The Show Must Go On…

It was the Hatter; he stared at the bleak table in shock. The mug was absolutely empty, still cramped into one hand, yet the Hatter hadn't changed a bit anymore.

"How is this possible?" he asked with a breaking voice "Why didn't I turn back?"

Everyone looked at their feet in an affected manner. They all felt sorry for the Hatter and it overlaid the joy of Mallymkuns successful retransformation. Alice felt her heart ache again, he looked so sad, even this new, English clothing was adapting to his mood and looked sad.

The Hatter took a deep, depressing breath and looked at the Queen for help, for she was the one who knew about these magic things. In his big eyes, now reminding of an overgrown and quite poisoned puppy, sparkled a very dim shred of hope – maybe there was an explanation, a very easy explanations, maybe he needed more because he was taller or maybe it was a different ingredient necessary for males or… or… he didn't know. He felt the same cluelessness as when he first heard about a raven being like a writing desk, he didn't know why that was, either, but he hoped this time he would find an answer.

The mouth corners of the Queen dropped deep, making her look like a caricature of her own because of the dark lip stick, frustrated she sat down with the whooshing sound of her dress.

That this wasn't a good sign was all too obvious and Alice felt a clump form in her stomach, the Hatters mimic told her it was the same for him. Mallymkun climbed up the table to take part in the situation.

Mirana lay two fingers to her temple like she had a headache, stroke over her nose, front head, through her hair, then she displayed half a smile "There are some explanations…" she said, "I'm not sure a single one fits, but these are the ones I know of: First, maybe you want to be more like what you are now, then you know, this could hinder you turning back. Secondly, I can't turn back what already is turned back. At last, maybe the curse laid on you… is just too strong."

The words of the White Queen stirred up more questions than they answered and every one of the attending persons drew their own conclusions from it. The Queen was quite distressed about a curse that may be too strong to heal, as she had studied the healing arts for all her life. Mallymkun feared deeply that the Hatter might like the way he was now, as it was estranging and a bit offensive. They were all mad and she and the Hatter always had a special connection because of their unique way of madness, what if Tarrant didn't want to be mad anymore? Would they still be best friends then? She couldn't stand losing him. She always feared that the Alice was the only danger for her, but now possibly the matter himself was turning away…

Alice herself thought about the second answer, what could it possibly mean, not being able to turn back what is turned back? It sounded like one of the usual riddles of Wonderland, so it was probably more obvious than she thought, yet she couldn't wrap her thoughts around it.

The Hatter, at last, thought about all these possible explanations. He couldn't make up if one of them was the right one, none of them felt right so it either had to be none of them or something in between. Whatever it was, he couldn't change anything about it now, he had to accept it and move on.

With a sudden enthusiastic movement, he swept the boring cylinder from his head and his favorite hat, which he held in his hands until now, was placed proudly and not less determined on his head.

"What now?" he asked the Queen, who had calmed herself and rested her back against the wall:

"As I said, it is of utmost importance to reinvestigate the west border. As whatever events happened only affected Mallymkun and you, and as my White Knights have come back without any clues yet, it will be the best to take a group of White Knights with you. They will help you search the forest and take care of you at the same time." She looked that the Hatter intensively "I know you don't like that but I won't risk losing you again and maybe you can find out what happened and who is the source of this despicable curse."

She was right; he didn't like it at all. He was used to working alone, accepting no one else to help him than Mally, he just couldn't adjust well with the knights. Mallymkun always knew how he was and how to react to him, she could read him as well as he could read her, it was different. He wasn't a big team player. However he couldn't deny what the Queen said was reasonable and it wouldn't have helped anyway, because her tone left no room for protest, in this situation he knew how to shut up.

"What about me?" Alice asked, "I want to help," I owe them to…

"I'm sure you will be of great help," the Queen said assuring with soft eyes "You are my champion. You will go with them but while the plan is in work, I want you to take part in some training. You won't have the Vorpal Sword this time, as the Jabberwocky of this generation is slain, so you need to be able to handle yourself although your intellect will be the better weapon by far."

Alice agreed by lowering her head, although she didn't feel that great about the training in front of her. She barely remembered the great and powerful feeling that engulfed her when she had adjusted to the Vorpal Sword and slain the Jabberwocky in a quite professional manner. All that sudden knowledge was now lost to her and a blade was frightening again, something Victorian women hadn't anything to do with or even to think about. Yet it was surely a good idea. Whatever lurked in these woods out there at the ominous west border, it would be something very evil if it managed to turn her friends so miserable and steer fear in a whole country. They had to stop it, no matter what. With this thought Alice felt a new strength within herself; this would be the source she would drink from when it came to the fight that their exploration surely would end in.

"If all questions are answered or not answered now, I suggest we dismiss this meeting now," the White Queen stood up. "As much as I enjoy your company and feel compassion to your situation I have enough important business to do. I will have you all lead to quarters, and If you want to visit your home," she turned to the Hatter "do so in the next days but don't forget to take part in the plans for the coming exploration to the west. Everything should be as it was." She had the Mad Hatters house guarded in case he showed up. Before heading to the door she looked at him intensively "Don't even think about going out there alone, we know how it ended now, who knows how much worse it could become." With alone, of course, she meant without her knights. It wasn't only a thing about control; it was also that she felt remorse about not being there for her loyal subordinate and being left out in the blue about his situation.

Then she sent two servants from the hall to them to lead them to the quarters they could use.

Walking down the halls, the trio was very quiet, lonely in their own thoughts. As Alice had already thought many thoughts before and she was always a quick mind, she was ready at first and observing the face of the Hatter, that grew more and more dark, she took his hand it squeezed it gently. Suddenly his face looked lighter again and he blinked at her surprised, looking at their joined hands, back at her and at the hands again. "Thank you…" he whispered and squeezed back with caution.

"We would lead Lady Alice this way," one of the servants said mildly, Alice and Tarrant had to separate into different corridors.

"I want to visit my house," the Hatter said, Mallymkun jumping up his arm and climbing to his shoulder "You'll meet me tomorrow at the front fountain?"

"Of course, I will," replied Alice with a smile and the dormouse couldn't bring up any protest from inside her.

"Please sleep well, we will find out what happened to you and we will make everything alright again."

"I know," said the Hatter, "It's your dream and all. Goodnight, Alice."

Alice smiled "Goodnight, Hatter. Goodnight Mallymkun," she greeted and turned away with the servant, her smile becoming wry, she didn't think it was a dream for a long time now, she came to this realization during her last visit here, however she had never told him.

The Hatter on the other side wished he could think so optimistically about the matter, yet optimism was a rare good and he knew too well about the dark sides of this place, about that world and all.

Together with Mallymkun he got accustomed with the quarters for the night, though he wasn't very fond of spending the nights in the castle. However, when Mallymkun was already snoring away in another part of the quarters, he still lay awake and enjoyed the memory of Alice taking his hand and accepting the invitation for the next morning. He didn't know what she felt but he hoped it was similar to his feelings, yet he wasn't sure how to show them. He didn't want to scare her away, in no way, he had never met someone this accepting of him before, except for Mally – however she was a dormouse, no mater how much he liked her. Alice was different and special. For the Queen he would give his life, but for Alice and Mally, he would give his soul, if there was left something like that inside of him.

On the next morning, everything seemed to be a bit better. That was largely the fault of the beautiful

weather that greeted everyone with golden light, granting the White Castle some color in the shades of yellow, gold and red-orange. Alice walked through the leaves at the ground, listened to their rustle; somehow it seemed to her like Wonderland was in autumn, and although it was spring in the London she had left. Yet it gave life a nice, spicy flavor. The air was clear, warm and tasted great, big insects buzzed around; she even saw the one or the other flying rocking horse.

When she came near the fountain, Mallymkun and the Hatter already sat there, yet the Hatter had decided to take off the upper suit because of the warmth. He intended to get decent clothing once he was home, anyway. Alice observed a bit surprised that the Hatters arms, while slim and not bulky, yet seemed to have some muscles – as a swordfighter reasonably would have, but Alice didn't know much about these things. That he had strong shoulders, on one of those sat a dormouse right now, this she had found out several times before when she hugged him, but now the feeling made her a bit uneasy.

When the gaze of the Hatter fell upon her, he asked to himself why Alice's cheeks had turned red, but probably it was only the morning sun painting her just like everything here.

He eagerly stood up like a gentleman would and approached her "Good morning, Alice," he said.

"Good morning, Hatter," she replied and looked at his shoulder "Hello Mallymkun."

The dormouse lay more than she sat at the bend of his neck, half asleep; she yawned and opened heavily one of her big, dark eyes, acknowledging the greeting, before shutting it again.

"So, in which direction do we have to go?" Alice asked curious and quite eagerly to move.

Tarrant smiled "This way," he pointed out straight ahead, out of the castle to the near, dark green woods. "It isn't that far but I hope you haven't declined the breakfast." First, they wouldn't make it there that fast, but he also couldn't have offered her anything. Of course he couldn't, as he hadn't been there in a year to Alice's knowledge, however he was concerned that he didn't own much due to his life style and often being absent from home. First he went onto missions or lived in the castle making hats for everyone, then he went to the Marchhares house and felt comfortable there, having a tea party, yet he had one for several past years due to his struggle with time. After the big battle with the Bloody Big Head, he had gone on missions again, mostly, not being much at home after all. Still he stored his belongings there, he felt they belonged to the house as much as he, through It was small, remote and at the moment probably quite dusty.

Alice smiled and walked beside him out of the castle gate and soon into the woods. It was another part of the same forest she woke up in first and which had a part burned down by the Jabberwocky years ago. It was the same forest that once engulfed the old White Castle when it had still existed.

This forest gave a feeling of dark green, the trees were high and often conifers, only some smaller broadleaves here and there and many ferns at the ground-level. The old needles made the ways soft, through, walking here was nice and the sun breaking through the branches made it look even more nicely.

While Mallymkun doze, nobody spoke a word but this time the atmosphere was lighter and friendlier. From time to time, the Hatter and Alice shared a look at each other and both knew they felt better than before, just for accompanying each other and maybe because the morning was night and all.

A bit later the dormouse stretched herself and rub her eyes, yawning, "Oh, are we that far already? You surely seem to have got some new energy, walking at this speed."

He surely was walking faster, lighter, then before in his state of misery and lingering around like a pile of wet laundry. He also knew whose fault that was and maybe she knew it, too.

Alice just felt better because the Hatter seemed to feel better, she really didn't know his day-to-day behavior well enough, yet, to judge something like his walking speed. If Mallymkun noticed, it must've been obvious that the Hatter was better, probably because he was walking home. He surely looked forward to it, being in a home and feeling safe. She could understand it; she often thought of home, more often like 'home' was when she was younger. When her father still lived and her mother, however much of a party-girl, was still around. They were both dead now, leaving only Margaret to her – but her sister had suffered so much because of her, if she was honest to herself, she didn't want to bother her again, soon. Looking at it this way, she realized … there was not much of a home left for her. Not in London, not in Otherland.

"There it is," the Hatter stated contended, pointing out to a clearing with his chin. The red lit clearing with very high grass only showed a single house sitting in the middle of it. Alice really shouldn't have been surprised after witnessing the style the Marchhares house was built in, so she wasn't when she realized the house looked like a gigantic hat, not much different from the Hatters favorite. Sadly that also applied to the state of the building, as it was scorched a bit here and blackened a bit there.

Around the house, there stood four White Guards. The Hatter approached one of the guards and explained that he was back, everything was well and they could go home now. First, the guards were resenting this as they had their orders and the Hatter didn't carry an official order by their Queen.

On the other side, one of the guards was thinking that maybe he could really need a vacation, or some juice, or just visit the armor-polishing crew again… this thought intensified when he caught the orange coruscation in the Hatters eyes and the dark gnarl in his throat. The guards realized that they were no longer welcome and they knew better than to start a fight with the Mad Hatter.

Having this business finished, he came back to Alice, who already came near on from her side, shortening the way.

"We can go in now," he said and offered his hand "It would be a pleasure to introduce you to my house."

The Hatter was obviously in a sophisticated mood again, so Alice curtseyed slightly, took his hand and smiled adoringly "It would be a pleasure for me, Hatter, if you led me in."

The Hatter walked her to the door and opened it, the inside was lighted by the sun from the outside, so they could see a little.

Alice recognized a kitchen table standing in one non-edge of the round house, together with a bowl that once held water or something. There were also some old cupboards. On the other side there was a tailoring table and some things for making hats, although the majority of these things were deposited in the castle. The Hatter actually liked to make random hats if he wanted to relax, Alice didn't know that but she could easily imagine it. Behind the table were a big, red sofa and some old pillows, a dusty carpet and… not that much more. The house was not very full and it looked very, very old. She couldn't really believe the Hatter lived here, as he physically couldn't be much older than her, but the things here looked much older than some heritage from her grandmother.

"It is not much," he explained "but it is mine."

"I understand what you mean," Alice said, although the understanding came only slowly while thinking about the missing home she could go back to.

Mallymkun hopped own and one paw stroke over a cupboard, full of black dust "Ew!" she exclaimed, she seemed to not having disowned all the characteristics she involuntarily took on while being a maid.

"If you like, take a seat," the Hatter gestured to the red sofa, he walked towards it, stroke the dust from it and patted a pillow – not a good idea as there was a large dust-cloud making him cough. He turned to a window to open it, lucky to find the dark lever on it. "I'm sorry!" he coughed.

"It doesn't matter," Alice replied, slightly coughing and sat down on the a bit cleaned sofa out of courtesy. "It doesn't look like you are here too often, right?" she tilted her head, "So it must be something you came looking for here, what is it?"

Tarrant smiled "My wardrobe!" he opened the only big armoire and it showed neat, tidy and clean rows of perfectly sorted clothes. His heart grew over – finally decent clothes.

But first he made some hot water and brought Alice a tea in probably the only clean and unbroken cup of the house, before he hit the very small, almost not noticeable bathroom to dress himself.

A while after, they left the house and the Hatter wore the clothing suiting him best – an extravagant short cloak, his favorite head, all the small things that belonged to his outfit making it extraordinaire – suiting it to his personality – and of course the blue-green-black kilt of his family.

He felt way more secure now and way more he, Mallymkun had tears in her eyes, wiping them away with a grunt about the dust around here. Alice saw him bloom and she felt that this was more the Hatter she knew than before and when he turned around, he was definitely more pale than before, unnaturally pale, too pale to blame it on the now neutral light of the sun high above.

Even his clothing was beaming of joy and feeling right again!

"We should go back to the castle," Alice said "It is almost noon."

The Hatter nodded "Yes, and the Queen –ordered- to help the planning." Well, she was talking about attending the planning, but Tarrant Hightopp wasn't somebody following any orders, he choose very carefully whose orders he cared for. "Then let's go."

"Ahem," a squeaky voice came from beneath, Mallymkun looked up at him with her big, black beady eyes.

"Aah, let's guess, Mally… the Lady wants to travel by hat?"

"I LOVE travelling by hat!" the dormouse exclaimed joyfully and the Hatter chuckled.

"Up with you, then," he said and let Mallymkun step on his hand before lifting her to his hat brim, from where she enjoyed the view.

They headed back to the castle, Mallymkun loved the ride and was adequately distracted from the smiles the Hatter smiled at Alice, who didn't notice them all the time – especially when they were not that boyish.

TBC

A/N: I'm very, very sorry that it took so long with the new chapter. There is that ugly thing called real life and it scratched at my door not longer contend with being ignored.

As my vacation is over, it may be that one chapter or another is delayed a bit, especially under the week – but I promise the weekend updates will be there regularly.

I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter, it's a bit exposition but I wanted to dive into the thoughts of different characters. The next chapter will, probably, have a bit more action and straight-forward plot.

Please RnR!