I do not own Sakura Wars or any of it's characters…or Phantom of the Opera, any of the songs or characters…'cause if I did, I wouldn't be calling this a fanfic and I would be sailing on the Caribbean in my private yacht, literally swimming in pools of money. But I do own Clarice, Jacques, Fifi, Mikel, Peter, Ravina, Sophie, and Reina. NO TOUCHIE!

So, now that that's over, you can read the fanfic. Enjoy!

Oh, and this is set in sort of a past/future sorta way and it's based on if Orihime and Reni hadn't come in ST2.

Chapter 31

"I'm baaaack!" Jacques announced as he walked into the apartment, the door slamming behind him. "No, really? I couldn't tell." Peter said dryly as he looked up from where he was sitting. He took a sip of Pepsi and went back to watching TV. "Are you sure you and Sophie aren't related?" Jacques asked teasingly as he sat down next to his friend. "Yup." was Peter's response; his eyes glued to the TV set. There was only the sound of laughing idiots, explosive noises, and falling anvils for several minutes. Then, Peter switched the TV set off, and looked at Jacques. "So, when, and what, is their new production?" he asked. "Huh? Oh, two weeks from now is when The Phantom of the Opera will be put on. And from the rumors going around town, Maria will be playing the main female role. With her haircut and low voice, she usually plays male roles…but not this time." From the look on Peter's face, Jacques could tell that the 20-year-old was thinking of an idea. "Okay. What are you thinking about?" he asked. "How good are you with acting?" Peter wondered aloud. "Um…not that great." Jacques confessed. "Hmm…"

"Hey Sophie…" Clarice asked as Ravina left the apartment. "Hmm?" the Russian asked, tilting her baseball cap up slightly. "So what's the deal with Jacques? Do you really like him or something?" "What in the world made you say that?" Sophie asked, now sitting up on the couch. "Well, the fact that when Ravina started flirting mercifully with him, you began to get in 'he's my guy, so back off' mode." Clarice replied, sitting next to Sophie. "And the fact that you two argue almost as much as you disappear to go to 'the bar.' Even though I've never gotten that story verified. I've even been there a couple times when you two said you were going, but you weren't there." At this, Sophie blushed, but said nothing. "Or those times you two go to do laundry duty. You know when it was yours and Jacques' turn to go take all the dirty laundry to the local laundromat? When Mikel was still alive…he and I would complain about having to do your share because every time you and Jacques came back, the laundry was still dirty." "That was different!" Sophie protested, alarmed that she had been caught. "Well, first you two said that the water in washer must have been dirty. Then you said that the old guy who runs the place was having soil brought in for his flowerbeds, and he accidentally poured it over the clothes. But Mikel and I found where the laundry was hidden when you two went out again. Face it Sophie, you've just reached the land of denial. Population: The whole world." Sophie stayed silent for a moment; her baseball cap was pulled down over eyes again. "Sophie?" Clarice asked curiously. "I'm missing MTV." Sophie said with no emotion in her voice. Even so, Clarice knew that she had screwed up.

Ravina knocked on the door to Valentinov's room, and within a matter of seconds, the Russian mafia leader opened the door. "How'd it go?" he asked. "Well hello to you too!" the dark-haired beauty snapped. "Excuse my impoliteness, but I need to know. Now." Valentinov said, casually leaning against the door. "Yeah, whatever." Ravina replied as she pushed the door farther open, and Valentinov fell backwards. "Never let your guard down." Ravina stated as she stepped over him and walked into the room. "Especially when dealing with you, eh?" Valentinov asked as he got up from the floor and brushed himself off. "Especially when dealing with me. Let's get down to business," Ravina said, sitting down in a chair. She then turned and made eye contact with the fifty-six-year-old. "…Old man."

"We're going to try to infiltrate that play." "…Come again?" "We're gonna kidnap Maria, and give Clarice to the Theatre." "During the play? Isn't that going to be kind of hard?" Jacques asked. "Not if one of us knows what we're doing." Peter replied. "The Imperial Operetta Troupe is going to perform The Phantom of the Opera, right? I was the director for England's Opera Troupe. Phantom of the Opera was our specialty!" "So what exactly are you suggesting?" Jacques asked as he began to walk to his room. "We all go to the play, I sneak out, get rid of whoever is playing the 'Phantom,' and go onstage as him or her. Since Maria is playing Clarice, it will be easy to get her away from 'Raul' at almost any time. I kidnap her, we put Clarice in costume, and no one will know the difference!" "Sounds easy…too easy. There's gotta be a setback somehow." Jacques replied as he came back, wearing a shirt that said, They say I have ADD but they just don't understand. Oh! Look! A chicken! There was only the sound of the cars below as the two men thought in silence. At the same time, they turned to look at each other, and said the exact same thing. "Clarice doesn't know the lines!"

"Somehow, Ohgami got into Maria's dream, and messed the whole plan up." Ravina said as she took a swig of Coke. "But other than that?" Valentinov asked. "Nothing else." Ravina replied. "You sure?" "Duh." "I'll take that as a no." Valentinov said. "Ooh, good guess." Ravina said with a smirk. "I don't tolerate smart alecks, you know." "Yup." Ravina replied, throwing the Coke can away and making a three-pointer. "Well, I gotta go. Sophie might catch the apartment on fire. Thanks for the drink…old man. See ya later." And with that, she left, with the door slamming behind her. "And she took the last Diet Coke too." Valentinov muttered.

"DID YA MISS ME?!" Ravina shouted as she walked into the apartment. "No." Sophie and Clarice replied simultaneously, their eyes glued to the TV set. "Oh. I feel so loved." Ravina said with a fake pout as she closed the door behind her. "…Anyone want some popcorn?" She asked, walking towards the microwave. "Sure." Came the same monotone voices of Sophie and Clarice. "Boy, you two are sure talkative today. Polly wanna cracker?" "Sure." Clarice and Sophie said together. "Can't you guys say something separate?" Ravina asked. "No." The dark-haired-woman sighed. "Butter or salt?" she asked as she put the popcorn in the microwave. "Butter!" Clarice shouted. "Salt!" Sophie said at the same time. They looked at each other, and then sighed. "Gotcha!" Ravina exclaimed happily! She then sat down on the couch. "Punk or rock music?" she asked. "Punk!" Clarice shouted. "Rock!" Sophie shouted at the same time. They made eye contact, and groaned. "HAHAHAH!" Ravina laughed, doubling over. "Go get the popcorn." Clarice snapped.