When Alice ran away, she didn't go back to her room.

It took a fair bit of backtracking and problem solving and asking confused little maids for directions, but eventually Alice found her way back to the main foyer where wedding preparations were still being made. Her stomach did a sickening flip-flop but she brushed past the decorations like she didn't notice them, heading instead towards the chestnut head of an over-excited teenager with butterfly clips in her hair.

Alice grabbed Sharon's shoulder and pulled her back sharply. Sharon gasped in surprise but brightened when she saw just who it was that was doing the pulling. "Alice!" She gushed happily, clapping her hands together enthusiastically. Alice was beginning to have second thoughts and it had barely been seven seconds. Sharon's face then quickly fell and Alice wondered if she had shown her distaste too obviously, but these worries were replaced by speculation over whether or not Sharon had telepathic abilities. "What's wrong, Alice? You look upset."

Alice tugged on Sharon's sleeve awkwardly. "Can we go somewhere else?" She asked nervously, shooting the wedding planners an evil look. "Those banners piss me off."

Sharon's nose wrinkled a little at Alice's language, but she nodded once and let Alice lead them off to an empty corridor. When they stopped, Sharon looked at Alice questioningly. "Did you want something?"

Alice sat down abruptly, resting her back against the wall. "You've read heaps of those fairytales, right?"

Sharon smiled proudly and sat opposite Alice. "Sure have," She agreed. "Why do you ask?"

"Tell me one."

Sharon blinked, surprised. "Pardon?"

"Tell me a fairytale," Alice explained as though Sharon were two days old. "Please," She added hurriedly.

"Um… OK, well, once there was a maid called Cinderella who had an evil stepmother and two ugly stepsisters and the Prince was having a ball one night and Cinderella was not allowed to go but her magical fairy godmother appeared and granted her a wish and she went to the ball but the spell wore off at midnight and as she was running away she dropped her glass slipper and the Prince went around town trying to find the girl whose foot fit the slipper and he found Cinderella and when the shoe fit her foot he married her and they lived happily ever after." It was a long, clumsy, breathless sentence, and Alice rejected it bluntly.

"That's stupid," She sniffed. "Why does everyone end up getting married? There is no such thing as a happy ending. Are there any other fairytales that end realistically?"

"Well… no," Sharon admitted. "In all of the fairytales the bad guy usually ends up hurt or dead or something and the others live happily ever after. And it doesn't need to be realistic, it's a fairytale."

Alice's nose wrinkled. "I don't like it."

Silence fell.

"Then why did you ask me to tell it?" Sharon asked.

Alice shrugged. "I wanted to know what a happy ending sounded like."

"Well, you see Alice, that usually depends on the person," Sharon said pointedly. "My happy ending, for instance, would probably involve my father acting like a real father. Your happy ending may be something completely different." Something clicked in Sharon's head suddenly and she cocked her head to one side. "What is your happy ending, Alice?"

The Alice in question fell silent suddenly and refused to meet Sharon's eyes. Sharon suddenly became very excited and seemed to almost vibrate with anticipation. "Does it involve Oz?" She blurted without thinking. She didn't waver when Alice nailed her with a deadly stare. Probably because it suddenly faltered and fell.

"I don't know," Alice admitted quietly. "Maybe. It's just… Sharon, what I'm about to tell you you have to promise not to tell anyone else."

Sharon held out one arm, little finger outstretched. Alice looked at it queerly. "Pinkie promise?" Sharon offered. Alice didn't show any signs of comprehension. "It's a special kind of promise," Sharon explained. "I won't break it. You hook your little finger around mine and it's an official promise."

And so Alice made her first pinkie promise.

"The other day, after you left," Alice began in hushed tones. "Oz came up and we were just talking about how we grew up and stuff and it was kind of nice and then we sort of tried to kiss each other."

Sharon unleashed an unbelievably feminine squeal and her feet slammed against the floor madly with excitement. Alice slapped her head abruptly, forcing Sharon to hold it in. "Almost," Alice reminded her. "Then we both sort of came around and he left and I bolted."

Sharon squealed again, mercifully quiet this time. "That's so cute!" She cooed. "Have you spoken to him since?"

"That's the thing," Alice explained. "I saw him this morning, but I just couldn't make myself talk to him. And he didn't seem particularly keen either. It's just… Every time I look at him I go all hot and cold all at the same time and I don't know what to say. It's really weird. Is there something wrong with me?"

Sharon's face suddenly split into a wide smile that made Alice shudder. "Oh, Alice," She said softly, lovingly, reaching for her hands. "I'd dare to venture a guess that you'd be in love with Oz."

Alice snatched her hands away and turned her nose up at Sharon, cheeks furiously red. "Am not!" She denied angrily. "It's just awkward. What sort of pea-brained creature could possibly love a jerk like him?"

Sharon was still smiling. It was scary. "Love makes us do strange things, Alice," she said quietly. With a quiet scream, Alice stood suddenly.

"You're mushy," She told Sharon accusingly. "I hate Oz Vessalius! So much so that I think I'll find him now and tell him just how much I hate him."

Alice turned smartly on her heel and marched down the hall with purpose. Sharon watched her go and laughed quietly to herself, shaking her head.

Once Alice had rounded the corner and was positive Sharon couldn't see her, she paused. Once again, she had absolutely no clue as to where she was going. She considered going back and asking Sharon for directions, but she couldn't bring herself to face that romantic maniac again. No, she would find her own way around here. Striding with purpose, she set off down the halls once more, twisting and turning at every corner until finally she saw a familiar face.

"VESSALIUS!" She roared, ignoring the butterflies in her stomach furiously. Oz, who was down the other end of the hall, turned to see her with an apparent degree of surprise. She stormed over to him furiously, but suddenly faltered when they were actually face to face. She noticed for the first time that he was a good head taller than her. They were so close… Alice could just fall into his arms now. She didn't know why, but she just wanted to know what it was like to actually hug someone.

If I ever hug anyone, Alice thought with a growl. It certainly won't be this dipshit.

Alice noticed, however, with some pleasure, that Oz was just as unsure as she was. "Look, Oz, we need to talk."

At the very same time, Oz said, "Alice, I just wanted to say-"

The both stopped and laughed awkwardly. "You go," They both offered together.

"Ladies first," Oz challenged quickly, face ruby red.

"Gentlemen accept the lady's offer," Alice blurted back, and after a second of just staring into each other's eyes they laughed again.

"Look, about yesterday-" Oz began suddenly.

"It was an almost moment," Alice interrupted quickly.

"Meant nothing at all," Oz agreed with an efficient nod.

They smiled at each other fleetingly. "Uh, great," Oz smiled weakly. "I'm glad we, uh, sorted that out."

"Same," Alice mumbled back. They turned around in unison and began down the halls. Oz had just rounded the corner when he heard Alice's voice drifting down to him again.

"Oz?"

He poked his head around the corner and saw Alice's head floating around her corner, face sheepish. "I don't know where I'm going," Alice confessed.

Oz laughed and disappeared around the corner again. "Down here!" He called over his shoulder. "Follow me."