Cheshire: She doesn't own anyone in Underland except Eileen and her rescuer…

R.O.O.: You heard the cat, I own almost nobody. Anyhow, enjoy. We'll see the reactions of the orphanage and the Muggles a bit later. Anyhow, on with the show.


"Hatter?" Eileen asked, and he looked over at her. "Do you love me?"

"I've often wondered what love truly is," he said side-stepping the minefield. "But, in theory, yes, there is still a soul mate for everyone."

"Even now that you know my true past?" she asked looking at him, and he nodded. "Doesn't it bother you?"

"I'd like to slay them," he admitted, "But I think that your punishment will fit them just as well."

"Hatter," Eileen said quietly, "Do you love me?"

"I don't know," he said carefully, "I know I do, but I don't know what kind of love it is yet."

"Oh," she said crestfallen before the Jubjub bird flew overhead. "Wait here."

Three days later, Eileen was sitting in the court with the hatter sitting on his feet, his knees on the ground before him, shackled. Naturally, the queen was demanding to know where Eileen was. He, however, was laughing at her question of how he'd like it if he lost his head. Eileen was staring around her and waiting for the Oraculum and the Vorpal sword's location to be made known to her.

"And who is this lovely creature?" Stayne asked after the hatter was taken away and the trio was alone again in the room.

"Um," the queen said. "My new favorite."

"What is your name?" he asked Eileen.

"Um," the Red Queen repeated.

"I believe your name has slipped the queen's mind," he said to Eileen.

"Her name is Um, IDIOT!" the queen yelled.

"From Umbrage," Eileen said simply, trying not to laugh.

Stayne simply glared before Eileen stood up and left to go to the gardens to look at the roses. He followed her, and she began to smile and sniff the flowers, a luxury she never had in the orphanage, neither metaphorically or literally. He kept a watchful eye on her and she began to explore further, looking around further and eyeing him warily.

"What's in there?" she asked him pointing at a shack.

"The bandersnatch," he replied, and she ran in the opposite direction of the shack. "Smart girl."

"Thank you," she said smiling. "No one's ever said that to me before. They used to mock me in Umbrage, so I came here hoping that her majesty would know what it's like."

"Which queen?" he asked.

"There's more than one?" Eileen asked incredulously. "I'd hate to meet the tyrant that the other one must have been… her majesty is so kind, I simply cannot fathom why the people don't like her."

She was, of course, referring to the white queen, but Stayne mistook it for talk about the red one.

"She is most gracious," he conceded, "have you met the white queen?"

"Her color is white?" she asked, and shook her head. "How horrifying that must be, to be surrounded by white all day every day!"

This time, she was referring to an asylum, and again Stayne mistook her words.

"I often wonder what it would be like to fly," Eileen said mystically, and he gave her a look that asked if she was as mad as a hatter. "Well, I should probably be getting inside. I don't want to catch my death when the queen honors me with the privilege of remaining in her throne room with her."

Stayne stared at her wondering if he'd been mistaken about her before he finally followed her inside the castle.

"So that's what my little niece is up to," a female smirked in the shadows. "This will be fun to watch."


So, what do you think'll happen next? The bandersnatch, of course!

Reviewers will find out what Eileen's familiar is before it's said in the story!