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“What do you mean, ‘moving him’?” Alice had a confused look on her face.

“I have people helping me.” Jack replied

Yeah, the Queen of Hearts! Hatter thought. “What people?” His teeth were clenched, and he could feel his anger rushing through his veins.

“Do you want to see him or not?” Jack completely ignored Hatter’s question, and kept his eyes glued on Alice.

“Yes, of course. Right. Wow.” Alice was completely overwhelmed. Hatter hadn’t heard Alice speak much about her dad, but he could tell that it must have been awhile since she’d seen him. Her reaction to the watch had been evidence enough of that. “Um, okay.”

All that considered, Hatter still felt shocked that she had so readily agreed. “Don’t tell me you trust this guy.”

She turned to face him, and, even in this tense moment, Hatter was struck by how beautiful she was to him. “He knows where my dad is.” Still, she seemed pretty naïve.

“He’ll say anything to get his hands on the ring!” Hatter insisted.

“No, he hasn’t asked for the ring. He doesn’t want the ring, do you Jack?” She looked over at the prince.

“Yes, I do.” He replied.

“You do?”

“It’s just all an act.” Hatter felt slightly vindicated, but his blood still boiled at the thought that Alice seemed to believe this obvious imposter.

“We need the ring to get you home. The Looking Glass won’t work without it.” Jack added.

Of course it won’t. Hatter turned away in exasperation.

“Yes, of course.”

Hatter’s heart ached at the resigned disappointment in Alice’s voice. But, he knew that if she went along with him, she would just get hurt again, and most likely killed afterward. He didn’t even want to think about how it would feel watching her ride away with the Prince.

“Don’t be fooled by this Alice.” Hatter urged her. “He’s working for his mother. Blood and water, you remember?”

“Then why am I alone?” Jack countered. “Why aren’t there 500 Suits at my back? And how do you think I found you here in the middle of the forest? Do you think I just followed my nose?”

Hatter took a few quick strides so that he was standing right next to Alice. “How did you find us?”

Jack’s eyes moved from Alice to Hatter, looking at him for the first time since Alice had stepped between them. “You sent for me.”

Hatter felt something drop into his stomach. He glanced at Alice, who looked just as confused as he felt. “Come again?”

“I’m the agent who’s supposed to escort you to Caterpillar.” Jack’s voice was low, and it seemed to carry some disappointment at the fact that they hadn’t figured this out on their own.

Description
“What do you mean, ‘moving him’?” Alice had a confused look on her face.

“I have people helping me.” Jack replied

Yeah, the Queen of Hearts! Hatter thought. “What people?” His teeth were clenched, and he could feel his anger rushing through his veins.

“Do you want to see him or not?” Jack completely ignored Hatter’s question, and kept his eyes glued on Alice.

“Yes, of course. Right. Wow.” Alice was completely overwhelmed. Hatter hadn’t heard Alice speak much about her dad, but he could tell that it must have been awhile since she’d seen him. Her reaction to the watch had been evidence enough of that. “Um, okay.”

All that considered, Hatter still felt shocked that she had so readily agreed. “Don’t tell me you trust this guy.”

She turned to face him, and, even in this tense moment, Hatter was struck by how beautiful she was to him. “He knows where my dad is.” Still, she seemed pretty naïve.

“He’ll say anything to get his hands on the ring!” Hatter insisted.

“No, he hasn’t asked for the ring. He doesn’t want the ring, do you Jack?” She looked over at the prince.

“Yes, I do.” He replied.

“You do?”

“It’s just all an act.” Hatter felt slightly vindicated, but his blood still boiled at the thought that Alice seemed to believe this obvious imposter.

“We need the ring to get you home. The Looking Glass won’t work without it.” Jack added.

Of course it won’t. Hatter turned away in exasperation.

“Yes, of course.”

Hatter’s heart ached at the resigned disappointment in Alice’s voice. But, he knew that if she went along with him, she would just get hurt again, and most likely killed afterward. He didn’t even want to think about how it would feel watching her ride away with the Prince.

“Don’t be fooled by this Alice.” Hatter urged her. “He’s working for his mother. Blood and water, you remember?”

“Then why am I alone?” Jack countered. “Why aren’t there 500 Suits at my back? And how do you think I found you here in the middle of the forest? Do you think I just followed my nose?”

Hatter took a few quick strides so that he was standing right next to Alice. “How did you find us?”

Jack’s eyes moved from Alice to Hatter, looking at him for the first time since Alice had stepped between them. “You sent for me.”

Hatter felt something drop into his stomach. He glanced at Alice, who looked just as confused as he felt. “Come again?”

“I’m the agent who’s supposed to escort you to Caterpillar.” Jack’s voice was low, and it seemed to carry some disappointment at the fact that they hadn’t figured this out on their own.