Chapter 11

**** Erik's POV ****

Opening night a very important night, in more ways than one. Tonight would be Christine's great triumph; tonight she shall dazzle all of Paris. This would be the night that she would take her rightful place as the lead soprano of the Opera. The very angels above will cry from the beauty and perfection of her voice. After tonight I will be done with her.

I had spent the last few days contemplating, thinking on this matter… I already knew that I could make it so Christine replaced the toad. But as soon as that was done I would take my leave of her, the Vicomte would pay her a visit tonight and whisk her away with his foppishness. With that over and done with I would be free to prove to Evangeline that I will love her and only her for the rest of my life.

I watched the rehearsal from high above, from the dark cat walks. Far from the eyes of stage hands, who were probably too drunk at this time to even realize that I was up here. Even from up here I could hear every word that was being said on the stage below.

The new managers, Firmin and Andre, were now watching the rehearsal, following Giry closely. Actually they were probable watching the ballerinas as they twirled around and pranced in their slave costumes.

Chorus: Hannibal's Friends!

Carlotta: The trumpeting elephants sound,

All: Hear, Romans, now and tremble. Hark to their step on the ground, Hear the drums! Hannibal Comes!

The music ended and not even two seconds later Carlotta began to complain, "All day! All they want is dancing." Of course all they wanted was dancing, I thought, with a toad like you on stage they needed some actual entertainment.

Lefévre came back over to the managers, "Well, the de Changys are very excited about tonight's gala."

Carlotta also made her way across the stage to them, "I hope he is as excited by dancing girls as your new managers…because I will not be singing!" That was the only true blue music to come out of that Diva's mouth. No, one ever took these threats seriously though, she would say them but always be back, sadly, "Get my doggy, bring my doggy. Bye-bye."

"What do we do?" asked Andre. Celebrate, you fool, cut your losses now and celebrate.

"Grovel," answered Lefevre simply, "Grovel, grovel."

"Right," said Andre, Firmin on the other hand seemed to roll his eyes as they walk over to the fuming Prima Dona.

"I'm going now. It is finished." Said Carlotta. Go on get going, no one is actually going to try and stop you, well at least not out of good taste anyway.

"World-renowned artist and great beauty." Said Firmin.

"Bella diva!" added Andre.

"Goddess of song." Stated Firmin. Gentlemen please just let her go…you can thank me for it later.

"Monsieur Reyer, isn't there a rather marvelous aria for Elissa… in Act 3 of Hannibal?" questioned Andre, "Perhaps the signora…"

"No! Because I have not my costume for Act 3, because somebody not finish it!" screamed Carlotta, "And I 'ate my 'at!"

Firmin was quick on his feet though, "Signora, as a personal favor, would you oblige us with a private rendition?" Do not encourage her, note to self when we are family make sure to help that man develop a sense of taste "Unless, of course, Monsieur Reyer objects."

Carlotta's tune changed, "If my managers command. Monsieur Reyer?"

"If my diva commands." Said Reyer.

"Yes, I do!" stated Carlotta, "Everybody, very quiet." The only one who should be silent here is you Madame.

"Monsieur, why exactly are you retiring?" questioned Andre to Lefévre.

"My health." Replied Lefévre…maybe I should join him on his retirement. Yes, I could take Evangeline away to the coast run away together, go to America or somewhere! No, I could not separate Evangeline from her family, besides I wanted them to accept me too and I had to make up for what I did the other day.

"I see," said Andre,

"You as well!" shouted Carlotta silencing the last of the chorus members.

"Signora?" asked Reyer ready to conduct.

"Maestro," said Carlotta taking a few sprites from her throat spray. The music began and the toad began to croak.

Carlotta: Think of me, Think of me fondly. When we've said good bye…Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try…When you find that once again, You long to take your heart back….

There was no way I saw going to stand here and let her murder that aria. I walked over to the rail and began to unravel the rope that kept one of the backdrops up…it worked last time…

Carlotta: And be freeee…..

The backdrop came crashing down, Antoinette's daughter Marguerite screamed. I walked away from the rail retreating further in to the back reaches of the cat walks.

"Oh, my God signora!" cried Reyer halting the music and running to help.

"Lift it up!" demanded Carlotta who had been flattened.

"He's here, The Phantom of the Opera." Said Marguerite quietly.

"Signora, are you all right? Buquet! For God's sake, what's going one up there?" asked Lefevre,

Joseph Boquet, chief of the flies, appeared at the rail where moments ago I had been, he began to lift the fallen back drop, "Please, monsieur, don't look at me. As God's my judge, I wasn't at my post." From my new position, I took out a letter from my coat pocket and let it flutter down to Madame Giry who stood below, "Please, monsieur there is no one there. Or if there is, well, then it must be a ghost."

"Signora, these things do happen." Said Andre trying to calm the fuming Carlotta.

"For the past three years these things do happen," said Carlotta angrily, "And did you stop them from happening? NO!" I did unfortunately have to give her some points there, she did not back down easily, I had bothered her for years and she never backed down…completely, "And you two, you are as bad as him. 'These things do happen'. Until you stop these things from happening this thing does not happen!" She began to walk away, her entourage following close behind, "Bring my doggy and my boxy."

Piangi came briefly over to the managers, "Amateurs," Then followed Carlotta out the door. Now only one thing remained, Christine had to get the now open spot.

Lefévre took this time to make his leave, "Gentlemen, good luck. If you need me I shall be in Nice."

Firmin and Andre looked as though the world was ending, "Signora Giudicelli, she will be coming back, won't she?" asked Andre. Oh, she will come back…unfortunately…but by then they won't need her.

"You think so, monsieur?" asked Giry, good she is still going to let me have Christine become a star, "I have a message from the Opera Ghost."

"Oh, God in heaven, you are all obsessed!" cried Firmin.

Giry ignored his comment, "He welcomes you to his opera house."

"His opera house?" exclaimed Firmin.

"And commands that you continue to leave box five empty, for his use. And reminds you that his salary is due," continued Giry.

"His salary?" questioned Firmin.

"Monsieur Lefévre, used to give him 20,000 francs a month," Explained Giry.

"20,000 francs?" exclaimed Firmin.

"That is a lot of money," said a female voice from beside me. I went to grab the person's throat but stopped myself when I saw that it was Evangeline,

"Oh it is you." She did not look amused by her near strangling, "I meant nothing by it."

"I know," she said calmly, "I just startled you."

"I do not startle," I said, "What are you doing here?"

"Is it not obvious?" she stated a small smile coming across her face, "I came to see you."

"I see," I sighed. She came to see me!

"If you do not want to see me, I can leave now," Said Evangeline.

"No, stay." I said, "How long have you been here?"

"As long as my Uncle Richard," she explained her smile disappeared, "You did not notice that I was here?"

"No, not at all," She has been here the whole time? I should have known that she would use her Uncle's arrival as an excuse to come see me…I should have had flowers at the ready. There was a moment of scary silence, "I am sorry, for the other day." I said, "I over reacted."

"You are good at that," stated Evangeline,"I should have not questioned you about Christine."

"Ah yes Christine…" I said letting my mind drift, any moment now she would begin to sing, setting the wheels of my plans in motion.

"Erik…Erik…are you listening to me?" asked Evangeline placing her hand on my shoulder, shaking me a little.

"Hmmm, what?" I said coming back to reality.

"I was asking you a question." She said, "I…."

"Shush," I said placing my finger tips on her lips. The angel had begun to sing….

Christine: Think of me, Think of me fondly, When we've said goodbye. Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try…When you find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free…If you ever find a moment, spar a thought for me….

The managers took no time at all to send her off to get Christine ready for tonight's performance. So far all was going according plan. I turned back to Evangeline only to find that she was not there, but she was almost at the end of the cat walk. I ran to catch up with her.

"Wait, Evangeline don't go" I said grabbing her wrist. She stopped and turned her head towards me, there was a sad look in her eyes. "You were asking me a question?"

"No," she said, "It is nothing important."

"Anything you say, to me is important." I said.

Evangeline sighed deeply, "After tonight's performance, do you want to get a bit of supper together, talk things over?"

"Yes, of course" I answered quickly, "I know you do not like it, but could I wear the leather mask?"

"That is fine," she said softly as though something else was on her mind, the sad look remained in her eyes. I could not help but to notice that she was avoiding my gaze.

I placed my hand gently under her chin and lifted it so that I was looking into her beautiful eyes. "What is wrong?" I asked with deep concern.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong," she said, something in her voice said that she was lying.

Did she not trust me enough that she would tell me what was bothering her? Dear lord, how much damage did my outburst the other day do! Oh course it did more damage than others, even though we had been brought back in to the past, back (forward? I guess) in 1886 Evangeline and I had been reunited after nearly 13 years, who knows how much her mind had changed during that time. I had to do something, let Evangeline know she could trust me with anything.

I pulled her in close to my body, wrapping my arms around her letting her head rest on my shoulder. Kissing her on her head I whispered, "I know something is bothering you."

"It is nothing I swear," Evangeline said softly. There were footsteps from somewhere behind us, must be one of the stage hands. "I think that is my sign to leave."

Evangeline stepped away out of my embrace, I reached out and grabbed her hand, "I will see you tonight, after the performance."

"I cannot wait," she said those were the first words she said that did not sound like she was thinking of something else, "I love you, I am sorry I did not say it the other day."

I kissed her hand, "I love you too, always know that," more footsteps, "Go, before they catch you up here." I let go of her hand and watched as she hurried away, I left the catwalks before anyone could see me not even stopping to check to see which idiotic stage hand it was.

A/N: I am back folks. I was really busy this summer not to mention part of my summer was really bad (see DA journal entry from July 17, 2013). Yeah Erik has decided to only love Evangeline (was there ever any other choice?) The end, story over...NOT! Evangeline still has her secrets that she has hidden from our dear old Erik. How will this all play out. Not well, I can tell you that much. Sorry if some of the characters (even the one I own) seem OOC. Erik's commentary is suppose to be his thought process. As for Evangeline she is just a bit shaken by things that have happened ...not to mention would you want to tell Erik that even though you are 'his' you are going to see an Opera with another (not him) guy? Besides if you have read THE PHANTOM (the story before this one) you would see that her 'chickening out' IS part of her personality.

See you all next time!