"I knew you would have trouble," the Hatter was ranting, "I just knew it." Though his voice was loud, his hands were gentle as he tended Kimberlee's wound.
"It's all my fault," Teddy was saying for the umpteenth time, "I'm really sorry, Dad."
"It's both our faults," Kimi said. She tried to smile reassuringly at him, but the heat in Tarrent's voice made it difficult.
"It just doesn't make sense. Is someone behind this? Or should I assume that it's just Underland's way of preparing itself for the Klingon Day?" He had finished tending to Kimi's arm and was now waving his arms around and pacing the kitchen. Teddy and Kim sat together at the dining table, trying not to look at each other. Suddenly, Tarrent whirled around and jabbed his finger in their direction. "As much as I hate it, it's the only thing to do. You two are just gonna have to try again. Kimberlee needs to see Underland, and you—" he pointed straight at Teddy as he said this, his eyes locked on him, "you need to grow up. Somehow, you've got to learn to me a man. You're eighteen years old, son." He sighed and hung his head, putting his hands on the table to hold himself steady. He seemed suddenly weak, frail. "You're not always gonna have me around to tell you what to do."
They packed more things into their bag this time, adding a makeshift first-aid kit that Tarrent had put together. This time, they were supposed to visit all of Underland before they ever came back home. They would sleep where they could, in the woods if necessary. They packed blankets and jackets to keep warm on the cold nights. Kim had agreed to stay in Underland for a few days, since she knew time passed differently there. She knew that if she went to sleep naturally, she would wake up back home, so she planned to take some sleeping pills Tarrent had packed in the first-aid kit. She didn't know how that would help, but Tarrent had said they were "special," so she trusted his judgment.
Teddy promised his father that he would be more responsible, and they set out again. They hardly spoke to each other as they returned to their prior path. They had a lot of growing up to do, and fast.