Chapter 7: Tears, Love and Tea
Alice leapt with all her might. Her sore and tired body protesting, even as her heart and head reacted out of pure instinct; the need to protect that which is near and so very dear to her, even if it was from their own self.
The momentum of her leap caused her to hit his body hard; knocking him over, so that they both began to fall to the ground. As he fell backwards, he released the shears, in an instinctive attempt to stop his fall. Unable to, he landed on his back, arms flying outwards. She heard the crack of his head, as it connected with the hard wood floor, and his breath being knocked from his lungs. Their legs became tangled, and she landed heavily upon him, his body breaking her fall.
Alice must have closed her eyes, for it took a moment for her to realize the sensation of falling was gone. Slowly opening them, she found herself chest to chest and face to face, with Hatter.
Her hands were still wrapped tightly around the shears.
Their faces were so close, that she could feel his breath upon her lips, so warm and sweet. His wide eyes were dazed and unfocused, not from his madness this time, and she only hoped his head was not injured.
Alice had never been so close to a man, so close that only their clothing separated them from each other. She could feel the shape of Hatter's body, feel the rapid beat of his heart, and the rise and fall of his chest, as he began to recover is breath.
She could feel his very warmth.
What a scandalous and most unbecoming position she now found herself in. If she had been home, her reputation would be completely ruined, and she would end up like dear dotty Aunt Imogene, confined to the country and kept away as often as possible, from polite society. Even her friends, few that she had, would be lost to her.
Or, she could find herself hastily married, to someone even less desirable than Hamish. Trapped with that stranger for life, and all to just to save her reputation; and that of her family.
But she could never imagine being in such a situation, that it would require her to end up in the position she now found herself in, with anyone at home. But neither could she imagine her heart beating so fast and aching so much, for anyone but him. Definitely not for Hamish, or any of the other young men that she had been introduced to, by her mother or sister.
Shaking her head, she made herself come back to the situation that was at hand, when Alice noticed the tip of the shears was driven deep enough, that it had sliced through his clothes, but could not tell if it had actually cut his flesh.
"Alice," He said in a quiet and faltering voice, eyes still wide, but beginning to refocus. "Is it really you?"
She could not respond to his question, her tongue and voice frozen. Instead she threw the shears viciously aside, not thinking or caring what they hit or where they fell. She saw blood on his clothes and fearing the worst, pulled his coat, neckcloth, and vest apart, then tore open his shirt. Buttons bounced everywhere, clattering as they hit floor and walls.
She searched his chest, her hands sliding over his pale flesh, looking for any kind of injury, but despite the blood that was, even now, smeared across his chest, Alice could not find a wound. Not a single nick or cut.
"Alice, your hands." Hatter tried to grasp her desperately searching hands in his, as they move frantically across his chest, "You're bleeding."
It took several moments for his words to penetrated her brain, and make sense. She stopped, and straightened herself, so her knees were at his sides, and she sat upon his legs. Hatter laid beneath her, very still. Alice lifted her hands, palms up, and saw a thin, straight slash across both, and watched as they bled profusely.
Hatter was unharmed, but Alice could not say the same for herself.
The blood was not his, but hers. It seemed, that in grabbing the shears, her palms had slid down the sharpened edges, and sliced them open. Like any injury, they began to throb and sting, once the injured person realized they existed.
Hatter gently touched her hands, causing her to look at him. The darkness was fading from his face and eyes, and he was becoming more of the Hatter she knew and loved. Reason was taking hold and the fearful madness seeping away.
"I thought you were gone, back to Upperland." She heard him whisper, unsure. "That you weren't real. But you're still here, and not there. Are you really you and, if you are really you, are you really still here?"
Still silent, she felt the fear and terror drain from her, leaving her weak and chilled, a shiver ran through her body, but it was quickly replaced by anger. Alice felt the heat drive away the chill, and the fury making her strong. She rolled herself from his body, and despite her injured hands, rose to her feet, looking down at Hatter.
Anger was a powerful emotion, dark and terrible, and one she had never really felt before, but at the moment it felt wonderful, and made her forget about the throbbing pain of her palms. It made her blind to anything, but the object of her anger.
"How dare you, Tarrant! How dare you try to end your life. You, who had done so much to save Underland, to just throw it all away!" Her voice rose and she did not care, her finger pointed at him accusingly, dripping small droplets of blood. "What you attempted was the most selfish and foolish thing you could do. Yes, foolish. No, it was beyond foolish, it was stupid. Very, very stupid!"
Hatter rose, clothes askew and red stained with her blood. He did not try to straighten them, nor did he say anything. He seemed unsure and shocked by her reaction, his lips pulled into a frown, his eyes cast downward. He looked and acted guilty of the charges she made against him.
"Did you even stop to think how it would affect your friends, and those that love you?" Her finger poked his exposed chest, and still he continued with his silence. So quiet, he was, but she notice how he stilled when she said the word love. A stillness that takes hold, when one is afraid of what will happen, or what would be said.
But she wanted him to react, not be still or quiet. To explain; to say or do anything. His silence only angered her more.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Thackery and Mallymkun, both with their mouths open, and stunned looks upon their faces. But she did not care that there was an audience to her anger. Even they must realize her anger was most definitely justified.
"That was pure cowardice, and I never once thought you were a coward!" Without thought, acting on pure instinct, she slapped him, hard, across his right cheek. The loud sound of her hand against his cheek, filled the room. His head turned, with the force of it, and even though it sent a knife-like pain from her palm and up her arm, she did not care. She breathed through her nose, and let the pain roll through her body.
Because he was so pale, her hand left a vivid red mark, and a thick smear of her blood, across his cheek.
Still he did not move, but continued to look at her with sad and remorseful eyes.
The rage drained from her, leaving her weak and feeling cold again. Her body began to shake, and tears began to spring from her eyes. Regret filled her. This was not like her; she was not an angry or violent person.
Staring at her hands and feeling ashamed, she bit her lips, trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears, "I'm sorry, I had no right, but why, please tell me why?"
Finally he move, wrapping his arms about her. Alice was, at first, stiff in his arms, determined not to be cajoled. But it did not last long, so happy she was to be in his arms. She buried her face in his neck and cried, and cried and cried, until she did not think she could cry anymore, and not a single tear could be left, but still she cried. Her eyes felt sore and swollen, and her nose stuffy. Hatter rubbed her back, and made soothing noises, trying to calm her.
"Alice, it's alright. I deserved it, and you are allowed to be angry." He held her tighter. "Please Alice, don't cry. If you cry anymore, you'll dry yourself up and the wind will blow you away, and then I'll have lost you again."
He brushed his lips across her forehead, and then bent, and picked her up in his arms, carrying her over to a worn sofa. He tried to settle her upon it, but she would not let go of his neck. "I must tend you hands, you have to let me go."
"I don't want to let you go." She said. "What if you do something stupid again?"
"Not with you here my dear, now that I know you're real, and really here.", he gently kissed her cheek, feather light, "Please Alice, let me take care of your hands."
She allowed her arms to slide free, and watched Hatter walk to a table, held up by a stack of books, since two of it's four legs were missing. Upon it sat a chipped pitcher and bowl. He picked up the pitcher, tipped it, and poured water into the bowl, before returning to her. Kneeling down in front of her, he took a yellow scarf from his pocket, and dipped it into the bowl.
He squeezed the excess water out, "I'm going to care for you hands." He took one hand, then the other, gently cleaning each palm. Alice expected it to hurt, but, either because he was so gentle, or because the pain had given way to numbness, she felt nothing. It was most probably a combination of both.
After cleaning her palms, he declared, "There is no need for stitches.", and Alice was pleased to hear that bit of information.
He then pulled a blue scarf from his pocket, and used it to bandaged one hand, tying it neatly with a bow on top. He repeated his bandaging , on her other hand, only this time with a green scarf.
Obviously he had a talent for bandaging, and the caring of hand injuries. But given the many scars on his own hands, and the thick bandage that was still currently wrapped around his thumb, it did not surprise her. Hat makers worked with their hands; cutting, sewing, trimming, pinning and such, it was only expected their hands would suffer various injuries, and that they would have to learn how to care for themselves.
While he tended her, he kept his head down, never looking at her. He seemed embarrassed and ashamed.
Touching his stained, bruised cheeks, she lifted it with her now colorfully bandaged hand, "Why, please Tarrant, tell me why."
Her brown eyes pleaded with his bright green ones, begging for answers. His green eyes begged her for understanding.
"Truth, then, Alice." He pushed a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear. "You see, or perhaps you do not, since one cannot see spoken words, but they can be heard, so please listen. You came too early the first time, too soon, and since time can be very contrary, you had to go back to Upperland, until it was the right time, although time believes it is always right, even if the Oraculum disagrees."
He lifted both her hands in each of his own, and threaded their fingers together, careful of her palms.
"When you returned, you were different, not the same as you were before, but in a good way, a most pleasing way, except for your muchness, and I, well, I…" He faltered, and seemed so very unsure, his lips turned downward, as he thought out his next words, "I began to think of you most differently, since you were not a child. Not that I didn't like you as a child, I most certainly did, but I like you much better now, since you were a grown up you."
He released her hands, and rested his upon his knees, "I thought, perhaps, once you knew Underland was real, and more importantly, that I was real, and not a figment of your imagination, well, you see, it's quite hard to be a clan, if there is only one member, but two, now that would make a fine beginning for a right proper clan, and I think Hightopp is a wonderfully wonderful, and quite noble, clan name. Wouldn't you agree?"
Alice touched his mouth, to quiet him, and asked, "What are you trying to tell me?"
Hatter didn't say a word, instead he drew in a breath, as if trying to gather is muchness, before grabbing her shoulders, pulling her towards him, and kissed her. Alice had been kissed before, chaste kisses upon her lips, innocent and sweet, from a few young men, when her parent hadn't been looking, and she had been kissed by family and friends; but never had she been kissed like this, nor had she ever imagined she would be.
Her first true kiss.
It was deep and passionate, and made her feel things she had never allowed herself to feel. Wicked and wild, and wanting more, even if she didn't know what it was she wanted. She felt hot and cold all at once, her entire body seemed to tingle, and it felt wonderful.
No wonder good young ladies were kept under the constant watchful eyes of parents, maids, chaperones or paid companions. If they knew how incredible a kiss could be, when one found that special someone, well, they would never want it to end.
His hands moved from her shoulders, to cup the back of her head. She felt his fingers move, and twine themselves into her hair. It felt absolutely wonderful.
Unsure what to do with her hands, she first rested them on his partially bared chest, tentatively first, unsure and nervous. She felt his warmth, and the beating of his heart. Feeling bolder, she flattened her beribboned hands, letting herself caress his pale skin. It was glorious. No, it was better than glorious.
Possibly beyond glorious!
Then, as if of their on volition, her hands moved upwards, and pushed his shirt aside, so she could feel the curve of his shoulder, before moving up his neck, and then burying her fingers into his wild orange hair.
The kiss went on, and seemed to whisper promises of things to come, things she didn't understand, but wanted to. Alice was sure those things she wanted to know, were improper, at least between two unmarried people, but she didn't care. This kiss made her want those unknown things.
Neither wished to end it, or let the other go, but both need to breath, and think, because this kissing seemed to befuddle her mind, making reasoning seem very unimportant at the moment.
She touched her lips in wonder; they felt swollen, "Hatter…"
He seemed to be dazed, his eyes wide, and with a blush upon his face; but he had the little half smile upon his lips, that she had come to know and love. Leaning into her, he breathed into her ear, "Ceisd mo chridhe."
She recognized those words from the ones spoken before, "You said that before, but I don't understand what they mean, please tell me."
Hatter's mouth opened, when they were interrupted.
"Silly nit, it means…", but the angry little dormouse was not allowed to finish what she intended to say, because Thackery snatched her up in his paws, and gently pinched her jaws, sealing her little lips together, so all that could be heard was mumbles and grunts. She tried to push at his paw with all her might, giving him a fearsome, vengeful look, which promised retaliation.
"We'll be going now, won't we lassie." Thackery slowly backed out of the room, heading towards a side door, "We'll be giving them some much need privacy, right Mallymkun."
Mally's only response was to arch a brow, and glare, and an obvious shaking of her head, in disagreement. Thackery ignored her response, "I see ye be agreeing with me."
Before he shut the door behind him, he said, "I'll be preparing some tea, should take wee while. Don't be late."
After the door was shut, he must have let Mally go, and although her words were indistinct, they were obviously angry. Whatever she said, must have amused Thackery, because they could hear him laughing.
Alice was embarrassed, having forgotten that they had still been in the room. She covered her face, "Oh dear, what they must think of me." It was one thing to know they saw her in righteous fury, but another to see her acting with such wanton behavior.
A good kiss apparently made one forget there might be an audience.
Chortling, and acting more like the person she knew, he used the tip of a finger to tilt her chin, forcing her to look up, "They'll think us very happy."
"Thackery might, but I'm not quite sure of Mally."
Her dearest Hatter was still laughing at her, "She'll come round, you'll see."
"Maybe." But then Alice remembered, a very important question that had not been answered, "What do those words mean?"
Looking into her eyes, his face became calm and serious. "It means, my heart will always belong to you."
Alice could only gasp, and her stomach did a flip flop. Hatter loved her.
"Why are you still here, Alice? I was sure you would go home, to your small family."
"I fully intended to." Alice gathered her courage. "But a certain gentleman, quite mad he is, has come to mean so very much to me. So much so, that I don't want to leave him, indeed, I've grown rather fond of him; one could say, love him. That is, if he wanted me too."
Hatter, mouth open and eyes wide with disbelief, slowly pointed at himself. He seemed stunned, before understanding came over him and he rose up, giving a loud whoop. For a moment she thought he might burst into a spontaneous performance of futterwacken.
Alice decided that at some future date, she would have him teach her how to futterwacken, although she didn't think she could spin her head , as he did, without it resulting in great injury. But she would have to ask him how he could do it. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for him to futterwacken, so he settled for spinning round and round, before pulling her up into his arms, and spun them both round and round, until she was dizzy.
"Truly, really, you'll stay here, with me? In Underland?"
"Yes," she was breathless, "truly and really. But you've made me very, very dizzy"
Setting her down on wobbly feet, she reached beneath her shirt, and pulled out her vial of Jabberwocky blood. Using her thumb, she flipped the lid. Glancing at Hatter, she saw his eyes focus intently on the vial, and every movement of her hand. Tilting the vial, which barely glowed, Alice allowed the content to pour out, until it was empty.
She watched him, as he watch the blood fall. The blood turned to dust and evaporate, before touching the floor.
His vivid green eyes moved back up, to look at her again, "Alice." He then lifted her up, and began to spin her round and round again.
Finally he stopped, and as he held her close, she tried to regain her equilibrium. "What a mad pair we make."
"Do you think so? What a lovely thought that is." As he placed a quick kiss upon her lips. "You're beautiful Alice, and you're mine."
She never considered herself beautiful, just passably fair, and even less than that at the moment. She was filthy and bloodied. Her hair a matted mess, and she was covered in bruises and cuts. She couldn't imagine what she must smell like. But he made her feel beautiful at her worst.
Curling her arms around his neck, she said, "And you are mine."
"Yes, yes, I am yours and you are mine, and no one else shall have either of us. We belong to each other, forever and ever, which is no mere boasting in Underland. Indeed, you could become quite tired of me over time, since we could have forever and ever, not that I'd want you to, you see, for I would not grow bored with you." He seemed to think of something, "But what if you do, become bored that is, and decide that forever is entirely too long; time can seem to be too long sometimes, not that we let time know that, because time is quite prickly about such things, but what if you do…"
Ah, this was her Hatter, and she loved him for it, "Hatter, I doubt that I would ever tire of you, never ever, no matter how much time we have together, or how prickly time can become."
"But what if..", he started to say to her, a bit of doubt creeping into his voice.
Alice decided enough was enough, and knew she had to redirect his thoughts, so she reached up, pulled his face to hers, and stopped his talking with her lips. Although inexperienced and knew to romantic behavior, she considered herself a quick study, and put what she had very recently learned into practice.
It worked, because Hatter stopped talking, and put himself to more pleasant pursuits. He lifted her in his arms and began to walk.
She really didn't pay much attention to where he was taking her, or her surroundings. But, she suspected that Thackery was going to be most unhappy with them, because she knew they would be very, very late for tea.
To Be Continued
Sorry for the long wait, but this chapter took some time, and much, much reworking. I hope I got it right. This is also a long chapter, compared to the previous ones. On a positive note, I'm almost finish with the next chapter.
This is not the end of the story, since I plan for a few more chapters. Oh, and I think Alice would still call him Hatter, like a pet name, and only call him Tarrant, when she was angry or serious.
Anyway, I bought the blu-ray combo pack of Alice in Wonderland, which I love! My only complaint would be that there were no deleted or extended scenes, which do exist…plus a blooper reel…I love blooper reels! LOL! I heard they will be included in a future, Extra Special Edition of AIW…darn it, they just know I'll buy that one too!
Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter , and will review. Oh, and use your imagination on why Alice and Hatter would be late for tea…poor Thackery! Hugs to all!