Ok guys look, I know I haven't read the book yet and it's not fair to make a phan-fic based off the movie, but cut me a break please! I'm doing the best I can to get the book, but with school and work, it's not as easy as it sounds. If you don't like the fact that I've made a phan-fic from the movie, then please don't read it. It says in the summary that it's from the movie, there's your warning. Heed it.

Chapter 3: The Audition

Victoria found herself remembering all the stories she'd heard about the Phantom of the Opera. At the current moment, Madame Giry was helping her fix her dress for the audition for the new Opera, Hamlet. "Now, my dear, have you ever auditioned for anything before?" Madame Giry asked, pulling on the strings of Victoria's corset. She moved slightly, but tired to keep her balance as she shook her head. "No Madame, I've only sung for my husband, David, and Emily. David was always pushing me to go audition for something, but I never did," she said, sucking in her stomach as Madame Giry finished with the corset. "Very well, have you seen an Opera before?" Madame Giry said as she walked over to the hanger that held a forest green gown. Taking the dress off the hanger, Madame Giry walked back over to Victoria and motioned her to put her arms up so she could help put the dress on. "I have, my husband and I came to the Opera Populaire when there was the production of Hannibal. I believe Christine Daae sang that night," she said, slipping the dress on and putting her arms through.

"Do you have a favorite song from the production, my dear?" Madame Giry asked, picking up Emily who was watching them both with an interested look. Victoria walked over to the large mirror in the room and nodded, " 'Think of Me' was my favorite song. I was singing it all over the house for a week after the production," she said with a small laugh, remembering her husband's annoyance of her singing. Madame Giry smiled in remembrance of Christine as she dressed Emily. Victoria studied her gown in the mirror, tilting her head from side to side. It was a forest green that had a black shimmer to it. There was black lace embroidery from her chest down to her waist. It clung to her figure, but flared out at the waist.

Glancing at Emily and Madame Giry in the mirror, she smiled when she saw the small white dress that Madame Giry put on Emily. She turned and walked over to Madame Giry, picking up her daughter in her arms who squealed with delight and pulled and her mom's brown curls. "No, no Emily. Mommy needs her hair," she said, untangling her daughter's fingers from her hair. "Come along my dear, we must get you to your audition. I will watch over the little one while you are busy," Madame Giry exclaimed, opening the door. Victoria took a deep breath and nodded, walking out the door with the elder woman following.

Madame Giry passed Victoria, leading the way through the backstage area to the front. This is it. I have to do this, for Emily, and myself, she thought to herself, straightening her back as she walked. Emily noticed the change in her mother's physique just then and laughed softly, her own way of saying good luck. Victoria looked down at her daughter when she heard her laugh and kissed her forehead, "Wish me luck, ma petite ange. But I hope I'm good enough not to need it."

She followed Madame Giry to the center of the stage and stopped when she saw the managers. Of course, after what happened at the performance of Don Juan Triumphant new managers took the place of M. Andre and Firmin. These new managers were more open minded about the lead parts in the operas they chose. Thankfully, for both the staff in the opera house and the Phantom, Carlotta did not return to the Opera Populaire after Don Juan either.

Now, Victoria stood nervously in the center of the stage, watching Madame Giry speak to the two managers about her. Madame Giry looked around at her and whispered to the managers, who now looked at her with their eyebrows raised. "Mademoiselle, please come over here," Madame Giry said politely, waving her over with her arm. Hesitantly, Victoria walked over to the trio and stood next to Madame Giry.

"Madame Giry tells us that you have a singing talent and that you have been singing since you were five years old. Is this true, mademoiselle?" One of the mangers asked her, straightening his coat.

She nodded her head shyly and said in a timid voice, "Yes, monsieur, I have been singing since I was very young."

"Have you had any lessons, mademoiselle?" The other manager asked her, smiling at Emily in her arms, who stared at him and the other man curiously.

Victoria tried to remember back when she was younger, "I recall my mother giving me lessons when I was young, but she passed away when I was ten." Madame Giry gently touched her shoulder and gave her a warm smile, "Why don't I take Emily now, mademoiselle, so you can audition?" Victoria smiled at her and nodded, placing Emily in the arms of Madame Giry. "Alright, mademoiselle, please take your place at the center of the stage and you may start when you're ready," one of the managers said with a smile. She nodded and walked to the center of the stage, closing her eyes, and taking a deep breath.

Madame Giry watched her, holding the squirming Emily in her arms. She saw that Emily was reaching out toward Box 5 and, looking closer, she saw Erik's figure in the shadows. She smiled to herself and bounced Emily in her arms, trying to calm her.

Victoria opened her eyes slowly, feeling another pair of eyes looking at her. She glanced over at Madame Giry who gave her an encouraging smile, and nodded her head. She took another quick breath before she started singing acapella,

"Think of me, think of me fondly
When we've said goodbye
Remember me, once in a while
Please promise me you'll try
When you find, that once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment,
Spare a thought for me..."

At this point, Erik was practically revealing himself from his place in the shadows of Box 5. He was drawn to the girl's voice and if it were possible, she might have even be singing the song better than Christine herself.

The two managers watched her sing, amazed and nodded to the conductor in the orchestra pit to play along with her. The maestro nodded and instructed the musicians to play the song as Victoria sang.

"We never said
Our love was evergreen,
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me
Think of all the things
We shared and dreamed
Don't think about the way things
That might have been…"

Victoria's eyes shifted through the empty seats in the opera house. Finally, they rested on Box 5, seeing an outline of a dark figure. Her eyes narrowed somewhat at the shadow, but she continued to sing, noticing for the first time a pair of blue eyes within the shadows.

"Think of me, think of me waking
Silent and resigned
Think of me trying too hard
To put you from my mind
Recall those days
Think back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day when I won't think of you..."

When she had finished the song she heard clapping coming off from her right side. She turned and smiled at Madame Giry, who was struggling to clap with Emily in her arms. She laughed softly and walked over, picking Emily up and hugging her. "That was amazing, mademoiselle, very well done," one of the managers said with a smile, "I do believe we've found our lead for Hamlet." Her eyes widened with shock and happiness. "Thank you so much, Monsieur's. This means so much to me, thank you," she said to managers with a small bow. Just then, Emily started to cry, her wails filling the stage as tears ran down her cheeks. "If you'll excuse me monsieur's, I must tend to my daughter," she said, trying to soothe Emily. The managers nodded, "Of course, mademoiselle. Madame Giry, would you be kind enough to inform mademoiselle Beauchamp of the rehearsal schedule once she is finished with the child?" Madame Giry nodded and looked to Victoria, "The dancers must have rehearsals now, but I shall come see you when I am finished there." Victoria smiled and said, "Thank you, Madame. It is greatly appreciated." With a final bow to the trio, she left to her room to change Emily.

As she entered her room, she saw another red rose with a black ribbon on her dresser. Deciding to discard it for the moment, she put Emily in her crib before she opened her suitcase to take out the cloth for a new diaper and another to bathe her with. She walked into the bathroom to fill a basin with water, before coming out and placing it beside her bed. "Come on, sweetie," she said softly to her daughter, picking her up again. She placed her on the cloth of the bed and pulled off her small dress to clean her. Emily laughed and squirmed on the bed. Victoria smiled down at her and tickled her stomach softly, taking the dirty diaper off her and disposing it.

After cleaning Emily and putting on a new diaper, Victoria redressed her and sat on the bed, rocking Emily back and forth. While rocking her, she closed her eyes, enjoying the sound of her own breathing along with Emily's. However, that silence was disturbed by a voice. "Brava, brava, bravissima…" Victoria opened her eyes quickly and looked around, looking for the source of the voice. The voice was entrancing, and she suddenly found herself singing along with it, words she'd never sung before,

"Angel, I hear, you
Speak, I listen
Stay by my side, guide me
Angel, my soul was weak, forgive me
Enter at last, master"

Erik remembered when Christine sung those words to him, the night of Hannibal. He could not deny her then, and he wouldn't deny this girl, not with her voice and beauty.

"Flattering child, you shall know me
See why in shadow I hide
Look at your face in the mirror
I am there inside!"

Victoria looked at her mirror and saw a man wearing a cloak as black as night, a white mask covering the right side of his face. It's him…The Phantom of the Opera, she thought to herself as she stood up and walked over to the mirror. Steadying Emily in one arm, she lifted her hand up to press it against the glass where his face was.

"I am your angel of music,
Come to me, angel of music."

Erik opened the mirror, holding out his hand to her. She bit her lip, contemplating on going with him. Emily sat in her arms, looking between her mom and the man that she had met earlier that morning. Smiling, Emily reached out to the Phantom, wanting him to hold her. Erik smiled gently at Emily and looked back at Victoria, expectantly. She looked down at Emily and then back up at Erik, holding her daughter out to him. Erik gently took the baby into his arms and held her in one arm, holding out his hand to Victoria still. She slowly took his hand and stepped through the mirror, not caring that it closed behind them as Erik let her and Emily down the dank halls of the underground.

Please review guys, and be kind. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had fun writing it. I'm really getting into this lol. Lemme know what you guys think about this! Thanx!