Disclaimer: "You sit on a throne of lies."

AN: Yes, I realize that Christmas has come and gone but I was so busy beforehand with family stuff and then afterwards with my new addiction to Soul Calibur II it took me awhile to realize I had yet to finish this fic. My New Year's Resolution will have to be something like "I promise to never promise how soon I'm going to update because it inevitably becomes a lie." I apologize for the delay.

On the ninth day of twelve

I've technically already given unto thee

Nine ladies dancing

So what more do you want of me?

P.S. I'll be watching for you at the ballet.

Wanda shook her head. Would this be the gift to end all gifts? Was all of this "twelve days" stuff a load of crap? She'd just have to go and find out.

Wanda held her trench coat close about her, despite being told of a coat check, hoping she wouldn't be noticed by any of the people around her. The only dress she owned was a shade of pastel pink and felt utterly naked without her usual combination of red and black. She wouldn't have even bothered with a dress if it weren't for the fact that the admirer was going to be there- it was freezing outside with snow everywhere.

She accepted the program from the man waiting at the door to the inner theatre, he even showed her to her seat so she "wouldn't get lost". Get lost? Please, you just want to make sure I don't find myself a better seat. The seat Wanda had been assigned really wouldn't be that bad, most likely she'd have no problem seeing the dancers without binoculars.

Wanda wriggled out of her coat and patiently awaited the man she was so anxious to meet she could almost kill him. She had to get up for a moment to let a small, elderly woman past; coincidentally the woman was seated directly to her left. "I'm sorry," the woman clamped her hand on Wanda's arm, "Are you saving that seat for someone?"

"No, why?"

"Oh, its just that my young beau usually sits there. He's a tall fellow, quite handsome if I do say so myself. Do you know him?"

"No," Wanda grimaced.

"Oh well," the woman patted her arm before returning it to the confines of her seat. "Maybe he's decided to sit closer to the stage this year." The woman thankfully left Wanda alone for the remainder of the time before the production, only saying anything when another elderly woman sat to Wanda's right, also wondering what had happened to the "Young Beau". Seats filled up all around her with only one seat open, the one directly in front of her. Wanda glanced around, nervous that he wouldn't show up, that seat had to be for him, it just had to be.

Just as the lights began to dim he appeared, ushered by the gentleman from before. She looked at him and exclaimed, "Piotr, what are you doing here?" Almost instantly, the woman to her left hushed her.

"I'm here for the ballet, I never miss it," he replied.

"Really?"

The Russian nodded. The dancers took to the stage, twirling and leaping about. Wanda leaned over his shoulder and whispered. "Piotr, I'm completely lost, I don't have a clue what's going on."

"Just watch, it will all become clear."

"Okay." She sat back down in her seat. A few moments later… "Okay, that whole wait and see thing is a bunch of crap, I still don't understand anything."

"Don't tell me you've never heard the story of the Nutcracker who is really a Prince."

"No…wait, yes, yes I have."

"Shhhhhhh," both old women hushed. Wanda turned a shade of red as she glanced at their angry faces. "Okay, okay," she whispered, "I'll be quiet." The looks on their faces clearly got the point across that they didn't care what she said, as long as she became silent as the grave.

Click. Wanda aimed her camera for another picture, before being tapped on the shoulder by the woman to the right. "You can't take pictures," she hissed.

"Of course I can. The man never said there was no photography allowed at all, only flash photography, and this camera's flash is turned off."

"It's rude to take pictures during the performance, that's what they have the souvenir stands for."

"You've also told me its rude to talk, so shut up," Wanda snapped. She could hear Piotr faintly chuckling in front of her. "Think that's funny do you?"

"Only a little, now please continue silently watching the performance." Wanda obeyed, hoping she hadn't ruined the night for him. She still hadn't found any sign of the admirer…unless…oh, God, no! It couldn't be Piotr! Could it? Wanda was instantly on her best behavior, determined to show him that she too could be refined. But, could it really be him? The caramels had definitely come from inside the house; did he have an accomplice within the very walls of her home?

Intermission couldn't have come sooner. She hopped up from her seat and waited for Piotr to do the same. He didn't quite pop up from his seat as she had but he definitely rose and walked to the isle. "Come on," he told her, "Intermission is only ten minutes long so if you want to stretch your legs or get something to drink…use the facilities, now is the time."

"Maybe something to drink," she said, following him back out into the hall with the rest of the crowd. She kept her eyes peeled for someone she knew besides Piotr but came up with nothing. There were simply too many people.

As she milled about the people she lost track of time, all she noticed was the thinning of the crowd. That sure made it easier to look for someone else she knew. When the crowd became a mere mingling of people it dawned on her that the intermission had to be coming to an end. She rushed across the room to the door she believed she had come through to find it closed. She glared at the men guarding the door, standing to either side. "Why is this door closed," she asked the one who had earlier led her to her seat.

"Intermission has ended, there's no admittance after the show has started."

"And you don't warn people of this beforehand," she barked.

"It's common knowledge," the other told her.

"Well, obviously if it was common knowledge everyone would know about it. I did not know about it before now, so there's at least one person out there who was unaware of the rule."

"Madam, you can wait over there until the end of the show."

"I certainly will not, because if you hurry up I'll be able to sneak back in virtually unnoticed and disturb the least amount of people possible," she reasoned.

"I'm sorry, but no."

"Fine, I'll do it my way." Her hands began to glow a tell-tale blue for a moment before the door hinges turned the same shade and promptly fell off. The doors them selves began to fall and, though the men rushed to catch them as Wanda took a couple steps backward, reached the floor. "Thank you." She smiled before stepping up onto the fallen doors and walking into the theatre.

Her seat companions' faces fell as she reached their row and asked to be allowed to take her seat. The woman grudgingly obliged with a grumble about an uncultured swine being let into the theatre after intermission had ended. The second half of the play proceeded much the way the first half had. Wanda made herself a general nuisance without realizing it and continued to swivel around in her seat trying to catch a glance of another familiar face.

Wada sighed in defeat before rising to applaud. The only person she knew that was at the ballet was Piotr, which meant she could either embarrass herself or keep her mouth shut. She decided to go with the latter as opposed to the former. Keeping her mouth shut seemed like a good idea in this instance, especially after the fool she had made herself only a few days before. She kindly accepted his offer to drive her home and took part in lively conversation about the performance. A simple "take care now," was all that came out of Piotr's lips when they reached the Brotherhood House.

She tromped up the stairs to her room defeated. She cursed when she managed to trip over the kiddie pool she had yet to empty and deflate. "You'll get yours tomorrow," Wanda vowed to the pool's printed cartoon frogs before collapsing onto her bed.