Summary: Alice arrives back in Underland, and is reunited with the Hatter. So why is his first inclination to take them both to the White Queen? Follow up to Where I Need to Be.
Rating: K+
Genre: Fluff, mostly. Romance. Teeny, tiny, itty bitty bits of angst. Just for flavor. ;)
Disclaimer: We don't own or make profit off of this. It's just for fun!
Any mistakes found are our own. Thanks!
"Oh, thank goodness there's no Tea Party going on!" Alice said softly as she stopped just short of the gateway that lead to Tarrant's Tea table and House. She squinted to see if anyone was at the table at all or if the Hatter, Thackery, and Mally were all there and were simply being inexplicably silent.
Well, that was a ridiculous notion, Alice realized. If more than one of them were present noise would not only be expected, but would be accompanied by inevitable chaos. And by chaos she meant loud remarks, bad jokes, tea cups being smashed, and utensils and scones flying about like deadly missiles. The lack of any and all such activities led her to the conclusion that none were present at the Windmill House, and she felt herself pout a bit, although their absence was not entirely unexpected.
They had spent ten years waiting for her there once before. It was Vanity itself to think they would wait for her any longer in the same location, simply for her own convenience of finding them in a familiar location on that dim promise of 'someday' she had left the Hatter with.
Alice had just returned from China days earlier. She had requested a dinner party at her family home. It was then that Alice informed her mother, her sister Margaret and her sister's husband Lowell that she would be returning to China to marry a hatter milliner named Tarrant Hightopp, with or without their blessings. Her family were excited for her but made no small point of telling her how much they would miss her. (Well, her mother and sister exclaimed that they would miss her. Lowell had simply sat there with a smirk on his face, and Alice had resolved to speak have Words with him before she left, warning him that 'China' was closer than he may imagine, if he should do anything to impinge on her sister's honor.)
Alice felt horribly guilty of the lie she was telling, but she didn't know what else to say. If she told the truth, who would believe her? The truth would only get her a dingy shared room in an asylum, with no way to travel to Underland at all, and that would be if she were lucky.
It was far more believable for her family and as close to the truth as she could make it to tell them what she had. She would just have to hope that it would be possible for her to write her them on occasion from Underland. Chessur had once told her that she could do so, (and Alice now realized he had been attempting to convince her to stay in Underland, even then) but he hadn't told her how. Well, Chessur had never lied to her before, so Alice had no reason to disbelieve him, and would take him at his word.
After Alice had collected a few personal items and her mother and Margaret had showered her with small gifts Alice had taken her leave of them and returned to the Rabbit Hole. They had begged her to stay with them for a short while longer ("Just a fortnight, at the least, sister!") but Alice was determined to get to Underland, and yes, to the Hatter, as soon as possible.
She clutched her small suitcase of items close to her, staring down at the hole. There needed to be no doubt in her mind, she told herself. Traveling back and forth in this manner was too hard. Then she fixated on the thought that she would see the Hatter soon. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward.
That was all there was to it, in the end. She needed the Hatter more than she needed anything else in the Overworld, and now she was here, and Tarrant was just ahead. A hard squint had assured her that the man sat at the head of the table, his arms folded across his chest and his head hanging down, his beloved hat obscuring his face. The silence was explained by the lack of Mally and Thackery. It was not Vanity after all, then! Tarrant had been waiting for her, in a familiar place for easier finding.
Alice took a deep breath. This was what she had waited months for! So why was she hesitating? Oh, where was her muchness?
"Oh, bother it all, anyway!" she exclaimed in a huff, releasing her held breath. She began to run. "Hatter! Hatter! I'm back!"
No response. Alice ran to his end of the table, tossing her suitcase aside. The man remained still and unmoving.
"Hatter?" she asked, slowly approaching him. "Are you-?" Oh, my goodness! He wasn't moving! Whatever could be the cause of such a thing. She placed her hands on his arms, and the warmth she felt through the fine fabric of his coat reassured her somewhat. "Tarrant?" she said, hesitantly.
Suddenly there was a blur of motion and she was pulled into a warm chest with arms wrapped about her, holding her firmly. A gleeful laugh greeted her and she felt kisses raining atop her head.
"What took you so long?" Tarrant's teasing voice asked her.
Alice sighed in relief. Then, pretending to be angry, she glared up at him.
"What took me so long? How dare you! What took you so long to respond to me? You made me think you were dead or...or..." The more she thought about it, the more honestly upset by his actions she became.
Tarrant saw through her ruse and giggled again. This time he bent his head down very slowly, as if preparing to kiss her. "I was waiting for you to say my name." The promise of a kiss was still there between them, but he was giving her the opportunity to stop it if she wished to.
But she didn't wish to. His eyes locked with hers and she saw them soften and become flecked with gold in the face of her acceptance. He slowly bent further down and his eyelids fluttered gently, his breath softly caressing Alice's face. She inhaled, and smelt the faint smell of cherry. She smiled, and then Tarrant smiled. "Amaretto, Hatter?" she asked.
"You've kept me waiting too long for this," he whispered against her trembling lips, ignoring the question of what he'd been drinking in favor of even pleasanter things. "Naughty girl."
"I...I came as quickly as I could. I'm staying Tarrant. I'm staying here."
"With me? Forever?"
"If you'll have me…With you. Forever, that is." she breathed, trying to reach those luscious lips. "I'm not interested in anything less."
"At last." He chuckled low and softly. "If I'll have you? I haven't been waiting here because I like the scenery, lad." Then he kissed her.
Oh, it was better than she had ever dreamed it could be! His cherry-flavored lips softly against hers, gentle, even as they began to press a bit more insistently. Alice gasped but didn't break the contact. It was Tarrant who did so, as he then carefully, slowly caressed her lower lip with the tip of his tongue.
Alice groaned. This was wonderful. This was what she had been waiting almost two years for. Just as she was about to touch his tongue with hers own in return, he drew away and clasped her hands in his.
"As much as I might like to continue…we must go and see the Queen," he said. His eyes showed his reluctance, but Alice knew he was right.
"Really?" she asked. "Why?"
Her forward question made the Hatter stutter for a moment (as it was quite difficult enough to Think in Alice's presence, but to think and speak while she was pressed against him in such a way, and saying such salacious things? He was very lucky, he thought, to be even able to make sounds at all!)
"We…that is, I…ah…I promised the Queen, should you ever return, that we would tell her immediately!" he rushed out, relieved to have presented a reason Alice couldn't possibly argue with, not without seeming churlish. (Although he rather liked the Idea of her pouting churlishly in favor of spending more Time alone with him, he knew this would not be the best Alice Idea he'd ever had, to be alone with her, when he was feeling this way, for any length of Time. Not while…just not yet, at any rate.)
"She couldn't possibly know that we didn't come straight away, can she?" Alice had wheedled, blinking innocently at him.
"She'll know!" the Hatter had nearly shouted, and then tempered his outburst (after seeing Alice looked most Displeased by it) with, "She is the Queen of Underland, after all. She likely already knows you're here, and is waiting for me to bring you to the Castle. And it is most unwise to keep a Monarch waiting, be she patient or not."
Tarrant and Mirana walked into view and seated themselves on a elaborate white marble bench near an equally ornate fountain. The Queen had numerous fountains and benches all around the lavish palace gardens, all equal in beauty and splendor. (At least, that is what the courtiers told the fountains and benches; it wouldn't do to have a fountain just up and stop working one day, simply because someone had told one of it's fellows that it was more attractive then the rest!)
Well, Tarrant seated himself; Mirana, in her usual way, glided to the bench, feet gracefully slid along as if on ice and perched on the bench as if she were being assisted by invisible fairies atop a lush cloud.
From her own place (rather far away, she grumbled to herself) Alice sat and studied them unhappily. Why had Tarrant insisted she go to see the Queen, and then as soon as they arrived tell her to wait for him at the garden's far edge while he went alone to see Mirana? It made no sense! Something, as they said, was up, and Alice had determined she would find out what, even if she had to stoop to spying on them to do so.
Alice reached into her reticule and pulled the fruit that the Hatter had given her to nibble on while he spoke with Mirana. He'd passed it to her in an offhand manner, told her it was called a Mallowmuff, and then strode away, a determined expression on his face. It had the general shape of a plum, but the color was a bright silver. Alice had never seen anything so lovely, yet it almost looked too…metallic, to eat. She sniffed it. Hmmm...it smelled very much like a marshmallow. How curious!
Alice shrugged. Well, she was in Underland, after all. Why would a plum that looks like silver and smells like a marshmallow be odd? Everything was odd here. (Wonderfully odd, if she thought so herself.) She took a small bite. Deliciously, scrumptiously strange.
The skin was similar to that of an apricot and she savored the slight furry sensation on the sensitive tip of her tongue. The taste was exactly like a marshmallow. She supposed that was how the fruit had gotten its name…or had marshmallows gotten their name from the fruit?
Marshmallows were a rare treat for Alice. She had only had several in her entire life in London. Her father had occasionally imported some from France, where they had perfected the recipe by taking the sap from the marshmallow plant and whipping it to create the enjoyable confection that Alice and her entire family had enjoyed. Mostly it was a holiday food, and the taste of the fruit brought to mind happy times, of family and of laughter.
She looked back to Tarrant and Mirana, and all thoughts of happiness and laughter fled her brain. Their heads were bowed close together, and they were softly laughing. The Hatter looked very happy, indeed, and Mirana batted her lovely eyes at him as she gently laid her lace-gloved hand on Tarrant's forearm.
Alice silently fumed and took a larger bite of her fruit now. How dare the White Queen lay her hands on the Hatter in such a manner! It was as if she weren't even present! Morosely, Alice recalled that it was entirely possible the Queen didn't know she was there, as she had no clue what Tarrant had or had not told his Monarch. If she didn't know Alice was present, then she was acting as she usually did when alone in the Hatter's presence, which meant that she always touched him so, and…
Alice's head snapped back towards the bench by the fountain as she heard Mirana's tinkling laughter drift across the flowers and lawn. Alice tensed so much that she inadvertently crushed the remainder of the fruit in her fist. This was enough. She was going over there. Right now!
She stood and stomped over to the pair, her face flushed and fists clenched. She would find out what this was about at once. She didn't return from China, take that dreadful fall down the Rabbit Hole and find her way to Tarrant again just to watch the White Queen flirt with him!
Tarrant and Mirana were so deep into their discussion that they hadn't noticed her approach, and this agitated the young woman even more.
"Excuse me," Alice said, unable to keep some venom from her tone, "but..."
"Alice, my dear!" Mirana cried out, interrupting her. She floated to her feet and wrapped the startled young woman in a warm embrace. "It is so very good to see you again! Tarrant and I were..."
"You were what?" Alice asked, trying to sound civil as Mirana released her.
Alice looked into Tarrant's eyes and they were green with flecks of grey, indicating his confusion. He wanted to hold his tongue, knowing it was for the best to keep silent when it appeared there might be a Conflict between two females, but still spoke, albeit tentatively.
"Alice?" His eyes drifted down to her clenched left hand. "Let me see, laddie. Let me see." He took her hand and slowly uncurled her fingers.
Alice's breath caught as he gently pried her fingers loose from the remaining mashed pulp of the fruit. He looked back into her eyes. Alice realized then that he knew what she was thinking about him insisting on being alone with Mirana.
"Oh no," he whispered. "It was to be a surprise, but..." His gaze fell to her open palm, sticky with the sweet syrup. He couldn't restrain himself from acting on the Idea that formed when seeing it; he told himself he should not, either, as it would be the best way to reassure his adorably jealous young woman. He lifted her hand to his mouth and laved his tongue across it in a broad swipe.
Alice gasped. His hot breath and slick tongue crossing her palm made her slightly woozy. Tarrant raised her eyes to hers but continued to lick her palm.
"Sweet," he whispered, "as I knew you would be. Shall I call you my sweetling, then?"
Alice was frozen in place as strange feelings assailed her and gooseflesh rose all over her body. She wished then, more than ever, that the Hatter hadn't been quite so insistent on immediately seeking out the Queen's presence.
Mirana was staring, open-mouthed at the pair, who were obviously insensible to her presence.
The Hatter then suckled and licked the rest of the syrup from Alice's palm and the girl gasped again. He smiled at her as he swallowed and his eyes were changing from green to green flecked with gold. Taking Alice's fingers, he teasingly laved his tongue over each digit, one by one, making certain that no trace of syrup remained.
When he was finished Alice's knees were weak and she continued to hold her hand out even though Tarrant had released it.
"Alice?" he said softly. The tone was concerned, but he couldn't help the surge of purely male satisfaction he felt that he was able to render her so speechless as this.
Alice remained frozen for a moment, then she snapped back to reality, not even knowing quite where she had been for those few moments.
"Ah...yes?"
Tarrant smiled and Mirana moved closer, an almost hesitant motion. The pair flinched slightly, as they had forgotten the Queen was even present (just as Mirana suspected).
"I'm fine," Alice whispered, lowering her hand. "I...I just couldn't sit by myself any longer. I had to... find out what was going on that I couldn't be let in on." She dropped her eyes, embarrassed.
Mirana smiled and put her arm around her friend.
"Alice," she said quietly, "Tarrant and I were planning a surprise for you. But I can see that is not such a good idea."
"Yes, Alice," Tarrant lisped slightly, "we wanted to welcome you back officially, but I told Mirana that you detest large gatherings, so we were discussing what type of party would be the best, most commodious to yourself party that we could host."
"We were planning a formal tea with your best friends," Mirana finished. "Perhaps three days from now?"
Alice looked up again and smiled sheepishly.
"That sounds wonderful," she said. Her smile widened as she moved forward and embraced Mirana affectionately. "I'm sorry I couldn't wait."
"It's all right," Mirana whispered. She looked on the ground at the pulped fruit, then rounded to the Hatter. "You gave her a Mallowmuff to eat, and then told her you wanted to speak to me alone?"
"Y-yes, your Majesty." Tarrant replied, lost.
"I think I understand what you were feeling, Alice. If I had known, I would have been more sensitive." Narrowing her eyes slightly at her erstwhile Hatter, Mirana added, "Though I would not have given you a Mallowmuff at all. Honestly, Hatta, did you want to see how jealous she would become?"
"Jealous?" Tarrant asked, confused.
It took all of Mirana's self restraint to not roll her eyes at her old friend.
"Tarrant, dear, don't you remember? Think. You used to help Thackery in the kitchen several years ago and the two of you always had to be careful to whom certain foods were offered. Mallowmuffs are one of them. You once served them to me and that caused a scene I'd never care to repeat, thank you!"
Tarrant blushed furiously and nodded.
"Oh, my teapots and scones! I had forgotten all about it! Oh, sweetling, can you ever forgive me? And you, too, Queen Mirana. I have no idea why I forgot...though I think I can guess. It's really Alice's fault, you know. Not that I necessarily blame her, for blaming the Alice for something she had no control over would be dreadful behavior indeed, but she'd finally came back and all I've been thinking about is her and how she really didn't break her promise and I just wanted to be able to give her something to eat and they were close to hand and…"
"Tarrant, stop!" Mirana raised her hand. "It's quite all right. Just don't let it happen again."
She turned back to Alice and put an arm around her shoulders and leaned in close.
"Well, now that he remembers, so can you. Just remember, Alice dear, that when mallowmuffs are mixed with a woman, jealousy tastes like..."
"Marshmallows," Alice finished. The ladies giggled while Tarrant still blushed.