Disclaimer: I do not own AiW, no matter how much I wish I did....

Note and WARNING: This chapter contains a violent/graphic scene! And remember my promise of no non-con, I always keep my promises. I decided to post earlier because of how awesome you guys are. (Omfg, over 100 reviews?! :D) Now for those reading this note; this is the last chapter, but don't worry! I have a surprise for you guys :) A nice surprise ^_^

Title: Letter A, My Letter A

Pairing: Alice/dark!Tarrant

Genre: Romance/Angst

Summary: Alice has been gone from Underland for nearly six years in Aboveland years, traveling the world and expanding her father's business. Now she's finally gone down the rabbit hole and returned home. Everything should be dandy... Right? Then why is the Mad Hatter acting so strange and brooding? Especially whenever Alice is involved?

Chapter 8: A Sweet Ending

Alice ran as hanging branches grabbed for her, and uplifted roots tripped her with each panicked step. Silent, charming trees by day became cackling ones full of malice once the sun had set. All whispered horrors into her ears as she tried to escape through the night, but it wasn't them she trying to escape from. Oh, no. What was on her tail was much worst. For it was a monster that was after her now...

"Alice!," came a roar behind her. Alice gave a cry as she willed her legs to move faster, he was gaining ground though. He was getting close, too close. "Alice, love! Stop this foolishness and just give up! No one is going to save you now!"

The Knave panted this out while in pursuit of the blond, unwilling to let this little morsel go without taking a bite. Alice gave a silent curse as she evaded tree after tree, her feet sinking in mud, and twigs crushing in her wake. If only she hadn't made it a habit to roam the woods alone, or had at least checked to see if he was patrolling them that night. She should have just stayed in her little, hidden-away hut, at least there she had a lock and door to keep her safe. Instead he had found her while she was lost in her thoughts. Her only warning that the chase had began was the neighing of his steed, and its ground-shaking gallop. Thankfully, she had sense to move the deadly game of his into a more dense area of the forest. This only stopped him from being able to use his horse though.

"If you come to me now, darling. I'll be easy on that lovely body of yours. I swear it won't hurt... much," he said again. She could just hear his arrogant smirk, it wasn't as far as before nor as strained. With dread she realized that he has caught up enough to use only his long stature to reach her. He was taking his sweet time cornering her, enjoying it with every fiber in his being. Alice's eyes began to water as she felt hopelessness come on. 'It's no use, I should just- No! I will not give in! Use that damn muchness, Alice!'

She caught a small break of growth on the right and dove. Bushes and foliage ripped at her dress even more, cutting her skin, but all that didn't matter in this trial of survival. Quickly, she ducked into some overgrown roots that hid her perfectly. There she waited, holding her breath, as she listened for him. The Knave's long strides passed her, calm and calculating like a wolf would when hunting his dinner.

"Sweet, sweet Alice. You have nothing to fear. Why countless women have praised my skills in bed. Let me show you, let me worship you like the goddess you are. I assure you'll find no other man like myself," he stopped a few feet away from her hiding spot. Listening intently for her to give him any kind of sign of her whereabouts. Alice breathed as silently as she could, all the while trying to keep her racing heart inside her chest. Stayne began to move forward once again, and continued on with his speech, "I don't see why you just don't give up. I will find you. I've been patient enough all of these years. I'll admit I've had other women, all blonds, but none of them compare to you. Please, Um, come out... I love you."

Alice felt sick to her stomach, and tried to back away in the opposite direction when he was finally out of sight. Slowly and gently she turned around, almost reaching the path to her freedom. That was when a hidden twig snapped. Its hushed breaking was like thunder in the empty forest. Without even seeing him, she felt him turn back around. His long, victorious strides reached her in a matter of seconds and pulled her up by her hair. Alice gave a cry of pain, hands clawing at his own as she tried to escape.

He lowered his head to look into her doe-brown eyes, tears streamed down her face and her mouth pulled back in defeated sorrow.

"You brought this on yourself," he simply said before claiming her lips. Alice screamed into his mouth before giving a muffled sob, vainly she tried to push him away as he licked up her tears. Her tongue repeating the word 'no' all the while.

"Say you love me too, that you want me as I do you," the Knave gripped her chin mercilessly when he commanded her this. All she could was shake her head in reply. His brow then twisted in anger and he shook her.

"Say it! Say it, you little whore," his hand fell across her cheek when she still denied him. Blood filled her mouth and dribbled down her chin, he watched it flow, the mangled gears moved in his head. "Then I'll just show you, yes, just that. I'll prove that you love me."

With these last words he tossed her over his shoulder, and searched for a more comfortable to place to take his Alice. She screamed constantly then, banging her fists against his back with every last bit of her will. He simply chuckled, knowing that he was the only guard in these woods tonight, let alone the only person. Right now he couldn't be more proud of himself for taking that note Hightopp had left for Alice the day of his leaving. The Knave wasn't just handsome after all, but a genius as well.

Alice cried all the way to the spot he had picked, and did so even harder when he dropped her unceremoniously to the mossy edge of a meadow. 'Tarrant! Tarrant, I'm so sorry! Please, save me! I was wrong when I said I didn't need you!!'

She thought this more and more as the Knave's hands roamed over to her sob-wracked form. He tried to calm her with empty, sweet words as he ripped her dress apart. Once he had the front opened, he threw her in front of him once more, admiring her beauty as he undid the buckles of his uniform. Alice turned her eyes away, closing them shut, unable to watch anymore. Silently she prayed for anything to save her from this misfortune. That was when she heard the crack...

She looked up to see the Knave stagger, clutching his head as he turned to whomever attacked him.

"What the hell are you doing here?!," he shouted, his form was blocking Alice's sight from seeing the assailant. Whoever it was chose not to speak and instead throw themselves at the Knave. Dust clouded around them as they fought fist to fist, and dominance over the other. Alice's question on who was soon answered as a large top-hat rolled her way from the battle.

"Tarrant," she quietly whispered, clutching the hat tight. Joy blossomed deep inside her, and all tears stopped for she knew her champion would prove victorious. And so, he did. With one final punch he left the Knave as a bloodied mess on the floor before turning to her. His eyes widened seeing her misshapen state; leaves and dirt covered her dress and were trapped in her hair. Her eyes red from fear-filled tears and cheek swollen where the Knave had hit her. Scratches covered her form and his hat concealed where her breasts laid bare.

He gave Stayne one more good kick (making sure to break a rib or two), and rushed to her. Sweeping her up in his arms, he clutched her tight, and silently, giving her his strength. He cursed himself for not reaching them sooner as he buried his nose into her hair, reuniting with her beloved scent once more. Quickly, Tarrant took off his jacket and wrapped her in it before carrying her back home in his arms. (Not forgetting to place his hat back onto his head, mind you.) In his mind he vowed never to let her leave his side, no matter what her wicked tongue threw at him.

They stayed like that for a while during the long trek back to her hut. Alice had her nose buried in his neck, becoming drunk on his scent of mixed tea leaves. She clutched him tighter, not wanting to let him go but somehow her mind convinced herself that she needed to. That there should be some distance between them.

"I can walk myself, you know," she told him, loosing his arms as she tried to wiggle from him to the floor. This caused him to pause as he stared down at her, his eyes changing constantly from black to orange.

"Ye seem not to be able to do anything since ye haven't "needed" me, lass. At least that's what me thinks. So I'd hush up if I were ye," he said this as he continued his walk again. She gasped and began to argue with him,

"Now, you listen here! I-"

"No, ye listen," he interrupted her. "I almost lost ye, again, and to that swine nonetheless! When I heard yer screams, I felt a fear stronger than I've ever felt befer! Even more than when the Jabberwocky killed me clan!"

He held her tighter, lost in her brown depths. He couldn't stand it anymore, not with the exhausting fear, the adrenaline and pure, unquestionable love bumping in his veins. His leaned his head down and kissed the breath from her. Stunned at first, Alice held still. Noticing that it was beyond different than the Knave's. His was empty and all about possession while this, this, was filled with passion, meaning, sweet and powerful all the while.

Alice then returned with full force, encouraging her hatter on. He dropped to his knees and set her on the ground, not breaking contact as he devoured her mouth. She scooted closer to him, pressing herself against his strong form. All the feelings from their first time together returning with vengeance. The air was then filled with their articles of clothing. Tarrant's shoe was thrown into the branch where the Cheshire Cat was perched, happily watching his two humans coming together to make him kittens. Unsure if the quite accurate shoe was purposely or accidental, he took the hint nonetheless and left the happy couple alone. He chose to go instead and taunt the wounded Knave who was a bloody stain on the forest floor.

'Stain, Stayne,' This caused Chess a chuckle as he vanished.

Down back to the couple, there was a sense of urgency between the two. Lips quickly fell onto each-others' skin before moving to the patch of flesh. Hands were forever entwined in the others hair as they withered blissfully together. Tarrant suckled on his Alice's neck, making sure to leave a mark as he penetrated her. He and Alice moaned loudly and shamelessly into the night as he pounded into her. The others name was constantly on their lips as they made love again and again, and even after when they held each-other long into the day. Both cuddled under his jacket, and both vowed never to let the other go, no matter what their tongues lashed out. (But right now their tongues were too busy saying words that started with the letter 'a' to lash.)

"Adore," Alice said.

"Admire," Tarrant replied, and the pattern continued.

"Amour."

"Alice."

"You said that already," she giggled.

"Then let me say it over and over, for all eternity," he kissed her shoulders with each word before capturing her mouth once more. She sighed contently into his mouth. How could she deny him that?

~END~

Random Author's Note At the End: Thank you all who stuck with through the story! :D I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! ^_^ I really didn't expect to have this many people like it with it being my first fanfic and all. So thank you all again so much!!!!!

Please still leave a review, tell me your favorite part, what you didn't like or whatever! (Again I aplogize for OOCness) Especially review if you want more Alice/dark!Tarrant and/or more of my stuff! (I have ideas being written down as we speak! ^_^) And I do take prompts/requests when I have the time and find it really interesting. Also if I can't do I know where to post them so others can, ad can direct to those sites.

Okay, now to the surprise. Since you all were so fabulous, I have a bonus chapter/oneshot!sequel to go with story. It's fluff to help balance out all the angst and turmoil I put you guys through. So I hope you guys will like it ^_^

THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!! :D *gives everyone hugs, scones, tea, cake and cookies*

PS: Who would be interested in me doing a companion fic to this one? Basically covering all the letters as Tarant sinks into his dark!side. Maybe like a prequel???