I just want to warn you guys that this next bit is a little.... Look, as cool as the mini was, there was next to nothing FANTASTY-like in Wonderland. I had to rectify that.

They remained silent long enough that Hatter had to add more wood to the fire and Alice was beginning to think they would stay that way until dawn. Glancing at him occasionally, she found him each time staring into the fire, chewing on his nails absently, a look of intense thought on his flame-bathed features. He must be as anxious about the upcoming meeting the the Resistance as she was. The girl had just resigned herself to a long night of silent waiting and contemplation, when the man spoke.

"Where were you in the Truth Room?" She looked at him, so close beside her, but somehow miles away. "The Room reflects your worst thoughts and memories, amplifies them. What was it?"

So, he was asking her to share her worst thoughts and memories? That was so intensely personal. She had not even told Jack about it and they had been intimately close. The girl never would have dreamed of imparting such to someone she had only known for two days. Had it really only been two days? Felt like a lifetime. But how could she deny him? This was Hatter. And hadn't he answered her when she'd asked the same of him? Not that she felt obligated, that wasn't it. She just… felt he deserved to know. And maybe, just maybe, she wanted to tell him.

"I live in a place called New York City," she began slowly. "There is a building, the Empire State Building. At one point, it was the tallest skyscraper in the world. Tourists come from all over the world to see it, to see the city from its observation deck. My father said that every real New Yorker had to go there at least once. So, when I was ten, we went."

She licked her lips, pausing for a moment as the memory of that day washed over her. Hatter had turned slightly and was watching her face as she spoke. "It was March and there was still snow on the ground, so it was still freezing," she chuckled softly, almost able to feel the icy tingle in her cheeks as she had that morning. "But we went anyway. Figured the cold would keep the crowds away and it did. The deck was all but deserted and the city…" the girl trailed off, eyes taking on a distant cast as she was no longer looking at the man before her, but out over a vast expanse of steel and glass and concrete, all covered in a sparkling layer of white. "It was so beautiful. He was laughing because I kept running from one spot to the next. I had to see it all, the whole city, and I couldn't stand still."

Alice swallowed and licked her lips again, though her mouth had gone a bit dry just at that moment. Despite being so close to the fire, she felt chilled; despite the wonderful meal, she felt empty. She went on. "When I couldn't hear him anymore, I thought he just couldn't keep up. So, I went back, but he wasn't where we had last been standing. I went around the whole deck twice, in both directions, and looked inside the closed off observatory, but he wasn't there. I knew he wouldn't have just gone back down in the elevator, he wouldn't have just left me there. There was only one other option in my ten year old mind."

"Alice…" He whispered, reading her thoughts as always, knowing what she was about to say.

"I thought he'd fallen somehow," she said it anyway. "There are bars and safety mesh to keep that from happening, but I was convinced. I started screaming for help. Everyone thought I had lost it. I looked over the side and shouted his name, hoping he was hanging on to a ledge or something. Of course, he wasn't. Security came up to stop the commotion, see what was wrong. They tried to bring me back inside, but I wouldn't go. I… I kind of freaked out.

"I was hysterical and they barely managed to get my mom's name and our phone number out of me. When she got there and found out what happened, she tried to calm me down. But, I was a terrified kid and no one was listening to me. She tried to take me home, but it just made things worse. I wouldn't get into the elevator. I threw a fit, kicking and screaming; not because I was mad, because I was petrified."

"Of the elevator?" he asked softly. Alice shook her head, which cause the tears in her eyes to spill over and roll down her cheeks. She was breathing heavily, trying not to break down, her hands clenched into fists against her thighs.

"I-" Her words caught in her throat and she had to swallow them down before trying again. "I thought they were lying. I thought he had fallen and when they took me out… out through the lobby, I would see… I would see on the sidewalk…"

He made a soft sound, breath and teeth, and put his arms around her, pulling her close. The girl hadn't even realized she was shaking until she was pressed against his solid, steady form. Wrapping her arms around his waist in return, she closed her eyes, her face against his collarbone, hiding herself in his scent, his warmth, his strength. She wouldn't cry, Alice swore to herself, even as the tears slid from her eyes. She wouldn't do that, even if she already was doing it. She wouldn't let him see how weak she truly was, not when he was so strong.

Hatter held her tight and pressed his lips to her hair. He didn't rock her like a baby, didn't rub her back like a child, just held her as she broke apart against him, then pulled herself back together. He allowed her all the time she needed, didn't whisper meaningless words meant to sooth that which could never be soothed. And when she pulled away, he let her go. He gave her everything she needed and asked nothing in return.

She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. The little oyster had cried more in the last two days in Wonderland than she had in the last two years back home. She didn't like to cry, it made her feel weak. And she'd done it in front of Hatter. That was mortifying. She was about to stand and go to bed - not to sleep, but to hide like a coward - when he spoke.

"Do you know why they call me Hatter?"

Alice sniffed and wiped under her nose embarrassedly, then shook her head. "No."

He half grinned which caught her a little off guard. "Because I wear a hat."

She was silent for a moment, just blinking at him, flabbergasted. He winked, the half grin growing into a full fledged smile and the girl found herself smiling right back at him. Then, wonder of wonders indeed, she laughed.

"You ass!" she accused, shoulders still shaking as she rubbed her hands against her face. He laughed himself, now. Shaking her head, Alice looked at the man. He was really something else again. Quite a piece of work, that Hatter. "What is with the hats, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"Dude, I saw your office at the Tea Shop, remember?"

He nodded, flicking his eyes down over her shape. "Vividly." She rolled her own sea-blues at that comment. He really was an ass. There were no two ways about it.

"There were hats all over the place. Do you wear all of those?"

"I have," he shrugged. "There are some that are my favorites and some I just wear on occasion. Some I've only worn once."

"You just have a hat fetish?" Hey, that's cool. Different strokes, right?

"When I was a kid, believe it or not, I wanted to be a magician," he said. Alice perked, her smile becoming more solid.

"Really?"

"Oh yeah." Hatter grinned at her. "Dunno if you noticed, but I do have a bit of a flare for presentation."

"I did notice," she chuckled. "So, do you mean.. like, real magic?" Charlie's little net had clued that such a thing actually existed in this world, but Hatter shook his head.

"That's what I always loved about the whole thing," he told her, his eyes brightening as he spoke of something important to him, that wasn't also tragic. "Making people think it's magic, it must be magic, but it's just a trick; it's just you."

She could see how that would appeal to the man; to anyone, really. Hell, the way he spun it, she wanted to give it a go. "And magicians wear top hats."

His grin spread into full blossom, bringing out the dimple in his right cheek. His hands moved as he talked. The man was practically giddy and, for the first time, Alice realized how damned adorable Hatter could be when he wasn't trying to fake it.

"That's the best part. Not the wand, not the glamorous assistant… though, they are rather nice, too." Oh jeez. "Have you ever heard someone say, 'he waved his wand over that'? No. 'He pulled that out of his hat.' That's what they say. And that's the best trick, pulling a rabbit out of the hat. To bring something from nothing and it's not magic, it's not gods, or anything else. It's…"

"It's you," she finished. He nodded, smile fading to something softer, something warmer that was reflected in his eyes. One hand came up, reaching out as if to touch her face or tuck back an errant lock of hair, but stopped as his eyes shifted form hers, focusing on something behind her. Alice turned, but didn't see anything. When she looked back, Hatter's smile had shifted again and he took hold of her hand, getting to his feet.

"Come on," he said, helping her up. "I want to show you something."

He led her away from the fire, not down one of the paths or another, but straight into the woods. At least the man wove carefully between the trees so she didn't trip in the darkness. He stopped and turned back to her with an eager little smile, then brought the girl out of the woods and into a small clearing. Alice stopped beside him and gasped softly, her mouth opening in awe.

The clearing was filled with bright little pinprick flashes of light. Blue and green and yellow, a thousand shades of each or more, here one instant, gone the next. It was like Christmas, all the houses lit up. Except it wasn't houses, it was the air that was hung with a million flashing bulbs. Absolutely enchanting.

"Lightning bugs," she said with a smile. More than she'd ever seen at once ever, maybe more than she'd seen in her life combined. Their little lights flashed brighter and clearer than any firefly in her world. He nodded, slowly puling her further into the clearing until they were completely surrounded. The little flashing insects drifted around them haphazardly. Alice had trouble following any one bug, as once its glow ceased, two more seemed to spring up right where the first had been.

"Oh, Hatter. This is beautiful," she breathed.

"You know, they say there are no three fireflies exactly the same color at any one time in Wonderland."

"No?"

"There are only ever two, a male and a female, and that's how they find each other. They'll search the world over for their perfect match. They mate, lay eggs and die. It could be thousands of generations before the color is seen again."

Alice chuckled, shaking her head. "That's really depressing Hatter."

He laughed. "Most girls find it romantic," he admonished playfully. She looked to him and momentarily forgot what she was about to say. The sheer amount of lightning bugs all flashing cast a constant, faintly blue glow on the clearing and, so, on Hatter himself. For the first time since meeting the man, he didn't look angry or worried, confused or sorrowful or guilty; he just… looked like Hatter. The effect was certainly worth taking a moment to appreciate.

When she had stared at him too long, he lifted his eyebrows questioningly. Oh, right, she had been about to say something. "Most girls, huh? You mean the other girls you've told."

Not even chagrinned, he chuckled at her astute observation. Alice shook her head and rolled her eyes. Incorrigible. Then, turned back to the amazing display before her. She was so absorbed in the beautiful little flashes that she didn't notice the music at first. As it grew louder, she finally realized the sound wasn't coming from within her head, but without. Her hand tightened around Hatter's. Huh, the girl had forgotten she was still holding it.

"You would not believe your eyes.. if ten million fireflies.. Lit up the world as I fell asleep."

"What the Hell?" When the man laughed at her confusion, she turned a look of consternation on him. Which was quickly melted by his pleased little smile. The realization that he was so sincerely enjoying her enjoyment of what he'd shown her warmed Alice's heart in a lovely new way.

"These are a special kind of lightning bug," he explained. "They're choirflies." Her eyes rounded, mind flashing over the word and understanding that the music was coming from the insects floating around them. Oh, wow. How fantastical. It was things like this which populated the imaginations of children who dreamed about Wonderland. It was the first truly wondrous thing she'd seen since arriving. Well, the second anyway.

"I'd like to make myself believe… that planet Earth turns sloooowly…"

"How do they know this song?"

"They pick the song out of your head," he explained, tapping his temple. "Why; what are they singing?"

Now she was really confused. "You can't hear it?" He shook his head.

"It's different for everyone." His explanation made sense, she supposed, but there was a mischievous glint in his eye that had nothing to do with reflecting light. "Unless they think two people make a good couple."

Alice rolled her eyes and let out a groan. "Oh God." His head fell back as he laughed at her reaction. "You are such an-"

"Ass?" He beat her to the insult. "You keep saying that and it hurts my feelings."

She snorted at that statement. "I just call 'em like I see 'em."

His eyebrows went up in amusement. "You were lookin'?"

She couldn't help another little eye roll. When he wasn't in a bad mood, the man certainly loved to tease. But, she'd known as much already, hadn't she? His little popped P in the Tea Shop, the impromptu dance as he guided her to the Resistance. Then she had assumed he was having a laugh at her expense, but now she could see that he just liked to laugh period. Not that she wasn't enjoying it, herself, because she was. He was sharp as a tack.

"So, you can hear it, right?" the girl asked.

Hatter nodded. "Yes. Something about fireflies and dancing."

"Oh, you don't know this song, then."

"The Queen only allows what she likes through the Looking Glass. That includes music," the man explained.

"That must suck."

He scoffed softly. "You don't know the half of it. A few years ago, she went through a disco phase. Nothing to be found but Bee Gees albums anywhere in Wonderland."

"Oh Jesus," she chuckled. As funny as that was, her inquisitive mind had caught on a strand of thought and followed it to a question at the end. "Why did they take a song from my head? Why not yours? You're from Wonderland."

Those lips she knew were pink, but just now were washed out by the ethereal glow drew up into a little smirk. "It's a song about fireflies, Alice. Everything in Wonderland has its own sense of irony and humor, even the insects. Besides, I think they just like you better."

"What did they sing the last time?" Idle curiosity.

"Karma Chameleon." This brought on another fit of laughter from the girl. Her hand raised, its intended target her forehead, and her fingertip bumped against a passing lightning bug. She jumped as the thing burst into a tiny shower of sparks.

"Holy shit!" she gasped.

"Careful, Alice!" Hatter admonished, pushing her open hand in towards her body. "They are fireflies."

"Wow," she blinked at the place where the little bug had been. "It popped!" He chuckled and shook his head as she reached out a fingertip to "pop" another of the little blinking specks. Again, it exploded into sparks. She giggled. "Cool."

"Should have known you like to play with fire." Something in his tone drew her attention from the tiny, flying sticks of dynamite. His dark eyes somehow shone even in the foxfire glow produced by the choir flies. Again, he lifted his hand, but she never did find out what he intended to do with it. An errant bug drifting between them collided with his knuckle and, startled, Hatter waved it away. That was a mistake as the miniature explosion wafted into the paths of a few more bugs. As each touched one of the embers which was all that remained of their fallen kinsman, they too, ignited. Thus Hatter had set off a chain reaction and with a whoosh, they were surrounded by a ring of tiny bombs going off.

"Whoa! Get down!" The man exclaimed, dropping to the clearing's grassy floor and pulling Alice down with him. They both rolled immediately to face upward as thousands of miniscule rockets burst in the air above them, like the Forth of July but better. Alice had no words, could only watch with wide eyes in childlike wonder. Hatter shifted beside her, slipping out of his jacket and prodding her shoulder. "Here, lay on this."

She rose up just enough that he could slide the leather coat beneath her back, too enraptured by the fireworks display to protest the sweet, but unnecessary gesture. "It's so…" Alice trailed off, no word that came to mind seemed sufficient to describe what he had given her.

"Beautiful," he finished so softly she could barely hear it.

Suddenly, like a switch had been flicked, it was over. The silence deafened her more than the loudest sound. The girl blinked up at the night sky above her, not understanding. A moment before, her vision had been filled beyond capacity with lights and glorious little explosions of color and now the only twinkling above her were the stars in the pitch black curtain of night.

"What happened?" Hatter sat up and looked around, the set of his shoulders in the faint moonlight displaying his alarm for her to see. Alice quickly sat up as well.

"Something must have spooked them." He took her hand and grabbed his jacket, shrugging off the initial anxiousness brought on by the choirflies sudden departure. "Probably bats."

They stood and walked back out of the clearing the way they came, going towards the orange luminosity cast off from the fire pit. Alice glanced back over her shoulder at the now empty clearing. That had been like a dream, so extraordinary, so breathtaking. Something no one on Earth would ever likely see. Something her mother would never see. Was Alice to be the same?

"What's the matter?" Hatter's voice broke her reverie as they broke the tree line, stepping back into Charlie's glade. Alice was too lost in that moment to put her guard back up and looked to the man - her protector, her friend - with naked vulnerability exposed for him to see.

"What will I do," she asked softly. "If I can't get home?"

Hatter gazed back at her, that same determination she'd seen on the hill overlooking the ruined Kingdom now shifting to envelope herself. And mixed with something else. Something that made her stomach tighten in a way that was anything but anxious and nothing like displeasure.

"Then I'll make sure you're okay." His voice was low and smooth, lush like the velvet of the coat he'd loaned her, warm like his chocolate eyes were at that moment. She believed him. She didn't think that he sincerely intended to do his best or would try to watch out for her. Alice believed he would make sure she was okay.

Hatter stepped close to her, his jacket falling to ground forgotten. His hands brushed against the bare skin of her arms, coming to rest gently on her biceps. The smooth metal of his rings contrasting with the slightly rough feel of his hands raised gooseflesh on the girl from neck to knees. He stroked one thumb lightly against her arm and, in blatant disregard of the fire so close by, she shivered. Those deep, dark eyes pulled her in, drowning her more completely than the lake's feeble attempt after their crash.

"I think our luck is finally changing," he said softly. It was a tone that said this was for her ears only, a message Hatter had crafted just for Alice alone. Our luck.

His head dipped down and, dear lord, she thought she might faint. Her butterflies had picked one Hell of a time to get their act together. If Alice had been able to think at all, she might have thought that this was what they were talking about in books and movies, this that she had - oh cruel fates - never felt before. But, probably not; had she been able, the girl would most likely have been thinking: Oh God, oh God, oh God… His lips were scant centimeters from hers and she could taste his breath when she inhaled, like tea sweetened with far too much sugar.

"That's right, it is." The intruding voice was a splash of icy water on her system and Alice went from warm and fluid to cold and stiff in a heartbeat. She lost Hatter's eyes as he turned towards the source of the voice, her own following after his. Across the flames a familiar figure stood, posture tight and chill with anger, a hand she'd thought incapable of harm now clutching a sword.

"Jack."

And there we are. Damn that Jack and his bad timing. What did you guys think of the choirflies?