I snuggled closer to the warmth at my side, wrapped around me tightly. It had a slight vibration to it and I hummed sleepily. It felt nice against my ribs, like a massage... Vibration? What would it be doing that...? Drowsily, but awake enough to know something was strange, I opened my eyes slowly and stared at a pair of soft, pointed ears, flicking every so often. My eyes dropped down at the face it was attached to and I didn't move as I tried to remember what had happened to put me in this position.

Then it all came back to me and I relaxed, closing my eyes with a deep exhale. I was okay. Calmer, I opened my eyes and studied Cheshire's face as he purred in his sleep. He looked... peaceful; almost serenely so. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought he'd pulled a Sleeping Beauty and was going to sleep for a hundred years. I couldn't resist kissing his forehead. He was cute when he was sleeping.

As I laid there, I remembered Rab. I guess I'd be moving back in with Chesh now. We weren't fighting anymore, so there was no reason for me to avoid him. If I got up soon, I'd probably be able to pack my things and be gone by evening.

That reminded me that I had been sleeping, which meant time had passed, which meant I didn't know what time it actually was anymore; in terms of Wonderland time, that was. I lifted my head and glanced over at the sun clock on the wall. To my horror, I saw it was in the nighttime hour on the clock, showing the moons had risen into the sky. I sat up quickly, jumping out of the bed and heading for the bedroom door. Rab was probably worried sick.

With all my jostling, I ended up waking Cheshire and he sat up drowsily. "Wha's wrong..." he asked with a yawn. He rubbed his eye.

I paused only long enough to grab my shoes. "Sorry to wake you. I just realized that I never told Rab where I was going. He's probably wondering where I am and I should let him know," I said.

Chesh frowned and blinked at me before squinting. "Oh..." Then he shrugged. "It's fine. He'll figure it out eventually," he said as he crawled to the end of the bed and reached out to take my hand. I chuckled and hugged him, his ears twitching and perking up at the gesture. "You'll stay?"

I shook my head. "No, Chesh. I have to go tell Rab where I am. I'll be back in a little while," I said. He pouted and I fiddled with one of his ears. "If you stay here while I'm gone, I might keep sleeping with you."

This made him smile softly and he kissed my hand. "Well, you better do a hell of a lot more than sleep," he teased. "I'm expecting a lot from you."

I rolled my eyes, blushing at his implication. "Don't get cocky. I'll be back soon," I said.

After tying my shoes, I hurried out the door, grabbing my jacket as I left the house. Just as the clock had predicted, it was already dark out and I had a little trouble seeing as I made my way through the trees. Thankfully, I made it to Rab's in one piece. As I stepped up on the porch, I knocked on the door. There was some shuffling, then the door opened quickly. Rab stood there with his ears flattened down with worry. Mouse, Hatter, the twins, and March were all leaning over his shoulder.

The moment he saw me, Rab's face filled with relief and he hugged me tight. "My God, Alice! Where have you been?!" he asked.

I cleared my throat and pulled away awkwardly. "Sorry. I accidentally went to Cheshire's and I lost track of time," I admitted.

Rab frowned along with Mouse. "W-What were you doing that took all d-ay?" Mouse asked. "Rab g-gathered all of us hours ago w-when he c-couldn't find you."

I coughed nervously. "Well... It's a long story. But I've made up with Cheshire and I need to get my things," I explained.

Rab looked surprised. Before he could answer, however, the twins pushed past him excitedly. "So, you were fighting!" one said.

"What happened? Did you guys yell at each other?" the other asked.

"Or maybe actually fight?!" the first added in.

I frowned. "We didn't yell at each other or fight. We just talked it out," I said.

This was cause for great disappointment from both of them. "That's lame..." the first muttered.

The other, though in agreement, perked up. "What was your fight about?" he asked.

His twin nodded. "Yeah, yeah. What happened to make you fight?"

I blushed uncomfortably. "That's... private. It's between Chesh and I," I said.

"Chesh?" the twins repeated simultaneously. Then they grinned. "That pretty much explains it right there," one mumbled to the other. The two kids giggled. "Bet we know why you lost track of time."

"Okay, that's enough. Alice, I want to talk to you privately," Rab cut in. He nodded towards my room and I stepped into the house and followed him, trying to ignore the snickers the twins were making behind us. Once the door was closed and we were alone, Rab looked at me firmly. "I don't know what happened between you two, and I don't want to pry," he said. "But if the twins 'implications' are true-"

"Rab, I know what you're about to say," I said.

"Do you? Because I don't think you do," he snapped. I looked down regretfully and he crossed his arms. "If what they were saying is really true, then I feel I need to step in. I told you the consequences of this; Chesh knows it too. If you plan to continue with this gamble, I'll have to insist you stop while you're ahead," Rab said.

"We didn't do anything," I said.

Rab didn't look like he believed me. "This isn't a game, Alice. This is dangerous. It's not something to joke about," Rab insisted.

I frowned at him. "You sound like you know from experience," I said.

Rab looked sad at that and he turned his face away, a pained expression creasing his brow. "Not mine," he said. He looked up again. "But either way, I don't want you getting hurt or regretting this; Cheshire either."

I nodded sincerely. "I understand. Honestly," I said. "I do."

For a few seconds, Rab gave me the chance to think about my answer, but when I didn't change it, he sighed. "Then pack your things. You have a roommate at home, waiting for you," he said. I felt like he wasn't telling me something, but I decided not push it. If he wasn't telling me what it was, then maybe I wasn't meant to know.

I gathered all my stuff and put it in my bag. Packing up felt easier than when I had unpacked only a couple days before. When I walked out of the guest room, everyone was still there and they all wanted to talk to me, but Rab told them to wait until later. I said bye to everyone and practically ran back to Cheshire's place, so excited I could've shouted with joy.

When I reached the falls that hid Cheshire's home from sight, I hurried past the water. My hand hovered over the door knob momentarily. A slight worry inside me made me wonder how he would receive me, and I pictured him naked on the couch with a fake red rose in his mouth. I shuddered, shoving that thought away. Cheshire wasn't that stupid.

Determined to be prepared for whatever lay behind the wood paneled door in front of me, I pushed the door open and walked into the living room. To my relief, I didn't see Cheshire and I relaxed a little. I walked over quietly to my room and put my ear against the door. I didn't hear anything on the other side. I opened the door with a soft creak and walked in. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Cheshire sleeping soundly on my bed. It looked like he had been trying to stay awake, but he'd fallen asleep. His tail was curled around his ankles to keep warm as he sat up against the headboard of the bed, head tilted forward, eyes closed.

I set my stuff in the corner and tip-toed over to the bed. I'd unpack later. I got on my knees in front of the bed and rested my chin on the edge of the mattress, watching Cheshire closely. He barely stirred, only crossing his arms tighter to stay warm. He must have been really tired. I gazed at him and smiled. His eyelashes were fluttering ever so slightly as he dreamed, and his ears were twitching as he heard the sounds of his imagination ride through his dreams. In all the time I'd been in Wonderland, I had never taken the time to stop and see how beautiful he really was; he was very beautiful.

I sighed contentedly and closed my eyes, the sound of his breathing filling my ears and making feel like I was on a cloud. If I could have just stopped time, right there in that moment, I would have.

*******

Sometime during his slumber, Cheshire smelled a familiar scent and opened his eyes. He inhaled deeply and a smile pulled at his lips. Alice was back. Lifting his head, Cheshire looked around. He summarized that he must have fallen asleep. That was no surprise. The feline hadn't slept at all when Alice had been away. He'd been too worried to sleep.

As Cheshire sat there, thinking this, he noticed the sounds of breathing. He dropped his eyes and looked down at Alice sleeping with against the foot of the bed, his head resting on his arms. A warm sense of fondness washed over Cheshire and he slipped out of the bed quietly to kneel down beside him. Gently, Chesh pulled him away from the bed, lifting him into his arms. Alice frowned in his sleep and tried to roll over, his head then resting on Cheshire's chest, making Chesh's heart flutter. The cat kissed Alice's forehead as he set Alice down on the bed and pulled the blankets over him. That should do it, Cheshire thought as he turned to leave.

Suddenly, fingers gripped Cheshire's sleeve. "Where are you going...?" Alice asked sleepily.

"Just to go get something to drink. I'll be right back," Chesh promised.

Alice didn't open his eyes but, he nodded and let go of Cheshire's sleeve, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow with a sleepy sigh. Cheshire rubbed his shoulder and left the room. However, as Chesh entered the living room, he slowed and his face darkened. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

The person was sitting on the couch, a smile playing on his lips as he skillfully spun a saucer that had been left on the coffee table. "Whatever do you mean? Aren't I welcome in your home?" he asked.

"You know you're not, Jabberwocky," Cheshire said. "Get out."

The newcomer shook his head with a sigh and stood up. "You always were a difficult child. Constantly keeping yourself to yourself." He came up and leaned in towards Chesh with squinted eyes and a smirk on his face. "All I ask for is a little recognition. I am your brother after all."

*******

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