Take My Hand (Rewritten)

chapter 10

"Alice! What a pleasant surprise, truly at the best moment. You have no idea how glad I am to see you and ne tha' wretched cat or bloody doormouse-" Alice grabbed his face to calm him down as his voice had changed, once again his Scottish brogue shown through and his emerald eyes flamed orange, it all faded once Alice caught hold of him.

"Hey what ever is the matter? If something is wrong you can tell me Tarrant." Alice's voice was soft and sweet and barely louder than a whisper, but enriched with concern for the love of her life, she'd just never admitted those feelings to anyone other than the two queens. Yet.

A big smile appeared on Tarrant's face and his eye newly restored to green melted into a soft purple, then a dark, rich and bold purple, and Alice felt as if it was her sworn duty to find out why.

"Oh, Alice! You don't have to pick me up when I fall...." "No.... But I want to and..... You picked me up when I fell. Literally." She managed to pull a weak smile out of him. "So what's bothering the maddest Hatter of them all," she laughed. "Well the bloody cat pops up out of nowhere all the time and it gets annoying but I can deal with that..... But Mallyumkin blew me over the edge today.." "What did she do, and do not tell me that it does not matter. Because if it didn't matter it would something like missing tea or just being late for it. But this bothering you..... And I want to help....." There was along pause before Tarrant answered. "Mally was extremely rude about someone I really care about perhaps even love, but I doubt that she loves me back. She is amazing loved by all of Underland and would do anything for any of its inhabitants, even me..... And nothing like her and don't deserve-" Alice had to cut him off because what he was saying broke her heart. "Tarrant you deserve any woman that you truly love, even her, okay and from what your say it sounds like you haven't told her. And from what you are describing, she sounds like nothing compared to you because you have done so much for Underland, you nearly got beheaded, I know your sentencer was crazy and not in a good way at the the time. But you made sure to save so many people from the dungeons that day. And if this girl doesn't even recognize that well she doesn't deserve your attention or your thoughts, okay?" Tarrant just smiled up at her. Gold flicking through the purple in his eyes. "But she does and I know now that she truly loves me. Alice since this morning I have been trying to figure out how to find her on her own for a single second, let alone long enough to tell her how I feel. Then what would I say to her after I have found her, but now I know what I have to say." Alice gave him a sad smile, she was glad that she could help an old friend, she was just sad that's all he'd ever be, a friend.
But the hatter didn't lose her attention for he continued with this, "then she just happened to wander up to me, all alone and just when I needed her the most." She looked up at him, in shock. "I love you Alice Kingsley. With all my heart." The Champion of Underland was lost for words and happy tears flooded her caramel eyes. "I love you too, Tarrant Hightopp!" With that they leaned in and kiss one another passionately.

A hundred meters away the queens, Chess and Mally watched from a distance. "Sorry we had to cause an argument between you and Tarrant, Mallyumkin-" Irasebeth began but Mally cut her off. "No your majesty, Tarrant and Alice deserve to be happy. Together."