Disclaimer: Don't Own, Don't Sue! ;D
A/N: The much anticipated Part 2! Apologies for the wait!
Captain Of The Opera: Part II
The next few hours were fairly quiet, there hadn't been an anomaly yet today and Jess had finished running all of the necessary updates and diagnostics for the day. She leaned back in her chair watching the CCTV footage.
"Matt, what the hell am I supposed to with those tickets?" Connor whined as he and Matt entered the Main Operations Room.
Some action. Finally.
"That's your problem now. Maybe next time you'll think twice about taking other people's mobiles." Matt shrugged, walking to a station to look up something on one of the laptops.
"What's happened?" Jess asked curiously.
Matt looked up from the computer he was typing and smirked. "I think I'll let Connor explain."
Jess looked to Connor and raised an eyebrow.
Connor looked between Jess and Matt, gobsmacked before sighing and beginning his explanation.
"My phone battery died, so I borrowed—"
"Took." Matt corrected.
"Borrowed Matt's mobile without permission to make a call and Matt took revenge on me by entering me in some stupid contest."
Jess could see a smile threatening to break across Matt's face as he typed at the computer.
"So, what's so bad about that?" Jess asked.
"He won." Matt smirked.
"I won." Connor groaned.
"What was the contest for?" She inquired.
"Tickets to the opening night performance of Phantom of the Opera."
"That's tonight." Jess stated.
"Box seats." Matt commented, looking up from the computer; "supposedly, the one the phantom frequents in the play."
"You're not exactly helping the situation here, Matt." Connor glared.
"You brought this on yourself, Connor." Matt replied, handing Connor a copy of the contest voucher for the tickets.
"How many tickets did you win? If you don't mind me asking?" Jess questioned eagerly.
She might get to go to opening night after all! Maybe.
"Two, but Abby's not big on operas, and I'll probably go mad before the end of it." Connor glanced at Matt.
Matt raised his hands. "I'm not looking for a date."
"You're so funny, Matt. D'you know that?" Connor laughed dryly.
"I've had bigger laughs."
"Like when you shot Becker?" Jess glared.
"You shot Becker? Again?"
"Yeah," Matt responded to Jess.
"And no, I've only shot him once and that was a while ago, before you and Abby came back." Matt explained.
"I really don't want the royal treatment that comes with winning a contest I didn't even willingly enter." Connor complained. "Maybe I could let Lester accept the glamour?"
"I could go with you, if you don't mind, I mean?" Jess blurted without thinking.
Matt raised an eyebrow.
"I also don't have a death wish to be carried out by Becker." Connor pointed out.
Jess laughed, "Becker's been mandated, so I think you're safe. Besides, I've never missed an opening night for a play. I can keep my perfect record, and you can keep your dignity, most of it."
"Most of it?" Connor asked skeptically.
"Can't save you from the contest holders, sorry." Jess shrugged.
Connor gave Jess a look like he was being sent to the electric chair or something.
"Please, it's my birthday."
Connor sighed. "I'll pick you up at six?"
"Sure." Jess smiled.
"Cool, see ya later." Connor nodded before moping away to his office.
After Jess was certain that Connor was out of hearing range, she turned to Matt, who was logging off the computer he'd been using.
"You really entered him in a contest for stealing your mobile?"
"Actually, it was Abby that entered him in the contest." Matt smirked. "I had Lester rig it, so Connor would win."
"Abby entered him in the contest?"
"Yeah, but things worked out in a round about way, and you're getting a great birthday present. Happy Birthday, Jess." Matt said before exiting the Main Operations Room as well.
Becker stared at himself in the mirror in the dressing room. The makeup artist had just finished up his makeup and temporarily deforming his face.
He had to admit though, the make up job was fairly convincing.
"This is the absolute last time I lose a poker game when Harry is playing."
He was in this whole mess because his cousin, Harry, had invited him over to his flat for a poker game with some mates a few months ago. The stakes were that if Becker lost, he had to audition for the lead role for Phantom of the Opera; if Becker won, Harry and his friends had to streak throughout the building where Harry lived.
Harry was the stage manager of the play and was able to get Becker an audition slot. Becker ended up getting a part as the understudy to the lead actor, Cole McCaffrey, for the phantom and the rest is basically history, he was just glad that Jess wasn't around to see this humiliation.
He rose as he heard Harry's voice queue over the personal pa in the dressing room for his scene.
Connor tried his best to refrain from leaning back in the fancy opera chairs that he and Jess were sitting in, in Box 5. This play was killing him and he was starting to regret ever stealing Matt's mobile to call for pizza.
Jess seemed to be enjoying herself, which was a good thing, considering it was her birthday. At least one of them was finding the play amusing. Connor kept glancing at his watch, the play was nearly over and he and Jess would have a meet and greet with the cast and crew. Something that seemed an inescapable fate.
Connor was snapped from his thoughts of boredom by Jess.
There it was again, the strange feeling that there was something familiar about the actor playing the Phantom. She tried telling Connor all night during the play, but he didn't seem as interested.
She could've sworn she heard the voice from the shower at Becker's flat once when he'd let her sleep in.
Jess grabbed Connor's suit coat.
"Connor," she whispered, "Doesn't the actor, who's playing the Phantom, sound familiar?"
Connor paid a bit more close attention, since he hadn't the first ten times Jess had pointed it out.
"Is that—"
"Action Man?" Connor finished Jess's question, grinning.
When the play was finished, Becker wanted nothing more than to take off the makeup and grab a cold shower. He was practically dying from his costume and the make up and the lights.
"Come on, sunshine," Harry called from the door. "We've gotta go meet the contest winners and yadda-yadda."
Becker raised an eyebrow. "Yadda-yadda?"
"The whole shebang," Harry confirmed, waving his clipboard, "now hurry it up before you get us fired."
Becker sighed and dragged himself to follow the rest of the cast and crew to 'meet and greet the lucky contest winners.'
Connor and Jess were escorted to the lobby to meet the cast and crew behind the production, after the house manager told them the history of the play, the theatre, etc.
Jess had to lightly kick Connor during the conversation to keep him from falling asleep.
"And now, without further ado, I'd like to introduce the cast and of The Phantom of the Opera." The house manager grinned widely.
"This is a dream come true! Thank you, Connor!" Jess exclaimed, pulling Connor into a hug.
"Temple?" A voice asked angrily from the crowd of cast and crew.
Becker emerged in full costume and Connor's humor won out over his fear as he fell to the ground laughing.
"Hilary, do you know these two?" Harry asked, coming over to Becker.
"Hilary? Oh, God, that—that is definitely the best name ever, Becker." Connor spoke, gasping for air as he continued to laugh himself to tears.
"Unfortunately, I work with that one." Becker muttered, pointing to Connor.
"Becker?" Jess asked, catching his attention.
Becker turned to see his girlfriend.
"Jessica, what are you doing here?"
"Connor invited me." She answered, "He won the contest and couldn't find anyone else to accompany him."
"I thought we were going to see this play tomorrow?"
"How can I see the play with my boyfriend, if he's the lead?" Jess smiled. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"It's complicated." Becker replied, awkwardly.
Jess kissed Becker. "I thought you were brilliant."
"Really?" Becker asked moving closer.
"Mm-hm." Jess smiled as she kissed him again, this time more deeply.
They were interrupted by a camera type noise coming from a camera phone.
"Connor." Jess sighed.
"Temple, I suggest you get rid of that picture before you regret it." Becker said turning to him.
"Aw come on, Hilary, just lemme get your good side." Connor teased before snapping another photo of Becker.
"I'll show you my good side," Becker gritted his teeth as he advanced toward Connor.
Connor snapped another photo before taking off at full speed out of the theatre, Becker hot on his heels.
Jess stood there laughing to herself. This would definitely be a birthday to remember.
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