You Make Me Better

Chapter 2

(Hatter's POV)

I went down the stairs first, she followed behind me, she was moving incredible slow, if she always moved this slow we wouldn't get anywhere. She was close enough to the bottom for me to grab her to put her on the ground, and of course I was fixed with another great 'I hate you' stare. I let her go and start to walk away, all the while assuming she would just follow me and then I heard that intake of breathe. I don't know why but at that moment I was just a scared as she was and all I wanted was to not feel that fear ever again.

(Alice's POV)

I tried to step away from the ladder but I honestly couldn't, it was just to high. I closed my eyes and grasped onto the ladder as if it was the only thing keeping me from falling the thousands of feet to the ground. I knew Hatter was walking away, and I knew if I didn't let go he would leave me. But to my surprise he turned around and asked me,

"Whatsa matter?"

"I got a thing about heights."

I watch him cockily lean his head over the edge to look down and then he looks back at me and says, "Look at me....Alice,"and he is there just holding out his hand for me to take.

(Hatter's POV)

As I held out my hand for her to take, I was also holding my breathe in already knowing that if she took my hand it would be the first step to getting her to trust me. I want her to trust me so badly, I don't want to be just a friend. After a minutes hesitation she grasp my hands and then brown meets brown.

"Try not to look down."

I keep my eyes glued to hers, making sure she knows that she isn't going to lose me, not that easily. I hear her breathing is labored by her fear but sure enough after about five minutes she is breathing normally and I turn around, leading her all the way to the Great Library.

(Alice's POV)

I hate to admit it, but when my eyes locked onto his, I felt this small spark and for the first time I felt like this one man isn't going to leave me. But I quickly shook that silly little notion out of my head, its too soon to be feeling anything like that for this man. Also, I love Jack, he even proposed to me so why I am feeling this way for this man. Anyway, he has turned around now, and I cant help to notice that he is leading us somewhere that could only be bad. He leads to a row of doors and bangs on the fourth door we come to and says,

"I'm returning a library book."

I suddenly here another mans voice its rather old, haggard and raspy with age and stress.

"How does the little crocodile improve his shining tail?"

I finally realize this must be a code, so maybe this house is a safe house or maybe its something much, much worse.

Hatter is beginning to get annoyed and says,
"He pours water of the river Nile on every golden scale!"

The door finally opens and I follow Hatter inside. The inside is like and old time bus from the fifties and it turns out to be a lift of some sorts. We travel down what feel likes to be about four floors, and then it stops. As I go to stand up, Hatter holds up a finger and says, "wait," the bus lurches for one last time before the door opens and some lady with rabbit ears is holding a shot gun up to Hatter and the old man on the bus had a gun pointed to his neck.

(Hatter's POV)

Those damn people and their guns, one would think that after years of smuggling food, medicine, blankets and various other things, they would trust me by now. I mean I understand why but did they seriously have to do it with Alice standing right behind me, I mean jeez now it's like I just took two steps backwards in the trust department.

"Why don't we just put the things away you know me well enough."

"We have our orders, you keep that right hand where we can see it."

"It's just flesh and blood guys.

"I don't think so we have all seen what you can do with that sledge hammer."

"Did you like the box of comfits I brought you last week; the cured meats and the cheese?"

"That's all gone."

"Well if you don't start treatin' me with a lil respect, you wont get another crumb."

"I'm sorry Hatter, were all a lil jumpy."

"Everyone's always a lil jumpy."

We start of down the hallway after I finally convinced those idiots to but their stupid lil guns down. I didn't expect Alice to stop and look down.

"Where are we?"

"The great library, in here houses thousands of books on art, history, law. All hidden down here when the queen came to power, she would like nothin' more than to see this place burnt to nothing."

"Who are all those people?"

"Refuges, people who refuse to go along with the queen's world of instant gratification. We give them shelter and try to feed them the best we can, but if they're ever discovered they wont stand a chance."

"Why does she want to destroy this place?"

"Wisdom is her biggest threat, she controls people with a quick fix."

After this conversation, I cant help but wonder if Alice, might be the Alice of legend, maybe she does actually care about this place, maybe she will fix just like her namesake all those many long years ago.

But now I am more worried about taking her to Dodo, because all that trust I just received from her, will be gone after that meeting, I am sure of it.

(Alice's POV)

My heart is heavy after looking at all those people, those people are just regular people who are trying to live their life's without taking away the bad. I do admit, I think I am beginning to admire Hatter, sure he is a conman, tea house owner (which I figured is the same as a drug dealer), and is playing both sides of the coin. But that's the only way he could help these poor people, is to put his life on the line and if he was ever caught … I shutter just at the thought of it.