A/N: Woo…Chapter crazy! I started with #9 earlier today, and now I'm here!

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This chapter got its title from my grandfather's nickname for makeup – and I'm sure I'm not the only one who has heard that nickname before!

Chapter Twelve
Barn Paint

"No! Put it back into storage!" Realizing where she was standing, Claire leaned over. "Sorry, Allison. Did I yell in your ear?"

"Just slightly. I'll be okay, though."

Moving away in case she got excited, the director continued. "I realize the original vision of Christine was as a curly-headed brunette – which usually left the actress to wear a wig – but I've never like that. Your ruby locks are wonderful, darling, and I don't want to hide that. In fact, I'm not even going to let them curl your hair…Goddess forbid you should end up looking like an overgrown Little Orphan Annie!"

The two women giggled, then looked back at the makeup artist.

"What do you think, Kyra?"

"I think I can handle this," she replied confidently. "As you may have guessed, I've been trying to work out a set color scheme for each character – even those with multiple costume changes. I'm interested in attempting to develop a look that will go well with each costume and not make the actor or actress stick out like a whore."

"Are the Ballet Rats the easiest?"

Kyra nodded in response to Allison's question. "You want a soft color scheme that will go well with their rehearsal gowns, but one dark enough and bold enough to stick out onstage and not make them look as pale as ghosts."

"Be glad you don't have to do the Phantom!"

"Oh, heavens, yes!" Kyra smiled at Claire as she put the blush brush back into the caddy. "I'm thankful that a difficult case like that is left up to the prosthetics boys!"

Knowing that the aforementioned "boys" would need the space to work on Greg, Kyra chivvied Allison out of the chair and hurried to get packed up and get out of the way.

"Can I stay and watch?"

Kyra shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"Just as long as Dr. House doesn't mind," amended Claire.

"Speak of the devil!" Kyra pointed at a small group of men that was shuffling toward them.

As the cluster got closer, the women could see that it was House and his makeup artists. A few of them supported the doctor and the others guided the way to the chair. However, it was House that looked the most comical, his face slathered in a light blue mask and eyes covered in matching "Peepers". The sight of them caused the three women to giggle, but it was Claire who spoke.

"What did you do to him?"

"It's just a self-heating mask," explained the nearest of the technicians. "We shaved Dr. House and then sent him tanning. When he was done, we left the Peepers on, used some cleanser and then put on the mask to exfoliate his face."

"He's going to hate you for this!" Allison exclaimed.

"He'll thank us when it only takes a few minutes to take off the prosthetics!"

"How in the hell did you get him to stay so quiet?"

The technician standing near House's right shoulder beamed. "We allowed him to play a Playstation PSP for a half hour before we got started."

"We also introduced him to the joys of an MP3 player," added another. "We got our hands on the script from today's episode of General Hospital and turned it into a podcast."

The Main Stage of the Theatre
Around 4:10

"I can't see in this blasted stuff!"

"So complains all the Phantoms before you, too," soothed Allison.

"At least this is an improvement!" Claire added. "The original Phantom had much worse makeup and he was nearly blind between that and the contacts!"

"So am I!"

"You'll get used to it."

Greg leaned heavily on Claire's shoulder as she helped him into the boat.

"How am I supposed to pilot this damn thing if I can't even see?"

"You'll be able to see eventually!" Claire exclaimed. "Not that it matters. You just stand up in the back here and move your pole about in the fog, just high enough so it doesn't hit the stage. Allison sits in the front as if she's your navigator, but you don't need one. There's a mechanism that will take the boat along a proscribed path, so all you have to do is sing your part and move the pole from time to time."

"Are you going to start it now?"

The director shook her head. "They haven't got the piloting apparatus completely installed yet. In fact, I was lucky to be able to get the boat out of the shop.

"Alright, House. Prove to me you know your part. Allison, your cue…From the beginning of the scene, please."

"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."

"Sing once again with me our strange duet…My power over you grows stronger yet…And though you turn from me, to glance behind, the Phantom of the Opera is there – inside your mind…"

"Those who have seen your face draw back in fear…I am the mask you wear…"

"It's me they hear…"

"Your spirit and "My spirit and

My voice… Your voice...

In one combined: the Phantom of the Opera is there –

Inside my mind… Inside your mind…"

Claire snapped her fingers in time to their a capella to simulate the pre-recorded voices that came in at that point, then pointed at House.

"In all your fantasies, you always knew that man and mystery…"

"…Were both in you…"

"And in this labyrinth where night is blind, the Phantom of the Opera

"Is here… "Is there…

Inside my mind…" Inside your mind…"

"Sing, my Angel of Music!"

"He's there…the Phantom of the Opera…"

Closing her eyes, Allison began a wordless song that seemed to rock her whole being. The young doctor kept it up for a few moments, but as soon as Cameron went for the usually shrill cut-off, House silenced her song with his lips.

A/N: I may not "board 'ships", but I sure do like to stop by for a martini once in a while! (LOL)