"No."

"No?" Erik asked in surprise. "No?"

"No." Madame Giry finished taking a bow and walking away.

"Wait! You have to agree with me. She is a disaster-she-she is unacceptable. SHE IS WORTHLESS!"

Madame Giry stopped abruptly to turn and face him. The summer sun was beating down on them strongly, slightly lighting out the angry features that masked her face. She walked quickly towards him before slapping him firm on his cheek.

Erik backed away and stared at the woman that had saved his life twice. First when he was at the traveling fair and second helping him back into the new and re-built opera populaire after he escaped through the mirror.

"Worthless Erik? Worthless?" She questioned, anger in her tone. "Worthless? After all you've been through it might seem that you could be kinder to those like you! Erik you know better than this! Oh, Carmelina is but a poor child, just like you were! But you were saved here in the opera house and I believe she too can be saved here"

Erik turned away from the only woman who seemed to care about him. Tears fell from his eyes as the guilt of all that had happened built up in his head. "I'm so-so sorry madame giry I-" He tried to apologize before a warm, comforting hand was laid unto his shoulder. He knew it was the same hand that had slapped him yet it felt completely different.

"Erik. You may be wrong but you are also right. Carmelina is a handful. It will take a lot of hard work to train her and I believe a compromise is in order."

"Compromise?" Erik asked, wiping the tears the ran down his face before swinging round to face the woman draped in black.

"Yes Erik. A compromise. You see what I want is for her to stay here, to have a life here. What you want is that she not be a disgrace to the opera and that she get better."

Erik was nodding in agreement yet he wasn't very sure to where this was going.

"So how bout this, if you train her she would get better and she could live here. Makes sense does it not?"

The words flew into Erik's ear and out the other. Madame Giry looked into his eyes that seemed to show another world, she could tell he wasn't listening. She smiled before continuing "So is that fine with you Erik?"

"Hm? Yeah, yeah." He replied, his mind still far into another place.

"Then you start on Monday." She finished, walking away and waiting for Erik to realize what had just happened.

"Monday? Wait! Madame Giry, What do I start on Monday?"

"Training Carmelina of course! as you agreed."

Erik's face crinkled in confusion and anger. Madame Giry was a master of deception but Erik no longer wanted to be fooled by her. He grabbed her tightly on her wrist and pulled her close enough that they could see each others reflection in their eyes.

"Train her? There is nothing to train! No talent that can be mastered."

"That is what everyone thought about Christine."

"DONT YOU DARE SAY HER NAME!" Erik's grip tightened and madame Giry screamed in pain. "She had a future in singing! She had the most wonderful raw voice in the world! You are comparing carmelina to christine? THEY HAVE NO SIMILARITIES WHATSOEVER!"

"Erik! Erik." She continued, trying to regain her composure. "Erik. I've seen you do marvelous things with music, music that can count as a miracle. Think of this opportunity as a chance to rid the world of ungodly music. Starting with her. MakeHeryour musical miracle"

Erik stared far into the distance. Madame Giry was right but he didn't want her to get her way that easily. He knew what must be done.

"Take me to her."


Carmelina could hear footsteps coming down the wooden stairs in a hurry, she wiped the tears from her eyes before turning to face the woman who had protected her from the monster.

"Carmelina? I'm sorry about what had happened earlier and we need to talk."

Carmelina nodded and tapped the space beside her. Mme. Giry sat down and placed a light hand on her shoulder.

"I will not be able to help you improve anymore. First I will be very busy arranging the opening opera of the season and in honesty,I feel incapable of showing you the beauty of music."

Carmelina felt water swell in her eyes again. "are you-are you sending me away?" She asked, her voice cracking from the disappointment and sadness. Mme. Giry pulled a hair away from Carmelina's face and tucked it behind her ear. "No my dear but I have been able to find, how should I say it, a compromise"

"Compromise?" She asked in the same tone Erik had earlier in the balcony. Mme. Giry took a deep sigh realizing there may be more similarities between them then they ever would have known.

"There is someone I want you to meet."

"Who?"

A man in formal dress clothes came down the stairs boastfully. A smirk on his face and a gleam in his eye. He had a feeling this would not go well and that he would enjoy it.

"Hello Carmelina."


AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! :)

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