Ooc: Sorry about such a delay in chapters. Finals and the holidays didn't leave a lot of time. I know that some of you expressed a bit of concern about the age difference, and I hope that I have explained it well enough in this chapter. If you have any more questions, please pm me.

I also chose to give the Duchess a name.

Thank you all for your reviews. I am now going to start sending a preview of the next chapter to any registered reviewer that reviews in the future, starting with this chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Lewis Carroll owns Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Syfy owns "Alice".

At fifteen Alice had her first kiss. She could remember it clearly as if it had happened the day before. She and Jack had just returned from a walk in the Heart's extensive hedge maze, and without any provocation, Jack had leaned over and kissed her. Looking back on it she realized how spontaneous and odd it was, but at that moment she hadn't thought anything other than the fact that Jack's lips were on hers.

At sixteen many more kisses and stolen moments together had followed. The two couldn't be outright with the way that they felt in public yet, until Jack as officially crowned. There was always talk of some betrothal for Jack by the Aces and if anyone knew how fond Jack was of the scientist's daughter, the Aces might speed up their marriage talks in order to nip the growing attraction in the bud.

Yet once Jack turned eighteen, and officially given the crown, the Aces would no longer have such a hold on them. They would simply be dissolved into the advisory council with the rest of the suits. Then, Jack could do whatever he wanted. He often hinted at their future together but had never come outright and announced to Alice that she would be queen. At her age she didn't realize that young love such as theirs didn't last forever or that it was most likely that he would marry a noblewoman. As a sixteen year old girl, she was looking at the present.

But sometimes, she wondered what would happen if Jack did ask her to marry him. She thought that she would accept although the thought of what the council and other nobles would think often worried her. But then she would calm and laugh at herself for thinking of a problem that hadn't even occurred yet. After all, Jack had never proposed.

But as the day of his eighteenth birthday and coronation neared Alice noticed a growing sense of urgency in her friend. His kisses were hurried and he often glanced over his shoulder when they were alone. She didn't ask him what bothered him since it only agitated him more. Instead she watched as he became more and more agitated through the weeks.

Alice watched as Jack's tension disappeared on his coronation day, much to her surprise. She thought that it would be heightened then since he was to be in front of so many people to receive such an honor.

She had woken before the sun was up that day in order to prepare. Being so close to the king she was invited personally to attend the procession from the palace to the cathedral in the center of the city, and then back to the palace for the night's festivities. She

A sharp knock at the door to the Hamilton's chambers broke her from her thoughts. Hurrying to the door, and nearly tripping over Dinah, she helped to usher in two maids that were lent to her to prepare. The Hamilton's had a small team of servants that helped to keep their apartments in order, but none were skilled in hairstyling. The two women quickly set to work setting her hair into curls and applying a thin layer of rouge to her cheeks. The entire time her father slept soundly in the next room over, despite the fact that one of the maids had knocked over a small basket of hairbrushes and pomade. Alice had noticed that her father had aged greatly the past two years. His joints were giving him trouble and he often went to bed earlier than normal, but woke up more exhausted than ever. He tried to hide his bloody handkerchiefs from her but she had noticed them a few months earlier.

After the two women finished with her hair she was helped into her gown. Her father had purchased the sky blue gown for her a few months earlier and she had been shocked at the price when he had paid the seamstress. But he had insisted upon her getting it for the coronation. She often wondered if he too worried about her among the nobles, and if they would look down on her. Being the child of the Head Scientist wasn't a terrible position, but it didn't come with noble blood.

Carefully clasping a pearl necklace around her neck she thanked the two women heartily before dismissing them to help prepare the Great Hall for that night's festivities. Pausing in her father's bedroom she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, kissed his balding head, and hurried from the apartments.

Nearly thirty minutes later the procession was almost about to leave the palace courtyards. The Aces were already in their position at the head of the crowd, each on matching black geldings. Following the Aces was the rest of the council with Jack behind them. She didn't even attempt to catch his eye as a groom helped her up onto her own horse. There was too much for him to think upon before the coronation. But he instead sought out her gaze, smiling as her eyes connected to his.

She was distracted by the sight of someone being helped onto a horse beside her. The blonde woman sneered down at the groom who had nearly ripped her hem while helping her up. Picking up her reins the blonde stared down at Alice.

"Lady Hamilton," was all the Duchess Rosalie said in greeting. She turned her pale face forward once more, completely ignoring Alice. Instead she focused on Jack. Alice frowned slightly as the group started to move out of the courtyard. Gently patting the neck of her eight year old bay gelding, she glanced over at the Duchess beside her. Rosalie had been a playmate of both Alice and Jack when they had been younger, but as the years had gone by, Rosalie had become colder toward Alice. She couldn't understand why, as she couldn't recall ever having offended her. But for some reason she couldn't avoid Rosalie's scowls.

Her attention was quickly averted as they came closer to the crowds that began to line the streets. The common people were as close to the barricades that the Suits had constructed as they were capable of, each trying to get a sight of their future King. Behind them stood the wealthy merchant class watching from their balconies or doorsteps. Between the multitude of colors that the procession was wearing, the confetti flying from balconies, and the cheering of the crowd Alice almost felt as if she was trapped in a snow globe. There was so much to take in that she didn't even notice her long time friend watching the crowd from his own doorstep.

Hatter had been shocked quite a few times in his life. His help with the rest of the resistance in displacing the Queen of Hearts had been one. And the time that he had and March had gone out drinking and somehow woken up on his roof was another. But seeing little Alice Hamilton, who could no longer be considered a child, dressed up as a woman of the court ranked high in his memories of being surprised.

He had nearly missed the procession that morning, having overslept. Since the coronation day's festivities would include free wine in the streets for all of Wonderland's citizens, he knew better than to open his shops for the day. Instead of getting up early as he always did to head out for work, he had allowed himself to sleep in. He hadn't seen a need to wake early since the celebration at the palace wouldn't begin until later that night. Besides the nobles, man important merchants were invited. Being the top tea provider in Wonderland, and his family having donated quite a bit of money to help the resistance, Hatter had acquired an invitation. And now he mentally thanked himself that he hadn't slept a moment longer, or he wouldn't have seen the woman before him. She clearly didn't see him, even though his attention was locked onto her. She looked older, like a different person. As the procession passed by his townhouse, and the people hurried along behind it, he realized that he had fallen in love.

Alice had sat quietly throughout the entire ceremony, even though it had been over two hours, and watched as Jack officially was declared King of Wonderland. She rarely ever saw the boy look solemn but throughout the entire ceremony he never flickered a smile. The only time he allowed himself to relax was when the cathedral doors were opened to the applauding crowd outside. Yet that seemed to be days ago when the festivities had started later that night. It seemed as if all of the guests had forgotten how important the morning had been. Instead, they focused on the ongoing party that night.

**

Robert had even gotten up from his bed to stay a few hours in the ball room. He was seated on a chair at one of the multiple tables that had been scattered around the room as he observed the party-goers. He carefully noted the people that passed by:The Lord and Lady Lory were at the table beside his, whispering to each other while countless other young ladies and gentlemen waltzed across the floor. His eyes kept straying to the Lory couple. He knew quite well that Lady Lory was about four years older than Alice, since he had recalled seeing the woman playing with Alice during their childhood. But he also knew Lord Lory to be nearly one hundred and twenty. Yet, as he watched them, they practically looked the same age. He could easily pass for twenty-six, or twenty-seven.

The ages differences often made Robert unsettled but it didn't seem to bother Wonderland's citizens. Age didn't seem to matter, since their appearances defied what they would look like had they lived in Robert's previous world.

His attention moved to his daughter, who was currently the partner of the new King in a waltz. To Robert she looked dazzling and he lamented that her mother wasn't there to see how she had grown. Taking a last swig of his wine goblet he hoisted himself up from his chair and left the ballroom to the young.

As the dance ended Alice carefully curtsied to Jack before leaving the dance floor. Her cheeks felt warm with the exertion of continuous dancing, causing her to carefully take a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray. She sipped from it for a moment as she watched the crowd.

"Care for a dance, m'lady?"

Alice nearly dropped her glass at the familiar voice. Instead she hurriedly set down her glass on a table, practically spilling it, and embraced the man beside her.

"Hatter! I didn't know that you were coming," she said before pulling back to look at him. She thought nothing wrong in hugging her friend, although he had seemed somewhat rigid in her arms. She ignored it and instead beamed at him.

"Of course I'll dance with you. You needn't ask."

He pushed a smile to his face and led her out among the dancers. He had almost not came that night but eventually had forced himself. As much as he wanted to see Alice again it was too risky to be around her. But he had needed to see her.

He carefully fixed his black top hat before taking up her arms to send them around the room. His mind was far away from the ballroom as he went over possibilities in his head. His mother had been eighteen when she had married his father. Alice wasn't much younger than she had been. And his father had nearly been one hundred and two. Hatter was younger than that, although not by much. Age wasn't much of a problem for him but he knew that Alice's father might take offense: age was regarded differently in his world than in Wonderland.

Maybe settling down wouldn't be a bad thing. He had been alone for quite some time now, and it would be nice to have someone waiting for him in his lonely townhouse. Maybe he could even place March in charge of the shop someday so he could stay home. He already had two other employees covering the other shops.

As Hatter imagined a possible future, Alice tried to keep her eyes on Jack. He had taken Rosalie as a partner and much to her annoyance, the Duchess was making him laugh. As soon as the song ended Hatter hastily bowed to her.

"I'll see you this week again, won't I?" he asked, much to her surprise. Normally he wordlessly expected both her and her father. But for some reason he was almost frantic to make sure that she was going.

"If Papa is feeling up to it we will both go but if not, I'll be there," she said, watching as he fidgeted with his jacket. She didn't have time to question him as he bowed again, flashed her a quick smile, and began to weave through the guests to exit the room.

Watching her friend in surprise she waited a few moments watching him before heading back to her glass.

**

Hatter smacked March's front door, not stopping until his half-asleep friend opened it. "Do you know the time?" he asked, his voice sarcastic even laced in sleep. Hatter rolled his eyes before pushing past him to enter the house.

"I've got to speak to you about something."