MADDIE

"Oh God…you have that insane gleam in your eye again, the one you get when you are up to something!" I said and he laughed, taking my hands.

"I am going to show this score to Mssrs. Firmin and André!" He said and I found a nervous giggle.

"Do you think they would do it?" I asked, really not sure if the managers knew what they were doing half the time, let alone able to choose operas. Charles nodded.

"I do…and with some persuasion we could make it the last show of the season!" He said and I looked toward Heaven.

"Come on!" He said, taking my hand and the score and practically carrying me to the boat.

Once we reached the other side and the foot of the stairs, he helped me out and we walked up the winding stairs slowly. As we felt our way through the dark tunnel I ran flat into someone. A man. I let out a loud scream as Charles held up his candle. The man motioned for us to follow him into the dressing room. As we stepped back into the light, we could see him clearly. Obviously, he was foreign for he had very dark skin, eyes and hair, but his eyes were kind.

"I'm sorry to startle you…I was just…" He stopped, looking at Charles for a moment, then at me as if noticing us for the first time.

"I'm sorry but what were your names?" Charles looked at me hesitantly.

"Well…my name is Charles de Chagny and this is Madeleine Denton." The man's eyes widened at the sound of Charles's voice.

"Chagny? The very same family as Raoul and Christine de Chagny?" He asked and Charles suddenly looked a bit scared.

"Yes…they're my parents…" He said and the man nodded.

"I see…"

"How do you know my parents?" Charles asked and the man smiled slightly.

"You could say we're old friends…" He replied and Charles nodded.

"They don't really speak much of the past." He said to the man, who nodded.

"No, they wouldn't would they? Tell me my boy, how old are you?" Charles looked at me as if for help, but I shrugged and he sighed.

"I was twenty-five just this past November." The man seemed to count in his mind the months, his eyes growing wide. He shook his head as if to scold himself.

"How are your parents dear boy?" He asked and Charles smiled sadly.

"Dad is fine…Mother…well…she's dead. She died of cancer nine years ago." The man's face fell.

"That is too bad…she was lovely. A real lady…"

Charles nodded.

"What was your name again Monsieur…?" He asked and the man smiled.

"I am Nadir Khan." He stated and put his hat on, heading for the door. Charles looked at me again.

"Wait! Were you looking for someone?" He asked gesturing to the mirror. The man seemed to think about his answer for a moment, but decided against whatever he had been thinking.

"No…just visiting…I was wondering, does the good Madame Giry still live in Paris?" He asked and I nodded.

"She still lives in the same flat she always did." I said and he smiled, coming to kiss my hand.

"Thank you my dear girl…and I hope we shall all be seeing each other again sometime." He glanced at the score to Don Juan Triumphant, and cleared his throat before tipping his hat. With that, he left and I looked at Charles.

"What in the hell is going on here?" I asked, still looking at the door Monsieur Khan had walked through. Charles looked dumbfounded.

"I don't know…why did he look at me like that?" He asked, his eyes darkening to the point where I was actually frightened. He brightened again though, and grabbed my hand.

"Come, we must go talk to our managers!" He said and I sighed. He would do it anyway…

"M. Firmin? M. André?" He called as we approached their office. M. Firmin looked up.

"Ah, Charles! What can we do for you?" He nodded a polite greeting to me, to which I smiled back.

"Well Monsieur…we have stumbled upon an opera…it seems…" He said uneasily and Firmin held out his hands to take the score, his face morphing into an excited grin.

"Don Juan Triumphant…My dear André, can you believe it? We had thought all copies were lost!" André put his glasses on to come inspect it.

"Richard, you couldn't possibly consider putting this one on after what happened before, could you?" He asked and M. Firmin smiled.

"Think of the headlines! The publicity!" Charles and I looked at each other.

"This…Don Juan…it has been performed?" Charles asked and Firmin laughed.

"Why my dear boy! Of course, it was! You should know…your own mother played our Aminta." My mouth dropped. Charles began to cough.

"My mother…" He said, as if he had to hear it again. André nodded.

"Indeed…she was a brilliant performer…it is too bad though that the show had to come to such an abrupt end." He sighed and my hands came to my face.

"W-why?" I asked, almost afraid of the answer. Firmin sighed.

"Dear God, I would have thought this story was legend in the opera. This was the night of the famous disaster. Mademoiselle Daaé was stolen from the stage when she revealed the face of the ghost!"

"What?" We both said in horror. The men nodded.

"The chandelier fell that night. Four people died, not to mention Ubaldo Piangi! Our Don Juan!" Firmin added.

"People died?" I asked, terrified. I had heard whispers about the legend of the opera ghost but never anything like this. Madame Bennett did not permit such silly gossip. The men nodded their response before Firmin gasped, looking at me.

"My dear girl! Can you sing?" He asked and I looked at Charles.

"What?" I asked, not understanding.

"Can you sing?" I began to tremble, suddenly feeling very afraid and very helpless.

"Yes she can…" Charles answered for me, a smile in his eyes. I looked at him, frightened.

"Interesting…" André mused.

We were interrupted by the sound of Raoul's voice.

"M. Firmin! M. André!" We all turned to look at Raoul, who had gone completely white.

"There you two are! I've been trying to find you!" He cried desperately.

"What's going on Dad?" Charles asked, walking to his father.

"Raoul, you look like you've seen a ghost." I said and he smiled tightly.

"Not quite." He replied. "I was worried. You two have been missing for two hours. Charles said he would be home within the hour…" His eyes fell to the score that lay on the managers desk then back up to Charles's green eyes.

"Something came up…" Charles offered. Raoul then looked at me and I couldn't meet his eyes. Somehow, I felt we had betrayed him in going down into that lair with all of those sketches of Christine de Chagny.

"Actually Monsieur le Vicomte, we were just ready to audition young Madeleine here for a part in this opera." M. Firmin said and I looked at Charles then back at the managers.

"I'm sorry?" I said, fearing I hadn't heard correctly and they laughed.

"Well, Benedetta couldn't very well play the part of a young virgin peasant girl, now could she?" To my surprise I almost laughed.

"Not to mention that you do bear a striking resemblance to the late Vicomtess." I stiffened. So the only reason I would be considered was because I looked like someone I had never met.

"No, I don't want any part in this plot!" I said and began to storm out of the room, but Charles caught me around the waist.

"Oh yes you do!" He said in a commanding voice.

"Look Charles, I don't want to always be compared to your mother! She was amazing apparently and I'm, well…I'm just not." I said, looking at Raoul who looked so sad I could have cried. Charles shook my shoulders.

"How can you say that? Do you honestly think you are anything less than that? God damn it Madeleine, do you honestly think I would waste my time if I didn't think you were worth it?" Tears came to my eyes and he shook me even harder.

"Please," He begged, almost in tears himself. "Please…you've worked so hard over the past month. You deserve this!" His sincerity moved me.

"Alright…" I sighed, "I will audition for this Aminta." The truth was I was scared to death. I'd never even had lines or anything in an opera much less played a lead. Soon I would be playing the silent role of the pageboy in Il Muto, but that was nothing.

"Wonderful! We shall go inform M. Evans while you prepare!" I nodded, pulling a curl out of my face. Raoul walked over to us.

"Where did you two find that?" He asked us and I looked down at my feet. Charles sighed.

"We were in that old dressing room and the mirror opened. I know it sounds crazy but it did!" He said and Raoul nodded, obviously knowing full well it had.

"And you went through it." He said, closing his eyes, obviously a bit upset. "I knew it would come…"

"What Dad? What are you talking about? You mean we would find Erik's home?" He asked and Raoul looked up.

"Relax Dad, you told me about him yourself. Mother's good friend who built this opera." Raoul sighed in immense relief making me narrow my eyes.

"Yes…your mother's friend."

"Raoul?" Madame Giry's voice came from down in the great foyer.

"Madame Giry?" He asked, running out to greet her. She too, looked a bit peaked.

"You will never believe who I have just seen…" She said, stealing a glance at Charles and I.

"Nadir Khan perhaps?" Raoul asked and she nodded. He came to my house. Their voices dropped to low whispers.

"Why does it seem like someone is always trying to hide things from me?" Charles asked, suddenly a bit angry. I took his hand.

"I don't know Charles…" I said as they walked over to join us. Madame Bennett and Deirdre were close behind, coming into the doors.

"Maddie! You are auditioning?" Madame Giry asked after Raoul had told her. I nodded, gulping.

"I suppose…" I said meekly and Charles squeezed my hand.

"You'll be fine, I'll be right there with you the entire time." I tried to breathe.

"We'll be in the audience…" Raoul informed me, touching my cheek before leading the three ladies into the theatre.

"Come on Maddie…time to get your chance!"

Ten minutes later I was situated on the stage as some of the ballerinas and chorus members assembled in the audience. Great, just great… Charles stood in the wings looking nervous himself. They instructed me to sing the aria from Hannibal, Think of Me. Thank God. At least I knew it well. M. Evans began to play the piano and to my horror, I could not find my voice, but I began to sing very softly.

"Think of me, think of me fondly when we've said goodbye…"

I felt sick, staring out into the faces of all my peers who would soon be laughing in my face. I gulped.

"Remember me once in a while, please promise me you'll try…"

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand close over mine and found myself looking up at Charles.

"Don't take your eyes off of mine…" He said, his green eyes dark and intense. I nodded, trying to breathe, feeling the confidence rise in my body. I stood a bit taller. It was only us now back in that dinghy old storage room.

"When you find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free, if you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me…"

The room was hushed as I went on, still looking into the green abyss of Charles's soul.

"We never said our love was ever green, or as unchanging as the sea, but if you can still remember, stop and think of me…think of all the things we've shared and seen. Don't think about the way things might have been. Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me, trying too hard to put you from my mind. Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do. There will never be a day when I won't think of you…"

Charles broke into a grin and pulled away, motioning for me to finish the song looking at the audience. He let go of my hand and stood beside me as I finished the song and even hit the high note at the end of the cadenza with ease. When it was over, I collapsed to my knees, smiling so hard my head hurt and Charles was kneeling with me as Deirdre and a few of the other girls rushed onto the stage.

"Well, my dear, you have indeed proven yourself…and if you would accept, we want to give you the part of Aminta." M. Firmin said and André nodded. I looked at Charles and smiled, unable to hide my excitement.

"I'll do it!" I cried, throwing my arms around M. André's neck. He laughed.

"Let's just hope this performance will make it the entire way through!" Both managers looked up at the chandelier which hung from the great ceiling and turned to walk away.

"What in the name of God is this!" Benedetta's voice came from the back of the theatre. She stalked accusingly up to the managers.

"I am the leading soprano…not this little…nothing!" She cried. I could see Raoul roll his eyes next to Madame Giry.

"We understand dear Benedetta…but the truth is, the part of Aminta is a very young girl…a virgin pure young girl…and you are thirty-five years old." M. Firmin said.

"Yes, we must have the girl to fit the part." André agreed. Benedetta let out a growl.

"You should treat your prima donna more fairly!" She cried, holding up a letter. "The London opera has requested me to leave this place and sing for them, for a raise." Firmin shook his head, sighing.

"Benedetta, my dear woman, it is just that you are far too mature and worldly to play such a…insignificant role…" They took her to coddle her no doubt, but she stopped long enough to give me a look that could kill. I looked at Charles, who had a satisfied grin on his face.