AN: I presume Meg is younger than Christine, so I made her age about 21
Chapter 1: She came Upon a Winter's Night
4 years after the Opera Populaire incident
Meg looked at her students and clapped out the beat, she was no longer Mademoiselle Giry, but Madame Abney. She took her mother's place as the ballet instructor for the new Opera Populaire. Meg looked at the new singer that replaced Carlotta and Christine, neither wished to sing again. Christine a married woman and Carlotta a paranoid diva. Management was different, run by her husband and his younger brother. Meg let them break and she introduced herself to the new singer.
" Madame Abney, this is Mademoiselle Chaffee," her husband said
" Pleasure to meet you," Meg said
" Please to meet you," Mademoiselle Chaffee replied
" Mademoiselle Chaffee you will be our star seeing there is no other, welcome to the Opera Populaire," Monsieur Abney said
Meg looked at the young singer and sighed, she looked into the rafters and saw a shadow. Meg walked off stage and the shadow jumped down.
" I don't like her, get rid of her," he said
" Why must you do this?" Meg asked
" Meg, I'm serious, she's another Carlotta," the shadow said
" You're not going to do anything to her are you?" Meg asked
The shadow looked at her and said, " Meg, she's got to go, I will just scare her."
Meg shook her head and walked off as the shadow vanished into the shadows. She walked out and got her girls up and got them to practice once more. Meg watched as the young shadow entered box five.
" So, another Phantom lives," Meg whispered
When the evening hours came, the girls went out and Meg stayed in. Her husband went home and there Meg traveled down below. She stopped and pulled her shawl over her shoulders.
" Nicolas," she whispered
" I'm here," he called
He walked out and walked over to Meg, he kissed her hand.
" Nicolas, what grudge do you have against Mademoiselle Chaffee?" she asked
" Her shrilled voice and her Prima Donna acting has proven to me, she is one the Opera house will notwant," Nicholas said
" Oh, Nicolas that's the third one this week," Meg said
Nicolas looked at the mirror and fixed his attire. She walked over and fixed his ascot for him. Nicolas looked at her and grabbed her hand.
" What was it that Erik left behind?" he asked
" It's in the back," Meg said
She walked off and Nicolas looked at the organ and sat down by it. Meg walked out and presented the blade to him. Nicolas looked at it and smiled as he unsheathed it.
" I am going to love this Opera house," he simply said
" Don't get carried away…and don't kill," she said, " I don't want to see this Opera house go mad."
" Meg, how I love how you think me as Erik," Nicolas said, " Trust me Erik's failure will be my victory."
" You sound just like him," Meg said, " Please, Nicolas."
" Alright, I promise," Nicolas said
" Good, now before I go is there anything you need?" she asked
" No, I'm fine, thank you," he said
She walked off and Nicolas looked at his face and removed his black mask. His eyes showed a fine blue in them, but showed fear.
" Before I was the Phantom, I was Nicolas Dubois, the great composer and husband to a beautiful chorus girl. Oh, how I seek the revenge that caused my wife's death and this deadly appearance I wear," Nicolas whispered
The Opera house closed for the night, but the girls of the ballet sought other ways to get in. Meg stayed in the room her mother stayed in as the dance instructor, very quiet and sealed off. She looked at herself in the mirror and brushed her hair.
" Meg," a voice said through the walls
" Come in Nicolas," she said
He entered and placed a rose on her bed.
" You mustn't do that Nicolas, I'm a married woman," Meg said
" I believe I already know that," he replied
He sat down on her soft bed and looked at her as she pulled her hair up.
" Are you happily married?" he asked
" Nicolas, you must not ask questions like that," she replied
" Then may I kiss you, so I may know what it is like to feel human flesh again?" Nicolas asked
" Oh, Nicolas, you will find her and she will love you," Meg said, " Such a gentle Phantom. Love of the flesh is not all that it is said to be."
" A kiss sweet Meg, just as kiss," Nicolas said
Meg looked at Nicolas as he stared at her, she stood up and touched his face.
" A kiss and nothing more Nicolas," she replied
Nicolas leaned towards her and pressed his lips against Meg's. He could feel she was not returning his kiss, but then she did. He felt for one moment he was kissing his beloved wife again. He pulled away and Meg looked at him.
" Now, be off with you," Meg said
" Thank you sweet Meg," he said
He vanished into the shadows of her room and she sighed.
" Such a naive man," she thought
Late that night, a young woman came to the Opera house, she looked at it and shivered from the cold. She went to the back, where she was told to go. She knocked on the door and woke some of the girls.
" It's the phantom!" they all screamed
They raced down the hall to Meg's room.
" Madame, Madame, the Phantom is knocking at the door!" they cried
Meg opened her eyes and sat up.
" Nicholas," she whispered
" It is not I who knocks," Nicolas answered, " Perhaps it is another phantom."
Meg got up and slipped her robe on and opened the door.
" The Phantom Madame, he's come knocking," one girl said
She lit a lantern and went to the back door, there she opened the door revealing a young woman.
" Madame Abney?" the girl asked
" Yes," she replied
" I'm Victoire, the new chorus girl from Tours' Opera house," the girl said
" Yes, come in," Meg said, " I was not expecting you so late. Please, come warm yourself."
Nicolas watched as the young girl entered the Opera house. He saw her golden brown locks, her form was slender.
" Patricia, my Patricia has return to me," Nicolas whispered, " She lives."
Nicolas fled and Meg heard the sound of his cloak, then sighed. She led Victoire down the halls, talked to Victoire about everything. She showed her the dormitories and warned her about the cellars and the Phantom of the Opera.
" Ghost do not scare me Madame," she replied, " Thank you for your kindness and I am sorry for waking you."
" It is alright, now get some sleep girls there will be no talk of Phantoms," Meg said
Meg walked off to her room and sighed. She rubbed her eyes and looked in the mirror.
" What a night?" Meg thought