The night hung heavy in the air, a thick shroud of sorrow blanketing Gotham City. Rain fell steadily, each drop echoing like a heartbeat against the pavement. Inside an old, dimly lit apartment, Jervis Tetch sat alone, surrounded by shadows. The flickering light of a lone candle cast eerie shapes on the walls, illuminating his distraught figure.
You stood in the doorway, hesitant to intrude on the somber scene. Jervis was a whirlwind of emotions, and tonight, those emotions had culminated into an abyss of despair. His sister, Alice, was gone, and he was left to grapple with the loss, consumed by grief and anger.
“Jervis?” you called softly, stepping into the room. Your heart ached at the sight of him, his normally vibrant demeanor dulled by the weight of tragedy. He looked up at you, his eyes glassy and haunted.
“Why did this have to happen?” he whispered, his voice trembling. “She didn’t deserve this. None of it makes sense.”
You moved closer, your heart breaking for him. “I know it hurts. I’m so sorry, Jervis. I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but I’m here for you.”
He let out a broken laugh, a sound devoid of joy. “Here? What good is that? I couldn’t save her… I couldn’t protect her.” His hands clenched into fists, and he looked away, trying to push back the tears threatening to spill over.
“No one could have predicted this, Jervis,” you said gently, kneeling beside him. “You loved her fiercely. That counts for something.”
“She was my sister!” he spat, his voice rising, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “And now I’m left with nothing but madness and rage! I should have done more!”
“Jervis, please—” you started, but he interrupted, his emotions spiraling.
“Once she was here, now she’s a ghost!
Gone from this world, lost in the host.
Madness consumes, it’s not what I planned,
A game of cards played with a devilish hand!”
His voice transformed, a manic rhythm overtaking him as he began to rhyme. You watched, heart aching, as the Mad Hatter emerged from the shadows of Jervis’ grief.
“Why did they take her, oh, why did they dare?
I’ll weave a tale, of madness to share!
Gordon, you fiend! You’ve taken my joy,
Now I’m but a shadow, a broken, lost boy!”
“Jervis!” you called, your heart racing. “You don’t have to do this alone! I’m right here!”
He paused, the intensity of his rhymes shifting as he looked at you, torn between the madness and the man you loved. “But I’m not the same, dear love, can’t you see?
This madness consumes all the parts of me!”
“Then let it consume you. Let it out,” you urged gently, moving closer to him. “I accept you as you are, Jervis. I love you—the Mad Hatter and all. I don’t want you to fight it. I’m here to hold you while you embrace the chaos.”
He stared at you, confusion and hurt battling in his eyes. “You… you accept this madness? Even when it drives me to rage?”
“Of course,” you replied, your voice steady. “It’s part of who you are. Your pain is part of your story, and I want to be part of that story, too. Don’t push me away.”
As he absorbed your words, his features softened, but the madness still flickered beneath the surface. “Alice was my light, and now she’s gone! How can I find my way in this dark, twisted game?”
He began to rhyme again, but this time, it felt less frantic, as if he were allowing you in rather than shutting you out.
“A lost little hatter, a mind in disarray,
Searching for the pieces, while shadows hold sway.
Madness is my dance, my song in the night,
But with you beside me, maybe there’s still light.”
You smiled through your tears, your heart swelling with love and determination. “Then let’s wander through Wonderland, through both madness and mirth,
We’ll find the white rabbit, and make our own worth.
We’ll tiptoe through tea parties, where time has no place,
And dance with the mad, in this strange, twisted space.”
Jervis blinked, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. “You can rhyme as well? Oh, what a delight!
To share in this madness, to dance in the night!”
“I’m just a girl who wants to weave a dream,
To help you find light, even in the dark’s gleam.
For in every riddle, and each game we play,
We’ll honor dear Alice in our own special way.”
He let out a shaky laugh, a mix of pain and relief. “You’re truly mad, you know that?”
“And you love me for it,” you replied, grinning. “So embrace it, Jervis. Let the madness flow through you, but don’t let it drown you. We’ll navigate this twisted path hand in hand.”
The storm outside began to soften, the rain falling in a gentle rhythm, much like the heartbeat between you two. Jervis leaned into you, his head resting against yours, the rhyme fading into the background as he accepted your presence.
“Thank you for staying, even in my madness,” he murmured. “I’m not sure what I’d do without you.”
“You’ll never have to find out,” you promised, holding him close. “We’ll face whatever comes next together.”
And as the night deepened, you both sat in silence, clinging to each other amidst the remnants of sorrow. In that shared embrace, you found a flicker of hope—one that would guide you through the darkness, reminding you both that love could still exist, even in the face of tragedy.
---
Author’s Note:
Thank you for reading! This story explores the complexities of grief, anger, and acceptance in a relationship. If you enjoyed this, I’d love to hear your thoughts or feedback!
Alright there's 5 possibilities on how they're going to write the genderbent Mad Hatter/Hattie in order of most likely to unlikely:
Daughter of Jervis Tetch (like the Bat-Fam tv show)
No relation to Jervis Tetch whatsoever is just one of the many Lewis Carroll obsessed citizens of Gotham
Roddy McDowall's storyline from BTAS but now for doomed lesbians
Transgenderism saved Tetch from becoming an incel
They're finally making Hattercrow cannon but for straight people like they did for mouse Sherlock Holmes
Any other possibilities only live in the mind of Bruce Timm and that worries me but I'm just glad we're getting a different direction for the Mad Hatter.
