Well. I have to say… 38 reviews! :D The most reviews I've had on a first chapter, or even after a fifth chapter… ever. I'm so happy I might just… even… futterwacken :D

Curiouser and Curiouser.

Chapter 2.

"Imogene!" Hatter exclaimed, rushing into the party with reckless abandon. He bowed slightly in front of my delusional aunt, a wide smile plastering his face. I stared in shock, uncomprehending.

"I guess the affliction is catching. You've got it too." Hamish muttered sourly. I ignored him, staring as Aunt Imogene smiled up at him. There was confusion behind her old eyes… she didn't know him. "Tarrant!" I called, laughing and smiling to hide my complete incomprehension. The smile slid off his face like a collapsing birthday cake as he looked at her. I walked over to them quickly, and was grabbed by Aunt Imogene.

"This isn't my Prince. I'm not waiting for him." She told me, as though I'd gotten the wrong one.

Hatter laughed, "But of course I'm not!"

"How do you know her?" I asked, searching his face.

"A rabbit hole isn't hard to find when you're as little as a rabbit," He shrugged. "I remember when you were thiiiiis tiny!" He raised his palm to the height of his knee, laughing at Imogene like they were old friends.

"But you're not my Prince!" She said suspiciously.

"Who is her Prince?" I said, watching as Hamish, and a few other partygoers began to approach.

"The Knave, of course. Well. He was never a Prince. But still." He scowled in annoyance, an angry cloud on his face.

"Aunt Imogene was in Wonderland?"

"Twice." He raised two fingers and wiggled them. "Same as you, when she was little and when she was… nineteen? Yes. The Knave spent a lot of time with her, without the Queen's orders and-" He put a hand over his eye and made a popping sound. I shuddered.

By that time, Hamish was standing nearby with everyone else from the party, talking to them about Hatter and me. Mother pushed past him angrily. I could see her coming towards us like a rock being thrown. "Alice Kingsley!" She hissed, casting nervous glances to the forming crowd. "Why on earth did you run away?"

"Mother, I-" I started, but she clearly wasn't finished.

"It was just plain childish, Alice. You are a nineteen year old woman, for goodness sake. When a respectable young gentleman asks for your hand, you should know by now what is expected of you!"

"Mother. Hamish and I are not getting married. We have sorted out the misunderstandings and decided it was not meant to be. I am dreadfully sorry that I did not act as expected, but really, I don't give a damn how I'm meant to act." I said, turning away.

"Alice!" My Mother hissed, at the same time Hatter called, "Alice?" In a confused voice. I ignored my Mother, and began walking toward him, when she grabbed my arm tightly. I carried on walking, my arm falling out of her tight grip as I walked. She settled for walking quickly beside me. "And who is that?" She asked, "He looks positively ridiculous! You haven't heard what Hamish is saying about him… and you."

"I told you Mother, it's all a misunderstanding. Tarrant is a friend of mine, from a while ago, and Hamish was upset, as he didn't know who Tarrant was when he found me with him."

"Misunderstanding? Misunderstanding? Alice, the man is over there, gossiping to our peers, claiming that he found you and this vagrant in a-" She paused, lowering her voice even more. "A compromising situation."

"He what?!" I yelled, turning around to face Hamish.

"Alice?" Hatter asked again, staring at a table. I scrunched my eyes shut, wishing that everyone would stop being so judgemental, and in Hamish's case, so bitter.

"What is it, Tarrant?" I said, my patience running thin. Not with him, really, just with everything.

"Can I eat this?" He grimaced, picking up a slice of shortbread.

I sighed, smiling a little, and nodded. I turned back to my Mother, to see her staring at me imploringly. "What do you want me to do?" I asked, gritting my teeth. "Do you want me to introduce you to him? Do you want me to tell him to leave? Make me marry Hamish? Have as many kids as I possibly can and make a life of attending parties, washing up after my family and staying at home, waiting for my dear husband to return from whirlwind adventures?" I said, my voice slowly raising in pitch.

She looked… terrified. For a second, I was sure there were tears in the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away before they leaked over her face. "Alice… why don't you ask Lady Ascot if you can introduce him to everyone else?" She said, smiling gently. "If I am honest with myself, he looks like an interesting character to know."

"First, I need to talk to Hamish." I huffed, glowering at the group. Lady Ascot walked over to Hamish, placing a hand on his arm. He looked up at her, and a silent conversation passed between them. He looked over as I stormed over, and the group quickly dispelled.

"I just don't understand it," He finished saying to someone as they walked off.

"Don't understand what?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips indignantly.

"Why you turned me down," He said, raising an eyebrow, attempting to appear like he was unaffected by my rejection.

"Well, perhaps this situation is one of the reasons why." I said dourly.

"You see," He continued as though he hadn't heard me, "I don't understand, you have several gentleman friends, ones perfectly suitable for courtship, yet you don't seem eager to settle down with any of them. And how today, when the idea of a commitment is placed before you, you run off to meet with strange gentlemen in the woods." He mused mockingly. I gasped.

"Just what exactly are you implying?!"

"Well, not to be so crude, but I do believe that the signs are pretty clear, when you add that to the fact that you are not wearing your stockings or corset… difficult items to put on alone, or in such a hurry…" He smirked, and I realized then, that no matter what had happened to me in Wonderland, no matter my doubts about Hamish beforehand, I could never have married him. He had such a nasty nature, when pushed to it. Hatter was mad, certainly, but at least he wasn't malevolent-

And that was when Hatter punched Hamish.

And Hamish went down. I mean down. He fell backwards, like his legs buckled.

"Oh my Lord!" Lady Ascot screeched, running toward Hamish's crumpled form.

"Not a soul is allowed to talk to Champion Alice in such a way!" Hatter yelled at the unconscious Hamish. "Not only were you lying behind her back, but you called her a who-"

"-Hatter!" I squeaked, cutting him off.

He stopped talking, but didn't seem to hear me. "Bloody…" He paused. "Bloody… Harry!" He yelled.

I grabbed his arm, standing on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear, "It's Hamish. Please, stop, before things get… worse."

"Bloody Hamish!" He yelled, then looked at me, zipping his lips comically, locking them with an invisible key, and throwing it over his shoulder. "…Sorry." He sighed at last.

Lord Ascot appeared next to his wife, and grabbed her shoulders. "Darling. Darling, do calm down. He's just unconscious. Nothing but a lad's skirmish."

"Skirmish!" She shrieked. "Skirmishes are fights! This… hooligan just ran over and attacked our son!"

Lord Ascot looked at Hatter thoughtfully. He knew as well as us that Hamish was in the wrong. Though of course, no man would want this for their son, it was obvious Lord Ascot saw he deserved it. Ever since my Father died, he had almost become a Father figure to me, as he and my Father were very close friends. "I think that the young man is just very protective of our Alice and wanted to defend her honour. After all, Hamish had been a little down, a little rejected; he probably needed a little shake. Go on, Darling. Get the smelling salts, he'll be around in no time," He said quietly, soothingly.

She stood up, eyes blazing at Hatter and I, before walking briskly back to their mansion, a departing storm. The twins stood uncertainly around Hamish, eyes wide and worried. They looked over at us in shock. "Faith, Fiona. Come look after Hamish for me. I'll return presently."

He stood up, and strolled toward us slowly, leisurely. I knew this from my Father. He may have stood up for Hatter to Lady Ascot, but it didn't mean he wasn't angry. He was drawing it out. Needless to say, the Hatter didn't seem disturbed. He didn't know what was coming. Then again, he wasn't a young girl being reprimanded by a Father.

"May I talk to you… Mr. Hightopp? Alone?" He said, looking at me.

"No!" I gasped. After all that, Hatter could easily have another outburst, without me to stop it getting out of hand. "I mean, I'm perfectly alright to hear whatever you have to say. And Tarrant doesn't mind me hearing, do you?" I asked nervously.

"What is it, Mr…?" He said, his mind in perfect clarity once more.

"Lord Ascot." He said, putting his hand out for Hatter to shake it. Instead, Hatter raised his hat and bowed, causing a pile of daisies to fall from his head, like a magic trick. Lord Ascot blinked in surprise, but didn't say anything. "I have to say, I'm unhappy about what occurred between you and my son, just now. I think it was incredibly unnecessary, even considering what he might have been saying. Now, I know that you were doing it because he was insulting Alice, but I'm sure it would have been more respectable to speak, rather than… hit." He said. He stared at Hatter for a second, appraising his strange appearance, and blinked, in confusion, like he hadn't noticed before, though of course, he had.

"I entirely understand, Lord Ascot. In fact, I shall make an apology when he awakens… If he will apologize to Alice."

"Yes, yes, of course. I'm afraid, if it weren't for Alice, I would have been a lot angrier. After all, to me, you are a stranger. But you seem to have the best intentions at heart, when it comes to her," He nodded curtly at Hatter, almost like a dismissal, before turning to me. "Alice… I'm upset that I wasn't going to be gaining you as a daughter in law, but I know you, and your Father, well enough to know that there is no changing your mind once it's set. And… it was easy to tell that with your upbringing, there was no chance of you settling down to a mundane family life…" He said, smiling slightly. "I'm… I'm going to go see to the boy. Never been punched before, at least, not like that. He'll have to get used to it if he wishes to talk like that to respectable young ladies." He grinned, walking back over to where Hamish lay, Lady Ascot reviving him.

"You never know," Lord Ascot said, turning to face us as he walked off. "For Alice, perhaps the peculiar sort of lad like yourself is perfect."

"Lord Ascot!" I called as he turned around to walk away. He turned back curiously. "We're not…" I pointed between myself and Hatter embarrassedly. He just shook his head slowly, laughing, before he sauntered off.

The party had returned to – almost – full swing. People were dancing to organized tunes, nibbling at slices of cake and biscuits graciously, sipping from their china cups of tea demurely. I could see my sister, joining the older married woman, joining the embarrassed, the women who were seen and not heard. I could see Hamish was back, yet it was hard to notice him, unless you looked out, which most of us were. He was shyly dipping in and out of the shadows, too humiliated to regain the spotlight.

On the contrary, Hatter had become the party's entertainment. He sat in one of the chairs by the table, regaling those who dared to listen with stories of fantasy and a world of Wonder. All listened intently as he described in detail ridiculously 'nonsensical' characters such as a large headed Queen and the humorously hideous Jabberwocky. All gasped and murmured in delighted shock when he spoke audaciously with foul words, mesmerized as he alternated between perfect, eloquent tones to a violent Scotsman, capable of swearing till your ears bled. The whole time, he sat with a teacup and teapot, like he had back in Wonderland, when he'd stuffed me inside it.

"It reached the final battle. The foul Jabberwocky was prepared to fight the White Queen's Champion, and the Champion was ready to slay the Jabberwocky. She wielded the Vopal sword; the only sword capable of slaying the Jabberwocky,"

"Excuse me," Said Faith, eyes wide with interest. "The White Queen's Champion was a lady?"

"Of course." Hatter scowled. He glanced over to me, standing at the edge of the group, listening. He winked quickly, so quick I could have thought it was a blink. "Anyway. The Champion and the Jabberwocky fought on the castle ruins, the old flooring a chessboard, for a chess game a little less organized than you folks are used to." He grinned, and a few people laughed. "As I've said, the Jabberwocky was large, huge, gigantic, and the Champion was small, little, mini. Try as she might, she couldn't get in a hit. And if she did, the whole Red Queen's army were there, and they didn't fight fair. So a crazy old sod," He stood up straight, "If I do say so myself," He whispered conspiringly. "Ran forward an' stabbed at the beast!" With that, he was off. He pushed the chair away from himself, and leapt into a space on the grass, brandishing an invisible sword. The group gasped in enchanted shock, watching him battle the creature of their imaginations.

I pushed my way through the crowd to his abandoned seat, "Of course, the Red Queen didn't like that. It was a battle for her Champion, and her rival's Champion. Her whole army retaliated, and soon the armies were at their own separate war to the Champion and The Jabberwocky." I grinned at their awed faces, and turned to watch Hatter's practical performance. It wasn't exactly the best thing I wanted to see. Rather than acting out a scene for his excited audience, I was convinced Hatter had lost it. His anger had taken over, filling in his imagination's blanks. Each stab and slice of an imaginary sword was meant to do harm. With a wicked grin at the audience, I too leapt over to where he was fighting, and held out my imaginary sword, silently asking him to battle. He paused, puzzled.

"Do you dare battle me, Mad Hatter?" I asked haughtily, my best possible impression of the Knave, and surprisingly, it was a fairly good manly voice.

There was only a short moment of silence, before he understood and straightened his back and stared at me coolly. "The question is… why is a raven like a writing desk?" He flashed a toothy smile. I laughed, before getting back into character. I cast a glance around the garden, pretending to be the cool, conceited Knave. I noticed we had gathered a larger crowd, most of the newcomers speculating our show in confusion.

"You speak no sense, you ludicrous fool!" I snarled, lunging forward with my intangible weapon. He dodged expertly. "Come on now. I'm trained for fighting. I do it for a living. You make… ragged hats," I sneered, shaking my hair around my face in an arrogant action, mimicking the Knave.

"Well, if you're such an amazing, experienced fighter, then fight!" Hatter yelled, running at me with his arms ready to swing an imaginary sword. He dodged left, and the battle begun. We swung at each other, and I swear I could feel the blows like heavy bruises. At one point, I swung my arm over Hatter's head, and he ducked, falling on his backside. He cocked his head sidewards, and laughed as he came out of character. At that point, I was still stuck in the thrill of the fight, no matter how fake it was. It was exhilarating, like being back in Wonderland. I stood over him, hands raised above me as though grasping a sword.

"Please! No!" Hatter yelled in mock fear, recoiling. He grabbed my ankles and pulled me down, before standing over me. He raised his imaginary sword, pulled a maniac expression, and plunged his arms forward, in what would have been a fatal wound to me, had he not swung into a bow instead. I jumped up and bowed as well. I then curtsied, but before I could stand again, Hatter grabbed my hand and pulled me back over to the crowd.

"The Hatter triumphed against the Knave. He wasn't killed though. Unlike the beastly Jabberwocky. It's head was lopped right off. Slice. Dead." He did the motions. He looked at me, and I bowed again at the waist. "The Red Queen and her Knave were imprisoned, for the rest of time…" He said in a mysterious tone.

Everyone clapped. Whether it was to be polite, or because they truly enjoyed it, I didn't know. And it didn't matter. The environment was entirely different from earlier, where it felt like everyone was stepping on glass, nervous they would cut their feet. The audience began to dispel, return to their social groups for more chatter, tea, dancing. I looked at Hatter and grinned. He might not be properly accepted, but he was in this way. He would certainly be admired by some, and sought after for storytelling and acting skills. Or of course, for a beautiful hat. He beamed back, and reached for my hand. It was no attraction, or even, daresay, love; it was partnership. We'd been through a lot together, and we could still go through trials here, together. Friends.

Hamish's red head appeared through the dispersing crowd. "Alice. I wanted to… apologize, for before. I had no right…" He said, his voice hosting frosty undertones. I felt Hatter's grip on my hand tighten, and I squeezed it quickly, reminding him to behave.

"And… Hamish. I am sorry, dear chap. I am remorseful, mate. Hope the bruise…clears up." He said, looking at the darkening circle around Hamish's eye.

"Indeed." Hamish said, seeming insulted. He didn't comment. Instead, he walked away.

"Alice! Tarrant! That was delightful!" My Mother cried, walking over with a bright smile on her face. "I didn't know you could act like that, darling!" She said. "Tarrant! You must bring that out in her," She laughed nervously. "Lady Ascot says that the party shall close soon enough, Smith is getting the horses and carriage sorted out. Where are you going, Mr. Hightopp?"

"I lived down a rabbit hole, so anywhere really," He said, his eyes wide and voice excitable.

Mother looked puzzled, but laughed. "Oh, you're a dear." She remarked. "But really. I do insist. Where are you returning to?"

"Wherever I go, I'm staying with Alice." He said firmly. The warmth in my Mother's eyes cooled. She smiled, but she wasn't happy. A temper was brewing.

"All right." Mother said. "There's going to be time for a few more dances, are you two going to dance?" She asked, her pale blue eyes unnecessarily inquisitive.

Hatter offered his hand to my Mother, and she laughed, shaking her head. "What a dear. Take Alice, lovely."

He offered me his hand, and I accepted, laughing.

AN: Thanks again for reading, review please :D I tried to make a bit of a darker Hatter here, like one of the reviews said, but it wasn't great. I laughed a LOT when I thought of Hatter punching Hamish. Tell me what you think! :D I will continue, though it's kinda hard to come up with a cliff hanger for this one xD

Thanks, xxx