Weeks passed quickly as she kept herself busy with her voice lessons and university work. Keeping a balance between the two, while trying to maintain a social life outside of it was a tough challenge – one she was eager to accept. Sensing all the hard work and effort she has put into the voice lessons with Erik, she had definitely heard improvement over the weeks.

Erik had put her on particularly hard exercises for her to be in the best shape possible for the upcoming performance. Her throat felt sore after each lesson and she definitely noticed how much of a physical exercise singing could be if you're training on a daily basis.

She was grateful, however. Erik clearly had some social issues to work through, sometimes sounding harsh, but meaning good. She has noticed that now and she had gotten used to his ways easily. She just had to call him out for it every once in a while. She knew he had a gentle soul at heart. It's what people always say, right? A person's true character shows through their actions, not their words.

Well. He still had a lot to prove.

Curiously, throughout the past few weeks, the opera house seemed to stay clean. The pieces of dust that she could find every so often in a neglected corner were often removed in the upcoming day. She hadn't heard from or seen a new cleaner and the managers were still convinced that Christine had been cleaning the whole time. She had even been praised for her attention to detail in her cleaning work. Replying to that message was particularly awkward.

Christine came back to her senses when the Giry duo arrived at the coffee shop. Meg seemed to roll her eyes in the distance as her mother seemed to tell her something. Yet her mood quickly changed as she caught a glimpse of Christine waiting in the distance.

"Christine! Over here!" Meg waved.

Christine waved back and smiled, waiting for the duo to come closer, "Meg, Annette! Great to see you both."

Madame Giry gave her a hug as she arrived, "Christine, my child. So good to see you. How are you doing?"

Christine hugged Meg as well and proceeded to walk towards the coffee shop door, opening it for her friends, "I'm doing great, actually. Been very busy as of late. How are you?"

"Ah, the same as always. But a little bit stressed with work."

They stood in line to order their drinks, "Oh, how come?" Christine also turned her head to get a glance at Meg.

Annette ordered her drink before she replied, "Well, preparing the performance is getting us all very excited, but it also comes with a lot of nerves. Especially if we are even unsure if the entire performance will go ahead or not."

Meg elaborated, "There's apparently this understudy for Carlotta's role, but no one has seen her yet! She hasn't been practising with the other actors and dancers… It's all so weird! And Erik has been trying to convince everyone that 'Everything is under control', but at this point, we are doubting him..."

Both Meg and Christine ordered their drinks and sat down at one of the closest tables near them.

God, how Christine wanted to speak up and tell them it was her. Yet Erik had told her not to. But… she could trust them, right? She didn't want her friends' nerves to become any worse than they already are, just because she wouldn't speak up.

"Uhm, about that…" Christine's voice was insecure and soft, not being so sure as to how to approach this, if she should speak up at all, "I-It's me. I'm the understudy."

Meg and Annette seemed to both drop their jaws in unison, astonished by the reveal. It was silent for a good while, both processing the newly-found information. Then, Annette burst out into laughter.

"Wait, when did this happen?" Meg finally spoke up.

"About three weeks ago…"

"So you aren't a cleaner? You've been preparing this since the beginning?!" Meg got more and more excited as she spoke.

"M-More or less. Not at the start-"

"I knew Raoul's plan would work all along! It was him who's arranged this, am I right?" Annette spoke up.

Her face flushed red. Raoul. She hasn't spoken to him since the date. He had written her texts, but her replies were as dry as wooden spoons. Not really knowing what to do with the entire situation, "N-No. Well, sort of, yes. He's set me up with the cleaning position. And that's how Erik found me."

Annette looked confused, only Meg just gasped and quickly covered her mouth with her hands. Christine looked curiously at her until Meg was the one to burst out laughing this time.

At that moment, the barista walked past with their drinks and placed them on their table. Christine moved her Chai Latte near her, warming her hands as she did, confused at Meg's sudden change of emotions.

"Why are you laughing?" Annette asked her, looking judgingly at her daughter, "Erik is a respectful man, doing everything he can to keep the opera alive. And you dare laugh at his name? What if he hears you?"

The seriousness in her voice startled both of them, unable to think what has caused the trigger on her. Meg turned silent very quickly, taking a sip of her coffee, which was still way too hot for her, only burning her tongue in the process.

"Christine, there is something you need to know about Erik." Annette shifted closer towards the edge of the table, almost looking secretive.

Christine listened closely to what she was about to tell her, "The opera house is not being funded enough. It's making more losses than anything else… and Erik sees this opera house as his child, together with the actual opera he has written for it."

He… wrote that entire opera? That was his music that she was singing for him?

Annette continued, "If this opera fails…" she shifted back and grabbed her black coffee, "who knows just what he might do. Don't become too attached to him in any way, no one does out of that precaution."

Christine thought for a while, not knowing what to do with that information. It seemed cruel. Yes, he was rough around the edges. Yes, he has some social issues. But a lot of people out there do. Why was he such an exception? A dangerous exception?

Was it his face?

Or was there something else he wasn't telling her?

Christine decided to speak up, wanting to change the topic, "He's only giving me singing lessons for it. My priority is performing for myself, and you… That's all."

Meg looked at her curiously while Annette took a sip from her coffee, not minding the bitterness nor the way it burned on her tongue.

"Good." Was the only answer she gave her.

There was a long silence after that topic. So the opera house was dying out? Was that the reason he's been so harsh on everyone, wanting everything to be as perfect as possible? She thought about it for a moment, until Meg broke the silence.

"So, I've been reading this new book…"

As Christine sang the last few notes of the aria, she felt full of life and music. She took a deep breath as the sound of the piano started to fade. Erik only nodded and smiled ever so slightly.

Her words got stuck in her throat as he looked up at her, "You are ready."

A smile crept up on her face, barely believing his words, "Do you mean that?"

"Dear, would I ever lie to you?"

She thought for a moment. Well… He wouldn't lie about music, that's for certain. She grabbed her glass of water and took a big sip before speaking again, "So, what now?"

Erik got up from his piano stool, grabbed his sheets of music and placed them in a folder. It seemed like he was thinking before giving her an answer, "Now… You join the other performers. Practice with them instead."

Christine felt a flutter in her stomach. Was it excitement? Nerves? Or was it sadness? Sadness that her lessons with Erik had come to an end.

It was a mixture of both.

She had gotten so comfortable with him over the past few weeks, forgetting about the fact that she hadn't even liked him at the very start. He was a master at teaching, pushing her limits far enough so she would excel in minimal amounts of time, yet still not hurting her voice in any way. It was sore for sure, but it was nothing a cup of tea with honey couldn't fix.

"Why so silent, Christine?" he spoke when he didn't hear her reply, "I thought this is what you've always wanted."

"Oh, it is. It's just that…" she wasn't sure whether to speak up about it. Her gut twisted in all kinds of directions, almost making her nauseous.

He only looked at her, waiting for her explanation patiently.

"We aren't continuing our voice lessons anymore after this?"

Erik looked down, putting his folder down on the grand piano, "Technically, no."

It was silent for a while, both unsure of what to say next. Suddenly, Erik spoke up again, "Would you want to continue our voice lessons, Christine?"

Christine looked back up at him, he was sipping his tea casually, "Maybe," She straightened her back and turned towards him, "but you will still attend the performance?"

"Of course."

She was satisfied with that answer. At least he will be watching her, giving her courage when she needs it the most. That, she could only hope for.

Christine shifted towards one of the chairs next to the fireplace, warming up her hands that she had not realized were getting cold. A soft sensation suddenly reached her shoulders. She looked up to see that Erik had put a blanket on her, keeping her warm and comfortable. Yet, when she turned, Erik wasn't there. He was already in the chair next to her, finishing his own cup of tea.

Curiosity took over Christine and the realization of probably not seeing him again anytime soon left her to think that she absolutely had to ask him that question, "I've been told that the opera… isn't doing too well. Is that true, Erik?"

"You really are a nosy girl, aren't you?" the harsh, sudden words seemed to startle Christine in the slightest, "but, you are right. We aren't getting enough funding, and parts of the opera house need to be replaced or renovated. We've had to deal with blackouts the past few months, because some fuses are old and rusty. I've tried to make my own modifications, but…" he looked up at her, "It's been a rough year."

"Does this mean the opera will close down?"

There was a hint of sadness in his golden eyes, "Yes."

The sadness in his eyes quickly seemed to fade as he stood up quickly, running a hand through his dark hair and clenching his fists after, "This is my last chance. The opera needs to be perfect…" he turned to face her, "your voice will make it perfect."

"Yeah… no pressure at all." That is all she could say after his dramatic speech.

"You will be fine, I promise."

And with that, he grabbed her coat and guided her out of the opera.

The next time Christine walked into the Opera House, she wasn't entering the backdoor as per usual. Finally being able to walk through the official entrance was a blessing, as it reminded her of the beauty of the entire place. Yet the fact that she didn't know which way to go towards Erik's music room from here bothered her. She was hoping that their voice lessons were not finished yet, that hopefully one day he might usher her to come back to him and sing, together with his beautiful notes played on his grand piano.

On the bright side, she now got to practice with a full orchestra. That is, at least, if she got accepted by the other performers. They still had no idea who Carlotta's understudy was! She was to reveal this today to everyone, Erik made sure that the managers were there to watch.

Oh boy.

She walked backstage, through the doors and hallways that Meg had shown her some time before. Suddenly, she saw Meg talking with some other ballet dancers in a separate, bright room. Was this room especially kept for the dancers? There seemed to be an awful lot of mirrors in there.

Meg spotted her and waved, still continuing her routine and talks with the other girls.

A cold hand suddenly gripped her shoulder. Christine shrieked silently, turning to see whose it belonged to. It was Annette Giry, "Annette! You scared the beejeezus out of me!"

She laughed in return, softly putting one of her hands behind Christine's back and turning her into a direction, which they started walking in, "Come, my dear, everyone wants to meet you."

"T-They know I am… here?"

Annette hummed positively, "Erik might have mentioned it to me, and I told the crew. Everyone has been so eager to see who the understudy for the lead role is, the news spread like wildfire."

They walked through a soft curtain, only to reveal even more dancers and musicians, who were looking as if they were doing their own warm-up sessions. The managers were sitting in the front row, talking with each other on a, what it seemed like from a distance at least, funny subject. Not a glance was given to the young soprano.

Annette kept on walking while Christine stood frozen, looking at the judgmental faces of the crowd.

"This is Christine Daaé, our new understudy for Carlotta's lead role. Please, give her a warm welcome." Annette announced.

The group of performers clapped and some familiar faces even cheered, very happy that their jobs now won't be lost forever, most likely.

The loud noise had gotten the attention of the managers, who looked up in shock at Christine. She thought she might see Monsieur Andre faint if he weren't to say anything soon.

"Madame Giry, I think you might have mistaken the new understudy for one of cleaners…" Richard laughed.

"No, monsieur. She's been trained well by… well, a regular vocal coach."

"Yes, yes, many people take lessons… but this is opera, for heaven's sake! Professional opera! We have our debut in three weeks, you hear? How are we ever going to manage training our cleaning lady to sing the lead role of our next performance? Oh, Andre, this is outrageous."

Christine jumped in, with a silent voice, "Monsieur, I know all of the songs and acts by heart. I only need to learn how to cooperate with the other performers. If that's of any help…"

Andre and Firmin were silent for a while, looking at each other, trying to find a proper solution to their new-found problem. Then, Andre raised an eyebrow at Firmin and turned to face Christine, "Well then, I don't think you would mind singing one of the arias for us?"

Christine widened her eyes at the request. Yes, she had expected to sing for them, but not this early. She hadn't even done her own warm up, and this was the deciding factor if she could stay or go. Pressure, too much pressure…!

Annette looked at her and caressed her shoulder reassuringly, "You can do this, Christine."

She took a deep breath and calmed herself slightly. Then, she forced a smile on her face. You can do this.

Firmin spoke to the maestro, "Maestro, could we try the aria from act 5?"

The maestro gestured to his musicians and opened up the correct page in this songbook. When he was ready, he shot a glance at Christine. She nodded back.

And she sang. It might have been wobbly at the start, but she quickly picked it up as she gained more and more confidence, Erik's music remembering her of her times with him at the piano. Of course, the music sounded so much richer now that there was an entire orchestra accompanying her voice, but she missed the gentle and simple piano music, calming her heart and reassuring her everything would be alright.

She looked up to the grand circle above her, where she met his eyes glancing down at her. Christine thought she saw the shadow move slightly as they exchanged glances, but he remained where he stood. Still. Looking at her, giving her his full attention.

As the song ended, she smiled at him.

The clapping and 'bravo's' emerging from the managers came to her as a pleasant surprise. This might just work out.

Practicing with the other performers definitely filled up Christine's social bar, up to a point where she desperately craved some alone time. Almost there Christine, we can almost go to bed with a nice book and good cookies.

But that moment wasn't there yet. They had told her that she would need to work hard at least four times a week with the other performers in order to get her choreography up to the other's standards. It was awkward from time to time, as everyone already seemed to have the grip on things. Except for her.

It was time to shrug off that awkwardness and see today as a win. She'd been accepted as the understudy to a brand-new opera act at one of the most renowned Opera Houses in London. Who would have ever thought?

Her mind wandered, and so did she. Wandering the hallways of the opera, desperately trying to find some peace and quiet, even if it was just for a minute or ten. She came across one of her old friends, the maintenance room, which was, surprisingly, left open. She decided to take a peek inside, see how the new cleaners have left it.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw a familiar figure struggling with opening a new packet of sponges.

"Erik?"

She startled him, that was obvious. He turned around quickly and hid the sponges behind his back. As if she hadn't seen him struggling before. He stiffened at the sight of his student, "Ah, Christine. Fancy meeting you here."

She smiled, "What are you doing in here?"

"I am… rearranging. This closet needs rearranging, don't you think?"

Christine looked around. I guess? But she knew he was lying through his teeth, "Maybe. Are you… cleaning?"

Erik sighed shortly and walked towards the door, closing it so they were both trapped in the maintenance room.

"Someone has to keep the opera clean, don't you think?"

"Well, what about me? That was my original job."

"You have more important tasks at hand, dear."

So there weren't any other cleaners? Has he taken over her job in the meantime, so she could focus on her singing?

Oh.

Erik changed the subject when he noticed that Christine wasn't talking anymore, "Did you see the faces of my foolish managers when you started singing?"

She smiled at the thought. She hadn't actually seen their faces during the song itself, she was completely lost in the music. And his eyes. Christine shook her head.

"Ah, they were so astonished. Maybe now everyone will finally learn their lesson to not judge people based on their, well, appearances," He looked down swiftly, "but after those first few notes, there was no doubt in my mind that they would let you stay. They would be a bunch of morons if they would have let you go. Anyways, I don't think I would have let that happen in the first place-"

He was rambling. She'd never seen him ramble before.

Christine's eyes softened and slowly, but surely, lifted her hand towards him. She wanted to touch him, reassure him of whatever he was scared of. Or was he scared? She wasn't sure what he was feeling at the time. But she only saw him widen his eyes at her gesture.

Yet it was cut short by a loud beeping noise coming from Christine's pocket. Her phone.

It was Raoul: 'Christine! Meet me out front, Meg and I are taking you out to dinner. See you in 5 minutes.'

"Oh…" Christine sighed as she saw the message. Erik just looked at her.

"Do you need to go?"

"Y-Yes… I mean, I should," she looked up at him after leaving Raoul on read, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

He nodded as she walked to the maintenance door and exited, leaving him alone with his racing thoughts.

"Christine! Where did you run off to?" Meg waved at Christine as she walked out of the Opera House.

"Oh, I was… using the restroom. So, are we going out?"

Raoul offered Christine a hand as he said, "We need to celebrate the new position of lead soprano, don't we?"

She looked at his hand, doubtful. So she did what she thought was best: she smiled at him and shook his hand, switching over to Meg to take her arm instead.

Ah, maybe that was a bit too awkward.

Hi all, this one took a bit longer to post, as I made many many adjustments to this chapter. Wasn't completely happy with it at the start, but hopefully now, in it's NEW AND UPDATED state, it's enjoyable, heh!

Thanks to those that have left reviews, followed and favourited the story! It means a lot to me. :)

As always, let me know what you think, love to hear from you all!

- KarriKatina