Hello again readers... Hope you're looking forward to chapter 4 ;D Nothing really interesting happens... but it's longer than the last chapter, and that's an accomplishment in itself. You know the business... read it and let me know what you think.

I stood in front of Hatter's workshop door, hands trembling as I tried to work up the nerve to knock. Just open it, something in my head urged. Don't give him time to prepare himself.

I took a deep breath and turned the knob. He was standing there at his bench, his back turned to me, singing something foreign in a beautiful baritone voice.

"Is this what you do when I'm not looking?" I smiled.

He turned around in shock, covering up whatever he was working on. "Alice!"

I laughed and took a step forward into the room. Dust covered dozens of boxes filled with what I assumed to be fabrics and sewing supplies. "It's very… empty in here," I noted.

"Ah, yes," he replied, moving his hat up so he could scratch his head. "I suppose it is. Nothing that can't be fixed with a few decorations and maybe a mannequin or two. I rather fancy mannequins don't you? Oh, I've made a rhyme! There's just something about a creature that can't move or think for itself! Not that mannequins count as creatures… no sir, I do believe that they are inanimate objects and should be acknowledged as-"

"Hatter," I said fondly.

His expression grew warm and he stepped forward to place a hand on either side of my face. "Dear Alice," he whispered. "I am absolutely fine."

He leaned down and brushed his lips carefully over mine, as though I was a doll he feared breaking. "I'm real, Tarrant," I said.

His eyes changed from dark emerald to something softer. "That you must prove."

"What do you mean?" I asked, cocking my head to he side. I really would have rather been kissed some more… but we had a lifetime for that, right?

Suddenly he stood up straight and extended his arm to me. "My, my," he laughed, "it's so terribly late into the morning and I have yet to have my tea. May I escort my lady to her carriage?"

A slow smile spread across my face and I gripped his arm happily. "Of course. As long as my gentleman stays beside me."

"You brought her?" Mally choked.

I was just about to sit down in my chair when the Hatter grabbed my hand and pulled me into his lap. "Of course," he grinned, pressing his cheek to mine. "This is my dear little Alice and I can't go anywhere without her!"

Nivens rolled his eyes. "And she's not capable of sitting in her own seat?"

The Hatter wrapped his arms around my waist and nearly squeezed the life out of me. "I just got her back… you can't expect me to let her go just yet!"

Thackery laughed manically and stirred his tea with a stick that he'd found on the ground. "Ha… no taking Alice from the Hatter… he might just go mad!"

"And just where would she go should you set her down?" McTwisp asked, tapping a paw on the table.

"Good question, Mr. Turtle!" Thackery yelled.

The Hatter pouted and pushed my chair out with his foot. "I should hope not far… but she likes being here, don't you, my Alice? Would you like your own place to sit?"

I shook my head and shifted against Tarrant's chest. "I'm fine where I am, thank you."

"Very well then," he said, an air of victory in his voice.

"I notice that she's your Alice now," Mally raised an eyebrow. "Does this mean you're an official couple?"

I blushed and pretended to focus on my tea.

"Only if she'll have me," Hatter said softly, caressing my face.

I looked up, my blood rushing through my veins as his green eyes gazed deeply into mine. Something about his silken touch was sending electrical impulses from my skin to the organs underneath. Was I jumping out of the skillet and into the fire? Maybe. But if so, it was the sweetest fire I'd ever tasted and completely worth the fall.

"Always," I whispered.

Mally groaned and laid her head down on the table. "No one wants to watch you two love birds spoon feed your romantic promises to each other!"

"I promise you can eat my chocolate tree trunks when the cow calls a towel squirrel!" Thackery nodded.

"Well, then," Tarrant smiled as he pulled us both to our feet. "perhaps I should show Alice where I live?"

"Perhaps you should," McTwisp agreed before taking a long sip of his milky tea.

I looked around me in complete surprise. "I didn't know there was a house back here!"

Tarrant smiled and opened the door, motioning for me to step inside. "The outside needs some work," he confessed. "Maybe a garden… some flowers… fresh roses or marigolds."

I stepped into the tiny cottage, shocked at how spacious it was inside. "It's lovely!" I told him, wishing I was barefoot so I could feel the soft plush carpet beneath my feet. To one side was the kitchen-complete with a delightful little dining table- and to the other was a sitting room with a couch, recliner, and bookshelf. I noted that there were no books to be found.

"The washroom and bedrooms are in the back," he said. "I spend most of my time in here, where I make my tea."

I turned my head to the side and hoped he didn't notice me sniffing the air. It smelled so lovely… a mixture of his wonderful scent and the sweet cakes that you could find on the tea tables outside.

"I love it, Hatter," I smiled. He beamed with pleasure and motioned for me to take a seat at the table. "We didn't quite get to finish our tea, so how about I make us a quick snack? You must be starving… I'm assuming you didn't have breakfast?"

I shook my head and he laughed. "I thought so. What would you like to eat?"

"Oh," I shrugged. "I really don't think it matters… whatever you have on hand I suppose."

"Well the only thing I have on my hands are bandages," he giggled, "and you can't very well eat those, now can you? Well, I suppose you could, but they would taste like sweat and blood seeing as how they've been on my hands for a rather long time and I don't think anyone would want to-"

"Hatter," I smiled.

"Thank you," he croaked. "How does toast and jam sound to you?"

"Simply delightful," I replied. "But would you mind if I went and washed up first?"

He nodded and motioned towards the back of the house. "Of course, of course. The meal should be done when you're through."

As soon as the hallway door was closed, I found myself faced with three different rooms- two on either side and one in the middle. After a few moments of consideration, I chose the door on the left… only to realize that it was Hatter's bedroom.

"Oh my," I gasped, stepping further into the room. The bed appeared very soft, and on further inspection I realized that the entire mattress was filled with goose feathers. The pillows were made of the same odd material as the blanket: that strange satin/wool creation that I'd first seen in my chamber at the castle. "Beautiful," I muttered as I ran my fingers along the decorative designs hand stitched into the cloth.

There was a wardrobe to one side and my curiosity urged me to open it. This is incredibly rude, I scolded myself. Going through the Hatter's things… you should be ashamed of yourself!

But no amount of internal conflict could keep me from seeing what was inside that wooden armoire. I swung the doors open, and much to my dismay found only his clothing. "For such a strange man, you'd think he'd have more surprises lurking about," I thought out loud.

"Strange?" A voice said from behind me. I turned around in shock, making sure to close the wardrobe. As though that would help anything.

Hatter was leaning against the door frame, a grin pressing against his dark lips. "I thought they'd labeled me as 'mad'," he said. "Hmm… The Strange Hatter. Nope, I'm afraid it just doesn't have the same ring to it. Sorry, Alice."

I swallowed hard, shaking with embarrassment. "I… I.. umm…"

"Was snooping?" he suggested. "No need to feel embarrassed. I knew you would."

I turned my head to the side and took a step away from the armoire. "You did?"

"Of course," he nodded, moving forward. He took my hand in his and brought it gently to his lips. "My Alice is a curious little adventurer. She'd never go somewhere new without investigating first."

I blushed. "I didn't go snooping around Mirana's castle."

He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Ah, but you're not in love with Mirana, now are you?"

The blush grew deeper and I looked down at my shoes. "No. I'm not."

"Come along then," he beamed, pulling me towards the door. "You'll have more time to explore later. Let's eat our toast and then I'll see what I can make you to wear for the banquet tonight, yes?"

"Oh that…" I sighed as we walked down the hallway and into the sitting room. "It had almost slipped my mind."

"Now, now," he smiled, patting my cheek gently. "No sad faces from the lady. You'll have a blast, I promise."

He left me standing there as he went to finish preparing the food. "Of course," I whispered. "I'm going with to a dance with a mad man. This should be a very interesting night."

Okay, there you have it (again). I'm going to go crawl back under my rock and you leave me your reviews o3o