(If you think I'm wrong about the way he goes about this, look at the movie one more time. Watch the Mad Hatter's tea party and watch the way he yells at Cheshire. He is very much remembering the past and his accent is very thick. Then again at the end when Alice slays the Jabberwocky, he was just about to kill Stayne!... So close… But no, his good side comes out and his eyes go back to their right color and so does his makeup. He drops the sword and does keep Stayne from killing Iracebeth with a push pin to the hand… which really looked painful to me. )

Rage surged through Tarrant. Having heard everything Alice said, he was angry to say the very least. No, anger was too mild and nice for what he was. There was nothing but utter rage and hatred left inside him. He could his inner madness surfacing in himself. He had to make that bastard pay for what he did. He had to make him suffer for ever having the thought of touching his Alice. He felt a low growl rising in his throat. His fists were clenched tight and he hurried into the room that was prepared for him. He heaved open the door and fled to the "closet". It really was not a closet, but a workshop. Mirana had often allowed him to stay and use it when he had big orders to fill. It had so much more in it than his workshop at the mill. It had plenty more fabrics and the sewing machine was actually cleaned regularly. He never had time to get all the paste and tiny fibers off his own, so it was caked in disaster. He slammed the door behind him and grabbed a mannequin from the corner.

In a fit of violent rage, the hatter suddenly began to smash the mannequin against the large wardrobe in which he had placed the dresses he'd made for Alice and many hats he'd made in his spare time. He slung the mannequin across the room, hitting the sewing mechanism, making it crash it to the ground. He could hear it smashing into pieces in a possibly irreparable manner. He flung his coat to the ground and grabbed a roll of fabric breaking it under his knee. The steel bar at the center of the roll snapped in half in the mad man's grip. He threw it to the ground.

Such destruction lasted for nearly two hours as he screamed his rage in the small room until his eyes landed on his supply of mercury paste. His blood red eyes gleamed and a small smile crossed his lovely magenta lips in the cruelest of fashions. He picked up a car of the paste and scrutinized it. An idea was forming in his mind –a mad, crazy, wonderful idea.

~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~

Alice held her head in her hand. The queen issued for Stayne to be taken to the dungeon the moment he awoke, yet not a guard or physician stayed in the small room. She had to admit that she was a little shocked. The white queen, Mirana of Marmoreal, whom had taken the vow never to harm a living creature, had a dungeon. A DUNGEON! Alice was amused a little at the thought. It was a castle, after all, why wouldn't there be a dungeon? She wondered how often Mirana used it.

With one hand on her head and one on the wall for support her weight; Alice made her way down the long carpeted corridors. She felt very uncomfortable in the infirmary with Stayne there –even if he were unconscious. What if she were to wake up with him laying on her, with his disgusting lips placed on her shoulder and his hands- She had to stop before she vomited. The very thought of that pig touching her in a way such as that made her gag.

She felt herself getting dizzy and stumbled around the corner, falling to her knees. Two hands reached out of nowhere and caught her shoulders. "Are you alright?" Asked a soft male voice.

Alice looked up. She had been so sure that Tarrant had been the one to catch her, but that voice was certainly not of her hatter! She looked into soft brown eyes that held simple concern for a stranger. "Urm… Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a little dizzy." She replied

The man circled himself under her arm and hoisted her to her feet, "Allow me to help you."

Alice nodded and walked with him steadying her, "My room is… Just up this hall –or was it the other one? No it was up this hall and turn to the left and then it's the fourth on the right? Yes I believe that is right."

The man nodded and smiled, "Such a strong lady you are, coming up to the palace and not going to the infirmary, but rather to your chambers. I applaud such strength." He complimented.

Alice shook her head, "Sitting in the infirmary did not sit well with me, so I had to leave. I don't think anyone noticed me when I left." She announced.

"May I ask what happened to you? And also your name?"

She cleared her throat and staggered slightly to the side, "I was attacked by the Knave of hearts –well, he used to be before the red queen was banished with him. My name is Alice."

The man stopped and looked at her, stoic in body language and facial expression. "Alice, the champion of Underland?" He asked, his voice losing its strength.

"Yes, sir. I suppose that is my title here. May I have the-" She grunted as she bumped her arm on the wall, "-the pleasure of knowing your name?"

He nodded, "Century." He replied, "How bad was the attack?"

Alice lifted her bandaged arm, "Its not healing so fast and this dizziness, I guess, is from blood loss. That is a very nice name, also."

He smiled at her, showing his handsome features when they brightened, "I think so as well. I have something that may help with the dizziness. Would you care to try it?" He asked, approaching the fourth door on the right just as she had specified. She took her arm from around his shoulder and leaned against the wall, "Do you mind? I mean, it would be awfully rude to simply take something from you without offering my thanks in return, which would be nearly impossible in this state."

He held his hand up and produced a small vile from his pocket, "This is a mixture meant to endues sleep. Theory states that your body reacts differently when you sleep, like it heals faster and you breathe slower than need be when you are awake. If you drink it, it may help with the dizziness and could possible help heal your arm at a faster rate."

She reached out for it and he slid it into her palm, "Many thanks, kind sir, but I have no way to show my gratitude."

Suddenly he leaned forward and placed his lips gently upon her, applying very little pressure. "You need not fear, champion. For your kiss is as sweet as any thanks. I hope it works well."

She faltered back and opened the door, "O-ok," She said, falling back into her room.

Century smiled and nodded at her, "Good day, champion Alice."

Alice brushed her lips with the back of her hand. That was slightly more than highly inappropriate. What if someone saw it and word gets back to her hatter? News that his precious Alice had kissed another man would tear him apart. She licked her lips and looked at the small vile. It was possible that she would never see the mystery man ever again, so there was really no need to worry. She would accompany Tarrant back to the mill tomorrow and they would wait for word from Mirana of the search for the sword and beast that attacked the castle… After everything that had happened, Alice just wanted to be away from the castle.

She pulled the top off of the little vile and gulped. "Well, here's to sleep." She said and down the contents of the small vile. She felt her eyelids growing heavy as she climbed onto the bed and placed her head gently on the pillow before she spiraled into deep slumber.

~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~

Tarrant opened the wooden door and fled down the spiral staircase in which led to the dungeon. He was surprised to find that there was no one guarding it. He was not surprised, however, to see that Stayne was the only occupant of the entire dungeon. He took a pin from his hat and one from his pin cushion ring and began to pick the lock. The door opened and the prisoner looked up, smiling in his cadaverous state of life. "What brings you here my favorite lunatic?"

Tarrant grinned, his under eyes burning black and his eyes flaming red. "Ye dae... demon." (You do... demon)

"Demon? Oh, come now friend, shall we not be civil? Tell me, what angers you lunatic?" He taunted.

Tarrant clenched his fists and drew a small jar from his coat poacket. "Ye shoods ne'er hae tooched 'er, an' noo aam gonnae make ye suffer fur causin' 'er tears." (You should never have touched her, and now I'm going to make you suffer for causing her tears.)

And with this he slid down to the cruel man before him's eye level. He slowly opened the top of the canister and reached in with bandaged fingers. He then began to slowly slather it against Stayne's chest –mostly his open wounds that had not been bandaged, but cleaned. He applied great amounts of pressure and listened to Stayne beg him not to continue –that it was most definitely painful and would kill him soon. Tarrant gave an evil smile and with his Scottish brogue whispered, "But that's tae point."

He watched the mercury paste as it slid into Stayne's body and Stayne began to tremble. Tarrant watched with a sadistic glint in his eyes as Stayne writhed in agony as he should've long ago. His small smile turned into a large evil grin as he watched the man's life leaving him, his body beginning to still. And with little more than that… Stayne was dead.

Tarrant pulled two jars of water from each coat pocket and rinsed out the wounds so that no one would see that he was killed by a hatter's mercury paste. It would look like he died from the blood loss and that he was sweating in his final moments as his life gave out.

Tarrant replaced the jars in his coat pocket and grinned. He had to go clean his shop before someone saw it –especially before Alice saw it. He ran up the stairs, fled the dungeon staircase and darted through the halls. He didn't want Alice to see what he had done, what he was capable of doing. His eyes returned to their normal color and he opened his chamber door. He had no guilt for what he had just done. He did it for his fair Alice. She would not be spited by slander that the guards would gossip to each other after hearing the horrible things Stayne would say to them. He had to protect her honor… She was his- even if she didn't know it yet.

Tarrant worked quickly, gathering all the pins and gems that had scattered about the floor. He pushed all the broken fabric reels into the wardrobe and pulled out all the dresses, placing them on his bed until he could get them into Alice's room. The small shop was sweltering as Tarrant slipped his long coat back off, along with his vest this time, and set them on the floor of his room. He wiped his brow and saw that his speedy work paid off. The entire work shop was almost perfect! He just needed to repair the mannequin and machine.

Suddenly, Tarrant heard a loud scream, followed by a bang. "Alice!" He whispered, running at top speed to the door that joined their rooms. He thrust open the door to see Alice, tossing and turning on her bed. She lashed out with her hand and his the head board. Tarrant rushed to her side grabbed her hand, but she slipped it away and threw a punch in his direction. He ducked just in time and caught her fist. Her knuckles were bleeding. Had she really hit the wall that hard? Tarrant's heart sank as he sat on the bed and pulled the young woman into his arms and rocked her, whispering soothing things in her ear. She went limp in his arms.

He felt his eyes water, remembering how terrifying nightmares could be. He couldn't let her endure it any longer. He had to wake her. "Alice," He whispered in her ear. She didn't move. "Alice," He said a little louder, turning the girl so she was facing him.

She bore a small cut on her cheek and it leaked crimson red. He shook her shoulders, "Alice!" Tarrant began to panic. He placed her on the bed and leaned his ear down to her chest. Nothing. Nothing was happening inside her. He felt tears escaping his eyes as they shaded to a soft blue color. "Alice," He whispered, "No." He looked down at her deathly still form and leaned over her, weeping softly.

Alice was leaving him again, and this time… she would not be able to return to him…

(Well… Who can take a guess on what just happened? I'm not too terribly sorry for the violence, but it simply had to happen, but for some of my more sensitive readers, I do apologize if it offended you. The next chapter shall be up pretty soon, so I won't be leaving it as a cliffy like this for too long =) Please, dearies, leave me a review and give me some feedback, it would be extremely kind of you! )