?Patches?? Katarina tugged the spare pillow over her head, ?They?ll jist go away.? That was at least the hopeful outcome of the person who knocked on the door. The cat had sprung into action and was meowing a pathetic sound by the front door. The dancer however, groaned and moved her face away from the shining sun that showed through her window.

When no one answered the door expect for the cat, keys were dangled before the person opened the door. It was not a good sign, ?Who?sit?? Katarina half shouted, half mumbled through the barrier of her pillow.

?My my, sleeping the day away, are we?? Andy was grinning with amusement, Patches trailing behind him and weaving through his legs. ?Time to wake up, sunshine.?

?Ugh.? She pulled the sheets up to her neck for absolute coverage before moving the pillow just enough off of her face to glare at him, ?Whay ar? ya here? I gave ya key ?n hopes o? ya neva usin? it.?

?Which defeats the whole purpose of giving me a key in the first place.? He sat on the far edge of the bed, Patches jumping up into his lap for attention, ?Thought you would be up already. We are having a meeting at the theatre for the next production.?

?Wha?? Already? Patches!? She scolded as the cat shamelessly rubbed and purred against his favorite company.

?Yes, already. That is why you need to be up. How are you sleeping this late, anyhow? What were you doing last night?"

?I was sleepin? ?n by nah havin? company.? She motioned for him to leave the room so that she could start getting ready. ?An? ?m twenty-six years old, I kin do wha?eva I wan?ta.? Once the door was shut, she heard his laughter and was trying to quickly get ready, ?How much time do I go???

?Half hour.?

?Gah, whay didn?cha come sooner?!? Hearing more laughter, she grumbled all the while preparing herself for what to expect next.

"Whay do we gotta do this, anyway?" Katarina said for the third time as she finished tying on soft pink and gold ballet slippers on. "Ain't like we're gonna be 'n th' poster, anyhow."

"Well, not this one, but maybe on some others." Andy seemed completely at ease with his ornate costume and adjusted the crown on his head. Costumes and a few backgrounds had scrambled to finish so early in order to perform a photo shoot. Bryan as the Nutcracker and the young girl named Maya playing Clara, were currently on center stage.

"I know, I know." Heaving a sigh, she stood up properly, looking between their matching costumes. "Well, ain't we somethin'?" Grinning, she placed a matching crown on top of her head, "I feel like I gotta order someone 'round wit' this thin' on."

"Don't." They were both watching the two current dancers perform a few rehearsed parts for in-the-moment-shots. "I think she is going to do well, don't you?"

"Yeah, didn' I say so bafore?" She glanced over on stage as well, "I's gonna be a pain ta move everythin' 'round again fer tanigh'. How many more times do I gotta die fer these people?" She started to laugh, but the look Madame sent her quickly deflated the laughter to covering a grin with her hand.

Andy couldn't help but chuckle as well, "Who doesn't like to see a beautiful woman's tragedy give her what she wants, in the end?"

The statement seemed so profound that for once Katarina had nothing to say in return. It weighed heavily on her shoulders and brought a pensive look to her face.

"Well come now, the show is only for another handful of weeks. Then you can spend your time prancing around and spreading joy. C'mon." He grabbed her wrist as the photographer waved for them to come.

"Wha' 'bout this?" Katarina found large hoop earrings and held them up to one of her ears. A few handful of dancers and musicians were walking through the endless rows of wardrobe. Trying to fit the theme of traveling gypsies, Katarina looked at Andy hopefully.

"Uh.. sure." Andy didn't even look over as he quickly filtered through shirts. "Why do we have to do this, again?"

She rolled her eyes as he didn't even look over, and plucked out a white shirt for him, "Cause we gotta represen' th' theatre an' make everybody happy." Laughing lightly, she turned and looked for the rest of her ensemble, "'Sides, it'll be real fun. Ge'ta dance jist fer th' sake o' it. When's th' las' time ya did tha'?"

His silence from the other side of the row brought a knowing smile, "An' lot'sa li'l kids'll come up ta ya. Well, mahbe if ya ain' scary lookin'." A hanger came flying over and missed her by several feet. Laughing warmly, Katarina continued to fulfill her ideal requirements of a dancing gypsy.

The small group of dancers and musicians would be entertainment in the Marketplace on All Hallow's Eve. The variation in her dancing was a way to keep her interest fresh. La Bayadere was in its final week, and shortly after would being The Nutcracker. With both routines constantly in her mind, a different opportunity brought a smile to her face as she pulled out a colorful full length skirt that would flow with her movements.

"I do like that." Andy came to join her on the other side of the row. "Do you know how to say beautiful yet?"

Katarina looked up to him and sent a smug smile, "Vanima. Yanno, 'm thinkin' tha' museum trip ain' so hard ta git afta'all." With a trail of laughter, she took her makeshift costume and prepared for the day's training.

"Tha's th' second time this week 've seen 'em come ta watch. Jist who do ya think it is?" Katarina's eyes flickered from Andy to the four silhouettes sitting deep within the theatre. Maya and Bryan were rotating dances between various small groups as Katarina, Andy and several others lined up against the background to watch.

"Who knows. Lots of people come to watch or visit. You know that." He didn't bother to hide a clever smile.

"Ugh, tha's nah wha' I meant. Yanno come ta think o' it, I 'member seein' people comin' by bafore La Bayadere, too." Her eyes narrowed off in the distance to possibly catch any details of these mysterious people.

"Stop staring; it's considered rude." Andy gently elbowed her, "You are being awfully paranoid. Worried about something?"

"Nah, jist curious." She finally looked away to watch a sequence with the "Arabian" dancers. "Dun wan' shady people 'round here when th' kids ar' here's all."

"Please, Rini. They are fine. Besides, you could provoke Val to do something rash with that kind of concern."

She laughed inwardly while only a smile played on her features, "He's a good kid. Dun mind th' load o' them. Tha's our cue." Grinning, she waited for his lead before beginning their own sequence.

Later when the rehearsal was finished, Andy waved a large stack of posters in Katarina's direction just as she began to leave, "Want to help put them up?"

Giving a long sigh of defeat, she grinned, "I'll help ya all th' way ta mah cousin's house, an' then mah services er done."

With that, several members of the ballet troupe joined in scattering posters around to promote their next production.

"I dun think 'm eva gonna git all this ou'." Katarina was working on removing glitter and sheen from her hair, sharing her mirror with Andy. The theatre was quiet compared to the dress rehearsal that had happened earlier in the evening. Everything had gone smoothly, giving everyone ease before the opening night.

"Why even bother? It's only going to come back tomorrow. And every other day until it's over." He gave her a side hug before gathering his coat, "I'm going home. See you tomorrow Rini."

"Hav' a g'nigh'." She continued in the meticulous task for a few minutes, before deciding it was the best she was going to get. Taking her bag and coat, she was sure that she was one of the few performers still let before heading home.

The walk through the halls and towards the lobby was a familiar one now. With a gentle smile, there was a sense of home and familiarity that fulfilled the burning curiosity if her choice to move had been a good idea. Thinking of family, friends and the theatre, her mood was in high spirits before entering the lobby.

"Miss Smith?" There were three people coming to stand as she entered the otherwise empty room. Two women and one man, Katarina recognized them as the shadows that watched in the seats from time to time.

"Yeah? How kin I help ya?" Smiling, she gave them a brief glance over before relaxing. They were older in age, but still carried the air of authority.

"We represent The Royal Academy." Katarina made sure her jaw didn't drop. The Royal Academy was the best ballet troupe in the universe as she knew it. "We would like to extend an invitation for you to come and audition in the end of the year." The lady that wasn't speaking silently handed Katarina a letter. "All of the information you will need is inside."

Her mouth was open for a moment before words came out, "Th-thank you." The nerves fully removed her accent for the time being as she took the folded letter. "I will consider the invitation."

"Then we will look forward to seeing you soon. Early congratulations on tomorrow's performance. Have a good evening, Miss Smith." With the slightest of smiles, they all exited the lobby together.

Katarina found that her legs felt unstable, and so she took refuge in sitting for now. Questions and concerned overwhelmed her thoughts. It was an opportunity of a lifetime with high costs.

Johnny wasn't around for her to talk to. It brought a deep ache of loneliness. He was always a firm rock and an honest opinion. Instead, another person came to mind. Pulling her thoughts together, she finally left the theatre in hopes to find the ice elf at his home.