Chapter 6/6.

Mrs. Kingsley had come in to fetch the new stitching pattern Alice had tracked down from some foreign land, but stayed behind to admire Alice's new hat. She stroked the fine material approvingly.

"This is the other hat you got for your birthday?"

"Yes, mother." Alice sat at her desk, sifting through plates from her new camera.

"It's beautifully made." Mrs. Kingsleigh sat down on a chair by the fire, examining the hat. "Fine workmanship."

"Yes, I met an amazing hatter on my travels. He made it for me."

"Ahhh. An amazing gentleman?"

"…I suppose you could say that." Alice knew she ought to have resented her mother's question, for she knew very well what her mother was hinting, but she didn't. Her relationship with said 'amazing gentleman' had taken the strangest turn – one that made her despair, confused, and absurdly happy.

Alice lingered over a particular plate. It looked blank. She was about to discard it as a test card, when she suddenly brought it closer to her. Faintly, she could make out the contours of a top hat. But perhaps it was just her imagination – she was starting to see this particular vision a lot, ever since her birthday. She thought about him far too much. Alice hoped it wouldn't interfere with her business. She needed to work harder, to reach for that impossible achievement her father had been convinced existed. She was to embark again next week – she needed to rally her wit and her senses.

Alice was so deep in thought she almost missed her mother's next words. "Your father had a hat just like this, I remember. It was white - it didn't look like this, of course."

"How do you mean?" Alice looked up, and tried to calm the shakiness in her voice.

"Yes. It was different, but there is something about the style – I can't quite put my finger on it. It was an outrageous design, at the time – not so different from yours… exuberant, you might say."

"Just that one?" Alice's voice sounded oddly strangled to her own ears, but her mother noticed nothing.

"Yes. Charles said a hatter made it especially for him too, as a farewell present. Well, both you and your father never had much of a fashion sense – perhaps that is why."

"Yes, perhaps," Alice echoed. Her mind was far away. She had never seen the hat in question, but who else could have designed such a style as her mother described? She was sure it was him.

Alice was reeling. She couldn't see straight, and her heart felt like it was trying to free itself from her ribcage, even as her mind struggled through foggy disbelief. Could it be… that her father had known of Wonderland? Could he have known of the impossible things that happened there? The people who lived there? That that was what he meant by finding the impossible?

Could it be… that Alice had already found it?

And then, just like that, Alice knew the answer. Of course, that was the right answer. She tried to cling to the last shards of carefully disciplined self-restraint, but it was too late. Every inch of her was crying out, and finally, Alice allowed herself to think the one name she had suppressed all along. Tarrant.

She hoped he could hear her – she felt like she was screaming it to the world.

Tarrant, I love you. Alice hoped he heard that, too. (Of course, she knew there was a multitude of activity in Wonderland competing for Hatter's attention, but that was all right – she would soon be able to say it again and again).

In Underland, the Mad Hatter was entrusting White Rabbit with a very special errand to that world.

In the meantime, he would oversee the plans for the biggest celebration Underland had ever seen. Hatter was very good at planning things. He allowed himself a few seconds of reprise before he exploded with joy. Afraid of that very occurrence, the White Queen had taught him a few calming exercises in the preceding few weeks. Hatter closed his eyes, and breathed deeply.

Welcome home, Alice. Hatter hoped she heard that.

"Errr – it's not Alice. It is I, March Hare."

Hatter's eyes flew open.

"Oops. Did I say that out loud?"

La Fin. =)

A/N: Did anyone actually think I would leave Hatter hanging? Tsk tsk, after all, what is Alice and Hatter without a happy ending?

Thanks to everyone who read this humble short story. Hope you enjoyed it. Any and all comments/feedback welcome!