Chapter 16: No Need to Worry.

Meg ran as fast as she could to the managers office. People must have thought some great crisis had occurred, the way she was running. Her face was covered with concern and she held her breath as she travelled through crowds of people. It was strange to see so many unknown people around her, the theatre had begun to fill with newcomers even though the doors remained shut to the public. They all turned to stair at her as she ran. She could hear whispers rise from them, but she had to ignore them. She felt the urgency that was needed to tell the people of the development. Deep down inside her she didn't see Christine's return as a blessing to the theatre but as a great sign that nothing good was to come. She arrived, out of breath, at their office and knocked frantically until someone answered.

"For the love of god," Firmin gasped as he swung open the door. Meg was in mid knock as the door opened, "what is the matter child?"

"Mama is letting Christine remain and she is rejoining the ballet troop," she said as her voice cracked, "I have been told to come and tell you," she said then stared at them for a response.

"That's splendid," Andre smiled at the young woman, "don't you think?"

"Yes, you and Christine were incredibly close," Firmin said as he walked to the desk and sat down.

"Weren't you?" Andre asked as he watched as the panic and fear grew on the young woman's face, "aren't you happy to have your friend back?"

Meg stood in silence and pondered a moment, the comments of the managers. It hadn't really crossed her mind, that she should be pleased or not, to have her childhood friend back. For some reason the fear and anxiety was far greater than the joy to be reunited with a friend. She had gained a new friend, a friend that would be more affected than anyone by the return of the young diva and she didn't want to see him hurt anymore. She had seen the depression and the consequences from the actions of his passion toward her. Now was not a time to be bringing her back into the theatre. No good could come of their meeting again. But she had to cover her concern. It would be no good for a ballerina to speak her mind before two men who practically owned her.

"I suppose I am," Meg said finally just to please them. She gave them a forced smile and they seemed to interpret it properly for they smiled back at her.

"I should think it would be great publicity as well to have the young diva back in the company," Firmin said as he looked across the desk at Andre.

Meg's mouth fell open in astonishment. He couldn't possibly dream of using her to cause that kind of tension again, could he? It was he who wanted to rebuild the glory of the theatre. Who had planned and plotted to find the Phantom and who had placed her mother in such a potion to bring back the tension as it was. How on earth could he be so selfish and only see this for the money? She asked herself but she was to stunned to say anything out loud.

"Don't be silly," Andre said with half a laugh.

Meg gave out a sigh of relief, at least one of them had some common sense.

"It would only be bad publicity," he added, "have you not seen how dreadfully plain and old she was looking. People would only be disappointed to see her like that," Andre chuckled.

Meg sighed again, this time with disgust for both men. It was clear they cared for nothing more than the money and fame that they hoped the theatre would bring.

"I believe your right," Firmin said, "lets hope she doesn't bring down the quality of the ballet troop."

"She'll be nothing compared to out star," Andre said and smiled again at Meg.

Meg blushed and excused herself from the office. She couldn't take anymore of their selfishness and the nonsense that they spoke about Christine. They weren't even thinking straight. They had become to comfortable with the prospects of the opera being populated and a success again that they had lost the fear and respect for the composer. Meg sighed, it wouldn't be long now before things fell apart.

She made her way, slowly, back to the ballet hall. Remorse had struck her now. She hadn't even though of the wonderful times she had once known with a girl who was as close to a sister as she had ever had and to see her now, the melancholy in her eyes and the tests that time had put her through. Could it have all been worse than the things that had happened here in this place? Maybe this really was all that she had left in the world. If all of the money was gone, and the comfort that a man had promised her was taken away, maybe all that she really could do was to return to something familiar. Meg had begun to feel sorry for Christine, and not because of the things that had once happened in the opera house but because of the bad things, that Erik had warned her about, that the really world possessed. And yet, at the back of her mind, she was worried that things around the opera populair had begun to snowball out of control. Where could all this selfishness and ideas of richness be leading them, other than in the wrong direction. It was a frightening prospect, Meg didn't know what to turn to.

She returned to the ballet hall and continued in her work, with the younger girls. Madame Giry also returned but Christine did not come back to the ballet hall that day and though her mother had come and taken over the teaching of the younger students, Meg remained till the end of practice.

When the end had come, Meg stayed until the ballerinas had left and she was left alone again with her mother. Madame Giry seemed to pace nervously before the windows as the sun began to set outside.

"I don't know if it is wise or not, but I think Erik should know and know soon," Madame Giry said as she turned to face her daughter, "this all could mean disaster, again."

"I know, and I am feeling the same fear that you are. But I think he needs to know, he deserves to at least," Meg said finally as she changed from her ballet slippers to her shoes and held took her ballet shoes into her hands as though they were precious jewels.

"I've told her that she has the same privileges as the younger ballerinas. We can't have her wondering," Madame Giry said nervously.

"If Erik wants to see her, he'll see her," Meg said after a moment of silence between the two women, "we can do nothing to stop it. He knows this place much better than all of us. He'd fine a way, I am sure, and we know that he has the capacity to obtain access to everywhere."

"She's changed," The older woman whispered, "I can't tell if it is a good changed but bad things have happened to her. Its going to be a struggle for us all to keep her and deal with her at least that is what her eyes tell me."

"We'll have to deal with it," Meg said, "for she is back in the theatre and once again a part of this family. We can't turn her away now."

"She has nothing anymore, Raoul is dead and her lust is gone. She is plain and old and I don't know if she'll be able to do any of the things that she once could. She may be more of a burden than an asset to us, but I couldn't say no."

"you have an enormous heart mother," Meg said as she placed a hand on her mothers shoulder, "and you could never stop mothering her, I could tell that you missed her and the moment I saw the two of you together. I saw that motherly love you have for her. It is not your fault you care for your children, whether they are your flesh or your charge. I admire you and I know you have the strength we all need to get through this. But for now, we can't worry about it. We must be open to the challenges that are coming to us. Everyone knows that this production is going to be a great challenge of all of us. Such is live I guess." Meg said as she hugged her ballet slippers close to her heart, "we just have to remember why we are all here. It is something that Erik knows to well and we need to take his example on it and follow him with selfless hearts and open minds."

"You are right my child," Madame Giry smiled, "so wise, you've become. I leave it to you to tell Erik what you think he needs to know. Now go, I know that you are needed in another place to work. I believe you to be safe with him now."

"I have grown to trust him and you, and no one else," Meg whispered to her mother, "everyone else in this place works against us. You must trust the people that trust their talents and the things that they create. Not the ones that see this all as money and popularity."

"Lets hope that isn't the reason Christine returned," Madame Giry sighed and walked out of the ballet hall.

Meg was left alone in the setting sun as the idea of her childhood companion being changed by the outside world. Could it be that Christine was simply here for the publicity? Why else would she have any reason to return to a place that caused so much horror and pain in her life? Was her life outside really that bad to bring her back to such a dark time. Meg prayed that this wasn't the reason, but something stung deep down within her. She would have to talk about this with Erik to see what he though about it. It was time for her to start her lessons with the Phantom of the Opera.

Dear Readers,

I hope you are all enjoying this story. I have really grown attached to it and the things that are to come make me very excited to get there. But I am trying my best to be patient when it comes to writing and I don't want to hurry the story along to much. That is why I am writing this little message to you. Please review and tell me how you feel about the story so far? Is it moving along steady enough and or is it building up to too much? I need to know. Please.

Angel