Hatter

Sworn to Protect Her

Jack Heart had gotten the better of the knight. Of course, a kitten could've gotten the better of him.

"I know what you're thinking, how could anyone sneak up on me? Of all things! And in my own manner too." It didn't matter, Charlie was old. But I wasn't, I grabbed the nearest loose stick I could find and prepared to fight him off.

"You think you can take me on with that?" He talked to me like I was completely incompetent. Funny, normal royalty is to be brought up with outstanding etiquette while the Queen and her decedents seemed to be brought up on discourtesy.
"I'm not an old man." I replied, earning a haughty remark from the former White Knight. Alice rushed between us.

"Look nobody is fighting unless it is me and I am a black belt."

"Who's your friend?" Jack asked her.

"It's just a friend." Really Alice? I thought. That hurts.
"Yeah, you two look pretty friendly."

"Are you jealous Jack?" Alice sounded like she couldn't believe it. She was acting like I was a bloody stranger!

"A little." Was his cold reply.

"The guy who's engaged to a Duchess is worried about me."

"You know that was just an act." I was steaming, if he lied to Alice one more time I'd dispatch him right there.

"No, I don't."

"Come I've brought you a horse." Did he not just here the lady?

"She's not going anywhere with you." I stopped him, did he actually believe that after his treacherous lies she would follow him? He was a pompous jerk of an idiot and I couldn't imagine Alice ever liking something this vindictive.

"You know she can't stay here." Was he even talking to me? He never looked at me, he probably thought I was unworthy of his princely eyes.

"Look, stop it both of you." Alice had changed, she would see reason and stay with me. But, astonishingly, she whispered to me, "I need to find out about my dad." And without letting me get a word in she addressed Jack "He's here?"

"Yes, he's alive and well and if you let me I'll take you to him."

"Really?" There it was again, she sounded so childish and gullible! I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and talk some sense into her thick head.

"We've got to get going. We don't have much time." Time before what? He was the one who imprisoned her father in the first place, all he had was time.

"Where is he?"

"We're moving him into the city and if we hurry you can see him by night fall."

"What do you mean moving him?"

"I have people helping me."

"What people?"

"Do you want to see him or not?"

"Yes of course. Right. Wow um… ok." Ok? She thought this was ok? This whole situation was sketchy and I couldn't let her go through with it.

"Don't tell me you trust this guy." I said, incredulously.

"He knows where my dad is."

"He'll say anything to get his hands on the ring!"

"He hasn't asked for the ring he doesn't want the ring. Do you Jack?"

"Yes, I do." Ha.

"You do?" She looked genuinely surprised.

"It's just all an act." How many times did I have to try to convince her of this fact?

"We need the ring to get you home. The looking glass won't work without it." It was true, one way or the other Alice would have to give up the ring to get back to her world. I was surprised at how much I wanted to find the ring and toss it in the lake or feed it to a jabberwock… I didn't want Alice to leave. Somewhere along the way I'd gone from helping her to hindering her because of my selfishness.

"Yes of course..." Now she was just going to give the Queen's son the ring? She wouldn't be safe with this guy.

"Don't be fooled by this Alice. He's working for his mother. Blood and water, you remember?"

"Then why am I alone? Why aren't there 500 suits at my back? And how did I find you here in the middle of the forest you think I just followed my nose?"

"How did you find us?" I got up in his face, I couldn't stand his blatant inability to look at me.

"You sent for me." Impossible….

"Come again?" For the first time in a long while I was at a complete loss for words.

"I'm the agent who's supposed to escort you to Caterpillar."

"You know Caterpillar?" Alice looked hopefully up at him. I was sure he'd give a better answer than I had to the same question.

"Very well. Caterpillar recruited me into the resistance. That's why I stole the ring and escaped to your world. It was supposed to trigger a coo, but unfortunately… well you saw what happened. But if you give us back the ring, we can give it another try." He just might have been telling the truth, how else would he have found us? The throne room was nearly invisible from the forest.

"You want to over throw your mother?"

"I've seen what she's done in close up. And I know perhaps better than anyone if I don't stop her she'll destroy Wonderland. So who are you going to trust to get you and your father back home? A resistance insider and future king who's already scheduled your return trip through the looking glass, who cares for you more than anyone else in the world? Or this man." He didn't care for Alice more than anyone else in the world, not a chance. His bird-like eyes hardly showed any emotion for her. But at that point the game was over. He had said the words that Alice wanted to hear and she was his again, I was tossed aside. I let go of the stick and with it, my hope of ever seeing Alice again.

"Where's the ring Alice?"

"It's where it belongs."

"Well, well" He grabbed the ring greedily from the skeleton of the king and pocketed it. I leaned over to whisper to Alice, planning on these being my last words.

"I wish you all the luck in the world, Alice."

"You're coming with us, Hatter." She wanted to make this harder on me.

"I don't think I figure in the future king's plans." I told her, doing my best to ignore the presence of the Prince of Hearts.

"He's coming with us."

"Caterpillar was very clear. The resistance will only help you on their terms, you must come alone." This sounded suspicious, every bloody word that came out of the prince's mouth sounded suspicious. But what could I do? He had rightfully won my Alice and all I could do was accept it.

"But Hatter stood by me!" Her words almost made this whole situation better. She finally was realizing that I was on her side. Of course, as all epiphanies do, this epiphany came at the wrong time.
"It's for your own safety. And for your fathers." She was torn, I couldn't leave her like this. It wasn't fair to either of us.

"Hey, I wouldn't want to go with this guy anyway." It was true, it would've given me hell to have to watch the two "re-unite".

"What will you do?" Her question caught me by surprise, mainly because I wasn't exactly sure… I'd um… I'd hang around… most likely spend the rest of my God forsaken life in the woods with a loony knight and some friendly neighborhood jabberwocks.

"Me? You kiddin'? I'll be fine." She wasn't convinced, neither was I. So I sent her away… I didn't want to look at her anymore. "Believe me. You're better off with this guy. Go."

* **** *

Charlie and I watched her leave, neither one of us really believing she wouldn't come back.

"I'm going after her." I couldn't allow it. If Jack by some chance really wasn't lying then she would be better off with him. He'd have gotten her home.

"No." I said.

"I'm sworn to protect her!" That's exactly how I felt. But now we had to give that permission to the former enemy.

"You're work here is done. Brave knight." I glanced at him, trying to decide if I should stay there or not. There really wasn't any reason to, I should go and get on with my life. "You should be proud. You've done one hell of a job. But she's in safe hands now." I hoped, but part of me still didn't trust him. I had good reason not to. So no, I wouldn't stay, but I couldn't just get on with my life. I had to be sure my Alice was safe…

"Charlie… I'm borrowing Guinevere. You… stay here." Something in the momentary twinkle of his eyes told me he wouldn't take my suggestion.

Author's Note: Exclusive un-seen Hatter dialog at the end there! Hope ya'll like it, next will be the exiting reappearance of Hatter, then the torture scene (*shudders* I'm not a hurt/comfort kinda gal… I don't like to see my Hatter distressed. It's un-cool. BUT it will be rather interesting to write!) Review my pretties!