A/N: I own nothing you see here, except maybe Charlotte, but since she's the product of two things I don't own … I don't know. Oh well.

Here is the highly anticipated trip to the Kingsley home. I think it came out ok. Please let me know what you think!

***

I could not believe we were doing this. We were going to my mother's home. We were going to take Charlotte with us and introduce her to her grandmother. I must be as mad as a hatter.

"Do you have everything you need, goldilocks?" Hatter called.

"I believe so," I called back. "I cannot believe we're doing this," I muttered to myself.

"This from the lady who believes as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast," he teased as he walked into the room.

"Is this the right decision? She will more than likely completely disapprove of you."

"Alice, honestly. In all the time you've known me, have you known me to care about the opinions of others? Besides yourself, of course."

"Well, no. But this is my mother and possibly my sister."

"And I will give them the benefit of the doubt since they are related to you."

"Do you think Charlotte is ready for this?"

"Yes, yes, I do. And you, my love," he said as he tapped my nose on the word 'love.' "are trying to avoid things."

"What if I am? What if things don't work out?"

"They will. In all ways. Now, I think as long as you and I drink and we both hold Lottie, then we won't need to have her drink."

I nodded. Barely thinking about what was happening. My nerves were getting to me.

"Go fetch Charlotte and we'll be on our way," I said, steadying myself for what was to come.

He was off and back in a flash. Our 6 year old looked positively wound up at the thought of traveling to another world to meet family. Poor thing didn't know what she was in for.

"Mummy! We're going on a trip!" she said, jumping up and down.

"Yes, sweetheart. We are."

"All right. Bottoms up!" Hatter said, handing me my vial. We both drank and held tightly to Charlotte. I thought very hard about where we needed to end up and we disappeared, reappearing in the yard of my childhood home.

"That was so fun!" Charlotte screeched.

"Charlotte, remember what I told you. While we are here, you must do your best to be quiet. Here is very different from our home. The people are very strict."

"Even Grandmother?" she asked.

"Especially Grandmother," I sighed.

"Well, let's get on with it!" Tarrant said with a smile as he dragged me toward the house.

I finally got a good look at him since arriving. His appearance did not change much. His complexion wasn't as pale (and slightly colorful) as usual, but his eyes were still that fascinating green and his hair was still flame orange. My mother was going to freeze up. I just knew it.

We made our way to the door and went inside.

"Mother!" I called, secretly hoping they weren't home. What seemed like such a good idea a few years ago, even a few days ago, suddenly seemed like nothing of the sort.

"Alice? Is that you bellowing?" my mother said, appearing from the sitting room.

"Yes, Mother, it's me." Even after years of not seeing me, I still disappointed her.

As she came closer, I could see her expression changing.

"Alice! Where have you been all this time? We've been so worried! And who are these people?"

"Mother, I believe you'll need to sit down," I said, leading her back to the sitting room.

Once she was seated, I knew I had to act quickly, or I would lose my nerve. "Mother, I need you to know that I have missed you, but have no plans on staying here. My life is elsewhere with Tarrant, but we wanted to finally see you."

"Your life? Elsewhere?"

I sighed. "Mother, this is Tarrant Hightopp … my husband."

Her eyes widened. Just as I thought, she froze.

Hatter leaped to his feet and walked over to her. He picked up her hand and kissed the back. "Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kingsley. I can see where Alice got her beauty."

"Th-thank you, Mr. Hightopp, is it?"

"Right you are. I must say that it really is lovely to see where Alice grew up. It's a beautiful home you have."

"Thank you." Then Mother glanced to Charlotte, who was standing cautiously behind me. "And this little one?"

"This is our daughter, Charlotte."

"Charlotte?"

"Yes, we named her for Father."

"I know he would have loved it. Come here, child. Let me get a better look at you."

Charlotte stepped forward and my mother's eyes again got wide. There was never a question as to who her father was. Mother was trying to process it all, but a family like this was completely out of her realm. Finally, she spoke again, trying to be as polite as possible.

"Alice, why have you never sent word of a husband, or a daughter? For years we didn't know where you were. You just disappeared after Hamish proposed."

Hatter got a look on his face and I knew he was desperately trying to keep calm. Now would not be the time for a mood swing.

"Mother, you'll find this hard to believe, but I really went back to Wonderland that day. I fell down a rabbit hole and found that land again."

"Alice, really. All this time and you still go on about that fantasy place."

"It's no fantasy place! It's real and I live there!"

"Mr. Hightopp, you allow her to act this way?"

"Mrs. Kingsley, first off, I do not control my wife one way or the other. She behaves how she wishes and I love it that way. Second of all, even if I was the controlling sort, I would have to let her say these things. They're the truth. I know because I live there. Beautiful place it is, too. At least these days. Of course, for a while there it was quite dreadful and then Alice came back to us and we got to the Frabjous Day and things have been right as rain since then and it's really just all because –"

"Hatter!" I hissed under my breath.

"Thank you. Sorry."

My mother was once again frozen in place.

"Mother it is time you knew the truth. Here are six impossible things for you to finally believe. One, Wonderland is a real place. Two, I have gone there twice. Three, the Mad Hatter from my stories is absolutely real. Four, I married him. Five, we have a beautiful daughter together. Six, we are going back there very soon."

"Six impossible things," she muttered. "You are Charles through and through." She sighed. "Mr. Hightopp…"

"Please, call me Tarrant."

"Fine. Tarrant, would you mind leaving me for a moment with my daughter?"

"Of course, ma'am. Charlotte, perhaps you and I should take a walk?"

"All right, Daddy," she said, taking his hand. I don't know why I worried about her behavior. My mother had her scared stiff.

Once they were gone, I knew it was coming. "Alice! What on earth is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me?"

"Is that man your actual husband?"

"Are there such things as fake ones?"

"Don't start with me. That hair and his clothes! That hat. He looks so … so …"

"Mad?" I suggested.

"Yes!"

"There's a reason for that. He's probably certifiable, at least by your standards."

"What have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"A loving marriage, Mother. I was hoping you could be happy for me."

"Why did you have to inherit so much from your father? Wonderland … and this man lets you believe it."

"Mother, you listen to me and you listen well. Wonderland is real. Where else would I meet a man such as Tarrant? But he is a good man. A wonderful man who is excellent at his craft. He makes the finest hats in all of Wonderland. He is the royal hatter, but I'm sure that means nothing to you. Outward appearances meaning so much to you."

She raised her hand as if to slap me, but a strong Scottish brogue from the doorway stopped her.

"You'll not lay a hand on the lass!"

I knew this was going to be trouble.

"Mr. Hightopp, this is none of your business."

"I dunno about that, Mrs. Kingsley. Seems to me that you were about to hit my wife and that makes it very much my business."

Tarrant's eyes were a strange mix of green with orange flecks. I could tell he was desperately trying not to let all the anger out, but apparently, the accent could not be stopped.

"Why are you speaking like that?"

"It's how he deals with his anger," I told her, knowing full well any explanation wouldn't help.

"You're all round the bend!" she yelled, not realizing that Charlotte was in the doorway.

"We are not!" she screamed. "And it's very mean of you to say so!"

My mother stopped instantly and spun around to see the child. "Charlotte, run along, dear."

"I'll not. My Mummy and Daddy are not bonkers and you should say you're sorry for saying so."

"Alice, did you teach your child this complete lack of respect?"

"No, Mother. I think I taught her quite well, if I may say so myself. I don't know what I expected coming back. This was probably close. If Father were here, he would appreciate our company."

"Your Father …" her voice trailed off. I could tell she was completely flabbergasted at the whole ordeal.

"Now, I promised I would show Lottie my room and then we'll be off."

"Come now, buttercup," Hatter said gently, his normal voice almost completely returned. "And we'll see Mummy's old room."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see my mother take one step forward, as if to follow us, but then thought better of it.

Once we got to my room, I slammed the door behind us. "Ugh! That woman! I cannot believe she said those things. This was even worse than I imagined. I knew she wouldn't believe me, but to insult you like that!"

"To be fair, cricket, we saw this coming. I was prepared for it and it hasn't made a bit of difference to me. I've lived a lifetime of folks not being accepting."

"And that's the point. You have spent so much time being on the outside. I wanted so badly for you to have an accepting family."

"Alice, be honest. Was this for an accepting family for me or for you?"

"For …" I trailed off. He was right. This was just as much for myself as it was for him. "For both. But it doesn't matter now. That was the end. We will be going home very, very soon."

"I hope that you won't," a voice said from the doorway. In my rage, I didn't even hear it open.

"I have nothing to say to you," I snapped.

"I can see why you wouldn't. I behaved so poorly downstairs. Alice, I'm a woman set in my ways. I never had my head in the clouds like you and your father. I never had a fantastic world to dream of. I am, admittedly, having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that all this time, you've been right. There is a Wonderland and there obviously is a Mad Hatter. No offense, Mr. Hightopp."

"None taken," Tarrant said with a tip of his hat.

"Mother, you said terrible things down there."

"I know, Alice. But this isn't what I expected at all. And yet, for you, it just seems right. A fantasy world with a crazy haired hatter. No offense again, Mr. Hightopp."

"Still none taken, ma'am."

"Can you accept my family?" I asked tentatively.

"I will try my best. Alice, I lost six years because I tried to make you what you aren't. Can you forgive me? Forgive me for being that person that chased you away once and almost did it again just now."

I paused. She said such hurtful things. But she had her reasoning and was truly sorry now. And she was my mother.

"Yes, I think I can. Perhaps we can return to the sitting room and chat?"

"Oh that would be splendid. Charlotte, will you walk down with me?"

Lottie looked to me, as if for permission.

"Go ahead, Lottie. You may walk with your grandmother."

Hatter started to follow them but I stopped him.

"Shouldn't we go with them?" he asked.

"I just needed a moment. That was … strange, to say the least. I didn't expect her to come around after all of that."

"Let's just be grateful that she did."

I nodded. And I let him lead me downstairs.

For the hours until supper, we sat around and chatted. It was wonderful. Hatter regaled my mother with the tales of Wonderland (I never bothered to explain the difference to her), and I told her about my adventure with the jabberwocky. We told her of our wedding and of Charlotte's life so far.

Soon, the butler announced dinner and the arrival of my sister and Lowell.

Oh dear.

***

End note: Sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger. But I knew this chapter would just go on and on if I brought in Margaret and Lowell for this one.

They'll be the next chapter, I promise.