Authors Notes - Thank you to everyone who is reading this and anyone revieweing it. Thank you surf with musicandSpikes Bint. Enjoy!

Chapter Five

The opera opened a month later and was a huge success. The scandal of the opera ghost had not been forgotten and the company knew a vast majorority of people had come in perhaps hope the phantom would appear.

Thankfully he did not and the show had recieved a wonderful review in the newspaper and people were lining up for miles to purchase tickets. Andre and Fermin couldn't have been happier. No more notes, no more ghost, a new chandelier and tickets getting sold out was exactly what they wanted. The junk.. scrap metal business wasn't as lucrative currently.

The dancers had been given the morning off, as a reward for the previous evenings triumph. Most of the girls raced into town, eager at the chance to spend some time away from rehersing and the opera house itself.

Meg had however used the opportunity to sleep in a little longer then usual and as she emerged from the communal bathroom, she heard Joshua's happy squeals carry down the corridor. He was such a darling and while the other girls gossiped about the boy, Meg was quick to defend both him and Charlotte.

She wandered down the corridor and knocked on the closed door. It opened a few moments later and Charlotte smiled when she saw who it was. 'Meg,' she greeted her with a hug. 'I thought you would have gone out with the other girls,'

'Oh no,' Meg laughed. 'I used the opportunity for a lie in bed,' she smiled. 'Good morning Joshua,' she greeted the boy who was sitting on the floor, a few toys around him.

Joshua looked up, giving her a grin and wave before he looked back down at his toys.

'Are you going into town at all?' Charlotte asked her.

'No, I'd prefer to stay in,' Meg told her. 'I can keep company with you if you would like,'

Charlotte nodded and smiled. 'Of course, come in,' she said. She had always been a loner, through circumstances and choice but she liked Meg.

Meg simply nodded as she moved into the room, Charlotte closing the door behind her.

Madame Giry dressed for the day and almost smiled when she found a letter had been pushed under her door through the night.

Picking up the white envelope, she ripped open the red skull seal and took out the note.

Madame Giry,

Congratulations on your great triumph last night. The opera is going to be a sucess. The dancers were well rehersed, although during the second act, their caprioles need further attention.

Meg was an absolute delight to watch as always as was the new red haired girl. She is showing wonderful promise.

I remain your obediant servant
E

Madame Giry wasn't surprised Erik had watched the Opera the previous evening. She hadn't seen him over the course of the evening but he was a shadow unless he wanted to be seen.

Making a mental note to focus on the girls caprioles in the next rehersal, she noted he had mentioned Charlotte. She had learned the steps quickly and Madame Giry knew she'd soon make her one of their lead dancers. It seemed Erik had also noted her talent. Hopefully he was only noting her potential as a dancer and not another pupil of the Angel of Music.

She shook her head slightly. No, she was sure it as nothing and with a sigh, decided to head into town for the afternoon.

'Your brother is sweet,' Meg smiled as she pushed a toy carriage back over to Joshua, who pushed it back to her.

'Thank you,' Charlotte smiled at her, looking cross at her brother who sat beside her on the floor. She knew Meg truely liked and accepted Joshua, as did her mother. It meant alot, considering the way she knew the other girls were talking about her behind her back.

'Have you always been this close to him?' Meg asked softly. She wanted to know more but had resisted asking over the past few weeks. Her mother was strict on manners. Probably as Charlotte had been brought up. She had been brought up to be a lady, the way she carried herself even the way the sat on the floor showed Meg that.

Meg saw something flash across Charlotte face and then it was gone in an instant. The silence in the room was almost deafining and for a moment Meg didn't think she was going to answer.

'No,' Charlotte answered softly, stroking her brothers hair gently.

'I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked,' Meg said softly.

'It's alright,' Charlotte looked up at Meg. 'I didn't know my brother even existed until 2 and a half years ago,' she said softly. 'I had been sent away to boarding school as soon as I could and spent nearly all year in the dorms. I only returned for Christmas and sometimes a few holidays through the year.' she said. 'I never spent much time with my parents, and once I ended my school days, I wanted to become a dancer. I had been in school performances and loved it. An old teacher had a friend within the London opera and I managaed to audition and recieved a part in their chorus,'

Meg nodded, listening silently. Obviously she had come from money and she didn't know why so many people were envious of being rich. It seemed that most of the privlaged children barely knew their parents and it saddened her. She had a very close relationship with her mother and wouldn't given it up for any ammount in the world.

'I performed in several opera's, in London and througout Europe until I leaned of my parents death. There had been a fire in their holiday chateau in Italy and they had died, as well as 3 servants,' she said softly. 'I returned and was going through their affairs when I discovered money was being paid to a local institution,' she said softly, stroking Joshuas hair gently as she spoke. 'It was only when I made further inquiries that I learned about Joshua. He had been placed into the facility a day after he had been born,' she shuddered. 'My parents had never told me about him and I hadn't even known mother was pregnant,' she shook her head slighly.

'Oh Charlotte,' Meg felt tears. How could they have not at least told her she had a brother?

'I took him out the next day and we've been together since,' Charlotte said softly. 'I took him on a holiday for awhile, after I had settled all of my parents affairs. It wasn't easy, he had spent all his life there and wasn't used to.. freedom,' she said. Freedom was a god given right and she wanted to sob at the thought of anyone not having it. 'But I have never regretted my decision. I know what people say about him, me, us. I know that's why I haven't gotten so many jobs. People can be so cruel.. heartless. Whoever said money can buy anything was lying. Money cannot buy true acceptance,' she sighed softly, seeing Megs expression. 'And no, we're certainly not rich. We have enough money to keep us going but not working for the past 2 years driained alot of our finances. I really wanted to show Joshua the amazing wonders outside the institution walls,' she said 'We've become much closer over the past 12 months and I wouldn't be with him now,' she squeazed his hand.

'I can see that,' Meg smiled. She could see Charlottes blind devotion to her brother and she admired her for it.

They hadn't noticed the shadow behind the mirror as they spoke but he had heard everything. Everything Charlotte said as she spoke of rescuing her brother and a tiny smile graced his lips before it vanished.

Erik wasn't sure why he had come up here. He convinced himself it was to make sure his trapdoor mirror hadn't been discovered but he knew it hadn't. He had only checked it 3 times in the past week.

He had learned weeks earlier why the room had been converted into a bedroom for this dancer and her brother but had known nothing further until now.

He had thought of her several times since he had heard her singing when she auditioned for Madame Giry and even more since he laid eyes on her during her first dance rehersal. He tried to tell himself it was simply the song she had sung for her audition and then when he had discovered she was caring for her brother, he wanted to believe it was his admiration of her strength had made him think of her but somehow he knew it was more then that.

He had watched the opera the previous evening, although he realised he was only aware of Mademoiselle Durand movements.Once again, he told himself he was simply analysing her performance, however the throughts instantly seemed false, even to him. Mademoiselle Dur... no the red head.. showed amazing talant as a dancer and had an amazing voice.

With a soft sigh, he backed away from the mirror and returned down to his lair, his thoughts very much on the red haired beauty on the other side of the mirror.