A.N.: Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick! I'm so happy so many people like my story! :3
Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or put this story on watch! It means so much. Reviews keep me running, so I'd really appreciate them.. I'm not really sure how much fluff between Alice and the Mad Hatter you guys would like, so help me out! D: There the only pairing I really like, but if your dieing for another of your choosing I'll hook you up. As long as you call me Big Daddy whilst requesting.
So, without further ado, here's chapter 2!
"Shall we get moving? I'd not fancy staying in one place too long." A voice whispered in Alice's ear. Alice looked around, and could see the first signs of nightfall in the horizon. The air was crisp and cold, and she could see snow in the distance, blotting out the colorful landscape with white. She separated from the Mad Hatter. It was then she realized how truly cold it was. She missed his warmth, and her skin seemed to sizzle where his touch had been.
"Y-yeah.. It's getting cold, and I'm a little sleepy." She stiffed a yawn, and smiled at him, but he did not return it. He simply looked around nervously.
"Right right.. Getting late. Come now, Alice dear." He put his arm around her shoulders, holding her very close to him in a protective manner, and they set off. Alice had no idea where the Mad Hatter lived, nor had she ever asked him. She hadn't the foggiest as to what he was so afraid of, and, for one crazy, fleeting, moment she imagined the Red Queen bursting through the snow-capped bushes, shouting her signature catchphrase: OFF WITH HER HEAD! She shook away that terrifying though, and rested her head slightly on his shoulder as they walked. She felt his hand tense up on her shoulder, ever so slightly. So slightly, in fact, that she could of imagined it.
While they walked, she filled her head with all the memories she had of her two trips to Wonderland. The Jabberwocky. The White Rabbit in the Waist-Coat. Absolem the Caterpillar. The Red Queen. Chessur. Chessur?
Alice saw a large grin floating in mid-air, a few feet from where her and the Mad Hatter were standing. It was so faint it could be imagined, and for a second she thought she did. That is, until it's purple-highlighted body appeared.
"What a lovely surprise! I had no idea Alice was coming!" Chessur, grinning broadly."If it wasn't so late, I'd invite you for tea."
The Mad Hatter tipped his hat, but Alice could see the color of his nails change from green to the very faintest pink.
"She'll have to take you up on that offer some other time, I'm afraid. It's odd to see anyone out late, these days. Dare I ask what you've been up too?" The Mad Hatter couldn't hide the look of suspicion from his eyes.
Chessur regarded him for a moment, before floating lazily onto his back.
"You never were very good at hiding your emotions, now were you, Tarrant?" He grinned broadly, lazily diminishing from view, like smoke. Last of all to go was his grin, which stayed a bit longer than normal.
Alice sat on the bed in the Mad Hatter's home, resting her head on the headboard, and thinking about all that had happened within the past few hours. She had returned to Wonderland, been reunited with the Mad Hatter, and would soon be seeing all of the friends she would of died to see just yesterday. Everything should be perfect. She just had a horrible, dreadful feeling that something was the matter. You didn't have to be a genius to pick up on it, however. What with the actions of the Mad Hatter, and the odd behavior of Chessur, it was rather obvious something wasn't right.
After Chessur had left, the Mad Hatter seemed in a terrible hurry to get back to his home. He looked over his shoulder so much it looked as though he had quite the terrible twitch. His nervousness was so contagious that he had her doing the same thing within ten minutes of walking, and she hadn't the foggiest as to what she was looking for. The deeper and deeper they got into the heart of Wonderland the worse the weather grew. She had never seen so much snow in her life! It was as if the area desolated in the picture was the only part of Wonderland not coated in a thick layer of snow.
Tarrant's house was just as you would expect a Mad Hatter's house to look like. It was incredibly colorful, there were hat racks on every wall and sewing machines in every corner. It was small, one bedroom and one bathroom. However, it had a certain coziness to it. Cakes and tea pots were on every table, so he was always prepared for teatime. Any normal person would call it incredibly messy, but it was more of an organized mess. It had a certain art to it, and Alice couldn't imagine the Mad Hatter living anywhere else.
There was a knock on the door.
"Alice, I brought up some tea. Are you changed yet?" Tarrant's voice called from the other side of the door. She had been so lost in thoughts she hadn't even had the shirt on properly. She turned her back to the door.
"Yes," Alice replied, hastily buttoning up the over-sized nightshirt lent to her from the Mad Hatter. When he walked in, his eyes immediately went to the window Alice was facing. The shirt was buttoned half-way up, and her breasts were clearly visible. He knew his eyes lingered there just a moment to long and busied himself with fixing her cup of tea. Luckily, Alice had not noticed he had seen anything. "I had no idea the winters were so atrocious here."
"They rarely are." The Mad Hatter replied, sitting on the bed next to her, staring out the window, sipping his tea.
"Why this one, then?" Alice asked him, watching the snow fall. It was putting her in a slightly dizzy, dreamlike state.
"We haven't been having a great deal of luck with monarchs lately, that's all." Tarrant said quietly. Alice gasped, and almost slopped her tea everywhere.
"Not the Red Queen again, right?? The White Queen's still in power, isn't see? I thought the Red Queen was banished!" Alice blurted out, suddenly overwhelmed with shock and fear.
"No, yes, and yes." The Mad Hatter replied gravely.
"What's wrong with the White Queen, then?" Alice shrieked, now positively shaking. She really hoped that whatever was wrong with the Red Queen didn't run in the family.
"She's rather daft these days. You wouldn't recognize her if you met her. Personally believe her to be a bit of a marionette, myself." He looked down at the ground, sadness etched in every corner of his face.
"Wait, so, they're other places like Wonderland? And someone from one of those places is controlling the White Queen?" Alice asked, thinking she put it all together right. Tarrant nodded in agreement.
"Sad as it is, I believe it to be true."
"B-But, your not sure? So you can just look at the calendar, the one showing every single day, and see if anything happens in the future, or if anything happened to the White Queen in the past!"
"Sadly, I cannot. The day you left, the calendar turned to dust. I've no idea why, no one does. It's possible it was burnt in the fire of the Jabberwocky. Very possible." Alice sighed, and put her tea on the nightstand. She looked out the window. One of the many coo-coo clocks on the wall made a noise, and the Mad Hatter regarded it for a second. Instead of numbers, it had twenty-seven various hats. "A bit past bedtime."
"I'll say.. I'm getting pretty tired." She smiled at him, and he smiled back.
"I'll be making my leave then," Said Tarrant, standing up and walking to the door.
"No no! I don't want to trouble you, you can sleep in your bed!" Alice said, slightly ashamed for causing him so much trouble. At this, the Mad Hatter smiled.
"I don't think you would very much enjoy the couch, besides, your the guest." He turned, and made a few more steps towards the door. He was turning the handle when he heard Alice blurt out:
"Why don't we share?"
"That's hardly appropriate." Tarrant replied, taken aback. Although, he thought it wouldn't be bad at all sharing a bed with her. In fact, he'd prefer it.
"Why?" Alice asked, and looked genuinely confused at his response. "I haven't seen you for so long, and I really don't want to be up here all by myself. I get scared." Tarrant figured she was lying, but didn't care.
"Well.. I guess if you really will get scared.."
"Brilliant!" Alice said, and moved over to make room for him. He lied next to her, and the lights were shut out.
They were so close that every inch of their bodies were touching. He moved onto his side, and wrapped one arm around Alice to get more comfortable. She was so warm, it was very nice. Especially the way her body curved perfectly to fit his. He buried his head into her hair, and breathed in her delicious scent. He felt her shudder, and pressed himself more tightly against her, to hopefully warm her up.