"Hatter! Are you done yet?" Alice complained while standing outside the Hatter's workshop in the Queens castle. She had been standing there for about 5 minutes after he said that he would just be a moment. "No, I'm sorry. Just wait a few more, done!" She heard him say in victory from behind the door. She was about to open the door when it open into her face with a loud smack. "Oh my, Alice I am so sincerely sorry. Did your face become injured?" The Hatter asked as he helped Alice stay up straight before she fell backwards and knocked her head again. "Oh quite fine Hatter." She said with a smile on her face as she saw how close there faces were. Before the Hatter noticed, he stepped behind Alice and placed his hands over her eyes.
"Hatter, what are you doing?" She said as she tried to pull his hands down. "Nothing, just making sure you surprise stays a surprise for a few more seconds longer. Just walk, I shall guide you." He whispered in her ear. She felt his hot breath in her ear and felt a shiver running down her spine. The Hatter then chuckled very softly as he felt her shake as he talked. He started walking forward leading her in front of him so he could keep her eyes covered. "Ok, I want you to keep you eyes closed for a moment or so. When I say, you can open them." He whispered in her ear again, causing the same reaction as before. "Sure." She said just wanting to see what the fuss was about.
"3, 2, 1, open them!" He said as he wiped the long white sheet off of the mannequin wearing her present. She opened her eyes and saw the dress.
The dress was the palest blue the Hatter probably had. The dress stretched down to about where her ankles would be and came up to just over where her breast started. The dress was a beautiful strapless wonder that would show of most of her bare back. She could tell that if the Hatter and slow danced, his hand would be directly on her bare back. She almost shivered at the image she was shown by her over active imagination. She then saw a beautiful jacket sitting next to the dress. The jacket was still a pale blue but not as pale. It would stop where her rib cage started and had overly long sleeves that were lose for her. How in the world did the Hatter know I love sleeves just like that? She wondered to herself as she thought about what would have happened if she had met him before when she saw to best part of the outfit.
A small hat that spread across her head and would protect her from the sun if she wore it during the summer. The hat was the most detailed of the three items in front of her. She looked towards the Hatter to see him watching the expressions on her face. "You made this, for me?" She asked confused at why this man would go to all the trouble to make her an outfit then to rather let her wear a dress the Queen would have lent her. "Of course my dear. I would do anything for you." He said stepping forwards to allow her to see the honesty in his eyes.
She was taken back by how he seemed to feel about her. Before she could do anything, she remembered the first time she was here in wonderland. "Hatter, was I here as a young girl?" She asked hoping she was getting her memory back. "Alice? Do you remember me?!" He asked after he nodded his. He thought that maybe she was finally able to remember him. "I'm so sorry Hatter. I really am trying my best." She said trying to cheer him up after he realized that he might never be remember him. What did this have to happen to her? Why not me? The Hatter was so sad and crushed but hid it so Alice wouldn't herself become sad. "Ok, I will be waiting outside. You try the outfit on while I wait. OK?" He said as he became nervous. Alice became worried for her friend as her brows almost came together in the middle if her face. She wasn't able to answer the Hatter's question before he was already out of his own workshop. She heard the the door slam behind as she was going to call her back to her. She let out a sigh for her friend as she tried on the dress.
The Hatter was usually very good at hiding his tears and crying secretly but this time was different. He thought to himself about how he could have saved her from what had happened. Not having to live with being forgotten. He was forced to race out of the room before Alice noticed the first tear fall from his eye. He slammed the door to allow her to know he left the room. He raced to the bathroom next to his workshop to cry in privacy. Within what felt like only a few minutes, there was a soft knock on the door. "Hatter, are you in there?" Alice called from behind the door. "Um, yes just a moment." He called while grabbing some tissue he found in the cabinet to wipe away the tears on his face.
After a moment to prepare himself, he opened the door to find a very beautiful sight to behold. He saw in front of him, Alice standing with her hands clutched together in front of her. The dress fit perfectly around her waist and followed so elegantly down to her bare feet. He looked to her jacket and saw she placed a pin in the place over her heart. The pin was a small heart that would change colors according to your mood. The sleeves of her jacket made her small arms look so elegant as it fluttered down her arms and ended at her fingertips and then was transformed into lace.
He then looked at her face. The face that inspired him to make this outfit for her. He looked away from her troubled face to her hat. He saw that the hat was slanted to far to one side and stepped closer and adjusted her hat. He then took a step back and smiled to show he was alright. She saw this smile and couldn't help but smile with him. She then remembered that smile from somewhere. "Cheshire!" She shouted as she remember the cat. After she started thinking about the cat, she remembered the Hare, Mallymkun, and even the Red Queen and Knave of Hearts. The Hatter saw the look on her face and saw realization.
"Did you remember me?" He asked hopeful. She shock her head only remembering everyone else she had met at Underland last time she was here. "I seem to only remember everyone else." She said with a shrug, showing that she had no idea why. His smile fell in seconds after he heard that. With his head at that angle, he saw she had no shoes. He had noticed before, but he now needed the distraction. "Oh dear. Well, come. I must make your shoes." He said pulling her back to his workshop.