As Alice sat down next to the head of the long table, she realized that her usual spot was surrounded by empty places. The places that were once filled with her eccentric friends. However, there was one place that was occupied, the place at the head of the table, so appropriately called in this case because it was occupied by the Mad-Hatter. A man with marvelous wit, charm, and cunning. He'd saved her many times before and helped her to find herself when all hope was telling her that the real Alice was lost. He had always seemed to be near her, to be there for her, a true friend in a world where the veil between worlds of real and make-believe was thin. The Hatter was one person that Alice could always count on to be at her side when she needed him. "Hatter, where is everyone?" Alice inquired. "Oh, I...Err...sent them off for the day, they needed some time to get back their muchness," the Hatter replied. Alice stared blankly at the Hatter, "where has their muchness gone?" The Hatter seemed lost for words. "I'm not terribly sure dear Alice, but they needed to go in search of it." Alice looked down at her lap; her hands laid on her legs, encased in silky lace gloves, her usual attire for tea time in Wonderland. She wore a sapphire blue dress with lace detailing around the collar and of course, no corset. The Hatter began to stammer, "my dear Alice, I do believe that we've never had a moment to ourselves, it always seems that there is someone near, or far, or near again." Alice smiled, "If they're far, then we're indeed alone are we not?" The Hatter knew, "If they're far, that means that they're just that much more near…just from the other side." Alice pondered the Hatter's usual riddles, but this one, surprisingly made sense. She smiled and shook her head in approval at her friend. "Did you want time alone with me Hatter?" The hatter seemed absolutely gob smacked. Had she found out his ulterior motives for getting her alone? "I, maybe, surely, yes." "Why did you need to see me, is there something amiss?" Alice inquired worriedly. "I do believe that…we have been spending so much…I can't…Alice, I do believe that I love you." Alice smiled, "Why Hatter, I love you too!" The Hatter raised an eyebrow, making his caterpillar eyebrows raise into his trademark hat. "How do you love me, Alice?" "I love you like a protector, someone I can count on to keep me safe," Alice replied, "Why, how do you love me?" The Hatter removed his hat, his orange hair standing on end in waves, "I love you so much, that I could fudderwacken every time I see you. I get a stammering in my heart and a beating in my words when you're around; I think I want to be with you forever." Alice stared at the hatter in absolute shock, she hadn't seen this coming. "Perhaps," she thought, "I could learn to love the Hatter, in a way that he would be happy." Alice smiled at the Hatter, "I could love you that way and part of me does already." The Hatter leaped from his place at the head of the table, pulled Alice from her chair and pressed his lips into hers. His arms wrapped around her shoulders and at first started, Alice began to loosen her grip on waist and let her hands fall gracefully around his back. Her lips began to move in unison with his, learning the turns and flavors of his lips. When she got lost in the kiss, she lost herself and began nibbling on his bottom lip. The Hatter giggled, "That tickles, I like it." Alice smiled into the kiss and pulled away. "Hatter, I think I could love you, my friend could become the love of my life." "I should hope so my darling girl," the Hatter said as he bent down again to Alice's lips.