*~* Author's Note: It'ssssssssssssss midterm week. Expect a similar length of absense from me. *~*
The southerly trip toward Ere was quite pleasant, Alice thought. Without their other traveling companions the Hatter had become more animated and jabbered away to her constantly. Whether or not his ramblings made sense didn't matter to Alice, she was just happy to have her mad friend back in good form.
Presently, the Hatter was singing some whimsical song about Frolluphomps (don't ask me, I haven't the foggiest what he was on about) and Alice was dancing merrily around him. She tripped over an exposed root and fell, hard, onto her hands and knees; slicing into her knee fairly deeply.
"Oh balls!" Alice cried, rolling onto her back and tucking her knee to her chest.
The Hatter fell to his knees beside her. "Are you hurt, Alice? Are you alright? Can I help?"
"I've cut my bloody knee," she cried, pain clearly written on her face.
"Bloody indeed," the Hatter mumbled, prying her hands away to get a better look. He cringed and his eyes flashed teal while his face turned slightly green. He reached up to his hat and drew down the length of silk he kept tied there. He wound it round her wounded knee several times and tied it tightly in the back.
"There," he said, surveying his handiwork. "How does that feel?"
Alice flexed her knee lightly a few times. "Better," she allowed before scrambling to her feet and putting weight on it gingerly. She limped a few paces then looked over her should to the Hatter. "Would you help me?" she asked.
The Hatter jumped and scurried forward. Alice reached out to him and he hesitated briefly before wrapping an arm around her waist to help support her weight. Alice draped her arm over his shoulder and they walked on a short while in silence. There was a great clap of thunder and Alice jumped.
"It rains in Wonderland," she said absently.
The Hatter looked at her with his eyebrows drawn together as if she were the mad one. "Of course it rains, Alice,"
He led her to a magnificent tree and helped her to sit down at its base before shimmying off his pack and beginning to root around inside. He came out with a small vial Alice immediately recognized as the shrinking potion, and a cake of the growing sort. He then removed his hat, placed the cake on the ground and the hat over top. He draped a small bit a cloth over the hat. Alice looked at him curiously.
"Our room and board for the night. To keep dry,"
"Oh!" Alice laughed. "How thoughtful."
The Hatter winked and took a heavy swig of the potion, shrinking away before Alice's eyes. Alice followed suit. They were just scrambling under the brim when the downpour came.
"Wonderful timing," Alice commented, raising her eyes to the top of the hat where the pitter patter of raindrops sounded like gunshots.
"Indeed," the Hatter agreed, dropping to the ground and tucking his arms behind his head.
Alice sat down beside him. "Tell me something about yourself that you remember, Hatter."
He shifted his eyes to her face and Alice watched them dull to ordinary eye green.
"How do you do that?" she asked in wonder, touching the corner of his eye fleetingly.
"Do what?" he asked, his eyes changing to a dark blue.
"Change the color of your eyes,"
"I do?"
Alice smiled. "Of course you do, my friend."
He looked away. "I didn't know I did. Does it frighten you?"
Alice reached out to gently turn his face back toward her. "On the contrary, I think it's beautiful."
They stared at each other for a moment, his eyes slowly going back to his usual green.
Alice smiled. "You really are quite beautiful, my friend."
The Hatter smirked. "Said the swan to the toad,"
Alice laughed, stretched out beside him, and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and traced light patterns on her upper arm.
"Do you really think that?" she asked softly in the darkness.
"Think what Alice?"
"That I'm beautiful?"
The Hatter laughed quietly and Alice thought it echoed in the cavernous top hat. "You are exquisite, Alice, come now, you know that." His hand stilled on her arm.
"But there must be such extraordinarily beautiful women in a place such as Underland. I'm so ordinary." She pressed, tilting her head up in the direction of his face.
He was silent for a moment. "There are oddly beautiful women in Underland, Alice, yes, you're right. But not one of them holds a candle to you, I assure you. You are no ordinary girl, Alice. You are exceptional. Your wonder at such ordinary things here, your joy, your kindness – these are the things that multiply your physical beauty."
Alice was silent.
The Hatter laughed manically, shortly. "Have I offended you?"
"On the contrary," Alice sniffed. "You've warmed my heart."
"Are you crying, Alice?" he whispered.
"I'm not sad, Hatter," she murmured, reaching out tentatively to touch his face. She groped gently in the darkness across the planes and curves.
"What are you looking for?" he asked, his voice distorted by her fingers on his lips.
"These," she whispered, leaning in a pressing a kiss to his lips.
He was shocked, of that no doubt, but thrilled. Alice's lips were soft and warm against his own, though he could almost taste the uncertainty she felt. He wondered briefly if it was uncertainty is kissing him or in possible rejection. He dropped his hand to her waist and sighed softly in contentment against her lips.
The kiss was soft and very sweet, and when Alice pulled away the Hatter smiled.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"Did I offend you?" she squeaked.
He chuckled. "On the contrary,"
Alice laughed and snuggled back down against him. They lay together for a very long time in silence, sleep tugging gently at both of them.
"Hatter?" Alice asked sleepily some time later.
"Hmmm, Alice?" he barely whispered.
"Lately, you haven't seemed…so mad."
He thought drowsily about that for a moment. "When I'm with you, Alice, I don't feel so mad." He answered finally.
Alice smiled into the darkness, snuggled tighter against his side, and fell asleep.
They reached Ere the following afternoon. It was a quaint town, with small rustic buildings set into a small valley between the rolling hills. They went immediately to the small tavern at the center of the village. The Hatter ordered two ales, dumping a few of the coins the Queen had given them on the bar, and sliding one to Alice. The barkeep took the money and eyed the Hatter warily. The Hatter shot his eyes around erratically to avoid looking at the barkeep; they paraded through the full spectrum of colors. He drummed his fingers manically against the surface until Alice was sure they'd go straight through.
"Hatter!" she cried.
He froze, took a deep breath and held it. "I'm alright," he eeked out before releasing the air from his lungs. "Sorry,"
"What's his issue?" the grimy barkeep grumbled, keeping an eye on the uptight Hatter.
Alice laughed nervously. "He's a bit mad, is all." She giggled and looked away.
"I say," the Hatter said, too loudly with forced bravado. "is there a town elder we could procure a word with, my good man?"
The barkeep narrowed his eyes. "You'd be wantin' old man Fwamp."
The Hatter pursed his lips and nodded animatedly. Alice laughed nervously. "I see, I see, yes, and where would I locate him?"
The keep narrowed his eyes further. "Straight out and the last cottage on the outskirt."
"Mhmm," the Hatter nodded vigorously, tossed another couple of coins down, grabbed Alice's hand, and dragged her, tittering, from the tavern.
They walked quickly down the lane, away from the town, toward old Fwamp's house. Alice allowed herself to be dragged along, right to the front door of a small ramshackle cottage where the Hatter knocked loudly. A very old man threw open the door, took one look at the Hatter and swore. Loudly.
"If it ain't a god damn Hightopp!" he snapped. "What the hell do you want?"
The Hatter's face went blank.
"I'm sorry, sir," Alice said quickly, casting a worried glace at the Hatter's expression. "But what did you call him?"
The man looked at her like she had three heads. "Hightopp!" He snapped again. "That's what he is, ain't he? I'd know one of those crazy loons anywhere." The old man's face softened slightly as he gazed at Alice. "But you," he said. "You, I can't place. Where do you hail from?"
"I'm not from Underland," she said absently, staring at the Hatter and shaking him gently.
The old man smiled. "I knew it!" he boomed. "I'd have known ya if you were. What can I do ya for?" he asked in considerably higher spirits.
Alice was weaving the palm of her hand in front of the Hatter's face. "Oh, um, we're looking for information about his history. Can you help us?" she said distractedly.
"Information on those looney Hightopp's? Surely I've got it around here somewhere. Come on in,"
Old man Fwamp led Alice, and a rather robotically moving Hatter, into a small sitting room and motioned for them to sit. Fwamp continued on into the next room. Alice pushed the Hatter into a chair and stood before him.
"Hatter!' she whispered firmly.
Nothing.
"Hatter!" she said louder.
Nothing.
She slapped his cheek and his eyes focused. "What? Er, sorry."
Fwamp came scuffling back into the room holding a large book which he dropped onto the table before them with an echoing thump that cause both the Hatter and Alice to jump.
"Returned to the land of the living, have you?" Fwamp snapped, eyeing the Hatter.
Hatter tittered madly before stopping himself at Alice's gentle pinch.
Fwamp shook his head and opened the old book to a book-marked page. There was a large, elaborate drawing of a family tree spread across both pages. Alice dropped to her knees and began to examine it immediately.
"You think he's a Hightopp?" she asked, not looking up.
"Think?!" the old man scoffed. "He's a Hightopp, plain as day. Why just look at him. Unnatural orange hair, color-changing eyes, mad as a hatter – just like the rest of them!"
"There's more of me?" the Hatter exclaimed.
"Your people breed like hoffels!"
Alice bit her lip. "What's a hoffel?"
Fwamp looked at her as if she'd asked the dumbest thing in the world, then looked at the Hatter with equal disdain.
"It's a small creature that multiplies quite fast, Alice dear," the Hatter explained, patting her hand.
Alice smiled up at him, then looked at Fwamp. "Do you know where can find the Hightopp family?" she asked.
Fwamp sat back. "They roam around, but I think a clan or two of them still hail from Eist."
"Excellent." The Hatter said, rising and pulling Alice up with him. "Thank you most kindly for your time. "You've done us a great service."
Alice heard Fwamp muttering as the door slapped closed behind them. As soon as her feet hit the lane, the Hatter gathered her into his arms and swung her around like a child. He was exuberant; his eyes flashing quickly through the spectrum of color. He set her down and kissed her lips, his enthusiasm becoming contagious. Alice threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back with ardor. When their lips finally parted, they were both breathing a bit raggedly and we're flushed a pleased pink.
"Shall we continue on then, my dearest Alice?" the Hatter asked quietly.
Alice nodded and threaded her fingers with his. "Absolutely. Let's get you home Hatter Hightopp."
The Mad Hatter grinned broadly.