Max running away before he gets sent to the isle of the lost with his dad with the intention of staying in wonderland and getting far away from his dad because he’s sick of being ignored over a pocket watch.
Max eventually passing out since he’s so little and can’t keep running anymore.
A woman in a carriage coming along, seeing Max’s small body and think ‘Well, I can’t just leave him here! He’s so small!!’ and ordering the carriage drivers to stop so she can go get him.
Max then later waking up to a large, fancy bedroom and being greeted by the woman who helped him.
The woman introducing herself as Elaine, The Queen of Diamonds (in this au she’s Bridget’s sister) and asks him where his parents are.
Max, not wanting to go back to his dad who’ll just continue ignoring him, lies and says he has no parents, saying they died a while ago.
Elaine, feeling bad for him because he reminds her so much of her when she was little, says he can stay for an a little while until someone chooses to adopt him.
After a little while, when no one else adopts him, Elaine says ‘fuck it’ and adopts Max herself.
And that's how Max went from ‘Max Hatter’ to ‘Max of Diamonds’
