Omygod! Two freaking months I had kept you all waiting! I'm so sorry. Curse me and my laziness. Oh, but there's also the fact that I'm a sailor who has a duty now. Just keep in mind that I now serve my country and am receiving training in my designated job so I won't have as much time updating as much as I used to. That, and I'm slowly running out of ideas for future chapters. I mean, I got good ones, but I'm not sure which ones would fit for this story. Any input or new ideas would be appreciated.

Anywho, enjoy the chapter! It's a bit long so I hope it makes up for it. Also, keep in mind that it's a little… heated in certain areas. Hehehe… But don't get your hopes up too high cause it ends quite quickly.

Alice in Wonderland II: Underland's Champion

Chapter 15: Scars and Lust Bugs

Needless to say, it was quite difficult calming Tarrant down after Alice told him what had happened.

The milliner was quite horrified to realize that he has harmed the one person he vowed to never hurt. Absolute shame and self-hatred overwhelmed him and he began to throw and punch random things around in the cave out of his rage. Alice stopped him by hugging him tightly and refusing to let him go despite his pleas. She kept assuring him that it was Iracebeth's doing that caused him to unleash his fury. Tarrant weakly pointed out that the curse has made him let out all of his hidden emotions and believed that he was a monster because he felt so much anger and anguish; Iracebeth didn't make him feel any of those emotions- he did. Alice firmly scolded Tarrant and said that he was not a monster for feeling so many emotions; it just proves that he was the most caring being she has ever met. She said that she didn't care for what he did nor what he thought in the past; she cares that he was with her now. After Tarrant finally calmed down, he grew curious as to how Alice knew how to handle the situation. When she mentioned Chessur, he got riled up again and angrily called the feline a 'cowardly git' and other degrading names that a lady shouldn't be permitted to hear. Alice allowed him to let out his anger this time; she herself was a bit irritated that Chessur wasn't there to help at least a little longer. However, she supposed that his advice was more than enough to help her counter the curse.

The duo are now under the impression that since Iracebeth has sent the curse directly at them, then she and Stayne must be watching their every move. Tarrant was more cautious than ever as he looks around every angle while the Bandersnatch sits up and glares at every corner and at Tarrant every now and again. The beast understood what happened and was not at all pleased to know that their supposed ally has hurt his master and companion. Despite the circumstances, the beast decides to keep a watchful eye out for the milliner in case he would try to do something again. It barely withheld itself from biting the milliner had Alice not stopped him and firmly ordered him not to harm Tarrant.

Once the fog clears up, the group decides to keep moving. Tarrant was a bit reluctant to walk at night concerning their prior attack but Alice urges them on. She insists that the sooner they find Iracebeth and stop her, then the sooner her attacks will stop. Alice herself was a bit uneasy as she looks around the dark forest carefully. She holds her sword tightly and fiddles with her necklace as they keep walking. Tarrant insists that she ride on the Bandersnatch to catch some rest but the blonde stubbornly refuses, insisting that she was fine. She didn't miss seeing the hint of blue in his eyes but says nothing. She knows that he still feels guilty for hurting her but didn't know what else to say to make it better. If it really bothered her, then she would have told him by now.

The next several hours of walking is silent. Every now and then Alice would glance at her two companions to see how they were doing. The Bandersnatch held its head high and snorted every now and then, looking quite determined to not rest until their task was complete. Tarrant, on the other hand, looked quite depressed. His head was hung low so his hat was hiding his face and his shoulders were slumped. He was walking behind the duo so Alice slowed down to let him catch up. The milliner looked up to see Alice's concerned look and forced a smile on his face. "I'm fine." He assures her. He gives her a soft kiss on the cheek before he walks on with the Bandersnatch close.

Alice is silent as she stares at the milliner's back. The events from before cloud her thoughts before she remembers Chessur's words.

'The first time the Mad Hatter has been affected by this storm was shortly after you left four years ago…'

'The curse lasted only one hour, but it was a miracle that he survived afterwards…'

'… And is the reason why he has those scars on his hands…'

Alice blinks in confusion before her eyes fall onto the milliner's sides, right where his clenched fists are at. She could see that they were still bandaged but didn't think much about it. Then she remembered the night when they were reunited.

'That is a story I shall tell you later…'

She remembered seeing those hands and the shame on the milliner's face when she brought the topic up. She knew that it was a tender topic but didn't want to bring it up until he felt comfortable to share it with her. But when Chessur pointed out that they were there for four years after she left, she couldn't help but wonder…

… Were those scars there because of her?

She could feel her blood grow cold when she remembers the words the milliner yelled at her. He truly sounded like he was in a lot of emotional turmoil due to her existence, but was he really that upset to where he would even hurt himself? Alice has seen how badly the curse had affected him the second time, but what happened the first time?

She'll have to find out on her own.

:)(:

Finally the group decided to sleep in for the rest of the night. The Bandersnatch lied close to Tarrant and Alice while the duo set their blankets on soft moist grass. To Alice's disappointment, Tarrant decided to rest a few feet away from her. He bid her goodnight before falling promptly to sleep. He obviously still wasn't happy about the whole ordeal.

Alice decided to sleep shortly afterwards. But her concern for Tarrant kept her up. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't find the urge to close her eyes. She even counted imaginary blue butterflies, but that didn't help. She turned in her blankets to see Tarrant's back facing her. He was quietly snoring away peacefully while the Bandersnatch's growls fill the area.

Alice sighs in aggravation before she throws the blankets aside and quietly crawls over to her guardian. She is careful as she kneels beside his body and looks him over. She sees one of his hands resting over his head and carefully reaches over to it. She freezes when Tarrant lets out a mumble before turning over to his side and placing his hands under the blanket. He fidgets before he grows still and resumes snoring. Alice huffs in exasperation and crosses her arms. Now how would she be able to look at his damage?

Alice hesitates as a bold thought enters her mind and she flushes. What if he wakes up? What would he think of her then? Alice hesitates again as she watches the milliner mumble something in his sleep before he grows quiet. Since when has she really cared for propriety? She managed to walk through half of Underland in dresses that were either too large or small, was capable of slaying a Jabberwocky, and performed the Futterwacken in front of a large group of strict high-class nobles. She doubted any lady her age would be able to perform these tasks if they had a modicum of propriety.

With that small bit of confidence in her, Alice sighs as she slowly pulls the blanket off Tarrant's body. She is a bit relieved to find his hands resting comfortably on his chest as she lays the blanket right below his waist. She pauses when she sees the milliner stiffen at the sudden change of temperature before he relaxes once more. Smiling in relief, Alice gingerly pulls one of Tarrant's hands up but pauses when she notices that his loose shirt revealed a bit more of his chest than it should. And she couldn't help but stare.

The only time that she has seen him wear something casual was when he was training with two soldiers and she happened to watch him. She recalled how his training outfit perfectly defined the muscles he hid behind his usual attire. He was not overmuscular, but he did have a strong lean body that most women would secretly find appealing. All the years of sword fighting and training certainly had an effect on him. And it was the realization that she was admiring his body that made Alice blush furiously and force herself to put herself back into focus.

But before she could focus back onto his hand, a dark mark barely hidden under the shirt caught her eye. She narrows her eyes in confusion before curiosity gets the better of her and she carefully pulls the shirt aside. What she sees makes her let out a short gasp.

What looks like a crudely shaped red 'X' was marked right over where the milliner's heart was. Alice knew from her experience of dealing with injured seamen that the wound has penetrated far beyond the muscles and could have easily penetrated his heart. What could have done this?

She gingerly traced a finger over the scar and the milliner lets out a groan, causing the blonde to pull away. His eyebrows furrow in discomfort before he shivers and searches around for the blanket before pulling it over his chest. He rests his hands on top of the blanket before resting once again. Alice hesitates, wondering if what she has just seen had something to do with what Chessur has said. He mentioned scars on his hands, but not on his chest. How much more was there to the story…?

Alice just had to see how bad the damage was. She carefully holds Tarrant's hand up and quietly removes the bandage around his palm and fingers. She puts aside the worn-out cloth and gasps when she sees various burns and cuts all over his fingers. She has always thought that due to being a milliner, he would indeed have some significant damages and burns from his work, but not as bad as this. This looks as if the wounds have been self-inflicted; there was no way another person would pull off any wound as deep even if they were at close-range.

Had Tarrant tried to… Kill himself?

"Seems that ye saw the damage…" A low roguish voice mutters. Alice gasps in surprise and looks down to see Tarrant staring at her with orange eyes. She knew that he was not pleased at the least. How could she explain herself?

"T-Tarrant… I…" She tries to explain, but Tarrant sighs as he sits up. The blanket falls onto his lap but he doesn't pay attention to the fact that his shirt was partially open before her as he focuses on her intently.

"Do not bother. 'Tis time that ye knew, lass…" His voice sounded so strained and sad. He looks down at the scar on his chest before he abruptly takes Alice's hand and places it over the wound; directly over his heart. Alice gasps at the sudden movement and feels the heat radiating from his skin. She could hear his heart beating in a normal pace under his skin. She blushes as she looks up at him and waits for him to continue.

"Tell me what happened…" She asks gently. "I want to know…"

Tarrant hesitates before he sighs and lowers his eyes. "It's not a pretty story…"

"Tell me anyway." Alice says firmly.

Tarrant recalls how they said those exact words before he told her of the destruction of his clan. Ironic of how they say those same words before he tells her about the scars that nearly killed him.

"Happened two years ago after ye left, Alice… Underland was going through so many different changes with the Red Queen and Stayne being gone… Mirana has done everything in her power to make everything as well as possible… But not everyone was happy." He closes his eyes. "Everyone was still in constant fear of the Red Queen returning to power. I myself feared that day would come… Especially after ye left. And that's when a storm came by… The storm that somehow reflected all my emotions…"

:)(:

FLASHBACK: TWO YEARS AGO…

Tarrant sighs as he finishes the final dress order that Mirana asked him to make. He places the dress onto a rack with all his finished orders before he walks towards the window and stares outside. He sees the skies turning dark blue and realizes that a storm must be passing by. He snorts; the weather seems to be reflecting the very mood he was in today. Sadness, aggravation, and hurt; mostly a huge mess of emotions.

As soon as Alice disappeared from the battlefield, Mirana has ordered her soldiers to clear out the entire area and to alert everyone of her return to rule all of Underland. While everyone left in different directions, Tarrant remained where he was standing while he bid Alice farewell. He stared at the spot she was at for the longest time until Mirana speaks to him.

"Tarrant?" She says softly as she places a hand on his shoulder. She tilts her head to the side and smiles a bit sadly. "I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes, Milady…?" Tarrant murmurs. He doesn't avert his attention from the spot.

"I hope that you would consider reinstating your role as my finest tailor." Mirana smiles widely. She remembers how much Tarrant has loved the job before the Red Queen took control. Surely that would cheer him up. "I could use your help around with training some of the newest soldiers as well. You have put up a brave fight against Stayne earlier."

"Aye… I think I would like that very much, Yer Majesty…" Tarrant's voice sounds distracted as he continues to stare at the spot where Alice was standing at. Mirana's smile falters as she sees the gray color in his eyes. His face was emotionless; something Mirana found unnerving considering how well she knew the milliner.

"Tarrant… She will come back." She assures gently. Tarrant slowly blinks before he turns his head to look at her. Mirana is caught off guard by seeing the eyes directed at her. It was as if he was trying to send all of his mixed emotions to her. She feels sad by seeing her milliner put through the pain of losing his dearest friend again.

"I know… She promised." Tarrant murmurs softly. "And Alice never breaks a promise."

Tarrant is silent as he remembers that brief conversation they had before they returned to Marmoreal. In the next two years, Tarrant has helped Mirana with making new dress orders for all of Underland; both for the nobles and for the poor souls who were tormented by the Red Queen's reign. He also was privileged to train with the captain of the guard and teach most of the soldiers everything he knew. He expected no repayment although Mirana has given him his very own room in her castle and full access to every room excluding her own. That was more than anything he could have asked for (although he preferred being at his own house where he performed his tea parties).

But in those next two years, the dull ache has not left Tarrant. He felt no comfort as he performed his jobs and took pleasure in all the treasures that he received as payment for a job well done. Hell, even his tea parties were less cheerful because he was not as cooperative as he usually is. It limited down to at least one tea party every other week. Mirana reminded Tarrant that if he ever needed to talk, then she would be there to help him. Tarrant never took her offer, stating that he would get over it eventually.

Tarrant sighs as he shakes his head and looks at his finished orders. Then he looks at the time and realizes how late it was. Just how long has it been since he has been outside? He has no doubt that it's been days at least. Maybe a little walk outside the park would help clear his thoughts. It might rain soon, but even a short walk usually helps clear his thoughts.

Tarrant quickly stashes all the finished orders upon a locked cabinet before he changes into his normal attire and grabs his hat. He walks out of his room, locks it shut, and walks through the castle towards the gardens. Several soldiers acknowledge the Hatter with a pat on the shoulder or with pointed nods. Tarrant only nods to each as he carries on.

As soon as he reaches the garden, Tarrant hears some rumbling and realizes that it may rain sooner than he hoped. He sighs. A little sprinkle wouldn't hurt him and he wouldn't be long anyways. He inhales the cool air and sighs deeply. His muscles relax a bit as he straightens his hat and walks on.

He ignores the small sprinkle as he walks through the tall grass hedges that eventually lead him to a maze. Unaware of where he wants to go, he just took random turns. The rain began to pour a bit harder but he ignores it when he comes upon a clearing. He notices that there was nothing but a round space with two benches on either side of the exits. He shrugs as he takes a seat and continues to ignore the rain.

It wasn't until something hard hit the milliner's body that snapped him out of his quiet musing. He yelps when something small and hard begin to pour all around the area. He grumbles when he believes that it was hailing, but pauses when he looks at the droplets. They were far too glassy looking to be hail and some white vapor was emerging from them. Tarrant frowns. "What in the…?"

Tarrant then realizes that the area was getting foggy and grew uncomfortable. He would surely be lost if he didn't get out in time. He hastily stands up and tries to step over the pebbles as he makes his way out of the maze. His anxiety thickens when he stumbles upon dead ends and turns around- only to see even more dead ends. Frustration as well as other emotions hit the milliner as he stumbles around the maze. Suddenly something hits the milliner's mind full force and he falls to his knees. He screams as his brain burns from excruciating pain. He found it hard to breathe and instantly blacked out.

SEVERAL HOURS LATER…

"… Is he all right?"

"… Fine, Your Majesty… May suffer from some severe trauma, but in time he will…"

"… I see… What can be done to help?"

"… Time and patience…"

Tarrant groans as he hears various voices speaking from different directions. Everything excluding his pounding head felt numb and he tried to open his eyes. When he found the strength, all he could see was darkness before it succumbed into a faint bright light.

"He's waking up…" A voice that Tarrant doesn't recognize says. "That's a good sign."

"I'd like to have a word with him alone, if you don't mind…" Mirana's voice says. Tarrant's ears perk up; what was she doing beside him at a time like this? Wait… what happened before he blacked out? He didn't remember falling asleep on his work. "I'm sure he'd like to know what happened before you further inspect his damages…"

Damages? What did he do to cause damage? Fear hit Tarrant like a mallet to the head. Did he drink and do something under the influence that could have seriously hurt someone? Oh, Lord…

"Very well…" The male voice says smoothly. "But be cautious, Your Highness… I do not know how he will take it…" With that said, Tarrant hears a door open and slowly close.

Finally the blurriness fades from Tarrant's vision and he could distort shapes. He sees a white figure moving slowly towards him and sitting on something. Tarrant blinks several times and makes out the White Queen's concerned look.

"Tarrant? Can you hear me?" She murmurs.

Tarrant says nothing and glances around cautiously. He realizes that he is in a medical room. He winces when he feels some pain around his body. It worsens when he tries to sit up. He notices red blotches around his body and froze. He looks down and sees his upper chest and hands covered in bloodied bandages. He was wearing only baggy trousers.

"What in the bloody hell?!" He shouts, horrified. He ignores the White Queen's protests as he rips off the bandages on his chest and hands and stares at the damage. He sees a nasty 'X' carved deep into his left breast and his hands were nearly black from burns that have damaged his sensitive tissues. Mirana flinches and looks a bit revolted as she turns away from the sight while the milliner continues to stare at his body with disbelieving eyes. His mouth drops, but he couldn't speak. He was too horrified and confused.

"Tarrant…" Mirana forces herself to look at Tarrant after she decides to get over the vision of his damage and tries to keep the milliner calm. Tarrant says nothing as he continues to stare at his wounds. Upon instinct, the milliner tenderly touches the carving on his chest and shouts out at the suddenly burning sensation. He cries out as he lies back down and begins to panic.

"Tarrant!" Mirana cries as she moves closer to the hyperventilating Hatter. "Please calm down! You're safe now!"

Tarrant began to panic even more when he realized that he couldn't even feel his own fingers when he gently fingered them. The burns have fried his nerves; it was very bad. It was until Mirana cradled his face that Tarrant finally stops thrashing around. For some reason, he instantly thought that Alice was holding him again and that calmed him down. But when he realized it was really Mirana who was cradling his face gently, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. However, he still felt calm at knowing that she was there for him.

"Milady… What has happened to me…?" Tarrant murmurs softly, his voice suddenly hoarse from all the shouting he did before.

Somewhat convinced that the milliner has calmed down, Mirana sighs as she releases his face. She gently runs her hand over his forehead soothingly. "I'm afraid that you'll have to tell me, Tarrant…"

"But I don't know!" He shouts. He winces when he feels his chest burning from the wound and relaxes to ease the pain. "I don't remember how this happened…"

"Then tell me the last thing you do remember…" Mirana urges softly. She then turns to the door and beckons the guard to fetch for the doctor. The guard nods and leaves the duo alone. Mirana then stands up and gracefully begins gathering up some ingredients to make a potion that would relieve Tarrant's pain if only a little.

The milliner is quiet as Mirana places the ingredients onto a small table. As she brews up the potion, he stares at his lap in silence. The only sound penetrating the silence is the White Queen putting various objects into the small bowl and stirring. The queen waits patiently for him to say something as she continues with her work.

"I remember going into the maze for a walk…" Tarrant murmurs softly. Mirana glances at him. He looks somewhat thoughtful. "… To help clear my head. I was terribly tired and stressed and walks always helped me relax."

"Tired and stressed from work?" Mirana asks soothingly. "Or from something else?" She catches a glint in the milliner's eyes and promptly asks, "Does it have anything to do with Alice?"

Tarrant blinks and stares at the queen questioningly. "What makes you say that, Milady?"

"Well, when we found you…" Mirana pauses her stirring as she carefully considered how she should phrase her wording. "In the maze… You were making quite a fuss about her."

"A fuss?" Tarrant blinks. He didn't remember throwing a fit over Alice while he was on that walk… Then the milliner looks at the queen expectantly. "Could you explain what happened when you saw me?"

"It was the captain of the guards who found you." Mirana sighs softly. "He said that he heard someone screaming from the gardens and went to investigate with six other soldiers. It took a long time considering how much rain and fog was out there. He said by the time he found you, you were covered in mud and shouting about how Alice ruined everything in your life and that she has abandoned us again." Mirana stopped stirring again and turns to the milliner to narrow her eyes.

Tarrant's heart drops. What…?

"Then he said that you went into a rage when he tried to take you inside to see a doctor. You two were in a fight until you knocked him down and escaped before anyone could catch you. Then he ordered all the guards to look through the entire castle to find you. But when one of our soldiers found you… We thought it was too late." She shivers as she closes her eyes.

Tarrant gulps. "What… What do you mean?"

Mirana pauses before she sighs. "We found you in a room that we realized was where Alice stayed at when she was still here. But we found you lying on the floor with broken mirror shards, a lit torch burning the rug around you, and worst of all..." She shivers. "… Writing on the nearby wall that said, 'Traitors, burn and rot in the deepest pits of Hell… No mercy upon ye…" Mirana closes her eyes and shivers again at the memory. "And we found you covered in blood and found all those wounds on you… We thought we arrived too late to save you…"

Tarrant was speechless. He stares at the White Queen with wide eyes and an open mouth. He was completely still as his eyes turn grey and skin suddenly cold. He tried to… Kill himself? Over Alice?

"I had my best doctor care for you for the past couple of days to make sure that you would be fine. He said that you may suffer from some trauma, but-"

"A couple of days?" Tarrant blinks. "How long have I been passed out?"

"At least four days."

Tarrant feels cold again. He has been asleep for over four days? It felt like he was at the garden just minutes ago! Tarrant says nothing and stares down at his burnt hands while Mirana finishes making her potion. Then she brings the bowl over to the bed. She sits on a chair and scoops a spoonful of the brew before holding it up to the milliner. "Drink this. It will help ease the pain…"

Tarrant numbly opens his lips and lets the hot liquid go down his throat. He coughs as the heat penetrates his chest and he hisses as he clutches the scar. Mirana firmly holds his wrists down just as the doctor came in. She gazes at his eyes. "Tarrant, I told you that if you ever needed to talk with someone then I would be here for you. Why didn't you say anything?"

Tarrant says nothing while the doctor begins to rewrap his bandages carefully. The milliner makes no noise or fuss as the doctor finishes his work before he looks intently at the Mad Hatter. "Mr. Hightopp, would you care to explain what happened out in the gardens?"

Tarrant is quiet again as the White Queen and the doctor look at him intently. The doctor takes out a pad and a pen as he begins to write down some information. The milliner stares at nothing as he himself wonders what has happened. "I haven't a clue…" He murmurs mostly to himself.

:)(:

Tarrant inhales deeply as he opens his eyes. "… Ever since that day, Her Majesty had several guards watch over me to make sure that I wouldn't do something like that again… I honestly don't know what came over me that day… It's all still a blur…" He mumbles as he fingers his forehead softly. He closes his eyes and sighs, unable to look at Alice.

Alice's face has grown paler than usual and her eyes and mouth are wide open. She could not believe that her dearest friend has gone through something quite traumatizing and wasn't even aware of it until he woke up from the coma afterwards. It wasn't just the fact that Tarrant had hurt himself; it was the description of what he gave her that haunted her.

"Tarrant… Do you remember the storm that day?" She asks cautiously. Tarrant opens his eyes to look at her in confusion. "Yes, I do. It was unusual; glass orbs fell and when they broke white gas would emerge and fog the area."

Alice is silent and her expression makes Tarrant suddenly feel uneasy. He gently pulls her closer. "Alice, lass… What is it?"

"… You do remember the storm from earlier today, right?"

"Yes, it was raining-" Tarrant stops himself and slow realization dawns upon him. His expression slowly changes from confusion into horror and disbelief. "… That storm years ago… Had the same curse then?"

"But that makes no sense!" He shakes his head hastily. "Why didn't it affect the other guards when they found me? Or anyone else in the castle?"

"Chessur mentioned that the curse affected only humans…" Alice murmurs thoughtfully. "… So maybe some of the guards were not humans? And the gas didn't reach inside the castle?" She adds hopefully.

"I hope not… I didn't hear of any similar incident after I woke up…" Tarrant sighs as he runs a hand through his face. He breathes deeply. "Oh, God… That bloody bigheaded witch…"

"Tarrant?" Alice places a hand on his shoulder gently. She was vaguely aware of how warm he felt but ignored it.

"She sent that curse!" Tarrant shouts as he jumps up to his feet. Startled, Alice scoots back and looks up as Tarrant begins pacing around. The commotion makes the Bandersnatch glance up with an unhappy glare. "She tried to curse our queen! She tried to kill the whole castle that night!" He cries angrily, his feet stomping on the grass as he continues pacing. Concerned, Alice stands up and tries to move towards the milliner but stops when he punches a tree. She winces when she notices that the bark cut through his bandages and made his fingers bleed. Tarrant seems unfazed as he furiously begins to take his anger out on the unfortunate tree.

"Tarrant!" Alice cries and rushes forward. Her concern for the milliner grows when she notices that his wounds are reopening. Without a second thought, she spins the milliner to face her. She flinches a bit from seeing his glaring red eyes and cradles his face gently as she thumbs his cheeks. The sensation of her touch and her worried blue eyes calm the milliner and his eyes turn blue as he sighs and relaxes. "I'm sorry, Alice… I'm just so frustrated and afraid… I had no idea how powerful Iracebeth has grown after these four years…"

"I know. I'm scared too… But we'll pull through it together, right?" Alice forces herself to smile to at least convince the milliner if not herself. "We'll find a way to stop her."

Tarrant breathes heavily before he nods and smiles back. "Yes. Yes, we'll find a way. Together."

Alice's smile widens before she gently takes Tarrant over to their blankets and sets him down before she looks inside the supply bags for some bandages. The duo are aware that a swarm of bugs begin flying around the area. Somewhat annoyed by the buzzing, Alice shoos them away before she takes out a couple of bandages and turns to tend to Tarrant. The milliner smiles softly as Alice begins to bandage his hands.

Suddenly there is a glow and Alice stops her work to look around with wide eyes. She realizes that the bugs are glowing in a star-like manner. She at first thought that they might be fireflies but they were far too bright to be such creatures. They literally were so bright in contrast to the darkness that they were like small diamonds glowing radiantly, flashing off and on in various sizes. It made the setting somewhat ethereal and romantic around the lovers.

"Curiouser and curiouser…" Alice muses softly as she looks around. Tarrant smiles softly at her look of wonder and awe. The light radiated her form in such an ethereal manner. Her eyes sparkled while her skin almost glowed from the light. He chuckles softly. "It is curious… This happens to be their mating season…" He smiles widely when Alice glances at him curiously.

"Really?"

"Aye."

Both are unaware that two black bugs are moving through the swarm, looking around their surroundings with little interest. Then their senses catch the voice vibration of the milliner and Champion and make their way towards the lovers. The Bandersnatch sniffs the area and its eyes catch the bugs. It growls threateningly, making the bugs hesitate.

"Easy," Alice soothes the beast by petting his ears. The beast hesitates before it lies back down and purrs under her touch, unaware that the bugs are hastily sneaking towards the duo. Each bug latches onto their victims' necks just as Alice releases the beast to focus back on the milliner's hands. As soon as she does, the beast looks around hastily for the bugs.

The bugs signal each other before they simultaneously bite on the lover's necks. The small bites leave two linked red heart marks on the duo's skins that leave a slight sting. The lovers notice the slight pain and cry out as they feel for the source. They quickly find the bugs and look confused before the Bandersnatch stands up and growls in a threatening manner. Tarrant notices the designs on the squirming insects and his eyes widen in horror. "Lust Bugs… But they're extinct…" He growls as he throws the bug down and squishes it harshly. Upon the bug's death, its mate in Alice's hand disappears in a puff of black smoke. Baffled, Alice glances at Tarrant as he gazes at the Bandersnatch in mutual understanding and nods. Without a word, the Bandersnatch growls threateningly at the milliner before it turns and bolts off to a random direction.

"What…?" Alice blinks before a burning sensation deep within her heart begins to cloud her brain. When her eyes befall Tarrant, all she could think of was how radiant he looked in the light. Her heart fluttered and a new sensation burns somewhere even deeper, which alarmed her. She was aware that Tarrant was staring at her almost hungrily.

"Lust Bugs…" Tarrant mutters as his body begins to shake. His hands are sensuously playing with Alice's fingers as the milliner is apparently trying to hold himself back. "Another one of Iracebeth's traps…"

"W-What's… Happening…?" Alice squeaks when her thoughts begin to think of how she found Tarrant desirable and wanted nothing more than to just be with him in every manner possible. Against her better judgment, one of her hands placed itself upon his chest. Tarrant inhales deeply as he grasps her wrist and looks like he was trying to choose to either fight or give in.

"L-Lust Bugs…" Tarrant groans when he is painfully aware of how badly he wanted to pull Alice to him and hold her and show her just how much he desired her. "Their bites… Make Victims… Desire each other… In every way possible… Nothing can hold… Them back…"

"In… Every… Way…?" Alice's voice suddenly turns deep. Tarrant could have sworn that it almost sounded seductive and the way she looked at him as if there was nothing else she craved more…

"Alice… Keep fighting it…" He winces when Alice begins to crawl over his form and makes herself comfortable on his lap. This was not helping in any matters and Lord only knows how long it would take before the Bandersnatch could find someone or something to help their situation. "Don't… Give in… Or… We won't… Stop…"

The moment Alice gently presses her lips against Tarrant's own, he too falls under the spell.

The lovers groan as their kiss grows deep and Alice gently pushes Tarrant down as she takes the dominant position and kisses him with pent up fervor. Tarrant did not mind; he found the position quite exciting. Soon their hands were exploring each other's body and Alice did not hesitate to feel the milliner's skin. Tarrant groans as she begins to kiss around his neck and shoulder before coming back to his lips. The lovers break apart only to breathe heavily before they resume kissing.

Tarrant holds Alice tightly to him before he flips them over and pins her down on the blankets. He pulls back to stare at her face and has never seen a more beautiful sight. The way her hair is slightly disheveled, her eyes dark from lust, her lips swollen from the intensity of their kisses, and the blush on her cheeks made her look so innocent and radiant. He cradles her face tenderly and his eyes glow a dark purple. He begins kissing her all over her face down to her neck before he tenderly bites her fragile skin. She squirms and lets out sighs of delight.

"So beautiful…" Alice hears him whisper as he continues his work. She lets out a gasp when he bites down on a rather sensitive area just between her neck and shoulder. She hears the milliner chuckle as he begins to tease her skin. She feels his hands crawling up to under her training shirt but pauses as he waits for her approval. When she realizes this, she smiles as she slowly reaches up to caress his own chest through his slightly open shirt. She hears the milliner inhale deeply before he chuckles.

"Seems like you haven't lost your munchness after all, eh?" He pulls away to smirk down at her. Then he suddenly sits up, making Alice look up at him in confusion. She blinks when he pulls the shirt off and tosses it aside before he leans over her and smiles as he caresses her face. Alice couldn't help but shiver as she feels the heat radiate from him and tentatively runs her hands through his skin. He had hard lean muscles and his skin was just as white as his face is. Tarrant shivers a bit at her touch.

"Alice…" Tarrant murmurs softly, his voice deep with emotion. He leans their foreheads together and their lips just barely brush. "I love ye so much… Ye know that, right lass?"

"I do…" Alice blushes as Tarrant continues to stare lovingly down at her blue orbs. The blonde smiles as she wraps her arms around his neck. "And you know that I love you too, right?"

"Of course…" He murmurs. Alice could feel his hands crawl down to just under her shirt. "Let me show ye how much…" He whispers before he slowly pulls the shirt up and tosses it aside. Tarrant never averts his eyes from Alice until the shirt is off and finally he has a good look of her in a small layer of clothing that covers only her breasts. He caresses her sides softly before he pulls her up flush against his form and kisses her deeply.

Alice shivers when she feels his warm body pressing onto her smaller frame. The feel of his skin against her own felt strange but so right; as if they were made for each other. But soon she focuses on the intensity of his kiss and touches and encourages him to continue as she too fought for dominance. She is vaguely aware that something in the back of her mind was screaming at her to stop before things go too far.

She feels Tarrant's hands roaming down her legs as he gently pulls them up to wrap around his waist as he distracts her with a kiss. Alice blushes a bit when she feels how badly Tarrant wanted her and hears him groan with anticipation. He pulls her hair slightly as he deepens the kiss.

They are oblivious when a beast comes back with something in his mouth. The Bandersnatch's eyes widen at the sight before he growls and stomps up to the huddled lovers. In his mouth is what looks like a large leaf full of water. The Bandersnatch figured that all they needed to do was wake up from their spell with a sudden shock. With a snort, the creature promptly spills the water over the lovers.

Tarrant and Alice shout in alarm and scramble away when they feel the cold water hit their bodies. Their eyes are wide as their pounding hearts race in their chest. The intensity of their moment was now gone and they are left wondering what had just happened. The marks on their necks wash away as a side effect.

"What the…?" Tarrant blinks as he looks around the scene with confused yellow eyes. Then he notices a bewildered and barely nude Alice and a somewhat amused Bandersnatch. The cold he feels now is not from the sudden splash, but from what he realized has just occurred. He lets out a shaky sigh as he runs a hand through his wet hair. "Thanks…" He mutters to the beast, who only snorts in response.

Alice shivers from the wind before she realizes her situation. She had her upper undergarment out and Tarrant was shirtless. Her eyes widen in horror and panic. "Tarrant… Did we-"

"Nae," Tarrant grumbles as he shakes his head. "Thank the Gods for that. Had the Bandersnatch not come back so soon…" He shivers before he gives Alice a compassionate loving stare. He is unaware that he was staring at her body with a new light. "Not that it's a bad thing…" He smiles sheepishly.

Alice gives him a disbelieving look before she hastily tries to dry herself before finding her shirt. Just as she was picking it up, she feels a warm chest on her back and strong arms wrap around her waist. She pauses her movement and turns her head to look at the milliner questionably. He nuzzles his face against her neck before he sighs. "Are you all right, lass?" He murmurs softly. "Did I hurt you?"

"No…" Alice answers honestly. Although her lips and neck were somewhat bruised from his prior bites and kisses, she chose not to say anything. They weren't that bad, honestly… She blushes a bit when she remembered their intense moment alone.

Tarrant sees the bite marks he inflicted upon his lover's neck and feels the guilt plague him. "Ye sure?"

"I'm fine, really." Alice murmurs as she turns in his arms to look up at him. "It wasn't your fault. I was the one who started it." She points with a slight blush on her face.

Tarrant couldn't help but smile. "Nae, it was the Red Queen's doing." His eyes suddenly turn red from anger. "That is the last straw. That bloody bighead was trying to make me hurt ye, and she will pay. She better pray that I might spare her life. Hers and Stayne's. Those cowardly, scurvy, poor excuses of-"

"Tarrant." Alice sighs softly.

The milliner blinks before he sighs. "Sorry."

"Just calm down. We're both safe now." She smiles at the Bandersnatch gratefully and pets his ears. The beast purrs contently. "Let's just go to sleep. I'm certain that we'll get to the castle in less than two days."

"What makes you say that?" Tarrant asks curiously.

Alice points over the foliage just as the light bugs begin to dim their light. Once the darkness takes over again, the heroes see through the dim moonlight a huge wasteland. In that wasteland, there are what appear to be ruins of a massive castle.

"… Oh." Tarrant looks surprised and somewhat unnerved. Suddenly he feels cold when he realizes what this means and fought the urge to look pained. This means that Alice's fate may be coming earlier than he anticipated.

Alice sees Tarrant's troubled look and smiles somewhat forcefully. She too knew what this meant and was surprised by how calm she was about it. She kisses his cheek. "Don't worry, Tarrant. We will beat them together. We'll go through whatever obstacle they'll throw at us."

"Yes… Yes, we will…" Tarrant murmurs to himself before he forces himself to smile at Alice. He realizes that his eyes are blue and curses at his innermost feelings betraying him. "Of course…"

She smiles and kisses his cheek softly before gently removing herself from his arms before she pulls her shirt over her head and stands up to grab extra dry blankets from the Bandersnatch's bags. She hands a blanket to Tarrant before she makes herself comfortable nearby the Bandersnatch. Tarrant takes the moment to put his own shirt on before a thought hits him. He hesitates as he glances at Alice thoughtfully. This may be their second to last night together…

"Alice?" He calls softly.

Alice was just about to lie down when she hears Tarrant. She sits up and gazes at him curiously. "Yes?"

Tarrant hesitates again, unsure of how to phrase his question. He looks around and subconsciously rubs his neck as his face flushes a bit. Alice raises a brow, wondering what was making the milliner look somewhat embarrassed.

"Would ye… Um…" He stammers and Alice could see his eyes flashing different colors. Blue, purple, and green switch back and forth in an undefined pattern. "I was just wondering… Would it be fine if… If…"

"Tarrant…?" Alice suddenly feels sympathetic for the milliner's shyness and crawls over to him to take his hands. "What is it?"

"Could we… You know…" Tarrant's face turns slightly pink as he sighs. "Could we sleep together tonight?" He didn't know how else to phrase it.

Alice blinks at the sudden bluntness before she processes over what he just said. Her eyes widen while her face turns slightly red at what he was implying. Tarrant notices this and panics. That wasn't what he implied at all!

"I mean, I just want to hold you tonight… What with tomorrow or the next day we see Iracebeth and Stayne… I just want to hold you close tonight and rest. That is all, I promise!" He raises his voice a bit higher than he implied, but his panic was increasing when he sees Alice's alarmed look.

Alice lets out a sigh of relief and drops her shoulders. She smiles, somewhat amused that she overreacted over the wrong idea. "Well, why didn't you just say so?"

Tarrant smiles, equally relieved, but also a bit sheepishly. "I thought you'd say no, after what just…" He pauses, not wanting to go further into detail.

Alice smiles and merely nods. "I understand. And sure, we can tonight if you want…" She blushes a bit as Tarrant smiles toothily at her before he holds her close and places her beside him on the covers. She watches him as he pulls the blankets over them before he pulls her close to his chest. She rests her head against his lean frame as he wraps his arms around her and places a soft kiss on her temple. The Bandersnatch notices this and growls before he moves closer and places itself promptly beside the lovers. He gives Tarrant a warning glare.

"Overprotective, much?" Alice smiles wryly at the beast and tickles his muzzle with her fingers. The beast merely sniffs and rests his head nearby hers and promptly falls asleep.

"Can't say I blame him…" Tarrant smiles softly before he hugs Alice closely. "Good night, love…" He whispers as he kisses her softly. Alice smiles softly into the kiss. "Good night, Tarrant…"

With that said, the lovers fall asleep comfortably in each other's arms. Alice smiles at the warmth and comfort that she could feel from her lover and knows that she would have a good night's sleep. Tarrant stays awake for a little bit and was content with just watching Alice sleep so peacefully. He occasionally presses loving kisses on her forehead and plays with her hair. His anxiety kept him awake and he couldn't find the urge to sleep. Not after what happened. He had to protect her with all his life.

He looks at the moon for a bit and tries to think of a way to save his beloved from her fate whenever it came. He thought for so long that he wasn't aware that just two hours had passed. He didn't even notice how tired he felt.

He hears a voice speak to him so calmly and assuringly that it almost lured him to sleep.

Rest, young warrior. Alice will always be safe with you. You have nothing to worry about.

He could have sworn that he heard this voice before, but it was too distinct to figure out. He assumed that it must be his conscience reassuring him. Finally he gave into his need and fell asleep with his Alice securely wrapped in his arms.

This was much longer than I really intended it to be. And I loved how everything turned out right up until after the water splash. After that… It's just OK. Sorry, but I was very lazy to think of anything else.

Anyway, hope you liked it. Next chapter, I'm debating on what should happen next. It'll be more likely the faceoff with Iracebeth and Stayne, but I need a plan for Tarrant and Alice. I dunno; I'll come up with something…

This story is reaching an end soon, but it'll take time for me to think about what will be done. I'd appreciate some ideas. Also, leave a vote on if I should update this or The Chosen One more. Until then, later!