A/N: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera but he owns part of me.

Okay, one more chapter before I go spread some cheer. The mystery begins…

"I think it is taking things a bit too far."

Katerina waved her hand dismissively at him, "Shush, its wonderful idea, especially for the Opera Fantome."

"But a Bal Masque? Katerina, you have played with the publicity of an opera ghost since the beginning…"

"Of course, and this will be the final jewel in the crown. Everyone expects us to have a gala for the opening but we have not yet found our leading lady. Dominic is a fine tenor, you said so yourself; but we have no work to showcase, so a bal would be perfect! People would see the inside of the theater, come to know it and not be afraid."

Erik stared down at the gold leafed invitation in his hand. He knew that she had probably sent them out this morning so no matter how he raved he had no choice in the matter. He didn't know to be glad of her marketing skills or to be angry that she had made the decision without him. He pulled the invitation from its crème colored envelope.

Katerina had done the art; it was a miniature of the mural that she had painted in the front hall above the stairs. She had been eliciting contrary feelings in him since the theater had reached completion. He had come to see the mural after she had finished it. It was some of her best work to date, a scene of a lively party during the evening, with couples dancing and fireworks lighting up the outside of the imaginary windows.

What had struck him though was that she had framed it with two pillars of marble, so well painted that they may have well been real; and behind the pillar to the left was a woman. She seemed to peek around the pillar at the people who entered from the front doors. He recognized Katerina's likeness almost instantly despite the fact that the woman was wearing a mask. A mask that covered the top half of her face, it was white with black lace over it and matched her gown.

He had though it beautiful until his gaze moved to the second pillar and he found himself staring into a mirror. It was his likeness, perfectly, in his finest suit with his hand on the pillar as if he had just made up his mind to stop watching the crowds and return to the party in the center.

It wasn't just decoration; it was Katerina and himself watching over their theater.

The image had made him nervous; he was skittish that someone would know him. Still that was silly, no one would know him. Katerina played it off wonderfully, she was simply an enterprising manager that was going to make as much money off this 'phantom nonsense' as she could get. The public ate it up. He knew that when the theater doors opened they would flock to it. All because of her clever thinking; and because of it the phantom himself would become nothing but a tourist attraction. While he struggled to leave behind the image of the opera ghost, she seemed to embrace it. Still, the visions of horror created by the opera ghost years ago would soon burn into nothing.

He wondered if that was her plan, if he was no longer the opera ghost then maybe… Maybe he could simply become Erik.

He stared at the miniature portraits of himself and Katerina.

We invite you to attend a Bal Masque in honor of the opening of the Opera Fantome

April, 18th at six 'o' clock

Dinner, dancing, and a special performance by the rising star Dominic Renault

"Why a masque, Katerina?"

She looked up at him from the swan bed where had been sitting, sketching, when he had marched into her room.

The room glittered around her and was littered with paintings and candles. It had reminded him of his lair when it was complete. She had said that they were finally home. Once their rooms in the theater had been finished she had left the temporary house and took along her roses. They were now thriving on the sunny side of the theater as his panic grew.

She wasn't looking at him but she smiled softly, "It is a masque Erik so that would be able to attend." Softly she stood and paused at the door as she left, "but you do not have to, if you do not wish to go."

Quietly she made her way into the hallway and down to the theater; Erik clutched the ring in his pocket and silently cursed himself.

The estate was large and sunny; Christine smiled softly to herself as she held Raoul's hand. It would be a wonderful place to raise their child.

The maid met them at the door and took their cloaks. Christine noticed a pile of envelopes on the front table. Curious she scooped them up and followed her husband into the sitting room.

"Oh no, please," Raoul said flopping into a chair, "No more invitations from fat dukes having galas in celebration of their horse winnings, please."

Christine giggled at his mocking tone, "It looks like only two invitations today, there is a letter from Meg and one from your banker."

"Hmm, only two? We must be losing our charm."

He leaned back as she handed him the letter from his banker and proceeded to break the seal on the first invitation. She would save the letter from Meg for last since she would savor it more. She sighed,

"Do we want to attend a wedding?"

"Who's?"

"I am not entirely sure, Millicent and Giuseppe?"

"Ahh, Madame Garoux's daughter, I'm not sure if you've met her yet."

Christine placed the invitation on the desk she leaned against and began to fiddle with the second invitation, "to speak the truth I am rather losing track of all the people I've met the last few years, I would really much rather just stay home."

"Christine, may I remind you that it was you who accepted every invitation we received. I had nothing to do with it."

She smiled as she slid the gilded paper from it's sheathe. He was right; she was much too polite to say no to an invitation. She froze when she glance down.

"Christine? Are you all right? You've just gone as pale as a ghost."

She handed the invitation to him and he grimly nodded as he read out loud, "We invite you to attend a Bal Masque in honor of the opening of the Opera Fantome, April the eighteenth at six 'o' clock. Dinner, dancing, and a special performance by the rising star Dominic Renault. I had heard that the Opera Popular had been purchased by some eccentric from Marseilles. Apparently his wife manages it for him."

"His wife? Do you know who purchased it?"

"I believe they are called Durand. Yes, Madame Durand, Sisi was speaking of her a few months ago. She's known for being very stubborn and prideful."

"Do you think this is some kind of joke? The invitation?"

Raoul shrugged and ran his fingers through his blonde hair, "I don't know. Perhaps the woman was just trying to be polite and forget the past."
"But the etchings…"

"She has called it the Opera Fantome, Christine; it is obviously an attempt to bring in publicity by using the events of six years ago."

Christine frowned, "It is a very poor attempt."

"Yes, I believe that I wish to meet this woman."

Christine took the invitation from him and fingered the edge of the gold leaf, "Perhaps we will meet her if we attend."

Raoul shook his head, "I do not wish to return to that place Christine."

"You forget that it was a home to me before it was a horror."

She waited until his expression softened, "It is your choice Christine my darling, whatever you choose I will stand with you."

Katerina yawned and looked at the figures before her. They were simply not adding up at all. She would have to ask Erik to look over them. Poor Giovanni had nodded off on the divan. Katerina covered him with a throw and made her way down to the front of the theater. She wanted to send out for luncheon and she was sure that the maids were cleaning the front halls in preparation for tomorrow night.

Erik had been avoiding her for the last two days. She had hoped it was nerves for the impending opening but she feared that she really had gone too far. Katerina sighed; she had hoped that if she trivialized the ghost that people would not be afraid of the opera house. She wanted them to come, to love it as she did. It was too late to scold herself for ignoring his feelings. The phantom was still a part of who he was. Not just a character in a story for her to do with what she wished. She would bring him lunch and tell him she was sorry. With any luck it was not too late to make amends. She didn't know what she would do if she lost him; not that she didn't deserve it if he did, with her acting like such a stubborn brat and not asking his opinions as she should be. It was his theater; she just had to be grateful he let her stay.

Katerina froze at the top of the stairs when she turned the corner. A woman was speaking to one of the maids, a slender woman with light features and an expensive blue frock. Her rich brown hair hung in ringlets around her heart shaped face and her glorious brown eyes shone as the maid spoke to her. She was stunningly beautiful and she could see why Erik would have fallen for her.

Then Katerina found herself staring into the woman's eyes.

"Madame Durand?"

Merde!

"Yes, may I help you?" Katerina quickly smiled and made her way down the stairs.

The woman nodded slightly, "I was wondering if I may speak to you, you see I am…"

"Christine Daae de Changy," Katerina finished, "I recognize you from the photos in the opera house."

Photos, posh, she recognized the woman from Erik's drawings.

"Yes, my husband and I received your invitation…"

What?

"And I realize that the bal is not until tomorrow evening but I wondered if I could see inside the theater today maybe?"

Katerina pushed the confusion down into her stomach and nodded. Christine grinned, a sweet dazzling smile, and Katerina suddenly found that even while wearing her best dress she suddenly felt very plain.

"I would be happy to oblige you Madame."

And then go hang myself.

She was in a terribly sour mood and he wasn't sure he entirely understood what she was prattling on about.

"Katerina, slow down, you're talking in riddles again."

Erik looked up from the drawings he was working on and found Katerina sitting on the divan twisting a handkerchief between her hands with the same look she used to get when she lost the words to say anything. He hadn't seen her get that look since they had purchased the theater.

Now she was fiddling with the ruffle on her skirt. It was a beautiful dress of cranberry red. It had to be the most daring thing she had purchased since he had begun to pay her for managing the theater. She had refused at first but he had insisted. He had wanted her to buy nice things for herself. He had wanted her to be happy, so his puzzlement grew as he saw anger and hurt flash across her face for almost an instant.

"I'm sorry, but you didn't tell me you were going to invite her."

Erik swallowed, "Her, who, Katerina?"

"The Daae woman! She was here at the theater, I just spent the last hour showing her around and listening to her endless sighs and memories! Her husband just came to collect her for supper. They are attending the bal tomorrow night."

Erik felt the room spin around him for a second until it slid back into place.

"Christine was here?"

"What did I just tell you? Yes, she was."

"You invited her?"

Katerina slowly shook her head, "No, I thought you did."

Erik blinked, "Katerina, I had nothing to do with your invitations."

Her anger slid into confusion, "I didn't invite her because of you. You asked that no one from six years ago be invited. But the woman had an invitation, so I simply assumed that you…"

"I did not invite her to the masque Katerina."

The waves of panic doubled in him. Christine would be in the theater. She would return and she would bring that foolhardy Adonis with her. He pressed his hands to his face. How in hades had this happened?

He felt Katerina's hands on his shoulders, "I am sorry, I can postpone the bal until we figure this out."

"Non, Mon petite, you shall have your bal. My discomfort cannot interfere with the workings of the theater."

He felt her hands smooth his hair, "I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable."

"Well, we have no choice in this matter. The Vicomtè and his wife will be attending your bal."

"It is only for one night."

"Yes, but you must go to your papery, to see the guest list that they received."

He dropped his hands as Katerina sighed, "Perhaps someone there did it?"

"I am not too concerned with the invitation of the Changy's. I just wonder that if they were invited without our knowledge what other unexpected guests are going to attend your bal tomorrow evening."

A/N: Yes, Christine and Raoul are going to feature in this story. I don't terribly condone character bashing but it should prove to be some entertaining characterization for Katerina.