Hello. Back again with another chapter.

Mademoiselle P: I love you so much for reviewing my chapters. You're the only person that does...
Even if you are the only person that does read it, your reviews make it all worth while!
P.S. Yep Debbie is Meg

I don't think that I've mentioned much about appearences of characters. Try to imagine the characters as they were in the film, but as 16/17 year olds. Oh, and Jeremy does not have a disfigured face.

Keep on reading and reviewing. Here is some Ali-Jeremyness for you...

Yep and yet again, I remind you that I do not own Phantom in any form.
I own the original cast soundtrack with Micheal Crawford and Sarah Brightman and half of my ticket to the theatre. That is all

3. Rescue and a Singing Lesson

The next rehearsal came about so quickly, Ali barely noticed that the time had past. She went to Sam and Debbie who were sitting against the wall talking.

'Ali!' Sam said smiling. He seemed pleased to see her.

'Hey,' Ali replied. 'What's with the Jenna fan club?' she asked gesturing to the girl who played Carlotta. She was surrounded by a group of boys and girls who were all avidly listening to her talk and laughing loudly at her jokes.

Debbie shrugged.

'I don't know. I guess she's one of those people that pick up followers easily.'

Ali sighed and looked around the room at the other members of the cast. Everybody seemed to be there except for Jeremy. He's probably hiding in some dark corner, Ali thought turning her attentions to Mr. Conclair who was giving a brief outline of the plans for the day. To start with, he wanted to quickly run over 'Think of Me' again to check that they still remembered it.

They were not far into Jenna's song when suddenly there was a shout and one of the sandbags that was attached to the rafters came flying down towards the stage. There were various screams and the cast began to run around. Ali didn't have time to register that she was standing right underneath the heavy sandbag. A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her back just as the sandbag landed where she had been standing a second earlier. She stared at the bag for a second and then fainted.

When she woke, the first thing that she could see was Sam standing over her, his hand on her head.

'Ali,' he whispered breathing a sigh of relief.

'Mr. Conclair, she's awake!' Debbie shouted.

Ali heard the director rush over.

'Ali,' he said gently. 'How are you feeling?

'My head hurts,' she muttered groggily.

'Well you just lie there until you're feeling better. Somebody go and get her some water. Sam, there's a water dispenser in the foyer.'

Ali saw Sam reluctantly leave her and Mr. Conclair ushering the crowds away. Only Debbie was allowed to stay.

'What happened?' Ali asked quietly.

'A sandbag fell onto the stage. The rope snapped or something. You were standing right where the sandbag hit. Nobody saw what had happened to you and you weren't moving at all. Everybody thought that you had been hit,' Debbie said quickly.

She paused a moment to let Ali take this information in.

'You should have seen Sam, he was so worried, he ran onto the stage calling your name.'

Ali smiled in the thought that Sam was so concerned for her.

'Well anyway,' Debbie continued. 'I don't know how but it seemed that Jeremy caught you when you fainted.'

'Jeremy?' Ali asked in disbelief.

'Yeah, it was weird. Everyone just went quiet and was staring at you both. He just carried you down the steps, completely ignoring Sam who kept asking if you are OK. He just lay you down here on top of his coat and walked away. You don't understand Ali, it was strange.'

'Jeremy?' Ali whispered to herself. 'It was Jeremy who pulled me out of the way.'

Sam returned with a cup of water and gave it to her. Ali accepted it gratefully and he helped her to sit up. She leaned against his chest, quietly sipping the water.

'Ali, I was so worried,' Sam whispered to her so that Debbie couldn't hear. 'I'm glad that you're OK.'

'Right!' Mr Conclair said. 'After that little bit of excitement, we really should be cracking on. I want to rehearse the manager's office, so let's give Ali a little break and have everybody in that scene on stage.'

Sam looked very disgruntled to have to leave Ali again.

'Are you sure that you're alright?' he asked getting slowly to his feet.

'Yes, I'm fine, now go!' Ali said grinning.

Sam got to his feet.

'If you need anything, just ask.'

'I will, now go!'

Sam grinned and kissed her forehead before rushing up onto stage muttering his apologies. He clenched his fists and tried not to say anything to Jenna as she made a loud comment about attention seekers. Ali was so busy laughing at Sam's attempts to calm himself that she didn't notice the shadow that fell above her.

'I'm glad that you're alright,' a voice said.

Ali turned to see Jeremy standing above her. She smiled gratefully at him

'Thank you,' she said. 'You pulled me out of the way didn't you?'

Jeremy said nothing but bowed his head.

'Sit with me,' she said.

Jeremy looked surprised at this invitation but seated himself next to Ali as Sam burst onstage as Raoul brandishing an imaginary letter. They sat in silence. Ali racked her brains to think of something to say to him. She wished that he would start a conversation.

'The, um, the play is coming on well,' she said finally

'It's alright I suppose,' Jeremy replied arrogantly.

'It seems odd that we only have two months for rehearsals before the performance.'

'It still needs a lot of work. Some more than others,' he added as Jenna burst onto stage.

'What about me?' Ali asked.

'Your voice is good,' Jeremy said.

'Seriously, what am I like?' Ali asked,

'You don't hit all of your notes. You need practise.'

Ali was slightly taken aback but the bluntness in which Jeremy said this but he seemed completely oblivious to his lack of tact so Ali decided to say nothing.

'It will come with practise,' Jeremy said more gently.

'It's hard you know with people like Jenna scowling and glaring at you every time you say anything,' Ali said defensively.

'Practise when Jenna isn't around,' Jeremy said simply.

'I can't play the piano. My only extra practise comes with the help of Sarah Brightman.'

Jeremy diverted his eyes from the stage to look at her.

'Then I will help you. After the rehearsal if you're not busy.'

Ali was completely taken aback. This was Jeremy, the boy that hardly spoke to anyone offering her extra help with her singing.

'Well yes, thank you. That would be good.'

Jeremy looked at her not quite believing what he was hearing.

'What?' he asked

'I said yes. If it's not too much trouble?'

'No, no not at all,' he said. 'I'll see you after the rehearsal.'

With those words he got up and left her both alone and astonished.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

He couldn't believe what he had heard. He had made a complete fool of himself in asking her to sing and she had agreed. It was so much for him to take in for someone that no-body looked twice at. He had minimal social skills but music was his love, his lifeline. Maybe, just maybe, she would like him if her just played to her. She seemed to share his love of music. She was grateful to him too for pulling her out of the way of the sandbag. How could he have coped if his angel had been hurt? He had already had a big shock when she fainted and was so relieved when she came round. Thank goodness that she had been alright.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The rest of the afternoon was quite uneventful. Ali waved goodbye to Sam and Debbie and went back into the hall to join Jeremy. At first she didn't see him, but he surprised her once again by stepping out of the shadows.

'Mr. Lamport,' Jeremy said smoothly to the musical director. 'Would you mind if Ali and I stay behind for a while to practise our songs?'

Mr. Lamport looked extremely surprised but happily agreed, reminding them to turn out the lights and tell the receptionist when they had finished. He left the hall in brighter spirits, muttering something about dedicated cast members.

Jeremy said nothing to her but sat down at the piano and ran his fingers gently over the keys as if to get a feel for them.

'Sing along and we'll see what needs work,' he said suddenly. 'Remember to sing from your diaphragm.'

Ali nodded. Jeremy suddenly started playing the 'Phantom's theme tune' as Ali liked to call it, signifying that he wanted her to sing 'The Phantom of the Opera'. She came in on time singing her verse.

In sleep he sang to me

In dreams he came

That voice which calls to me

And speaks my name

And do I dream again?

For now I find

The Phantom of the Opera

Is there

Inside my mind

Jeremy continued to play, singing his line in his incredibly powerful voice. They carried on until the end of the song. Ali struggled a bit at the end with the high notes but Jeremy played on regardless, saying:

'Sing my angel of music,' in his intoxicating voice.

When the song had finished, Jeremy turned to look at Ali who stood sheepishly with her head bowed.

'You're good,' he said simply.

Ali looked up at him.

'What are you talking about? I couldn't reach those notes and I was out of tune and I sound so-'

'Stop it!' Jeremy said almost forcefully taking her by surprise. 'You were good but you need practise. What happened at the end?' he added almost accusingly.

'I- well I just can't reach the notes.'

'You can.'

Ali felt a streak of anger.

'If I could reach them, don't you think that I would have sung them!'

Jeremy ignored her.

'Sing this scale,' he said sweeping his fingers over a few notes.

Ali did as she was instructed.

'Good,' Jeremy said. 'Now this one.'

He continued playing and Ali continued to sing until her voice began to crack.

'I can't go any higher,' she murmured.

'Take a deep breath from your diaphragm. No! From your diaphragm Ali. You're shoulders shouldn't move.'

Ali did her best to follow Jeremy's advice.

'Good,' he said with a slight sneer. 'Now sing this scale.'

Once again his fingers danced across the piano over the high notes. Ali sang along following Jeremy's instructions and to her amazement, she reached them.

'Wow!' she said, slightly taken aback. 'Was that me?'

'Yes, now we repeat the song.'

Jeremy started to play the tune again and this time, Ali was clearer and she reached all the notes. Jeremy was delighted.

'You have done well my angel of music.'

Ali blushed and giggled to his reference to the musical. How ironic, she thought, that the boy who played the Phantom was giving her singing lessons. They ran over some of her other songs, Jeremy stopping and correcting her at certain intervals. It never occurred to her to ask if Jeremy knew what he was doing. He seemed so commanding and sure of himself and Ali had never heard him sing a note wrongly.

'You have done well,' Jeremy said. 'Shall we practise again after the end of the next rehearsal?'

Ali nodded.

'That would be good. I'd like that.'

She paused for a moment.

'Where did you learn to play like that?' she asked curiously.

Jeremy looked at her wondering why she would be interested in him.

'I learned from a very young age,' he finally said.

'I wish that I could play like that,' Ali mused.

'What do you know about playing?'

'Nothing.'

Jeremy looked slightly taken aback

'A singer, not able to play the piano? Come here and I'll show you,' he said beckoning her with his finger.

Ali walked over to him and sat down on the stool from where Jeremy had just risen.

'I know that that is middle C,' Ali said pressing the central key. 'And I can work out what the others are.'

'Good, then you do know something. Give me your hands,' Jeremy purred.

Ali accepted his request and he placed her fingers gently on the keys. He crouched down beside her and moved her hands along the piano. Ali looked pretty impressed with herself even though she hadn't done anything. Jeremy gently moved her hands back to where they were before.

'Now you do it,' he said standing behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

'Jeremy, I can't-'

Jeremy placed a finger on her lips to silence her.

'You can,' he whispered. 'Just relax, let go of your feelings, let go of all logical thought,' he continued, gently massaging her shoulders.

Ali closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she played the simple tune on the piano.

'I played something!' she squealed happily. 'That was me!'

'Yes,' Jeremy said softly. 'Now try this.'

He leaned over her shoulder and took her wrists in his hands. Ali could feel his warm breath on her neck as he directed her fingers gently over the keys. She looked up at him and smiled. She loved his music. She loved the power he had as long as he could sing or play. She didn't want to go, but the clock on the wall told her that she had to be leaving.

'You don't have to,' Jeremy whispered, taking her hand. 'You could stay here for just a bit longer.'

Ali shook her head.

'I'm sorry, I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for your help.'

With those words she left the room.