Hatter

Jack and I barely talked for the next few days. I didn't blame him for trying to avoid me, for I was in no hurry to speak to him. However, our constant silence did upset Alice. "How long do plan on ignoring him?" She asked me.

"I don't know."

"Well he's not going to start a conversation."

"Why does it bother you?"

"Because it's awkward to be in the same room with you two." She paused for a secant before adding: "And I know how the both of you feel."

"Just stop trying to play matchmaker." I said coldly. She looked a little hurt.

"I'm only trying to help."

"But I don't want you to help. Not with this." I was trying hard not to lash out at her.

"Ok, I'll stop, but only because I think that this is at the point where it'll work it self out."

What was that supposed to mean?


One day Alice had instructed us to repaint the sign above the inn. Neither of us were very good artists, but the sign was coming out alright. The paint bucket was balanced on the ladder, and Jack was standing directly under it. The bucket was shaking a little. "Jack, you might want to move", I said.

"What?" He said, not even looking up from the signs design that Alice had given him.

"The paint is going to-oh, never mind." At the moment I didn't care if he was splattered with the paint, I could use good laugh.

That was when the car pulled up. Not many people in the town owned cars, and those that did didn't drive them often. The car caught both Jack's and mine attention. He stepped out from under the ladder.

The front door to the car opened, and out stepped Alice, our Alice.

What was she doing here? How on Earth did she find this place? She just stood there. I couldn't move. My mind was racing. She was looking at Jack, maybe she hadn't noticed me.

I heard the paint bucket fall, but didn't even turn my head to look at the mess it had made. I heard a voice coming from the inn. "What was that?" Neither of us answered, "Please don't tell me that you spilt paint all over my porch."

She stuck her head out of the door, and only saw the paint. "Really? How do you manage to make a mess out of every job I give you?" She looked up and noticed the other Alice. "Hello", she said in a friendly tone. "Are you knew to town?"

I turned my head towards her and motioned for her to shut up. She got the message, but signaled for me to come inside. I didn't want to, but I didn't like that idea of staying out here either.

"Who is that?" She asked me once she had closed the door. My eyes didn't leave the small window that allowed me to still se Alice and Jack.

"That's Alice", I tried to keep the hate that I felt for the woman out of my voice.

"But", her eyes widened as she realized what I meant. "How did she get here?" I looked hard at the car and noticed that someone was in the passengers seat. Someone that I knew.

"Morris. We shouldn't have sent him to New York." The thought of him running into Alice had never crossed my mind. I was foolish not to consider it, the rabbit hole was in her apartment building after all.

It looked like Jack and her were speaking now. I both longed to and hoped that I would never had to know what they were saying. "I think that I need to sit down." I said as I ran from the room. I didn't stop running until I was alone in my room and had shut the door behind me.

I didn't want to have to look at her anymore.


Jack

Alice and I talked for a long time. It took a while to convince her that she wasn't insane and that I was real. It's hard to describe the conversation.

"I don't understand why you didn't try to say anything to me", she was talking about when I had come to New York.

"I just felt like I couldn't. You had your life, I shouldn't have even been there." That was all that I really could say on the subject.

When we were done talking she said that she needed to go. "Back to New York?" I didn't know why I was asking, where else would she go?

"I didn't tell anyone where I was going when I left. They'll probably be worried."

"By they you mean your husband." She looked a little guilty, but she nodded.

"I'm sorry, Jack."

"No, you should go." I didn't mean for my voice to come out as harsh as it did.

"Do you still...I mean in Wonderland..we..."

"No. You have a life here, and now so do I. If I haven't already ruined it." We where standing near her car.

"Thank you Jack", she gave my a kiss on the cheek, before pulling herself into the drives seat.

"Alice?"

"Yes?"

"Do you mind giving me a chance to speak to The March Hare?"

"Not at all." I saw her say something to him, then he pulled himself out of the car.

"What?" He asked me.

"When you get back to Wonderland, you are going to tell The Queen that Hatter is dead. If you don't I will kill you like I killed that man that you found." He swallowed nervously. "Do you understand?"

"Yes." He said quickly.

"Good." That was the first time that I had threatened someone like that, but I had to. I knew that if The Queen knew that Hatter was alive, she would send someone to get rid of her. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let anything happen to her.

Now I realized that I was in love with her. I had been since the day that she had almost been shot, maybe even since our arrival here. I needed to tell her this, even if she didn't feel that same way.


Hatter

I sat on the bed, alone in my room. Alice had nocked on the door once, but I had told her to go away. I didn't want to have to talk to anyone. I didn't even want to think.

Jack had said that he had moved on from Alice (please tell me that you know which on I'm talking about), but he could have only been saying that because he knew that he should move on. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Was that because he was surprised that she was here or because he still had feelings for her?

How couldn't he still have feelings for her. I used to think that I was all that she wished she was, but really I wished that I could be her. I wish I could have the hope that I had been unable to stamp out of her. I wished that I could have the love that she had in her life.

I didn't want to admit any of these things, but I knew that they were the truth. They had the power to slowly destroy me. I didn't want to have to see her again. Part of me still wanted to hurt her. To find someway to bring her down.

I pushed these thoughts out of my mind. I didn't want this. I didn't want to be my old self. I didn't want my life to centered around trying to hurt my other half. I wanted to let go and move on. I didn't want to have to think about her.

I heard a nock on the door. "I told you to go away!" I shouted.

"Hatter, it's me." Jack's voice came through the door. I didn't know if I wanted to talk to him or not. "Can I please come in?"

"Yes", I said before I could stop myself. He opened the door slowly.

"You ok?" His voice was full of concern. I nodded, but he could tell that I wasn't ok. "Can I talk to you?"

"Yes", he sat down next to me.

"Alice left. The March Hare told her where the town was, that's how she found it."

"Did she send him back to Wonderland?"

"When they get back she will." I sudden thought burst into my head.

"Jack, what if he tells The Queen about us?!" I tried not to sound afraid.

"It's ok. I took care of that." I raised an eyebrow.

"You did?"

"Yes." I wondered what Jack had said to Morris.

"So, you spoke to Alice."

"Yes I did."

"And?"

"She mainly needed to make sure that she wasn't crazy."

"Oh." We were both silent for a few secants.

"Hatter, there is something that I need to tell you." He looked a little uneasy.

"Ok", I wasn't sure what else to say.

"I'm not sure how I say this so I just will." I nodded. "I'm in love with you."

I was momentarily stunned. Did I hear him correctly? I tried to say something, anything, but my voice wouldn't work. "I've been in love with you ever since that day that you were almost shot, I just didn't fully understand it until now. I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I just needed to tell you."

"No", I managed to get out. "I do feel the same way." I willed myself not to cry, but this felt like a miracle. "I've felt the same way for the longest time!"

"Really?" I couldn't believe the way that he was looking at me, there was so much love and warmth in his eyes. He reached forward and took my hands in his. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"What was I supposed to say? You hated me at first."

"Please don't say that! don't remind me of how blind I was." I gave him a shy smile at these words.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is this moment." Was this really happening?
Jack pulled me into a tight embrace. That was when the dreaded tears came streaming from my eyes, but I didn't care. I didn't care that I was being so soft. Love isn't weakness, I realized that now.

I was where I never would have expected myself to be: in the arms of the man who I loved more than anything. Jack loved me! Someone like him actually loved someone like me.

We could hear someone nocking at the door, but neither of us moved to answer it. I didn't want to ever have to leave Jack's embrace. For once, my world was perfect.


This is the final chapter of A Twist of Fate!

I'm crently working on a sequel, but it probably won't be up for a few weeks.

Thanks to Scarlet Phlame and Madame Mayor for reviewing.

Thank you for reading, please R and R!