"You! What are you doing? Get away from that! Stop her! Stop her!" Time shouted angrily. "You imbeciles! You're supposed to be watching it! Now look what you've done! Stop her!"

He flew down the corridors, hoping he could make it to the platform before the little brat took the chronosphere from its spot. He thought Alice was the first and only one to try this stupid act.

This will not be happening again. He could not go through it all again. He never knew Underlandians to be so reckless.

The yellow-haired girl stopped and swiveled on her heel, her eyes seeking out Time's figure through the cogs. She saw the wild fire in his blue eyes, and she knew she should have waited patiently like any normal person when she first arrived at the castle... but curiosity got the better of her as usual.

"Wait!" she cried when he was closer. "Time, please! I'm not stealing it again! I... I'm just looking!" She second-guessed her choice of words.

Even though she had physically admitted her feelings for him did not exactly mean he trusted her every word.

Frantic chugging had her head turn. Seconds turned into those frightening minutes and she realized she had nowhere to escape to. She backed away slowly - maybe if she didn't run, they wouldn't attack...

Time shouted again but Alice couldn't hear him over the roar of the minutes. Her back hit the rail of the platform, halting her. She tried her voice again.

"Please, I haven't stolen anything!" She covered her face with her arms as the minutes charged.

It occurred to Time that the chronosphere still spun and the yellow-haired girl had surrendered. He stopped rushing with slight content. There, no thief - even a little girl - was going to steal the heart of the Grand Clock.

Then he noticed the pale skin of the yellow-haired girl and her curls. "Alice," he managed in a choke.

He scrambled. "Stop it! No! Minutes! Seconds! Stand down! Stop!" He hoped his voice would carry. "Stop it!"

Alice lowered her arms bravely and let out a slight scream, barely ducking out of the way as the minutes scrabbled to come to a stop on the slippery floors.

She watched them crash and slide from the rails, defeated and a little confused at their master's sudden change of order.

"Alice?!" He sounded so shocked and aghast at her presence. "What are you doing here?" His voice was louder than he intended.

She tried not to wince at the pitch of his voice. She straightened and smoothed out her skirts. "I came to see you."

His brow creased with what was probably utter confusion. "What?"

"I was visiting the Hatter, you see,"she began, half hoping he wouldn't speed her up again. "And he and the others got into a little scuffle with Princess Mirana. They were occupied and the only reason I visited Wonderland was to see you," she admitted. "But I could not tell my friends that. Especially the Hatter. I don't know how he'd take it." She bit her lip - perhaps she should have saved that sentence.

Time regarded her. "You came to Wonderland today to see me?"

"Yes," she smiled. "I entered the castle, and you were busy with the Underlandian's Living. I didn't want to disturb you... And you said I could come back here. I know I should have asked before, but I just wanted a look around." She glanced at the chronosphere. "You know, I never got the chance to actually admire it before I took it."

He let out a little heave of relief and composed himself again. He wanted to scold her for scaring the bejeezus out of him, but he couldn't bring himself to douse the content and curious fire within her. He nodded instead, the corner of his mouth quirking upward. "Then you may admire it, my dear."

My dear? Where did that come from? And the heart of the Grand Clock? Did you have another meaning for that?

He didn't wish to dwell on it. He held out his hand toward the glowing chronosphere, motioning her to approach it.

In return, she gave him a small smile. She turned her back to him and her attention to the object.

A faint clatter of the decomposed minutes - now seconds - had Time look at them. He waved them off with a slight grunt.

Then he watched her quietly. Erm, her, not her backside... which was also there... but he didn't look at it.

But he couldn't remain quiet. It was in his nature to always fill the void with conversation. It made him go by faster. "I am sorry about earlier."

She made a disapproving noise. "It's quite alright. You care about the pattern of time. I can't argue with your passion there."

A little smile lifted his face.

She turned toward him then. Her eyes were light with mischief - the kind he realized he held a soft spot for. "And exactly how many other yellow-haired girls do you know?"

He looked away timidly. If he were human, his cheeks would be tinted pink with an embarrassed blush. "I could not see you. Just your hair," he explained.

"I'm only teasing you, Time," she smiled.

"I wouldn't have done that if I had known it was you," he continued. And he wouldn't have. He wanted her to keep returning to the castle. She had to keep returning to the castle, to him.

"I know." Then she smiled, standing beside him. "I know you wouldn't do that to the girl who saved your life."

He sent her a sharp glare. "Well, that was after you nearly destroyed the Grand Clock and Time itself!" he argued - or rather, tried to remind her in an argumentative voice.

She heard his words but was stumped by a piece of what he had said. "I thought you were Time. The only Time."

Flattery. Honest flattery. She was not a Underlandian. She had an excuse. He became aware of her closeness to him - her arm was touching his. His cog heart skipped a second. "My dear," he began wisely as he was wont to do. "I am but the personification of time."

He watched her face. She seemed satisfied with that answer.

Then her mouth opened.

"So," she paused. She looked at him, into his eyes and he felt another skip to his heart. "You've always looked like this?"

He frowned. "What are you talking about?" he nearly sneered, slightly defensive.

She lifted her hand and reached out. He stiffened at her touch - she ran a fine finger over his human-like face. He admired her features and noticed her face went slack as her eyes became soft. Perhaps this was to be much more than an affair.

"You know, old."

He sent her a long and hard look but failed to make her wide grin falter. "Shut it, kindergartner."