D. – My first Halice fiction. Like all my fiction, it starts with a dream. Hatter was feeding Alice berries in a forest. It seems like my muse ran away with me, 33 Chapters at my last count. I owe many thanks to my loving husband who has put up with my random muse whisperings, my zoning out to run a scenario in my head and my obsession with Hatter and Alice music videos on You Tube. Also, special thanks to my cousin, who introduced me to Alice. Thanks a ton Rat!

Disclaimer: I'm only doing this once so pay attention. I don't own any form of the characters from Alice or Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. They belong to their respective owners. I've only borrowed them, screwed their lives up a bit and returned them hale and hearty to their original owners. I am not receiving any monetary compensation and I most sincerely thank the Syfy channel for releasing this beautiful mini series. At my first opportunity, I will purchase a copy to support your lovely efforts.

I will include a notice that a few of the chapters are almost word for word from the movie because I couldn't write them better than the Alice writers did. Please don't look at those chapters as plagiarism. Instead, think of it as imitation, which is the sincerest form of flattery. There is always some small difference to set them apart, but still, I just wanted to make that clear.

Here we go kiddies, strap in, it's a long and complicated ride. This picks up from the scene where Alice and Hatter ALMOST kiss. Damn that Jack to the deepest pits of hell.

Alice and Hatter were walking back into Charlie's camp after Hatter's return from town and Alice's nerves were finally catching up to her. After falling through a mirror, a very hard landing and a short but high flight on a giant beetle, she'd been forced into the hands of the Hatter. This man had at first tried to reach for help on her behalf, but after he almost got them both killed, Alice took over the plans. Hatter wasn't swayed and helped her every step of the way. He saved her from men with cookie jar heads, and beasts alike, even managed to find her inside her own personal hell and pull her out safely. He convinced her that she could fly with him, if it meant not being shot. They survived the crash and the ensuing argument about Jack. And now that he'd again gone and risked his neck to contact the resistance on her behalf, she just wasn't sure that she could have handled any of it without him. So what if she couldn't get home? Would Hatter continue to watch over her, to be her unlikely hero? She knew she couldn't ask him to do it, because then it would be out of a sense of duty, not the crazy, romantic and completely right feelings she seemed to be swamped by. Her heart was aching, her future looked dim and it was all Alice could do to keep her emotions bottled up. Naturally, Hatter picked up her unease.

"What's the matter?" He stopped walking and faced Alice. Her eyes were screaming in fear, but her face seemed passably calm. Alice looked Hatter in the eyes.

"What will I do-" Her voice cracked and she swallowed before continuing "-If I get stuck here?" She tried to school her features to seem purely curious, to ignore the leap of her heart when his hand brushed hers accidentally. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts, but when he finally spoke, his tone was nervous, almost afraid.

"Then I'll make sure you're ok." He looked into her eyes, those beautiful searching blue eyes. There were no words immediately; they just stared at each other until Hatter caught her looking down at his lips. He couldn't stop the cocky phrase as it slipped out.

"I think you're luck is finally changing." He dipped his head to kiss her as she leaned up, but they pulled away before their lips met at the sound of none other than the Prince of Hearts.

"That's right, it is!" Jack paraded into the camp, Charlie's sword in hand. "Hello Alice. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Hatter, enraged at the gall of the man who was two timing his Alice, just marching up and interrupting their lovely time together, stepped forward, half blocking Alice from the man. He reached back and wrapped his hand around her wrist, waiting. His attention was called to a tied up Charlie on the ground when he spoke.

"I know what you're thinking. How can anyone sneak up on me, of all people? And in my own Manor too..." Charlie's voice carried the lilt of amazement and a hint of humor so Hatter dismissed him as being safe for the moment, turning back to Jack, a look of hatred in his eyes for attacking the daft old man. Alice snapped out of her stunned observation to rush to Charlie.

"Charlie! Are you okay? Jack, what the hell is wrong with you?" Alice reached forward and began to untie her friend. Hatter followed her over, wielding a small tree branch to defend her, in case the need arose. Jack bristled at the thought that Alice needed protecting from him.

"Do you think you can take me on with that?" Jack asked Hatter incredulously. Hatter, knowing that the stick was only to distract the Prince long enough to land a punch, straightened.

"I'm not an old man." Charlie, his hands finally released, sat up and almost collided his head into Alice.

"OI!" Alice raced over to separate the boys, leaving Charlie to free his own legs.

"Look, no one is fighting unless it is me, and I am a black belt, remember?" Jack didn't even wait for her words to sink in.

"Who's your friend?" Hatter braced himself for the let down.

"His name is Hatter." Jack lowered his stolen sword.

"Yes, you two looked pretty friendly." Alice was taken aback by the vehemence in his words.

"Are you jealous Jack?" Jack sneered with a quiet reply of: "A little." Alice continued angrily. "Did I hear that right, the man who's engaged to a Duchess is worried about me?" Jack straightened in defense.

"You know that was just an act." Alice shook her head angrily.

"No, I don't." Jack, tired of discussing this in front of an audience, walked away.

"Come I've brought you a horse. Let's get out of here." Hatter immediately jumped out in front of Alice.

"She's not going anywhere with you." Jack turned a disdainful eye back on Hatter.

"You know she can't stay here."

"Look, stop it both of you!" She continued in softer tones for Hatter, placing a gentle hand on his lapel. "I need to know about my dad." She turned to Jack. "Is he here?"

"Yes, he's alive and well and if you'll let me, I'll take you to him." Hatter could smell the bullshit from where he was standing, but bit his tongue, willing to let Alice make the choice. He'd just have to correct her if she picked the wrong one.

"Really?" Alice's voice was small and childlike.

"But we'd better get going, we don't have much time." Alice stepped closer to Jack, making Hatter extremely nervous. He was itching to throw just one little punch into that aristocratic jaw. Alice's voice broke through his nastier thoughts.

"Where is he?" Jack stepped closer to her again.

"We're moving him into the city and if we hurry, you can see him by nightfall." Alice looked confused.

"What do you mean moving him?" Jack reached out to touch her hand.

"I have people helping me." Hatter couldn't restrain himself anymore.

"What people?" Jack ignored him, looking into Alice's eyes.

"Do you want to see him or not?" Alice replied quickly, her mind catching up as she spoke.

"Yes, of course. Right…um…Wow, okay." Hatter stared in shock.

"Don't tell me you trust this guy?" he said, jerking his thumb to indicate Jack. Alice shook her head slightly but added.

"He knows where my dad is." Hatter grabbed her by the upper arms.

"He'll say anything to get his hands on the ring." Alice replied angrily.

"He hasn't asked for the ring, he doesn't want the ring! Do you Jack?" Jack chose the honest answer.

"Yes, I do." Alice was taken aback by the answer.

"You do?" Hatter jumped in to complete the thought.

"It's just all an act!" Jack rushed to recover lost ground.

"We need the ring to get you home. The looking glass won't work without it." Hatter, angry at the entire ridiculous situation, snorted in derision and turned to walk away, before he did break Jack's pretty lying face. He heard Alice's reply "Of course." So he turned around, angry and not willing to back down until she understood the truth of the matter.

"Don't be fooled by this Alice. He's working for his mother. Blood and water, you remember?" Jack laid his facts out bare.

"Then why am I alone? Why aren't there 500 suits at my back? How did I find you in the middle of the forest, you think I just followed my nose?" Hatter walked up and placed himself between Jack and Alice, right up close to Jack's face.

"How did you find us?" Jack, tired of being on the defensive, let slip his big secret.

"You sent for me." Alice, mostly silent while the men argued about it, just stared in confusion. Sharing that look with Hatter prompted him to continue.

"Come again?" Jack sighed in frustration.

"I'm the agent who's supposed to escort you to Caterpillar." Hatter stepped back a step, incredulous and Alice finally spoke up.

"You know Caterpillar?" Her tone was not as accusing as Hatter's but Jack felt the sting of doubt just the same.

"Very well. Caterpillar recruited me into the resistance. That's why I stole the ring and escaped to your world. It was supposed to trigger a coup; unfortunately, well… you saw what happened. But if you give us back the ring, we can give it another try." Alice came to a sudden realization.

"You want to overthrow your mother." She stated with a hint of finality. Jack rushed to defend himself.

"I've seen what she's done in close up. And I know, perhaps better than anyone, that if I don't stop her, she'll destroy Wonderland." Jack smiled his most charming smile as he approached Alice, standing next to the con man. "So who are you going to trust to get you and your father back home? A resistance insider and future King, who's already scheduled your return trip through the looking glass, who cares for you more than anyone in the world. Or this man?"

Hatter could feel the rejection in every fiber of his being. He knew that there was no earthly reason she would pick his help over that of a Prince. Jack could probably get her home safely in half the time, with no more trips to the torture room, no more need to be saved. Hatter dropped his stick to the ground and stepped away from Alice, not needing or wanting to hear her answer to Jack's question. Jack smiled secretly at his reaction then turned to Alice, wiping the grin from his face before she could see it. He reached for her hand again.

"Where's the ring Alice?" Alice looked over at Hatter and then took a deep breath before answering.

"Its where is belongs." When she turned to look at the Red King's corpse sitting on his throne, Charlie looked over and shook his head wistfully.

"Huh! Under my very nose." He continued to rub his ankles and wrists to improve circulation. Hatter, tired of the same old song and dance opted to leave before Alice and Jack, eliminating the awkward goodbye.

"I wish you all the luck in the world Alice." She turned to face him, her fear racing to her features, painted like a veil over her face. Hatter couldn't help but feel terrible about it, but stayed resolved by looking down. Alice tried to reach for him.

"You're coming with us Hatter." She said with a touch of finality. Hatter couldn't help but think that she would make an excellent future Queen and just as quickly banished the thought, lest he break down and cry at her feet right now.

"I don't think I feature in the future King's plans." He tried to smile and laugh it off, but it was forced and even Alice noticed. She turned to face Jack.

"He's coming with us." She tried the same note of finality, but Jack ignored it, placing the ring in his jacket breast pocket and then patting it for good measure.

"Caterpillar was very clear. The Resistance will only help you on their terms, you must come alone." Alice tried again to keep Hatter by her side, which buoyed Hatter's spirit until he felt like he could burst.

"But Hatter stood by me!" The bittersweet sensation of knowing that she finally trusted him, even if she didn't know it, and knowing that she still chose to go with Jack was killing him. Jack continued to prattle on.

"It's for your safety and your fathers." Hatter stepped close enough to Alice to breathe her in one last time.

"Hey. I wouldn't want to go with this guy anyway." He whispered to Alice, and then turned away from the hurt and the emotion in her eyes. He turned away to hide his own false joviality. Only a step away, Alice called after him.

"What will you do?" Hatter turned back, forcing himself to smile again, to pretend the joke is still funny.

"Me?" He took a breath. "You kidding?" He smiled looking over at Jack for help, realizing he was useless in this endeavor and then turned back to Alice. "I'll be fine. Believe me." He almost choked on the words, but managed to continue. "You're better off with this guy." Another final look at his Alice, one last breath of her presence and his heart shattered. "Go." Was all he could manage before he walked over to the now fully armored Charlie and walked with him back up the hill, to overlook the field and Chess Village.