We're almost done! I hope you all enjoyed the companion piece for last chapter and thank you for reading it! I wanted to get this chapter out before I had to go into work tonight so I slaved over it all last night and today. I want to send special thanks to my regular reviewers: your continued support means the world to me and keeps me going! Thanks so much to those who have recently added my story to their favorites and/or alerts lists as well!

Chapter XXXI: Have Cake…and Eat It

Alice awoke at some point in the day…or night, she was not sure, feeling more sated than she had ever believed possible. There was a pleasant, throbbing ache between her thighs, much like the burn she would feel after an intense work-out. A dreamy smile curled up the corners of her lips as she thought about her most recent "work-out".

She yawned, extending her limbs into a full body stretch. Her body was bare save for the thin white sheets covering the lower half of her form. Neither of the two had bothered with clothes since their first foray into carnal bliss. The thick down blanket had ended up on the floor at some point during their heated activities. The sheets had inevitably ended up stained, Alice's interest in keeping them pristine waning each time they enjoined. They were of fine quality, too; the equivalent of Egyptian cotton back in her world. The smooth texture felt heavenly against her naked skin.

"Morning, love," Hatter greeted brightly. He had his head propped up on his hand, his dark chocolate eyes raking over her with unbridled appreciation. His dark hair stuck up in multiple directions, even more untamed than usual. It was disarmingly sexy.

Alice smiled and took in her fill of Hatter's sleek nude form. His body was lean and wiry, not overly muscular and bulky. It showed that, whatever comforts he had had in life, he had never been completely idle. There was ample visual evidence that he was in good shape, not to mention the delightful ways he had demonstrated his physical prowess earlier. Her eyes traveled down the landscape of his body, feasting on its glory like a glutton. She especially loved that little trail of dark hair, starting at his navel and trailing down to meld with the more substantial thatch of dark hair at his crotch. The "Happy Trail", she called it.

"Is it morning?" she asked, reaching up to inspect the state of her hair. The thick brown tresses were tangled and disheveled. It would take far more than a simple brushing to tame them. She did not expect her sex hair looked nearly as attractive as Hatter's.

"Honestly, I don't know," he replied while maneuvering around so that she was lying half on top of him, subtly slipping the sheets off of her lower half to unveil her full nudity. "Either way, it's the best morning, afternoon, or evening I've ever had." He slid his hands up over her butt, causing her to shiver agreeably.

This was a new experience for her. Whenever she had spent a night with previous boyfriends, it had rarely consisted of literally sleeping next to them. She would usually gather up her things after the sex was concluded and be on her merry way. Sex was the easy part, but intimacy was something she had found herself woefully inept at. Even when she had slept in the same bed as a former paramour, the experience had always been very uncomfortable for her and the sleep was not very restful. She had certainly never cuddled up next to them. But again Hatter had proven himself to be the wild card, the one that stood apart even though she had known him for less than a week by her reckoning. Even before sex had been involved (though not by lack of trying on the part of both parties) she had spent two nights in Hatter's embrace. She had never slept better. It made her unthinkably happy that she only had more nights with him to look forward to.

"I hope no one needed us for…a while," she commented while throwing a sheepish look towards the stairway leading up to his office. She idly wondered if that tiny man Dormie was still up there. If he was still up there waiting for them to return from their "chat", he had been in for a long wait. And by the way Hatter's hands had started to hungrily roam over her skin the wait would be even longer still. Shocks of pleasure coursed through her, inciting a tingling sensation in between her thighs. The flames of desire were stoked by his skilled fingers. But then, out of the blue, his movements stopped at her lower abdomen.

"How did this happen?"

Her brow knitted together and she glanced down at where his hand rested, perplexed both by the question and the ominous tone it was couched in. Then she saw the gleam of white scar tissue against the slightly darker shade of her natural skin tone. He was inquiring about the scar just below her navel. It was not her only scar, but this one was of particular significance. There was little appeal in traversing that morbid part of memory lane. But once she met Hatter's distressed gaze, she sighed.

"My first battle scar," she explained. "I, uh, met with the business end of an Ubervamp's sword during the last fight against the First Evil." The creature had also taken a sizable chunk of flesh out of her left shoulder. Strange that Hatter had not commented on the misshapen scar that wound had left behind.

He swallowed, his dark eyes flickering with unseen thoughts. "They had swords?"

She nodded solemnly. "That in addition to be stronger and harder to kill than your normal, run-of-the-mill vamp…yeah, they had swords." The image of the Turok-Han army swarming up from the bowels of the hellmouth was imprinted onto her brain and sent a wholly different kind of shiver through her body. "And numbers; lots and lots of numbers."

His gaze flitted down to the scar while his fingers ghosted over it. "But you kept fighting, didn't you?"

"Well, I tried," she said dryly. "Turns out it's not all that easy to wield a sword and keep your insides from falling out at the same time. I was just lucky Willow had done the spell to make me a Slayer, otherwise…" She let the unfinished statement hang there. Hatter knew well enough by now to know what would have happened had she not been imbued with the ancient power of the Slayer. The wound would have killed her.

He pursed his lips and nodded curtly. Her gut convulsed at the disquieted expression on his handsome features. Was he reconsidering his plan to come back with her to Cleveland? Part of her did not think it would be such a bad idea if he did decide to stay in Wonderland. The hellmouth was a dangerous place and she shuddered at the idea of all the trouble her lover could get himself into. But the despair she felt over being parted from him edged out any reservations she had over the idea of him dwelling on a hellmouth.

"But, hey, you know, my world isn't all about fighting hellspawn and getting gutted," she pointed out, figuring that it was time she emphasized some of the more positive aspects of her world. "We have good things, too."

Hatter cocked an eyebrow, intrigued but still skeptical. She realized she probably had painted her world in a somewhat more morbid light than was fair. Guarding a hellmouth did have a tendency to taint one's view of the world. But there were many facets to her world, good aspects that made all the blood, sweat, and death worth it. This was the time to make him see that he was not going to be leaving his life in Wonderland for a life of unending battles and hardships.

"For instance, Mr. Sweet Tooth," she began, referencing the fact that the only food he had stored here in his nook were pastries and tarts with not a real fruit or vegetable in sight, "there is an entire amusement park dedicated to a chocolate bar. You can even ride through the chocolate factory."

"Really? An amusement park?" he said thoughtfully. "What's so amusing about it?"

Alice launched into an animated explanation of theme park rides which served to pique her new boyfriend's interest quite a bit. She made a mental note to make a trip to Hershey Park sometime with Hatter. Other topics sprouted up in the heels of each other, all of them encompassing the far more enjoyable characteristics of her world. Hatter's troubled mood brought on by the grim tale behind her scar was eventually dislodged by one of tenuous anticipation. He seemed especially pleased by the invitation to peruse her substantial book collection. That was to say nothing of the enchanted wonder on his face when she explained the concept of motion pictures. Movies were easier for him to grasp since he had a passing familiarity with theatre, though, as she understood it, all independent art had been radically outlawed by the Queen of Hearts. Art in all its many forms had the ability to elicit emotions. Just as wisdom had been a threat to her control through quick fixes and instant gratification, so had painting, music, dancing, play-acting, and literature.

"Well, she certainly had a way of sucking all the wonder out of Wonderland," Alice noted wryly.

"That she did," Hatter agreed, nodding his head. "Well, your world doesn't sound half so bad now." He gave her a sardonic smile. "What was it you said about this peetsah stuff? Is it really just some bread with tomato sauce and cheese?"

She laughed at the way he pronounced the word so phonetically. "Well, you can put other toppings on there," she readily explained. "I personally like some mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and pineapple on mine. You'll like it, trust me."

"If you say so," said Hatter somewhat dubiously. "Anyway, I wouldn't care even if your world was just full of hellspawn and those horrid…STD things you told me about." He smirked at the heat on her cheeks which was no doubt manifesting into a red-faced expression. Then his demeanor grew more intense, his eyes locking onto her, filled with meaning. "All I care about is being with you. If living on the mouth of hell is what it takes, then I say bring it on. You're the only thing that matters."

He spoke with such tender conviction that Alice felt her heart leap and melt all at the same time. A pressure built up in her sinuses, causing her to blink back the sudden wetness afflicting her eyes. Her throat felt curiously clogged, which was actually a good thing since she could not think of any response to those sweet, heartfelt words which could possibly be adequate. All she could do was just wonder over what amazing deeds she had done to deserve the love of someone like Hatter.

Help save the world a few times? a voice, which sounded suspiciously like the Cheshire, whispered in her mind.

"So, when do you want to leave?" he asked while stroking her hair.

Truthfully, she had not given her—and now Hatter's—eventual departure much thought other than that it was happening at some point. Their naked gymnastics had been an excellent form of distraction. But now she realized not only would they have to decide when they were leaving, but she would also have to figure out how to explain things to her mother once they arrived back in her world. Her father had assured her they could send her back to relatively the same time when she had first gone through the Looking Glass on her side. But, considering that her dress was ripped, she was sporting some injuries, and she would have a new boyfriend in tow, seamlessly integrating back into her life as if nothing had occurred was not really a viable option. Her mother would demand explanations.

And then there was the task of explaining to her mother how her father had been alive in a different dimension, bereft of his memories and serving the will of an atrocious tyrant. If she managed to bring her mother around to swallowing that bizarre information, then she may as well just come clean about being a Vampire Slayer. There really was no point in keeping it secret any longer. Besides, knowing the truth of one bizarre story may help clear the mental barriers which would hinder the acceptance of another strange tale.

"Alice? You all right, love?" Hatter was gazing at her with concern.

"I was just thinking about how…uh…tricky this will be to explain to my mother," she admitted with a heavy sigh. "She's open-minded, but stuff like this tends to require some extreme mental rearranging. Be prepared for the possibility that she initially may want to have one or both of us committed to a mental hospital."

"You're going to tell her the truth about where you've been…about where I'm from?" he asked, clearly surprised by the idea. He did not sound as if he disapproved. If anything, he seemed to support it.

Alice thought about the emotional trauma she had put her mother through when she left with Mr. Giles to go to Sunnydale leaving little more than a vague note. A vague note and some even vaguer letters that in no way blunted the agony her mother had gone through during those months of Alice's absence. Guilt twisted her gut. "I've lied to her for long enough. It's time I came clean about everything."

She just hoped it would not end up with her mother kicking her out of the house as Buffy's mother had done once she learned the truth behind her daughter's nightly activities. But at least Alice had the means to get a place of her own. She just did not want there to be a rift between her and the person whom she cherished most in the world next to Hatter.

"Everything?" Hatter's eyes lit up with realization. "Oh, you mean about being a Slayer, too." He grasped her hand and brought it up to his mouth to kiss it. "That's good, love. Your mum does deserve to know the truth. And don't worry," he paused to throw her a roguish grin, "I'm sure my presence will help soften the blow. I'll have your mum so charmed by my accent, style, and good looks that she won't care where you got me."

Alice lifted an eyebrow and just shook her head, though she could not exactly deny the truth of that statement. Hatter certainly had a way with words. Combined with his charismatic demeanor, he could probably charm himself out of (or in to) many situations. "Well, someone's a wee bit full of himself," she said.

Hatter's response was to grin seductively and roll her over on to her back, pushing her thighs apart to settle between them. She gasped as his prominent erection brushed up against her inner thigh, making her womb vibrate with anticipation. "Actually, I'd rather it was you who was full of myself, don't you?" he whispered in a voice filled with heat and desire.

She emphatically nodded her head in agreement.

They finally emerged to the surface world to find that they had in fact spent all of the previous day and part of the night engaging in carnal delights. It was now early morning and poor Dormie had fallen asleep on the ground in front of the desk waiting for them to return. As for the two Suits who had been assigned as Alice's needless bodyguards, there had apparently been a shift change and two different men stood sentry on the front porch of the ransacked tea shop. And by standing sentry, they were seated, playing cards, smoking cigarettes, and exchanging bawdy jokes.

Alice looked down at the slumbering form of Dormie in bemusement. "Should we wake him? I mean, he's kind of sleeping in the dirt." It looked really uncomfortable, but she had seen him fall asleep while standing at a podium.

"Well, if my sofa hadn't been knicked he could have been sleeping on that," Hatter commented dryly. He threw a dirty look to the empty space where his sofa had once stood. "But, yeah, I guess we should wake him." He crouched down and gently shook the little man.

"Geroff…umpf," Dormie groaned, swatting at Hatter's hand.

"Come on, mate, we're back."

"Wha—Hatter?" Dormie groggily rubbed at his eyes and then pushed his squat body up. Hatter resumed his position next to Alice while the little man brushed himself off. He then regarded the two of them, his eyes narrowing. "That was a really long chat. I didn't know it would take all night."

"Well, we had a lot to talk about," Hatter replied, keeping his voice and expression mild. "A lot."

Dormie's gaze fell upon Alice with acute suspicion. Mortified, she turned her face away so he could not directly see her cheeks flush crimson. In her mind, it was practically stamped on her forehead that she had spent the better part of the previous day and part of the night having sex with Hatter. Not to mention the not-so-quickie they had indulged in just before coming up to the office.

"Dormie, I have some news for you," Hatter suddenly piped up, drawing the dwarfish man's attention to himself. "I'm going to be leaving Wonderland and I've decided to sign the deed of the shop over to you. Do with it whatever you want or sell it if you want."

Dormie was too stunned by those two revelations to speak for a few minutes. Alice had to admit she was shocked by the second part, for he had made no mention of his plans for the shop to her. Either he had just made the decision or he had just elected not to tell her. From the abrupt way in which he had spoken, it sounded as if he had just come to that decision on the spot. She supposed it made sense, though. Dormie had helped Hatter run the shop ergo he was the most sensible choice for being its new proprietor. The only question was: what would he do with it now that its previous form of commerce was defunct?

"What…g-give me the shop? Boss…are-are you serious?" Dormie stammered. "And what do you mean you're leaving? Where are you going?"

"I'm going with Alice to her world," Hatter answered. He took Alice's hand and threaded his fingers through hers.

Dormie gawked at him in disbelief. "To the oysters' world? Are you crazy? Why would you want to go there?" Then his gaze flicked down to their linked hands and he stared at that spectacle for a few moments, a frown of bewilderment which slowly merged into understanding on his wrinkly face. "Oh." He then scratched at the back of his neck, looking for all the world like he wanted to be elsewhere. "You two weren't just talking down there, were you?"

"None of your business," blurted Alice.

"Your cheeks are looking a bit rosy there, love," Hatter remarked, tweaking her nose with affection. He appeared to be completely unflustered by Dormie's question. In fact, he was smirking with pride.

"Well, uh, congratulations," the tiny man said, awkwardly rubbing his hands together, "I guess." He peered up at Hatter, his brow knitted into a frown. "Are you sure you want to give me the shop?"

"I'd trust it to no one else, Dormie," Hatter told him warmly.

Dormie's mouth stretched out into a strange little smile, as if he was taken aback by the faith Hatter had in him. Then the two men embarked on a conversation concerning possible business ventures for the shop. Alice half-listened, as anything even remotely involving economic subjects tended to bore her to tears. Jack had fashioned himself an identity as a day trader, which had inadvertently turned out to be a smart choice. She had taken the least interest possible in his career, never leading her to discover that it, like everything else she thought she had known about him, had been a lie.

Instead she entertained herself with thoughts of integrating Hatter into her world. She smiled when she thought of the reaction he would garner from her fellow Slayers and their allies on the hellmouth. They, of course, would have little trouble accepting her story about Wonderland. For her strictly college and dojo friends and acquaintances, she would have to compose a plausible cover story. Leading a double life tended to create those kinds of complications. It was exasperating at times, but necessary.

The practical side of her mind began to impinge on all the fantasies about romantic dates she was envisioning. It reminded her that there were certain factors to take into account before she could safely bring Hatter to her world to stay. He was going to require documentation giving him an identity and an established life history. Not to mention he would need a place to stay. She contemplated having him stay with she and her mother, but their little townhouse only had two bedrooms and she was not certain her mother would be too keen on the idea. It was going to be bad enough that she showed up with a completely different boyfriend within hours of bringing Jack to meet her. Her mother had become rather desensitized to Alice's ever shifting love life, but this development was sure to raise an eyebrow. That the new boyfriend might essentially be homeless and have no traceable identity as far as the government was concerned would not win her over.

Besides, though she had made considerable strides in her relationship issues, she still balked at the idea of moving in with a man so early in a relationship. She decided not to dwell on the fact that she had spent the past three nights with him quite comfortably. But at least here she could use the excuse of having nowhere else to go.

With her connections, she could easily acquire all the things he would need to live comfortably in her world. But obtaining all those things before they even left would greatly expedite the assimilation process. And she knew just the person to go to for these matters. Although she knew Hatter would not like it.

She was right.

"Do we have to?" Hatter whined once she explained her plan to him.

"Well, no," Alice conceded, "I could just have it taken care of once we got to my world, but it makes more sense to go ahead and take care of it now, doesn't it? I mean he already has an apartment," she patently ignored the glower elicited by that remark, "and he had to get papers giving him a false identity. Jack spent months in my world. There's no way he didn't have official documentation otherwise he would have been booted out of there or locked up."

Hatter huffed in reluctant acquiescence. "All right, but I want a new bed for the place. And I'm probably going to want to redecorate. And I am sure as hell not going to take up his leftover false identity," he declared in a somewhat petulant tone. Alice could see he still fought the sensation of living in Jack's shadow. The shadow of a prince, though when Alice had been dating him she had not known he had been a prince, nor would she have cared.

"Fair enough," she replied. "In fact, I think you could actually keep your name. I assume Jack only had to take up a false last name because he was working for the Resistance. You're coming with me as a free man." Her brow furrowed as she considered something she had probably should have known a while ago. "Is Hatter your first name or last name? Is it even your real name?" It should have disturbed her that she had entered into a relationship with a man, even gone so far as being physically intimate with him, without even knowing his full name. But for some strange reason, it did not disconcert her in the least.

Her boyfriend grimaced. "Oh it's my last name, but I haven't gone by my first name since I was a kid. It's David."

"David?" Alice repeated flatly.

"Yeah, horrid isn't it?"

Alice shook her head. "No, it's just…not what I expected." She chuckled. "It just sounds so normal and…not you at all. But I don't see why you can't be David Hatter over in my world. Got a middle name?"

The grimace on his face deepened and he vehemently shook his head. "No, I refuse."

"Eugene!" piped up Dormie.

Hatter's face turned beet red, which was quite the new look for him. "You traitorous little git!" he yelled at the tiny man, who had retreated to the back wall. Turning to Alice, he let out a deep sigh and then said, "David Eugene Hatter, the Fourth. That's my full name. And if you tell anyone what my middle name is I'll deny it under pain of torture!"

Alice suppressed her urge to giggle and tried to keep her expression serious. "I'll take it to the grave."

"Thank you." He regarded her with a hopeful look in his eyes. "Do we really have to go talk to that ponce?"

Alice drew him into an embrace and patted his back. "Oh it won't be so bad. He owes you and me a big favor anyway. Besides," she pulled back to regard him with a mischievous smile, "we can see the duchess and get some more of that remedy. I think it's supposed to wear off soon."

Her eyes danced with amusement as she watched him absorb that thought. That seemed to mollify his dismay at visiting the new king of Wonderland considerably. In fact, once she mentioned that part, his eyes lit up and he practically dragged her out of the office, ordering those two Suits to ring up an airlift immediately.

Word of their impromptu visit arrived well ahead of time; courtesy of the fact that Wonderland had seen fit to adopt the technology of mobile phones (though she had yet to spot a tower to carry the signals, oddly enough). Just like yesterday, there was a greeting party standing in the central courtyard of Diamond Manor awaiting them. It made her cringe slightly with guilt, as her sharp eyes could see that Jack numbered among them and it made her feel bad she was probably taking him away from some important business with his severely troubled kingdom. Alice realized she was probably unfairly tapping into her status as one of the saviors of Wonderland or, as rumors would have it, the reincarnation of the Alice of Legend. But hopefully their requests would not take long to see through and then the new king to return to his royal duties.

"Alice, so good to see you again," Duchess Ilaena greeted warmly as they descended the ramp of the Scarab.

The two women embraced like old friends, earning a rather surprised, eye-widening expression from the king. He probably had not expected his ex-girlfriend and his fiancé whom he had betrayed with said ex-girlfriend to be on such friendly terms. No doubt he expected it boded ill for him in some respects.

"I did not expect to see you back here so soon," Ilaena commented with a wry, knowing glance in Hatter's direction. "I trust everything worked out."

"Oh yes," Alice replied, unable to keep the grin off her face, "very well. Thank you so much."

There was a subtle change in the duchess's demeanor. The frosty air had thawed somewhat and she seemed to be more relaxed, more amicable. It was very refreshing.

"It was my pleasure." The woman's eyes flitted towards Jack for the barest of moments before turning to Hatter. As was her duty as hostess, she glided over to the man to give him proper greeting. "Welcome to Diamond Manor, Hatter. We are very grateful for the valorous deeds you have committed in service to Wonderland. The kingdom will forever be in your and Alice's debts."

Alice noted that Jack tilted his head back and rolled his eyes at his fiancé's accolades toward Hatter. On Hatter's part, he just smirked in his typical fashion and proffered a deep bow, fluidly whisking his hat off his head in the process. "Thank you, Your Grace." She knew (and she suspected Ilaena knew as well) the gratitude was not just for the kind words.

The duchess did not reply to that remark, but merely smiled that knowledgeable smile and regally inclined her head. She then drifted back to allow Jack to step forward. Alice knew this was all part of some social etiquette, but it certainly ate up a lot of time paying heed to protocol. After Jack ran through his spiel of gratitude towards Hatter and Alice—which was not delivered with nearly the same degree of genuine warmth as the duchess's—she cut right to the chase.

"So, yeah, Hatter is coming back with me to my world and we're gonna need some help making him an official person…from my world," she bluntly announced.

Jack's eyes widened with both shock and consternation. "Going back with you? What?"

The duchess grinned at her from behind Jack as if she had suspected such a development all along. This was a woman who did not miss much. He really needed to get on the ball with making her his co-ruler. And to think he had at one point considered trying to start things anew with Alice. She did well enough commanding squads of Slayers and leading students, but to lead an entire country full of people was quite out of her league.

"Yes, he's coming back with me," Alice repeated gently, knowing that this probably did cut at Jack's already wounded heart. "And while I do have the means to get him papers and an identity and all that, I figured it would really simplify things if we just went ahead and took care of it here. I mean, I'm assuming you have ways to make that happen considering you spent months in my world as an operative of the Resistance." Unspoken was the part where he had spent months in her world lying to her about everything. It was unspoken, but Jack heard it all the same.

A contrite expression hovered on his face before he pushed it away and adopted what she supposed was his kingly mask. "Of course," he said tightly. "Let us go inside and we'll discuss the matter further."

There were oysters roaming through the halls this time and they threw out excited greetings upon seeing Alice and Hatter. She was touched that they recognized them as the ones who had woken them from their drug-induced stupors, saving them from a fate nearly worse than death. More than that, it was heartening to see that they seemed to be recovering from their ordeals better than she had anticipated. The human spirit was a lot tougher than she sometimes gave it credit for.

"Well isn't this a posh place," Hatter noted with appreciation.

"Yeah, just imagine trying to play hide and seek here," Alice said. "That game would go on for weeks, I bet."

"Oh, Alice, I thought you may want to know that your father is here," Ilaena informed her. "He arrived here not too long before you to work with your people. Some of them shall be ready to return home as early as tomorrow it seems."

"That's great," Alice replied. She was glad to hear her father was here, for she did want to inform him of her plans to bring Hatter with her. She also needed to know when he would be returning to their world so she had ample time to prepare for his arrival (i.e. finding a way to prepare her mother for the shock).

They filed into the same study Alice had talked with Jack in the day before, only this time Ilaena walked over to stand behind the chair where Jack sat. The stack of books had been cleared off the center desk and relocated to side tables. On the table there was a motley mixture of maps, charts, papers, pens, and, oddly enough, a little neon green stress ball. Jack must have noticed she was staring at it with bemusement.

"A souvenir from your world. I find my life has become a great deal more stressful of late," he explained wearily. He did not appear as haggard as he had yesterday, which meant someone (probably the duchess) convinced him to get some sleep.

"I can imagine," Alice quietly replied. She and Hatter settled themselves into the chairs in front of the desk, sinking into the plush ivory cushions.

"So, you require official papers granting…him…legal status in your world?" Jack said primly, directing his attention to Alice.

She bridled with annoyance at the way he seemed to be intent on ignoring Hatter's presence or even speaking his name. While she understood it probably pained him a great deal to see them together in a romantic capacity and to learn that he would be joining her in her world, it was childish and petty to continue to act in this manner. Certainly it was not befitting the image of a king. Hatter had been vital to knocking down the Queen of Hearts. He deserved more respect than that.

"I'm right here," Hatter piped up, evidently thinking along the same vein. "I may not be of noble birth, but I can understand you plainly."

From behind Jack, the duchess suppressed an amused smirk. The king fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, his hand reaching for the stress ball. Neon green oozed from in between his fingers as he tightly clenched it.

"You did promise me you would see he was well compensated, Jack," Alice reminded him sternly. "This is the way you can compensate him. Give him the means to live in my world; papers, ID, a place to live, and some starter funds. I figured you could just give him your apartment if the lease is still good. And I'm assuming you must have had a fairly substantial bank account. You did seem to have expensive tastes."

"Yes, but, Alice—" Jack griped, but the duchess laid a hand on his shoulder, cutting him off.

"That sounds like an admirable plan to me, Dearest," she said in a sweet, imperious tone.

Jack had been expertly backed into a corner. He let out a great, resigned sigh and relinquished the stress ball to rub his temples. "Very well, I shall have those documents drafted up immediately. I can only give him a photographic ID, however. I myself did not procure a driver's license. The lease on the apartment is good for another four months. I will sign the bank accounts over to the identity we draw up for…" he reluctantly drew his attention to Hatter, "you."

"Perhaps you should secure additional funds as well, Jack. After all, he is one of the heroes of Wonderland," Ilaena suggested mildly.

"Do you want me to bloody support him?" Jack mumbled bitterly.

"Oh I'm sure I can find a job of my own in her world," Hatter replied nonchalantly. He did not seem to dislike the notion of additional starter funds, however.

"Anyway I make more than enough money to support the both of us," Alice pointed out.

"As a part-time martial arts instructor?" Jack said; his brow rose skeptically. Then he realized she was not talking about that job. "Oh, right."

Even though the original Watchers Council had been destroyed, their wealth had survived. Apparently, the Council had been sitting on a proverbial pile of gold worth more than all the world's richest people and organizations combined. It enabled the successor organization to provide extremely ample stipends to all of its operatives. For a Slayer of Alice's rank and working in the hazardous conditions of a hellmouth, she was very well compensated.

They set upon drafting up a plausible identity and background that would ensure Hatter would not end up at the mercy of the immigration officials of the United States. Alice decided it would be best if they made his country of birth the United States to make him a natural citizen. To prevent him from having to adopt an American accent (for Alice just loved his natural accent), they simply fabricated a story of his family uprooting and moving to Yorkshire in the UK when he was very young. Jack griped about how much more complicated it would be to procure documents making him a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States. But at the looks he received from his fiancé, Alice, and Hatter, he said no more on the matter.

"He will need to be medically cleared to go, as well," said Jack.

"Medically cleared?" Hatter repeated with trepidation.

"Yes, there are diseases in her world that you, as a Wonderland native, have never been exposed to. If you wish to actually live permanently in that realm, you must be inoculated against them. All operatives going to her world for an extended period of time, including myself, had to undergo the procedure. Since you will be living in the States, you will not have to receive quite so many vaccinations," the king clarified, clasping his hands together in front of him.

Hatter looked a little green in the face after hearing that information. Alice had not even thought about that, but she was glad Jack had overcome his petty jealousy enough to mention it. It would have been horrible to have him take ill from some obscure disease simply because he had never been vaccinated against it like virtually all schoolchildren in her world had.

"Does this mean I have to get a bunch of shots?" Hatter questioned her once they stepped outside the study, their business with Jack more or less concluded. After leaving here they would head straight to the Hospital of Dreams so he could receive the proper vaccinations. As for the papers which would grant him legal status in her world, Jack promised to have them ready by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

"I'm afraid so." Alice took his hand and squeezed it. "It won't be so bad. I'll kiss them and make them better afterwards."

"Blimey, I had no idea coming to live with you was going to be so complicated," Hatter griped. "I thought we were just going to hop through the Looking Glass and…well, start up our fun, merry lives on the mouth of hell."

Alice chortled softly and linked her elbow through his as they walked down the sumptuous corridor. Before they left, they would seek out her father to tell him of the news. She was overcome by giddy excitement. Hatter was going to become a legal citizen of her world, of her country. For a while it seemed like the notion of him returning to her world with her was little more than a fanciful dream brought on by deluded wishful thinking. But it was real. She could scarcely contain the urge to dance in jubilation. The fact that her father would eventually be returning home was another layer of icing to this delicious cake.

"Alice," Hatter said in a low voice, leaning into her to whisper in her ear, "don't forget to ask the duchess about that…stuff before we leave. I think we may have some reasons to celebrate tonight."

Yes, for once they certainly did.

Hope you all enjoyed the women ganging up on Jack hehe.

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