Hello! So, I've been meaning to upload this chapter for a while but I'm in the process of moving house and also I'm just a teeny bit addicted to George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, so I've been lost in his world I'm afraid.
Thank you to Zara1515 for the support! I am trying to avoid the Mary-Sue-ishness, so glad you don't think Lena is much of a one. She does have her issues which will be explained later on. I do love it ever so much when I get reviews!
After Tarrant had left Lena, he made his way into his living-turned-work room. He placed his precious hat onto its stand and sat on his worn settee. There the acid green eyes glanced over his wide range of materials that varied in so many colours and textures, patterns and densities. He twiddled his fingers as he pondered on what material to use and how to style his next creation.
His eyes suddenly settled on the perfect material. Smiling, he stood and pulled forward a manikin. He prepared his tools and the material along with a white sash that he thought would complement the creation.
Before starting, the mad Hatter drew from the jacket pocket at his heart, the one thing that he had left of her. A deep ruby pendant, with a bird in flight at its centre. He hung it from its fine gold chain and a sad smile crept along the corner of his mouth. One day, he thought. One day, I might be able to give this back.
Lena turned out the oil lamps in the room and climbed into the large bed. She felt rather small and petite sitting there in amongst the heavy duvets and over-sized, fluffy pillows. The mattress was unbelievably comfortable and she sank into it, closing her eyes with how good it felt. She was only just becoming aware of the tiredness that seeped into her bones. Upon opening her eyes, she gasped at the bed canopy above her. A pattern of tiny glowing dots; like stars, shone down in an azure light. What they were made from, Lena wasn't sure, but she could see what pattern they formed. It was an image of a girl, about Lena's age, with long hair in flowing waves which hung partly over her face as she looked down at a flower she was touching. Her and her beautiful dress almost looked real with the amount of detail and Lena had to only guess who this beautiful girl was: Alice.
She felt a sudden hatred for the girl, despite her beauty. She had played a part in breaking down Tarrant and was probably completely unaware of it.
For the next few hours, Lena drifted in and out of sleep. Haunting visions kept leaping at her whenever she closed her eyes and the heat of the night made her uncomfortable. The visions were unchanging; always the same since that fateful day one year ago. Tears leaked from her eyes no matter how much she tried keeping them at bay. Eventually, she gave up trying to sleep since the visions were always there. That and she could hear muffled cries. At first she wondered if Tarrant was in trouble, but then she heard one cry in the shape of 'Alice' and she knew he was dreaming. Those cries were so pitiful and so full of anguish that she began leaking tears once again, this time for a different man.
There comes a point when one can only take so much pitiful crying. For Lena, this point came sooner rather than later. She couldn't let him go on like this, it was cruel – for both of them. In the depth of the night, Lena felt her way out of the bedroom, until she reached the source of the morbid sounds. An oil lamp glowed dimly, giving off enough light to show her that Tarrant was sleeping fitfully on the floor. He was beside something which was a similar height to Lena, and covered with a sheet. She looked down on his unique form, wondering what memory he was currently re-living and what other pains he had experienced throughout his life. Surely Alice wasn't the only reason that this man had lost his fight against insanity. If it was, then this Alice must be absolute in her perfection but also deadly in her ability to break hearts. Whatever the reason for the insanity, right now Alice was the centre of Tarrant's unhappiness. Lena sighed and lay down beside the Hatter so that she was on her side and behind him. Propping herself up on one elbow, she reached over and stroked his face as he began to twitch and cry again.
"Shhhhhh" She said, changing her strokes to his hair, which was softer than she thought it would be.
His twitching settled and his soft lispy voice escaped his mouth, still embraced in sleep:
"Alice. Right, proper-sized Alice. Why have you gone? Why couldn't you see?" His brow creased. "Why didn't I stop you?"
"Rest, dear Tarrant" Whispered Lena. "Think of tea and what hat you can make next"
"Hats? What's the Hatter with me? Tea? Late…always late"
Sighing again, Lena decided she wasn't helping the poor man and the best she could do was to offer some comfort through an embrace. Before settling down though, she noticed something in Tarrant's grasp: A dark pendant which was set in gold (she could tell this from the light reflecting on the metal) and a gold bird in flight at its centre.
"Wild guess, this belongs to her?" She whispered to Tarrant, who now seemed to have slipped further into unconsciousness and no longer appeared to be dreaming.
Sleep also began to beckon Lena and so she lay her head down next to her troubled acquaintance, placed an arm around his waist and let her mind slip away from the waking world.
A/N: I'm not sure if I have the description of Alice's pendant right….last time I watched the movie I had a good look at it and when the light shines on it, it appears to be red. But maybe that's my eyes :-)