A/N: I still own nothing from this. I just love playing with these amazing characters.

You readers are the best I could ask for! Just as an FYI, I added the kilt to the wedding. It's just a very small change because I just don't have the energy to rewrite it all.

To anyone in Underland, it was easy to spot our family. Just by knowing of our family, you could see Tarrant in Charlotte's flame orange curls or William's dazzling green eyes. And of course, Will's blond waves and Lottie's sparkling blue eyes were from me. But those who actually knew us would know that both children had my insatiable curiosity. Lottie had her father's temper, while Will and I preferred to pick our battles. Both of them inherited Tarrant's mischievous smile and his love of riddles. And the both loved to read as much as much as I.

But when they acted up … they were all Tarrant.

When Charlotte was about 4, we found out just how much like her Daddy she was.

It was bed time and a certain little girl did not want to go.

"Charlotte Mirana Hightopp, you need to get into your bed right now or else you will be in serious trouble!" I reprimanded.

"No Mummy, I'm not ready," she said, coolly.

"I don't recall asking you if you were ready. I recall telling you to march over to your bed and get in it."

"No."

I would have really begun to yell after that little remark, except that at that moment, her eyes went from blue, to green, to a mix of green and yellow.

"Tarrant!" I called, the worry definitely in my voice. I knew how to deal with this with him … but Charlotte?

"What's wrong, cricket?" he said as he hurried into the room, obviously hearing the concern in my tone. He turned to see our daughter and gasped. "Oh."

"Daddy, I don't want to go to bed," she said, eyes sparkling, despite the tantrum they were giving away.

"Charlotte, listen to me. You must try to control your emotions now. It's a little scary, but you need to calm down."

"It's strange, Daddy. My eyes feel warm."

He gave her a questioning look. This was something different. Tarrant told me that he never "felt" his eyes changing; he just would know that they were.

"It's just because you're angry, buttercup. And tired, I'm sure. You just need to calm yourself. Take a few deep breaths. Think some happy thoughts. There's nothing to be upset about. It's just bed time. You've done bed time hundreds of times before, so what's wrong with this one?"

"I just don't want to go. I have toys to play with and I wanted to read a little bit more of that book and my pillow is flat right now and I –"

"Lottie," he interrupted with a very soft voice.

She shook her head a bit (just like her father) and looked very embarrassed. "I'm so sorry," she whispered as her eyes changed back to the familiar blue.

"It's not your fault, Lottie. Truly, it's not." Now it was his turn to look embarrassed. "However, it is not me you need to apologize to."

"Mummy, I'm very sorry I snapped at you," she said, tears in her eyes.

"It's all right, sweetheart. I know you didn't mean it. Can you get into bed now?"

She nodded and hugged and kissed each of us. We tucked her in and went back to our room.

"Don't say it," I told him, holding a hand up to interrupt him before he even got started.

"I don't have to. Look at what I did to her. She could be a normal little girl if I wasn't her father. She wouldn't be lashing out and having her beautiful eyes change into the colors of –"

I groaned in frustration. "Hatter! First of all, I told you not to say it. Second, you did nothing to her. If someone else was Charlotte's father, she wouldn't be the wonderful little girl that she is. But the ifs don't matter. You are her father and I wouldn't change that for anything. She's a Hightopp. It's just something that comes with the territory. Besides, we all have our temperamental moments. Hers may just come with an eye color change every now and then. I highly doubt that this is something as severe as your changes. If it were, then we probably would have seen them sooner. Please stop worrying about this."

"Stop worrying?" Suddenly the Outlandish came out. "Alice, dinnae yeh see wha' just happened?"

I shook my head. This was not getting through to him. "Tarrant, of course I saw. She had a tantrum. She was tired."

"And her eyes—"

"Her eyes changed color. It's nothing to fret about."

"I should'na fret?" Speaking of eye color changes, right on cue, here came the yellow in Tarrant's. "Tha' poor child … She's gonna be like me."

"I hope so! You're a sweet, kind, funny, romantic, protective, amazing person. What's not to like?"

"The madness!" he cried.

I placed my hands on either side of his face, just like I had done countless times in the past to calm him down. "Tarrant, we're all a little mad. Yours just happens to come with a decoder. You didn't make our daughter mad. She's perfectly healthy. And if her eyes change when she gets into a mood, then we calm her down and everything will be fine. It's no different than any other child."

His eyes came back to my favorite green and his voice returned to his soft lisp. "I just feel so guilty."

I smiled a little and brought my hands down. "You feel guilty about everything. Let it go. Everything is fine now and Charlotte and I love you very much."

He placed a hand on my cheek. "My sweet Alice, always willing to see the good. Even if someone doesn't deserve it."

"Oh, you deserve it. Just, please stop letting this bother you. Charlotte is fine. And now we know what to look for when she gets a little moody."

Tarrant smiled slightly. "I suppose so. I just know what it's like and I hate to think that my little girl is going through it."

"Hatter, she isn't going through what you are. She's got mood swings. She's a girl! But Charlotte is a smart girl. She'll know how to handle herself and how to calm down before things get out of hand. I have complete faith in her. Besides, she's got a great teacher."

"Not exactly a class I expected to instruct."

"Parenthood isn't about the expected, Tarrant. You know this by now."

He nodded. "True. Would you mind terribly, sweetness, if I went to the workshop and finished a few things? I think I just need to think."

"That's fine, darling. Just don't wallow, all right? Make your hats, make your head right and then come back to me."

"I always will, dearheart. I always will."

Alice is a beautiful woman. And she's the perfect mother, at least in my eyes. She has given me two wonderful children. They are tiny versions of Alice and myself what with our hair and eyes, our personality traits, even our favorite hat styles. They are an amazing family and I love all of them dearly.

But when they act up, they're all Alice.

One afternoon when he was around 4, Will and I were taking a walk around the lake. Alice and Charlotte were having tea with some of the ladies of the court, so Alice encouraged us to have some man time.

When I inquired as to what that meant, she told me that I should teach him manly things. Did my wife not know me? Masculinity wasn't one of my most prominent traits. I could teach him how to sword fight, but probably not without a strict cuff to the head from his mother. (Even if she did say manly things.)

So, at this point, I settled for a leisurely stroll and some snacks.

"Daddy?" Will asked, breaking me from my mind-wanderings.

"Yes, son?"

"Why is the sky blue?"

I was stunned. I had no idea how to answer that question. So, I did what I could. I decided to wing it.

"Well, if it were green, then how would we know where the ground began?"

He pondered that for a minute. "So, why is the grass green?"

Oh dear.

"I suppose the reverse is true here," I began. "If the grass were blue, then you wouldn't know where the sky began."

He thought again. "You know, I guess you're right."

Whew. Got out of that one.

"So, Daddy, why are these roses white?" he asked, gesturing to the flowers growing by the path.

"That's an easy one. That's because no one painted them otherwise."

"Ohhhhh." Pause. "Why do Mummy and Lottie wear dresses, but you and I wear trousers?"

This was all Alice's fault. The children had her stubborn streak. And couple that with an inquisitive nature and you had Charlotte and William Hightopp.

"That's because the boys wear pants and the girls were the skirts," I answered.

"But sometimes you wear a skirt," Will countered.

Oh for the love of…

"That's not a skirt, bean. That's called a kilt. It's a traditional garb of our ancestors. We wear them for special occasions."

"A kilt …" More thinking. "Will I wear one?"

"If you would like to. As a Hightopp, it is certainly in your heritage to wear one if you wish."

"All right."

We walked on a little further, as I wondered if this was what Alice was like as a child. I could imagine her asking all of these questions as well.

"What do you think Mummy and Lottie are doing right now?" Will asked.

"Just drinking tea and chatting, I suspect."

"Sounds boring. Your tea parties are much more fun."

I laughed. "Thank you very much, Will! I would happen to agree with you."

"You're welcome, Daddy."

Suddenly, he stopped walking and his eyes drifted around. Assuming that he was probably following a dragonfly or something else dancing in the air, I allowed myself a moment to consider things. I was the most blessed man in any world. My beautiful wife and amazing daughter were having tea with royalty while I walked through the serene woods of Mamoreal with my handsome son.

However, as I drifted back to the scene before me, I noticed something missing. – that handsome son.

"Will! Where are you?" I cried out. "William!" No answer came from the woods. "William Tarrant Hightopp, if you are hiding, you are in terrible trouble!"

Not a peep. I knew he couldn't have been far, seeing as how he was just a four-year-old with just a few seconds of a head start.

I began to panic and then I remembered something Alice taught me. Many times, parents have a connection to their children. They can find them. Surely this would be something easy for our bond. I thought of my son and felt a pull to my left. I ran in that direction and then I heard it … the whimpering of a lost child.

"Will!" I called.

"Daddy!"

I rushed to him and picked him up. "Mo mhac," I murmured as I cradled him against me. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry, Daddy, but I saw a flying bear!"

I smiled. So much like his mother, rushing off to see something. No wonder she exhausted her parents.

"Will, my little explorer. I have no doubt that you saw a flying bear. But you know you can't go wandering off by yourself. Especially into the woods!"

"Yes, I know." He hung his head. "I didn't realize how far I was. I was so scared when I couldn't see you anymore!"

"It's all right, ma bairn. I'm just so happy you're safe."

He held tight to my jacket, almost afraid to let go.

"Shall we go back to the castle? I'm sure Mummy and Lottie will be done with tea soon," I said.

He nodded. "I think I want to go away from here anyway."

"Yes, that sounds good." I put him down and held tightly to his hand.

As we walked back, Will turned to me. "I'm sorry I worried you, Daddy."

He sounded so sincere and so much older than his years. So much like Alice.

"It's all right, bean. You must promise me, though, to never do it again."

Will nodded and I knew everything would be ok.

That night, once the children were sound asleep, I admitted what happened to Alice.

"Is he all right?" she asked, almost ready to hop out of bed to check on him.

"Sweetness, he's fine. Just a minute of fright and I think it taught him a lesson."

"I recall that lesson," she said, sadly.

"I somehow imagined that you ran off as well," I said with a smile.

"Yes, I wandered off thrice in my life."

"Three?" I questioned.

"Yes. Once when I was a girl, not much older than Will. I went into the maze by myself and got terribly lost. Then again when I was a bit older. I thought I saw a white rabbit in a waistcoat." She winked at me. "One would have thought I would have learned my lesson those first two times. But then when I was nineteen, I wandered off from a party. Seemed I hadn't learned anything and I followed that rabbit again. Fell down a hole and I haven't been the same since." She smiled. "I'm sorry to say that Lottie and Will both seem to have that inquisitiveness."

"I'm not," I replied. "I'm glad they got that. It's one of the things I love most about you."

"Even if it means an adventure with those two?"

I chuckled. "Especially because of that. Life would be boring without you curious three."

She placed a gentle kiss on my lips. "I love you, Tarrant."

"I love you, too, sweet Alice."

We lay down and I pulled her against me. Snuggled together, we peacefully fell asleep. I got the feeling we'd be needing our rest with these children!