Author's Note: Sorry to all who alert this story I had to delete the story to edit the first chapter I notice some grammatical errors. I will not have to delete the story again to fix any errors. Yea! Please don't forget to review.

Kakashi's Cinderella

Chapter 2:

A few days later Riko was on her knees, pins clamped between her teeth while she was making the last alterations on Hisoka's masquerade costume. She was dressing up as a queen. The dressmaker had delivered it as a perfect fit but Hisoka insisted that it was now a quarter inch too large in the waist.

"How is it now?"

"Too tight."

Riko adjusted a few pins. " What about that?"

"It's too loose."

Riko pulled out the pins and stuck them back precisely in the same spot. "How about now?"

Hisoka twisted this way and that, then finally spoke, " That will do."

Riko smiled to herself as she stood up to help Hisoka out of the gown.

"I'll need it done in an hour if we're to get to the ball on time," Hisoka spoke.

"Of course." Riko found it easiest just to say of course on a regular basis to Hisoka.

"This ball is important," Hisoka said harshly. " Azumi must make an advantageous match this year."

Riko exited the room before Hisoka could stop her again.

"Ah, there you are, Riko," Azumi said when she bustled into the hallway. "I need your help immediately."

"I'm afraid it'll have to wait until-"

"I said immediately!" Azumi replied in anger.

Riko squared her shoulders and gave Azumi a steely look. "Your mother wants me to alter her gown."

"Just pull the pins out and tell her you pulled it in. She'll never notice the difference."

Riko had been considering the same thing, and groaned. If she did as Azumi suggested, Azumi would tattle on her the next day, and Hisoka would rant and rage for weeks. Now for sure she would have to alter the dress.

"What do you need, Azumi?"

"My costume has a tear in it. I have no idea how that happened."

"Prehaps you tried it on."

"Don't be impertinent!"

It was much harder for Riko to take orders from Azumi than Hisoka, probably because they'd once been equals. After all they had shared the same schoolroom and governess.

"It must be completed immediately," Azumi sniffed and turned her back on Riko and walked off in a superior huff. As she walked away she crashed into Akira, who was barreling through a doorway.

"Watch wearing you are going Akira!" Azumi snapped.

"You could watch were your going too," Akira pointed out.

"I was watching where I was going you big oaf."

Akira cheeks turned pink as she stepped aside.

"Did you need something Akira?" Riko asked as soon as Azumi disappeared.

"Could you set aside a little time and help me with this ribbon I wanted it to look like seaweed to go with my costume?"

Riko sighed but took the dark green ribbon that look very little like seaweed. The dark ribbon weren't likely to show up on Akira dark hair but she didn't have the heart to point it out. "I'll try, Akira, you should probably starting getting ready to leave."

Akira took a look at the clock in the hallway and ran out of the room worried she be late leaving Riko with a ton of work to finish in a hour.

An hour later Riko was standing on the front steps of the mansion, watching first Hisoka, then Azumi, then Akira leave for the ball. They took a carriage to the event because it was important to make a grand appearance. Riko trudged back up the stairs. At least Hisoka had forgotten to leave her a list of task to complete while she was gone. A free evening was a luxury indeed. Perhaps she would reread a novel. Or find an edition of Ami's gossip page. She thought seen Azumi take an edition to her room earlier that day.

But as Riko stepped through the front door, Rei materialize in front of her and grabbed her arm. "There's no time to lose!" the housekeeper said.

Riko looked at Rei as though she had lost her mind. "I beg your pardon?"

Rei tugged at her elbow. "Come with me."

Riko allowed herself to be led up the three flights of stairs to her room , a tiny little chamber tucked under the eaves. Rei was acting in a most peculiar manner, but Riko humored her and followed along. The old housekeeper had always treated her with kindness, even when it was obvious that Hisoka disapproved.

"You'll need to get undressed," Rei said as she grasped the doorknob.

"What?"

"We really must rush."

"Rei, you.." Riko moth fell open and her words trailed off as she took in the scene in her bedroom. A steaming tub of water lay right in the center, and all three housemaids were bustling about. One was pouring a pitcher of water into the tub, another was fiddling with lock on a rather mysterious-looking trunk, and a third was holding a towel and saying, "Hurry, Hurry!"

Riko cast bewildered eyes at the lot of them. "What is going on?"

Rei turned to her and beamed. "You my dear, are going to the masquerade!"

Forty-five minutes later, Riko was transformed. The trunk had held dresses belong to the late master's mother. They were all fifty years out of date, but that was no matter. The ball was a masquerade; no one expected the gown to be of the latest styles.

At the very bottom of the trunk they'd found an exquisite creation of shimmering sliver, with a tight, pearl-encrusted bodice and the flared skirt that had been oh so popular during the previous century. Riko felt like a princess just touching it. It was a bit musty from years in the trunk, and one of the maids quickly took it outside to dab a bit of rosewater on the fabric and air it out.

She had been bathed and perfumed, her hair had been dressed, and one of the maids had even applied a touch of rogue to her lips. Riko stared at elbow-length gloves that one of the made had found it was monogrammed SGH.

"These belonged to your grandmother." Rei spoke quietly.

Riko looked at her in surprise. Rei never before referred to the dead master as her father. No one at the mansion had verbally acknowledged Riko's blood ties to the Hamada family.

"Well , she is your grandmother." Rei declared.

"We've all danced around the issue long enough. It's crime the way Hisoka and Azumi treat you, the master's true blood, and you must sweep and serve them like a maid when you should be mistress of the household!"

The three housemaids nodded in agreement.

"Just once," Rei said, "for just one night, you will be the belle of the ball." With a smile on her face she slowly turned Riko around until she was facing the mirror.

Riko's breath caught. "Is that me?"

Rei nodded, her eyes suspiciously bright. "You look lovely darling.

Riko hand moved slowly up to her hair.

One of the maids yelped. "Don't muss it!"

"I won't," Riko promised, her smile wobbling a bit as she fought back tears. A touch of shimmery powder had been sprinkled onto her hair, so that it sparkled like a fairly princess. Her dark blond curls had been swept atop her head in a loose topknot, with one thick lock allowed to slide down the length of her neck. And her eyes, normally moss green shone like emeralds.

Althogh Riko suspected that might have had more to do with her unshed tear than anything else.

"Here is your mask," Rei said briskly. It was a demi-mask, the sort that tied at the back so that Riko would not have to use her hands to hold it up." Now all we need is shoes."

Unfortunately, the only ones she had were services shoes. The housemaid who had rouged Riko's lip held a pair of white slippers. "It's from Hisoka's closet," she said. Riko was apprehensive to wear Hisoka shoes but she finally accepted them.

Riko look at the clock on the wall. It was a bit after nine, which meant she'd have more than two hours at the masquerade. "Thank you," she whispered. " Oh thank you so very much."

Rei dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. "You just have a good time. That's all the thanks I need."

Riko look at the clock again. Two hours. Two hours that she'd have make last a lifetime.