Once Again : Part 1 : Home In Wondeland

Part 11 : Birthday

Hatter and Piper were planning something, something big for Alice. It was her birthday soon, and they wanted to surprise her, well, Hatter did, Piper was helping. Piper got the white queen to let Alice stay in the palace for the next 3 days, so that Hatter and him could set up a party at Hatter's home with the others. Although Alice was confused, she didn't question the two. Alice laughed whenever she thought about how close to brothers they were. They were always so playful, and were always laughing together, or talking(Minus the times Piper growled at Hatter for touching his tail).
Hatter was in charge of: Baking, cooking, balloons(For some reason), and drinks(Other than wine). Piper was in charge of: Decor(Other than balloons), wine(Of course), food ingredients, and writing all the invitations. Once he wrote all the invites, Piper let Hatter ride on his back(In animal form), and took all the letters to everyone.
One day from Alice's big day, and they all were trying their best to keep the secret. THackery most of all. In his conditions, it was hard to not blurt out most of your sentences. Alice wasn't trying to find out the secret, but everyone was so quiet, and she felt uncomfortable. Hatter was deep in thought, as if he couldn't decide what ribbon to use for a hat.
"Hatter?" Alice asked. Hatter flinched, but didn't move. "Hatter?" She asked again. Nothing. "HATTER?" She got frustrated and resorted to shaking his shoulder. "HATTER!" Hatter looked at Alice, breathing again.
"Yes?" He asked simply. "Can I help you Alice? Or not?" He was acting normal now. Alice laughed.
"Has something happened?" Alice asked softly. "Has Iracebeth turned evil again? You seem... space-e..."
"Oh, no no no, not at all, not even half, nor a quarter. Everything is fine with Ms. Iracebeth, and I have never been to space so I find it hard to see how I'm space-e." Alice laughed, he was fine, acting normal, silly, always asking the oddest questions, and saying the oddest things.
"Maybe he was just thinking." Alice thought.
The next morning, Alice had had it. She was done playing the guessing game with Hatter, and Piper, and everyone else. She stormed herself to Hatter's house, and reached for the door no, but the door opened itself. It was Hatter, he was blocking the entire doorway.
"Hello Alice!" He cheered nervously. "I wanted to talk to you about... something." Alice raised an eyebrow as Hatter closed the door, and put his arm around her shoulder, and began walking away from his house. "We always say we're doing 'something'; but what exactly does that mean?" Alice moved to look at Hatter face-to-face.
"Hatter, I can tell that you're distracting me." Hatter gulped.
"Y-You can...?" Hatter's hands began to fidget.
"Yes, I may not know WHY, but I know that it's happening." Alice crossed her arms. Hatter was nearly shaking.
"Tarant!" Piper screamed running up to him. Piper tapped Hatter's shoulder twice, a sign of: 'It's fake'. "Fire!" Hatter flinched, and began running with Piper to Hatter's home. Alice started running a bit late, as the sound of a fire shocked her. Hatter and Piper ran inside but Alice didn't. She was usually so brave, why wouldn't she walk in? Alice heard Hatter scream painfully. That was it. With no hesitation, Alice opened the door and stepped inside.
"Surprise!" Everyone yelled. It was a surprise birthday for Alice.
"B-B-But you screamed..." She pointed at Hatter. "And it sounded like..."
"Fake." Hatter said simply. "Sorry if I scared you. I'm quite good with acting in a dramatic sense. I did tell Piper to find a reason to get you to the house at the right time, but I DIDN'T say almost give you a heart attack." Alice put her hand on Hatter's shoulder, and squeezed it. Hatter began mouthing "Ow", as Alice squeezed his shoulder too hard.
"Never. Again." She said, still catching her breath.
"I promise!" Hatter said, still in pain. Alice finally let his shoulder go, and Hatter stepped on Piper's tail for being the one to come up with the idea.
"Ow! Hey-!" Piper hugged his tail.
"Oh-! And let's not forget why we're here!" Hatter cheared. "It's your twenty first birthday!" Alice gasped.
"Is it already?" She asked. Alice began counting in her head.
"Yes." Hatter answered. "You... didn't know?" Alice smiled at Hatter.
"No," She mused. "But I do now." Piper walked around the house, seeing all the things that they had done for her. "Did you do all this?" She asked Hatter.
"Well, I got help of course, and Piper was in charge of the decor, not me. Everyone played a part." He said, smiling brightly. "Oh-! And come see this!" He grabbed Alice's hand, and ran her to the dining room. On the table was a nicely decorated blue and white chocolate cake. The cake was two tears, and had 21 candles on it.
"Did you make that?" Alice asked, looking at the cake. Hatter nodded. "Thank you..." Alice said. She couldn't process how much they actually put into this party for her.
"It's the least we could do for the one who saved all of Underland twice." Cheshire said, floating by.
"Chess." Alice said. "You're all too kind." Alice put her hand on Hatter's shoulder. He flinched. He could still feel how hard Alice held onto his shoulder earlier.
"I put up the streamers," Cheshire continued. "And helped poor Tarant with picking out the candles." Hatter sighed. Alice gasped jokingly.
"You needed HELP designing something? I'd have to see to believe it." They all started laughing.
"Well, every once-in-a-while." Hatter mused.
"Sure." Alice rolled her eyes, laughing still, putting her arm around Hatter's shoulders now.
Alice was sitting at the table in the dining room, chatting with Mally and Chess. Hatter was watching from his desk. Not moving, or even looking away. Just... Watching. Piper sat next to him.
"Jee Tarant, at least take your coat off, why are you so tense?" Hatter barilly flinched.
"I'm not tense." Hatter answered. "Just... thinking is all." The part that made Piper ask him was that Hatter didn't look sad at all, he was smiling.
Piper squinted at Hatter.
"You're watching her." Piper said, taking a sip from his drink. Hatter glanced at Piper. "You look like a creep..." Piper lifted an eyebrow. Hatter slipped his coat off of his arms, and put it on the back of his chair. He sighed.
"I'm... just thinking." Hatter argued. "I am not a creep."
"Tarant, you can't honestly sit here all day, can you?" Piper complained. "Get up, or i'll MAKE you." Hatter turned at Piper, and hung his head sideways.
"And how do you expect to do THAT?" Hatter joked. Piper grumbled, got up, and stood right in front of Hatter. Hatter didn't do anything but sit there waiting for Piper's "Master Plan". Suddenly Piper walked away. Nothing seemed wrong to Hatter at first, until he noticed where Piper was going. He was walking to Alice with Hatter's hat held by his tail. He must have been distracting Hatter.
"Oh-! Hello Piper. Can I help you?" Alice asked. Do note that Hatter hadn't moved from his spot, he began watching. Piper placed the hat on Alice's head, and walked away.
Alice began looking for Hatter from where she was sitting. After a while of looking around the room, her eyes met Hatter's. It took him a moment to realize what exactly just happened. He smiled at Alice trying to shift the moment from: "Alice caught me staring." to: "I was just smiling at my friend.".
"Hatter?" Alice asked, walking over to where he was sitting. "Should I ask why Piper brought me your hat?" Hatter sat up straight now. "Or should I ask why you're still sitting here?"
"I would prefer you ask about the hat." Hatter answered.
"Ok, so why DID Piper bring me your hat...?" Alice asked Hatter giving him his hat back.
"Piper says that I 'Haven't been enjoying myself'." Hatter said sarcastically. "I personally think I've been enjoying myself just fine." Hatter put his hat back on, sat back in his chair, crossed his arms, and closed his eyes seriously. Alice silently laughed.
"Oh, come on." Alice grabbed both of Hatter's hands and pulled him out of his chair. "You've been there since we got here." Alice put her hands on his shoulders and began shaking him. Hatter gave her a confused look when she stopped.
"You needed to be shaken a little." Alice shrugged. Hatter saw Piper smirking at him from the corner of his eye.
"Aye," Piper chuckled. "I told you."

-_&_-_&_-_&_-_&_-_&_-_&_-_{[(Later)]}_-_&_-_&_-_&_-_&_-_&_-

It was time for gifts, and Hatter planned on giving her his gift last. Alice received a charade of multiple different items that you could only ever dream of in the Overland, for example, a journal that answers your questions with it's honest opinion.
Hatter was hurrying to find the gift he'd been making. Alice was almost to the last present, and he was rapidly searching in his room. When he thought he might never find it, he remembered. Hatter climbed up in his closet, and grabbed a small box from the top shelf.
Hatter ran downstairs and placed the box on the table next to a couple of others. Alice opened the box and looked inside.
She pulled out a small necklace with a nice baby blue charm on it. Alice looked at Hatter, who looked like he had been walking all day.
"I'm guessing you made this..." Alice said, smiling at him.
"Why do you say that...?" He asked.
"You signed it." Alice answered looking at the back of the charm. It signed: From: Tarant Hightopp | To: Alice Kingliegh
The words were engraved into the metal.
"It's a little reminder," Hatter explained. "Just in case." Alice slightly forced her smile. She was sad that Hatter kept up this subject, this thought that Alice might leave. She needed a way to prove to him that she was really staying in Underland... but how?