Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland does not belong to me

Author's notes: Sorry for the wait. I was grounded.

Lost In The Storm Of Madness

Chapter 11

Previously:

He walked the rest of the way in, closing the door behind him. He was awed with the girl in the bed.

"Hello, Alice" he whispered, walking closer.

"Hi" was Alice's soft reply.

There was a big, fluffy, blue rocking chair in the hospital room, and there was that small free space on the edge of the bed. Tarrant chose to sit on the edge, rather than the rocking chair. It was for several reasons, but the main one was that it was simply closer. Closer to Alice, and the closer he was, the better.

"So" Tarrant began, tapping his fingers softly against his thigh.

Her blue eyes blinking, she asked "So, what?"

"You are going to be okay?" he asked, staring at her with concern. It was as if he did not believe that the doctor could be correct, and that before he could begin to believe that she was fine was when she said so herself.

Alice smiled softly, and nodded. "Yeah." she replied, sitting up. "The doctor said it was nothing big."

"So it was something?" Tarrant's eyes were filled with emotion: Adoration, worry, and something that Alice couldn't register.

"Uh" Alice uttered, shrugging. "I guess."

Tarrant nodded at her answer, and asked "Then tell me this…How does one man declared something to be nothing big?"

"Um…what?" Alice asked, confused. She rubbed at her temples.

"I mean if it was nothing big, then I am sure that it would not begin as a something. Can a something be a nothing? Nothing and something are two different things, with two different meanings, completely opposite.." Tarrant ranted.

Alice finally understood where he was coming from, and saw that if she didn't stop him now, that he would not stop at all. "Hatter!" she exclaimed.

His mouth was still open and running when she shouted the name which only she called him. He closed it, and open it; his mouth felt dry, and he couldn't bring himself to make words with it. "I'm fine" he squeaked; the only words he was able to make out.

The girl smiled at the man, and scooted closer to him. She held her arms out, and whispered "Come here"

"What?" he asked, staring at her curiously.

She nodded, never drawing her arms back. "Come here" she repeated.

He understood, and accepted the girl's request. "Alright"

As her arms wrapped around his torso, and his around hers, a smile worked its way onto her face.

He couldn't help but feel like he was flying as he embraced her tightly, but at the same time with as much tender and care he would give one of his hats.

They pulled away from the hug after what seemed like forever to both of them, and even after the hug was broken, they didn't break the eye contact; loving green eyes staring deeply into sparkling blue eyes, never breaking contact.

As he searched her eyes, and found everything he needed to know, he began to wonder if she was doing the same. Her eyes told him plenty, and he was sure his eyes weren't any different.

Her lips curved upwards as a smile formed. His eyes confirmed her suspicions, and she couldn't be happier. His green eyes answered most of her unasked questions, and she had no doubt that her eyes were answering some of his own unasked questions.

There was a clearing of a throat that disturbed the silent, one on one conversation between the blonde haired, blue eyed woman and the orange haired, green eyed man. The both of them pulled apart, even though nothing they were doing was actually bad. Their heads turned to glance at the open door, where the sound had came from; a man in a white coat, wearing glasses stood there, holding a file of papers - obviously a doctor.

The man standing at the door walked inside the room. "Did I interrupt anything?" he asked, even though it was quite evident that he had indeed interrupted not just anything, but that one something.

Before any of the two other people in the room could respond, the man went on. He held his hand out in defense. "If I did, please it wasn't my intention." He set down the file of papers on the table, which was beside the bed.

"What's this?" Alice asked, picking up the file of the papers.

"Departure papers that you" he said, pointing to Alice. "Need to sign in order to leave this place."

"Why?" she asked.

The doctor shrugged, and said "Well it's a long explanation, but the short answer would be…rules are rules, and every patient has to sign one of these." He held out a black pen.

Alice nodded, and took the offered pen. "Okay" she said. Her eyes skimmed the paper, before she scribbled her messy signature onto the paper.

The doctor retrieved the signed papers. Leaving the room, he said "You are free to leave at anytime."

Once it was only Alice and Tarrant in the room, a silence seemed to fall.

"About what happened there" Tarrant began, nervously twirling his fingers as he spoke.

Alice shook her head. "It was just a hug" she dismissed, a small smile on her face.

"Right…" Tarrant replied, sounding disappointed.

She nodded, catching his disappointment in his green eyes. "Hatter" Alice spoke softly.

He shook his head, trying to wish away the evil, unshed tears. He stood up, abruptly.

"Hatter?" Alice asked, concerned. She watched him as he walked out of the room, and stood to follow. She followed him down the halls, and down the stairs. He was fast, she'd give him that. It had taken all her strength and energy to even keep up with the man.

He stopped, finally. He could sense her presence, smell her lingering smell. Without turning, keeping his eyes on the window that was in front of him, he asked softly and slowly "Why are you following me?"

Alice stepped forward, trapping him, cornering him. There was no way for him to run away again. If he wanted to run, he'd have to either tear away the window locks and climb out from there, or go through her.

"Please" begged Tarrant, closing his eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to control himself if she kept getting so damn close to him. There was only so much distance, or lack of it, that a mad man could handle.

"Why did you run?" she asked, her hot breath hitting his exposed skin.

That was it for him, he couldn't hold back anymore. Something snapped inside his brain; that one thing inside his brain that gave him the ability to resist the tempting temptations had finally snapped. He leaned forward, and closed the small gap which was the last of the distance between the two.

A gasp escaped the young woman as her eyes closed shut, and her arms went around the man's neck. His lips on hers, and one of his hands around her waist, holding her to him, while his other hand caressed her cheek softly. Her own hands, which were wrapped around him, played at the hairs on the nape of his neck.

It became aware to the both of them that oxygen was a necessity, and they slowly parted from the kiss, with him placing small lingering kisses on the corner of her mouth. They were both panting, loud and heavily. The room was filled with an unusual but welcoming silence as they just stared into each others eyes, both probably wondering if what had happened had indeed just happened.

"Did I just-" Tarrant asked, breaking the silence.

She nodded. "Yeah, you did." she answered, before he finished the question.

"And did you-" he started to ask, but she answered before he was done forming the question.

"Yeah, I guess I did."

He smiled; so he hadn't imagine that wonderful scene. "Well. Wow. That was-" he tried to explain the sensation he had felt while the kiss was in action.

She nodded, her head moving up and down at a pace that it was surprising that it didn't snap off. "Amazing?" she suggested.

"Defiantly amazing." he agreed.

There was a soft sound of heels clicking against wooden floor, and they both turned their attention to the new person in the room; Helen stood there with an exasperated look on her face.

"I have been looking all over for you, young missy!" exclaimed Helen.

"Well, you found me." Alice joked, grinning.

Slapping her softly on the shoulder, Helen warned "It wasn't funny!" Despite her words, her own smile betrayed her.

"Then why are you smiling?" her daughter asked.

She shrugged, dismissing the subject, and acted like nothing had happened only seconds ago. "So please tell me what are you and Tarrant doing here, alone, where no one can see anything?" she asked, even though she had a great idea what had happened.

Alice blushed, and couldn't bring herself to answer. To be honest, she wasn't sure what had happened. She just knew that it had been something, and she couldn't answer with 'nothing'.

"Don't worry about it." answered Alice, and she nodded to herself. Yes that was the perfect answer.

"Alice!" insisted Helen, "I'm your mother. Come on, you can tell me anything."

"I know that, but like I said, don't worry about it." she said, and walked away from her and stood by Tarrant.

Helen turned her expecting eyes onto Tarrant, her soon to be 'victim'. "Tarrant" she began.

"Yes, Mrs. Kingsley?"

"What happened?" she asked, and he knew what exactly she meant.

He scoffed. The nerve. Her mother couldn't get the answer out of her daughter, so she turns to the next person who knew what happened. He shook his head, and responded "Like she said, don't worry about it."

Helen sighed. She knew something happened, but she also knew that it was none of her business. "The carriage is waiting outside" she said to the two retreating forms, and followed them outside. "uh…the carriage is over there" she said as the two of them walked in the apparently wrong direction.

They stopped, but only for Alice to say something. "Mother?"

"Hmm?" she asked.

"You go ahead" she responded, "Tarrant and I are going to go for a walk."

Helen nodded. "Okay" she said, "Do you want me to wait for you guys?"

Tarrant shook his head. "While the offer is endearing, I think you should just head straight home, because our walk might carried away, and who knows how long a carried away walk can take."

"Hatter" whispered Alice, so only he could hear her, and he nodded.

"Oh, well okay." replied Helen. She turned to leave, and said over her shoulder "If you're going to be late, find a way to call. Okay, Alice?"

"I will, mother" responded Alice, and as soon as her mother entered the carriage and the carriage pulled out, she grabbed Tarrant's hand, dragging him with her as she ran. "Come on, I want to show you something."

He laughed as he ran alongside her, and the wind blew pleasantly at them. She came to a stop, and he skidded down to stand beside her.

"We're here" she spoke softly.

"Where is here, exactly?" he asked, amazed by the colors, shapes, and overall place.

"My father used to take me out here to do some thinking when he was around." she explained, a leaf crushing under her feet as she walked. "He said the colors and shapes helped him think up the impossible."

Tarrant nodded, taking in the entire scene; the colors from the trees, the shapes the bushy leaves created. "Your father was a smart man…a smart man indeed."

"Yeah, he was." she agreed, a smile on her face, and she sat on a grey, large rock, patting the space beside her. He sat on the offered area.

"Let's talk" chirped Tarrant.

"What about?" she asked, her eyes avoiding his green eyes.

His arms reached forward, and his hands wrapped on either side of her face. His radiating green eyes gazed deeply into her wide, sparkling blue eyes. "Us" he whispered softly, his fingers caressing her cheeks. "let's talk about us."

Author's notes:

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review with your thoughts.