A/N: Only Paris belongs to me, the rest belong to Gaston Leroux or Sir Lloyd Webber. So here's chapter nine. Enjoy .
Paris entered the Opera House New Year's Eve. She was slightly nervous as she handed her invitation to the man at the door. She was dressed as Titania the fairy queen from William Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. She had been invited to the annual Masquerade that the Opera House held and she was hoping that the managers would hire her again as a dancer. Now that she was completely healed she could dance again. She had also managed to regain her ability to dance en pointe thanks to all the exercises she had worked on. Erik had been right, she had just needed to believe in herself as he had done and she could do anything.
She entered the ballroom where the Masquerade was being held and looked around. She breathed a small sigh of relief when Meg Giry, dressed as a jockey hurried over towards her with a grin on her face.
"Paris?" Meg asked.
Paris nodded thankful that she at least could lip read her own name so that when people asked her her name like that she could at least pretend she knew what they were saying even while pretending to be deaf.
Meg breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out a pad and pencil. "Mother is anxious to see you, as are Messieurs Andre and Firmin. I think they wish to speak with you about your returning to the Opera Company," Meg wrote.
Paris nodded when she read the note and followed Meg towards the small crowd that consisted of two men dressed as ghouls and Madame Giry. When they saw Paris they all nodded in greeting.
"Mademoiselle Aldress I take it you are much better now since we last saw you?" Monsieur Firmin wrote down on Meg's pad.
"Yes, Monsieur Firmin and I would like to speak with you about returning to the Company."
Firmin and Andre laughed when they read the bit about Paris wishing to "speak" with them but they calmed down enough to return to the matter at hand.
"My dear, we will have to see you dance before we can make a decision of this degree. After all you have not been dancing for nearly six months and the doctor told us that you may not even be able to dance again after that accident."
Paris read the note with barely concealed disappointment. She still had to show them that she could dance? With a silent sigh she asked when she could audition. She was told the Monday after the Masquerade. That gave Paris less than a week to prepare a dance routine but she wrote that that would fine. With that she curtsied to the small group and went off to enjoy herself. She hoped Erik showed up, he could blend in much easier than he would if this weren't a masquerade.
Turning Paris accidentally ran into someone. Glancing up, her eyes widened. It was the Vicomte de Chagny! He glanced down at Paris as he apologized for not watching where he was going and stopped in mid-sentence. His boyishly handsome face broke into a grin.
"Why Mademoiselle Aldress, I almost didn't recognize you! You look very pretty this evening. I take it you are doing much better after that, um accident with the chandelier?"
Paris frowned at him, her brow wrinkling in confusion. He must have forgotten that she was deaf and couldn't hear him, she thought. When Paris didn't answer him Raoul frowned for a moment before he remembered that she was deaf and mute. Smiling sheepishly he made a motion with his hands pantomiming writing. Paris quickly smiled and nodded as she pulled out her pad and pencil for him. He wrote his comment down and Paris nodded at him.
"Yes, I'm doing much better now. I'm actually going to re-audition on Monday for the managers. I have to show them that I can still dance before they let me rejoin the Company."
"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that they don't believe you. You were always one of the best dancers of the Company. I'm sure they'll hire you again. By the way, have you seen Christine?"
Paris shook her head at the question. Raoul sighed and glanced around for his fiancée. Suddenly he spotted her and grinned. Turning to Paris he motioned to her that he had spotted Christine and that she should follow him over to the singer. Paris bit her lip nervously as she nodded at the Vicomte who promptly grabbed her arm, laced it through his and led her over to the refreshment table where Christine was waiting.
"Christine, darling, look who I found."
Christine turned fearfully towards Raoul and relaxed noticeably when she saw Paris. With a cry of delight Christine rushed forward and enveloped her friend in a hug. Paris reluctantly returned it.
"Oh, Paris, I have been so worried about you! I felt so bad about leaving you when I knew you would need me the most! Can you ever forgive me?" Christine wrote.
"Of course Christine, you're my friend. I understood that you couldn't be with me. Besides, with all the pain I was in I don't think I would have been very good company for you if you had come to see me."
Christine laughed tearfully when she read Paris' note. They spent the next half hour catching up on things before Raoul took Christine onto the dance floor. Paris watched nervously. She hadn't seen any sign of Erik. Maybe if she was lucky he wouldn't come and see Christine here with Raoul. Paris didn't know what Erik would do if he found them there together. She and Erik hadn't said anything about Christine and Raoul since the night of the accident and Paris didn't know how Erik felt about Christine anymore. After all Christine had run off with Erik's rival without even saying good bye. She had broken Erik's heart and had thrown it back into his face without a backward glance. Then again, Paris didn't even know the full extent of Erik's affections towards her self. Sighing Paris turned away from the dance floor and grabbed a glass of champagne.
Just then the room when silent, the music stopped, the dancers froze and all conversations ceased. Paris turned fearfully around and saw the one sight that she had both hoped for and dreaded. Erik stood at the top of the stairs leading down into the ballroom dressed in a stunning costume of Edgar Allen Poe's Mask of Red Death. He stood gazing around the room from behind a skull mask. His gaze lingered on the two managers and he made his way slowly down the stairs towards them.
"Evening, Messieurs, I have brought you my new opera, Don Juan Triumphant. I believe it will be just the thing to perform for the new season. You will find all the casting and other necessary notes inside. Follow them to a T, gentlemen, and you shall have no problems with me," Erik growled. "After all, there are worse things that I could do than a falling chandelier."
Paris winced at that comment. He said it so casually as if nothing had happened that night besides only the chandelier falling. Paris watched fearfully as Erik's gaze swung around and settled immediately on Christine. Paris felt her heart sink as Erik strode over to the singer with determination in his long legged stride.
"Welcome back Miss Daaé, however, from this day forth you will sing only for me!" Erik command with a growl and reached out to grab the engagement ring that hung on a chain around Christine's neck off of her. With that Erik disappeared in a flash of smoke leaving Christine clinging to Raoul and tears of sorrow trailing down Paris' cheeks as she sank to the ground in despair. Erik still loved Christine.