He held out his hand to help the now completely read Alice down the stairs. After about 10 minutes, he was able to make a very elegant pair of open toed white high heels. She gladly accepted his hand as he stepped down the stairs, always one step in front of her.
She stepped from the final step without expecting what would happen. She suddenly saw a familiar cats face in her front of her. She held back the reaction of shouting. She instead calmly said, "Hello Chess." The cat was astonished that she remembered him after falling and obtaining amnesia. The Hatter quietly sulked in the thought of her never remembering him. He stepped forward and pulled her alongside him. He hadn't noticed he was holding her hand, or the fact that Alice was very close to his side as he walked her to the grand ball room. Alice however noticed at the top of the stairs that she was holding his hand. Now, she was walking barely even an inch away from him. A deep red blush came across her face as she remembered what happened before she saw the twins. The Chessur cat lay on her shoulder whispering in her ear so the Hatter couldn't hear him.
"Have you remembered the Hatter yet?" She shook her head trying to not grab the Hatter's attention. "Is he the last one to remember?" She just nodded her head as she realized the Hatter was zoned out. She was too embarrassed to answer. She decided to take a chance and entangle her fingers in the Hatter's while he wasn't paying attention. Of course, the Hatter noticed as she moved her hand, thinking she was letting go. Then he felt her hand wrap around his. He let out a sigh and turned to Alice. She saw the Hatter's head turn towards her, and expected him to be angry with her. Instead, she saw a look of relief. She saw him look a little happy to tell the truth. He turned back quickly to continue his internal conversation.
See, cheer up. She might not remember you but she surely loves you. Yes, but, see, I feel like I have lost my muchness. He was brought back to focus as he heard the Chessur cat talking to Alice. I shouldn't listen in on their conversation. But if you do, you might find out if she loves you or not. Well, just this once.
With that he listened to what the cat was saying. "Alice, you know he does care about you." The cat said trying to be quiet. But to a man not more that about half a foot away, he was rather loud. "Yes. I know about everyone here does." She said not understanding what the cat had meant. "Well yes. Everyone here does. But, he cares more than all of us. He-" The cat was cut of by Alice turning to face the Hatter as he squeezed her hand.
She looked at his face and saw something all too familiar about him. She then turned back to the cat to whisper, "We shall finish this conversation later." With that, the cat disappeared. Alice looked in front of her and saw a very large door that they were approaching. The door reached up about ten feet tall and was about 20 feet wide. She wondered why a door this big would be needed but deicide to not wonder since she had seen a bigger door before. The door was made of a stunning dark wood. The door looked as if it had been there for years. She turned towards Hatter with a puzzled expression. He looked to the side to see her mouth open, eye wide and brows almost meeting. She must have been confused at the door. He simply told her something that she never would have guessed. "Don't always believe what you see." He said with a grin on his face that reminded her of the cat that just a moment ago was laying on her shoulder. She was confused until see got closer to the door. She saw to enormous door was just a painting. She found a smaller set of double doors that's were just barely visible by the painting. She decided not to question the painting and just continue walking. When they came to the double doors, she realized she would need to let go of his hand. The Hatter also noticed and started wondering when he was going to be able to hold her hand again. He squeezed her hand tightly before letting go so they could walk into the ball. She saw that surprisingly, almost no one but her friends were there. Mallymkun and the March Hare where over by the table of refreshments holding tea in their hand. She looked over to what seemed to be the front of the room and saw the Queen sitting with Bayard and Chessur cat on her shoulder. She saw in the corner, probably feeling lonely, the Bandersnatch. She walked towards the poor creature that had saved her life and started to pet the poor dear when she saw the twins fighting over which cup each got for a drink of tea. She was about to leave the Bandersnatch even sadder than before when she saw the Hatter walking up and resolving the problem for her. She sent the mad man a smile when he looked at her. She turned back to the Bandersnatch and started petting his head. He growled slightly as she scratched behind his ears. The Hatter walked up before he feared the Bandersnatch attacked. He saw the look on the large animals face as he felt the soft feeling behind his ears. The Hatter smiled at how Alice was able to bring the animals spirits up almost instantly. Alice then heard a slow song coming on in the background. She saw the twins pairing up to slow dance with each other, while Mallymkun and Hare decided to stay and drink their tea. She saw the Queen and one of her closest knights dancing together. Alice looked back towards the Hatter who was looking at everyone else as well. He then looked at Alice and offered her his hand yet again. This time, to dance. She eagerly accepted his hand and was lead towards the middle of the room. There she was spun by the Hatter and was stopped by a hand on back that wasn't completely covered by her jacket. He felt the warmth of her skin on his hand. And then he felt he shiver under his hand. He grabbed her other hand and stood in a position and then started to walk in what seemed to be a box step. After a few minutes of dancing, the song changed into something that the Hatter automatically knew. He let go of Alice and stepped back and started a dance that brought back a few memories.
"Isn't that the Futterwacken?" She asked hoping her memory was good. He continued dance but asked yet again. "Does that mean you remembered me?" He asked as he vigorously Futterwackened. "Um, I'm still very sorry." She said as she giggled at how well he was able to Futterwacken. "Do you think you could teach me how to do that one day?" She asked curiously. She saw his face light up when she asked that and he fell on his bottom and at first felt embarrassed, but then was laughing just about as hard as Alice was. He stood up in one quick movement to stop Alice from falling she was laughing so hard. She was almost doubled over and was stepping around as she tried to stop laughing. She had not noticed because she was laughing so hard. She was about to step in a small crack in the floor. The crack was small but it was very deep. Just before she stepped in the crack and got her heel stuck, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back. She felt his arms around her waist and she slowly came down from her laughter.
She soon became very warm in his embrace made her feel strange. She never felt like this before. She felt as if something in her stomach was flying around. She soon remembered the thing people would always say. Butterflies in her stomach. She thought back to her sister Margret talking to her one day when she met Lowell. "He makes me feel so, strange. Mother said there are butterflies in my tummy." She said poking her stomach. "Why would you eat butterflies?" Young Alice asked confused at why here sister would do such a thing. "No silly! It means you're in love." Her sister said as she playfully pushed Alice back on the couch and made her fall. "Oh gosh! I'm so sorry sister!" She said as she helped her back up. "Alice, are you ok?" A soft voice asked in her ear bringing her back to reality. "Oh, yes. I'm fine." She said as she felt the Hatter's breath in her ear again. She knew what was happening. But I have just met him. The heart wants what the heart wants. But, I still don't- Save it, you love him. You know him best out of anybody. And he knows you best out of anybody. Just tell him. "Alice, are you sure you are ok?" The Hatter asked while turning her around in his arms to look into her eyes. He grabbed her arms and bent down to her level. "Sorry Hatter. I just got distracted. I'm fine." She said with a smile."Good, because I thought you lost your muchness again." He said with a smile. A smile broke across her face as she then realized what her inner self just made her realize. She loved the Hatter.