A/N: I still own nothing here and mean no harm.
For those keeping track, this takes place the day after Alice tells Tarrant that she's pregnant with Charlotte. Please enjoy!
"Alice, will you come with me?"
"Of course, Tarrant. Where are we going?"
"My workshop."
I had seen his workshop loads of times. I wondered why we were going there now and questioned him about it.
"There is a hat that I'm working on and I need your opinion on it."
I let him guide me into the room that I have always been fascinated by. Materials, feathers, beads, threads, and various tools were everywhere. If not for knowing that this was how he worked best, I would be appalled at the mess.
"I was inspired to make this hat last night. I think you'll remember the inspiration." He waggled his eyebrows at me and I knew exactly what he was talking about. "I wanted to make this hat blue, to match your favorite color, but just knowing that our baby is a girl, I had to make it like this instead."
I absentmindedly rubbed my not yet swelled belly as he showed me the beautiful pink hat he was working on. It actually seemed as though it was finished though.
"It's lovely, Hatter! Is it finished?"
"Oh yes. I never need measurements from you, poppet. I have your head memorized entirely."
"Well, if you want my opinion, I think it's beautiful. As always."
"Oh, no, no, no. This is not the hat I need your opinion on. But this hat does go with it."
I gave him a questioning look.
"This …" he began, reaching for something different. "This is what I want to know your thoughts on."
He was all smiles as he handed me a tiny, delicate baby bonnet. It was the same soft pink as the hat he made me.
"Hatter … it's … it's …"
His face fell. "You don't like it."
"No! Oh, goodness no! I think it's just perfect. I love it! And I know our baby will love it as well."
"I hope so. I just pictured you holding our daughter wearing this little hat and it made me so happy. You make me so happy."
I stood on my toes a bit to kiss him.
"You are a wonderful man, Tarrant Hightopp."
"You are more wonderful, Alice Hightopp."
I would never tire of hearing that name.
"Would you show me some of the other hats you are working on?" I asked.
"Oh yes!" He pulled me over to the table in the middle of the room. "This one is for Mirana." It was a beautiful white hat with white peacock feathers.
"And this one is for Mally. She's been trying to pretty up for a certain mouse she met on one of her most recent adventures." The small hat was a pale purple and had a black netting on it.
"She'll look lovely in it! And I can't wait to meet her suitor," I said, giggling at the thought of tough little Mallymkun having a beau.
"Yes, I told her that we really must meet him soon." He moved on to a few other hats. These ones a bit more masculine. "I was thinking of this cap for Thackery. And perhaps this one for Nivens."
"Very handsome indeed."
It seemed that these days, I was running out of words to describe the talent of my husband. Every thing he made was made out of love and each creation was a thing of wonder.
I found myself wandering back to the baby bonnet, though.
"You do like it, then?" he asked, following me over.
"I adore it. It makes me so happy to be here."
"The hat does?" He was obviously confused, his eyes threatening to turn yellow.
"Yes. In a way. It makes me wonder how life would have been if I had never come back to Underland. I would have probably ended up married to Hamish or some other stuffy man who didn't understand me. Oh, calm down, Tarrant, I'm here with you!"
I could see by his face that even the mention of Hamish made him jealous. Silly man.
"Anyway, what would my life have looked like? I'd be forced to have tea with Lady Ascot and those other horrid women. I'd be dealing daily with his digestive problems and worrying about having ugly children. But here, ah, wonderful here, I'm free to be who I want. I can ask off the wall questions about what it's like to fly. I can visit my just as bonkers husband as he makes hats for royalty. I can have a family with my husband and not worry about a disapproving family."
"Yes, life is good here. And a simple hat made you think that?"
"A simple hat and a not-so simple husband."
He smiled. "Well, I'm glad I could make you feel so good about being in Underland."
And then I yawned.
"That little one is wearing you out already," he commented.
"I wonder who her father is," I said with a laugh. "All right, I'm heading back for a nap. Wake me when you get home."
"We'll see. Maybe you need the sleep."
"Or maybe I want to spend time with my husband."
He knew better than to argue already.
"All right, cricket. I shall see you when I am finished here."
We kissed goodbye and I went to our chambers. I laid down and was asleep within minutes. But then the dreams began.
I was dressed in a white gown and had tears running down my face. We were standing at the back of a church.
"Mother, no! I don't want to marry him!"
"Alice, you will marry him. You need this marriage. If you want to have any place in society, you will walk down that aisle and marry Hamish Ascot!"
"No, you don't understand. I don't love him!"
"You'll learn to love him. Get going."
"Please, Mother!"
"It will be fine. You'll get married, have children and live happily."
"I love someone else. I can't marry Hamish!"
She shook her head at me. "Alice. You will. Let's go." And with some sort of super strength, she began to drag me down the aisle.
"Hatter!" I screamed.
"Hatter!"
"Alice, wake up! It's just a dream! What's wrong?" Tarrant said, shaking my shoulders gently.
"Tarrant!" I said as I sat straight up.
"Dearheart, it's all right. It was only a dream and I'm right here. What happened?"
"It was horrible. Oh, it was so horrible. I was at the church and my mother was forcing me to marry Hamish. I kept telling her that I couldn't do it and she started dragging me down the aisle."
"Marry that man! Marry that dim-witted dog." The Outlandish accent was becoming very strong and his eyes were rapidly passing yellow and heading to orange. "That man didn't deserve the right to even lay eyes on you, let alone even think of marrying you. I would certainly like to have a minute with him. That dull, rude, oddly-digesting, idiotic, oppressive, moronic, daft piece of –"
"Hatter!" I shouted, taking his face in my hands.
"Thank you … I'm fine."
"Tarrant, I'm here with you. Nothing will change that. Marrying you is a dream come true. The thought of marrying that man literally makes me scream. It's a nightmare!"
I had the feeling that this problem would take forever to fix. Tarrant would always be jealous of Hamish (even if there was nothing to be jealous of) and always angry that he often very rude to me. Even Tarrant's madness loved me and it wasn't easy to reason with.
He nodded slowly as his eyes returned to green.
"I'm sorry, lovely. The thought just makes me so angry."
"I know. And I think I'll probably spend a lifetime trying to convince you that you have nothing to worry about. But if that's what it takes, so be it."
His gap-toothed grin made me feel that things were better for now.
"You are a jewel, cupcake."
"I know! And you are going to have to take a break from the mood swings, dear. For the next few months, those are my job!"
He chuckled. "I suppose you're right. As usual."
"Never forget that!" I said, poking his chest.
Just then, my stomach gave an embarrassing gurgle.
"Shall I escort you to dinner?" he asked, presenting his elbow.
"I don't think I'll be turning down food for a while now," I joked, placing my hand on his elbow.
"And I can never deny you anything."
"I love you, Tarrant."
"As I love you, sweet wife.
A/N: Please let me know your thoughts.
Also, I found my muchness and got the courage to post my wedding night fic. It's called "Wedded Bliss." Please let me know what you think of that too! (But please be kind. I was terrified to post it.)