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Description
Will you, Wont you..

The Cheshire Cat had reappeared far down the path and away from the dark goings on back at the Mad Hatters house. He still had Alice hanging from her apron strings between his large grinning teeth. Alice didn't know what to say to this. To be honest she didn't really know how she felt. "I... " She poked the grass with the tip of her boot, looking down with confusion. "I know he's not as bad as he acts so..." She sighed and remembered her little kiss on his cheek. Touching her lips with the tip of her fingers, the Goth remembered how warm it felt. "He didn't really mean to hurt me." Looking up at the Cheshire’s eyes, she wished the cat would understand her words. The cat paused for a moment and then leaned down and deposited her on a nearby toadstool and took a seat in front of her.

"Things are not always as they seem, and yet they can be if given the chance.” He said with his usual cat like logic that only he seems to know what it means at the time. "It would be better if you returned home." He grinned as his tail swished. Alice didn't have very many friends, and she wasn't going to give up on the only ones she did have. She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"He may be mad, but I don’t want to just forget about him." She gave a little smile; confession never seemed this difficult before. Then she nodded, sighing. "We should find the right herb to bring me back to normal. Auntie shouldn't see me like this.”

The Cat stared at her and didn’t understand the attachment himself. Humans always base too much on it. Cats were so much more refined and civilized as far as he was concerned. "Very well. But my words still hold fast. He cannot travel through to your world unless you will it. Use it wisely though...it’s only good once.." The cat grinned more. "The toadstool you are on. One side will make you bigger. The other will make you smaller."

Alice felt relieved with the cat's words. So it was up to her if the Hatter visited her again. Looking down at the toadstool, she knelt down and took a handful of the fleshy fungus. She remembered the Caterpillar giving her the same advice once. Taking a bite and it felt a bit sweet on her tongue. Things started to look smaller, but it was only her growing up back to normal. Flicking the dark hair back from her face, Alice stood up and looked down at her body. It was nice to be tall again. If the cat hadn’t shown up when he did to rescue her, she'd probably still be little and in the Hatter's house. "Thank you." She said as the Cat grinned wider.

"Well done. Though you may want to hold on to it. It might come in handy in the future." He said with a purr and stood up as his large earring dangled in the light. The portal to her world opened like a whirlpool of light in front of them as the feline jumped in ahead of her. Alice nodded and picked up the rest of the toadstool and stuffed it into her apron's pocket. The dark haired girl then stepped up into the portal and left Wonderland behind. She soon found herself standing in front of her dresser again in her cold white room. The Cheshire had vanished and in its place sat the small gray cat as it sat on her bed and licked its paw. From a glance one could never tell that this was not an ordinary feline. The sun had already gone down as a few stars had emerged. Her bedtime was already passed and Alice was tired after a long day with the Hatter. And auntie could come to check on her at any time now. Reaching to her closet, she changed her clothes and got into her bed. Her rug bunny plush was in her arms, a cold expression on her sleepy face; Alice quickly fell asleep.

A couple of hours passed as the small gray cat slept on her feet above the covers, when a light flooded the room for a moment. The mirror above her dresser shook a little as a green face appeared in its reflection on the wrong side. "..She’s asleep..." The Hat maker said to himself as he stood between worlds. A strange pressure in his chest made it a bit hard to breathe as he watched her snooze. He wasn’t sure if he could go through with this. But he had to. The Naaxia already had her suspicions that he helped Alice once. If he were ever to be found out, oh if he were to be found out. He didn’t want to even think about it! The dragon’s wrath was much more severe than the Queen’s ever was. He knew he had to get back in that room and somehow convince Alice to return to Wonderland..and then..deliver her into the claws of that...monster. He sighed heavily and drummed his fingers in front of him as he gazed in on her sleeping form. A hand went up to his cheek for a moment. He was torn between his growing heart and his love for his own self-preservation. Part of him wished shed turn him away; never let him come near her again. But there was another part of him that had to be near her...ever since she kissed him. He took in a deep breath and fixed his wrinkled black vest for a moment, as if trying to stall. Then his gloved hand tapped lightly on his side of the looking glass.

Her sleep was never heavy. Quite the opposite, she was able to wake up with a single sound. Alice hated sleep because all she saw were nightmares and bad memories she tried to forget. Her green eyes flew open, as she pushed herself on her elbows to see where the sound was coming from. When she saw the image on the mirror, she wasn't surprised... even a bit. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she whispered quietly. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

The Mad Hatter smiled a little placing his hand on the mirror but it remained solid. "Oh is it late? My watch must be running a day behind..." He coughed a bit and seemed a little shaken for some reason. "I uh...see you returned to your right size then?"

The bunny plush was still in her arms as the gothic girl watched the Hatter with a great coldness. He needed to apologize to her first. What he did was quite rude. She could believe he was a nice guy, but he owed her an apology. "Yes, I did." She remained silent, sitting under the covers and glaring at him with an icy look. The cat didn’t stir but a yellow eye opened for a few moments starting at the mirror, before closing again.

The Hatter nodded as he scratched the top of his other hand for a moment. This was more awkward then he thought it was going to be. "Good..good good...So...Were you sleeping?"

Alice hugged her plush tighter, crossing her arms over it. "Don't you have anything to say me?" She raised a brow emotionlessly. "And it's rude of you to visit my bedroom without even a knock at this hour. So you owe me more." She was whispering so auntie would never hear her.

The Hatter stared at her. She wanted an apology!? His nose wrinkled a little. He never had to apologize for anything in his life. And being as mad as he was he was never expected to. But she apparently wanted one… The Hatter bit his lower lip and was about to say something about how rude "she" had been as well when he paused. He still had to get into that room…. A somewhat fake grin came over his face as he removed his hat from his head, and spoke in the most suave voice he could muster. "Dear Alice. I apologize for my actions, and for this rude disturbance." He tapped on the glass as it shook slightly. "It was wrong of me. And if you no longer wish to see me, then I understand." He grinned wide and took a step back and bowed. Green eyes were closed for a second, favoring each word he said. Though she wasn’t completely sure he meant it all, but it was most likely all she was going to get.

"Your apology is accepted." She sighed and looked at his yellow eyes from the distance. Not suspicious of anything, she leant back to the headboard of her bed. "You may come in." She didn't want him to go away for some reason. The Hatter smiled but a glint of sadness came into his eyes. His hand pushed into the mirror as it rippled, its solid surface gave way and soon he was able to emerge completely. After a few moments he stood up on the hardwood floor of her room once more. Alice didn't move out from her bed. She only pulled her knees to her chest, still resting her back to the headboard, hugging her plush like a little girl. Her face was finally free from the heavy, dark make-up. Her nightwear was white as was her aunt's choice. "Don't you ever sleep?" She asked curiously to the Mad Hatter.

The clockwork man kept his eyes down as he stood near her dresser. The only light in the room was a small oil lamp near her bed that gave off just enough illumination to see his tall thin outline. It was only when the room went silent for a few moments did he look up. "Hmm?...Oh.. No..I don’t need to really." He sat back up on the dresser with his hands closed in front of him. His eyes shifted away again as he tried to fight back the knot in his stomach. But the more he thought about it the worse the knot became.

The young woman's green eyes were watching the man in her room carefully. The room was dark and cold as usual, but at least she wasn't alone. The Cheshire cat and the Mad Hatter were here with her. So she didn't need to worry about anything... right? "I never liked sleeping much." Blinking a few times to see the Hatter more clearly, Alice gave up and sighed. "I cannot see you in this dark. Why don't you come closer?" The hat maker paused and looked over his shoulder at the mirror above the dresser and abruptly turned it over on its hinge. He then stood up placing his hat back on his brow and walking towards her slowly. The upper half of his face remained in shadow but the rest of him came into the light of the oil lamp. Only his eyes could be seen and they had the reflection of deep sorrow. Alice looked up at him and tilted her head. She had never seen the Hatter with such an expression. He had the look of a puppy caught in the rain. Was he really sad? Or was he faking it like he did in the end of their little fight so shed give him more attention? Alice would never be sure about this. "Lost your tea?" She gave a cold smirk as she watched him coming closer. It was difficult to believe this man could be sad.

As she spoke he looked down at her and smirked. "Oh..No..But that would be reason enough to be downhearted." That made Alice roll her eyes with annoyance. She hadn't even taken a single sip from that damned tea. In her opinion, it should taste like heaven. Why wasn't he allowing her to taste it? But then she guessed that it was all part of the game they played wasn’t it? The Hatter went silent once more; his hands came up to his chest as he poked his fingers together. He so wanted to tell her what was happening, to warn her somehow. But the Naaxia had eyes and ears everywhere it seemed. He sighed and leaned against the post of her bed corner with his shoulder, the gear on his back making a soft ticking sound in the dark.

Emerald eyes found his face again. Alice could be blind to many things, but she always knew when something was wrong with him at least. A great urge to ask him passed through her mind, but she couldn't do it. "Where are your faithful friends who never left your tea-party?" She asked out of curiosity.

The Hatters face fell as he looked down a little. A hand came up and rubbed the back of his head as he took a seat at the end of her mattress. "We..are not on speaking terms..anymore.." The Naaxia had made sure of that as the knot in his midsection was growing by leaps and bounds now.

Alice gave a sigh and moved towards him on the bed, pushing the covers off from herself. Perhaps his stinginess finally drove the poor Dormouse and March Hare away. Served him right. Her nightwear was plain white and fell down around her ankles. It was boring and cold. Suited her aunt's style so well. She moved until she was now sitting next to the green skinned man, her plush followed her. "Isn't it cold here? A cup of tea would be good." She whispered into his ear softly, trying to use her unknown charm to make him do what she wanted.

The Hatter stared ahead for a few moments before his eyes shifted towards her. He could feel his gear skip a tine or two. Her white flowing nightgown made her look rather...pretty. He could feel her shoulder against his as he swallowed making the gaudy purple bow tie bob a little. "Yes. Rather cold...." He looked back at the mirror and felt all the more wretched. "But I’m afraid I didn’t bring any with me...heh.." He said feeling a drop of sweat roll down his face, even though the room was chilled.

Another sigh escaped from her lips, but then she saw the sweat drop rolling down his forehead. Alice gasped and placed her hands on his shoulders looking at him closer. Something was certainly wrong with her old friend. Giving her bunny plush to him, she poked his hat with a finger moving it back a little. "Are you sick?" An eyebrow was raised curiously as she slapped her palm against his forehead. "You're not hot at least, so there’s no danger of a fever."

His black-rimmed eyes widened as she looked into them, and more so when she stuffed the bunny into his hands. With his green complexion he always appeared slightly sick so how could anyone tell by looking? But she seemed to be asking him anyway out of real concern. The same concern she showed him during the fight when her blade had hit him. And when she...she kissed him. He swallowed again and took her hands from off his shoulders and held them down towards the bed. "I.. I’m not sick..." He felt like crawling under the nearest butter dish to curl up and die. "I’m fine. r-Right as rain.." He said giving her a smile, albeit a false one. "Don’t worry over me...really.."

She looked down at their hands with cold eyes. Not giving any more replies, she huffed and pulled away from him. She snatched back her bunny and moved back to the headboard. Alice hid her body, pulling the covers up to her shoulders. She wasn't worried about him anyways! If he didn’t want to tell her what was wrong, then that was his business! Remaining silent, the young woman looked away from the Hatter. "You changed too much." She whispered. "I don't know if I like it or not." The madman stared at her for a moment and smiled a little.

"I am what you made me." He said and reached up taking his hat off, his dark blond hair fell almost covering his eyes.

Alice looked up at him and then gave a small ‘humph’ before stuffing her head under her pillow. After a long seemingly unending pause she suddenly threw the covers off and jumped at her feet. Dragging her plush with her, she approached the Hatter. With a quick motion she grabbed his overgrown bow tie and pulled him to his feet with a strong tug, looking directly into his eyes. She didn't say a word, but continued staring at him with a deadly glare.

The Hatter made a slight grunt and stood frozen and half bent over as his arms hung down at his sides. "...Alice?" Her face was as cold as this house, and it stayed cold. No answers came from her. She kept staring him in the eye. Her other hand which was holding the bunny plush now reached for his face, a finger poking him on the forehead. After a few minutes of silence, she let him go, but still stood very close to him in her ghostly nighty.

The Hatter blinked as his eyes crossed when she poked him. After a few moments more he looked down at her face, untouched by her usual dark makeup. His expression softened and his concern faded as a gloved hand came up and brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes. She looked rather ethereal standing there in her white gown. Her eyes kept open even when he reached for her hair. She was a strange woman and that fact would never change for sure. But she admitted it felt nice to have his touch. But she showed no sign of what she was feeling. Alice lowered her face; the oil-lamp light was dancing on her pale skin, painting her a reddish yellow. Her hair shined in the different shadows it was casting around her. Successfully hiding her blushing cheeks. Yes, even under that cold expression, she was blushing like mad. And for what? For the Hatter? This was ridiculous. Alice was better than that. The young girl looked up at his face once more, then turned back to her bed slowly and sat down. Giving a small sigh she brought her knees up to her chest under the nightgown.

"You are not what I made. Or I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

The Madman watched her and grinned a little more. "Oh?...I think you do.." He sat down on the bed next to her once more. "Feelings aren’t easy to describe sometimes." He whispered. "But here I am. And whatever part of you that created me must have a reason for it.." He looked down at her. "..Haven’t you ever felt that we...." His voice trailed off a bit..."We...are..uhm.." He rubbed his neck. He knew from the beginning they had a connection. But were they still connected? Or maybe she was right, maybe he had changed too much. Perhaps the corruption that twisted him before had not gone away completely. And now...he had made a deal to turn her over to that...thing. Maybe he was no better than the Naaxia?

Alice didn't even look at him, fearing he’d realize she was blushing. She wished her make-up was still on her face now, so she could cover it up. With the side of her eyes, she glanced at the Hatter.

"Perhaps we used to have a strong bound." Her face fell and shifted into a cold and unfeeling gaze. "But...I am the wrong person to answer that." She wasn't feeling anything right now, she wasn’t letting it in. Her emotions were completely numb. "You left me alone for so long." Alice felt her eyelids droop slowly. She felt so tired all of a sudden as she fell back against the bed seemingly unconscious. The Hatter looked over at her with a start as she fell back. He could feel something was wrong. When she felt this way the Naaxia grew stronger through her. But this was not an ordinary dream! An image came to her mind of a surreal version of her own room. The colors started to fade away and a deadly silence for what seemed like forever, then the scream of a creature... a big one.

The Hatter took her by the shoulders and shook her gently trying to rouse her, when he paused hearing a sound. He gasped and looked around the room as if he too heard the scream. "Alice!" One last small shake and she opened her eyes slowly. The girl shook her head and found herself back in her cold boring room. She looked up at his face, confused.

"Sorry." She whispered. This was happening too often in these days.

The Hatter fell silent as he stared at her. So the Naaxia wasn’t satisfied with killing this poor girl on her own terms, she had to invade her dreams as well?! The same dreams Alice had once used to visit his very own tea party so long ago? No! This cannot be permitted to continue! It was then he knew what he had to do. "Alice.." He reached over taking up her hands again. "You mustn’t despair...I’m here now. And as long as you want me to be I’ll remain here, with you." He sighed since he had just signed his own death warrant. But he knew now where his place was. At her side. It was then the dresser by the wall shook as an echo of sheer hatred made the mirror ripple. He knew the Naaxia had heard him...and was angry. But he didn’t care. If he was to die, he would die protecting the one that meant the most to him. He looked back at her and smiled. "Your nightmares are indeed frightening. But from now on I’ll be here when you wake." He held her hands tighter. The cat sleeping on the bed grinned a little in his sleep as it snored. He knew the Hatter would come around..sooner or later.

Description
Will you, Wont you..

The Cheshire Cat had reappeared far down the path and away from the dark goings on back at the Mad Hatters house. He still had Alice hanging from her apron strings between his large grinning teeth. Alice didn't know what to say to this. To be honest she didn't really know how she felt. "I... " She poked the grass with the tip of her boot, looking down with confusion. "I know he's not as bad as he acts so..." She sighed and remembered her little kiss on his cheek. Touching her lips with the tip of her fingers, the Goth remembered how warm it felt. "He didn't really mean to hurt me." Looking up at the Cheshire’s eyes, she wished the cat would understand her words. The cat paused for a moment and then leaned down and deposited her on a nearby toadstool and took a seat in front of her.

"Things are not always as they seem, and yet they can be if given the chance.” He said with his usual cat like logic that only he seems to know what it means at the time. "It would be better if you returned home." He grinned as his tail swished. Alice didn't have very many friends, and she wasn't going to give up on the only ones she did have. She didn't want to be alone anymore.

"He may be mad, but I don’t want to just forget about him." She gave a little smile; confession never seemed this difficult before. Then she nodded, sighing. "We should find the right herb to bring me back to normal. Auntie shouldn't see me like this.”

The Cat stared at her and didn’t understand the attachment himself. Humans always base too much on it. Cats were so much more refined and civilized as far as he was concerned. "Very well. But my words still hold fast. He cannot travel through to your world unless you will it. Use it wisely though...it’s only good once.." The cat grinned more. "The toadstool you are on. One side will make you bigger. The other will make you smaller."

Alice felt relieved with the cat's words. So it was up to her if the Hatter visited her again. Looking down at the toadstool, she knelt down and took a handful of the fleshy fungus. She remembered the Caterpillar giving her the same advice once. Taking a bite and it felt a bit sweet on her tongue. Things started to look smaller, but it was only her growing up back to normal. Flicking the dark hair back from her face, Alice stood up and looked down at her body. It was nice to be tall again. If the cat hadn’t shown up when he did to rescue her, she'd probably still be little and in the Hatter's house. "Thank you." She said as the Cat grinned wider.

"Well done. Though you may want to hold on to it. It might come in handy in the future." He said with a purr and stood up as his large earring dangled in the light. The portal to her world opened like a whirlpool of light in front of them as the feline jumped in ahead of her. Alice nodded and picked up the rest of the toadstool and stuffed it into her apron's pocket. The dark haired girl then stepped up into the portal and left Wonderland behind. She soon found herself standing in front of her dresser again in her cold white room. The Cheshire had vanished and in its place sat the small gray cat as it sat on her bed and licked its paw. From a glance one could never tell that this was not an ordinary feline. The sun had already gone down as a few stars had emerged. Her bedtime was already passed and Alice was tired after a long day with the Hatter. And auntie could come to check on her at any time now. Reaching to her closet, she changed her clothes and got into her bed. Her rug bunny plush was in her arms, a cold expression on her sleepy face; Alice quickly fell asleep.

A couple of hours passed as the small gray cat slept on her feet above the covers, when a light flooded the room for a moment. The mirror above her dresser shook a little as a green face appeared in its reflection on the wrong side. "..She’s asleep..." The Hat maker said to himself as he stood between worlds. A strange pressure in his chest made it a bit hard to breathe as he watched her snooze. He wasn’t sure if he could go through with this. But he had to. The Naaxia already had her suspicions that he helped Alice once. If he were ever to be found out, oh if he were to be found out. He didn’t want to even think about it! The dragon’s wrath was much more severe than the Queen’s ever was. He knew he had to get back in that room and somehow convince Alice to return to Wonderland..and then..deliver her into the claws of that...monster. He sighed heavily and drummed his fingers in front of him as he gazed in on her sleeping form. A hand went up to his cheek for a moment. He was torn between his growing heart and his love for his own self-preservation. Part of him wished shed turn him away; never let him come near her again. But there was another part of him that had to be near her...ever since she kissed him. He took in a deep breath and fixed his wrinkled black vest for a moment, as if trying to stall. Then his gloved hand tapped lightly on his side of the looking glass.

Her sleep was never heavy. Quite the opposite, she was able to wake up with a single sound. Alice hated sleep because all she saw were nightmares and bad memories she tried to forget. Her green eyes flew open, as she pushed herself on her elbows to see where the sound was coming from. When she saw the image on the mirror, she wasn't surprised... even a bit. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she whispered quietly. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

The Mad Hatter smiled a little placing his hand on the mirror but it remained solid. "Oh is it late? My watch must be running a day behind..." He coughed a bit and seemed a little shaken for some reason. "I uh...see you returned to your right size then?"

The bunny plush was still in her arms as the gothic girl watched the Hatter with a great coldness. He needed to apologize to her first. What he did was quite rude. She could believe he was a nice guy, but he owed her an apology. "Yes, I did." She remained silent, sitting under the covers and glaring at him with an icy look. The cat didn’t stir but a yellow eye opened for a few moments starting at the mirror, before closing again.

The Hatter nodded as he scratched the top of his other hand for a moment. This was more awkward then he thought it was going to be. "Good..good good...So...Were you sleeping?"

Alice hugged her plush tighter, crossing her arms over it. "Don't you have anything to say me?" She raised a brow emotionlessly. "And it's rude of you to visit my bedroom without even a knock at this hour. So you owe me more." She was whispering so auntie would never hear her.

The Hatter stared at her. She wanted an apology!? His nose wrinkled a little. He never had to apologize for anything in his life. And being as mad as he was he was never expected to. But she apparently wanted one… The Hatter bit his lower lip and was about to say something about how rude "she" had been as well when he paused. He still had to get into that room…. A somewhat fake grin came over his face as he removed his hat from his head, and spoke in the most suave voice he could muster. "Dear Alice. I apologize for my actions, and for this rude disturbance." He tapped on the glass as it shook slightly. "It was wrong of me. And if you no longer wish to see me, then I understand." He grinned wide and took a step back and bowed. Green eyes were closed for a second, favoring each word he said. Though she wasn’t completely sure he meant it all, but it was most likely all she was going to get.

"Your apology is accepted." She sighed and looked at his yellow eyes from the distance. Not suspicious of anything, she leant back to the headboard of her bed. "You may come in." She didn't want him to go away for some reason. The Hatter smiled but a glint of sadness came into his eyes. His hand pushed into the mirror as it rippled, its solid surface gave way and soon he was able to emerge completely. After a few moments he stood up on the hardwood floor of her room once more. Alice didn't move out from her bed. She only pulled her knees to her chest, still resting her back to the headboard, hugging her plush like a little girl. Her face was finally free from the heavy, dark make-up. Her nightwear was white as was her aunt's choice. "Don't you ever sleep?" She asked curiously to the Mad Hatter.

The clockwork man kept his eyes down as he stood near her dresser. The only light in the room was a small oil lamp near her bed that gave off just enough illumination to see his tall thin outline. It was only when the room went silent for a few moments did he look up. "Hmm?...Oh.. No..I don’t need to really." He sat back up on the dresser with his hands closed in front of him. His eyes shifted away again as he tried to fight back the knot in his stomach. But the more he thought about it the worse the knot became.

The young woman's green eyes were watching the man in her room carefully. The room was dark and cold as usual, but at least she wasn't alone. The Cheshire cat and the Mad Hatter were here with her. So she didn't need to worry about anything... right? "I never liked sleeping much." Blinking a few times to see the Hatter more clearly, Alice gave up and sighed. "I cannot see you in this dark. Why don't you come closer?" The hat maker paused and looked over his shoulder at the mirror above the dresser and abruptly turned it over on its hinge. He then stood up placing his hat back on his brow and walking towards her slowly. The upper half of his face remained in shadow but the rest of him came into the light of the oil lamp. Only his eyes could be seen and they had the reflection of deep sorrow. Alice looked up at him and tilted her head. She had never seen the Hatter with such an expression. He had the look of a puppy caught in the rain. Was he really sad? Or was he faking it like he did in the end of their little fight so shed give him more attention? Alice would never be sure about this. "Lost your tea?" She gave a cold smirk as she watched him coming closer. It was difficult to believe this man could be sad.

As she spoke he looked down at her and smirked. "Oh..No..But that would be reason enough to be downhearted." That made Alice roll her eyes with annoyance. She hadn't even taken a single sip from that damned tea. In her opinion, it should taste like heaven. Why wasn't he allowing her to taste it? But then she guessed that it was all part of the game they played wasn’t it? The Hatter went silent once more; his hands came up to his chest as he poked his fingers together. He so wanted to tell her what was happening, to warn her somehow. But the Naaxia had eyes and ears everywhere it seemed. He sighed and leaned against the post of her bed corner with his shoulder, the gear on his back making a soft ticking sound in the dark.

Emerald eyes found his face again. Alice could be blind to many things, but she always knew when something was wrong with him at least. A great urge to ask him passed through her mind, but she couldn't do it. "Where are your faithful friends who never left your tea-party?" She asked out of curiosity.

The Hatters face fell as he looked down a little. A hand came up and rubbed the back of his head as he took a seat at the end of her mattress. "We..are not on speaking terms..anymore.." The Naaxia had made sure of that as the knot in his midsection was growing by leaps and bounds now.

Alice gave a sigh and moved towards him on the bed, pushing the covers off from herself. Perhaps his stinginess finally drove the poor Dormouse and March Hare away. Served him right. Her nightwear was plain white and fell down around her ankles. It was boring and cold. Suited her aunt's style so well. She moved until she was now sitting next to the green skinned man, her plush followed her. "Isn't it cold here? A cup of tea would be good." She whispered into his ear softly, trying to use her unknown charm to make him do what she wanted.

The Hatter stared ahead for a few moments before his eyes shifted towards her. He could feel his gear skip a tine or two. Her white flowing nightgown made her look rather...pretty. He could feel her shoulder against his as he swallowed making the gaudy purple bow tie bob a little. "Yes. Rather cold...." He looked back at the mirror and felt all the more wretched. "But I’m afraid I didn’t bring any with me...heh.." He said feeling a drop of sweat roll down his face, even though the room was chilled.

Another sigh escaped from her lips, but then she saw the sweat drop rolling down his forehead. Alice gasped and placed her hands on his shoulders looking at him closer. Something was certainly wrong with her old friend. Giving her bunny plush to him, she poked his hat with a finger moving it back a little. "Are you sick?" An eyebrow was raised curiously as she slapped her palm against his forehead. "You're not hot at least, so there’s no danger of a fever."

His black-rimmed eyes widened as she looked into them, and more so when she stuffed the bunny into his hands. With his green complexion he always appeared slightly sick so how could anyone tell by looking? But she seemed to be asking him anyway out of real concern. The same concern she showed him during the fight when her blade had hit him. And when she...she kissed him. He swallowed again and took her hands from off his shoulders and held them down towards the bed. "I.. I’m not sick..." He felt like crawling under the nearest butter dish to curl up and die. "I’m fine. r-Right as rain.." He said giving her a smile, albeit a false one. "Don’t worry over me...really.."

She looked down at their hands with cold eyes. Not giving any more replies, she huffed and pulled away from him. She snatched back her bunny and moved back to the headboard. Alice hid her body, pulling the covers up to her shoulders. She wasn't worried about him anyways! If he didn’t want to tell her what was wrong, then that was his business! Remaining silent, the young woman looked away from the Hatter. "You changed too much." She whispered. "I don't know if I like it or not." The madman stared at her for a moment and smiled a little.

"I am what you made me." He said and reached up taking his hat off, his dark blond hair fell almost covering his eyes.

Alice looked up at him and then gave a small ‘humph’ before stuffing her head under her pillow. After a long seemingly unending pause she suddenly threw the covers off and jumped at her feet. Dragging her plush with her, she approached the Hatter. With a quick motion she grabbed his overgrown bow tie and pulled him to his feet with a strong tug, looking directly into his eyes. She didn't say a word, but continued staring at him with a deadly glare.

The Hatter made a slight grunt and stood frozen and half bent over as his arms hung down at his sides. "...Alice?" Her face was as cold as this house, and it stayed cold. No answers came from her. She kept staring him in the eye. Her other hand which was holding the bunny plush now reached for his face, a finger poking him on the forehead. After a few minutes of silence, she let him go, but still stood very close to him in her ghostly nighty.

The Hatter blinked as his eyes crossed when she poked him. After a few moments more he looked down at her face, untouched by her usual dark makeup. His expression softened and his concern faded as a gloved hand came up and brushed a few strands of hair out of her eyes. She looked rather ethereal standing there in her white gown. Her eyes kept open even when he reached for her hair. She was a strange woman and that fact would never change for sure. But she admitted it felt nice to have his touch. But she showed no sign of what she was feeling. Alice lowered her face; the oil-lamp light was dancing on her pale skin, painting her a reddish yellow. Her hair shined in the different shadows it was casting around her. Successfully hiding her blushing cheeks. Yes, even under that cold expression, she was blushing like mad. And for what? For the Hatter? This was ridiculous. Alice was better than that. The young girl looked up at his face once more, then turned back to her bed slowly and sat down. Giving a small sigh she brought her knees up to her chest under the nightgown.

"You are not what I made. Or I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

The Madman watched her and grinned a little more. "Oh?...I think you do.." He sat down on the bed next to her once more. "Feelings aren’t easy to describe sometimes." He whispered. "But here I am. And whatever part of you that created me must have a reason for it.." He looked down at her. "..Haven’t you ever felt that we...." His voice trailed off a bit..."We...are..uhm.." He rubbed his neck. He knew from the beginning they had a connection. But were they still connected? Or maybe she was right, maybe he had changed too much. Perhaps the corruption that twisted him before had not gone away completely. And now...he had made a deal to turn her over to that...thing. Maybe he was no better than the Naaxia?

Alice didn't even look at him, fearing he’d realize she was blushing. She wished her make-up was still on her face now, so she could cover it up. With the side of her eyes, she glanced at the Hatter.

"Perhaps we used to have a strong bound." Her face fell and shifted into a cold and unfeeling gaze. "But...I am the wrong person to answer that." She wasn't feeling anything right now, she wasn’t letting it in. Her emotions were completely numb. "You left me alone for so long." Alice felt her eyelids droop slowly. She felt so tired all of a sudden as she fell back against the bed seemingly unconscious. The Hatter looked over at her with a start as she fell back. He could feel something was wrong. When she felt this way the Naaxia grew stronger through her. But this was not an ordinary dream! An image came to her mind of a surreal version of her own room. The colors started to fade away and a deadly silence for what seemed like forever, then the scream of a creature... a big one.

The Hatter took her by the shoulders and shook her gently trying to rouse her, when he paused hearing a sound. He gasped and looked around the room as if he too heard the scream. "Alice!" One last small shake and she opened her eyes slowly. The girl shook her head and found herself back in her cold boring room. She looked up at his face, confused.

"Sorry." She whispered. This was happening too often in these days.

The Hatter fell silent as he stared at her. So the Naaxia wasn’t satisfied with killing this poor girl on her own terms, she had to invade her dreams as well?! The same dreams Alice had once used to visit his very own tea party so long ago? No! This cannot be permitted to continue! It was then he knew what he had to do. "Alice.." He reached over taking up her hands again. "You mustn’t despair...I’m here now. And as long as you want me to be I’ll remain here, with you." He sighed since he had just signed his own death warrant. But he knew now where his place was. At her side. It was then the dresser by the wall shook as an echo of sheer hatred made the mirror ripple. He knew the Naaxia had heard him...and was angry. But he didn’t care. If he was to die, he would die protecting the one that meant the most to him. He looked back at her and smiled. "Your nightmares are indeed frightening. But from now on I’ll be here when you wake." He held her hands tighter. The cat sleeping on the bed grinned a little in his sleep as it snored. He knew the Hatter would come around..sooner or later.