Ralus squatted to the boy's level and cried, "That hurt you little…!"
Alice cut him off before he could finish the insult and cried out, "Ralus! Why were you watching us?!"
"I was about to say something to get your attention! I didn't want to wake the kid up!" Ralus said harshly.
The boy's rage was gone and he was afraid now and scrambled, falling over himself, back to Alice with a bloody red blush in his cheeks. Midnight tucked himself behind Alice's legs and nuzzled his nose into her thigh.
"He saw me before I could say anything! And what'd he hit me for anyway?" Ralus continued angrily.
The child made a quick sign, she's mine, and clutched Alice's legs tighter.
Alice grinned at the boy and then looked up at Ralus, "He's protective. He thought you were trying to sneak up on me to hurt me, didn't you Midnight?"
Midnight nodded swiftly, hiding his face behind Alice's knees. Ralus's anger softened at that a bit and spoke to the child directly.
"I wouldn't hurt her, ever." Ralus said to console the boy, "Alice is my best friend."
Midnight shifted away from behind Alice's knees and snapped suddenly, "Then why were you hiding there?!"
"I already told you. I was about to get her attention but I didn't have time to say anything." Ralus repeated.
Midnight shook his head furiously, "No! You lie!"
Ralus looked angry at the accusation and the child took back in fear. The older boy softened at the fear filled green eyes and sighed in defeat.
"I was listening to her sing, alright kid?" He admitted, knowing the child was aware of more than most adults were.
Midnight looked pleased with that answer and purred, "She sings pretty, don't she?" And he nuzzled his nose into her thigh.
Ralus smiled slightly up at Al, "Yeah."
She snorted and rolled her eyes, squatting down and sliding her arms back around the child before standing and holding an arm up for a hug from Ralus. The boy shook his head and stood to hug her, wrapping an arm around her waist and picked her up off the floor gently. Then the dark haired child did something else unexpected.
Midnight flung his arms around Ralus's neck before making a kind of shocked sound at himself and drawing back to hide himself in Alice's flesh. Ralus drew back from the hug and gave the child a curious smile before stepping back.
"You two want something to eat? I'm about to head out for something in a little while." He said, tilting his head to the side and opening his arms at the offer in an almost childish way.
"Sure!" Alice responded immediately.
The child hesitated, "But I've got no money."
The pair laughed and Alice hoisted the foolish child higher on her hip before pushing Ralus toward the door with a palm against his chest.
The purring kitten on The Hatter's chest woke him up when she decided to flick her tail against his face. He woke up with the teenage girl completely on him, her head on his shoulder and her body curled up, most of her resting on his torso like any kitten would. He groaned with the bruises she twitched against and he pulled the girl off of him by her arms, touching her gently so as not to wake her. Once her body was off of his he made to leave the bed but the sleeping child lashed out and grabbed him close. Her bright eyes flicked open and she flicked the hat off her head and twirled the brim between her fingers.
The Hatter jumped, "Kat! Be careful!"
"What? Think I'm gonna cut myself on your favorite weapon?" She asked teasingly, flicking the hat into the air and catching it with her palm open and her fingers brushing the inside of the cap, "Take your hat, you look foolish without it."
He took the hat from her hands and flicked it up, flipping it in the air before it fell on his head and he grinned insanely at the girl who he had about ten years on.
She purred and flattened her ears to her head, prowling a circle before lying back down and dozing off. The Hatter stroked her hair once before leaving the bedside and going to his wardrobe. Glancing back a few times he made sure the girl wasn't watching before he removed a hat box from a locked drawer and pranced with it out the door to the living room. He took himself to the kitchen table and pulled up a chair.
After triple-checking that Kat was asleep he pulled another chair against the wardrobe that was locked shut and pulled a sewing kit, sewing machine and cloth, off the top of the wardrobe. He returned the hat box and pulled a hat, a perfect minute top hat that would fit Kat perfectly. It was blue and green with a purple sash about the middle, resting against the brim and lashing over the side. There was only a final touch before he was done with the outfit he'd made her to celebrate the upcoming holiday. The hat was going to have a rose he'd taken and had preserved by some of the creatures living in the friendly part of the wood sewn to the hat's brim so that she could have a rose that never came out of bloom. The rose in question, also never remained the same color. When he'd first plucked it, it was a brilliant blood red, but faded to a pink almost instantly. The Hatter had believed he'd killed the flower and was appalled, but then it blossomed into a dark blue. After some time with holding the flower he realized the flower adjusted its tone to the mood of whoever held it. He'd decided it to be perfect for Kat because of its brilliance and because it might possibly help him decipher the teenager's intentions before she did something off the wall – which often frightened the mentally ill man.
To go with this hat, he had made her a dress for a ball that the Queen was hosting. This holiday wasn't one by will, but they enjoyed it nonetheless. The dress in question was white silk at the bust, with a purple bow that separated it from the skirt that held multiple tones of blue, purple, and green fabric that hit the floor on the left side but was split up her leg on the left. The split in the skirt had a piece of metallic silver cloth beneath it so her skin wouldn't be exposed to the cold, except for her knee down. It looks like water almost, and caught the light and shimmered when it moved. The Hatter thought it would be magnificent when she danced.
He'd made her shoes as well, even though she despised shoes. The shoes were soft soled, and he'd made sure they wouldn't pinch her toes. They were blue with green shimmering shells on the toes, with purple laces that would wind up her legs.
He smiled at his work, knowing his ward would look like a mermaid or some other water bound creature in the colors he'd picked for her. He wondered though if she'd be comfortable in the sleeveless gown, or if she'd insist on wearing the tattered, dirty cardigan she almost always wore.
The Queen forced all of them to come, using the spawn of her wicked Jabberwocky to enforce it. The ball was to celebrate her birthday, and even though they all hated her, the socialization wasn't too horrid. Kat dreaded going, but Hatter always made sure she had a good time and ate and danced.
Although the Jabberwocky was killed, the Queen still ruled harshly. She had other creatures that enforced her renewed rise to power. The Queen needed to be killed, as well as the spawn of the Jabberwocky. But the Hatter couldn't attempt to kill the Queen, especially when he was responsible for Kat. Killing the Jabbywockers, what Kat called the minute dragons, was risky enough for them both.
Soon, the Hatter replaced his surprise, and returned to bed. Thinking too hard was bad for someone as mad as this hatter.