"Alessandra Bernard? The name does sound familiar…" Erik said. It was nighttime at the opera house. A few dancers were hanging at the stage or backstage, having conversations with their friends. I was with Erik in his lair, along with Erika in my arms. It was the second week until the Swan Lake play and everyone was stressed. Not only did the staff had to prepare the sets, costumes, music pieces but now they had to prepare for the arrival of Alessandra.

"Just how many women were you familiar with before you met me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Erik smiled and said nothing else besides me. I looked down at Erika and smoothed down her hair. She has been learning to roll over and crawl on her own. Jean had hired two new managers to help ease some of the work off his hands. Monsieur Reuben and Monsieur Bisha. They had arrived late since there was a major storm that's been happening lately. Jean told them in advance of how the opera house runs and of course, Erik. Thunder rolled in the distance almost shaking the ground.

"When will she be arriving?" Erik ask.

"Today. Maybe right now. I don't know." I replied, adjusting my arms to hold Erika closer to my chest. "I'm going up to see if she did arrive." I gave him a peck on the lips and left him to his thoughts. There was a crowd gathering at the foyer when I arrived. Helen and Joana saw me and made their way towards me.

"Is it Alessandra that arrived?" I asked them.

"Yes, just now when you walked in," Helen replied, holding Erika's hand.

"Hm," was all I said. The crowd broke apart as the two managers led Alessandra further into the opera house. She was tall. Slender but athletically built. She had blonde hair with brown eyes. There was a beauty mark in the left corner of her mouth. I looked at her up and down from head to toe. This was my competition? I stiffened and plastered on a smile like the rest of the staff.

The two managers stopped in front of me and extended their hand to me. I stepped in between them as Helen and Joana stepped back.

"This is Emily Claude. Our Prima Donna. This is Alessandra Bernard." Monsieur Reuben introduced. Alessandra smiled and curtsied. I only inclined my head, unable to curtsy because of Erika.

"How do you do?" I mumbled to her.

"I've heard many praises about you, Madame Claude," Alessandra said. Her voice was soft but that added more charm to her character.

I smiled at her, "Please, call me Emily." She inclined a nod and said nothing else.

"Uh, why don't we show you around? To help you learn the opera house better. What do you say, Mademoiselle?" Monsieur Reuben suggested.

"I would love too but I am tired from my long day trip to get here. I need rest before we can continue any further. I do apologize." Alessandra replied. I narrowed my eyes at her but say nothing. Erika began to grab my cheek and squeezing it while babbling. I took her small hand into my own and kissed it as the crowd disperse when Alessandra stepped away and following the two managers up the staircase. I scoffed watching as they act like puppies in love following her up to the staircase and directing her where her room was.

"I don't like her." Helen spoke up beside me. She was crossing her arms while glaring at Alessandra's retreating figure.

"Yeah me neither." Added Joana mirroring Helen's stance. I look at them left to right and started to chuckle.

"You hardly know her!" I proclaim bouncing Erika in my arms while walking to the back door of the stage. Joana and Helen followed me closely.

"Of course! That's why we don't like her! If we get to know her, it'll be harder to compete against her. But if she was our enemy, which she is," Helen nodded. Joana agreed. "Then we wouldn't care if she got the role or not." She finished with a shrug. A laugh slipped out of my lips when we arrived at the back of the stage. There were 12 dancers in two lines rehearsing their scene with a mini orchestra band playing the music piece with it.

"Go put on your costumes. Mme. Benoit doesn't like to wait." I instructed. They grumbled but I raised an eyebrow, shutting them up. They sighed but followed my order and disappear behind a corner going to the dressing room. I leaned against something sturdy and began rocking Erika side to side to let her fall asleep. Her eyes were fluttering open and closing, struggling to stay awake. I stroke her hair while humming a melody to her. When her arms drop by her side with her head using my shoulder as a pillow, I let out a relieving sigh.

"So much for that," I said to myself walking away from the stage. Helen and Joana had finished putting their costume on when they saw me coming near them.

"The managers just announced the audition start right now and guess what, we can audition for both characters!" Helen said almost shrieking. I blinked at the news.

"Already?" I asked. Now that we were able to audition for one of the role but as well as both roles, the opera house would be in chaos during the audition…

Joana began fretting over her hair while Helen mumbled to herself and spreading her arms wide apart to a dance position. "Yes! I guess they wanted to go through the process of selection quicker this way." Joana mumbled, letting her hair, slumping her shoulder in defeat.

"I'll go get ready then." I said bustling my way through the sudden busy stage. Half of the girls were already in costume, practicing a dance number. Others were warming up their voice to a certain song. When I reached my room, I gently placed Erika into the crib that was set up for me by the crew. I made a mental note to thank them later with alcohol drinks. I started to undress halfway while thinking if I should do a musical number by dancing or singing but also which character? Odile or Odette? Or perhaps both? I looked at myself in the mirror, imagining myself playing both roles. I shrugged in the mirror. Wouldn't hurt to try? While I was occupied with my thoughts, I didn't hear a knock on my door. Neither did I heard it open and closed followed by footsteps.

"So you heard the two managers."

I stopped tying the straps to my simple dress to look who it was. I relaxed seeing it was Jean. "It was out of the blue." I spoke. I tugged at the two straps behind me signaling Jean to help tie them for me. He stepped forward to take over.

"It was for me too. But it could help make the audition and the selection to be faster." I nodded, silently agreeing to it. I stood still while his fingers pulled and tied the straps together. He stepped away admiring his work. I turned around.

"How do I look?" I asked. I had chosen a simple white gown. It looked poofy but there was a secret hidden underneath it when I reveal it during the audition.

"Simple but beautiful." Jean replied going over to the crib.

I rolled my eyes and sat down in front of the vanity table. "You say that all the time." I began brushing my hair and twisting and placing it in a high bun leaving a few escaped strands to frame my face giving me an innocent look. I pinned the bun back with a black hair pin tucked securely in.

"But you do," Jean said now standing behind me. He placed both his hands on my shoulders, looking at me in the mirror. "You always have." I smiled a little and place my hand over his. He leaned down, "Now, show Alessandra why you are the best." He gave a bit of an encouragement squeeze on my shoulders and left me alone.

I took one look at myself in the mirror. I was ready.

When I arrived at the stage, I took a seat behind the scenes where I could see the side of anyone auditioning but made sure I was hidden from view. Lilly had arrived from her errand duties and offered to take care of Erika while I audition which I graciously accept of course. Alessandra was singing a slow love song while being in character as Odette.

What an obvious choice…I thought to myself as I looked around me while Alessandra continued to sing. They were all enchanted by her voice. Some even had watery eyes watching as her voice crescendo and soared. I shook my head and turned back to her just as the music ended. Applause broke the silence even some cheers as Alessandra smiled and did a low dip curtsied. Her hand touching the stage floor. What kind of curtsy was that? She left the stage, making her way to my area I had to lean to the side to dodge her dress that almost smack me in the face.

"Emily Claude!" Monsieur Bisha called out. I used my arms to hoist myself up and dusted away any particles that were on my dress and smoothed the fabric down. I inhaled and exhaled deeply and began walking to the center stage. The lights shined brightly on me and I almost squinted at the harshness but I kept my composure.

"And what will you be auditioning?" One of them asked. I couldn't make out who it was but I cleared my throat.

"Both roles." I replied.

"Alright. We're ready when you are."

I nodded and got into my position, waiting. When the music started, I let my body flow with the music. My posture, my movements and my emotion were perfect. I felt like I was seducing everyone. When the music stopped, I opened my mouth to sing. It wasn't angelic like Alessandra nor was it melodic like my mother's but it was my own voice. It sounded pure, magical and warm. I opened my eyes slightly to look at anyone that was watching me. They were pulled in. I almost formed a smile. They thought I had finished when the song ended but then I stepped back and ripped my dress. The white fabric began to disappear as black satin replaced it. The music changed as well. From serene to intense. And I followed along with my own body and my voice.

I began to spin as the music played faster. My entire body taking up the stage. Everything was a blur around me as I spun faster. My breathing quickened as well as my heartbeat but I felt exhilarated. I felt free. Until I did a high jump and my foot slipped underneath me.

CRACK

That was all I heard as I fell to the floor. The pain was numbing at first but then it started to sting when I began to process what happened. Onlookers gasped in shock and horror at the scene unfolding before their eyes. The music stopped abruptly and I heard running footsteps behind me. I looked down at both my feet. The same foot that I broke years ago was broken again. This time, it wasn't sprained. It was actually broken. A bone was sticking out of the skin and I almost threw up at the sight.

"Get her to the medic!" One of the managers shouted. Someone pulled me up into a sitting position. I didn't know who it was.

"Emily? Emily, look at me. You just broke your ankle- oh god I looked at it again. I'm gonna throw up." Someone spoke in my ear. Was it Helen? Or Joana?

"What happened? What is it? Let me see!" Jean's voice spoke. It sounded distorted. I frowned. Why is everything dizzy?

"I'm taking her to medic." I felt a pair of arms hooking under my knee and armpit to pull me off the ground.

"What about the auditions?"

"Halt it. Or continue it. I don't care!"

My head wobbled and I leaned against the chest for support. My eyes slit open and I looked. Worried faces staring at me as they move past me.

"Jean?" I croaked, craning my neck up to look at him.

"I'm taking you to medic," He repeated staring straight ahead. I looked behind his shoulder at the swarm of people gathering. I caught a glimpse of Alessandra joining in. Was it my imagination or did I saw her smirking?

A/N: SURPRISE thought you'd seen the last of it! MUAHAHAH