Alice's heart pounded as she tore through the forest. Branches, twigs and bushes alike snagged and scratched at her as she passed. Once or twice nearly even causing her to trip as her foot just barely missed roots sticking out of the ground. From behind her she could hear the rapidly approaching feet of the faceless that was chasing her. She knew if she didn't find a way to escape him, and fast, it'd only be a matter of minutes until he caught up completely. Maybe not even that long.

Unfortunately, despite her desires to push herself even faster, Alice was starting to get tired. Her lungs burned and her legs felt next to jelly. To her horror she knew it likely wouldn't be much longer until they gave out on her. Until the faceless man caught up to her. She had hoped diving into the forest would have lost him. Or at the very least slowed him down. Thanks to the times spent with Ace, she was able to go deeper without getting herself lost but it didn't even detain the guy. Whoever he was, he was determined.

All kidnappers were. As an outsider who's gotten close to all the role holders, Alice often found herself in dangerous situations. Either it be being held at gun point or knocked unconscious she had, at this point, lost count of how many times people have tried to use her as a hostage. Or how many times someone had tried to kill her, whether or not she fought back. The guy chasing her now... he was very different from the typical kidnapper. His intentions weren't to hold her hostage or use her against the role holders in any which way. No. In some ways, Alice considered what he intended much worse.

"You can't escape me forever, girly! There's no point in running." The man called out tauntingly, laughing sickeningly. Alice's heart jumped and, despite feeling as though she could keel over any second, picked up as much speed as her legs would allow her.

She could not allow the man to catch up. She wouldn't allow it. If he did then... Alice's face paled at the unfinished thought and her heart pounded painfully. To think, all this started on her way home from visiting her friends from the Amusement Park. The man chasing her had been coming the opposite way and at first seemed nice enough. He was polite, kind and showed enthusiasm towards being able to meet her. That wasn't anything new to Alice, as many faceless had done the same in the past. His enthusiasm, however, appeared to be at a different level and it soon became very apparent that something was very off about him.

"Why don't you let me walk you home? A girl like you shouldn't be alone in a place like this. Many bad things can end up happening. Especially when they are as cute and delicate as you."

The way he had said it had sent a shiver down Alice's spine, but it was his expression that spiked fear in her heart. Even though his face appeared blurry she could easily see the predatory look on it. The way his lips curled, the barely noticeable flash of danger in his eyes and his head ever so slightly tilted as he took a step towards her. It had been the look of a person who could not be trusted. Of someone who wished to do awful things to her. Of complete and utter lust.

"AH!" Unable to lift her foot high enough, Alice hit a particularly large rock. In an instant she screamed as she fell forwards and landed hard on the forest floor. Many twigs and rocks scratched at her as she skid and rolled before finally coming to a stop against a tree. Her body ached horribly but she didn't get a chance to gather her bearings before the faceless chasing her was on top of her.

"Hehehehehe, now I have you. Didn't I tell you it was pointless to run?" He cruelly laughed, his twisted smile stretching as he slowed his run to an intimidating walk. Alice's eyes widened as her heart sank in her chest and a paralyzing dread washed over her.

"S-Stay back!" She demanded, desperate to hide just how scared she actually felt while trying to back herself up. Unfortunately, not only was the pain in her body making it difficult, but so was the tree her back was now pressed up against.

"Aw, don't be like that." The man mocked, kneeling down as he got into arms length of her. Though she wanted to, aside from being sore from the fall, her legs felt too heavy to kick out despite having perfect aim at the weapon he wished to use on her.

"Don't worry," he continued, his voice lowering to a terrifyingly soft purr as he leaned forwards; an arm outstretched towards her. "I'll be very gentle."

"No, stop!" Alice shrieked, tightly closing her eyes as his hand neared her face. She trembled, her heart pounding faster then ever before as she waited for his finger tips to touch her. The moment they do she'll bite them! Then she'll crawl as far away as her aching body will allow while he's distracted.

However... nothing came. One second went by, then two, then five. Still nothing touched her. Wha... what was going on? Was he still there? Had time literally slowed? Unable to hold back her curiosity, Alice slowly opened her eyes. First the right and then the other as they both widen in confused shock. The man was still there alright, but he was no longer reaching for her. Rather he was leaning back, now on his butt rather than his knees and seeming to have backed up from her. The most shocking part, however? The terrified expression that had overtaken his face as he stared up at her.

Wait. No. He wasn't looking at her; he was looking behind her.

Shakily releasing a sigh, Alice blinked as she turned her head around. At first she saw nothing, but upon craning her head upwards, her next breath got caught in her throat. A... sign? More specifically it looked like a wooden arrow. Bright green in color and nailed into the tree. From the angle she sat at, the girl noticed writing on it but couldn't make out what it said. Wha- what?

Turning her head back around, Alice first looked at the man in confusion before taking a better look at her surroundings. There were even more arrows, one on almost every tree and all in bright cheerful colors. Some trees even had multiple, all of which pointed in different directions. Same as the one above her head, they also all seemed to have writing on them. However, as with before, Alice again could barely make out exactly what they said.

These signs were literally everywhere she looked, which only deepened her confusion. She supposed in her mad dash to get away from the faceless she hadn't noticed them before but where exactly was she? Alice was sure she'd remember a place like this if she'd been here before. Especially with how often Ace dragged her around. What's more... why did the guy that had been chasing her look so terrified? What exactly was it about this place that not only made him stop his attack but had him trembling uncontrollably as if he were no more than a leaf in the wind?

Crunch, crunch, jingle, crunch, jingle, crunch, crunch, snap.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A new voice asked as light footsteps neared them; the resounding snap of a twig indicating one had been stepped on. Startled by the sudden arrival, both Alice and the faceless turn their heads in its direction. The moment they did, Alice found herself surprised and confused while the faceless man's face instantly lost all remaining color.

Standing there, in between two of the trees about a foot away, was a man. Presumably looking no older than his early twenties. Shockingly dark red hair framed his face, two long strands extending past his shoulders. He wore what could only be described as a jester's uniform; complete with a pointed hat with bells on top of his head. The most noticeable thing about this man, aside from the little rose covered mask on his hip, however, had to be his face. A strange eye patch with an even stranger design covered his left eye while the other was open and visibly peering at them; it almost as red as his hair. A.. role holder?

"Have you come to see the circus? I'm sorry, but it's not yet ready for visitors." The man continued to speak, his tone pleasant as he walked forwards and causing Alice to blink. Huh? A circus? What?

"W-wait! I didn't break any rules!" The faceless man shouted, desperately scrambling backwards as the redheaded man got closer. The redhead's eye narrowed slightly and his smile, which had previously appeared kind, took on a barely noticeable darker note to it.

"You didn't? Then why are you so afraid?" He asked calmly, continuing to walk forwards at a slow and steady pace. With nearly every step he took the bells on his hat would give a small jingle sound and, the closer he got, the more terrified the faceless man appeared.

"Surely if you have done nothing wrong then there should be nothing to be scared of, right?" He continued, briefly closing his eye and smiling a bit wider as he stepped past Alice. The faceless man grunted, his next cry and words alike sticking in his throat as he raised a trembling arm as if to shield himself.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid you aren't doing a very good job at convincing me otherwise. But don't worry," The role holder said, stopping once he got arms length from the terrified man. Slowly kneeling down onto one leg, he opened his eye again and grinned cruelly. "I promise I'm a very nice man."

"No, no, wait! Please! I-" the man tried to beg but it was already too late. To Alice's complete shock she watched as his body rippled and slowly faded until he completely disappeared. Leaving her all alone with this new man.

Now it was her turn to suddenly feel afraid, especially as he slowly pushed himself back into a standing position and turned to face her. She tensed as he began to walk over, his otherwise friendly smile doing little to qualm her worries or slow her racing heart. He had been smiling before he made the faceless man disappear too. Was he going to do the same to her as well? What exactly did he do to that faceless anyways? While Alice knew for a fact that all role holders had certain powers of some kind she had never seen something quite like that before. Was that guy even still alive?

"Are you alright, Ms Liddell?" The man asked kindly, once again causing Alice to blink in surprise as he knelt in front of her. Eh? He... he wasn't going to hurt her? Moreover-

"You... know my name?" She instead asked, unsure how to feel about that. Aside from surprised, that is. The man closed his eye and lightly chuckled, appearing amused by the response.

"Of course I do." He answered happily, smiling a bit wider as he opened his eye again to look at her. "You're the outsider, aren't you? Everyone knows who you are."

Alice simply looked at him, unsure how to respond. Well, he wasn't wrong. Even the faceless seem to know who she was upon meeting her for the first time. Although, in most of those cases they only know she is an outsider, not what her name is. Let alone her full name. Given she never so much as heard about this guy, let alone met him, before, the fact he knew it made her feel... strange. It was also too soon to be sure he wouldn't hurt her, though the fact he hadn't yet helped slow her racing heart.

"Um... I'm sorry, but who are you?" Alice asked, causing the man before her to blink. His expression briefly faltered to express some surprise before quickly retaining his friendly smile.

"Oh, my apologies, allow me to introduce myself." The man responded, again closing his eye as he brought a hand to his chest and gave a little bow. "My name is Joker. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Alice Liddell."

"Joker?" Alice repeated questioningly. Was that his actual name or his role holder title? Given how he was dressed she supposed it would fit, but then it's not like she can really judge regardless. While 'Joker' was one of the odder names she's heard, it wasn't the oddest.

"Yes." Joker responded cheerfully, lowering his hand and smiling brightly before trailing his eye down her body. He stopped once he got to her exposed knees. "Now, why don't we see about taking care of your little injuries."

Injuries? Following his gaze, Alice's eyes widened as she got a good look at her knees. Both were badly scraped up from her earlier fall. Along with dirt and some blades of grass, they even had what looked like some dried blood stuck to them. Well, that would explain why attempting to move her legs hurt so much. Besides simply being tired from running for so long, that is. What about the rest of her body? Was it in a similar state? A quick look at her arms confirm that, yes, it was, though at the same time they didn't look near as bad as her knees. As for the rest of her, she'd need to check later, given she'd need to remove her dress to do so.

"Ouch!" She hissed, jerking her knee back as Joker's thumb brushed against a particularly tender spot. Startled, the man jumped slightly and raised his head to look at her; confusion flashing through his eye. It vanished before it could even be noticed as a sheepish smile quickly replaces it.

"Ah, my apologies. I didn't mean to hurt you." He apologized and pulled his hands back. Twisting himself just a bit, he looked down at his side and slid one of his hands into a pocket. Upon pulling it back out, Alice saw two decently sized white bandages as well as a small bottle of clear liquid.

"I'm afraid the liquid is going to sting a bit, but your wounds might get worse without it before they can get better." Joker gently warned as he turned back to her, already working on opening the bottle. Alice's heart, which had returned to a normal rhythm, jumped and a nervous smile formed on her face.

"Oh, um... you don't need to do all that. I'll be fine if I simply rest for a bit." She said awkwardly, a light blush forming on her cheeks. Joker chuckled and a small grin pulled at his lips as he leaned forwards; firmly yet gently taking hold of her left calf.

"Nonsense; I want to help. Besides, you were unfortunately hurt while in my territory. It's only right that I make up for that." the redhead replied kindly, if not perhaps a little jovially. He resisted the urge to chuckle again as he saw the color in her face darken before she turned her head away with a cute frown.

Deciding not to comment on it, Joker lowered his gaze back to her knee. As he began to work on cleaning and wrapping it up, Alice took another look around the area. So, this was his territory? He said as much but it only brought back the previous confusion she had felt earlier. How could it be she had never been here before, or met this guy for that matter? Both seemed like they would be hard to forget about. She should know, given the many odd places she found herself in thanks to Ace getting her lost before. Was it possible that she... managed to get herself even more lost than Ace?

"Hmm? Alice?" Joker asked, startled as the girl suddenly convulsed. She froze, her already flushed face turning an even darker color as her eyes widened. Whoops.

"Oh, sorry." She apologized bashfully, keeping her head turned as a bitterly amused smile formed on her face. "I had a... unpleasant thought."

Joker's brow furrowed, a small frown flashing across his face as he looked up at her. An unpleasant thought, huh? Given her reaction and the expression currently on her face, he had a pretty good idea to what that could have been. He wasn't too sure if he wanted to voice it, though. Or if she'd even tell him if he did. Nonetheless his expression quickly softened. He sighed lightly and smiled at her sympathetically before lowering his gaze again.

"Ah, no need to apologize, my dear; it's quite alright. You simply startled me is all; I thought I might have hurt you again." he responded, continuing to smile as he finished up the final touches to her other knee. Alice responded with a blink, a look of realization crossing her face as she finally turned her head back around.

"Actually, I barely felt a thing." She admitted, somewhat surprise as she stared down at her bandaged knees. They still hurt but no worse from before Joker had begun to bandage them up. In fact, if she weren't looking directly at them, she wouldn't be able to tell he had done anything at all. After a moment the girl lifted her head and smiled brightly.

"You must have been very gentle. Thank you." Appearing flattered, Joker's own smile brightened and a barely noticeable blush covered his face. He chuckled softly as he then lifted his own head to meet her gaze with a playful grin.

"Well, I suppose I wouldn't be much of a jester if I brought pain instead of pleasure." He responded teasingly. With one final small tug, he fastened what remained of the bandage against her and finally pulled his hands back to his side. Towards what he said, Alice's smile faltered and was replaced with captivated curiosity.

"That reminds me. You mentioned something about a circus earlier, didn't you?" Alice asked as she suddenly recalled the memory. It would certainly explain his attire but, at the same time, also only created even more questions for the confused girl. Joker's grin widened enthusiastically and he nodded as he pushed himself back into a standing position; the bells on his hat jingling at the movement.

"Yes, I did! Unfortunately, it really isn't ready for the public yet. But once it is, I hope I'll see you at it." He answered pleasantly as something flashed in his eye. It almost looked like something akin to excitement but was quickly hidden as Joker closed it and held out one of his hands.

Alice paused, hesitating for a brief moment before she reached out her own. The moment they touched, her heart lightly jumped as his fingers curled around her and helped her up. She hadn't noticed it when he was attending to her knees but his hands were rather large compared to hers. And soft. It's no wonder she hadn't felt anything past the brush of his thumb. And, as odd as his outfit might be, the fact he was good looking didn't hurt either. A thought that quickly caused Alice to blush and avert her gaze as soon as she was on her feet again.

"T-thank you." she unintentionally stuttered and inwardly cringed. Joker simply grinned; amusement crossing his face as he looked down at her. Cute.

"You are very welcome. It was my upmost pleasure that I was able to help you." He said and kissed the back of her hand before letting it go. He chuckled, further amused as she quickly jerked it against herself and looked up at him with surprised eyes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." The man apologized with a innocent smile. Alice frowned, unsure if she truly believed that or not. Clearly he was teasing her a little bit but, otherwise, he had been nothing but kind to her. Especially when he didn't need to be. Still, that didn't change the fact he caught her completely off guard.

"Even then, you still shouldn't kiss someone without permission." She lightly chastised, annoyed she had to say it at all. More than that, however, Alice was annoyed over the fact she wasn't exactly mad about it either. The skin his lips touched still felt warm and her heart gave another flutter. They had been nearly as soft as his hands themselves.

"In any case, I should probably try to get home." she added quickly, wishing to change the subject as fast as possible. Preferably before something made her embarrassment worse. "I'm sure Julius has been expecting me back by now."

Julius, huh? Interesting. That little tidbit of information would likely come in handy for later. For now, however, Joker simply tucked it away as his expression faltered into one that resembled concern.

"Will you be alright going on your own? You're legs aren't still bothering you?" the role holder asked and looked down at her knees. Alice did the same but only for a moment before lifting her head again with a small smile.

"I'll be okay. They still hurt a little, but it's not as bad. I'm able to stand so walking shouldn't be much worse." She answered, ignoring the sharp ping of pain that rippled through her as she took a step. Yep, still pretty bad; but she should at least be able to get back to the Clock Tower without much trouble. Especially now that she didn't have to worry about anyone chasing her.

"Well... if you're sure." Joker responded slowly, not fully convinced. For a brief second in time he paused, appearing as though there was more he wanted to say. Once the second past he simply sighed and stretched out one of his arms with an understanding smile.

"Please, just head that way there and you should find the path you started on. I look forwards to the time we get to meet again, Alice Liddell." He said and brought his other hand back to his chest to give another bow like before. Again Alice felt her heart give a small leap as she forced herself to look in the direction he was motioning rather than at him himself.

So that way would take her home then? Similar to how she hadn't noticed where she was until after, it was a lot smoother than she realized. A little over crowded with some bushes and low hanging branches but otherwise nothing to impede her walk. Which was good, since Alice was unsure if she'd be able to lift her legs high enough at the moment. The last thing she wanted was to fall and hurt herself further. Fortunately, given she couldn't see it, it seemed she may have kicked the rock that tripped her out of place.

Alice frowned as a sudden sense of unsurety crawled at her skin. It caused her to shiver but then blink in confusion. Huh? What had that been about? Casting Joker another look, the girl saw, aside from no longer bowing, he had not moved from his spot. Not even to lower the arm directing her which way to go. Nor had the smile fallen from his face. Hmm, maybe it had just been her imagination, then? Wait. What had she been thinking about again?

Looking at Joker for only a moment longer, Alice wordlessly turned her head back around and began to walk away. Well, whatever it had been, it must have not been important. Maybe if she ended up remembering she could ask Julius about it later. Maybe he could even tell her more about Joker, this strange forest and the circus Joker mentioned. Of course, she first had to make it back to the Clock Tower. Which should be easy enough as long as nothing else ended up happening that would make the trip longer than needed to be.

~.~.~

"Tch, you're being far too nice to that chick." a voice similar to Joker's suddenly announced once Alice left, breaking the brief silence that had begun to build. Joker blinked in surprise before a large smile spread across his face as he looked down at his hip.

"Joker! I was beginning to wonder if something happened to you. You've been awfully quiet." He teased and playfully tapped the little white mask with a finger. It growled in annoyance and, though it could have been a trick of the light, the eyes slightly narrowed.

"That's because I've been dealing with that rule breaker you sent my way! And it doesn't change a damned thing to what I said about you being too nice to her." the other voice responded with a huff. Joker chuckled, deliberately tapping the mask once more before finally pulling his hand away.

"Hmm, perhaps." the jester agreed, and a cruel smile crossed his face as he lifted his gaze back up. "but I also don't want to scare her off before the true fun even begins. Besides, wouldn't you agree that the fear she'll show will be all the more worth it once she eventually visits your end?"

"You need help." The mask insulted, disgruntled. Joker simply ignored it as he clasped his hands together and brought them up to his face.

"Hehehe, isn't it wonderful, Joker? We're finally going to get to play with an Outsider." He said cheerfully, practically bouncing where he stood as he closed his eye. When he opened it again, it narrowed as he looked in the direction Alice disappeared in and grinned.

"This is going to be fun."


So... I have absolutely no idea who will be reading this, but I really wanted to write this. Honestly? It was originally going to be a rewrite of the one shot already on here. Somewhere along the lines, though, I got the idea of "What if I make this an alternate on if Alice met White instead of Black?" with several key differences. I still may go back to the Black one shot and at least fix the spelling at the most, but I am pretty happy with how this one turned out. Given how long it's been since I wrote something complete from the top of my head, aside from two lines if dialogue, which a friend helped out with when I got writers block. For anyone that does end up reading it, let me know what you think ^^.