Airs and Graces
potr

"The first time I saw him, I'd bumped into him on the street."

Hatter's head swiveled sharply in Alice's direction and he stared at her unmoving mouth, wondering if she'd even spoken at all. Her lips were set in a thin line and he was almost surprised when they parted again. Almost—he was used to voices in his head, but this girl had the remarkable ability to mimic the one he'd once called "conscience." And he really didn't like that at all.

"He looked like someone had tried to dye his hair a darker color and done a patchy job. Blonde at the roots and lighter in some places than others…" She smirked a little when her eyes fell on Charlie, leading the way back to the stronghold. She reached up and wrung the remaining water out of her brown hair. "We literally bumped into each other. He knocked the apples I'd bought from the produce stand right out of my arms and they spilled all over the street. And then he bent over and picked them all up for me—even chased one out into the road."

She gave him a sideways glance and found that he had his hat off his head and was playing with it in his hands, pinching the seams and curling the rim absentmindedly as they walked. He said nothing to acknowledge that he'd heard her speaking.

"He asked me for directions to the train station, of all places. Like there's a train station in New York," she said with a little chuckle. "And I just had to stare. I told him that there was a subway entrance a block over, and then he gave me a look—as though I was from another world. But I guess it was the other way around."

"How'd you end up…" The words were out of Hatter's mouth before he could stop them and he wished on every hat he owned—even the one he put on his head now—that he could take them back. He finally choked, "Dating?"

Alice's eyes flicked in his direction and he winced before making an encouraging gesture with his hand. May as well hear her answer, now he'd asked the question.

"Well, I showed him to the subway entrance and he introduced himself," she said, looking off into the distance as she tried to remember the exact words. "'I'm Jack Chase, by the way,' he said. So I held out my hand. 'Alice Hamilton.'" She didn't notice Hatter's jerk at the mention of her last name, nor did she see the way he opened and closed his mouth. "And he smiled this charming smile and asked me out to lunch."

"And then you two lived happily ever after—well, almost," Hatter said shortly, unwilling to hear more.

Alice smiled wistfully. "No. I had a class to teach and I told him so. I gave him my card, though, and told him to call me. Imagine my surprise when he showed up in my dojo, asking me to teach him how to throw a mugger over his shoulder."

"You teach people how to do that stuff? Like what you did to Dodo?" He leaned closer, trying to get a look at her eyes. She turned away slightly, familiar with the gesture. Locking eyes with Hatter often felt like he was stripping all of her layers away, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. And she really didn't like that at all.

"It's how I make a living," she said shortly. She told herself she didn't like the amazement in his voice, that she found it sexist and piggish that he would find it so astounding that she taught people how to defend themselves. But she knew differently. "Anyway, what finally got my attention was how determined he was. No matter how often I turned him down for a date or how many times I threw him over my shoulder, he didn't give up. No matter how hopeless it was trying to teach him the most basic Judo techniques, he kept signing up for classes."

"So you liked him because he was stubborn and pig-headed?" Hatter rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't this surprise me?"

He quickened his gait, thinking he'd ended the conversation, but Alice jogged to catch up with him. "Hey! He wasn't pig-headed or… or… Okay, so he was a bit stubborn," she admitted. She saw Hatter's smirk, although he wasn't looking at her, and she said, "But you're almost as stubborn as he is!"

And then he stopped. And turned. And looked at her with angry eyes.

"Call me a con-man," he said slowly, holding up a finger and pointing it at her. "Call me a cheat, a liar, a blackmailer, a worthless sack of moth droppings. Hell, you can even call me Hatter if you like!" His voice had started to rise and he could see the beginnings of fear collecting in her grey-blue eyes. He quieted down, if only for her sake. "But don't you ever compare me to that two-timing, rat-faced bastard. I may not show you all the cards in my hand, but I don't lie about what I've been dealt. And I have certainly never dated one girl while I was promised to another. You can go on defending him if you like, but I know that that is no way to treat a girl you supposedly love."

Alice blinked, slowly and silently, taking in what he said. His eyes softened after a moment and he opened his mouth as though to continue before he just shook his head and stalked after the now distant form of their friend. She followed him quickly, not wanting to be left behind, and kept her gaze lowered. Her conscience told her, in a voice sounding maddeningly like Hatter himself, that she should apologize. And she would. But now she was wondering what had really attracted her to Jack in the first place, if it wasn't his 'lofty airs and graces.'

To her surprise, she couldn't even say it was his stubbornness anymore. She didn't have an answer at all.

a/n: So I'm kicking myself for not having known about the wonder that is Alice on Syfy. I've bought the DVD online, I'm watching it for the third time in the same number of days, and I had to pause somewhere after the halfway point to write this. It takes place, if you couldn't tell, after they found Charlie on the beach in Part 2. I really just wanted to add a little to the already amazing story. :) Hope you enjoyed, and feel free to drop a review by the door.

Hearts and love and Hatter hugs. ;)
Beth.