AU: Added to this chapter as it was very sparse. A lovely breakfast and a mention of the Queen.

Chapter 5

Alice rolled over and patted the pillow beside her. It was empty. There was no one lying next to her. Opening her eyes she looked around. She was back in her room, the curtains drawn to keep the early morning sunlight out of her face. She felt like she wanted to cry. Everything that had happened to her was just a dream. Just another fucked up dream. She wasn't really in Wonderland at all. She hadn't actually been sleeping next to the Hatter that night. She sat up and pulled the covers over her legs to keep them warm.

"Just when I thought everything was going to be okay…" she said to herself. Or so she thought.

She felt a strong pair of hands place themselves on her shoulders and she jumped. Quickly looking up to see who was in her room with her she sighed in relief when she saw the Hatter grinning down at her.

"What, you thought I would leave you after I tried so hard to convince you I was real?" he asked, releasing her and walking around the bed so she didn't have to crane her neck to see him.

Alice shrugged her shoulders. After last night she wasn't exactly sure what to expect anymore. Everything she had ever believed had been turned upside down in a matter of two days. Everything she thought was a fairy tale was actually real.

"I-I don't know," she said, getting out of the bed and wrapping her arms around his waist.

He held her close and kissed the top of her head, "Don't worry. I wouldn't do that to you."

She buried her head in his chest and nodded, taking in his scent. He smelled so good. Like lilacs and cinnamon. He must have already bathed, she thought.

"Here, I'll show you to the wash room," he said, taking her arm and gently leading her out of the room and down the hallway. He stopped at the third door on the right at the end of the hall.

"Here," he said as he opened the door.

She was speechless. The room was huge with a large bath tub in the middle, already filled with steaming water. Across from the tub there were white and black marble counter tops adorned with a sink and a mirror that stretched across the entire expanse of the wall. There were two white fluffy towels already sitting out next to the sink and a white rob laying next to them. The walls were the same black and red checkerboard as the bedroom but the ceiling was all black. Somehow the room seemed just as bright as if the walls and ceiling were painted completely white.

"It's beautiful…" she said, walking over the counter and running her hand over the towels and robe.

"Everything is ready. The soap and other accouterments are on the ledge in the tub. I'll go ahead and set up breakfast," he said, getting ready to step out the door.

"Hatter..."

He paused at the shyness in her voice.

"Thank you." Alice said, a bit more quiet than she would have liked.

He smiled and replied, "You're welcome. Now wash up! I have a wonderful meal ready for you when you're done!"

With that he popped out the door and shut it softly behind him. He stood there for a moment grinning to himself like a cat with a bowl of cream. He knew she had meant thank you for more than just the hot bath. She had seemed genuinely happy to see him that morning and he had felt his heart swell at her smile. When she spoke after waking he had heard the desperate sadness in her voice and couldn't help himself. He had reached out and held her, hopping it would chase away her fears. Mulling over his thoughts he made his way to the kitchens directing his mechanical spiders, about as large as a medium-sized dog, to set the table for breakfast. Alice had yet to see the clockwork companions and he wondered what her reaction would be. He knew she was terrified of spiders. This thought amused him and he went about his business setting her plate with a large grin on his face.

Alice removed her clothes and sank down into the gloriously warm water, letting it ease her muscles and her mind. She had been so afraid she was dreaming again. Hatter had proved her wrong, of course. It seemed silly, now that she thought about, that she had worried so much. He was right, why would he go through so much trouble proving himself to her only to let her go back home? She opened the bottle of shampoo nearest to her and realized now why the Mad Hatter had smelled of lilacs. She took a rather long sniff of the flowery shampoo and sighed in relief. She loved lilacs.

Taking her precious time she washed her hair and her body. Only when the water began to grow tepid did she pull herself up from the tub and dry off. Noticing she had no other clothing, she wrapped the robed around herself and tied the silk belt around her waist. Her crimson locks fell neatly around her shoulders and she grinned. Her hair was always one of her favorite features. That was why she never did more than trim it up when necessary. Smiling to herself she walked out of the washroom and made her way towards the dining room. She could already smell the delicious aroma of fresh-baked apple spice bread and blueberry tarts. The Hatter, it seemed, had quite the sweet tooth.

As she entered the room the Hatter looked up, beaming. He was glad to see she was washed and relaxed.

"Breakfast is served!" he said jovially.

Alice grinned and took her seat next to the Hatter. Like before, the table was covered in all sorts of jams, jellies, breads, and creams. The fruits were all fresh and the morning tea was divine. She had never really liked tea, but for some reason the cherry flavor of this particular tea appealed to her. As she had done with her bath, she took her time trying and relishing all the flavorful options, enjoying every minute of it. If breakfast was like this every morning, she could really learn to love Wonderland. Once they had both finished their morning meals they sat back and sipped at their tea in a tranquil silence. The mechanical spiders moved towards the table to clear away the used dishes.

Alice took notice and all but came out of her seat at the sight of the creatures. She squealed and threw her arms up and in fright, spilling her tea all over the white table-cloth.

The hatter chuckled lightly, "Don't worry, dear Alice, they won't hurt you. They are my companions. Quite useful really. They keep this place very tidy."

Alice shuddered, visibly shaking herself, "Why spiders!?" she said, a hint of disgust in her voice.

Again the Hatter chuckled, "Why not?"

She shook her head at his answer and forced herself to calm down. If he said they wouldn't hurt her then she believed him, sort of.

"Well, now that I'm here what are we supposed to do?" Alice asked after the Hatter had finished his tea.

"That, sweet Alice, is a very appropriate question. I will need to inform the Queen that you have arrived and we will have to set a time to meet with her. She is very anxious to meet you, my dear." the Hatter said, placing his now empty cup on top of one of his companions.

Alice cringed but didn't jump in fright this time, "I see. When were you planning on meeting with the Queen?"

"This afternoon, after lunch of course. It doesn't do one well to meet with royalty on an empty stomach. I wouldn't want it growling in the middle of our meeting! How embarrassing that would be!" He shook his head and laughed.

"Might I go with you?"

The Hatter grimaced at that, "No, I think it best you stay here. It's just not safe to have you travelling about all the time. Not safe at all! Here, you are safe. Here, you are going to stay until the Queen is ready to meet you."

His words left no room for argument and Alice nodded her head. She knew he was only trying to protect her. From what she wasn't sure but he had her best interests at heart.

"What will I do while you're gone then?"

At that the Hatter perked up. He knew she loved reading and he had just the library to entertain her for hours!

"Come! I have just the thing." He said, standing up and offering his hand to her.

She took it, stood, and followed him down a hallway she did not remember from their tour. They came to a set of double wooden doors and the Hatter pushed them open to reveal a large room lined with bookshelves, all full. Alice grinned, stepping into the lovely room.

"I believe this will keep you entertained?" he asked, noticing her smile grow as she walked the walls, tracing her fingers over the spines of the books.

"I believe it will!"

She hastily grabbed a book from the third shelf that she found interesting and took a seat next to the fireplace in a velvet covered armchair. He sighed, knowing he would not see her again until after his meeting with the Queen. Silently, he closed the doors and walked to the sitting room, materializing a hot cup of tea as he sat down in his favorite chair, and old piece, hand tailored by his great, great-grandfather and passed down from father to son. It was worn in and rough around the edges but it was still very comfortable and he had no intentions of replacing it any time soon. Alone with his thoughts and his tea he pondered the meeting with the Queen and hopped all would go well. He was nervous leaving Alice all alone but he was also confident she wouldn't stray from his domain. She wasn't a stupid girl, and he liked that. With that he was lost in thought, waiting for lunch time to arrive. It did have a tendency to be late after all.