Chapter 3

"Elliot!" Alice said sounding upset.

"Get out of here. All three of you," Elliot said to Rose, Lily and Jay.

Rose looked alarmed at the scene that was developing before her eyes. "Now, let's not be too hasty here," she said taking a step towards Elliot.

The second she stopped moving Elliot shot at her foot, she stumbled back surprised. Jay took a step closer to her and Elliot pointed the gun back at him.

"Don't try to act all friendly. We all know what you are hiding," Elliot said.

"Elliot stop that! They didn't do anything," Alice said.

Elliot turned his head to look at her. "Alice these people are monsters. They'll kill you without a second thought," he said.

"Okay, I'll take a hint," Jay said putting his hands up in surrender. "If you wanted me to leave Elliot, you could have just asked."

He turned towards the hedge and started to walk away. When he got to the edge of the woods and said "Tea party at my place. You want in your highnesses?"

"Anything to get away from that stifling castle," Lily said happily walking over to join him.

"Rose? You want to come too?" Jay asked looking at Rose.

"I have things to do today as you well know. Maybe some other time Jay," she replied coolly.

"Suit yourself. See you later Ro-Ro," Jay said walking away with Lily.

Alice noticed that Rose looked furious. She obviously wasn't fond of the pet name Jay had given her. Her expression turned to one of shock and fear when Elliot turned the gun back to her.

"Elliot!" Alice said upset.

Elliot ignored Alice and said to Rose "Aren't you going to leave too?"

Rose looked alarmed but composed herself and put her hands up in surrender saying. "No, I will not be leaving. I come in peace. I don't know what you think I might do but I only came to welcome you all to Diamond country. I will not leave until I get to say a few things to you."

After a moment Elliot lowered his gun hesitantly. "Do you need to meet with all of us?" he asked her warily.

"No, I only need to tell your boss a few things," Rose replied.

"I came to borrow some books from Blood," Alice chimed in.

"Follow me then," Elliot said. Before they all walked away he added, "You two brats better not leave your post while I'm gone."

"Shut up stupid blond chickie rabbit. We're not going anywhere," Dum said.

"Yeah, stupid blond bunny," Dee added.

Elliot looked like he wanted to respond but looked at Rose and decided against it. He then led the two girls inside the mansion.

"So you are the new white queen?" Blood asked Rose as Alice browsed the many shelves in Blood's study for a new book to read.

"Yes I am." She replied. "I need to tell you a few things about Diamond that you should tell your subordinates. "

"And you don't want to tell them directly because..?" Blood asked in a bored voice.

"They won't listen to me. They'll listen to you though," Rose replied.

"True. Very well then, speak," Blood said waving a hand.

Rose seemed a bit offended but she went on to say. "You must make sure that your men do not go into the forest alone and unarmed. It is an extremely dangerous place, even for the most skilled fighters. The country's most dangerous monsters live in its depths as you know."

Alice walked over with a book in hand and said, "What kind of monsters live in the forest?"

"I don't actually know what the types of monsters there are, but you can hear them whenever you enter the forest. I know there leader as well and knowing him gives me a good idea of what some of these monsters are like." Rose replied thoughtfully.

"Who is their leader?" Alice asked sounding alarmed.

"Alice, you met him earlier. He escorted you through the forest for a reason you know," Rose said to Alice.

"Jay?" Alice said disbelievingly, "He controls the animals in the forest?"

"Not animals Alice. Animals aren't as evil as these monsters are. An animal can be trained to do bad things; a monster is born with the urge for bloodshed and destruction. That is why they are monsters. Jay isn't any better than them," Rose said angrily. She stopped talking so suddenly that it made Alice realize that Rose had given to much away.

"Jay escorted you through the forest Alice?" It looks like no one is safe from being seduced by you." Blood said.

Alice blushed and had her mouth opened to respond when Rose said, "Jay does that for everybody with a face. If he liked her he would tease her constantly and give her some stupid pet name like 'Ally' or something." Alice noticed that Rose had blushed as she finished that last thought.

"You don't know Alice. She managed to seduce everyman in Heart and Clover," Blood said to Rose as though Alice wasn't in the room.

Rose stared at him for a minute and then said really slowly, "Blood, Alice is a foreigner. They say that foreigners are loved by everybody in wonderland. She is probably no exception to this rule."

"I understand that," Blood said annoyed.

"Then she didn't seduce them. It happened because she is a foreigner," Rose said. Her attention turned to the overflowing bookshelves all over the room.

Blood noticed this and asked "Is something about those books bothering you Rose?"

Rose blushed and looked away from the books saying, "Sorry, I like to read and I couldn't help but notice the large selection of books you have here." Her eyes strayed to the clock after she had finished speaking and an expression of surprise flashed across her face and then she said, "Oh dear, it appears that I am running late. I am sorry for leaving so suddenly but I must be going."

Rose left the room hastily. "I wonder what that was about," Alice said after Rose's footsteps had faded down the hallway.

"Why don't you go and ask her," Blood said sounding annoyed.

"Am I bothering you?" Alice asked him worried about what he might do to her if he was.

"Not you," Blood replied glaring at the door.

"You don't like Rose?" Alice asked him.

He didn't respond but Alice already knew that he didn't. It seemed like all of her friends hated these roleholders from Diamond almost as much as they hated the Jokers. It made her wonder what the Jokers thought about them, not that she was going to go and see them if she didn't have to.

"There is something strange about the three of them. I can't place it exactly but the strangeness is there," Alice said out loud. She walked over to couch, sat down and opened the book in her hands and began to read.

Yes, that is manga!Blood. I don't know what he is like in the games very well and didn't want to risk any OOCness of Blood's character (I guess you could argue that manga!Blood is OOC but too bad) ... If someone is OOC please tell me... I need to know these things.

Sorry I left such a cruel cliffhanger in the last chapter. I honestly meant to post this chapter the day after I posted that one but I got sick and ended up sleeping for most of the day... and then I had to do my homework and I went back to school... I felt bad about it all week if it makes any of you feel any better/not want to kill me for ending the last chapter that way.

Someone asked me the question of whether there would be any OCxAlice... Just thought you should know not to get your hopes up too much. There may be a bit of flirting but that will be the extent of any relationship with an OC. (Alice is probably going to be paired with Julius or something... I don't know tell me what you think because (again) I have no opinion on this and will be okay with writing anything)

Thank you to people who review! And thanks to people who read this!

Bye!