A.N.: OH MY GOD I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE THIS CHAPTER OVER WITH. Every time I went to save it, I'd lose everything I wrote and have to rewrite! D: It's probably not as good as my original, but, I still think this is good.. D:

Alice couldn't sleep that night. Never before had she noticed just how cold and big the bed was without Tarrant. She just stared at the door, hoping Tarrant would bound though it. He would be acting as if nothing happened, and possibly be ready to show her a new dance, or tell her a funny story. He never came. Multiple times she heard him come up the steps, and put his hand on the doorknob. She'd have an internal battle for a moment, wondering whether to pretend to be asleep or not. But every time before she decided, he had already abandoned the door and walked back down the steps.

She sat up, resting her back against the headboard, and listened downstairs for movement. She could occasionally hear him; he would sometimes pace, or mumble to himself. Quite a few times she heard something that sounded devastatingly close to weeping. She longed to go downstairs and comfort him, but, she knew he hated her now. She just wished she knew what she did. She would apologize in an instant she did; she'd do what she could to make it better.

She replayed last night's advents in her head for what felt like the millionth time. Their intimate moments together felt like the most pleasant dream. It killed her to know that something she did in that short span of time made him hate her so. Each idea was crazier than the next, her most recent was that she wasn't good enough, which didn't even explain the apologizing.

She looked out the pitch-black window. She knew the sun should of risen long ago by now. Apparently the weather had changed yet again overnight. For once, her and the White Queen's emotional states were perfectly in tune. She looked at the clock, squinting hard to make out the picture in the dark room. The only hand on it was pointing to a particular flamboyantly-feathered party hat. She hadn't the foggiest as to what it was suppose to mean.

She sighed as hunger rippled through her stomach. She knew she would have to go downstairs and confront Tarrant eventually. She couldn't stand hearing him pace around, or weep. It's what he would do for her. It's what he did do for her.. Helping him though this.. That's the right thing to do, right?

Alice sat on the bed, silently persuading herself to go downstairs and comfort Tarrant. Ever so slowly, using every ounce of confidence she had, she stood up, and took a step towards the door. With each step, a negative thought would race through her mind like lightening.

I think you've done enough damage to him already, A voice inside her said, I really doubt the poor bloke could take anymore. Are you seriously going to attempt to force your company on him? He obviously wants to be left alone. Don't you think he hates you enough already?

She silenced the voice by putting a hand on the doorknob. Ever so slowly, she turned it, and opened the door. She crept down the stairs as if her death was waiting for her. On the bottom step, she had almost convinced herself it was the right thing to do to leave him alone and go back up the stairs when she saw him.

He was hunched over on the sofa, his face in his palms. He was weeping silently. It frightened her to see him like this. Alice stood at him, taking in this image for a few moments, until swallowing a hard lump in her throat, and walking over to him. He seemed not to notice her standing there, so she sat next to him, and put an arm around his shoulders.

"What's the matter?" She asked him softly, as if speaking to a child. He looked up at her, his eyes full of sadness.

"Alice.. My dear Alice." He said quietly, whilst embracing her. "What a lovely morning it is, do you not agree?"

"Tarrant, why were you crying?" She asked quietly in his ear, not letting him let go of her. He flinched slightly when she said his name. "What did I do that was so wrong?"

"W-what did you do? You're terribly mistaken.. It was what I did.. I should of never.. to you of all people... It's understandable that you wish to leave now.. Rather disgusting of me.. Can't believe it myself.. F-forcing myself on you.. like that..." He broke off into inaudible mumbles, before gripping her tightly. She could feel his body shake with the silent sobs, and feel the hot tears running down his face. She ran her fingers through his hair lovingly until he calmed down.

"Y-you what? It.. It wasn't anything like that.. I.. I.." Alice broke off, trying to find the right words to fit her feelings. "I like it when you're touching me." She finally said, in barely a whisper into his ear. Under any other circumstances, she would feel terribly awkward saying those words. Right now, in the darkness, while holding him, it felt right. She was more sure of it than anything else in the world.

"Y-you don't have to lie." He whispered back, she had to strain to hear him. "I-I am obviously far too old for you.. You deserve someone so much better.. I.. I'm so sorry.. I really don't know what came over me.. I really can't understand why I acted like that.. I'm just so-"

Alice never exactly found out what he was. At that moment, she was so flushed with emotion, a mixture of love and affection, and several more she couldn't identify, that she pressed her lips to his, cutting off his talk. Fire exploded around her lips, from the feeling of skin on skin. She tried to tell him so much through it. She could only hope it got through. She believed it did, for he found her hand, and held it tightly.

She never wanted to break apart from him; she felt so much emotion moving from his body to hers. They were pressed tightly together attempting to show each other just how much feeling they had been holding back this whole time. Alice knew that this was love. She had thought she experienced it last night, but was sadly mistaken. This emotion took no identification. Deep inside, she knew.

She had never felt like this before; it wasn't nearly all physical as it was before. She had a huge wave of understanding towards him; she felt as if she had gained something. A new room to her heart that he would reside in. Just him.

Through that kiss, she was rewarded with a part of him, forever living in her mind, in her soul, residing somewhere deep in her heart.

Forever.