𝟐 | 𝐈'𝐌 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐒 ♗ 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐤 ♝

𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛. 𝑛𝑜 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒

♝♗

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍:

𝑁 𝑂 𝑀 𝑂 𝑅 𝐸

          It was once said that Jax Hatter always lies.

          It's an unfortunate truth. Whether to his friends, his family, or to himself, he was never fully honest. Even when he told himself that Harry was the exception to that rule, he knew deep down it was just another bit of pretty words to convince himself and sleep through the night.

          There came a time when Jax Hatter didn't know what was true and what was not. Where he would wake and enjoy a calm breakfast with his boyfriend only for the next night to wake in an alley smelling worse than the dumpsters on the island. He remembered dances with Uma and swordfights with Gil. He remembered burning a late customer's house down and almost drowning another. Flashes of joyful smiles mixed with flashes of hateful snarls. There came a time when Jax Hatter didn't know what happened in between the flashes. There came a time when Jax Hatter didn't know himself.

          Ruby's face was filled to the brim with regret. Regret and guilt and sadness plagued her thoughts constantly. But not for the reasons Jax would believe, "Jax," she started, her voice soft and motherly like she was waining him off an incoming tantrum, "I am sorry that you had to go through that experience, that you were sent away from us and had to endure so much of it alone. But my dear friend, I didn't know," she shook her head as unspilled tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. "The day they took you was the day I started stretching my memory again. I wanted to make sure that what happened to you wouldn't come to pass to anyone ever again."

          She took a step forward to approach him, which was easy since he was stuck like a statue withholding his tears as well. Ruby pressed her hands to his cheeks and leaned in touch her forehead with his, "Oh my dear Hatter, you've suffered too much." She whispered.

          It took Jax a while to find his voice again, "I hate this place," He sounded rough and scratchy and it took him a long time to figure out what to say. But he knew one thing, he believed her. Ruby removed herself and stepped back a foot but remained in front of him. He had spoken aloud and so everyone paid attention to what he'd say next. Jax had been so fed up with everything that had happened since getting to this realm. It drove him to do a myriad of despicable things and pushed him past his limits more than once. And now here he was, paranoid and accusing his queen. Accusing a girl he'd known since he was a boy, a girl who was a great friend. "I hate this island. I hate that kingdom. I hate the people that lived there and did nothing to help us. I hate so many things and I don't want to hate anymore. I don't want to live like I have to watch my back or stay up for days to make plans so I'd be steps ahead of my enemies." He let out a heavy, pained sigh. "And I especially hate what this place has turned me into." He let out a breath that felt like it had been building up inside him for years. "Let's go home." The minute he said those words Ruby's face lit up with a sad smile instantly. "Let's go find Allie and go home."

          She nodded in response, agreeing with him. She wanted her people back on their own ground once more. She'd be back for revenge later. She knew she would.

          "Let's go home a-and walk through your mum's gardens and argue with the flowers. Let's get spooked by the bodiless smiles of the Cheshire cats. Let's get annoyed with that stupid caterpillar every time he smokes his ridiculous hookah pipe." That bit actually made some of the Wonderlanders grin and simultaneously almost made them weep at spoken memories of home. Jax took that moment to grab Ruby's hands in his to bring her attention to him directly, "I want to go to my father's shop and introduce him to my boyfriend. And the first big thing we all do together again will be to have a tea party at the March Hare's. Just like when we were little." Even though he was smiling, silent tears came out and not just from him. There was a part of his heart that just elevated at the thought of things finally being okay again. He could stop fighting and he could stop worrying and he could stop hating.