A/N: I finally saw the movie! But I saw it only once so far, so I apologize in advance for any instances of OOC-ness & such ^^

Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland belongs to Disney.

Much

"Wait!"

Alice dropped her hand.

"If you leave now you'll miss the tea party." Tarrant's eyes glimmered with hope.

"I've already attended one of them," Alice countered with a small smile. "Both as a guest and as tea."

"No, no." The Hatter shook his head, taking a few hasty steps toward her. "It's usually not like that. It's much more tea-ish, usually," his green eyes shifted right and left before they rested on her face again.

Alice glanced at the White Queen who smiled. "You're welcome to stay for as long as you wish and leave as soon or as late as you want." Then, she gracefully swirled around, and walked away taking everyone but Alice and Tarrant with her.

"Now you're too tall to travel by hat," the Hatter said with a small sigh.

Alice smiled and laced her hand through his arm. "I'm sure traveling by arm can be as interesting."

He returned her smile, and they started to walk, watching the trees on both sides of the road beginning to blossom, white flowers whispering the words Alice could not quite catch. She had an impression that with every step the road was becoming longer. There seemed to be no end to it. She laughed at her own thoughts, finding the idea of an endless stroll exhilarating. Tarrant looked at her and laughed as well without asking why she was laughing in the first place.

At last, however, they stopped in front of a table, the laughter fading, a gust of wind carrying it away. Alice watched the Hatter walk around his table as if he had not seen it in such a disarranged state before. His eyes were running over the broken pieces at such a frantic pace that Alice called him to avert his attention from it if only for a moment.

He looked at her sadly before taking one of the teacups in his hands. "They are all broken," he said looking through the cup that had no bottom.

Alice took the cup out of his hands and put it away. "It doesn't matter if the pieces are apart. As long as we have all of them we can put them back together. I'll help you," she said with a smile. "If you make hat for me."

Just like she had expected, the request cheered him up. He slightly narrowed his eyes and placed his hands on either side of her head. She glanced at his hands. "It will have to be a special hat," he said firmly, drifting away in his thoughts, and she could almost see different colors, shapes and designs glimmering in his eyes.

But suddenly, his face fell. "And then you will leave," he said quietly, his lips barely moving.

Alice put her hands over his when they slid to her cheeks. "I promise I won't lose any more muchness before I come back. I will come back," she added in a louder, more serious voice, as if he was doubting her words even though he just looked at her, sad and silent, still cupping her face in his hands.

He looked sincerely worried. "I may lose more senses before that," he whispered in such a voice as if he was telling her a secret.

"When I return, I'll find a way to bring them back," she said with a small smile.

"Just bring yourself back."

She nodded. "But I'm not leaving just yet. I'm not leaving without my hat."

The corners of his mouth twitched upwards. "I need to measure..." He pursed his lips as if he was trying to remember the right word.

"My head?" Alice offered but then blinked when he brought his face closer to hers.

They locked eyes. She held her breath. For a moment, everything was perfectly still. Tarrant slowly closed his eyes. She closed hers.

The kiss was soft and brief but when he drew back she could still see and hear rainbows swishing next to her, all the colors blurring her vision.

"Your heart," he explained with a smile. "Your hat has to match your heart."