Author Note: While I can sew, I've only repaired clothes and made a few small items. Dresses are beyond me, if any dressmakers catch mistakes I made in describing the process please correct me and I will fix it.

"I'm taking a week off." Christine announced during the next Sunday dinner at the Giry's. Madame Giry looked up from her soup and pursed her lips.

"And why, may I ask?" She questioned.

"Emily's dress is not even halfway finished and her wedding is a week away. We must finish her dress."

"She resigned yesterday!" Meg announced. "I saw her sign the papers, no one was surprised of course."

"She did it so we could have as much time as needed to fit the dress on her." Christine sighed and stirred her own soup. "I declare, I've never sewn a dress so fast with such urgency. I fear that I shall make a mistake and then have to take it apart and do it again. If so, it will not be done on time."

"Oh you can do it!" Meg exclaimed. "You're such a good sewer, much better then me. I would die having to sew a whole dress by myself."

"I'm at my wits end." Christine admitted. "I've half a mind to ask the seamstresses at the Opera if I can use their sewing machine."

Madame Giry patted her lips with her napkin and set it on the table. "Unlikely. They're in a hurry to finish all the costumes. Sometimes, I think that they have the hardest job of us all. They never truly rest, the poor dears."

"We buy some of our costumes." Meg reminded her.

"And yet they still must be changed, fitted, updated and stylized." Christine reminded her. "Costumes are serious business."

"Oh, what will happen if you don't finish the dress in time?" Meg moaned and stared at her swirling soap.

"She will wear that blue dress of her's like you said." Christine reminded her.

Meg looked up. "Doesn't she have a nice pink dress?" She asked. "I remember her showing it to me. She looks ever so much better in pink than in blue. Some Lord had given it to her as a present." Her eyes brightened. "I remember she thought she would marry some patron at the Opera House. Whatever happened to her and him? I got distracted by Jane's new beau."

Christine hesitated for a moment, she had hoped Meg would have forgotten the whole affair. "A passing fancy darling." She told her. "And the man Emily has now will love her for the rest of her days, not give her presents and leave her. In my mind, that is a better deal all round."

"Oh." Meg looked down again at her soul and sighed tragically. "I suppose it had to be."

"Meg, eat your soup while it's warm." Madame Giry told her. "I'm tired of your stirring and sighing."

"Christine's been stirring longer than I." Meg insisted innocently.

"Ah, but she eats it eventually." Madame Giry reminded her. Meg pouted and began sipping her soup.

"The waist is perfect, but the sleeves are too big." Christine carefully pinned the new places to sew. "Those will have to be taken care of before we add the lace."

The dress was coming along well enough, it had several creases and decorations of lace were already pinned to the collars and sleeves.

Emile looked over herself and nodded, obviously delighted at how it was coming along. "Look at the creases!" She giggled. "It's wonderful."

"It's plain." Christine reminded her. "Most wedding dresses have a train and a wedding veil."

"I don't care it's the most beautiful wedding dress in the world. I love it." Emily's eyes filled with tears and she gazed gratefully at Christine. "And I love you. The mother I never had."

Christine smiled back, feeling a little emotional herself. "When was your last meeting with Adam?"

Emily's eyes brightened. "Oh! Adam, yes." She blushed. "He's so good to me." She admitted. "Last time I saw him he gave me a rose he had bought, and he showed me the apartment we're going to rent. He promised me that all our children will go to school. Just like you wanted and-" here she blushed. "He kissed me."

"That's wonderful." Christine patted her arm. "I assume you're packing? You're moving your things on Wednesday."

"Yes. I am." Emily nodded and held out a wrist for Christine to pin. Christine pulled a pin out of the folds of her dress and worked it through the cloth.

"Christine?"

Christine glanced up at Emily. "Have you ever kissed a boy?" She asked shyly.

"Oh yes. I remember when I was sixteen I had a beau." Christine walked to Emily's other side and grapped her opposite wrist. "He was rather controlling. And he wasn't very good for me, I think. I broke it off after a time. Though it would have been better had I done it sooner."

Emily bit her lip. "So you haven't had a very good time with boys?"

"Of course I've had a good time with the boys!" Christine laughed. "I like boys, they've always been good friends of mine. Take Nadir, for example. He's a good friend, but I'm not romantically interested in him."

Emily nodded. "I see. I just-" She sighed. "Are you ever going to get married?"

"Perhaps-hold your arm a little higher dear. Thank you.- one day."

"But the right man has to ask." Emily finished.

"Yes."

"Do you have anyone in mind?" Emily asked innocently.

Christine rolled her eyes inwardly, but didn't answer.

"You do don't you?" Emily observed shrewdly. "What's he like?"

"I don't believe you need to know." Christine swiftly pushed the pin in the sleeve and turned to the collar. "Do you want it a little lower? It's a little too close to your ears."

Emily wiggled her eyebrows at Christine. "You fancy someone! You! Christine Daae, the most practical and witty person I know."

"It is nothing you may concern yourself with."

"You can tell me! I may bit a bit of a gossip but I don't reveal my friend's secrets." Emily batted away Christine's hands, who were searching for the best way to pin down the collar. "What's he like?"

"Not nearly as questioning as you." Christine said, but her mouth twitched into a smile.

"Is he handsome?" Emily asked. "Does he know you?"

"Yes." Christine relented. "He does know me."

Emily squealed and grasped Christine's hands. "I knew it! No one could ever resist you."

"I never said that he was in love with me, good heavens." Christine pulled away. "Now do you want that collar lower or not?"

"Only a little." Emily admitted. "Is he tall?"

Christine sighed heavily. "Yes. He is." She confessed.

"What's he like?"

"Witty and very very clever." Christine informed her while folding down the collar. "One of the most intelligent people I know."

"Oh, I don't mean that. I mean, what does he look like?" Emily grinned while Christine carefully pushed in another pin.

"Black hair, tall, lean."  Christine rattled off. "No more questions."

"You're so silly." Emily's mouth suddenly gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. "Is it that one side character, you know, the man who played the comic relief in our last opera."

"Him?" Christine laughed. "No. He's nice but hardly a romantic individual."

"He matches all of your descriptions." Emily reminded her, then she frowned. "Well, all save intelligence."

"He's a genius at comedy." Christine reminded her. "Nevertheless, he is not the one I fancy."

"Oh come now." Emily smiled and giggled a little. "Who is it?"

"I don't believe I'll tell you."

"Please. I must know who you fancy. I shan't do a bit with the information I swear." Emily begged.

Christine stepped back and placed a hand on her hip and recited sarcastically. "Fine. He's the Opera Ghost, and has been courting me for ten years, and I've fallen madly in love with him."

Emily blinked for a moment, then laughed, clutching her stomach and and wiping tears away. "That's hysterical." She giggled, then jumped. "Ouch, these pins hurt." She sobered after a few more moments. "Christine, you never fail to make me laugh. All right, keep your secrets I give up."

"I thought that would convince you." Christine smiled, chuckling a little herself. "Really, what nonsense."

For a few minuets, Christine worked in silence, listening to the occasional giggle from Emily. Obviously, she still found her joke humorous.

"Christine?" She suddenly asked.

"Hmm?"

"What's that decorated letter on the table?"

Christine looked up from her pinning. "Nothing."

"Is it from the man you admire?" Emily stepped away from Christine and cross the room. "If so-"

"Emily!" Christine cried. "Leave it-" she crossed the room and grabbed her arm. "Leave it alone." She told her coldly. "You have no right to be going through my things."

Emily stopped in her steps and froze. "Alright." She obliged. "Do you send letters to each other though. Like in the romantic stories?"

"No. We don't." Christine replied.

She sighed, disappointed. "Then what is it?" She asked, eyes pleading.

"I-" Christine sighed and dropped her face in her hands and heaved a heavy sigh. "Darling, I know what it is but-" she glanced up Emily, who was already looking longingly at the letter again. "very well." She said softly. "If it intrigues you so much, you may open it."

Emily blinked a few times, her mouth open. Then she smiled and squealed. "Thank you!" She grasped the letter and opened the wax. She looked over it and gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Christine-" She cried.

"I know." Christine interrupted.

"You got invited to the New Years ball!"

"I know."

Emily looked up. "What do you mean, you know?"

"I knew it was coming, I was promised I would receive an invitation." Christine took the paper and glanced over the fine gold script herself. "I got it this morning."

"Christine...." Emily sighed and held a hand to her chest and winced. "Drat these pins- Christine you get to go to a ball! Promise me you'll tell me everything."

"I will." Christine assured her and folded the invitation and placed it in her pocket.

"Wait-" Emily's head tilted to the right and frowned. "Why are you getting an invitation? I mean, you deserve one of all people but, normally they only invite nobility." Her eyes lit up. "Are you secretly the daughter of a count?"

"No." Christine said flatly. "Now back on the stool, we have to take the dress off before I can in the new fittings."

"How-" Emily's face fell, but followed the instructions. Just when Christine finished unlacing the corset from her body, Emily snapped her fingers.

"I know. That man you like, he's nobility and wanted you to go so he arranged for you to get an invitation."

Christine pursed her lips. "Maybe, maybe not." She said. "But you did say i could keep my secrets, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't meddle with them further."

"I-" Emily sighed and looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry. I really am."

"It's alright, there's nothing wrong with having an active imagination and a curious mind." Christine smiled and tapped Emily's nose. "Just learn to control them dear."