Chapter 8! Hope you like it! :) enjoy.

She found him in the gardens. Actually, she found Hatter walking out of the gardens and when she saw him, she ran to him.

At the moment, she was torn between wanting to yell at him for leaving her, or just hugging him because she was so happy. She had so much to tell him, but she was also quite annoyed because he'd left her to go do, well whatever he was doing while she had to go face her mother alone. Though, Alice didn't want to admit, she knew it would have been even worse for him to see her like that.

"Alice," He breathed, and gave her a huge smile. "I'm glad I found you."

"Me too," Alice told him, stopping a few inches away from him and taking a few deep breaths because eat any moment she was about to be talking a thousand words a minute.. "Hatter, you wouldn't believe the things I've found out. My aunt and Lord Ascot were-"

Her words cut off as he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her back towards the gardens, and Alice let herself follow. He brought her deep into the gardens, while memories of the very grass that she'd played on as a child met her and she tried to smile. She had mixed feelings where she stood at this moment, but now wasn't the time to sort through them.

"Hatter, what are we doing here?" Alice asked, as he stopped behind a tall hedge, where they wouldn't and couldn't be seen.

"This," He pulled out something from behind his back. "Is why were here."

In his hand was a wrapped up piece of paper. It was held by a silver ribbon, and on one side was her name, written in quite elegant script.

Alice hitched a quick breath and reached for the letter while the Hatter continued to smile and held it behind his back.

"Give it to me," Alice said indignantly, attempting to grab it from one side but he just spun and faced her, the teasing smile still on his face, but something lurked under his eyes.

"After you tell me what it is," He replied, with a chuckle.

Alice rolled her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her innocently. "It's a letter," She told him calmly.

"Yes," Hatter grinned, cocking his head to the side as he regarded Alice. "Isn't it?"

"Will you please give it to me, Hatter?" Alice asked, sweetly, holding out her hands.

Hatter grinned, and pulled out the piece of paper, still smiling wide. "Well, Alice. Since you did ask nicely-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Alice dove for the letter, and caught him by surprise. So surprised that they both fell onto the ground, laughing wildly as she attempted to grab the paper from him, but he kept it out of her reach. After a few minutes, they both froze and Alice realized she was lying down completely on top of him.

For a few seconds they just laid there, staring back at one another in their own little world where time had stopped but the rest of the earth continued to move. Seconds turned into hours, and it felt like an eternity had passed before when Alice pushed herself up onto her knees, and moved herself away from him a good six inches.

"Can I have it please?" She whispered, her eyes piercing the ground next to her in her stubborn effort to refuse meeting hatter's eyes.

Hatter sat up and complied, staring at her quite seriously while he passed the paper into her outstretched hand.

Silently, she slipped the ribbon off the letter and laid it down next to her absentmindedly, while read through the letter once. And she read through it again before she finally read it out loud for Hatter..

Dearest Alice,

It has been four days since you and the Hatter have departed from our world, and we all miss you terribly. Hopefully, all is going well for you and Tarrant in London. Things are well here, as we are training for the battle that is to happen once Stayne returns. Nicholas and Irisa are making good progress, even though most of the time it looks like she might kill him, he's learning fairly well.

Your sister and her husband left just like we had planned, and told me that they'd go straight to your mother's home to check on her. They are also going to the a lock smiths I think, they said they wanted t change all the locks on their doors, for their own protection.

Iracebeth is doing well, too, although she's been muttering quite a lot in her sleep about such nonsense that makes absolutely no sense, even here. I've also been looking into the attic about your aunt, though I haven't found anything that might actually help you there, I will still continue to look.

I hope you're alright, Alice. And that you find your sister and help your mother awake. Good luck again, and I hope you and Hatter aren't fighting.

Please be safe.

Mirana

Once Alice had stopped speaking, she looked up at Hatter who was staring back at her with an unread able expression. Suddenly, he reached up and his fingers brushed her cheek. She half thought she would have flinched, but she didn't, and she even enjoyed his, however brief, touch. Something that she resented completely.

So wrapped up in her thoughts though, Alice hadn't even realized that on his finger was a small tear. Her tear.

She shook her head and looked away, wiping her eyes quickly, before she turned back to her friend who was already standing with his hand held out for her to take. And once she had and she was standing next to him, he gave her a small smile and asked. "Are you ready?"

"What?" Alice asked, her eyes hesitantly meeting her friends.

Hatter was still smiling. "We have worked to do, don't we?"

Alice nodded, and started walking back to the manor, while Hatter did the same. And the Hatter and the maiden returned back to the large estate, side by side.

There you go all my AliceXHatter obsessed fans. Awkward encounters and etc. I'm really sorry for the bad, taking forever and ever posting. I'm trying to be better though. Wish me luck with it. :) review please!