Wandering in Wonderland.

It took longer than they expected to to get back to the looking glass. It should have been relatively quick to get back to the portal except that Wonderland was never as it seemed despite its childlike makeup. It was always shifting on a wimp which left Jefferson and Alice walking for a very long time. It also didn't help that the Queen's guards had caught wind that there were intruders in Wonderland and had come after them.

"I'm not getting on that!" Alice yelled, ignoring the hand that the Hatter extended to her as he sat upon what Alice might have called a dog in her own world.

Whilst the guards had been searching for them, they'd left their animals unattended and now Hatter was trying to convince her to get on one. She was almost positive she'd rather get caught than have to climb aboard the giant creature.

"It's perfectly safe," the Hatter assured her, glancing up at the oncoming guards. "… Safe-ish,"

"I have a thing about riding wild animals!"

"I have a thing about sharp things being pointed at me!" Hatter yelled down at her, leaning down until his face was inches from hers. "Listen to me; I wouldn't let you do it if I didn't think you'd be safe,"

Alice took a breath in surprise before glancing back at the guards running toward her. In a huff, she took the Hatter's hand and swung aboard the animal's back, gripping his waist tightly as Hatter got them on their way. She kept her face pressed against his back no matter what sounds the animal made or the sounds of angry yells that met her ears. The only time she dared to look up was when she felt little stings on her skin.

"Ow!" she cried, swatting at the little creatures fluttering around her, taking little bites out of the skin that they could get out. She did her best to swat at them with one hand, trying to keep them off of Hatter as well as he steered the beast beneath them. "What are these things?"

"Cards!"

She nearly snorted. "Of course they are,"

When they finally fell away from them she was extremely grateful. She returned to her place at the Hatter's back, staying there until the sounds of the guards stopped and the animal beneath lumbered to a halt beneath her.

"We're here,"

Alice lifted her head from his shoulder and looked around, refusing to let go of his waste until she was sure that there was no dangers around… or that the animal beneath them wasn't going to do anymore moving. He was patient with her though, as he'd been for most of the trip despite how much she knew it pained him sometimes, and waited for her to let go before getting down. He wasn't so cruel as to leave her up there either but helped her down, his hands on her waist as he guided her off the beast and set her on the ground. She tried to ignore their proximity and was doing a good job until she saw the blood cuts on his face.

"Here," she began, pulling off her gloves to use them to wipe away the blood.

He hissed at her when she touched the first one, jerking his head way. "Leave it be. I'm fine,"

"Don't be stupid," Alice frowned, swatting away his hand when he reached up to stop her next attempt to clean up the deep cuts caused by the cards. He jerked away again but this time she reached up with her other hand and grabbed the back of his head, threading her fingers through his hair before he could get too far. His eyes widened at her but again she ignored him, continuing her work to clean the blood off his face.

As she continued to work, even having to go as far as pluck a piece of a playing card out of his cheek just below his right eye, she noticed that he relaxed. She didn't have to hold him where he was though she didn't remove her hand from the back of his head. She kept him there until all was left was think angry cuts, no trickles of blood or anything else.

"There you are," she told him, finally releasing him to place the blood gloves in her dress pocket.

"Thank goodness," he exclaimed turning towards the looking glass. "Here we are. You can go now,"

Alice frowned stepping towards the looking glass. She was still doubtful that it would world but… she had to give it a try. She moved to tap the glass when the Hatter's hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, giving her a frown. She rolled her eyes, getting him to release her before moving to touch the looking glass again, this time more gently.

She jerked her hand back when the glass began to shift under her fingers in a way that she recognized. She looked up at Hatter in shock to find him smiling at her, as if he were watching a baby find their feet for the first time.

"It works,"

"Yes, it does,"

Alice smiled up at him. "That's amazing,"

The Hatter couldn't hold back the chuckle before he nodded. "It can be,"

"You do this all the time? Jumping and walking through mirrors,"

He nodded. "It's a little less primitive than you make it sound but yes,"

"And there are other worlds?" Alice asked, eyeing the looking glass as if she could see those worlds in the depths of it.

"Yes,"

"Have you been to them all?"

"Most of them,"

Alice almost felt sad at that… that he could go to all those different worlds while she'd only ever be able to see this one that she was in. She envied him his ability to go anywhere at a whim and see the things she couldn't. She could never possibly imagine all of those worlds.

"Well," she breathed, shaking her head as if to rid herself of these ideas. "I think I've had enough of Wonderland for a lifetime,"

"Yes. I'm sure you have," Hatter nodded with a smile. "Still we had a laugh, some good times… obviously among the bad times,"

"Yes," Alice smiled. "Yes, we did,"

The Hatter nodded back awkwardly before reaching a hand out as if to shake hers. She made as if to take it before she stepped past it and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him to her. He stiffened in her arms but he eventually placed his hands on her back, patting her awkwardly before she finally let him go.

"Well…" Hatter murmured. "Goodbye… Just Alice,"

She chuckled. "Goodbye, Hatter,"

She turned and gently stepped up to the looking glass, disturbing the silvery material before she stepped into it. The same warmth came over her as she stepped through, her skin becoming almost blistering hot when she finally landed on her feet. However, when she opened her eyes she found that she wasn't in the destination she'd expected.

"How are you here?"

She turned around to find Hatter standing behind her, having just appeared through the looking glass after her. He seemed just as shocked as she was to find her there, his normally sarcastic expression replaced with wide eyes.

"What is this place?" Alice asked, glancing around at the circular room of doors.

"This is a place between worlds," he answered mechanically. "Inside my hat,"

"Inside your hat?" she asked, turning back to him in confusion. "Can I get home from here?"

"No… your world has no magic and my hat can only take you to worlds with it,"

"Oh," she breathed looking around at the room again.

What was she to do now? Even though she'd been thinking about how she wanted to travel all the different worlds, her home had been the only one she knew. She'd been in Wonderland for barely a day and she'd needed the help of a man that had thought her wet dress payment enough for helping her. Granted, she did think a great deal more of him now, it wasn't likely that he would just agree to take her along with him. She needed to get home where she was safe… but she couldn't.

"What's the matter?"

"What will I do if I get stuck here, Hatter?" she asked him, turning to look up at him. "What will happen to me?"

"Then I'll make sure you're alright," he said without pause.