Fitful dreams never were quite as gruesome as his were that very early morning. Lauriam awoken in a cold sweat, his hands were shaking as he put his palm to his chest to still his beating heart. He had a sneaking suspicion that he had lost his heart...

How strange it was to dream of such things. He could not comprehend why his mind was milling over the nightmare and horrific thought of actually losing it. The man could not think of anything but being swallowed by inky black. It was as if the river Styx had enveloped his whole being and he could not breathe or crawl away. Blinking the sleepiness and fear away from his mind, his arm went above his head in an attempt to stretch. Slooop! A disgusting sound of muck made him grimace and look above his sleeping spot. A mud puddle was conveniently placed where his hand decided to lay. With a groan, the auburn haired man sat up, yawning. He was currently by the shores of the Kingdom of the Suit of Hearts near the sea. No oysters were about today, perhaps they had learn their lesson from the Carpenter and the Walrus.

He would never know. Still, holding up his own hand, Lauriam inspected the muck of sand and sea salt and wrinkled his nose. Flicking his wrist, the sand left with it. Getting to his feet, his mind was starting to crave something, rest and food. No one, in all of Wonderland, came out this way. He knew why. Looking up at the sky, he could see the moon and sun were both at work. It was only this spot, truly. For on one side, it was night and star cast and the other was brightly sunny. The sight was strange, and since the horrible news of a school of tiny oysters were eaten, no soul would dare venture here. It was out of fear of stepping on the dead shells, he knew that. Stupid. All of those who followed that were quite idiotic. Lauriam had assumed that long ago about his home and the madness that took its toll on everyone.

Looking out at the water, he sighed. How strange it was to look over his shoulder and see grass growing tall in the distance and then the expanse of sand for a stretch on the rocky shore. He dared to wonder if other places existed such as this...

"Well that would be marvelous, wouldn't it?" He smiled at the aspect, and then thought of Alice for a brief moment, then frowned. Lauriam doubted he would see her ever again. She was fleeting, she was young, and he wondered if she aged the same as he. While pondering this, the auburn man started to walk from the sandy beaches up towards the place where he had found it. The small stream he followed down to it.

The same one from the night before when he met that Demyx thing and Xigbar person. That made his blood boil. OF COURSE he wanted to keep his heart, but could the nothing have the decency to actually get him out of his mess? Oh, no, that would be bad to meddle...

"Please, if that red haired clown can, so can he!" He huffed and stomped through the brush between the tall blades and contemplated on staying. Turning back, he looked, surely no guard would come this far off the beaten path?

Then a split second of that thought, he heard a faint call. It was a stray card from where he should have been. Lauriam rolled his eyes, nevermind, it would never work anyhow. His pace sped up as the card feebly tried to miss the bay and head back towards the route he came from. It was growing more of a nuisance than a danger for the gardener. His eyes wandered over to a stem that looked as if it had died. Thinking, he picked it up and swung the stalk as if it were a pole or some weapon. He always seemed to have a way of spinning sticks, it was a gift and helped when he was working within the confines of the maze. Perhaps it would aid him now. Then a small frown appeared on his face, why had he not thought of it sooner?

"..fear...feh." With a huff, Lauriam carried the stick and climbed his way through the giant plants. The directions he had were limited, he had hoped that the gap between the kingdoms was close at hand. Though, at this moment, he could not think with much hope. Hiding was not suiting him well at all. And the constant pang of hunger was oddly becoming familiar. At the heat of the day, he stopped under a large shaded blade of grass to rest. The guards were not finding him, they would soon forget and go after some other poor soul that had done something wrong, or that was what the thought would happen. The man looked around, it was oddly quieter than normal in this spot. He was not sure he liked the quiet or not. The last instance of this was disastrous and filled with heartless beasts. His was on guard for the moment.

It did not take long before he heard footsteps, they were faint and then grew. He gripped the newfound weapon with a waiting vengeance to whomever decided to come this way. Before the being could come out into the open, the stalk was swung.

"OW! HEY!" Lauriam blinked at the voice and kept the pole aimed at the tale tell red spiked hair of the nobody standing in front him. The gardener did not speak as Axel rubbed his head. "Man...I didn't know you'd be here."

"Didn't you. I find that really hard to believe. Leave before I beat the darkness out of you."

"Oh I'm so scared. You know, I'm really not looking for you."

"Aw. Too bad, you found me." A big smile rose on his face, it was not very trustworthy. Lauriam's hand gripped the makeshift pole as tight as a vice. He did not like the looks of how this will go. He knew the red head was looking for him, and he also knew a horrid lie when he heard one.

"Huh...standing up to me again? You got me in trouble, you know." Those deep blue eyes narrowed as he looked the clown over, not answering. His silence was deafening. Axel did not take the hint that he was not to be bothered at this point.

"...leave."

"What? Why?"

"You just need to. I despise your presence." That rewarded the auburn haired man with a laugh. Though, the nobody had not moved one inch from the threat that laid before him, he did not falter either.

"So, you're saying you hate me? What does that feel like, exactly?" A step forward on the shaded figure agitated another jolt of the long stalk towards his face. Lauriam was in a fowl mood and would not deal with him.

"A bad taste in the back of my mouth, and a burning desire to string your neck and bury you in a coffin faced down WITH several creeping vines still wrapped around your throat is the hate I feel as of this moment." At this, Axel stopped and stared.

"So, you want to kill me? Is that it? Huh...and here I was coming over here to apologize on order by Demyx. You met him last night." How could Lauriam forget the ditzy blond playing with bubbles made of water? Still the glowering look did not fall from his face.

"It won't work, you've done too much."

"...so...getting you to your destination won't help?" A smirk arose on the nobody's face. It made the gardener sick to look at. The urge to strike him was growing ever stronger, though he had more control than he let on.

"How do I know that you are telling the truth versus a lie. You aren't trustworthy." Axel crossed his arms, looked at the sky for a moment and then back at him, hands moving to his hips and leans over slightly.

"Then don't trust me. It was a one time offer that you can't get again. See ya, hope that Jaberwock doesn't come after you." A sideways glance of mischievousness crossed Axel's face as he turned to walk through a newly opened spot of darkness. Lauriam's jaw dropped as he pulled the only defense he likely would have away and reached out for the red head.

"What do you mean!?" His hand grabbed the nobody's arm. Axel started to laugh and looked at the somebody over his shoulder.

"How does the Wonderland people say it? I say what I mean, and I mean what I say?" Lauriam pulled back, gasping in a bit of air.

"Y-You didn't do anything, did you?"

"No, actually uh...the opposite, I've been keeping that thing on the wrong track. Good luck, Lauriam. It's not my problem anymore." This left the man speechless, wide eyed as Axel kissed his cheek and started to step away. For some reason, the gardener did not flinch, he did not yell, he was in shock. His life is now a worse hell than ever. Damnable, and quite honestly, stressful. The hand slipped and the pole fell to the ground as he stared at the red head's back and retreating form. The nothing must have noticed this, either that or recognized the signs of someone who had absolutely no idea how to solve this dilemma for the being stopped and stood waiting for just a bit longer. Axel turned with a smirk. That reached the being's eyes. That is what the man noticed most as he stared at the other.

"So, should I keep going or are you going to accept an apology?" Lauriam finally looked away, torn between wanting to believe him and distrust. Silence was not the best answer. What else was there to say? He could not find the words.

"I take that as a maybe. It's up to you, but I have to go before a certain lapdog comes to get me." With that he disappeared. This left the poor man in a fit of uncertainty once again. He stood there gazing for all that it was worth. Will the nothing be back to hear his words or not? In any which case, this does not mean he should stay in one spot.

That thought rattled his never resting mind as he picked up the pole and started to run through the foliage once again. The question still remained of IF the nobody could actually tell the truth or not. There was no indication that this clown could and would spout anything but trickery. He did not notice that behind his feet, little dark spots began to appear, heartless. Where he had stopped to rest was infested with them. Perhaps Axel had decided to give him a break and try to keep them at bay as well? It was still to be seen. Though the very mention of getting to where he needed to be was ever present, should Lauriam have jumped at that chance? It still ran the risk of his heart being stolen. And there was not any way the man would let him take it! Not someone that lewd!

His eyes flicked to the sky, wondering if the flying nightmare would now find him or not as he wound his way towards the shortening grass and soon another home. A squeal of a pig should have been an indication as to where he was, though he was not to heed it until a very ugly woman spotted him.

"What IS that horrible person coming towards me?" The voice was as pinched and nasal as ever. He now stopped and faced the one person who possibly disliked the queen as much as any, the Duchess.

"There is no moral suited for that one! Why even his hair is dirty." Her nose went into the air. Lauriam had to keep himself from throwing a fit. Now was not the best time to feel insulted when he was on the run from being beheaded. This encounter would possibly be the strangest yet as she beckoned him inside. He could not do much but follow her command, looking at her dress, as poor looking as it may have appeared and her sloppy appearance. Mayhaps it was the color choices but she was downright hideous to look upon.

"Come on! You need a good washing before I can befall upon you a good moral to suit the looks of you!"

Author's Note: Nothing really extraordinary here. Sorry for the looong delay. xx; I'll get to writing more when I can think of something a bit better. Thank still for the reviews! Even if I am being souberlybadaboutgettingitdone.

Anyhow, Axel's coming off like a stalker isn't he? I giggle when I think about it.

For those who don't know this: The Duchess is the humor of Victorian literature...she is in the book and always puts a moral to everything, no matter how strange and no matter how crazy it sounds. Satire is awesome since most children's books at that time period had a moral to each one of them. I read that somewhere, I haven't a clue if it is true or not, but it seems to fit her quite well. XD

Moonshine's Guide: Thank you so much for telling it isn't JABBERWOCKY but JABBERWOCK! I am in the middle of updating the rest of the story as I speak. :3 This is why I like reviews.