Hatter's POV
"So what you're telling me is that there's someone who looks like me just running around Wonderland without worrying about dying?" Ace said.
"No, she's terrified of the notion of dying, that's why I came to bring you back." Hatter said.
"And here I thought you just missed rolling around in bed with me. Tsk tsk." She said
Hatter and Ace had been travelling back to his tea shop when they saw cracklings going off in the distance.
"Looks like someone might be having a party." She said watching as 'Silver Deer' pranced along the skyline.
Ace started walking in the direction of the cracklings show.
"What are you doing? We need to get back to my shop." Hatter hissed.
It was too late in the night for him to be shouting like an asshole.
"Would you relax? You precious little tea shop isn't going anywhere." She said trekking on.
The walk took about 20 minutes in total for them to reach their destination.
"We're almost there." Ace said, looking back to see Hatter lagging behind.
"When I came to get you I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but the fact that we were so close to finishing this journey is pissing me off with this detour." Hatter said.
Ace turned around and took Hatter's face in her hands before kissing him.
"You need to loosen up more, why so wound up?" She said.
Hatter wiped his mouth out of reflex. Ace would remember that in the future.
"My friend is in trouble and I'm starting to see just how selfish of a person you really are." He said.
"Because I'm not heading straight to your little shop? I didn't have to come back with you at all! I was just curious to see how I of all people could have a doppelganger running around Wonderland without my initial knowledge." She said seething at Hatter.
Cheshire stopped lighting cracklings and looked off into the distance with an uncertain look on his face.
"What's wrong?" Lane said.
Cheshire cut her off before she could say more.
"I hear arguing not far from here/" Cheshire said.
"Should we head back inside?" She said, wondering if it was castle guards.
"No, the voices sound fairly familiar to me. ...I think one of them is - ." He said before running off.
"W-Wait for me!" She called after him while following.
"And another thing!" Hatter yelled.
"No! Just shut your mouth!" Ace cut him off. "I could snap your stupid neck right here, right now! How dare you speak to me this way!"
Cheshire emerging from the bushes surprised them long enough to stop the arguing.
"Cheshire!" Ace exclaimed, jumping into his arms as he spun her around.
He buried his face into her neck and purred in delight.
"My kitten. You've returned." He said pulling back.
Lane came out of the bushes shortly after and froze in her tracks. The sight of Ace stunning her more than she has anticipated.
"Oh shit. I do have a doppelganger." Ace said.
"I-I'm Lane." She said, holding out her hand.
Ace grasped it firmly and shook it.
"You've got some explaining to do, girly." Ace said.