Hi! Here's the next chapter of my little story. I have a small twist to this chapter about March. There is only, like, one more chapter left. Two at the most. Enjoy!!

Alice awoke, noticing Hatter's arm was still around her. She turned her body to face him. He looked so peaceful laying beside her, and that made her smile. He'd slept with his hat on, she saw. It was then she realized something very important.

"Now or never," she told herself. "He can take this however he wants."

She nudged him a little on the shoulder. He stirred in response to this, and his green eyes were a darker shade than last night. He saw Alice, but only for a brief moment. Alice closed the distance between them, placing her lips onto his softly. Tarrant's eyes closed again, and he tightened his embrace on Alice. He pulled her closer to him and Alice was overwhelmed by his touch. She felt blissful as he carefully touched her neck. The way his hands moved across her body after that was pure magic to her. She loved him and being a hatter, he had a way of expressing himself through his hands. She released, but only for air. Tarrant looked at her, full of shock and disbelief. She kissed him again, making him close his eyes and she slipped out of the bed when he let her waist go. She left without saying a word, leaving Tarrant to wonder if he'd been dreaming.

She found March downstairs, fully awake and sitting at the table.

"March," she greeted, sitting across from him.

"Alice," he said happily. He wasn't mad like he usually was when she was around. He held out a cup of tea to her. "Care for a cup?"

"No thank you," she said, seeing March didn't have a cup for himself either. March himself noticed Alice wasn't herself, and muchness.

"Would ye ming tellin' me what's wrong," March asked in his scottish accent.

"Um," Alice was caught off guard from the way he was acting this morning. He'd never been this...normal. "Sure, I guess."

"I know," March said suddenly. "You're thinking. Hey, I know I seem like a mad, tea-swallowing fool, but there are times when we don't have tea. I'm perfectly sane then. I apologize for giving you that awful impression."

"It's alright," Alice said. "It's just strange. My problem has to do with Hatter."

"Uh, the man loves ye more than anythin'," March said without warning. Alice gasped at his statement. "Heh, sorry, that jus' had to be said."

"He...does?" she asked slowly.

"Oh yes," March said at once. "I would know. When you left the first time, he was sayin' how he regretted not telling you. All he talked about for the next who knows 'ow many days. Even tea couldn't stop him." Alice's eyes went wide as March told that story. She never knew the Hare could be so attentive to detail. "Oh, and the way he looks at you and oooohh, it's so obvious!"

"March," she said, and he stopped talking to give her the chance to speak. "Do you know anything about that crystal tea set?" She was curious.

"I do," March answered. "Hatter's dearest treasure. I never touch it. Even when I go mad, I dare not. I'm not sure 'bout this, but I think the set used to belong to the Hightopp mayor. I think they were close. Hatter only used it one other time and that was when the White Queen came out here for tea. I noticed he shared it with you, an' that teapot you saw outside yesterday, Hatter had just mad that batch himself. I couldn't drink it, I was so full and Hatter only took one cup of it 'fore we went inside. " Alice stared at March the entire time. She was learning more about Tarrant...and from March! Him, out of every inhabitant in Underland!

"I know stuff, and I know Hatter. He will do anything for you. Trust me."

"March," said Alice, now being able to speak. "I believe you, but why didn't Hatter tell me any of this himself?"

"Probably too embarrassed, nervous and all that stuff," he told her. "You were going to be married to a complete boulderdash," March remarked. Alice laughed out loud, and March joined her. "You know it's true."

"Yes, but I declined him," she informed him after calming down. March got up, walked over to her, and shook her hand.

"Congrats, Miss Alice," he said in a joking voice, making it sound official. He cocked his best British accent, sounding formal. "You have just de-cluttered and uncomplicated your only life." She smiled and started laughing again after he let go of her hand. He smiled, happy he amused her.

"Thanks March," she said. "You have no idea how much you've helped me out."

"I have a pretty good idea," he said as she walked outside to the tea table, beginning to clean it up. That table could use a good cleaning, he thought.

************

Hatter had a quick conversation with March when Alice was outside. He not once mentioned Alice's talk with him. He knew to keep certain things a secret. For himself, he just wanted Hatter to shut up about his complaining and moping about Alice. He mentioned he thought he was dreaming, but March just went along with the whole thing, just acting like he was mad.

Later, Hatter asked Alice if she would take a walk with him through the Tuggly woods. She stepped out the door and they walked away from March's house. Alice looked back to see March wink at her. She took that as a good sign.

Tarrant stopped at a small, comfortable spot in the woods at a small water source.

"I had the strangest dream last night before I woke up today," he said. "It involved you..." Alice felt her neck in nervousness, suddenly remembering Hatter last night. How comforting he was.

"Tarrant," she said when he paused. "What happened to me last night?" He gave her a concerned look.

"You tossed and turned. You screamed in your sleep. I saw you cut your neck..." he touched the bandage for a short time before retracting his hand. "...on the headboard. There was a piece of glass there." She didn't give him a response as she looked down at the water.

"Hatter...I..." she was interrupted by a threatening voice.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said. Hatter stood up, as if it were a reaction. He put one arm in front of Alice.

"Stayne," he growled.

Oooooohh cliffhanger! Don't worry, I'll post it soon. Until then, I leave you all in suspense. ~White Shade