Please see first chapter for disclaimer, rating, warnings, pairing, etc.

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the extended wait for this chapter! I had a technology-hates-my-guts moment and accidentally deleted half the chapter and was unable to retrieve it, so I had to re-write it. It's not like it was before, but it is extra-long and I like pieces of this version better than I did the other. Once more, I'm so sorry about the wait, but thank you again for your patience and all your support for this story!

-Chapter 8-

Discomforted

There were no words for the depth of Alice's confusion. The kiss she'd just shared with Tarrant was still forefront in her mind, consuming every other thought in her head with fiery single-mindedness. Once she was able to focus on something else, she wondered if he'd really meant it - especially considering he had been so anxious to get away directly after - or if he'd gotten caught up in the moment and kissed her for that reason only.

Alice knew if she agonized over it too much she would go crazy. But it had been obvious after the fact that Tarrant had regretted kissing her, for what other reason would he have for making every effort to run away as fast as he could? She needed to find something else with which to occupy her mind, but what?

The palace was spacious and beautiful, but Alice suddenly felt claustrophobic within its walls. So her urge for fresh air took her outside, where she decided to investigate Marmoreal's gardens. She had been in them the last time she'd visited Underland, but she had been so preoccupied by one thing or another that she hadn't been able to enjoy them.

The spicy smell of flowers hung in the air, mixed with the scent of strawberries and vanilla that was uniquely Marmoreal. Alice slipped off her shoes and left them at the entrance to the gardens as she went in, enjoying the feel of dirt and grass between her toes. It was amazing how quickly the constraints of Above had abandoned her in Underland; the feeling of freedom and the lack of critical eyes watching her at every turn was quite refreshing.

"Enjoying your stay, luv?"

Alice looked up into the branches of the tree to her right, easily picking out Chess's fur, bright eyes, and wide grin among the cherry blossoms. "Hello, Chess. Yes, I find I am enjoying this stay a bit better than the last."

Chessur stretched lazily before floating down from his perch to hover alongside her as she continued on her way. "Excellent. The Queen sent me away - I think she's tired of my help." He rolled his big eyes as if in disbelief that anyone could get tired of him.

Smothering her grin of amusement, Alice tucked her hands behind her back and swung her upper body freely like she had as a child, her wild blonde curls flying free in the perfect breeze. "Well, I'm glad you came out here and found me. I could use some company right about now."

Chess swung forward and around so he was floating backwards in front of her as she continued her garden stroll. "That doesn't sound good at all," he purred. "What has spoiled your day in paradise, poppet?"

"Nothing important," she lied evasively. She adored Chessur, but she didn't want him to know about what had happened in the ballroom. That was something she wanted to keep to herself, at least until she could figure out what was going on and how she felt about it.

"Ahh. Something to do with our dear Hatter, I presume?" His eyes gleamed with the intentness he always got when he thought he was on to some piece of juicy gossip.

"We are both concerned about our situation," Alice said firmly. "Even if we get too far away from each other within Marmoreal's grounds our heads start hurting."

"And does your head hurt now?" the Cat asked shrewdly.

"I think the more important situation at hand is whether or not the Queen is closer to an answer about what is happening. While the idea of staying in Underland and, more specifically, Marmoreal, is not horrible by any means in theory, I would like to do some exploring in other parts of this vast land. Which I cannot do, obviously, until we know for sure what is causing the headaches, and what we can do to fix them."

Chessur crossed his paws and rested his head on them. "You humans are unbelievably stupid sometimes," he sighed.

Alice narrowed her eyes at him. "That sounds like something Absolem would say. What are you keeping from us, Chess?"

Another grin stretched his lips, that devious sparkle back in his eyes. "At least you ask nicer than Tarrant. He'd call me names and shout at me to go away." He chuckled. "It's all about the Game, luv."

"What game?" She had little doubt that the Cat was playing one with her at that moment.

For a brief moment he looked like he was actually considering telling her. But then he smiled again and began to evaporate into mist. "The Game of Love, of course. Fairfarren, poppet." And then he vanished completely.

Alice was tempted to scream after him, but wasn't sure if he was still in the area. As usual, she felt like she'd had more questions raised than answers - a typical response after an encounter with that infuriating feline. But she loved him to pieces, really, and couldn't imagine Underland without him. He had been one of her first friends here, after all.

Deciding to put her encounter with Chessur out of her mind, she continued on her stroll through the gardens. Tucking her hands behind her back like she had when she was a child, she fairly skipped along, occasionally throwing in a spin just because. She could hardly believe how happy and free she felt since she'd come to Underland. Granted, there was still the threat of the headaches looming above her, as the deceptively soft throbbing in her head reminded, but she didn't feel like she had to live up to anyone's expectations. She didn't feel pressured to be perfect, to do everything right so she'd be accepted into a man's world.

But there was the ball, of course. That was one of the few things that was weighing heavily on her mind. She disliked the idea of having to spend an evening playing Queen's Champion, even among friends. It felt a little too much like the constraints of Above. Couldn't they just throw a delightful Tea Party and call it good?

That brought her thoughts back around to her and Tarrant's Encounter in the ballroom. He'd kissed her and then run off as if she'd frightened him, even though he had been the one to initiate it. Had she done something, completely by accident, that was considered offensive in Underland? She hadn't meant to.

It was all so confusing. What had happened to their close friendship from her past two visits that had allowed them to do or discuss anything with no discomfort or worry?

You've grown up. The whisper in her head sounded eerily like her mother. Alice had to admit that she had seen Tarrant in a different light this time, that her thoughts over her six month absence had led her down a more caring (she refused to use the word romantic) road than she had taken before. Even though she'd been gone such a short time, she'd changed so much. She couldn't really say if Tarrant had or not. He didn't really seem that different, but how could she honestly tell if he was or not? It wasn't like she'd been around him long enough to really say for sure one way or the other. She could ask Thackery, but she couldn't be assured of a straight answer. Mally was her only other option, and not only did she not know where the Dormouse was, but she wasn't so sure about the reception she'd get if she tried.

If she kept on with that line of thought, she was going to drive herself Mad.

Perhaps if she went to talk to Mirana. It was almost time to eat, and if she was still in the Library, she might not realize it. And while she appreciated the White Queen's willingness to work at every possible moment to find out what was going on with her and Hatter's headaches, she didn't want her working herself to death over it.

The hallways of the palace felt a little cool after the warmth of the sun outside. Shivering, Alice wrapped her arms around herself as she worked her way toward the Library. Tarrant had shown her where it was the day before, and she had very carefully memorized everything he'd shown her, so it didn't take her long to make her way there.

As she rounded the corner, she realized that Tarrant must have beat her to the idea. He and Mirana were standing in front of the doors to the Library, rather close together, and his hand was on the queen's shoulder.

Immediately Alice turned around and took off. She hoped to goodness neither of them had noticed her, because she didn't know what to do or say if they had. What could she say? There was nothing, absolutely nothing.

Once she was out of earshot, Alice started running. She realized she'd forgotten her shoes, but didn't feel like going back outside to get them. She went straight to her quarters and closed the door behind her, bracing her back against it and sliding down until she was sitting down. Pulling her knees up to her chest, she wrapped her arms around them and tried to stop herself from shaking.

She tried to tell herself that it didn't matter if he liked the Queen, and the Queen liked him. This was their world, their home, after all. She was a visitor - now more like an invader - there. And no matter what she thought she had or hadn't seen on Tarrant's face at the tea table, on the walk to Marmoreal, and in his workshop, it was obvious now more than ever that he'd just been caught up in the moment in the ballroom. His heart belonged elsewhere, and she had to accept that. They had always been just friends, after all, so it shouldn't be that hard.

…And yet, it was.

Eventually Alice firmly told herself to stop being stupid. She picked herself up off the floor and went to change for dinner, taking extra care to make sure she looked good before she left her room. Even if she was still bothered inside, she didn't plan on making her inner turmoil obvious to anyone else.

As she left her quarters, she failed to notice the most recent addition to her carpet: her and Tarrant in the ballroom, locked in their embrace, the Hatter's face bright with adoration.

Alice was the first to arrive in the dining hall. She hovered uncertainly by the table, wondering whether to go ahead and sit down or go somewhere else to wait for everyone else to show up, when Thackery came in, carrying a covered dish half his size. When he saw her, he almost dropped it. "Yer early!" he gasped.

Laughing softly, she took the dish and set it on the table. "I know, it's quite the surprise, isn't it?"

Thackery tugged on his ears, looking embarrassed at his outburst. "Ah've almos' go' th' table se'. Wanna help wi' th' res'?"

Relieved to have something to do, she nodded and followed him back to the kitchen. She was once more surprised at the sterile whiteness of it, though she supposed she shouldn't have been. But with Thackery's penchant for lobbing random things at random times, she expected it all to get a bit messy.

It took three more trips between them to get the rest of the dishes to the dining hall. Once more Alice was amazed at the spread awaiting the dinner guests - Thackery always seemed to be able to outdo himself with the number and caliber of his dishes.

Mirana was there as Alice and the Hare came in with the final dishes. She motioned them both to seats and focused on Alice after a brief greeting and word of thanks to Thackery. "I'm afraid I'm still not getting much of anywhere in my research," she said apologetically. "But I've been thinking about making a Remembering potion for myself, to see if I can track down what seems familiar about all of this. It seems like I've heard a story or a legend about this, but I can't pin it down." She shook her head ruefully. "I just hope the Remembering potion works. It doesn't always."

"I have the utmost confidence." Alice smiled, forcing herself to believe her words. "But are you sure there's nothing I can do to help, Your Highness? It's not that I'm not enjoying exploring Marmoreal, but I feel like I'm just taking up space and not being useful."

Leaning forward, Mirana grasped Alice's hand and met her gaze with all seriousness. "Alice, you slew the Jabberwocky and returned peace to Underland. That is a task that not just anyone can take on, let alone succeed at." Leaning back, she threaded her fingers together in front of her and looked down almost sheepishly. "To be entirely honest, I was hoping that when you finally returned to Underland, your stay - however long or short it would be - was going to be peaceful and more of a vacation than a duty like it was the last time. I did not want to presume to offer you a position in the castle and in my court that you did not want, but would accept out of some perceived duty." Her pale cheeks were brushed with the slightest shade of rose, as if she were embarrassed by her words.

Alice opened her mouth to reply, but was immediately interrupted by the entrance of the Tweedles. In their usual boisterous, energetic manner, they burst into the room and paused only long enough to bow to the Queen before talking over each other to ask how Alice's day had been and if she were enjoying her stay in Underland.

This time she knew the ache in her head had nothing at all to do with what had been going on with her and Tarrant. For one thing, the Tweedles could get quite loud in their attempt to outdo each other for attention, and for another, Tarrant had just walked through the door, his gaze going straight to her before nervously skittering away.

All through the meal Alice longed to say something, anything, to Tarrant. But he seemed to be avoiding her, conversing with the Queen, with Mally, with Thackery, with everyone but her. Biting back her disappointment, which was more savage than she would have expected, she quietly plotted on how to corner him after dinner.

She was sure that the meal was good - Thackery's cooking skills were absolutely unparalleled - but she couldn't taste any of it. Her uncertainty kept churning inside her, making her feel a little ill. She kept wondering whether confronting Tarrant was a good idea, but she couldn't see any other way around it. If they were going to have to stay close to each other for health reasons, she didn't want their time together to be awkward.

To her immense relief, her opportunity came as everyone was going their separate ways from the dining hall. She was able to catch up to Tarrant in the hall outside their rooms, and a soft hail stopped him in his tracks.

He slowly turned to face her, his eyes glowing yellow with uncertainty. He shifted on his feet, fingers nervously twisting together before him. "Aye, Alice?"

Now that she was actually confronting him, she realized she wasn't at all sure what to say. "I…" She stopped, swallowed hard, and then licked her lips to work some more moisture into her suddenly dry mouth. "I-I know that we need to stay close together until the Queen figures out why our heads hurt when we get too far apart. And - after what happened in the ballroom this afternoon, I didn't want our forced time together to be - well - awkward. Like it is now." She gazed steadily at him, hands fisted into the skirt of yet another of the dresses he'd made for her.

Tarrant gazed at her for another long moment, brows drawn together in an emotion she couldn't quite identify. At long last his right hand lifted, almost as if he were going to touch her face, but then he snatched it back and clenched his hands together so tightly the patches of his skin not discolored by his trade turned bone pale. "Alice - I-I never meant for things to be like this. I was so excited when you came back to Underland - I had been so in hopes you would, and it had been so long since I'd last seen you. A-And I know we're from two completely different worlds, and things are different where you come from, and certain rituals are different, and I stole a Kiss from you without permission, a truly slurvish thing to do if ever there was one, and of all people to steal a Kiss from, the Champion Alice had to be the one I did, and I'm just a slurvish lowly gallymoggers hatter with no honor or-"

Alice finally recovered her voice, which had been shocked out of her by Tarrant's line of reasoning. "Tarrant!" Stepping forward, she grasped his clenched hands in both of hers, resisting the urge to shake him for being so self-deprecating and mad and so infuriatingly gentlemanly and just wonderful. "It's all right! You didn't steal a Kiss from me. You can't possibly steal something that was willingly given."

He blinked. "But you looked - and then after I - and then it was-" He stopped, looking so confused it nearly broke her heart.

"Tarrant, I was surprised, that's all. I honestly hadn't expected you to kiss me. All this time, I had thought - hadn't dared to let myself hope otherwise - that what we shared was a close friendship. And then you kissed me, and I was so startled to find out that maybe, just maybe, you felt the same way about me that I did about you…" She shook her head in wonderment. "Later, I went to the Library to talk to Mirana, and I saw you there with the Queen, and I admit that…" She felt her cheeks flush red at the memory.

One of the Hatter's hands pulled free from her grasp. Only a second later she felt two fingers - one warm and rough, the other cool and metallic from the cap of a thimble - hook beneath her chin and lift her head so she was looking up at him again. His eyes were glowing soft green, and his smile was crooked and heartfelt. "Ye though' Ah ha' feelin's for 'er?"

Alice nodded, eyes downcast.

"She is mah Queen. Ah made a vow long ago tha' Ah woul' always be loyal tae 'er, ev'n in th' face o' death, an' ov'r th' years, sh' became mah frien', too. Bu' Ah'm jus' a Hatta, nae royalty. There coul' nev'r be anythin' between us." He smiled nervously. "An' Ah know ye are the Alice, Champion, an' tha' brings us back to me bein' jus' a Hatta, quite below th' station of a Champion, an' Ah completely understan' if ye don' wan' tae have anythin' tae do with me because of tha'…"

Lurching forward, she threw her arms around Tarrant's shoulders and clung to put paid to that. "Tarrant, you are and always have been my best friend in two worlds. I would never abandon you for anyone or anything." Her breath squeaked out of her when Tarrant's arms squeezed around her middle with more strength than his lean form would suggest.

"An' you'll always be mah bes' frien', Alice. No matter wha'."

It wasn't until Alice was in her room and halfway undressed for bed that she realized that she and Tarrant hadn't actually confirmed one way or another if they had romantic feelings for each other. But at that moment things were no longer awkward, almost back to normal, for them. And right then, that was good enough for her.

~To Be Continued~

Sorry again for the long wait, but I really hope it was worth it! Thanks again for your support, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!