Duchess sighed as she slid into her steaming bath. Today had not gone well. Her boss had shouted at her when she handed him a stack of overdue bills that he needed to pay. He had anger management issues. She had heard from his personal secretary that his last secretary quit after being slapped in the face when he found out that the flower shipments had wilted. Now the problems were that the business was not making enough money. The florist she worked at was going under, which was precisely why she had a job interview at a delicatessen the next morning. She undid her hair and let it fall into the water. She would have to blow-dry it now but the steam had probably started to frizz it up in any case. She slid down further into the bubble bath and took a deep breath. Waterlillies. They were her favourite flower and the smell now enveloped her senses, helping to ease up he tension in her muscles. It was 17:30. The walk from walk had taken her only 15 minutes but when she got home she spied a photo tucked into the corner of her newest book. Sparrow had an arm around her shoulder wand was licking her ice-cream. She had smiled fondly in remembrance and then put the photo on the coffee table of her small studio apartment. She didn't always live like this. She had been quite well off actually. Until the rebellion went overboard of course. They gave no warning. Marching through the villages of Ever After. Attacking the buildings they deemed to be 'oppressive'. Her childhood ballet studio, a place she had worked hard to buy; where she taught classes was torn down. When she sat crying in disbelief as they dismantled it she asked 'why?'

"Because ballet was the old way. You need to move on with your life ma'am," She promptly punched the man in the crotch and as she got up stomped on his foot. She stopped though, she knew it wouldn't make a single bit of difference. Flames, everything was burning. The smell of smoke overpowered her senses.

"What are they doing mommy?" Duchess turned her head, she recognised that voice. It was Lila, one of her youngest students.

"Nothing, Lila, we should just walk away okay?" her mother's voice trembled with fear.

"But what about my ballet class?" That question had broken Duchess. What would she do now? Dancing was her life. She had broken, and was never repaired. She shook herself from that awful memory but the sights and smells lingered.

"No, stop thinking about that. Remember the tango class you're teaching tonight? You can still make your dreams come true," Duchess sunk her head under the water for a moment, letting the warmth surround her. Her mouth had a chronic fear of drowning but for some reason Duchess had never feared suffocation. She pulled herself out of the bath and rapped herself in a towel. As she passed the coffee table she glanced at the photo again. No, she had never feared suffocation.

She feared being alone.

"Mr Hood! According to reports from an anonymous tipper you were caught drunk with Miss CA Cupid in a broom closet last night! Can you confirm these allegations?" Sparrow swore under his breath and walked through the door of his lavish apartment. The reporters flash their camera's and shouted at him.

"Mr Hood! Mr Hood wait! I have information that you have recently been in contact with Miss Swan!" He had managed to close the door on them but that comment stopped him in his tracks. Duchess? How long had it been since he had last seen her? 4 or so years now. He still had a photo of her in her Thronecoming dress. She had looked stunning that night. That night. But it was so long ago. Where did the miss-communication come from. After Ever After High they had tried to keep in touch but as Sparrow immersed himself in the popularity and fame that came with his music they drifted apart and eventually just stopped being friends. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. His shoulders ached from hunching over his desk writing new lyrics. He needed a long shower. Tonight was his night. One night a week he took time off of being a rock star to just be a normal guy. Sometimes he played pool with his guy friends or he went on a regular dinner date. Tonight he was going to try out a dance class. He technically did know how to dance, considering the fact that Duchess had trained him so that he wouldn't look ridiculous when he tried to dance with her. Surprisingly it had worked. They had definitely danced the best out of everyone at the dance. His favourite dance had by far been the tango. They had apparently looked very professional when they danced.

Sparrow pulled his shirt off and threw it over the back of a chair. It was now 18:00. He had half-an-hour to get ready for his dance class. Hopefully he wouldn't end up with one of the extremist rebels as a teacher. He had seen firsthand what they could do when motivated. It was the peak of the rebellion. Grimm had been cracking down hard on everyone in Ever After. Even the parents were starting to pick sides. Then the rebellion exploded. Grimm had locked Raven up for inciting the rebellion. They went crazy. They tore down half of the Charming's castle and completely destroyed Snow White's palace. Raven was demanded back in exchange for peace. Grimm saw what was happening and agreed. When Raven came back she said that she washed the blame off of her elf. She always said not to resort to violence. It wasn't her fault that they didn't listen. They turned on her, claiming that if she wasn;t going to bother then she should go and joint the royals and get locked up just like her mother. Sparrow had been spared any travesty, luckily for him but he had been there when many people he knew personally had experienced it.

"Enough depressing stuff Hood. You have ladies to impress." Sparrow left the lounge for the shower. Duchess's name tickled at the edge of his mind.

Duchess speed walked down the street. Her shoes were not made for walking. They were made for dancing. She cursed under her breath as she checked her watch. The umbrella she held over her head was barely keeping the rain out. The wind was freezing against her skin even though she wore a thick winter jacket. The weather had been warm when she had gotten home but it had taken a turn for the worst as she was doing her hair. Now the wind howled and it poured with rain. Her shoes were thankfully saved from mud by the sidewalk of cobblestones. She saw the light of the dance studio up ahead and breathed a sigh of relief. She slid through the door gratefully and closed her umbrella, hanging her coat on her favourite hook. She heard a woman's high-pitched laughter echo from her dance studio, the one in which she taught her class three times a week. Duchess shuddered at the unholy sound. It was her least favourite and most slutty student. She seemed a lot more interested in pole dancing than latin american dance. She rubbed her forehead and walked into the room with her eye closed, trying to delay seeing the womans' face.

"Oh Sparrow! You are so interesting!" Duchess's eyes flew open and she stared, shell-shocked at the man who had been her best friend. He looked exactly the same. His hair, his face, his eyes were still forest green.

"Duchess? What are you doing here?" he looked even more surprised than she did. Marina looked between them both for a moment and then plastered an extremely fake smile on her face. Her features twisted unnaturally.

"You two know each other? What a coincidence! Well Sparrow was just about to tell me about how he recently broke up with his girlfriend and now he's single!" She looked so very smug, hanging off of his arm like a Christmas ornament.

"Hey Duchess! How are you doing? Whose the new kid?" Duchess forced a smile as she turned to greet Aaron. He was definitely her most enthusiastic student and could dance well. He was probably her best guy friend.

"Hey Aaron, this is Sparrow. You know where everyone else is?"

"Nikki is outside looking for an umbrella in the back of the coach. She hates rain. I saw Josh walking down the street earlier so Marina won't have to worry about not having someone to dance with." Duchess inwardly sighed with relief.

"My umbrella is hanging in the hall and you can give it to her if needs be. I don't really mi-"

"But whose gonna dance with Sparrow?" Marina whined. Aaron smiled at the new guy for the first time. He grinned and winked at Duchess.

"Why, our teacher of course. He'll need some special help getting started, won't he Duchess?" Duchess nearly retorted when Nikki burst through the door, closely followed by a laughing Josh.

"You just happen to walk by with an umbrella just as I give up trying to look for one? The world must hate me a lot more than I thought." Nikki slumped her shoulders. Her blond hair was soaked, as was her dress. Nikki hated the rain and usually tried to avoid it at all costs.

"Hey Duchess! Let's get this dance class started!" Josh held up a CD. Duchess grinned and grabbed it from him, simultaneously giving him a hug. Sparrow growled at the back of the room.

"You are awesome. This is just what we needed. Thanks for looking for this. Now let's get going people. Lead your lady out onto the dance floor. No shoving!" Duchess popped the disc into the player and chose track three. The perfect one for the tango. Josh sidled up to a pouting Marina and pulled her onto the dance floor. Aaron offered a hand to Nikki who reluctantly followed him. That only left two people.

Sparrow and Duchess.

Now Sparrow wasn't an idiot. He knew Duchess would much rather dance alone than with him so he just stepped back and watched for a bit as the couples took up position. Duchess walked around and checked everyone's posture.

"Marina, make an 'L' shape with your hand over his collarbone. 'L' for 'Latin American' m'kay?" Everything else went pretty well. Then she started the music and everything went to hell.

"Ow! Aaron you stepped on my toe!" Nikki couldn't step in time anymore.

"Godmother Josh, you haven't been practicing, have you?" Marina was so hypocritical.

"Nikki, why are you leading?" Aaron just sounded confused.

"Marina! You are not a pole-dancer. Enough with the hips!" Duchess stopped the music.

"Guys what happened? We were doing so well last week. We even got to the shoulder to shoulder variation," She rubbed her temples and sighed.

"How about we watch a video. So you guys can see what you're not doing right. I think I have one in my ba-"

"I can dance the Tango." Everyone swiveled to face Sparrow. He was used to people staring though so he ignored them. Duchess gritted her teeth.

"What? I don't think I heard you properly." Her voice was dangerously low.

"I said 'I can dance the Tango. Why get a video when they can see the real thing?" Marina steeped forward with a hopeful look in her eyes.

"I'll dance with you Sp-"

"No." Duchess shook her head, "I'll dance with him." Sparrow grinned. This was the Duchess he remembered. The one who would never back down from a challenge. held out a hand and Duchess took it.

"I hope I won't end up leading. It would be a shame." Duchess looked at him sweetly.

"Oh, you shouldn't worry about that. I still remember everything you taught me." His voice dropped an octave. He suddenly spun her and grabbed a hold of her waist, pulling her towards him. She formed her L over his collar-bone and he placed his hand under he arm.

"Touche'," she whispered.

They started and strangely enough she didn't have to lead. It was odd. Duchess couldn't remember the last time she had danced with the male leading. They went through the basic easily enough when she was suddenly rather roughly pulled into some more complex stuff. They did everything she had ever been taught. Their crowd watched on delightedly, except for Marina of course. The came her favourite move. She hooked her leg over the side of his leg and he pulled her as she barely touched her toe on the ground. She felt giddy, like it was her first time dancing with Sparrow. It was just like Thronecoming. He smiled at her and she smiled backed before dunking her for a final time and finishing. She had to catch her breath. She hadn't exerted herself through dance in a long time. Too long. It felt good. Dancing was her element. Sparrow let go of Duchess's hand and dragged it through his hair. People started clapping. Duchess blushed.

"Yeah, yeah. Well done. Now can we get back to you teaching us the Tango?"

"Actually, Marina, the lesson is technically over. We only get 30 minutes. Josh and Nikki were 10 minutes late and we wasted 15 minutes attempting to dance. Then we got a free show for the last 5." Aaron draped an arm around Nikki's shoulder," We should get going. Thanks hey Duchess. See you next week."

"Bye Duchess!" Nikki called as she walked through the door.

Josh grabbed his umbrella, "I'm gonna book too. See ya on Friday." He whistled on his way out.

"So. Do you wanna grab a coffee and catch up?" Sparrow's question caught her off guard.

"I um-" Marina interrupted her.

"Of course I will. I love coffee!" Marina threw her arms around Sparrow's neck.

"I was kind of offering Duchess-" She pulled back. She just didn't understand. She was prettier and curvier than Duchess could ever hope to be and yet-.

"Oh. Well that's okay. I know lots of guys that would love to have coffee with me. In fact, I'm gonna go look for Josh right now." She let go of Sparrow, and stormed out of the door.

"Okay? Well?" Duchess smiled a bit.

"Sure."

The coffee shop was just down the street. Duchess always had a chocochino with extra cream. Sparrow had plain back coffee. Duchess used her teaspoon to each the cream off the top first then watched as Sparrow sipped at his coffee.

"You know I've never understood that."

"Understood what?"

"Why you have black coffee. It's so plain compared to your usual extravagance." Sparrow sighed.

"I guess that's why. I like coffee. It's simple. Nothing to figure out. Also it kind of reminds me of you." Duchess blinked and narrowed her eyes.

"Exactly how does it remind you of me?" Sparrow grinned.

"It's looks are deceptive. You expect something bitter but you get something sweet. But at the same time you get the bitterness you expected. Just like you." Duchess was taken aback. She never realised that that was how he thought of her.

"Ok, I kinda of get what you mean. How's life been?"

"Well it's been pretty good. Lonely at times. I live in a great apartment. Upper east end of Forever City. And you?" Duchess scoffed.

"I wish. I live in a tiny studio apartment. Lower The End district. I'm always lonely. All I have is myself." Sparrow was surprised.

"I thought you owned a ballet studio. I must say that I was surprised to see you teaching a Tango class. You were pretty well off when we started to - uh - drift."

"They burnt it down during the rebellion. Everything I had ever loved was gone. And I didn't even have someone to comfort me." She looked at him with tears in her eyes. He suddenly felt like hugging her. He got up and and sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"They told me to move on. I just couldn't. Dancing was my life- is my life. I was just so alone. No-one cared enough to contact me. Lizzie was busy trying to rebuild her life with Daring. Even Apple was out of reach. And you- I saw you in the news everyday. You were so famous." She laughed half-heartedly, "Do you know I still have your number? I just never bothered to try and call you because I knew you were too busy to pick up and listen to me harp on about my problems." Sparrow realised just how broken Duchess was. How had he let this happen. He hugged her fiercely. People were starting to point and whisper. One girl had a camera.

"Never think that. We're best friends and don't forget that. I will always be there for you. No matter what. But right now we need to go somewhere with less people. They're starting to stare." Duchess sniffed and smiled at him.

"We can go to my apartment. Less people will be suspicious if you go there than if I follow you into your house."

"Great." He smiled his little lop-sided smile. And Duchess felt a lot less alone than usual.

"So this is your place. I must admit, it looks a lot more homely than my apartment." Duchess layed the keys on the coffee table.

"Really? And by homely you mean tiny."Sparrow sat down on her narrow couch. He noticed the photo.

"Hey! This is us! We look so young!"

"Godmother Sparrow. You make it sound as if we're ancient!" She plopped down onto the couch next to Sparrow.

"Well 25 ain't young."

"It isn't old either. But you're right. We do look a lot younger."

"You know what's weird? I found a photo of you today - from Thronecoming - and I bump into you at a Tango class."

"That is pretty weird. I found this just after I got back from work. It almost seems like fate."

"Really strange." Sparrow checked the time.

"Woah, it's really late."

"Really. Wow I guess I do feel tired." It was well past midnight. There would be no coaches going past at this hour.

"I'll call Richard to come pick me up. He'll be pissed that I'm waking him up in the middle of the night though."

"You can stay here if you want," The words are out of Duchess's mouth before she thinks them through and a deep blush spreads across her face. Sparrow looks up in surprise, "I mean, I have an interview tomorrow and I wake up super early but-. What I mean is that I'd sleep on the couch and you could sleep in my bed cause it's pointless that you wake that guy up at this ungodmotherly hour and-"

"Woah, slow down. It's fine Duchess. Richard won't mind that much." Duchess hung her head in embarrassment.

"Okay."

"Unless you want me to stay. I do recall that you have a fear of thunder," Just then the sky gave an almighty crack and Duchess jumped in her seat. Sparrow smiled.

"Maybe," Duchess got off the couch and went straight across the room to a black door and went inside quickly.

"Duchess?" Sparrow tried to follow her but was stopped by a hand in the face as she carried a pile of blankets and pillows.

"Okay, I know the couch is a little thin but I think you'll fit okay. They are super thick blankets so you won't have to worry about being cool and these are goose down pillows so your neck won't get sore. She arranged the couch really well. Sparrow was amazed at how well she did it.

"I have some spare guys PJ's in my room if you want them. Bathroom's down the hall. She chucked him some old PJ's and shooed him from her room. She dressed into her night clothes and shouted goodnight to Sparrow.

"Night!" He settled onto the couch. She was right. The couch was very narrow.

20 minutes later and Sparrow was just about comfortable and half-asleep when Duchess screamed. He sat up and rubbed his eyes groggily. He could hear the torrent of rain crashing against the building and the shriek of the wind. Then he heard the crack of thunder and realised why she was screaming. He got up and opened her door slowly. She sat with her back against the headboard, shivering.

"Duchess? It's okay, it's just a storm. Nothing to worry about." Duchess shook her head and whimpered like a lost puppy. Sparrow sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"I'm scared." Duchess slid under the duvet and rolled herself into a ball.

"Want me to stay here?" She nodded and he slid under the covers, putting one arm around her waist. She slowly stopped shivering as the storm raged on. Sparrow was secretly grateful. That couch was majorly uncomfortable. She molded into his chest perfectly and started to relax. Her breathing evened out and so did his. Eventually both of them were fast asleep.

Sparrow woke up to the sound of a violin alarm. He was still holding Duchess. She yawned and stretched, stopping when she realised that he was there. She opened a single eye, saw it was him and then turned over, settling back into the bed.

"Don't you have an interview this morning?"

"Nope, I'm still dreaming. Have to be. Haven't seen you in 4 years." He chuckled and nudged her.

"Um, Duchess? You aren't dreaming. Though I feel honoured. Do you dream about me often?" Duchess grumbled.

"Stop talking nonsense Sparrow. Of course I'm dreaming. Real you is off with some famous person right now."

"No way. You actually believe you're dreaming. Don't you remember last night? The Tango? Coffee? Thunder?"

"Wait. I'm not dreaming am I?"

"Uh, that's what I said. were you not paying attention?" Duchess sat up abruptly.

"I am going to be so late!" She threw off the duvet and sprinted out of the room.

"Well that was odd." Sparrow left the room and heard the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. He walked towards her fridge and opened it. He started to make scrambled eggs and poured himself and Duchess a cup of orange juice when she streaked down the hallway in a towel. Sparrow whistled.

"Wooh, when was the last time I saw you in just a towel?"

He finished with the eggs and plated them up, throwing the old carton into the bin when Duchess walked through the bedroom door. She had her hair in a bun and a pretty white frock on. She smiled as she saw that he had made breakfast. She downed her orange juice and swallowed the eggs within 2 minutes.

"Thanks. I really need to go. The apartment keys are on the table. Just lock up and put them under the door mat." She kissed him on the cheek before grabbing her purse and rushing to the door,"Thanks for everything Sparrow. See you again another time? Maybe we can go for coffee again." She smiled and closed the door behind her. Sparrow grinned.

"No problem."