A/N: Hi everyone! Well, it's been a while since my last update, and it's sorry I am for that, but all's well that ends well. I like writing in these shorter chapters, so I'm thinking I'm going to stick to it for this story. The longer chapters make me frustrated with trying to find things to fill the space. Hope you like this chapter. Again, please Read and Review; any and all comments are welcome.

xoxo

KK

Chapter 3

The Mad Hatter stood, stretching out the sore muscles that were stiff with sitting. He could hear the March Hare and Dormy outside at the tea party. This was the first time in his recollection that he had missed a tea party and wasn't regretting it.

The girl lay in the center of his bed, pale skin gleaming against the black satin sheets. The glorious mass of hair fanned out behind her, the color of dark chocolate. He knew her eyes were a shade of gray, almost quicksilver, with a light sunburst of gold around the pupil.

Cheshire had been right, he mused. He could no more ignore her beauty than he could the fact that the queen painted her garden roses red. The thick laquer made the roses droop pitifully.

Mad shook his head, clearing it from the tangent it had begun to follow. Controlling his thoughts had become a lot easier since the time Alice fell through the White Rabbit's hole. She'd never come back, but the whole of Wonderland had begun to change with her arrival.

Once a story had been told, of the land changing with the wishes of those who occupy it, but only to the extent of making it a better place to be, never changing the essence of what was. But Mad rarely thought of the legend, and when he did, soon was distracted by other, more interesting topics.

Like tea.

He raised the cup to his sensually full lips, sipping delicately, to savor the strong flavor. The girl in his bed stirred slightly, jerkily. As if she were having a nightmare.

She bolted upright into a sitting position and looked about her wildly, as if the Terrors of the woods were surrounding her. Mad watched her quietly, still sipping his tea, violet eyes missing nothing. No matter the creatures and people he knew in Wonderland, none were young human females. None struck such a longing within him; a longing he was even now trying to suppress.

And he'd only known her less than a day.

Anna looked around her as her heartbeat slowed and logic returned. She wasn't in the cabin, and she wasn't six years old anymore. The monsters couldn't get her here. Wherever 'here' was.

The room was completely black and white. She lay on sheets of black satin, a black satin quilt on top of that. The bedframe was white as snow, with the four posters reaching almost to the ceiling. Checkerboard tiles covered the floors, meeting with white walls that portrayed black climbing vines. A black armoire stood in one corner, white carvings in the wood; a matching dresser and chest against another wall.

Anna's eyes widened when she spied the gigantic mirror on the ceiling above the bed. "That's a little kinky, don't you think?" She muttered under her breath, only realizing that she wasn't alone by the soft chuckle off to her right.

There he sat, lounging negligently in an overstuffed black leather armchair by a black marble fireplace; his violet eyes capturing and hypnotizing her. She sat, unable to move, caught in his spell.

Anna noticed that his ears were pierced with what looked to be iron hoops, a smaller, similar hoop piercing his lower lip. A sexy, pouting lower lip, was the involuntary thought that ran through her mind.

"Where am I now?" She asked, sitting up. As she did so, she realized that she was clad only in her bra and underwear. "Where the hell are my clothes?!"

"Being washed. They were quite the worse for wear after your fall, dear."

His voice was smoky, a little gravelly, and matched the sexy package perfectly. Anna covered herself with the satin sheets. Good thing she was immune to gorgeous men. Or so she told herself.

She watched as he rose and strode over to the bed, sitting down on it beside her. "Um, Mr. Hatter, I think..."

"Mad, please. Under the circumstances, I think it's quite all right to address me casually."

Anna looked in his eyes again. Big mistake. She saw devilry, mischief, kindness, and yes, a bit of madness. "Okay, Mad. I think I need clothes to wear while mine are being cleaned. Might you have anything?"

He smiled, and Anna caught a glimpse of what might otherwise be called fangs. Huh, figures, she thought. The Mad Hatter rose and walked over to the armoire, pulling out a dress.

"You never answered my question. Where am I now?"

"My bedroom. It wouldn't do to leave you lying on the sofa downstairs, now would it?"

He turned his back while she put the dress on, returning to his previous stance only when he heard her indignant squeak.

"You call this clothing? You have a screw loose, cowboy."

"So I've heard. But it's not that bad."

Anna's face was blushing uncontrollably, eyes wide in disbelief. "I look like the gothic, harlot version of Little Bo Peep."

Mad bit his lower lip to keep from smiling in mischief. "But it's a cute Bo Peep you make, whatever that be." Then giving in to impulse, as he was wont to do, he stepped closer to close the distance between them. "You may come outside for tea if you wish. Or you can stay here and sulk that the gown is not to your liking." He bent down and brushed his lips against hers lightly, and before she could recover from her shock, he was gone.

"Well," was the only response her frazzled brain could muster.