Start of a series of one-shots. Maybe some of them will develop into full-fledged stories if the inspiration fairy beats me over the head, but until then, I'll just post new ones as they pop into my skull! Although, reviews may make them pop up more quickly.....

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters.... *sigh*

Alice isn't there when he wakes up.

That is the only fact that registers with Hatter. His Alice, who has been in his arms every morning for the past few months, is not there. It's still the middle of the night, and they should both be fast asleep. His fingers dig into the pillow beside him for a moment as he tries to comprehend what is going on. Something is terribly wrong – he feels it in the pit of his stomach. Something is different tonight.

The sound of soft sobbing echoes through the apartment. Hatter sits up, fear making his movements anxious. He doesn't seem to be able to move fast enough, the sheets tangled around his legs attempt to keep him tied to the bed. After a few seconds he breaks free and stands up, dashing into the living room.

Relief crashes over Hatter when he sees Alice sitting safely on the sofa, but only for a fleeting moment. She's hunched over, weeping. Hatter is caught up by uncertainty. Should he go to her know? Does she need this time to herself? But his decision is made for him as another wave of tears comes, and Alice begins shaking violently. It's clear that she can't stop.

He pads across the floor with bare feet, sliding next to her and cradling his Alice in his arms. Her fingers twist into the fabric of his t-shirt as she clings to him, continuing to cry. Hatter strokes her hair with one hand while he pulls her body closer to him. The pair stays this way until Alice slowly calms down enough to stop her tears.

"Alice… love, what happened?" Hatter asks in a gentle voice after several minutes. Her head now rests on his shoulder. She feels like a small child sitting on Hatter's lap, as though he's trying to shield her from the world's horrors. Not that he can. Not that anyone can.

With a raspy voice, she tells him, "I saw my father." Hatter knows what's coming next, and it isn't pleasant. Alice has had this dream several times before. " My father and everyone else who was hurt by the queen. No matter what I do, I can't save them. They all die." She stops.

Hatter kisses her forehead. "Darlin', there was nothing you could have done more to save them. You brought down the queen and saved Wonderland. You were brilliant, but you couldn't save them all because no one could. But you can't beat yourself up for it. "

She so badly wants his words to be true. "I'm tired of living with what I saw, Hatter. With what I didn't do. I haven't even had time to process dad's death because I feel like I should have done something, something more. I know there was nothing,, but I'm tired of waking up every morning with this. I just want to stop for a while. Stop life. "

It isn't Alice's words that frighten Hatter. It's her voice. Her listless, flat voice. She sounds like she's ready to just give up. This is not the girl he fell in love with. Alice is in there, but buried beneath her grief and guilt. And Hatter knows that it's up to him to find her again.

He turns her to face him. Their eyes meet and he refuses to let Alice look away. "Love, don't even think that. Don't be absurd – I can't conceive of life without you. "

Her blue eyes fill with tears again. "Hatter, I can't possibly be good for you like this. I'm just… I'm just dragging you down with all of this. You shouldn't want me. You could do-"

But Alice doesn't get to finish what she was going to say. "Alice, I could never do better than you. Don't even say it." His words make the tears start trailing down her cheeks again. She closes her eyes as Hatter reaches out and draws her back to him. His lips brush against her eyelids, then he gently rests his forehead against hers.

"Before you get any ideas about not being worth enough, let me set the record straight, love. I know even less about all this than you. I wasn't exactly raised tenderly in Wonderland. I was taught how to con a living on the streets, not how to love."

Alice leans back and shakes her head. "No, Hatter, you're perfect. I've never felt this cherished by anyone outside my family before, and I've never been able to trust a soul before."

Hatter chuckles and tucks an erstwhile strand of hair behind her ear. "Alice, I learned everything I know about loving someone from you. You may think there was something more you could have done, for Wonderland, for your father, but the truth is there wasn't. The people have already begun telling stories about your courage. Your father obviously loved you enough to protect you at his own expense. Don't you think that says something about the kind of person you are? I'm honored to be able to stand with you."

The pair remains that way until the sun comes up. Hatter knows that this conversation won't solve all of their issues, but he can feel that something inside Alice has quieted. She's at ease. The sense that all will be well fills the living room with calm. They decide to head back to bed as the first rays of sunlight fill the windows.

Hatter stands up and offers his hand to a sleepy Alice. She takes it, and he pulls her close to him. As they walk back to bed, she suddenly stops, whispering in Hatter's ear. "You're my beacon you know. Without your light I don't know what I would do."

He understands exactly how she feels.

I shall write you your own one-shot if you can tell me what song I got the inspiration for this piece from :)