A wee bit o' angsty. Hope you enjoy besides! :)

"Alice, it's your mother. The Plaza can't book only three months in advance so I'm calling Terrace on the Park. We need to go dress shopping tomorrow! Love you!"

"Alice, it's Mom. Terrace on the Park is booked until November. How do you feel about Central Park? The boat house maybe? How many bridesmaids are you planning on having? Call me!"

"Alice, honey, I need your guest list! Is Hatter's family coming? I would LOVE to get dinner with his parents if they're in town! I called Kleinfelds and they have an opening tomorrow at 2-"

"STOP! TURN. THE MACHINE. OFF." Alice threw the couch pillow over her eyes as Hatter hurried to cut off Carol's voice on the answering machine. Getting a landline for their apartment had been the biggest mistake of their short lives, and Alice had tried to explain to Carol more than once why she couldn't leave 800 messages on their answering machine. Alice unplugged the phone from the wall and stuck it in the oven, tempted to turn it on. She returned to the couch and covered her face again.

"If she calls again…" Alice trailed off, muffled by the pillow. Hatter laughed heartily and pulled the pillow off Alice's face.

"If you'd return her calls, maybe she wouldn't continue leaving messages," He offered, rather unhelpfully. Alice scowled.

"She is going insane. Seriously. As if she wasn't crazy before, now she's nuts. She's trying to plan this wedding in the span of a week and we told her TWO days ago!"

"Alice. Sweetheart," Hatter sat on the edge of the couch next to her. "If your only daughter was getting married in little less than three months, wouldn't you go crazy too?"

"I am NOT the crazy Hamilton. I-" her phone began playing the 'Flight of the Bumblebees' on the coffee table. Alice groaned, grabbing her phone and flipping it open violently. Hatter took it from her calmly and answered.

"Hello, Carol," He said cheerfully, holding Alice back as she tried to take her phone back and give her mother what-for. "Nope, she's taking a shower. Yeah, she's getting ready to go dress shopping. Mmhmm, that's all she can talk about," He grinned at Alice and stood up as she lunged for him. She tugged on his arm, trying to get at the phone and he switched hands so he could grab her around the waist with his right arm. Alice was now plastered against his body, arms pinned at her side helplessly. Hatter pressed her seductively against the wall, licking her earlobe. Alice pouted.

"Ok, Carol. I'll tell her. Uh… no… I… actually I don't know. They… they might be in India or something. Sure, I'll tell you as soon as I know. Ok. Goodbye. Uh huh. Yep. Ok. Yeah. Yeah. Good- Ok Carol. Goodbye!" He hung up quickly, tossing Alice's cell over his shoulder and kissing the end of Alice's nose. Her cell landed expertly on the couch with a small thud.

"I hate you so much right now," She whispered petulantly as he pinned her hands to her sides.

"She wants to know if my parents are coming," He said softly, ignoring her childish remark, and kissing her neck sensuously.

"What did you tell her?" She asked brokenly, trying to move her arms.

"I said I didn't know…" He sucked the pressure point at the base of her neck and Alice nearly went limp. "And that they might be in India."

"India?"

"Yeah, why not?" Hatter held her wrists with his right hand, snapping the front of her bra through her shirt. Alice gasped as he unhooked it with one finger.

"How do you do that?" She asked incredulously and Hatter chuckled.

"Number one, you always wear the ones that fasten in the front, so I've had a lot of practice. Number two… doesn't matter because you've forgotten all about how you have to go shopping with your mother in an hour." He grinned as Alice closed her eyes and silently swore. "I love you," He sang, nuzzling her cheek.

"You are going to make me so late if you keep that up." She breathed, resting her forehead against his shoulder.

"Do you love me?" Hatter asked, grazing over her shoulders and intertwining his fingers with hers. She looked up at him and felt something overwhelm her more than it ever had before; an incredible feeling that she couldn't exactly put into words. Alice inclined her head and caught his lips lovingly, pressing her free hand to his chest.

"Do you want your parents to come to the wedding?" She whispered, head against his chest. His grip on her hand tightened involuntarily. Hatter kissed her temple and walked into the kitchen, calling over his shoulder.

"You'd better get ready, you'll be late."

Alice sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

Hatter was leaning against the counter when Alice touched his shoulder. He hadn't heard her come in and he wheeled around, nearly socking her in the face with a right hook. If Alice hadn't been a black belt, he probably would've hit her hard enough to break bones. As it was, he barely grazed her shoulder as she lunged out of the way.

"Whoa! It's ok!" Alice grabbed his arm and Hatter stared at her in horror.

"I am so sorry…" He breathed, almost paralyzed at the thought of hitting her. Hatter shrugged her hand off of him and stepped back. Only then did Alice realize that his eyes were wet with tears.

Hatter made a beeline for the balcony, slamming the glass door behind him so hard that it shattered. He sat against the railing on the balcony, clutching his right arm as if to keep it from acting on its own.

Alice stood frozen in the kitchen, glittering shards of glass around her feet. She hopped up on the counter and scooted over to the pantry to retrieve the broom. After a quick sweep of the kitchen and corralling most of the pieces of the door, Alice stepped through the door frame and knelt, placed her hands on Hatter's shoulders.

"I'm sorry I snuck up on you," She said, brushing his cheek just like he had all the times she'd ever cried in his arms. He didn't make eye contact with her. He was so ashamed of himself. Alice rested her chin on his knee and rubbed his leg.

"What if I had hit you?" He muttered.

"You didn't hit me," She replied kindly, prying his hand from his arm and holding it between hers.

"What if I had?" Hatter finally looked at her with red, pained eyes. The look made Alice hurt so much she felt like the air had been knocked out of her. She didn't have an answer for him. If he had hit her, they would be having a very different conversation.

"I have quick reflexes," She finally said and Hatter shook his head, hitting it against the railing behind him. "Hey, knocking yourself out doesn't solve anything."

Hatter smiled slightly, so small Alice would've missed it if she had blinked. From the living room, the 'Flight of the Bumblebees' sounded and Alice frowned.

"You should get that." Hatter said softly.

"My Mom can go shopping alone." She smiled. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hatter knew she wasn't talking about how he almost hit her, or how he'd broken the glass door. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Alice waited patiently.

"They were executed… part of the bribe to keep me loyal to the Queen." Hatter held their clasped hands tightly against his knee, sitting on his right hand as if he still didn't trust himself. "I got to watch."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked gently, shocked beyond belief. He shrugged slightly.

"I don't know. I didn't want to have a pity party when your Dad just-"

"Hatter, of all people, you would be the last to have a pity party."

Alice suddenly understood; this was the kind of information one earned from Hatter, not something he told everyone who he met. Hatter wasn't an open book.

"I guess I wanted to be sure you weren't gonna send me back through the Looking Glass."

"I would never-"

"I know," He held her hand against his heart. "I know that NOW. Now that you're marrying me," His breath caught and he smiled at her, unable to finish. Alice felt her own eyes well at his confession and she rested her cheek on his knee, smiling happily.

"You miss them," She said softly. It wasn't a question; it was an echo of what she felt for her father. He nodded.

"You're gonna be late," He encouraged gently, a cue to Alice that he was alright.

"Come with me?"

"To shower? Sure… I mean, I'd never turn THAT down, but you'll be even more late…"

Alice giggled, cuffing him playfully on the cheek.

"I mean to buy my dress. And the shower too."

"Wait… I shouldn't see your dress until the wedding, though… right? Isn't that how girls do it here?" He asked, pushing back his hat further on his head.

"Usually, but were not really a traditional couple. And I want your feedback; I don't wanna buy a dress that you'll have a hard time taking off," She grinned, standing. Hatter seemed to take this into great consideration before standing.

"You do have a point."

"Good. It's settled." Alice folded herself against his chest, pulling his right arm around her first to prove that she trusted him. He held her as tightly as he dared. Suddenly, something else occurred to him.

"Alice… what color dress are you going to buy?"

"White… why?"

"Can you buy a white dress? I mean… you're not exactly a… you know. We've done it. A lot." He seemed to struggle more with saying the word 'virgin' than telling her about his parents, a fact that amused Alice to no end.

"It would be best for the sake of my very traditional grandparents if I bought a white dress. They're still under the impression that I don't know what a 'penis' is."

"They'd be wrong," He chuckled.

"Yes, they would," She smiled, kissing his stubbly chin. "Unless… is this a penis?" She asked mischeviously, pinching his nipple through his shirt.

"Mmmm… nope," He growled.

"How about… this," She squeezed his ass as he kissed her, smiling against his mouth.

"Definitely not. Come on, little oyster. I'll do your grandparents a favor," He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, causing Alice to gasp. She giggled as he turned to walk back inside the house and their neighbor was watering the balcony instead of her plants in shock. Alice waved at the woman innocently and Hatter carried her purposefully inside through the broken door. He turned back to observe the damage, flinging Alice around.

"I should probably fix that now…" He teased, stroking one of her thighs.

"I like it that way," She laughed as Hatter shrugged and turned, flinging her around once more. Her phone rang as they entered the living room and without a second thought, Hatter went to the phone and answered it.

"Hello Carol. Yeah, she'll be a little late. I'd say… an hour or so. Yup. Ok. Mmhmm. I'll get back to you on that. Ok. Buh-bye." He threw the phone down on the couch again and marched Alice to the bathroom.

A/N: Let me know what you think, lovelies!