A/N: This story contains mild to heavy sprinkles of Ada/Gilbert. Ah, anyway, this is my first Pandora Hearts fic! So, there are a few words misspelled...which I think, some of them, are the names of Shalon and Oz' household names. This is embarrassing since I am a fan.. (sweat)


Ta-dah!


A young blond walked somewhat cautiously through the halls connecting from the student classrooms to the central library and conservatory. Intricate swirl like designs of garland hugged every corner and long red and green tape ran parallel along the side floors and walls. The girl rounded a corner, heading for the nearby stair case ahead. She was fortunate. The west end stairwell was one of her favorite areas as it was completely flooded with cotton snow. She pushed the door open and poked inside slowly, both her eyes and feet roaming carefully before she took her first step down.

Step step Step. She descended, trying not to take too much of the scenery around her and surround her brain with...fluff...white fluff. So. much. fluff.

Each cotton ba---fluff, was decorated with a face, an adorable face---adorable faces! Most of, well all of them, resembled features akin to students and teachers by popular request of the student council. This particular section was dedicated to the seniors. Adas' face snapped in concentration once she cornered her homeroom class tucked to the corner wall and celiing. At the third to last step, an idle thought of losing her balance crossed the back of her mind. Just a thought.

Slip

She never fell, only came too close to falling. Unable to stop herself, Ada sprinted down the steps without control and landed face flat into a banner below the fluffy clique of her class mates. It read: Happy Holidays.

Ada flushed and whined, rubbing her nose. She tuned sideways with teary eyes in search of the nearest window to examine herself. Suddenly brief, her body stopped mid motion. She had found it without turning much. Her face was red at the top of her nose but certain white objects in the reflection were getting more attention.

Ada spun to her knees, sliding to the floor as she crouched to an easier level. She squealed happily to herself.

Tucked in the corner were four cotton balls linked together by a string. There was two with blond hair, one short and one longer, one almost square looking with grey hair, and the fourth, was a black haired puff ball under a small paper felt bent hat. By the looks of it, the fourth had received a degree of special attention. At the sides where every other ball had dots for ears, this one donned, triangular ears of a cat.

Ada smiled to herself as she fingered each homemade craft carefully. ...Oz's idea. She took the small snowball incarnation of Gilbert and founded herself fighting a smile. The crease on the hat was quite strong. One tap of her finger and the hat immediately drooped.

As gentle as she could, Ada pressed her thumbs to the fold. For a few moments she sat squatted, holding the crease, but as if to get her attention, the crease thinned and the hat fell forward once she let go.

For a moment she did nothing. Then finally, she straightened her nightdress before opening the second floor exit door.

It was futile but she'd try again another day. For now, she had to keep her head clear of distractions. The hour of the night was well past bed time hours for students and any thing short of a pin drop could be carried down the length of a football field to any hall monitor----should she be not careful enough. And what made matters worse were her belongings had yet to be retired from her room.

By no means of mastering stealth, Ada slipped out into the quiet hall. Adapting herself with unsteady breath and for self confident reasons---closed eyes, she kept both hands linked to the knob as she pushed the door shut behind her back. In doing so, the sound of the clicking lock was minimized. Inside the stairwell however, was a different story. A muzzled echo could be heard growing, and until the final resonate, Ada kept her grip still.

I shouldn't be on this floor. I'm making them wait...

"Psst. Ada!"

Her eyes comically flapped open. From left to right, her head whipped. "Wh-who? Who's there?" She asked. No one.

She turned around.

"Bah!"

Oz.

"Br-Brother!" She held both her hands to her face to shush him. Her heart was racing. How did...how did...

"D-D-D-Don't…scare me like that!" Oz merely bumped their shoulders together with a playful grin. The young master of the household was quite occupied with his hands. He was holding a large duffel bag with a cat face on the front. Ada gasped. How did....how did....

"Oz you went into my room!" she stated blank faced.

"Yup!" He replied all to cheerfully. He shifted the bag to one arm so he could hold his sisters hand. It some time for Ada to recover but eventually she smiled and took it.

"And we're going to miss tomorrow morning if we don't hurry up, Ada." Still holding her hand, he bounded off north.

"I know I know." They were completely true words though. They did indeed need to worry about what time they should and were arriving at the Reinsworh house.


Run. Run. Run. Or as fast as they could without making much noise. Ada tried brushing loose strand of hair as properly as she could with her free hand. She missed, but it wan't worth suceeded if it involved flailing under her brothers squirrel like speed. They were practically leaping their way.

Oz...

She tried to get a full glimpse at her "elder" brothers' expression as they ran. He looked incredibly dreamy, meaning nothing other than that he looked like he was in another world when he talked. Oh. Oz, was he talking?

"----and Alice is going to get hungry. That's not a good thing. No No..!"

"Alice?" She was confused. "Is that…"

"Here we go!"

Her body did an unexpected twirl. They rounded a corner, and with Oz leading as if he was running along the walls, the older sister was thankful she didn't go spiraling into the air. He was so short compared to him. When he twisted she, more or less had to toppled herself forward to match his speed.

Ada asked her sigh, or more like it was blown away by the bustling wind from their kicking feet. She had already came close to hitting her head before...well she did.

"Aha! Here it comes Ada!"

My. My head.. She whined in her head. She was about to tell him to slow down when Oz broke into a light jog to her luck. He put a hand to his head in a slight thinking pose.

"Oh!" Ada pushed her dizzy head up. Where was Oz? "Shalon made a cake too, Ada!" He said. She couldn't tell under the fuzz but he looked dreamily again. His cheeks were flushed a in little blurry blobs. Ada titled her head in wonder. Was it the cake or Shalon? "Ahh I can't wait to eat that!" It was the cake. "I think I might steal the whole thing! You'll let me do that won't you, Ada?"

She smiled. She could see him now.

"...Sure!" Grinning back, Oz gripped her sisters hand once again and together, they picked up speed.

Adas' face lit up. For an entirely different reason. "Brother!" she pointed to a tall double wooden door in the distance. "The doors are up ahead."

"Nah-ha! We still have a long way to go?"

Ada suddenly halted. She didn't understand, the entrance door was in plain sight.

"Oz..I don't…."

Without further delay, Oz pulled Ada to the left. The two of them faced a window.

"This is much more fun."

"Huh?"

Fiendishly, with his tongue out, the small blond boy pulled up the lock and threw up the sash. He stuck his hands outside much to Adas' surprise and then his head much to her near fainting spell experience. The younger sister strived to quickly regained her composure for her foolish brothers sake. Shakily she poked her head out in the small space her brother could lend with half his body leaning out.

Downwards, a carriage with two black horses was parked along the sidewalk.

"Brother…" Ada whispered. "...is that…"

"Gilll!" He shouted about as loud as a screaming whisper could manage. "Catch!" In retaliation, there was a loud burst of the stage coach door opening. Adas' eyes widened comically. Outside a very annoyed tall coated man stood with one foot still in the air. He stumbled his way to the window, shoulders rising, until a large duffel bag hit him square in the face.

"Idiot!" The two Vessalius children covered their ears despite Gil only clearly yelling at Oz.

"Idiot the whole school is going to hear you!---ah?" He suddenly stopped mid rant, lowering the duffel bag and raising his eyes over Oz. He gulped. " Miss Ada?" Oz never said she would be coming with us…he thought. Inwardly, he shook his head.

What am I thinking? Why would Oz tell me something like this!

"Heey. Everything all right?" Oz called icing a fake concern in every syllable. Ada forced a small smile despite knowing something was up.

Gil tilted his head slightly in a way both Vessalius children found to be completely nostalgic. "Eh?" He grunted. He sounded just the same only gruff around the edges. Oz whispered to his sister and they giggled. He blushed, harder than usual considering Ada was watching him.

"A-Ah---Ozyoubetternotbetellingajokethisisnottherighttime!!"

"Yo".

He managed to catch a glimpse of his masters' gleaming eyes before a heavy rope cracked down in front of his feet.

Gil backed a few steps, arms up. "Oz? What's going on…?" he called. From the top, Oz was clutching the rope together as close to the newly fitted knot tied to a very handy laundry hook line. Gil still stared on, slowly adding two and two. He watched his master give two hulls, whistle with a toothy grin and chucked one foot out to feel the air and...

Ada visibly paled.

"Gil! Lookout!"--- but the servant was instantly slated to stone once he heard his name shrieked so…he couldn't describe it. His face had broken out in a multitude of burgundy shades. Never had he heard the young girl sound so desperate when addressing him.

"YOOooooooo" ---and then, Oz sprung with the other foot. Shooting down at a rapid speed with both legs positioned outwards like a swinging vigilante. Gil was of course, his safety point. The mischievous boy landed atop his shoulders like a monkey.

Thanks to his masters' rambunctious actions, Gils' recovery had sped up process on the double. Meanwhile, in utter contempt of flying down two stories, Oz happily patted Gils' head.

"Best escape plan I ever came up with, eh Gil?" He returned the gesture in the face of someone about to strangle the nearest person to death. Oz bubbled in laughter.

"Aw come on! If I was going to fall you would just catch me!" Gil would have liked to respond with something legitimately defensible, but was empty on a supplying the right words. Luckily for him, Oz was there to break the awkwardness. His eyes had widened considerably when he looked over Gils' shoulder.

"Hey Ada? Let's go..." He immediately hopped off of Gil. He looked left, right, up, down and all over the surroundings. His sister, who was supposed to be beside him was nowhere to be seen.

"ADA!" Then he frantically motioned to the window where he recently escaped. There, his sister sat by the windowsill patiently but with apparent weary eyes. Oz smacked his cheeks, startling Gil.

"Ohh noooooo! The rope! You were supposed to jump on the rope with meee, Ada!!"

"I…I would have been too much weight." Ada hesitantly replied.

A sudden wave of frozen thunder struck behind Oz. He crouched into a fetal position. "Tha…That's right…sorry…Ada..."

"Idiot! How could that have possibly worked out!' Gil kicked Oz in the side. In addition, a gloom cloud now hovered above his master.

"Well…I was thinking of the past…" He sulked, humbly. The cloud rained.

"Oz!" Gill panicked. "I, uh, didn't mean it by that…!"

"…Ada's not little anymore…" he mumbled. The cloud thundered.

"Oz." Gil sighed. He breathed in heavily before raising his head to speak with his masters' sister.

"Miss Ada, can you make it?"

"I…I can do it,..!" Gil strained a smile as he stepped back a little, unconsciously readying himself. He wasn't exactly where to go from here… she wasn't as wild as Oz and yet possibilities were seemingly endless in what could happen next. Perhaps this was paranoia or was his brain going to stop thinking once the image of the young blond girl falling toward him actually became a reality.

Something elbowed him smugly. He turned to see his master, fully recovered.

"Gil! Get ready?" He winked.

"Wh-What?":

"Come on! Like this" He held his hands out as wide as he could in a catching position. "Don't worry Ada, we'll catch you!" He shouted to his sister in reassurance. Gil crossed his fingers. He mimicked Ozs' stance

"Yes!" He agreed.

"O-Ok!" Ada tried her best to remain calm in the situation. She doubted she could reason with her brother and she didn't want to be a burden to Gil either... Oh.. She arched out the window enough where her balance rivaled the anxiety bursting inside of her. I'm going to jump out a window…this time by myself….I…

"You can do it, Ada!" The boys chorused.

.can do it!

She sprung from the window, whisking her arms out as if in control of the direction. Her legs hunched in intently to stabilize her position confidently. Her golden hair flew out in a soundless fury as the wind picked up each strand and made it fly along with her as she floated forward.

Oz spazzed. His sister was flying."AdaADAaddaDADADADADADADAAAA! Grab the rooooope!" He ran in circles. Gil merely stuck himself to the ground in awe, his face tilted and overheated. Miss Ada…your dress…is…

Ada grabbed the rope---just in time—or more like snatched it up casually since the rope had been conspicuously between her fingers the entire time. Flying down with a swift zip of air and flowing wind, she twisted the ropes up with her other hand to steady her land.

In front of Gilbert Nightray and Oz Vesailius, the clumsy young bumbling lady Ada had landed gracefully to the ground.

"Ah…Ta-dah…" She said quietly, more to herself. She was trembling.

They stared. Her brother was the first to recover as he bolted toward her in a playful hug, exclaiming "ada" and "awesome". Gil soon walked in on the group and put his hands on both their shoulders in agreement, smiling faintly. Ada looked up at the contact and found herself very close to his face and very inescapable from it.

"Ah..."

A wind of air breezed past them. Ada sneezed.

"Miss Ada?

"It's okay. I just caught a…" Absently, she looked to her toes. "….a cold."

"COLD?!" and as if to confirm, she sneezed again.

Oz straightened his collar in unease and amusement at a sudden discovery. "Ah…um…Gil? She's not wearing any…shoes"

Ada smiled foolishly. Her heels looked pale. "Yes." she nodded sheepishly, clicking them as she continued. "You see, our schools shoes are loud and clunky in the hall, so when I walk----

"QUICK!" In a massive rush of force, Ada was delivered into the carriage by her brother and Gil. "INSIDE!" She was plopped onto the cushion seat with a shaken face and stifling smile.

She touched her nose lightly. "It's just a col…"

"Silence!" Oz shushed her. In seconds he pressed a cup into her hands, it's whereabouts questionable. "Hot chocolate!"

"That's not going to help." Gil sighed as he relaxed between the two, rubbing his head in exhaustion. Beside him, Ada sipped the hot chocolate anyway with delight. Latowidge was rather strict on what their students were ingesting, and so sweets were seldom found in the cafeteria. As expected, the sugar rush went straight to her head. She peeped in shock at the savory sweet taste,

The boys stared.

"Ahh." Ada sighed. She sunk into her seat "Soo long agooo.." she wailed.

The boys tensed.

"Miss Ada?" Gil rose his brow in slight worry.

"G-Gil…" She suddenly explained to him with fuzzy eyes. "It's been 10 years…since..." She bowed her head, staring into the cup.

"Ah.!." Oz perked his ears towards his sister in attention. "Ada…" He watched his sister drink away quietly.

"Since...Since...I've had hot chocolate…!" Her fuzzy eyes shining, she took one last sip, completely absorbing in every last drop.

"Ahh. I haaate the food at my schooool." The young once deprived student plopped onto his brothers' servants' lap. Gilberts' lap. And from the amount of endurance she held against the powers of sugary chocolate and marshmallows, it was safe to assume, Ada Vessailus would not be awakening tonight.

"She's out." Oz clarified. He looked from Ada to Gil and back. Not even a moment passed and a devilish grin appeared on the boys' face as he exchanged looks with both drastic faces; the out cold and the red hot. He cackled as he sat back into his seat. Crossing both arms over his chest, His devil smile returned. He did absolutely nothing to hide his amusement.

His servant twitched, or as much as he could without shifting the weight of the sleeping Ada from his lap to an even more provocative position.

"Shut up!" Oz pointed back. His words fumbled over his own laughter.

"Poorsh unlucky Gil pillow ish beat red."

Raven seethed. His raven eyes flared a different fire than the heat on his cheeks.

"Don't say anything!" He barked.

His master obeyed. Somewhat. He laughed the entire ride "home".


END


A/N: I hope you enjoyed the read!