Authors Notes - Thank you to my two reviewers! I love knowing someone is reading my work :)

PhantomsHeart - No this is my first Phantom fic :) Thanks for reading

southerncrossgirl - Thanks for reading, I'm glad you enjoyed and hope you enjoy the next chapter

Chapter Two

Charlotte returned to the Opera House the following morning, somehow carrying all their bags, along with Joshua who happily followed his sister. She paused at the entrance, looking up at the grand building. Their new home.

She had a good feeling about this. A new start was what she and her brother needed. She knew she could provide a happy and stable environment for Joshua. And her job as a chorus girl may lead to bigger and better things for her as well.

Madame Giry was willng to give her a chance and she would be forever grateful to the older woman. And she seemed to even like her younger brother and sadly very few people felt that way. She was well aware of the stares Joshua was getting from the people around them and she wanted to scream. Why did people treat him so different? If only they saw beyond his disability...

'Chaaar...' Joshua said softly. He had slightly slurred speech and only knew a few words, which he spoke rarely. 'Hommmee,'

'Yes Angel,' she smiled down at her brother, he was slightly shorter then she was. 'Our new home,'

Joshua broke into a grin and gave her an awkward hug around the bags she held.

'Come on,' she smiled, giving him a hug back before they headed up the stairs and into the foyer where Madame Giry was waiting for her. 'Ah my dear, you are here,' she smiled. 'Good morning Joshua,' she greeted the boy.

He simply nodded to her but smiled.

'I have your rooms ready,' she told her. 'They are a little more isolated from the other girls, they are old storage rooms but will suit you and Joshua I hope,'

'I'm sure they will be fine Madmae Giry,' Charotte told her. 'You are being more then kind to even let us live here under the circimstances,' Over the past two years she had gotten used to being treated different because of her brother and the ballet mistresses kindness had touched her.

'Not at all my dear,' she led them down a long corridor and finally they paused in front of a door, Madame Giry unlocked it and led the way inside.

Charlotte look around and smiled. The room was much bigger then she had been expecting, although since it had been an old storage room, she shouldn't have been surprised. The two lamps in the room were bright enough to throw the darkness from every corner of the room. The walls were a painted a warm brown. There was a small bed in the corner of the far wall, some linen folder on the end. There was a small bedside table beside it. A dresser was ajacent to it, beside a cupboard which was the same brown as the walls. Beside it was a door, which was closed. On the far end of the room there was a mirror which went from floor to ceiling, making the room appear even larger.

'It's lovely,' Charlotte said softly. She immediantly liked this place.

'Joshuas room is through there,' Madame Giry opened the door bedside the cupboard. 'It is a little smaller but has the same furniture,' she said. 'There is a common bathroom back the way we came, beside the dorms,'

'Oh Madame Giry, thank you again,' she looked at the older woman.

'No need to thank me,' she smiled. 'I shall allow you time to settle in,' she said. 'Lunch shall be served at 1pm and afterwards, we shall have a rehersal and you can meet the other girls,'

Charlotte nodded. 'I shall be there,' she said as Madame Giry left, closing the door behind her.

'Oh Joshua,' Charlotte hugged her brother tightly and he hugged her back. She was so excited. This was just what they needed.

Erik wrote down some notes before he turned back to the organ. He had not slept much the previous evening and had spent most of it writing his music.

With a soft sigh, he stood, his stomachs unhappy growl alerting him to the fact he had not eaten for awhile. He ate because his body demanded it, food itself held very little interest to him.

Cutting a thick chunk of bread off the loaf, he smeared some butter on it and added some cheese before he returned to the organ and sat on the stool. He looked out at the dark water as he ate silently.

The voice from the previous day still haunted him, although he tried to push away any thoughts of the divine voice which had floated down to him. Whoever she had been, she would just be another ballet rat, another pretty face he was sure. She held no real interest to him, he was busy writing another opera.

He still had the music to his opera "Don Juan Triumphant" He had kept several copies of his work and given only one copy to those brainless men who ran his theatre. However he had never even looked at the music again, he didn't wish to stir the memories. Those magial few moments on stage where he could have believed Christine would choose him...

He shook his head, finishing off the bread and turned back to his music.