Chapter IV: "Must I Say it Again?"

While Ace took a bath, I took out a copy of Alice in the country of Hearts by QuinRose and showed it to Julius. "I've been fascinated by Wonderland since I was a little kid," I said, handing him the manga. "But when I found this at the little library in one of the littler towns I lived in, back when I was 16, I got hooked. But never in my wildest dreams did I suspect it to be real, let alone that I'd one day be chosen to play the Game. I just thought it was a good plotline for a great many books."

"So you already know about the clocks, the afterimages, the work Ace does for me, and the like?"

I nodded calmly. "Yup. And before you ask, it doesn't scare me," I said. "I'm extremely warped from years of watching crime dramas and seeing people autopsied. I've been trained to wield katana swords and I have no fear of using them, though I forgot to take mine with me when Peter came to pick me up, and I can out-cuss Joker on any given day of the week, especially on my period. Nothing freaks me out anymore."

Julius stared at me wide eyed. "Haha! I think you broke his brain, Jacky!" Ace said, coming back into the workroom, drying his hair. He was bathed, wearing clean clothes, and looking a whole lot better, albeit still weak with hunger. "So what were you saying to him?"

"I told him that this world is a manga in mine, that blood and guts don't scare me, and that I can out-cuss Joker," I repeated.

"Haha! Nice! I would pay to see that, if I don't die from starvation and thirst, first."

"Oh, right," I said. "Let me make you something to eat. I'm sure Julius won't mind if I make use of his kitchen. Right Julius?"

The Clockmaker just nodded numbly. "Kay-Kay, I'll go and fix you something to eat. Feel free to chat while I cook."

Ace's POV:

"So, what do you think?" I asked. Despite how little energy I had at the moment, I was dying to know what my best friend thought of the girl I'd claimed as a sister.

"She's... interesting," Julius replied carefully, keeping his voice down so Jacky wouldn't overhear. "She already knows the darker sides of this world, and she claims they don't scare her. I suppose only time will tell if the White Rabbit made the right choice in bringing her here."

"Yeah," I agreed with a lazy nod. This starving thing's a real pain in the ass. "I hope she's not just a lot of talk. I'd pay to see her fight, and to see her out-cuss the Warden. And since she's already dating the PM, it might be kinda cool to have a bunch of baby bunnies running around the castle."

"Wait, Jacky is already dating Peter?" Julius asked. I could tell from the tone of his voice that he was in "no-funny-business" mode. "Does she not realize that he represents her fondest memories from her world? If she is going to stay in this world, she needs to forget about her own."

"Might not be possible, even if she wasn't in love with him," I said with a shrug. "Jacky seems to have been through some hard crap in her world. She hasn't told me much about herself, but she's obviously better suited to this world than Alice was. Maybe she's just want we need to get our minds off her passing."

"Perhaps," Julius agreed.

I sniffed the air, listening to the sounds of cooking. "Something smells really good," I observed, my mouth watering and my stomach growling. "I wonder what she's making?"

Julius paused his work long enough to take in a whiff of the delectable scent. "Some kind of bread," he said slowly, trying to pinpoint what he was smelling. "Marinara sauce seasoned with basil, garlic, onion, and sage, topped with shredded cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and provolone cheese. I don't know what this dish is, but it certainly smells good."

It did, indeed! I could hear Jacky singing in the kitchen as she cooked.

"When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie,
that's amore!
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella

When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool
That's amore
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming seniore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore

When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore (That's amore)
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore! (That's amore)
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella" (Vita bell- Vita bella)
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella (lucky fella)

When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool
That's amore (That's amore)
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet
You're in love
When you walk in a dream but you know you're not
Dreaming seniore
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli
That's amore, (amore)
That's amore!"

"That the heck is Napoli?" I asked, only to see Julius shake his head in mutual confusion.