Safe Place

I sighed and motioned towards the X-box, so Alice could entertain herself while I showered. I got some jeans and a simple tank top from the closet in my room and walked into the bathroom. I grabbed a towel from under the sink and took a hot shower, taking my time, I shampooed and conditioned my hair, body wash, the works. I was all squeaky clean when I walked out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel, I tied the towel around me I dried my hair a little bit with the hair dryer then I let the rest dry by itself as I pulled on the clean clothes. I sighed contentedly and walked back into the room, I flipped on a light and grabbed a book off the shelf, Narnia, I then settled down on a comfy bean bag and began to read. I was already at page 6 when I began to feel really hungry and my stomach growled ferociously. I sighed, too lazy to get up as I sat there reading.

Alice got all giddy and excited when Julia motioned towards the X-box. She skip all the way to it and immediately started digging through the games.

Ace left the laundry room and headed to the kitchen. Along the way he saw Julia go into the bathroom. He guessed it was her turn to take shower. Once he arrived he automatically noticed the sandwich that had been sitting there over night. It looked kind of scary so Ace decided to stay away from it and go look in the pantry to see what all was there.

All he saw that interested him, he didn't really like to cook, was the canned Raviolis. He shrugged and figured might as well. He grabbed a pot and began heated the food, dang it smelled so good. Once done he poured the mixture into a bowl and began to eat it. It was the pasta his moma made, but it still good anyway.

I heard some clattering in the kitchen, I then decided I would get my lazy butt in there and eat something before I starved myself. I stood up, put a bookmark between the pages of the book and left it on the bean bag. I then sauntered out of the room and into the kitchen, I saw Ace munching on some Raviolis. "You better share that!" I teased, grabbing a fork and pretending to scoop some out of the pan, then I laughed, I'd make my own food. I placed the fork on the counter and searched for something tasty in the pantry.

Ace continued to eat away his food, mmmm…..these were good. No matter how many times he had these they were still awesome. Ace then turned to Julia with a questioning look on his face.

“Now why should I share wi-hey! Get your fork out of there.” She then walked off and into the pantry. He sighed Julia was surely in needed of punishment after all she was putting him through.

"You're too uptight!" I teased and smiled a little as I glanced over my shoulder at his surprised expression. I pulled out a can of chicken soup and got out a can opened from a drawer on the side. I leaned on the counter as I placed the can on it and began to open it with he sharp opener. (short)

"Psh, yeah whatever." He finished off the last of his raviolis and went to go wash off his dishes. He gathered both the pot he used and the bowl and gently put them into the sink. He then grabbed some of the dish soap and began scrubbing away.

"So about yesterday you said that you were the sexy one and I was the hot one. Granted I am indeed very hot, but I am beyond hot, I am sexy. You on the other hand are just a cute, sweet, and innocent little girl." He took one of his saopy hands out of the sink and gave Julia an distant grandma pinch. "Awww....."

By this time Alice was already on level 10 on Pac-Man. Yes, Pac-Man was a simple and old game, but man was it good. There wasn't a complicated plot to get in the way of fun.

I smirked and raised my eyebrows. "Cute.. Sweet...Innocent?!" I questioned as I set the can down on the counter and took a few steps towards him. I raised my eyebrows, but didn't really feel like waiting for his smart @$$(GASP!) reply. I reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him gently towards me as I stepped forward a bit more. Not caring if he had soapy hands (sorry small PP.. xDD)

I then stood up on my tippy toes, making sure that Alice wasn't watching at all. I then brushed my lips against his, not in a kiss.. in a sort of. peck you could say, then I went in for the actual kiss. I then pulled back and whispered in his ear. "Get back to me when you can tell the difference between innocent, and sexy.." I smirked and pulled away, turning and going back to my canned soup, I wondered how he would take it, and kept my gaze on him out of the corner of my eyes. I could NOT miss this face!

Ace was still looking down at his dishes when Julia was questioning his comment.

"Well, yeah. You wouldn't-" His arm was then grabbed and he was pulled towards Julia. What was this woman doing? She stood on her tippy toes, she wasn't! She wasn't going to kiss him was she?

Her soft lips brushed against his slightly chapped lips. Where was his chap stick when he needed it? Geez, this woman was such a tease, she WAS always teasing him, even when it came down to kissing him. Why didn't she just ki-she then gave him lip-to-lip kiss. Now that's more like it. Ace almost pulled away when she whispered into his ear due to the fact that he was ticklish in the ear, sh it's one of his secrets. He was glad he didn't though because it would of ruined the moment.

Ace remained calm as he watched her go back to her cooking. That was a nice; be a bit of an smart arse and get a smooch. He reached into the sink once more washed off his hands.

"Well, I'd admit I liked that a lot but the only thing I can say is that.....it was only a cute attempt to be sexy." He then began drying off the dishes.

I rolled my eyes at his comment. "Oh yeah, mmhm. sure.. Well, now I know your opinion, no need to repeat that again.." I sighed a little and shrugged, trying to hide a smile smile as I turned and resumed opening the can. When I went to pick up the lid I moved my hand a little too fast and sliced my thumb. "AGH! No! Craap!" I winced and grabbed my thumb, squeezing it with my other hand. I crouched down, for some reason I did that when I hurt myself, I leaned against the cabinet and squeezed my thumb more. Oww oww owww!! I cringed.

Ace chuckle lightly as he searched for the cabinet the bowls went to. He just had opened the cabinet when he heard Julia from behind him. He immediately turned to see what was going on.

"Julia!" He frantically put the bowl and dish towel on the counter and then rushed to her. Alice, having heard Julia as well, hurried in to see the commotion. Ace knelt down to the suffering girl on the floor. It appeared that Julia had hurt her finger or something like that.

"Here, let me see." Ace offering his broad hands.

Alice peered over the counter. What happened? Did she stub her finger or something, though if she only did that she wouldn't be on the ground.

I winced and reluctantly looked at Ace, then I held my hand out towards him, blood was steadily coming out of the medium sized cut. "Band aid!" I said a little urgently to Alice. I held my hand with my left hand and stared at the cut on my thumb. (short )

Ace took her hands and only saw that she had sliced her finger slightly, though the cut looked did look a little deep. Alice tried not to freak at the sight the sight of blood, she just stood there like a deer in the headlights. Ace saw Alice and and almost wanted to bang his head against a table.

"For crying out loud....," He mumbled then looked to Julia again, "where is the first aid kit, if there is one here."

"In the main bathroom, right side of the medicine cabinet." I said and winced as I tried to move my thumb, gosh it was painful. I shifted a little so that I was sitting on the floor with my back against the cupboards and my legs were spread out in front of me. I looked at Ace. Mouthing the word 'hurry' and motioning towards the stunned little girl

"Gotcha!" Geez Alice was being completely useless, no offense to her. She just standing there and doing nothing when a person is needing of her help. A person that has been helping her out. Ace then looked back to Julia who told him to hurry: he nodded and ran to the bathroom.

Once in he quickly found the white medicine cabinet which was conveniently placed above the sink and began his search for the band-aids. It wasn't hard, he practically found them with in three seconds of opening the cabinet itself. He quickly grabbed the box and some nerosporin that was placed beside the band-aids. He figured that Julia wouldn't want her cut to be infected. He turned the bathroom lights off and went to Julia.

"Got the band-aids." He said as he put down the items and went to wet a cold paper towel; it should help the bleeding. He wringed the towel out and gave her it while he searched for the perfect sized band-aid.

Alice was no longer necessarily staring at the cut; she was lost in her thoughts. She was in fact lost in her recent past memories. Memories that occur about two months ago, two months after all this nonsense started.

I waited patiently for Ace. I stared at Alice's shocked face, gosh this girl wasn't good for anything but staring, I kinda felt sorry for her, and the blood and all that.. but hey, I was in need of help here, and she was just standing there, staring at the cut. I sighed and looked away, then Ace came in and rummaged around the box for a large band aid, I pushed myself up with my good hand, then I rinsed off the cut and winced, I reached for the neosporin and squirted a little on the cut and rubbed it around, then I waited for the band aid.

Ace pulled out one of the larger band-aids and then handed it to Julia.

"Here." Ace stared up at Alice who hasn't moved a inch since he left.

"Earth to Alice, you still there? Hello..." Ace had waved at her slightly, but no reply. He went over and finally shook her a little she immediately came out of shock.

"What? Oh I'm sorry." Alice began to blush from embarrassment and look around slightly to see what happened. Ace gave an annoyed sigh.

"Alice may I ask you something?"

"Um, yeah. What is it?" Her voice was quiet.

"Why are you so afraid of blood?" Alice bit her lip, she really didn't want to answer.

"Uh, I don't want to talk about it." Ace lowered to her level, as to scare her less.

"Are you sure?" He knew he sounded stupid asking that, but he hoped it would work.

"Mh-hm." Ace slightly turned his head and cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm just asking because I'm worried about you Alice. You always just freak out over blood, even if it's just a little." It was hard to keep calm and fairly nice to her when she was being so useless. Yes Ace would agree that the cut that Julia got wasn't that bad, but what if they got into a situation where it could mean life or death for Alice?

"I don't freak out that badly." Ace gave her a 'yeah right' expression.

"Oh really? Then what do you call what you did just now? When you just stared blankly at Julia's cut?" There was a slight pause.

"I'm going, bye." After Alice said that she left immediately to her room.

"Alice....Alice..." He called out after her as he followed her, but then he gave up. He might as well let her go, she wasn't going to listen to him. His whole expression sank as he let a sigh. What was he going to do? Could he do anything? Ace turned back to Julia.

"So, how's you cut?"

I rolled my eyes as I watched them and stood there just watching the scene. I finally turned and rinsed the cut again, then I dried it and took the band aid from Ace, I peeled it off the paper and put the padded white part on top of the cut. Then I wrapped it around and bent my finger a few times. So it was nice and flexible. I then looked at Ace. "It's good.. I guess.." I said and smiled.

"Well that's good." He gave a small smile back and then looked blankly to the floor. He was glad that Julia was alright, but all he could think about was Alice. He was worried about her.

"Julia, why do you think she's afraid of blood?"

"Well.. as far as we know, her parents aren't anywhere close.. maybe something happened to them?!" I suggested and shrugged, also looking a little worried as I pulled up a stool and jumped up onto it.

"You think? Though how would her parents have to do with anything relating to her fear of blood?" Ace brought a hand to his chin in thought.

Alice closed the door as she walked in, she felt flaustered. This whole blood fear thing was becoming problem for her. Why?! Why did she freak out over blood so badly was what she wanted to ask herself, but there would be no point in doing so because she already knew the answer. Her eyes looked to the ground with a sullen gaze and sighed. She wished her parents were still alive to comfort her, to hold her. She walked to the bed and sat upon it, still staring at the floor.

I shrugged.. "Tragic accident... that was the last she saw of them?" I continued guessing, I really wanted to get to the bottom of it because it was becoming very annoying. She would just stop, and stare like she had nothing else to do. Stand there and stare at the blood. Instead of going where she couldn't see it. It was beginning to bother me.

"Perhaps though I hope not." Ace paused and let the silence echo through his mind. How were they going to get the answer out of her? Asking directly her obviously didn't work. Maybe Julia knew.

"Do you have any ideas on how were going to convince Alice to tell us anything."

"Maybe if we ask her small questions about her past.. scatter them throughout the day perhaps?" I suggested as I looked at Ace, huffing a little and a piece of my bangs fluttered around then out of my eyes. I looked over towards Alice's room and sighed a bit. "We still have to find the safe place.." I said in a small voice.. my eyes looking almost emotionless as I stared at the counter. We weren't safe her forever. Eventually we'd run out of food and everything!

"Yeah I like that idea. That could work." Ace sighed, so much to worry about. Surviving, finding the safe place, and now Alice's fear of blood. What were they going to do now? Ace perked his head up at Julia and sawed that she was probably thinking same thing as he was.

"Yeah. Though I wouldn't have the slightest idea on how to go about finding this safe place or whatever it's called."

I sighed and looked a little defeated, about the safe place. I shrugged a little. "We'll have to figure it out... we need to find it.. we HAVE to find it." I said and looked down at the ground then at Ace. "What should we do?" I asked and looked a little defeated again. I just wanted this all to be a bad dream, to let it all return to normal, my eyes began to water. I missed my family, and my friends. I missed them all.. I missed my normal life. I actually missed school, and my teachers, the principle. I turned my head away from Ace, not wanting him to notice my tears as the slowly slid down my red cheeks.