"Just one more…." Evie mused as if to herself then smiled in triumph as she put the last finishing touch to the blue gold gown. "Evie…its beautiful." Mal smiled looking at herself in the full body mirror "Of course it is…Like I would let my best friend walk out to her future people in anything less?" the blue haired VK laughed opening the door to see her handy work from another vantage point.

"Yeah….Erm…I'll meet you up there okay?" Mal asked when she noticed the late arrival trying to slip unnoticed down the hallway.

"Sure, Okay." Evie shrugged busying herself in packing up the remnant scraps of fabrics and thread. "Just don't be late." She called as her best friend and VK sister sped quickly out into the hall.

Mal could tell just by the look on his face in the quick flash of his reflection in the mirror that something was incredibly wrong. She knew he was still upset about what had happened between them both on the island and their disastrous date. Even when he wouldn't say it outright. But this was something else entirely.

"Ben?" Mal called softly walking quickly to try and catch up with the King's long strides. "Ben, I…" she panted a bit out of breath as her boyfriend finally stopped when he reached the room designated as his changing room. "Mal?" the king answered stiffly as if in a far away daze but not taking his eyes from the door in front of him.

"Are you alright?" she asked concerned trying to touch his arm in reassurance when she noticed that despite his ramrod straight posture Ben was shaking. "I'm fine." He snapped harshly brushing her hand away from his arm as he leaned against the door heavily.

"Are you sick?" Mal asked really worried now as his shaking seemed to get worse. "I said I'm fine Mal." Ben snapped making the normally cool headed VK take several steps back when she heard a bit of the beast still clear in his soft tone. "I'm sorry I…. I just have to get ready." Ben insisted taking a shaking breath.

But before Mal could do more than rest a hand against Ben's back a worried voice interrupted her train of thought.

"Mal?!..."

"Mal there you are."

The purple haired VK turned as Carlos and Jane hurried down the corridor "What's wrong?" Mal wondered absently resting her hand on Jane's shoulder when the overly frantic girl nearly ran into her.

"What's wrong?! What's wrong is why aren't you up with Lumière?" Jane asked as Carlos rested a hand on her shoulder. "Breath Janie." He reminded her softly taking her hand reassuringly as Jane took a shaking breath.

Mal shook her head when Carlos's eyes sharpened at the pained look in her eyes when he'd gestured wordlessly to Mal to follow them back down the hall.

"Oh…yeah…. Just." Mal stammered looking back over her shoulder to avoid Carlos's probing gaze but mostly to check on Ben but found that he'd already retreated to the privacy of the suite while she'd been talking with Jane. "See you there then." She said weakly to the closed door before following the other two.

"Steps on the right," Jane instructed when they reached the landing. Not that she needed to seeing as a portly miniclade wearing man was already waiting for them.

"Nearly time." Cogsworth reminded them all snapping his pocket watch closed as Mal stopped short at his side. "twelve seconds to spare." The former mantel clock commented proudly holding out his hand toward Mal while Jane and Carlos headed down the other hall to take a short cut back to the party on the deck.

"Thanks," Mal whispered absently still worried about Ben's strange behavior as she let herself be lead up the steps to the second deck that would take her out to the party.