With the exception of the plot that is depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Heart no Kuni no Alice and Doctor Who. This chapter has been co-written and dedicated to C4rd of Spade. Without her help, I would still be stuck on the outline especially since the workload in college this semester has doubled.
Allons-y!
A low groan rumbled in the back of her throat as an exhausted Erin followed the Liddell girl-child to yet another boutique. Since the Dormouse had been kind enough to let her stay in his hovel and heal properly, the college graduate believed that performing a little housekeeping while he was at work would be proper compensation; that was the only reason why Erin had even bothered coming to the town in the first place. When she checked the cupboards, the dark-haired outsider saw that they were low on groceries and asked the Role Holder if he could drop her off at the market so as to stock up on supplies. Pierce agreed wholeheartedly, but only after Erin promised that they would eat a slice of cheesecake at his favorite café once the assembly was over.
However, she could not escape from the first foreigner as soon as their paths crossed in the town. She was looking at a produce vendor for a ripe tomato when the blank expression from a stuffed tiger toy had been shoved in her face, at the very moment that she turned to search for another vendor with a better selection of merchandise. Her bright green eyes averted to its owner, but stopped when she saw sky-blue orbs peeking up at Erin from behind the tiger; Alice Liddell. The scholar tried to walk pass by her with an excuse to find another vendor, but the chipper girl wouldn't hear it. Instead, she asked the older woman to accompany her to shop for a new dress, but did not give the college graduate time to answer as the fair-haired teenager had already begun to drag her off and out of the market.
Now that I think about…when I come to town with Pierce, Miss Alice just so happens to be in the area as well, and does not leave my side for even a second. Erin thought before she leaned against a wall near the changing room, cat-like green eyes staring at the store lights above her with an absentminded expression. Miss Alice's clingy nature is very….annoying. I don't like it. Why does it have to be her? Why can't it be Miss Jackie?
Just as her mind could ponder on the dual-haired engineer, Erin's train of thought was abruptly cut off when blue fabric was shoved into her face. The college graduate took a step back and saw Alice yet again, holding a frilled dress with a crème-colored pinafore draped over the front. "I think you should get this Erin. I bet it'll look good on you!" Alice squealed, holding the garment beside Erin's body to check if the size fits.
But Erin frowned at the fair-haired foreigner and said, "No, thank you. I am not particularly fond of this style; if memory serves, aren't we here because you are trying to find yourself a dress?"
"Yes, but I haven't seen you wear anything else other than what you have on right now. Don't you have anything else to wear instead?" Alice asked. "No. These are the only clothes that I own. And I've only come to the town for grocery shopping, not clothing." Erin said before she took the dress from the girl-child and hung it up on a nearby rack. Alice stared at the older woman in utter shock for a moment before she fervently shook her head from side to side. "Well, it won't do if those are the only clothes you have, Erin!" Alice chastised the college graduate, grabbing her hand and pulling her further into the store.
"Be that is it may, how am I suppose to pay for clothes? Mister Villiers has given me enough money to purchase groceries, and that is it!" Erin protested as she tried to pull herself away from the younger outsider. "Don't worry, I'll pay for it! That's what friends are for, right?" she cheerfully asked, continuing to pull the coffee-haired college student along despite Erin's flailing.
"...I was under the impression that we were acquaintances, Miss Alice. Not friends."
The blue-eyed beauty halted in her footsteps and turned to Erin with a confused expression stretched across her pale face. "Eh? But I thought we were friends Erin, what with being another Outsider and all, we have to stick together."
The older foreigner just blinked her tired green orbs at Alice before she sighed softly. "Please take no offense when I say this but...when someone has a friend, their companion respects the decisions they make and do not cling onto them. Since I have been coming to the town for supplies, you always use my presence as an excuse to slip the assembly. Even though Mister Villiers has told me that you are a regular attendee."
Alice pouted. "Well, sorry for acting that way Erin. I just saw you as a friend that I can be with, I wasn't trying to appear clingy or anything. Besides, I've always gone to the assembly, so I thought 'Why not skip and spend some time with Erin since no Role Holder will be in the way'." The first outsider huffed as she crossed her arms.
"...And you are not using me being in the town as an excuse to avoid Mister Dupre?" Erin gently pried with an raised brow. "Mister Villiers told me that you two have recently been having some...relationship problems?" When she saw the girl-child visibly twitched, the college student silently confirmed her suspicions.
"What?! No, no of course not! Everything's fine between us! I just thought that since all the Role Holders are busy at the assembly, then we could spend a little time together. You know, as friends." Erin frowned at the answer she received. "But nothing gets done and no one ever agrees on anything. It's just a congregation. Miss Alice...what is really going on here? Are you trying too hard to be my friend, or are you using me to avoid your lover?"
"I already told you Erin, this is supposed to be a shopping between friends!" Alice argued. She turned around and pulled another dress out of the nearby rack. "Here, what do you think of this?" The older woman glanced at the lacy garment for a moment before she gave the younger outsider an exasperated expression. "Miss Alice, may I please go home? I just came to the town for groceries not to shop for clothes!"
"But we never get to hang out together without everyone else interrupting! Just a few more minutes. Please?" Alice begged with wide, sky-blue orbs and pouting lips that mirrored a puppy-dog expression. However, the college graduate was not swayed; instead, Erin handed the fair-haired teenager the shopping bags that were in her hands. "No. I am at the end of my patience. I want to find Mister Villers and go back with him to the Forest of Doors."
"Come on Erin, just a few more minutes I promise! Besides, we haven't even gotten you a dress." Alice tried to reason, quickly keeping up with Erin's strides. But the green-eyed foreigner just kept walking, ignoring the curious stares from nearby customers. "And a few minutes could easily turn to a few hours, which I could use to make dinner back home." Erin countered coolly.
"But I already promised! Look, there's a clock on the wall over there. You can time it! Ten, no wait, fifteen minutes at most, I swear!" Erin halted in her tracks and turned to Alice with an impatient frown. "Fifteen minutes. If neither of us can find a dress for me takes in fifteen minutes, I'm leaving. Got it?" A large smile stretched across the first outsider's mouth. "Yep!" Alice cheerfully responded, quickly grabbing Erin's hand and forcibly dragging her to the ladies section in the store.
"What exactly do you have in mind for a dress, Miss Alice? If the garment has any petticoats or frilled trimmings, I'm not wearing it." The fair-haired girl-child almost stopped walking at Erin's abrasive words. "Well, then..." Alice trailed off in an uncertain tone, because that was exactly what she was thinking for the older woman. She turned towards the nearest rack and pulled out a green, polka-dotted dress."How about this one? The color is nice, and it'd look really cute on you!"
Erin just stared at the garment in utter befuddlement. "...Polka dots, Miss Alice?"
"Yes, what's wrong with polka dots?"
"The design is a bit...childish, for my taste Miss Alice. Maybe it would be better if I obtained another suit than a dress." The college graduate said before she twisted on the ball of her heel and began to walk towards the men's department. However, Alice was quick to grab Erin's wrists and yank her back. "But polka dots aren't childish! Everyone wears them!"
"You're not wearing the pattern, Miss Alice."
"Well I don't wear it all the time of course, but I do wear it occasionally."
"I'm probably still better off with a suit because I have been spending a lot of time cooking or cleaning for Mister Villiers while he is at work," Erin replied as she tried to tug her wrists out of the younger woman's hands, "may you please reconsider since you are the person who wants to purchase something for me?" Alice blinked at Erin before she sighed softly. "Oh, alright. As long as you get some new clothes!"
"Is this really necessary, Miss Alice?"
"Yes! I haven't seen you wear anything else except what you have on as of right now." The blue-eyed young lady exclaimed as she began to tug her companion back in the direction of the women's department. "I don't think you would have any time either if you were shot in the stomach and then taken on a camping trip by a directionally-challenged bloke." Erin said in irritation. "And this is why it's a good idea to shop now with all the other Role Holders away!" Alice exclaimed. Bright green eyes turned towards the wall clock above the first foreigner's head. "There's only seven minutes left, Miss Alice. How could we find a garment in that amount of time?" The college graduate asked. "We will, we will! Have a little faith in me, okay?" The blue-eyed girl-child assured with a bright grin.
Erin exhaled heavily. "If you won't let me leave this place without something in my hand, then may we please just purchase some underwear?"
Alice halted in her tracks and stared at the older woman. "Underwear? Erin, please don't tell me that you don't have any other pairs of underwear." When the blonde-haired teenager saw Erin shake her head, Alice stole a glance at the clock before heaving a reluctant sigh. "Fine. We'll get you some underwear. But next time you're in town, we will get you some new clothes." The first foreigner promised as she began to drag the college graduate towards the lingerie section.
xCCx
Relief filled Erin's mind as she and Alice walked out of the boutique with a bag in either hand. Finally, it's over. Who would have imagined that I was able to persuade Miss Alice to purchase a package of lingerie instead of clothes, given to how stubborn she had been earlier? If she were persistent on me wearing that dress...then she would have seen the scars on my body. The...memories from the years I had spend under Edmund and Ruth's roof. Cat-like green eyes darkened in reminiscence. I may not have been in Clover Country or known Miss Alice for a long time, but I wouldn't allow her to see this part of me. Miss Jackie perhaps, but not Miss Alice. She is just an acquaintance; nothing more, and nothing less. Just before her mind could be drowned in negativity, something...or rather someone, caught her attention from the corner of her eye.
A faceless man of medium height with shaggy black hair and a clean-cut burgundy four-buttoned suit...I saw him standing outside of The Broken Teacup and The Golden Afternoon while Miss Alice was carding through the racks for another dress. Erin subtly turned her head to the younger woman. Miss Alice is romantically involved with the head of a powerful crime syndicate, making her the primary target for any faction who are desperate to bring Mister Dupre to his knees. Literally, and figuratively. I need to get Miss Alice out of this vicinity, but in a discreet manner. But just as she was about to move closer to the cerulean girl-child, Erin was pulled back by her suit collar before her arms were locked in a vice grip and a cool object pressed against the back of her head.
Click.
"Move a single muscle, and you will die...third outsider."
I would like to thank anomaly.1, C4rd of Sp4de, Quiet Harmony-chan, xXxSebastian-MichaelisxXx, Momochan77, Lucian96, The real Monkey chan, zeldatwilightfreak, MaApDpNIEeSsS, PrinceKat, Flameswolf,, slashingfruit101, and supersushicupcake for taking the time to read and review the last chapter! I truly appreciate the feedback and thoughts you have sent me. I hope everyone has enjoyed reading this long-awaited segment of Carrot Cake.
Please send any feedback or thoughts on the chapter. Thank you for taking the time to read this!
