Christine woke suddenly in the early hours of the morning to a loud bang from outside in the hallway. She sat up like a shot, and pulled the blankets from her body. Subconsciously noting that Raoul was not lying beside her. She opened the door that lead out of her lavish bedroom and peered into the hall, Raoul stood there looking very apologetic.

"Christine, love, I am so sorry if I woke you." he said.

Christine smiled slightly and shook her head.

"No Raoul, It's perfectly fine. I have to get ready for rehearsal anyhow."

Raoul nodded and picked up the large box that he had dropped and began to stagger unevenly down the stairs. Christine watched him for a moment before slipping back into her bedroom and reaching for her clothes for rehearsals.

The ballet was not remarkably strong at the Opera House. Not like it had been at the Opera Populaire. At the Opera Populaire they had moved so gracefully all together in synchronized motions. Christine remembered being able to feel what every single other dancer was doing. If one made a mistake, it was at the risk of everyone else. She missed it. She realized with a small sigh. She missed the simple life of a dancer. She missed the friends she had made.

Christine hadn't seen or heard from Meg in years. After the incident at the Opera House she hadn't made much effort to keep in touch. It was something that she fiercely regretted. But something's just can't be changed.

Christine sat herself down in front of the large mirror by the bedside, now fully dressed. She grabbed the pins from a small ornate musical box and began to pin her hair up in a bun. For, if her students were to learn discipline then she must radiate it. It was something that Madame Amedee had taught her.

She slowly stood and span around in front of the mirror. Christine made sure that she had checked every angle of herself before leaving the room. She had been away from her occupation for too long and she needed to make a good impression on her return.

Christine ate a hurried breakfast and kissed her husband goodbye before embarking out in the cold December winds. She pulled her scarf around her neck tightly, hoping to block out the fierceness of the weather. But it still hit her full force. The cold was absorbed into her very bones, causing her to begin to shiver.

A few minutes later her carriage pulled to a halt outside the modest Opera House. Christine thanked the driver and entered the building. Immediately the heat from it coursing through her veins.

"Madame de Changy! Madame de Changy!"

Christine turned her head to face the loud shouts of two young girls. Both of their mops of hair were styled in twisted buns and they wore their regulation practice tutus. Christine smiled at the young girls as they approached.

"Yes?" she enquired softly.

"Oh, we are so glad you could come! Madame Amedee is getting very overwhelmed again. Please, you must come at once."

Christine nodded and briskly began to follow the girls into the theatre. The sight of it causing her mouth to open a little in shock.

When she left she had been assured that when she returned, the production would be almost completed and that the absence of a staff member would cause no damage. Madame Amedee had told her with complete confidence that she had no need for her assistant, especially so close to the performance date.

But obviously they needed all of the help that they could get. The ballet corps was practicing through their routine on the stage. They looked very confused and were dreadfully out of sync. They kept bumping into each other and turning opposite directions form the rest of the group. The principal actors stood in front of the dancers, practicing through various arias and compositions. Stagehands were running around the stage. On their way, bumping into various dancers causing them to make even more mistakes. Half-finished sets lay hanging from the walls and the entire orchestra was grumbling about all of the changes in the orchestrations.

Christine's eyes scanned over the scene, trying to make sense of the confusion that was taking place in front of her. She then noticed Madame Amedee screeching orders at the poor ballet dancers that were trying so hard to please her.

"NO! GABRIELLE, YOU MUST POINTE YOUR TOES ON YOUR ARABESQUE! CHANTAL! NO, CHANTAL YOU MUST PLIEẾ BEFORE YOU DO YOUR PIQUẾ TURNS!"

Christine walked over to her mentor and gave a friendly smile.

"Madame Amedee, do you need any assistance?"

Madame Amedee turned to face Christine and her face broke out into a large grin.

"Oh Christine! I am so happy you have returned. I expect your small vacation suited you well."

Christine nodded. "Oh yes, very much so. Raoul and I had a...pleasant time."

Madame Amedee nodded "Good, that's good. But I'm afraid that the vacations over and now you must help me sort out this wreck of a ballet!" she exclaimed clasping her hands around her head in frustration.

Christine nodded and ordered the girls to stop. She wandered around and gave them pointers on how to hold their arms or hold their centers.

"Alright everyone, from the beginning."

They went through the number over and over again, taking all the necessary precautions to make sure that their dance was perfect by the end of rehearsal. Finally Madame Amedee nodded, satisfied with the progress that they had made.

"Very Good Girls!" she exclaimed "We'll pick this up tomorrow morning make sure that you..."

"Excuse me," interrupted a stocky man with an abnormally large nose "But I have some terrible news."

Worried murmurs passed through the entire cast of the Opera. Christine glanced back and forth trying desperately to figure out what the problem could possibly be.

"I am Monsieur Bernard. I am the new patron of the Opera House. I know I haven't made an appearance before now but I regret to inform you that...Mademoiselle Lemieux is bedridden." he continued, closing his eyes in mock sorrow.

A wave of shock and panic went through the mass of people who were listening to his proclamation.

"But, But Mademoiselle Lemieux," began Helen her face painted with worry "She will be back in time to sing for the Opera right? I mean, she's the lead part!"

"I'm sorry to say that she has received the dreadful sickness of laryngitis and will not be recovered in time for the performance."

Madame Amedee let out a small squeal of shock and sat herself down on one of the audience chairs. Christine's eyes widened in shock.

"What of the understudy?" someone asked

"No," said Madame Amedee, looking as if she might faint at any moment "Impossible. Mademoiselle Lemiuex's understudy is with a child. She is to be giving birth around the time of the performance."

"What should we do Monsieur?" asked Helen looking to where their director Monsieur Clément.

Monsieur Clément ran his hands through his thinning hair.

"We shall have to cancel the performance and shall have to refund the house. Unless of course there is someone else who would be able to sing it."

Christine Daeé could sing it sir

Christine could hear the familiar music to the aria "Think of Me" playing in the background. She could feel the nervousness that had overwhelmed her at that point in time. The stares of all of the cast and crew at the Opera House were burning into the back of her neck but when her cue came she opened her mouth to sing. The clarity of her voice rung throughout the theatre and she could hear the impressed murmurs of her fellow cast mates from behind her. Then suddenly the room was full of wealthy people. Wealthy nobility. They watched her with faint smiles on their faces and as Christine reached the end cadenza and hit each note flawlessly they roared with applause and stood on their feet. Throwing flowers at her feet. Christine felt her heart accelerate and her face was painted with a genuine smile. She couldn't wait to perform again and she couldn't wait to hear if her angel had thought it satisfactory. That was the night that she had been thrust into the spotlight.

That was the night that she found that her angel was no more than a man.

"Helen can sing it sir," Christine's own voice shook her from her thoughts.

Helen turned to look at her with a shocked expression on her face.

"I can?"

"Yes you can. I have heard you sing Mademoiselle Lemieux's aria. You have a beautiful voice."

"But she is a chorus girl; don't be ridiculous she does not have the training to lead an Opera"

Christine turned to face their director.

"She has the talent. I know what it's like to carry an Opera; I'll tutor her on all of the pieces. Monsieur Clément, we either take this chance or watch the Opera that we have been working so hard on be forgotten."

Monsieur Clément considered her for a moment and nodded.

"Very Well...Madame de Changy you will tutor her. But keep in mind how close the performance is. We'll have to extend each rehearsal."

A soft murmur of acceptance waved through the multitude and Christine's heart was hammering in her chest. A forlorn melody replaying itself mockingly again and again in her mind.

If you ever find a moment, stop and think of me