Hatter and Alice walked out of the storage room into a long, unlit hallway. The only light was coming from under a door on the other end of the hall and they could hear voices behind it.
They tiptoed down the hall towards the door hoping to hear something that would be of use to them. Two voices drifted in their direction.
"You let her get away?" March spat with such venom whoever he was talking to must have been terrified.
"I'm sorry March, I walked away to signal someone and when I got back Jack told me he had sent her on her way." The light feminine voice shook with fear and Alice recognized it as the Duchess's.
"Why would you leave them alone with the chance to get away?"
"I wasn't thinking March-"
"I have let you keep Jack's hide out secret because you told me you would make sure he wouldn't mess with my plans. Letting Alice go is not part of the plan."
"I know, I know. Please give me another shot! I won't let you down again."
"How can I trust that?"
"Because I love you."
"You don't love me, you love power. That's why you went to Jack when his mother was taken down and that's why you're here now."
It was silent for a few moments because the Duchess was at a loss for words.
"Don't worry toots, I respect that. And you know you are my choice for queen."
"What about Madelyn?" The Duchess's voice echoed Alice's thoughts. In the Tea Shoppe March had told Madelyn that the thrown would be theirs.
"The Hatter broad? She's useless. Once her brother is out of the picture she will be useless and we will get rid of her. Can't have a Mad Hatter running around Wonderland can we?"
Hatter tensed next to Alice and she pulled him away from the room so they wouldn't have to listen to more. She could see anger flashing behind his eyes and had a feeling it wasn't because his death was being planned.
"He's two timing me sister." He kept his voice low remembering where they were but the rage was radiating off of him.
"Why do you care? She said you didn't even consider her your sister because of what she did."
"Trust me, I'm not her biggest fan. But I took care of her for years, I guess it's just natural for to look out for her."
His hurried explanation didn't sit well with Alice. She trusted him but the words seemed forced and she had a nagging feeling that there was more to it than what he was sharing with her.
She didn't have time to worry about Hatter's truthfulness however because the door they left behind was starting to creak open. They looked around franticly for a place to hide from the couple entering the hall.
Suddenly Alice realized Hatter was no longer next to her and she felt someone pulling arm upward. Looking up she saw he had somehow managed to get into the air vents and was trying to pull her up to safety.
March and the Duchess entered and empty hallway hand in hand. Pressing the Duchess against the wall March kissed her passionately before saying good-bye. Going opposite ways the lovers walked away with out a clue about the other couple watching from above.
"I think we should leave now." Hatter was just as surprised by her words as she was. Alice was never one to back down from a fight and his questioning look prompted more explanation. "You see, March and the Duchess are working together so Jack isn't safe."
She couldn't decide if she found Hatter's grimace at the mention of Jack amusing or irritating.
"I know he is the King of Wonderland and all, but I still don't like what he did to you." Alice sighed. Part of her enjoyed Hatter's protectiveness of her but sometimes she felt it was a bit ridiculous.
They silently crawled in the vents for a long while before they found a vent that led outside. With a strong punch from his trusty right fist it fell off leaving them a hole to exit the building.
Hurriedly they made their way back to the boat. Alice didn't remember exactly where Jack's island was and they didn't find it until an hour after sunrise.
Walking through the forest that covered the island they searched for Jack's camp. It didn't take nearly as long but their search was still in vain. The tents that were in the clearing were ripped to shreds and there were items of Jack's strewn all over the moss covered ground.
"We're too late." She fought to choke back the tears she felt knowing it would hurt Hatter to see her cry over the man who had lied to her without regret.
"I'm sorry love." She felt his hand on her shoulder. Turning her body into his he let her hold he in a tight embrace while she breathed in his distinct Hatter smell.
"We can't let March win." Her voice was muffled but he seemed to have heard.
"We won't." Standing there in the clearing with his arms wrapped around her Alice felt safer than she had since she arrived in Wonderland. She was glad to know that Hatter was on her side for everything and trusted her completely.
That thought brought back that nagging feeling that he was hiding something. Why was he so upset that March was using someone who had tried to kill him?
"Hatter, is there anything else bothering you about what March said?" He sighed and squeezed her tightly before pushing her away far enough so he could look her in the eye.
"He knows she's the Mad Hatter."
"Don't people refer to them as Mad March and Mad Hatter?"
"Yeah, but that's just poking fun, he knows that she is really the Mad Hatter, not only born into a family of conmen, but crazy enough to try and con people who are almost impossible to con, and probably the most untrustworthy person in all of Wonderland."
"You mean, he knows he can't trust her?"
"That's why he's turning to the Duchess, Maddie can't be trusted to hold only a little part of the power, she'd want it all."
Their conversation was cut short when a bunch of suits walked out of the darkness of the woods. Each one had a gun pointed at either Alice or Hatter.
"Aw, isn't this adorable. Miss Alice, March has been wanting to talk to you, and Hatter, March will be very glad to see you."
They both took defensive postures and stared down the suits. They tried to fight off the suits that came at them form every direction. No matter how hard they tried they could not win and were soon taken down by the suits and dragged to a boat where they were placed and tied down.
Sitting across from Hatter Alice looked to him for courage he knew it too. Every few minutes he would give her a reassuring look and return his gaze to the suits guarding them.
No matter how comforting Hatter's shown confidence was Alice knew it was fake, she also knew he was just as terrified as her. Neither was sure what March was going to do to them when they got to the mansion, they could only hope for the help of an old friend of Hatter's who was more than a little Mad.