Finding Normal, or Something Like That
Chapter Seven
Disclaimer: Nope, I've got nothing. Drat.
Here's chapter seven, in which Hatter experiences his first Halloween, with some very interesting results and a special appearance of some very Wonderland qualities.
He could hear the music from the street. It wasn't necessarily bad music. It was just music he still wasn't totally familiar with, despite Alice's many tutorial sessions over the past few months. Those, coupled with his own genuine interest in music had meant that he had progressed relatively well, all things considered. But he still had a long way to go.
Shivering, Hatter pulled his jacket closer around him, as he waited, still not used to this world's more drastic changes in weather. It was only going to get worse, apparently. Alice was busy putting coins into the parking meter.
Apparently, tonight was a big Oyster celebration.
Halloween, from his admittedly limited knowledge, was supposed to be a day that the dead could cross over and walk on the Earth again. But, as he had also had it explained to him, it had turned into a day when the Oysters dressed up in costumes and celebrated.
And that was what they were doing.
Some of Alice's friends had started throwing Halloween parties a few years back. Apparently, one of their running gags was that, every year, they picked a theme – usually a book, film, or musical genre, Alice had told him – and everyone who came to the party had to dress accordingly. This year, that theme was Alice in Wonderland.
The humor wasn't lost on either one of them. When she had relayed the theme to him, he laughed for five minutes straight, Alice not too far behind him. It had been a good thing that they had been in his apartment, because Carol would not have understood why they found it so funny, though she had found it amusing when they had told her what they were going as. They had yet to explain the real nature of their meeting to her, though he had made Alice promise that they would tell her one day, especially given that he was sticking around for a long time now.
And, because of their rather intimate connection to Lewis Carroll's book, their costumes were very appropriate.
Alice had asked if he wanted to be something other than stereotype, but he had firmly and vehemently shot that idea down. After all, he didn't know how to be anyone other than himself. To dress otherwise, would be blasphemy.
She came up beside him and slipped her hand into his.
"Ready, Mad Hatter?"
"Always, Alice of Legend."
With a shared laugh, they went up to the party.
This year, it was taking place two of Alice's friends, Timothy and Megan, were hosting the party in their apartment. Earlier, Alice had dropped off food for the party and had been corralled into doing some decorating, though she had successfully avoided revealing the exact extent of her costume.
Hatter had, over the months that he had been in this world, met a number of Alice's friends and had managed to win a fair number of them over. There were still a few of them who had met Jack and thought that he was a step down from the man. However, to his great luck, Tim and Meg (two of Alice's closest and best friends) had been among the first to welcome him with open arms because "Jack just didn't seem right," Tim had summed up. And Meg had proclaimed that it seemed like Hatter genuinely loved Alice – which was absolutely correct.
Meg was the one who opened the door and Hatter didn't suppress a, well, mad grin at her costume. The normally blonde woman had a red wig on and was dressed in a dress that was reminiscent of the Queen of Hearts.
"Welcome, loyal subjects," she said, a laugh in her voice, betraying the regal air she had attempted to adopt. "Enter or it will be your head."
"Yes , my Queen," Hatter replied, slipping back into his Wonderland-self, giving Meg a little bow and a loose half salute.
Alice was laughing loudly as they entered. Meg closed the door behind them, giving their outfits an intense look-over.
"You know," she said, thoughtfully, "I would have expected you to do something other than Alice and the Mad Hatter. But I'll give you points for thinking outside the box and being creative with your costumes.
They shared a look.
Since it was Hatter's first Halloween in this world and the theme had been so easy, they couldn't be anyone other than Alice and Hatter of the real Wonderland.
Alice had pulled out that lovely blue dress – his favorite, he concluded, not for the first time – and even pared it with red tights, though she had admitted to that she did missed his coat. Hatter regretted that he hadn't brought it with him from Wonderland. But, he had made up for it by wearing a paisley shirt and trousers much like the ones he had worn during their Wonderland adventures. He'd even used some eye make-up, though he had gotten out of the habit of doing so. His old hat completed the whole ensemble, though she had been adamant to stick a 10/6 card into his hat. Personally, he thought it made him look like his Great Granduncle, but that was the whole point, she had argued. And she had won, after all.
They weren't the typical Alice and Mad Hatter, she had said, but they were definitely an original set, no doubt.
"Alice! David!" a jovial male voice called out.
Both turned to see Tim walking – swaggering – towards them. Hatter smiled and shook his head, suppressing a laugh. Tim was dressed up as the March Hare – Mad March, as Hatter knew the man in latter days.
"Interesting couple, you and Meg make," he noted, wirily.
Tim laughed. "Well, we didn't have the cute couple factor that you two have. Besides, I much prefer the March Hare. And Meg didn't want to dress up as Tweedledee and Tweedledum with me."
Alice tensed, ever so slightly next to him. Hatter caught her hand, knowing full well that, while Tim only thought of Wonderland as a children's story, they both remembered the reality of Dr. Dee and Dr. Dum's torture. But Tim didn't seem to notice her reaction or, if he did, he didn't say anything.
"I don't suppose you have any tea, Tim." Hatter gave him a true Hatter smirk as he lifted his hat off of his head and absently performed a few one-handed hat tricks while he talked. "What would be a party with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare without tea?"
"Oh, we've got tea somewhere," the other man confirmed. "But we will need riddles."
It had become a running joke between the two ever since Tim had found out that his surname was Hatter. Although the supposed stories did not enchant Alice's friends as much as it did Alice and Hatter, they did appreciate the irony of the romance. Meg had been the one who declared it "fitting and perfect" that Alice winds up with a Hatter.
"Besides, why is a writing desk like a raven?"
A little scoff met their ears. The three turned to see Meg standing there, her hand on her hip, staring at them.
"I can't break you from your Alice in Wonderland obsession, can I?"
Alice grinned. "You wouldn't dare, Meg. Besides, the party is all about Alice in Wonderland. So we were just keeping with the theme."
Meg waved her hand, dismissively. "Well, go mingle. Have a fun time. You know how I hate to see you in a corner, Alice."
And mingle they did.
As it turned out, many of Alice's friends and acquaintances were very impressed by their "modern interpretations" of the characters. Hatter was far less inclined to say that he was the great grandnephew of the man who had inspired Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter. Or that said great granduncle had been very good friends with the Alice of Legend. Or that Alice Hamilton – his Alice – was the new Alice of Legend, while he was her Mad Hatter and significant other.
By the end of the evening, Hatter was almost sick of the number of people who had come up to him to say that they liked his "costume" and had wondered where he had gotten his hat.
Alice had to stop him from punching the lights out of one guy who had dared to flirt with Alice right in front of him. Hatter was the only one who was allowed to express interest in Alice, especially when she was wearing that blue dress. Though, to be fair, he saw Alice noticeably restraining herself when a few women had come up to him and had intentionally made it known that they were available. He had no doubt that she wanted to beat them senseless – which he knew, for a fact, that she easily could do.
Finally, as the last party guest was leaving, Hatter looked around the apartment, which now only housed himself, Alice, Tim, and Meg.
It had been very up-beat, unlike the few parties he had been to back in Wonderland. Despite the annoying people, he had quite enjoyed himself, surprisingly.
Alice slipped up beside him, wrapping her arm around his waist. He looked down at her.
"You ready to go soon, love? I did promise your Mum that I would have you home a reasonable hour."
The cheeky smile that spread across her face was one he knew all too well. "Didn't I tell you, I talked to Mom earlier and she's perfectly okay with me staying out with you all night. She trusts us to be responsible, after all. She does like you."
A moment later, when the realization of the deeper meaning of Carol's words sunk in, he felt his jaw drop. Alice laughed whole-heartedly.
"Well then, what are you two still doing here?"
He looked up at Meg and Tim, both of whom were giving him knowing looks. They had known Alice and Carol a lot longer than he did and they both knew the meaning behind Carol's words just as well as he did. For all of her declarations of independence, Alice did love and respect her mother, just as much as Carol loved and respected her daughter. So, for Carol to say what she did and mean it, that was a huge statement.
Grinning like a damn fool and a mad hatter, he tightened his hold on Alice. "It was a lovely party, you two, but I do believe that it is getting late and I've got to be up early in the morning. The shop is getting ready to open soon and I need to be over there to oversee the decoration and such."
Total fib, but all four of them knew that he and Alice needed an excuse to get back to his apartment.
"We'll see you at the shop's opening, right?" Alice asked.
"If not before then," Meg confirmed.
The two women shared a knowing smile before the two couples bid each other good night. It was some girl thing he would never understand.
But, as they walked down to the car, Hatter knew it was going to be a good night.
Ta dah! Halloween! Did you like? I tried to be cheeky and channel the loveliness of Hatter. I hoped you enjoyed and I left you with a few good treats. Aren't I just mean? But hey, at least Hatter got to be "Hatter" before he opened his tea shop. And we all know how important that is.
Anyway, don't forget to review the story. I like good reviews. They are feed-back. Flames and such will be used to throw as Jack and the Queen of Hearts.