"ALICE!" a young man cried, chasing after the girl with a hurried pace. "Give it back!" he shouted.

The young girl didn't even slow her run as she turned to see the boy chasing her, as she laughed at his struggle. "Hatter, you're going to have to be faster than that if you want it back!" she shouted behind her shoulder as she ran through the village, dodging every which way trying to avoid a collision with the townsfolk who littered the small village.

Alice made it around a corner of a small house near the outskirts of the town; she whipped behind the building and stood waiting her breathing coming in short hard breathes. She waited for Hatter to come flying by the house, but he never came, as Alice's breathing slowed she slowly poked her head out from around the corner of the house. As she looked past the corner, she saw no one coming, not even the boy who had been chasing her for the past half an hour.

Alice smiled as she came out from around the corner and laughed at her success, in which she now held in her hand. In her hand she held an old tan weaved porkpie hat, which belonged to her dearest friend. She stood there for a moment, examining the hat every which way as if trying to find something new.

But she was suddenly interrupted from her thoughts when a pair of hands wrapped around her waist and a whisper was pressed to her ear, "Shouldn't have stopped running". Alice jumped as she struggled against the hands; till she heard a familiar laugh come from behind her did she relax.

"Hatter, don't do that" Alice stated plainly as she was released from his hands. When she turned to see her friend who had a Cheshire grin spread across his face, "well I wouldn't have to if you didn't run off with my hat every chance you get" he said.

Alice stared at him for the longest time examining his face with detail; she had known Hatter since she could remember. He was her first and practically only friend, for many thought for her to be a bad omen since her birth, but yet everyone protected her from everything, which to Alice was nothing but utter annoyance. Hatter was the first person to accept her; they were always there for each other. She looked into his dark chocolate eyes that were always kindled with kindness, while his smile was soft as it was reflected through his twin dimples.

"Alice?" he stated waving a hand lazily in front of her eyes. Alice blinked a few times as she looked down to her hands still holding his hat as she tried to hide a blush creeping onto her face. "What do you want Hatter?" Alice asked bringing his hat behind her back and smiling as if nothing was amiss.

He gave her a grin, "You know what I want Alice" as he stepped forward towards her, attempting to reach behind her back. Alice moved away and walked backwards as Hatter continued to walk towards her. "Oh do I?" Alice said innocently.

He stopped moving towards her and frowned, "Alice please do we have to go through this every time?" Alice blinked a few times at him. "Can I have my hat back?" "You know how much it means to me?"

Alice looked at his face, the same puppy dog eyes, for some reason his hat meant everything to him, she could hardly remember a time when he was seen without it. Of course with the exception of herself stealing his hat every now and then, but even still the day they had first met she remembered that his hat had been perched upon his head and this is why she had given him his nickname "Hatter". For his real name was David, but after knowing him for so long with that same hat, she gave him his nickname, and only she called him so.

Alice gave a short sigh, and handed his hat back to him, he gave her a reassuring smile of gratitude. "Thank you" he said gratefully as he placed his hat atop of his unruly hair. Alice only smiled in return as she turned away from him, her red cloak billowing behind her, as she started to walk away. She heard a quick pace from behind her as she continued to walk on.

"Sorry if I made you mad or anything" Hatter put quickly, he never did like it when she was upset with him. Alice stopped abruptly as Hatter stumbled into her, "Hatter I'm not mad at you" she said giving him a small smile as she placed her hands on the green collar of his cloak.

"Okay then" he started, "So, what's your grand idea for today, since already before the sun has barely made it passed the mountain top, I have chased you around the village, so we have our morning exercise in, what's next?"

Alice laughed at his statement, "You ask me that every day, why you always assume that I have a grand idea planned for us?" she questioned raising an eyebrow. "Because I've known you for most of our lives, and every day you seem to get us into mischief" he smiled.

Alice nodded at his reasoning, every day since they met, she did always seem to get them into trouble, maybe today would be different. But it could never be different for ever since the day her brother died; she had always been trying to get into the forest, because for some reason Alice always believed he was still in there somewhere. And every time she tried, someone would always be there to stop her. Even Hatter wouldn't let her near the forest, but maybe today she could get him to let her closer.

"Well since you've been such a good friend Hatter, how about a nice picnic lunch at the top of the highest," "Just you and me" she whispered getting closer to his face her hands still placed on her shoulders. Hatter began to lean into her, "Really?" he asked quietly. Alice smiled "Of course" she stated simply as he began to get closer she quickly drew herself away, leaving Hatter to stumble to the ground.

Alice began to laugh as she helped Hatter up from the ground as he brushed his self off, "Mean" he muttered, "Okay we will meet at the hill at noon, agreed?" Alice asked. Hatter sighed "Okay see you there then" he said with his dimpled grin as he turned and left.

Little did Hatter know was that Alice had no intension of having a "nice" little lunch, oh no, she would get into the forest or at least get as close to it as she possibly could.

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