Author's Note: Phantom of the Opera belongs to Webber, Leroux, and other such owners. I only own my original characters.

3

"If you would please accompany us down to the stage, Ms. Abbots," Firmin requested politely, holding out his arm. "After we observe a bit of the rehearsal, we shall find…"

"Madame Giry," Leverfe prompted.

"Of course, Madame Giry… and see about clothes and accommodations for you," Firmin concluded graciously.

Kayla nodded her head respectfully and took the manager's proffered arm, feeling significantly more appreciated that she had for years. In that fashion, the three men and Kayla continued the rest of the way to the stage. On their way, the foursome stopped near another entrance near the back of the building. Kayla was racking her brains and trying to figure out what on earth she was missing before she heard hoof beats and the clatter of wheels on the cobblestones. Uh oh, she thought.

A loud whinny flew in from the alley outside, and she heard the thump of someone leaping to the ground. Without further ado, a young man sprang through the door: a very young, very blonde Patrick Wilson. Damn it. Kayla bit her lip and took a deep breath to control herself. Having watched the movie more times than she could count thanks to Samantha's obsession, Kayla was no stranger to the appearance of Raoul de Chagny, but seeing him on screen was nothing compared to reality. He was much taller than Kayla, and richly dressed in a white cravat, vest, and long tan jacket. His blonde hair was only slightly shorter than hers, much to her surprise. But Kayla had no choice but to admit it; he was a looker.

"Monsieurs!" Raoul greeted strongly, reaching out to shake their hands. "I hope I'm not too late."

"Not at all," Firmin reassured, returning the handshake enthusiastically.

"Glad you could make it, Vicomte," Andre interjected.

Raoul's warm hazel eyes scanned the group in front of him before landing with a guarded curiosity on Kayla. "And who is this?" he asked charmingly. Kayla struggled to keep down the blush that she could feel rising in her tanned cheeks.

Dear heaven, I'd tap that, one part of her brain was smirking.

He's taken, another scolded.

And may I ask why the hell Christine gets to wheel two beautiful men at once? The reply snarkily emerged.

We're not here to flirt with the characters.

Of course not; it's just an added bonus.

Shut up.

"Where are my manners? Vicomte, may I present mademoiselle Kayla Abbots, our newest crew member," Andre introduced proudly, puffing out his chest.

"It's an honour, Vicomte," Kayla said awkwardly, praying that she wasn't completely botching up period etiquette.

Raoul took Kayla's shaking hand in his gloved one and brought it to his lips. "The pleasure is all mine, mademoiselle," he replied graciously.

But seriously, why not tap that?

Just shut up.

"She is Canadian," Firmin added with the air of one revealing something exotic. Kayla snickered quietly. "She has studied theatre arts at their universities."

"Interesting," Raoul commented silkily, and his voice somehow made the bland word sound highly complementary.

"Shall we continue to the stage?" Leverfe interjected.

Nodding their agreement, the men followed the former manager, dragging Kayla along with them. Raoul fell behind as the managers and Kayla continued the rest of the way into the middle of the stage.

The cast and crew were in an uproar, and the rehearsal was in a fabulous state of disarray. When the conductor, Maestro Reyer, saw the managers coming, he visibly groaned and put his hand to his forehead. "Monsieur Leverfe, I am rehearsing!" he protested through gritted teeth.

"My apologies, Maestro Reyer, Madame Giry," Leverfe acknowledged, not sounding the least bit guilty. When he called for attention, the whole cast and crew stopped what they were doing to listen, and even Carlotta, who was freaking out about something or another, fell silent. "As you know, for some weeks there have been rumours of my imminent retirement," Leverfe began. "And I can now tell you that these are all true."

"Aha!" Carlotta smirked at Piangi, who rolled his eyes. Kayla could not help herself but be thankful for landing in a completely recognizable scene of the movie.

"I would like to introduce you all to my replacements, Monsieur Richard Firmin and Monsieur Gilles Andre. You may have heard of their fortune, recently amassed in the junk business…" Leverfe continued.

"Scrap metal, actually," Andre corrected, winking at Kayla.

"And we would like to introduce the new patron of the opera, the Vicomte de Chagny!" Firmin announced.

The ballerinas trickled out of the left wings, and Kayla saw Christine mouth "It's Raoul!" before turning to look at the new patron making his grand entrance. All the female cast members were practically drooling.

"My parents and I are honoured to support all the arts, especially the world renowned Opera Populaire," Raoul responded smoothly. Kayla watched Christine's complexion become even rosier as her doe-brown eyes remained fixed on the Vicomte.

"May I present Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our leading soprano for five seasons," Leverfe sighed as the olive-skinned prima donna approached and curtsied. Carlotta's fan club applauded. Piangi huffed. "And Ubaldo Piangi, our leading baritone," Leverfe added hurriedly.

"It is an honour, signor," Raoul inclined his head in greeting. "I believe I am keeping you from your rehearsal; I shall be here this evening to share in your great triumph. My apologies, Monsieur."

"Thank you, Vicomte," Reyer murmured, looking distinctly relieved.

Raoul bowed and walked briskly off the stage, passing Christine and Meg on his way without a glance. Both dancers looked distinctly put out. "He wouldn't recognize me," Kayla saw Christine mutter.

"He didn't see you!" Meg silently protested.

"From the top then, ladies and gentlemen!" cried the conductor, ushering the managers off to the side of the stage. Kayla scurried after them as the ballerinas sashayed onto the stage. She was only half-listening as Madame Giry spoke to Firmin and Andre in her fabulous French accent, pointing out her daughter, Meg, and explaining Christine's tragic backstory. However, Kayla's attention was devoted to two things: Carlotta, whom, if Kayla's memory served her correctly, was going to have a freak out in about a minute; and the beam that would fall on the diva when the yelling began.

The little catalysts began to line up' Firmin and Andre's appreciative eyeing of the ballet corps, Carlotta's dress getting stepped on, and the grand dance finale, in which the twirling of the dancers conveniently blocked Carlotta from view. "The Vicomte is very excited for tonight's gala," Leverfe assured Firmin and Andre weakly. As Kayla had not-so-mysteriously foreseen, the prima donna snapped.

"Alora, alora, alora," the furious soprano greeted sarcastically as she stormed over. "I hope that the patron is as excited by dancing girls as your new managers, because I will not be singing! Bring me my doggy!" she shrilled, turning to leave.

Kayla felt slightly sorry for the new managers, but she had to admit that the accusations of creepy attention to the dancers were not completely unfounded.

"What do we do?" asked Firmin blankly.

"Grovel," said Leverfe promptly. "Grovel, grovel." And so the two managers did exactly that while Carlotta let out some obviously fake sobs.

"Isn't there a lovely aria for Elyssa in act three of Hannibal?" suggested Andre faux-casually. Reyer rolled his eyes.

"I do not have my costume for act three, because somebody not finish it!" Carlotta shrieked, her wild Italian accent becoming even more pronounced in her rage. "And I hate my hat!"

Kayla, being about the same height as Firmin, did not have to raise herself at all as she muttered into his ear. "I'll do it. I could finish that dress in ten minutes."

"That will most likely be necessary, mademoiselle," Firmin whispered back. Regrettably, this exchange did not pass unnoticed by Carlotta.

"Of course it is necessary!" the furious soprano shouted. "Who is zis ridiculous girl and what is she doing on my stage?"

"Your stage?" Kayla quipped sassily.

"This is Mademoiselle Kayla Abbots; she will be working with the costumes and scenery starting this evening," Firmin introduced.

Carlotta turned on him immediately. "Then she should be backstage instead of ruining my rehearsal!"

"How about you come over here and make me leave?" Kayla offered dangerously. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw some of the dancers, Meg and Christine included, giggle at her comment. This support made Kayla smile. "As a member of the crew, I have as much of a right to be here as you do," she challenged.

Carlotta's chocolate eyes narrowed.

"Signora, I was hoping you would honour us with a private rendition," Andre cut in.

Carlotta's face softened. "If my managers command," she agreed with a weak laugh.

"We do," Firmin muttered.

The red haired Italian bustled to the middle of the stage. "Maestro?"

"If my diva commands," Reyer accepted sarcastically, stepping up onto the conductor's podium.

"Yes, I do," Carlotta snapped. Fidgeting with her hair and incredibly wide dress, Carlotta positioned herself until she was assured everything was perfect. Shooing the rest of the cast out of her way, she took a deep breath and began to sing.

"Think of me, think of me fondly

When we've said goodbye

Remember me, once in a while

Please promise me yoooooooou'll try…"

As Carlotta warbled along, Kayla kept her gaze fixed on the catwalk above the stage, waiting for the disturbance she knew was coming.

"When you find, that once again you long

To take your heart back and be…" Carlotta continued.

There! Kayla spotted a black cape whisk out of sight, and the beam began to fall. Lunging forward, Kayla bodily knocked Carlotta out of harm's way as the beam crashed onto the stage. As the diva and new stage assistant toppled to the floor, a second piece dropped to the ground directly between the two women. Carlotta and Kayla stared blankly at the object for a moment, their noses only inches from it. Quite frankly, Kayla was not at all surprised. The Phantom knew the Opera House so well and was such a criminal genius that he would most certainly have had a back-up plan. Carlotta moving must have been a surprise, though.

Despite the dangerously close encounter with a future spent in a wheelchair, Kayla felt slightly giddy. The Phantom of the Opera just tried to kill me! her mind giggled.

Firmin and Andre raced forward to help her and Carlotta up. Carlotta started squealing before she was even on her feet.

"Buquet!" Leverfe barked. "For God's sakes man, what's going on up there?"

The infamous stage hand appeared mere seconds later.

"Don't look at me!" Joseph Buquet objected. "I didn't move it! God as my witness, I wasn't at my post!"

"I will make sure your salary is double this buffoon's if you perform better than he does," Andre muttered darkly to Kayla, who nodded vigorously. She could do better than Buquet, she was sure.

"Please monsieur, there's no one there!" While Buquet spoke, Kayla looked on as, unbeknownst to the others, Madame Giry walked into the wings and picked up the bone white envelope that floated gently to the floor. "And if there is," Buquet added evilly. "Well then, it must be a ghost."

"Or perhaps a drunken hallucination," Kayla interjected snidely. "Do us all a favour and cut back on the whiskey, Buquet." A group of young stage hands began killing themselves with laughter somewhere in the wings.

"These things do happen," Andre said weakly.

Carlotta was incensed. "For the past three years these things do 'appen!" She turned an accusatory finger on Leverfe. "And do you stop them from 'appening? NO!" she spat. "And you two!" she directed her wrathful gesture at the two new managers. "You are as bad as 'im! Until you stop dese things from 'appening, dis thing doesn't not happen!"

With that, along with some angry Italian that sounded like curses, Carlotta stormed off the stage.

"Well, gentlemen," Leverfe started, clapping his hands together. "Good luck. If you need me, I shall be in Australia." With a bow, he turned and walked away.

"Australia?!" But Leverfe didn't answer, as he had already departed.

"I'm really leaving!" announced Carlotta's distant scream.

"Signora Giudicelli, she will come back, won't she?" Andre asked timidly. Reyer only gave an exasperated shrug.

Madame Giry approached Firmin and Andre from behind, the note held ever so gently in her delicate hands. "I don't think so, monsieurs," she answered Andre's query with a mischievous smile. "I have a message for you, monsieurs, from the Opera Ghost."

Author's Note: So we have our first glimpses of Raoul, Carlotta, Christine, Meg, and Madame Giry! Thanks for reading, review or PM me if you have any questions, comments, or constructive criticism!

Thanks!

Tierney