Author's Note:

My Gosh!

So many reviews!

I would just like to say thank you for getting me past the half way mark.

- Hatter says thank you too! -

That and I would also like to announce the winners of the special mention…

The 100th review I believe goes to Spocklover2013… well done dear.

And because there were too many reviews that made me smile I had to go for the ones that made me roll on the floor in fits of hysterical laughter.

Ariacle and Ainnenoi Aurum, well done to you both!

Now I fear I'm rambling, so…

On with the story!

~**~

"Hatter where are we going?" Alice laughed as the madman led her further away from the tea table and closer to the middle of nowhere. "You'll see." The Hatter grinned as though he was a cat that had just swallowed a bird. They continued to walk onwards, (or in the Hatter's case skip, hop, jump, and dance) until they emerged in a clearing with a log just visible over the tall grass. Alice headed over to the log in order to sit down for a minute or two, though she was fairly certain this was where the Hatter was taking her.

On her way, she chanced a glance back and was barely able to make out the March Hare and the Cheshire Cat. It was rather a hard thing to do as there were trees obscuring her view.

The Hatter took Alice's backward glance as an opportunity to surprise her and so took a deep breath before leaping in front of her. He refused to lose his muchness over something like this. Landing a few steps away from Alice, he figured she would turn around before walking into him. He was mistaken however, when Alice's nose made contact with his chest.

"Hat- ooof!" Alice came into contact with something solid and … clothed? Yes it was definitely clothed. It laughed too. Alice felt strong hands fold over her shoulders, and she took a step back to inspect and apologise to whomever she had abruptly walked into.

" I know I'm a good sort of fellow, but walking into me was unnecessary." The Hatter laughed and shook his head as Alice blushed. It was a very pretty blush in Hatter's opinion, and he didn't quite know why Alice didn't do it more often. He would have to make a habit of making her blush.

"Well… yes. You were right next to me a second ago!" Alice laughed at how childish she sounded. As if she had been caught doing something naughty and totally refusing to take the blame for whatever the outcome was.

"But that was a second ago my dear. And now after that second I'm now over here." The Hatter took two steps to the left and then proceeded to take another two. "And now I'm here. And now I'm here. And now here." If Alice didn't stop him soon, she would have to spend her entire night looking for the man. He was beginning to get further and further away. She didn't know that by taking those steps away from her, Hatter was preparing himself for what was to come.

"Hatter come back! I fear I can no longer see you!" Alice cried and feigned blindness by holding a hand just above her eyebrow. And it all happened quicker than Alice could have ever imagined. One moment he had been standing right there, a few hundred metres away, and the next… he was gone. In the blink of an eye. "Oh bother." She cursed as she tried to find a sign of some sort to the man's whereabouts. The grass was so tall; that even his was wasn't visible if he was sitting down somewhere.

"In five seconds you're going to spring up and tell her." Hatter mumbled to himself. He hadn't been able to pluck up the enough courage to tell Alice how he felt just yet, so resorted to a good old game of 'Hide and Seek'. He had made himself comfortable on the grassy ground, lying staring up at the pretty blue sky that reminded him so much of Alice. She would find him soon enough he reasoned. Why not make the best of it?

He tipped his hat a little to decrease the amount of sun in his eyes and then placed his arms under his head and waited. He was really rather good at playing games of 'Hide and Seek' and would often be unfound for hours. He heard the grass rustle from somewhere near by and could discern Alice's voice mumbling to herself. He smiled to himself. Yes he would be found sooner rather than later. Though Alice didn't know that.

"… And with such a big hat one would thin-" Alice's foot came into contact with a another something solid and this time she fell to the ground, though luckily he didn't dirty her dress as it wasn't muddy here. "So now you're falling for me?" Hatter chuckled from under his hat and Alice couldn't help but roll her eyes. Of course. She would find the Hatter by falling down. After all that is how she had found him all those many years ago. She had fallen down a rabbit hole and made many new strange and wonderful friends.

"One can't control who they fall for." Alice retorted. "It may have just as well been the Bandersnatch lying there. At least I would have seen him before I fell." The first part of her sentence gave the Hatter a little hope. He pulled himself into a sitting position, choosing to sit cross-legged because he then wouldn't be able to trip Alice over. She had after all, tripped over his foot. His face was completely serious as he voiced his next statement. "Alice, may I ask you something?"

Alice was rather shocked that he would ask a question about asking a question before asking the question he intended to ask. Normally he would just come out and say it. "You may dear Hatter." She smiled kindly and silently encouraged him. That look of an internal battle was once again on his face. "What is your question?"

The internal battle was now raging inside of dear Hatter's mind. He wanted to desperately tell his Alice how he felt, though he was afraid that she would laugh and disappear the moment he did so. "I… Would you…" Alice's perfect blonde eyebrow was raised silently as she waited for him to form his question. It was a lot harder than it had first appeared. "Would I…" his muchness was beginning to fail him now, and he didn't particularly want to lose it. A Hatter without his muchness was like an Alice without hers. Maddening.

"I would…" muchness be damned. He wasn't going to be able to say it just yet.

"Yes Hatter?" Alice patiently tried to coax out his question.

"I would very much like to… make you a gift. Can I?" This was not the question Alice had been expecting and was a little disappointed. But not as disappointed as the Hatter.

As soon as the reply, 'Of course. If you really want to.' reached his ears, he buried his face in his hands in despair. "Why Hatter, what's the matter?" Alice reached out with a hand and placed it on his shoulder in an effort to try and give him comfort. She wanted to cradle him in her arms and sooth whatever pain he had away, but knew that he would think it as nothing more than a friendship thing when she wouldn't. It would mean so much more to her.

"I've lost my muchness!" He wailed, tears not quite forming, but knew if left to stew on it, would.

"Your muchness?" Alice couldn't quite tell in what way he had lost it, so decided to humour him and see if he eventually explained how he had lost it. No such luck.

"Yes!" a dry sob erupted from his throat. And to tell you the truth, Hatter didn't know whether it was because he hadn't told Alice about his feelings, or if it was because he had lost his muchness.

"Well… can't you get it back?" Alice was grasping at straws here. She had never had to deal with a crying Hatter before. It was more frightening than when he got stuck in one of his fits.

"Get it back?" The Hatter had stopped sobbing for now. "How can I get it back?"

"Well I got my muchness back." Alice said.

"But you are an Alice!" his head once again dropped back to his hands.

"And you are a Hatter who helped me get it back. I'm the Alice who shall help you." Alice's tone made her declaration sound final. Hatter's head left his hands and just looked at Alice. She was going to help him get his muchness back? Did she know what that entailed? Of course she didn't.

"Are you sure you wish to help?" Hatter couldn't quite believe she would willingly do that.

Alice nodded her head, unaware of what was to follow.

Hatter shuffled forward on his knees towards Alice, who was sitting and patiently waiting for him to give her details on some major adventure that would ensure the obtainment of his muchness. Hatter did no such thing; he just stared at her, for which she stared back.

"No I can't" He shook his head and sat down next to Alice, not looking at her. He knew of only one way to get his muchness back, and he knew he couldn't take advantage of Alice like that. Even if she had volunteered. Maybe in a couple of days or so, he would be able to try again.

He shot a sideways glance at her face. She was terribly pretty; the most beautiful person Hatter and ever seen and he was certain that he loved her. Her golden hair cascaded down her back in loose curls, with a couple framing her face. How he wanted to gently sweep an unruly curl behind her ear. Her eyes were staring out at something that he couldn't see, not that he was trying to, and had a faraway look in them. What was she thinking? As she gazed her lips formed into a smile. Those same lips were the Hatter's downfall. He wanted to run his finger over them and see if they felt as smooth as they looked, but he wouldn't dare, not just yet. Though he really, really, really did want to kiss her. Right now. And the entire fault lay with those lips that taunted him with that smile.

Without even realising it, he had crept forward ever so slowly, until he was nearly nose to cheek with her.

"What are you wondering?" Alice turned to answer Hatter, but never got the chance to. As soon as her head was turned, lips brushed gently against her own pink ones. Softly at first but then they kiss her again and this time it was a little harder and filled with emotion. A hand came tangled itself in her hair, though she didn't mind one bit. She was too preoccupied with the lips of the Hatter, who was a rather skilful kisser in her opinion.

The Hatter however, was unaware of his skilful kissing though, as his brain had completely shut off. He was just living in the moment for now. A hand trailed down to Alice's waist and pulled her closer to him. She melted into his touch and Hatter couldn't remember the last time something this fantastic had happened. Then he realised who he was kissing. That and he was running out of air.

Abruptly he pulled back, releasing Alice at once, his eyes as wide as saucers and his pale face a rosy pink. "I- I'm sorry… I shouldn't…. There's tea to make." And he quickly scurried to his feet and hurried off, leaving a confused Alice sitting in the grass.

A confused Alice who quickly chased after the quickly receding back of the Hatter. "Hatter! Wait!" Alice cried, trying to catch up to him. He only seemed to quicken his pace as he headed back towards the tea table.

It was Alice's cry that alerted the Cheshire Cat and the March Hare that both humans were on their way back. Though Cheshire thought that they would have been walking together, not seeing the Hatter practically run away from the blonde.

"Did you sort things out?" The cat purred as the Hatter approached the table and began to stride right past it, but not without picking up a teacup first. "Nope." He squeaked. If Hatter had been more himself, he would have marvelled at the fact that he could make his voice that high, but alas he was not and so no such thinking of the sort was to take place.

"Oh?" Cheshire would have stuck his paws where they didn't belong if the Hatter had not bolted through the door and out of sight.

Turning, Chessur saw why. Alice had arrived.

"Hatter! Hatter!" Alice was panting as she reached the table where the cat and the hare sat. "Did he come this way?" March pointed at the door and Alice raced forward. She wanted to know why the Hatter had done what he had. Not because she was angry, but simply curious. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you Alice." Chessur warned. Alice turned to face the cat, but saw nothing. Suddenly he appeared around her shoulders.

"The last time he ran from the tea table, he locked himself in his room for hours." He explained. Alice explained that she needed to see him right now, but the cat and the hare just shook their heads, telling her it wasn't wise. "He needs time." Chessur said. "Just give him some time."

Defeated, Alice sat at the tea table. She thought that after all that had happened in the clearing, she could really do with a drink.

"I wish to make you a gift! Way to go Hatter…" He had locked himself in his room and was currently pacing it back and forth, throwing his arms up in frustration every now and then. "And then… that!" He couldn't believe he had kissed her without her permission! Hatter was a polite person and would have only kissed her had she been willing. He didn't bother to think about the way she had reacted though, as he was too mortified at the possibility that he may have just botched up the best thing that had happened to him since his top hat.

He groaned and flung himself onto the bed, in a similar fashion as to what a dramatic teenager would do. Rubbing his hands over his face for a little while, trying to scrub of what traces of Alice were left there. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed the kiss, he had immensely, it was the fact that it may break up a perfectly great friendship that made him scrub his face so. As if he could pretend it never happened. Only he couldn't pretend it had never happened as he had asked Alice if he could make her a gift.

The Hatter moaned loudly. He now had to make a gift for Alice.

Sighing, he pulled himself off the bed and looked around for something to give her. He couldn't find anything but his clothing and a hat here and there, that he wouldn't give her as he thought they didn't sum her up well enough, but after some deep thought finally came up with an idea. It was a marvellous, mad, idea. But it was an idea nonetheless.

For the next few hours, Hatter set about making his gift, whilst getting his thoughts and more pronounced emotion in line.

Author's Note #2:

Ta Dah!

Finally we get a kiss… a real kiss too!

I was going to make you wait another chapter, but thought that too cruel as I myself have been dying to write in a kiss for you all. And I have!

:D

enjoy!