Lovely response, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

-XXX-

Alice found a patched old armchair to curl up in for a good cry. She settled in, eventually falling asleep – only to be woken by a sudden jostle. She shrieked to find the Hatter looming above her. He recoiled quickly, stumbling backwards, limbs flying.

"I'm terribly sorry," Alice apologized, guilt falling upon her swiftly.

"Tis no matter," he wheezed from the floor. "It was I who startled you."

Alice rose, helping him up. His scarred hands were rough against her skin. He came up dusty.

"My, you have not cleaned in sometime, have you?"

Alice could quite believe she was making small talk with such an odd, emotionally-unstable fellow. Her mother would be appalled. The thought pleases her only a little. She begins brushing the dust bunnies from his velvet jacket.

"Certainly haven't swept," she went on. "What has kept you so distracted?"

He shuddered. Alice withdrew her hands.

"I've been quite busy," he explained. "Preparing. Waiting."

"For what?"

"Not a what, a who." He nervously leaned in. "For a you."

Uncertain as to how to respond, Alice looked down, cheeks coloring. She clasped her hands together, looking at the floor. An awkward silence claimed the room before the Hatter suggested that dinner might be appreciated at this time.

"It is quite late," he said, gesturing to the grimy windows. He's right – outside it was dark, a blue-ish black-ish looming just beyond the glass. "You must be hungry."

She was. Alice hadn't eaten since…well, she couldn't remember. At the mention of food, her stomach clenched.

He led her to the kitchen, where a pot of stew bubbled lazily over the hearth. Alice sat at the scrubbed wooden table in the center of the room, watching the Hatter bustle about. He set a bowl before her. Alice watched the steam rise and curl in the air, stirring her spoon around thoughtlessly. She ate two bowls silently over the course of thirty minutes. When she finished, the Hatter offered her tea, which she drank slowly. Once done with that, he brought up the topic of sleep.

"I've got a spare bed," he said. "Up the stairs and to the right. Do mind the trick step, the third-to-the-bottom."

"I shall." She started for the door.

"Tomorrow I shall take you to the White Queen," he called lowly, still seated. Eyes focused on his teacup, his lisp was pronounced. His eyes were yellow-rimmed. Without glancing at her, he went on. "She might be able to help you return to the Otherland, not-entirely-Alice."

Unsure of what to say, the young woman paused. "T-thank you, Hatter," she finally said quietly.

After this he said no more, pale face drawn. The dim light of the kitchen gave the features of the Hatter a rather sharp look. Alice thought she might cut her palm upon his cheek were she to touch it. "But why ever would I do such a thing? He's a complete stranger."

Murmuring a soft goodnight, she retreated to the stairs. On her way up, she could have sworn she heard the faint tinkle of breaking china.

-XXX-

The best-laid plans often go awry. Hatter's decently planned plan started going south almost as soon as the day began. He greeted the dawn with toast and tea, still as stiff as he had been the previous evening. Alice, not yet being awake, missed his early morn musings.

"What to do, what to do?" he murmured again and again. No answer seemed willing to appear.

Taking her to Mirana seemed like the best course of action. Then again, should he do that, there was a good chance that Alice might leave – not something he particularly wanted, despite the currant distance between them. He would much rather have a shy, overly-cautious Alice over no Alice at all. At least a shy Alice could perhaps be charmed from her wariness. A non-existent Alice? Well, that was another matter completely.

Besides, the Hatter reasoned. He had waited over a hundred years. She may not be the quite-right Alice, but she was an Alice nonetheless.

"Yoo're actin' radge," he scolded himself. "Terrible idea. Tak' 'er tae th' White Queen –"

He was cut off by a small voice.

"Hatter?"

Alice stood by the stairs, half-hidden by the doorway, peering into the kitchen anxiously. He straightened immediately. "Not-Right-Alice!"

She was swiftly given all manner of breakfast foods. When she'd nibbled her fill, the girl stood. "When are we going? You are still taking me to see the…Snow Queen was it? Yes?"

"Mirana, the White Queen," he corrected gently. "And yes. I…I believe we shall go. Soon, in fact, if you are up to it. Toast?"

She accepts. Breakfast was a quiet affair. Neither seemed quite willing to look at the other. In silence, they sipped tea, munched on toast, and blinked back bright morning light.

Before they set off, the Hatter faced the dilemma of not-proper-Alice's attire. She wasn't exactly dressed for a meeting with a monarch. Hiking boots, muddied trousers and a tight "t-shirt" as she called it, were hardly appropriate. Thankfully, the Hatter had been occupied with awaiting the right and proper Alice and had an entire wardrobe of Alice-size clothes at his disposal. He loathed to hand out a single article, but conceded that his Alice wouldn't mind being charitable in the least.

However, it wasn't that simple.

"I'm quite fine, thank you," she insisted when he attempted to offer her a stunning green frock.

"But do you not want…." He was left with a gesture.

She hugged her coat closer to her chest. "No. I'm fine," she said in a small voice. Letting go of her clothes meant accepting this as a reality. Relinquishing what she knew to be proper and true and real. She wasn't about to accept the realization yet.

So they set off – the Hatter forlorn in his bright silks, and the slightly grubby not-Alice not doing much better. The awkwardness resumed easily. Neither were quiet sure of what to do with one another, so they walked quietly, each caught up in their own thoughts. Alice noted that the Hatter is prone to twitching. His fingers moved loosely at his sides, occasionally going ramrod-straight, then wiggling for several seconds. Part of her wanted to reach out and squeeze those fingers. But she resisted.

They passed talking flowers and mushrooms the size of minibuses. She kept a keen eye out, feeling nervous in the gloom of the woods. When a twig snaps in the distance and she starts, stumbling and nearly falling into the nearby ditch, Hatter's eyes flashed orange and one hand goes to her forearm.

"Sorry," she gasped when she is tugged close to him.

Both of them eyed the suspect – a squirrel that landed hard on a pile of leaves. Hatter visibly glared. With her back against his chest, Alice breathed deeply.

"Sorry," she repeated. "I'm a bit anxious, clearly. Silly me."

He gazed down at her, brim of his hat shadowing his eyes. "Nae silly," he insisted, voice rough. "But ken ye can rely oan me. I'll keep ye safe, lassie."

She didn't know what to say. Color flooded her cheeks as she desperately attempted to find word. No man had ever said such a thing to her before. There had been the usual sort of declarations of love or lust from her schoolmates, said over cups of coffee or after indie concerts. But vows of protection?

"Thank you. Tarrant ." she whispered upwards once the words came to her. "I have no doubt of it -"

"Hatter!"

They were thrust apart suddenly by the appearance of a knight upon a tall, gleaming white stallion, followed by a riderless chestnut mare. Hatter kept a hand on her arm, squeezing tightly on the knight's approach. He was stiff as he returned the greeting.

"Galeth," he lisped. "What a wonderful coincidence."

"Indeed. You were on your way to see Mirana, were you not? She spied you this morning. I was dispatched to guide you." The knight's clear blue eyes swept to her. "No doubt the lady is weary."

"The lady is not weary," Alice found herself saying. She didn't particularly care for this man. His ego reeked, surrounding all in their narrow stretch of path.

Both Hatter and Galeth gazed at her in surprise. Alice herself was rather shocked. She felt her cheeks pink, but she did not take back her words.

"Well," the knight continued. "I shall happily guide you nonetheless. Mirana sent Sary here for you, should you need her."

Hatter turned to her. "We have walked for sometime. It would be rude to refuse that which was so kindly offered to us."

She could tell he was insisting only for her sake. Part of her wanted to walk just to spite them both. But she was tired – Hatter's guest bed had not been particularly comfortable, and with her nerves she barely slept. So, Alice accepted, allowing Hatter to help her onto the horse after he'd swung up himself. She wrapped her arms around his slim waist, careful not to hold any tighter than strictly necessary.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

Against his back, Alice nodded, biting her lip.

"No need to be afraid. Mirana is a good queen. Don't let Galeth resemble otherwise. She'll help you, I know it, Alice."

"Am I Alice now?" she asked after several minutes of riding. "Not the wrong Alice?"

Hatter was quiet. "Yes. Though," he added. "I think you're not entirely sure of that yourself, now."

Indigent, she straightened. "I am quiet Alice! I've been Alice my whole life, I think."

The Hatter smiled. Despite her position, she could see his upturned lips. Huffing, she sat back – as much as one could sit back while riding a horse - and fumed for the duration of the ride.

Mirana's sparkling white castle soon loomed on the horizon, glittering in the dying afternoon light. Alice's stomach did flips as she took in the splendor. Sure, she'd thought that the queen would be all queenly, but this was something out of a fairy tale picture book. Then again, what hadn't been so very picturesque in this place?

Galeth lead them the door of the entry hall. A tall pallid beauty dressed entirely in ivory stands on the topmost step, hands folded at her waist. When their horses stopped Hatter helped Alice dismount a gracefully as was possible, then quickly bowed, with Alice following suit with her own hybrid of bow and curtsey ( it was difficult to choose which when one was wearing jeans). The queen then descended upon them.

"Alice," she enthused softly as she took the girl's hand in her own. "What a delightful surprise! You're late, but better late than never as I always say. But my, you are trembling. How tired you must be!"

Turning to her companion, she smiled upon him. "And dear Hatter. How kind of you to bring her to us."

His eyes turned yellow-orange, going strangely hollow. "Aye," he said thickly. "Ah cooldnae jist lae 'er. Efter waitin' sae lang..."

Mirana patted his cheek fondly, a sad smile frosting her features. "Yes, yes, my dear." Her composure quickly altered however as she swept around to place an arm around alice. "Come, we must get you into a bed, you must be so weary."

With that Alice was lead way, leaving her to gaze back at a forlorn Hatter with great confusion. He, in return, did not return the look.

-XXX-

After an unrequested bath, Alice was dressed in a loose long tunic and given soft woolen leggings. It was truly not so different from what sometimes wore on weekends. The soft yellow, blue, and silver threads of the cheered her inexplicably. Once the maid was finished cleaning her up, Mirana reappeared. Her charming manner made Alice nervous, though she did her best to behave calmly, smile and speak with grace. She was, after all, in the presence of a queen.

"They've all told me you can help me," Alice began slowly. "That you can find a way to get me home. I've got to go back, you see. My family would be terribly disappointed -"

"Of course we shall discuss it, my dear. But first, dinner," she suggested brightly, tucking Alice's arm into her own. "We've much to discuss, besides, my dear Alice. Firstly, it has been too long. We have missed you! However have you managed to keep Hatter from locking your up in his cottage? I would think he would not wish to share you with anyone."

Alice's brow furrowed. "I'm not one to be locked up by anyone. I needed to get home. Besides, he has assured me that I not the 'right and proper' Alice."

At this, the queen squints. For a long moment she looks at Alice. "I suppose," she finally allows slowly. "that perhaps you are not the Alice he thought he's been waiting for. But you are, I think, an Alice, an Alice in all rightness."

Somehow, she felt rather flattered by that. "Thank you," she replied aimlessly. "But that does not explain why the Hatter would want to lock me up in the first place."

"An expression, my dear," Mirana laughed. "He would simply want to keep you to himself for a time."

Perplexed, Alice shook her head. "Why ever so?"

The queen did not reply; they had just entered the dining room, leaving the conversation to falter. With a smile, she indicated that Alice should sit to her right. Hatter was beside her. He did little more than nod upon her entrance. Alice did not like him to act so cold to her, but she supposed he had his reasons. Taking her cue she didn't speak to him until he struck up a conversation.

The dinner commenced. The table was filled with a great variety of persons – some she recognized such as Mallymkun and the two hares – but the most she did not know. Prim and pursed-lipped members of court gazed upon her with faint sneers, looking the young woman up and down.

"You're Alice?" one pink-haired lady said in a high-pitched voice that pinched Alice and Tarrant 's nerves. "The Alice? My, you don't look like much."

Opening her mouth in protest Alice felt a sudden pressure on her thigh. Hatter was squeezing lightly, a comforting weight that she appreciated. Replacing her hand in his grip, she returned the pressure.

"Don't listen to them," he lisped without looking at her, focusing on his soup. "Alice or no, you are quite a lot to look at."

"Thank you."

"They won't be listening now," he added after a moment. "They do not pay attention to anything beyond themselves for long."

She smiled. "I cannot say I am surprised. How do you bear it?"

"I am not here often. Only when Mirana requires me."

"What does she require of you?"

Tarrant 's brow furrowed. He did not know why she was bothering about this inquiry. She had made herself clear – Alice's primary focus was aimed at returning home, not making friends. And certainly not getting to better know anything, she held him in distain.

"Hat-making," he replied vaguely. "And little more."

"I would've thought something more. You seem quite dear to her. Indispensable."

He smirked. "Nae. I'm just a hatter. Occasionally I mess about with war-making – defending the kingdom and such."

"You're a warrior?"

His expression was not a happy one. "You could say as much."

She squeezed Hatter's hand. They were speaking more than either had in the last twenty-four hours, and to each other nonetheless.

"You don't like the title," she said quietly. Alice was glad that the rest of their party was seemingly not paying them the least bit of attention. They would likely not contribute much to the conversation.

"Nae."

"I don't blame you."

His eyes were trained on the queen, then flickered to the other occupants of the table. "You're one a few," he said softly. "Most here gave me some grief when I turned down the queen's offer to join the ranks of her most noble guard. Called me foolish. A loon. Which perhaps is not wrong." Hatter glanced down at her, winking.

"Why wouldn't you join?"

"Tis not my place. I have no heart for fighting, not even when the cause is good. For queen or country, and even that is not enough sometimes."

She pondered this. "That is quite fair, I should think. Not everyone should have to fight. Do you often have wars here in...in Underland?"

"We've not for some time." Here he paused. "Not since Alice slay the Jabberwocky."

Alice frowned. "She killed who?"

"Not a who, a what." Tarrant was amused. "A terrible beast. Know for score as the Red Queen's pet -"

"Not to interrupt this impromptu history lesson," a smooth voice purred. "But I do love a good story. Particularly those in which I figure in." Chess appeared on Alice's shoulder, tail flicking beneath the Hatter's nose. Hatter swatted him away with a glare.

"Whoever invited you? This is a rather formal occasion, not for riftraft such as yourself."

Chessur's grin grew, revealing all of his extremely white and pointy teeth. "The queen, of course."

At that, Hatter grew quiet while Chess amused Alice with more tales of history – in particular, her own. He spoke of her first trip to Underland, her adventures upon her return, and how she had saved all of them with prowess as a swordswoman. Hatter interjected occasionally to add a detail or two. His voice was filled with a hollow, low sort of longing, reminding her of how much both Mirana and Mally had implied he missed his Alice. Not-Quite-Alice listened keenly. This other Alice, the right one, sounded so...brave. She was envious of this long-dead girl and her nobility.

Mirana finally called dinner to an end. A maid met both Alice and Tarrant on the way out to lead them back to their rooms and help Alice to bed.

"Bed?" she asked, brow furrowing. "But I thought -"

"She will speak with you in the morning," the maid informed them pertly. "She has other matters to attend to this tonight."

Hatter watched as Alice's hands curled into tight fists. A frightful expression on her face, she looked ready to burst. He was quick to sooth. "You need rest, Alice. I am certain Mirana will see us first thing in the morning."

"After her meeting with the Minister of Custodial Affairs and her personal gardener," the maid added.

Alice's jaw locked. "Her janitor and a gardner have priority above me?!"

Tarrant 's hand went to her shoulder. "She will see you. Don't worry, Alice."

She calmed, but on their walk to the guest chambers he could see that she was still upset. Before departing for bed, he stopped her. The maid stood impatiently by the door, one foot tapping as they quietly exchanged words. He reassured her that Mirana would do all within her powers, and if she could not, then he would do whatever he might to secure her safety. Her hands found his for a long, tight squeeze as her eyes soften in their shining anxiousness. A few minutes later, and Alice was somewhat more at peace with tomorrow's arrangements.

"Thank you, Hatter," she said before slipping inside after her irritated maid. "Truly. For everything."

He didn't know what to say, so he merely stood in the middle of the corridor, smiling softly.

-XXX-

And that's chapter two!

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