Thanks so much to those who reviewed. It made me feel so very special. Especially Akira'kitana, and chrys.cadis.chasa. I have no idea what it means, but it sounds awesome!!

Dedicated to all my reviewers. They make this POTO phan very happy.
Disclaimer- I in no way, shape or form claim ownership of Phantom of the Opera, the plot line, the characters or the settings. I only borrow them for my own amusement which hopefully will be enjoyed by others. Long live the Phantom of the Opera.
It was a few days after her first practice with Erik. Hedgecliff and Yowling had both noticed a definate change in her ability. She could reach notes that she hadn't been able to. She had graduated from a mezzo-soprano to a full soprano. Even Valerie had noticed. It wasn't long before it was "Into the Woods" opening night.

She sat in her dressing room, still kinda surprised that she got a single one, as she had never had one before. It was fun to dance around like an idiot without anyone to see her and laugh at her attempt at hip dances. It was comforting to set a drink down, turn her back on it, and know that no-one was tampering with it. It was so nice to change slowly and get her make-up on slowly, without people yelling at her to move. It was so much fun. But she kinda missed messing around with Orry. He had his own dressing room too. It was down the hall from hers.

She sighed and stuck her head with a bobby pin. Putting her hair up in a bun for the wig was frustrating. She hated doing it. Hair was meant to flow free and- What was that? She turned and on her vainity (it wasn't there a second ago) was a single blood-red rose. She picked it up and a black ribbon's ends tickled her wrist. It was a beautiful rose, barely unfurling it's silky smooth petals. It was a mystery how it got there. Then her eyes picked up a tiny note folded to perfection. With an excited squeal, she grabbed it and quickly opened it. She was definately getting better at unfolding and was attempting to fold them. She could manage a square, but Erik kept coming up with more and more complicated shapes. Like a five-pointed star.

Dear Kat,
It's finally the night that you have been waiting for. I am so very proud of you. You sing with all of the voice and grace of an angel. Keep it up and break a leg tonight. I'll be watching, so don't be afraid. If you'd like, I would like to meet you in the same place tonight after the show. If you want. Erik

Kat giggled, and her bun slipped. A knock sounded at the door, and JT poked his head in.

"Five minutes to places, Kat. Better hurry." he quickly closed the door as Kat erupted into a blur of movement. Before even a minute was up, she had her wig on, her costume on and her other costumes waiting in the wings. Orry clapped her on the back and whispered in her ear.

"Break a leg, Kat."

"Thanks." she whispered back, adjusting her wig with a few more bobby pins.

"Places." whispered JT, poking Orry in the back with his clipboard. Orry saluted smartly, and hurried to his cottage with his wife, Christie. Katrina shivered slightly, as this was her first title role. She hummed along with the opening lines and shook as Little Red Riding Hood exited. Their narrator, Christopher Yulling, started with her entrance. She licked her lips and her mouth went dry.

"Because the baker had lost his mother and father in a baking accident--well, at least that is what he believed--he was eager to have a family of his own, and concerned that all efforts until now had failed." Kat stepped up to the line, ready to step on stage. Then came the knock on Baker's door

"Who might that be?" asked Orry, looking at Christie.

"We have sold our last loaf of bread." she said, looking confused. Orry went over and opened the prop door. When he saw Kat, he fell backwards, and clutched at his heart.

"It's the witch from next door!" he cried to his wife, and Kat entered. She heard the snickers about her appearance, but she concentrated on Orry. She glared at them.

"We have no bread." they chorused together, grinning cheesily. Kat was suddenly frozen into inaction. She was rooted to the floor with no means of movement. She looked out at the audience, and saw a shadow in Box 5. She felt relief and she rolled her eyes comically.

"Of course you have no bread!" she said, throwing up her hands with exhasperation.

"Then, what do you wish?" asked the Baker, eager to get her out of his bakery. She gave them a look of scathing disbelief.

"It's not what I wish. It's what you wish." They still looked confused. She picked up her magic staff and used it to point at Christie's belly. "Nothing cooking in there now, is there?" She heard the laughter, and knew that nothing could stop her now.

"The old enchantress went on to tell the couple that she had placed a spell on their house." said Christopher.

"What spell?" demanded the Baker, making Kat sit down. She did so, but made them both uncomfortable.

"In the past, when you were no more than a babe, your father brought his young wife and you to this cottage. They were a handsome couple, but not handsome neighbors. You see, your mother was with child and she had developed an unusual appetite. She took one look at my beautiful garden, and told your father that what she wanted, more than anything in the world, was
Greens, greens, and nothing but greens:
Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery,
Asparagus and watercress and
Fiddleferns and lettuce--!
He said 'all right,'
But it wasn't, quite,
'Cause I caught him in the autumn
In my garden one night!
He was robbing me,
Raving me,
Rooting through my rutabaga,
Raiding my arugula and
Ripping up the rampion
(My champion! My favorite!)--
I should have laid a spell on him right there.
Could have turned him into stone,
Or a dog, or a chair,
Or a sn--" she drifted off into a momentary trance that had the audience laughing hard. She jerked out of it, and continued as if nothing had happened.
"But I let him have the rampion,
I'd lots to spare.
In return, however,
I said 'Fair is fair;
You can let me have the baby
That your wife will bear.
And we'll call it square."

Much Later...
"Into the woods--you have to grope,
But that's the way you learn to cope.
Into the woods to find there's hope
Of getting through the journey.
Into the woods, each time you go,
There's more to learn of what you know.
Into the woods, but not too slow--
Into the woods, it's nearing midnight--
Into the woods to mind the wolf,
To heed the witch, to honor the giant,
To mind, to heed, to find, to think, to teach, to join,
To go to the Festival!
Into the woods,
Into the woods,
Into the woods,
Then out of the woods--
And happy ever after!" The cast ended the musical with a bang. The audience loved it so much that they demanded two encores, one of which was "Ever After". When Kat stepped up to get her final bow, they nearly blew the rafters off.

"Good thing we get to do this again tomorrow!" whispered Orry, as soon as they were offstage. Kat nodded, still too awed to speak. "You alright?" asked Orry, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. He took it off almost immediately look about him. He once more felt that intense, jealous gaze pirecing his back...He couldn't locate it. No-one was looking at him, yet he felt eyes on him. He shook his head, turned to Kat--but she had disappeared.

Kat dashed down the corridor, worried that she was late. She made a quick stop in her dressing room, putting away the wig and the dress and ran down in sneakers and jeans. But her face was covered with the make-up, and she was still wearing the fingers.

She entered the old chapel, and looked about her in a panic. She was late, he wasn't here, he didn't go to the play, he didn't like her anymore, he-

"Hello, Kat." said the familiar smooth voice from no-where.

"You came!" she said, relief written all over her face. A chuckle sounded from the shadows.

"You didn't think I'd come?" he asked, sounding amused and a bit hurt.

"I'm sorry." she said, sitting down and starting to take off the fingers. "It's been insane today." she said, struggling with a diffucult one. "I guess I'm more tired than I let on." Erik laughed from the shadows.

She leaned against the cool wall, closing her eyes in happiness. She could listen to that laugh for so long. But not forever, cause his singing was so much better. Just hearing his voice, she could almost see him. "Did you come to the musical?" she wondered aloud, knowing that he did, she just wanted to hear his voice.

"Of course." he said. sounding closer than he did when he laughed. "I thought it was wonderful. You especially." For some reason, that simple statement made her blush. He laughed again, a small whisper almost right in her ear. "I have something for you." he said.

"Ooooo! You didn't!" she exclaimed, eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree. A light suddenly fell upon a silver package with a black ribbon. Squealing, she raced towards it. He smiled to himself, watching her get so excited. She was so full of life, so full of energy and love. Perhaps she wanted to share some of that love with him...

"Wow...walkie-talkies." she said, sounding amused. "Why walkie-talkies? They look expensive."

"They aren't walkie-talkies." he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "They're, what do you call them again, oh yes, cell-phones."

"Oh, Erik. You definately should not have, that's way too expensive. I can't accept these, I won't accpet-"

"Yes, keep them. But I would like one." he said, and something in his voice compelled to her. She took one out of the box and held the other one out in the air.

"Come and get it." she said, quietly. The challenge hung in the air. He knew what she wanted. She had stood in the middle of the room, she was standing stock-still, she wanted to see him. No! Not yet! It was not time! But there she stood...

Late that Night...
Katrina sat in her room, too wired to get to sleep. She looked at her new cell-phone and couldn't wait to start plugging numbers in. Although...Orry didn't have one. And neither did any of her friends at school. Drat! Still, she had Erik's number. And, she supposed, he had hers. She sighed with disappointment. He hadn't come out. He had remained silent for so long that she had feared that he had left. But as soon as she set the package down in the center and turned to the door, she heard a slight wind behind her, turned and the box wasn't there.

Why didn't he want to show himself yet? They were friends. She wanted to see why he hid from her. It had to be something big. She put her new cell-phone on her bed-side dresser, shoving off books and stuffed animals to do so. She glanced at her luminus clock. It read 1:30. Damn! She'd have to get some sleep soon! School started at 7:30! She shoved back her covers and laid down on her bed. She looked up and saw her bunch of roses. Her newest red one lay on her desk, on top of her script. She smiled and started to close her eyes...

Suddenly, the opening notes to Beetoven's Fifth rang out. She leapt up, throwing panic stricken glances everywhere. She saw her phone bouncing up and down glowing and flashing and smiled wide. She picked it up and answered.

"Yes?"

"Hello." came Erik's sexy whisper. She bit her lip in joy, holding back a squeal of happiness.

"Hi, Erik." she replied, just as soft.

"I'm sorry about earlier." He said, sounding mournful.

"Oh, don't be." she said, rushing to comfort him. "It was my fault really. I'm sorry. I just...I just wanted to see you." she said, the last part dropping down to a tiny whisper. Erik chuckled quietly.

"You have very right to want to see me. I'm not quite ready though. So I forgive you." She could tell that he was teasing slightly. She giggled, and he laughed.

"Why are you stilll awake?" He asked, sounding concerned. "You really need to get your sleep."

"But I can't sleep Erik! I blame the adrenaline." she said factually. "And the three cans of soda I had after the performance."

"Never mind." soothed Erik. "I'll sing for you." he said, and she lay down, eager to hear him. A sweet sound echoed out from the phone, lulling her to sleep, and sending her to sweet dreams. She didn't quite recognize it...but it almost sounded like an opera that the older opera players had done three-to-four years ago. It soared and dipped. The music spun and caressed. She almost felt as if someone was caressing her cheek...but then she sunk down into a deep sleep, filled with confusing yet pleasing dreams.

Erik looked down at her sleeping form. He shut off his cell-phone, and pocketed it. He sat ever so softly on the edge of her bed, and reached his hand out so slowly it almost didn't move. His black-glove clad finger trembled as it neared her face. Her hair fell across her face as she turned in bed. He froze completely. She mumbled something, before settling deeper into her pillows.

He reached out again, and ran his finger down her face, gently caressing her cheekbone.

"Mm-mph?" she murmured, quite happily, leaning into the caress. He grew bolder, gently tracing the outlines of her face, her eyes, her nose, her lips...He jerked his hand away and disappeared into the closet. Before he closed the secret passageway, he looked back at her. Soon, he would not be able to stay away from her...And she already proved that she wanted to see him. Maybe...maybe soon...

As he shut the door on her, and was struck with a single brilliant idea. That boy, the one with the long hair. Erik's blood boiled just thinking of him. He had already spied on him so much that he knew that the boy talked in his sleep and could answer questions. Erik grinned wickedly, and decided to lay a trap...

So...review for me or I'll sing Phanotm of the Opera songs. OFF-KEY!!! (No, I wouldn't do that...I know! I'll sing "Time-Warp" off-key!!)