Authors Notes - Sorry this chapter is a little late this week, RL has been busy. Personal replies for the reviews are at the end of this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter Seven

Joshua had come to another dead end of a long corridor and started to sob softly. He wanted to go back to his room, find Charlotte but he didn't know how. He had no light and all he could find as dark corridors.

He made some noises in the hope someone would come and take him back to Charlotte but no on came to help him.

With a soft sob he turned and tried another corridor.

'Madame Giry,' Charlotte flew into the meal room and saw the older woman in the corner. Charlotte was shaking as she ran to her.

'Child, what is wrong?' Madame Giry rose from her chair.

'It is Joshua, he is missing!' she cried. 'He is not in his room and I have looked around but cannot find him,' she said. She knew how big the opera house was and him still being inside was the least of their worries. What if he had gotten outside!

'Oh Charlotte, we shall look for him at once,' she said. 'Girls,' she called for everyones attention. 'Take a lantern and start to search,' Giry ordered before she turned to Charlotte. 'We shall find him my dear, do not panic yourself, we shall find him,' she said with more conviction when she felt. She knew how large the opera house was and what if the child had somehow gotten outside? Or into the catacombs?

She thought briefly of asking Erik for help but dismissed the idea. By the time she went down there, the boy could have already been found.

Charlotte nodded, taking a lantern from the meal room before she turned to start the search. Some of the girls had already left, some moving to, Charlotte ignored all of them and started down a corridor.

An hour later, no one had found him and Charlotte was beginning to feel ill. What if he had hurt himself? Gotten outside and been hurt by a carriage or even someone had hurt him?

'I don't know why we have to search,' a ballet rat said to a small group of friends and Meg shook her head as she passed them. How selfish could they be?

'I know,' another said. 'The little retard shouldn't even be here,' she said,

Meg was angry then and turned to the group. 'Do not say such things,' she snarled. 'Joshua is a lovely little boy and if you would look past him having a disability, you would see that,' she said. 'Now go!'

The girls slunked off, not particularly scared of Meg but worried she may tell her mother.

Meg sighed angrily before she saw Charlotte up ahead and raced to her. 'Charlotte,' she called.

'Meg, have you found him?' she spun around, her face hopeful.

'No, I'm sorry,' Meg said, seeing the sad look on Charlottes face. 'We will find him, I'm sure of it,'

'I know Meg,' Charlotte looked around. Where could her little brother be?

Joshua came to another dead end and more tears ran down his cheeks. Where was he? Where was Charlotte? Why wasn't anyone coming when he called?

He slid down onto the floor and brought his knees up to his chest and sobbed softly.

Charlotte had been sitting in one of the opera seats, Madame Giry beside her as Meg returned with a glass of water. Where could he be? She was terrified for him, he had been missing for nearly three hours now!

'I found him,' one of the stage hands called out as he led Joshua into the auditorium half an hour later. Charlotte looked up. a sob catching in her throat when she saw him. She jumped up and ran to him, throwing her arms around him tightly. 'Oh Joshua,' she held him tightly.

'He was down near the old storage rooms on the other side of the opera house,' the stage hand indicated the opposite side of the opera house to the dormitories.. 'Must have gotten lost and couldn't find his way back, he was crying when I found him, just sitting in the corner of a passage way,'

'Oh thank you so much,' Charlotte told the stage hand. 'Thank you,'

'You're welcome,' the man nodded to her before he turned to leave.

'Thank goodness he has been found,' Madame Giry muttered softly before she moved toward Charlotte. 'Why don't you take the afternoon off?' she said gently. 'Get your brother settled back in his room,' she gave her back a gentle rub. She knew how upset Charlotte had been.

'Madame Giry I couldn't..' she looked up at the older woman. She had disruped the entire opera house for the past 3 hours, how could she then not attend rehersal?

'I insist,' she assured her. 'Joshua needs some time with you and you need some rest yourself,'

Charlotte simply nodded. 'Thank you,' she told the woman. 'And thank you too Meg,' she nodded to her friend. 'And thank you to everyone,' she turned to the group of people around them. 'Come on Joshua, let's go back to our room,'

Joshua allowed himself to be led away, clinging to her tightly.

'Alright everyone, rehersals shall begin in 10 minutes,' Madmame Giry announced to the rest of the girls.

Raha - Thank you for the review and for adding this story to your favourites, Erik and Joshua will meet.. eventually. :P

ZippyRox - Thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying it.

Emma-J-Riddle - That is so cute about your brothers name! Thanks for reading

Maya Beebop - No, I enjoy getting reviews as I not only get to know people are actually reading and enjoying my story but I take note if people mention anything I can improve on, so I can focus on that. Thanks for reading.

Fluffy-bubbles - Yes, this Erik is GB in my head. (I can only be bribed by chocolate, not begging :P )Thank you for the review

Surf with Music - Thank you, I really lik Joshua, He is an interesting character to write as he does not really speak. And I promise Erik will be in the story more. Thanks for reading.