Alice had tried very, very hard to not meet Hatter's gaze, but that had proven difficult. Try as she might, though, the broth she had been lazily pecking at couldn't be that interesting. Hatter looked at her like she had the answer to everything that anyone, anywhere, had ever asked. Alice's blood- all the blood in her body, it seemed, redirected to her cheeks and she looked down again, enough to let a small portion of her hair fall forward and slightly cover her eyes, though she was careful to not let her blonde tresses fall into the soup. She expected Peter or Wendy to start adamantly talking to Hatter- Wendy was always telling her what an inspiration Wonderland sounded like. So, she had introduced them in an effort to get them talking. Peter didn't seem to want to and Wendy only said that it was a pleasure to meet Hatter.
"Its wonderful to finally meet some of Alice's people!" Hatter said towards Alice's friends. Alice herself simply smiled and nodded- she hadn't ever brought anyone with her, after all.
"I am Hatter, as you know, or Ramsey Hightop Maddington, though few address me as such," Hatter added, and Alice thought back. She actually hadn't heard anyone refer to the Hatter as Ramsey aside from the Queen and Alice herself, once or twice- only when she needed to say something and couldn't bring herself to call him Hatter, "I am guessing that you are Wendy The Flatmate and you are Peter the Homeless," the Hatter said and Alice felt her cheek's flushing once again. She quickly forgot her idea to introduce them like that anytime again. She'd forgotten how titles so easily became names in this world. Hatter was a perfect example of that, after all. Even with Alice people tended to refer to her as "The Champion" unless she told them otherwise. Hopefully Hatter would take from Peter's enraged expression and call him just Peter from now on.
"So, do what do we owe this wonderful reunion? You aren't by chance...staying? Wonderland has room for all three of you, though I understand if you E-Arth is of more comfort to you...three" Alice's blood ran cold. She knew she shouldn't have expected Hatter to refrain from asking that question- it had been a fool's hope to expected him to wait until she could speak to him alone. Alice took a steadying breath and steeled herself- though she was still at a loss. She didn't know if it would be best to let this conversation continue in front of an audience.
She didn't want to say she had to leave- but she knew she had to. It was her overbearing determination and the fact that she had promised Peter that she would get him to Neverland. That was a promise she did not intend to break anytime soon. So, she had to go with them to make sure they safely made that trip. Her only saving grace was that she was coming back, if she could. She couldn't risk more years in an apartment with only her room to remind her of this wonderful place. She didn't need anything up there- they wouldn't miss her. Her family was used to extended lapses between her letters and phone calls, and her work wasn't anything to worry about. She'd taken care of everything before she left. Besides, if she could get here, to Neverland, and then back to Wonderland- she could probably visit Earth without difficulty.
"Hatter," Alice began shakily, fiddling with her fingers and avoiding looking at him. No, this would be best without an audience, "Can we speak privately?" Alice pushed away from the table and bowed to the Queen, who looked at her and nodded back. She smiled at Wendy and Peter individually and let out a small sigh before she walked over to the door and closed her eyes tightly. She wanted to stay- she wanted to stay so very badly. There was physical pain that originated around her heart when she thought about leaving.
Still, she'd made a promise and she couldn't break that promise. She couldn't just send her best friend and someone she had come to think of as a friend in a very short amount of time somewhere without making sure the destination was Neverland. She wouldn't do that- she knew that if she did, she would always wonder if something had gone wrong. Alice lead the way to a small alcove near the kitchens and waited for Hatter there. She couldn't figure out what she wanted to say, though. No matter how many times she thought it over, it never turned out right.
'Look I know I just got here and trust me I would love to stay and never ever leave again but I made a promise to a guy I met less than a month ago and he happens to also be from a mystical place and I promised to get there and please no hard feelings- I promise to come back if I can,' seemed a little too definite, and 'I'll come back,' seemed like too much of a false promise, even if it was true. Alice banged her head against the wall she was leaning against and sighed again, letting her chest deflate slowly. She did not want to have this conversation. Actually, if she could've helped it she would have held off on meeting hatter at all until she had safely gotten back, with Wendy and Peter safely in Neverland.