Chapter 3: The Choice and The Journey
This was it, the moment of truth. He either needed to do it now or just give up. I will never feel pain like this again. It is that easy…
Hatter stood from the ground, taking the bottle with him.
"This is my savior. This tea is what can save me now and that is all." He spoke softly with a small quiver in his voice. "I only have this once chance to rewind these past fifty years. This… one… chance."
Hatter put the glass to his lips and tip his head back, swallowing all of the liquid in one gulp.
"That's it. The chips are all down and my new future is only the past that lays inside me. It's all over now." He said, dropping the glass to the ground and watching it break into seven pieces.
"I'm coming Alice… I have to at least know that I have tried." He said before a strange feeling filled him up.
Hatter fell to his knees, gasping for air. He was changing. He was going back in his own timeline. He had actually done it.
He watched as the past and present unwound before him. He watched as past lovers came and left the office, as customers took what they wanted and left. He watched all of it, knowing that this would be the last time. After the moment passed, it would not exist anymore. He was changing his future. He was changing everything and all it took was one gulp.
Hatter looked at his old hands. Their wrinkles were disappearing. They were smoothing out and going back to their glory. He reached a hand into his hair and pulled it straight out so he could see. The grays were going away. His dark brown hair was returning. He was truly becoming young again.
As his world swirled around him, it began to slow and he saw Alice once more in his office. It was right before she went to the hall where the mirror was stored.
"Come with me." She pleaded. She wasn't begging but this is what she wanted. She wanted him but things were… complicated. "Please."
"Alice," Hatter could hear himself say. It was almost painful. "I… I want to but I don't think I can. And believe me I really, really want to go. You are everything to me." He said as he took her hands in his.
"Hatter, I love you." Alice whispered into his ear as they came together in a hug. Tears were forming in Hatter's eyes as well as Alice's.
"I guess…" Alice said as they broke away. "I guess I better be going."
"Yeah." Hatter said. The world's swirling was coming to a stop. The older version of himself got off the floor and walked behind what was about to become all of him.
"Go after her." He whispered to himself.
"Bye." Alice said, sadness oozing out of her voice as she walked out of the room. The door closed and the world stopped.
Hatter took his placed inside himself. The journey was over and this was his time. He needed to make things right. He needed to go after her and he needed to be with her.
AN: Again, sorry about the shortness!