The muse comes and goes
Still super busy even after my con as I'm leaving for a week long cross-country drive this Saturday but I am working on my stories when I have a minute or two of down time. It's Complicated will probably see and update before I hit the road, while CaC will be worked on during my trip. It has a rather important scene coming up between Hatter and Alice that's constantly on my mind. Part of it just hit me so I'm placing it here for now. I think it's mostly spoil free as I kept things vague for the posting here, but it's also possible it will change somewhat anyway before it gets placed in the chapter.
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"So what," she demanded, "You we're just never going to say anything if it came up? Let me live with this, this lie of what I could've had?!"
Hatter scowled, "It wasn't like that Alice, I would never do something like that to you. I would've worked it out somehow in the end and it doesn't matter now any-"
"It sure as hell does!" Alice cut him off, "All that time when we first met, with you going on about how I needed to trust you - which I did by the way - and you couldn't even bother to extend any to me could you? It's been months Hatter and you couldn't be bothered to tell me about this."
"'S not a matter of trust Alice-"
"Then what?! What is it about Hatter?" she inquired with blazing eyes and barely checked anger, "If not telling me everything about how serious-"
"It was about hope alright!" He yelled and Alice was caught so off guard that she felt some of the steam of her anger deflate. Hatter took the opportunity for what it was and continued on. "I know what it's like to need hope that badly Alice, more so than you probably realize, and yeah, maybe I shoulda laid everything out straight for you that first week on this side but how could I do that?" he insisted passionately but no longer shouting, "It was like watching a real fairy story come to life before me eyes with you and your family. Reunited and sewing things up and not only that but I got to be woven right on in there as well. I never thought I'd be better than just me and Harry but it was, it is, and there was nothing that was gonna stop me from letting you have the fairy story. I held had control of the only thing that might cause it to tumble down but I had a plan Alice, one that I didn't even need as it turns out! But even if I had no one would've known but Harry and we weren't doing it for the thanks or cause I had to."
Hatter strode the few feet between them and gently cupped her cheek, "I didn't tell you not because I didn't trust you, but because I care to much to see you hurt."
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"So what," she demanded, "You we're just never going to say anything if it came up? Let me live with this, this lie of what I could've had?!"
Hatter scowled, "It wasn't like that Alice, I would never do something like that to you. I would've worked it out somehow in the end and it doesn't matter now any-"
"It sure as hell does!" Alice cut him off, "All that time when we first met, with you going on about how I needed to trust you - which I did by the way - and you couldn't even bother to extend any to me could you? It's been months Hatter and you couldn't be bothered to tell me about this."
"'S not a matter of trust Alice-"
"Then what?! What is it about Hatter?" she inquired with blazing eyes and barely checked anger, "If not telling me everything about how serious-"
"It was about hope alright!" He yelled and Alice was caught so off guard that she felt some of the steam of her anger deflate. Hatter took the opportunity for what it was and continued on. "I know what it's like to need hope that badly Alice, more so than you probably realize, and yeah, maybe I shoulda laid everything out straight for you that first week on this side but how could I do that?" he insisted passionately but no longer shouting, "It was like watching a real fairy story come to life before me eyes with you and your family. Reunited and sewing things up and not only that but I got to be woven right on in there as well. I never thought I'd be better than just me and Harry but it was, it is, and there was nothing that was gonna stop me from letting you have the fairy story. I held had control of the only thing that might cause it to tumble down but I had a plan Alice, one that I didn't even need as it turns out! But even if I had no one would've known but Harry and we weren't doing it for the thanks or cause I had to."
Hatter strode the few feet between them and gently cupped her cheek, "I didn't tell you not because I didn't trust you, but because I care to much to see you hurt."