Somewhere Out There

"Do you remember anything about being here?" Charlie asked as I sat on the ground as I looked at the tattoo.
"A bit, those doctors unlocked some memories," I sighed, "But I can't figure out what this tattoo and it's glowing has to do with anything."
"You're special."
"Charlie, please don't give me that," I stood up to dust myself off.
"You're worried about Hatter?"
"What does it matter?" I questioned as I didn't look at him.
"He means something to you?"
"Yes," I sighed as I walked off.
"Where are you going?" Charlie asked as I stopped.
"Stop asking questions Charlie," I rolled my eyes, "I just need some time to think to myself."

I walked to the top of this hill as I took in my surroundings. How could this be my home? How could I stand to live here again? How could I even go back to where I was? It wasn't much different. There all I was, was a bartender. One that got hit on every night by drunk guys, one who didn't make a difference in the world. Here, here I mattered. Here I meant something to these people, to their time. There, I had no one. It was just me in an empty apartment with a few friends. Here, here I had the one thing that made me want to stay, Made me want to fight.

Hatter

Where was Hatter anyways? He should've been back by now. It was getting closer to sunset and he wasn't back yet. It had me worried.

"Alex?" I heard behind me as I turned around to see Hatter standing there, "What are you doing up here?"
"Hatter," I smiled as I wrapped my arms around his neck, "I was worried you wouldn't come back."
"Me?" He smirked, "I told you I'd come back."
"I was going to go find you if you didn't," I whispered as I looked deep into his eyes.
"You have a kingdrom to save."
"Hatter, if I didn't have you with me, I couldn't. I couldn't find a reason to keep it safe or stay."
"Well then it's a good thing I came back," He smirked as I rolled my eyes slightly.
"I'm serious."
"Come on, we should get back to the camp," Hatter looked at me as I felt like I was getting no where with him.

As we sat around the now present fire, Hatter explained what was going to happen. He sent for an agent on the inside to take me to Catepillar so I can get answers about this tattoo and whatever else I needed to know about coming back here. He didn't know when an agent would get here but til then, we had to stay here away from the shore so the Queen or Mad March couldn't find us.

We had set up a camp in the middle of the forest, a small fire going just to keep us warm. Charlie had gone to bed as Hatter was standing in the forest just watching something as I walked towards him.

"Hatter?"
"Oh hey Alex," He brought his attention back towards me.
"We need to talk."
"About what?" Hatter asked as I pulled him farther into the woods to a small clearing that was hidden yet still close to camp.
"I'm tired of trying to tell you that you mean so much to me and you just blowing it off or ignoring it," I let out quickly, "Hatter, I need to know right now, is there any reason that I shouldn't be feeling this way? If there is, tell me now."
"You're the princess-"
"But all this princess and kingdom crap away!" I shouted slightly, "Hatter, I was your best friend when we were kids, and I was still the princess."
"I can't."
"Can't what?" I questioned as he turned his back to me, "Can't tell me? Can't give me answer? Damn it, Hatter, talk to me!"
"I can't tell you how I feel!" Hatter snapped as he turned to face me, "Because if I tell you and for one second even let you know, then what? You'll have to leave or you'll be the princess and then what? You won't be here!"
"Hatter," I looked at him as he brushed me off, "You know that's not true."
"It is and you know it."
"Hatter, people change. I'm not like my family in case you failed to notice," I walked around to the front of him to look at him, "In case you failed to notice, I'm not exactly royalty material."
"Yes, you are."
"Hatter, I'm not. I never was," I tried to reason with him, "If I go back, then what? You go back to being alone and I go back to be alone. I don't have anyone back at home. This is all I have left."
"You shouldn't waste your time on someone like me."
"See, there you go again," I let out a frustrated sigh, "Here I am trying to make sense to you that I don't care and you're pushing me away!"
"I don't want to hurt you," He mumbled thinking I didn't hear him.
"What?"
"I don't want to hurt you, ok!" He turned away from me as he walked to the other side of the clearing.

"You don't want to hurt me?" I questioned as I watched him.
"You're too special to hurt. I don't want to be the one who breaks your heart."
"You're breaking it right now," I mentioned as I walked closer to him, "By pushing me away."
"I'm sorry."
"Hatter, I'm a big girl," I smiled at him as I slowly moved to close the gap between us, "I can't help what I'm feeling right now, the way I feel when you're gone, or anything. But you're always there. And if you break my heart somewhere in the future, I'm willing to deal with that. I'm willing to take that risk."
"I don't know if I can," He looked down as I lifted his chin with my index finger.
"Stop thinking with your head," I whispered as I looked into his eyes, "What does your heart tell you to do?"

Hatter watched me as I felt his lips reach mine in a passionate kiss. He broke away watching me as I smiled at him then he went to kiss me again. That kiss got more intense as the time went on. I felt his tongue beg for entrance as I allowed him it as he brought me down to the soft grass while not breaking his kiss. I felt his fingers slowly go underneath my jacket as I shivered slightly as his touch as mine tugged at the edge of his shirt while sliding his jacket off.

As things were starting to get heated around us, my tattoo started to feel warm when around us, small glittering lights encircled us, making us feel safe, like we were the only ones in the clearing, which is how what was about to happen should've been.