A/N: Woo! I'm on a roll. So, here is Chapter Ten and I want to say now, that the first part of this chapter is rated...let's go with T+. I don't think it quite deserves the M rating. Still, it's a bit suggestive, but nothing explicit. Nothing even really happens, actually, which is why I didn't rate it M. So, there's the warning. Hope you like the chapter. I don't know, I'm really liking how this is turning out and all. I'm coming up with ideas that fit into this so perfect as I'm writing and I don't even mean to before hand. But, okay, enjoy the chapter. ^_^

TEN
Bastard Bird...

Hatter looked around his office. He didn't remember how he got there, just that he was sitting in one of the chairs facing the front door. Frowning, he tried to stand but stopped when he noticed he wasn't alone. "Al…ice…" He had been happy to see here, until he noticed she was completely drenched. Head to toe, dripping wet. The sight came with a pang of memory. And not an unpleasant one.

"What happened to you?" He half laughed.

She didn't speak, but her eyes had that light in them, the one he saw when she felt like being particularly contrary. "Alice?" He blinked. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head, and then he noted that smirk. Just barely there, but he noticed it and a chill went up his spine. "Okay…something's wrong. You feeling okay?"

She took a few steps forward and he noticed that her boots were gone. The tights were there, but the shoes weren't. "You can say something any time now…" He fidgeted in his seat. He knew something was not quite right, but he didn't feel the desire to look into it too closely. Besides, the way her hair was hanging over her shoulder and how tight that dress was…hold on…he knew that her dress had flared at the end. This blue dress clung to her hips and upper thighs and was, well, scandalously short.

Had he wanted to say anything else, he was no longer capable. She kept advancing, eyes lowered and that smirk. Although he thought the temperature was most certainly on the rise, he could observe that she must have been cold. And there were the chills again.

His heart was beating. But that wasn't new. He'd only thought of it because it was pounding in his ears. And it was hard to breath, or no, but he was breathing slowly. Panting, almost.

Alice stopped in front of him and he tilted his head back to look up and into her face. Their knees were touching. "Okay, you can tell me at any time what's going on. Not…" he swallowed. "Not that I'm complaining." She didn't punch him or lash out or snap. Instead her hand went out and her fingers trailed down his cheek, gently down his skin. His eyes fell shut. "Not complaining. Definitely not complaining."

Her hand moved and she pressed her finger into his lips. "Shh." She leaned down. "You talk too much."

Hatter stared into her eyes. "I'll never talk again." He had always found her pretty. But he didn't know exactly when she had become beautiful. Heavenly, being another term. She held him with her eyes, as if he'd fall if she looked away. So he didn't see, but he could feel her weight crawling into his lap. One firm thigh on either side of his legs. He didn't know what to do, but let her. She seemed to be in the lead on this one. He chanced, tested, putting his hands on her waist. She didn't protest. He'd held her by the waist before, on the ladder, but somehow this was much more…intimate. You know, with her in his lap and all.

Something told him that this scene didn't make sense. Something told him that he didn't actually like Alice like that, that they were friends if anything. And then something told both of those other voices to shut the hell up. She lifted her hand over his head, taking his hat and setting it on her head. Okay, so normally he'd never let anyone touch his hat. He cared not so much right then. Especially when he realized she had removed it so she could take both hands and run them unhindered through his hair, nails scratching at his scalp as she nearly pulled his head into her chest.

Don't speak. Don't speak. Don't speak. He was definitely panting now. Squeezing her waist and running his hands up…up…she didn't seem to mind. She squirmed on his lap, arching her back into his grip.

He bit his tongue. He promised he'd never say another word and if talking would ruin this moment he'd be willing to sew his own mouth shut. So everything was making not one bit of sense. He'd deal with that later…after…holy shit. The implication sent a rush through his stomach. Alice leaned forward, her hands had been using his head as support her and now she looked down at him. And she leaned further and her lips parted and he wanted, so wanted, to kiss her. That he was about to seemed unreal. A bit too unreal. A bit…not normal. He thought he heard something in the distance, but he ignored it. Their noses touched and she tilted her head.

Caw. Caw. Caw.

No. No. No. He swear he could feel her lips right there, so close. So teasingly close. But it was too late. He jerked awake and was rewarded with a stiff neck from the way he had slept. Hatter looked at the bird in its cage. Cawing away like the little bastard it was. Then it occurred to him he'd almost had a sex dream about Alice and he decided it was best to just forget the whole thing. "What was that?" He asked as his senses began to come back to him. His heart pounding just a little less. As improbable as the dream had been, it had seemed real enough to his dream self.

"That's the early warning system." Charlie sat upright. "Someone has broken through the perimeter."

Hatter immediately looked to the bed Alice had been sleeping in. "Where's Alice?" Fear. Such total panic had him then. Charlie was babbling on, but Hatter ignored him. His heart was in his throat and then he felt like the floor had been swept out from beneath him. On a tree, hanging innocently, was the coat he'd given to Alice. No. That…impossible girl. "No." He said aloud, shaking his head. "NO." They would kill her. The Queen would have Alice's head without a thought. He only hoped she was smart enough to leave the ring. That would buy him some time. "I need a horse."

Charlie was still in hysterics, but had calmed down enough to follow Hatter to the horses. "W-w-which way should we go?" He asked, still in his underwear.

Hatter didn't stop as he prepared the saddle. "You don't have to come, Charlie. This isn't your fight."

"You couldn't be more wrong." Charlie scoffed. "You led the Alice of legend to me for a reason. Call it what you will, divinity, fate, an alignment of forces beyond mortal understanding. In time you'll see that I am the true paladin here and you…are merely a harbinger." Charlie's mouth hadn't slowed Hatter down for a second. He couldn't focus on anything except that Alice needed him. It didn't even occur to him that he had just told Alice how impossible it was to do what he was about to. He had told her over and over. 'You can't get into the Casino. It's suicide.' And here he was, readying to do just that without a second thought.

"Besides," Charlie continued as if Hatter gave one lick about what the old man decided to do. "You'll never find her without my help. Remember I'm also well versed in the…black arts." Hatter wasn't looking, but he assumed some lunatic theatrics followed those words. "We shall be guided by my psychic connection to the mysterious sinews that bind mankind to the outer realm." Charlie's voice had gone all low and mystical. There was some 'ah-ing' going on. Hatter was too busy trying to get out of there as fast as he could. With any luck, he'd find Alice before she gave herself up. That's why she had left the coat. It was partly a message to him, that she was doing this on her own, and partly because her plan was to stroll about with that oyster brand flashing clear as day to anyone that might turn her in to the Queen. Idiot, stubborn girl.

Hatter finally had the horse ready and was turning it east when Charlie called after him.

"You're going the wrong way, harbinger. We should go west."

"You go west. I'm going east." Hatter replied.

Charlie seemed genuinely confused. "W-why?"

"She's gone to the Hearts Casino." Hatter didn't wait for anything else, he didn't have time. He spurred the horse and headed toward the Casino, trying to come up with some sort of plan in case he had to get in. It took Charlie close to an hour to catch up to him. Hatter couldn't say he was happy when he did. The knight had immediately started carrying on about this and that. About what their plan would be. Hatter sighed. Fine. If he wanted to help, he supposed he should be grateful.

"Look," Hatter started, "our best bet is to stroll right on up like we're supposed to be there."

"Come again?" Charlie asked, not understanding.

"It's the Casino, right?" Hatter was talking to a Wonderlander now. Even one as spaced as Charlie would understand the true significance of the world. "The Suits keep that place locked up tight. No way we're sneaking in. But," he couldn't help but grin, "if we show up like we're supposed to be there we can at least get ourselves inside. They rely almost completely on their outer security. They don't expect people to get in that aren't supposed to."

"And what is our cover? Our guise to achieve this?"

Hatter looked ahead, the faint outline of the Casino rising in the distance. "I'll take care of that. Just let me do the talkin', got it?"

Charlie smiled. "Right you are."

Hatter glanced at his companion and let out a small laugh. He had a brief thought of Charlie doing the talking instead and didn't see it ending well for them. But, he supposed, the knight's heart was in the right place. Which was more than Hatter could say for himself a day ago.

When they neared the Casino they moved the horses into the cover of the trees. It was slightly out of the way, but would assure they could get closer without raising suspicion. When they reached the edge of the tree line, Hatter opted for continuing on foot.

As they approached one of the ground floor entry ways, the one used by the lower class servants and cleaners, Hatter reminded Charlie of the plan. "You let me do the talking, right?"

Charlie gave a dramatic nod.

"Right." Hatter nodded. What the hell was he going to say? An old man in peeling white knight armor and a good looking man, if he did say so himself, in a hat…they looked like a side-show. Hatter considered. Not a bad idea. He rubbed his hands together, preparing for the role. Then he set his winning smile and held out a hand to knock purposefully on the door.

A/N: Part One completed. On to Part Two. ^_^

P.S. Was it too much? The dream part? I was dying for more interaction, romantic kind, between them but obviously couldn't put it in here without messing the plot and how things end. So, if Alice has a dream during the night, then Hatter can have one to. ;)