Erik looked down from his hiding place in the rafters at the rehearsal, nerves already on edge with the majority of the company. Carlotta was late, the ballerina's were a mess, the orchestra was struggling with the score and the chorus were off key.

Madame Giry watched the corps de ballet warm up, and as she was running through the routine in her mind she noticed two gaps in the formation out the corner of her eye. When Madame Giry turned the two gaps were filled by Meg and Christine. They were late, and she would have to scold them later. For now though it was time for practice. Christine hurried into her position in the ballet troupe, practising her transition from pointe to flat. Meg breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking her mother may not have noticed their lateness, and carried on with the routine. Erik spotted Christine in the crowd and his malformed lips broke into a smile, his golden eyes glowing from his great height.

Christine flinched when she saw Madame Giry, knowing full well she'd get an earful when rehearsal was over. Maybe she could redeem herself by actually keeping herself on ball that day. About half an hour passed and still no Carlotta. When she eventually swanned in, Erik huffed in impatience, it was so like the Prima Donna to be late, and then strut around as if she owned the place. Madame Giry turned and saw the Prima Donna walk in... late. Could anybody actually show up on time?! Besides her and of course the infamous Phantom. Even the managers weren't here yet.

Kiara may not have been the Prima Donna having not met Carlotta, she sighed and was inside with them she was standing to the side letting Christine show up as she arrived her long red hair was in a French braid having got in her way annoying her to no real end. She sat and waited with the rest of them... this was supposed to be the Miss Carlotta's last show.

Christine watched Kiara from her place in the chorus. She nudged Meg and said,

"So...why is the Irish lady here again?"

She said she was sent to replace Carlotta" Meg whispered back.

"What, Mamzelle Crapaud is leaving?" Christine said, a grin making its way onto her face, "Thank god!"

My angel will be happy about that. At least I'm sure the new Mademoiselle can sing properly. Christine thought, stretching into a demi-plié.

Carlotta came up as Kiara looked her over laughing.

"what iz thez?!" She scoffed. "Thiz iz nut the plaze for hur!" She laughed. Kiara looked away shuffling back a bit unprepared for the accented Diva's attack on her.

"I can sing better than alz of you!" she said before turning.

"'Ow, when do we begin?" she asked prepping her self as Kia slunk back a bit eyes wide slightly.

"I'm sure you all know, thiz weel beh, my lazt show here... I know, I know thaat thiz muzt be 'ard on you all but I will try an make thiz less painful..." She said vainly.

"With your singing? That'll be hard." Christine sniggered under her breath.

Carlotta ignored it off in her own little world before clearing her throat and singing an aria.

Kia winced and actually cringed. Carlotta was not facing her so she didn't see not even as Kiara made rather comical motions of banging her head into the wall. She stopped as the Diva finished her song and turned.

"Vell?! I'm ready!" she said.

Erik gave a twisted grin and cut the ropes of one of the backdrop so the massive painted cloth fell on the spoiled diva. Meg gasped

"He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" she squeaked, clasping her hands together in almost a prayer-like way.

Kia blinked looking up seeing something of a silhouette before looking away.

"Who mademoiselle?!"

Meanwhile Carlotta was uncovered and was having the tantrum of a lifetime ranting in Italian...

"What you mean theze thingz eep appening if theze thingz eep appening theze thing does not appen!"

Christine squeaked and hid behind M Reyer's piano, searching the lofty space up in the roof. The managers moaned audibly. Firmin stepped forward to ask Kia if she could sing the role one day earlier. Kia blinked.

"I could but..." she said sheepishly too nervous to accept or decline.

"Please mademoiselle," André said urgently, "The show must go on!"

She nodded breifly.

"I'll try but I hope I don't get the same reaction..." she sighed Ireland was very spiritual and they believed in ghosts...

"Say, M'siuer is the Opera really haunted? And I'll sing..." She sighed and looked over the lines breifly...

"I'll try..." she sighed and took a deep breath... She then began to sing the song, her voice was beautiful, as said before she was as good if not better sounding soprano than Christine, her voice was clear and hit all the high notes being able to adjust to the scale flawlessly her voice was the thing music was made out of much like Christine's. When she finished it was dead silent everyone had been listening.

"How was that..." She asked nervously.

Madame Giry just noticed the new girl, her hair was red and braided behind her back. She was a pretty thing, she just hoped she could sing better than Carlotta...and that Erik approved of her. She had sung beautifully sounding equal if not better than Christine When she finished she looked for approval it showed that she wasn't sure if she'd had approval or not ever accept that she could sing and she sung a WHOLE lot better than Carlotta.

Erik scowled at this new girl. It was impossible for anyone, especially of her age, to have a voice so perfect. Erik didn't feel that this was normal and suspicion lurked in him like a black pit at the bottom of the stomach. Then Kia blinked.

"I'd rather not take the role perhaps if there is anyone else possible..." She said gently eyes pleading for Christine and Meg to do something.

Christine felt Kia's eyes upon her and shrunk back into the shadows, quivering. She suspected her angel would be annoyed at her lack of confidence but she wasn't too sure about being in the spotlight just yet.

Kia's eyes weren't sharp or hardened they were soft and pleading.

She mouthed, "Help me out, if you can, please!" If Christine thought she was nervous Kia was ten times worse. It was almost palpable. Meg looked at Kia encouragingly, silently reassuring her. Kia bit her lip looking around and sighed.

"I sang, is that all?" she asked gently like a child waiting to be reprimanded or praised.

"As long as you feel fit to sing Alyssa tonight!" said Firmin enthusiastically.

Kia nodded.

"I'll sing as long as I'm wanted here." She said gently. She said it gently so she didn't sound over confident and needy. "I just gotta know what I'm supposed to do and I'll do it..." She said kindly and honestly.

"Excellent! André, we will have a full house after all!" Firmin exclaimed happily, throwing up his hands.

Christine breathed a sigh of relief. She longed to perform, that was true, but she wanted to really impress her angel, and at that time, she didn't feel ready. Madame Giry tapped her cane on the floor and Christine, along with the other ballerina's, went back to their formation. Madame Giry was a little disappointed that Christine didn't, or rather wouldn't, sing but Miss Kia was able to sing quite nicely. Christine would sing though, if Erik had anything to do with it. All in good time.