Disclaimer: I only own Laurette and her family.

AN: Uh, first Phantom phic. I am a HUGE phan and would like no flames. Merci.

Learn to be Lonely

Her silken shoes padded through the wet streets of Paris. Her rose red locks fanning out behind her as the place she had once known as 'home' was engulfed in flames.

"Goodbye, Papa. May flights of devils wing you to your rest." She spat as she turned to look at the inferno. She smiled wryly and turned back, gathering up her skirts, and running again to the one place she felt safe. The Opera House. She had often come here as a child, she loved its colour, its way of feeling special and yet ordinary. There had been an incident a few months ago when a chandelier had fallen from the ceiling. She sat beneath a gazebo and thought back to that night.

"Papa! Where is Mama?" A young woman asked, pulling out of her fathers grasp. He looked back towards the flaming mass that was the Opera house.

"It is too late to look now, Laurette. She will have perished!" He screamed as Laurette began to run back to it.

"Mama! Mama!" She cried, pushing through the frantic viewers. "Please, Mama!" She knelt down among the ash; a small golden chain with a ruby pendent lay there.

"Mama's necklace…"

Laurette brushed away the tears that had began to fall and ran her fingers over the necklace that hang around her neck. She stood and entered the Opera house, the once fine palace that was now a ruin.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" She slowly opened the door to the Auditorium, marvelling at the splendour of the smashed chandelier. She sighed and sat on the stage, remembering the songs her mother used to sing. She started to hum her favourite and ended up singing it, her voice echoing off the vast walls.

Think of me,
think of me fondly,
when we've said
goodbye.
Remember me
once in a while -
please promise me
you'll try.

"Bravo, mademoiselle, bravo." She gasped and looked around wildly.

"W-who's there?" Was it the Phantom? She had heard many stories about how terrible he was and how he wreaked havoc on the Opera.

"When I know of your name, I will reveal mine."

"M-my name is L-Laurette. I'm terribly sorry to have disturbed you. I-I'll go now."

"No! Please, don't leave me!" A plea resounded around her. A loud bang filled her ears as a brick fell from above, causing her to stumble backwards into a large hole. She screamed as she slid down a tunnel into a boat, which rocked dangerously.

"You can't leave." A voice said. Laurette looked up into a pair of sapphire eyes. The man had a mask over half of his face and ebony locks surrounded it.

"W-who are you?"

"My name is Erik, but I am known as the Opera Ghost." Her eyes widened,

"The Phantom of the Opera..?"

"Yes…" He breathed, pulling her up. "Why were you in my theatre?"

"I-I have nowhere to stay, please, monsieur, let me…"

"NO! Please, if you have nowhere to stay, let me have the honour of housing you, if only for a while." Laurette nodded. "Why do you have nowhere to stay?"

"I k-killed my father…" She stammered, not knowing why she was telling him all this.

"Why?" She looked up into his ocean blue eyes,

"It was an accident! I was cooking supper and Papa was asleep! My apron caught fire and I just took it off and ran!" She started to shake and cry, guilt overcoming her. Erik took her hands.

"It wasn't your fault, stop crying."

AN: OMG! I got Christine! I DID IT!!!!!!! (my schools doing PotO as our musical!)