Temptation Waits
Rated: R
Written By: The lovely Ficcy Goddess Elisabeth James,
and Mehg!

Liz’s AN: *dodges shoes and other miscellaneous
objects being chucked her way* Okay so this isn’t
Sweet Surrender, but who am I to refuse the great Mehg
when she wants me to co- write with her? We had so
much fun writing this prologue, we hope that you all
enjoy it! 

liz221@ameritech.net

Mehg’s AN:  *drum-roll* I’m here!  Well, I know I have
a lot I should be writing right now…   But!  I got
inspired, and I just had to rope in Isa to help me,
because the Ficcy Goddess was needed.  I hope you all
enjoy!  

hime_serenity_chan@yahoo.com


Disclaimers: We do not have any rights to: LAMDA, The
Phantom of the Opera, or Sailor Moon.  If we did, then
we would not be poor.  So, if anyone from either of
the places mentioned should happen to see this, don’t
sue, because we don’t have anything for you.  *digs in
pocket* Wait! I have half a stick of gum ^^;;;

Further Disclaimer….
Names Explained:   *wavies*  Hello Minna-chan!  This
little section is here so that the lot of you don’t
get too confuzzled when you read what lies ahead.  You
see when we started this fic, we realized that the
English names, and the Japanese names- both just
wouldn’t fly.  SO!  We decided to play gods, and be
evil and make our own names!  *giggles like their
EMSiT selves*  Here is the best way to explain the
names.

We went to a baby name site, and we found that the
name Dwight- means WHITE or FAIR/ONE and thus,
Demando/Diamond became Dwight.  His little brother
with an insane resemblance to our dear Kamen-sama,
Sapphire became Sean.  Because it sounds better, and
well we’re not calling some guy Sapphire.  

We also needed to change the outer senshi around, so
we used a more common name, of Michelle for Michiru. 
But Mehg is very stubborn- and she just _loathes_ the
new dubbed version, and wishes that Michelle is called
Michi.  That way she still keeps most of the beauty of
her real name.  Also, when we thought of Rachel, for
Haruka. (You’ll have to really delve deep into our
brains for this one)  we took the last part of her
name, as “Ruka” and thus, Ruka, just sounded like a
good Rachel to us.  And besides, Rachel is a good
name!  Certainly better than Amara… *mutter mutter*  

*grins*  So you get all that?  We hope that it will be
useful to you when reading our story.  And again, we
apologize for playing god with the characters as it
is, but- their names just wouldn’t work in this story!
 There are other name changes *coughsOUTERScoughs* 
But don’t worry, they’ll be easily recognizable!   


And now, we give you… 

Temptation Waits


"Serena Bromleigh, you're up next for the part of
Christine." Lita Bainbridge called the next name off
the tryout roster. 

The entire Globe Auditorium fell into a respectful
silence, waiting as the blond slowly climbed the
stairs onto the stage. Serena Bromleigh was the
darling of the acting crowd at The London Music and
Dramatic Arts Academy; she had a natural born talent
on the stage. She seemed born to play any role she
tried out for, and had an uncanny skill of bringing
new depth to any character. Any director worshipped
her like a goddess. Her every wish was granted,
because when the curtain rose on opening night, the
audience attended to witness the brilliance of her
ability. Now Serena was on the brink of graduation,
this would be her final performance at the college
level.

She drew in a deep breath, trying to regain the focus,
enter the zone she had been in only moments ago. She
could see her boyfriend watching her from the front
row, encouraging her with his smile. He had the utmost
of faith in her and her acting ability.  They had met
when Serena was only a freshman, trying out for her
first major role in the Academy’s spring production.
He had been trying out for the role opposite hers and
they both were chosen to portray the lead male and
female roles. While they had had sizzling chemistry on
stage, sparks really started to fly behind the scenes.
He had admired her grace and beauty and was taken with
her spitfire attitude and her ability to take charge
in and out of control situations. Only days after
meeting, he had asked Serena out, and the two of them
never looked back. They had been together for almost
three and a half years now and he was on the brink of
proposing. Grinning slightly back at him she opened
her mouth and the lines seemed to flow from her very
soul. From the first line everyone knew that she was
born to play Christine 

Lita tapped her pencil on the clipboard she held like
a crutch in front of her. This play would make or
break her debut as a Director in theatre.  This was
her last year at the academy and as the final project
she along with the help of several other students,
were going to put on the Spring musical.  Lita had
gone through countless channels to make this happen,
and perhaps that’s why she was so exceedingly picky
about casting.  Serena was the seventeenth Christine
of the day. But, things were looking up, after the
first minute of Serena's performance, she knew that
she had found her. Christine was cast. Now all she
needed was the Phantom.  Happily, she spent the
remainder of Serena’s time on stage crossing off the
thirty some other girls trying for Christine’s part.  

She frowned at her list. It might have been a bit
lurid to save the main characters for last, but the
others had just not captured her heart- and the play
was so beautiful, and of course here at the Academy
they had a reputation to uphold!  (Not to mention her
grade!)  With a small frown she glanced over the row
of names and struggled to form a mental picture. 

Maybe Sean Gibson? No, he would be perfect for the
role of the owner of the Opera House, Firmin. 
Besides, she was greatly anticipating seeing an aged.
Make-up would have their work cut out for them. She’d
have to take Molly out for dinner at the end of the
show… Sean was too handsome of a young man. Rakish,
she could see, and certainly mischievous. She would
have to keep an eye on him during rehearsals. His
brother Dwight? 

Hmm. Dwight was a good candidate, brooding, but he had
charm. And she needed someone with less- well
charisma. However, he was too friendly to play the
part of the tragic hero. And besides, she counted
herself brilliant for casting him as Raoul.  Dwight
would fit the part of Raoul nicely; of course, they
would have to dye his hair. It was such a ghastly pale
color; or perhaps a wig... 

She paused in her musings when a commotion arose at
the front of the theatre.  Andrew had finally arrived.
Andrew was another star of the Academy, and was always
late.

He had pleaded sickness, he had told her that his
history Prof. had kept him after, or a nice looking
lady had caught his eye… He always had an excuse to
offer. If there hadn’t been such an alarming shortage
of men trying out for the play then she wouldn't have
his irresponsible ass in the play at all. But she was
stuck with that dilemma. Rachel was already playing
the male part of Piangi, although, the role of
Carlotta, Piangi’s lover and partner on the stage was
being played by her roommate Michi, and the parts fit
them both perfectly. 

This time she was a bit curious, because Andrew wasn't
alone. And, she thought, self-consciously rolling her
eyes; he was not with a woman. 

A tall, dark-haired stranger loped behind him,
carrying a mountain load of books. Andrew paused every
few steps and glanced over his shoulder to be sure he
was still there and then continued on his leisurely
way. Finally, Lita could take it no longer, and she
called a halt to the monologue that she was not really
paying attention to anyway, and called loudly,
"Andrew! You’re late!" and with a second thought to
the man following him she finished, “Who’s your
friend?” 

She could only imagine his smile from way across the
theatre, and muttered as he responded, "Lita my love!
I'm so sorry I was late, I had to stop for a bit of
espresso, and I promised Darien that I would help him
with his studying."

The dark haired man threw out a light punch, though
how he managed to get a hand free from the confining
weight of the books she couldn't imagine. "Actually,"
Andrew amended with a hearty grin, "Darien is helping
me. I'm failing history again, I'm afraid. Bloody
Professor Quinn knows nothing about the war!" 

"I'm sure he knows a great deal more than you." Lita
responded with humor.  

Andrew let out a long-suffering, dramatic sigh and
with a wink, leapt on the stage and shouted. "Who
gives a damn about history! I'm an Actor, not a
historian!" He finished his brief performance by
throwing his hands up in the air, and waving them
around like a madman. 

Applause abounded throughout the auditorium, and
Andrew cheekily greeted his audience with a wave, and
then bowed smartly much to the other actors’ delight. 


"Oh, shut-up, and get off the stage. You've made your
point you fool." Lita replied with a smile. She looked
over with a glance at the companion that Andrew had
brought over, and smiled warmly. "Hello, I'm Lita
Bainbridge, the director of the spring musical.
Welcome to tryouts." 

"Don't you get tired of him?" He asked in way of a
greeting, extending his own hand, and grasping hers. 

Lita smiled softly. "Yes I do."  

"Ah, but that's why you love me, Lita darling." Andrew
answered, placing a kiss on her cheek.  

She rolled her eyes again, and smiled prettily. "Yes,
Andrew that's why."  

"Anyway. I brought old Darien here for a reason. He's
perfect for the Phantom. He's everything you told me
you wanted. Dark, broody, and a loner. A big-time
loner." He shot a cheeky grin in his friend’s
direction 

Darien exploded in response, "What?!"  

"Oh, don't get mad Darien, you didn't really think
that I need help with history do you? I love history!
I'm first in the class for god-sakes. Besides, I am an
Actor." He finished with an exaggerated obeisance. 

"I'm not going to participate in this farce, I have
work to do, and you've wasted my time, and my
patience." Darien turned to address the lovely
brunette opposite him. "It was a pleasure meeting you
Lita, I’m glad that I can finally put a face to the
personality that I hear about morning, noon, and
night.  I’ll be seeing you.”  

A warm melodious voice filtered over the little scene
in the front row.

“…Think of me, think of me fondly 
when we've said goodbye. 
Remember me once in a while, 
please promise me you'll try.…”

The sound caused him to stop in place. Fascinated he
turned around, positive that a heavenly being had
descended upon the auditorium. He scanned the area for
the source of the music, his soul seeking out the
angel with the beautiful voice. He needed to know,
needed to see her face to make sure that she was real.
Lita touched his shoulder, "That's Serena, she sounds
like an angel doesn't she? She was just cast in the
role of Christine moments before you and Andrew
arrived." 

Darien only nodded in reply, unable to speak. Andrew
had dragged him here against his will but he felt as
if perhaps fate had played a hand in it as well. Why
else would he have any reason to be considering trying
out for the role of the Phantom? His mind raced at a
mile a second, he would be able to spend every day by
her side, rehearsing with her. The very thought almost
sent him over the edge.

“…When you find that, once again, you long 
to take your heart back and be free. 
If you ever find a moment, 
spare a thought for me…” 

Her voice intensified, cascading over everyone who
milled about the large playhouse. Darien wasn’t the
only one entranced by the spell of her song, the
entire group had stopped in their tracks and was
watching the star of the show do what she did best. 

As if she sensed someone was staring at her, her eyes
opened slowly like she was waking from dream. Her eyes
met his, dragging him downward into a sea of blue. 

“…We never said our love was evergreen 
or as unchanging as the sea.
But if you can still remember, 
stop and think of me...”  

She grinned at him, causing his heart to seem to leap
from his chest. Not missing a note she jumped down
from the stage and started to walk toward the group
congregating in the front.

“…Recall those days, 
look back on all those times. 
Think of the things we'll never do. 
There will never be a day, 
when I won't think of you…” 

The last note wavered in the air, dying out slowly. It
was only when the song ended that Darien felt as if he
could breath again. She was gorgeous up close with
long slim legs and a tiny waist. Long platinum blond
hair fell to her knees, done up in buns upon her head.
The floral sundress she wore hugged her curves and for
the first time in a long time he could feel the ice
around his heart begin to melt under the heat of her
smile. 

She held out a hand to him, her fingers were long,
with delicately shaped nails polished to perfection,
"I'm Serena Bromleigh, are you trying out for Phantom
of the Opera this afternoon?" her voice was soft and
comforting.

He took her hand in his, holding it for a moment
before releasing it, "I'm Darien Shields, probably
not. I'm not really much of a theatre person. I can't
act to save my life." she giggled at his quip and
turned toward Lita.

"You sounded wonderful Serena, absolutely wonderful. I
think that you were born to be Christine, I have a new
born enthusiasm for this production already." Andrew
cut in, snatching up Serena's hand and planting a
quick kiss upon it. Lita smacked him lightly in the
shoulder before gently shoving him out of the way.

"I agree Serena, with the rest of the cast we have you
paired with, this will be the performance of your
career thus far. You'll be sure to make it on Broadway
after the critics see you at your finest." Lita could
barely contain the excitement bubbling up inside her,
she felt Andrew snake an arm around her shoulder. He
always knew just when she was about to lose it and let
everything spill out. 



Serena giggled, “Well Darien, acting really isn’t that
difficult. Besides, I think that having you on stage
would only be an asset to this show-”  

“Serena!”  

She glanced behind her quickly, and waved to the
unseen voice. “I’m sorry Darien, my boyfriend’s
calling me. I forgot about that concert we were going
to. Good luck with your audition.” She finished with a
wink, and then turned and ran backstage to catch up to
her boyfriend. 

“So.” Lita ventured. “Did we change our mind?”  

Darien sighed, how could he not change his mind. “Yea,
who am I going for?” 

“The part Andrew dragged you here to perform Darien.
The Phantom. Are you familiar with the story?” She
asked raising the pencil with a quizzical statement on
her face. 

“No.”  

“I thought as much. Okay, the gist of the story is
about an Opera House in 1860’s Paris that is ‘haunted’
by a ‘ghost’. Horrible things start happening,
backdrops topple over- barely missing the actors on
stage, actors disappear and are found murdered, things
move around, it’s terrible. The Phantom meets
Christine, and he wants her to be put on stage. So he
devises a scheme to blackmail the Theatre’s heads into
meeting his demands by promising horrible danger.” 

“I play the theatre manager Darien, you get to screw
me over!” 

“Yes, Andrew, thank you. Now let me finish my story.” 


“Wait.” Lita paused, waiting for him to finish. “I
have one question does the Phantom get his girl?” 

There was a pause and then she smiled, “No. He lets
her and her lover go.”  

Darien smiled, “Maybe.”  

She raised a brow in reply and then motioned him
towards the stage. “Ready?” Lita asked, pencil poised
above the list.  

He nodded. “Can I have a script?”  

“Take mine!” Andrew called, tossing the rolled up
article at Darien. He caught it easily and waited
patiently for new instructions. 

“Turn to page 97. I want you to start with that
monologue. Read it first, in a minute we’ll have Mina
work with you, and then we’ll have you sing it.” Lita
paused to mark down her comments as he struggled with
the long passage.  

Definitely needed work. They could handle that. His
form, his character, his manner, all suggested a
perfect fit. Darien would make the Phantom come alive.
She could feel it. Now, all she had to do was convince
him of the same thing.  

“Good. Congratulations. You have the part. Now, Mina
is behind you, the blonde with the red bow. She’s our
music expert. Since this is strictly a student
production- we’re all peers here. But please, show
respect to everyone. I don’t think you’re the sort of
bloke to make a bit of trouble- I extend that lecture
to everyone I’ve cast.” She raised her voice so that
everyone in the auditorium could hear her, “Thank you
for bearing with me everyone. The rehearsal schedule
will be handed out to all of you next week. Come on
Monday, at 4 sharp after classes. Now, if you’ll
excuse me, I have to make supper for my poor husband.”
With her speech finished, Lita rose, and Andrew
followed after her after congratulating Darien with a
silent cheer.  

The petite blond that stood waiting behind him stepped
forward, “Hi Darien. Let’s see if you have any real
talent.” Mina extended her hand warmly, and pulled
Darien closer to the little booth she had arranged
upstage. “Now, have you ever had any lessons at all in
some sort of music?”  

Darien tried to concentrate on the questions she
asked, he really did. But he just couldn’t escape his
meeting with Serena. He sang the notes haltingly, but
he kept going back to the story of the play.  

“Does he get the girl?” He sincerely hoped that he had
just heard Lita wrong the first time he had asked this
question. 

Mina shook her head, “No.”  

Well, at least this time the Phantom would have the
chance, because Darien wasn’t about to let her go that
easily. Anyone that could hold his attention so
strongly needed to be examined more closely. He rather
liked the idea of a closer relationship with Serena. 

…  


TBC 

Write us!  Or the next chapter will be so full of
sweetness that you'll get cavities and turn into a big
puddle of goo!  

~Mehg and Liz