Boris sat back and admired his handy work as he looked at the girl.

She hadn't been half as easy to catch as he had thought she would be. And he had the bruises to prove it. "Give me back my clothes." The female said in a slightly shaky tone as she looked up at him, her teal eyes had a frightened almost haunted look to them as she carefully tried to push herself upright without removing her hands from in front of her breasts. Trying desperately to hide the nice red and black lac bra that she was wearing.

But she couldn't hide everything and Boris had to admit, the girl had fantastic taste in under things. He looked her over a little more slowly and felt his body temperature spike a little bit. Wow.

Wow. She was a fucking knock out like this.

Her skin was pale, flushed a pretty pink, her dark hair had a tousled look to it and fell around her face, shoulders and down her back in dark waves and curles as she tried to curl her body in a ball and hide herself, obviously embarrassed that he had stripped her down to her panties and bra.

Really, she was adorable.

And he felt like such a bastard. Again... The feeling was so strong that he almost wanted to use his tail to hang himself. "I'll give you back you're clothes if you'll stop trying to hurt me and just talk to me." He said as he knelt down next to her and shrugged out of his jacket and wrapping it around her slender shoulders.

Startling himself slightly at the almost noble action. Figuring that even if he refused to give her back her clothes right now, he would lend her his jacket and let her try to hide herself in it's folds for the time being.

It was better than nothing. Right?

Ali looked at him strangely as she thought about what he had just said. He'd give her back her clothes if she just talked to him. She didn't understand. What would just talking to him achieve? "You'll really give me back my clothes?" She asked in a doubtful tone as she gripped the lapels of his jacket in her hand, holding it closed as she arranged the rest of it to hide her panties and her legs.

He smiled at her and handed her a shoe.

She blinked at him and took it and set it down next to her and sighed. Crap. If this was how he wanted to do this she didn't have much choice, did she? "Alright. What do you want to know?"

"Lets start with the basics. How about you tell me your name." Boris said as he eased himself into a sitting position next to her.

"My name is Alice-" Ali said and noticed that the cat man stiffened slightly and flattened his ears back against his head and stared at her for a second or so with an unfathomable expression on his face before hesitantly handing her her other shoe. "But I mostly go by Ali."

"Your last name. It isn't Liddol is it?" Boris asked curiously. His heart suddenly beating much too fast in his chest. Excitement warring with anxiety.

Ali gave him a shocked look and slowly nodded her head, wondering how this cat man could know her name. His mouth opened and he looked like he wanted to say something but snapped his mouth closed and thinned his lips for a second then asked.

"Age?"

"F-Fifteen." She was almost sixteen actually and had only a month or so to go before her next birthday but he hadn't asked her that so she didn't bother saying anything. He handed her a sock.

"Favorite color?"

"Blue, red, purple, black, silver and copper." He handed her another sock.

"Measurements?"

"I'm not answering that because a true gentleman wouldn't ask." She said with a pointed look and he gave her a thoroughly feline grin. Well. She had him there. He handed her one of her pants legs but kept his grip on the other one.

"What do you like to do to pass the time?"

"Not much of anything. Reading. Napping. Exploring. Visiting with friends..." Even though she rarely had the time to spare to do any of those things. He handed her the other pants leg and looked at her shirt and sighed in defeat and handed it to her too.

"Go behind the tree over there and get dressed. I'll sit here and wait." He said as she collected her clothes and started to stand and gave him another doubtful look.

"This is all you wanted?"

"This and just a little time to get to know you. Now scamper off and put some clothes on before someone come along and sees you." She gave him a wide eyed look and blushed then ran behind the tree a few feet away to do as he had told her.

(*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************)

Blood and Elliot walked along the old path leading through the woods, away from the castle of hearts.

"How was the Queen?" Elliot asked his boss as the man stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and hunched his shoulders a little bit. It wasn't the least bit dignified but then they were far enough away from the castle and their home that he could afford to look a little bit undignified.

"Not good." Blood said after a second or so of silence. Something needed to change for his sister, hopefully soon. He had already buried their parents, he had no desire to bury her too.

Eliots ears slumped a little bit. "I'm sorry Blood."

Blood looked back at him for a second then nodded his head a little bit then turned his head away again and stopped dead in his tracks, causing Elliot to run into him. Elliot grunted then looked up at Blood and started to open his mouth to ask why his boss had stopped when Blood slapped a hand over his mouth and pointed to a tree up ahead. Elliot shut his mouth and looked where Blood pointed and felt his jaw drop as he caught sight of a girl with black curly hair pulling on a turquoise and black V neck shirt over a red and black lace bra.

"My, my, but I do enjoy these walks through the woods." Blood said in an amused tone as the girl bent down and pulled on a sock and then slipped her foot into a pair of dainty looking shoes with small heels. Once she seemed to be done dressing she leaned down again and picked up a large black leather jacket and sighed then turned and called out to someone.

"It looks like we stumbled on some couples tryst. Should we be standing here?" Elliot asked in a whispered tone. Blood made a soft humming sound.

"I want to see who is with her."

"Why?"

"Curiosity." Blood whispered back as he watched the bushes part a little bit and Boris, the Cheshire cat stepped through and took the jacket from the girl and shrugged it on and wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and led her back through the bushes and out of sight.