So yes this took forever for me to get up, sorry. I've had Finals at school and a bunch of other stuff going on so if this chapter isn't as good that's why. enjoy!

The Queen wasn't completely right. True she had fallen into Mad March's trap on purpose because she didn't know how to get to the casino and she did plan on trying to make a deal with one of the Queen's cohorts but she was wrong about one thing.

"I haven't lost my nerve." She'd said. Looking back on it now maybe she should have just played dumb. At any rate it was far too late now, she'd been taken to the Truth Room and was now holding onto a single plank of wood dangling over a pit. This was not what was supposed to happen. She wished now that she would have listened to Hatter when he'd told her there was nothing she could do about Jack , of course at the time Jack was still just her boyfriend, not the Queen's son. How had thing's gone so wrong in such a small amount of time?

She swung her legs up over the board so she was sitting on top looking down, not helping her fear of heights any. She told the psycho twins that she'd only give up the ring if she was sent home. They only proceeded to make the board disappear under her, putting her up against a wall, latterly and figuratively. She didn't know what else to do so she said she'd give up the ring but that she needed to draw a map, hoping that would give her some extra time to come up with a better plan. If only Hatter were here, he'd know what to do.

Then like a strange answer to her prayers the doors across the pit opened and there stood Hatter. She almost didn't believe it.

"Hatter!" He seemed like he couldn't believe it either.

"Jump." He called to her. She was scared but she went for it anyway, swinging from the lamp and landing safe in Hatters warm embrace.

"How did you find me?" She asked.
"I don't know, ask Charlie." She glanced at the Knight who was laying his hands against the walls.

"Believe it or not were in your head." Charlie said simply.

"What?"
"Don't ask." Hatter said running through the exit Charlie found, moving Alice in front of him.

They'd almost made it out of the casino before the suits jumped them. Charlie ran for an elevator and the other two followed.

"Up, why up?" Alice asked after Hatter pushed the button. Charlie began to mumble praises and Hatter promptly told him, not now.

He asked if she'd given up the ring, she told him she was getting close to making a deal.

"If I am not mistaken negotiations didn't appear to be going so well." He said.

"Do you really think the Queen is just gonna, send you and your boyfriend home?" He asked.

"No." Alice answered.

"No." Hatter repeated.

"Cuse he's her son." She finished. Hatter stood astonished.

"The Prince, Jack Heart? Jack Heart is your boyfriend!?" He said. She didn't have time to explain, the elevator opened to reveal two suits. Hatter went in swinging and Charlie tried to defend Alice but she ended up defending him instead.

"Now what?" She asked when Hatter re joined them.

"We get on one of those." Hatter said approaching a pink metel flamingo.

"These things fly?" Alice asked glancing over the edge.

"We don't have time to think Alice just get on." He said. Alice saw how high up they were and made up her mind.

"I am not getting on that." She said backing away from the edge of the roof.

"We don't have a choice Alice."

"No you don't understand I am not getting on that." Alice said again.

"It's perfectly safe….safe-ish." Hatter said glancing in front of him.

"No, look I have a thing about hights." She said as four suits burst out a nearby door and started shooting.

"Yeah, well I have a thing about bullets. Look I'll do the flying you just hold on. Alice, I wouldn't let you do it, If I didn't think you'd be okay." She looked in his brown eyes and nodded her head. She got on wrapping her arms tightly around Hatters waist.

"Now, how do you get it to fly?" Charlie said pushing a button and taking off.

"Like that I suppose." Hatter said.

"That's fast."
"Yeah, hold on." Hatter pushed the button and they were off.

She wrapped her arms around him tighter and tried not to think of the water below, or how high up they were. She focused oh Hatter. Her arms wrapped tight around his waist, her face pressed to the cool leather of his jacket. She breathed in his scent and let herself relax. Her mind started to wander.

She felt so safe here, with Hatter next to her, her heart skipped a beat when she saw him smile at her. Maybe she shouldn't try to hide how she felt anymore; maybe she really did love him. But she couldn't could she? She loved Jack right? She thought for a moment, lifted her head off Hatters shoulder and looked at him as best she could. His hair moved with the wind, she had to wonder how his hat managed to stay on his head. His eyes were sharp and focused and his breathing heavy. His scent reached her nose and she buried her head in the crook of his neck to take it in. The same spiced tea and worn leather as before. Whatever else she smelled had to just be him and that was her favorite. She was jolted out of her thoughts by gunfire.

"Aces." Hatter said. Alice didn't much care who they were, they were shooting at them, which was all that mattered. Charlie was hit first and crash landed in the lake below. That's when she felt the jolt to their own flamingo. They were being shot at now.

"Alice, hold on." Hatter said. She wrapped her arms tight around his waist again and buried her face in his neck. They were hit, she felt it. Descending into the lake, they crashed down hard and for the second time Alice was drenched.

She was okay until she realized she'd sunk way to low. Panic set in as she searched around her but she couldn't remember which way was up. Luckily it wasn't long before she felt a warm hand grab her wrist and start to pull. It was Hatter, A serious look on his face. They swam as fast as they could to the surface and Alice gasped for air when she could. Hatter stayed with her, she leaned against him for support and he held her tightly.

"We should get to shore, you okay?" He asked brushing hair from her face.

"Yeah. Let's go." She said, slowly starting for shore.

They reached the beach quicker than she thought they would and immediately started calling for Charlie.

"If he made it there should be tracks." Hatter informed her.

"Where's the ring?" He asked. She sighed. She didn't want to tell him.

"Safe." Was all she said.

"You still don't trust me after I just risked my neck getting you out of there."

"Why did you risk your neck?" She asked. She wanted to trust him, she really did but she couldn't, not yet.

They proceeded to argue about the ring and when she told him her dad was in the casino he said it was a lie. She told him Jack was trying to help her, that he was hiding from someone, that's why he wanted to help.

"Hiding from who?" Hatter asked sternly.

"I don't know!" She yelled. He was hurt, she could see it, she shouldn't have yelled but she'd had enough of his questions.

"He's engaged. To a Duchess." She said quietly.

"So he's two timing you?" He asked.

"I don't think it's like that."

He tried to say something else but singing caught her ears.

"You hear that?"
"I don't believe it." He said as they followed the voice.

Charlie had made it.

So again, sorry that it's kinda short and not very good but I've had a lot on my plate lately. I'd like to write this up to the end, just with their thoughts, I find it interesting to be in these two's heads. figuratively speaking of course. Anyway, I am working on the next chapter now and hopefully that will be up soon. Thanks for reading!

~Tara~