"And I am the Door Mouse." the Door Mouse replied and motioned for Alice to follow them through the portal. "Quickly now, we don't want to be late." she commented.

Hatter paced back and forth as he waited for them to return. "What is taking them so long?" he asked himself and checked his wrist even though he had no watch. After a few minutes, his guests started to arrive and the March Hare even asked for the Door Mouse. "I'm sure she will be here soon. We cannot start until everyone is here March Hare." Hatter explained as he sat down at his seat.

Alice looked at them a bit skeptical. But she followed them anyway. As soon as she stepped into the portal everything rushed back to her. She felt like she was home. "Wonderland?" She asked softly. She looked to Mouse and Rabbit. "We're here?" She asked amazed that this was all real.

"Welcome back to Wonderland. Hatter is this way." Rabbit smiled. He looked like his rabbit self again, and had to move quickly to get back before the Cards started coming for them. "Hatter!"

The Door Mouse, looking as tiny as she normally did, quickly followed the White Rabbit and looked back to make sure that Alice was following them. "Come along Alice. Stay close now." she warned softly and looked around, hoping that they weren't caught.

Hatter heard a faint noise and stood from his seat, heading out towards the voice. "Is she back yet?" asked the March Hare. "I don't see her yet, but I heard something so it might be Door Mouse on her way back. She's a fast little mouse so I'm sure she won't take long to return." Hatter assured with a glance back towards the March Hare.

Soon Mouse, Rabbit, and Alice rounded the corner and Hatters house was in view. Alice was shocked. She never thought she would see this place again. "Oh my goodness. I must be dreaming." She whispered.

"Nope. Oh Hatter look what we found!" Rabbit called out.

"This is not a dream." the Door Mouse assure and waved at Hatter. Hatter was surprised to see three figures rounded the corner. "Alice..." he said softly with a grin on his face. Looking back at the White Rabbit he shook his little paw. "Thank-you very much Sir Rabbit, I know it was a risky task but I am forever grateful." he explained. "Would you like to stay for tea?" he asked and looked at the Door Mouse. "Would you like to stay for tea?" he asked her.

"Of course Hatter!" she replied and ran off to her seat where she climbed onto the table instead.

Alice's hands covered her mouth. "Hatter?" She was in shock to say the least. " I..."

"Breathe Alice." Rabbit smiled. "You are welcome Hatter. And I wish I could but I have to get to the palace. Thank you for the invite of course."

Alice watched Rabbit leave and Door Mouse sit on the table. " Nothing has changed has it?" She asked now smiling. She walked to Hatter and threw her arms around him. " Oh Hatter I missed you!" She whispered. Part of her was wondering how she hadn't passed out yet but she was so glad that she wasn't crazy that this place was real.

"Good Day Rabbit, and thank-you again!" Hatter called as he watched the White Rabbit run off and disappear. Turning his attention back to Alice who was now hugging him, he gently pet the top of her head and nodded. "Wonderland is just as it was when you first arrived." Hatter assured and grinned. "Come now, I saved a seat just for you Alice." he commented and took her hand, leading her to the table and easily sat her down in her seat. "A-Alice you've returned! What a surprise!" gasped the March Hare.

"Tell us, has anything changed with you?" asked the Door Mouse. "It has been a long time since your last visit. You seem a bit...taller." she pointed out. "Yes, she does seem a little taller doesn't she?" agreed the March hare. Hatter raised an eyebrow and looked at Alice. "You're right, she's grown a bit." he agreed.

Alice smiled to the March Hare as she slid into her seat. "Yes I am back it seems. " She smiled. As she sat there she listeNed to them all gush about her being back. " Well I sure hope I am taller. After all I was twelve when I last came. And I'm eighteen now."

"Eighteen? Oh dear you've grown quite a bit!" said the Door Mouse. "I agree. When was your last birthday Alice?" asked the March Hare. "Is today your Unbirthday?" he asked. The hatter grinned and poured himself some tea, some cream and sugar before mixing it rather quickly and taking a sip. "I'm going to assume that today is her unbirthday because she did not say that she just turned eighteen March Hare." commented Hatter. "She is almost as old as you are Hatter!" pointed out the Door Mouse. "Oh she's not even close yet. Still has a long way to go she does." Hatter replied.

((Sorry!))

"Yes of course it is March Hare! Though my ninteenth birthday is in a month." Alice smiled. She listened to the others talk and gush some more. She didn't really listen to anything until she heard Hatter speak. "Oh really Hatter? You know you never told me how old you are. Then again I don't really know how time works here in comparison to home. "

((It's okay))

"Psssst, he's twenty-three!" said the March Hare. "You'll be nineteen in a month you say?" Repeated Hatter as he thought for a bit. "Well then, in wonderland time that's in two weeks I believe." he explained and grinned. "A very merry unbirthday to you though Alice." he said softly and gently pat her head before drinking his tea and then served himself some more. "What is the weather like where you live Alice?" asked the March Hare. "Well for me it felt rather normal but we weren't outside." the Door Mouse said softly. "It possibly can't be the same as it is here can it?" asked the Hatter.

Alice smiled. "That's not that big of a age difference." She pointed out. "Two weeks huh? How incredible." She giggled. "Well then, I wonder what else goes by fast...." She sighed at the thought then shook her head out of the daydream that crept up so quickly. "The weather? Well, it was rather stormy out this morning. But I really wasn't paying that much attention to it when you came to get me. I mean I was thinking..." about how much I missed Hatter.... "I was lost in my studies until it felt like an earthquake rampaging through the library." She said, keeping the part about Hatter out of the loop.

"I concur, that's a pretty noticeable gap." the Hatter commented. "Oh dear, we've missed you Alice, even Cheshy has missed you which is surprising don't you think?" the door mouse mentioned and laughed softly. "Full of surprises that cat is." she said. "Lost in your studies you say?" asked Hatter. "How big is this studies you speak of that you got lost in?" asked the March Hare. "Oh yes, is it like wonderland only bigger?" asked Hatter.

Alice let the age thing go for now and giggled at the Cheshire Cat missing her. "Oh I'm sure Cheshy just missed playing pranks on me."She said. "Huh? Oh thats just an expression. It means I was really focused on my lessons. I'm in University now and I'm going for business law. And I have a lot of studying I have to do to get the grades I am expected to do." She made a face at that. She didn't want to do law of any sort. She wanted to be a writer, not a lawyer for some big dumb corporation.

"Business law you say? Sounds interesting." Hatter said as he drank his tea after dropping some sugar cubes into his teacup. He noticed though the face she made and frowned slightly. "That face tells me you aren't happy doing that." he commented and tilted his head to the side. "What's the matter Alice? Why are you not happy with what you are studying?" he asked curiously.

Alice sighed a bit. " It can be at times. But it's not what I want." She started. " See after the last time I was here, I started to believe this just a fantasy, and I wanted to write about it. And maybe one day have more tales of Wonderland. But my parents believe this is a much more suited title for me, especially with everything else." Alice took a sip of her tea. " I'm sorry, I feel as though I'm ruining the party."

"Nonsense you're not ruining anything Alice. The only one who can possible ruin this is the queen herself." Hatter explained quietly before laughing along with everyone else who happily were drinking tea and enjoying some cake as well. "Ah parents. They'll do that to children. Always thinking they know what's best for them." The door mouse commented with a shake of her small head. "But Alice, you have to do what makes you happy. If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life you know." she explained.

Alice smiled at how quickly Hatter tried to reensure her. " Yes, but it's not easy to go against ones mother and father..." Another sigh. " But there is nothing I can do, unless I plan to just stay here for the rest of my life..."

At the mention of her staying in Wonderland for the rest of her life, the door mouse smiled. "Exactly!" she cried out. "Why don't you stay here forever then? We'd all love to have you here and you always did enjoy being here." she said. "Now now, wouldn't her parents worry if she was gone?" asked Hatter. "He's right. Alice's parents would send out someone to come look for her. What if word reached the queen? She'd have our heads!" gasped the March Hare. "Alice is a big girl, she can make her own decisions." the Door Mouse answered. "I agree with you on that note." the Hatter agreed softly.

" Oh you all know I would have stayed six years ago." Alice laughed. " But I do want to stay, but I have obligations back home." Including a fiancé. She would have to tell him... them... But she really didn't want to. Maybe if she did stay, she wouldn't have to go through with a bit of it. "Why would the Queen care if I stayed anyway?"

"Ah yes. Reality is always getting in the way isn't it?" Hatter said and sipped his tea. "Well Alice, you know the queen never really cared for you. Tried to behead you she did." the door mouse explained. The others nodded in agreement to this comment. "Do not worry about the queen though Alice. I'm sure as long as you stay away from her you should be fine." the door mouse added softly with a nod of her small head. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. The choice is all yours Alice." Hatter said. 'Although I would love it if you stayed.' he thought to himself.

Alice rubbed her neck in remembrance. "Oh so she hasn't gotten over that?" She asked with a bit dry amusement. She looked to Hatter and had to hide the slight blush on her face. "Well, I do want to stay this time. I just don't know where I'll stay. I never did worry about that crazy old bat anyway."

"I'm afraid she hasn't." the door mouse said and smiled. "You'd really like to stay?" she asked. "Well I'd offer my house but you wouldn't fit there." she said softly. "You wouldn't fit in my home either. It would be much too crowded I think." the March Hare said and both he and the door mouse looked over at the Hatter who took this as a sign that they wanted more tea so he poured them a cup each. "Hatter?" started the door mouse. "Yes door mouse?" he asked. "Would Alice be able to stay with you?" she asked. "Well I do have an extra room. It seems it's the only place she would fit in." he replied with a grin in Alice's direction. "What do you say Alice? Would you be okay staying at my home?" Hatter asked.

Alice smiled at them as they tried to figure out where she would stay. She was honestly hoping for Hatter to offer, and when it seemed he wasn't going to her heart almost sank. But when he asked her her smile grew once more. "I would love to Hatter. If you don't mind that is. I wouldn't want to be a bother." She added at the end.

"You're not a bother Alice. Oh this will be so much fun! We can have tea parties, just the two of us!" he started and noticed the smirk that he was getting from the Door Mouse. "You know, to catch up and enjoy tea together. Nothing wrong with that." he said. "Right Hatter, nothing wrong at all." agreed the Door Mouse, snickering a bit as she said this. Grabbing an empty tea cup, he placed it over the tiny Door Mouse and laughed softly as he heard the Door Mouse telling him to let her out. Hatter lifted the teacup up off of her and smiled. "Better?" he asked and looked at Alice. "I apologize if my house isn't to your liking. I want you to be comfortable so if you need anything feel free to let me know." he explained. The tea party continued until it started to get late.