A/N: Hey there everyone! I know I said it was going to be another month before I posted the next chapter but the gears in my head have been turning so I decided to strike while the iron was still hot! I've already started to work on the next chapter so who knows, that might get posted soon as well. Happy reading!

This isn't exactly what Anna had expected to happen when she admitted to Jervis where she had gotten the idea on how she would control the robot. As the door slams shut in front of her, she winces. She saw the look on his face. He's not just angry, he's really hurt by the knowledge that she used his research without his consent. Not that she can blame him. She'd feel the same way if someone had done the same to her.

Sighing, she slowly walks back to the table in the kitchen and sinks back down into her chair. This wouldn't have ever happened if she hadn't been desperate for help with her control system. Dr. Cates didn't initially want to let her look at it, likely because she was worried about a repeat of what happened with Jervis but she got her hands on the information...it just wasn't the most legal thing she has ever done. Which adds to why she hasn't shared her work with the GCPD. It would likely raise questions about how she came up with the headband, and then how she got a hold of the information. It would just get really messy really fast.

Then again, telling him even part of the truth got messy. Sighing, Anna buries her face in her hands. She can't let the day end on this note, she'd feel terrible for it. Even if it's a waste of time, she needs to at least try to make this right. Though, she isn't sure how to go about doing this. Rubbing her palms hard against her eyes, she forces herself to get to her feet. It's time to go talk to Jervis.

The trip to his apartment seems to take years, the closer she gets, the bigger the knot becomes in her stomach. When she's standing outside his door, she isn't sure what to do with herself. What should she say? An apology seems almost a waste of time considering what she has done. But, what else can she do? She can't turn the clock back and stop herself from getting the information on the mind control band...and she really wouldn't do that anyway. That information has made the difference in her work. Eventually, she pushes herself to knock on the door.

Silence.

She doesn't even hear the sound of someone making an effort to answer the door, or any sort of movement inside. Is he even home? Anna waits for a moment before knocking again.

"Jervis, are you home?"

Once again, she receives silence.

Rubbing the back of her neck, Anna stares at her feet for a moment before deciding to at least trying to talk to him through the door. He's probably pointedly ignoring her. She doesn't blame him, she'd ignore her too.

"Jervis, please let me in. We need to talk. I don't want the day to end on a bad note."

The silence from the other side of the door is deafening. Anna isn't sure what is worse, Jervis just unleashing his anger upon her or him flat out ignoring her. As the seconds tick by, she can't help but nervously babble.

"Look...I know what I did wasn't ethically right. I mean, I know that even though I didn't steal all of your ideas, I still took something from you that you worked hard on...I'd be angry about that too. But you have to understand, I was in dire need of some help and it's not as though I could have just walked into your cell at any given moment to ask for your help...plus I don't think you would have helped me anyway. Dr. Cates didn't really want to help either but that's why I had to go around her to get the informa-"

The sound of a throat clearing behind her silences her. Slowly, Anna turns around to see that Jervis is standing behind her, holding his groceries and looking angrier than before. 'Shit...I made this worse.' A nervous laugh escapes her as she rubs the back of her neck again. Stepping off to the side to let him get to the door, Anna hastily clears her throat.

"I-I thought you were inside..ignoring me."

Jervis' eyes narrow as she says this and she clears her throat again, her hand shifting from her neck to absently tug her ponytail.

"How long were you th-"

"Long enough."

"Oh."

Anna's eyes flick down to stare at her feet. She feels about three inches tall...and it's such a wretched height to be. The tense silence is only broken by Jervis pushing past her to unlock the door. She can feel the anger radiating from his graze when he looks back at her.

"Alice...come inside. We will have this little chat over a cup of tea."

She pulls on her hair again, her eyes flicking over to look at him through her lashes. Yeah, he doesn't look like the pleasant Jervis she's been working with. She can see the side of him that she's not so sure she likes. Still, she can't blame him for his mood. Nodding mutely, she follows him inside. As the door clicks shut behind them, she keeps her mouth shut as they go towards the kitchen.

Jervis goes about putting things away before he starts boiling water for the tea. Once the kettle is on the stove, he sits down at the table. It's when she notices that he's watching her in silence when she realizes that she's just standing off to the side. She had been trying to stay out of his way while he was putting his groceries away. Giving him a sheepish smile, Anna sits down across from him. As soon as she's seated, Jervis rests his elbows onto the table to stare her down while he addresses her.

"Alice, it would be an understatement to say that I'm angry right now. In fact, I can't describe HOW angry I am."

"Jervis I-"

He holds his hand up, silencing her.

"No, no Alice. You're going to listen to me. I'm going to begin at the beginning and go on till the end, then stop."

Nodding, she settles back into her seat and focuses on watching his expression while he speaks. The room seems to be, uncomfortable, to say in the least. Everything about him right now just feels, dangerous. The look on his face, the way he's sitting...if she didn't know better, she'd think he was restraining himself from hurting her.

"You're ignorance and inconsiderate actions have left me at a loss for words. As a woman of science, I would think that you would know better than to do something like this...but that is neither here nor there. The fact that it was so easy for you to access my research without my consent is concerning and needs to be corrected."

He pauses, the kettle whistling loudly, and gets out of his seat to take the kettle off the stove. He pours them bot a cup of tea and sets the cups down onto the table before sitting down once more to continue speaking.

"You are going to help me get my research back. Now, before you start objecting to this, I will make sure that you will not get sent to Black Gate or Arkham if we get caught. I can't have my Alice being locked up after all...but you are fixing this."

Anna's mouth hangs open for a moment, her eyes locked onto his face as she tries to see if he's just joking. He's not. He's serious. He wants her to help him commit a crime. Has he lost his mind...again?

"But I can't do that! Tha-"

"Oh? Why not? You had no problem stealing my research before? What's the difference now?"

Her mouth snaps shut and she stares down at her tea. He has a point. Sighing, she pulls on her hair again before looking up at him. As long as he can make sure no one will arrest her, what harm is there in doing this?

"Alright...but this has to be the LAST time you do anything as the Mad Hatter. Can you promise me that?"

Jervis breaks out into a broad grin, his whole face lighting up with his sudden change in mood. His hand swiftly move away from his cup to clasp hers.

"O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! This will be the very last time, I promise my dear Alice! Just you wait and see."

Somehow, this doesn't make her feel any better. Still, at least he's said it. That has to be a step in the right direction...right?