Present Day

Alice stood facing the Mad Hatter. There was no mistaking it. This was him. His eyes were softer though, and his voice didn't crack when he spoke, "Hello. What can I do for you?"

"..."

"Miss?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing, I'm..." Her heart was racing, the narrower his gaze got the more she knew he was recognizing her. She had to escape this situation, but her legs were frozen still. She spoke with a nervous tremble in her voice, "I must have the wrong house. I'm terribly sorry-"

"Alice?" Her eyes widened as she looked into his large eyes. "Alice?" He repeated. She finally felt that she could move her legs again and began backing away from the door. "This... This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here." The mad hatter reached forward and gently took her arm under the elbow. "Don't touch me! You're crazy!" She yanked her arm away with so much force that she fell backward off the porch. The small child in the doorway let out a worried yelp and she heard the voice of the mad hatter, but this time his voice had more of a caring sound. "Alice! Wait... please!" But before he could reach her she had jumped to her feet and began running down the driveway. She didn't look behind her but heard the small child called Grace shout towards her, "Papa?! Where are you going?" He must be following after her. He was crazy. Rumpelstiltskin knew this would happen. He knew the Mad Hatter was Alice's only hope of escaping her curse, but she would never go near that man again. You don't wish to go among mad people? Well my dear, we are all mad here! Alice reached the end of the driveway and looked over her shoulder. The Mad Hatter was nowhere in sight. She had lost him. She let out a sigh of relief, but her victory was short lived. For when she turned her head forward again she ran into the chest of the Mad man she tried so hard to escape from. She let out a scream as he grabbed her arms. She tried hitting him in the chest with her fists. "Get off! Let go of me!"

"Alice!?"

"I won't let you taunt me again!"

"Alice! Alice! For goodness sake would you calm down and listen to me? ALICE!"

"Don't call me that!" Before she knew what she was doing she had pulled an arm free and smacked the taller man across the face. She was taken back when she realized she had struck him. He let her go and held his cheek with his hand. They both stood there, perfectly silent for what seemed like eternity. "Oh... Mr. Hatter, I'm sorry."

"I suppose I deserved it." He didn't look her in the eye as he rubbed his jaw. "Last time we met, if I recall, I wasn't the most pleasant host." Alice didn't answer, she just stood there silently and examined him. He was so different without that jagged, curvy grin on his face. His dark eyes were more captivating than she remembered. He had not aged at all, and the absence of his old fashioned coat and hat made him look almost younger. Handsome. That was the word she was looking for, he was certainly more hansom than she had remembered. "You... You're so different." Her voice was calm now and quiet. "I could say the same about you. I expected you to be a bit... older."

"Believe me, I'm trying to be." There was another awkward silence before the Mad Hatter spoke up, "So you don't go by Alice anymore?"

"No. Alexis now."

"Well, you can call me Jefferson. That's my real name."

"Jefferson..." She let out a grin, "It suits you. At least, this version of you."

"I certainly have toned down that mad man appearance, haven't I." He laughed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Well then Alexis... I know this offer might not be very appealing to you but, would like to come have tea." She expected to get a chill from such an offer, but she didn't this time. Tea? With the Mad Hatter? Why wasn't she nervous. What was it about this new Mad Hatter, about Jefferson, that made him so trustworthy. "I - I would like that, I think." He extended his hand to her, "Shall we then?" She shoved her hands in her pockets and shook her head while muttering, "Too soon..."

"Right," He pulled his hand away, "baby steps then." The two of them walked side by side, keeping a comfortable distance from each other, back to the mansion.

The scene was rather uncomfortable. Alice sat on a couch, not at the end of a long table, on a couch with a small coffee table before her. She stared into the cup of steaming tea that had been poured for her, unsure what to do next. Jefferson walked in the room with a tray of cream and sugar with a few small cakes on it. He set it down then nervously sat on the other side of the table in a large arm chair. He fidgeted for the most part, very uncharacteristic of him. Alice sat with her hands folded while her tea continued to steam. "So.." her voice cracked a bit, "That's your daughter?" He looked to the window and watched Grace play outside. He nodded, "That's her." His voice still had that mysterious element in it, but it was lacking the insanity that once masked it. "She looks just like..."

"Like you did. I know."

"Is that why you," She didn't know how to continue without being a bit awkward. Then again, how much more awkward could this get? "Is that why you fancied me so much?" Jefferson looked at her squarely in the eye but took a moment before responding. "Yes. The day before I was trapped in Wonderland I had promised her I would be home in time for tea. The Evil Queen failed to tell me that I would be stuck through a looking glass though. After that, something snapped. Everything within me was about finding Grace. And when you showed up, looking so alike her, I suppose I thought I could... keep my promise to her in some way."

"And that's why you had such elaborate tea parties. For her?"

"For her..." He nodded. Alice admired the love for his daughter. Everything he did, he did for her. "Mr. Ha- Jefferson. You said you were trapped in Wonderland. Does that mean you are from this world." He shook his head and picked up a cup of tea. He still sat in a tense position but crossed his legs to try and appear more comfortable. He couldn't believe this was the young blonde girl from all those years ago. She still sat the same, still had that curious look on her face, and yet she was older. She had matured into a charming woman. Jefferson took one sip of his coffee and responded, "No, Grace and I lived in the Enchanted Forest." Alice's eyes widened. "Really? Then how did you escape Wonderland." He set down his tea cup and motioned for her to follow him. Alice stood and followed. He was much taller now. Perhaps it was the way he stood. She followed behind him. The only sound was the ticking of the grandfather clock and the soft swish of his dress trousers. He kept his hands tucked in his waistcoat pockets as if to try and maintain a calm presence. The two approached a large set of doors and he pushed them opened. He stood to the side allowing Alice to enter first. As she walked in she lost her breath. So many hats, and in the center of the room on a table was a torn, flattened one. "Jefferson... is that?" She turned and shot a curious gaze at him with her clear blue eyes. The look caught him off guard causing his heart to skip a beat. He had not seen that gaze in over a century. "That's my hat. It's a bit torn, but it's the only way I was able to get in and out of Wonderland. That's another reason I wouldn't let you leave my table. Why I kept insisting you stay for tea. Why I followed you all over wonderland. If you hadn't gotten in with my hat, then that meant you knew another way in... and out."

"Why didn't you just used your hat to get out?"

"It's complicated magic, with the Queen of Hearts help I was able to get back to the Enchanted forest."

"The Queen of Hearts! Jefferson you didn't! That woman is a beast."

"She had her own motives. She wanted me to spy on the Queen of the Enchanted Forest, Regina. But as soon as I arrived back home, a large cloud of magic covered the land. And cursed everyone... sending us all here."

"I see." Alice approached the hat on the table, picked up the old hat and looked upon it as if it held more memories than the last century of her life did. "Jefferson," she kept her gaze on the hat, "Do you have any other relics from Wonderland?"

"Plenty. But they're not here anymore. They held too much magic and I didn't want them anywhere near Grace."

"What did you do with them?" She was facing him now. The look of curiosity had changed into a desperate stare. "Some of them I sold. Some I entrusted into Regina's vault."

"Sold to who? And where is this vault?"

"Why are you asking?"

"I just... I need something."

"What exactlicaly?"

"I'm not... exactical... exacticlea... I'm not quite sure... But Mr. Gold said - "

"Gold?! What are you doing talking with him?"

"He helped me find Storybrooke."

"In exchange for what?" He narrowed his eyes and stepped towards her. She set down the hat and retreated backwards slowly.

"I... I'm not sure... precisely what he needs."

"Tell me." He was getting closer.

"Why? What has he ever done to you?"

"Not just me! He's a mad man. You can't trust him."

"You're one to talk." He was getting closer to her. "He just wanted me to help him back into Storybrooke."

"And you agreed?"

"No! Well yes, but I was able to trick him-"

"Is it him who wants the relics from Wonderland? Did he send you to me?"

"Jefferson -" She was now backed against the wall. The look in his eye had darkened. "He wants nothing from you, Jefferson! He just wished to return home. You of all people should understand that."

"He's a monster, Alex!" The gaze in his eye that she saw upon their first meeting was back. It was deep, as if the very look was cutting into your soul and searching the darkest parts of your heart. Jefferson had every reason to be angry though. Gold taunted and used him one too many times. Alice pushed Jefferson in the chest causing him to stumble back and scowled at him muttering, "It takes one to know one, Mr. Hatter." With that she ran from the room. Jefferson recognized he had crossed into the mad side of his mind and tried to correct it before she left, but he was too late. Alice was gone. She hurried down the driveway and scolded herself, "What a fool I am. How could I trust a monster like that. I'll find a way to end this curse on my own." But something inside her knew, Jefferson was not all that bad. And suddenly she felt like she had made a terrible mistake trusting Gold.

- Is Alice going to search to end this curse on her own?

- Is Jefferson truly trustworthy, or is he still as Mad as a Hatter?

- Who will Alice meet in Storybrooke next?

Don't forget to review!