A/N: Missing Reel is up for Ch 34, titled 'Being Hers'

Hope you like this one. And as always, thank you to everyone who liked what I wrote enough to let me know :) It makes this humble fanfic author all warm and fuzzy…plus it inspires my muse!

Chapter 35

Alice was warm, unusually so. Hatter liked the temperature cool in the apartment, and usually Alice compensated by wedging herself in close to him to take advantage of his body heat while they slept. Her nightshirt was damp and sticking to her, a small irritation that grew steadily more irritating until it roused her from her sleep enough to notice the pressure on her bladder. She tried to ignore it, but she grew more and more uncomfortable until she had to go. Alice slipped off the edge of the bed, trying not to disturb Hatter. She almost ran to the bathroom, and as she sank down on the toilet seat still halfway asleep she was grateful that Hatter never left the seat up. He was definitely a keeper.

She got a glass of water and returned to the bedroom, pausing as she heard Hatter thrashing back and forth in the bed. He whimpered, and she was at his side in an instant; reaching out to smooth his hair and calm his dreams. She flinched as her hand made contact with his forehead. He was burning with fever, his skin wet with sweat. He was pushing the blankets off of him; he was even trying to escape out from underneath Alice's hand. Alice flicked on the lamp by the bed; Hatter didn't wake.

He was soaked through, his damp hair stuck to his face. He moaned in his sleep, a small lost sound that broke her heart. She ran to fetch a cool damp washcloth; it was the only thing she could think of. She sank down next to him on the bed, sponging off his flushed cheeks, his damp forehead and his neck and chest. His eyelids flickered, opened; his glassy stare focused in Alice's direction, but he didn't see her. He was still seeing the tortured memories that had been in his fever dreams.

"Alice?" he asked, his voice ragged.

His hand snaked out to grab hers, quicker than she could follow. He squeezed it, harder than he meant to. Alice let out a little yelp and dropped the cloth; he relaxed his grip as he started at the sound.

"I'm here," she answered.

"Hot," he rasped, dropping her hand to run a hand through his damp hair.

The washcloth was warm from contact with his skin. Alice patted his arm, "I'll be right back."

She grabbed the biggest bowl she could find from the kitchen, dumped in some ice and water, and returned to the bedroom. He was trying to sit up in the bed when she re-entered. Alice placed a pillow behind him and pushed him gently back. She began to sponge him down with the washcloth again, trying to force down her worry.

"Thirsty," he gasped.

Alice wished he didn't sound so breathless, so tired. Wordlessly she handed him her glass of water off of the nightstand. She watched his throat work as he swallowed convulsively, a few drops escaping to run down his chin and neck. His eyes looked clearer as he handed her back the empty glass, and passed a hand over his chin to catch the wayward drops.

"Are you with me?" she asked… surprised at how strong her voice came out when inside she was so scared.

"Yeah," he answered, nodding.

He took hold of her hand again and kissed her knuckles. His voice had smoothed out a little, and although the shine of fever was still in his eyes, she could see Hatter in there too.

"Did you take your antibiotic?" she asked.

He looked confused, but then nodded, "Yeah."

"Well I don't think it's working. You are going back to the doctor tomorrow. No work. Not until you are better," she asserted, worry turning her tone fiercer than she intended.

"Alice, we'll be homeless if I don't get back to work. Well, I will be anyway," he answered softly.

She would have smacked him, but as sick and injured as he was it would feel like she was kicking a puppy so she settled for a glare as she continued to move the cold cloth over his chest and shoulders.

"Where you go, I go. And I owe half of the rent and bills. I've got it covered," she stated.

"Alice, no. No. I can't live off of you…it's not right," he argued.

Alice took a deep breath, trying for patience. "Put your damn misplaced chivalry away and think about what you just said."

She could see the cogs turning as he looked at it from her perspective. He wasn't happy about it, she could tell, but his jaw lost the stubborn edge that meant he wouldn't back down. She had won. He gave one sharp nod. She got him to take some Tylenol to help bring down the fever, and kicked him out of the bed to change the sheets. He went to the kitchen for more water; he was still thirsty.

Alice went looking for him after he failed to return to the bedroom by the time she had the bed remade. She found him clutching the edge of the counter, head down and shivering.

"Hatter?" she asked.

"Fine. I'm fine. Just…cold," he answered through chattering teeth.

She got him back to bed, wrapped up in blankets. He stopped shivering finally, only to start sweating again. And then came the shivering along with the sweltering heat that radiated off his skin… and after that the coughing. He tried to hide it, but she raw red in the wadded up tissues he was using to cough into. Alice sat up with him all night. He slept fitfully, nightmares plaguing him that even Alice was unable to chase away. He called out her name often, revealing that she played a starring role in his bad dreams. Her heart about broke in two when he called out for his mother in a broken voice, tears escaping to run down his cheeks. She kissed his face and stroked his hair, trying to give what comfort she could.

When he started talking about how hard it was to breathe during one of his lucid moments, she almost called an ambulance. Hatter had vehemently protested, giving himself another coughing spasm that left him breathless and gritting his teeth against the pain.

She gave in just to get him to calm down again. She had decided she would call them anyway, but about that time he finally settled into a calmer sleep, near dawn. She watched him carefully for signs of worsening, fearful for him… but she didn't call. The doctor's office would open soon, and then it would be okay. It had to be. It hadn't occurred to her before that he maybe was a little different genetically from the people in her world. She hoped that antibiotics worked on him. She hoped.

The doctor said to bring in Hatter right away, as soon as she finally got through to speak to him. Hatter was still sleeping fitfully, and she let him sleep until she had already got herself dressed and ready. He got out of bed with little protest, and allowed Alice to help him dress, woodenly putting his arms through sleeves and buttoning buttons with clumsy hands. She swallowed hard at the sight of him, weak and shaky and pale, eyes still glassy with fever and pain. Despite how horrible he felt, he tried a smile for Alice. She flew into his arms, hugging him gently. He kissed the top of her hair and pulled away.

"It's okay. I'm fine. The doc will get me a new medicine and I'll be good as new," he reassured.

The doctor confirmed that Hatter had pneumonia…a 'mild' infection. Hatter's eyes had widened at that. If what he had was mild, he didn't want severe. The doctor ordered Hatter hooked up to an IV for fluids and an intravenous infusion of antibiotics. He prescribed a stronger antibiotic in a larger dose, and emphasized the importance of taking them as prescribed, eating, and resting. Hatter got angry at the looks the doctor was giving Alice to punctuate his instructions, as if she was to blame for his idiocy. Worse yet, Alice was looking guilty about it.

"See here…don't look at her like that. I'm the one who didn't listen. It's me own fault," he defended.

The doctor snorted and left, leaving the nurse to move Hatter and Alice back to another room so she could run an IV on him. Alice glared at Hatter after the nurse had finished and left the room.

"Don't get angry with him, he is doing us a big favor right now! Most doctors would have just shipped you off to the emergency room. This is a lot cheaper," she explained.

"Oh," he answered, "Well, I still don't like him glaring at you like that, love. Can't help it, can I?" he grinned.

She was so relieved that he was okay, would be okay… and he was smiling that dimpled crooked grin that lit up his eyes, all humor and acerbic wit and Hatter. Even laying there pale and weak with a giant needle in his arm and bags of fluid dripping into him, he was smiling at her. Her lip trembled, but then she broke into a wide smile of her own and kissed him full on the lips. He sighed into her mouth as he returned it. He hadn't meant to scare her.

She knew he felt better on the way home, although he didn't look a whole lot better, because he complained about the clothes she had chosen for him. She had just rolled her eyes and sighed, muttering something under her breath. Hatter caught a few curses along with the words "fashionista, ridiculous and men," the last word uttered with a particular sneering exasperated inflection, and decided he didn't really want to know what she had said.

She pushed him towards the bed, and promised she'd bring him food but he had to stay. Hatter laughed at her softly, raising his hands in the universal sign of 'I surrender.' He stripped out of his clothes and lay back in bed. He felt better, stronger already. With a tyrant like Alice in charge of his recovery, he didn't have any choice but to get better.

"Alice…what on earth are you trying to cook?" he called out, shocked at how much effort raising his voice took. He didn't think she had heard him.

She came walking back to the bedroom, "What?" she asked.

He thought the better of his previous statement, but he couldn't help teasing just a little. It would reassure her, and besides… it was fun.

"I asked what delicious meal you were making for me," he stated, the corner of his mouth twitching.

Alice rolled her eyes at him and held up a can of soup, "Happy? I promise…I know how to heat up soup. Although now I don't know if you deserve the grilled cheese I was making to go along with it," she countered.

Hatter gave her a skeptical eyebrow raise and Alice stormed back out of the bedroom, but he had heard her giggle. He smiled as he closed his eyes. There… she would worry less now. Mission accomplished. He dozed until Alice came into the bedroom with soup; she set it down by his bed and walked out. He blinked up at her and then propped himself up to eat. She came back with a cup of tea and a smile, and then left again. Bemused, he watched her come back in a third time with a small plate.

"I hate making all the trips. I can't wait till my shoulder heals," she said, watching him eat the canned soup.

He nodded in empathy. He understood completely.

"So you decided I was worth the grilled cheese, eh?" he joked.

She rolled her eyes and went to get her own bowl of soup. He had the sandwich in his hand, and was looking at it curiously when she returned. She sat in the chair near the bed and took a bite, watching him examine the sandwich curiously.

"Is it supposed to have all these black bits?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

Alice's face fell. She could make a grilled cheese… she could… but it was so awkward with her left hand. And she had been worried about Hatter, and she kept losing track of time as she was making it. She just wanted to get some food into him, and she couldn't even do that right.

"Aw, Alice love, I'm sorry. I was just teasing. It's lovely; I didn't mean to make you sad," he said, abashed. He set the food down and got out of bed to crouch in front of her carefully. He took the soup from her hands and set it on the floor. He kissed her softly, "I'm sorry. You are trying to look after me and here I am teasing you about it," Hatter said, berating himself.

Alice sniffed once and then threw her arms around his shoulders, "I know you were teasing. It's ok. That's not what's wrong," she explained, her voice wavering.

"What's the matter, then?" He asked gently.

"I was so worried about you. Last night was bad. It was scary, and I didn't know what to do. I'm just happy you are okay," she murmured into his neck.

"I'm sorry I made you worry. I'll be good, okay?" he promised.

Alice snorted indelicately, "Right. You are already out of bed, and you haven't eaten your food or taken your pills."

He pulled back to look her in the eyes, glad to see a small smile back on her face, "Okay. I'll try harder to be good? How about that?" he bargained.

She kissed him, melting into him.

"Okay. Enough of that. Back to bed. Eat," she ordered.

He thought she was adorable when she got that commanding tone that brooked no argument. He leaned in to kiss her again, tongue tangling with hers. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and bit gently.

"Bed," she ordered again, but her voice didn't come out commanding like she had intended.

It had sounded more like an invitation.

Hatter gave her his slow knowing smile, before obeying her directive and climbing back into bed. He ate the blackened grilled cheese sandwich, every crumb of it. He drank his soup, and sipped his tea, watching Alice all the while. He took the pills she had set on his plate into his hand with a disgusted look, but he ate them. He asked Alice to lie next to him as his eyes drooped and grew heavy. She looked so tired, he wanted her to sleep. She rested her head on him and he stroked her hair until she fell asleep, and then he joined her.

A/N: I sure hope you like this…. it was begging me to write it.