A/N: I've been neglecting to put that I own none of this (which should be obvious). I certainly mean no harm. I only want to put my favorite madman and his favorite jabberwocky slayer into fluffy moments.

Also, thank you, thank you, thank you to those who have reviewed! I appreciate it more than I can say. And thank you to those who have favorited the story as well. Could I possibly ask you folks to review as well? It seriously makes my day! And for what it's worth, I reply to all of them! *pretty please?*

Ok, enough rambling. On with the story.

Only a few months into our marriage and I awoke feeling terribly hot. I didn't feel sick, but as I rolled over, I could see what the problem was. It was Tarrant.

"Hatter, wake up. Are you all right?" But as I gently shook him, I could tell that he was burning up. "Hatter!"

His eyes opened and then rolled around a bit before finally staying on me. "Hello, heartsweet. Answer me this: At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?"

I was nervous. He hadn't acted like this in weeks. And his eyes were turning more and more yellow by the moment. But he had such a fever that I was sure that was the cause.

"Oh, Hatter. The stars."

"You, my love," he said as he tapped my forehead, "are a very smart girl."

"Hatter, are you ill?"

"No more than usual."

"No, I mean physically. You have a terrible fever."

"Fever? Oh dear. I hope I don't have the nebble."

"The nebble?"

"It's just a dreadful sickness. Feverish, sneezies, sleepies, occasional bouts into madness… No, wait. Just the first three."

"Should I fetch a doctor?"

"No, it's nothing with a cure besides waiting. Perhaps you should actually stay away. Unless you would like to answer: What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats?"

"I don't think I need to stay away. This is obviously an Underland sickness and I probably can't even catch it."

His tone turned Outlandish and dark. "Then answer th' question, luv."

I knew he would never, ever hurt me, but the sound in his voice, and the yellow tint to his eyes did unnerve me a bit. So, I pondered the riddle.

"Is it a river?"

"Ah luv mah smart an' beautiful bride."

He sneezed and I replied, "Bless you."

"Bleh shoe? Well, bleh shoe to you too."

"No, no. It's what we say in Overland when someone sneezes. Bless … you."

He didn't seem convinced.

"Tell me, Hatter. How long does the nebble usually last?"

His lisp returned as he answered, "Usually somewhere between the sunup and the sundown."

"All right. Then we should just settle in for the day. I'll fetch some water for you. Is there anything else you would need?"

"Some tea, love."

"Hatter, you can't have hot tea now."

"Some… tea … love."

"Fine," I said, annoyed instead of fearful at his tone. "But it will be very bland."

He smiled cheerfully. "Thank you, Alice!" he called as I left the room.

"Bloody mood swings," I muttered as I fetched a tea cup and poured plain water into it. "Some tea, love, indeed."

I heard him sneeze again and before I could say anything, I heard him say, "Bleh shoe!" It would have been funny, if not for the situation.

When I returned, I could see that his normally bone white complexion was rapidly turning pink.

"What happened?!"

"I feel so much warmer now. It's very toasty."

"Toasty is not a good thing! Drink this," I said, handing the cup to him.

He dutifully drank it all. "Alice, my sweet Alice. We need to improve upon your tea making skills. This is as bland as water!"

"My apologies. Perhaps we should get you into a cool bath."

"Why, wife, are you trying to seduce an ill man?"

"No, husband, but I am trying to make one feel better."

"Well, your seduction methods always make me feel better," he said, waggling his shaggy eyebrows.

I sighed. This was going to be difficult.

"Hatter. Look, if you will just get into a cool bath, then once you are well again, I will seduce you to the best of my abilities. For now, though, just get in the tub!"

He gave me a peculiar look, one that almost made him seem right again. He muttered, "Get in the tub, she says. She hasn't even run the water."

He was right. Perhaps the madness was contagious.

"Fine. I shall go run the water. And then you will cool off and we shall chat."

"Why that sounds perfectly lovely."

I knew I shouldn't be angry with him. He was obviously sick with this nebble. And I should expect nothing less than madness from a mad hatter with a fever. But he was being exasperating!

Once I coaxed him into the tub, and he played with the bubbles, I decided to try to keep his mind in order.

"Tarrant?" No reply. "Hatter?" He looked up. "Hatter, do you remember when we first met?"

"Which time, poppet?"

"Which first time?"

"Well, yes. The first first time was when you were just a girl. It was hardly as wondrous as the second first time."

I shook my head, trying not to laugh. "Fine, then what about the second first time?"

"Oh yes. You looked so lovely. Lacking your muchness, of course, but lovely nonetheless. Though, terribly short."

"Yes, I was tiny then. And what else?"

"I put you in a tea pot! And you rode on my hat."

"A lovely way to travel," I assured him.

"And then the Red Queen began to mess things up!" His Outlandish accent broke out again. "Downal wit th' bluddy beig heid!"

I could see his eyes changing to orange as the red of his anger mixed with the yellow. I reached to him and took his face into my hands. "Hatter!"

He paused. I could see the yellow return immediately and almost turn green again. "I'm so sorry, darling. I just can't seem to control things this time."

"It's all right. It's the nebble. And I will gladly take care of you while you are ill."

"Thank you. I can think of no one I would rather have nurse me back to health."

Another sneeze. And another bleh shoe. Silliness even in sickness.

"So, can you remember something else for me?

"I shall try."

"Do you recall how you knew I was the right Alice?"

"I told you. I would know you anywhere."

"Yes, but there had to have been a reason."

"No, there didn't. I don't know how else to tell you, except that I just knew. I saw you at the end of that table, tininess and all, and I knew deep inside of my heart, that you were the right Alice."

I smiled. We always had that connection, even when we didn't know we had it.

"You really are an extraordinary man. You know that, right?"

"How else would an extraordinary Alice like yourself fall in love with me?"

His eyes were now turning a darker shade of yellow, which I felt meant the same thing as his dark green eyes. But I felt with Tarrant in this state, sick and succumbing slightly to the madness, this was not a time for being passionate. I turned the conversation to haberdashery and it seemed to work.

Finally, once his skin became terribly wrinkled, I directed him back to bed. I could see that he was getting tired again and I thought some rest would do us both some good.

"Hatter, please, sleep now. I will be right here when you wake."

He looked as though he wanted to object, but exhaustion was winning out. "Perhaps you are right, my sweet. But first," he said before yawning. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" he muttered.

I was fully prepared to answer this time, considering that I had been thinking on it for weeks. But before I could reply, I noticed that Tarrant had already fallen asleep.

I leaned over and kissed his forehead, noticing a slight cooling already. "A raven is like a writing desk because Poe wrote on both of them," I whispered.

And even though he was sleeping, I could see a smile come to his lips.