Ok, I took the description of the outside of Tarrant's home from a little thatch cottage from a place called Forbidden Corner in the Yorkshire Dales, but changed it slightly. If you live in the UK you might know what I'm on about or may have even been. I wanted to put up a link for it but every picture apart from the one I wanted is available. Still, I'd recommend you check it out. It really is like stepping into another world! http:/ forbidden .uk/ just remove the spaces :)

Thanks to Niphuria for the review! There's many ways I've thought of taking this story, but it tends to change as I write. Hope you like it regardless!

With the young lady's hand in his, Tarrant bid farewell to his friends and led her towards his home. After the disturbing news they had just received, it would be nice to be enclosed in the familiar walls of his small cottage.

He led Lena along the narrow, winding path that went past the windmill; towards what looked like would be nothing but thin, misshapen trees. Suddenly it would appear, as always, and a comforted smile appeared on the Hatters' face.

He took in the red-thatched roof that settled over the pale stone work. The arched windows about a metre high and half a metre wide were swung open to the warm evening air. The door was a heavy oak one, black bolts holding it in place.

Lena stared at it with wonder he noticed as they reached the building. Her deep brown eyes were pools of pure excitement and curiosity. A lot like Alice, but where Alice was fair, Lena was dark, apart from her skin complexion. She didn't look much older than Alice, but she seemed….fuller; more aware of her womanhood, her femininity. And that gave her power. Power and strength like he had never seen, but he didn't think that Lena was aware of that. Alongside that, though, Tarrant could sense that she was the same of heart as Alice was; kind, passionate and would do anything for the people she loved.

"Well, here we are!" Tarrant pulled out his door key; there was just enough light left to see the keyhole. The door clicked and in they went, but it was very dark inside, so he made Lena wait at the entrance until he turned on a lamp.

With that done he invited her into his home.

"We'll go into the kitchen and I can make you some more tea!" He grinned widely but felt stupid after it. Clearing his throat, he led the way to the kitchen and headed straight for the stove. With the day being so warm, he hadn't re-stocked the firewood, so he added more and waited to let it catch on and heat the stove. The kettle was already full and waiting to be heated through.

"This place is nice, Tarrant. Has a very homely atmosphere." Lena said, smiling and sitting at the small wooden table.

"Thank you, milady" replied Tarrant with a smile, tipping his hat to her. "I never got to show Alice." His smile faded and he saw Lena look at him with a worried expression. He suddenly remembered the incident earlier. He approached her nervously. "Lena I must apologise for my….outburst before. I do try to control it. That's why I was in the clearing when your fine-self appeared before my eyes! It's a quiet place and it helps keep me calm. Calm Space! See?"

Lena stood and grasped both his hands in hers. She smiled her warm smile that made Tarrant feel as calm as he did in his Calm Space.

"Tarrant, it's fine. I admit I am curious to know what happened to you. But only if and when you're ready to tell me. For now, just know that I understand."

"So…does that mean you intend to stay for a while?"

"Well, by the sounds of things I might not have a choice."

"Yes, yes, but if you did have a choice would you stay anyway?"

"Definitely."

He could have kissed her then but he remembered that she wasn't Alice. No she wasn't. And she wasn't going to leave and let him fester in his own madness like a pig in muck! Oh, Alice, beautiful, champion Alice. It also would be highly inappropriate for a gentleman to kiss a woman he was not courting, he noted in-between his angry thought.

"Tarrant?"

"Oh…sorry. I'm fine." He wasn't fine; the thought of Alice made him crumble inside. In fact, he was sure that the only thing keeping him upright at that moment was Lena's grasp. A little part of that power seeped through. She did understand.

Pulling himself together, he took his hands away from hers.

"Well, we have a busy day tomorrow! I only have one bed and you may have it for the night."

"W..where will you sleep?" Said Lena frowning.

"Do not worry yourself about me, my dear. I'll show you where everything is."

Tarrant showed Lena to his room, feeling slightly embarrassed about having a woman in it. He'd never had a woman in his room before. It was such a personal space, one that he had hoped to share one day with a wife….Alice. No! Because she wasn't coming back. She hadn't even acknowledged the fact that he loved her. He thought he had been obvious…..obviously not.

"Tarrant!" Cried Lena, staring him in the face. "You were drifting away again."

"I…sorry. It keeps happening" Tarrant whispered. He felt out of sorts, lost and unsure about himself. But what was new about that? "Anyway, you get yourself comfortable". His voice was stronger now. "I will fix you up a nightdress!" With that, Tarrant smiled, turned and walked out the door, shutting it and leaving Lena looking the most confused she had been since she entered his world.

~.o.0.o.~

After Tarrant had left the room, Lena stood frozen for a moment. He was such an odd fellow. She sunk down on the end of the high, four poster bed. The silk covers a midnight blue and the bed made of a dark wood; mahogany Lena suspected. She was exactly an expert on wood types. It was beautiful non-the-less; simple carvings of vine-like patterns but it made it spectacular to look at. She sat in silence for a moment to contemplate everything that had happened since her fall.

First, she had met Tarrant; A man who would certainly draw an eye in her world, despite all the weird and wonderful people that occupied it. She should have been scared, wanting to go home but that wasn't how she felt at all. From the moment she entered this world, she felt as though it was comforting…like a missing piece of a jigsaw finally fitting into the whole puzzle. By now she was sure of three things about Tarrant. Firstly, he was mad. Secondly, he had been hurt; damaged by Alice. Thirdly; he needed fixing and Lena found herself wanting to help him. But…she had only just met him and didn't want him to think she was going to impose on him or boss him about!

It was happening all so quickly, her mind included. Then she had met some talking animals, one as mad as Tarrant and the others fearing for their lives over some apparent dark magic that had affected their…oracle, was it? No, Oraculum! Yes that was it. Lena had no idea what it was, though it sounded like it predicted the future. In this world, in Wonderland, Lena believed anything was possible.

After letting all of that information settle in to her mind (though she wasn't quite sure that it had sunk in just yet) she took note of Tarrant's room. The walls were cream, and in the centre of the wall opposite the door were a pair of glass doors which opened out onto a small balcony. The house had only one floor, but the back of it over-looked a small valley. Since it was dark, Lena couldn't see a great deal beyond the balcony. She would have liked the doors open since it seemed it would be a sweltering night but she worried that there might be other creatures out there that were a lot larger and a lot less friendly than Tarrant's friends.

Directly ahead of her from where she sat on the bed, an arched doorway led to what looked like a bathroom. Lena decided to have a look, so she crossed the stone slab floor that had a large, soft patterned rug and went through the arch. From a first glance realised that she would like this bathroom very much; the white bath in the corner was large and round and it was surrounded by similar pale bricks like the ones the house was made from, except these ones were paler and more polished. The bathroom walls had the same appearance and it seemed that Tarrant, or someone else, had painted on dark green vines. There was a dressing table with a large and beautifully framed mirror, though not a lot objects occupied the table…more for a woman than a man, Lena thought.

To the young woman's surprise, there was actually a toilet. Lena wasn't sure what she would have expected, but she supposed that with the way this world was styled, they may not have had plumbing systems. Again, in this world, anything seemed possible.

As she was exiting the bathroom, Tarrant reappeared through the bedroom door. He held a bundle of pale lavender material over one arm. They caught each other's' gaze and Tarrant smiled. He was very proud about something. Lifting the material so that it hung from both his hands, Lena could see why he had looked so proud. The material was actually a nightdress; the pale lavender material had two translucent layers. The sleeves were short but flowing and underneath the bust was a ribbon of deep violet which tied at the back…more for show than purpose, thought Lena, but it was absolutely stunning. She stepped forward to touch it; it was like silk but softer and it seemed to radiate in the light.

It took her breath away.

"Tarrant. It…it's beautiful. So beautiful!"

He blushed. "Well, I had to make you something you would be comfortable in, you see."

"You've just made this? Now?"

"Yes"

"Bloody hell."

He looked slightly offended and confused at her comment, but Lena didn't try explaining it. She took the nightdress from his grasp and held it against herself.

"Oh, do try it on!" said Tarrant with excitement.

Lena smiled at him, "Thank you" she said and went into the bathroom to change. As she undressed, she realised she didn't have anything clean to wear for tomorrow! In fact she had nothing to tidy herself up in the morning and didn't want to bother Tarrant again. And why would he have need for a hairbrush, or ladies lingerie? She stifled a small giggle at the thought that suddenly popped into her mind; Tarrant in a lace bra and thong.

Wrong, Lena, just wrong. Poor guy is being the kindest he can be and here you are thinking of him in a humiliating way. She took control of her thoughts and tucked them away in the recesses of her mind.

She still felt a bit sore from her fall so moving her muscles like this made her wince. She slipped the nightdress over her head once she was completely stripped of her old clothes.

It fit perfectly.

Tarrant had made it so that it was the right length for her; long enough to cover up her ankles, but not so she would trip on it like she did with her maxi dress. The bust fit her full bosom just right too and Lena didn't feel ridiculous in it; often times she would buy clothes but didn't feel good in them because her breasts were…well, they didn't seem proportionate to her body. She blushed. That had meant Tarrant had….observed. Finally, she tied the ribbon surrounding the middle and re-joined her mad hatter-turned dress maker.

He was sat on the edge of the bed like Lena had been before. He looked up at her and stood. His eyes were their usual bright green but she swore she saw flecks of a light red flash through for the briefest moment.

"You look very pretty my dear. I…I'm glad it fits you so well, I made sure to make room in the…um…bust, because I noticed it was a larger size than usual. N…not that it's a bad size, it's a good size, a very you size, a wonderful, perfectly-"

"Tarrant!" Lena said. The man was lost in a rambling and his hands were raised to the level of her breasts but he wasn't touching them. He was also staring at her chest which made Lena feel a little self-conscious about it.

His eyes then found hers and he dropped his hands by his sides.

"I'm sorry. You must think I am quite slithy."

Lena laughed. "Tarrant, I have no idea what that means but I know you weren't being rude or anything."

He smiled, but turned without saying anything. He walked to the edge of the bed where he collected up a wooden box. Something he must have gotten while she changed. He placed it on the bed and opened the lid.

"Lena, come closer I have some things for you." She did and when stood next to the Hatter she gazed down into the box. In it were some undergarments (to which Lena twisted her nose at when the Hatter wasn't looking) that were quite the opposite of what she normally wore. And just how did he happen to have ladies underwear? 'Stop thinking those thoughts, Lena!' The box also contained a hairbrush (yes!) and some bottles of liquid.

"What are the bottles?"

"Oh they are liquid soaps that you can use should you fancy a bath in the morning…did I tell you my house is near some hot springs?"

"No! So the water is pumped through to the house?"

"Yes, I must say it was a fabulous idea of mine if you don't mind me saying!"

Lena smiled. "Yes, quite ingenious. I look forward to a hot bath tomorrow. And thank you Tarrant for these things! I'd just been thinking that I didn't have anything for tomorrow to make me look presentable!"

"You would look presentable regardless, milady."

Lena giggled. "Tarrant, you make me blush." She said jokingly.

He actually did blush. "Well, I would be lying if I said you wouldn't be. And lying is a very unpleasant thing indeed!"

"Yes, I suppose it is."

They lingered in silence for a moment before Tarrant's eyes began dashing back and forth as if he were concocting some hurried plan.

"Well. I should take my leave. There is soda in the bathroom to clean your teeth with…oh! Almost forgot." He handed her a towel. "There you are milady. Hope you sleep well."

He smiled, tipped his hat to Lena one more time and left the room. Lena only then realised that they didn't get round to having tea.

A/N. I tried not to make this chapter sound as if the two were flirting, if it does, my apologies! What I was aiming for is that even though Tarrant is (literally) madly in love with Alice, he does find Lena beautiful, but at this point he doesn't really acknowledge it.