Catherine paced the room nervously. "Gerard Butler is going to be there."

"So?" Ashley laughed. "I mean, it's wonderful, but why are you nervous?"

"Hello? Gerard. Freaking. Butler."

"Catherine, if you don't sit down and let me finish, your hair won't look right," Mari sighed. "When does Matt get here?"

"I don't know," Catherine sighed.

"I swear, if Josh was here-"

"Josh?" Scarlett question, making a face. "I still don't understand what you see in him."

"He gives me confidence," Mari sighed, "to speak my mind. He's a good man."

"If he gives you confidence to speak your mind, then why don't you just tell him you like him and start dating?" Catherine sighed.

"If I did," Mari sighed, "I wouldn't be able to do anything with him. Probably wouldn't be able to kiss him when I wanted, be too freaked out. I don't know how you and Matt can be so calm about it. It seems more horrifying than enjoyable."

Catherine shrugged. "The first time he kissed me, it came out of nowhere. After that, it almost seemed wrong not to. When you're truly in love, kissing just seems natural."

"Oh," Mari said with a twinge of worry. "You don't get nervous at all? About doing something wrong or stupid or messing it all up?"

"All the time," Catherine laughed nervously. "But sometimes you just have to trust the other person and know that they are going to love you no matter what."

"Just go for it?"

"Yeah. I mean, not aggressively," Catherine chuckled. "But when the time feels right, go for it."

"Right."

"Is there something you aren't telling me?" Catherine asked slowly.

"I'm just lonely, I suppose," Mari lied quickly. "I haven't spent much time with you since forever."

"We should plan a day at the mall," Catherine smiled. "Remember when we used to go into the stores where the cute guys worked and pretend to be all helpless?"

"It horrifies me now," Mari laughed. "Those poor men. Besides...I think I'm happy the way things are."

Catherine was about to respond when there was a knock on the front door. "I'm not ready. Ashley, can you get it?" Catherine sighed.

"Sure," she smiled, running off. "Scarlett, stop twirling in your dress. You'll make yourself dizzy."

"Okay."

Ashley opened the door and smiled. "Hi Matt. Catherine's almost ready."

Matt checked his watch and gave a little frown. "Almost? It's getting late."

Ashley shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you. You've been dating for like a year now. You should be used to this."

Catherine came rushing out. "I'm ready! Scarlett, stop spinning and put on your shoes."

The group quickly made their way to the opera house. Upon entering, Catherine blushed and whispered, "I'm going to die. Somebody slap me."

"Only if you can slap me first," Mari whispered back. "Gosh, he's so much hotter in person."

"I know, right?" Catherine gasped.

Matt slipped back to the sound booth through the shadows. "Why aren't you ready?" He whispered to Josh.

"They don't have a suit in my size!"

Matt gave an irritated glance and snarled his lip.

Josh ran quickly out of the box and toward the back room.

With a sigh, Matt moved back over to his girlfriend. "Do you see him yet?" He asked with a smile.

Catherine pointed and bit her lip. "I'm going to die. Oh my lord, he's hot."

"Yep," Matt nodded, quickly sneaking out through the back.

"Go over and say hi," Mari urged.

"What? No. I'm too awkward," Catherine moaned.

Mari smirked and gave Cath forceful push forwards. "Hey," she laughed. "Watch it."

"Go talk to him," Mari smiled.

"Fine," Catherine shrugged, pretending to be nonchalant.

—————

"Listen, Uriah! I get that your sour about getting transferred to costuming, but help a guy out," Josh squawked.

"I don't know why you need it!"

"Because I do! I need The Point of No Return outfit too. Size seven."

"No!"

"Uriah, so help me I will have those costumes or I will inform the managers that you've turned the storage closet into a Doctor Who collection again."

Uriah's mouth fell open. "You wouldn't."

"Watch me," Josh hissed, reaching for the the phone.

"Fine!" Uriah exclaimed. "Fine!"

"Thank you," Josh grinned.

—————

Catherine took a deep breath. "I can't believe I'm about to perform in front of Gerard Butler."

Caleb's voice came over the loudspeaker, singing, "Will you still play when all the rest of us are dead?"

"That's my cue," Mari whispered, moving out onto stage.

Catherine ran over to Caroline. "You ready?"

"Yeah," she replied with a nervous glance toward the audience.

"She's mellowed," Cath thought.

"Do you, uh-" Caroline stammered. "I heard that Josh is back?"

"Yes. He's taken," Catherine lied.

"Oh," Caroline nodded. "No...I just wanted to make sure he was okay. He left so suddenly-"

"Everything's fine," Catherine nodded. "Well, there was something that happened in New York, but it's really not my place to say."

"Well, clearly something happened," Caroline mumbled. "He's not dating me anymore." She gave a shy smile to Cath and fixed her mic wire. "If there's one thing being with Josh taught me, it's that there's no mic wire that can't be hidden. Have fun out there, Cath."

"Same to you," Catherine smiled.

The music changed, and in three long lines, the dancers trailed out.

Mari's powerful voice echoed over the loudspeaker, and Cath couldn't help but notice that she sounded better than usual. Josh must have tried something new with the mic work.

—————

"Dude your having her overpower Piangi's harmony!" A fellow worked noted.

Josh gave a little smirk. "Let it be." He turned on Cath's mic as she began to speak.

—————

As the actor playing Piangi circled around the back singing his harmony, Mari nearly completely drowned him out.

Long enough for a twenty to be slipped from one hand to another and a very different Piangi to take his place on stage.

As the rest of the cast exited stage left and Mari turned to leave, a booming voice came from across the other side.

"You are not afraid, my goddess of song," A soft voice asked stopping Mari in her tracks, "of what horrors may befall us, should his command be ignored? We have already lost Buquet his life."

"Um-" Mari stammered, paralyzed with fear. "No."

Piangi removed his over coat, and when Mari turned around, the horror in her eyes was evident.

"Buquet's body, as it dropped, reminded me how limited our time is, Carlotta."

"Limited? J-"

"Summers fade," the hopeful Piangi sang, "the fruits of summer fade. They have their seasons so do we. But promise me, if you dare to, you'll love only me."

Mari hadn't the slightest idea what to say. "Piangi," she stammered in her fake Italian accent, "we cannot stay here. The Phantom of the Opera will find us."

"There is no Phantom of the Opera," Josh sang emphatically, his voice lower than even Matt had ever heard it. "Only us."

—————

"Josh?!" Matt yelped in surprise as Piangi stepped into the light.

Their Don Juan had indeed lost some weight.

—————

"Prima Donna, first lady of the stage, can't you see, I'm on my knee to deplore you? Can you deny me our love that's in store? Say yes, and be mine for evermore," Josh sang with a smug grin, approaching Mari slowly.

As Mari opened her mouth to answer, the lights cut out and she felt someone rush her from the stage.

When the lights came back on, everyone was in place for the next scene as if nothing had happened.

Mari immediately rushed over to Josh. "What was that?"

"Come on," Josh chuckled, grabbing her wrist and leading her away where they wouldn't be bothered. He helped her into the darkest corner backstage and pressed a small gift box in her hand. "Here."

"What's this?" Mari asked in confusion.

Josh shoved fixed the tie on his costume and gently wrapped her fingers around the box. "On this day, a year ago, I found out the truth about you. That you weren't mean and brass and selfish. You were fighting for a world that you could never have. It's also your three-hundredth show, but who's counting, eh?"

"I don't know what to say," Mari laughed in surprise.

"Then make no sound," Josh said to the tune of Les Mis. "Just- just tell me you like it?"

Mari carefully opened the box. "It's beautiful," she smiled. "I love it."

"It was my sister's, and my mother's, and my grandmother's before her." Josh said timidly. "I have no use for it. I've never been sentimental, but...but I wanted to give it to you."

"Thank you," Mari smiled, throwing her arms around him. "This is the best thing anyone's every given me."

Josh wanted so badly to kiss her then and there but controlled his impulse, and instead, quickly ran over to Ben who was waiting to go on stage. "Hey," he whispered. "Just got a phone call. Your wife wants you home...she's in labor."

"What?" Ben asked immediately.

"Go!" Josh laughed. "Congratulations."

"Alright," Ben replied, still in shock. He hurried out the door, but quickly realized, "My wife is only three months pregnant." He turned around, but found the door to the theater locked. "Josh, let me in!"

"Go home, Ben!"

"My wife is only three months pregnant! She can't be in labor!"

"Which is why you should go home. She's done this twice before. She's probably bored. Don't worry about the show. Everything's fine," Josh said, swinging the key around his finger.

Ben shrugged. "I can't believe this had to happen while Gerard Butler is here."

Matt's voice echoed over the speakers, singing, "Go away for the trap is set and waits for its prey."

Josh gave a little smirk. "Here goes nothing."

—————

Catherine slowly turned her head. "That's...not Ben," she thought.

Matt smirked underneath the dense, black cloak as he sang. He looked at her from beneath the veil. Cath looked gorgeous in that 1830s dress. The laced boots made her frame look even smaller than usual.

"You have brought me," Catherine sang a bit unsteadily, "to that moment when words run dry..."As she sang, she studied the man behind the black veil. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't place it.

He joined her in the duet and that was when Catherine realized that it was Matt singing with her. "I should have known front the beginning," she thought.

Matt smirked as they approached the part where he sat on the bench. It was funny when he thought about it, the parrells between him and Erik.

When it really came down to it, they both had been sheltered most of their lives.

Cath ran a finger up his spine and Matt unwittingly recoiled. "Dang it," he thought to himself, "I didn't plan this far..." He hadn't thought about the unmasking. What if someone recognized him?

Catherine hesitated. Unmasking her boyfriend in front of a crown of thousands? It was risky. She didn't want him to be put in danger, but she didn't want to mess up the show in any way. She winced as she unmasked Matt. "I'm sorry," she mouthed silently.

The fake gun shots went off, a gentle roar of whispers rising up amongst the crowd.

"Oh my god," the conductor mumbled, tripping backwards.

Matt followed the script he had acted out a million times before. He had to admit, he had missed being Erik.

He stretched his hand and fire flew up from the stage before he and Catherine disappeared in a pillar of smoke.

Once the pair were off stage, Catherine pressed her lips against Matt's. "I love you," she smiled.

At that moment, Ben burst through the door. "What's happening to the show?!"

Matt gave Cath's forehead a small kiss and nodded with a smug grin. "Later."

"Here's your mic," Josh smirked, tossing it to Ben before running out to help the conductor to his feet.

There was no time for any questions. Ben and Cath were pushed on stage for The Final Lair scene.

—————

"This is the most...interesting version of Phantom I've seen," Gerard Butler whispered with his adorable Scottish accent. "They definitely made a lot of changes in the movie."

The girl next to him nodded silently in reply.

Author's Note: The picture to follow shows the ring that Josh gave Mari.