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Chapter Text

The wind blew gently across the moor, and the river babbled at her feet. The whispering willows dipped their arms into the water, and the clouds moved peacefully through the sunny sky. It was such a perfect day, the most perfect in weeks. It allowed her to still her mind for just a moment, and pretend that she was truly happy. Just pretend. Just for a moment. She spread her hands on the cotton picnic rug beneath her, breathing in the sent of daisies on the breeze, feeling the soft ripples of fabric beneath her fingers. Her pink hair swayed in the wind, much to her brothers' delight.

"You look like a princess!" cried the younger of the pair, thirteen-year-old Jimmy, his blonde hair and blue eyes making him the angel of the group 

"It's beautiful! You look like you're from a fantasy novel!" remarked fifteen-year-old Scar, his face creased in a smile as he brushed his chocolate-brown fringe out of his green eyes.

She laughed, her eyes twinkling faintly.

"It's my main character moment!" she chuckled, and Scar rolled his eyes lightly. 

"Seriously though Lizzie, you do look wonderful!" added Jimmy solemnly, and Lizzie smiled brighter, tilting her head to watch the whispering willows.

"Thank you," she replied softly.

They sat there for awhile, eating their sandwiches and watching the clouds go by. There was no rush - Lizzie had taken the entire day off work for this trip. She was trying to keep the boys together, and through doing that, she hoped that she wouldn't break either. 

After a while longer, the boys began to get restless. Jimmy had made three daisy crowns already and had run out of heads to put them on. Scar was picking blades of grass and tying them into knots, before throwing them away into the breeze. But Lizzie had planned for this. She handed the boys an old-fashioned basket and pointed them in the direction of the woods. 

"Go pick some berries. It's the perfect time, they'll be ripe. Text me if you need me, and have fun, alright?" Jimmy nodded eagerly, and Scar smiled, tapping the pocket with his phone as a reassurance.

Twenty-year-old Lizzie waved as they walked off over the moor, the basket swinging from Jimmy's arm. She sighed deeply, laying on her back on the picnic rug, her hair fanned out behind her head. Watching as the clouds drifted on by, she bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that came anyways. They trickled down her cheeks gently, before growing into a waterfall onto her neck. She was sobbing, her blue-green eyes rimmed with red. Everything was broken. Everything. And she couldn't fix it. 

After her sobs subsided, she pushed herself into a sitting position, drawing her sleeve across her face. Her breaths were shaky as she tried to calm herself down. The boys couldn't see her like this. She wouldn't let them. The willow tree seemed to wave at her in the wind, and she closed her eyes, trying to relax, trying to fool herself.

"Everything is fine," she whispered. "Everything is fine." 

As soon as she said those words, a sudden wave of dizziness over came her, and she leant forward, grasping at the sides of her head as if to ground herself. The world seemed to spin, nothing would stay still. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, waiting for it to pass. When it finally did, she raised her head and opened her eyes, incredibly confused. That had never happened before. 

Suddenly, a blur of white dashed through the grass in front of her, before stopping in the grass. It was about the hight of her knee, it's fur pearly white with a hint of black and... gold? Lizzie squinted her eyes at the thing, and smiled as she saw long, stuck up ears. A rabbit. Of course. And a brave one too, to have come bounding out in broad daylight with humans around. But as she looked closer, the weirder it got.

I'm hallucinating, she thought, her frown deepening as she stared at the creature. First the dizziness and now this. 

For the rabbit she saw did not have bands of colour around it's chest, it wore a waistcoat, black trimmed in gold. It held a pocket watch in its hand, staring at it with utter dismay. And over it's eye was a monocle... yes, a monocle. 

Lizzie blinked furiously, trying to make sense of what she saw. But no matter how much she rubbed her eyes and shook her head, the 'hallucination' remained. Just as she was about to approach the rabbit, it sighed in dismay. Actually sighed, before exclaiming:

"I'm going to be late, I'm going to be late!" 

and running off towards the base of the nearest willow tree. Lizzie was on her feet suddenly, walking cautiously towards the willow tree. As she got closer, she called out at it.

"Excuse me, but where are you going?" 

The strange rabbit didn't seem to notice her; it just continued to rush towards the willow tree, mumbling distastefully as it went, before jumping into a rather large rabbit hole at the base of the tree. 

Lizzie stood before the hole for a moment, wondering if she was going mad. But then, upon impulse, she lifted up her skirt slightly and placed a foot in the rabbit hole. When satisfied that it was nothing more than a rabbit hole, she gently placed her other foot into the earth.

Her vision blurred suddenly, and the world collapsed beneath her. 

She was falling.

Down...

down...

down...

down. 

Until she landed in a heap on a grassy floor, blinking the blur from her eyes. A young man dressed in a pastel suit and hat looked up from his tea with a frown, and came to help her up, but Lizzie was already on her feet.

"Where..?" she said to herself, before her eyes landed on the man infront of her. "Who..?" 

He just smiled and waved, before looking at her closely, taking express interest in her hair. Lizzie brushed her hair over her shoulders self-consciously, before turned to the man who held his hand out for her to shake.

"I'm the Hatter," he said with a wink. "The Mad Hatter. I'm not really mad. Well, I guess you can decide that for yourself." 

Lizzie nodded slowly.

"I'm..." she started, but the Hatter cut her off.

"Alice," he filled in. "You look like an Alice." Lizzie frowned.

"No, I..." 

The Hatter just laughed. 

"Names don't matter in Wonderland anyways!"

"Excuse me, where?"

"Wonderland, Alice. You're in Wonderland. And everything is fine."

Chapter Text

"Where exactly is Wonderland?" she asked with a tilt of her head. The Hatter just shrugged.

"Who knows? Wonderland is here and here is Wonderland."

"That... doesn't make any sense."

"Exactly!" 

Lizzie shook her head slightly, staring around at where she'd landed. It was field, not unlike the moor she was in only minutes ago, but there was no stream here. It was just a seemingly empty expanse of grass and wildflowers. The Hatter sat back down in his velvet armchair, shuffling cards on his mahogany table. His velvet armchair and mahogany table, in the middle of a meadow. It was all rather odd.

He continued shuffling cards, smiling at Lizzie every few seconds, before clearing his throat.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Care for a seat?" he offered

"There is no seat!"

"Isn't there?"

Lizzie looked at the table again and her eyes widened, for now there were two armchairs instead of one. The Hatter gestured to the empty chair. 

"Care for a seat?" he said again, and Lizzie sighed, placing a hand on the soft velvet and sitting down. He smiled brighter when she did, placing the cards down in a neat stack and sipping his tea.

"Tea?" he asked her, offering her an empty hand.

"What?"

"Do you want tea?" he asked again, waving a small sky-blue porcelain tea pot in front of her face, a pot which she swore wasn't there before. 

"I don't have a cup," she replied apologetically, to which the Hatter looked pointedly at her hand. She too looked, just to find her hand wrapped perfectly around the handle of a small yellow china cup. Shocked, she held out the cup, and the Hatter filled it high with a amber-brown tea. 

She lifted the rim to her lips and smiled at the sweet taste that filled her mouth. The Hatter sighed with satisfaction, before placing his cup down lightly and interlacing his fingers on the table.

"So, Alice..."

"I'm-"

"What brings you to Wonderland?" 

"I didn't mean to-"

"Of course you did, Alice! Everyone comes to Wonderland for the same thing!" Lizzie raised her eyebrows.

"Why did you ask me then?" 

He looked away, and she swore she saw something like fear fill his eyes for a moment, before vanishing back into the silence.

"What's your name?" Lizzie asked.

"Huh?"

"Your name?" she repeated. 

"I'm just the Hatter," he replied with a shrug, spreading the cards out across the table. "How long are you staying for?" he asked, and Lizzie shrugged.

"I wasn't even planning to come!" she replied desperately, and the Hatter tilted his head, a single lock of green falling out from the rim on his hat. Lizzie moved her gaze to the clouds, hoping that he wouldn't see the tears that filled her eyes. 

The Hatter smiled softly, placing a hand on hers across the table. She turned to him with a watery smile, before he gestured to the cards laid before her. 

"Pick 3," he said calmly, and Lizzie obeyed, swiftly drawing three cards from the spread, but leaving them upside down on the table. The Hatter placed a finger on one, turning it over.

"Temperance," he read clearly. Lizzie looked on, confused.

"Tarot cards?" she whispered, but the Hatter placed a finger to his lips.

"Temperance," he repeated. "You will find meaning. Purpose."

He turned over the second card.

"The star," he read. "Have faith and hope. Don't be discouraged." 

Lizzie nodded, trying to find the meaning in what she believed a meaningless activity.

He pulled the last card with quick grace.

"Judgement. You will achieve your awakening." 

With a flick of his wrist he compiled the cards once more, leaving them in a stack on the table. Lizzie's eyes locked onto his, unsure. The Hatter just shrugged.

"Just a little party trick. I thought it might help you," he explained, and Lizzie sighed.

"The only thing that would help me right now is to go home," she replied, her voice thick with tears.

The hatter looked at her pityingly, before standing up, adjusting his hat and brushing off his pastel trousers. He moved gracefully around the table, holding out a hand to Lizzie, which she took with a sniff. 

"Come on, Alice," he said as she stood up. "Let me take you for a walk." 

Lizzie followed his lead, as he lead her across the field and into the woods. She turned to look at the table and chairs, just left there alone.

"What about all that?" she asked, gesturing.

"Don't worry about that," he said as he strode forwards, leading her on.

They came first to a second field, this one full of sunflowers. A wooden bench stood lonely in the centre, but there was a fresh path to it, as if someone had been there recently. It was bright, happy almost, if it wasn't for the loneliness that filled Lizzie's heart as she looked out across the yellow flowers. The Hatter watched her with curious eyes as she marveled at the scene, before placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her away.

They walked through woodland again, until they came to a magnificent clearing. Mountains rose up before them, and a river snaked it's why through the valley below. There were a few strange little houses in the sides of the valley, but Lizzie brushed it off. It was hardly strange compared to everything she'd seen. And right there, in the shadow of the mountain, stood a beautiful red and white castle, like roses, or hearts.

The Hatter grabbed Lizzie's shoulders suddenly, looking deep into her eyes. She flinched at the sudden movement, her eyes widening as she stared into the deep brown of his. 

"Promise me," he said almost desperately, "that you go nowhere near that castle."

"Why?"

"Just promise!" he cried, and Lizzie backed off, suddenly scared of this strange man and his hat. 

"Okay, fine, whatever," she replied, her voice shaking slightly. "I promise!"

The Hatter smiled, a sickly sweet thing that didn't quite reach his eyes. 

"Thank you, Alice," he said with an edge of true thankfulness, before gently leading her out of the clearing and back into the forest. 

Lizzie, shaken by the sudden aggression, followed the Hatter back into the forest. It was a peaceful, calm place, with red mushrooms and dewdrop leaves. The Hatter led her through a well trodden path towards a small collection of treehouses. Lizzie looked at them all, smiling at their cute painted doors and quartered windows. They were tall buildings with arched roofs, colourful and quaint, with rope bridges connecting them all like a second path.

"Who lives here?" she asked, noticing that the doors were of varying hight, the houses of varying size. Most looked like they could house a human, but some were way to small for someone of her stature. The Hatter just shrugged.

"It depends who has the need to," he replied. "A few full time residents, like myself and a few pixies, but you'd be surprised how many visitors we get here in Wonderland." 

Lizzie nodded with a small frown.

"Why are you with me then? Don't you have other people to take care of?"

The Hatter looked off towards the nearest human-sized treehouse and pulled a large metal key from his coat pocket, completely avoiding the question. 

"I asked you a question," Lizzie stated blandly, and the Hatter looked at her carefully, before turning away and fiddling with the twisted key and lock.

"Does that mean I have to answer it?" he replied simply.

The door, painted a fern green, swung open, and the smell of fresh bread and cookies rushed out to greet them. The Hatter stepped in first, hanging his coat on a hook on the wall, but leaving his hat on his head. Lizzie followed him in, her eyes scanning the room for anything particularly interesting or, perhaps, dangerous.

"That's usually polite, yes," Lizzie said, her frown deepening. "If someone asks you a question then you're supposed to answer it."

The Hatter lead walked into a open room, a small fire crackling in the hearth. Lizzie rushed in behind him, and he sat onto an armchair not unlike his other one that he had left in the field. Lizzie perched gently on the edge of a large sofa, trying not to get to comfortable in this new place. The Hatter sighed.

"Alice, just because you asked a question doesn't mean I'm complied to answer it," he replied. "In fact," he added with a small grin. "It's rather self-important to think that you do."

Lizzie scowled, her hands tensing in her lap. The Hatter tried to backtrack, his hands flapping slightly as he spoke.

"Not that I think you're self important, I- it was just an example!" he rushed, flinching slightly as he spoke, but Lizzie just scoffed.

"Tea?" he offered sheepishly. Lizzie shook her head.

"No, thank you." 

They sat there in awkward for what seemed like forever. 

"I don't even know your name," Lizzie said, almost coldly. The Hatter sighed, sounding almost tired.

"I know. It's better that way."

"Better for who?"

"Names don't matter in Wonderland."