And Stayne get's nasty. Yes, he will play an intricle role in future chapters. But in the meantime, lets see what happens next!

Disclaimer: I own nothing say for the plot.

Chapter ten: Happiness

Alice felt the world go still as her breathing even became labored.

The Hatter was in love?

With her?

"Madness," Alice said as he stood before her. His eyes strangely focused as she shook her head. "How can you love me, Hatter? I don't understand?"

"How can I not," He said quietly. Alice felt her heart flutter as he stepped forward. He took her hands and turned them palm side up, his eyes became a soft green as he looked at her with a tender expression.

"Ever since I could remember, no one has ever treated me as you do. Even among my own clan, me appearance was fearful though I looked better in those days, I still scared people. Then when the madness sank into my mind, people became afraid of me and during the war I earned my name as the Mad Hatter. After my clan was attacked and my home destroyed, I lost everything and the only people who understood what was wrong with me." Hatter made a face as Alice saw the strange way only one of his pupils dilated correctly while the other was shaky. She knew it was hard for him to speak of his past. "I lost everything and I surrounded myself in the chaos where I felt safer.

"Then you came, a wee little girl and you weren't afraid of me. You were delighted in my madness and touched me without fear. Then again, when you came back and thought me a dream, you showed no fear of me, calming me down bring me back out of my mind. You tried to save me from the red queen court and were always happy to listen to me, even if I was wandering. Then you showed so much," Hatter struggled with his words. "More muchness than I hadn't seen in a long time. You had strength enough to overcome your fears and face the Jabberwocky that caused so many of us to run and cower for years. You gave us peace again and you did it without losing to the darkness.

"I love you, Alice and I want to help you fix your muchness again," Hatter's eyes seemed to smolder green with the sincerity of his words. Alice gripped his hands to steady herself as she looked down.

"I don't deserve you Hatter," She said. "I can't even help myself at the moment; I don't think I can love you the way you do me, I am not what you think I am." Hatter smiled as he pulled her hands close to his heart and gazed down at her.

"You are exactly who I think you are, and if you can't help yourself, then I can help you," he said with a smile. "I want to help you Alice because I have never felt like this for anyone else but you and I know I never will. You will always be. . .my Alice." He said. Alice felt tears in her eyes as her heart longed for her to throw her arms around him. She wanted to tell him she loved him, she wanted to tell him everything would be alright and that she would let him fix her. In truth she wanted him to have her just as she was, if he could do that . . .

"Hatter I-."

"Before you answer," Hatter said as he let go of her hands and pulled off his hat, gripping the brim. "Please consider me, I just want to love you Alice because loving you helps me chase away my darkness and quiets the voices in my head. It helps me ease my mind and makes me feel as though I could fly. But one word from you, and I will never speak again on the subject, I care too much for you to put that kind of pain to you, but know that I will never change my feelings for you, not for all of Underland." Alice felt her mouth go dry as her heart lodged in her throat. His sweet words undid her rejection, making her heart throb and her knees weak.

Forgetting her arguments, she took his hat from his hands. He stood still as she placed it on his head and then touched his face.

"That's better," She said with true smile on her lips and tears in her eyes. "You look yourself again." He smiled a gap tooth smile she loved so much as his eyes shined the brilliant color of cypress leaves. Her heart throbbed as she felt a joy she thought she would never feel again engulf her in warmth.

"Yes, and you are your proper size," He said laughing. Alice began to laugh as she threw caution to the wind. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. Hatter stilled for a moment before he held her tightly, on arm snaking its way around her waist and the other wrapping around her, cradling her head with his hand. Alice knew that she shouldn't do this, there was just so many reasons but mostly was because she was afraid to hurt this man whom she did love so much. She realized from the bottom of her heart she loved this crazed man and wouldn't have it any other way. But she firmly believed he deserved someone much better than the likes of her.

But she would try, god as her witness she would try and be good enough for him. She would let him help her and use him to help heal this pain and darkness that had planted inside her during that night and wash it away. She only prayed with all her heart that she did not hurt him.

Clutching him tighter, she heard him whisper against her hair.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk," He asked. Alice smiled into his shoulder as she let the feelings in her heart flood her finally. She pulled back to press her forehead against his under his hat. He closed his eyes partially as if he were about to doze.

"I have no idea," She whispered smiling. "But Hatter?"

"Yes?"

"I love you too."

If he died right then and there, he would have hunted down death and tortured at the man.

Tarrant felt better than he had in years. As he led Alice back to the ballroom, he felt as if he was walking on air. Everything seemed brighter, the room seemed happier, even the food tasted better. It seemed nothing could dampen his spirits.

He and Alice danced again, he danced with gusto. Whirling them around almost dangerously as he felt as if he could fly, Alice laughed as she held on tightly to him before asking him to slow down. When they finally felt the dance floor, they were laughing like lunatics. Alice was partnered then by Thackery and then the Chessur, even the tweedles tried to dance with her but ended up arguing with who would lead and who would follow. Tarrant had used the chance to steal her away and whirl her back.

By the end of the ball, the entire room knew of their euphoria. Tarrant made no secret of his love anymore. And why should he, Alice was his and he was damn well proud of the fact that she loved him back.

As he walked her back to her room, things settled down. She held his arm as she seemed to have a slight bounce to her step, or was that him? In this mood he couldn't tell if he was walking on the ceiling or the floor.

When they arrived, Alice let him in. He waited properly outside as she changed for bed and he joined her. Dressed in a simple white gown and slippers, Alice looked beautiful. As they sat for tea together, he noticed she was nodding off. Gently, he picked her up and tucked her into bed before lying on top of the sheet but she climbed out from underneath it. He was about to protest when she curled up in his arms, laying her head on his chest as she had before. He draped his jacket over her to keep her warm before laying awake. His mind was too awake for sleep so he stared at the ceiling. His body craved movement as he wanted to futterwacken until his legs fell off. He wanted to climb to the highest turret of the castle and shout his love to all of Underland. But he knew he couldn't.

Alice was still healing; he knew it would be a while before she could love him fully. She made no bones about it and despite that fact, he still wanted her. He was willing to wait eternity for her and knew he could. For once he was glad time was not talk to him because he gave him the time he need to wait for her and wait he would. He would wait so he could see that bonny smile upon her face and hear her laughter. She would be worth every minute of it.

He silently cursed the man Lowell again and again; he hated him more now than ever. He had hurt Alice so deeply and shaken her world she felt it as if she was tainted. Tarrant knew what it was like to be tainted and knew she was a far cry from it. She felt as if she was going to hurt him if she used him to heal herself. But the fact she couldn't see, however, was that he felt the same way.

Today, he had barely been able to fight down the blackout that usually happened when he had done too much work. It had taken most of his strength and he ended up lying in the bathwater, completely exhausted and ill. If Chess hadn't shown up and purified the poison he didn't know what he would have done. Fear slithered its way into his heart as he feared one day, he wouldn't be able to control it and he may hurt Alice. He wished he had the power to remove this stinking poison from his body but not even the Chessur or the Queen could fully remove it. Too many years of being a hatter and the poison soon was apart of you. It became a daily battle just to stay in one world without slipping into another and to tell your voice from the hundreds of others that show up whenever he was about to sink down into a fit of madness.

He clutched her closer to him as he calmed his thoughts. If he had ever hurt Alice, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. He was sure he would take his own life, so help him he would.

Shuddering, he felt Alice stir, he looked down to see her clutching his shirt. His heart jumped into his throat as he felt his eyes softening as he gazed upon her. She really was too good to be with him. Tarrant had contemplated the fact and brushed it away quickly, if Alice thought he was good enough, he would be so. That was all that mattered. For once in his life, the future looked bright.

Future, a word Tarrant never really liked had had seldom thought about. Too many things rode on that word and personally he never saw why before. It was a ghastly unknown thing that the oraculm failed to tell of the pain it causes. But that was before.

Now, as he lay here with a broken angel in his arms, he found the word pleasing. A future with Alice, he dared dream of it. She would be an excellent mother, and a beautiful bride but he quickly stopped himself. For now he would ne content with loving her. But tomorrow, for once he looked forward to another day of being her Hatter.

Smiling he fell into a dreamy sleep, unbeknownst to him, someone was spying on him in an opposite tower with an eyeglass carrying the banner of a back spade.

Stay tuned and reviews and flames welcome! I don't plan on giving this up yet and will write until this fiction is done. (The hatter's gusto is contagious^_^)