Paris, April 1881

Lisette scampered up the steps of the Opera House, praying she wasn't testing Reyer's patience. Over the last several weeks, Lisette found her workload at the Conservatoire had nearly doubled as she was now heading the premiere of Don Juan. It was such an exciting step forward for Erik and her that she hadn't stopped to consider she would also have to attend her church duties, lessons at the Conservatoire, and continue to be the prima pianist as Faust was still in production.

With Christine as the new prima donna, Reyer had requested several rehearsals with the lead performers and Lisette. The entire chorus and orchestra were so used to following Carlotta that having a prima donna who actually followed the score was proving to be a challenge. On more than one occasion, Lisette had arrived late, a bad habit she had recently picked up trying to balance her many commitments. She could tell Reyer was biting his tongue when she sat at the piano a full ten minutes after the rehearsal was supposed to begin. Knowing Erik would be watching, she could see his sneering through the walls at her tardiness.

The rehearsal went by fairly quickly and smoothly, everyone saving their energy for the performance that evening. When all the vocalists had left and Lisette had profusely apologized to Reyer, she rested her head on the keys of the piano.

A hand gently laid itself on her shoulder. "Why don't you come and rest awhile? You have a few hours before the performance."

Lisette wearily lifted her head and smiled at Erik. Worry lines streaked the exposed part of his forehead. She took his arm as he led her into one of the many hidden passageways in the opera house. Before long, she was seated on a large, plush cushion by the sitting room's fireplace with a cup of strong coffee in her hands.

"These meetings at the Conservatoire are endless," Lisette complained to Erik, who was happily perched on the large sofa flipping through a Ravel manuscript she had brought him. "They've started inviting Moncharmin and Richard to these meetings and you know how helpful they are…"

Erik chuckled, his exposed eyebrow raising ever so slightly. "I'm sure they're not pleased you haven't given up the identity of the other composer."

"Not at all," she said. "And they're rather intimidated premiering the work of a female composer without the backing of a well known male composer. They're afraid the audience may reject it."

"They might," Erik said. "It's rather a large risk we're taking."

"But when they hear the music, no one will be able to deny it's a masterpiece."

He smiled at the compliment, before closing the score in his lap. "You seem troubled."

Lisette bit her lip, swirling the coffee in her mug while she thought. "Half of the meeting at the Conservatoire was spent discussing Monsieur Debussy's missing works." She had deliberately waited a few days to tell Erik what she had witnessed the count doing the afternoon she presented Don Juan Triumphant to the board of the Conservatoire. Erik had had too many run-ins with the Comte de Chagny recently and she had not wanted to provoke him with another opportunity.

"Why don't you just out the damn bastard?" Erik said, fury in his voice. "It's about time everyone learned of his true character."

"Yes," she responded. "Until he discovers it was me and ruins my career and reveals the true opera ghost."

He was softened at this, but his fingers were restless as he absentmindedly drummed against the armrest. "I have a bad feeling about tonight."

Lisette's head shot up. "Why do you say that?"

"I've heard some rumors," he said. "It seems as though society has discovered the vicomte's 'secret' engagement to Christine. It would never be accepted in his inner circles and I'm sure the audience will jeer at her tonight."

"How terrible," Lisette said, trying to hide her sarcasm. She knew this would happen eventually.

"And apparently Carlotta will be in the audience as well," he said.

Lisette couldn't help but let a hiss escape at the news. Despite the evidence that Christine's voice was far superior, Carlotta still had many loyal patrons and fame in high society. Christine's rise to prima donna would only be impaired as long as Carlotta refused to accept what was happening.

"Let's pray she doesn't succumb to the pressure," Lisette said, draining the last of her coffee. "I hope she understands that being the prima donna puts you in the social spotlight."

"And being the prima pianist doesn't?" Erik asked with a smirk.

"I get to hide under the stage," she replied with a wink. "I'm very much like the Opera Ghost in that way."

Lisette found herself settling into the cushions as Erik withdrew to the drawing room to practice the score she had given him. As he left, she immediately craved his presence. Their kiss from several weeks ago had gone unmentioned, but there was no denying the close bond that had grown between them. She was beginning to see the man beneath the mask, who craved love and praise from those around him. During these last few days, she could sense him watching her while she played, no longer critiquing but admiring. There were many times she had caught him without his mask in his underground house and he hadn't noticed. She was also suspecting that he no longer saw her as just a musician, but as a woman.

She was shaken awake by Erik several hours later, warning her not to be late for that evening's performance.

"I'm afraid my box is occupied again," he admitted as they made their way through the passageways to the orchestra stalls.

"Please promise me you won't do anything rash," Lisette said.

"You will want me to when you see who it is," Erik said. She raised an eyebrow, but let the topic fall as she quietly stepped into the orchestra stalls, leaving the Opera Ghost alone in the dark.

As she aided her surrounding musicians with their tuning, she stole glances into the audience to try and see who dared to sit in Box Five. She was shocked to see the count sitting in the box with the viscount nowhere in sight. He hadn't been to the opera for months and she was surprised that he would've made an appearance this soon after his break with Sorelli. She wasn't able to ponder in her thoughts much longer as Reyer lifted his baton and the overture began.

Whenever she had a chance during the first act, she glanced up to Box Five. The count seemed to not notice her, but had a look on his face that put a knot in her stomach. The same rage she saw in him the night of the Masked Ball was in his eyes tonight. He seemed agitated as she watched him use a handkerchief to repeatedly dab at the sweat on his forehead. As Act I concluded, she was looking desperately around the performance hall to try and find Erik. Surely he could see the state the count was in! What had her worried the most was that the count was seated by himself when he was usually with his brother and other high members of society.

As Christine took the stage in Act II, she was received with hissing and an eruption of whispers from the audience. Many in the audience, who were aware the viscount was missing from that evening's performance, turned to Box Five to see the count's reaction. He managed to remain stone faced, but the fury in his eyes never changed. Christine's voice faltered as she began Marguerite's first aria, nervously glancing around as the audience openly displayed their contempt. Erik had been correct. High society was aware of the affair between the Vicomte de Chagny and the Palais Garnier's prima donna. This was probably the worst Lisette had ever heard Christine sing. She was sure Erik would pull some kind of stunt to save his prodigee, but he was strangely silent and missing. As Marguerite's aria began describing love, audience members began laughing to one another. Christine's face flushed darkly against the blonde wig she was wearing. She moved to the set's garden where just a few months before, Carlotta's voice had faltered. Many waited eagerly to see if the same fate would await the young soprano.

They needn't wait long, as a gasp went up in the audience as Carlotta herself entered one of the boxes closest to the stage, followed by Piangi. She was dressed as an audience member and her dark eyes focused intently on Christine, whose voice was beginning to succumb to the audience's reaction.

Lisette glanced at Box Five to see the count's reaction, but to her surprise, he was gone. Instead, she could make out Erik's gloved hand resting on the back of the empty seat. As Christine's voice suddenly swelled into a majestic crescendo, Lisette's heart stopped. Had Erik possibly…?

Just as she thought this, the stage was plunged into darkness.

A bit of a cliff hanger for you all! Please don't forget to rate and review!