Hey dreamers! :) I've got another fic for you, and it's the first of many Odette x Merante fics to come. I'm pretty sure this is also the first Christmas Ballerina fic too, but I'll have to check on that one.

This is a very special fic, because it's dedicated to my first friend in the Ballerina fandom and fellow Mérandette shipper, Scar Stones. I hoped to have this all finished for her birthday, but with all the stress of home and uni it just wasn't possible. But on the plus side, it gives me time to make it even better, and the final chapter should be up on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

~ Written for Scar Stones ~

Happy Sweet 16th Birthday! :D

I hope you enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Shout-Out to my Dad for the amazing cover! :)

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Chapter 1

Thunderous applause echoed throughout the dark theatre, loud enough to rival the pounding of her own heart. A dull ache throbbed in her cheeks from smiling so much, and her limbs felt as though they could just fall off her body, but Félicie was too happy to care, holding her final pose until the red velvet curtain pooled on stage in front of her.

"You did it."

The young ballerina stood up properly, stretching her tired muscles as she did so, then smiled at the woman beside her. "Was I ok?"

"You did wonderfully, Félicie." Rosita smiled at the girl, then nodded towards the backstage area. "You have people waiting for you."

Félicie said nothing; only smiled as she quickly walked off stage. So much had changed in such a little amount of time. When she first set foot in Paris, she had nothing but the clothes on her back, her childhood friend by her side, and a music box and half a postcard in her pocket; a naïve dreamer not yet prepared for the world she was throwing herself into. But now, she had everything she could need and more. And it was all back there waiting for her…

Forgetting for a moment how tired she was, Félicie ran into her mentor's arms, smiling as she felt her nurturing arms wrap around her body.

"I knew you could do it..."

She couldn't see Odette's face, but she could somehow sense that she was smiling. The red-haired girl cast a quick glance up at her instructor, a smile forming on her own lips, "Well, I do have a good teacher."

The former ballerina gave her one last hug, then pulled back to let her see her smile. Félicie tilted her head a little, trying to take in her mentor's face in the dim light, "Are you ok? Your face looks a little pink."

Somehow pointing it out made it more noticeable, and Odette nervously tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "I'm fine. Just proud..."

Félicie raised an eyebrow, pondering whether or not to question her, but was stopped by a voice calling her name.

"Félicie!"

Looking up in surprise, she smiled at the blonde rushing over to her, "Camille!"

Camille gave her a quick hug, then stepped back to talk, "Sorry I'm so late. The police showed up just after you left. I guess someone must have heard you screaming."

"The police?" Mérante was the one to speak this time, one eyebrow raised in concern.

"My mother tried to kill Félicie," Camille explained, Félicie adding, "That's why I was so late."

Odette's eyes flashed with terror, but Camille continued to speak, "Thankfully they had enough evidence to arrest her on the spot. My aunt Genevieve has full custody of me now."

As if on que, a tall woman walked up towards them. She was strikingly similar to Régine in appearance, but her features were softer and she was substantially less 'done up'.

Odette gave the woman a nod, "Genevieve."

"Hello Odette, it's lovely to see you again," the woman – Genevieve – smiled. "Camille told me everything. I'm so sorry for what my sister did to you both."

Odette shrugged a little response. "Well, I didn't exactly help matters…

"Nevertheless, you put up with a lot over the years. I'd understand if you said no, but perhaps you might consider working for me instead?"

There was a moment of silence while she thought about it, but after receiving an encouraging smile from Félicie, Odette nodded in agreement.

Genevieve smiled, gesturing towards the door, "Let's go gather your things."

Before long, everyone had gone their separate ways, leaving only the five kids on an empty stage.

"Well," Dora started. "I think we can say tonight was a success."

"I know, and tomorrow's the biggest day of the year!" Nora added, clapping her hands as she bounced on her toes.

Félicie laughed at her antics, "Calm down Nora. It's just Christmas."

Much to hers and Victor's surprise, Nora gasped in horror, suddenly unable to form one coherent syllable. She was clearly in a state of utter disbelief, but neither could comprehend why.

Dora rolled her eyes at her twin, then rested her hands on her sister's shoulders, "Easy Nora. Deep breaths…"

Nora did as she was told, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, then promptly exclaimed, "Just Christmas?! Just, just- how?!"

Félicie merely shrugged, failing to see what the fuss was about, "You guys already know I was brought up in the orphanage…"

"I know, but it's still Christmas! The Christmas Eve feast, decorating the tree, Christmas Logs, singing carols, leaving your shoes by the fireplace, the Galette of Kings, mistletoe!" Nora continued, practically squealing that last one.

The two orphans shared a confused look, before Félicie interjected again, "Uh Nora, we've never even heard of most of that stuff…"

"What about presents? You at least get presents, right?"

"We get new clothes. That counts…" Victor commented, but was quickly shot down.

"No it does not count!"

Félicie shrugged a shoulder, unsure what she was supposed to say to them. They were nice girls, but they'd all lived a life of luxury, whereas she and Victor hadn't. She didn't envy them in the least, nor did she blame Mother Superior for the struggles she'd faced growing up, but trying to explain all that was becoming unsettling.

"There were a lot of us. Any money the orphanage got went to looking after everyone."

Victor nodded in agreement, "As far as Mother Superior was concerned, all the presents in the world wouldn't help us if we were starving, cold and sick in bed."

"So… You've never had a real Christmas before?" Dora asked as she stood beside her sister, who finally seemed to be taking in what she was hearing.

Félicie and Victor shuffled their feet on the polished floor, avoiding eye contact with both the girls and each other. Camille and the twins looked amongst themselves, knowing all-too-well the answer was 'yes'. All three felt terrible for them, but none more so than Camille. She'd taken Félicie's upbringing and slammed it in her face, all over a part in a ballet that she didn't really want.

"All those things I said to you before the final audition… I'm so sorry Félicie. I… I had no idea."

Félicie smiled reassuringly, waving it off, "It's ok. We're here now. Maybe this is our chance to learn…"

At that, Nora gave an almost dramatic gasp, then turned to her twin and grabbed her by the shoulders. "I just had, the best idea! Félicie and Victor have never had a proper Christmas before; we know everything about it. We can teach them all about our favourite holiday traditions!"

"Nora, that's a great idea!" Dora smiled. "In fact, I know how to make it even better."

Without another word, Dora led them down the sculpted hallways, until they found the cheerful giant that was the Director of the Opera.

"Our families are old friends. We go to his Christmas party every year," Dora explained. "Perhaps he'd be willing to let you come as well."

Director Vaucorbeil turned at the sound of footsteps, and smiled at the four young dancers and Félicie's friend.

"Ah, good evening girls!" he greeted merrily, before taking Félicie's hand. "Congratulations, Miss Lebras. You were exquisite."

Félicie smiled as he lightly kissed the back of her hand, and did her best to curtsy, "Thank you sir."

"So, what can I do for you ladies?"

"I know it's a little impolite to be asking, but my sister and I were hoping we could bring Félicie, Victor and Camille to the party tomorrow," Dora asked as respectfully as possible. "They didn't really celebrate it at the orphanage, so in a way, this is Félicie and Victor's first Christmas."

"But of course! The more the merrier," Director Vaucorbeil replied, a hand over his heart as he bowed his head good-naturedly. "Camille, I heard Odette will be working for your aunt from now on…"

"Yes sir," Camille replied. "She's helping Odette get her things from the attic now."

"Excellent," the man beamed, clapping his hands together. "Perhaps now she'll finally be able to come as well. Anyway, I'll see you five tomorrow. Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Monsieur!"

"Have a safe trip home!"

The director gave them a friendly wave before walking away, and Nora immediately resumed jumping around in excitement, "This is going to be the best Christmas ever!"

Félicie opened her mouth to reply, but the words vanished when she noticed the confusion written in Camille's face.

"You ok, Camille?"

"Yeah, just… Dora, what did Director Vaucorbeil mean when he said about Odette finally coming?"

"He and Odette were good friends back in the day. He invites her every year, but she always too busy working for your mother."

Camille's brow creased, her puzzled expression ever more prominent. "That doesn't make any sense…"

Victor shrugged, "Why not?"

"Odette's worked for my mother my entire life. I know her schedule by heart; 24 hours a day, 365 days a year." Camille explained. "In all that time, not once has my mother worked her late on Christmas Day."

"Really, never?"

"Never. Every year, my mother always hosted a party for her upper-class friends. So, every Christmas, she'd work Odette double time to get the house looking spotless by 4 o'clock, then she pretty much banished her to her rooms." Camille paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. "If Director Vaucorbeil had been inviting her like you said, not only could she have easily slipped away without Mother noticing, but even if she had noticed, she'd be glad to have her out of her sight."

"That's weird…" Nora stated, making a face to emphasise her point.

Dora nodded in agreement, "Yeah, why would Odette lie about something like that?"

"I don't know…" Félicie mused. "I'll talk to her tonight. Maybe she'll open up to me…"

"Well, it'd be good if you could get her to come," Dora smiled.

"Yeah! She can be one of my victims." Nora rubbed her hands together, sporting a devilish grin that brought the other four to silence.

Eventually, Félicie mustered the courage to look at Dora, who was simply smirking at her sister. "Victims?"

"Trust me Félicie, you'll find out tomorrow."

Unlike her last coach ride, Félicie couldn't help but find the rhythmic skip of horseshoes on the cobblestone roads oddly relaxing. Up until now, the snow-cover had been unusually light for this time of year, but in the last few hours, large clouds of it had accumulated on every sidewalk and every rooftop, just in time for a true white Christmas. But of course, the effects of this had been almost instantaneous. No sooner had Odette stepped outside, walking on her limp became next to impossible. And so, the pair had found themselves making the short trip home by coach with Camille and Genevieve.

Her head propped up against her mentor's shoulder, Félicie watched the snowfall outside, each tender flake dancing on the wind like a perfectly unique, crystal ballerina. Beautiful as it was, the picturesque scene before her did little to aid her weighted mind. She had so many questions; questions she both wanted and needed answers too.

As soon as the coach stopped outside the Le Haut household, Félicie was the first one out, grabbing the box with the door key in it and letting herself into Odette's rooms. By the time Odette herself made it to the door, the fireplace had roared to life, casting a homely orange glow around the room.

Hearing the front door close, Félicie grabbed a chair from the dining table and brought it closer to the fireplace, "Why don't you sit down for a bit… I'll help you unpack in the morning."

"Thank you," Odette smiled wearily, setting the last box on the table next to Félicie's. Noticing the way she winced with every step, Félicie took her arm and helped her sit down. Once she was settled by the warmth of the fire, Félicie brought a chair over for herself, all but falling into it.

"Tired?" Odette giggled, fond memories of her own debut floating through her mind.

"Uh-huh…" Félicie mumbled, the sound muffled by her closed lips. Subconsciously aware of the knowing smirk on her mentor's face, she forced herself to sit up properly, "Am I going to be this tired after every performance?"

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," the older woman assured her. "You really were great up there tonight."

Had anyone asked her, she probably would've blamed it on the open fire, but her cheeks turned a soft shade of pink after hearing the compliment. "Well, I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you…"

"You're welcome."

Neither said anything more, content to listen to the crackling fire as the dancing flames cast elegant shadows across the room. Just outside, the bitter wind had picked up in strength, and would likely leave a fresh coating of powdered snow in its wake. All across Paris, children were surely tucked into the warmth of their beds, sweetly dreaming as they waited for the joys of tomorrow.

The peaceful serenity was finally broken by an uneasy sigh, and a voice began to speak.

"I'm sorry for how…" Odette gave a brief chuckle, amused by her own lack of a better word, "'un-Christmassy' it is in here…"

"It's fine, really," Félicie replied, her voice soft with a reassuring smile on her face. "This is pretty much what I'm used to anyway."

"It is?"

"Yeah… Christmas for us just meant extra dinner and some new clothes," she explained, then shrugged a shoulder in thought. "Unless of course any of the kids got sick. Then any extra funds went towards medicine. There were too many of us for them to handle a full-on outbreak during the winter."

Odette looked down at her lap, feeling all but sick with the sudden guilt. While the rational part of her knew there was nothing she could have done, that didn't stop her heart from aching for this little girl, sheltered and alone with no inkling of what it was like to be part of a family.

"I never knew it was that bad…"

"If it makes you feel any better, neither did we. We made do with what we had," the girl assured her, her smile almost too sincere for someone her age.

Odette felt the corner of her mouth tug up in unwavering pride, "Guess that explains why you're so humble…"

"Probably," Félicie agreed, her emerald eyes gleaming in the firelight. "I am looking forward to tomorrow though. Camille, Nora and Dora are going to teach me and Victor about their favourite Christmas traditions."

The former ballerina simply chuckled at her excitement, "I'm sure you'll have a great time."

"Me too." The pair fell into a comfortable silence, but Félicie soon found herself thinking back to her conversation with Camille. While it was true that her mentor had been anything but a social person when they first met, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was some other, more pressing reason behind her lies. "Hey, speaking of earlier, can I ask you something?"

Odette raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on her lips, "Have you forgotten the night we met? In all my years, I've never known someone ask so many questions."

Félicie burst out with laughter at that, so much so that she almost forgot what she was going to ask her. Odette couldn't help a small chuckle of her own, before regaining composure, "Seriously though, what is it?"

"When Director Vaucorbeil invited us to the party, he mentioned how you were always too busy working. I didn't think much of it until Camille told me the truth…"

Odette looked down in regret, knowing she'd finally been caught out. Deep down, she'd always known that it couldn't last forever, but after a decade of successfully pulling the same charade, it came as a shock to be found out so suddenly.

"I know I didn't have much of a Christmas, but I always spent it with Victor. I just don't understand why you'd choose to spend it alone…"

At first, Odette remained silent, unsure of just how much she was ready to let go. Finally though, she heaved a sigh, forcing herself to speak.

"My mother died when I was very young, and the only other family I had was my father. He was a musician for the opera; he did write a few of his own pieces over time, but no one ever heard them… We didn't have much, but… we had each other. Then the fire happened…"

Félicie's eyes widened. No one beside Mérante had ever said anything about the fire, and even that wasn't much. A part of her felt like she should stop her; tell her that she didn't need to go into such a painful part of her life. But at the same time, she wanted to know. To understand why she'd lied for all those years…

"I was trapped on stage. Papa found me, and tried to help me escape. My father noticed the ceiling cracking and knew he couldn't save both of us. I'll spare you the details, but basically, I got away with a few scars and my limp. My father wasn't so lucky…"

Odette sighed, brushing away the tears that had rolled down her face, "Christmas is a time to celebrate family. After my father died, I didn't see the point any more…"

For quite some time, Félicie remained silent. She could only imagine how lonely it must have been; living off the same routine with no one to turn to.

"Have you… ever thought about what it might be like? Having a family again…" Félicie asked nervously, trying not to push too far.

Odette sighed, forcing herself to ignore the old wounds, "I have thought about it… But I know better than to get my hopes up for something that isn't possible…"

Félicie waited a few moments before responding, "Maybe it is possible…"

Her mentor looked at her in confusion, unsure where the conversation was going. "What do you mean?"

The young ballerina shifted in her seat, nerves suddenly getting the best of her with the thought of actually asking her mentor to adopt her. There were so many reasons for her to say no, and after secretly wishing for so long that she would, she wasn't sure she was even ready to hear her response.

"Félicie… It's okay…" Odette rested a hand on the girl's face, gently stroking her cheek in an effort to sooth her. "Whatever it is, you can ask me. I promise I won't overreact again."

Félicie chuckled a little at the memory, leaning into the warmth of her touch for just a moment, then straightened in her chair. Odette followed suit, waiting for her to continue, "Go on…"

"The day before the final auditions… After Mérante left, Camille started having a go at me for being an orphan, asking me questions she knew I couldn't answer. I don't know why I snapped at you the way I did, but I regretted it from the moment it happened. And when Monsieur Luteau helped me escape again, I told him to drop me at the opera. Not because I wanted to prove I was a good dancer, but because I want to be near you, whatever that meant…"

Odette watched her intensely, listening to every word. Taking a breath, Félicie continued, "I guess at the end of the day, what I'm asking is... Odette, will you adopt me?"

The silence was almost deafening. After a moment, Odette looked away, staring deep into the fireplace. Félicie waited quietly for any sort of answer, but just when she thought that none would come, she noticed the glisten of tears on the woman's face.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked in concern, watching her mentor wipe away her tears.

"No, not at all. It's just…" A sigh shook from her body, heavy with emotion, and she shrugged a shoulder as she struggled for words. "I've always wanted to be a mother, but after everything that happened… I thought it was something I could only dream about…"

Félicie let those words seep in, then cautious asked, "So, does this mean…"

Odette nodded, a teary-eyed smile stretching across her face, "Yes… Of course I will."

Félicie got to her feet, dragging her chair next to Odette's, then sat down and hugged her tightly, tears of her own starting to form. The initial shock finally wearing off, Odette held her close to her chest as one final tear of joy ran down her cheek. After so many years of living with a broken heart, she finally felt whole again, more so than she ever had.

The pair stayed like that for quite some time, until Félicie sat up to face her, "So, now that you have a family again, does this mean that you'll come to the party?"

Odette sighed, absently tucking a lock of her rich brown hair back into place. "I don't know Félicie… I don't even have anything suitable to wear."

"The party's in the evening; we've got all day to worry about that." Holding her new mother's hands tightly in her own, she gave her the biggest, best puppy dog eyes she could muster, "Please? Everyone'll be thrilled to have you…"

The older woman chuckled, instantly falling for the childish ploy, "Alright, I'll come…"

Félicie smiled, hugging her once more, "Good."

Odette smiled down at her new daughter, then gently kissed her forehead, "Merry Christmas Félicie."

"Merry Christmas, Mum."

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Aww… Don't you just love it when Odette gets all motherly? Félicie's so lucky to have her. :)

Just to be clear, I am going to take a few creative liberties for this fic. I understand Ballerina only had a limited budget, and if you ask me every dollar of that was well spent, but come on- leafy green trees on Christmas Eve in France?! Here in Australia, yes, but definitely not in France. XD I did do a little research into popular French Christmas traditions though.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, especially you Scar Stones. See you all again soon! :D