Aaaah thanks so much for the reviews! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well. I'm trying to take things slow in this story
I'll tell you a secret. I really think of them as BC and JF with some A/B characteristics, but that may be weird, because they're real people you know… and I respect them. So that's why I call them Anna and Bates ;-), but don't let this change the way you 're reading it. It's fanfiction and my chance to do with them whatever I want,.. I want happiness
In the following chapters you will find some more info about the characters of the stage play (created by Bill Breuer but changed to my own imagination) I hope it's not too confusing. Let me know when it is.
Becoming a faery
Anna Smith - Fay
John Bates - Mr. Thomas
Elsie Hughes - Mrs. Corrigan
Matthew Crawley - Mr. Chetham
Mary Crawley - Miss Charlene Doll
Tom Branson - Dr. Robin Goodfellow
Charlie Carson - Mr. Flannigan
Ethel Parks - Mrs. Gimbal
Anna read the new script she received. She still couldn't believe it. She did it! She would be a faery, and a good one too! She was in a daze the whole week. After she was called back, they told her she got the part. They hadn't seen a right fairy all day until she stepped into the room. They told her she had the perfect look, the right voice, and something mysterious to make it a real fairytale. She was a grown woman, but yet soft and sweet. And they thought she was kind of funny too.
Anna couldn't utter a word for several minutes. A play by Mr. Grantham, a leading role with Mr. Bates. The second she thought of him their eyes met. He smiled back with a sparkle in his eyes. She was sure he had something to do with it.
Tomorrow would be the first cast meeting. Anna knew a few names and faces, but not all. She was glad Matthew was one of them. He would be a very handsome lawyer and the girls would come running to the theater for him. She never saw anything in him though, for her he was just a pretty boy. Smart, nice to spent time with,… but she was missing something. She needed more. Talking about books, having a nice home and dinner with friends, long conversations, sitting at a fire,… She could keep dreaming about those things. She'd never met a man who fulfilled her dreams. She was hopelessly romantic. Only the classic novels could give her a night in bed with that type of men.
Anna was very eager to meet her new colleagues. She always hated mornings, but was now up and about at 6.30am. She had read her lines again and again the last days and was feeling like she was a real faery. She almost fluttered through her room with her imaginary wings. 'What's so lovely about the role is that the faery isn't only sweet and loving. When provoked, she is smart and witty. She likes to play games and challenge others. Fay is self-assured but goes through different emotions during the play. It isn't plain sailing for her. It's hard for her to confess her love for others, because no one ever believed in her. She's still a faery you know,' Anna thought to herself. 'Quite sad actually now that I'm thinking about it. O Anna, it's just a play!'
She stepped into the same room she'd been in for the auditions. She shook hands with some and she was congratulated for getting the part. She saw Mr. Bates standing behind some people, glancing at her while he was busy talking, but he stayed where he was. And so did she.
"Everyone can sit here," Robert announced. "Please, find a place in this circle, so I can introduce everyone and after that we will go through the script together".
Everybody found a place. Anna sat next to Matthew. Bates sat completely at the other end, next to Robert.
"So you will be the hot and sleazy lawyer. Good for you." Anna chuckled when she spoke to Matthew.
"Yeah, it's just written for me personally you know" Matthew joked and tried to look as arrogant as possible. They both laughed. She was sure she had Mr. Bates attention now. Anna still didn't know how she was feeling about that.
"I'm sure it fits you,… and what about that Mary Crawley of yours? Family?" Anna softly asked. She had seen Matthew looking at her, like, a lot!
"Not that I'm aware of. I hope not." Again both chuckled.
"Please, can I continue?", Robert asked a little bit annoyed. Anna blushed and looked through her eyelashes to see if Bates was watching her. Damn, he wasn't.
In the afternoon, she had the first read-through with Bates. She hoped he could teach her some things; being longer in the business and having more experience.
"You're quite a faery yourself, Mr. Bates - Predicting the future. Maybe you should play Fay", Anna joked when meeting him. "Predicting is easy when meeting an actress like you. I knew you would have it in you", he responded. "But pass me the wings, they will look good on me, you know."
I'm sure everything looks good on you, Anna thought. But she only smiled at him. She was already sure they would have a great time together.
"So the faery is a bit sad, isn't she? - No one believing in her, no one to love. And then Thomas comes around - Someone to play with, someone to tease; Childish, but very attractive", he began. He had a cheeky grin on his face when he said 'attractive'.
"Yes, that's exactly what I was thinking. Only until the end, when it's too late, they both realize they're in love. My heart just broke when I read it. She's gone when he finally believes she's real. She grows to be a woman and he learns to love in return", Anna said.
"I only wonder why she never tells the secret. If he only knew she can become a real human being if she's loved and her existence isn't doubted."
"Well, would Thomas have believed her, and would he have loved her if he knew?" she responded and added, "It's still a fairytale you know."
"I'm curious how you'll show the transition to the audience. There are a lot of inner struggles for Fay, as well as for Thomas... But I know you're great with showing emotions on stage." Bates smiled.
So he'd seen her on stage or in films?
"Maybe you can teach me a bit more? With all your experience...?"
"Are you saying I'm old Anna?" He joked, but it made Anna blush. "No, you're not old Mr. Bates... And, I like older man anyway." OMG, did she just say that? Now he must think she's flirting with him!
John only laughed and said, "I think it's better if we rehearse some lines, don't you think?" Anna nodded in response.
"Lets do the scene where he finally sees her, where he's getting to know the faery. I struggle with that a bit. How would someone react to meeting a faery?
Anna started one of her lines. "The fairies went from the world, dear, because men's hearts grew cold: And only the eyes of children see what is hidden from the old..."
"Then deep inside my heart is warm and beating, but I can only see like a child. Am I that shallow and naïve, beautiful faery?"
"Don't say that. It's a privilege to see faeries. It means you think beyond yourself and that you're a curious creature."
John now touched Anna's hand, something he thought Thomas would do when he met the faery; he was really trying to act it out. She felt herself trembling a bit, His thumb caressed the back of her hand. Anna felt something fluttering in her stomach.
"No, No touching!" Robert jumped in. "They're not allowed to touch! The faery will die if she's touched."
Anna and John jumped back. Anna was disappointed. "So no touching between the lovers at all, during the whole play?", Bates asked, looking astonished.
"That's right. Good for the anticipation of the audience. They need to want them to touch and really feel with them they're not allowed. Constrained! It gives more power to their love."
"I don't see how…", Anna said. A love story without touching, this cannot be happening. She didn't know why she thought so… but she liked the feeling when he had touched her hand just now.
"Well, only until the end. When Thomas thinks she died because he didn't believe her. After he finds you, he will say your favorite line and kiss you." Robert continues to Anna, "Everyone wants them to finally kiss. She turned in a human being when Thomas realized how much he really loved her, so she's not dead after all."
"Yeah, I understand that… but it's harder to act in love when you cannot touch…", Bates went on. "Right, but we chose you because of your acting skills Bates... And the same with Anna." With that, he walked away.
"Well, we have to practice the kissing scene a lot then", Bates joked.
The line: The faeries went from the world, dear, Because men's hearts grew cold: And only the eyes of children see What is hidden from the old... ~ is by Kathleen Foyle