Something was wrong, terribly so in fact.

It was a feeling that had plagued him since the very moment he'd first awoken to the dawn, the remnants of a long forgotten dream of bloodied battles and muchless Alices now so very real and painful as the memories seep from his subconscious to waking mind like the sun upon the horizon to leave a deep oppressive unease in its wake which had refused to relent, even after his first cup of tea.

It'd only worsened further of course when he'd discovered Alice missing from her bed, the sheets cold and untouched and he suddenly finds the voices in his mind inescapable as they swell into a crescendo that has him railing and raging against every available surface of his beloved little home until he collapses exhausted amidst the detritus.

Mirana is there he knows, the rest of his kin not far away though held at bay at her command. Their fear and anguish palpable as it thrums through the clan lines and he cries out at the searing pain in his skull because even their combined presence doesn't seem sufficient in holding him back from the edge of his insanity.

"It's too soon." He laments, dual burnt amber iris finding the Queen's in the darkness that looms like the storm upon the horizon. The remnants of furniture and torn and broken tapestries littering the floor between them and he groans once more as his magic too begins to shift restlessly.

"Hold on, Tarrant," Mirana presses, her expression pained as she stands by the door watching on, not too close but not too distant that one of her spells won't bind him if she finds cause to do so, "Your salvation is at hand-"

"You don't understand," He cries out in frustration, tearing at his hair so he might resist the urge to lash out again. "I don't need salvation-"

"I should never have let you go so long without aid," She murmurs, stepping out into the light cast from the hearth, "If only Alice might have come sooner perhaps-"

"Or indeed if she had not come at all!" He snaps, shaking off the heartache her absence brings along with regret for his own actions that have led them to now, "Never left-"

"You and Alice were always destined to be far more than friends, Tarrant," She presses, "The Oraculum is never wrong-"

"Then we are both fools for allowing fate to interfere-"

"Unless it suits your purpose, you mean?" She scoffs, "Or have you so easily forgotten it was not by the fates, but your own design Alice ever became Champion to begin with?"

"You'd have preferred me to leave Underland as it was then, would you?" He seethes in place of any other response that would only serve to incriminate him further, "You a prisoner in your own palace and our world and its people fading into oblivion?"

"No, of course not," Mirana objects, recoiling at the implication, "I merely fail to see what purpose denying what you feel for the girl serves-"

"I would never dare deny Alice anything she asked of me, let alone how I feel for her," He retorts sharply, his vision falling to the floor in an effort to avoid her gaze as he lifts his knees against his chest, "Which is truly the crux of the matter at hand, is it not?"

"Tarrant…"

"I should have known she'd never be able to simply leave things be as I'd intended," He murmurs, head hung low as his elbows rest wearily against his knees, "Such lengths that I might have kept you both safe now for naught."

"Oh my dear friend," Her eyes widen suddenly in alarm at his remark, "What have you done?"

"Underland already suffered needlessly once because my foolishness," He mutters, "I couldn't very well allow it to happen again if it were in my power to stop it."

He snorts, "It would have worked too had it not been for that insufferable bloody insect and those blasted immortals-"

"You shut down the portals," Mirana breathes in realisation, "Severed your connection to Alice and in turn her only way back. But why? You are bound to her, why would you do such a thing so very detrimental to your own existence and risk-"

"Because I had matters well in hand and she deserved a chance at a life of her own making," He scoffs weakly, rubbing at the now constant throbbing about his temples, "In her own world with whomever she should wish to share it, not forced to tend to the whims of a mad-"

"She loves you, you ridiculous man," She chuckles somewhat in disbelief, "So much so in fact she'd risk the journey to the very ends of this world just to see you returned to yourself."

"I know!" His gaze hardens as it lifts from the floor, "And now we're all in danger."

"What?" She stills at that and he resists the urge to roll his eyes.

"Alice bid dream release my memories," He began, "All our time together restored, what we did, what I felt. It is knowledge and power no other should be privy to save my own spouse."

"You speak as if your mind isn't your own."

"Most certainly, it is not," He agreed, "But that was the point. What I didn't know couldn't hurt me, wouldn't when the time came. Now, well, now there's no chance of Keres continuing on with such an elaborate ruse, not with my memories restored and Alice returned."

"Then this wedding, all of it, is a sham?" She murmured, brow furrowing once again in confusion.

"Of course it is," He scoffs rather obviously, "I am bound to Alice, there is no other in this world or the next for me save her."

"Then why not tell us this before?" She objects, "Save us the heart ache of-"

"When Alice left I became unhinged, my mind lost without its tether to offer some semblance of balance," He growled in remembrance, "Keres used that to her advantage, used me so that she might gain proxy to the crown through me."

"You are my champion, just as Alice is Underland's." Mirana breathes, dropping into a nearby chair as her knees grow weak at such a revelation.

"I could not allow such a thing to come to pass." He swallows, "Another binding would not have worked, or rather, as I'd intended, for it to backfire to the detriment of us both."

"Oh Tarrant, no…" She gapes, "Your poor family after they'd only just gotten you back, your friends, Alice-"

"Would all be alive and safe," He objects, "As was my intention-"

"It would have destroyed Alice, more so than you shutting her out of your mind," She barks, and he startles somewhat at the outburst, "You're lucky Absolem found her when he did or there would have been nothing left of her to bring home."

He cringes, for he's seen the results of her tethering to this world for himself even if he'd been oblivious to it at the time, "I know."

"It was reckless, and stupid and once again, Tarrant Hightopp," Mirana sighs, her ire deflating as she gazes down at him, "I find myself once again indebted to your selflessness."

"You owe me nothing," He stops her with a hiss, "The Red Queen was as much my fault as she was yours."

"Then why not come to me in the beginning?" She retorts with a gesture towards himself and the room at large, "Perhaps then we might have devised a plan that could have avoided such- such-"

"I could not risk having Alice return."

"Why in Underland not?"

"Because there's only one means by which someone might assume proxy over a Champion." He whispers hoarsely, Mirana's face appearing suddenly stricken.

"Trial by combat."

"Aye," He nods, "Alice would not survive at my hand."

His vision shifts at the sudden sound of shuffling feet and his Mother who appears through the open archway with a furrowed brow and tears staining her pale cheeks.

"It's alright, Ma," He whispers with a pained smile as Tyva makes a move towards him only to be halted in her tracks by the barrier of the Queen's magic, "It is for your own safety you should not venture any closer."

She nods, clearly incensed yet understanding.

"I've sent your father and the others home," She offers, kneeling as close as the barrier will allow, "I've a bad feeling and thought it best."

"A wise choice indeed," He agrees, eyes shifting to Mirana in warning he'd divulged all he cared to for now, "And what of my bride to be?"

He notices his mother's glance towards the Queen as if seeking her approval and sighs in dismay.

"Circumstances are far more dire now than we realised dear Tyva." Mirana offers with a nod of encouragement, "The time for secrets has passed."

"Missing," Tyva informs them, her voice wavering as her eyes set firmly upon her son and his less than reassuring position crouched against the wall, "Chessur and Mallymkun lost her trail somewhere in the early hours of this morning."

"Safe to assume then she is aware of Alice return to Underland," Hatter ventures, "Perhaps it best for your majesty to return to Marmoreal should Keres chose a more direct course of action in retaliation?"

"And just leave you here like this?" Mirana objects, rising to her feet, "Out of the question."

"Alice will come for me," He sighs, gritting his teeth as another wave of pain shoots through his head and steals the breath from his body, "She is close, I can feel it-"

"Not nearly close enough," Tyva interjects, "Tare, please. You're vulnerable as you are. We should all retreat to the safety of Marmoreal-"

"There is no magic that might help me now save Alice herself," Hatter shakes his head, his mind suddenly weightless as though he's flying and he giggles at the sudden shuddering of window glass and the great expanse of shadow that passes across his face.

"What in Underland-"

"She's here." He realises his glee borders upon manic but the closer she comes the harder he finds himself able to keep complete control, "Alice is here!"

"About time too." Mirana huffs as the front door slams open. The echo of rushed footsteps heralding Alice's appearance in the doorway wide eyed and out of breath as she gapes at the mess he's made of things and he cringes once again at his own lack of self-control.

"Oh Hatter, what have you done?"

Shame instantly colours his cheeks as she moves towards him. Mirana's magic proving no more than a slight irritation when compared to the coiling cataclysm that lay between them and he can't help but marvel as she practically glows with their shared potential like a magnificent shining beacon made just for him.

Despite this of course though he most certainly feels the need to sulk, "You're late."

"You know just as well as I, Hatter, that I'd not be me if I wasn't just a little pressed for time."

"I've waited far too long for ye already Lass." He sneers because he cannot help himself, but her voice is soft in reply and he relishes the calm it brings his mind as she crouches before him. The feel of her skin against his own driving away the ache in his heart as she cups his cheeks.

"I know, dearest man, I know. I'm so sorry I made you wait for so long."

His eyes open at the soft utterance, the hand sat limply across his knee still bleeding at the knuckles from his earlier assault on the furniture lifting to cup her cheek in return.

"Please, no more," He bids and he knows she's of the same mind as she draws a blade from her boot and settles on the floor at his feet.

"Forgive my neglect, love, I'd not meant it," She whispers, and he knows it to be true, "Only know that I would have come for you long ago had I only known the way."

"You've no need of my forgiveness, Alice," He shakes his head, lip curling as her blade bites into his skin and she turns it upon her own puckered scar, "We are both here, that is all that matters now."

"Better late than never?" She smiles as he draws her nearer still. Her breath ghosting his lips as their foreheads meet and their palms slide together with a hiss that matches his own as the binding takes hold.

"Alice?"

"Hatter?"

"I-"

He'd once wondered what it might feel like to kiss Alice Kingsleigh. To feel the warmth of her soft curves pressed tightly against his body as she slides into his lap. Her pale lips parted and oh so greedy as she drags her fingernails quite deliciously across the nape of his neck and he suddenly can't fathom why he hadn't just kissed her all those years ago in Salazen Grum when the urge had first struck him.

You should have.

Her mind supplies an affirmative in place of her now swollen lips still ever so busy against his own. Her thoughts delightfully dark and full of a promise he has absolutely no qualms in allowing her to fulfil.

Yer in ma head Lass.

Aye.

He growls, fingers tightening in her hair as her weight bares down upon his lap. Both of her hands busily thread through whatever remains of his hair as his free hand finds the bare skin of her back beneath her coat and she shivers at his touch.

"Hatter." She gasps, tearing her lips away as he pouts.

"No, don't stop." He lisps huskily in objection.

"If I should somehow develop the ability to breathe through my ears I shouldn't ever want to," She chuckles, "But I can't and as much I want you-"

He sweeps her up in another kiss at her admission, her torso pressed tightly against him and her hips making lewd little circles upon his lap and he's caught between just having her here and now and the very real possibility their peace and quiet will soon be shattered by Mirana or worse, his mother…

"Alright, that's enough," Alice groans, tearing her lips away, her weight disappearing before he's even opened his eyes to find her hand held out in waiting to pull him from the floor, "Come on then, best not keep them waiting."

"Surely if anyone should not be kept waiting a moment longer it should be me." He glares, taking her hand and pulling her back against him once he's on his feet. His back hitting the wall as he bares the weight of her returning assault on his mouth and he finds himself both delighted and vexed by her propensity towards men's trousers as his palm skims her thigh wrapped about his hip and rounds the soft flesh of her backside.

"You can talk," She mutters, biting into his bottom lip as he gazes down at her with half-lidded eyes, "So many layers Hatter, I've hardly a chance at reaching skin at all."

"Ye'll find more an' skin soon enough lass." He growls, shifting them so she's the one pressed in place against the wall and gasping as he returns the slight to her lip. Abused digits trailing up her sides ever so close to skimming those delightful little mounds she keeps bandaged to her chest when a not so subtle prompt along the clan line stills his wandering hands and curls his lips into a sneer as he pulls away.

"Blasted meddlesome woman," He mutters, righting his vest and buttoning his coat as Alice bites her lip somewhat in amusement. Her dark eyes trailing hungrily from his crotch to the rather put out expression on his face and he narrows his gaze in warning, "Alice."

"I'm sure I've no idea what you're-"

"I can see your thoughts," He murmurs, one hand suddenly pressed to the wall above her head as he leans in close enough to feel the quickening of her breath against his skin, "You're quite distracting, luv."

"You've always driven me to distraction, Hatter." She teases, fingers smoothing up his torso as a most explicit recollection of her time at sea suddenly washes over him, his hand sliding of its own accord to grasp the back of her neck as he shudders.

"Stop that."

She giggles somewhat absurdly at his chastisement, another urgent prompting from his mother however redirecting their attention and bringing an abrupt end to any further shenanigans.

"Something's wrong."

He shifts at speed then, Alice trailing hot on his heels through the house and out the door to where Tyva and Mirana stand watching on at the spectacle that is Marmoreal with wide fearful eyes at the dark miasma as it pours from the heavens above.

"What in Underland-"

"She's coming!" McTwisp cries as he shoots across the clearing towards them, Thackery keeping pace until they've clambered across the balcony to take cover behind the Queen's skirts. A woman suddenly emerging from the shroud of ominous black smoke that pursues them with a sinister smirk.

"Well hello there, darling."

Hatter stills in horror, shuddering at the malice behind her remark that suddenly grips him and Alice both like a physical force.

"Such a glorious day for a wedding, don't you think?"