Fall Into Me

.XVIII.

A/N:

This is a long one, so buckle up. I meant to get it out over the weekend, but it was my birthday on Saturday and for once I had the weekend off work, so I simply enjoyed my time off. This note is here because the next chapter is also going to be huge, and will have violence in it. Be wary from this point onwards, because there will be Content Warnings in future chapters. Please make sure you look at these. Any further information will be included in those chapters.

*

Coming back to the castle did a number on Mona in more ways than one, and she was not coping well. They'd been back almost a week and she hadn't once left Minerva's wing. Neither had she dared to wear anything that showed her back, and her eating had dropped right down.

On top of all that, some mornings she woke up completely confused, not sure where she was or, frighteningly, who she was. Mona would have to take several minutes to figure it out, and found she was losing some of her memories. Already, she was finding it hard to recall that night in vegas.

Mona knew Minerva was worried, but she hadn't been pressing her too much to do anything she didn't want to do. The only thing she'd asked was for her to see Yannis and Moira, to start learning the dance for the ball. It was a distraction from her mind, and Mona did so only if she didn't have to leave the wing.

Mona had no idea what she was doing, but thankfully Yannis was patient with her. Yannis knew every variation of the Christmas Waltz, including the ones Minerva had decided to do on a whim, when she was being particularly rebellious towards her grandparents.

Thankfully, the more complex ones were put to the side, and Yannis taught her a simple waltz. Moira was there too, as they needed to have someone to dance the woman's role and Minerva was far too busy planning the event on top of her usual work to do it. They'd picked an empty room in the wing, tapped into the sound system and taught Mona the basics first.

"Bear in mind," Moira began, "the atmosphere will be completely different."

"Yes," Yannis nodded quickly, "the music will be the same, but it is different with a live... uh," he glanced at Moira questioningly.

"Orchestra."

"Orchestra," he repeated, "and the design of the room, it creates something magical. So what we do here will be nothing like the real thing."

Mona nodded, "I thought it would be a more Christmassy waltz."

"Minerva's never been one for tradition," Moira said with a small smile, "plus, she likes the Grand Waltz."

The Grand Waltz from The Sound of Music, Mona knew it not just from the dance lessons, but because The Sound of Music was one her favourite films. There was history involved, plus music, which she loved.

"Come," Moira gestured, "let's go again. The more we do it, the better you'll be. You have the basic steps, now you just need to add the flourishes."

"The flourishes?"

"We'll do it, then you copy," Yannis decided, guiding his wife to the centre of the room. Mona watched as they took up the starting position, standing beside each other.

The music began, and the couple went through the routine they'd been painstakingly teaching Mona since she'd returned from her camping trip with Minerva. Watching them made Mona nervous, a deep worry that she wouldn't be able to do this settling into her.

Determination said that she would, but seeing how fluid Yannis and Moira were, how they moved as one unit, sweeping gestures and perfect posture, it was a concern for her. The confidence they danced with, how comfortable they were together, how natural the dance came, it was intimidating.