A/N: Okay, you've got me here. I've received reviews and messages, where you asked me to write down Tarrant's reaction in the morning. To tell the truth, I'd thought I'd finished it. And I hadn't been planning to write a little bit longer about this case. But I reread it and decided that it claimed for a continuation. So I wrote down about the next morning. But THAT's the end of it. Don't ask me to continue this Enjoy!

Chapter 2(A little more to say).

"Frumious gallymoggers," Tarrant growled, turning on the other side. Unfortunately, the coach was too narrow to do it without struggling. And Tarrant was too sleepy to think about it. So, yes, he fell down on the floor. "Huh? What? What happened?" he sat up and opened his eyes, preparing for something… for anything. 'Where am I?" he asked particularly no one and then he felt it. A throbbing pain in his head. "Oh," he groaned, lifting his hand to rub his eyes.

"What? Wild night, Tarrant, huh?" A voice purred above his head.

He looked up to see Chess, grinning widely. "Indeed," he grumbled. "Where have I been, Chess?"

Chessur chuckled, "You've been home all day, drinking rum, and then you've fallen asleep on this coach. And I think you've had a very pleasant dream."

The Hatter eyed him suspiciously, "So it was a dream. A dream and nothing more," he murmured.

"Ah, you've had a dream about Alice's return?" The Cat asked.

Tarrant didn't respond. He stood up, shaking a bit and silently moved out of the Windmill. Oh, how he was tired of seeing her every night in his dreams, but being unable to touch her in real life. He so missed her. And that night the dream felt… real. And he was fighting for her, then kissing her thoroughly, then walking home with her and again… kissing. He almost believed it wasn't a dream at all. 'Why don't you come back to me, Alice?'

He sat on his usual chair at the head of the table and stared at the cups and plates with various meals. Surprisingly, he didn't want to drink tea or eat scones. He was just… staring.

Chessur watched him sadly from the inside through the window, 'Perhaps I shouldn't have been joking about…'

"Chess?" The girl asked behind him.

He sighed and turned to face her, "Hello, little Alice, how was your dream? A good one?"

"Chessur, you're… you're not smiling," Alice said instead of answering his question.

"Well, I…," he sighed, "I think I made a mistake."

Alice moved to stand right in front of him and patted his head, "We all make mistakes. Big or small ones. But that's how we live. This quality is in our blood. We can only correct them."

Chess finally smiled a bit, "You know, Alice, I cannot correct it without you."

Tarrant was still sitting at the table, curling and uncurling his fists. He couldn't make the pictures of his dream stop. He saw her, felt her once again. And it frightened him. Suddenly he heard a rustling behind him. Tarrant took fright and abruptly turned around to find… Alice standing there. He jerked away, stood up and turned to face her with fright on his face.

"Get away, please," he whispered.

Alice gaped at him, "Tarrant?"

"You're… stop chasing me! First you're in my dreams, but now you're here! I'm sick of seeing you, delusion! Get away!"

"Oh…" Alice glanced back to house, where she found Chess, smiling guilty, "I see," she turned again to find him stepping backwards, away from her. "Tarrant! Stop that! Chess was joking! I am really here."

"No, you're figment of my mad imagination!" he said weakly, not tearing his eyes from her.

Alice sighed, "Even if that so, why are you afraid? I cannot even touch you then!"

Tarrant pondered over that, "I don't know. I think I'm afraid of rushing towards you to find that you're indeed created by me."

She stepped closer to him. Surprisingly, he didn't step back from her. Then she carefully approached him and stood up right in front of him.

The Hatter felt uneasy. He desperately wanted to touch her, hold her, kiss her… But he was afraid if she would indeed turn out a figment of his imagination. She slowly raised her hand up to touch his cheek. Closer, closer, closer…

"Tarrant, forgive me! I didn't mean to lie to you! I was just joking! Don't be mad!"

Tarrant looked up at the Cheshire Cat, "I am mad. Always."

And at that moment Alice's hand touched his face. "Alice…" he breathed, realizing she wasn't a dream, "The Alice!"

"Yes," she smiled.

He moved even closer to the girl and, grabbing her by the waist, lifted her, spinning a bit. "Alice, dear Alice! 'Twas ye! Ah was'nae dreamin'! Ye came teh me! Ye saved meh!" Then his eyes saddened and her put her down on the ground, "Ye saw meh drunken. An' Ah… kissed ye," he murmured, "Wha' are ye thinkin' abou' meh now? Ye hate meh, d'nae ye?"

"Sh-h, Hatter, don't. I am not capable of hating you, my dear," she wrapped her hands about his neck, "I came back to save you and be with you."

"B-but Ah was…"

"You were great, Tarrant. You saved me. And you showed me, what I really need." She leaned in closer to his face.

"Wha' is it?" he breathed, feeling her face just inches from his.

"Your love," she whispered and kissed him softly.

He smiled against her mouth, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

Chessur, who was there all that time, rolled his eyes. "Tarrant," he called.

Alice and the Hatter broke apart to look up at the Cat, "Never mind, Chess, I'm too happy to be angry with you," Tarrant smiled.

Chess grinned and evaporated.

Alice turned back to Tarrant, "Promise me, you won't drink that much anymore."

He chuckled, "I don't need to anymore." And he leaned to kiss her again.

Alice put her index finger on his lips, stopping him, "And you won't visit that terrible place again!"

The Hatter took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I love you," he whispered.

"I know," she responded, "You proved it last night."

He raised his brows in surprise.

"Even when you weren't yourself," Alice continued, "You remembered me and saved me from that chap. Since then I haven't doubted that you love me."

He smiled and leaned to her, but she stopped him again. "I just want to tell that I love you too."

"I know," he responded, smiling, "Otherwise you wouldn't come back to me."

And she finally allowed him to kiss her. She tucked her hands into his soft hair and opened her mouth so he could enter. He did and… found himself apart from her. He looked up to see Chess between them.

"Could you at least do inside?" he asked teasingly.

"Oh ye slurvish, urpal, slackush scrum!" Tarrant growled.

"I think now you're mad, aren't you?" Chessur chucked.

The Hatter grinned, "D'nae even think abou' it! Ah will'nae run after ye, tryin' to catch ye. Ah will stay wyth Alice." He shoved the cat aside, wrapped his right arm about her waist and led her into the forest, showing Chessur that he wanted to be alone with his beloved.

Chess shook his head in frustration, "We've lost him. Well, at least he can now be with Alice and forget about the hat. Then it could be mine," he chucked and evaporated from the clearing.

A/N: I know it's a bit short, but that's how I made it. I hope now you're contented. Review:)