So going strong here with chapter three up already. I'd like to thank RedDeathLvr for being my FIRST reviewer have a mask shaped cookie on me, and Teufelszeug for liking my story enough you want to know when I updated it so you added it to your story alert list. Much love to you both.

You guys know I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or Phantom, so let's get this show on the road.


Adele didn't waste any time contacting a legion of contractors to come to the opera house and give estimates. She went over the list of scheduled meetings on her way back to the Populaire. Only the best of France were considered. Adele couldn't bear to let some second rate hack touch her shrine to music.

Hers… true it may have been bought by her father but it was her responsibility to oversee repairs, then hire cast and crew, and make sure that all of Paris viewed with envy and awe her pride and joy. This palace that would become her castle, she its shining queen.

When Reginald told her about the grandeur of the Paris Opera House, she yearned for it with a child's longing. She ached to be able to perform on its stage, for the world to see her and want her and love her. When Reginald died, her yearning changed from longing to perform, to the obsession to possess the one place her teacher had loved above all others. She followed news streams on the internet, keeping track of the place for her one chance.

When the house caught fire two years ago, Adele was both afraid and excited. Afraid, because the house may be damaged beyond repair. Excited, because this may be her chance.

But for two years the damned place stayed empty, becoming further damaged from the elements and still the fucking managers hadn't decided whether to repair it or to sell. But if there was one lesson more important than the others her father had taught her it was patience, and soon hers paid off when the managers decided to put the place up for sale a week before her eighteenth birthday.

And now… now it was hers, and, by God, she was going to make this place a damn near replica of what it once was!

She got out of the limo, and walked up the stairs to the opera house. She hadn't wanted to ride in the stupid thing, preferring to take a taxi, but her father had insisted, and she obliged him. He did buy her an opera house after all, it was the least she could do.

Adele unlocked the doors, and checked her watch. She was on time, but where was the first contractor?

She waited fifteen minutes before the man got there. "Mademoiselle Stryker?" he asked.

"Yes." She glanced at him coolly. There was nothing she hated more than tardiness. Now because of him the rest of her appointments were going to run late.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Forgive me for being late but traffic was terrible." He smiled at her and she frowned in response.

"Then you should have left earlier." She replied. The man's smile drooped. "You understand that I am a very busy woman and cannot afford any tardiness, accidental or no. So let's hurry and get this over with."

"Y-yes Mademoiselle." He nodded dumbly, adding on to Adele's frustration.

This was going to be a long day.


Erik sat on his perch in one of his hiding spots close to the front door. He was curious to see if Adele and her father would come back today. He knew it was too early to be waiting, but he got the feeling that Adele was the sort to start a project as soon as possible.

He heard the door unlock, but no one came in until about fifteen minutes later.

Adele entered first, looking slightly agitated, followed by a rather fat balding man.

Erik followed them as they walked about the building, surveying the damage that had been done. He realized the unsightly man was a contractor sent to give an estimate.

They hadn't even looked the entire place over when the man gave his estimate, and even Erik snorted at the price. The obviously had no idea what he was talking about, instead throwing a number out there that sounded expensive enough to any other person, but Erik knew was nowhere near the amount needed to repair the damage that had been done.

Adele seemed to know this as well. He'd hidden close by and could see her eye twitch in annoyance.

"Tell me Monsieur, do you take me for an idiot?" She asked her eyes more frigid than ever.

"I-I pardon me?"

"If there's anything that gets on my nerves is my time being wasted. I've seen building plans before, Monsieur, I know a fair and accurate estimate when I see and hear them. You've just given me an estimate that is nowhere near enough to repair this building. I'd appreciate it, if you'd leave and allow me to spend my time in a more progressive fashion." She opened the door. "Good day, Monsieur."

Stammering the entire way the man left and Adele closed the door behind him. Once it was closed she sighed and rubbed her temples. "Perfection. That's all I ask for. Is that too much?"

Erik couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, having been in similar positions before. He knew the stress of wanting perfection, desiring for things to go right, pleading for God to grant him patience and to keep him from murdering ingrates left and right.

Adele checked her watch. "Five minutes until the next one. So help me God if he's late I'll send him packing!"

Erik smirked, she had a temper on her that she tried to hide behind a cool and professional façade. He wanted to pick her apart like one of his mother's mantle clocks. He itched to see what made her tick. Wondered if she was too strong to bend to his will or not.

Should she bring back the operas to his house, he would spend as much time observing her as he could, so that if he saw her making a mistake he'd have enough information about her to know how to best 'coax' her into seeing his point of view.

Would she fear him like all the others? He doubted if this slight little female was any different.

She took a deep breath, held it, and released it slowly before straightening up and checking her watch again. She opened the door, and her expression became pleased, although no smile graced her lips.

"Ah, right on time."


If he thought timeliness would keep Adele's mood improved, he was very wrong.

For four hours contractors came and went, and even his patience was running thin with them. Adele was poking holes in them left and right, asking questions they did not know or fumbled to answer, intimidating them with her ice stare. Erik watched her mood blacken with each one.

He was more than a little tempted to tell her to call it a day when the last one arrived.

He was a pleasant looking man in maybe his early forties, his hair a salt and pepper color giving him a look of experience and youth at the same time, with wire framed glasses adding to his professional appeal. Erik caught his name as Beau Durand.

Durand looked about, and answered Adele's questions in a professional, knowledgeable manner. When they returned to the foyer Adele asked the fated question.

"So, Monsieur Durand, what is your estimate?"

Durand pushed his glasses up for a moment to rub his eyes. When he replaced them he spoke. "As you know, the damage to this building is more extensive than what we know it to be, as it is unsafe to travel to other parts."

"That is so." Adele nodded.

"Therefore, Mademoiselle, I cannot give you a true proper estimate at this time with the information I have. You see, we'd have to send someone in to be able to give us a proper view on just how bad the unsafe parts are. It could be that the structural integrity of the building has been compromised, or not, it's a simple fact as we do not know."

Adele looked pleased. "I appreciate your honesty, Monsieur. How soon can you and your company start?"

He seemed surprised, but answered. "I can send a crew in to better survey the damage at the end of the week. We can analyze what we find and go from there."

"Excellent. Shall we return to your office and draw up a contract?" Adele opened the front door and motioned for Durand to exit first.

"Of course Mademoiselle."

Adele followed, and Erik heard a click as she locked the door behind her.

He was tempted to laugh. This whole farce was not about monetary costs, as Adele seemed not to care about the price, but about the intelligence and honesty of the company she would be hiring.

The more he watched this girl, the more he saw himself in her.

He chuckled at that. A female Erik? Perish the thought.


Yes, perish the thought at the doom that will be caused with Erik's female doppelganger. That's all for now, R&R.