Yeah, finally we get to the events leading up to opening night. The opera itself will take me a while to write seeing as I have no idea how to write operas, so I have to do the best I can or fail miserably. So let's all hope that I don't fail.

Chapter 32: Preparation For Disaster

Lotte had finally gotten herself together enough to study her part and be ready for the opening show. Erik worked her as far as her limits would go hoping that it would keep the bad dreams at bay till the show was over. At night he would wait outside the door with Le Noir curled up in his lap in case she called out for him. He would give up sleep to keep her safe.

Christine sat up from the bed she and Erik shared in his room. He had gotten rid of the coffin and built an elegant four poster bed for them. But since Lotte's recent dilemma Erik hadn't been coming to bed. She would kiss him goodnight and she would go to sleep alone. But this particular morning she found Erik nestled beside her. She stroked his cheek with her finger and lay back down beside him. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "So did you get tired of Lotte duty?" she asked him.

"She was sleeping so soundly that I didn't think it would hurt to spend a night with you. I didn't want you to feel left out."

"Erik you're so good to me. I feel so awful for not coming back. You must have felt so betrayed after that," she said snuggling up against him.

"Yes, I felt torn up inside as you sailed away. But I knew Lotte deserved a better life. An opera house is no place for a child to grow up."

"But both of us grew up here," Christine pointed out.

"We come from different worlds Christine, you from the upper floors and me from below. I grew up in the darkness and cold while you had the light and the warmth," he said while touching her cheek. She felt him shudder. "I long for that warmth you posses Christine."

"Now, now lover boy, do remember what happened last time we did this. Lotte came along and if we had another child in her time of need it would break her heart. We need to help her through this."

Erik instead began to leave small kisses along her neck. "I understand, but at least let me shower you with affection. Don't leave me hanging," he begged.

"Nice try, but you good sir have an opera to put on tonight and you have a full house on top of it. I'll go wake up Lotte." She climbed out of bed pushing back the red silk curtains.

Erik could only lie there and sigh. "Why does she torture me so?" he thought, but suddenly the curtain flung open again and Christine was standing there fear in her eyes. "What's the matter?"

"Erik, Lotte's gone."

xxxxx

Lotte had woken up and was surprised to see her room not under her father's watchful eye. But she soon heard voices coming from his room. Quietly she crept up to the stage hoping to take a look at the place before it was filled with people. None of the lights had been turned on yet and the place was littered in darkness, yet Lotte could still make out everything around her.

She went into the lobby and made her way to Box 5. This had always been her father's personal box. She looked out onto the stage imagining her father watching her as she graced the audience with her presence. He would be so proud of her. A yawn escaped her lips and she curled up on the floor. "All I need is to rest my eyes, and then I'll go back downstairs," she thought laying her head across her arm.

xxxxx

"The one time I turn my back and she disappears. That girl will learn," Erik said pulling on his cape.

"Erik, don't get harsh with her. I would hate to have my father yell at me for a simple mistake or something of that nature," Christine said grabbing his arm.

"Christine if she doesn't learn someday that she's not to just run off unannounced horrible things can happen and we won't be there to help her. I'm tired of her games."

"She's scared just like all of us and the opera tonight aren't helping to calm her nerves. She told me last night that all she ever wanted was to perform, but because of everything that has happened she's terrified. Yet, she won't let you down. You worked way too hard on this opera and she's proud of you."

Erik pulled away from her trying to figure out if he was more angry or proud at Lotte's behavior and came up without an answer. "Let's go find her, before people start waking up."

They hurried up the tunnel along with Pierre, who had heard them outside the door and rushed out eager to help. They slipped through Christine's mirror and after Erik took a look around they began to search. Pierre checked the upper backstage floors, Christine checked backstage, and Erik went out into the house looking up and down the aisles. Then he heard rustling come from up above.

Right away his gaze fell on Box 5 as the curtain began to shake. In a heartbeat Erik went sprinting into the lobby and up the stairs towards the Box. The door was pushed open a bit and he saw Lotte sprawled out on the floor wrestling with the curtains. He got down beside her and managed to loosen her grip on the fabric. "Lotte, my child, open your eyes." As like magic she did and she dropped her head in shame.

"I'm sorry I disobeyed you again Father," she said timidly. "I just wanted to see the house empty one last time. After tonight those seats will always be filled and the risks will become more difficult to over come. But I don't want to put your opera to shame. I want to perform it. Your work is so fabulous," she said looking up and touching his face.

He closed his eyes letting the love for her take over as the leading emotion. Christine had been right. "Oh, Lotte, once again you made my heart soften. If you don't want to perform you don't have to."

"I want to. I've rehearsed again and again to make sure I get the part right and I will not fail you."

"That is your decision, but can I ask why you were wrestling with the curtains?"

"What? I wasn't wrestling with the curtains."

He told her what he had seen when he came in. She turned bright red and buried her head into his arm trying to keep him from seeing. Then she burst out laughing hysterically causing Erik to join in. Christine heard them and looked up, but couldn't see into the Box. Pierre came over and joined her. "Something tells me he found her," Christine said with a smile.

xxxxx

Before anyone had awaked they made their way back down to the lair where Lotte did Erik's make-up and he went back upstairs to begin opening up the opera house. Christine went with him to make the illusion that she was coming from her own room, while he went up to the manager's office through another tunnel. He shared a deep passionate kiss with her before they went their separate ways.

Erik came out of the mirror and shut it just as Pierre came to the door. He knocked and Erik allowed him in. "Goodness boy you are fast," Erik laughed.

"Stairs are so much nicer to climb. I'll go unlock the doors, then get ready for rehearsal," he said picking up the keys.

"No, go get ready for rehearsal. I'll take care of the doors. I hope to start right away today and will need everyone ready," Erik said taking the keys from him. "Where did you leave Lotte?"

"She's with Christine in her dressing room."

"Good, she's not off causing trouble."

Pierre shrugged and took off down the hall. Erik soon left and headed down to the opera doors. As soon as he unlocked the center one Raoul came barging through his cheeks red with anger.

"Good morning, Vicomte. You look to be in a very unhappy mood this morning," Erik said as he continued unlocking the other doors.

"I don't have time for this," Raoul said turning to look at him. "I need to speak to Christine. Where is she?"

"She's quite busy. We do have a rehearsal today."

"Well it can wait. I need to talk to her now!" Raoul hissed taking off for Christine's dressing room. Erik had no way to stop him for Raoul was moving way to fast and was already in the house.

"Damn it," Erik growled. "Hopefully he knocks or Christine has the door locked."

Raoul came to Christine's door and began banging loudly on it. "Open this door Christine! I want to talk to you now!"

Christine, who had been working on Lotte's hair, looked up in fear. "Lotte quick into the mirror and whatever you hear or see don't come out," she whispered.

Lotte jumped up and slipped behind the mirror. Christine went to the door and opened it. Raoul came stomping in forgetting to close the door behind him. "I want an explanation, Christine. Why haven't you been coming home? I've told you countless times to come home, but instead you stay here for your shows. You have other things to worry about then this Opera House Christine." He came up to her and slapped her against the cheek.

A few of the other ballet girls had gathered in the hall, but when Raoul lashed out one of the girls, a young one named Katharine, ran to the boy's dressing room. She pounded on the door. Pierre opened it and she grabbed his arm. "You have to come quickly. The Patron is being very abusive to Christine. Someone needs to stop this."

Pierre ran to the room with Katharine behind him and he went in stepping between Raoul and Christine, who was now sobbing on the floor. "Monsieur, my father does not want any harm to come to any of the actors of this Opera House. I must ask you to leave now."

"Get out of my way boy! This is between me and her and no one else," Raoul shouted raising his fist.

"If you strike me Monsieur my father will make sure you are fired and put to death. Harassing a women or someone of my age can land you in jail for years. Now leave before I send for the cops."

Raoul growled and left making the ballet girls scatter in fright. Pierre knelt beside Christine and helped her to her feet. "Are you all right?" She couldn't answer and just sobbed. "Where's Lotte?" he whispered.

"She's in the mirror. She's safe," she whispered.

Erik came in and closed the door locking it. He took Christine while Pierre went to the mirror and brought Lotte out. She latched onto him and cried softly. "What did he do to you Christine?" Erik asked cradling her in his arms.

"He slapped me. He was saying I do too much around the opera house and don't go home often enough for him. He was going to hit me again when Pierre came in and stood up to him. Erik, I'm scared. I'm afraid he'll hurt me again."

"I won't let him hurt you again. I'll risk everything to make sure he doesn't harm you." Then he gazed over at Lotte. "Did he see you at all child?"

"No, I went into the mirror before he came in. But I was so scared that he would hurt mother. I wanted to stop him, but I was fighting to stay put. Father I'm tired of living a lie. When can we finally tell the truth?"

Erik stared at her. "I don't know when we can. But we need to rehearse or tonight's performance will be horrible. Now let's all calm down and get through tonight. Then we'll talk this over. Can we at least do that?"

They all nodded. Erik left the room and they all went about getting ready. The ballet girls looked up at him, but Katharine asked first. "Will she be okay Monsieur? We were all very worried about her."

"She'll be fine ladies. Now go finish getting ready cause the rehearsal will be starting soon."

They went running off down the hall whispering to each other. Erik looked into the room one last time, and then turned towards the stage to see if the orchestra had set up yet. The conductor was having them warm up and Erik watched as they played various notes out on their instruments.

Finally Pierre, Lotte, and Christine all appeared on stage along with some others from the cast. The ballet girls scurried up and stood waiting for instructions. "All right we'll be running the show from the beginning. You've all been practicing hard for this and I am very proud of your improvements. Tonight will be the first night you perform for a live audience. I have faith in all of you. Now clear the stage and let's begin."

The rehearsal went rather smoothly Erik thought. None of the ballet girls tripped or stumbled, Pierre hit all of his cues and high notes, and Lotte graced the stage with her beauty and grace. He was so proud of her. When she finished he threw a rose up onto the stage for her. She picked it up and smiled at him. "Thank you," she mouthed out.

However as she walked off stage Erik felt a lump rise in his throat. "What if she has another vision tonight? It will be so awful to see her get scared in front of all those people. Is there nothing I can do?" he asked himself.

He looked at his watch. There was two hours before the curtain rose for the first time since the opera house reopened. He gulped and hesitated before getting up on the stage and going backstage. He hears laughter from Christine's dressing room and knocks on the door. He hears scrambling, and then Christine opens the door letting him in. "False alarm guys," she says as soon as the door is closed.

Pierre and Lotte come in from the mirror. "That was close. We thought you might be Raoul again," Pierre said holding Lotte close.

"Well I'm not. How about we all go down to the lair, have something to eat, and then come back up before we're needed for the show?"

"I could go for something," Lotte said as her stomach growled.

Together they all headed down to the lake and Erik ferried them all across. Sharing a light meal Lotte began to play footsie with Pierre under the table. She was in a good mood and no one wanted to give her something to worry about. Stress was the last thing she needed right now. But tonight's show was going to test all of them. They were going to make sure nothing went wrong.

Okay the opera is coming up next chapter, but I have a lot of thinking to do to make sure it goes right, so don't get upset if it takes me awhile to write it. This one needed some fluff seeing as today is valentine's day. I promise to do my best on the opera so as not to disappoint all that what to read it. Thanks for all the lovely reviews.