Victor Lane

Disclaimer: I don't own phantom of the opera. But if I did, it would be great. Rated for language and sexual themes/content.

Lily ran through the routine for that night's opera along with the other ballerinas. She had to swallow her need to tell Claire what Erik had done the night before, and had to suppress her yearn to hear what Claire thought of it. But if Lily knew her friend like she thought she did, Claire would have burst out laughing at Lily for her misfortunes.

But she didn't tell Claire, she kept it to herself. She had to, she wasn't sure if Erik was around to hear her.

He was though.

During the day when she wasn't with him in the cellars, he was watching her from above the stage. He kept her from telling his secret because he said he would know if she told anyone, he would- because he was watching her.

But as she danced that day, she figured out a way she could tell Claire her secret without Erik knowing. She had a notebook in the dormitories that she had once used as a diary; Erik said she couldn't "tell" anyone her secret. He didn't say anything about "Writing it down". Even though she wondered if writing it down was the same thing as telling someone. Well, it wouldn't be if she wrote it down in her old diary, left it where Claire could find it, told her there was something on her bed that she needed, Claire would go get it, and see her diary.

The only flaw with that plan was what if Erik saw it before Claire did? She would have to come up with a pretty damn good excuse for writing it down. It might make him kind of angry if he finds out she was trying to go behind his back and tell Claire.

Would it be worth the chance? Well, as she saw it there were two sides to the matter: 1. Tell Claire and save their friendship. But make Erik angry.

2. Not tell Claire and put their friendship in jeopardy but keep Erik happy.

Either way it seemed like she'd lose. Maybe it would be best to just keep silent, but if she did; then she'd not tell Claire and Erik would be happy. Damn it.

"Lily…" Oh what was she to do? "Lily…!" No matter what happened, she would never be happy. Why couldn't things turn out in her favor? "LILY!"

She snapped back into reality. Everyone had stopped dancing, everyone was looking at her, and madam Giry had her hands on her hips.

"Would you mind keeping you're head out of the clouds?" she hissed at Lily, who shyly nodded at her. Madam Giry was very cross with her since she'd made the deal with Erik, because she was almost always late for practice. Only on rare occasions she was able to make it with a few seconds to spare. But not recently.

"Sorry Madam Giry." Lily mumbled, falling back in line with the other ballet girls, and receiving a nasty look from Celia and her followers.

"Alright, now girls, we've got our show tonight and I need you all here early for some last minute dress rehearsals. Don't be late- and this means you Lily." Lily shrugged.

But it didn't come to her until after they were leaving for their break that she would have to talk to Erik about the performance. She would have to ask his permission to perform, and no doubt he would want to attend the performance to make sure she didn't go behind his back. He was so naturally mistrustful that it was almost suffocating.

So, during her break, she went down to the labyrinth to tell him she had to go perform. He wasn't waiting for her at the mirror, and at that she was not surprised. She had a feeling he wouldn't be, he had no reason to think she'd be coming early.

However, after she'd called his name, he came up behind her. Nearly scaring her out of her skin.

"Jesus!" She hissed at him, putting her hand over her heart. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Why have you come?" He snapped first and foremost. "You're not due here until sunset."

"I-I came to tell you about the performance." She said; her voice uneasy and almost frightened. "I have to perform tonight, so I might be late. I'm not sure how late."

"Fine, but you have until midnight to get here or—"

"I know, I know." She interrupted him. ""OR A DISASTER BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION WILL OCCUR" I know how this goes." Her cheeky voice was almost annoying as he listened to her knowledge of what he was going to say. But as long as she knew what would happen, he supposed he had no reason to repeat himself.

So he allowed her to perform that night. But as she did, Erik stalked up to his box to watch. Not only was she not going to slip out from under his radar and tell, neither did he attend to see if she would fall, but he attended just to watch her perform. Somehow, he felt he should. He kept telling himself it was one of the two reasons stated; but deep down he knew he just wanted to watch.

He'd gone so long without someone to watch on stage. Christine had been his center of attention, but she was gone and wasn't coming back. He had to watch Lily, even if he had convinced himself that it was for a derivative motive.

Lily wanted to let her mind go back to wanting to find a loophole in her and Erik's agreement, but so far she couldn't find one. It was airtight by her ideals; she had no way to communicate to her friend the reason she wasn't in the dormitories at night, and why she didn't return until daylight.

But she had to concentrate on the show. She had to stay in unison with the other girls. Should she fall out of place she would look very stupid, and she didn't need to do that twice in one year. Once was enough for several years, and she didn't want Madam Giry chewing her out for not paying attention. She had enough angry people to deal with.

After the show, everyone was bustling around. She could hardly find her way through the crowd. As she tried to get through to Christine's dressing room, she felt someone grab her shoulder. She whipped around and saw before her, a tall man who had thick black hair and was wearing a very fine tailored suit. He obviously was a man of wealth, because no stage hand could afford a suit that nice.

"Excuse me, Mademoiselle." Lily stopped and looked at the man. She wanted to hurry and get to Christine's old dressing room so she wouldn't anger Erik. Her father's pocket watch said it was 10 till 12 and she really had to hurry. But the man had prevented her from doing so. "I saw you dancing, you were very beautiful."

"Thank you Monsieur." She replied nicely.

"and I would like to ask you're name."

"Lily." She hated to just give him blunt little answers, but she really had to hurry.

"I'm Victor, Victor Lane. Please, may I have the honor of taking you to the cast party?" She quickly shook her head. She kind of wanted to go with him, because he was a little attractive. But he looked a little older than her.

"I-I can't go. I'd like to but I really can't. I have an appointment elsewhere that I truly cannot miss." She really did want to go with him though.

"Oh…" he said sadly, but as she turned to leave, he grabbed her shoulder again. "How about tomorrow then? I can take you out to dinner or maybe we could get some coffee?"

"Tomorrow night I can't. But tomorrow during the day I could." She told him. She was glad Erik's deal had that in her favor. Otherwise she wouldn't have anything from the deal in her favor.

"Tomorrow during the day it is. I'll see you then Mon Cherie," She nodded dumbly as he lifted her hand, kissed her knuckles, and left her. She stood in a stupid daze until she remembered she had to go visit Erik.

When she got to the mirror, he was already there. He looked agitated, she looked at her watch and she was not late. In fact, she was two minutes early.

"What?" She questioned. He shook his head.

"Nothing, let's go." He nearly barked at her, and for the first time he grabbed her wrist and tugged her along behind him. As if he didn't think she would follow willingly.

He'd seen her, her and that cheeky boy. It sickened him; do all the girls he meets tend to meet run off with pretty boys? It sure as hell seems like it.

"Ow! Ow! Erik let me go!" She snapped, yanking her wrist back and rubbing it. "Damn it Erik, don't pull so fucking hard. I'm coming you know." He grumbled a little and they continued on, he was contemplating on the paradox of his situation, even if Lily didn't think he was in one at all.

They'd gotten to the lair in the same amount of time as they usually do. Lily announced to him that she was going to take a bath, and rudely added,

"Do you want to watch?" And without his reply; went to take her bath.

Erik gave her a dirty look before going over to his organ. He sat down and as he lifted his hands, a tune came into his mind. It was an angry tune; and when he played it, his frustration came flowing out through the tips of his fingers. The tune was loud, hard, and angry.

Lily came out of the shower in a number of minutes and saw him playing.

"Looks like you're out of that block." She said to him, but received no recognition that he'd heard her. He did, but he hated to admit it.

She went into his room to brush her hair and go to sleep. She was very tired from her performance, and couldn't wait for her date with Victor the very next day.

:D New Character! Victor Lane How will he complicate the matter? ONLY I KNOW :O