Dancing on Glass

Holding the Cards

Cinderella ran to the tunnel, racing back into the darkness without a second thought and crashed straight into Jazz as he came bolting out of the shadows.

He caught her before she fell and dragged her out of the tunnel again.

"What are you doing?" he cried, horrified.

"You're alright!" she gasped.

"Of course. I just stopped to get something." he said, frowning.

"I thought you hadn't made it out!" Cinderella cried, a new wave of tears hitting her like a bolder.

Jazz just shook his head, leant down and kissed her cheek. "Let's go," was all he said before taking her hand, snatching up the abandoned cape and running through the forest, skirting the house boarders, the gardens and finally breaking through to the road that would lead back to the front of the house.

She could hear the fire brigade then, hear the rings bells, ear splitting whistles and baying horses.

The water pumps were pouring down over the manor wing, smoke and steam racing upwards into the skies, blotting out the moon.

Dozens of people stood outside the manor, staring up at the house.

The police were already there, detectives and officers.

Cinderella spied her stepsisters and Lady Constantia, alongside Gozer.

Unexpectedly, along with some of his staff, Lord Cheshire was there, his arm around Lady Constantia, apparently roused from his bed and hurried out judging by his hair.

To her surprise, she saw Edgar, Dia and Collins, all three huddled together, Edgar on his knees, his hands pressed to his face.

There were also men Cinderella didn't know, besides the fireman and officers.

Men on horseback, looking up at the house.

And at the front, staring up at the fires, a fear so intense Cinderella could see it from the distance she was at, was Prince Andrew.

"Cinderella!"

Giselle spotted her before anyone else and Cinderella looked down from the burning house in surprise to see her younger sister breaking away from the crowd and running to her, tears streaming down her face.

She threw herself at Cinderella, wrapping her arms around her neck and hugging her so tightly Cinderella heard something crack.

"He found you," Giselle sobbed against her, "Oh thank god he found you."

Cinderella stood blankly for a moment then, awkwardly, patted her back.

"I'm alright," she said.

Others had noticed them now, breaking away in one and twos.

The first to come were Edgar and Prince Andrew.

Giselle quickly stepped aside and Edgar threw his arms around her, eyes wide with shock, Collins and Dia appearing a second later to wrap their arms around her.

Prince Andrew raced passed them and threw his arms around Jazz, almost knocking him over, holding him tightly, needing to take a moment to breathe him in, to prove he was still there.

Jazz hugged him back, smiling.

"Thank god you're alright," Andrew whispered.

"I told you I'd be fine," Jazz said with an easy grin as Andrew leant back.

Andrew glared at him. "I wish you would take stock of your position once in a while. If there was a spoonful of brain in that head of yours you would think before you rush into a burning building."