"Hey Julius?" Alice asked one day, having been silently watching the blunette work quietly as he placed his tenth clock into the box, taking another from the bloodied bag, provided by Ace, and unscrewing the back. "Yes? What is it?" he asked with a sigh. His eyes, glazed over and flickering, tried to remain open as he looked from the back of the clock to the empty coffee mug on his desk. "You love me, right?"
This question caused Julius to look up from the clock, now giving Alice his full attention as a faint blush fell across his face. "O-Of course I do… I made it clear a long time ago… I wouldn't act this way if I didn't…" he mumbled, fumbling with the clock in his hand as he removed his glasses from his face and touched his hand against hers, which rested on the desk gently. "Why do you ask…?"
"Well… No, you'll laugh" she murmured, a slight chuckle escaping her lips as she rested her head on the same arm that Julius had his hand over, staring up at him with a smile. "Alice, I'm not like that mangy cat, you know I take you seriously with everything you say" he sighed, his thumb brushing against the top of her hand as he tried to work with the other. "I know… But you can also be sarcastic" she mumbled. "My sarcasm is almost exclusively reserved for that idiot, Ace" he replied. "But it's like holidays. It means a lot to me, and if you were to turn it down, it would really—" her small mouth arched into a frown, her eyes looking towards the darkened window as she became silent.
Julius sighed, turning from his work completely, standing from his chair, and carefully swept her off from her chair and into his arms bridal style, much to the outsiders surprise. "J-Julius—!" she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, as a small grin formed on the morticians lips. "You know I will listen to you Alice… I'll do anything for you. Anything you want, just name it" somehow managing to climb up the ladder with her in his arms, he laid her down gently, lounging on his side next to her, propping his head up with his elbow. "… Anything?" she questioned, teal orbs looking up into his dark azure ones hopefully, the light swimming in her eyes caused the darker haired man to blush even more. "Anything" he replied firmly.
Alice blushed, and looked to the yellow and blue diamond checkered comforter beneath them, biting her lower lip as if trying to muster up all the courage she had to say what she was longing to say. Julius simply watched her, patiently waiting to hear what she had to say, as she looked back up at him, determined. "Can we…" there was a pause, her face turning red now instead of it's light pink. "Can we…. Get married?"
Of all the things Julius had been expecting her to ask, that was by far not in the range of what he was expecting. He stared at her, the look on her face— She was serious about this. He had never once thought of marrying the outsider… Hell, falling in love with the outsider in the first place was unheard of, but as time went by, he had slowly began to fall in love with her. And it was over many hundred turns ago that he had admitted his feelings for her. Over those turns, Alice had two birthdays, and was more mature looking, but still the same Alice he had first met when she fell into Wonderland. And he loved that about her… That same curious nature, kind and gentle— At least when she wasn't yelling or punching that blasted prime minister. He truly loved her, and it had been far too long since he had loved, or been loved, by anyone like her. If she was happy, so was he… If she was happy… With a gentle smile on his face, he looked down at her and sighed, his hand snaking around her as he pulled her close, kissing her forehead gently. "If it makes you happy… Then let's do it"
Alice looked up at him, her face brightening with a great big smile and gentle flicker in her eyes as she pressed her head against his chest, face still red as she smiled happily. "Thank you Julius! I love you so much!" she cheered happily, as he stroked her hair gently, chuckling to himself. "Such a strange woman you are…"
—x—
The wedding wasn't big, Alice knew Julius and she both wouldn't be too fond of it. It remained just between some of the employees working at the tower, Gray, Ace and Nightmare. But of course word would spread later, none of the maids in this world could keep their mouths shut when it came to gossip, and this was the juiciest piece they could get their paws on. Although the tensions between Gray and Julius had been a minor issue, and Ace had to have his sword confiscated for picking fights with Gray, the wedding had gone on calmly and collectively, without any blood shed. It was truly the happiest Alice had ever been, Julius himself looked pretty happy. He wore a smile far longer then she had ever seen him, and got worried that it might have gotten stuck that way. Not that it was a bad thing… It was just unusual. But they were both happy to begin their lives together, the gold bands on their fingers being a constant reminder of how happy they had both been that day.
But the time they loved most was when he was working on clocks, and she was sitting beside him with a book. His hand would slide over to where hers rested, and she would give his a reassuring squeeze, as if to silently convey 'I love you too'. She would bring him coffee with a smile, and he would kiss her good morning, and they would often speak of books she purchased or his work. There were other times when Ace would just barge in and disturb the peace, or walk in on them showing affection, and ask to join. Those disturbances aside, the tower was as it usually was, quiet and calm, but certainly less dreary then it had been before.
-x-
As time went on, Alice had managed to get Julius to be more outgoing, having him shop for suits for events and occasions, or just to visit Gowland at the park. But what Alice preferred most was just climbing the stairs to the large balcony like area of the tower with tea and coffee to just look out over the country at night time, and to stare up at the would spend every few turns going out more, and it was Julius' highlight of every outing just to see her smile.
As time went on, Julius had taken a break from work to slave over a hot stove for Alice's birthday. Gray could not be in charge for cooking, not if he wanted a disaster on his hands, and Nightmare, although being a decent cook, would have spewed blood into the batter… So, rolling up his sleeves, putting on an apron, and tying his hair back in a high ponytail with a bandana, he began to cook. By the end of it all, he was covered in flour and chocolate. But the cake had come out right after the fifth time. He lit the single candle in the cake and smiled, waiting for Alice to return home.
Hearing the door open, he looked up from his desk to see Alice run down the hall, sounds that sounded like crying echoing in the halls. Shouting after her, he heard a door slam, as he got up and followed her to their room, knocking on the door gently before opening it. "Alice…? What's wrong?" he asked gently, closing the door behind him as he took a seat next to the brunette, who had her head in her knees and arms wrapped around them tightly as heart wrenching sobs escaped from the back of her throat. "Julius… It's my birthday…" she replied, sniffling. "Yes yes, I know— So why is that something to be upset about?" he asked questioningly, her reaction confusing him. "Y-You're twenty nine… I'm turning thirty… I'm going to get older then you… And— And—" she choked out through sobs, as he wrapped his arms around the shaking girl protectively and reassuringly. "You're such a strange woman… I won't love you less if you're one year older then me… I'd love you as much as I love you now whether you're two years older then me or twenty…" peering at his ring on his finger, he tilted her chin up and kissed her gently, pulling away to kiss away the tears that streamed down her cheeks. "Julius…" she wrapped her arms around him, her tears falling as she smiled. "I love you…"
—x—
As time went by, Julius looked to his beyond long hair as it trailed on the ground. Later that night, Julius sat at his desk with a blanket around his neck as Alice trimmed his hair gently. Wanting it cut short so he could grow it out longer, he was beyond surprised when he stood up and realized it was just at his lower torso. "Sorry, Julius… Seeing you with short hair just wouldn't be… You" she smiled cheerfully. "And I love your hair long~" Sighing, Julius decided not to cut his hair short, but to keep it at the exact length Alice liked it. Alice became more cheerful and enthusiastic, spending most of her time with this album that she occasionally stuck pictures in. "What are you doing, Alice?" Julius would ask, as she stuck pictures into it, jotting down small notes. "Making an album~ To preserve memories!"
Of course, Julius had never heard of such a thing. Mostly because all memories are usually programmed into their clocks, except those from their former lives and selves. "Why would you want to do that…?" he asked her curiously. She smiled brightly, taking a picture of Ace and Julius and holding it up to him. It was during the wedding, when Ace had smashed a piece of cake into Julius' face, and Julius had taken Aces face and smashed it from the top tier of the cake to the bottom in revenge. "Because! Preserving memories and remembering these times… It's just nice to reflect on things~" she smiled cheerfully, sticking the picture in. Julius watched her silently, and added his own comments under hers, as Alice laughed at some of the more sarcastic ones.
Julius became a bit looser from his usual work schedule, allowing more time for them on the balcony to just talk about things. Alice held her mug firmly in her hands as she looked down at the other territories. "… Julius?" the mortician looked over at her, and raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Is the coffee no good?" to which he looked at his own mug. "I thought the beans were pretty good… If you don't like it, it's alright. It's my fault for changing brands—"
"No, it's not the coffee Julius…" she replied, shaking her head slowly as she took a drink of the coffee in her mug. "Then what's troubling you…?" he rested a hand on her head, and ruffled her hair gently. Turning towards him, she bit her lip. "… Will you still do anything for me…?" she asked calmly, although her voice did waver. "Anything in the world" he replied affirmatively, wrapping his arms around his waist as he pulled her closer. "I…" Julius rested his chin on top of her head, listening closely. "Yes, love?" Pulling back from him ever so much, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and swayed back and forth gently. The mortician had never noticed how much taller she had gotten over the many turns. Her face looked slimmer too, and her eyes narrower, more elegant then the wide eyed girl he knew. "I want to have a child…"
Her face flushed, as did the undertakers as the words left her mouth, and hung in the air. "Is…. Is that wrong? I'm not that unappealing, am I? I really want to…" she murmured, resting her head against his broad chest. Julius remained silent, but gave a nod, stroking her hair gently. "If that will make you happy…"
—x—
As time went by, Alice fell into a deep and puzzling depression. It had been many turns since that time… That time when they spoke of a child of their own, that time they spent together to fulfill her desire, that time when she was told she was barren, and unable to bear a child, the one thing she wanted most. Initially, she was in too much of a state of shock to believe the faceless doctors test results, and ripped the papers, refusing to believe. But as it slowly sunk in, she had been a shaking wreck. Since then, she had been spending most of her time locked in their room or crying in Julius' arms, he would be there to kiss her head or stroke her hair. "I love you even now, as much as I did in the beginning" he would reassure her calmly. He would calm her down by reminding her of how things used to be before, when he simply called her a strange woman and when he was unable to understand her emotions. And she would laugh through her crying and remind him how much of a gloomy hermit he used to be. She would apologize every day for her gloomy aura, and promised she would get better.
When Christmas came along, Alice presented the mortician with a small box she had made herself, for him to put things he cared about into it. "Too bad I can't fit you in" he would joke. He presented her with a small pocket watch, one that needed to be wound everyday, or it would stop. Engraved on the inside was "I will love you until time runs out". Even though Julius didn't think much of it, simply saying it was something new other then him buying her new books every year, Alice kissed him and declared she couldn't have gotten a better gift.
Many turns from then, they celebrated her fiftieth birthday. Her young face was now wrinkled and pale, her blue eyes became darker and her once pure brown hair was becoming grayish white. She now needed glasses to see, and her body had grown more fragile and slow. Julius, however, remained the same. Of course, he had offered to change his age, as roleholders can control their clocks and their age, but Alice explained she loved him as he was, and refused his offers, fearing that due to his usually busy schedule, it would take a more taxing effect on his health. Even so they remained happy, as she rested her head against his shoulder as he worked away on yet another clock. He looked over at her. Her white hair was messily tied in a bun and her attire was that of a blue dress with a collar and the same blue wristband. He kissed her forehead gently, and returned to work
—x—
As time went by, Alice was soon bedridden, and diagnosed with Alzheimers. Julius, however, remained by her through it all, holding her hand and looking through the album she made. He would read her the notes, they wrote and point out the pictures, explaining each picture and the story behind each and every one. Alice would occasionally forget small things, the time of day, her age, how much cream to put into coffee, when to wind her pocket watch… just small things. But it soon progressed. Soon, she was forgetting her own name, where she was, and even who Julius was. It crushed Julius when he would come in with the picture album, only to have her question who he was and why he was there. When he would get her to remember, she would cry and hug onto him dearly, and he would kiss her head and comfort her. "How could I forget… Someone I loved so dearly"
One day, as Julius came in with soup for her, he noticed her looking through the picture album on her own, flipping through the pages with her dry and wrinkled hands, gently smiling down as she remembered the old things… Julius placed the tray on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed by Alice, who looked up from the album and smiled gently. He brushed his hand gently against her cheek as she placed a hand over his. Slowly nudging the book towards him weakly, he looked down towards it, then back up at her. She brushed her own hand against his cheek. Taking her hand in his, he kissed her forehead, and rested his against hers as she closed her eyes gently.
—x—
As time went by, the undertaker turned grimmer. He became colder and worked harder then he ever had. So hard, in fact, that even when Ace entered the room, he never noticed. And when he spoke of her, he would lash out violently at him, sending him out and locking the door behind him. He would cry silently to himself then. When the knave mentioned her, mentioned the girl with the messy brown hair and beautiful blue eyes. To numb himself from the pain, he worked more, and with any time he had free, he escaped that world, sleeping until it came time to work again, came time to escape the world. He would never forget… The time she came into his life, the time he had accidentally made her cry by telling her to move, the time he admitted his love for her, the time they were married, the good times and the bad times, the album, and the moment when he came into her room one morning, and noticed the pocket watch had been unwound and stopped, remaining in the cold hands of his love, who had passed in her sleep. It was that time he cried, clinging to her and crying her name, praying to whatever god there was to bring her back to him, cradling her close to him as tears fell freely from his eyes, the watch falling to the ground, the glass breaking as whatever life there once had been was silenced, and the only sound was the morticians heart wrenching sobs.
It had been a long time since then… He still wasn't used to life without her. Every morning, he expected her to come through with a hot mug of coffee, or to have her rush in and just hug him tightly and kiss him. But those times would never come. She wouldn't return to him. She was irreplaceable, after all. He looked towards the box she had made him, and to the gold ring on his finger. Slowly placing the wrench down, he pulled the band off and stared at it a long moment, before jumping to his feet and grabbing the box. Walking up the stairs, he turned a few corners and strolled down hall after hall. Once he made it, he stopped for a few moments, and took a deep breath before slowly entering the room. Everything was just as he left it, the album still on the nightstand, and the watch still on the ground. Trying to hold back whatever sanity he had left, he swallowed the lump in his throat and walked in, placing the box on top of the album, opening it slowly to reveal the picture of them on their wedding day. On the bottom, there was scribbled in Alices handwriting "I will love you, now and always".
Looking to his ring once more, he placed it inside the box gently, and looked to the watch on the floor. Cautiously, he picked it up and stared long and hard at it, The engraving was still there, however the rest of it was worn, the tick tock noises had long stopped and the glass had shattered on the ground beneath his feet. "Alice…" he murmured, before placing the watch into the box beside his wedding ring, placing the lid on it as to finally put it away. He turned to leave the room, but just as he was about to walk out the door, he paused, and turned around to look back. "I will love you… Until the end of time…" with that, he closed the door, and closed away the memories. But he could swear, just as he said that… He could hear the familiar soft ticking of the pocket watch begin again.