HATTER

Her hand was cold as ice, but her face and smile were warm and inviting. I felt my warmth slowly seep into her skin as we ran into the city, seeking refuge in my tea shop. She didn't have the mark of an oyster and she was just randomly dropped into the Whispering Woods. How and why was she here? The only conclusion I could even comprehend was that she had slipped into the Looking Glass as they were shutting it down. Therefore, dropping her short of the station port. It was a damned good thing I was on my way home from visiting Charlie. The look on her face when I found her was absolutely priceless. She looked so adorable when she was confused! The surprising thing about her was her beauty and the lack of fear at being here in Wonderland. When I gazed into her eyes, I saw a familiar spark. I couldn't place where I had seen it before, but I didn't let it bother me.

It wasn't a long trip to my shop. Unlike Alice, Darcy wasn't afraid of heights and it took us less time when navigating the ledges and bridges. I didn't go in through the front door when we arrived at my shop. I didn't want to interrupt the business or have Dormie ask any questions. So, instead, I took her around to the back door. We emerged from a well-hidden door into my nice little living space. I released her hand and spun around, holding out my hands.

"Welcome to my humble tea shop," I said as I leaned on my desk. She looked around, glancing at the leftover pearls that adorned the glass shelf on the wall before taking a seat in my white swivel chair.

"It's wonderful, Hatter," she said as she spun around in my chair like an amused child. I scanned her face silently, taking note of every little detail. Like the small dimple in her right cheek whenever she smiled or laughed, or the way her eyes lit up whenever she thought about something. The chair came to a stop and her eyes again fell on the pearls. Her eyes lit up as she slipped into her deep thinking. She was distant and silent for a few minutes. I crossed my arms and bit my lower lip, trying to think of something to break the silence.

"What's on your mind, Tripp? You look like you're trying to ponder the universe or something," I questioned, drawing her out of her trance. She blinked a few times and turned her head to look at me. The expression of shock on her face took me by surprise. It's like a thought had just dawned upon her.

"I've been here before," she breathed. I walked over to her and knelt down in front of her, taking her hands into mine.

"What do you mean, Darcy? When did you come here?" She looked me in the eye as a smile slowly tugged at the corner of her lips. It was reflected in her eyes as well.

"I remember coming here as a child, playing with a young boy about my age. We played king and queen, dressing up in different costumes. His father ran the shop while we would play back here. We would play all the time. Every once in a while, he would come to my world and play with me. But then I had to grow up. He left me and I never saw him again…." A warmth rose from my stomach into my chest and went to my face. My eyes grew wide and my jaw dropped. She reached down and cupped my cheek in her hand, her touch setting my skin on fire.

"You… You mean… You're?" Her laugh rang in my ears as she nodded. My heartbeat was like a sledgehammer in my chest.

"David… I missed you so much!"