Author's Note: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera

36

The third week in November heralded the completion of dress rehearsals and the premiere of Faust. The tickets sold faster than passes to Comic Con. On opening night, Marizio received a standing ovation after every act, as did Piangi. Even though their minor female characters did not have very much stage time, both Carlotta and Christine, who were both granted individual roles for the production, were thrown multiple bouquets and individual roses as they curtseyed at curtain call, and the Prima Donna dressing room and the second soprano dressing room were piled high with gifts and flowers. The two divas had originally fought fiercely during their co-ownership of the primadonna room, but Christine had abruptly given up her claim to the primadonna room just before dress rehearsals started. Kayla privately suspected it had something to do with a certain gold-frame mirror, an avoidance that seemed rather irrelevant given the fact that the second soprano room contained a full length mirror which, though less grand than its counterpart, served the exact same purpose. But as Erik had not even indirectly mentioned Christine for three weeks, it seemed that the young soprano had nothing to fear.

The battle of flirtation was met with resounding success. Each boy used a different pick up line for each of their turns, whether it was a compliment (Dennis's "excuse me, I think you have something in your eye… oh wait, it's just a sparkle") or wordplay ("I was wondering if you had an extra heart; mine seems to have been stolen" was Jean's contribution) or full out pick up (Gaston chose "On a scale of one to America, how free are you tonight?"). Jamie was awarded bragging rights for the most successful improvisation; when Christine sneezed as she was passing him backstage during the third performance night, he commented "I'd say God bless you, but it looks like he already did", and immediately retreated because Raoul had overheard. But Baptiste won the championship with "If I had to write a story about your life, it would be a picture book. Because your beauty is beyond words. And that's coming from somebody with a fairly large vocabulary". Christine was so astounded that she actually awarded the fourteen year old with a kiss on the cheek. The set crew agreed that Raoul had been moments away from an aneurism as the younger crew member skipped merrily away. A younger crew member whom Kayla had to keep reminding herself was only two years younger than Christine.

December came and with it the snowfall dramatically increased. Paris was covered in high blankets of snow, and Kayla woke on December 1st to a layer of frost on the window above and on the floor surrounding her bed. The set book was over halfway finished, and Erik was speaking less and less as he dove deeper and deeper into his masterpiece. Kayla spent entire days in the lair whenever she was not working.

Faust concluded in the second week of December. The young cavaliers and ballet rats were sent home again, and the environment of the opera house drastically relaxed. The masquerade was announced after the first week of performances, and was declared open to the fans, city nobility, and main cast. The set crew briefly discussed crashing the party just to piss off the Vicomte, but decided that the continuation of their pick-up contest – now entering its fourth week – was enough revenge for the moment. That very day over breakfast, Leo called "If I controlled the letters, I'd put you and I together" across the room to where Christine was eating breakfast with Meg. The soprano was very confused, and the young prima ballerina could barely hold back her laughter.

As soon as Faust was over, Kayla closeted herself away in the lair. Spurred on by the motivation only a spectre perfectionist in a porcelain mask could provide, she completed the set book by the start of the third week in December. While she brushed sealant over the painted pages and waited for them to dry and flatten out before Erik could start to bind them, she doodled costumes on scraps of newsprint… Long flowing cloaks, the face of a skull, a military jacket; a wide skirt, tight bodice, ribbon sleeves falling off shoulders…

Kayla felt a presence at her shoulder and she jumped in her seat. She tilted her head around and noted all six feet two inches of the Opera Ghost looming over her. "Dammit, monsieur, don't scare me like that!"

"Phantom will do," he snapped, reaching a gloved hand over her shoulder and pulling the newsprint from underneath her pen. "You have had no previous trouble with referring to me by that title."

"Alright, alright, just trying to be polite," Kayla defended calmly, raising her hands in the air. Erik pulled the drawings away and held them up to his face, emerald eyes flickering intently over the black sketches.

"The skull one's yours," Kayla explained, craning her neck back to stare at his passive expression. "Don't know if you already started designing for Red Death, you probably have… Hey, where are you going?"

But Erik disappeared into the tunnels, carrying her doodles with him.

Kayla stared after him for a moment. Sighing, she shrugged and returned to the set book pages.

"How are you planning to spend your break period?"

Kayla lifted her head off her pillow, taking her eyes off a copy of Alice in Wonderland she had borrowed from Erik to look at Meg. "Sleeping. I shall be sleeping."

"You can't just lock yourself up in the dorm all Christmas!" Meg squealed, hopping off her bed to bounce on the end of Kayla's. "Even Christine will be going out, and she's the shyest girl I know."

"I'm not shy. I'm selectively social."

"You can't just spend the whole holiday reading! You must have some sort of Christmas plans!"

Kayla let the book flop out of her hands and bent her neck uncomfortably to glare at the young dancer. "My family's kind of on the opposite side of the world, so forgive me if I'm not going to pop over to Canada for Christmas dinner." The idea that time in her world could be moving on without her was troubling her as of late, and the snow and planned social gatherings and general air of festivities were only amplifying her vague feeling of depressed concern. She hadn't even given Samantha her birthday present, let alone even planned a Christmas present, and at this rate she might never even get the opportunity.

"But you have a family here, at the Populaire. Maman said that you would be welcome to spend Christmas with us, if you would like."

Kayla smiled soberly at the sixteen year old prima ballerina. "You're sweet, Giry. I appreciate the sentiment."

"I'm assuming you received an invitation to la Carlotta's Christmas party?"

"As a matter of fact I did. It is formal dress though, and I've got my skirt and my blue dress and that's about it for fashion, so…"

"Well why don't you go get one? You have some money now."

"The first thing you should know about me, my little ballerina, I am a university student and therefore I have been conditioned to spend almost nothing."

Meg leapt off the end of Kayla's bed. "Tis the season, Kayla. We are going to get you a dress that will be the talk of the prima donna's party. I did want to go shopping anyway, and since you would be with me, Maman will have to let me."

"I feel like I'm aiding and abetting some sort of crime."

"Oooh! And we can go out to a café and have some pastries and chocolate! And we can bring Christine! Raoul will buy her anything she wants, and if she happens to give some items to us…"

"Fine French baking and stealing money from the Vicomte. You know what I like."

As it turned out, Carlotta, not wanting her young friend to be in any sort of debt – realized or otherwise – to the infamous French nobleman, was more than happy to provide funds for a dress. So with a full purse clinging cheerily next to her silent phone inside her cloak pocket, she ventured out into the snowy streets of Paris with a ballerina and a singer next to her. "Raoul would have sent a coach with us if we had asked," Christine commented, wrapping her cherry red cloak more closely around her slender frame as she walked lightly through the snow next to her two companions.

"You'll forgive me if I say I'd prefer to not owe your fiancé a favour. Oooh, look at that fabric, hot damn!"

The trio of girls ventured into multiple stores along the main commercial avenues surrounding the Populaire, always met with friendly reception and ready helpfulness. After all, Kayla smirked to herself as she watched the sales clerks, male and female alike, practically fall over their own feet in their attempt to please the two young celebrities and their money wielding patron. What must they think of her – a twenty year old girl, no man in sight, shopping with two sixteen year olds?

Christine bought some hair ribbons, but when asked about her masquerade plans, she only shrugged and smiled secretively. Meg and Kayla had no plans for masquerade costumes, but both decided to procrastinate on that point. Meg left one of their stops with girlish, lacy, semi-casual gown in an elegant dove grey. They took shelter from the snow in a charming little café, warming up with the help of hot chocolate and chocolate croissants fresh from the oven. Admitting defeat after hours of wandering, the girls were on their way back to the Populaire when Kayla felt a sharp tug on her elbow. "Kayla, look," Christine whispered. Meg had fallen behind them, and had her cherubic face pressed up to the glass of a wide shop window. When the ballerina looked up and saw her two bemused friends staring at her from further up the street, she beckoned to them furiously. Shrugging at the soprano, Kayla walked unconcernedly back down the street to the excited dancer.

Opening her mouth to make a smart aleck comment, Kayla's mouth snapped shut again as she glanced up at the object of Meg's attention. "Holy crap."

"It's beautiful," Christine breathed as she approached, awestruck.

"You have to get it, Kayla," Meg squealed, pulling on the stage manager's arm with all the enthusiasm of a small child.

"Isn't it a bit… risky?"

"From this shop? Carlotta loves this place. I can at least say that the diva has good taste."

"It doesn't look exactly like something that's in style, at the moment at least."

"Don't give me that, Kayla, I can tell you love it."

"I'll try it on. I make no promises."

Standing in the dressing room, with her two small friends waiting in eager anticipation outside the door, Kayla stared at her figure in the mirror. The dress she wore was far closer to the style of her own time than the fashion of 1870, but it was beautiful. "I'm going to be a walking scandal," she muttered to herself.

She bought it anyway.

Xavier and Jamie met the trio of girls at the door of the Populaire. "I will take that ridiculously large box up to the dorm, if you would like, Abbots," Jamie offered gallantly, bowing slightly as he took the package out of Kayla's hands.

"That'd be great, merci Blanchard."

"Would you like me to take yours as well, Mademoiselle Giry?"

Meg giggled. "Very well, Monsieur. Merci."

"Do it now, are you a coward or no?" Kayla heard Jamie mutter at Xavier as he passed his younger colleague. Xavier straightened almost imperceptibly, his expression determined.

"May I carry your package for you, Mademoiselle Daäe?"

Christine looked surprised at the stagehand's offer. "If you would like," she agreed confusedly.

Xavier took the package of ribbons and accessories from Christine and stuck it under his arm. He walked beside the soprano as they advanced into the lobby. "Your hand looks heavy; let me hold it for you."

"What?"

But the damage was done, and Xavier, grinning triumphantly, held Christine's pale hand in his.

Jamie skipped down the stairs merrily and shot Xavier the thumbs up.

"What is going on here?!"

Raoul's voice was raised in anger from behind them. Kayla whipped around and saw the Vicomte marching, incensed, through the lobby doors towards them. Xavier bent and kissed the young soprano's hand, tossed the box to Kayla, and sprinted up the stairs to Jamie. "Come on, Justin Beverly, the damage has been done, let's go!"

Kayla immediately handed the package off to Meg and, holding her skirts in one hand, bolted after her fellow crew members.

"Beverly! Mademoiselle Abbots! Where do you think you are going?!" Raoul yelled.

Jamie looped his arm through Kayla's as she caught up with the two boys. "The deed is done," he grinned, looking and sounding remarkably like Thomas Sanders.

Kayla laughed.

She spent the rest of the day with the adolescents of the set crew, as most of the seniors had gone home to spend time with their families and would not be back until the night of the masquerade. Mostly they stole food from the kitchens and hid from Raoul, who seemed to be combing the entire opera house in search of the stagehands who were making his secret fiancé blush from their attentions.

Later that night, Kayla was called into the managers' office.

"We have received a concern from the Vicomte that members of the set crew are harassing Ms. Daäe," Firmin explained, sounding almost apologetic.

"That sounds rather out of character. What did Ms. Daäe say about this?"

"Oh, well, she actually did not have any complaints. From her perspective, the crew members have just been… more friendly than usual."

"So she did not have any concerns?"

"No, actually, she appeared to think it was a very amusing joke. The Vicomte was very angry about it, however. He said that the crew was being too familiar."

"Are you implying that my crew would be anything but respectful to the cast? If I recall correctly, there has not been a single problem of this sort since I took over."

"Of course not, Mademoiselle Abbots!"

"I would trust the crew with my life, monsieurs. They have been nothing but gentlemen to me since I was given this position, and they know I will not accept substandard behaviour. Is my judgement under question?"

"No, Mademoiselle, but the Vicomte…"

"The Vicomte is displaying signs of jealously. I would appreciate if his paranoia did not interfere with my work. On the other hand, if Mademoiselle Daäe has any complaints, I would be more inclined to listen."

Andre sighed. "Very well. I have complete faith in your abilities, mademoiselle."

When the events of the meetings were related to the young crew members over dinner, Jamie's face greatly resembled that of a smug cat. "He has snapped. Remember this day, my friends. But this is only the beginning. We have until January 1st to make the Vicomte completely lose his mind."

And as Kayla nearly cracked her ribs with laughter, the new pact was forged.

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the delay guys! I had a midterm that I thought I was going to fail, but I ended up getting an A! I was pumped about that, so now, instead of studying for the Spanish exam I have in an hour, I'm posting a new chapter. This one is primarily fluff, but next chapter we get Christmas, and after that is the Masquerade! Both of those chapters are almost complete, so I'll be able to get them to you this weekend.

Anywho, thank you all for your patience, and thank you to all those who have read, favourited, followed, and reviewed. And thanks to Guest and E-man-dy-S for their reviews as well. If you're a recent follower or just favourited and I haven't thanked you yet, I haven't forgotten about you and I'll PM you in gratitude as soon as I have a minute. :)

I love you all, sorry for the delay, and I'll post again shortly!

Hugs,

Tierney

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