Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera (the book/film/musical/opera) or any of the characters. I only own my OC Sylvia

Foreword: I, once again, wrote a little song at the beginning of this, and it goes to the tune of Angel of Music, just like the one I wrote a few chapters ago.

Chapter Nine

Arriving back at the Opera House, Sylvia remained silent as Raoul led her back to room. She stared at her feet as she sat on her bed, hugging her knees. Raoul looked at her for a moment before shutting the door, leaving. She tossed off the black dress, yanking on a deep blue-purple dress. The back was bustled and the sleeves flared out at the elbow. Sylvia was, for the first time in months, terrified. What if Erik was upset with her for not actually stopping Raoul? What if he no longer trusted her? She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he didn't. She was beginning to realize how much she'd come to rely on him. She'd become so used to hearing his opinion when he would teach her singing techniques. She had to know if he was upset. She sat on the edge of her bed, looking around.

" Angel of Music, can you hear me?" She sang, waiting and hoping for a response. Nothing came she sighed and tried again. " Angel of Music, do you hate me? Please don't leave me waiting." After another moment of silence, she shut her eyes, fearing the worst.

" Sylvia." She heard behind her. Her back went stiff and she swallowed. Slowly she turned, biting her lip, seeing Erik by the closed door. His face was currently passive but he could break out of that affect at any moment.

" Are… are you upset with me?" She asked. He gave her a confused look.

" Why, in God's name, would I be upset with you? It's your sister and her… fiancé I'm upset with. You did nothing wrong, Sylvia." He told her. Visible relief washed over Sylvia's face.

" Oh thank God… I thought you would have been upset with me. Come to think of it, I don't know why you would; I was just worried you'd be upset. You're opinion has grown to mean so much to me." She admitted, sitting down. A smile appeared on his face as he removed his cloak. He draped it over the footboard of the bed rolling his head to relieve the stiffness in his neck. " Did you get hurt at all?" She inquired, referring to the fight. Erik chuckled and shook his head.

" As if that boy could do anything to hurt me." Erik scoffed. Sylvia tucked her legs underneath herself, beginning to absently toy around with a lock of her hair, humming to herself. Erik watched her, and he could tell her head was swimming with thoughts. He would assume of the day that had just occurred. Her face seemed emotionally exhausted, and her body language said the same thing; her shoulder were hunched, her head was hung and her eyes were down cast.

Erik had known he was in love, truly in love with Sylvia for the past three months. He'd been trying to figure out how and when to tell her. His mind had told him to do it many times, but he never followed through. He slowly sat beside her and she looked over at him, giving him a smile. His mind began to shout at him to tell her right then. What better time than now?

" Sylvia… I… I must tell you something." Said Erik looking at her hesitantly.

" Yes? What is it?" She asked curiously. He opened his mouth and began to speak,

" I l-" But he froze when he heard footsteps approach the door. " I must go, someone is coming." He said, grabbing his cloak. He dashed behind the door just as it opened. Raoul stood there, his arm bandaged, his shirt changed. He held a leather coat in his hands, and he gave a tender smile to Sylvia.

" How do you feel?" Raoul asked. Sylvia gave a shrug, tugging at the skirt of her dress.

" Tired mostly." She admitted, seeing Erik quickly slip from behind the door, dashing into the shadows. Disappointment filled her chest. What had he been about to tell her? It had seemed important… and now he was gone, and she didn't know when she would see him again, so she wouldn't know what he was about to say for probably a good amount of time…

" I don't doubt that." Raoul said, sitting beside her. " You had a long day. I hope you don't get sick from being out in the cold for so long, just like when we were younger." Sylvia laughed, smiling. He smiled back, giving her a hug. She hugged back, resting her head on his shoulder. " Why don't you go find Christine. I think she's either in her room or in the chapel. She could do with some company." She nodded, standing up. She walked out of the room, no shoes on her feet, causing Raoul to smile. He stood, pulling his coat on, making his way downstairs, where André, Firmin, Carlotta, Madame Giry, Meg, Reyer, and Piangi waited to hear the plan Roaul said he'd come up with.

He began to walk down the backstage corridor, the crowd following him.

" What is your plan?" André asked.

" The Phantom has requested we do the Opera he wrote, yes?" Raoul asked. Everyone nodded, and he continued. " We have all been blind, and yet the answer is staring us in the face. This could be the chance to ensnare our clever friend."

" We're listening!" Said André.

" Go on!" Firmin added anxiously.

" We shall play his game, perform his work but remember, we hold the ace. For if Miss Daaé sings, he is certain to attend!" Raoul pointed out.

" We are certain the doors are barred!" André sang, catching on.

" We are certain the police are there!" Firmin sang, adding onto the plan.

" We are certain they are armed." Raoul sang, knowing that it might just work.

" The curtain falls, his reign will end!" The three sang.

" But, which Daaé?" Questioned Firmin after a moment.

" Sylvia. He asked for her, and he shall get what he wants." Raoul responded.

" Do we tell her of the plan?" Asked André.

" No. She'd only refuse. We will tell Christine, but no one can let Sylvia know." He said, glancing back at the crowd.

" Someone bring the music to Miss Daaé. Rehearsal starts tomorrow!" Called out Firmin. Reyer quickly scrambled off, going to grab the music for Sylvia. Raoul knew that the Phantom's attention was now directed towards Sylvia. Ever since they were little, she'd been a younger sister to him, so he didn't want that man messing with her. She was sweet and innocent; he couldn't bare to think what he would do if she was ever hurt or intimidated or anything of that nature. This is what he was doing to protect her, and he wouldn't stop till he knew she was safe.

OOOO

The next day, as Firmin announced, rehearsals started. The cast was given copies of the music for Don Juan Triumphant, and they all gathered at the front of the stage, by the pit for Reyer to play the piano. They began to sing through the entire show, everyone stopping once and a while to try and find their parts or stare at the words written on the paper. Sylvia stood at the front with Christine behind her and beside Piangi and Carlotta. The diva kept shooting dirty looks at the younger Daaé, insulted at the fact she was getting the lead. The lead! A ballet girl was getting the lead for the show and not her.

When it came time for Sylvia to sing her first solo part, she already knew half of it- Erik had her sing it for him once. Everyone stared at the young woman in shock. Her voice was amazing. It carried throughout the entire theatre, echoing through every corner. Her voice was angelic and sweet, and everyone was amazed that she'd only been considered as a ballet girl for so long.

" Excellent, excellent, Miss Daaé!" Reyer complimented. She gave a timid smile and blushed, looking down at the music. Carlotta snorted under her breath muttering something along the lines of 'unbelievable'.

Erik had decided he was going to watch every rehearsal. He was already impressed at the way her voice carried. She sounded amazing, she always had, but she sounded even more amazing. He could say differently for Piangi and the majority of the cast- but then again, it was only the first rehearsal.

Piangi kept stumbling over a melody and Reyer groaned in frustration. He sighed, putting his head in his hands.

" No, no, no! Everyone take a break, maybe when we come back Monsieur Piangi would have learned his melody correctly." Reyer instructed. The cast began to head off to get something to drink or to sit and relax. Sylvia turned, moving to walk across the stage. Carlotta stuck her foot out as Sylvia passed, and she tripped, falling to the stage with a hard thud and a groan that made everyone stop and look. The music had fallen from her hands and her ribs were already beginning to ache. Erik prepared to do something, anything to the woman who tripped Sylvia. She pushed herself up, staring up at Carlotta, who smirked down.

" Stupid chorus girl." Carlotta spat. Sylvia glared at the diva as she stood up quickly, brushing off the skirt of her light red dress.

" I have had enough of your insults, Carlotta!" Sylvia said, close to shouting. The diva's mouth dropped open. " I've taken your threats and insults from the moment I came here. I've dealt with them being hurled at my face when I'm two feet away, or hearing about it when I go to bed at night. You have no right to call me stupid, just because I'm in the chorus, or just because I'm a ballet girl. I have talent, I know I do, and I don't care if you don't think I do. I know I do, and I'm going to let myself shine. So, kindly keep all your insults to yourself, Carlotta, or prepare to hear some back." Sylvia said, bending over, picking up the music. She gave the woman a smile before turning and walking off stage to go fix her dress.

The entire theatre was silent. Erik grinned. He laughed. He laughed loud enough for it to echo and resound throughout the entire theatre. The cast was impressed. Sylvia stood up for herself against Carlotta. It wasn't only the first time since they heard Sylvia stand up for herself, ever, but it was also the first time anyone ever stood up to Carlotta. They were all shocked and they all looked around, searching for the Phantom. Soon his laughter died down and everyone began to murmur. Not about the laughter, but about Sylvia. About her singing voice. About her standing up for herself. She was the talk of the day.

OOOO

A few days later, as Sylvia sat looking over her music, she heard a few of the chorus girls talking.

" Sylvia didn't get her role off pure talent. The Phantom only chose her because she's Christine's sister. He was so obsessed with her months ago, and now he's seemed to grow tired of her now that Raoul seems to have a hold of her." Said one of the girl.

" I don't know why he even favors the two at all, there's nothing that special about them." Said another.

" That stupid Sylvia… someone should give the lead to another girl, not just to a girl the Phantom obsesses over…" Said the first voice. Sylvia quickly stood, walking past the girls, off to the wings of the stage. She ran her hands through her hair, pacing. What if they were right? What if she only got the role because of Christine? What if she really wasn't that good?

" Sylvia? Are you alright?" Asked Meg's voice. She shook her head.

" No. I just overheard a few chorus girls talking…" She muttered. Meg's face fell.

" You heard them? They've been talking like that for days… it's only because they're jealous, Sylvia, don't believe what they say." Meg said, taking her friend's hand. Sylvia gave a weak smile to her friend. " Come, we should go back to rehearsal."

By the time they began staging the scenes, Erik was watching intently, needing to see every move that was made and every entrance and exit. If the plan he had in mind was going to work, then he was going to need to know everything. He smiled as he walked off from the rafters when rehearsal ended.

OoOoOoO

When the night of the performance came, police marched in an orderly line into the front doors of the Opera House. Other theatregoers murmured about their presence, wondering why they were there. Erik was slipping and sliding around the rafters and in crawl spaces, making sure everything was in place. He slid over to one stained glass circular windows, and made sure it was shut. He pulled on a lever with gloved hands, made sure the window was closed, he pulled the other lever making sure it was locked and then unhooked the chain that would hold the window open, dropping it to the ground. Everything had to be in the right place for his plan to work.

Raoul ran down to the chapel, looking for Christine, who'd been managing to evade everyone all day. Apparently she was upset and worried about her sister. Christine was kneeling in front of a row of candles, staring intently at the one of her father. When Raoul walked in she glanced up at him.

" Raoul, I'm frightened for Sylvia." Christine whispered in a wavering tone. She looked up at him, turning, sniffing and rubbing a tear off her cheek. " Don't make her do this. Raoul, it scares me to know he wants my sister." She stood, her large blue dress poofing out around her. Raoul pulled her into a hug. " Don't put her through this ordeal by fire. He'll take her, I know. We won't see her ever again. He won't let her go." She said, pulling back to look at her, her eyes stinging. " What we used to dream about, every night…" Christine walked to the stain glass window, sitting on the stone windowsill. " We now dread. She doesn't seem worried about anything, even though she doesn't know; she doesn't seem to mind his presence… If he finds her, it will never end. And he'll always be there singing songs in our heads. He'll always be there singing songs in our heads…" The light reflecting off the water outside the window shone through the angel in the window.

" You said your self, he was nothing but a man." Raoul sang, sitting across from her, taking her hands in his. " Yet while he lives, he will haunt us till we're dead."

" Twisted every way, what answer can I give? Am I to risk my sister's life to win the chance for all of us to live? Can she and I betray the man who once inspired our voices? Does she become his prey? Does she have any choice? He kills without a thought, he murders all that's good! I know she can't refuse, and yet I wish she could! Oh God, if she agrees, what horrors wait for her in this, the Phantom's opera?" Christine sang in worry for her sister, knowing that if he killed all that was good, and her sister was one of the best people she'd ever known, she could be killed. She also couldn't believe that Raoul had been the one to propose the idea of this, putting her little sister, his little sister in danger.

" Christine, Christine, don't think that I don't care." Raoul pleaded, leaning closer to her. " But every hope and every prayer rests on her now!" Tears gathered and then fell from her eyes as she tightly hugged him, burying her face in his shoulder.

Sylvia was pinning a red rose into her hair, fixing the curls so they cascaded over one shoulder. She was oblivious to the plan everyone else knew about, and she didn't understand why everyone kept wishing her luck over and over and over again- usually only one time sufficed. It was almost like everyone was expecting her to die. The police were there; she'd seen them and she saw the amount of them. She figured they were all there because André and Firmin were worried Erik would try and do something rash. She fixed her costume as Christine walked in with Raoul. She smiled at them. Raoul smiled broadly at her, wearing his tuxedo.

" You're going to do great." He told her, giving her a hug. She smiled, hugging back.

" Thank you. I hope you enjoy it." She said. Raoul gave a nod.

" I will." He assured her. He pressed a kiss to Christine's forehead, squeezing her shoulder before leaving to take his seat. Christine gave Sylvia a long, tight hug, rubbing her sister's back.

" You're going to blow everyone away. They're going to love you." Christine assured.

" I just hope I don't mess anything up. I don't want to do that." Said Sylvia, fixing the rose. Christine lovingly helped her and smoothed out her hair a bit.

" You won't. I know you and it won't happen. I promise. But if anything unexpected does happen, you know what do to. You just go with it and everything will turn out okay." She said, her eyes seeming to tear up a bit. With a nod and a smile the two left for places, not knowing what the night held for them.

Below, in the vaults, Erik was getting ready for the performance just like everyone else. He pulled on his wig, fixing it so it stayed in place.

" Seal my fate tonight, I hate to have to cut the fun short, but the joke's wearing thin," Erik sang to himself, pulling on a black mask that completely covered his nose, upper lip, and both cheekbones and eyebrows. He grabbed a candle, walking over to the mock-up stage, which had been made to match the one made for Don Juan. He crouched down, looking at all the figurines. " Let the audience in, let my opera begin!" Erik dropped the candle into a circular piece in the middle of the stage, setting it afire. He grinned standing straight. He had to finish getting ready if he wanted to make his cue on time.

Afterword: YAY ANOTHER CHAPTER! I hope to get the next chapter up tomorrow! But I have school and homework tomorrow, so I'll see what I can get done after all that! I wanted to get this much done so the next chapter could start with Don Juan/Point of No Return. I hope you liked this chapter though!

Thank you to all my reviewers! Thank you to: grapjuice101, PhantomFan01, AmberRedRose, skittlesgirl99, and funnygirl00. I'm glad you all are liking the story! I hope you liked the chapter! I really hope I can get the next chapter up soon! Please let me know what you think! Reviews would be loved and make me very, very happy! Thanks!

~Mary