Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing related to Batman. Any and all one-shots in this collection of one-shots were inspired by Charlotte A. Cavatica's lovely ideas from her Waiting on the Shingle, chapter seven, unless otherwise stated. Anyway, thanks to Ms. Cavatica for making it possible for plot bunnies to attack me. Please enjoy.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed. –Ches.

#3

Chocolate and A Gift

He looked around before he put the small box on the desk and quickly entered his office. He hoped she liked them.

*~*~*~*

Alice hummed happily as she walked down the hallway towards her desk. She grinned when a gift wrapped in sparkly silver wrapping paper and a gold silk ribbon tied with a bow around it was stuck in front of her face from behind.

"A very merry birthday to you, though it's supposed to be un-birthday. You just had to be born today, didn't you Alice?" Arianna teased fondly as Alice took the gift.

Alice laughed. "You watched the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland, didn't you Ari?"

Arianna shrugged. "What can I say? A few of my nieces and nephews were over last night and they wanted to watch it. You've never met any of the kits, so you don't know how hard it is to keep them quiet. I had to let them watch it, and then gave them some warm cream since it puts them right to sleep."

Alice slipped off the ribbon. "You make them sound like cats, Ari."

Arianna grinned broadly, reminding Alice of the Cheshire Cat for a quick moment. "With me and mine, Alice, one never knows."

Alice unwrapped her present and found a small white box. She opened it and gasped. "Ari, where ever did you find this?"

"Ezekiel made it. He's always been good at making stuff like that." Arianna pulled the golden heart-shaped locket from its bed of cotton.

The two small ruby hearts with gold crowns over one corner shined in the light of the lights overhead.

"Here, let me help you put it on." Arianna clasped the slender gold chain around Alice's neck.

Alice smiled at it when she moved it to where she could see it. She opened it to find a spot for a picture and an engraving in some language she'd never seen before. "What's the engraving mean, and what language is it?"

"It's an old Gaelic saying. Zeek and I's families have Gaelic roots. It means 'True Love Reigns.'" Arianna told her.

Alice thanked her for the thoughtful gift and went towards her desk.

Arianna grinned. "Yeah, it means 'True Love Reigns in Wonderland'." she muttered softly as she watched Alice turn the corner. She went to her own desk, knowing that she'd have to get in touch with her beloved.

*~*~*~*

Alice was surprised to find a box of chocolates on her desk.

There was a little note on top of the box that read 'Happy Birthday, my dear.'

Alice laughed when she saw what kind they were: strawberry creams, her absolute favorite.

Jervis was quite surprised when the door opened and Alice entered, only to wrap her arms around him and give him a squeeze.

"Thanks, Jervis. I adore the chocolates." Alice told him.

He smiled. "I'm glad. Now, why don't you run along and get to work, hmmm? I'd hate for you to get yelled at by Dr. Cates on such a wonderful day."

Alice smiled at him and went back to her desk.

Jervis smiled softly as he thought back to the conversation that had taken place two days before.

*Flashback*

He'd just stepped out of his office for the night and was waiting on the elevator when Arianna came to stand next to him.

Most people had already gone home and those still there were still hard at work.

"Alice's birthday is the day after tomorrow." Arianna commented.

Jervis looked at her. "It is?"

Arianna nodded. "I forgot that she just started working for you shortly after her birthday last year. What are you getting her, if I might ask?"

Jervis thought about it as they rode the elevator down to the lobby. "I haven't the faintest idea."

Arianna kept his pace to the doors. "Her favorite type of chocolates is strawberry creams. And trust me, one can rarely go wrong with a box of chocolate." She began humming a song that Jervis recognized as the song the Cheshire Cat sang in Disney's version of Alice in Wonderland.

*End Flashback*

Jervis went back to his work, silently thanking Arianna for her gift idea.

*~*~*~*

Three months later found Jervis coming in a little later than his usual, but still on time.

Alice was at her desk when he passed by. She stopped her typing and grabbed a small box on her desk. "Jervis, wait. I have a present for you."

He paused. "You do? My dear, you shouldn't have."

She smiled at him as she moved to stand before him. "You gave me a box of chocolates on my birthday, so I had to return the favor on your birthday. Here, I want you to have this."

Jervis took the small box from her and carefully ripped off the wrapping paper. He lifted the lid and gasped when he pulled out a teacup with a hand-painted depiction of the Mad Tea Party from Alice in Wonderland. "Alice, I..I don't know what to say."

"It's from my Grandmother Lorina's Alice in Wonderland tea set. She left it to me when she died. I know how much you like the book, so I thought I'd give you a cup that would always remind you of it." Alice told him.

Jervis smiled at her softly. "I shall treasure it always." He put the cup back in the cotton-lined box, kissed the back of Alice's hand, and went to his office.

The teacup was placed in a spot of honor on the bookshelf where it wouldn't fall off or be crushed, yet would still be visible.

He turned to his desk to start work and noticed a small package wrapped in brown paper and twine. He opened it to find a small box of raspberry tarts.

A note on top had a poem on it.

The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts all on a Summer's day. I and the Knave of Hearts stole them all away. Happy birthday. –The Cheshire Cat

Jervis was curious as to who had sent them, but forgot all about it when he took a bite of the tarts and set to work on his project.

*~*~*~*

Arianna placed a small brown leather bound book in her desk drawer after writing in it.

Two notable entries read as follows:

23/05

On her birthday she found a small box on her desk –she laughed aloud when she found that he'd even remembered her favorite, strawberry creams; when she interrupted his studies to pitch her arms around him and squeeze him, he found that he didn't care. It's good to be me.

18/08

On his birthday, she returned the chocolates with something really special: a teacup from her Grandmother Lorina's Alice in Wonderland tea set. Everything seems to be moving along very nicely. Wonderland's rulers may just get together without too much of my help.

A/N: There were two ideas I thought had to go together (as well as two more pairs that will be written up as chapters), so here they are.