Clock Stopped in Time is getting a new update, a fresh start so bare with me while I fix all the chapters to the way I like it.

Victoria's name will still be the same; Victoria Anne Rose. She'll still be with Elliot in the end I'm just fixing the story up and adding in details I knew I forgot to add in earlier chapters. Hopefully, it's fixed for the better. Chapter 20 will be removed.

Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock

Victoria's P.O.V.

The Rose family. You'd think it would be some elegant, fancy family with long heritage in France or England, but you're more than wrong. Rose was always a cover for my dad's original last name, him and mom changed it when they got married because neither of them liked their last names. Garibaldi and Stone. I thought Stone would have been great, but my mother preferred something with more of a "fairy tale" ring to it. Head in the clouds, marriage on her mind, romance was the only thing she cared about back then. My father eventually just complied with her, thinking it was a fitting name since they were still in their honeymoon phase with one another. Eventually he hated it and wanted to be referred to Garibaldi but kept it as Rose for me.

Victoria Anne Rose, daughter, and only child, of Matteo Garibaldi (Rose) and Tabatha Stone (Rose).

You'd think being in college full time and working full time would be good enough for somebody, especially at the pay I'm getting but no. My family wants family only to run our "business" so here I am in a conference call with my father's right hand man and so called "lawyer", Nicholas. I'm to take over this business whether I like it or not, or die. Those are the rules, the stipulations of this family and they can't be changed lest I have a child of my own.

Of course, Nick doesn't like the rules either but he's my father's dog and will follow them to his grave. Being buried right by my father and mother like my father asked so that he "can have protection in Hell from his enemies" when Nick finally dies. I'm sure that'll be soon, with how reckless the idiot is.

"Victoria, are you fucking listening to me?" No, not at all. I'd rather listen to chalk scratching a board than your voice right now. "Of course you're not. You're never serious about this. You better be because if you fuck up, it won't be good for you."

"Then repeat it oh wise one."

"Fuck you, brat. You're supposed to come over to Spain this summer and stay in your father's old apartment. Get comfortable there, it's where you'll be staying until we're done with everything."

"You're serious about it then." I sighed, staring up at the sky above me, the pinks, purples, orange and blue melding together into a nice concoction. It's almost night, my favorite time of day. Cool, breezy, barely anyone up and out in the world. You can do as you please with barely any judgement, eat in quiet diners, drive on empty roads- think about everything and let it disappear when you sleep.

"Yes. Once you're done with college, you'll be transferred over here where your training will finish and you'll be taking over as head of the Rose family. It's your father's wishes and in his will."

"I don't have an option?"

"No. It's this or death."

Of course not. Nodding, knowing he couldn't hear me, I look off to my left to see a small rabbit poke it's head out of a bush. White? That's not normal around this time of year. Snow rabbits don't turn white until November. Maybe someone lost their pet?

"I'll call you back Nick, something came up."

"Victoria no yo-" His voice was cut off as I hit the red button on my iPhone, sitting up from my spot as the rabbit continued to stare at me. It's not even moving, and I'm already so close to it. Is it frozen in fear or something? Does it know I'm not gonna' hurt it?

Standing up, I brush off my black jeans, making sure there were no dirt or grass spots before slowly making my way towards the rabbit.

"Hey little guy, you lost? I'm sure your owner must be worried sick about you, c'mere~" I coo, bending over slightly to put my hand out, trying to beckon it closer to me. As it stared me down, I noticed it had on the smallest little red plaid blazer and a chain leading into a pocket. It has to be someone's pet if it's wearing clothes. I'll take it in for the night and call local vet offices when they open back up tomorrow morning. What breed is it? Californian? Himalayan? No, he'd have a brown or black spot on him otherwise. Maybe just a Florida white then? Just as I get within grabbing reach it hops off a few feet away, deeper into the brush of the woods.

"Oh come on, I don't have all damn day." I huff, seeing the eyes on the rabbit narrow.

"Neither do I. You're not very good at this game." Its mouth opened, speaking in a squeaky yet relatively human sounding voice.

...WHAT?

It...It just TALKED

"You...you talked. Rabbits aren't supposed to-"

"Don't you foreigners know the rules? Follow me!" It started hopping away, making me blink and turn the complete opposite way. As Nick always says, when something doesn't feel right, a Rose follows their gut. Don't follow talking rabbits in clothes. That sounds like a pretty good gut feeling to me.

"Honestly." A man's voice behind me sighs, making me jump and turn, gun pulled out and fixated on him.

Red eyes, silver-y hair, Harry Potter glasses, that oh-so-familiar red blazer that rabbit had, and brown pants. Rabbit ears poked out of his head twitched as he looked me over from head to toe, an almost interested look on his face. He looks like he just stepped out of a convention! Is his rabbit the one that was- was talking?

"...if you're looking for a white rabbit in a vest, it ran off that way," I pointed off to the bushes, not moving my gun but backing up instead.

"so go get it and get lost pal. I'm not the type of girl to fuck around with, I'm in a bad mood." I hiss, bending back to sling my backpack over my shoulders and narrowing my eyes as he stepped closer.

"I'm afraid I can't do that Victoria my dear, the time for the hole to close is drawing near. Your game is beginning and my time here is thinning. Now, watch your step." He said, his own gun now out as he pointed it to me lazily, like he'd held it a million times over today.

Fantastic, Rick told me I'd have a standoff one day and here it is! With some creepy ass cosplaying freak who speaks in rhymes.

Taking a step back again, I gasp as I lose my footing, falling into some pit that appeared behind me. My gun leaving my hand, I turned to face the blackness that was swallowing me whole and scream ripped from my throat. Looking behind me, the sky was now as dark as this pit, save for the moon and stars that shone twice as bright. That stupid rabbit eared asshole soon came into vision, jumping into the pit with me.

So he wants to die too?! Great!

"You did this on purpose you sick rhyming freak!" I shout, trying to pull my flannel close to me, the wind sending a chill down my spine in this thin black crop top. Certainly not a good shirt to fall to your death in. Cursing under my breath at my own stupidity, I do the only rational thing I can think of in a situation like this.

I grab his ears and yank them as hard as I can.

"You stupid trick ass rabbit! You're going to Hell with me too for what you did and my father'll make sure you regret it!" I scream, feeling them twitch between my fingers as he yelps and tries to get away.

"Victoria please, I ask that you cease! My ears will rip right out of my head, I can promise you neither of us will be dead!"

"Bullshit! We've been falling for so long- the velocity will kill us for sure!" I kick him away from me, his ears crumpling against his head as he nurtures them close, tears brimming his eyes.

"Alice might not like you, your own morals are so askew."

"Stop rhyming you batshit crazy rabbit person!"

"My name is Peter, Peter White. Welcome to Wonderland, Victoria." he said, a smile on his face as the darkness ended and instead a bright light shone, blinding me as I hit the ground hard.

Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock Tick-Tock

"Oh God, my poor back." I hold it, curled in a ball on the stiff brick ground underneath me.

He can land on his feet as if he stepped off the curb while I land on my back as if I fell off of a roof. I feel like I fucking slipped a disc or something was out of place! He called this place Wonderland, but it doesn't look so freaking wonderful to me down on the ground in pain.

"When I can move again, I'll shoot you right between the eyes you sick fuck."

"Please don't harm me, even if you do, I'll still love thee."

Shut the fuck up with those rhymes. I'm still in mass amounts of pain and they're not helping me in the slightest right now. Give me Advil, a massage, ANYTHING but those rhymes.

"Here, drink this potion. It will help you get back in motion."

I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

"Like Hell I'll drink something from someone who pointed a gun at me and jumped down a hole to God knows where." Where the Hell even are we? China? It's daylight out! It was nighttime not even ten minutes ago and now it's the brightest day I've seen in months. With a groan, I eventually started getting up from the ground, peering over the brick wall that followed this...walkway, whatever it was that I was lying on. Was I on a building? It looked kinda' like a church. Was I on a walkway to a church?
Down below were people of all sorts walking around, but I could barely make out their faces or what they looked like with how far below they were. So high up, this church must be huge. Is this a religious area? I hope not.
Waving my hands to try and grab someone's attention, I knew it was fruitless because of how high I was. The trees beyond here littered the horizon, a small village off to the left of this building with row homes like they have in Brooklyn. Birds flew by, one I noticed had no eyes. Weird, maybe it just went too quickly for me to see them? I heard a shuffle behind me, turning around to be cornered by Peter.

"Ayo back off chief. I said no to drinking your weird rapist concoction." I spat, trying to push him off of me as he just gave me an odd look, not opening his mouth. As he got closer and closer, I tried to lean back only to realize I'd fall off and die for sure lest I just face him head on, without a gun no less. Bring it bunny boy, I'll kick your a- HE'S KISSING ME! This little- As I try pushing against him, my legs kicking and trying to bite his tongue off, some liquid leaks from between our mouths as he pushes whatever was in his into mine, holding my nose closed. Trying as hard as I could, he eventually pulled away and I had to swallow as whatever it was burned my throat.

"There. You drank the Medicine of Heart, now it's time for you to play your part. The Game has begun and soon your own tale will be spun, by dearest Victoria~" He cooed, wiping his mouth off with a handkerchief from his pocket.

"I'll even forgive you for pulling my ears, the pain eventually disappears. My love for you, however, will not. It's pure and true."

Gasping, I tried to heave up the liquid the best I could but my body refused, even with fingers shoved down my throat.

"L-Love?! What love you creepy ass rabbit? There is no damn love here you deranged-" I stopped, hearing a door behind me open up as I turned and glared at it, pissed I don't have my gun. Hands it is.

"Show yourself!" I yell, seeing Peter all but run forward, tackling the girl who came into the light.

"Alice my love! You'll be so happy, I brought you a new friend-"

"Oh I'm glad someone's happy because I'm not! Anyone care to explain what's going on? I have to get home or someone will tear up the city looking for me. I don't need to deal with the repurcussions when I finally see him again."

"Peter is that another foreigner?" Another man asked, his short brown hair crazy as his piercing red eyes looked me up and down as well. What is it with people looking me over? I'm probably the most normal looking person here among these cosplayers.

"Foreigner? Yeah, sure. I don't belong here and I'm not from here. This sick fuck kissed me and made me drink something and I just need to get back to Bronx before my friend starts going nuts."

"Peter! How could you?!" The girl with the dirty blonde hair yells, scolding him as the other steps forward and makes me step back until my back is pressed against the wall.

"Stay the Hell away from me."

"Well then, your Game's started and you're in Wonderland~ I'm Ace."

"I'm Alice. I'm sorry about Peter he never seems to understand what to do around us foreigners." She said, her hand extended with the empty vial I could only assume held that bitter tasting liquid.
"You'll need to hold onto this. Welcome to Wonderland. I have much to explain to you.

Wonderland... This place isn't turning out to be so freakin' wonderful. A nightmare more like.

Well it's a start, hopefully I'll be getting all 24 chapters back up in the next few months!

A poll is up on my profile asking if I should write side stories where Victoria gets with any other characters, like Peter, Julius, Boris, etcetc. Def vote on it 'cause I'd like to see if anyone would want me to continue it with other characters.