It's one in the morning, and guess what time it is? That's right- Alice and Hatter fanfic time! As you've probably already guessed, I have decided to write a series of one-shots for one of my absolute favorite couples. This one isn't as long as the last, but I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you for your reviews- I'm too tired to list them right now, so please know that I'm talking about you. Yes, you, reviewer of the first chapter of this story.

I own that little smudge on Alice's dress at the end of the movie. I've named it 'The Smudge'.

Shooting towards the mouth of a rather deep hole tends to make one quite queasy. Alice Kingsley was no exception to this rule- much to her dismay. If the peculiar tingly feeling she had received from the Jabberwocky blood hadn't been enough to put her stomach at unease, than her unusual escape from the hole in which she'd fallen into Wonderland certainly was.

However, the blood of the Jabberwocky was not entirely to blame for her present condition. Unknown to Alice, the additional reason for her discomfort had followed her back to her own world, albeit a few minutes behind she.

Reaching the end of her small trip upwards from the bottom of the hole, (a most queer journey in itself) Alice pulled herself from the ground. Her dress had reappeared on her frame at the time of her departure, to her relief. The same could not be said for it's condition, however. Several smudges of dirt- including a rather large one across her front - decorated the pale fabric, effectively shattering it's delicate appearance. Had Alice looked in a mirror, she would've surely noticed the same could be said for her face. Brushing the front of her dress, she realized that stains such as these would simply just not go away.

With a frustrated sigh, Alice continued on her trek towards her awaiting engagement party, who surely would be missing her presence by now. Golden locks of hair whipped around her face as she walked, threatening to obscure her vision. She paid them no mind, set now on finishing her rejection to Hamish's proposal of marriage.

Without her consent, Alice's thoughts began to stray to a certain being. His last words to her echoed throughout her mind as she reached the edge of the woods, mere yards away from the chattering party.

"Fairfarren, Alice."

Each word felt as though a dagger had been plunged directly into her heart. Alice allowed a few small tears to roll down her cheeks as she thought of her dear Hatter. She truly missed him, even after only a few minutes of being apart. Could she bear to live the rest of her life without seeing him again? The question had answered itself before Alice could form but one solitary thought.

No.

"Oh, what shall I do?" she groaned quietly, putting her head in her hands. Unbeknownst to her, the very cause of her distress watched from nearby.

Hatter shifted nervously in his position behind a substantially large oak tree, debating whether or not to comfort his friend. In honesty, his thoughts had been hinting that perhaps she wasn't merely a friend to him. He chased them away, the naughty little things. Still, one managed to stay behind, whispering sweet words about Alice in his ear.

You love her, as she loves you. Why deny such a thing? It reasoned. Hatter considered this for a moment. He and Alice had been close, that much was true, but love? He couldn't be sure. The thought of her being so far away from him had threatened to swallow him whole, bringing him to the conclusion that he simply must follow her back to her world. Considering not his reasons for the decision, but why he hadn't made it sooner, he'd downed a bit of Jabberwocky blood in hopes of catching up with Underland's champion.

A satisfied sound came from Alice, snapping him from his reasoning. His head snapped up, bringing her slight form into view. She had set off towards her destination once more, a new spring in her step. The source of her newfound confidence was unknown to Hatter as he stealthily (as stealthy as a madman could be) trailed behind. Taking a position behind yet another oak tree (how many of these giants were there?), he watched the scene before him unfold.

Alice, having realized just why she had missed her friend so dearly, entered the garden with new air and marched fearlessly towards Hamish, who continued to wait under the gazebo.

"Goodness, what happened to your dress?" her mother's voice rang out from the crowd of now very talkative party guests. Alice answered her not, training her gaze on Hamish, who seemed a bit more than flustered at this point in time.

"Hamish, I cannot marry you. You're not the right man for me," she paused, an image of Hatter immediately flashing through her mind. She suppressed a smile and continued. "And there's that problem with your digestion."

Continuing on down the line of rather confused adults, she came to a stop before her sister.

"I love you, Margaret, but this is my life. I'll decide what to do with it." she declared softly, but firmly. Margaret only nodded and smiled reassuringly, secretly admiring her younger sister's boldness. A bit of surprise sparked in her when she found her husband looking upon Alice with a somewhat sour expression. Said female would have none of this, choosing to meet his disapproving gaze with a glare.

"You're lucky to have my sister for a wife, Lowell." she growled, glancing at Margaret. "Be good to her. I'll be watching very closely."

The reason for this small threat towards her husband was not known by Margaret, but she had a few ideas as to how it came about.

Alice pressed on, now standing directly before Lady Ascot. An unpleasant tone was evident in her next sentence.

"I happen to love rabbits, especially white ones."

Lady Ascot said nothing. However, if one could literally glare daggers, Alice would be impaled by now.

Turning her back on the crabby woman, Alice approached her mother.

"Don't worry, mother. I'll find something useful to do with my life." she assured her, taking her into a hug. When they pulled away, Mrs. Kingsley sent her a most loving look. Alice smiled, turning once again to the Ascots.

Lord Ascot straightened, smiling warmly at the bright young lady.

"You've left me out." he accused teasingly. Alice grinned.

"No, I haven't, sir. I must discuss something with you."

Understanding that this may lead to a very long conversation, Lord Ascot spoke.

"Shall we speak in the study?" he suggested. Alice nodded, beginning to head back to the Ascots' estate. Before she could complete her journey, though, an idea crossed her mind. A crazy, mad, wonderful idea. Facing the intently watching crowd, Alice addressed the entire group.

"One more thing." she murmured, lifting up her skirts. The crowd's horror was hilarious as she attempted her best Futterwacken, twisting her ankles in a very Hatter-like fashion. For a brief second, Alice thought she heard his laugh. She dismissed this notion immediately, however, tossing her skirts back to their original position and spinning around to face the Ascots' home.

If only Hatter could've seen it, she thought ruefully, opening the door.

Little did she know, the very man of whom she thought had seen the whole thing, laughing hysterically in the process.

That evening, Alice sat in her room, writing furiously in her journal. She had handed the company over to Lord Ascot, beginning the preparations for her return to Underland. Images of teacups and vivid green eyes danced around in her head as she wrote, remembering every last detail of her adventures there. If she were to leave within the week as she had planned, she would have to make sure that her family knew that she was safe and happy.

A small creak behind her made her jump, but she did not turn. Used to the noises she was, passing it off as the settling of the house. If she had decided to investigate, however, she would've noticed Hatter sitting on her bed, watching her with interest. He had snuck in while she was reading in the living room, slipping through the front door and making a mad (ha!) dash to her room. There he hid, hoping to surprise her. When she had entered her chambers, however, he couldn't help but watch as she sat down at her desk (how it resembled a raven, he would never know), writing furiously. Thankfully, she hadn't thought to change from her muddy dress- he could only imagine the outcome of that situation!

With a satisfied huff, Alice closed her journal.

"Oh, Hatter, how I wish you were here!" she whispered, rising from her chair.

"Am I not?" a voice startled her, forcing her to let out a yelp of surprise. She quickly turned, meeting a pair of very confused eyes.

"Hatter?" she finally managed, her own eyes very wide.

"Why yes, dear Alice. Who else would I be? Actually, there is a very good chance that-" Hatter's words were interrupted, as a pair of arms had flung themselves around his neck.

"Oh, Hatter! Is it really you?" Alice asked excitedly, not believing her eyes.

"I am most certain that it is." Hatter replied with a grin, returning her hug. Alice breathed him in, burying her face in his neck.

"Impossible." she murmured, allowing him to guide her onto the bed. Hugging someone who is sitting while one is standing is rather uncomfortable, after all. Once seated, Alice rested her head on Hatter's shoulder. Her arms, however, stayed around him.

"Only if you believe it is." Hatter whispered in her ear, making her shiver. She looked up, meeting his eyes. They had changed from their usual green, instead showcasing a vivid pink. The way Hatter was currently looking at her told her exactly what this particular color meant.

"Hatter?" she whispered, still staring at him. He grinned.

"What is it, sweet Alice?"

"I," Alice hesitated. She may have successfully slain the Jabberwocky, but confessing her love was still frightening. Breathing deeply, she started again. "I…love you."

Hatter's reaction surprised and delighted her. As she unwound her arms from his torso and lowered her head in embarrassment, she felt fingers lifting her chin. Hatter's smile could not have been bigger as he responded to her statement.

"And I love you."

With that, he kissed her.

Alice was shocked, as she had never been kissed before. She instantly decided that she liked it, however, wrapping her arms around Hatter's neck. His found their way around her middle, pulling her closer. Eventually, each person's need for oxygen forced them to pull away. Alice rested her forehead on Hatter's, smiling from ear to ear.

"Will you stay with me tonight? We can return to Underland tomorrow." she suggested.

"You're staying?" Hatter asked, not believing that a man such as he could be so fortunate.

"Forever." Alice replied, kissing him briefly again before they lay down. As they drifted off to sleep, Alice heard Hatter's voice.

"I don't suppose you've discovered how a raven is like a writing desk?"

She chuckled, uttering her quiet reply.

"I haven't the slightest idea."

There you have it. I'll be doing more of these soon, so be on the lookout!

Would you be so kind and review? Thank you so much for reading!