Authors note: aaah I am late. This chapter was long in writing (ugh losing inspiration in the middle of a scene truly sucks.) and mostly filler. But rest easy, the good stuff is coming:D once again, reviews and such welcome and wanetd very, very badly LOL. also, I dont own POTO, as much as I would like to.
------------------------------- - Several Weeks Later
Danielle had settled well into ballet life. She enjoyed the classes and seemed to be progressing well in them – well, better than she herself had expected, at least. Madame expected her to continue their private classes together for at least another month, even though Danielle was about the level of Fran and Eddy now. The girls had quickly become Danielle's best friends, and the three of them were almost inseparable. They found plenty of ways to amuse themselves in the opera house, most of them involving sneaking places they weren't supposed to go, harassing the various staff members, or playing with abandoned props. Danielle had been surprised to discover that Eddy was actually very good with a sword, or very bad depending on one's perspective. Madame Giry had definitely been curious about the gash that ran up her forearm. But, mostly, times were good, and the smile that curved on Danielle's face became more of a permanent fixture than a fleeting sign of amusement.
On one of the rare occasions she had time to herself, having begged off scavenging in the kitchen with the other two due to a small headache, a thought struck Danielle. Why not visit Reynard? She had not seen her brother for quite some time, and there was hardly a good excuse not to, seeing as he was a short walk away. Delighted by the idea, Danielle quickly scribbled a note to her compatriots, telling them of her intentions and asking them to save her a bit of dinner if they could. She could smell whatever it was that the cooks were roasting already, and although she didn't want to miss what was sure to be a fabulous meal, the desire to see Reynard was stronger then that for a hot meal. Slipping into her cranberry velvet cloak, she left the dormitory and began to navigate the winding maze of corridors that led to a side tunnel. Fran had been right; it was a skill that became easier with time. She had only made three wrong turns this time instead of the usual seven or eight, a fact which pleased her irrationally, as did many things. Humming a wordless tune to herself, she waved goodbye to the porter and stepped into the crisp March day.
The sunlight blinded her momentarily -- it always did when she left the opera house. Granted, she did not venture out often, so sunlight was somewhat foreign to her face now. It had not always been so, but it was the way of things now. Danielle was slowly learning to accept her new life, and in some ways even enjoy it. The dull ache that came from missing her family still burned in a corner of her heart, but dancing and Eddy and Fran began to occupy the other bit of it. A cold wind nearly tore her cloak from her shoulders, snapping her quickly from her reverie. In her daydreaming she had nearly walked into the middle of the busy Rue Scribe, which was a risky proposition at best. Her dallying startled a cabdriver, who pulled the reins of his horses back in a near futile attempt to stop their murderous hooves from crushing the small girl. The horses whinnied, pained by the bits that now cut sharply into the soft flesh of their mouths, and stopped their canter mid-beat. Their shoes threw sparks on the cobblestones as the momentum of their fine black bodies caused them to skid a few feet on the dirty city street. Danielle screamed, and threw herself out of the path of the wild-eyed beats. Her newly-acquired dancer's grace had served her well, and thankfully she landed comparatively softly on the grimy cobblestones.
"Mademoiselle! Are you hurt?" the cab driver cried, and leapt down from his perch on the driver's seat. Danielle's face flamed in embarrassment… if only she hadn't had her fool head in the clouds!
"Thank you for your concern Monsieur, I am quite alright." Danielle brushed the dust off of her skirt, neglecting to notice the little red streaks her palms were leaving on the brown fabric. She turned to face the man, trying in vain to straighten her fussed hair. "I apologize for any – Reynard!" She cried, half in joy, half in surprise. Her brother stood before her, equally surprised at seeing his youngest sister. The familiar spark of anger glistened in his eye, but this time Danielle didn't turn her soft hazel eyes from fiery brown ones.
"Danielle! You damn fool of a girl, what were you doing in the middle of the street?" Reynard fumed, his fists balling and unballing at his sides. "You could have been killed!"
Danielle met her brother's gaze evenly, something she had never quite been able to do at home. "I was going to find you, if you must know." She said, keeping her tone even and cool.
"Do you believe me to reside in the middle of the street?" Reynard growled, but some of the ire was receding from his face. He ran a hand through his hair, which had if possible grown even shaggier in the weeks she hadn't seen him.
"No, but I did believe you to be a smith's apprentice instead of a cabbie. What happened, Reynard?" Danielle questioned, eyes quizzical. She was truly curious as to why her brother was driving a cab as opposed to beating metal into shape with a hammer – even though she thought her brother was better off with the animals then standing beside a hot furnace all day.
"I… we… umm…" Reynard, for the first time Danielle had seen, was searching for words. He finally muttered something about creative differences, and looked his younger sister squarely in the eye. "Besides, cab driving earns better, believe it or not. I have a nice room completely to myself, with enough money to cover most everything I require. Smithing wasn't for me." He said hesitantly, as if searching for approval from his sibling.
"Enough money for everything except a haircut, I see." Danielle grinned. As if to prove her point, Reynard's blackbrown hair flopped once more into his eyes. Pushing it out of the way with annoyance, he glowered at his sister, but his eyes were not without their smile.
"I see your point." He said, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Danielle grinned back at him, and then changed the subject completely. "Where do you live now, Reynard? So I may come visit you, and maybe if you're lucky give you a haircut." She smiled at her older brother.
Reynard's face blanched for a moment, and his answer came in a jumbled, hurried fashion. "I really don't think that would be best at the moment, Danielle."
Danielle's face fell. "Why not? Surely its not too far from here, and even if it is, I get a small allowance, I could save my sous for a carriage fare."
"Its not a safe part of town Danielle. I couldn't, in good conscience, let you go there -- especially alone. Perhaps it would be best if I was the one who did the visiting for a while, instead." He smiled a weak smile at his sister. Danielle could tell there was something else, something he wasn't saying. His chocolate eyes held no sincerity within their depths.
Danielle mustered her brightest smile for her brother. "Why not come have dinner with me, then? I've already missed dinner at the opera house. Besides, I miss you, Reynard."
Reynard looked back at the cab, with the two black horses patiently awaiting direction. "I really have to get back to work, Dany, or there will be no dinner for me I'm afraid."
Danielle's features fell, despite her best efforts to keep face from betraying the hurt she felt at her brother's refusal, no matter how gentle he had been. "Oh… I understand. Ill… see you soon, though?" she queried, hoping for a positive response this time.
A grin, albeit small, cracked Reynard's features. "Yes, little sister, shortly. I promise. Now, I really must get back to work. May I escort you home, Mam'selle?" the small grin turned into a cheeky one, and he offered his arm to Danielle.
Smiling, Danielle slipped her arm into the crook of his, and allowed him to assist her into the front seat of the carriage. Reynard leapt up beside her, and with a click of his tongue and a flick of the reigns, the sleek black animals began to trot. The opera house loomed in front of the pair, massive despite the fact that they were still a few blocks away from the main entrance. The rooftop angels, brilliant in their golden splendor, glistened and sparkled in the bright daytime sun. When she visited Paris previously, Danielle had been captivated by these angels of music, a quirk which she had carried into her later years. Their unseeing eyes seemed to bore into her and her brother, both guiding and judging them as they rattled along the slushy winter street.
The ride was over all too soon for Danielle's liking, and they rolled to a slow stop in front of the massive steps to the opera house. Her brother hopped off the high front seat of the carriage with practiced ease, and once again offered his gloved hand to her. Grasping it tightly, she swung herself down the steep seat.
"Good-by, at least for now, Reynard." Danielle tried to smile, but the expression on her face was a sad effigy of her usual grin.
Reynard leaned over and planted a brotherlike kiss on her cheek. "Good-by, little sister. Keep warm, and I shall see you soon." Doffing his hat to her in another uncharacteristic display of cheeriness, he clambered back up into the carriage seat.
"Castor, Pollux, lets go." Two glossy black heads shot up, and yielded to the direction of their harnesses. Reynard and his carriage turned back down the Rue Scribe, the ebony horses trotting along demurely.
Danielle climbed the steep steps to the opera house door with haste, reasoning if she hurried she might make it in time to get some leftovers from the cooks. She hadn't been gone more than half and hour, but that was more than enough time for several starving ballet rats to devour the entire meal. Her feet, enclosed in a pair of retired ballet shoes, made little whispering noises as she clambered up the stairs. She had taken to wearing ballet slippers in place of her regular shoes – they were far more comfortable, and were better for sneaking around in. Opening one of the great doors, she winced a little as her eyes adjusted to the dark of the opera house. Oddly enough, there was no bustle of life inside the grand building, but Danielle merely assumed they were away eating their dinner. With soft step, she continued towards the dining hall, eyes on the statues that watch-dogged the entryway. Golden eyes stared unseeing at the brown-haired girl, gilded heads turned as the dancer stepped sure-footedly down the unfamiliar, dark hallway.
Suddenly, a voice edged in pain, and ringed with anger, broke the cool silence of the entranceway. "You have forgotten your angel!"