Finding Normal . . . Or Something Like That

Chapter Fourteen

Disclaimer: Yeah, I really don't own a thing.

Anyway, here's chapter fourteen, in which Jack Heart pays a visit, an envelope is delivered, and there's some emotional conflict.

Hatter leaned his elbows against the edge of the table. He couldn't believe his life sometimes and this was absolutely absurd, even for him. If he thought it would help, he would pinch himself, just to make sure he wasn't asleep. But he knew, for certain, that he wasn't.

Jack Heart was stiffly sitting across the table from him, his (admittedly toned down) suit a stark contrast to the casual air of the tea shop.

The young, blond king raised an eyebrow, looking around at the place. Hatter knew that he was secretly judging the shop. Inwardly, he knew that Jack was impressed. He could see that emotion playing through the man's eyes when he had walked into the shop. Hatter had worked with emotions for long enough to know what they looked like in people's eyes.

He was glad that he had been walking out of his office as Jack walked in. It had saved an awkward attempt at Francesca re-directing the man. Jack had commandingly walked towards the office like he owned the place.

How had Jack managed to track down his tea shop? Granted, a tea shop named "Hatter's" was a really big clue but still.

"So, what brings you here, Jack?" Hatter asked, irreverently looking at the man.

The king shifted a bit. "I wanted to check up on life here, see how you were faring in your adjustment."

Jack didn't need to say it, but Hatter knew what he was really trying to say. Despite the man's relationship with Duchess (Hatter saw the ring on Jack's left hand), he could see that Jack was pining after Alice, his lost and used love interest. Well, it was far too late for the man, even if he a smidgen of a chance to win Alice over.

Good Cheshire, he was so glad that they were engaged.

The petty, jealous part of Hatter was proud to know that Alice was wearing his ring. And Alice would be able to stand up for herself, if she really needed to. Besides, his ring was so much nicer than Jack's (even if that ring had the Stone of Wonderland on it).

"Well, the shop's been steady," he said, evenly. Quirking an eyebrow a bit, he grinned. "I had to re-decorate your apartment. It didn't sit too well with me when I first moved in. Alice really didn't like all the silk. There's a time and place for that, she said, if I remember correctly, and decorating a living space with it doesn't sit well for a Hamilton and a Hatter."

The man sitting across the table from him raised an eyebrow a bit, in clear surprise. "So you two are living together then? Carol didn't mind that?"

He grinned. "It was a slow process, but after Christmas last year, Alice really started moving all of her things in. She moved in permanently in March. Carol was really fine with us living together, though it did take some work to win her over."

A triumphant grin crossed Jack's face. Hatter didn't want to burst his bubble by saying that Carol had liked him a lot sooner than Christmas and that Alice had pretty much divided her nights between Carol's apartment and the now-their apartment. Or that he had spent an equal amount of time in the Hamilton home.

"So your relationship is going strong?"
'Very subtle,' Hatter dryly thought to himself.

"I believe so," he confirmed. Hatter studied Jack for a moment, leaning forward. "So how is life in Wonderland?"

The king leaned back, a little more comfortable on a familiar subject.

"As good as it can be with a lot of adjustments from my mother's regime. But things have been looking up. Everything is more stable and we haven't had to use the Mirror as often as before, in fact not nearly at all." Jack paused for a second, thinking. "I think my trip through was the first time it had been fired up in two months."

Hatter smiled, nodding. "That's good." After a moment, he asked, tentatively, "How's Charlie?"

Jack was confused briefly before understand. "The old white knight, he's surprisingly been quite helpful, despite his . . . eccentricities." Hatter joined him in laughter at that. Charlie was endearing that way. "He knows more about Wonderland as it was and should be than I could ever hope. We wouldn't have gotten nearly as far as we have without his help. He actually wanted me to pass something along to you, when I saw you."

The man reached inside his jacket and, a moment later, pulled out a neat, sealed parchment envelope, handing it over. Hatter gratefully took it.

It was addressed to him and Alice.

He held it tightly in his hands but made no move to open it. Jack was clearly upset by that but Hatter was not going to give the man the dignity of seeing him open it. Not without Alice and not until they were alone. This was a private message to the both of them from an old, albeit truly mad friend.

A second later, the bell of the shop chimed warmly. Hatter sat up a bit straighter, his eyes instinctively going to the door. Grinning, he stood as Alice came in, a bit flustered, her clouche hat firmly on her head, tilted in such a way that he really liked.

She was between classes right now. Based on her schedule, he knew that she had just gotten out of her young children's class. They always tried her, not because there were a lot of energetic children, but because they were all new and she didn't have any back-up. One of the down-sides of her day classes, she was always tired out when she was finished and didn't want to do any sort of paperwork.

Jack turned. Hatter saw the way his eyes lightened up at the sight of Alice.

Alice breezed over to him, not taking any notice of his table-companion. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. Hatter wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Hello, love," he said quietly, leaning his forehead against his, the brim of his hat pushing her hat a little higher up on her head. She giggled some.

She put her head on his shoulder, sighing heavily. "You won't believe the class I just had."

He smiled. "You can tell me all about it, but later. We have a guest," he stated, emphasizing the last word for good measure.

The look on her face was so kissable as her eyes flicked over to the table and Jack. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of him. Hatter prided himself for recognizing her thoughts, knowing she wasn't as steady as she appeared.

"Oh, hello Jack."

"Alice," Jack replied as he stood from the table.

She made no move to approach him, despite the little movement he made, as if he was making to hug her. Hatter instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, in comfort and for sheer force of keeping Alice from doing something she might regret later on, though he didn't think knocking Jack senseless would be entirely regrettable.

"Jack came to check up on how I was adjusting," he explained, his tone bland.

Alice looked up at him. He could see the questioning look in her eyes, the disbelief. Hell, he had to admit it, his excuse sounded weak, even to his ears.

"Is that so?"

Her head tilted to the side, just so, her eyes closing fractionally.

"Yep."

He couldn't resist the pop.

She looked back to Jack, his eyes wide at the odd, brief conversation between the two of them and gave him a genuine smile. "It's good to see you, Jack. How have you been? How is Wonderland?"

The king smiled, obviously encouraged by her statement. "I'm well. Wonderland is doing good, or as good as can be expected after my mother's rule."

Alice smiled. "You'll forgive me if I don't hug you right now. I just came from the children's class at the dojo." She heaved a heavy sigh. Hatter gave her a steady, one-armed hugged, as he saw the sympathetic look cross Jack's face. Alice looked up at him and he returned the look, expectantly. "And that's why we're not having any more than two."

"Wha?" Hatter pouted, a bit over-dramatically. "Last I heard, it was three!"

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe three, if the first two are good enough. I do not want to have oodles of kids running around." His fiancée shifted her weight a bit, slapping his chest with her hand. "I don't care what Mom says, we're not going to have a half-dozen or more kids."

Hatter merely grinned at her.

An uncomfortable grin met their ears, drawing their attention back to Jack.

One look at the man told Hatter everything he needed to know. Jack had seen the ring on Alice's finger and that had surprised him. Hatter's petty side wanted to jump up and down, chanting "Nyah nyah na-nyah nyah, I got her and you didn't," but he resisted.

"Well, I must be taking my leave now," he said, stepping towards the door.

Alice gave him a genuine smile. "Tell Charlie we say hi and Duchess we say congratulations, by the way." Jack raised an eyebrow and Alice put her hand on her hip. "Don't think I didn't see the wedding ring on your finger. After all, it was to be expected from the pair of you."

The king laughed. "I will, right after I stop her from deciding to decorate rooms for children. We've only been married a month!" He gave them a genuine look. "And congratulations are in order for the pair of you as well, I suppose. You really are an interesting couple."

Hatter laughed, but Alice beat him to the response.

"Didn't anyone tell you? A Hatter can be sane and a Hamilton can be mad."

Jack laughed heartily. "I'll see you two around, sometime."

With that, he stepped through the door, the tinkling bell the only other sign of his departure.

"That was . . . unexpected," Alice said, moments later.

Hatter looked down at her. "You're telling me." His eyes went to the table, where he saw the parchment envelope from Charlie and he grinned. "But Charlie sent us something."

Alice looked at the table, then back up at him and smiled.

"So he did."

Well, that's that! I left it at a bit of a cliff-hanger, as I am wont to do. What's in the envelope? You'll just have to tune in next time to find out! Until then, you know what to do. Review, review, review!