Disclaimer: Pandora Hearts does not belong to me. I am but a humble and super duper addicted fan of it who decided to make a fanfic of my all-time favorite manga and anime.

First of all, I'd like to give a BIG thank you to Xen Nightbreak for the idea for this chapter! Thank you so much!

Okay. Now, I'm sorry for not updating for so long. But here it is. No more promises as to when the next chapter will come out, but soon, hopefully. I'm keeping this intro short because I've got exams to study for.

...This is starting to turn dramatic. I might need to change the genre... Hm.. Oh whatever!

Enjoy!

::{Gilbert POV}::

That was rather strange… I've seen Alice and Oz like that before… I know that Oz loves Alice… And that Alice loves Oz back… Or rather, loved Oz back, considering she lost her memories… So why…? What was that feeling earlier? I don't remember being diagnosed with any heart or lung problems. Last time I checked, I was perfectly healthy. So why…?

I mean, I can't POSSIBLY like the stupid rabbit. After all, what's there to like?

She's rude. The first time we met, she slapped away Oz's helping hand and even condemned us to being HER servants when Oz was a prince and of equal status to her. What made her think she was so powerful? She calls me seaweed head, pipsqueak, shrimp, squirt, numbskull, idiot and says my brain had rotten out of my skull. She's always insulting me!

She's violent. She kicks me around and punches people. She destroys walls, almost smashing someone else's face in the process. She kicked Oz before, causing Ada to cry. She slapped me before and even in her sub-conscious, she has managed to punch Oz. She threatened the two guards to pull me into the throne room just this morning.

She's arrogant. She said that Oz was her servant and claimed that I was her SLAVE. Can you believe it? SLAVE, she said. Just because I used to be Oz's servant, who she claimed to be her servant. "Since you're lower than my servant, you should be my SLAVE. But I'll spare you the embarrassment by calling you my servant," she said. She pisses me off so much. SO. MUCH.

She's rude, she's violent and she's arrogant. What's there to like?

::{Narrator POV}::

Two days later…

"Seaweed head!" called Alice as she kicked the door of his room open with her white boots.

Gilbert stood frozen, half naked, still zipping his pants. Snapping from his shock, he turned tomato red and screamed in horror, realizing that a girl was standing at his doorway. And that it was ALICE, of all people.

"Hurry up, will you?" said Alice, slamming the door shut behind her and flopping down on the bed in front of him. Crossing her legs and arms, she stared unwaveringly at the blushing Gilbert as he fumbled with the belt. Not with ogling eyes, but with eyes expecting him to hurry up and finish putting his damn clothes on as soon as possible. Tapping a foot and finger rhythmically, she continued to stare impatiently.

"Stop staring!" cried Gilbert, flustered, taking his shirt from the closet with shaking hands. "Have you no shame?! Barging into a guy's room like that and sitting down on the bed while he's changing! And watching, no less!"

"Well, if you'd change faster, I wouldn't have to stare at you for so long, now would I, Raven?" asked Alice with sweet smile that soon turned into a glare. "SO HURRY UP AND CHANGE IF YOU DON'T WANT ME DRAGGING YOU DOWN THE CORRIDOR IN YOUR UNDERWEAR!"

"Yeah, as if you'd do that," he muttered.

"Oh, you don't think I can, do you?" she said, standing up as though challenged.

"I'm a guy, you're a girl. As if you even have enough strength to—" He was cut off by Alice pouncing on him, pinning him on the floor and unbuckling his belt. "WAIT! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING?!"

"I told you, didn't I?" said Alice, unbuckling his belt. "That if you don't hurry up, you're going to run down the corridor in your boxers."

"Y-YOU WERE SERIOUS?!"

Alice stopped and smirked at him. "Aren't I always?" Then she continued, struggling to pull off his belt from under his weight.

"STOP! STOP!" he screamed.

Alice did so. "What? Do you want me to make you run down the corridor completely naked?" She chuckled. "That's fine too."

"NO! NO! NO! I'll hurry up and change! Just… Just stop undressing me!"

BAM! Suddenly, the doors slammed open once again and Alyss was standing in the doorway, mouth half open to call Alice. Upon seeing Alice on top of an almost-completely-naked Gilbert, she blushed furiously and slammed the door close.

The blood drained from the prince's face right there and then. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" he screamed at Alice, who got up and brushed herself off.

"Me?" Alice raised an eyebrow. "It's not me. It's you. It's your fault."

"MY FAULT?! MY FAULT!"

"Yes, for not being quicker."

"It was you who assaulted me!"

"Because you were slow."

"…I hate you…" muttered Gilbert indignantly.

Alice snorted at this.

"So what did you come here for?" asked Gilbert once he was fully clothed, just slipping on his coat.

"You do remember that there will be a party tonight, right?" asked Alice, crossing her arms.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"I bring you great news!" she exclaimed. "The great me has decided to make you my escort! Great, isn't it?" She laughed haughtily.

"What?!" cried Gilbert, astonished. "You aren't asking Oz?"

"Why should I ask him? I don't know him that well."

"He'll be hurt to hear you say that."

"Why?" asked Alice. "It's true, isn't it?"

"Well fine, whatever," said Gilbert. "I still refuse to accompany you to the ball or party or whatever it is."

Alice scowled and stomped her foot in frustration. "No! You are going to escort me and that's final!" She then proceeded to storm out of the room and slam the door, leaving Gilbert agape.

::{ Alice POV}::

I can't believe he'd just turn me down like that! How dare he?! He's just a lowly servant of mine and he dared to talk back to me like that! The nerve! He should well be honored that I even invited him! And yet…! And yet…!

"Hey Alice!" called an irritatingly bubbly voice.

I turned around and came face-to-face with an annoying blond. "What do you want, Oz?"

He smiled sheepishly at me and scratched the back of his head. "Ehehe… You see, I was wondering if you already have an escort for the ball and uh… If you don't, then maybe I can accompany you."

I studied him for a moment. I had absolutely no idea whether or not I should accept his invitation. After all, even though seaweed head refused, I did not intend on taking back my offer. I will not lose my resolve! …And yet, when I looked at Oz, I felt slightly tempted to accept the invite.

I shook my head. No! That was in the past!

"I already have an escort," I deadpanned. "Perhaps you'd like to invite Alyss instead."

I then turned on my heel and left.

::{ Oz POV}::

Ever since Alice lost her memories, she has been acting cold to me… I realize that she's not one to act friendly to strangers or people whom she's not close to—in fact, she acts rather violent to them—but still, it hurts… It hurts to think that I'm already a distant person from Alice—a stranger, even. I loved her—and I still do. But she has lost all of her memories and now, she doesn't know who I am anymore.

…I wonder who the lucky fellow escorting her is… I hope it's not Gilbert. I don't want to be jealous of my best friend. I don't think I'd be able to stand the thought of him and Alice together. I hope that he will never become my rival in love. That would be difficult not only for me but Gilbert and Alice as well.

I then decided to head to Alyss' room.

::{ Alyss' POV}::

As soon as I reached my bedroom, I shut the door close and buried my head in my hands, feeling blood rise to my cheeks. W-W-What was Alice thinking?! So daring! She's a girl! Has she no decency?!

Pacing up and down the room, I tried to fathom what in the world Alice was planning and after a while, I heard a knocking on my door. When I swung the door open, I saw Jack standing in front of me. My heart skipped a beat and I could feel my knees grow weak. But when I blinked, Jack was gone. And Oz stood where Jack did. Almost immediately, my stomach churned at the thought that I mistook Oz for my beloved Jack.

"Hey Alyss," he said, smiling just like Jack. My heart ached. If only did not look so much like Jack, it would have been a lot easier to ignore him.

I looked away, "What is it?"

"…Do you have an escort for tonight's ball?" he asked.

"No," I replied. "…Why?"

"Then would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you tonight?" he asked, extending his hand towards me.

::{ Narrator's POV }::

THAT NIGHT…

Merry chatter and joyful laughter bounced off the palace walls. Beautiful ball gowns sewn from the colors of the rainbow brushed the floor as queens and princesses from various kingdoms circled the ballroom. Respected kings were talking over glasses of fine sherry wine while dashing princes tried to woo the gorgeous ladies. Taking Alyss by the hand, Oz led her to the centre of the dance floor. Oz and Alyss bounced to the upbeat music, twisting and twirling with every note, Alyss' bright orange dress dancing around them like flames.

The music ended abruptly and those dancing stopped, bowing or curtsying to their respective partners. Oz smiled at Alyss as the crowd applauded those who had participated in the dance.

All of a sudden, there was a collective hush and the room fell silent as everyone's attention was caught by the pair walking down the red-carpeted stairway of the palace. Oz and Alyss to turn to the object of the crowd's gaze and saw Alice, donned in a beautiful royal blue dress, arms linked with Gilbert's.

Oz felt his throat constrict as he watched the two descend down the stairs. He felt a pang of jealousy in his chest, seeing the girl he loved with his very own best friend, looking very much like they were, well, more than just friends.

"Aww! Don't they just look adorable together~?" gushed Alyss, not noticing Oz frown in disapproval.

When Alice and Gilbert reached the bottom of the stairs, Oz and Alyss approached them.

"Well, well," said Oz, forcing a smile to form on his lips. "This is unexpected."

"What is?" asked Gilbert.

"I didn't think you, of all people, would be Alice's escort," replied Oz.

Alice scowled and glared at her partner. "Hmph. He was certainly difficult at first," said the amethyst-eyed princess, jabbing Gilbert on the arm with two fingers. "Who knows what made him change his mind."

A hint of pink painted Gilbert's cheeks and it did not go unnoticed by Oz. "I-It's because you… You look…" Gilbert's cheeks turned a slightly darker shade of pink, averting his eyes.

"Because Alice looks beautiful?" suggested Oz.

Gilbert exploded into beet red. "Hell no! It's because she looked serious when she threatened me earlier this morning…"

"If we're talking about threats," said Alyss, "dear sister is ALWAYS serious. And was that why this morning, you two were…?"

"This morning? What happened this morning?" asked Oz.

Alyss grimaced. "This morning, I saw Gil and Alice—"

Alyss was interrupted when the orchestra began to play a slow waltz. Oz thought it was the perfect time to ask Alice for a dance but before he could even ask, Alice was already a step ahead of him. However, she, apparently, had other plans.

Alice grabbed Gilbert by the arm and dragged him towards the dance floor. Gilbert began to protest as Alice hauled him. Heck, he did not want to dance! However, Alice would not take a no for an answer and hence, after much argument, Gilbert finally gave in to Alice's wish, sighing. He placed his hand on her waist and clasped her hand in his, leading her as they danced. Oz frowned at the scene before him, no longer able to pretend he was happy.

"What's wrong?" asked Alyss upon seeing Oz's countenance. She followed Oz's gaze and understood immediately. "Jealous?"

The emerald-eyed prince nodded mutely. "I was hoping that this wouldn't happen but…"

"Well, you WERE gone for quite some time and Alice doesn't remember who you are either," said Alyss. "Plus, as much as I don't like it, she and the kelp have grown quite close."

Without saying another word, Oz extended his hand towards Alyss and led her back to the dance floor.

From the corner of her eye, Alice could see Oz and Alyss dancing hand in hand, smiling at each other, and she felt something rising up her throat. She gritted her teeth and swallowed hard, forcing the sickening sensation down.

Why? thought Alice. Why does he always make me feel strange things?

"Hey Raven, have you ever experienced this tight feeling in your chest when you look at someone?" asked Alice.

Gilbert stared at her, puzzled. "What's with the sudden question?"

Before Alice could reply, pain shot through her temple. Alice's grip on Gilbert's shoulder suddenly tightened, her nails digging into his skin. Gilbert hissed and opened his mouth to snap at her but stopped short at the sight of Alice wide-eyed and pale.

"H-Hey, what's wrong?" Gilbert asked, leaning down slightly.

Alice, however, remained frozen, his words unable to reach her ears.

::{ Alice's POV }::

My head pounded as flitting images flooded my brain. Are these… Memories…?

"Alice!"

Oz's merry voice echoed in my head as he called my name and extended his hand towards me, smiling brightly.

"You look beautiful, Alice."

Oz spoke in a barely audible voice, leaning closer as though in a trance. He then jolted away, snapping back to reality, his face scarlet.

"I'm sorry, Alice."

Oz wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. I did not budge. He then let me go and walked away.

"…lice… Alice…! ALICE!"

The image disappeared and I found myself staring into Raven's eyes. I blinked in confusion and scanned my surroundings, slightly disoriented. The noisy chattering of the crowd returned and I saw Oz and Alyss standing beside me, looking at me with concern in their eyes.

Raven sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Stupid rabbit finally came to…"

"Are you alright, Alice?" asked Oz, reaching up to stroke my face.

I reeled back and moved away, staring at the three of them. I couldn't understand what was happening. All I knew was that I felt alone. After all, only I couldn't remember my past. The three of them remembered everything clearly. All of us shared so many memories. And yet… And yet I could remember not a single one.

And because of that, his smile is directed at my sister instead.

Alyss stared at me. "Alice…?"

I slowly backed away.

"No…" I muttered. "No!"

I turned on my heel and ran, ignoring Oz's voice calling me.

As soon as I reached my room, I slammed the door shut and bolted the lock. I collapsed against the door, huffing and wheezing. My mind was buzzing with questions. Who am I? Who was Oz to me? Are my memories returning? If so…

I winced as another image flashed through my head.

I was standing in front of a desk in a small room, a letter in my hands. My eyes widened as I read its contents and my body began to tremble. The words on the letter were blurred from my memory but I could feel anger bubbling up my chest. I gritted my teeth, feeling hot tears of frustration prickling against the corners of my eyes.

I jumped when I heard footsteps approaching the door behind me and I whipped around, suddenly alert. With shaking hands, I quickly slipped the letter back inside the envelope and hid among the many bookshelves in the room. The door clicked open. I held my breath. As I cautiously took a peek, I saw a black-clad figure walking towards the desk. The person picked up the envelope containing the letter and, after inspecting it, slipped it into his coat pocket. He walked off soon after, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

I snapped back to reality, gasping.

"W… What was THAT…?!"

Hahaha! I can't believe I just gave a bit of Gilbert fan service! X'D Sorry, I just HAD to do it, considering how Alice has practically no regard for the opposite gender.

Hope you enjoyed it! Do leave a review, thanks~ ^_^