Alice leaned back in her chair, watching Julius' deft hands as he competently fixed one clock after another. They were feather light in their work, each touch a gentle caress as he brought them back to life. Her mind began to wander as he worked; she'd had a fantastic day at the amusement park with Boris. Alice admired his sixth sense for her mood swings, always pouncing on any chance to make her laugh when a smile refused to grace her face. He had to be the most carefree person… cat ever, Alice mused. It seemed as if a trouble never prodded its way into his life, his innocent outlook on life was adorable in its own right. The day had flown by with Boris, despite the day lasting much longer than usual and, Alice glanced at the window as the sun began to rise, the night a little too short. She subtly hid her yawn behind the back of her hand, but nothing seemed to escape Julius.

"How many times have I told you not to push yourself trying to help me?" he chastised, already pulling her out of her chair and ushering her off to bed. Alice protested, squirming away from his firm hand.

"Look! It's already morning!" Alice argued, finger pointing stubbornly outside the window. Julius let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead in irritation.

"Then sleep for the next two time periods, you look like you're about to fall asleep standing up," Julius commanded, already shutting the door behind him and heading back to his desk. Alice reluctantly pulled her dress over her skinny frame, changing deftly into her nightshirt and collapsing unceremoniously onto the bed. Her eyelids fluttered over tired eyes, and within moments her mind began to wander.

"It seems you've made yourself comfortable here," Nightmare commented lazily. Alice started for a moment. Almost unconsciously, it seemed as if she had paved a path for herself, she had not even noticed her steady fusion into the new world.

"I guess…" Alice replied hesitantly, not sure what Nightmare was trying to get at. Not that he was ever straight forward; he seemed to think cryptic speech came with the job description.

"Have you considered it? Staying?" he broached in a casual manner, his eyes were trained on her face intently, however, waiting for the answer. Alice, for the second time, found herself caught off guard. She had found people who she cared for, people who loved her, why was there any reason to leave? But something scratched at the back of her mind, insistently demanding her attention. What was it? Something she had forgotten?

"What… what do I have to go back to?" Alice finally inquired, and then a more pressing thought occurred. "Where am I going back to if I don't stay?" For a fleeting moment, a triumphant expression crowned Nightmare's haughty expression, and then disappeared so quickly that Alice thought she may have imagined it.

"That's for you to know, isn't it?" Even his last words began to fade as Alice fell into the black, her mind wiped blank as Nightmare departed from her.

"Alice, Alice," a gentle voice shook her awake, but Alice groaned and turned away, squeezing her eyes tight against the bright lights intruding upon her peaceful sleep. A hard pinch to her arm finally woke her, startling her into sitting up in bed. A slightly amused Julius was standing before her, arms crossed and a smile playing at his lips.

"I didn't quite literally mean you could sleep two time periods," he said immediately, already walking out of the room. "There's someone waiting for you." Alice stared after him. Two time periods? Oops. She struggled out of bed and threw on her dress, tripping in her rush to get out. Her joints felt tight and her muscles cramped after lying still for such a long period of time. She froze at the threshold of Julius' room, surprised to see Boris slouched comfortably in a chair.

"Alice! You're finally awake. I didn't know people could sleep for two time periods!" Boris laughed his delightful laugh, eyes lighting up brightly. Alice rolled her eyes, ignoring the snub.

"What're you doing here?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow at the mysterious package before him. Boris grinned and, with a flourish, lifted off the white cloth. Inside held chocolates and sweets galore, Alice's mouth watered slightly at the sight.

"Remember you said yesterday that you wanted sweet stuff. I don't really get it but," Boris shrugged and pushed the package towards her, "here!" Alice grinned and sniffed a little, taking in the savory smells of the chocolate she had been denied for so long. Boris got up and was already half way through the door before Alice could get a word out.

"Going already? You came all this way!" Alice protested as he slipped out. Boris waved a hand and stuck his head through the door.

"Gowland said I had to come right back or else he'd get mad. And Gowland mad's kinda scary, so I'm heading right back like he said," Boris explained in one quick breath, head out the door before he finished his last sentence. Julius, for once, put down his work and sighed, staring forlornly at the closed door. Alice turned away from her sweets rather reluctantly at the sound, and was surprised at the expression on Julius' face. It was unlike anything she had seen on the clockmaker, a sense of nostalgia and longing ran through her, so deep and intense were his emotions. She sat quietly in a chair, entranced by this side of Julius she had never seen.

"What's wrong?" she demanded. Julius shook his head as if he had been lost elsewhere, his hands automatically returning to their work. "Julius, what's wrong?" He glanced up at her, eyes still slightly glassy and glazed.

"Boris is a liar. It's the anniversary you know," he replied cryptically, and refused to say anymore on the subject.