"Aliiice!" Boris called, hiding the bouquet of roses behind his back. He brushed his purple hair out of his eyes as stood before Julius's door, where Alice was staying, to take her around the town again. They had been dating for nearly a year now, so Boris was starting to run out of ideas of things to do. He waited on the doorstep, still wondering what he was going to do.

"Coming!" Alice shouted as Boris heard frantic footsteps from inside. He smiled as Julius opened the door, obviously thinking that Boris could just walk in as everyone else did. Alice rolled her eyes as she stepped back into her room to put in her earrings. Boris sat down at the dinner table, which was in front of Julius's desk. Alice decided that she might as well eat with him, even if it was during his work. Julius was the country's clockmaker, but he differed from the other watch repair men. In Wonderland, clocks had replaced hearts centuries ago. Once someone died, only the clock is left, and once it is repaired by the clockmaker, a new person is born.

"Alice are you almost ready? You're starting to interfere with my work," Julius complained as he adjusted his reading glasses. Alice walked back into the room with her new blue dress that she had bought a week ago. Even though Boris had seen it twice already, he still awed at her beauty.

"Are you sure that I should go out tonight? If you have that much work, shouldn't I stay to help?" Alice asked, always worried about the cynical clockmaker. Julius looked up from his clocks, his long, dark hair falling in his face. Boris's cat like ears twitched, sensing the clock man's irritation.

"Go have fun. I was able to manage by myself before you came," he hinted darkly. Alice frowned as Boris presented the flowers, hoping to brighten her mood. Alice gasped as she saw the beautiful, multi-colored roses.

"For you, my love," Boris whispered, handing the bouquet to Alice, who gladly accepted them. Julius ignored the scene in front of him, almost worried for Alice. Boris was the sly Cheshire Cat, thus, he was full of tricks. It was needless to say that the clockmaker didn't trust him. However, Alice knew that she could trust him with all her heart.

"They're beautiful," Alice breathed, sniffing the majestic aroma of the roses. Boris grinned and held out his arm for her.

"Shall we go, then?" he inquired with a kind smile. Alice grabbed his arm after she placed the flowers into a nearby vase she had gotten to liven up the room. Alice quickly said her goodbyes to Julius, who only replied with a disinterested wave, as they left for their date.

They talked through the forest, laughing at their inside jokes and telling intriguing stories of their lives. It wasn't long before they took a wrong turn toward the Hatter's Mansion. Madson Hatter had been the leader of the Heart Mafia for years, and he knew how to be dangerous. Rumors had spread of his intense feelings for Alice, but she never paid any mind to them. She thought he just needed someone to tease and torture, and she was the reasonable choice.

"Lady!" The teen twin gatekeepers shrieked, thrusting the couple back into reality. The Bloody Twins, as they were nicknamed by their hobbies, were a part of the Hatter Mafia Family and were equally dangerous to the Hatter himself. Boris panicked when he caught a glimpse of the advancing twins and jumped in front of Alice on all fours.

"Boris?" The first twin, Dee, stopped and pondered, wondering what he was doing. The other twins, Dum, tilted her head, also curious toward Boris's strange reaction. The cat stood up again and brushed himself off. The Bloody Twins continued their advancement and tackled Alice, causing a deep growl to grow in his throat.

"Are you guys slacking off again?" Elliot exclaimed as he approached with the infamous Madson Hatter. Elliot March was the Hatter's right hand man and nearly did everything that the Hatter told him to do. Madson smirked at Alice as Elliot turned to deal with the twins. Boris's cat eyes narrowed at the Hatter's approach.

"How you tamed the twins, I'll never know," Madson whispered as he kissed Alice's hand. She rapidly pulled it away from his lips and returned to Boris's side.

"I haven't tamed anyone," Alice hissed. Even if she thought Madson was only teasing her, she didn't like it anymore than Boris did. The Hatter smirked again as he raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, we need to be going."

"Really?" Madson inquired skeptically as he leaned on a decorative cane.

"Yes. Boris is taking me out tonight, and I think it was about time we left," Alice growled as she grabbed Boris's arm again. The cat smiled, feeling victorious over the Hatter. Madson stepped away, his expression darkening. As the Bloody Twins ran back to the gate, Elliot turned to see Madson and got the chills from the horrid stare. Madson didn't usually take kindly to rudeness, but he made an exception for Alice.

"Then get going," the Hatter commanded as Boris led Alice far away to the town beneath the castle. Alice remained quiet, clearly upset about Madson's remarks. Boris knew how she usually dealt with the Hatter, and it never was pleasant.

Once they arrived, Boris brought Alice into a nice little restaurant by the town square. Alice rose from her silent depression and was astonished that Boris could afford such a nice place. Boris had the waiter lead them to their seats and handed them menus. Alice was ecstatic that he had brought her to such a fancy place.

"This is really fantastic," she smiled, examining every bit of the area. Boris grinned back as he poured a glass of wine for her.

"Of course. My girl deserves the absolute best," Boris winked as he passed the glass over to Alice. She blushed as they toasted to the night.

After the dinner, Boris brought Alice to a nearby park for a romantic walk in the moonlight. Mostly, they walked in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Alice had never been so happy and comfortable in her life when she was in his arms. She leaned into him as they continued on the path.

"Can we sit for a moment?" Boris implored as they walked by a deserted bench. Alice nodded as they sat. Boris turned to her, his eyes filled with urgency. "Alice, this past year has been absolutely fantastic. You have opened a world of opportunities for me and have brought me so many possibilities. I don't want that to stop," Boris blurted out as he brought out a gorgeous ring. Within the golden band laid a small aquamarine gem in a heart shape. "So, will you marry me?"

"Yes," Alice whispered as Boris smiled, slipping the ring on her finger. Alice leaned in and gently kissed Boris, knowing that she had made the right choice.