This chapter is very good, at least in my taste. I did a lot of rewriting for this one, but I say I did a pretty good job of it. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own Alice in Wonderland…

As Alice walked into the Hatter's room, the first words that left her mouth were, "I'm sorry for what I said."

Even though it seemed more Hater's fault than Alice's she knew she needed to apologize. Maybe with all the pressures that he'd been facing, being in a new world with strange knew people; he'd had a little mad fit and just gotten angry with her.

Hatter looked up from where he sat. He was sitting on his own bed, doing something with his hands and fabric and when he saw Alice he instantly hit it behind her back. His eyes were confused, and a bit hard, like he'd expected her to start a fight again but once he let her words sink in he's body eased. "I'm sorry too, Alice."

"I've been really stressed these past few days," Alice continued, sitting down at the edge of his bed and her eyes staying down on the red book in her hands. "And I shouldn't have taken it out on you,' She looked up at Hatter expectantly. "And I really shouldn't ask so much of you."

Hatter raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Alice?"

Alice took a deep breath and gave hatter a serious look. "If I asked you to do something for me, would you be able to do it?"

Hatter gave Alice a questionable look and nodded. "Yes, Alice. Of course."

Alice gave him a soft smile. "Good," She picked up the small book in her lap. "Hatter, this is my aunt's diary. My aunt Imogene who fell down the rabbit hole before me and I realized that…her name really isn't Imogene. It's Alice. Alice Pleasance Liddell. She took o the name Imogene after the queen had died."

"Really?" Hatter asked, leaning forward slightly. "How is that possible?"

"She fell down the rabbit hole when she was about thirteen." Alice explained. And she met the queen and her son and they brought her home with them. And she lived with them for over a year and…I think she fell in love with the prince."

"Prince Phelan?" Hatter asked.

Alice gave him a soft nod. "How do you know him?"

"My father had helped hat for him after he was married to the Iracebeth." Hatter explained. "But I never even knew…"

"I doubt anyone else did either." Alice replied softly, picking up the book and touching the page with a soft hand. "I never even knew that her name was mine too."

"Alice?" Hatter asked and Alice looked up and was suddenly aware of how close she was to the hatter at that very moment. She felt her cheeks flush with warmth at the memory of how they'd kissed and the way he held her. Just a few inches closer and their lips would touch. That wasn't even that far. Barley a breath away from one another's face…

"What happened to Imogene?" Hatter asked.

Alice blinked, and leaned back, her cheeks flushing even darker, even though she couldn't see them, she knew. "I...I think Iracebeth found out."

Hatter gave Alice a sad frown. "So, you mean…"

"She was sent away." Alice whispered. "It was the last entry in her diary. Iracebeth was put in charge of her leaving and she said she was sorry that she'd failed the queen. I was her job to make Phelan happy, but she failed."

"Oh," Hatter's eyes fell and he whispered, in such a soft voice Alice was barely able to hear it. "I'm so sorry."

Alice nodded, staring at the hands in her lap with the very book that had caused her to feel so sad. Besides the current circumstances, of course. "But, that's not what I'm here to talk to you about, Hatter."

"Then what is it?" Hatter asked, curiously.

Alice gave him a serious look. "I need you to help me break my aunt out of the asylum."

Hatter jumped up from the bed with a gasp and stared at Alice unfathomably. "Alice, are you-I mean-"

"Hatter, we need to help her." Alice pleaded, standing up beside him. "She's my aunt, and she needs my help. And I need her too."

"Alice," Hatter said slowly. "I don't know what you believe your aunt may be able to help you with but-"

"She can help wake my mother up!" Alice cried, suddenly.

Hatter stared at Alice with wide eyes and after a few very long silent seconds he whispered. "What?"

"She can wake up, Mother." Alice explained, slowly. "I know she can. Margret told me that when she said my name, mother moved. Slightly, but she still moved. So…so we thought that if I could just talk to her then she would wake up." Alice was taking quicker breaths and her words came faster with every passing moment. "But she wouldn't. No matter how many times I talked to her. I kept pleading, pleading for mother to wake up she wouldn't even stir. But now I know. I'm the wrong Alice. She needs her sister; her sister who was named Alice and for thirteen years never called herself anything but. Please Hatter; I have to do it, to save her."

"Alice…" Hatter's voice trailed off and she saw that he was staring down at her with an unreadable expression. Was he deciding that she was just too crazy to try and help, blinded by her own selfish needed that were now blocking their original mission. Please. Alice thought. Please, please help me.

"When will we be saving her?" Hatter asked, and Alice was too stunned to speak, but when he looked at her, she could read his expression as easily as she had read her Aunt's dairy. He did trust her, and he was going to help her break her aunt out of an asylum and help her mother.

"I was thinking we could do it tomorrow night," Alice admitted. "So, hopefully no one will be able to see us. And visiting hours are closed after dark so Stayne wouldn't be by to try and stop us either."

"This isn't going to be easy, is it?" Hatter asked playfully, but she saw in his eyes he was a bit still uneasy about the plan.

"Easier than fighting a jabberwocky and taming a bandersnatch." Alice replied, and Hatter gave her a smile, that although didn't show off the gap in his teeth, still sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine.

"I believe a lot of things are easier than that," Hatter acknowledged. "And I know that you'll be able to accomplish the just as easily."

Alice grinned, but before she could reply there was a large bang and a muffled voice cursing from behind Hatter's door, and Alice met Hatter's eyes and saw that his worried expression and fear matched her own.

They both knew that voice.

Hamish knew their plan.

Alice ran to the door and threw it open, staring down the hallway to see that Hamish was rubbing his arm, and when their eyes met his face paled. And then he ran, like a frightened rabbit at the sign of any danger.

And Alice ran after him.

Dang it Hamish, you just have to ruin everything don't you? Can't a girl who fell down a rabbit hole and ended up in a magical world that she had to save talk to her mad friend with an obsession of hats whose eyes change color with his mood and plan to break her aunt out of an asylum to help her mother who is in a coma without being interrupted? Honestly. Please review!