Is it me or is the Document Manager acting... weird? lol oh well...

Michi41: Is it not good, or perhaps it is good... hm... and there's a hint that happens that shows how much time has past, but it has been about ten years since the scene at the opera house.

Read-a-holic2200: I know :( And I like the Phantom.

Galaxina-the-Seedrian: You hear voices! ? XDDD

Nevermore8: I might cry too at the end... :'(

WordNerb93: Well now you just ruined the surprise of the story! lol XDD I know where I'm going with this... I'm not changing anything...

Sierra-275: I didn't have time to update the Titanic story on that date sadly. But hopefully I'll have more inspiration for it when some of these other stories are done.

Hard Coaster: I will do my best! XD

I don't own LND or PnF

The summer flew by at Cony Island, and before everyone knew it there was only two days left Phantasma closed up for the season. On this day, many reporters, photographers and tourists were all watching a huge ship called Persephone make port. Many famous people were aboard, so all of the reporters hoped to get many interviews with as many people as they could. The welcome band played happily for everyone's entertainment.

A late woman photographer ran over, panting, "Has the Persephone docked yet?"

A woman reporter nodded ay her, "Yes the passengers are going through customs now."

A man reporter smiled and pointed to the people filing off of the ship, "Here they come!"

The first set of passengers quickly came out through the gate, waving at all the photographers. A lady wearing an enormous hat and a fancy dress was spotted by a man reporter.

"Hey!" he shouted, "It's Mrs. Doofenshmirtz!

The photographers motioned to her, "Hey, Mrs. Doofenshmirtz! Over here!"

She turned to the cameras and allowed them to take a few pictures of her before walking off. A couple of reporters try to ask her questions,

"How was your trip?"

"Is that the latest Paris style?"

She blew them a kiss before getting an awaiting carriage. Everyone turned back to the ship.

A man reporter pointed, "Look there's Colonel Panda!"

Colonel Panda, who was a heavier man, waved at them all. The same reporter asked him jokingly, "Hey, Colonel, enjoyed those French pastries, did you?"

The Coronel smiled broadly, "There's nothing there we don't have bigger and better over here, I assure you."

After getting his picture, a photographer waved as he walked away, "Thanks Colonel!"

Once he moved on, a woman reporter gasped, "Over there, that's Love Handel, ain't it?

Everyone cheered and started taking pictures of the band. Another reporter asked, "Excuse me, over here! How was your trip to Europe?"

Just then a photographer gasped, "Look! There she is!"

Everyone quickly forgot about the band and turned their eyes to the boat. The reporters gasp when the see the long awaited star, Isabella Daae. She was as gorgeous as ever in her traveling dress and standing by her side was a young boy in traveling clothes. The reporters and photographers began to swarm around her all at once,

"Isabella Daae!"

"Isabella Daae!"

"Over here!"

"This way!"

"Miss Daae!"

Isabella remains silent, keeping a protective arm around the young boy. Just then her husband Phineas came up from behind them. He looked just as handsome as he did ten years ago, but a bit more brusque and irate. He put a protective arm around Isabella and looked at the reporters,

"Her name is Madame de Chagny! Stand aside! Stand aside, please! No pictures, do you hear? No pictures of my wife, no pictures of the boy!"

The reporters ignored him and started asking questions,

"Hey Isabella, why Coney Island?"

"Your first concert in years, why aren't singing at the Met?"

Phineas glared at them, "Isabella has been engaged by the well-known impresario –

A reporter laughed at this, "Well-known? No one's ever seen the guy!

A photographer laughed, "How'd he lure the great Christine Daaé over here, anyways?"

Another reporter looked Phineas knowingly; "It's the money, right? All that American moolah!"

Another reporter laughs mockingly, "Hey Isabella, whatcha gonna sing, 'Yankee Doodle Moolah'?"

The crowd explodes into laughter at this. Phineas looks angrily at them all and yelled, "My wife is an artist!"

Another reporter rolled his eyes, "Yeah, and her art is paying off your gambling debts, is what they're saying in France. Is it true you left your entire fortune on a roulette table in Monte Carlo?"

Phineas snarled at him, "Why, you insolent jackal! How dare you!"

The boy, who has remained quiet all this time, began pulling on his father's pants, "Father-"

Phineas looked down at him and snapped, "Not now Anthony!"

The reporters turned their attention to the young boy,

"Hey kid, how does it feel to have a famous mother?"

"This is your first time in America?"

"What do you plan to do here at Coney?"

Anthony looked up shyly at them and replied quietly, "I… I want to learn how to swim."

The crowd all laughs at this, making Anthony hide behind his mother. Phineas rolled his eyes and glared at the reporters, "I said, leave the child alone!" he looked around for any carriages. Not seeing any he groaned, "Did this Mr. F even send someone to receive us?"

The welcome band suddenly grows quiet and Anthony looks out from behind his mother and is suddenly excited. He pulled Isabella's dress and pointed, "Mother, look right over there… across the square... what is it?"

All eyes turned to where the boy pointed and to everyone's shock and surprise, a strange coach appears. It looked mechanical; no horses were pulling it at all. All of the reporters muttered to themselves as it pulled up. When the doors opened up, three figures hopped out and approached the arriving family. The three of them were freaks from Phantasma… Vanessa, Johnny and Carl.

The three of them stopped in front of Isabella and her family and bowed. When they straightened up, the three of them began moving with bizarre, but beautiful movements.

Johnny pointed to the three arrivers, 'Are you ready to begin? Are you ready to get on? You're about to start out on the journey of your lives.'

He reached out to Anthony and put his hand behind his ear. When he pulls his hand back, he is now pulling a colorful handkerchief out from behind the boy's ear.

Anthony squealed in delight, while Phineas looked completely bewildered, "Is this some kind of joke?"

A reporter shook her head, "No, it's a publicity stunt for that freak show on Coney!"

Another reporter began scribbling down some notes, "It's a front page feature, is what it is! You getting this, Smitty?"

The photographer nodded as he took the pictures, "You betcha!"

Carl approached Phineas, 'If you're ready, then get in. Once you're in, then we'll get gone. And who knows, once it goes, where you'll be when it arrives?'

With one fluid motion, Carl removed Phineas's top hat and made it disappear into thin air. The crowd gasped at this and clapped. Phineas looked stunned, but quickly turned angry, "This is outrageous!"

A reporter smiled wide, "It's amazing! Brilliant!"

A photographer nodded, "I'm telling you, that Mr. F is an absolute genius!"

Johnny and Carl began to flank behind the family and walk them over towards the carriage.

Vanessa giggled and motioned to them, 'It's a fun house where the mirrors all reflect what's real…' Carl joined in with her, 'And reality's as twisted as the mirrors reveal…' Johnny joined in with them, 'And the fun is finding out what the mirrors show…'

The family was now standing right outside the carriage. Isabella was led in first, followed by her protesting husband.

Phineas looked at the freaks in anger, "This is unacceptable, do you hear me? I will be taking this up with your employer! Whoever he is!"

Anthony looked around excitedly as his parents got seated, 'Everything and everyone it's all just how I dreamed. All the freaks, and all the fun, exactly how I dreamed. And Phantasma still awaits…Wonder what's behind its gates…'

Carl helped Anthony in before climbing in himself. Once the doors were closed, the carriage began rolling off. Everyone was speechless as the carriage rolled away and disappeared behind the gates. The welcome band bursts back into music and everyone began whispering.

A reporter shook his head in amazement, "That was something, wasn't it?"

A photographer shrugged, "Ah, I was hoping she'd sing. Caruso sang half of Pagliaccio for us when he got off the boat."

Another reporter frowned, "Eh, I bet she ain't got it no more, not like the old days. Sure, she's pitch perfect… But empty inside. Like the flame went out of something-"

A photographer gasped, "Look! It's the Tiny Cowboys!"

Later that evening at a hotel, Phineas, Isabella and Anthony were settled into their luxury suite for the night. Anthony bounced around excitedly around the room and admired the huge piano in their room. He walked over to it and picked up a small object the freaks gave to him earlier. Phineas sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of brandy.

He looked around the room and began to complain out loud to Isabella, 'What a dreadful town! What a vulgar place! What an awful mistake to have come here! To be on display in that shameless way for the crude, common, lower class scum here. How do they dare to treat us so!'

Anthony bounded over happily to his father and motioned to him, 'Father dear, come play with me, come and see this toy I've got-'

Phineas ignored his son and took a gulp of his drink before slamming the glass down at the table, 'What a snub, at most. From our so-called host! Did he think sending freaks would be funny? Could the fool have thought that our pride was bought by his filthy American money? What a farce! What an outright slap in the face! It's an utter disgrace –I've got a mind to pack and go, never you mind the debts we owe! Who would believe we've sunk this low?'

Anthony tugged his father's shirt and spoke louder, 'Father, please, come play with me-'

Phineas groaned and looked to his wife, "Please tell the boy the answer's no!"

Isabella sighed and walked slowly over to the piano. She began idly playing a few notes on the piano of the song she's to sing in a couple of days.

Phineas gritted his teeth and scowled at her, "Must you make that racket?"

Isabella sighed, "I'm sorry… It's the aria I'm to sing tomorrow-"

Phineas rubbed his temples, "It hurts my head!"

Isabella walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, 'Please let's not fight, dear…I'm sure that no one intended a slight, dear…'

Phineas sneered, "Don't you patronize me, it's your fault we came here!"

Isabella stroked his red hair and sighed, 'We need the money, that's all. That's why things haven't been right, dear…'

Phineas rolled his eyes, 'Why doesn't it surprise me that I get the blame here?'

In one last attempt to make him happy, she kissed his head and spoke soothingly, 'Let's leave tonight, dear…If that would serve to ease your troubled mind…Leave the hurt behind.'

Phineas's anger subsides for a moment. He looked up sweetly at his wife and looked down when he felt his son pulling on his shirt again. Anthony gave him a toothy grin as he spoke, 'Father dear, come over here, and look at what they gave to me…' he brought over a small music box and placed it in his fathers lap, '…wind it up, and father, see! Look, it plays a melody!'

Anthony wound it up and it began plying the same tune the marching band was playing earlier. Unable to listen to it anymore, Phineas pushed the toy off his lap and stood up mumbling, "I need some air…"

As he went to leave, Isabella sighed, "Phineas, please!"

Phineas turned to her and snapped, "Please what?"

Isabella shook her head quickly, "Nothing... nothing only…Phineas, don't drink any more."

Phineas hesitates for a moment before leaving, slamming the door behind him.

Anthony picked his toy up off of the ground. He looked very crestfallen as he spoke sadly, 'Father never plays with me, doesn't he love me?'

Isabella looked down at her son and smiled sadly,

'Love's a curious thing, it often comes disguised.
Look at love the wrong way, it goes unrecognized…'

She knelt beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder,

'So look with your heart, and not with your eyes.
The heart understands, the heart never lies.
Believe what it feels, and trust what it shows.
Look with your heart, the heart always knows.
Love is not always beautiful, not at the start…
So open your arms, and close your eyes tight,
Look with your heart, and when it finds love,
Your heart will be right.'

She used a finger to tilt her son's head up as she spoke seriously, but lovingly to him.

'Learn from someone who knows…
Make sure you don't forget.
Love you misunderstand
Is love that you'll regret…'

She trailed off as her mind got lost in a distant memory. After a moment, Anthony spoke up and got her attention,

'Mother?
Look with your heart…
And not with your eyes…
The heart can't be fooled.'

Isabella nodded, 'The heart is too wise.'

Anthony smiled a little, 'Forget what you think…'

Isabella pressed a finger to where his heart is, 'Ignore what you hear…'

The two of them sang in unison, 'Look with your heart! It always sees clear!'

Anthony rested his head on his mother's shoulder, 'Love is not always beautiful, not at the start…'

Isabella put her arms around him and hugged him close,

'But open your arms…
And close your eyes tight…
Look with your heart…
And when it finds love…
Your heart will be right.'

Anthony yawned tiredly and hugged his mother tightly. Isabella kissed the top of his head and pushed him towards the bedroom.

After tucking him into bed, she walked back out to the living room area of the suite. She began humming the melody the toy was playing earlier as she picked it up and examined it. She winds it up to hear it play the marching band music. But as it began to play, it played a different melody. She froze in place when she hears the new tune. She recognized this melody from so many years ago… no, it couldn't be…

She slowly turned to look behind her, and for the first time in ten years, she sees him standing there watching her…

Next will be the Phantom confronting Isabella and we learn of something that happened many years ago... le gasp! O_O

Thanks for reading. Review?