Sun shining, birds singing, the crisp and warm air! Oh It was a amazing day In wonderland, despite it being the winter time the weather was remarkably warm. It was thanks to this weather that Alice had decided to go out and play in the white powder. The snow was puffy and almost like dust. She kicked it up in clouds that swallowed her up and obscured her vision. The winter season was lovely.

"Alice is that you?"

She stopped her movement and the snow descended, to reveal Gray Ringmarc.

"Yes, it is."

she giggled and walked closer to the man. He mustive just come back from shopping she said to her self because he had two brown paper bags in his grasp.

"I just came back from the market" he explained

" Nightmare-sama has a bad case of strep throat."

"What? That's awful!"

He nodded in agreement and glanced down at the ground.

"Lucky he isn't contagious now, I had to force some medicine down his throat though I feel so guilty."

"There's no need to feel guilty, you did what you had too."

To Alice, Gray went above and beyond the call of duty. To care for his boss the way he did was truly dedication. She some what felt sorry for him instead.

"Here, lemme help you carry one of those bags."

With out complaints, Alice took one of the bags from him and started to walk back to the stone built tower.

XXX

Nightmare was all ways sick, so this wasn't anything new to him. Being stuck in bed had it's purks, such as Gray actually doing all the work like a good subordinate should. That and he was waited to, he didn't need to lift a finger! But there where a few down sides...

At the far edge of the room laying on a coffee table was a small wooden box, with fancy swirls engraved on top of it. This box, just the mere sight of it made his stomach churn.

"Nightmare-sama, I'm back."

His attention snapped to the door where his topaz eyed underling walked in. He would have greeted him if it werent for his aching vocal cords! So instead he settled to write on a pad of paper in dark red marker.

'Hi. Make me soup now?'

He held up the sheet and waited for Gray to read it.

"Uh, yes, I'll get right on that. Alice is putting away the groceries, I'll send her in to keep you company."

Alice huh. I haven't seen her in quiet a bit. He thought to him self. Moments latter the girl her self walked in.

"Hi Nightmare, heard you where sick."

'Yes very sick.'

He scribbled on the paper and showed it to her. She laughed.

"sorry to hear that. Any thing I can do to make you better?"

He ran that thru his head for a minute before writing a reply.

'that box over on that table to the left, the box. bring it.'

She read over the page quickly, then looked over to the box. She seen it, it was a rather large box. She had never seen a jewelry box of this kind, it looked gruff on the edges, but pretty in its own way. She picked it up and brought it over to the incubus. he held it in his hands just staring at it. Alice had noticed that as of late Nightmare had been...far off it seemed in his mind, like something was troubling him.

"Nightmare...I-"

"Soups ready. Careful it's hot." Gray waltzed in with a tray in his hands soup placed on top of it along side a glass of watter.

"I um, should go."

And with that Alice scurried out of the room in as fast as he could, to her own room.

XXX

That night Alice stayed awake in bed thinking over the days events. Playing in the snow, seeing Gray, talking to Nightmare, the wooden box,reading a book, ect. The Nightmare even really had her tough. Over and over, the image of that depressed looking Nightmare ran around in her mind. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, he's fine...he's just fine. It didn't matter how many times she said that to her self she didn't believes it. So, after giving up on sleep she decided to take a walk around the tower, as a means to get her tired. Of course, a lack of sleep does funny things to people.

"What am I doing here?"

Her wandering had brought her to none other than Nightmare's room.

"This...is utterly ridiculous."

She needed to sleep this proved it, so she walked past and back to her room. Or would have if she wasn't stopped.

"Lady Alice."

The teal eyed beauty turned to see a faceless servant girl, loads of paper work in her hands.

"Would you be so kind as to open Nightmare-sama's door pleas?"

"Oh, uh sure."

She turned the knob and fallowed behind the faceless girl.

"Thanks Alice."

The maid whispered and skimped off. As Alice turned to leave, she seen it: the box. What exactly was inside of it any way?

XXX

well, I've posted two chapters in one day. wh00t. Now, lets see what will happen next shall we?