Part 2.

It was the hare, the mouse, the two fat twins, the cat, the dog, and Princess Mirana. But it was the voice of the ginger hatter that irked him.

"Last time I saw you," Hatter started in a warning tone. "You were kissing up to the Red Queen-"

"Hatter!" Alice scolded sharply.

His face changed to a look between a smirk and a frown "The Red Queen, Princress Iracebeth, with her hideous jabberwocky that wrecked havoc on innocent lives whenever she saw fit for fun, with her abnormally large head shaped like a heart, I suppose to replace the one she clearly lacks-"

Alice shook his shoulder.

"I'm fine," he said quietly.

He cleared his throat and leveled his stare at Time. "I must applaud her though." He let out a sudden and a bit nasty laugh. "She succeeded the greatest feat. She controlled time! Remarkable woman! I knew I always liked her."

The blonde standing between them waited for Time's retort but he didn't say anything. She looked at him wondering what was wrong.

"Your words, Hatter, are very kind," Time said. His lips might have been in a tight line but who's watching? Hatter wanted to be mean and rude but he was still Alice's friend. And he'd rather please Alice than fight with the mad hatter.

"Honestly, Hatter," Alice scolded.

The ginger man waved his hand and shooed Time to the opposite end of the table. "I believe you know the Tweedles and these two." He pointed to the hare and the white mouse. "I'm sure they'd looove to catch up with you and how you stuck us as one minute to tea time," he finished, his voice sickly sweet.

"Brave enough to show yer face 'ere again, are ya?" Time watched the white mouse say threateningly, pointing her needle furiously at him. "Well I oughta give ya a piece of my mind-"

"Now, please, do not fight," Princess Mirana interrupted lightly. "It is rude to wish anything horrible on anyone. Let's be civil for both Alice and Hatter."

Time glanced at the Princess and gave a nod of his head. He was afraid if he spoke, the whole table would start throwing time jokes at him... again.

He shifted his gaze to the other end of the table where Alice and Hatter were engaged in a secretive conversation. Their heads were bowed and together and they were whispering like madmen as if they did not wish the others to hear what they had to say.

He focused on the plate of scones in the center of the table and was able to pick out words here and there from their conversation: Red Queen, oh Tarrant, I love being here, you're the best, I missed you, visit more often, I will.

Time grumbled.

"Something troubling you, dearest?" Princess Mirana asked a little knowingly. She had been watching him watch Alice and Hatter.

He sharply turned his head. The cogs in back of his human face stuttering nervously as if he was about to deny that he had been looking at something he shouldn't have. "N-no, Princess," he said with a tight shake of his head. "Nothing is troubling me."

She hummed unconvincingly. "Even if there was, it is not my place to inquire. The only advice I can give is that I wish she knows as well."

"That w'o knows w'at?" a certain needle-armed creature from the table asked... demanded.

"I don't know," a sultry voice said from behind Time's figure. Cheshire lied on the shoulders of the clockwork man. "Only time can tell."

He wanted to groan. But he held it in. And he held it in for the conversation/banter that followed.

"And w'at I say ta that is it's about time we've got some answers," she cackled.

"He's not gonna tell us nothin'," one of the Tweedles piped up. Followed by the other's, "Yeah, time's a friend to no'one."

Soon he wasn't listening for the cogs turning in his head filled his ears with their metallic ticking. Alice and Hatter sitting across the table, laughing, having a pleasant day.. he should have taken what she said about inviting him to tea as a joke!

He stood abruptly.

She clearly didn't mean it. She was much happier here instead of spending hours on end in a worthless castle that had no pretty scenery for her to gaze at. She was much happier here with this mad hatter who made her laugh so gleefully-

"Time?"

Her face was in his line of sight and he pushed past her, heading toward his crashed vehicle on a bed of wilted and crushed flowers.

"Where are you going?" she asked quickly. "I thought you were going to stay a bit longer." She fiddled with the hem of her clothes. "I thought maybe... maybe after the party, we could go back to the castle and I could spend time with you before I leave again-"

He sneered and turned to her. "Do not pretend that you enjoy spending some of your precious mortal time with me! I can see what it is you really want from Underland and it is ginger and glowering over there. I should have never let you keep returning to the castle. You will not be happy with me-"

"Time," she said simply.

"-but you are not the type to rub your love for him in my face! I have admitted things to you that I have kept to myself for centuries-"

"Time."

"-and to think I could finally have a purpose other than overseeing all of time in Underland- you, little yellow-haired brat have finally fooled me into believing that I had a chance!"

"Time!"

He stopped at her sharp voice but the glare didn't falter from his face.

Alice leveled his glare with a surprised and curious one. She had faced the jabberwocky and the Red Queen - Time in his jealous mood wasn't going to stir her so easily.

Then a smile grew on her lips.

He growled. "I do not think this is funny, kindergartener."

"I had no idea you were the jealous type," she answered simply. "It's... it's surprising. And I dare say I like it."

Time frowned like a petulant child. "I am not jealous."

She continued like she hadn't heard him. "Hatter has been my friend since I was a child, and that is all he'll ever be to me."

"I heard you tell him you loved being here." He couldn't believe he had said such a sentence.

"And I do. But... I wasn't lying when I said I cared for you, Time." She offered him her hand as a peace offering.

He stared at it. He looked at her. "You still want me to join you even though I have acted foolishly?"

She nodded and grasped his hand instead. She led him back to the table. "You're sitting with me. I want time on my side."

He knew he should grumble at her joke. He wanted himself to want to grumble and her joke. He felt it in him to gripe about it...

But he realized he found it endearing when she made such jokes.

And he wished she would never stop.

Even if his moods turned jealous when she was with the hatter.