Chapter 3/6.

Hatter began with the most important project of all, locking himself up in his workshop to made his special hat. He had some trouble with the sizing, seeing as how Alice seemed to shrink and grow multiple times a day. (If he hadn't locked himself away the White Rabbit would have been able to tell him that this, in fact, was not the case.) In the end, he settled for Alice as he remembered her last – tall enough to look him in the eye after tilting her head just a fraction an inch.

He didn't bother to design his hat for any particular purpose. He didn't design it for sailing, or reading, or riding, or gardening. He didn't design it for cold or hot weather, or windy weather, for that matter. He designed it thinking only of Alice – and somehow by doing so, inadvertently designed it so Alice could wear it anywhere.

Hatter saw this (because despite his madness, he really was a brilliant and perceptive man), and smiled, pleased with the result. It was a pretty thing, and he had used his finest royal blue velvety material. He turned to add the finishing touches, but couldn't find his needle. After hunting around his desk and pricking himself on several pins, he finally saw it. Doramouse – who by dint of her size had snuck into his workshop – was using it for sword practice. He scowled.

"That, is my needle, you know."

Doramouse jabbed it at him. "So what, you weren't using it. And I got bored of watching you stare so – it's just a hat."

"Don't you have an actual sword?" Hatter glared at her.

"Well yes. But it's not like I need to carry it around with me all the time, anymore. Not after Alice defeated the Red Queen."

This softened him up a bit. He smiled proudly at Alice's bravery (though at the time he was shaking in his boots out of fear for her), and the memory quite mellowed him out. "Yes, yes. Now, can you please give me my needle back. I need it."

Doramouse rolled her eyes, but yielded it up. With a few final flourishes, Hatter was done. He stepped back to admire his handiwork. He walked around it in a circle, narrowing a critical eye. "Hmm… it does seem almost quite perfect," he muttered under his breath.

He turned to his friend. "Too bad you're so small, otherwise I'd have you try it on for me."

Doramouse made a face. "Well, I'd take a piece of Eat-Me cake any day, but both you and I know I don't need to. You've never been more pleased with anything you've made before. I can tell."

"You can? Do you like it?"

"Don't let it get to your head or anything..." Doramouse smiled sheepishly. "It's kind of beautiful."

The Hatter smiled back. Beautiful. He hoped Alice would find it beautiful.

It wasn't the most exciting item on his list – and the Hatter hated drinking potions – but it had to be done. He went to see the White Queen, and found her stewing away in her pantry, waltzing graceful from one counter to another.

"Ah… dear Hatter. I was expecting you to come."

She glided towards him, took his hands, and led him towards a counter cluttered with potion-making ingredients – all before he had a chance to say, "you were?"

The White Queen laughed. "Certainly." She bent to examine a row of neatly labeled vials. "Ah yes, here it is."

Hatter returned the smile a bit bewilderedly. "What is it, my Queen?"

"Why, venom of Jabberwocky, of course!" The White Queen placed a glass vial of clear purple liquid in his palm, and closed his fingers around it. "I made a special trek to the battlefield, just for you." She gracefully touched the tip of his nose with a finger.

This time, the Hatter's smile was real. His green eyes lit up, and impulsively, caught the Queen's hand and kissed it. "Thank you ever so much, my Queen! I didn't know you knew of my plans."

"What you've made of them, yes." The White Queen placed several cool fingers under his chin, and made sure he was looking at her. She was familiar with his selective hearing. "But alas, this is only dried blood – that is all we have. I only dissolved it in some – well, it would be most ungraceful to say what I did with it. But yes, it will help you get where you need to go, but it will not take you there."

Hatter's smile faltered. "Oh… well. What should I do with it?"

"You will eventually have to drink it. The other part I do not know – you will need to see Absolom for that."

For a brief second the Hatter looked crestfallen. Then he remembered that he had a whole lot of muchness, and he was doing this for Alice. So he kissed the Queen's hand again, and thanked her once more for her help. Boy, he was lucky he didn't make plans in advance – he would go see Absolom the very next day.

The White Queen watched him go. Being somewhat more human than the general population and therefore more intuitive about matters of the heart, she had long seen this day approaching. She had waited patiently, though it was difficult, at times. Hatter really didn't see his own worth (unless it was about a hat). And now that the day was upon him, the Queen wondered whether he would have the courage to chase after happiness.

The Hatter muttered under his breath as he set out to see Absolom, working out how he wanted to present his request. Now, the Mad Hatter planned what he was going to say even more seldom that he planned what he was going to do, but in truth, the old creature made him rather nervous. He was always so serious, and his words so weighted. Hatter wasn't comfortable with that much gravity. Plus, the thick smoke around Absolom always made the Hatter a bit sleepy.

He recognized the thick myrrh as he approached Absolom's place – which was strange, because Absolom was nowhere in sight.

"Hello?" He called out.

"Vhy hello, svyeetie. You've finally come. Ee vas vaiting for you."

Poor Hatter was stupefied. Did he go to the wrong place? No… he couldn't have. It was true, he hasn't seen Absolom in quite some time, but he was pretty sure this was where he lived. Was he imagining things? Going one step beyond mad – whatever that happened to be –

"Hatter! Darling, you are getting distracted."

Now, Hatter might not be the sanest person in Underland – but of several things he was absolutely sure. The Absolom he knew did not sound like a fussy old grandmother. The Absolom had never called him darling, must less 'svyeetie'. And what was UP with the accent?

A bright blue butterfly landed in front of him, perching delicately on a branch above his head. Hatter skidded a few steps back.

"You look horrified. Vhy? Do you not recognize me?"

"Err… n-no…" The Hatter stuttered, at a loss for words. He was not as his most gentlemanly, he knew, and struggled to make up for it. "It's just – Absolom…"

"Come now. Eef you cannot get used to me looking like zees, just pretend eet ees your imagination playing tricks on you. How ees zat, svyeetie?"

This logic made sense to the Hatter. He was, after all, quite mad. "Okay…Absolom. Err… can I still call you Absolom?"

"Of course. And Ee know precisely vhy you are here."

"You do, too? Does everyone know?"

"Just about." Absolom flapped his wings airily. "You vant to get to zee Ozzerland, do you not? Ee can tell you vat you need to do."

"Oh yes, that would be wonderful!" The Hatter promptly forgot his discomfort.

"Yes. But first, you must remember. You cannot tell anyone what Ee am about to tell you, yes?"

"Of course I would never!" Hatter was good at keeping secrets.

"Also. Vat Ee am about to tell you vill only vork zees once. Eet is special for zees day and time."

Again, the Hatter agreed. He wasn't the most introspective of beings – particularly when he was being chastised by a gigantic blue butterfly with a Russian accent – and thus didn't realize the subtle stab of misgiving that went through him as he accepted this condition.

"Lastly, Ee just vant to remind you zat you will be forced to return at zee end of day, yes?" Although he couldn't tell through the thick fog, he could feel Absolom's piercing gaze.

"Yes, yes."

"Good, zen – come here, svyeetie."

The Hatter took a step closer.

"No no. You must step into zee cloud. Eet is not just here for decoration, svyeetie – we must make sure no one else hears. Yes, just like so."

And because no one else must hear, we leave Hatter as his head disappeared into the thick, smoky cloud.

To be continued.

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