Author's Note: To RedDeathLvr thank you for the awesome reviews I'm glad you're enjoying it thus far. And thank you to everyone who's favorited and followed as well. :D I hope everyone enjoys my new fanfic please read and review...

Inspiration: Getting more of the main/secondary characters their time in the limelight.

Meeting La Carlotta

She awoke the next morning early, grateful her internal alarm clock was working. She was used to getting up this early and she was grateful here she got to made up the schedule so she could sleep in again. She was a night owl but sometimes her job required she get up at the crack of dawn's ass. However, she loved her job and her boss was someone she held dearly to her heart and had known for what seemed like forever. Before the sadness could creep up on her, she got out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

She was grateful to have an attached bathroom as well as plumbing and running water thanks to the two large water tanks in the opera house. What she missed were hot showers. At least she had a bathtub even if it was inconvenient and slow. So splashing water on her face would suffice for this morning, as she didn't want to be late on her second day. Her clothes were thrown on quickly and she was again grateful she had chosen to wear these clothes and not the traditional women's garb for the corset alone took forever to do if you didn't have someone to help you with it. In addition, all the other layers, people of this time were too damn modest, God forbid a man saw your ankle let alone your calf.

She smirked at the thought of some of these people falling into her time especially during the summer. She chuckled to herself as she headed to the kitchen. Unlike she expected, she wasn't the first one in the kitchen Aidan and Francois were already there, Francois already had his signature cup of earl grey tea. Him and Roger were the only two that preferred tea everyone else even Francois' brother Orson preferred coffee. But then again Francois had married an English woman so he was probably trained to prefer tea. 'First day and he's super early Aidan just earned himself a gold star.'

"Good morning young lady."

"Good morning Francois. How are you this morning?"

"I'm alive and kicking so I can't complain." She smiled at him before tuning to Aidan.

"Good morning Aidan. How are you?"

"Good morning lassie, I'm doing very well and how are ye feeling?"

"I'm tired after yesterday but otherwise good. I have the menu done for this week and a new schedule that will hopefully be more productive and give us some extra hours sleep."

"Aye lassie I'm always one for more sleep."

"I am as well. How did you manage that?"

"Why with my excellent organizational skills of course. It should allow us to be almost fully staffed during busy hours from after breakfast to right before supper. I also plan on getting some help from the dishwashers as well."

"Help lassie, with what?"

"With prep work, cutting up vegetables and fruit simple stuff like that. I'll go over the schedule more when the others get here. I figure we start the schedule on Saturday since it's slower in the morning and we see how it goes if it works out we can continue it."

"Sounds fair."

After a few minutes, the others had arrived and they went over the schedule and menu for the week everyone seemed on board for which she was grateful. Only one more day until they started the new schedule and would have more free time and hopefully she could locate either Christine or Erik and see how she could go about fixing everything.

It was another long day but worth it, they got a lot done for the next day to enact, her plan and she also caught sight of the ballerinas as they came down for lunch including Christine. She almost didn't recognize her at first since she was looking for chocolate brown curls instead of blonde straight hair. She wasn't quite sure what she'd say to the girl and so decided to make a plan first. She couldn't exactly walk up to her and say. "So how's the music lessons with your angel going, by the way you know he's the phantom right?" It wouldn't exactly go over well.


The only problem she encountered during the day was one she hadn't anticipated but should have foreseen. It took all of her patience not to throttle Carlotta who had come down with a list of demands. First she wanted her food delivered to her room at specific times, then the soup had to cooled off she couldn't risk burning her precious throat, next she would only eat certain foods and only done a certain way. She swore it was a pamphlet worth of requests. Some she could do others she had politely declined which just made the diva, aptly named by the way, narrow her eyes and look down on the new chef as though she were a wayward servant not the head chef of the opera house.

"You will do-a as I-a wish or it-a will-a be a bad for you."

She forced herself to not only not roll her eyes but also keep her expression neutral and voice calm. "I understand you have certain requests Madame however not all of them can be done either for time purposes or we don't have the resources."

The Prima Donna sulked and pouted which made her look uglier and spoke slowly as if the chef in front of her were a child of five. "You will-a make a sure that my requests are-a met. If you don't have-a the time then that is not my problem."

Jennifer took a deep breath and tried again. "I will do my best to follow your requests if you have any problems you can take it up with the managers if any arise."

The diva seemed appeased though still not happy and waved her hand and turned her back on her to continue putting on her makeup dismissing her. Jen narrowed her eyes and walked out before she would say something she would regret.


"So how it go young lady?"

"I swear I wanted to strangle her she had a list of demands, a list not one or two. God that woman infuriates me taking to me like I'm five and dismissing me like I'm her servant."

Two of Jen's biggest pet peeves were, being talked down to and ignorant people and Carlotta embodied both of them. She knew from the book she was irritating but not like this. She continued her work while calling the diva some choice words in her mind.

After the day was over, she went back to her room and started the water for a bath. Her undergarments and nightgown placed on the bed, she took her hair out of its tight bun running her fingers through combing out the tangles. A comb was added to her growing list of items she needed if she was going to be stuck in the 1800s. She slipped into the water sighing as the warm water soothed her aching muscles.

She would have loved a drink since she would be able to sleep in the next day however; all that was downstairs was wine. After her culinary schools' wine tasting, she quickly learned that French wine left much to be desired they were much too dry for her taste only good for cooking. Not that she even liked wine much but when she did it was usually Italian or Chilean something full-bodied blush, sweet whites or red ports. The sweeter wines were what she preferred if she had to drink it but what she really wanted was an ice-cold beer. Maybe it was best she didn't have it she wouldn't want to risk over sleeping the next day. After getting out of the now cool water, she toweled off, dressed for bed and slipped under the sheets. She stretched out her limbs and cracked her back, ankles and elbows before settling down for a restful much needed slumber.


Erik stood on the rooftop overlooking Paris. He wondered how much longer he would have to keep up his charade. When Christine had assumed he was the angel of music he agreed that he was indeed an angel sent by her father instead of a musical genius looking for a willing pupil with potential.

"Why did I lie?"

A deep dark voice answered him. "Because you knew she would never accept the phantom of the opera as her tutor."

"She might have if given the chance."

A dark chuckle was released. "Not likely she would've ran away in fear like everyone else does. Everyone fears the man behind the mask."

"Why can I not find someone who will not fear me?"

Dark laughter could be heard all around floating around the statues like the leaves on the wind. "Because you are a hideous monster you will always be feared by everyone, and hated by all."

"I want to be loved. Christine could learn to love me."

"She would have to be forced to love a monster."

"I would not force my angel."

"Then you will lose her. No one can love the devil's child. She must be forced to your will. She will love you when she hears your music and the opera you have written. Force her to sing for you. Only for you."

"Yes you are right she will sing only for me. I will make her sing for me her voice will rival those in heaven and will make even the angels weep in ecstasy."

"Yes you will take her mind, soul and voice. She must love you then or be enslaved forever in the house by the lake."

"My precious angel, but I do not wish to enslave her."

The voice got deeper even more menacing. "It is the only way. You know this, do not argue with me you know I always win."

Erik put his head down solemnly. "You are right you always have your way. But can I not have my way this once, can I not have Christine's love without enslaving her."

"We will see but nothing is promised."

"Very well, thank you."

Erik bowed and turned abruptly cape swishing as he left the rooftop through the secret passage. The moonlight shone down on the completely empty roof save for the statues of alabaster and marble, banishing the shadows to their hiding places.


A/N: Well Carlotta has shown a small glimpse of the diva she will be. For those Carlotta lovers out there I assure you, you won't like this one it won't be her singing that makes her bad in this it will be her attitude and spoiled behavior. She will be a real bitch here pushing our chef to her limits.