Underlands Madness Unlocked [ Alice x Hatter ] B1

McTwist

It was when he told me I was the love of his life that let me forgive him. Let me forgive what he did with... Lilith Swindle. I wasn't planning on telling him I did forgive him until later, but with the Hatter everything is always unexpected. Even his confessions. And it was everything that he's ever done for me that brought the courage in me to kiss him. That made me want to give him my first kiss. A kiss that will forever be his.

And hopefully my last.

I will tell him very soon the reason why but not yet. I would like to keep somethings they way I want them especially for my list. That's what I told Tarrant. I need to check off every box on my list before I can get to him. I'm kinda nervous, but also confident enough to explain to him what I forgave him for. I'm also nervous for every other box that needs to be checked.

I just told him about the list and the first thing he asks is, "What list?"

"I have a list of people I need to forgive. It's in a very particular order, but of course you made me do the unexpected."

"Well, I always loved the unexpected," He uses a voice I've never heard come from him. A voice I never heard anyone use before. I had this feeling at the bottom of my stomach and it made a moan come from deep in my throat.

I close my eyes and shake my head. I push myself away from him and say, "No! I need to check all the boxes off first." Tarrant sighs his understanding, though I know he's not very happy about it, but he still understands. I go to walk for the door, but then he stops me right before I leave. I turn back to Hatter, "Are you coming?"

He wakes himself up from whatever madness he was thinking about and starts to follow me. When we finally gets outside, he finds enough muchness in himself to ask, "So who's first on this incredible list of yours."

"The person this all started with."

Hatter looks at me curiously.

"McTwist."

It was a very silent walk to his house. Mostly because I needed to follow behind Tarrant the whole way there. I've only been to McTwist's house once and it was by accident on how I got there.

Just before we go through the gate, I stop and look at it. Last time I was here I broke it all down. Now it looks like I was never here. Never here to accidentally eat the cake that makes you grow. Like McTwist never wanted me dead.

I swallow my sadness and walk through the gate. I walk past Tarrant and see curiosity in his eyes. He'll understand soon enough.

I stop walking when I'm in front of the light pink door, and knock on the chipped wood. It doesn't take much time for McTwist to come to the door. He must of saw me walk up to his house because the second I knocked, the door flung open. "Oh, my watches and housemaids. YOUR BACK! Alice has returned!"

McTiwst practically drags me into the house and into a chair. He starts zooming around the house saying, "Oh, I knew you would return! I just knew it! I was checking my watch every hour, on the hour, waiting for the time for you to arrive. Your finally have! Our champion has finally returned!"

I can't help myself, but smile at my friend. Tarrant is standing at the doorway laughing at the white rabbits silliness. By the time McTwist is done zooming around everywhere, he comes to the table I'm sitting at, and places down a tray of tea. He was zooming around so fast i didn't even realize what he was doing.

He looks to me as an offering for some tea and I say, "Oh, yes please."

McTwist pours me what smells like lemon grass tea, and then looks to Tarrant. He reply's with the obvious, "Well, old bean. When will I ever deny tea."

Tarrant takes the cup from the white rabbits hands and sits in the chair next to me. I smile at him and remember the first time I ever had tea with him. He showed me what a real tea party should be like. Not with straight backs and pointed pinkies, but with laughter and singing.

He's truly the one for me.

I turn back to McTwist and he's practically bouncing with excitement. He goes on asking, "Where did you go Alice? How did you get out of that witches hands? I know she's changes and all, but I can't help myself but wonder... what happened." He sips his tea and never looks away from me. It's then I realized he never looked at his watch once since I got here.

Like he has all the time in the world for me.

I start with, "Well-" I scoot my chair closer to the table. "-That is actually why I'm here McTwist." McTwist tilts his head to the side with confusion. "Let me explain, when Emiliza was... in my head, she showed me other people's thoughts. More specifically, she showed me a whole scene including their thoughts, feelings, and sometimes regrets."

McTwist nods his understanding, but I don't believe he understands the whole picture. He asks next, "Is that why your here? Did she show you something of mine?"

I nod and say, "Yes. She showed me... one of the first times we really met." McTwist tilts
his head again still confused. I don't want to relay the whole scene out for him especially with Tarrant here. It was his private thoughts. Thoughts I believe he hasn't thought or thunked about since, but that doesn't change what he did think. I said the only thing that came to mind, "Monster."

McTwist almost dropped his cop. "Come again?"

"Monster. Monsterrrr, get this monster out of my house." I tried to mimic what he said that day. When I finished my words, McTwist did drop his cup. I jumped in my seat from the unexpected breaking of the tea cup.

I look back up at McTwist. His ears are flat down behind him, and his paws are covering his mouth. His eyes are full of tears waiting to drop. "Oh my word, Alice! No! I-I don't think your a monster. I-I'm s-so sorry I ever thought that way about you."

He's still not getting it. I lightly shake my head and say, "That not the part that hurt McTwist. I was there that day, and I remember what you called me. I'm talking about after you left the house. After you left, saw what I did to your house, and saw what I did to your time."

McTwist thinks for a few seconds, then his eyes go wide. I nod my head lightly because I don't know what to say. He then fully collapses onto the floor in front of me.

He's crying so much that I have to help him back into his chair. He's yelling, "I'm so sorry Alice! I'm s-so I-incredibly sorry! I've never thought of you in that way o-or of what I wanted done t-to you since then! I'm so, so s-sorry."

I lift his head from his hands, and I see in his red rimmed eyes that he's being genuine. That's why it wasn't hard to say, "I forgive you."

We end up embracing each other across the table. I don't believe I'll ever forget this moment we shared. The moment where all the cards were scattered onto his kitchen table. The moment I finally forgave one of my longest friends for their mistakes.

Now, it's onto the next. One box is crossed off my list, only three more to go.