A/N: A little different side of our Hatter here. Little more of the orange-eyed Tarrant. I can't completely over-idealize him, you know? It's very early in their marriage and he's still working things out in his head. But never fear. Our happy couple will remain happy.
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Our first fight was a doozy. We had only been married for two weeks when it happened, though from what I understand, that's a record for married couples.
It was silly really. He didn't clean all the cups up after tea and this time it just infuriated me. I didn't know why it bothered me. He always left a mess. Maybe I was becoming more of an Underlandian. Maybe Hatter's madness was rubbing off. Maybe I was just tired … since we weren't doing much sleeping lately. But I could not stand to see this mess any longer.
"Tarrant!" I yelled.
"Yes, love?"
"Why must you always insist on leaving such a mess?"
"Mess? It's not really a mess, it's just a leftover."
"Fine, it's a messy leftover. And it's just dreadful to look at."
His tone got much lower. "It's no different than it has always been … love."
I could see that I was starting to get to him. But I didn't care. I felt a little of my own madness creeping in.
"Well, things need to change. This is a disaster area."
"Change? Alice, nothing changes here."
"Nothing? Then why did I slay a beast? For nothing to change? For the White Queen not to take power? For a messy tea party?"
I was started to really yell now. I knew it was a mistake, and yet I couldn't help it.
"Alice, please. Please don't say things we'll both regret."
I knew I was going to be sorry for this one, but it flew out of my mouth anyway.
"Then clean … up." I popped the "p" in utter defiance. He knew he married a firecracker and now he was just lighting the fuse.
"Fine," he muttered and went to the table. I could have sworn his eyes turned orange, which meant this wasn't going to be good.
With his arm, he swung out and swept off the first table. He pulled the tablecloth clean off the second. Then he climbed onto the third and kicked everything off.
"Better?!" he yelled as he jumped off the table.
Oh that incorrigible man!
"No, it is not better," I screamed. I knew I was playing with fire. It wasn't wise to argue with a madman. But it wasn't wise to argue with me either. "Now the place looks like a complete wreck."
"Then so be it!"
"Tarrant Hightopp, you listen to me. I will not have this. You pick this mess up. We'll have to purchase all new tea sets now since you have essentially broken every piece of these!"
He looked around, shook his head a bit and then looked at me. I was ready for the confrontation. I was ready for the orange eyes to become red and to take on the full blown madness. But it didn't come.
Instead, the orange became a yellow and then almost green again. He kept looking around and then suddenly looked terribly frightened.
"Hatter? Hatter, what's wrong?"
"Gone. It's all gone," he whispered.
I wanted to scold him and say, "Of course it's all gone. You broke it all!" But then I realized it wasn't what he was speaking of.
"What's gone, Hatter?"
"The village. The stores. All of it." I wasn't sure if he was actually speaking to me or not.
Suddenly he fell to his knees, put his face in his hands and began rocking.
"Why? What did she do it?"
"Oh no, Hatter." I ran to him and knelt beside him. "Hatter, it's all right. She's gone as well. We've defeated her. Do you remember that day? Do you remember the day we both defeated her?"
He stopped rocking, but he didn't lift his face. "You defeated her."
"Hatter, I couldn't have done it without you. She's gone because of you just as much as me. Queen Mirana will begin making things right again. It will take some time, but it will be right again. I promise."
He looked up at me. His eyes were now their normal green, but they were shiny with tears. "Tarrant. Are you all right?"
"Yes, my love. I'm fine now. I'm so sorry that happened."
"No, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fussed. It wasn't a big deal."
He looked around at the new mess of broken cups, teapots and saucers. "I suppose now it is."
"Oh dear. Well, we'll just have to get some new china."
"I hate when they match," he pouted.
I smiled. "We just saved Underland. Surely a store will sell us mismatched pieces if that is what we wish."
"Thank you. For everything," he said.
"Sweet Tarrant, I don't need thanks. I just need you." I paused. "And perhaps a broom."
He laughed. "I suppose it was time for new cups and saucers anyway."
I helped him stand. "Yes, I suppose it was. I've always wondered how you and the others have had proper tea parties with such broken tea sets."
"Anything is possible in Underland, my sweet. And especially when you're mad!"
I laughed, knowing he was right. "Come on. There's still some pieces in the house. I'll make your favorite tea and we can have a rest."
We walked back to the house, hand in hand. I was happy we finally had that first fight. It let me know that even at his angriest, I didn't need to fear the madness (not that I ever did). It was just a part of my husband and I loved all of him. For now, we had some making up to do…
(Author's mid point note: Since this chapter was so short, Hatter wanted to put his POV in. I hate telling him no, so here it is:)
Our first fight was strange to say the least. I don't know still to this day what made Alice lash out at me, but I blame it on little sleep (well, to be fair, we were newlyweds) and living with a madman.
All I knew was that I was working on a brilliant new hat for one of the ladies of the court, when I heard Alice, positively shrieking at me.
"Tarrant!"
"Yes, love?"
"Why must you always insist on leaving such a mess?"
"Mess? It's not really a mess, it's just a leftover," I said. I didn't see the problem, it was just the same as we always left it.
"Fine, it's a messy leftover. And it's just dreadful to look at."
I didn't want to get upset. I knew it was just my bride's way, to keep things as tidy as possible. But I couldn't help it. I felt the Scottish accent of my anger rising. "It's no different than it has always been … love."
She looked absolutely livid.
"Well, things need to change. This is a disaster area."
"Change?" What did she mean? This was just how things were. "Alice, nothing changes here."
Her eyes flashed. "Nothing? Then why did I slay a beast? For nothing to change? For the White Queen not to take power? For a messy tea party?"
How I wished she wasn't saying these things. I didn't want to get angry with her. I didn't want to fight with her. I loved this woman with everything I had and I lived in constant fear of losing my mind and harming her. I knew my love was stronger than the madness. I knew it positively. But there was always that one inkling in my head that made me more terrified than I had ever been.
"Alice, please. Please don't say things we'll both regret."
She got the most defiant look on her face and I knew things were about to get ugly. She was a spitfire, but even this was surprising me.
"Then clean … up."
Just the way she said it. It stirred something inside of me. I felt the rage rise within me and I knew that I was about to burst. I had to avoid hurting Alice at all costs, so I turned it all towards the table.
"Fine," I muttered marched right to the row of tables. I could almost feel my eye color changing. I had to hold it together as much as I could.
I took my arm and swept it clean across that first table. I grabbed the tablecloth and yanked it, tossing everything on it down to the ground. I climbed up onto the last table and kicked every single piece off.
"Better?!" I screamed as I leapt off.
"No, it is not better," she screamed. Oh that incorrigible woman! Didn't she know that this was driving me to the brink? "Now the place looks like a complete wreck."
"Then so be it!"
"Tarrant Hightopp, you listen to me. I will not have this. You pick this mess up. We'll have to purchase all new tea sets now since you have essentially broken every piece of these!"
I couldn't take it. The voices were starting to yell and I was having a very difficult time focusing. I saw Alice and then it all went hazy. The anger seemed to melt away, but instead I felt great fear. All I could see was the past. The past.
"Hatter?" I heard my sweet call. "Hatter, what's wrong?"
I heard her, but I did not see her. I saw the dreadful day when the Red Queen began to ruin everything. I saw the buildings burning.
"Gone. It's all gone," I whispered.
Her tone was now tense, but not with irritation. Concern. I must have looked a sight. "What's gone, Hatter?"
"The village. The stores. All of it." What a wonderful place is was. What a terrible day it was. The screaming… the running … the terror. I fell to my knees, covered my face and began rocking.
"Why? What did she do it?" I moaned.
"Oh no, Hatter." Suddenly, she was at my side. I felt stronger already. "Hatter, it's all right. She's gone as well. We've defeated her. Do you remember that day? Do you remember the day we both defeated her?"
I stopped rocking, but I couldn't look at her. "You defeated her."
"Hatter, I couldn't have done it without you. She's gone because of you just as much as me. Queen Mirana will begin making things right again. It will take some time, but it will be right again. I promise."
I finally looked up. I felt much better, though terribly embarrassed about what just happened.
"Tarrant. Are you all right?" she asked.
"Yes, my love. I'm fine now. I'm so sorry that happened."
"No, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fussed. It wasn't a big deal."
I glanced around us and saw the carnage of what just transpired. "I suppose now it is."
"Oh dear. Well, we'll just have to get some new china."
New china. New china always matched. How terribly boring. "I hate when they match," I whined.
My Alice smiled. "We just saved Underland. Surely a store will sell us mismatched pieces if that is what we wish."
She always knew how to make me feel better. Even at my worst. "Thank you. For everything."
"Sweet Tarrant, I don't need thanks. I just need you." She paused. "And perhaps a broom."
I chuckled. "I suppose it was time for new cups and saucers anyway."
She helped me to my feet. "Yes, I suppose it was. I've always wondered how you and the others have had proper tea parties with such broken tea sets."
I thought to all those times that Thackery, Mallymkun and myself would have crazy parties with broken cups and such. "Anything is possible in Underland, my sweet. And especially when you're mad!"
She laughed and made my heart. "Come on. There are still some pieces in the house. I'll make your favorite and we can have a rest."
I let my wife lead me back to the house. She really was my anchor. She kept me stable even at my most mad. And I looked forward to a lifetime with her. But in the meantime, I was hoping to make up with her and really apologize for my outburst. Hopefully there would be some inspiration for a new hat…
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I hope you enjoyed that. It was a little difficult to write, but at the same time, the chapter wouldn't leave me alone. Please let me know your thoughts. Don't worry, the fluff will be return next time!!