Usual Disclaimer - I don't own rights to Alice in Wonderland, or any of it's characters.

Chapter Eight

Above

Alice stepped into the small room, her eyes fastened on the young looking man sitting on the bed. His hair was cut so short, the waves she remembered no longer in place. He seemed so small, curled up against the headboard. Then he smiled, eyes shimmering to an iridescent green.

"That's Alice, I'd know him anywhere..." He bounced to his feet and rushed to her, coming to a sudden halt a step from her. "Alice, what took so long? I've been looking for you, for ages and ages. And you're the right age, the proper age, not aged at all, and still the perfect Alice size, a very nice size, and you're here, in this room..."

"Hatter." Alice smiled, and Tarrant's heart could not make up it's mind if it wanted to plunge to the bottom of his stomach, or catch in his throat. He knew that smile, he'd dreamed of it often enough.

"Room... size... I'm fine."

Doctor Wilson cleared his throat. "How are we doing today, Tarrant?"

"Quite well, now. Quite well indeed. Doctor Wilson, please meet Alice. She's the one I've told you about many times. As I've tried to inform you, she is a real person, very real and full of muchness." Tarrant spoke to the doctor, but kept his eyes fastened on the wonderful person in front of him. He smiled again. "She's always been real, I told you that. Now, will you believe me?"

"Oh, I believe you mister Tarrant. Now, if I could have your attention?" Doctor Wilson waited until Tarrant could pull his eyes from Alice. "There's even better news for you. She's willing to take over your care, you'll be leaving this evening in her custody."

Alice chose that moment to speak again. "That is, if you want to come with me. I would understand if you're mad at me, for taking so long... to find you..."

"Never! Never think such a thing! That is, never think I'm mad at you, that's what I mean. I am thrilled that you've offered to give me a new home."

Doctor Wilson grinned at the tongue tied Tarrant. "Now, is there anything that you'd like to take with you from here?"

"No. All that I've ever wanted, Above or Under, is standing right in front of me."

Car Ride

Tarrant took a long look at the strange vehicle in front of him. He'd grasped the concept of cars and trucks and vans, he had seen plenty of them on the talking picture box. Correct that thought, the television. This one, however he was not so sure of. Could such a long car actually be supported by only that small number of tires?

Alice could see the worry on her Hatter's face, so she simply opened the door to the limousine and sat down on one of the seats. "It's alright, you can come in and sit with me. I refused to have you shipped like baggage in the back of a windowless van to our home." She patted the leather seat next to her. "Please, come on in and relax."

Gathering his courage, Tarrant eased himself into the back of the strange long car, and took his seat. The movement slid Alice over an inch or two, and it was all he could do not to jump out of his skin as their knees brushed. Such shapely knees she came with, as far as he could tell through the scandalously cut pants Alice wore that evening. There was enough fabric to be proper in this modern time, he mused, but to know the lay of her knees and calves and thighs under the soft blue fabric... he had to remember to breathe.

Doctor Wilson took that moment to speak. "I'd feel better if he was under some professional supervision, Ms. Kingsley. Just at least until you two are home safe?"

Alice smiled, that wonderful Alice smile. "We will be just fine, no worries needed. Thank you once again."

"Thank Father Tyler. It was his idea to give the press your picture. You two have a good life together." The doctor closed the door, and stood waiting until the limo was out of sight before heading back into the institution. For the first time in a long time, the grin on his face was genuine. Though he would deny it to his dying day, Doctor Wilson loved happy endings.

Tarrant could simply not find a safe place to rest his eyes. Alice's blouse was of a soft green, an excellent color for her, but the top three buttons were not fastened. With little effort, there was far too much skin exposed for his nerves. Slipping his eyes elsewhere, he realized that her thin belt laced through the belt loops of her slacks was actually a twisted length of cloth, very multicolored and rather eye attracting. But that left his eyes gazing at her waist, and his mother had taught him better than to gaze upon a young lady's waist, it was not proper.

"Tarrant?" Had she noticed his roving eyes? Giving thanks that his powder white skin mostly hid his blush, he quickly focused his eyes on her face.

"Yes?"

"I've had some clothes made, for you. When we get to the house, I'd like to see you out of that institution chic, and something more colorful." She smiled, and he had to resist the urge to misplace his heart in his body again. "I don't mean to complain, but that is not your best look."

"That would be absolutely wonderful." He'd wear a potato sack and a dunce hat, if it would make his Alice happy. But clothes she had made just for him? Even better!

Finally, he turned his eyes to the outside world. He'd not managed many glimpses of it during his long stay behind doors and bars, and part of him was simply curious. The lights of the city behind them were fading, leaving only a trace of a glow on the horizon behind the limo. There were trees, such wonderful trees, and plenty of grass just begging to be walked upon barefoot. Up above, a full moon lent it's light to the night, the stars only now coming into focus far above. This world, he mused, it could actually be pretty if it so desired.

"Where are we heading, my dear?"

"I have a place, well outside Boston. It's a family escape house, when we want to be alone, or just get tired of the snow back home."

"Ah, family? Am I keeping you from... grandchildren?" His heart decided that under his stomach was the right hiding place, after all.

She replied in a softer voice. "No children of mine, no husband, nothing like that. I've been taking care of the descendants of Margaret, my sister. There's been no one for me... not like that, anyway."

Tarrant had to resist the urge to box his own ears. He was being selfish, causing her such mental anguish. No husband? No children of her own to dote on, to watch grow up and live life? No bouncing grandchildren on her knee, no weddings, nothing but funerals for those that would grow old and die, while his horrid deal with Time robbed her of happiness?

The silence in the back of the limo was awkward for a few minutes. Then Alice casually rested her hand on Tarrant's knee. That was all the distraction he needed, to keep from brooding too much on the life that he had practically taken from her. To think, she was able to comfort him, in spite of him making her wait for so long. The two continued gazing at the world unrolling in front of the vehicle, both lost in their own thoughts.

Home

She had told him, choose what he wanted to wear. He was absolutely shocked at the various choices available to him. There were modern suits, he'd seen them before on the television box, but in colors that no respecting business man would ever wear. Running his scarred hands over some of the fabrics, Tarrant smiled. There was whimsy here, and colors that he'd only been able to find in his dreams. There were simple pull-on shirts, slacks and jeans and socks of multicolor goodness, shoes that didn't look like he was wearing clogs on his feet, ties in the colors of the rainbow, everything he'd need or want depending on the situation.

Alas, there were no hats. Alice made that very clear to him, once he managed to turn his wandering attention from the simple necklace around her perfect neck. He was to craft his own hats, as she'd gone through the trouble of setting up a work room for his amusement. The hat he had worn when he arrived in London all those years ago was completely lost, most likely burned with the rubbish. It saddened him, knowing that his last tie to the Hightopp Clan went up in smoke, but he was not completely heartbroken over it. That part of his life was long over, and he would have time to craft something to his tastes yet passing as slightly acceptable to this modern era.

It took longer than he'd figured it would, but finally he was dressed. A simple buttoned shirt in a beautiful deep blue was covered by a vest in sunset shades, topped by a jacket of the softest velvet green, almost black in the right light. His slacks were also the same green, though not of velvet. He giggled at the choice of socks, with bands of alternating blues and greens. His feet fit perfectly into the half boots of black leather.

Stepping out of the room full of such imaginative clothes, he wandered the halls of the house. Rooms opened into more rooms, and none of the doors locked behind him much to his great delight. There was one particular wall, covered in plaster, that seemed odd to him, but as this was Alice's house, Tarrant figured that she would have every right to move walls hither and yon to her entertainment. He was soon distracted from the new wall, at the hints of music coming from behind one set of double doors.

Tarrant knocked on one of the doors, and it clicked open to his touch. To his amazed eyes, the entire vaulted room was lit by candles, giving the hardwood floor a comforting glow. Mirrors lined the walls, reflecting both the candle light and a wondrous figure in a crimson dress. Alice turned around, and smiled as he stepped oh so carefully into the dance hall.

She held out one of her perfectly sized hands. "Come and dance with me, Tarrant." Alice smiled. "I never did master the Futterwacken, but occasionally I love to waltz." He barely heard her voice, soft as it was, over his wandering eyes and mind. The dress that graced her perfect figure was cut low in the front, deliciously low, revealing much more of her cream colored skin than he had ever imagined possible. The bodice appeared skin tight, leading to the long skirts that brushed the floor. "Tarrant? Are you alright?"

"Fine, I'm fine." He swallowed, trying to get his heart to quit dancing through his body. That pesky heart had been doing calisthenics for most of the evening, he mused for a moment, and it was high time it acted like a heart should and stay in one place. He took the offered hand, and the two slowly began to waltz to the liquid music that gently filled the room. He tried his hardest to keep his eyes on her lovely face, but every mirror revealed her form from all directions. His feet, luckily, remembered the proper steps to continue the dance.

"What is behind that plaster wall?"

Alice sighed, and answered. "It was a door to a place that I didn't care for, so I'm having it demolished and returned to a normal wall. I don't need those rooms to be there, and I'm sure you wouldn't need them either. It was part of the deal to get you out of that institution, and back with me."

"Hmm." He breathed deep, catching the scent of powder and flowers from her skin. It smelled better than the best tea. It was also almost irresistible, and he nearly lost track of the proper steps for a moment. Taking himself firmly in hand, Tarrant instead focused on the mirrors surrounding the dancing couple. His hair was far too short for his liking, but their colors combined as they moved over the floor, leaving shimmers of the rainbow dancing in the reflections.

Finally, the music faded to an end, leaving them in each others' arms. Alice lay her head against his shoulder, and sighed. "I'm being much too forward..." She went to move back, but Tarrant rested his hand on the back of her head.

"You've plenty of muchness, Alice. And... I've dreamed of being this close to you. I'm the one being pushy. You've been waiting for a dream, and I don't know..."

"Know what?"

"If I'll ever measure up to what you've been dreaming of for all these years." He sighed, and backed out of her arms. "I'm a broken and damaged being. I don't know how to get back home, to Underland. And I'm terrified that at any moment, Time is going to remember the both of us, and this wondrous dream will fade away from me."

"I love you, Tarrant."

She came close again, resting her hands on either side of his face. Leaning close, her breath danced over his lips. Neither was sure whom made the next move, but the candles and mirrors were the only things there to witness a long awaited kiss. It was hesitant, both not sure what to expect. But it deepened, the two molding against each other in the silence.

Finally, they had to come up for air. Fighting back an impish grin, Alice whispered in his ear. "There is a lovely bedroom only a short hall away. If tonight is our only night, I hope we can make it... eventful..."