Hector was at Emma's side before anyone else noticed . He pulled her into a spin and they were once again in step with the rest of the crowd.

"Alice, what did they say to you? What did the Cheshire Cat say to you?"

Emma couldn't put the words together. She was a bit flustered, after all, but she also knew what the cat said

Alone this time.

"No…. Nothing, Hector, nothing I understood." Emma shrugged.

Hector shook his head, a bit distressed.

The song ended, and Hector pulled Emma away from the crowd. She expected him to pull her to the chair next to the Queen, but instead, he pulled her out of the ballroom and through an arch.

He pushed her against a wall, put his arms on either side of her head.

Suddenly, there was something extremely dark that flashed across Hector's face. "Alice, what did the cat say? What did the cat say about me?"

"Nothing, Hector, the cat didn't say anything to me."

He ran his fingers through her hair, leaning in closer to her. "Are you sure? What did the cat say?" The tone of his voice was eerie.

"What are you doing, Hector?" Emma was quite relieved to once again hear March.

Hector turned his head towards March, who was leaning over the arch way. He spoke in another language to him. The words rolled off his tongue so quickly Emma couldn't begin to understand it.

March replied in the same language, trying not to speak so loudly. He came around the corner and pulled Hector back a bit. "... And give her some damn space, man." Hector directed his attention to Emma. "Are you okay? You're pale as a sheet, red."

Emma nodded, though with the sudden excitement, she became uneasy once again.

"Hector, go to the Queen and tell her that she is too overwhelmed by all of this. I can take her back to the room, if you're so paranoid."

"I'm not paranoid, rabbit. I saw the cat myself, and I refuse to believe-"

"Hector, this isn't the time nor place to discuss this. Do you want her to go back in there or not?"

Hector didn't respond instantly, and simply ran his fingers through his hair in nervous response. Why was he acting this way? What did the Cheshire cat know about him?

"What are you two doing to Alice?" Alice wasn't expecting to see Wilbur before the party ended. He rushed over before the others could get another word in otherwise.

"Not your concern, rabbit, stay out of it." Hector grabbed his arm before he went to Emma. He pulled him to a complete halt.

"Not so loud, Wilbur." Marched looked into the ballroom, to assure no one had heard him over the music.

Wilbur pulled his arm away from Hector. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, Wilbur, she isn't feeling well. Take her back to her room, yeah?" The face Hector gave March could kill. Before Hector could argue, March continued. "The queen won't notice, and we need to talk, Hector."

Hector clenched his jaw not to argue and only nodded in response.

"Go Wilbur, make it quick. Make sure no one sees her." March pulled Hector away in the direction Wilbur had came. Hector responded loudly to March in the language they spoke before and became very suddenly aggressive, but the two disappeared down that hall.

"I'm surprised he's speaking backwards in the castle." Wilbur murmured in the direction they left in.

"Pardon?" Emma pulled him away from his comment.

"I don't trust him. Do follow me, my dear, I'll take you back to your room"

...

Wilbur closed the door behind them, leaving them in the dark together.

"What was going on there, Alice?" Wilbur knew the room rather well in the dark, and he lead her to the chaise at the end of the bed.

Emma wasn't sure what to say. She was to see the caterpillar alone. He wouldn't let her go alone with the cat, but she didn't want to lie to him like she had to with Hector. She was lucky that he couldn't see her face, because she was certain she would look very conflicted.

"Hector was just overreacting, that's all. I just think he's stressed out."

Wilbur didn't respond immediately, but when he spoke his voice was very cold. "You aren't lying to me, are you?"

Emma then found the darkness that covered them to be a disadvantage. She wasn't sure what caused that tone in his voice. She reached out to grab his hands to assure him. "No, of course not-"

"Because if you are," he interrupted her with the same tone. "If you are lying to me, I won't appreciate it. I'm very sensitive, Alice, and I don't take very kindly to being treated poorly."

He grabbed her wrists and pulled her on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist. His breath was warm on her neck.

"I wouldn't cross me, if I were you. As much as I adore you, I don't need another abusive person in my life." The coolness in his voice reflected his icy hand on her cheek. Had his skin always been this cold?

She suddenly became very aware of the situation. Hector had mentioned this before. Her heart began to race as she realized her predicament.

"I'm… I'm not lying to you, Wilbur." She tried to keep herself from stuttering. She's wasn't lying, after all, because it did seem that Hector was overreacting.

"Good. I really hope that you aren't. Though, I don't trust that hesitation." His voice faltered a bit at that, as he pushed her head down a bit to kiss her. "I love you so much. It really would be a shame to lose you."

Emma didn't respond. She wasn't even sure how she would if she needed to. Hector had told her that he was possessive. That was more evident now than ever. As much as she adored him, Emma's view of him was completely changed, and now she was more afraid than she had been when she got here.

He kissed her again. "I have to go, my love, please don't go anywhere. I'll come find you later."

Emma panicked. She new the cat would be here for her eventually. And if Wilbur found that out, he would never let her go alone. A small part of her was also very nervous to be alone with him again. How could she convince him that he couldn't come? That she wouldn't be here?

"Wilbur, I'm not feeling very well. All of this is so exhausting. I really must go to sleep earlier. Tomorrow? I'll be okay by tomorrow. Please, come find me tomorrow night." Alice tried to mask her desperation, but she was certain it was still evident.

"Okay, Alice, do get your rest." his fingers pressed hard into her cheek. She wasn't sure if this was intentional or not. "I'm going to miss you so much… So, so very much. Will you miss me, my dear? Is is hard to let me go?" he began to toy with the string on her corset.

"Yes, I'll miss you very much." Emma wasn't very sure of those words, but the cat could be there at any moment, and now wasn't the time for a moral debate.

"Show me that you'll miss me, Alice." his hand travelled back to her waist.

She was sure that he wanted her to kiss him, but she suddenly felt so conflicted about doing it. How could she after he had acted like that? She thought to what would happen if she didn't do something, though, and knew that it wouldn't be at her disadvantage to think twice about this.

Leaning towards him, she kissed him as much passion as she could muster, thinking back to her theatrical training, hoping this would be enough to satisfy his desire. He seemed very delighted, indulging himself. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, pressing himself against her. She pulled away, her breath heavy.

He gave a small laugh. "That was marvelous. I love you, Alice, do you love me?"

This was now becoming an uncomfortable predicament. She wasn't sure that she did love him, especially not after all this, but she knew that she had no choice but to give him the answer he wanted.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"I love you, Wilbur."

He pushed her back softly to the opposite side of the chaise, and she felt him stand up. He didn't say anything else, and simply kissed her head.

Emma was left to sit in silence as he left, and the light from the hall illuminated the room just enough for her to notice the cat sitting on the chaise where Wilbur had just be sitting, the curled smile upon its torn lips.