Title: Awkward

Author: Bunny

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I sincerely do not own.

Summary: Just a little one-shot scene right after the end. Carol's immediate reaction to her daughter making out with a supposed stranger. What are Alice's thoughts on the situation?

A/N: Wow, first fic in three years... Please review and let me know how it went!

"So I take it you know my daughter?"

The couple who had been so wrapped up in each other jumped apart suddenly aware of the third party in the room. Carol Hamilton's reflection showed her with arms crossed, tapping foot, and an unamused expression gracing her face. Hatter exhaled in an attempt to relax, running his fingers through his far too perfect hair. Alice bit her lip out of embarrassment to show such affection in front of her mother.

And to not laugh out loud.

"Um… yes," settled Hatter. Sparing a glancing look over to him, Alice could see he was standing extremely still. Dealing with any of the terrors that Wonderland offered did not faze him one bit. Meeting her mother however…

Alice bit her lip harder and was now holding her breath.

"And you never thought to mention this?" Carol's expression had not changed.

"Well, to be completely honest… I wasn't sure if she'd remember me." Alice's grin grew wider. He wasn't kidding with that statement. How could he possibly think that she would not remember him? She trusted him more than any other man she had ever met. Any other person for that matter. Trust is important.

"Well evidently she does," snapped Carol. "So how did you two meet?" Alice knew deep in her gut that she cared about him. Caring is also very important.

"At my tea shop." Granted he ran the equivalent of a drug ring.

"I thought you said you were a construction worker." Sure when they met he basically bought her.

"My former tea shop." He essentially used her to get his way.

"Tea to construction?" But he had been the only one to help her, knowing she would not be able to pay him back. He never once willingly left her alone.

"Uh-Yea?" She could feel Hatter looking to her for desperate help, but she couldn't focus on anything except her racing mind. He recklessly acted to ensure her safety. Perhaps if anything a bit too much, but that did not annoy her like it usually would.

"Alice, what happened to Jack?" Jack? She hadn't once thought of Jack since her return home.

"Alice, sweetheart?" continued Carol. "He was a perfectly wonderful man. You were absolutely over the moon about him days ago and now…" Her mother gestured sharply at Hatter.

Alice's lip now hurt.

"Oi!"

Badly.

"Don't get me wrong you are a nice man and I do appreciate all you've done, but isn't this a little quick?" Carol now looked at her daughter sympathetically. "It was the ring, wasn't it? The ring frightened you because you felt it was too big of a commitment. You realized you didn't have enough time to love him and-"

That was the breaking point. All the emotional baggage had mounted up to where she could not longer take it.

Alice started laughing.

Gut straining, bend over, no sound, can't inhale, complete pain laughter.

Her mother was absolutely right. She did not love Jack. She did feel for him, but it was only fleeting and it wasn't love. Not the heart wrenching, can barely breathe without you kind. It took her stubborn quest to find Jack in order to find real love. Remembering when she though he was dead, how she thought she would never see him after returning to her world made an empty hole in her core. Now the thought of being apart from Hatter again filled her chest with intense, numbing pressure. The thought of remaining with him filled her with equally intense delight and comfort.

The pieces fell into place.

Alice was in love with Hatter.

And it took her breath away.

In the course of only a few minutes she recognized how deep that feeling was. It wasn't a feeling that was going to go away in the course of a few days. She knew every detail of his face, adored the way he bantered with her, looked for the little extra bounce in his step when he walked to her.

She was completely head over heels in love with Hatter.

The revelation only caused her to laugh harder.

"And some people call me Mad."

Attempting to regulate her breathing, Alice turned her head towards Hatter with tears of laughter in her eyes. The obvious concern written on his face was wiped away when her eyes met his.

Without needing to say anything, she knew he understood.

But she still had to tell him.

Alice once again leaped in his arms, hugging him like a life line. As if there would be no tomorrow. But there would be a tomorrow for them, and a tomorrow after that. Smiling so much she felt as though her face would break, she turned her head to kiss his ear before whispering, "I love you, Hatter."

It was his turn to laugh. In his joy, Hatter spun her around and Alice couldn't help but giggle when he buried his face in her neck. She felt like a little kid in that moment; and a grown woman the next as his lips descended upon hers once again. She could feel him pull her towards him closer as she reached her hands to mess up his hair. The lack of oxygen was becoming an issue once again, but Alice didn't mind and she was absolutely certain Hatter didn't either.

In between kisses he murmured it back to her, which only added fuel to their fire. The longer they stood pressed together and the more his mouth explored her Alice knew that he was what she needed. He was who she loved. She knew it was returned equally. This was the first time in years she felt complete.

A throat cleared somewhere in the room.

It wasn't hers, and it wasn't Hatters as their mouths were currently busy…

"Excuse me."

Oh crap.