Title: Silver Dreams

Rating: STRONG T

Disclaimer: I own nothi-wait…..waaait…..yeah, still nothing.

Summary: Alice is supposed to be shining the silver, but a…interesting dream causes a warm day to become a little too hot for comfort.

Alice knelt in front of the dining room cabinet and tried to remember what exactly it was she'd been doing. The day was surprisingly warm, and she was in a patch of sunlight that gave her the distinct feeling she should curl up like a cat and take a recreational nap.

Her hair was damp from the shower she had taken after the morning lesson she taught at the dojo, and her mother was out for the weekend with girlfriends. It was a vacation she needed, but was still against taking even as she walked out the door. It had only been a week since Alice's "accident," and her mother was still shaken by the sudden inexplicable appearance of Welsh David and disappearance of English Jack. She was being as patient as she could, and Alice appreciated that fact, but she still couldn't figure out how to explain.

Hatter—since he had shown up in hat her mother had accepted the nickname Alice called him—had been by three times that week. He was still wrapping up things in Wonderland from what Alice could gather. As soon as that was finished, though it looked like it would take a few months, he was planning on joining her in her world permanently. The idea wasn't opposed by Alice. Each day without him seemed totally meaningless. She went about doing the things she usually did, but they didn't register. She would find herself in front of her door holding groceries but unaware of what she'd purchased or when she even went out. Then she'd panic and fumble to get into the safety of the apartment.

It didn't help that Hatter didn't give advanced warning as to when he'd be in her world, let alone when he'd be with her. Every time the doorbell rang her heart jumped into her throat and her stomach did acrobatics as her limbs went slightly weak. It was unbelievable. With every other guy she'd dated, thinking of him made her smile. Now not only did she always think of Hatter, but she smiled like an idiot for no reason whatsoever. She really might be going insane.

And now she was sitting on the floor polishing the silver as a surprise for her mother when she got back, but had yet to do anything productive for the last twenty minutes. Instead she was dozing off and hovering on the edge of unconsciousness with Hatter on the brain. He really was something else. So far their three "dates" had been a three-hour evening walk around her favorite places in the city ending in gyro and ice cream, a picnic in the park during which she tried to explain the idea behind frisbee, football, and kite flying, and two days ago him taking her to the apartment he had seen advertised about 10 minutes from her house that he wanted to buy. It was a studio apartment, not as large as the one she shared with her mother, but a little nicer and just as expensive.

"How could you afford this Hatter?" She had breathed as she looked out the huge windows that gave the top floor a picturesque view of the skyline.

"Hm? Oh," he had grinned at her, but his eyes didn't light up completely. "The same was Jack paid for everything in your world. Pieces of paper, right?"

Alice had raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, they're rather special pieces of paper."

He had just chuckled softly and moved closer to her window, asking what she thought of it.

"A bit high."

He had taken her hand lightly, squeezing it slightly.

"A bit like Wonderland."

Alice shook her head at the memory. He was a ridiculous man. Whimsical and rather edgy on occasion, but wonderful all the same.

Maybe it was her sudden pain at not having him nearby that caused the phantom ring, but Alice could have sworn she heard the doorbell ring. Classic symptoms immediately appearing, she fell over herself getting up and running to the apartment door. She flung it open breathlessly, but the hallway was empty. She closed the door experimentally, and then opened it again a second later. Still nothing. With an embarrassed and self-scolding sigh, she halfheartedly closed the door and poked at the lock.

She was only back in that patch of sunlight with the silver candle sticks spread out before her for a few minutes before Alice of legend found herself fast asleep.

Alice stood by Charlie's hammock.

It was empty.

The camp at the City of the Knights was silent.

She was waiting for something.

And something was coming. She backed up as light crunching sounds came from the wooded area before her. It wasn't loud, but in the silence of the dream-world, the noise was a clear indication of unnatural motion.

Her blue dress was damp again, Hatter's maroon coat wrapped warmly about her. Her tights and boots were gone without question, the leaves and rocks under her feet cool despite the sunlight shining through the trees.

It was getting closer. She took another step back, and hit the rim of the porcelain bathtub with her knees, toppling back into it ungracefully in a tangle of dress and jacket. It was too large inside, easily engulfing her with its clean white edges.

Alice righted herself and peaked over the rim on her knees, waiting again for whatever it was to burst into the camp. This time the wait was short.

Hatter came exploding through the trees, his hat askew and the button down olive shirt he was wearing half open and torn in places. His black trousers were muddy from the knees down, and his feet were as bear as hers.

"Alice! Charlie!"

Alice stood up immediately, relief racing like adrenaline thorough her body.

"Alice! Thank God you escaped all right. Where's Charlie?" As he spoke Hatter moved up to her, putting both hands on her shoulders and visibly losing the tension in his shoulders and jaw.

Alice accepted what he was saying without question. She had escaped, so the details of everything else before were irrelevant.

"We got separated in the Jabberwocky's forest. I thought he would have beaten me here. Hatter-" Her voice was rising dangerously.

"I'm sure he's fine Alice. Nothing in the forest could even get close to threatening his…escutcheon." He winked at her reassuringly as his hands rubbed gently from her shoulders to her elbows. Her hands were spread out on his chest. She lowered her eyes to watch them rising and falling with his breathing.

"I was so worried about you."

Her eyes snapped back up quickly. He'd spoken the words softly into the hair by her ear. He was so close, her small gasp causing his chocolate eyes to focus on her lips.

Blood was rushing in her ears. "Hatter-"

"Shh."

Then his warm lips were on hers. It was gentle, his mouth working over hers until her knees were weak and her brain couldn't focus on anything but him; His smell, his movements, his fingers slowly creeping up her neck into her hair as his other hand wrapped possessively around her small waist. She let out a small moan, one of her arms moving to anchor her around his neck. The other moved over slightly, seeking the warm skin of his chest under his tattered shirt. He bit her lower lip playfully.

"Alice."

She opened her mouth to him with a desperate whimper. It was like being a teenager again. Everything he did was new and exciting and arousing. His hand moved her head slightly, allowing him better access to her mouth. She pressed herself as close to him as possible, cursing the too large bathtub that kept her from pressing every inch of her to every inch of him. One hand buried itself in his hair and her other rubbed his chest helplessly. He growled into her mouth and fisted his hand in her hair in response. By the time he lifted his lips from hers she was trembling from his passion as well as her own.

"You are so beautiful. I could keep you here this way forever."

She flushed prettily and brought the hand in his hair down to rest by his cheek.

"I could stay with you this way forever."

And then he was pushing her backwards, jumping nimbly over the rim of the tub before taking her back into his powerful arms. Alice was more than ready.

The tub was spacious enough for both of them, and when her legs gave out under his lusty kisses he lowered them both to its bottom, the edges hiding them from the woods completely.

They undressed each other carefully, and Alice relinquished herself totally, letting him linger where he would; trusting him to love her thoroughly, and finding he was no disappointment. They fulfilled each other again and again, Alice lost herself as he took her to new heights, slowly and first then more and more roughly as the sun set over their little piece of privacy. He did things she didn't believe were possible, and things she would never mention again.

Alice woke up to find the sun had left her while she napped, and yet her entire body was hot. Her tank top was doing little to hide her aroused state and her skirt was twisted up around her thighs.

She was panting hard, and felt like crying for a reason she couldn't figure out. She never had a dream so detailed and so realistic. She wanted him so badly she could still imagine his hands on her, her skin seared by his phantom touch.

She had to get in a cold shower.

Fast.

She clambered to her feet, stepping gingerly over the still-unpolished silver. She made halfway down the hall, leaning against the wall for support. Her body was revolting against her in the worst way, and she didn't even know if the object of her unusual behavior was even in the world at that precise moment.

By the time she reached the bathroom she was groaning to herself in frustration, she didn't close the door or even the curtain as she collapsed fully clothed into the tub—which did spark unhelpful memories—and turned on the cold spray.

It had only been a few seconds when the doorbell rang. Alice's eyes snapped open and she turned off the tap, listening carefully.

Silence.

And then…the doorbell rang again.

She was at a loss. If it was a stranger she would be mortally embarrassed to answer the door soaking wet or wrapped in a towel. If it was Hatter…it was better they were separated by a door for a few more minutes…or an hour…

Someone jiggled the doorknob, and Alice's heart rate accelerated when she heard the hinge squeak. She obviously hadn't shot the lock all the way home earlier, and now an unknown entity was inside her house…and she was wet in the shower.

"Oi, Alice? I don't think the whole leaving-the-door-unlocked thing is a good idea, love. Everything alright?"

Hatter's voice sounded light and relaxed, but she could picture him, right hand clenched tightly as his sharp eyes evaluated the apartment for signs of foul play.

A soft creak indicated his movement down the hall towards her bedroom. It occurred to her he'd only seen her room the first day he ever came to see her, and her mother hadn't been far behind, watching them like a hawk under the excuse that Alice had just been released from the hospital and was still weak.

"Alice?"

His voice had gone down an octave, with a thin thread of steel going through it.

"I'm here Hatter. Everything is…fine."

She grabbed a towel and dried off her face. Her body felt hot enough to turn the water to steam.

"Alice, why was the door-"

He stopped midsentence as his head came round the edge of the door frame. She was wet. He stood for a second, knowing he should close his eyes but unable to move for a second. Her white tank top was clinging like a second skin, transparent in places. Her hair was sticking to her shoulders and neck the same way her diaphanous blue skirt was clinging to her legs.

She took a deep breath, inspiring movement in him. He snapped his head back into the hallway and cleared his throat.

"Why are you—no, the door first. Why was the door open?"

Alice opened her dry mouth once, closed it, and tried again in a voice that sounded breathless, but not too unlike her own.

"I thought I heard something in the hallway earlier. I was distracted. I'm sorry, I didn't lock it well enough."

She didn't fully understand why she was apologizing to him, but decided he'd be a little miffed if she hadn't.

"Alriiight, next question: Why are you yet again very wet while fully clothed? And would you like a cup of tea?"

Alice laughed lightly, coming out of the bathroom while squeezing her hair with the towel in an attempt to dry it.

"Hard to explain. Even harder than it was last time. And yes, this time I would like a cup of tea."

He grinned at her, the dimple in his cheek making her knees go weak in the most pathetically romantic way. His eyes roamed slightly, and while the grin remained intact, the change she saw in them made her shiver pleasantly.

She slowly dropped the towel, her eyes never leaving his. His breath hissed between his teeth. She took a few bold steps forward, and he backed into the wall.

"Alice…"

"Shhh."

She lay her hands on his chest and stood on tiptoe, kissing him recklessly. He responded immediately. His arms came up around her, crushing her wet form into his. His hat tipped dangerously far to one side, but didn't fall. Alice couldn't breathe; her hands arms pinned between his chest and hers. He was solid and vibrant and pulsing and wickedly delicious.

He let out a deep moan, then pushed her back, holding her at arm's length as she struggled to press herself against him again.

"Alice," he choked out her name between ragged pants, "Alice. This is…amazing. But I don't want to push you, love, and if you do that again I won't be able to help myself."

Alice stilled, then slowly brought up her hands to run them along his muscular arms.

"Please Hatter, help yourself."

She'd never said anything that sexy in her entire life. She could feel her own eyes smoldering at him. His mouth dropped open slightly, and for a second she thought he'd forgotten how to breath. The he had pulled himself away from the wall, and it was her turn to back up. He put an arm above her head against the wall, to other scalding her through the wet fabric of her hip. His eyes were so dark she thought she'd never escape their depths.

"How long is your mother gone for?"

Alice wet her lips, and the way his attention turned to her mouth made the heat in her abdomen ignite into an inferno throughout her body.

"Two days."

He dipped his head, his lips a hair's width away from his.

"We'll move this to my place when she gets back."

Alice's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?" She could barely whisper the word, and when she did her lips couldn't help but brush over his.

His dark smile almost made her lose control right there standing in the hallway.

"I've caught you little Oyster, and I'm not letting go until every pearl you possess is mine, and I've opened you completely."

His lips slanted over hers, and Alice held onto him to keep herself upright.

The silver was still laid out on the floor when Alice's mother returned to a recently evacuated apartment. Alice didn't limp home for three more days.

Yeah…I needed to write something for them ASAP, but I couldn't decide if I really wanted to try for my first graphically intimate fanfiction. This plotless little thing is what came out. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.

And as for those five days the two had…let your imagination run wild, please. ;)

Thanks for reading, now review!

Gone Crazy and Staying There,

Wolfy101