Nothing like Odette

She's nothing like Odette

- Act 1 -

Swan Lake

He re-read the title of the ballet performance that printed on the ticket.

Why not Coppélia?

Why this Swan Lake?

Looking at Sharon's excited face as she narrated the summary of the show that they going to watch tonight, he bitterly swallowed any snide remarks that he nearly make about the ballet recital. Of course, this is so like Sharon to picked this title instead of others. A love story with the heroine killing herself since she's unable to live without her love one. He shuddered when he remembered the play, Rome & Juliet that he was forced to watched no long ago under the same threatening manner.

"So what do you think?"

"I think it's stupid" he answered her, smile on his face. The smile soon faded when a harisen – came out of nowhere made contact with his head, leaving him bloody on the floor.

Dressed in a simple black slack and a dark purple shirt, he escorted Sharon towards their seat. As they wait for the performance to start, he glanced through the program, reading about the organizer. From there, he learned that it was a charity performance organized by Glen Baskerville's company to help an orphanage house. Flipping to the page where they featured the dancer, his red eyes were glued on a picture of a pure whiteness, the gently smiling face of a white haired girl with lavender eyes. Under the picture, stated her name.

Alyss Nightray nee Baskerville, the girl who will bring the part of Odette.

Far under, a splitting image of the white haired girl stunned him. Instead of clocked with the same whiteness, this girl picture was the opposite. A black haired girl, with a deep set of violet eyes that could be easily mistaken as black posed in the picture with a wide beaming smile.

Alice Baskerville and almost fittingly, she will act out as Odile.

Sharon craned her neck to look at the program before commenting with a low voice, "Cute right? They both are twenty two and they already volunteered doing this charity work. Perhaps they can relate themselves with the orphan. They lost their parents when they were young."

With even tone, trying his best to cloak his curiosity he replied, "Nah, whom did this Alyss married to anyway? Ernest Nightray?" His eyes now strayed back to Alyss's picture. There's something behind that smile that beckoning him. Unlike Alice whose smile revealed her simple happiness, her smile was more closed off. As if, she's hiding something behind that smile of hers and it was as frustrating as Mona Lisa's smile. His fingers traced the outline of her face; unaware of the questioning look that Sharon threw him.

"No, she married the late Elliot Nightray."

At that, he gave a knowing smirk. Ah, he knows now why that smile infuriates him. With smile still on his face, he closed the program just in time as the curtains were drawn.

It seems he's going to enjoy the show more that what he first expected.

The ballet was on average level; nevertheless, it moved the spectators. Just before the curtains were drawn close, Alyss's eyes locked with him. And he could see the small hunting smile she threw at him as the drapes close.

"Who was that man?" Alice questioned her sister with a smirked on her face.

Alyss however, just shrugged her shoulder as she sat in front of the dressing table. Staring back at her reflection on the mirror, she removed the hair accessory one by one from her hair. Alice hand her few cotton pads and cleanser wordlessly before she too set to remove her makeup. The work in silence, once in a while Alice's violet eyes will wonder towards her.

"Uncle came in just now, he said he will wait by the back door."

The white haired girl nodded her head before a soft smile played on her face, "Did he watch our performance Alice?"

"He was there, sitting with Gil and Vincent. You didn't notice them?" she replied back from behind the dressing room. Stepping out, Alice beamed, "Even Leo was there, sitting beside Uncle."

Alyss laughed, poor Leo, he hates ballet. Shaking her head in amusement, she untied her hair from its tight chignon, combing it using her fingers. Almost like a ritual for both of them, she stood behind Alice, helping her to remove her hair accessory before combing the now free tresses. Her lavender eyes were fixed on Alice's face.

"You look a lot like mummy now Alice."

Alice was silent for a few minutes, her violet eyes staring back at Alyss through the mirror. "That man, do you know him? Is that why you smiled at him?"

Alyss shook her head, "No, I didn't know him. But Elliot did know him; he showed me that man picture before. He called him THE Xerxes Break, an ex-marine. It seems he hold him with high regard."

"Are you alright now Alyss? About Elliot?"

Again she shook her head. She was silent before she quickly picked up her handbag, throwing in her small belonging. "Let's go Alice, Uncle is waiting. My little Elli too. I bet he's putting up a fuss to Miss Lottie."

Alice could only stare at her sister back profile, wondering how damaged she really is and how dangerous she might be to herself.

"Come on little Elli will you please stay still for your mother?" Alyss cooed her one year old son, in her hand, she held out a tissue, trying to wipe the chocolate smear on that boy cheeks. She sighed tiredly as the boy patted her face with his sticky chocolate cover fingers. She blushed when she saw few passersby chuckled at her misery. Still blushing, she quickly wiped her face with the tissue.

"Do you need any help?"

She looked up and saw THE Xerxes Break. Before she could stop herself, she giggled when a flash of memory of Elliot's face emphasizing the words 'THE' crossed her mind. Her smiled fade off when she felt a familiar ache in her chest reminding her about the harsh reality staring back at her. Now she can never see that face again. Noticing the curious look on THE Xerxes Break, she faked a smile. "That would be nice. Would you please take the wet tissue from my bag? I can't put this boy down. The moment I do, he will start toddling away."

Break smirked, reaching for her beg that she left on the seat beside her. Fishing for the wet tissue packet, he pretend not to notice the small gun she wrapped with her handkerchief. He quickly pulled two wet tissues, wiping the boy's mouth that smeared with chocolate and his small chubby fingers. The boy's brilliant blue eyes glued on him; slowly almost hesitantly he reached out his hand to pated the boy's beige colored hair, smoothing down few strands of hair. As he does that, he started chattering with her, making small talk about the weather and the world in general. She humored him, adding her own comment here and there but most of the time, her lavender eyes were unfocused as if she's staring into something that only she can see.

"Are you alright Mrs. Nightray?" the question came out of nowhere from him.

She flinched slightly when she heard the name, "In what sense? Physically? Mentally or emotionally?

"Overall"

"As right as a grieving widow would." She replied and again her hunted smile graced her lips and it ruffled his feathers. Scary, to be able to smile that calmly as if she's talking about the weather instead of the death of her loves one. As if she know what's in his mind, she said, "People grieve differently Mr. Xerxes Break. I do ballet, other's prefer crying."

Just as she's getting ready to leave the café, he asked her. "Are you going to play out the part Odette even in your real life Mrs. Nightray?"

The white haired woman chuckled, adjusting her handbag and her child in her arms. "We are more similar than what you would like to think. I do know that I won't be able to live without him but if I were to do something like Odette did, the only thing that I'll get from him was a scolding." She stared at him with her lavender colored eyes for a few moments as if assessing him before she hand him her handkerchief along with the gun, a small smile adorned her lips. "I guess it would be better to remove the temptation don't you think?" with a curt nod of her head, she turned around and walked towards her car.

Of course, Elliot hated Edgar. He probably would not marry a girl like Odette.

And this young girl is nothing like Odette.

She's her own fighter, hiding behind her hunted smile.

A/N: I know this is crazy. But I really, really in love with Elliot and Alyss paring. I mean it was sooo impossible for them but I love this paring. And I think this sickness started because of a video I watched at YouTube~ I just love randomness. And since I'm still grieving about Elliot's death, this story will be a bit tragedy-ish.