Backstage at the Paris Opera, various sounds could be heard of instruments tuning mixing with singing voices. It was always like this every night before a performance. And the one voice that stuck out from all the others was from La Carlotta. As Lysette walked by La Carlotta's dressing room, she put her hands to her ears as the diva's voice reached them.

"It is very frightening isn't it?" Meg asked as she walked up to her.

"I simply can't understand how anyone can think that voice is pleasant." Lysette replied back, lowering her hands.

Meg took her hand. "Don't worry, Christine. Remember you are the understudy and one day that woman will come down with a terrible case of laryngitis because of her screaming and you will have to do her part."

"Even if I did, I highly doubt I would live up to the expectations of the Opera." Lysette sighed.

"You would more then do that." Meg replied back as she softly touched Lysette's cheek. "You would let them see just how wonderful a soprano voice really is."

"You always make me feel better, Meg." Lysette replied with a smile.

"I am your best friend and don't you ever forget that, Christine Daae." Meg answered back echoing Lysette's smile.

Meg heard the orchestra start the overture. "Remember what I told you, Christine. I'll see you in Act Two." She then moved away from Lysette and headed back toward another room in the opera house.

Lysette looked down at her Siebel costume and sighed. "I'll never be anything like La Carlotta."

From up in the rafters a cloaked figure looked down at her. "Oh you shall indeed, my angel. You shall surpass any soprano that has ever sang on the stage."

Lysette heard the voice and slowly turned. She instantly recognized it as the same voice she had heard in her dressing room earlier that day. But again she found no one fitting the mysterious voice. She looked upwards "Is someone there?"

A man then appeared from the side. "Are you all right, Mademoiselle?"

Lysette brought her head down and gasped at the man standing before her.

"I'm terribly sorry if I startled you, Miss. I saw you were looking up."

Lysette stared at the man in front of her and found him somehow familiar to her although she wasn't quite sure how yet. "I….I thought I heard someone speaking to me."

The man tilted his head up. "Ah, well that can happen here in this place at times. It is rumored to be haunted you know."

"Haunted?"

The man nodded. "There have been stories of a ghost who wanders the Opera House. Occasionally things will go wrong such as sets crashing, flames flickering on the stage, objects disappearing. It's always blamed on the Opera Ghost. And…sometimes voices are heard coming from places as you just experienced or shadows are seen. But I assure you that it's nothing to be frightened of, Mademoiselle." He paused and bowed to her. "I should probably introduce myself, Joseph Bouquet, scene shifter at your service. You're…Mademoiselle Daae, right?" He watched as Lysette nodded. "Well, Mademoiselle Daae if there is anything you require don't hesitate to ask me. I know a large Opera House like this can be quite intimidating at times. I know my way around here quite well if you ever require assistance."

"Thank you, Monsieur Bouquet." Lysette nodded with a smile. She saw the curtain rise. "I'd better go take my place. It was a pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Bouquet." She gave a smile and then moved toward another area of the backstage.

From above the figure watched as Bouquet watched after Lysette for a few moments and then moved back toward one of the sets. He could feel anger filling him as this individual dared to speak to his protégé! And to speak of him as well! His eyes inflamed and glowed as he watched Bouquet. He then disappeared into the shadows.

The first part of Faust was performed without any glitches. Lysette sang the role of Siebel and performed it with grace and enthusiasm. She sang 'Faites-lui mes aveaux' as if she had known both it and the role all her life. All thoughts of the strange voice she had heard were fading from her memory. She only felt joy as she shared her voice with the audience.

From his box seat, Mulder stared down at the stage as Lysette sang her aria. "Lyssa?" He whispered.

"She doesn't have a terrible voice does she brother?" Phillipe asked as he leaned into Mulder. "Quite different from when you knew her singing with her father's violin as a child. So tell me, brother, do you plan on rekindling an old flame?"

Mulder continued to watch Lysette. "I…I don't know."

"I can see how much beauty she conveys with just her face." Phillipe replied back. "It would appear her voice and face both share that quality."

Mulder nodded. "Yes, they do." He gave a smile. "She is so beautiful. So very beautiful."

La Carlotta fulfilled her obligation and performed the role of Marguerite with her voice just as powerful as ever. She waltzed across the stage as she sang Ah je ris de me voir, the trademark aria for Marguerite and sent the opera audience to their feet with applause. And then something strange happened at the end of Act IV….she became ill! Some thought that it was perhaps the food she had eaten just before the performance or perhaps it was just something floating in the air? Regardless of what it was, she was unable to perform and her understudy, Christine Daae was to sing the final act. When the change was first announced, the opera house resonated with various sighs for NO ONE could match the voice of La Carlotta! And a mere understudy was going to try and do justice to the role of Marguerite? Impossible!

But all of that changed once Lysette began to sing the duet with Faust in The Prison Scene. A hush fell upon the crowd as she delivered her notes with such tenderness, conveying of her love to the lover who had deserted her and left her pregnant. Even in her madness of killing their child, she had forgiven him. And as she pleaded that the angels in heaven take her to eternal rest, it seemed as if she were praying to God himself. Her voice soared to incredible heights as she rose her arms in forgiveness for the sins she had committed. Lysette felt as if she were actually soaring with the angels as she reached her last note. Instead of collapsing to the ground, she fell back into the arms of Faust. The audience instantly rose to their feet with resounding applause. But instead of Christine Daae rising up from her performer's arms she remained still. As the angel chorus, echoed that her soul had been spared and sent to heaven, Lysette was carried offstage carefully.

Mulder watched from his box seat and realized that what had just happened was in fact a reoccurrence of what had happened when Lysette had performed the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera. But her voice in The Prison Scene was even lovelier then when she sang Christine. He rose from his seat. "I must go see her."

Phillipe looked at him. "Do you think that is wise, brother? It's not wise to be associated with a simple girl compared to one of your station."

Mulder glared at him. "Spare me your incompetence, Phillipe." He then made his way out of the box and down a hallway where he found an older woman. "Pardon me, Madame but could you take me to Mademoiselle Willoughby, please?"

"Monsieur?"

Mulder blinked his eyes. "I….I mean Mademoiselle Daae. We are….old friends."

Madame Giry nodded. "Of course. Please follow me, Monsieur."

In her dressing room, Lysette lay on what appeared to be a chaise. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus. She once again heard the voice she had heard from up in the rafters and also in her room.

"Bravismi, my angel."

Her heart started to pound as she slowly raised herself and looked forward. "Hello?" Her eyes scanned the room. "Is….is someone there?" Her thoughts then went to what Bouquet had said about an Opera Ghost and she trembled.

The dressing room door then opened revealing Madame Giry. "Mademoiselle, Daae, it is nice to see you awake now. I trust you are doing better?"

Lysette nodded. "Yes, I…I am better."

"Good. I have someone here to see you." Madame Giry stepped to the side to reveal Mulder. Mulder stepped into the dressing room. She watched as Mulder and Lysette just stared at one another. "I shall leave you two alone and return later to see how you are doing Mademoiselle." She nodded to Mulder. "Monsuier."

As soon as Madame Giry left and closed the door, Mulder wasted no time in running to Lysette and hugging her. "Lyssa!"

"Oh, Fox!" Lysette replied back as she rested her head on his shoulder, squeezing him. "I'm….I'm so glad to see you. I was afraid I had lost you."

Mulder whispered in her ear. "You can never lose me, Lyssa." He then pulled back and looked at her.

"I'm so glad to see your familiar face." Lysette whispered as she touched his cheek. "Something strange has happened, Fox."

Mulder sighed. "I know, Lyssa."

"You do?"

"Yes." He moved away from her and over to a mirror. "Imagine seeing this when you first open your eyes."

Lysette stared at the reflection, which showed Mulder as Raoul. "The same thing is true of my reflection, Fox." She moved until she was in view of the mirror. "You see?"

Mulder looked at the two reflections staring back at him. "My god…"

"What's happened to us, Fox?" Lysette asked in a desperate voice. "What is this place?"

Mulder turned and made his way back over to the side of the chaise and took her hand. "Lyssa, I don't how else to explain this but…I think that somehow we are back in Paris in the year 1881."

"What? But….but how?"

"Something must have happened during the séance. When Eric appeared and you walked to him. He…must have somehow brought us both back to his time."

"Back to his time? Paris 1881? But…how could we…"

"You forget who we were in 1881, Lyssa."

"Christine and Raoul."

Mulder nodded. "I think….that we were transported back here and…our reflections are of their souls. When we look at each other, we see us as Lyssa and Fox. But when others see us…"

"They see Christine and Raoul." Lysette finished. "So, the reason I knew the words to those pieces and knew the role was because Christine did?"

"Exactly. Any characteristics of Christine's memory have been passed onto yours."

"But…if we were brought here, is there any chance at getting back?"

"I…I don't know, Lyssa."

Lysette reached forward and embraced him tightly again. "Oh Fox, what if we are trapped here forever? What if…Erik comes for me and…"

Mulder caressed her hair. "Sssssh, it's ok. I'll find a way to get us out of here, Lyssa, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

"But…we aren't Lyssa and Fox here. We're….we're two different people who have different lives."

"I won't let that stop me, Lyssa." Mulder whispered. "I don't care who I am here, I'm going to do everything I can to protect you."

A tear trickled down Lysette's cheek. "I'm….I'm scared, Fox."

Mulder pulled back and looked at her face. He then took his finger and wiped her tear gently. "I know you are, Lyssa but I'll find a way to help us get through this, I swear." He glanced at her costume. "I think the first thing I should do is let you get dressed. And then I'll take you out to dinner and we talk some more." He took her hand and kissed it. "By the way, you sounded beautiful tonight." He rose up from the floor. "I'll be waiting just outside."

Lysette smiled after him. "I'll try not to take too long. Oh and by the way, you look very handsome in those clothes."

Mulder put his hand on the door handle. "Yeah, well take advantage of it while you have it. I can assure you this is the only time you will see me in something like this." He grinned. "I'll see you in a few minutes." He then opened the door and closed it behind him.

Lysette could feel her strength returning after her visit with Mulder. She slowly rose from the chaise and started to hum as she took off her costume.

"You sang beautifully tonight, Christine. All the angels in heaven wept tonight."

Lysette glanced around the room as she put on her robe. "It's you. Isn't it?"

"Of course, Christine. I told you I would give you your chance to prove you are worthy of singing the role of Marguerite and I succeeded. Everyone loved you tonight. And soon…the entire world shall know of your talent as well."

"The….the entire world?"

"But of course, my angel. Paris is only the beginning of what your future may hold. One with a voice such as yours holds the key to whatever you wish. But…in order for that to happen, you must let me continue to teach you. And not just in your dressing room."

"I…I don't understand."

"Come to the long mirror and I shall show you."

Lysette tied her robe and then walked over toward the large mirror. She gasped as she slowly saw a masked figure appear from behind it.

"Do not be afraid, Christine. I am your angel." Eric held out his hand to her. "Take my hand, Christine and I shall show you what I can offer you that no one else can."

Lysette stared back at the figure in the mirror and could feel her fear starting to melt away. She slowly walked toward the mirror in what appeared to be a trance. She extended out her hand to Eric's as she stepped up to it. As her bare hand touched his, she felt a shiver go through her and paused slightly.

Mulder knocked on the dressing room door. "Lyssa….errrr….I mean, Christine are you ready?" He put his ear to the door.

"Come with me, Christine."

Mulder instantly recognized the voice on the other side. "Eric." He muttered. He then started pounding on the door. "Lyssa!"

Lysette continued to stare at Eric totally oblivious to Mulder's voice behind her. She swallowed and then walked through the mirror to the other side, leaving the dressing room behind.

Mulder finally managed to get the door open and burst in. "Lyssa!" He looked around the room and found her costume hanging on a chair. "Lyssa!" He picked up the costume and continued to look around the room as Madame Giry came in behind him. "Christine!" He called out as he held onto her costume and looked upward.

NOTE: Yes, I FINALLY updated!lol I'm sorry it's taking me so long to update but RL is VERY stressing! Once I start writing these chapters though I finish them in a few hours as I am so engrossed in them! Thank you to those of you who continue to read this! Oh and just so you know, I didn't care for Raoul in the book either but Mulder is different then he was!lol. So, don't think of stuck-up boyish Raoul because that is NOT who Mulder is. More to come!

Dana