Chapter Text
The holiday season was one of Alice’s favorite times of the year.
It wasn't always. After her father had disappeared, kidnapped as she’d eventually discovered, they’d become more of a reminder of what she lost. A piece of her life that left jagged edges inside of her that grew irritated and angry anytime someone or something else tried to fill that spot. She had that problem for years, likely still had some even now over a year after his death, but the holidays turned around for her thanks to her Nana.
She’d been an angsty and terrible fourteen year old, sulking in an empty bedroom turned temporary coat closet at the family holiday party when her Nana had confronted her. Said she understood her pain. That she had lost a son at the same time, but that he wouldn’t want her to wallow and not live life to the fullest. To be that bright and courageous young woman her Nana knew was inside her.
Alice hadn’t felt like either of those things, had in fact yelled as much to her that night, but her Nana had merely stood there. Unmoved and unimpressed at her lashing out. Simply waited until Alice had started crying to wrap her in a hug and desperately needed comfort. They talked about many things that night, Alice’s confusion and emotions most of all, but in the end it almost felt like she had been given permission to stop holding onto what she was missing at the holidays and instead learn to enjoy what she had.
It wasn’t the only thing she needed in order to get a hold on her pain from the loss of her father, but it had turned the holidays around at least. Made them into something warm and joyous again while smoothing a few jagged edges of the tear inside of her. All fueled by Nana's own caring, frank honesty, and stubborn determination to see her granddaughter happy. Though that honesty had turned into something more than Alice was prepared for after she started dating Hatter. A bit more honest than she was comfortable with about subjects she had thought were off limits actually.
As she stood in her holiday attire the middle of her Nana’s kitchen surrounded by family, friends, food, and soft holiday music covered by the dull roar of many voices, Alice was learning it wasn’t just her Nana to give such honest opinions thanks to the onslaught of innuendo and jokes that had followed her around all night. Apparently that was an ‘honor’ bestowed by the ‘adults’ once you had a steady long term partner. She’d never had a boyfriend longer than a few months, much less brought one to a family event, so it was a surprising new addition to what she thought was going to be a fun and cozy family gathering.
“So,” her cousin Sarah grinned as she slid up next to her, “Nana finally wore you down about bringing your buck this year huh?”
Alice sighed and shot her a flat look, “Really? You too? And we were still so new last year that I didn’t want to overwhelm him.”
Sarah smiled impishly and shrugged, “Hey, I’m not one to turn down low hanging fruit.” She glanced at Hatter who was laughing with her Uncle Chris across the way in the ‘living room’. “I don’t know what you were worried about though. He seems like a fun guy and he treats you well. We can all see it.”
Alice admired the view with a fond smile. They really had taken to Hatter quite well, accepting him with open arms and happy smiles, but that didn’t surprise her. She knew he could be effortlessly charming, and navigating family dynamics were no doubt much lower stakes than what he’d lived in before taking her hint to come through the Looking Glass and be with her.
He’d taken to the outfit requirements for her family holiday party with no small amount of delight, and the effort had only endeared him to her family further. His white button up with brown deer and other wintery silhouettes paired with a matching brown tie was very him, but it had also been met with cheers and compliments by her family. Though the deer antlers he’d clipped onto his beloved porkpie hat were the true highlight… and been the source of at least half of their sex puns.
It had been cute and fun at the start but as the drinks flowed and the night wore on, the number of ‘horny’, ‘deer’, and ‘mounting’ jokes she’d had to endure were frankly immeasurable. While Hatter had been delighted by them and happily returned fire, Alice had been tempted to chuck the damn hat out of a window or into the nearest trash can with each new iteration.
“Speaking of fruit, what kind of banana is he smuggling?” Sarah asked as she gave Alice a knowing smirk, “Or is there a different way you prefer to mount your buck?”
Alice blushed and shoved her cousin as she sipped her water, “I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just ask me any of that.”
“Fine. Don’t tell me. I’m already assuming you two get up to the kinky shit. Given how much you’ve loosened up, clearly the stick has been dislodged,” Sarah grinned as she dodged another of Alice’s swipes. “I think it means you’re finally getting that ‘bullheadedness’ out in a way Judo never did. Are the holiday handlebars your way of flaunting it? Sneaky and kinky. Nana would approve.”
Alice burned red and considered refilling her water with ice. Maybe the chill would help turn off the fire her face had become and Sarah would drop the subject. “Like you said, he’s a fun guy and he likes to have a laugh,” Alice tried to deflect, “he picked out the antlers all on his own. And don’t go suggesting that type of stuff to Nana.”
Sarah scoffed, “Suggest? Who do you think made the first joke about them? Don’t ever use Nana and Pop’s master bathroom by the way. I made that critical error and learned more than I ever wanted to know about old people sex lives this summer.”
Alice almost choked on her drink and her cousin passed her a napkin along with an evil smirk.
“I don’t want to know, but that just reinforces my point that I don’t need you giving her more fuel,” Alice countered with a look that had Sarah throwing up her hands in mock surrender.
“Yeah okay, fair enough,” she agreed and cheering from the living room had them looking over to see Hatter showing off one of his little hat tricks that ended with it landing on the head of her seven year old cousin. Her Uncle Chris said something as he got it back that had Hatter looking stiff for just a moment before giving him an overly wide smile and some return barb that got the assembled parents laughing but it didn’t reach his eyes. He turned to look her way and his smile turned more genuine. Alice felt her own grow to match.
Sarah hummed thoughtfully, “It was pretty brave of you to bring him actually. I don’t think Jeri would’ve handled this level of scrutiny if I’d brought her. You know they’ve been subtly pestering him all night with more than just sex jokes, right?”
“And that’s why I didn’t bring him last year,” Alice explained, “It would’ve been way worse and they’d have probably scared him off that early in our relationship.”
“I dunno,” Sarah said as gave Hatter a considering look, “he stares at you like you’ve hung the moon when you’re not looking you know. It’ll take more than our well meaning family to scare off love like that.”
Alice smiled, a familiar warmth at her words filling her, and she thanked her, though Sarah just waved it off.
“Well, for what it's worth, I think you sell Jeri short. She’d have withstood the interrogation just as well, though I’m sure she’d have also taken her pound of flesh from you later for having to put up with it,” Alice offered with a teasing smile. She caught Sarah’s blush that she tried to hide behind a large sip of wine and Alice’s smile turned much more knowing. “Oh. It’s like that huh? Bit of a projection going on with those kink assumptions I see.”
Sarah’s blush intensified as she cleared her throat, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Right,” Alice wryly said, “Even if I didn’t already know from our childhood, I have a lot of experience with handling my own brat, so it’s not like it’s shocking that you’re one-”
Alice cut herself off and tried to think of anything to excuse her slip while avoiding looking at her cousin. “Sorry, brats. Plural. The kids in my classes can be spoiled little nightmares,” she forcefully laughed before risking a glance at Sarah.
Her cousin’s eyes were wide and a smile was slowly growing on her face. Alice felt her own face burn even hotter than before and she quickly finished off her water. “Well,” Sarah drew out with a cheshire-like grin, “now that sounds like a topic I’d love to hear more about.” Alice could not have disagreed more and did the most adult thing she could think of.
She walked away to the living room and grabbed Hatter’s arm with a firm, “We’re leaving. Now.”
“Oh sweetheart, don’t you think you should stay the night?” Her Nana pleaded as Alice pulled her peacoat over her red and green tea dress, “The weatherman said the snow is supposed to pick up within the hour and I’m worried about you making it home.”
Alice sighed, “Yeah well, they’ve been predicting every round of snow will be the next ‘big thing’ since November and there’s barely been a dusting all month.” She pulled her hair out of her coat and Hatter plopped her elf hat back on her head with a very pleased smile that Alice couldn’t help but fondly return.
“We’re due for a big storm this year, Alice,” Nana frowned, “and it’s an eastern moving system. Lake effect snow is nothing to scoff at young lady.”
“Then it’s a good thing we’re leaving so we’ll stay ahead of anything that does start to accumulate,” Alice countered. She was not about to risk fumbling and saying more than she meant to again. Besides, she had plans for them tonight. Important plans. No way was she giving Hatter his ‘gift’ around her family and risking more jokes and jabs in the morning.
“Think Crissie has a point, Alice,” Hatter countered even though he pulled on his leather jacket, “Snow has a way of silently sneakin’ up on ya, and she said there’s plenty of room, yeah? Got a nice cozy bedroom and everythin’.”
His smirk and amused glance back at her Nana let her know that he appeared to have none of her qualms about enduring such a morning. Given her Nana insisted she address him by her first name, Alice had her suspicions they were coconspirators in her embarrassment over the jokes tonight.
“Well I have class to teach tomorrow,” Alice explained and stood right in front of Hatter with a challenging look, “but you’re welcome to stay here.”
“You’d abandon me out in this strange land all by my lonesome?” He asked with a faux wounded look before leaning in close to whisper, “Hardly a way to return favor for how I helped you, now is it?”
Alice raised an eyebrow, “So leaving you at my Nana’s house is abandonment in a strange land?”
“It’s the rest of ‘em I’m worried about given all their talks of my ‘intentions’ during this party,” he looked amused again and his gaze flicked down to her mouth while his hand grabbed her hip to shift closer, “She’d no doubt treat me kindly, but I’d much rather suffer under your tender mercies during a snowstorm.”
“Bold of you to claim any of my mercy is tender,” Alice retorted with a smirk and a breathy voice as she looked him up and down, “Especially when I can have you flat on your back with one well placed-”
“Really, Alice. You want to risk getting stuck on the side of some road instead of simply taking your flirting to-”
“Yes!” Alice insisted and stepped back from Hatter, her cheeks flushed, “But because I have work! Not for any other reason.”
Her Nana gave her a very plain look and then glanced at Hatter. “Well, with your buck along for the ride at least I know you won’t want for a way to warm up if you do-”
“Goodbye, Nana! Merry Christmas everyone!” Alice shouted loud enough for the remaining family to hear and then turned around, “Hatter, I’ll meet you in the car.”
“A pleasure, as always Crissie,” Hatter charmed and Alice could just picture the bow and hat flourish he was giving her as she snatched her purse from the table by the door.
“And you a charming delight as always, David,” Nana replied and sighed, “I’m asking for a Christmas miracle, but hopefully she’ll listen to you if it gets bad. Well, don’t forget your gifts, and make sure you call when you get home or if you have to stop for the night so I know you’re both safe, alright?”
“‘Course. I always do my best to take care of her.”
An hour and less than thirty miles later, Alice was wondering if perhaps the mortifying teasing she’d have continued to endure might have been worth it after all.
While the flakes were small the speed at which they were falling was enough to make visibility questionable at best. Combine that with the easy four inches of coverage and growing on the unplowed roads, and her little car just wasn’t equipped to handle conditions much worse than this.
“Think I saw a sign for a hotel or some such coming up,” Hatter commented as he turned from the window and raised an eyebrow, “Unless your stubbornness is bound and determined to get us truly stuck in this mess.”
Alice huffed and shot him a side eyed glance, “Just because you think my family knowing all about our…our personal life is funny-”
“Is it not just the sex?” he asked with an amused voice, “Or should I keep mum about matters more personal as well with wordin’ like that?”
“Look, I don’t know if you do it because it’s funny, or maybe things weren’t so…private in Wonderland but we don’t talk about- about sex with family members here, okay?”
“I mean…seems a bit contrariwise to how your family acts. Your Nan was the one who first-”
“Yeah! I know,” Alice cut him off, “and it was a very unexpected shock to discover this side of them tonight, but it makes me uncomfortable, having them think about us in that way. So please don’t encourage them, okay?”
She huffed and squinted at the sign with the hotel symbol before turning off onto the small side road slowly. It led into the woods, but the trees covering the little two lane road had kept the asphalt a little clearer and the mix of evergreens and bare branches reduced the snowfall and increased the visibility. Alice sighed and released a bit of tension from driving in such conditions before looking over at Hatter. He smiled and reached out a hand. She gave him her own with a return smile as she looked back at the road.
Hatter squeezed her hand and then kissed the back of it, “Look, I’m happy to keep our private…well privates, just that if it’s what ya want. I was only tryin’ to make nice with your family.”
“Thank you,” Alice said and squeezed his hand, “I do appreciate that. I know you like teasing and flustering me, but our sex life is just not something I want my whole family discussing or making fun of.”
There was a glow from a small building coming up on her left and Alice focused back on the road to look for the opening or a sign that might tell her if this was the place. Ignoring the shifting of Hatter’s hand hold as she did so. It was probably a motel rather than a hotel given the shape. She almost missed the turn however as Hatter’s voice right near her head caught her off guard.
“I…will just have to focus on makin’ sure such private moments are worthy of bringing out that lovely blush instead,” he whispered and then kissed her neck.
Alice chuckled and grinned as she pushed him off, “Not while I’m driving, but I look forward to your attempts. I don’t think there’s anything you can do in private to fluster me anymore.”
“Now that sounds like a fun challenge.”
Alice watched as Hatter came out of the lobby of the motel building and lightly jogged over to the driver’s side door. She rolled down the window and asked, “Well?”
“Ya trust me, yeah?”
That sounded lightly foreboding. Alice squinted her eyes before slowly saying, “Yes. Why?” She definitely did trust him, but she was worried about what he’d done to secure them a room without her there to supervise with a statement like that.
He beamed, “Brilliant. Hop on out and follow my lead- oh!” He snapped and pointed at the wrapped gifts in the back seat before adding, “Let’s not leave these to get buried in the snow as well. That one from your aunt’s family sounds like it’s got nibbles in it.”
Still suspicious as to what she’d just agreed to -and hoping it wouldn’t lead to any sort of criminal charges- Alice rolled her window back up and turned off her car while Hatter grabbed their small pile of gifts from her family. Once she’d locked up -tossing her keys in her purse- he led her around to the other side of the lobby building. An older man with an old fashion looking lantern walked out of the building and locked the door before turning to smile at them both.
“Ah, this will be Mrs. Smith then? Lovely to meet you my dear,” he kindly greeted her and Alice shook his hand while doing her best not to look confused at the new name. “Like I was telling your husband, it’s lucky you finally showed up for your reservation. I was about to cancel it and simply leave a note saying we’d closed due to the storm. Looks like you two will get quite the romantic snowed in weekend instead.”
The old man winked at Hatter and gave her hand a little pat before releasing it and picking up his lantern. “Cabin nine is a little bit of a walk, but I know the way in my sleep so just stick close and watch your step so you don’t slip or step off the path.”
Alice waited for the old man to get a few feet ahead of them before mouthing at Hatter, “What did you tell him? And who are the Smiths?!”
Hatter gave her a quick peck on the cheek and whispered, “The place is booked up. He assumed and I didn’t correct. Figured you wouldn’t mind pretendin’ to be hitched as a warm place to bunk up was better than doin’ as your Nan suggested and keep warm in your car for however long we needed.”
He sent her a questioning look and she sighed and nodded. That was a good point, and it wasn’t the worst idea -they’d certainly been together for long enough to pass for a married couple. Alice just hoped the actual ‘Smiths’ didn’t show up. Though if the motel worker was about to lock up she supposed they wouldn’t have been able to get the place anyway.
Lost in her speculations and not paying attention, Alice wandered too far to the side of the path and yelped as she lost her footing. Hatter called her name but he couldn’t shift the gifts in time to grab her, and she fell into the snow. While her peacoat kept her chest and arms dry, soft powdery snow quickly filled her skirt, and covered her neck and head. Her tights were now soaked straight though, and her legs felt numb as the cold went straight through her. The old man turned and helped Hatter pull her back up. The rush of freezing air struck like needles to all the growing wet spots and Alice shivered at the icy chill she felt covered in.
“We’re lucky you didn’t roll,” he said, “the drop off the path can be steep but there’s not much further to go. We’re coming upon an incline and then it’s just a few steps up into the cabin. I’ll brush those off for you my dear.”
“Alright?” Hatter asked as he offered his now free hand.
Alice nodded as she took it -at least one hand would get warm- and brushed off some of the snow. What had fallen into her skirt began to melt and her dress lost volume as the layers of tulle and fabric began to hang heavily under her coat. She shivered again from the wet cold clothing against her skin and motioned for Hatter to lead on. Her legs felt like they were encased in ice as her wet tights offered no protection from the cold and snow that blew on them. She needed to get out of the weather before she actually froze.
After a few more minutes of shivering and stiff walking on her end, and a near miss on Hatter’s part where he stepped knee deep into a snowdrift, a log cabin finally came into view. The old man hung the lantern on a pole on a hook near the steps and used his feet to clear the almost foot deep snow before turning to them with a smile.
“Will you need any help getting the fire started? There’s a stack by the fireplace of course, but the main pile to refill from is just here,” he informed them and pointed to a rectangular indent filled with dozens of pieces of wood not far from the front door.
“Nah,” Hatter declined before Alice could accept, “Got plenty of experience with that. Firesticks inside then?”
The old man nodded and passed Alice a set of keys, “You’ll find matches on the mantel and a pile of kindling on the hearth. I’d recommend lighting the lamps while you wait for the fire to build.” He smiled jovially at them and pulled a flashlight from his jacket, “You folks have a lovely evening and call if you need any help. We may not have electricity to all the cabins yet, but the phone is right by the gas powered kitchenette.”
Alice’s teeth chattered as she thanked him and Hatter wasted no time in helping her up the stairs before taking the keys, unlocking the door, and ushering her inside. It wasn’t any warmer in the dark building and Alice couldn’t stop shivering as she felt the melted snow continue to seep through her clothes. “Do-do you act-actually know how t-to start a fire?” she shuddered as she rubbed her arms and tried to see in the near pitch black.
“Think the trip on my smuggling boat was the first time I’d ever been out in the woods?” he shot back with a smile as he set the gift pile down on a coffee table, “The Resistance had cabins not unlike this one for drop offs and meetings hidden deeper in. I’d planned on taking us to one before we fell into Charlie’s mad Jabberwocky trap.”
Hatter continued over to the hearth and got things arranged for a fire with quick efficient movements that Alice had to admit surprised her. He lit a long match and watched as the kindling caught in a burst of fire. Warm light flooded the room and Alice tried to control her shaking as she walked towards the inviting flames, dropping her purse on the armchair as she passed. Hatter faced her but his smile turned to a frown as he got a good look at her.
“Right. You stay here and try to get some warmth. Let me know if the logs don’t catch, alright?”
She nodded and stood right next to the fire, though it wasn’t providing much heat yet. Alice sighed through her shivers. Privacy from her family obtained at the expense of her pride and warmth. So much for her plans tonight.