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Hatter came into the Hall of the Looking Glass, he had plucked up the courage to tell Alice how he really felt. He might've fone so in the forest had he been allowed to actually kiss Alice. But no. Jack of Hearts, prince charming, himself, had to interrupt. Sure, for the greater good, but Hatter still held a grudge.

There were a bunch of oysters...er...humans in the hall, but Hater's eyes located Alice immediately, but, oh, how he wished they hadn't. Alice was hugging Jack as if for dear life. Unbelievable, after all that he'd put her through, Alice could still find room to love Jack. He had to slip away before she noticed him. A clean break.

"Hatter!"

He winced, too late. 'Hide your heart ache, Hatter old boy,' he told himself as he wheeled around to face her. 'Can't let them know that you are not just a heartless mercenary.'

Unwillingly, he sprang forward to meet her in the middle of the hall. God, she was beautiful even after she had ripped his heart out. 'Enough of that,' he mentally shook himself, 'If anyone could hear you, they'd think that you were a sentimental fool!'

"Alice. Hey. I was afraid I might've missed you."

Yep, keep it as just-happened-to-be-in-the-neighborhood mood. Casual, Hatter, casual. Don't let her know you care.

"Yeah, ya cut it a little close."

"Yeah, I guess I was...um...trying not to think about it," Careful Hatter, getting a little sensitive there, "Anyway, I wanted to say good bye." There, friendly, but not unduly affectionate.

Alice seemed startled, "Good bye," she repeated. Hatter wracked his brain about what she could possibly expecting, settling with,

"And if you, you know, ever fancy coming back..."

Hatter trailed off awkwardly, before he could find the right ending, Alice jumped in,

"You want me to stay?"

Yes! His mind shouted , but he followed his keep-it-cool persona.

"Hell no! No I think that you should go home."

'I don't think that I could live seeing you everyday with another man, especially that namby-pamby Jack.' his mind continued honestly.

Hatter was surprised to see that Alice looked somewhat hurt. Well, its not like he was ripping her heart out. He was just the friend that she didn't know if she could or even should trust. 'But what about before,' a part of him asked, 'She wasn't pulling away, in fact, she was leaning in.' He pushed that away because he knew that she would've rejected him in the end, the hug he had just seen proved that.

"Yeah. Yeah, I've had enough of Wonderland for a lifetime." Alice answered, 'Probably it's inhabitants too,' Hatter mused, 'Especially an oh-so-slightly mad hatter.'

"Yeah. I'm sure you have, right. Still, we had a laugh. You know some good times. Obviously, among the bad times." Hatter knew that for a long time, those few good times would have to overcome his gloom. He was even tempted to drain the last of his supply of pearls after he left Alice.

"Yeah. Yeah, we did."

They stared at each other for a few moments, and Hatter sighed, wishing that he could really tell her the truth. How much he had come to need her in the past few days. He even let himself fantasize that she might feel the same. But, no, Hatter wasn't the knight in her fairytale.

"Oh. Um. Yeah."

Alice murmured breaking the silence, shrugging off the coat he'd lent her.

"You don't have ta.." Hatter began, his mind warring on whether he wanted her to keep it as a momento of him, or if he wanted to keep it himself, to remind him of her. Before he could decide, she'd already handed it to him.

"Brilliant. Thank you." he finished.

After a second, he spoke afain, not wanting to have to beat down the desire to beg her to stay.

"So, we should..." What they should do, even Hatter was unsure, but he stepped toward her, knowing that girl's often huffed their friends. If he was honest with himself, though, he really just wanted to hold her one last time. He let go quickly, rather have too short a hug then too long. Better for her to think that he didn't like her, then that he liked her too much.

When he pulled back, he tried to think of a witty way to end this heart-wrenching conversation, but bizarrely, all he could think of was a riddle. 'How is a Raven like a writing desk?' But that didn't make any sense, he didn't even think that there was an answer to it.

Luckily, Alice took it out of his hands, "You know, you could always visit my world. You might like it."

Hatter would love to, but he knew if he did, he'd probably never leave. Even though not having her there would be just as bad as not having her here. "Yeah." Although, what he'd really love would be to stop saying "yeah".

"We could...do pizza." Not a date, a friend's lunch, he felt the need to tell himself even though he knew that it was all imaginary anyway. He'd never visit.

Alice nodded slightly, "And lots of other things."

Hatter's heart pounded at that, even though, he knew it was just his fantasies making it seem more then what it was. He was about to respond when some guy in white interrupted, taking Alice with him.

"I was just.." Hatter stopped, glad that they were too far away for him to blurt out everything.

Alice kept her eyes on Hatter as she began walking away. He felt his heart shudder to a stop when she looked forward. And before either of them could blink, she was gone.

His Alice, gone.

The men in white began pushing oysters through at random. Prince....King Jack and the Duchess surveying it all.

Hatter just stared at the glass that had caused it all. Caused him to no longer be happy. Even after everyone was through and the whites were shutting the mirror down, he watched as if trying to find Alice in its reflective surface.

Finally, when everyone else was gone, Hatter approached the glass. He placed his palm against the now solid surface, and murmured, "Goodbye, Alice."

Description

Hatter came into the Hall of the Looking Glass, he had plucked up the courage to tell Alice how he really felt. He might've fone so in the forest had he been allowed to actually kiss Alice. But no. Jack of Hearts, prince charming, himself, had to interrupt. Sure, for the greater good, but Hatter still held a grudge.

There were a bunch of oysters...er...humans in the hall, but Hater's eyes located Alice immediately, but, oh, how he wished they hadn't. Alice was hugging Jack as if for dear life. Unbelievable, after all that he'd put her through, Alice could still find room to love Jack. He had to slip away before she noticed him. A clean break.

"Hatter!"

He winced, too late. 'Hide your heart ache, Hatter old boy,' he told himself as he wheeled around to face her. 'Can't let them know that you are not just a heartless mercenary.'

Unwillingly, he sprang forward to meet her in the middle of the hall. God, she was beautiful even after she had ripped his heart out. 'Enough of that,' he mentally shook himself, 'If anyone could hear you, they'd think that you were a sentimental fool!'

"Alice. Hey. I was afraid I might've missed you."

Yep, keep it as just-happened-to-be-in-the-neighborhood mood. Casual, Hatter, casual. Don't let her know you care.

"Yeah, ya cut it a little close."

"Yeah, I guess I was...um...trying not to think about it," Careful Hatter, getting a little sensitive there, "Anyway, I wanted to say good bye." There, friendly, but not unduly affectionate.

Alice seemed startled, "Good bye," she repeated. Hatter wracked his brain about what she could possibly expecting, settling with,

"And if you, you know, ever fancy coming back..."

Hatter trailed off awkwardly, before he could find the right ending, Alice jumped in,

"You want me to stay?"

Yes! His mind shouted , but he followed his keep-it-cool persona.

"Hell no! No I think that you should go home."

'I don't think that I could live seeing you everyday with another man, especially that namby-pamby Jack.' his mind continued honestly.

Hatter was surprised to see that Alice looked somewhat hurt. Well, its not like he was ripping her heart out. He was just the friend that she didn't know if she could or even should trust. 'But what about before,' a part of him asked, 'She wasn't pulling away, in fact, she was leaning in.' He pushed that away because he knew that she would've rejected him in the end, the hug he had just seen proved that.

"Yeah. Yeah, I've had enough of Wonderland for a lifetime." Alice answered, 'Probably it's inhabitants too,' Hatter mused, 'Especially an oh-so-slightly mad hatter.'

"Yeah. I'm sure you have, right. Still, we had a laugh. You know some good times. Obviously, among the bad times." Hatter knew that for a long time, those few good times would have to overcome his gloom. He was even tempted to drain the last of his supply of pearls after he left Alice.

"Yeah. Yeah, we did."

They stared at each other for a few moments, and Hatter sighed, wishing that he could really tell her the truth. How much he had come to need her in the past few days. He even let himself fantasize that she might feel the same. But, no, Hatter wasn't the knight in her fairytale.

"Oh. Um. Yeah."

Alice murmured breaking the silence, shrugging off the coat he'd lent her.

"You don't have ta.." Hatter began, his mind warring on whether he wanted her to keep it as a momento of him, or if he wanted to keep it himself, to remind him of her. Before he could decide, she'd already handed it to him.

"Brilliant. Thank you." he finished.

After a second, he spoke afain, not wanting to have to beat down the desire to beg her to stay.

"So, we should..." What they should do, even Hatter was unsure, but he stepped toward her, knowing that girl's often huffed their friends. If he was honest with himself, though, he really just wanted to hold her one last time. He let go quickly, rather have too short a hug then too long. Better for her to think that he didn't like her, then that he liked her too much.

When he pulled back, he tried to think of a witty way to end this heart-wrenching conversation, but bizarrely, all he could think of was a riddle. 'How is a Raven like a writing desk?' But that didn't make any sense, he didn't even think that there was an answer to it.

Luckily, Alice took it out of his hands, "You know, you could always visit my world. You might like it."

Hatter would love to, but he knew if he did, he'd probably never leave. Even though not having her there would be just as bad as not having her here. "Yeah." Although, what he'd really love would be to stop saying "yeah".

"We could...do pizza." Not a date, a friend's lunch, he felt the need to tell himself even though he knew that it was all imaginary anyway. He'd never visit.

Alice nodded slightly, "And lots of other things."

Hatter's heart pounded at that, even though, he knew it was just his fantasies making it seem more then what it was. He was about to respond when some guy in white interrupted, taking Alice with him.

"I was just.." Hatter stopped, glad that they were too far away for him to blurt out everything.

Alice kept her eyes on Hatter as she began walking away. He felt his heart shudder to a stop when she looked forward. And before either of them could blink, she was gone.

His Alice, gone.

The men in white began pushing oysters through at random. Prince....King Jack and the Duchess surveying it all.

Hatter just stared at the glass that had caused it all. Caused him to no longer be happy. Even after everyone was through and the whites were shutting the mirror down, he watched as if trying to find Alice in its reflective surface.

Finally, when everyone else was gone, Hatter approached the glass. He placed his palm against the now solid surface, and murmured, "Goodbye, Alice."