So I am not compleatly happy with how this one turned out but I'll let you all decide if you like it or not, enjoy!!

Alice had been lying in the old bed for what she assumed was about an hour now. Charlie was snoring off in the distance, muttering that strange song he always sang, and Hatter lay a few feet away, resting on the gate that led into the barn. She'd been struggling with weather to leave or not. She wanted to go help Jack and she knew that Hatter wouldn't take her. He kept telling her how dangerous the casino was, but she wasn't going to just leave Jack. She'd go on her own if she had to, and that's what she decided to do. So in the dark, chilly night she slowly stood up and made her way from the bed. She stopped to glance at Hatter, he'd be mad when he realized she'd left without him. He had this need to protect her that she didn't understand; she could take care of herself. She sighed and wrapped his purple velvet coat tighter around herself. She'd only walked a few more paces before she stepped on a dead branch that'd fallen on the ground. It snapped loudly and she froze knowing Hatter was bound to hear it.

She heard a faint rustling behind her and she thought quickly, she could just try and make a break for it now, but Hatter was fast and he'd probably catch her, then she'd be in more trouble than she would be if she just let him find her. So instead she stood still and waited for his voice.

"Alice?" He asked, his voice was deeper with sleep and she wasn't sure why that made her heart beat a bit faster.

She hung her head and slowly turned around to face him. He was standing behind the gate, hat in his hand.

"What are you doing?" He questioned. She didn't answer for a second, then she sighed and just admitted the truth.

"I was leaving." She said quietly. Hatter sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Why?" He asked, and the hurt in his voice made her feel terribly guilty for trying. She didn't know what to say though, it was a long story. She sighed and gestured with her hands, trying to come up with an answer.

"Come here." Hatter said sitting back down on the ground. Alice sighed again and glanced back over her shoulder to the dense forest then looked at Hatter who was waiting for her to join him. She slowly made her way over to him and sat down next to him, a small bit of space between them that neither wanted there but they weren't willing to admit that.

"Why were you leaving?" He asked again, Alice looked down at her hands.
"I need to go find Jack, Hatter, and if you aren't willing to take me I'll find a way there on my own." She'd put it blunt and she hoped he wasn't to upset with her. He was quiet for a while.

"I am sorry." She whispered.

"Alice, you don't understand how dangerous this is, the Queen get's a sick kind of joy out of chopping people's heads off, if she doesn't like what you have to say, you don't get another choice, your done." He said, just as blunt as she was. She glanced over at him tentatively.

"I don't," He sighed. "I don't want you to get hurt." He said truthfully.

"I can take care of myself." She said.

"In your world Alice, yes, I believe you take great care of yourself, but here, you could die any minute, I don't wanna be responsible for that." He said, he was getting frustrated but she was too.

"You don't have to be responsible for it, that's why I was leaving." She snipped.

"You think you can just go wander through the forest and find a way to the Casino? You don't even know where you're going?" He threw back.

"I'd find it eventually." She said stubbornly.

"If you don't get eaten first, remember the nasty beastie that chased you earlier, I don't quiet think he's just forgotten."

"Well, I'd find a way, climb a tree, remember?" She said, using what he'd told her to do originally when he was working the 'trap' through in his head.

"Why, are you so hell bent on doing this by yourself, just let me help you!" He said, a little louder than he wanted to and both froze waiting for Charlie to call out but he never did.

Alice stared at him trying to figure out an answer to his question.

"Because I am afraid." She said quickly.

"Afraid of what?"

"You."

She regretted it the second she'd said it. Hatter looked like she'd just punched him.

"Why?" He asked quietly. This one she couldn't answer.

"I don't know." She said honestly.

"You don't trust me, that's it right?" He said.

"No Hatter, I mean. I did just meet you, so I mean I can't trust you with my life or anything." This hurt him even more.

"But that's not what it is." She finished.

"Then what?" He asked again.

"I told you I don't know." She was struggling with this he could tell.

"Is there something I should do? I don't want you to be frightened of me Alice." He said, and he meant it too, he wanted Alice to trust him, to be comfortable with him.

Alice thought for a while and then noticed his hand resting on his crossed legs. She reached out slowly but then pulled back, thinking better of it. He caught the movement though and held his hand out to her. She looked at it, she didn't know why she was having so much trouble with this, she'd held his hand before when he helped her along the ledge back in the city, but something was different now. She let herself reach out and place her hand in his. He wrapped his fingers around hers and placed his other hand on top of hers.

"Not so bad eh?" He asked with a dimpled smile. She glanced up and nodded. Hatter began to understand what she was afraid of. Not of him exactly, but about how she felt about him. Hatter liked her, he was never one to shy away from feelings so he was pretty sure Alice knew how he felt about her. He figured what she was frightened of, was her own feelings.

"Here." He said turning his back and resting against the gate and pulling her next to him. She kept her hand in his and let him pull her in close. He wrapped his free hand around her waist and she warily leaned into his embrace, resting her head just under his. She moved the hand she was holding so she could look at it, spinning it around, and taking in the surprising softness of it. She figured that with the years of work she figured Hatter had done he'd have ruff, worn hands but she liked the softness of his skin against her own.

"Just a hand, love." He said with a bit of a laugh.

"I know." Alice said, laying her head back against his chest.

They were quiet for a while. Alice listened to the sound of Hatter's breathing, calming her.

"What are you really afraid of Alice?" Hatter asked again. Alice sighed, but still held onto his hand.

"Just tell me the truth, I won't judge you." He said, taking his hand out of hers and cupping her face, tilting it up to look at him.

"I feel something for you Hatter, and it scares me." She said, letting it out.

"Why does it scare you?" He asked, letting his thumb stroke her face gently. She sighed and closed her eyes, subconsciously leaning into his hand.

"Because, I don't know what to do about it." She said leaning in closer and resting her hand on his chest.
He watched her face get closer, her eyes closed. He smiled to himself.

"What do you wanna do about it now?" He asked,

"Right now Alice." He clarified. She opened her eyes, staring into his deep brown ones. He saw it register in her eyes and she nodded once so he moved to close the short distance between them, gently pushing his lips against hers. She responded first, which surprised him, but she was so overwhelmed by the whole thing that her mind went a bit fuzzy. His lips were warm and smooth and she loved the way they felt against her own. She felt his hand move down behind her neck. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss and Alice let out a deep involuntary moan, simply because of the amount of passion Hatter was putting into this. He wanted her to trust him so much.

He moved away slowly, letting them both breath, short gasps as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Is that okay?" Hatter asked. Alice was taken aback for a second. She'd never known any man to ask permission, making sure things were okay before they moved on. She nodded.

"Yeah." Was all she said and he pushed his lips gently against hers again.

It was a long night, both sitting together, taking each other in. Alice didn't let it get further than kissing and Hatter was okay with that, he understood. They fell asleep in each other's arms but Alice woke up first the next day, early in the morning, the sun just barely rising over the hills.

She glanced around, realizing that she was still in Hatter's arms sent shock and fright through her. Last night came back in full and Alice suddenly felt very scared, Jack came to mind first, what would he think? She got scared; she scrambled out of Hatters arms, thoughts flying through her mind,

This couldn't be happening

Why did she let this happen?

What would she do now?

She had to leave. She glanced around and caught sight of Hatter, still asleep where she left him. Her heart warmed and frustration flooded her, she sighed and angrily kicked a rock. It hit a ladder a few feet from her; she glanced up after hearing the noise. This was it. She walked over to the ladder and shrugged his jacket off then hung it on one of the rungs. She moved quickly to the edge of the forest and took one look back; she could barely see Hatter from where she stood. She knew this would turn out bad, especially after last night; she didn't want him to think she was leading him on but in reality she didn't know what she was feeling or what was going on.

She hoped Hatter would understand she had to take whatever this was in small steps.

So this one was just gonna be a oneshot but I've got some ideas for it and if it get's enough love I might just turn it into a little chapter fic. Please let me know what you all think, thank you!!!

~Tara~