{Belle's POV}

After a few very stressful weeks, with a spirit of oppression hanging over the theatre. Don Juan was finally about to begin...

I laced Sofia into her gown as we went over our plan.

"So the doors are locked, and we know he's here?" she asked.

"Yes." I replied.

"And you'll make sure Piangi isn't in the wrong place at the wrong time?" She asked.

"Of course. We've already messed up the timeline, I'd rather not anyone else die." I whispered, tying her corset strings into a neat bow.

"You know after all this, I'm really going to miss you when I arrive home." Sofia smiled sadly.

"Well then maybe I'll have to write you more Jumanji style fan fiction~" I smirked.

"Don't you bloody dare." She growled.

I laughed at her antics.

"There you go Amnita. You look stunning. Don Juan won't be able to keep his hands off of you."

Sofia shuddered visibly.

"Sorry. Too soon?" I asked.

She answered me with a glare.

"Well I guess we can be glad that you didn't ask for a Kerik Fanfic..."

"Oh lord!"

I chuckled again.

"Sofia they're ready for you..." Somebody called her to the stage.

We rushed towards the stage, and stood in the wing, waiting for the inevitable.

The choir sang, "Hear the silence of the damned! Here the master takes his meat! Here the sacrificial lamb utters one despairing bleat."

"Poor young maiden, for the thrill on your tongue of stolen sweets, You'll have to pay the bill tangled in the winding sheets!" Carlotta trilled.

"You gotta admit for a psychopath his music is very catchy. I mean don't get me wrong it's got bad vibes but..."

Sofia snorted. But i could tell she was still nervous.

"Hey, everything's gonna be alright. I've got your back." I smiled comfortingly.

"I know." she smiled.

"If I could switch places with you I would. But unfortunately I'm just the supporting character here."

"Yeah, besides Erik would go crazy... or crazier." she sighed.

We watched Piangi sing his part.

"Oh! I gotta go save our leading man! Break a leg."

She smacked my arm as I walked away.

I made my way to the back and was ready to pull Piangi to the side, leaving a spare black cloak on a chair near the back so the Phantom could grab it easily.

Piangi walked off stage and as I heard Sofia's sweet voice I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him quickly away from the stage. As we arrived in sight of the cast I delivered him to Carlotta, and rushed off to the side of the stage to watch the rest of the play.

Carlotta frowned at me and Piangi, but Piangi just shrugged at her and they seemed fine.

I rushed round the corner to watch the scene.

"Passarino – Go away for the trap it is set and waits for it's...prey."

Sofia smelled the prop apple, as the Phantom advanced out of the shadows.

"You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish which till now
Has been silent
Silent."

The phantom walked over to near where I was standing and I had to hold myself back. I wanted to tackle the Phantom and end this madness... If it was this difficult for me when Sofia was just a friend. I couldn't imagine what pains this caused Raoul.

"I have brought you
That our passions may fuse and merge
In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses
Completely succumbed to me
Now you are here with me
No second thoughts
You've decided
Decided."

The Phantom crossed the stage and was now very much in Sofia's personal space. She played her part well, though there was a slight tremor in Sofia's hand.

I was glad that the hood of that black cloak blocked his eyes. The last thing we needed was him getting wise to our plan.

"Past the point of no return
No backward glances
Our games of make-believe are at an end."

Sofia did a marvelous job of the choreography. I was intensely proud of her. It was also really neat to see a sort of production of Past the Point of no Return up close. Yes sir I'd have a lot to write about when I arrived home.

"Past all thought of if or when
No use resisting
Abandon thought and let the dream descend"

Sofia rushed to the table, a warm flush creeping up her cheeks.

The Phantom followed her as she took a seat on the bench.

"What raging FIRE shall flood the soul
What rich desire unlocks it's door
What sweet seduction lies before us?"

The Phantom's hand hovered over Sofia's thigh and I cringed.

"Past the point of no return
The final threshold
What warm unspoken secrets
Will we learn
Beyond the point of no return?"

Phantom moved closer to Sofia and she jumped up and ran across the stage.

"Mood." I whispered quietly.

Sofia glared at him for a moment before remembering her words.

"You have brought me
To that moment when words run dry
To that moment when speech disappears
Into silence
Silence!"

She spun around, the dress whirling around her calves.

"I have come here,
Hardly knowing the reason why
In my mind I've already imagined
Our bodies entwining
Defenseless and silent,
Now I am here with you
No second thoughts
I've decided
Decided."

She directed her singing at Erik who immediately froze. As if he hadn't been expecting her to actually sing what he had written.

"Past the point of no return
No going back now
Our passion-play has now at last begun."

She walked behind the bench that the Phantom sat on. And stopped just behind him. He sat up straight raising his hands in time with the music. She grabbed his hands and they raised them together.

"Past all thought of right or wrong
One final question
How long should we two wait before we're one?"

Then they moved their hands together first the left, then the right. Erik's head swiveled to try and look at her and I had to turn away as I thought of our plan. The poor man was so lonely.

"When will the blood begin to race
The sleeping bud burst into bloom
When will the flames at last CONSUME us?"

She wrapped her arms around him, then pulled away running towards my side of the stage.

But Erik was too fast. Grabbing her arm swiftly.

They both started to sing, voices straining as the Phantom tugged her back to center stage.

"Past the point of no return
The final threshold
The bridge is crossed
So stand and watch it burn
We've passed the point of no re-turn."

Sofia pulled back the hood of the cloak. Erik blinked in confusion, then as the realization dawned on him...

"Damn," He whispered.

He moved to the side stage, but a cop with a gun stared back at him. He turned over to see another cop beside where I stood. Poised to go save Sofia. If he dared try anything unexpected.

Erik turned back to her and sang softly, brokenly... "Say you'll share with me
One love, one lifetime
Lead me, save me from my solitude"

Erik slowly took off his ring. As Sofia stood frozen in the center of the stage.

"Say you want me
With you here...
Beside you
Anywhere you go
Let me go too"

He sang powerfully. Sliding the ring forcefully onto her finger.
"...Sofia that's all I ask of -"

Sofia ripped the mask off his head.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The audience and cast screamed in terror.

Erik pulled a lever and they vanished from the stage with a flash of flames. I knew what to do. I found the other trapdoor that Mme Giry had pointed out, and prepared to fight for my friend.