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Masquerade

It was three weeks later. There had been no more disturbances of any sort from The Phantom of the Opera.

In the TARDIS, the Doctor and Rose were asleep. The Doctor was lying on top of Rose, his head on her chest. Her hand was tangled in his hair, stroking it gently. The Doctor suddenly opened his eyes. He looked at Rose's sleeping form underneath his. His head was against her breast and one of his hands was clasped with hers. He leaned up and kissed her gently on the lips before getting up. He pulled on his underwear and trousers and also his glasses. He then went to the kitchen to try and 'do domestic'. Rose awoke alone and pulled on the Doctor's discarded shirt from the night before. She walked out of the bedroom and sat on the couch next to the control panel.

"You look damn cute in my shirt," the Doctor said from behind her. She turned to him and smiled, taking the tea he had offered her

"Tonight is the Masquerade Doctor. Are you looking forward to it?" Rose asked, blowing on the hot contents of her mug.

"Yes, as long as I am with you," he told her. She smiled and they kissed. But the Doctor's head was bursting with thought. Would the Phantom show up? How would Christine react? Would they be able to get through the Masquerade without a 'Phantom' disturbance? Little did they know that Christine was thinking the same thing?

xxxxxx

Christine and Raoul were taking a stroll outside the Opera House. Christine took Raoul's arm as they turned the corner. They both suddenly gasped as they came face to face with a strange blue box.

"Raoul? What's that?" Christine asked. Raoul shrugged. He walked over and knocked on the door. To their surprise, Rose Tyler opened the door, wearing nothing but the Doctor's shirt. She blushed at her indecency.

"Christine! Vicomte! How wonderful to see you," she stuttered, smiling slightly.

"You live in a box?" Christine asked. They suddenly heard the Doctor laugh from inside the 'mysterious box.'

"Christine … Vicomte … why don't you come in?" the Doctor said. They looked a bit weary but Rose stood aside and let them enter. Christine's mouth dropped in awe as she entered. It was a tiny telephone box on the outside and a huge machine on the inside.

"Welcome to the TARDIS," the Doctor said, grinning at the look on their faces.

"What the hell?" Raoul asked.

"We have something to tell you. We are not from here. We are not even from this year. We are time travellers. The TARDIS can travel through time. We go to different places and solve problems. We are trying to solve this Phantom problem for you. I hope you don't think any less of us," the Doctor said. Rose invited Christine and Raoul to sit down and they gratefully accepted.

"No, you are our friends … we would never think any less of you," Christine said.

"So you mean this … TARDIS travels to the past, present and future?" Raoul asked. The Doctor grinned that grin again.

"Yup!" he said. "Now, if you will excuse us, we will go and dress." He and Rose retreated to the bedroom to change. He kissed her passionately and then they began to dress.

"Will you be attending the Masquerade tonight?" they heard Raoul shout.

"Wouldn't miss it," the Doctor called back. Rose smiled at him, took off his shirt and threw it at him, hitting him in the face. Forgetting they had company for a minute, he tackled her on the bed which made Rose let out a loud laugh. Outside the bedroom, Raoul and Christine grinned at each other.

"Doctor? Rose? We are going to go and we will see you tonight. We will come and get you later," Christine said. The bedroom door opened and the Doctor poked his head out.

"Sounds good. See you tonight then. I … em … think you better show yourself out," he said, blushing slightly. Christine giggled as she knew the Doctor was 'indecent.'

"See you tonight," she said, curtseying slightly and Raoul bowed his head and they left the TARDIS. The Doctor left the door open a little and Rose pulled him back onto the bed.

"Love you," she said, smiling at the Doctor. He smiled back and kissed her on the lips tenderly.

"Love you more," he said back to her. "Now come on, dressed!" He picked up her bra and threw it at her.

"You'll pay for that later," she said. The Doctor gave a look of pure horror.

"Oh no … is Rose gonna spank the poor helpless Doctor?" he asked, that grin of his on his face. Rose shrugged and winked.

"Come on … we better pick out what we are wearing for this Masquerade tonight," Rose said and they got down to the business of finding outfits.

xxxxxx

Erik was in a rage. He was raiding through all of his clothes and he couldn't find anything worthy of a Masquerade. Then he remembered one costume he had never worn before. He went through to the room which was meant to be Christine's and he opened the armoire. He smirked that evil smirk again. He pulled out the costume. His eyes glinted when he thought of Christine's face when she saw him in this. He placed the mask upon his face and looked in the mirror. He smirked more when he saw his reflection.

"Red Death!" he whispered

xxxxxx

BANG!

The bright colours of the New Year fireworks were going off in the sky above the Opera. People were coming from far and wide to attend the L'Opera Populaire's Bal Masque. Raoul and Christine left the hustle and bustle of the crowded Opera House to go round to the TARDIS. Christine knocked on the wooden doors. The Doctor answered, dressed in the finest tailcoat, fresh white shirt, bow tie and his hair was flying up in every direction. His mask was simple … black with silver edges and silver around the eyes.

"Good evening Doctor," Raoul said and they shook hands. "Are you and Mademoiselle Tyler ready?" The Doctor nodded.

"Rose, come on! Let's go," he shouted and stepped out of the TARDIS. He took the keys out of his pocket to lock the TARDIS when Rose suddenly stepped out. The Doctor's breath caught in his throat when he saw her. Rose's dress was black and sliver, her blond hair in ringlets similar to Christine's. She wore black gloves; black and silver mask (similar to the Doctor's) and the make up she wore made her pale complexion glow. She grinned at the Doctor.

"You look beautiful," the Doctor told her. She smiled as he kissed her gloved hand. Then he kissed Christine's as Raoul kissed Rose's. Then both men held out their arms to their partners and they headed round to the entrance to the Opera. More fireworks went off as they entered the foyer of the Opera. It was decorated beautifully in gold and silver with candles everywhere. Suddenly they noticed the managers, Andre and Firmin, walking towards them. They smiled.

"Vicomte, Doctor, Mademoiselle Tyler and Mademoiselle Daae. How splendid that all four of you made it," Firmin said before leaving to go with his own date. Andre followed with one of the ballet dancers on his arm.

"Christine, can I speak to you alone for a second?" Raoul asked. Christine nodded and excused herself from the Doctor and Rose. As Christine departed, the Doctor turned to Rose, that grin plastered on his face.

"Would you like to dance …" he began before putting his hand in his pocket and pulling out a small velvet box. "… Madam Time Lord?" Rose looked at the Doctor before opening the small box. She gasped and looked like she was ready to faint.

"Will you marry me?" the Doctor asked. Rose felt a few tears trickle down her cheeks under the mask.

"Yes, I'll marry you," she said and they kissed each other. She took off her gloves and put the ring upon her finger. Suddenly, the Doctor took her hand and they began to dance away to the music that was playing.

xxxxxx

The song finished and Christine and Rose ran over to each other.

"I'm getting married," they both cried in unison, showing off their rings to each other. They gasped, laughed and hugged each other. Suddenly, their husbands-to be joined them.

"You proposed too?" Raoul asked. The Doctor nodded. Suddenly the music started again and the two couples began to dance along with the rest of the Opera House staff. But soon enough the fun was cut short. All the lights went out and a scream emitted from someone. There, at the top of the grand staircase stood a figure, fully clad in crimson with a sword on his belt and the death mask upon his face. The Phantom! Raoul and the Doctor exchanged glances. Raoul leaned over to Rose and Christine.

"Wait here, we are going to get weapons," he said and he and the Doctor disappeared. Rose and Christine clasped hands. They removed their masks. The Phantom was suddenly making his way downstairs.

"Why so silent, good messieurs?

Did you think that I had left you for good?

Did you miss me, good messieurs?

I have written you an opera!

Here I bring the finished score,

Don Juan Triumphant!"

He threw down a huge leather-bound score at Andre and Firmin's feet. Christine and Rose watched the man in front of them as he taunted people.

"Fondest greetings to you all,

A few instructions just before rehearsal starts!

Carlotta must be taught to act …

Not her normal trick of strutting round the stage!

Our Don Juan must lose some weight …

It's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age!

And my managers must learn …

That their place is in an office, not the arts!"

Rose felt Christine begin to tremble as she looked upon the masked man. Rose squeezed her hand reassuringly but her eyes never left the Phantom.

"As for our star … Miss Christine Daae …" Erik said, causing Christine to look up in fear. Erik began to walk downstairs closer to Christine and Rose.

"… if pride will let he return to me, her teacher … her teacher," he said, trying to hold back a sob. Christine began to walk towards Erik. Rose let go of her hand, hoping she knew what she was doing. She looked around and saw the Doctor and Raoul running round the balcony, tying swords to their belts. She turned her attention back to Christine and Erik. Erik suddenly looked down and hooked his finger around the necklace with Christine's engagement ring on it and tore it from her neck.

"YOUR CHAINS ARE STILL MINE! YOU BELONG TO ME!" he spat at her. He gathered up his cloak and ran upstairs. He wrapped it around himself just as Raoul and the Doctor arrived at the top of the stairs. Erik erupted into flames and seemed to disappear. But the Doctor noticed the trapdoor. He pulled Raoul by the arm.

"After you," he said and Raoul jumped in, closely followed by the Doctor. They drew their swords and stood back to back. But all they could see was hundreds of their own reflections. Suddenly a flash of crimson caught their eyes and they both swung their sword. The mirror illusion was confusing them … which was probably what Erik had planned. They both suddenly jumped back when the Punjab Lasso fell in between them. They exchanged glances when they suddenly heard a voice.

"Messieurs, out this way," a woman's strong French accent said. They followed the voice only to find Madam Giry, the ballet mistress.

"Come messieurs," she said and they left the 'room of mirrors' confused.

xxxxxx

Rose was comforting Christine after her ordeal. Christine was weeping silently.

"You heard him Rose … I belong to him," she said, wiping away the tears with a handkerchief that Rose had handed her.

"You are not his Christine. The Doctor and I will not let that happen," she said. She took Christine's hand and led her to the Opera dormitories. She took Christine to her own room.

"I'll wait out here until you undress and change. Then I will wait with you until Raoul and the Doctor get back," Rose said, patting her friends hand. Christine smiled.

"Thank you for everything," she said, kissing her friend on the cheek. Rose smiled back and left her to change, waiting for Raoul and her lover's return.


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