Poisoned Skin

Hatter sat at the head of the table, looking for something in the distance but forgetting what it was momentarily as he realised he had forgotten again. It had become such a habit to keep a look out for her and her return, that he still did it now it no longer needed doing. Even when he knew she was at this minute having a bath in the run down windmill that was looming behind him.

He sighed as he picked up his tea and sipped it quietly. He was doing what Alice called 'alone time', a strange concept she had brought with her from the above world. At first appalled at the idea of not being with Alice when she was here and well… his, he warmed up to it when he knew it would make her happy. And for once he was actually enjoying being on his own with only his multiple personalities as company.

Plus he knew it wasn't for much longer; as much as Alice liked to be on her own from time to time, she was like him in so many other ways, like not being able to be away from each other for very long without going that little bit madder.

But he couldn't really think of anything else except Alice when she wasn't next to him, so he giggled to himself and relaxed back into his stately chair and drank some more tea.

But his eyes soon turned the brightest orange as a thought came to his head, very rare that a thought of Alice would bring out a mood like this, but he had a brief flash of her transforming form. Of course he believed her to be the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on, but small things had been happening to her. Things it seemed only he saw, changes he knew where down to him alone.

At first it was a small change, one he passed off as nothing more than her feeling under the weather. She had come down stairs one morning with skin a little paler than the creamy tone he was used too. He thought nothing of it. Then as the days -or possibly years, he wasn't completely sure of the time since he wasn't on the best of terms with it- went by he saw more things. She was still his Alice, yet her eyes, them eyes that where the colour of the sky, changed. If she was happy they remained her original shade, yet if angry or upset they would turn into the deepest navy blue he had ever seen. If in a… how did she call it? Wanton state. He paused in his thoughts to giggle, what a strange word. Yes in a wanton mind, they would turn a blue so light they where almost white. When he asked her about it, she simply giggled and said Underland must have started to change her in little ways.

But he knew better. He was doing it to her with his poisoned skin.

He looked down at his paler than white hand, tinted with his own blood that would never wash out, and tried to remember the colour before. He had a flash of skin that was often bronzed from the sun and fingertips that didn't need bandaging in fear of smearing silver tinted blood everywhere he touched. But the memory faded, and he was once more looking at tainted ghost white skin.

His minds where racing. If he could he would send her back to the above world. But it was too late for her now. He knew in doing such a thing he would spend the rest of forever in agony, but if it made her happy, if it made her healthy he would be willing to do it for her. Yet she wouldn't be willing to go.

If there was one thing he was certain about, it was that she loved him as much as he loved her. She didn't care that his poisoned skin was starting to slowly poison her own. Within a few centuries the creamy skin would be gone, her blue eyes will be more vivid and her mind as crowded as his own.

But as she told him many times at night when it was just the two of them and their minds where at peace. 'I would happily turn into a Bandersnatch if it means I can stay in your arms. Slightly paler skin will not change my mind.' And he would kiss her desperately and hold her tightly far into the night.

He didn't know how it happened. He remembered an infuriating child with hair too long, nothing more than a brat that had strayed somewhere before she was meant to. But he enjoyed her company and was glad to make a new friend. Then in so little time she was back, still in so many ways a child, but not for much longer, he had developed a strong fondness for her, this almost woman, but then she was gone again. And the wait was harder, longer, though he guessed maybe it was a lot less time than before, just time being mean to him again, every day felt like a week, and every year like a decade. But then she was back again. Now a woman, all traces of naivety gone from her face, replaced with much muchness. She was back for good, and the first thing she wanted to do in Underland was run for him at great speed and launch herself at him and hold him tightly in her arms. Though terrified at first he soon realised it was an act of affection and wrapped his arms around her happily. He had missed her, and this seemed like the right Alice. She was an Underlandian now, he could see it. She had no more desire to go back to the above world.

He took another sip of his tea and frowned slightly. It was much cooler than he expected, Alice should have been out here twenty degrees ago. Placing the cup down, by far his favourite as it was a pale blue colour with bright orange swirls, he liked to imagine it was him and Alice defined by nothing but fine china. He stood and began walking towards the windmill.

Yet he didn't have to walk very far as she came running out, slower than if she was in another condition, with a manic grin on her face. Stopping in front of him she grabbed his hand and pressed it against her bloated abdomen without a word.

He stared down at the large bump with love in his eyes. He had done that to her, and looking into her eyes that where vibrant turquoise he knew she was thinking the same thing. 'She kicked me, I think she's trying to Futterwacken in there.' The Hatter laughed at her statement and brought his pregnant wife flush with his own body, his hand still on their baby Alice was happily protecting.

He didn't mind so much that her skin would become deathly white, or that now her emotions where as visible as his own. She was happy and that was all that mattered to him in the end.

He had brought many changes to his Alice, some without meaning to. But the changes their baby girl would make would forever be his favourite. And as she reached up slightly, going on tip-toes so her bare feet where being tickled by stray pieces of grass, she kissed him with more love the Hatter had ever felt in his whole life, he knew the changes would always be her favourite too.

A/N I mistakenly spelt it 'Fudderwacken' (Curse my Northern mind hearing it as I'd say it.) and had to edit it as soon as I noticed.

It is meant to be a little prequel to my first Alice/Hatter one 'Waiting for her Return' but it doesn't mention their daughter very much. I have thought for a bit that if the Hatter was poisoned so severely by the mercury that it would constantly be on his skin, and if Alice and the Hatter do end up in a relationship, it would most likely turn her like him very slightly. Just an image of another person falling down the rabbit hole centuries later and meeting the Hatter and Alice, both twisted and beautiful. I'm kinda rambling, sorry. Please be nice I'm still very shy when it comes to my fanfics.