Everybody was busy. And excited. Within a week, the auditions would take place and they all were practicing their singing. Even the place where the students went to eat was now filled with song. During this lunch break, all were questioning each other about what their chances were to actually get a role. Melody on the other hand was quite absent in these conversations. She decided to leave the others be and headed to Montmartre. There she used the sketchpad she brought with her when she left her home. She flipped through the pages, filled with drawings she had made. Some were of her mother and father, on others, her previous home ( and thus the Phantom's lair) was displayed. Looking at them brought back many memories. She smiled at them and started drawing the Parisian view.

Phillipe had arrived a little bit later than the rest at the restaurant. Even before he had entered he knew the students were there. When he entered, the first thing that he took notice of was the absence of Melody. Normally she would be here, joining Katerina and Jean-Jacques for lunch. He wondered why. "Hey, has anyone seen Melody? Normally she's here at this time of day"

"She was here, you just missed her. And before you ask, no, I do not know where she went off to," Jillian said. "But why isn't she here?"

"She says she doesn't want to play a role in the performance. I think she doesn't want to hear our constantly babbling about it," Katerina said. "Why doesn't she want to, I mean, she wrote the music, she off all people should know best how to sing it perfectly and yet she doesn't want to sing it?" "She believes she's better off backstage. If you ask me, I think it's because of her mask. You can't blame her, really. All people ever would do is stare at her"

"Until they hear her sing, man, what a voice. Still I don't believe she learned to sing that way at school," Jean-Jacques said " I wonder where she learned that. Too bad she's really secretive about her past"

Phillipe sat down to have his lunc.

Melody decided to skip the gathering at Phillipe's house, she wasn't in the mood to pretend. She went home and started to read a book, one of the few she had smuggled from her father's collection. And it seemed he haven't noticed it yet, otherwise she wouldn't be able to find it and there was a great chance there would be a message. Feeling rather good about that fact, she started.

"Jean-Jacques, have you seen Melody, I can't seem to find her," Katerina asked. "No I haven't seen her. Actually I haven't seen her since lunch. Maybe she was feeling ill and went home," he suggested. "I'm going to have a look, okay" she said and told everybody she wasn't feeling too and was going home.

During a rather lovely passage of the book Melody was reading, somebody knocked on the door. Melody sighed, hoping it wouldn't be Phillipe. She didn't want to tell him where she has been. He doesn't need to know everything she did. "I'm coming," she said as loud as she could without really yelling. Melody wnet to open the door and to her surprise she found Katerina on the other side of it. "Katerina? Come in please," Melody politely invited her in. "Would you like some tea?" she asked while Katerina was entering. "That would be lovely," came as answer.

Melody went immediately to the kitchen, forgetting the book that still was lying on in the sofa. Katerina saw the book and couldn't help herself looking what she was reading. Oh curse you, human curiosity, she thought. It seemed that Melody was reading Edgar Allen Poe. Katerina grimaced when she discovered this. She really wasn't into this dark literature.

"Yeah, I'm sorry for that. I should have put it away," Melody said as she walked into the room, noticing the grimace on Katerina's face. "Oh no, don't be. It just not my kind of book, that's all." "The tea will be ready soon. So tell me, what's the reason you honour me with a visit?"

"I wondered why you didn't come to Phillipe's house today. What's wrong, you seem so sad all day, what happened?"

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"That's no reason to be sad is it. Now please tell me what's on your mind"

Melody sighed "It's this whole thing with the performance. I guess it bothers me that I won't be a part of it"

"I guessed as much. But we've discussed this already, if the mask bothers you we can always make you a flesh coloured mask. From afar nobody would tell."

"People will look even more at me when they notice that I wear a mask afterwards, and I don't want to wear a flesh-coloured mask all the time. It's a part of who I am, I'm not going to change that."

Katerina understood. "I'm sorry Melody, I shouldn't have brought that up, I know it's…"

"Please Katerina, it's what everybody would have suggested. Don't be bothered about it"

Suddenly a knock was heard. Melody wondered who it could be, if Katerina was already here, the boys would wait after she was back. Melody opened the door and when she did, she was a little panicked. The person in front of her entered the apartment. "Hello Melody, your father noticed you weren't at the De Chagny's and sort of sent me to check on you, are you alright," Christine said, completely unaware of Katerina's presence. "Mom, I have a visitor. Maybe it's best if you'd return later, you can tell father I'm alright."

At that point Christine had turned around, facing Katerina. "Oh my, I'm sorry Melody. You're right, it's best for me to leave" "Oh not at all, I am the one who should get back. We still have a lot to do," Katerina said looking straight at Christine "Excusez-moi Madame, but do I know you from somewhere, you seem oddly familiar"

This is what Melody feared, if anyone would recognize her mom, they would be able to make the connection from her mask to the Opera Ghost in no time. "No I don't think so Miss, we never met before," Christine replied. Katerina was still intensely looking at Christine. She drew in a breath and her eyes widened in recognition. "You are Christine Daaé, oh my god." Then she looked at Melody and her eyes widened even more. "Your mother's Christine Daaé, no one knows what happened after that thing with the Phantom and you wear a mask! Oh my , you're the Phantom's daughter" Luckily for Katerina still was seated in the sofa, otherwise she would have surely fell.

Melody and Christine looked at each other, not knowing what would come, nor prepared for it. But it seemed that Katerina was already over the initial shock "So that's what happened, she hooked up with the Phantom" She noticed the looks she got from the other two women in the room. "Don't worry Melody and Miss Daaé, I won't tell" A look of relieve washed over Christine's and Melody' face. "Wouldn't want him to come after me for knowing his little secret," Katerina added as a joke, but it seemed only she saw it as a joke. "Oh, I don't think he would. He doesn't want the Phantom be brought back in the headlights," Christine tried to assure Katerina. "Oh, I meant it as a joke really."

"Oh, right," Christine said while a blush crept to her cheeks. Katerina was smiling. "That explains a lot actually," she began. "The knife throwing, the exceptionally good voice, being able to hide in shadows." Melody slightly paled after that last statement. "Yes, I've seen Melody. I think it was that time when the Comte came to share his experiences. I thought it was because you were afraid of his reaction to the mask, but he would have recognized you, as daughter of Christine and the Ghost. It also explains why you have the his music. So actually don't do much then when we are working and that 's why you insisted you'd take care of the music. It all make sense now"

"I wouldn't say I'm don't do much. I mean, keeping my identity safe isn't that easy" the girls giggled now. "Miss Daaé, can I ask you a question?"Christine looked at her daughter, asking without words if Katerina could be trusted. Melody had a little doubt( probably because she never had people to trust in except for her parents and their friends) but eventually nodded "Sure why not"

"Why did you stay with him?"

"I thought you were going to ask me. I stayed with him to safe Raoul's life. If I refused to stay with Erik, yes that's his name, I found that out later, he would have killed Raoul. I didn't want that to happen, you see I loved Raoul then, and not only as a friend. I couldn't stand to see my lover hurt, even if that mean to sacrifice myself."

"Wow, you must have loved the Comte deeply"

"Yes I did. But in a way I'm glad Erik gave me that ultimatum. It gave me a chance to learn more about one of the most passionate people I had ever met. Erik's a very passionate man. When he plays music, or sometimes compose, you can feel he puts his soul into it. And he's not only passionate about his music, it's the same when he draws or designing things or even when he just looks at me. I'm so glad I decided to stay with him, I couldn't have had a better life"

"But didn't you hate him at the moment? He made you give up everything you knew."

"In the beginning, I wouldn't even say a word to him. Actually I just sat there. He was constantly around, talking to me, even though I never said anything in return, or he was playing music or composing. At some point, I started to have little conversations with him, since I was dying for some form of human contact. I guess I started to care even more for him than I did already. You must know what he meant for me before that night, don't you?"

"Yes, he was your Angel of Music, right?"

Christine nodded. "Please no more questions, I'm sure Erik doesn't like it when I talk about him to people I hardly know"

"I understand" Katerina looked in Melody's direction. "I think it's best for me to go now, Jean-Jaques and Phillipe wil be wondering where I am"

She then went over to give Melody a hug, while whispering in her ear "We'll talk another time" She then turned around " It was a pleasure to meet you, don't worry, your secret's safe with me," with that she left.

"I'm sorry for bursting in like that, I hadn't expect you'd had any visitors," Christine said. "Don't worry, I'm sure she won't tell. But it's best we let father know about this. He would be furious if he didn't."

"You're right, and I believe it's my task to tell him. But we haven't discussed why it is you're here and not with the rest of your class. What's wrong? And don't tell me it's nothing, I've lived long enough with your father to know when something's wrong even when one is to stubborn not to tell" Melody sighed, she really didn't want to repeat what she had said mere moments ago. "You know what, I'll come by tomorrow and explain everything." Christine immediately knew Melody wanted to discuss this with Erik. She knew this was about something she could never understand: wearing a mask to hide one's face.