"You're speechless," noted Alice. "I take it my current state disagrees with you?" Maybe it was the fact that it wasn't the Hatter who'd hurt his dearest friends so terribly and tried to kill her, but Alice was already beginning to carry herself like she used to, straight-backed and confident. She took his hand and stood, her vivid eyes searching his face for any signs of cruelty. Finding none, she gave a slight nod, terribly relieved.

"That would be nice," she admitted. "I may have grown used to the slums, but that doesn't mean I appreciate being a part of them. This strange place is a nice change." What was that saying about everything that glittered? Perhaps she shouldn't let her guard down - at least in the slums, one knew the risk of having her throat cut by some scoundrel as any given moment.