A/N: This chapter may have been my most difficult to write. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun idea, but I really wanted to get everyone right. I sure hope I did.

And, man! It ended up being a long one! Please enjoy and please read the A/N at the end.

After years of visiting my own family, I began to wonder just how Tarrant dealt with my family being around, and so loving these days to boot. Guilt ate at me. It was certainly no fault of my own that his family was gone, but it still bothered me so much that we were so close with my own.

I began to map out a plan and then went to see Mirana.

"Mirana, I need your help and your potion making expertise."

"Of course, Alice, what do you need?"

"Well, first, I'll need just a bit more jabberwocky blood and –"

"Blood? What are you wishing for?" she interrupted in a very un-queenly fashion.

"It's for Tarrant … well, and for the children. We've seen my family so much, and even gone back to see my father, but I feel as though his family has been neglected. I certainly don't think he's thought about it, but I feel so guilty when I really think about what he's lost and what I still have and I would love for the children to meet their grandparents and aunts and –"

"Alice!"

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"You're married to Tarrant, it's understandable," she said with a laugh. "Now, you want the blood to go back in time to meet his family, is that it?"

"Well, yes. But that's not the only thing. I need a forgetful potion as well."

She raised an eyebrow in question and then figured it out. "You can't have them remembering your visit."

"Exactly. As much as I would love to change what happened, we can't risk it. It could change too much of the present."

"That is for certain. Sad, but true."

"So, can you help me?"

"Yes, I believe I can. But you must be very, very careful in your endeavor. You must make sure to not change anything in the past. Meet them and fall in love with them, but then wipe their memories of the visit. Oh, you will adore them! Tarrant's parents were such wonderful people."

"They had to be. Look what they produced," I said sadly, thinking on just what good people they had to have been to have had such a loving son.

"Yes. And his sisters, well, they were little firecrackers," she said with a giggle.

"So I've heard. Briallen and Gweneira gave their brother a hard time."

"All with love, Alice. Everything the Hightopps did was with love."

"I will love meeting Macbean and Moibeal and the children …" I faded off. "Wait. Macbean?"

"Yes …"

"It wasn't just the jelly beans!"

Mirana gave me a confused look.

"Oh, I can't believe I never figured this out until now. Tarrant calls Will "bean" and he said it was because I ate so many jelly beans. But I don't think it's that at all. It's for his father!"

"I would assume that to be true. But don't be too hard on yourself for not noticing it. I never pieced it together myself."

"Well, it's not like we talk about his family much. Probably before Will was born anyway." I paused. Time to get things moving. "So, will you be able to help me?"

"Absolutely. I shall start on the potions this afternoon and you will be able to go as early as tomorrow I would assume."

"Mirana, you are the best!"

"Well," she said, trying to casually flip her hair. "I try."

I ran from her study and straight to Tarrant's workshop.

"Hatter!" I cried as I burst through the door.

"Alice! What on earth is the matter?"

"Nothing! It's wonderful! At least, I think it's wonderful, and I hope you will as well. Of course, I probably should have consulted you first, but I didn't and at least I know it's possible now and I really would like to go to—"

"Alice, love."

"Sorry. I'm just so excited. Oh Tarrant, I hope you'll say yes."

He beamed at me. "Well, anything that has you this excited, I'm certain I'll say yes to."

"Would you go back in time to let the children and I meet your family?"

His smile faded. "My … my family?"

"Yes. It's just that we see my family so much. And we've even seen my father. And you yourself told me that your mother would like me."

Tarrant gave a slight chuckle. "She'd adore you actually."

"Well, then it could be wonderful! We could spend the whole day with them."

"But … it's not as though we could go to them right before they pass away like your father."

"No," I began, unsure of this next part. "But we can give them forgetful potions. Make them not even remember our visit."

"They wouldn't get to remember you or the children?"

"No, I'm afraid that would be the one bad thing. But the children would remember them. Wouldn't it be magnificent if they knew their Hightopp grandparents?"

"Yes, of course it would." His smile slowly began to return. "Well, what do we need?"

"I've already spoken to Mirana. She's getting the jabberwocky blood for us and making a forgetful potion. Though, I wish there was another way." I pulled him into a hug and held tight.

"Aye, me as well, poppet."

The next morning, we picked up our potions and headed back in time.

Suddenly we were in a clearing, but I could see a village not far away.

"I didn't want to bring us right in front and startle someone," Tarrant explained.

"Makes sense," I replied. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

We walked to an adorable little cottage. A modest little home that looked just like Tarrant should have lived there.

"Faither? Màthair? Are you home?" Tarrant asked as we walked through the door.

"Tarrant? Is that you, mo mhac?" Macbean called from another room. "I thought you were at the palace today."

When he entered, my jaw almost hit the ground. There stood the spitting image of Tarrant. His hair was a bit darker, and more tame, but the rest of him … And those trademark Hightopp eyes. It was easy to see who Tarrant's looks favored already.

"Tarrant? Why do yeh look so different?"

Hatter was silent. I knew this moment would be tough for him.

"Tarrant? Are you well?" Macbean asked.

"Aye. Very well, Faither."

"Good. And then, who are these fine folks?"

"Faither, before I explain it all, is Màthair home? Or the girls?"

"Aye, all of them. Moibeal! Briallen! Gweneira!"

"Grádhán, what are you yelling for?"

As soon as Moibeal entered the room, a smile split her face. "Tarrant! Yeh've come for lunch with us? And yeh've brought guests! Yeh could have told me sooner, but the more the merrier. Please, sit, all of yeh!"

"Thank you so much," I whispered as we all took a seat.

"Briallen! Gweneira! We 'ave company!" she shouted.

Tarrant continued to sit speechless.

"So," Moibeal began, no doubt to break the silence. "What brings yeh by so early, mo mhac?"

"There … there are people I want yeh to meet," Hatter finally stuttered out. "This is Alice, and Charlotte and William."

"Well, tis a pleasure to meet each of yeh," Macbean said, his light laughter filling the air.

"And you, sir," I replied.

"Sir? No sirs in this house! Please, call me Macbean. This is my wife Moibeal and eventually our daughters, Briallen and Gweneira. However, Tarrant, I believe yeh had more to say?"

"Aye … um, yes, yes I do. But it's a complicated story. Not a pretty one at that. What I mean to say is that there is much that goes wrong with the story and so much that goes so beautifully right and I wish there was a way to fix the wrong, but it might mess up the right and I just wish there were other ways but –"

"Tarrant!" three voices called. I'm sure he never expected to be interrupted by his wife and his parents.

"Thank you … what I need to say first is that I am not the same Tarrant that left the house this morning. I'm from a different time. Many years in the future."

His parents gave him a strange look and then both burst into laughter.

"Of course yeh are!" Moibeal said. "Always joking, this one."

"No, I'm afraid he's not," I confirmed.

"Mathair, this is Alice, my wife. Charlotte and William are our children. We needed to come back in time to see yeh because in my time, yeh … well yeh see … yeh've all … passed away."

Now it was the elder Hightopps turn to be speechless.

And just then, the sisters finally returned. "Feasgar math," Briallen said as she walked through the door. "Tarrant! Yeh're here! Wait, what's different with yeh?"

"Briallen," he whispered.

The 15 year old girl looked thrilled to see her brother, but yet very confused by his appearance.

"Tarrant?" she asked again.

Just then, a 12 year old girl burst in behind her sister. "Oy, Bri. Could yeh move already?"

"Gweneira," Hatter whispered with just as much reverence.

"Tarrant? Yeh look so different," she replied.

"I think yeh need teh explain some more," Macbean said.

"Well, tis been a while since I've seen each of yeh and I wanted so badly to see yeh, so we had Mir—th' White Queen give us a potion to bring us back to yeh. I wanted Alice and my children to meet yeh."

"So, we're …" Moibeal trailed off, obviously not wanting to frighten the girls.

"Aye," Hatter sadly replied.

"Even …?" Macbean asked, slightly gesturing to the girls.

Hatter just nodded his head.

"Wha' happens?" his mother asked, but then quickly added, "No, no. I dannae want teh know. Better tha' we don' know." She smiled. "So! I am going to take this opportunity to get to know my new family, though." She ran over to me and pulled me up, threw her arms around me and laughed. "Welcome to the family, Alice. I'm so happy my Tarrant finds someone as beautiful as you."

I blushed. "Thank you so much, Moibeal."

"Nonsense! Yeh shall call me mathair! And these dear ones, these are your bairns?"

"Aye," Tarrant confirmed. "Our oldest Charlotte. And the wee one is William."

"So, you're our brother from the future?" Briallen asked.

"Aye. We've come back to see you all," he answered.

"Why from then? Just visit us in your time."

"Well, you see, where's the fun in that?" I answered when I saw that Tarrant had no good answer. "We wanted to see you as girls. And such pretty girls at that."

Gweneira smiled. "I like her. I'm glad you marry her."

"Aye, I'm glad as well," Hatter said with a giggle.

"So, son of the future, you travel back here to meet us and here we sit chatting away about nothing. What we need to do is spend the time getting to know each other, we are family after all and I love seeing these wee bairns! My beautiful grandchildren and I adore knowing that Tarrant is so well taken care of, though I do wonder about his appearance now and –"

"Macbean!" Moibeal gently interrupted.

"Sorry … Fine."

"You have to do that as well?" I asked.

"Oh Alice, daily. If not more. It comes with loving a Hightopp," she said, smiling brightly. Tarrant was right, we would get along fabulously.

"Don't I know it! And this one can go on forever unless I get him stopped right away and –"

"Alice, please …"

"Darling, you were the one who told me I would get along so well with your mother. Let me get along with her!"

"Yes, Tarrant. Hush!" his mother added.

We began to idly chit chat when the girls started to look bored.

Gweneira piped up. "May we take Charlotte and Will outside? In here is …"

"Boring," Briallen replied for her.

"Yes, girls. But be careful!" Tarrant warned.

"I'm sorry about them. They really adore their brother, but their no good at sitting around. They need to be roaming," Moibeal explained.

"Alice understands all about that," Tarrant said, laughing.

I couldn't even pretend to be offended since I knew it to be true.

"So, Alice, what is life like for you and our Tarrant?" Macbean asked.

"Oh, it's lovely. Tarrant is, of course, the Royal Hatter. He makes the most gorgeous creations."

Macbean smiled proudly. "That's my boy! He's a Hightopp!"

"And you, Alice?"

I was surprised by the question, though I know I really shouldn't have been. No one in my world would have asked that. But here, it was truly accepted.

"I am educational advisor to the Queen." I loved their impressed faces. That was what I was looking for in London! "I work on creating libraries, museums and other programs."

"It's a place where they showcase art and artsy things," Tarrant explained at their confusion.

"Ohhh!" they both exclaimed.

After that, Tarrant and his father sat chatting. Moibeal and I got along just as famously as Hatter said we would.

"Alice, thank yeh for bringing my Tarrant and the wee ones back. It's a blessing for each of us."

"It's something I've been wanting to do for a while, but I was never sure how to pull it off. I'm so glad now that we did!"

"May I ask yeh somethin' else?"

"Of course."

"His hair, his face, it's still my sweet Tarrant, but he looks so … worn. Is he well?"

"Oh, mathair. He's … fine. But I'm afraid there have been events in his life that have not been easy on his soul. He threw himself into his work for far too long and –"

"The mercury," she sighed. "Macbean warned him!"

"It was his outlet for things, for a time his only outlet. Besides tea with Thackery and Mallymkun."

"Ah his friends the hare and the mouse! I'm so glad they were there for him. And yoo, sweet Alice."

"I'm afraid I didn't come along until later. You see, I'm actually from the Otherworld."

"I dinnae think yeh were from around here, but I dinnae want to ask. Doesnae matter. I can tell the both of yeh are a perfect match."

I smiled. "Well, I, of course, agree."

The rest of the afternoon was amazing. I heard stories of Tarrant's childhood, we told them about our wedding day and how the children are growing up so beautifully. I found out where Tarrant got all of his traits and eventually I got to know his sisters as well. They were gifted seamstresses, just like their mother, and they actually whipped up a dress for Lottie, a jacket for Will, a vest for Tarrant and an apron for me, all while we were there.

We had a big family dinner and I watched as Tarrant beamed. Glancing around the table at his parents, his sisters, his wife and his children, well, life was perfect.

It absolutely broke my heart when it was time to leave. We helped clean up and Tarrant offered to make tea for everyone before we left. He slipped the forgetful potion into their drinks and we prepared for a quick exit. We would only have about 5 minutes before the potion began to work.

"Girls, I want to tell you that it was wonderful to see you," Tarrant told his sisters. He pulled them into a hug and told them that he loved them both dearly. And to stop being so mean to him, especially since he's the eldest. They each kissed him on the cheek and stepped back.

He turned to his father next.

"Dadaidh."

"Yeh haven't called me that in ages," Macbean said with a smile.

"I know. But I want to tell yeh what a great father yeh are. How much yeh mean to me and how yeh shape my life."

"I thank yeh. I love yeh, Tarrant."

"And I love yeh, faither."

"Mamaidh," Tarrant said as he hugged his mother. "It was so wonderful to see you again. I shall hold this day in my heart forever."

"I thank you, mo mhac, for giving us this glimpse into the future. I shall smile brightly now when I see the you from this time, knowing what I know."

He smiled sadly at her, knowing that wasn't the case. "I love you, mathair."

"I love you, dear Tarrant."

The children and I each hugged and kissed the Hightopps and we exited the house. Peeking in a window, we could see each of them looking confused at each other. The potion was starting to work.

But as I took one last look in the window, Moibeal caught my eye and winked at me. Sly one, she was. She didn't drink it. I knew she could be trusted though. But it made my heart ache terribly that her days were numbered.

Once we returned to our chambers, we put our sleepy babies to bed. We quickly dressed in our night clothes and climbed into our own bed.

"Are you alright?" I asked quietly.

"Aye. I'm fine," he replied. "Today was wonderful. Better than I could e'en imagine." His brogue gave away his emotions.

"Tarrant, why didn't your family have a strong accent? I noticed some Outlandish words and a bit of a trace accent, but nothing like yours."

"I think tis th' madness," he sighed. "I believe it brings it ou'. Nothin' teh be done abou' it."

"I see."

"Thank yeh, Alice. Thank yeh for givin' me thos' few moments with my dear family. I love tha' they met yeh, e'en if they don' remember."

"I think you're mother might. I don't think she drank the potion."

"I knew I should've watched her more closely! Ah well. She'll keep the secret."

"I know."

Tarrant got very quiet. "I just wish we could've saved them."

The gears in my head began to turn.

End note: Ok, so, here is where I need some help, dear readers. After writing this, I began to think … Hmmm, would it be possible to save the Hightopps? Zap them out of their time right as the jabberwocky hit. If they disappear, past Tarrant would still think them dead, so that wouldn't change … My question: too outlandish? (No pun/reference intended)