"Just one more week and then it will be over. You can finally stop marrying me every night and even twice on Saturdays." Andy couldn't help but ruffle Katarina's hair as she scowled up at him.

"Ta bad i's only th' stage tha' ya kin wrangle a girl ta matrimony. Ow!" She pretended to rub her head gingerly as he went for another round of playful abuse, "Dun mess it all up. I gotta go talk ta C." The letter "C" was a poor cover-up to keep from saying Count with other members of the troupe around.

He frowned slightly and tried to smooth out her hair in the places she missed, "Have you really thought about this?"

"O' course I hav', I dun make choices all willy-nilly." She cringed inwardly at the Locke-i-fied word, and grinned to herself, " 'm goin' fer a roun' o' negotiations." She wiggled her brows before cutting across Andy to stand before the Count's office door and knocked. Hearing the muffled "come in," she took a deep breath and entered the room.

Christophe looked up from his papers and gave Katarina a warm smile, "Good evening, Katarina. Excellent performance, as usual." He motioned for her to seat down, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I go' some terms fer yer conference." She sat down and held onto an air of confidence as he nodded for her to continue. "If I am goin' ta do yer conference, 'm nah gonna recruit fer th' troupe an' 'm nah gonna speak a' all as a representative. 'm gonna do th' performance an' tha's it. 'm nah gonna stay a minute longa. In fact, 'm gonna request tha' righ' afta, I'd like ta fly ou' an' visit mah folks fer a bit, before comin' back. Also, 'm gonna need room fer one more person, er a room big 'nough fer two, as I dun min' sharin'."

He drummed one set of fingers over his desk as he listened, and was quiet for a few moments longer, "Who is coming with you?"

"Locke D'Vestavio." She didn't offer the connection, though that was probably rather common knowledge to all the people within the theatre.

"You are taking him to meet your parents?" His thick brows went up slightly into his forehead.

Her back straightened slightly, "Yes." The sound was sounded out without her accent to make it very clear.

He nodded slowly, his face stoic before he nodded more vigorously. "I find those terms fair. I will not require you to do anything other than the performance, and will let you go as soon as that is over. In fact, I will try to have it be as soon as possible. You are doing me a large favor, after all." He silently slid open a drawer from within his desk as he continued, "I will as promised, handle your traveling expenses, and adding one more will not require extra, as the boat is mine. I will also make certain that you and your company have a boat to.. Hope, is it? Consider it just a small portion of what I would have covered if we needed to take The Duchess to the Stars Republic. And," he finally reached into the waiting drawer to pull out a leather pouch and place it in front of her. The sound of heavy coins was very distinct, "I will pay you half now, and half when it is over. I have heard," a small smile now crossed his face, "that you are looking for a home. I need you in a place you are comfortable with to have you at your best."

Katarina sharply shook her head, "Tha's all too much, Christophe. I said I'd do it, an' I'll only take wha' is fair payment. Th' res' I will earn."

"Nonsense. This is fair payment to my eyes. And you will take it, because you want to see your family and have a home. Your pay is not up for discussion. Will you take these terms or not?"

Katarina wasn't sure why, but she was suddenly very angry, "Yes." She stood up and stiffly took the bag of coins, "Good night." It wasn't until she heard the door to his office click behind her that she allowed her muscles to tense, briskly walking to retrieve her things and head to the Durben. She didn't look into the contents of the leather pouch, and only shoved it into a pocket of her coat. She wasn't sure why she got so upset over getting more than what she wanted.

Katarina was beginning to dread each and every rehearsal that she shared with Alik. Some days she had the rehearsal's for both ballets, and others just for Scheherazade. It wasn't because she felt uncomfortable alone with Alik, or that he behaved inappropriately. In fact, Alik was never anything less than polite and professional.

It was the nature of the ballet that was wearing on her talents. The entire premise of the story was of Scheherazade being forced to marry the King, a man who wed a virgin every night and killed her by the morning. To keep herself alive, Scheherazade would started to tell a story each night, ending on a cliff hanger and refusing to finish so that the King would keep her alive night after night in order to hear the rest of the tale. The intimate setting required more than just Katie's dancing skills. It required acting to show that the sensual theme of the story was believable.

She hated the fact that the uncomfortable feeling was available at every opportunity. Scenes with his face against her stomach, or the feel of the fresh stubble on his face as it rested in the curve of her neck. Sensuality was not very uncommon in ballets, and yet it never became easier. Each time she had to muster all of her strength to seem aloof and detached when the placement of hands on her body made her want to cringe. She would never admit that this was her greatest weakness in her profession.

Perhaps the worst feeling was not the discomfort, but the guilt. With her heart belonging to another, naturally she was not inclined to be so close physically to someone else. To make it worse, many of the dance moves and arrangements had a closeness that she could not even share with Locke because of his chill. Her mind was quick to detach from her body, thinking of no one at all, or most times, of dancing with Locke rather than Alik. It helped in making the time pass quicker and in easing the guilt.

It wouldn't be longer than two months when it would be over and she could leave the thoughts and experience behind her. She clung to that hope to propel her towards the stage where Alik would be waiting.

"Good afternoon, Katarina." With his hands behind his back, Alik bowed slightly. The thin silver band around his neck glistened under the strong stage lights with the movements. "Madame is going to be assisting in the rehearsal today. Will that be suiting you?"

More people, particularly instructors, always seemed to return the ballet into a piece of art, and away from any kind of reality. "Yeah, tha's shiny." Happy with the turn of events, Katarina's smile was normal and without any traces of her previously darker thoughts.

Katarina watched the bright lights obscure the usual colors of the people out on the dance floor at the Jazz Cafe. Loud jazz music vibrated the floors so much so that she could feel the movement through the legs of her chair. A few members of the ballet troupe were joined at her table, but more were out dancing to the swinging beat. Finishing her drink, she kept her eyes on the clock and swung one ankle to the beat until the song ended. That being the cue, most of the dancers grabbed their things and made their goodbyes - early mornings cut the long evening short.

"See you in the morning, right? Bright and early, My Queen?" Andy teased and ruffed Katarina's hair that was left down.

"Yeah, I gotta wake up all o' th' fairies 'n th' lan'." She pretended to wave a wand, before stepping to the tips of her toes to kiss Andy's cheek, "Hav' a g'nigh'."

"Leaving, Katarina?" Quiet and in the corner for majority of the evening, Alik had been lost and forgotten in the shadows of the dark atmosphere. He looked out of place to her, with a dress shirt on that was either exceptionally tailored or a smidge too tight. Dark blue melded again his dark skin, and the colored lights reflected off of the shine on his head. He leaned away from his place against the wall as he watched the Smith gather her belongings.

"Yeah, I like ta go an' sit while Jo's tended th' inn, an' I haven' gotten a chance lately. So gonna take th' chance I go' an' run wit' it, er howeva th' sayin' goes."

"May I just have one moment with you?" He was already standing to his full height and moving the short distance towards her, "Just one drink. I wish to discuss something with you."

"Well...." she glanced towards the clock again. She could at least make the last half of Johnny's shift if the conversation was short, "sure, I kin wai' a bit longa." Returning to her seat, Alik made his way barwards, and she returned to watching the dance floor. It was one of the rare times where she felt no inkling to join in the merrymaking, though she would rather dance without spirit than sit and have whatever coversation she was about to have.

It was no time before Alik returned and placed a new drink in front of her. It was red and smelled of cranberries. His appeared to be the same. Taking a seat in front of her, he took a long sip of his drink and folded his hands on the table, "This is an odd location, and quite loud. I would not anticipate a ballet group to frequent here often."

Katarina shrugged, and took a sip from her own drink, "Whay nah do somethin' new an' differen'?" She relaxed into her seat and sipped again, "Though nah a very good place for conversation, sittin' inside."

"That is quite all right. I can hear you well enough." He stared at her hard for several moments, and for once it didn't make the fine hairs on her neck stand up, "You were surprised to hear about my reinforcers, but they were not unheard of. How is this so?"

" 'm surprised tha' they're allowed, yeah? I tol' ya tha' they were illegal 'n mah neck o' th' woods. As fer hearin' 'bout 'em, mah cousin has some. Go' silver mesh 'n his hands, and go' these creepy silver lens tha' has all sor's of differen' thin's. He works metal." The last sentence was to clarify the means of her cousin's choices. She frowned for a moment, then shrugged again, "Migh' hav' some otha's, bu' I kin't 'member all th' details. He suggested 'em ta me 'while back, bu' fer now, 'm nah really interested 'n 'em."

"Why not? Surely if you wish to lengthen your dancing career, than they are the wisest choice. It is no wonder that you were accepted into the Royal Academy. With strengthening what you already have, you could easily become the best ballerina they have." He put his hands together and under his chin, the trio of metal bands glistening red and blue lights with the movement.

Katarina rubbed her head as she experienced a tightening sensation, before what felt like the beginnings of a headache relax. "Th' addition ta mah join's was nah th' sole purpose fer suggestin' mods.'n fac' they were secon' - 'n afta though' really. Geez," she smiled apologetically and took another sip, " 'm nah meanin' ta give ya every li'l detail. Kin't seem ta stop mahself."

"No no, it is fine. It is important to know." His hands relaxed, one going to rest on the table while the other went to his pocket of his pants and fiddled with the empty vial that rested there. "Then tell me, what were the mods for?"

"If 'm 'membering correctly, i's 'bout mah skin bein' receptive ta cold - like real cold - an' some DNA modifications. 've neva looked fartha inta it fer specifics." Her loose tongue should have surprised her, but it didn't. "Fer Locke. Yanno Locke, righ'?"

"Well, you have talked my ears off about him, yes." He chuckled as he watched her face turn dreamy. "I assume it would be a solution to be with him, wholly."

Katarina knocked her head back against the wall lightly as she settled onto the floor of the studio in the theatre. Letting out a long, winded sigh, she closed her eyes and tried to think of literally, nothing to ease the dull ache that rested in the back of her mind. The day from the beginning had been a struggle. Barely able to compose words for Locke as he went for his morning run, the long night mixed with alcohol made her close to cranky and with a headache.

Rehearsal didn't go much better. Her reactions were slow and her lines lazy. She guzzled water like she was never going to have any again to try and cleanse her system and clear her mind. Eventually her body responded properly, but by that time, Madame and the rest of the troupe had tossed her aside and worked and scenes that primarily didn't involve her.

The worst part of the day was not the headache or her poor rehearsal; it was her memory. Try as she might, the entire previous evening was erased from her mind. She couldn't remember what she wore, what she drank, and what she did. The last thing that her mind could clearly recall was entering the Jazz Cafe, and all was blank until she woke up this morning in a bed by herself. She could only guess that Locke moved to sleep in the cold room when she was out late, and she came home too tired to change into appropriate clothing for the cold climate. It was frustrating, if not entirely unnerving. It had been several years since she had felt so irresponsible.

Now with a break in between the troupe's rehearsal and her private one with Alik, she sought some mercy from what had to be one of the worst days she's had in several months.

"I did exactly as you instructed. Those are the answers I was given." A deep, familiar voice made itself known, as well as a handful of footsteps.

"Well, you'll just have to find another opportunity - Good afternoon, Katarina." The Count stopped in the doorway with Alik standing over him from the other side, "Feeling unwell?"

She peered open her eyes and waved a hand nonchalantly, "Jist takin' a break, yeah? Th' floor seems a' good o' place as any." She positioned a bright and warm smile on her face.

He looked skeptical, but didn't question, "Just don't fall asleep and be late to rehearsal." The Count was off again, and Alik sent Katarina a small wave through the doorway before trailing behind the shorter man.

Katarina heaved a sigh and sat up and away from the wall. A nap was just too tempting and would be the inevitable if she didn't find a better resting area. She considered visiting Highlife Haberdashery, and quickly decided against it. She would need more time to apologize for her previous behavior. Forcing herself to stand, she hoped that maybe a cold shower would refresh her enough to make it through the rest of rehearsal with a clear enough mind. Unfolding her mysterious lack of memory would have to wait.