Hi again! Last chapter update for a bit since my second semester starting next week! I will continue to write and I'll try to update in bulk! Feel free to review and comment!

"Hatta…"

"Mmmm…"

"Hatta…"

"Mmmff…" A pair of sleepy blue eyes open slowly to see a pair of pair of brown one's staring at him. "Oh…Morning."

"I'm off." She whispered softly as she kissed his nose. "Just wanted to say good-bye."

"Bye." He said quietly. And sat up as she made her way to the door. Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

"Yes. I also made a fresh pot of tea, it's on the stove. Bye." She turned the knob and cracked the door open before turning around once more. "You weren't uncomfortable on the settee last night?"

"Oh no, not all." Said Hatta as he all but fell out of his makeshift bed. "Quite alright as usual. Have a good day Bunny."

"See you later then." And she stepped out the door, but not before turning back to ask, "Were you planning on taking a constitution after lunch today?"

"No I think not, probably going to stay in today if I can help it." He ran his fingers in a weak attempt to tame it. "Be safe." She nods in response, before stepping out. "Oh Bunny, dear?"

"Yes?" She sticks her head into the room, with most of her body already outside.

"Um…" He had a finger in the air, trying to touch on what he was going to ask. "Well…" He chuckled tiredly. "Never mind. Err, go well Bunny." She giggled, shaking her head at him.

"Stay well Hattie." And with that she closed the door.

"Ugh…" He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck chuckling. "Hattie."

"That's quite a nickname." He turned to see Alice leaning on a nearby doorframe.

"It is, isn't it?" He looked at her bashfully. "I err, hope we didn't wake you."

"No, not at all." She shook her head. "I was just thinking about yesterday…" He nodded silently. "A lot happened yesterday."

"Yes…Uh, I suppose a lot did happen yesterday…" He slowly began to walk toward the kitchen. "We could talk over breakfast of you like?" She nodded and followed him in. "We have eggs, biscuits and… well…eggs on biscuits. We're a bit short at the moment."

"Just a biscuit is fine Hatta." She smiled kindly at him.

"Alright." He set about to putting a few out on a large platter along with jam and butter if it was wanted. "Tea, then?"

"Yes please."

"Um, how do you-?"

"No cream or sugar. Thanks." She took a biscuit off of the plate and took a small bite out of it. "Mmmm! This is very good."

"Ah! Yes, in Bunny's absence I will accept the praise. She bakes like an absolute dream!" He set the pot on the table and grabs two cups and pours for the both of them.

"Yes… I wonder where she learned that from." She meant it to come out as a question, but it sounded more like a statement.

"Err, was that a… question?" He asked as he took a sip of tea.

"It was meant to be…yes. Do you know the answer?" She asked carefully.

"You mean do I know where she learned to bake?" She nodded. "May I ask why you'd like to know?" He looked up from his cups.

"No particular reason." She thought back to what Bunny said to her when they revisited the memory of the battle into town. "Just wondered if you might know that about her… Or anything else.

"… I do not know that, in particular, no." He set down his cup and looked at her sternly. "Is there a reason you're so concerned Alice?"

"I'm sorry?" She asked, slightly confused as to why he would become offended. "I only wanted-."

"Wanted to what? Why is it you're so concerned about where she comes from?"

"Hatta, I only asked because of what she told me!" Her voice raising slightly.

"Oh? And just what did she tell you?!" He shouted, slowly becoming angry.

"That she had a wretched past!" His face showed surprise. "And that she was willing to do whatever was needed to-!" He held up a stiff hand, a request for silence as he stood up from the table to lean over the sink and look outside the window.

"I… I'm sorry Alice." He sighed. "She might have wanted to tell you herself, but she won't mind telling her story for her…" He turned back around to face her.

"Is it a long story?"

"No… but it might be a sad one."

"Might be?" She asked, once again confused. "Is it sad, or isn't it?"

"Depends on where you think the ending is." He shrugged. "Now then… how to begin…"

From what she's told me, she used to be an indentured servant. Sort of a live in housemaid, but with far more responsibility. And she was owned by the people she worked for.

"Who did she work for?"

I'm getting there… He cleared his throat. She worked for a Mr. and Mrs. Ebener. Excuse me, Dr. and Mrs. Ebener. Dr. Ebener was a doctor of medicine. His wife dabbled in dressmaking, but was known around the neighborhood as a simple house wife, burdened with the daunting task of raising a single son.

"Burdened?" She interrupted.

"I say burdened because she said burdened. Apparently, Mrs. Ebner was a very inept woman who considered raising a child to be a chore." Alice made a small "o" shape with her mouth in understanding. "May I continue without interruption?"

"Sorry, yes. Please continue." Feeling much like the child she was, when she first fell into wonderland, she sat quietly as he continued.

As I was saying. Mrs. Ebner considered raising a child to be a chore. So naturally, the task was left to her housemaid. This meant that she was entirely responsible for feeding the child, cleaning the child, making the clothes for the child, and other such duties that come from said task. Of course, this doesn't seem to come with any unordinary difficulty, nor would it have if our lovely Bunny, wasn't a woman of color.

And as she is a woman of color. There was difficulty in everything she did.

Here, he took a deep breath and looked away from Alice.

On a good day, she once told me, she might have experienced verbal abuse from the good doctor and his wife in the morning, as well as from their son. Both sticks and stones thrown at her on the way to the boy's place of education, the same again on the way to pick up whatever groceries were needed that day. After that, on the way back to the home. Racial slurs, more rocks being thrown at her. Requests to go "back to the motherland" and things of that nature. Emotionally and physically stripping her of her very being… His voice became quiet as he continued.

He gave details of the poor treatment of the owners of the home against Bernice. Some things Alice only reacted mildly to with a grimace or a sad glance down to her lap. Other things, she couldn't handle. At the thought of the same kind woman earlier who'd looked so pure and innocent, being practically branded every few days with a heated poker… She took a shuddering breath as he brought the story to a close.

At the end of it all, the flat went up in a terrible fire. And she… was the only one to survive. Naturally everyone assumed that she had in fact committed arson and the should have been arrested and hung.

"But she wasn't." It was meant to be a question, but the lack of energy in her voice made it seem otherwise. It was obvious that the feeling was mutual between the woman and the hatter, for by the end of his tale, it seemed as if he had lost a whole night's sleep. He now resembled the worn mass of flesh she had all but carried back to the house the night before. Her interruption was not unwanted.

"No, she wasn't. She was arrested, but she escaped custody." He put down he long-empty tea cup and sat back down at the table, letting his head rest on a balled up fist. "She found her way here shortly after." He gave a sad chuckle. "She didn't tell me the story herself until a few Wednesdays ago." He looked up at Alice.

"It makes sense now." She said simply. "She said it to protect herself…" He nodded. "She doesn't trust me." He winced.

"It isn't that she doesn't trust you… It's just that…" He found himself at a loss for words. "She just doesn't trust."

"Anyone?" He shook his head slowly. "Not even you?"

"Not even I..." He said bitterly.

"But you two do…" Alice threw a hand in reference to the living room scene earlier that morning.

"Well, I'd like to say that I know what Bunny and I have. We do care for each other-." Alice attempted to hide a giggle.

"Yes, well, that's fairly obvious." He glared at her half-heartedly.

"Ehem…" She shrugged her shoulders and innocently sipped her newly refilled cup of tea. "In any case. She knows that I'd never harm her."

"So then she does trust you." He shook his head.

"What we have isn't trust…It's more like…An agreement. She will always heal me… And I'll always put my life on the line for her."

"Oye! Hatta! Are you in there?!" A loud voice was accompanied by several harsh raps to the front door.

"Were you expecting company today?" He chuckled tiredly.

"Hatta! Open this blasted door!" Three more smacks to the door.

"Nope. Come along and answer the door with me." He stood up from the table and took five long strides to the door.

"Hatta!" And there he stood in the doorway.

"Tweedle-!"

"That's just Dee! Thank you very much!" And he directed his attention back to Hatta. "And when were you going to come into contact with me?! You always tell me what happened the morning after a battl-!" He cut himself off and directed his attention back towards the unannounced house guest.

"Yes well, do forgive me Dee, Bunny and I had a few difficulties yesterday and, as you've just noticed, we have an expected guest." Dee walked towards Alice slowly and stared in awe.

"I do believe the proper way to begin would be to say how do you do…" And she stuck out a hand. "And shake hands." She couldn't help but repeat the words that she had heard so long ago.

"Well, Dee, shouldn't you ought to-?"

"AL-!" Hatta rushed to cover his mouth.

"Ah-ah! Not so loud my friend." He gestured towards the door with his head. "Close the door for me, won't you dear? And we'll go make some fresh tea, won't we Dee?" Alice shut the door as Hatta shuffled him into the kitchen.

"Ack! Hatta!" He roughly removed his hand. "When did she get here?!"

"Yesterday, during the battle! She all but saved my life." She walked back into the kitchen to find the both of them leaning against the sink.

"It went that bad, did it?" Hatta stooped mid pour to quint his eyes in faux-anger.

"I thought I held my own pretty well." He continued to pour, feeling slightly un appreciated. "I wouldn't have needed her help if he hadn't caught me off guard."

"Ah, but you should be used to that by now. Everyone and their fish knows that White knights aren't to be trusted. They have no honor!"

"Not all of the White Knights are that way-."

"Just Sir Blanc?" She leaned on the door way.

"Yes, just Sir Blanc." He nodded. "I… I don't think I ever thanked you for your assistance yesterday."

"It's no trouble Hatta."

"No trouble?" Dee sounded surprised. "Listen here, don't let this old hatter fool you. He's absolutely more than capable to defend his self! IF he needed your help, which he did apparently, then he must have been in pretty bad shape. Contrary wise Alice, lots of trouble!" He sipped at his tea.

"Really?" Alice looked to Hatta. "From what he's told me, it sounded more like there was little he could do to defend his self."

"Oh, in the beginning maybe. But after a few battles, he could do more than just defend his self." He said proudly.

"Dee, that's enough. Listen Alice, don't pay any attention to him. He's potty." Dee guffawed.

"This coming from our very own mad-!"

"Don't." Hatta interrupted the statement, staring rather darkly into his tea.

"Ahh, sorry there." Dee said quietly.

"Ehem," Alice attempted to change the subject. "Why the visit Dee? Hatta told me he wasn't expecting any company today."

"Oh! Right! Well, I'm here for two reasons." She nodded. "The first I already mentioned. The second one… We might need to…" He pointed over to the door that lead to the secret room in the basement.

"Ah! Of course, um, I'll go get that- Alice dear, do us a favor and watch the tea for me, we'll be back with the rackets in a bit." Hatta stood hurriedly from the table and shuffled Dee towards the door opening it quickly pushing him in. "We shan't be long!" And with that he closed the door leaving Alice sitting with a pot of tea at the kitchen table.

I certainly hope not. She thought to herself. Then again, I wonder what the second reason was.

Thanks for the read! R&R! 3