And here we are again. :) Thank you for the amazing Reviews, but may I ask something of you? Spread the word. I saw this AiW fanfiction and although it was AMAZING, it was one-shot and had 72 Reviews. This is my 9th chapter. I have a little more than 30. BUT please don't think badly of me. I am SO grateful for those ones given to me so far. :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Lewis Carroll, Disney, and Tim Burton do.

Inspirational Song: "Wheel In The Sky" - Journey

"Painting Flowers" - All Time Low

"We R Who We R" - Ke$ha

"NO!"

Alice woke up with a start and sat up straight. She was sweating and panting and all-in-all just having a panic. She'd had another nightmare. Not one full of many colors and strange creatures like most of her dreams, but one of the Otherworld. It was horrifying.

She was sitting at a white table with Lord Ascot in his manor's yard. The sun was shining and the mood was positive. Teas and pastries were set out for them and they were planning their next journey. Yet when Alice looked down at the map in front of her, it wasn't of an ocean or landmass. It was a map of her life from that point on, all drawn out in small pictures with arrows.

"So as you can see here," Lord Ascot pointed at a hastily-drawn picture of Alice sitting with the March Hare, Mallymkun, and Hatter at the Tea Party, "you will live in Wonderland and be happy for the rest of your life. Got it?"

Alice found that she couldn't control her mouth, yet she heard herself speak. "Yes, I understand."

Lord Ascot smiled. "Good. But I must warn you that this plan is a bit dithering. If everything doesn't go splendidly well while leaving the Otherworld, bad events will have been caused in Wonderland. You know what bad events can lead to, correct?"

"A disaster in the arrangement." She smiled like a student who had known the answer when no one else in class did. Well, Dream Alice did. Real Alice could only watch.

"Precisely. So be on your guard when leaving this world. Certain things will happen in the Otherworld after your departure. Once you leave, your mother will be in tears for a few months-or-so. Once her eyes are too dry to cry, she will be bed ridden and die a mournful death." He smiled then, and Real Alice gasped. Lord Ascot's amount of suddenly sharp teeth seemed to have doubled. His piercing eyes reddened, but not like a particular milliner's eyes would have. They were demonic. He continued to speak, and the farther along he went the deeper his voice got. "Your sister will become mentally ill and confused and run to Lowell for comfort. Without you watching Lowell, he will be free to cheat once again. Margaret will walk in on him with another woman and truly lose herself. Without hope, she will undoubtedly kill herself. Lowell shall return to being the cold beast he once was and completely lose memory of your family. You, too, will be forgotten by many, despite your position in my company. Which, by the way, is looked upon as very odd and senseless by many." All of a sudden, Lord Ascot's eyes went back to their original color and his smile was kind once again. His voice was one of a man's. "Any faults with this plan?"

Dream Alice smiled and it was now her with red eyes and demonic smile. "Not at all." Her voice sounded the same. "Let's do this."

"NO!" She had woken up then.

Alice looked around the room. She was in Marmoreal, not the Ascot's yard. It was morning and a bit gray outside, not sunny. She was alone, in bed, and a beast-like Lord Ascot was nowhere to be seen. She sighed. That WAS just a dream, Alice. . . Nothing that occurred in there really happened. . . You're being paranoid. . .Relax . . .

She got up and opened the closet to see what she would wear, still panting a bit. Alice would have to start entirely from scratch. She'd brought nothing with her but the clothes on her back. . . . Which were in the Round Hall.

She dressed in a plain dress with a frilly skirt to it. White.

Alice didn't really know where to go, so she essentially wandered around for a while after having a small glass of water. She left her room and went down the corridor towards the Meeting Hall. She continued onward for a while until she nearly ran into Hatter, who also seemed to be wandering. Coming to the same assumption, a mad giggle escaped his lips. "Er, breakfast?"

Alice nodded enthusiastically and walked with him to the Dining Area. Inside, many members of the court were already eating. "They like to get up early. Incredibly early," Hatter whispered into her ear. "It's horrendous, I do not know how they do it."

They sat down and began to eat, reaching for random foods: biscuits, oatmeal, juices, fruits, milk, toast, muffins, mixes, and much, much more. They were greeted like royalty each time someone passed them by, before the actual royalty arrived. Alice was a bit surprised that the Queen had no grand entrance. She just walked in and sat by Alice and Hatter as she began to delicately nibble on an urgleberry muffin.

"How was your sleep?" she asked, looking at the two before swallowing a bit of muffin.

"Splendidly! Beds happen to be much more comfortable than chairs, much more comfortable," Hatter gushed.

"Very well, thank you." Alice smiled.

"Marvelous." She looked at Alice. "Now, Alice, I know you have only just returned to Underland, so there's no reason at all for you to be kept all cooped up in this castle. Besides, you probably would like to mosey around Underland. . . ?" She ended her last sentence like a question.

Alice's expression brightened immediately. "Yes, that'd be wonderful!" She glanced over at Hatter, who seemed momentarily confused. "Could Hatter act as my. . . escort?" She saw him grin happily at the idea and nod.

The Queen nodded as well. "That'd be fine. You two will be all set to go. . . Well, whenever you're ready, really."

Alice loved Mirana and all, but she did wish to go and witness all of Wonderland. She tried to mask all her eagerness in fear of being rude, but by the time they'd finished eating, she was all geared up and ready to go. And Hatter was all geared up and ready to escort her, wherever she went.

When the three of them (Hatter, Alice and the White Queen) were all standing near the main doors, Mirana tried to persuade the pair to take horses. Though Alice insisted on her and Hatter riding on the Bandersnatch. "If I could fit on him in my enlarged state my last visit here, I know Hatter and I will both fit. And it's really quite comfortable. Wouldn't you agree, Hatter?" He nodded, but the Queen seemed to still have doubts. "I'd feel a tad sad leaving him here, anyhow. He's like a dear friend to me now."

Mirana shook her head, sighing, but agreed nonetheless. "As you wish, my Champion." She called over to a guard and sent him for Bandy. After only a moment, the great Bandersnatch came leaping towards them from down the hall, while the same guard ran behind him shouting for him to 'Ground his back legs!'. Bandy seemed content.

In a matter of five minutes, Alice and Hatter had both said their goodbyes to the Queen and were on the Bandersnatch once again. Hatter was a bit less reluctant of getting on Bandy this time, although he still held tight when they were on their way.

"So," Hatter said, still holding onto her waist tightly. "I believe I know of a place you would like. At least, I think I do. And if you don't, all we have to do is hop back onto our oh-so-trusty steed and ride back to wherever you wish. On the other hand, if you do like this place, we can stay for a very long time. That is, unless Time cares to be his mischievous, playful, impish, bad, careless, ill-ridden-"

"Hatter!"

He fumbled with his hands before lacing them around her waist again. "Thank you," he whimpered.

"And I would be honored if you'd take me to this special place of yours."

"Fantastic! Wonderful! It's not even that far from here." No, it didn't seem to be. They rode on the same path the whole way to their astonishing destination. It couldn't have been more than an hour before the Bandersnatch entered one of the most beautiful and strange places Alice had ever seen.

It must've been the Underlanian version of a beach. The water wasn't clear or blue, it was a soft, light pink that contrasted with the blue sky above it. The sand had the likeness of snow, only it wasn't cold. Alice slid off Bandy and stepped into the white sand, squishing it as if it had melted. She took off her shoes and snuggled her toes deep into the warm, fluffy substance. Exotic birds flew along the shoreline, every once in a while poking their beaks into the water for food. Some amazing creatures must live in those waters. . . . . The beach had several purple palm trees scattered among it, and Alice was shocked to see them moving, as if a great wind had swayed them with its gust, yet she could feel only a light breeze.

"It's. . . breathtaking," she sighed.

Hatter looked at her with soft eyes. "Yes, I agree."

She looked at him, hearing something in his voice. He had already gotten off the Bandersnatch, she just hadn't noticed. He was gazing at her in a way that made Alice's insides tingle. She was about to say something when Hatter shook his head. "Come, let's go down to where the water meets its land."

Side by side, Alice and Hatter walked in the snow-white sand to the shoreline. She held her shoes in her hand and swung them as she walked. He had his hands in two of his many pockets. They chose to sit down right in front of the pink ocean. Alice laid back and closed her eyes, reveling in her happiness. Never could she remember a moment when she was this happy. Everything felt so right. Hatter was at her side, Wonderland was at peace, her companions from the Otherworld would surely get over Alice, and everywhere she went, an atmosphere of glee followed her. She had chosen the path of her life correctly.

"When you had gone, I had gone with you."

Alice opened her eyes and looked at Hatter. He was sitting up with his hands in front of him, messing with the white sand. He had a faraway look in his eyes that Alice didn't like. "What?"

He caught her gaze. "Part of me broke when you left. No, actually. . . not broken. I've come to the conclusion that somehow, that part of me had deserted its host and followed you." His face was unreadable. "I'm so very glad you're back, Alice. You've brought that part of me back with you. Thank you." With this said, he closed his eyes and lowered his head.

Alice sat up and leaned towards Hatter. She lifted his face up with two hands delicately, like she had done once before in her life. "Tarrant Hightopp." He opened his eyes. They were wide and a frail yellow and very close to her own. "Don't apologize for things not in need of an apology. Do you think I went along with my life in the Otherworld, not thinking of you once? Because I know for a fact that you indeed crossed my mind several times." And even with the memory loss of Wonderland, Alice knew she had thought of her Hatter. Whether it was the warm feeling she'd get whenever she saw a hat or a random sighting of his green eyes inside of her mind, he had been there. "So don't believe for a second that I had forgotten you and that I had not depressed when I was missing you." Her words met no reaction from the Hatter. Alice shook her head. "Really, Hatter, where is your muchness?"

She earned a small smile from that one. "Righ' here."

Hatter pulled Alice's hands away from his face and placed them at her sides, still holding them. He leaned in, closed his eyes, and met his lips with hers, completely shocking Alice. Yet, she moved her lips in unison with his, leaning towards him, as well. There was Hatter and only Hatter. . . She had wanted this from the day she came back. They were one.

Yet part of her mind (the part not obsessing and engulfed with this momentous kiss) was screaming at her.

You're kissing the Hatter! Why are you kissing the Hatter? He's your friend! Furthermore, why are you enjoying it so much? What will this end as? What will you do if this ends badly? Alice!

Mmm. . . . .

She pulled away from him slowly, allowing time for those rancorous thoughts to creep inside her mind. Alice froze and blushed.

I just kissed the Hatter. Who is currently staring at me as if he enjoyed the kiss just as much as I.

Alice leaned away and stood up. "We should get to the Tea Party and see our friends. I never got the chance to give them my goodbyes last night. Plus, I could use some tea. How about you?" She offered him a hand up.

Hatter gazed at her, stunned. Whether it was from their kiss or Alice's sudden change of mood, she couldn't tell. Then he shook his head, smiled, and accepted her hand. "I'm always up for tea, Alice. Did you know that tea makes the world go round? Scientifically proven."

"No, I can't say that I did, Hatter."

They started heading back towards the Bandersnatch, discussing teas. Despite the casual conversation and the easy-going atmosphere, they could both still feel the pleasant tingle that had lingered on their lips.

Author/OP in me: Interesting, very interesting. . .

Rachel: Indeed. In the next chapter, the plot will finally start to come along. It'll be great! :D

Author/OP in me: Your constant positivity irks me.

Reviews are obliged. :) Oh, and if you would like a hint as to what is to come in the next plot-revealing chapter. . . .

CAKE.

There ya go.