his hundredth repetition of 'why is a raven like a writing desk' when the ceramic faced facsimile of a man entered. His synthetic voice shivered down Hatter's spine. There was nothing natural about the creature in front of him, even by Wonderland standards. Though usually afraid of little, Hatter saw his life reflected in the long knife March pulled from his sleeve. Images of Alice smiling, crying, trusting him, surged up in his memories. Bolstered by the almost kiss in the woods, Hatter could not give up on the chance of that kiss happening in the future. Luck was with him again as Mad March slipped the knife against the metal armrest, severing his bonds. Right hand sledgehammer free, all the pain and frustration flowed into his fist and smashed through March's ceramic head.
Relief knocked Hatter onto the floor, arms awkwardly twisted in the chair. As the adrenaline filtered away, pain took over, threatening to leave him laying on the floor unable to help Alice. Alice. He had to help her. March's discarded knife was within reach and he cut himself free, climbing to his feet. Standing brough a fit of coughing and blood to his mouth. He spat on the floor, grabbed his jacket and hat and staggered down the hallway, searching for any sign of Alice.
He found her in the gaming room, but didn't expect the warm welcome. Scared and alone, Alice ran to her friend and hugged him tightly. The pain caused by the grating of his ribs was miniscule compared to the absolute pleasure of holding Alice. However, the danger of the situation would not leave him alone to enjoy the contact. He wished he could comfort her more when everything went to shit in the casino. Her father was shot, and died in her arms, but the oysters were freed, escaping the destroyed casino and the queen was dethroned. The calm after all of the action was a blessing to Hatter as he collapsed as soon as he was out of Alice's sight.
He had told her in the gaming room that the scratches were nothing and he could not stand to see the anger in her eyes if she knew he was hurt far more than a few bruises. Charlie understood this and facilitated Hatter's disappearance. The white knight snuck him to the old Teashop. Cleaning and bandaging what wounds he could. By the time the Looking Glass was restarted, Hatter was ready enough to say his goodbyes. It took the entire time to convince himself that he could let her go. It also helped that Charlie had forced him to take a few drops of emotion Tea to dull the pain. But when it came down to it, the effects of the Tea made him loopy and awkward.
Hatter wanted desperately to stay near Alice, but seeing her hugged tightly by Jack infuriated him. He almost walked away, but she spotted him, sending his mind spinning from the radiance of her smile combined with the Tea. Hatter just wanted to follow her through the glass, but couldn't bring himself to ask directly and she didn't ask either. When she handed back the jacket he had come to think of as hers, he thought his heart might crack. Then when she hugged him awkwardly and was shoved through the looking glass without another world, he was sure he felt his heart break completely.
In his drugged mind he heard the same shattering noise as when he destroyed Mad March's head, the little ceramic pieces tinkling on the marble floor at his feet. Jack turned from the mirror and saw the injured man staring blankly at the glass. His heart went out to Hatter. After all, he had just been turned down by the lovely woman. Jack had resigned himself to losing her when he saw the scruffy man with Alice in the woods and again after the casino collapsed. He knew they were much better matched than he was, but he had to ask her to accept the ring again. She was right though, she was not the same woman as when she entered his world. Jack walked down the steps from the looking glass to stand by Hatter. The man looked defeated and confused as if he could not comprehend she was gone.
The new king spoke softly as if to a spooked animal. "She is lucky to have you to love her so much."
The smaller man just glanced up before furrowing his brow and looking back to the glass, willing Alice to reemerge.
"Go to her. She will need you."
Again Hatter looked at the blond man. He did not trust the Heart, but his heart sung to rejoin Alice. Before Jack could retract his offer, Hatter ran for the glass, barely noticing the sensation of the solid glass flowing around him before he was falling. Normally the young man would not be fond of free fall, the wind threatening to whip off his hat, but knowing that Alice waited on the other side caused him to grin. A morbid thought occurred between peaks in the roar of the wind. Alice had turned down a king, a handsome, smart, strong, powerful king. What chance did he have, a humble Teashop owner?
Before Hatter had time to contemplate how their reunion would go, the solid concrete floor rushed up to welcome him. Hatter was able to roll on the impact from his shoulder, protecting his head. Once the room stopped spinning and Hatter got to his feet without falling over, he spotted Alice's prone form. Relief at finding her dissipated when he realized she wasn't moving. She had hit her head on the hard floor and remained unconscious.
After he checked she was breathing easily, Hatter wrapped the plum jacket around her shoulders before picking her up. He was careful to cradle her head on his shoulder as he carried her out of the building. A woman was up the street, her arms wrapped around herself for warmth, looking up and down the street worriedly. The sound of Hatter's shoes on the pavement turned her head and she cried out.
"Alice! I'm her mother, Carol. Thank god you found her!"
She gestured for him to put her down as she pulled out a plastic rectangle and punched some buttons. Minutes later an ambulance came rolling up the street, lights flashing. Men in orange jackets jumped out of the back and took Alice from where she was laying with her in Hatter's lap. Only that Carol acted as if this was expected kept him from fending them off. Before the ambulance left, Carol ran over to Hatter with a borrowed pen.
"Let me give you my number, I want to be able to thank you properly for finding Alice. Call in the morning, won't you?"
The older woman climbed into the back of the vehicle and they left, leaving Hatter staring at the black numbers across his palm. He hadn't even been in Alice's world for 20 minutes and he already lost his only hope of a guide. Considering his options, Hatter looked back the way he had come from. Dimly he thought he saw a man standing in the doorway of the empty building. Pausing to pick up the velvet jacket, he trotted towards the man. By the time Hatter reached the doorway, the figure had moved into the building.
"How is she?"
He recognized the voice, but still had to look twice when the flow from a street lamp fell on the visitor's face.
"Jack Heart."
"It's Chase here."
Hatter didn't like the new king of Wonderland. Partially because of his mother, the Red Queen, partially because of his connection to Alice, and partially because he just didn't trust the blonde man.
"Wait a second, you're hair isn't blonde. Did you dye it just for the visit?"
"No, this is what I look like here. You'll probably notice some differences in yourself here as well."
"I'm the same as I was in Wonderland. Now why are you here?"
Jack arched one regal brow. "To pay you for your service to Wonderland."
It was Hatter's turn to arch an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would take your payment?"
The king refused to be taunted by the flamboyant man. "Because Hatter, I bare you no ill will. I do still care for Alice, but we have come to an understanding. She was never meant to be the queen of our land, just of you. I am giving you the means to care for her. Otherwise, I don't think you would survive long here."
Hatter opened his mouth to argue before thinking twice. Instead he paused, looking distrusting at him. "Alright, to help Alice. She would never accept this charity otherwise."
"Then come with me now. I'm sure you won't have long before she is out of the hospital. She is very strong."
Jack began to move towards the exit, but he paused and turned to Hatter looking very dangerous. "But believe me when I say I will be watching, keeping an eye on Alice. Do right by her or you will think what the good doctors did to you was tickling compared to what I will personally do."
Satisfied with Hatter's raised hands and harmless expression, he turned again and exited the building. For the first time, Hatter both believed and was terrified by Jack. He did care, but Alice had turned him down flat. Together they walked down the street a ways before they could hail a cab. Hatter felt completely a fool next to the King of Wonderland, dressed in a colorful shirt and dark slacks with a leather jacket. He noticed it was now black instead of the tan it had been.
Jack was definitely the regal type, his features and bearing only accentuated by the dark suit he wore. He could only hope that Alice would rather have him than a king. The hope that she would indeed have him kept Hatter from truly insulting Jack, or worse. He wanted to be able to provide for her, even if he did need Jack's help to do it properly. Jack explained things incessantly during their short trip and didn't stop upon reaching a handsome looking housing unit.
"The entire building is owned by me. Suits stay here when needed, though not often. The top floor is the master suite. Here are the keys."
Hatter simply stared at the two keys he was handed. "But this is your place." He managed to stammer out.
"I doubt I will be staying here much now that Wonderland needs me there. If I do visit, I will simply stay in one of the other suites."
The smaller man swallowed hard and nodded and Jack continued. The man was efficient at explaining things and fortunately Hatter was good at absorbing information. It was well into morning when Jack finished explaining the uses of the internet.
"But don't trust everything you see on here. I think that covers everything and either Alice or one of the suites can explain it more. You won't need to worry about most of the oyster requirements so long as you obey their laws. Now, Hatter, all the paperwork is taken care of except, you have to pick a name."
Hatter's head jerked up from looking at the floor in exhaustion and the overwhelming amount of information thrown at him.
"Oh, David."
Keys clicked on the computer as Jack wrote an explaining email to the assistant downstairs. "David Hatter, I assume."
He nodded in confirmation before wandering slowly over to the window. Dawn peeked in through the glass only barely lightning the sky. He jumped when Jack spoke from by his shoulder. "Your first new dawn here. With Alice."
The words were soft and truthful with a touch of melancholy. "But what if she doesn't want me? If she tells me to leave?"
Jack smiled knowingly. "She wants you and if you want to come back, just tell Jeeves downstairs and he will make the arrangements. Visits included. Any time you want."
Hatter wanted everything the king had said to be true, hoped with all of his might but he was afraid that it may just be a dream. He smiled at Jack, thankful if it was not a dream.
"I don't know how to thank you."
The taller man extended his hand. "Don't, just take care of Alice. That is enough thanks. Oh, and perhaps you two would agree to attend my wedding?"
"Really going to tie the knot with the Duchess?"
They laughed for a moment when Jack clapped the smaller man on the shoulder. "She will make a fine queen for Wonderland now that my mother does not control her."
"I'm sure we'll be there."
Pleased with promise, Jack bid farewell and reiterated the usefulness of Jeeves before he exited, locking the door behind him. Hatter ran his fingers through his hair, looking around the apartment. As he lowered his hand, he noticed Carol's number written across it. Deciding it was indeed late enough in the morning to call, he picked up Jack's old cellphone and dialed.
"Hello?" Carol's voice sounded tinny through the phone.
"Carol? It's David, I found Alice last night."
"Oh, of course. She woke up a few hours ago but she is asleep again. We will be able to go home this afternoon. Why don't you come by for dinner? I'm sure she would love to meet you."
"Yes, of course I will. Is 6 a good time?"
"6 is perfect dear, now here is the address..."
They spoke for another few minutes until Hatter yawned enough times that Carol told him off for staying up so long and they hung up. Barely untucking his shirt, Hatter collapsed on the bed with the set alarm and slept as only exhaustion would allow him to. When the alarm went off, Hatter slugged his way to the bathroom until halfway through relieving himself he realized he would see Alice again. His movements quickened until he was practically running back and forth through the apartment. A knock sounded and Hatter spun behind the door frame instinctively staying out of direct line of the door, Hatter pulled it open. A man in a dark suit bearing a white rabbit on the lapel minus the red eye stood holding a pile of papers and other objects.
"Mr Hatter?" He inquired, making no move to enter the room.
"Yes? Who are you?"
"Jeeves, sir. Master Chase asked me to make up some papers for you sir, since you will be staying here."
Convinced that the man meant no harm, Hatter moved into the doorway and took the bundle. He recognized a pile of oyster money and a small plastic card bearing his name and photo.
"Thank you Jeeves. I'll be going out in a couple of hours, is there anything else I'll need?"
Jeeves pondered for a moment before shaking his head slightly. "No, I believe that is everything sir. Do give Miss Alice my best, and Mrs. Carol."
With that the butler turned on his heel and left towards the elevator. Hatter shook his head in disbelief and shut the door. He was used to having underlings, but Jeeves acted like a servant. 6 o'clock approached quickly and Hatter checked himself for the 20th time before satisfied that he had not forgotten anything. Hatter hailed a cab and twirled his hat between his hands for the short trip. He knew he should not be worried about seeing Alice again, but he was terribly nervous. Before he could direct the taxi to turn around, he found that he had paid and exited the cab. He was early when he knocked on the door with the correct address, but Carol was smiling widely when she answered the door.
"Alice, come meet David."
For a split second when Alice entered the room he was terrified that she would take one look at him and turn around and leave. Instead she shouted his name and ran towards him. When she wrapped her arms around him, he forgot to breath, soaking in the feeling of her in his arms. It was nothing compared to the kiss though. Hatter was vaguely aware of mumbling "Finally." and her admission that she had missed him so much.
He took it as a decidedly not a rejection and kissed her harder. Carol stood with her mouth open not only surprised at her daughter's reaction to a man she was supposed to never have met, but that it was her daughter. Alice never looked so passionate with any of her boyfriends. Even the Jack Chase that she had been adamant about being different. Maybe this David really would be different.
"Huh." Carol closed her mouth and cleared her throat. "Well, dinner is going to be a few minutes late."
The sight of their foreheads together, eyes closed was adorable and seemed almost private so she closed her eyes and turned towards the kitchen.
"Why don't you show David the house while I finish getting dinner together."
She wasn't sure either of them heard her so she left them to it. Alice vaguely heard her mother leave but had more important things on her mind. When she opened her eyes, forehead still pressed to Hatter's, She saw many things in his face, his eyes still closed. She saw relief, desperation, and love. Alice pressed one more kiss to his lips and pulled away slightly. Hatter's eyes opened, questioning. Seeing the love reflected back in her eyes and smile, he stroked her cheek.
"I thought I had dreamed it all." She admitted, running her thumb across the stubble on his cheek.
"No, it was all real."
She smiled happily and grasped his hand. "Let me finish something up before dinner."
Hatter let Alice lead him through the house to her bedroom where she was filling boxes with her father's things.
"I was just saying goodbye to Daddy."
Hatter squeezed her hand regretfully. "I'm sorry I wasn't quick enough to save him Alice.":
Her smile was sad but honest. "Don't be, Hatter. Wonderland was saved and I got to say goodbye."
He hugged her quickly, refusing to let go of her hand as she folded up boxes and put them under the bed. Once Hatter had felt her lips on his, he was suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling of her. The touch of her skin the tingle of her emotions, sung in his veins and he never wanted to let her go. He was just pulling her close again when Carol called down the hall.
"Alice, David! Dinner!"
They walked to the table, still holding hands and didn't let go through the meal. Somehow they managed to come up with some explanation for the quick move from Jack to David and the night passed easily. When Carol made her usual excuse of having a show to watch, the couple was left to themselves. Alice moved Hatter's hand from her knee over her shoulder and snuggled next to his side. He began rubbing his cheek against her hair and petting every bit of her he could reach. She was actually surprised at how tactile he was. No wonder he didn't act strange lifting her off the ladder or leading her by the hand minutes after they met. Also the strange assortment of clothes and furniture. Everything from smooth cold glass, long fake fur, the velvet jackets and the leather.
"How long until you leave?"
It took Hatter a moment to understand. "I never have to leave."
The hope and excitement that shone in her face when she looked at him slid off to be replaced by confusion. Hatter hastened to elaborate. "There isn't anything left for me in Wonderland. Besides, this is where you are."
Alice smiled again and pressed her ear to his heart. "I suppose we should find you a hotel for tonight. Mom's not going to be keen on you staying here so soon."
"That's alright Alice, I already have a place."
Again she popped her head up to look at him. "You've only been here 24 hours and you have a place?"
He feigned a hurt expression. "You act as though I am not resourceful!"
Alice grinned mischievously. "Oh, I know how resourceful you can be." She then mercilessly tickled him, giggling.
Hatter gasped at the unexpected assault and shoved their chairs away from the table.
"Alice, that tickles!" Giggling madly, Hatter tried to escape by running away but only succeeded in falling on the floor. Alice followed, tripping on his flailing legs and ended up straddling him. A second later he grimaced as she accidentally jabbed a still healing burn on his side. The sudden pain caused him to cough and turn to one side, clutching his cracked ribs. Alice quickly took her weight off of him, lightly running her hands over him.
"Hatter, what is it? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you."
He forced the coughing to stop and uncurled, pulling her down into a hug. "You didn't Alice, I'm just still bruised a bit I guess."
He tried to use his most winning smile, but she swatted his hands away working on unbuttoning his shirt. The first thing she noticed was an older bruise over his left collarbone where Dodo had shot him. Pulling the shirt further open she saw many bruises and cuts, overlapping and fresh. As the last button fell away, she saw the burns caused by the doctors Dee and Dum. She stared in horror at the marks covering his abdomen, barely touching him with her fingertips.
"Alice." Hatter commanded her attention. "Look at me."
He gently took her face between his palms and forced her to look at his face. "I'm fine. Just bruises, they will heal. Just not so much tickling for now?"
She nodded before standing and helping him up. She simply grabbed his hand and led him to the bathroom. Alice forced him to sit on the closed toilet lid and began digging through a cabinet in the wall. As she began pulling out bandages and tubes of creams, Hatter opened his mouth to argue, Alice gave him such a withering glare that he immediately closed it again. She was meticulous with bandaging the burns.
Kissing each wound lightly. She smoothed burn cream liberally across his skin before tapping gauze over it. Each time her lips touched him, Hatter swore he could feel a tickle of healing calm pass into him. Finally Alice was satisfied with her work and began to stand up. Hatter pulled her close again for a hug. Smoothing his hands across her back as he pressed his face against her stomach. She couldn't help but smile at his clinginess and ran her fingers through his hair, knocking his hat to the floor.
"Hey, be nice to my hat." He teased playfully.
She kissed him quickly on the forehead and helped him button his his shirt again. "So how did you get your own place already?"
"Well, I meet up with Jack when you went to the hospital." He answered while still trying to hug her around buttoning up his shirt. "He got me set up here in return for saving Wonderland."
"Jack gave you the penthouse?"
"You've seen it? Kind of big just for one person." He mumbled the last part quietly.
"He just gave it to you?"
"He did ask for something in return though." At this she looked concerned, worried about what would be fair exchange. "He just wants us to come to his wedding to the Dutchess."
"So he is going to marry her then?"
"Is that a yes?"
She kissed him on the nose. "Of course. If you want to?"
"Wouldn't dream of missing a party."
Holding hands, they returned to the kitchen. "Hatter, as much as I don't want to see you leave, I have to teach a class in the morning. I should be free after 11, I think."
Hatter nodded, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "Right. Let me give you my number and you can call me when you're done."
They exchanged numbers and Hatter tried to hold onto her hand until Alice was forced to shut it in the door. When the solid wood door clicked shut, Alice leaned her forehead against the center, not knowing that Hatter did the same. Neither could properly sleep, having already become so accustomed to the other's presence. Alice missed hearing his odd accent and feeling his presence. She couldn't tell what she was missing when she woke in the hospital, but when she saw Hatter again, she knew it was him she missed.
And Hatter missed feeling her close, the intoxicating taste of her emotions when they touched skin to skin. He knew as soon as the door closed between them that he was addicted that he would never be able to get enough of her. Alice was completely brain dead during her classes, more than once staring out the window at anyone wearing a hat in case it was her Hatter. Her instructor called her out more than once before giving up and dismissing the small class early. She rushed to the penthouse to surprise Hatter. When she rang the front bell, Jeeves appeared, smiling broadly.
"Why hello Miss Alice, you look well today."
"Oh Jeeves, I was just hoping that Hat - er, David was here." She had to wrack her brain to remember what her mother had called him.
"Yes Mr Hatter has been waiting anxiously to hear from you. He has been pacing the hallway since early morning."
She smiled at that. It was strangely comforting to hear he wanted to see her as much as she wanted to see him. Jeeves held out a key as they walked toward the elevator.
"I'll bring it back when I'm on my way out."
"Oh no Miss Alice, that's your key."
He winked as the doors slid closed. Alice put the key with the rest on the ring and exited the elevator. The hallway was empty so she quickly unlocked the door and let herself in. She had been in the entryway once while Jack grabbed a jacket before they went out once. Glancing around, she didn't spot Hatter, but she could hear a keyboard clicking in another room. Quietly, she approached the computer room and peeked around the door frame. Hatter was sitting in the dark, Illuminated only by the monitor.
Alice could see his brows were knit together in concentration. His hat cocked sideways, hair flipping up like it did in wonderland. Trying her best to be silent in her yellow flats she reached out and barely touched a flip of his hair. Hatter clacked madly on the keys trying to find what he was looking for. He thought he heard the door of the apartment open but dismissed it as Jeeves always knocked first. But when he heard something just outside the computer room he tried to listen harder. He was sure someone had entered the room, but tried to appear oblivious when he felt something brush a lock of errant hair by his ear. As the flesh of the intruder neared his, he knew who it was.
"Alice." He sighed, relieved she was finally there. She thought she had been silent and so she jumped when Hatter said her name. As he leaned back in the chair to rest his head against her chest, she slid her arms over his shoulders and held him close.
"How did you know it was me?"
"Hmm?" Hatter was distracted by the feel of her arms around him and the smell of her. "I can feel you." He shrugged, not really understanding it, just knowing that it felt good and right. To explain, he took her right wrist and slid the sleeve up to her elbow, exposing the place she had been marked by scarab in Wonderland. Though not bright green like before, the mark was still visible. Only a slightly darker patch, almost shimmery. Hatter rubbed his cheek against her warm skin, softly kissing the mark's center.
"Hmm. Contentment, hope, forgiveness, and Alice, just a bit of lust I think." He turned to look at her, smiling just enough to show his dimples.
"You can feel that from me?" Alice looked at the inside of her forearm.
She thought again of Hatter kissing the tender skin there and she swore it glowed slightly. His smile broke into a full grin and he spun around in the chair so she stood between his knees. All Hatter felt was love surge through him as she gently caressed his scruffy cheek. Alice leaned down him gently, his hands running down her sides. As their lips met, she felt the fuzzy warmth of love surge up, crest and ebb, washed over with a wave of lust.
Hatter held her close, crushing her to his chest, unafraid of hurting her. Alice wasn't sure when or how it happened, but she found herself straddling his lap, running her hands over every inch of him she could reach. Her fingers found the buttons on his paisley shirt and began to unfasten them, slipping the silky material aside. As the cloth slipped away she lowered her mouth to his the brownish green bruise over his collarbone. His wounds looked weeks old rather than just days old. Hatter gasped when her lips pressed over the side of his neck and her hands splayed over his bare chest.
"Alice." He tried to turn her face up to his. "Alice." He insisted firmly, wrapping his arms around her, holding on as tightly as he could.
She kissed his neck one more time. "Hmm, if you keep that up, I'm not going to be able to stop."
He made it both a warning and a promise. Hatter could feel her smiling mischievously against his skin. Alice nipped gently, but hard enough to leave a mark and Hatter hissed in a breath, hand clenching convulsively at the small of her back. She tilted her head up and kissed him deeply, fully exploring him when her phone rang. Hatter yelped as the small device vibrated in Alice's back pocket, dangerously close to his thigh. That combined with Alice's breathtaking kisses it was far too stimulating. Apologizing, she slid off his lap and retrieved her phone.
"Hi Mom." She struggled to sound normal and not out of breath. "I know I'm late, I just wanted to see Hatter before coming home."
As the two women conversed, he leaned his head back and focussed on willing his excitement to go away.
"Mom!"
He opened one eye and looked over at Alice, blushing furiously. "I have known him for for more than a day and I can choose who I may take my clothes off for. And all of my clothes are still on!"
Hatter couldn't decide if he was happy about that last statement or not. Deciding it took too much effort to decide, he closed his eyes again and just enjoyed being near Alice again.
"Mother! Yes Jack knows, yes we're still friends, No he won't be coming over for dinner again. Yes, I know you liked Jack. What's wrong with Hatter?"
She smacked herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand. "Because he wears a hat... No! The hat comes with him. Mom... Just forget about the hats. Yes his accent is real. No, Mom. Ok. Just try to forgive the hats, he really likes them. Yes I'll be home soon. Ok, I'll ask him, yeah I'll let you know Mom. Love you too."
When Alice had hung up the phone, Hatter opened his eyes. When he saw the lusty expression in her eyes, he stood shirt hanging open to expose his chest. Hatter backed her up against the wall and nuzzled her neck.
"Ah, Hatter." She sighed then forced herself to raise her hands to his shoulders. It was one of the hardest things she ever did, pushing him away from nibbling on her neck.
"Oh, I don't want you to stop, but my mother wanted me to let her know what we were doing for dinner."
"Pizza." He mumbled into her shoulder, still tasting her.
He knew every time he found the right spot as he could feel the flair of her passion. "And lots of other things." She finished. "Pizza it is then. Just let me text my mom."
Hatter grunted that he understood, but when he kept up the little kisses. "Hatter, come on, I'm hungry!" She giggled when he whined as she pushed him back. "I know a place a few blocks away. Grab your jacket and we'll go."
Smiling he helped her away from the wall. "If you'll wear something for me. It will go perfectly with that shirt."
Alice glanced down at the plain light blue retro tee she wore. It was almost the same color as her dress and the corduroy pants were just as red as her tights had been. Curious what Hatter wanted her to wear, he helped her out of the black denim jacket she wore. He left the room but returned moments later. In his hands he held the plum velvet jacket she had worn all through wonderland.
"You brought it with you!?"
Hatter held it out so she could slip her arms into it. "It's all I had left of you, I wasn't about to leave it behind."
Alice turned and looked deeply at him. "But you left everything else."
He put everything he had into making her believe what he said next. "You're everything I need now."
Alice believed him completely after he withstood the tortures of Doctors Dee and Dum, she trusted Hatter entirely. Smiling gently, she leaned her head down on his chest and listened to the heartbeat, strong and steady. After a moment she lifted her head, kissed over his heart, and began buttoning up his shirt. They left the apartment, hand in hand, Alice texting their plans to her mom with one hand. When they arrived, Hatter looked up expectantly at a sign that spelled out "Bannie and Mo's" in bright red block letters.
"I never thought about it, but what do you know about pizza?" Alice asked worriedly afraid he may have the wrong idea about what it was. They were pointed toward and open table set with a plastic red and white checkered cloth. Hatter looked through the topping list before answering.
"I only don't know what that is." He pointed at one of the ingredients.
"Cottage Cheese is lumps of cheese in whey, kind of creamy. Not really something I see on pizza."
He nodded and looked over the list again. The waitress wandered over with glasses of water and pulled out a pad to take the order. Alice started with ordering a sprite and a small pizza, extra cheese and pepperoni. Hatter ordered Ice tea and a small pizza with everything but cottage cheese on top. At the waitresses raised eyebrow, he gave her his best smile. No woman could resist the dimples and she smiled back. Half an hour later the pizzas were delivered steaming and sizzling. Alice methodically separated one piece and began using her fork to cut off bites.
"I thought pizza was finger food?" Hatter asked genuinely confused.
"I used to make a mess when I was little so my parents made me us a fork." When Alice saw the pout on Hatter's face, she sat down her fork and picked up the whole slice. Grinning, Hatter followed suit and they ate their pizzas in relative silence. At least Alice did. Hatter moaned in joy through each slice, smacking his lips and licking his fingers. He kept up a running commentary on the toppings between each slice until the pizzas were finished. He washed it all down with the last of the ice tea and smiled at the waitress when she sat down the check. Immediately he pulled out a card and slipped it in with the receipt.
"Don't worry about it, Alice, Jack has provided plenty for us." He cut off her obvious comment. "Apart from the appalling quality of this ice tea, that was delicious."
"I'm glad you like it. Bannie and Mo's has been my favorite since I was a kid."
"The only thing that could make it better is you agreeing to perhaps watch a movie with me."
Together they left the pizzeria and walked back to his apartment. When they entered the suite, Hatter helped Alice out of her Jacket and removed his own hat and jacket. As always his hair looked bereft without his hat and Alice stepped tp to run her fingers through it. When her fingers ran down his cheek, he turned and pressed a kiss to the inside of her palm. Gently, almost reverently, Hatter touched every bit of the woman standing in front of him.
If someone had come into his office a week ago and told him that he would buy a drenched woman for a bottle of Excitement, dethrone the Red Queen, and fall in love, he would have called them mad and kicked them out the back door. But here he was, staring at a beautiful woman, feeling nothing but love for her. Alice tiptoed and kissed him quickly on the lips while grasping his hand. She led him to the couch, picking up the remove on the way. Alice flipped through the channel until she found a movie just starting.
The theme music of Mamma Mia began but she was distracted by Hatter pulling her close and brushing her hair with his fingers. It took only the first song for Hatter to determine the movie was useless. He quickly became engrossed with the way light slid down her hair when he slid it over his palm. The movie was only 20 minutes in when Alice let her head tilt fully against her chest and fell asleep. She only woke when the final song of the movie came on, louder than the rest. Looking up at Hatter she saw nothing but love in his eyes. Alice smiled and nuzzled into his hand as it caressed her cheek.
"I love you Hatter." A look of total bliss washed over his face and he leaned down to kiss her.
"And I love you, Alice."