A/N: Again, I love you guys!

Also, after watching a clip from the movie online, I began to wonder just how the heck I missed the fact that Tarrant goes into battle wearing a kilt?!? My God, I might have fainted in the theater had I noticed that sooner! *thud* Might have to go back and put him in that for the wedding. Guh.

"Mummy?" Lottie asked.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I replied.

"Will you tell me about when I was a baby?"

I had a feeling she would be asking about this eventually, what with her new baby brother getting so much attention these days.

"Of course, Lottie."

*Flashback*

After Charlotte was born, I felt as though everything was right in my life. I had never been so tired, but it was all worth it.

Tarrant was, of course, the most doting father. He would hop out of bed and bring our daughter to me for those late night feedings, insisting that he be awake as well.

No other child, in Underland or elsewhere, had as many bonnets as this one. Charlotte had a baby bonnet in every color imaginable. They were beautiful, delicate, and some even ornate creations that would have everyone commenting.

Two days after her birth, Mirana came to visit us.

"Alice, may I come in to see you?" she asked after softly knocking.

"Of course, Mirana."

She gasped as she came closer. "Alice! She's gorgeous!"

"Well, I think so. But I might be biased," I said with a giggle.

"May I hold her?" she asked.

"Of course." I handed Charlotte over to Mirana. "Hello, little one. You are a very special child and your parents are amazing people. I am your Auntie Mirana and we share a birthday. I think that I shall be spoiling you for a long, long time!"

I smiled. How many babies could say the Queen wanted to spoil them?

"When will we have her first party?" Mirana asked, her eyes alight at the prospect.

"Um, I didn't know we were having one for her."

"Of course we are! Two of the most influential people in the liberation of Underland just had a baby! We are definitely having a ball in her honor."

"I don't know, Mirana. She'll meet everyone eventually. Maybe we could skip that."

"Oh pfft!" It was the most un-queenly I had ever heard her and it made me sure I was going to lose this fight.

Just then, I heard Hatter come in the main door to our chambers.

"Alice! I just had the inspiration for the most beautiful hat for you and we didn't even make l–"

"Hatter!" I interrupted before he could say something embarrassing. "We have company!"

As he entered the sitting area, I could see how grateful he was not to have finished that sentence.

"Mirana! To what do we owe this visit?"

"I wanted to meet the newest Hightopp. Tarrant, she's just delightful."

"Yes, she's definitely her mother's daughter."

I blushed.

"I can see your eyes already, Alice. But I think she favors her father more," Mirana said, closely studying our daughter's face.

"See?" I said to Tarrant. We had debated since her birth as to who Charlotte looked more like.

He waved his hand to me and said, "Yes, yes."

Then he turned to Mirana. "Are you pleased with her name?"

She got a confused look on her face. "Yes, I think Charlotte is a lovely name."

"No, he means her middle name," I explained.

"Oh. I'm afraid I don't know it," Mirana replied.

"I thought by now you would have heard. Her full name is Charlotte Mirana Hightopp."

Tears instantly came to the White Queen's eyes. "You named her for me?"

"Yes. You were, after all, quite instrumental to getting her parents together. Not to mention you are a fabulous monarch and an even better friend," I told her.

"I … I don't know what to say."

"You need not say anything," Tarrant said.

"Well, Charlotte, it seems as though you and I share a birthday and a name. It is a lovely name and I hope you like it. I know that you and I will be even greater friends now."

Just then, Lottie reached up and seemed to touch Mirana's cheek.

"I think she likes you," Tarrant said with a smile.

"Yes, I think I like her, too," Mirana sniffled. "Well, I should let you get some rest. Please, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Tarrant came over and sat by me. "We will."

"Thank you for visiting, Mirana," I said.

"Of course, of course." She kissed Charlotte on the head. "Bye-bye, Charlotte. I shall see you soon."

She handed the baby back over to me. "Alice, your daughter is a treasure."

"I know, Mirana. I truly do."

She said goodbye to Tarrant and swept out of the room.

When Charlotte was a week old, she had her first tea party. We headed back to the tables outside and were greeted by a very smiley Mallymkun and a twittering Thackery. I could tell that Thackery was using all his restraint to not throw a cup at us. I was proud of him that he was holding back so well.

Until that is once Lottie and I were out of the way and a cup went sailing towards Tarrant's head. The week away from tea did not diminish his instincts for dodging the flying tea accessories.

I sat down in my usual seat and Mally ran over.

"May I see her?" she asked.

"Of course!" I lowered her a bit and Mallymkun gasped.

"Alice! She's gorgeous! I see a lot of you, Tarrant."

I made a face at Hatter, one that said, "told you so."

"Thank you, Mally. She certainly is a beauty," he said.

The dormouse stroked her tiny paw down Charlotte's cheek. "She smells like baby. One of the sweetest scents in the world!"

"I know," I told her. "Sometimes I actually find myself just smelling her. It's precious!"

Thackery wandered over then.

"Baby…" he muttered.

"Aye, Ears. It's a baby," Hatter said calmly. Thackery was doing so well that we didn't want to spook him.

"Wonderful thing! Congratulations!" he exclaimed, tossing a scone at Tarrant.

"And her bonnet is beautiful, Hatter," Mally said softly. "How many does she have already?"

I had to laugh. I had already teased poor Tarrant about making her so many. Charlotte had 6 bonnets before she was born. And now she had 10.

"A few," he answered, slightly embarrassed at his over-zealous hat making for such a tiny girl.

"A few … right," she chuckled.

To change the subject, Tarrant began pouring the tea.

I was proud of Charlotte as we sat through tea. She either slept or sat quietly through the entire time. Even with the occasional something flying past us. Best that she learned now.

Once tea was over and we went back to the house, Tarrant put his arm around me.

"She's a natural," he said, his voice laced with pride.

"At having tea with lunatics? Well, it is in her heritage," I laughed.

"I suppose that's true. She did very well though. Better than I expected!"

"Indeed. If this keeps up, I'm going to call her your little clone!"

"With your eyes, love. I adore that about her. Every time I look at her, I can look into her eyes and see you. Well, not you exactly. Of course, you are usually very close, but if I were looking at you then –"

I sighed. "Hatter."

He sighed as well. "Thank you. My point is that I love that about her. In fact, I love everything about her."

"And she loves you as well. In just a week, I've been able to figure that out. Daddy's little girl."

He smiled. "I know it."

And then I yawned.

"Sweetness, go in for a nap. Charlotte and I will play out here for a bit and then I'll put her down for her nap."

"Are you certain?"

"Abso-tively. We'll be fine."

I had to admit, a nap sounded heavenly.

"All right. I'll see you later, Lottie," I said as I kissed the top of her head. "And I love you, Hatter."

"We love you, too!" he called as I went into the house.

It felt wonderful to know that I was such a lucky woman. I hate no worries when it came to leaving Tarrant with the baby. He would be as attentive to her as he was to me. (Actually, probably more.) I let that thought lull me to sleep.

Charlotte's first word was not a surprise, at least not to me.

We were finishing our dinner in our chambers and Tarrant was giving his usual list to Lottie.

"Come on, buttercup! Silk, satin, beads, ribbons, hat. Can you say any of those?"

I smiled at his persistence. She seemed so close to saying something and he was doing his best to make sure it was something hat-related.

But she shocked us both when she looked up at him and said, "Dada!"

"Did … did she just say what I think she said? Because it sounded like she said "dada" and that of course is not one of the words I was working on, but in fact it's actually a better one and yet I just don't know where—" he rambled so softly.

Now I was beaming. "Tarrant!"

"I'm fine. Thank you. Did she say that?"

"Yes, Hatter, she did."

"Come here, Charlotte!" he said, picking her up and doing a little dance with her. "You are such a smart little girl!"

"She's daddy's little girl," I added.

"Aye, that she is. She's got me wrapped around her tiny little finger."

As if he needed to tell me that. The rest of the evening was spent with Tarrant trying to convince Charlotte to say some of those hat-making words. It was utter perfection to me.

*End Flashback*

"I was a cute baby," Charlotte said proudly.

"You still are a cute little girl!" I told her.

"Thank you, Mummy."

"Are you ready for sleep now?"

"Yep." She curled up under covers and smiled. "I love you, Mummy."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

I heard the unmistakable sound of Hatter running down the hall.

"Did I miss bedtime?" he said as he burst into the room.

"Almost, Daddy," Lottie said with a giggle.

He hurried to Charlotte and kissed her good night.

"I love you, buttercup."

"Love you too, Daddy."

As we left her room, Tarrant told me that he would check on Will and that I should just get to bed.

I did just that and as I waited for him, I thanked my lucky stars. Blessed. We were a blessed family.

A/N: Seriously, people. A kilt! Guh.