Chapter 2 – First Day
Hatter stares out the window lost in thought, Alice was lying on his shoulder sleeping, when the pilot came over the loud speaker.
"We will be landing on time in just 10 minutes. American Airlines wishes you a pleasant stay in England."
It's been a year since he came to Alice's world and has been thinking for most of that time, of how to purpose. This will be the first time he and Alice have traveled together (besides in wonderland but that really doesn't count).
He learned a lot about England, from his research of tea and thought it would be a romantic place to go for her birthday, since she was always saying that she wanted to travel some day. He saved all the money that he made from his tea shop for the last few months. Alice was helping out at night these days, which has been the only that time he as seen her, lately. seeing as she's taken on more classes and started this support group for the oysters family's that lost someone and (did not know what happened them), all those that were freed. He helped out when he could, but felt a little weird about it, being someone that used them. He has stopped talking about his past in wonderland too because of it, he use to entertain Alice with stories of his younger days, on quiet nights before they officially moved in together. She was always saying that he should be a writer.
He was thrilled that he and Alice would have a whole week alone together, away for all of that. He turned to Alice and whispered.
"Alice… Alice wake up, were almost there."
They got to The Bear Hotel (near the Forest of Dean) late that night and Alice went to sleep once she hit the bed, she really needed this break. Hatter watched her sleep for a while, thinking about how he didn't ever to be apart from her and about when Alice went through the looking glass, he had only lasted a few hours before he went through after her, with the other oysters.
On their first day in England Hatter planed a picnic. So the next morning He got up early to get some food for lunch, before Alice woke up. He had not been the nicest guy lately, so he really wanted this to be the perfect day. He was going to try to be good, so she could really enjoy her birthday trip. As he was coming back from the store, he was thanking the heavens that it was going to be a nice day and hoped that it would last for when they went to London later in the week. When he got back Alice was in the bathroom brushing her teeth.
"Hatter?" she asked stepping out the bathroom door way.
"Hey, I just got us some food for later." He said as he closed the door behind him.
"Wow… well I would have gone with you." She said stepping back into the bathroom. She has missed him these last few weeks, with her working all the time, she knew it was hard on him not being around as much as she use to, but she was going to make it up to him.
"O, it was a long flight, and it's your birthday, so…" hatter smiled putting the bags on the small table in the corner; he liked the way she looked in the morning just in a t-shirt and underwear.
"Hey, it's a nice day. Let's go for a walk, yeah?" he said turning around quickly, clapping his hands together.
"Sounds great, let me get dressed."
Hatter and Alice were walking down the street of the town holding hands, looking in some of the shops. All the stone buildings reminder Hatter of wonderland.
"So are you enjoying the trip?" Hatter asked her trying to not think about wonderland, it was odd how much he was thinking about it lately. On the plane when she was sleeping it was all he could think about. He didn't no why, its not like he had a very good life back there or anything, but sometimes he missed the rush, normally when he got that feeling, he would tell Alice he was going to the bar, but he really was street fighting for money, which is behind a bar so not really a lie. He felt that New York also had no style; it was so boring compared to wonderland. He didn't like thinking about it, it made him feel like he was betraying Alice.
"Well so far, this has been it. But yes it's very relaxing here."
"Good." He thought of the small box hidden back at the hotel. "I got something else to give you, but that's for later."
"Really, what?"
"I can't tell you, you are just gunna have to wait." He teased; she smiled, and gave his arm a little squeeze, as she leaned up to gave him a little kiss on the cheek.
He felt different here. This vacation seemed to be doing him some good just as much as her. Ahead of them was a café, she wanted to stop and get a little something, hatter smiled at her like she was the cutest thing he had ever seen, when she when she did a little skip just before they sat down at one of the outside tables. They ordered 2 coffees and as they waited for their drinks hatter thoughts was back on wonderland, Alice was texting her mom about the trip.
"Alice?"
"Hm?" she said still typing.
"Do you ever miss or uh think about wonderland?" he didn't know why he was asking, he just had to talk about.
"I don't know, I sometimes think of Charlie though. Why do you miss it?" she said hitting send on the phone and sitting back.
"O know, I was just thinking..." He said a bit rushed. "This world is very different from it." He said this more quietly cause the waitress came with their drinks, trying to sound like it was just a mild observation and not, well home sick. Alice knew it was hard for him sometimes, especially in the beginning, When he sold his rings and a few other things for some new clothes and food while he looked for Alice in the city and having to make a new identity here and all, He never did told her how he got all those papers, making him a citizen, but she had her suspicions. They said nothing more about wonderland after he changed the subject to what they were going to do, later on in the week.
