Once we where all out of the pit we stood in line, Hatter and Alice on either side of me as we continued to be called names by the old armour wearing man. Alice asked "who the hell are you?" he then stood in font of us and started talking real fast, all I court from him was White Knight and Charles. He then asks who she is "am Alice" then he's right in her face "THE Alice?" and she says backing up slightly "no just Alice" he, Hatter and Alice all start speaking but all I notice is how cold my hand feels without his, that is until Charles starts yelling at Hatter for something and then he's just rambling. Hatter turns to me and says "he's mad as a box of frogs" I cant help but smile as he turns back and asks "how the hell have you survived?" and then he's off again and grabs Alice's hand, she pulls it back quickly and hides it behind her back as Hatter he says "back off grandad the ring stays on the lady's finger, ok?".
Charles falls to his knees and starts thanking god or something. Hatter then grabs my hand and Alice's arm leading us away and says "O-k, we need to get away from him before he gets us killed" I look at him as he lets go of Alice but not me as she say "maybe he can help us" looking at her like she's mad he says "have you forgotten about the weirdo who's tailin us? This…freak show, is goanna draw attention, Jackie help me out here" before I get a chance to speak she says "this knight has lived out her for this long maybe he knows a thing or two" then turn to Charles and asks "Charlie there's some very bad men who are following us, who want to kill us and steel the ring. Do know anywhere we could lay low for awhile?" Charlie just continues praying and Hatter simply says "an you wanna put your faith in him?" I go to him and say "yeah, he might be nuts, a hundred and fifty years old and dressed like a car crash, but he's a survivor" Charlie then stands and says "and I'm not deaf. Just Alice I would be honoured to escort you, your goods, female companion…uh…and…vessel to my sacred kingdom" Hatter just turns to me with anger and says "did he jus call me a vessel?" I smile sympathetically raise my hand that isn't holding his to rest it on the base of his jaw and say "don't take it personally babe" he smiles warmly with surprise as Charlie says "off we go" and my hand leaves his soft warm cheek.
We walk over to the horses, Alice climbing onto Charlie's as Hatter climes on the other one, offering his hand to help me up. Once seated I rap my arms around his waist and we ride, following Charlie in silence. After about ten minuets I just need to ask "Hatter, what was that? You know…in the pit?" he doesn't look at me as he says "that ..was ..um. That…was the …natural reaction, to a man having a beautiful woman, sitting on top of him" I rested my chin on his shoulder as I asked with a large smile "you think am beautiful?" he turns to look at me, and smiles when he sees my smirk "yeah, I do" he turns back to the path and I say "thanks, your not to bad yourself." I can see him smirk as I carry on "no ones ever called me beautiful before" he turns to me in disbelief and asks "really? None of your boyfriends ever said you were beautiful?" I shake my head and say "I've only ever had two boyfriends, the first when I was seven, so that doesn't count, and the second … well… lets just say he wasn't who I thought" Hatter heard the sorrow in my voice and asked "well if he wasn't who you thought, who was he?" I didn't answer him, instead I looked down feeling tears run down my face. Hatter stopped the horse and turned to me "Jackie? Who was he? Did hit you?" I shook my head and laughed bitterly "men hitting me I was used to. My dad was a drunk, used me an my brother as punching bags, but what Vinny did…"
I couldn't hold back the tears as he asked with anger and sorrow "did he…force you?" I shook my head again "no, he made me do other stuff and he tried but …luckily my grandad, must have noticed I snuck out and came to get me, he got there just as he was …about to" as I cried Hatter took me in his arms trying his best to sooth me "the worst part was…even when he was doing all that…he still acted like the sweetest person, like what he was doing was normal" Hatter cupped my face in his hands and said "Jackie look at me" I did as he asked "I promise you, that as long as I breath, no one will ever hurt you again, ok?" I nodded with a weak smile as he wiped away my tears and kissed my head lightly.
"everything ok back there?" Alice shouted from further on "yeah, jus got me foot caught in some vines" Hatter assured them and Charlie said "well come on then" and we head back on track.
Just as I was dosing off, laying comfortably on Hatters back, my arms round is waist, when he asked "Jackie?" not bothering to move or open my eyes "yeah?" I answered "I don't wanna upset you, but can I ask a question?" still refusing to open my heavy eyes I said "sure, shoot" and he asked "you said your dad hit you and your brother, but then said you lived with your grandad" I sighed sadly and explained "I was thirteen and at a friends house, there was a fire, they said it was coursed by a cigarette falling into some of my dads spilt beer. Michel, my older brother was asleep upstairs. They where both dead long before the flames got them. After that I was on my own, my mum died having me, so the only person to look after me was the grandad I never met. He lived in New York, the same apartment I live in now, and it was good for a long time, then the Vinny thing happened and it took about a year for things to get back to normal. Not to long after, he died, so I got a job at this club, nothing seedy, just a waitress. I get by, but it gets kinder lonely sometimes" I turned my head to look at him and saw that he was now the one crying, he wiped his face, turned to me and said "am sorry, sorry you had to go through all that" I shrugged and said "I'm ok, besides, I've got you and Alice lookin out for me now, so no worries" he smiled brightly to me and said "ye, no worries" then I rested my head on him again and feel into a heavy, happy Hatter filled sleep.