A/N: Still own none of it. Still mean no harm.

Change of POV, dearies. Hatter wanted to speak this time and who I am to deny him?

Also, completely side note: did you know that there were TWO kisses in the original script between these two lovelies?? Makes me sad…

***

Alice was very tired this evening. Our newest little one, not even born yet, was already exhausting her. I began to think she was right that perhaps this one would have my personality. Poor Alice.

So, it was my duty to tuck our daughter in and tell her a bedtime story. I was sure she would want to hear something from her the story of her mother and I. Lately, the fairy tales of Alice's world and the stories from Underland just didn't interest her. Probably because she had heard them all so many times.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, buttercup?"

"Will you tell me about when you proposed to Mummy?"

"But I thought you recently heard that story."

"Yes, but Daddy, you of course have a completely different way of seeing the day!"

Our daughter may have very much looked like me, but she was Alice through and through.

"All right, Lottie. I will do my best to do the day justice."

**Flashback**
Life had suddenly been such a whirlwind. I went from lollygagging about, drinking tea, and cursing the Red Queen and then things changed rapidly. First, Alice returned to us. I would have known her anywhere. Of course she was the right Alice. Even in my most mad state I knew the right Alice when I saw her!

We risked our lives for each other several times before spending our time together, preparing for the great battle of Frabjous Day. It was during this time that I knew something was changing. I never knew love before, so it was terribly confusing. I had heard that it was the most complicated emotion to go through. And I went through emotions fairly rapidly. None of my tea companions would be much help, if asked, so I neglected that thought entirely. I decided that I would just follow what my heart told me, considering my head didn't always give me the correct answers.

Once the great battle began, I hoped with everything I had that we would be victorious. Many times I feared that we would not be. Or that at least, I wouldn't be. I didn't have a doubt at all that Alice would be triumphant, but myself? Well, things could have gone poorly. The Knave was an excellent sword fighter and I spent a great deal of the fight trying to steal glances at Alice.

And then it was over. We had won. She had done it. I knew she was the right Alice! Why would they doubt me? It was wonderful and I futterwhackenedlike I never had futterwhackened before. I knew that this was what I wanted to feel for always. I had to act quickly. Certainly she would be assuming that she needed to return to her world soon. And I was right. She downed the blood right in front of me and my heart sank. Perhaps I wasn't enough for her.

But then, she remained. "Perhaps I didn't wish to go home … just yet."

For as far as my heart sank just moments before, it flew ten times as high at the sight of her saying she would stay. Even for just a while.

I still believe that she didn't go home because she was already at home.

I walked her back to the castle and told her to clean up for tea. I hurried to the queen and asked to purchase a ring, if at all possible. She smiled brightly (obviously aware of what I was doing) and led me to the royal jewels. She assured me that I should pick what I wanted and take it as a gift. I tried to protest, but she would hear none of it.

So, I found a beautiful diamond ring with a few sapphires and emeralds as accents. Sapphires and emeralds. Just as our eyes (well, my eyes most of the time). The windows to our souls. It was perfect. I thanked the White Queen and hurried to get a tea party set up in the courtyard.

She arrived in the most beautiful green gown I had ever seen. You would never have known that just hours before, she had slain the jabberwocky.

We sat and chatted. I was babbling on about something … feathers? … and she kept giving me the most peculiar glances as if she knew I was up to something. Well, of course I was up to something. I was trying to find the nerve to actually ask her to marry me.

Marry. It seemed like such a foreign concept, even a few days prior. And now, here I was, about to propose to Alice, who had captured my heart in just a moment. I took the box out of my pocket and stared at it.

Would she take me seriously? Would she laugh at me? Would she return my feelings? Would she understand my feelings? After all, she had seen some powerful mood swings in the past few days. Ones that I was not proud of, but since the tyranny of the Red Queen, I had forgone all need to control the madness. It was something I was trying to rectify now. I felt bad that I had snapped at her as she was traveling on my hat, but she didn't understand the changes in Underland. She needed to know. Though, my methods were regrettable.

Finally, I got as much nerve as I supposed I ever would and I slid the box to Alice. I wish I would have found out how proposals normally work in her world, but I never had the chance. Hopefully my kneeling would do.

She opened the box and her jaw dropped. I couldn't decide if that was a good reaction or otherwise.

I decided to act. I went to her side and knelt down.

**End flashback**
"From there, I believe you know the rest, eh buttercup?"

"Yes, Daddy, I believe I do. She said yes and you spun her around and had your first kiss," she replied with a dreamy tone.

"That is what happened, yes. Your silly Mummy agreed to be mine."

"Not silly at all! I can't believe how lovely you and Mummy are. So romantic."

Romantic … The father in me felt the hairs on my neck stand up. What should a five-year-old know of romance?

But then it occurred to me. Once again, she was Alice through and through. Of course she would care about those things.

"Yes, Lottie, I suppose we are. But it's all because of your mother. She brings it out of me. Otherwise, I am just a silly hatter drinking tea."

"No, Daddy! You are a wonderful hatter drinking tea," she corrected.

Her comment went straight to my heart. I couldn't believe that this tiny little lady would care so much for me. Of course, I thought the same thing of her mother.

"Thank you, buttercup. You and your mother make my life worth everything."

"You're welcome, Daddy." She smiled.

"And now I think it's your bed time, little girl. I wouldn't want your mother to get angry for not adhering to the time. And we wouldn't want to be late, would we?" I asked with a wink.

"Definitely not! That would be naughty," she said, trying to wink back.

I laughed. Maybe she wasn't completely Alice through and through.

I kissed her forehead and whispered, "I love you, buttercup."

"I love you, Daddy," she replied, already beginning to nod off.

I snuck out of her room and went straight to my own. Alice was already asleep. She had fallen asleep reading … again.

I tried to gently pry the book from her hands, as to not wake her, but I am not a graceful man, and she woke instantly.

"Hatter, oh, I'm so sorry! Did I fall asleep? Oh, I wanted to tell her good night!"

"Alice, cupcake, it's ok. Lottie is already out."

She pouted. It really was the cutest pout.

"Alice, please. Don't get upset. It just makes the baby upset and then you get sick."

She knew I was right. I didn't know anything of ladies with child in her original world, but here babies (or at least ours it would seem), made the mother terribly ill if they were upset. Perceptive little boogers.

"Yes, yes. So, did you tell her a story?"

"Of course. She requested to hear my side of the proposal story. She said of course my telling would be different."

She smiled and my heart leapt. "That's my girl."

"Oh, she is definitely your girl!"

"You have no room to talk! She's almost an exact copy of you."

"Best of both worlds, cricket," I said, smiling.

I quickly dressed and climbed into bed with her.

"Alice, may I ask you a question?"

"It seems to be a trend in this house lately. So, yes."

"Why did you fall in love with me?"

Her jaw fell. "How can I answer that?"

"Well, hopefully with words like debonair, handsome, quick-witted and wondrous."

She almost fell off the bed laughing.

"Alice, your response does very little for my self-esteem."

"I'm very sorry. I just can't believe you're asking me this. I always thought you knew the answer."

"Apparently not."

"All right. Well, it all boils down to just one word … you."

"You love me because of me?"

"Essentially, yes. You are obviously all those things you listed previously, but it's more than that. It's your sense of humor, strange as it may be at times. It's your mesmerizing eyes. It's your fierce protective nature. It's your passion for life … and for hats. It's because you love me. Does that help?"

"You know, I think it does."

"Oh and you were beyond exciting as you were sword fighting the Knave," she said with a devilish look in her eyes.

"Oh really?"

"It's true. When you dropped your hat to prepare to fight, well, I nearly dropped my knickers."

I choked at the thought. "Alice!"

She laughed. "Well, it wouldn't have really happened! There was the several layers of armor, all the people around and, oh yes, the beast trying to kill me. But nonetheless, husband, you looked magnificent right then."

I couldn't believe my demure little Alice was saying this. She so rarely spoke in this way.

I liked it.

I took off my hat and gently sat it on the side table. "How's that?"

"Well, it's not the same as tossing it to the ground in battle … but it will do."

As she smirked at me, I leaned in to kiss her. I had the feeling she would be inspiring me to make her another hat soon.