Hello, wonderful people! Do any of you love watching abc family on Tuesdays, by any chance? Cuz I do. And I just finished watching new episodes of my favorite shows back-to-back. I got my mind blown. Sorry, now back to the story!

Disclaimer: I. . . own. . . nothing. . . of AiW.

Inspirational Song: "Different" - Acceptance

. . . . .

"But how? How could this still happen?"

Hatter sighed. "If I knew, I would tell you. And the Queen. I would also tell the Queen."

Alice and Hatter were sitting on a loveseat in one of the two ballrooms they had passed up earlier on their way to the Silver Staircase. It was an elegantly tanned color adorned with gold armrests. Every few meters or so was a dark wooded table topped with a crystal vase, holding the land's most peculiar flowers. The paneled walls were made of a bright wood and peach-colored paint. A grand chandelier, currently unlit, hung from the ceiling and cream curtains fluttered in the light breeze coming in from the windows. Moonlight cast itself over the room, throwing shadows over everything inside of it. It was one of the very few rooms in Marmoreal that weren't bedecked in a pure, white glow. It was beautiful.

The two had been discussing their very obvious situation for a fine time now, still coming to no valid conclusions. They'd soon realized after they began that they truly knew nothing of what to do.

"Let's go over it again," Alice insisted. She ignored Hatter's frown and continued. "Who do we know that could possibly bring about this disaster?"

He didn't even have to think about it. "Stayne."

Alice nodded. "He's all I could think of, as well. Now, what would his intentions be?"

Hatter looked at her as if it were she who often got caught in mad ramblings. "Er, Alice? It is Stayne we're discussing here. I believe we have reason enough to think that his intentions are all ordinarily evil."

"No, no, I know that." She bit her lip. "I only meant, what are his intentions specifically? What could he possibly gain by shattering the Looking Glass?" She felt like pacing for all the thought processing they'd been doing lately.

Hatter's brow furrowed. "Perhaps, and this is simply an idea, mind you be, but perhaps he wants to ensure that no one else can come through the Looking Glass from the Otherworld."

"You mean another one like myself?" Hatter nodded with a thoughtful look upon his face. "Or, on that same line of thought, perhaps he doesn't want anyone to go back into the Otherworld?"

"In which case, he wouldn't want you to leave. . . That I do not understand, Alice."

"It was purely an idea."

"But, why would he even think that someone would want to leave Underland to go into the Otherworld in the first place? I'm terribly sorry, Alice, but I find the very idea of it ghastly, with all the drab colors, the non-smiling faces, and all of the rules! And restrictions! And they were not kind to you, Alice, were not kind to you, at all, and that also is what I'd declare to be ghastly, and I find it to be that-"

Alice decided to shut him up in a bit more quirkier way than usual and placed her lips upon his, silencing him at once. She drew away a moment later to see his bright green eyes, lazy smile, and hear him giggle. He put an arm around her and held him closer to his chest, exhaling slowly.

"But I do agree with you, Hatter," she said after some time of looking at the moon. "I'm not sure as to what, or who we really should say, he doesn't want traveling through the Looking Glass and in between the two worlds. And if it is me he is worried about, he not need be, for I'm not going anywhere."

His hold on her tightened. "Thas' righ'," he said in his deep brogue.

Alice kissed the bandaged hand rubbing circles on her shoulder. "I wonder how he plans to do it. . . "

She felt Hatter chuckle. "You are such a curious thing, my little Alice. But I have no answer to that question. Even with the Looking Glass being guarded, Stayne will manage to shatter it. . . " He shook his head in disbelief.

Alice looked up at him with slightly surprised eyes. "Stayne 'will manage' to shatter it? Are you so certain of him?"

He looked down at her quickly. "Do not think for a moment that I have a certain faith in the guddler's scut. I only say that 'he'll manage' with confidence because the Oraculum has predicted it."

"As of this moment it has. Remember what the White Queen told us? That the future is always changing? That is so true, Hatter."

He peered at her excited expression warily. "Alice, what are you. . . ?"

"What if we directly changed the outcome of what is to happen? We simply have to get to Stayne before he can get to the Looking Glass!" Her eyes shone at the idea, but Hatter was appalled.

"No, no, absolutely no," Hatter said to Alice's pouting look. "Too dangerous for yae."

Alice's eyes narrowed. "Hatter. I'm the Champion."

"Yes, yes, I know," he lisped quickly, his eyes dulling. "I just, I know you are however capable, but I don't think, I don't want-"

"Hatter, I know," Alice interrupted his ramble. She tilted her head to the side as if listening to a thought. "It would likely not even work. We have no idea what he's planning to do or when he wants to set into action." She could feel Hatter relax beside her before another question came to mind. "I wonder why he thinks anyone would soon be going through the Looking Glass. Is there something we don't know about?"

Hatter shook his head. "The White Queen would tell us anything she knew."

Alice nodded, gazing at the moon once again. For all she knew, her sister or mother could also be looking at it at this exact same moment. It was so large, so pure, so beautiful. . .

Why was it that there was always a job for her to do? Alice remembered once that an old, Underlanian friend had called her a "manic with a mission" because of her never-ending duties as Champion. She never had been told the job description, but all the stress since Hamish's arrival was wearing down on her. Once that problem had been solved, another one had arisen. It seemed that her month of peace was simply a tease of Time. Here, Alice, you may think the rest of your life shall be an eternal bliss, but it won't be long before that thought comes crumbling down, too!

She truly hoped that once this task was over and done with that she could live her life without looking over her shoulder constantly. It was utterly exhausting.

. . . . .

Hatter felt and heard Alice sigh mournfully within the crook of his arm. He looked down at her to see a frown etched across her fair face. Frowns didn't belong on Alice; they looked much better far, far away from the both of them.

He wanted to wipe the blemish away, but what could he say?* He couldn't possibly make a promise that all would be alright in the end, for the Oraculum hadn't predicted that. And even if it did, Absolem would never show it to him, so he would never know.

Hatter had suspected that there was a lot on Alice's plate lately. (Theoretically, of course, for she usually kept her plate at the Tea Party quite clean.) She'd told him she was still missing her family and he was particularly. . . familiar. . . with that situation. He knew he could help her in no way with that. Hatter could also correctly assume that she was stressed with this latest news of the Looking Glass. She felt a responsibility to protect Underland so fiercely that the very thought of her loyalty warmed Hatter's heart. She was a rose in a garden of weeds. It was for that very reason that Hatter worried so about her.

He knew she wished to fight, and he knew it was specifically her duty, but he couldn't help but be anxious about her being. He would never stop her, though. He had promised himself that a long time ago, on a balcony in Marmoreal. If Alice felt a complete need to do something, he couldn't stop her from completing her wishes. He loved her ferocity and the excitement that could fill her eyes. He would never put out that fire.

But it was now, at times like these, when Alice's eyes gave away that sad look, that made Hatter feel the need to do something, anything, for her. He'd make her happy again, for the best Alice was a happy Alice.

Hatter abruptly, but gently, of course, pushed Alice away. She looked at him curiously as he stood up and held a scarred hand out to her. He could feel his eyes change from a calm green to a light violet color. She slowly took his hand with her delicate one and stood up from the loveseat confusedly. "Hatter? Are we going somewhere?"

He pulled her with that one hand to the center of the moonlit ballroom, his eyes never wavering from hers. He held on to her one hand and placed his other on her waist. "Jus' over here," he said. He began to slowly turn her around the floor, both eyes twinkling at her.

She began to smile softly. "But Hatter, there's no music."

Hatter frowned slightly, before opening his mouth and letting out the most beautiful of Underlanian songs. Alice had heard him sing many times before, but they had simply been ways to pass Time. This song was purely in Outlandish, but it held none of the usual words that caused parents to cover their children's ears.

Alice couldn't understand a word of what he was saying, but Hatter had seen her beautiful, brown eyes shine and her smile grow fonder as his deep voice resonated his words. He twirled her across the moon's path and swayed with her around all of the room, all the while singing his song. One needn't have to say it was a song of love. It was as plain as day, any could tell.

Hatter finally gave her one last dip below the unlit chandelier, his voice as steady as his hands when creating hats, and stared down in awe at the girl he held in both his arms. He slowly lifted her back up, until they were standing there, face to face, with his arms still around her.

The brown eyes met with the ones of a rainbow and soon enough their lips were drawn together by the magnetic force called Love. Alice's arms were wrapped around his neck and Hatter couldn't get any closer. He ran his hand through her blonde locks, relishing in the feel of it all. Hatter conjured a noise up from the depths of his throat and completely enveloped himself in bliss. Her lips felt so soft against his. Alice was his home, his sanctuary. . .

What felt like hours was interrupted within minutes as the door flung open and hit the wall with a bang. Hatter ruefully broke away from his Alice to glare at the slurvish shukm of an intruder. The March Hare ran across the room with a terrified look on his face and a ladle in his paw. Not long after, Mallymkun launched herself through the doorway, as well, with a ferocious battle cry that any warrior would be proud of. The little dormouse was drenched in an absolutely foul-smelling sauce. Neither of them seemed to realize what they had just barged in on.

Mally flew across the room and attached herself to Thackery's head, biting and scratching and clawing the hare's scalp. Hatter sighed shakily, and with weak knees that had nothing to do with the lateness of the hour, trudged away from Alice to detangle these two mad creatures he called his companions.

. . . . .

Insanity: I've unknowingly made another rhyme! (*)

Rachel: I'm not used to writing kisses. I felt slightly awkward.

Insanity: It's what yer readers want tae read, yae slurvish shkum!

Rachel: I apologize?