A/N: Can I just once again thank my AMAZING readers? You guys are flat out awesome. You've each got a truckload of muchness! Thank you for your kind reviews!

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"Stay here," my mother instructed. "I'll go … greet your sister."

"I knew "greet" meant "prepare," so I let her go.

"Well, I think this is going simply smashingly, don't you agree, cricket?" Tarrant asked with a smile to rival Chess.

"It's about to get worse. My sister will not be nearly as easy to convince as my mother was, sad to say."

"Well, I'm having a wonderful time!" Hatter said happily.

"I was," I whined.

"Come now, poppet. Your mother is doing wonderfully with this."

"My sister is a completely different story. She will not take well to our situation."

I went to the door and heard them discussing us.

"I'm telling you that it was all true!" my mother said.

"Mother, you are as bad as Alice and Father. Come now, there is no way this man is from her Wonderland," Margaret replied.

"Margaret, come and see with your own eyes. But please do not make a fuss. He may look a little odd, but he's a very nice man."

I heard their footsteps getting closer and hurried back to Tarrant and Charlotte.

"Here we go," I mumbled.

As soon as she walked in the door and made eye contact with Tarrant, my sister gasped.

"Margaret!" my mother chided. "I already told you that Mr. Hightopp was … tall."

"Yes, but I didn't realize just how tall you meant."

Hatter got a twinkle in his eye and I knew he was up to no good. "Ladies, please. My size, while impressive, ask my dear Alice, is nothing to converse about." He strode over to Lowell with his hand outstretched. "Tarrant Hightopp, glad to make your acquaintance."

"Lowell Manchester," he replied, still in shock himself. "This is my wife Margaret, of course, and our son, Lowell Jr."

"I see. Well, you know my wife Alice. And this is our daughter, Charlotte."

I could tell that Charlotte was nervous once again. She wasn't used to such scrutiny. At home, everyone loved her, but here, she was odd … like her parents.

"Lowell, I have to say that you and I are lucky men," Tarrant said, taking the spotlight from our daughter. "These Kingsley girls are just angels on earth, are they not?"

"Yes, wonderful ladies they are."

"Perfection right here," he added, putting an arm around me. "Couldn't even imagine straying, eh?"

Lowell's face was priceless. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to at least smile. And yet, I was stuck, forced to remain still knowing that Tarrant was giving it to Lowell.

"Indeed," was all Lowell could muster.

"Well, now that we are all acquainted, perhaps we can eat supper now?" my mother asked, desperate to break the tension.

"Excellent idea! Mrs. Kingsley, may I be your escort to the dining room?" Hatter asked, presenting his elbow.

"Why, yes, Tarrant, I would enjoy that very much."

I almost collapsed hearing my mother say that. It meant so much to me.

"Well, Lottie, looks like you'll be my escort," I said, bending down to pick up my daughter.

"I would enjoy that very much, Mummy," she said proudly copying her grandmother.

I know it was wrong, but I couldn't help but smile at how much happier my family seemed than Margaret's. For years, she was always so holier-than-thou with me concerning her life. I loved my sister dearly, but it was amusing to see her face now.

Once we sat down and began dinner, Lowell decided to turn the screws back.

"So, Tarrant, tell me. What exactly do you do?"

"Why sir, I am a hatter."

"Really? Just a hatter?"

Before I could jump out of my seat and scream at my brother-in-law, Tarrant very calmly placed a hand on my arm and replied, "Oh no, not just a hatter. I am the Queen's royal hatter. I hat her majesty and everyone on her court. And of course, the two most beautiful women in the land, my wife and daughter."

Silence.

"And, our Alice here is the curator to the Museum of Art and History. Built it from the ground up. Well, not herself, of course, amazing woman that she is, she's not really the type to actually construct a building and yet, I wouldn't put it past—"

"Hatter," I whispered.

He blinked. "I'm fine."

Silence.

"Alice, that sounds fascinating. And certainly right up your alley," Mother finally said.

"Oh yes, we're all so terribly proud of her. When the Queen presented her with this opportunity, especially while she was with child, well, it just made me bust at the buttons."

I must have been beaming.

"And Lowell, what do you do?" Tarrant asked casually as he sipped his tea.

"I manage my family's estate."

"Just a manager, eh? Well, that's certainly fine as well. And my dear boy, little Lowell, how old are you?"

Lowell, Jr. looked as though he wanted to run and hide.

"Now, Junior, don't be shy. Answer the gentleman," Lowell prodded. (My sister had yet to say anything.)

"I'm 5, sir."

"Five! A delightful age. Full of mischief and dirt," Hatter said. The entire Manchester family looked disgusted.

The rest of dinner went on about as I expected: the occasional jab from Lowell and a wonderful retort from Tarrant, snide looks from my sister, terrified looks from Lowell, Jr., and a mother trying to take it all in.

After dinner, you would have thought the place was on fire the way my sister's family bolted out of there.

"Mother, dinner was delicious. We really must be off now. Thank you," my sister said as soon as we were back in the sitting room.

"It's always wonderful to see you, Margaret. Lowell," she added coldly. "And always wonderful to see you as well, little Lowell."

Lowell and Tarrant shook hands and I could tell that Lowell tried to put extra grip on Tarrant, but he barely noticed. I also noticed that Tarrant pulled Lowell close and whispered something to him. I would certainly have to ask about that.

As they were whispering, my sister came over to me. "Alice, really. I cannot believe you convinced Mother that this man is from your Wonderland."

"You may believe what you want to believe, Margaret. I'll no longer try to convince you of the truth."

"I worry for you."

"Worry? Why on earth would you?"

"Do you not think that he is a bit too … odd?"

"For me? Heavens no. I believe him to be just the right amount of mad for me."

My sister gave me a hug and told me, "Congratulations, Alice. You finally found your madman."

"Margaret, you have no idea. It was so nice to see you again."

"Yes, you too."

Once they were gone, my mother sighed and flopped into her chair.

"Well, that was certainly interesting."

"Mrs. Kingsley, I'm very sorry if anything I said caused you any grief," Hatter said sincerely.

"Oh, Tarrant, please. I thoroughly enjoyed watching someone put Lowell in his place. I never liked that man."

"Grandmother?" Charlotte said meekly, approaching my mother.

"Yes, Lottie?"

"Thank you for being so nice to me."

My mother had no idea what to say.

"Well, it's just that those people didn't seem to like me much and you've been very kind."

"Lottie, if there is one thing I learned today, it is that you should never judge a book by its cover. I should have learned that years ago, but today I learned it well. Your father is a gentleman and it is a delight to be in his company. And you, little one, are a joy as well. I can clearly see already that you got the best of both of your parents."

I couldn't have been more elated that we came today. All the fear and doubt just melted away and I was thrilled to be here. In my mother's company … curious.

"Alice, can you forgive me for always doubting you? For thinking you were mad?"

"Mother, you were right. I'm completely bonkers," I said with a smile.

"But all the best people are," she added. "Do you think there is any way you'll be able to visit again?"

I glanced to Tarrant. I never thought we would need to, but suddenly it sounded lovely.

"Mrs. Kingsley, there are many ways in and out of Wonderland. I'm sure we can find another one since we'll now be needing one," he said confidently.

And if anyone would find a way, it would be my Hatter.

"Splendid. I believe I would like to see more of the Hightopps. And I would love to see Charlotte become a beautiful young lady," Mother said, giving a loving look to her granddaughter.

"I would like that too, Grandmother," Charlotte said, giving her father's charming smile.

"For now, we really should be going," I said sadly. I really did enjoy myself.

"Yes, I understand. Do you think you could write?" Mother asked.

"It's something else we will look into," Tarrant said as he walked over to my mother. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kingsley," he said, giving her a hug.

"Yes, Tarrant. It was a pleasure to finally meet you as well."

She gave Charlotte a hug and a kiss as well, telling her to always listen to her Mummy and Daddy.

Then she got to me.

"Alice. You have turned out to be a wonderful lady, in spite of the things I taught you. I have never been more proud." She pulled me into a tight embrace. "I love you."

I could barely reply, but I did squeak out, "I love you too, Mother."

"Well, I believe I should let you get on your way. Do you need anything?"

"No, we have what we need. Hopefully we'll see you soon," I said as we walked out.

"Yes, my dear. Hopefully!"

Once we got to the back yard, I turned to Tarrant.

"Thank you so much for convincing me to come here for this. It was amazing."

"It really was, wasn't it? Worked out even better than I had imagined."

"So, what did you say to Lowell?"

"Lowell?"

"Yes Lowell. I saw you say something to him when you shook his hand."

He chuckled and then leaned in to whisper in my ear, the same way he whispered to Lowell. I recognized the Outlandish brogue at once. "Mr. Manchester, my wife has mentioned to me that you are a dog. And that you had once tried to intimidate her. I will tell you that if you ever make her feel like that again, you will have me to deal with. And stop being a bastard, cheating on your wife."

He pulled back and smiled at me, his eyes orange as ever.

"You must have terrified him!"

He gave me the crooked grin that I love as his eyes quickly returned to green. "I should hope so!"

"Thank you again for suggesting this!"

"Yes, well, here is one more suggestion."

I quirked my eyebrow at him.

"I would very much like to meet your father."

"Tarrant, my father has passed away. Even before I came back to Underland."

"Yes, well, in your hand you hold a vial of jabberwocky blood. Now, we can certainly find other means to come back and forth to the Otherworld, but I have come to learn that with enough of a wish, that blood will take us to the past as well."

I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe this might work.

"Well, then, yes! Yes, let's definitely go!"

"We'll unfortunately have to go somewhere near the end of his life, dearheart. Somewhere where he won't be able to tell of our visit."

"I know exactly when we're going then. Are you sure about this?"

"Absoultely, love. Charlotte, would you like to meet your Grandfather?"

"Oh yes!" she said, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Well, then we're on our way," I said, handing a bottle of jabberwocky blood to Hatter. "Wait, how will we get home if we're using these?"

He opened his coat to reveal 4 more vials of blood. "I thought maybe, just in case…"

"Hatter! You are wonderful! All right then, here we go again!"

Tarrant and I each downed the bottle and I wished with everything I had that I would see my father, just a day before he passed away.

***

Ok, one more chapter in the Otherworld and then it's back to Underland.