Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera, its characters or plot. I do however own my OCs Karen and Angel LeBlanc, any changes and anything you don't recognize unless otherwise stated. I also don't own any music linked in any of the chapters.
Summary: Karen LeBlanc and her younger sister Angel arrive at the Opera Populaire to seek out an old friend of their late mother with nothing but a single bag and a violin case. (I'm horrible at summaries sometimes X.x) Erik/OC Title is Lindsey Stirling's song Shatter Me and that's kinda what this fic is based on.
This is my first "phanfic" but definitely not my first fic. If anyone is interested I also write fics for Hobbit, Sherlock, Naruto, Batman, etc.
The stage of the Opera Populaire was bustling with people fixing sets, costumes, props and dancers were practicing their routine and choir members were practicing their lines.
A young woman, only nineteen, walked down towards the stage with a suitcase in one hand. A little girl, around six or seven, was clutching the woman's other hand tightly with a small violin case in her other hand. Each wore black dresses with cloaks over them, the hoods pulled down, as it was rather cold outside. As they approached the stage Carlotta started singing and the little girl covered her ears. The woman quickly pushed them down with a scolding look. The two walked up to a man who was standing by the orchestra pit.
"Excuse me. We're looking for Madame Giry." The woman said. "She knew our mother, Marie LeBlanc." Before the man could answer Madame Giry saw them and made her way over.
"Karen Leblanc." she said with a smile before she looked down at the little girl. "Angel." The little girl smiled shyly but moved closer to her sister. "Come with me." Madame Giry motioned for the two to follow her.
"I'm so sorry to hear about your mother." Madame Giry said as she sat down across from Karen and Angel.
"You were a friend of hers, if I'm not mistaken." Karen said. Madame Giry nodded.
"We danced together." she said with a smile. Karen smiled slightly.
"Before she died… she taught Angel to dance."
"Yes, she told me in her letters." Madame Giry said. "She said you were quite the dancer." Angel looked down shyly.
"I was hoping you could continue to teach her." Karen said. "I could help with costumes, props and sets. It's just… we have nowhere to go."
"Your mother was one of my closest friends." Madame Giry said. "Of course I would help her daughters. We have a spare bed with the rest of the girls. You'll have to share."
"Of course." Karen said with a smile. "Thank you so much."
"If you have any questions just ask me or one of the girls."
"Thank you again."
Karen and Angel walked into the room the dancers shared and went to the bed at the very back of the room. She put down her bag and Angel put the violin case down beside it. Karen opened her bag before handing the girl her teddy bear. Angel hugged it closely and sat on the bed.
"Hello." Karen turned to see two girls standing there with smiles one had blond hair and the other had dark curly hair.
"Hello." Karen said.
"I'm Meg and this is Christine." The blond said.
"I'm Karen, and this is my sister Angel."
"That's such a pretty name." Christine said to the young girl who hid her face into her bear.
"Are you a new dancer?" Meg asked.
"No." Karen said as she shook her head. "My sister will be taking lessons from Madame Giry though."
"Oh, so you're a singer then?" Christine asked.
"Oh no no." Karen shook her head again. "I'm not… I don't sing in front of people."
"Are you any good?" Meg asked.
"I've never had any training." Karen said. "The only people that have ever heard me sing was my mother and Angel."
"What do you think of your sister's singing?" Christine asked Angel. Karen smiled sadly.
"She doesn't talk." Karen said. The two girls turned to her with sympathetic frowns. "Not since mother…"
"We're sorry for your loss." Christine said.
"Why don't you get some sleep? You two must be tired." Meg said.
"Thank you." Karen said with a small nod.
Angel was up in box five resting her arms on the railing, holding her bear, as she watched the rehearsal below.
"This trophy from our saviors," Angel grimaced as Carlotta was rehearsing. "From our saviors. From the enslaving force of Rome!" Like the maids below her Angel covered her ears. When it was safe to remove her hands Angel heard a chuckle behind her and turned around with a small gasp.
…
"Has anyone seen Angel?" Karen asked as she walked up to the dancers who were getting ready to go out on stage.
"I would assume she'd be in bed or here." One of the girls said.
"I went in to check on her and she wasn't there." Karen said.
…
"I'll only tell you this once, little girl, this is my box." Erik said as he looked down at her. Angel looked down as she held her bear to her. She didn't look like she was scared of him; she looked like a scolded child who was caught stealing a cookie. "Only having just arrived here there was no way you could have known." Angel shook her head in agreement as she peeked up at him.
…
"She's probably watching the rehearsal." Meg said. "I'm sure there's no reason to worry, Karen."
"You're probably right." Karen said.
…
"Normally one would apologize…" Erik said. Angel frowned and lowered her head in a silent apology. "You don't speak." Angel shook her head. "It's not that you can't, you refuse." Angel only looked up at him. "Run along, don't let me find you here again." Angel started to pout but slowly left box five.
Karen ran around trying once again to find Angel.
"Is she missing again?" Meg asked with a small smile.
"I just don't know where that girl runs off to every day." Karen said. "I figured she'd wish to watch you and learn." she said looking between Meg and Christine.
"I'm sure she's watching from a box or perhaps in one of the seats." Christine said. "There's no need to worry."
"You found her last time, correct?" Meg asked. "When we returned, she was in bed waiting."
"Yes but she wouldn't tell me where she'd been hiding." Karen said with a sigh. "Oh well." The group could hear the actors and actresses singing above them.
"With feasting and dancing and song, tonight in celebration, we greet the victorious throng, returned to bring salvation!" They sang.
"The trumpets of Carthage resound! Hear, Romans, now and tremble! Hark to our step on the ground! Hear the drums! Hannibal comes!"
"You make my dress train too long." Carlotta complained to the woman holding her dog. Piangi walked forward and began to sing his lines.
"Sad to return to find the land we love threatened once more by Roma's far-reaching grasp."
"Gentlemen, gentlemen." Reyer, the conductor, said.
"Rehearsals, as you see, are under way, for a new production of Chalumeau's 'Hannibal'."
"Monsieur Lefevre, I am rehearsing." Reyer said exasperated as Lefevre and two others walked onto the middle of the stage.
"Monsieur Reyer, Madame. Giry, ladies and gentlemen, please, if I can have your attention, thank you." Lefevre said. "As you know, for some weeks there have been rumors of my imminent retirement. I can now tell you that these were all true," Carlotta pointed at Piangi with an 'aha!'. "and it is my pleasure to introduce to you the two gentlemen who now own the Opera Populaire, Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre." Everyone clapped. "I'm sure you've read that recent fortune amassed in the junk business."
"Scrap metal, actually." Andre corrected.
"And we're deeply honored to introduce our new patron, the Vicomte de Chagny." Andre said. Christine, Meg, Karen and the rest of the dancers walked up the spiral staircase to the level of the stage.
"It's Raoul," Christine said as the three saw him walking over to the new owners. Before my father died, at the house by the sea… I guess you could say we were childhood sweethearts. He called me Little Lotte."
"That's so sweet." Karen said with a smile.
"Christine, he's so handsome." Meg said.
"My parents and I are honored to support all the arts…" Raoul said. "Especially the world-renowned Opera Populaire." People around them clapped. Carlotta walked towards him with her hand out. Roaul took her hand and she curtseyed before he kissed her knuckles.
"Vicomte ,Gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli our leading soprano for five seasons now."
"Brava! Brava!" Carlotta's maids said as they clapped.
"Ahem!" Piangi cleared his throat.
"Signor Ubaldo Piangi." Lefevre introduced. Everyone clapped again.
"An honour, Signor. I believe I'm keeping you for your rehearsal." Raoul said. "I will be here this evening to share your great triumph. My apologies, monsieur."
"Thank you, Monsieur Le Vicomte. Once more if you please, Signor." Reyer said.
"He love me, he love me." Carlotta said to her maids. "He love me, love me, love me." Raoul and Lefevre walked by Karen and the dancers. Christine looked down after they'd passed.
"He wouldn't recognize me." she said.
"He didn't see you." Meg said shaking her head with a smile.
"If you please," Madame Giry said to the girls. She looked to the new owners who were standing nearby. "monsieur." They moved out of the way as the dancers moved into position and started practicing their routine. "We take a particular pride in the excellence of our ballets, monsieur."
"I see why, especially that little blonde angel." Andre said.
"My daughter, Meg Giry." Madade Giry said.
"And that exceptional beauty, no relation I trust?" Firmin said.
"Christine Daae, promising talent monsieur Firmin, very promising." Madame Giry said.
"Daae, you say? No relation to the famous Swedish violinist?" Andre asked.
"His only child. Orphaned at seven when she came to live and trained in the ballet dormitories."
"An orphan, you said?" Firmin asked.
"I think of her as a daughter also." Madame Giry said. "Gentlemen, if you would kindly stand to one side." She directed them to the side of the stage. Andre smirk as he put one of the short prop chains the dancers were using over his shoulders and threw one over his shoulder one would a scarf.
"Hannibals friends!" The people on stage sang. As they were moving someone stepped on the end of Carlotta's dress.
"Oh no, not on my dress! Why?"
"The trumpeting elephants sound - hear, Romans, now and tremble!" Large prop elephants moved onto stage. "Hark to their step on the ground - hear the drums!" Piangi was having trouble getting onto one of them which made the new owners chuckle and Carlotta glare at them as she sang. Piangi ended up stumbling and just settling on standing in front of the elephant. "Hannibal comes!"
"All day! All'a they want is dancing!" Carlotta shouted.
"Well, the Vicomte is very excited about tonight's gala." Lefevre said as he walked up to the new managers.
"Ah! Ah-ha-ha!" Carlotta laughed as she walked over. "Allora, allora, allora." Carlotta said as she walked up to the three. "I hope he is as excited by dancing girls as your new managers, because I will not be singing!" she screamed before storming away. "Andiamo, tutti. No, it's finite! Finished. Get my doggy, bring my doggy. Bye-bye."
"What do we do?" Andre asked Lefevre.
"Grovel." Lefevre said nodding. "Grovel, grovel." He repeated gesturing to the two men to do as he said.
"Right."
"See you later, because I'm going now." Carlotta said. "It is finished."
"Signora! World-renowned artist and great beauty!" Firmin said.
"Principessa. Bella diva!" Andre said.
"Si si si." Carlotta said.
"Goddess of song!" Firmin said.
"É vero!" Carlotta said.
"Monsieur Reyer, isn't there a rather marvelous aria for Elissa in Act Three of 'Hannibal'?" Andre asked. "Perhaps the signora-?"
"Yes, yes, yes, ma no! Because I have not my costume for act three. Because somebody not finish it! And I hate my hat!" she shouted pointing to it.
"But I wonder, signora, as a personal favor if you would oblige us with a private rendition?" Carlotta began to shed crocodile tears. "Unless, of course, M. Reyer objects..." Firmin said.
"No. Aspetta, aspetta." Carlotta said. "Well, If my managers command... monsieur Reyer?"
"If My diva commands?" he asked.
"Yes, I do." Carlotta said. "Everybody be quite." Carlotta shouted as she walked.
"Monsieur Lefevre, why exactly are you retiring?" Andre asked.
"My heath."
"I see."
"Pss-psst! You as well!" Carlotta snapped. She took a spray from inside a box one of her maids was holding.
"Signora?" Reyer asked.
"Maestro." Carlotta said. The piano began to play. "Think of me, think of me fondly," Once again like the maids who were stuffing cotton in their ears, Angel covered her ears. "When we've said goodbye, remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try. When you find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free-" Suddenly the backdrop high above Carlotta began to fall. Meg screamed and she and the others moved away as the backdrop knocked Carlotta down.
"Oh, my god, signora!" Reyer exclaimed.
"Lift it up! Lift it up!" Carlotta screamed at everyone.
"He's here." Meg said taking Christine's hands. "The Phantom of the Opera."
"Who?" Karen asked with a frown.
"Signora, are you all right?" Lefevre asked as people helped her up. "Buquet! For god's sake, man, what's going on up there?"
"Please, monsieur, don't look at me. As god's my judge, I wasn't at my post." The stage hand called back down. Madame Giry looked up as a letter fluttered down. "Please, monsieur, there's no one there. Or if there is, well then, it must be a ghost." Buquet said before chuckling. Madame Giry picked up the letter.
"Signora, these things do happen." Andre said.
"For the past three years these things do happen." Carlotta said. "And did you stop them from happening? No! And you two," She pointed to the managers. "you are as bad as him. 'These things do happen'? Ma- Unnnnh! Until you stop these things from happening, this thing does not happen!" She pointed to herself. She turned to Piangi. "Ubaldo, andimo!" she screamed before storming off. "Bring my doggy and my boxy!"
"Amateurs." Piangi said to the managers before following.
"Bye-bye! Ciao! Now you see." Carlotta said. "Bye-bye. I'm really leaving."
"Gentlemen, good luck." Lefevre said. "If you need me, I shall be in Australia."
"Oh!" Reyer moaned putting a hand to his head as he turned away.
…
Erik sighed as he entered box five to find Angel there once again watching what was happening below.
"What did I tell you, souris?" he said. Angel looked back at him and smiled before looking back down at the stage. Erik frowned and walked forward. "I told you-" Angel turned and shushed him with a finger to her lips. Erik blinked in surprise. "Did you just-?" she shushed him once again with a small frown; a moment later Christine began to sing and he understood. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let her stay." Erik mused to himself. He looked at her to see her face lit up as she listened. "Beautiful, isn't she?" Erik asked. Angel nodded. "I'm sure you'd be able to see much better if you were in one of the seats." Angel looked up at Erik who was gesturing to one of the chairs. Angel clambered up into the seat and stood on it. She leaned forward slightly and Erik moved to stand behind her before catching her shoulders. "Be careful." Angel turned to smile up at him. Erik found himself slowly smiling back slightly.
…
Angel yawned and rubbed one of her eyes with her free hand.
"Come. It's time for you to go to bed, souris." Erik said. Angel looked up at him with a small frown at the name but held up her arms. Erik blinked. "You… you wish for me to carry you?" Angel nodded and started to pout. Erik sighed and picked her up. She put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, completely comfortable.
…
Karen helped clean up at the end of the rehearsal and stayed to work on the set a while longer before she returned to the dorms. She walked to the back of the room and relaxed when she saw Angel sleeping in the bed. Karen let out a sigh and smiled down at the girl.
I normally don't make first chapters this long but I had no idea where to end it. Let me know what you think so far.
