When Kurt Hummel was eight years old, both of his parents died in a horrible tragedy. He was orphaned, and sent to live and train in the largest most prestigious opera house in New York, owned by one Mr. Figgins. Kurt had spent his whole life in the opera house so far, and at age eighteen was now one of their best chorus dancers. He longed for more, but would never admit it to anyone. He had, however, been taking singing lessons from a mysterious man who never came out of the shadows.

They were currently practicing for their new opera that was to open that evening, when Mr. Figgins came in with two people Kurt had never seen before.

"May I have your attention?" Mr. Figgins asked, interrupting their rehearsal. Everyone stopped, turning to face him. "I suppose you've all heard the rumors going around that I am to be retiring. I would like to inform you that they are all true, and introduce you to the two new owners of the opera house, Mr. William Schuester, and Ms. Sue Sylvester. I'm sure they'll take good care of you all."

The man that Mr. Figgins had just introduced as Mr. William Schuester gave a slight nod of his head in appreciation at the introduction before speaking, "It is our pleasure to introduce our newest patron Mr. David Karofsky."

Kurt's head snapped up at the mention of the name, taking a good look to confirm what he was already fairly sure to be true. He turned to his best friend, Brittany, who also happened to be the daughter of Carole Hudson, the resident choreographer of the opera house.

"That's Dave." He whispered to her from off to the side, just off stage, where they were out of sight. "When I was younger he would come and visit my father and I. We were best friends. I once had...feelings for him. But I could never tell him that. He wouldn't have wanted to be my friend anymore."

Brittany knew Kurt was gay. She was one of the few. Kurt knew she would never judge him for it, and therefore felt comfortable discussing such things with her. She nodded at him and smiled, before turning her attention back to what was going on on the stage.

"Mr. Schuester, Ms. Sylvester, Mr. Karofsky, I would like to introduce you to Miss Rachel Berry, our leading lady for the past three years." Mr. Figgins introduced.

"It's an honor to meet you." Dave said, taking Rachel's hand and bowing slightly. "I will be here this evening for opening night. I'm sure you'll all be amazing. I'm very sorry to have interrupted your rehearsal time." And then, with a nod of his head, he was leaving.

Kurt watched as he walked away, only half noticing Rachel informing everyone of just how much Mr. Karofsky had obviously loved her.

He walked right past Kurt on his way to the exit without even glancing his way.

"I'm not surprised he didn't notice me. We haven't seen each other in ages. I doubt he'd even remember me."

"He didn't even see you, Kurt. I'm sure he remembers you. You're hard to forget." Brittany consoled him.

Their rehearsal resumed, as Carole took William and Sue around, telling them about each of their important cast members.

"Who's that one?" Kurt heard William ask her, pointing to his best friend.

"That would be my daughter, Brittany." Carole informed him.

"She seems to be an exceptional dancer." Sue observed. "And that one? Who is he?"

"That's Kurt Hummel. A very promising talent, if I do say so myself. He was orphaned at the age of eight, and brought here to live. He's been training ever since. I think of him as my own son."

Kurt was lost in his own thoughts by this point, going through the motions of the choreography, never missing a step, but not really paying attention. He was shaken from his reverie, however, by the sounds of Rachel Berry shouting as if someone had just been murdered.

"Who just stepped on my dress?" She exclaimed. "How am I supposed to perform with a ripped dress?" She then took a deep breath, going right back into her choreography and singing as if she hadn't just had an outrageously unneeded outburst.

As the song went on, someone tripped, stumbling forward and bumping into Rachel's back. She finished the song, getting angrier every second, before storming over to William and Sue, where they were standing with Mr. Figgins discussing how excited David Karofsky was to see the ballet that evening.

"Well, I hope he's as excited to see the show without its leading lady, because I will not be performing." Rachel shouted, waving around the bottom of her dress to reveal the rip in it from where it had been stepped on earlier. She then turned on here heel and stormed off in the direction of the exit. "Bring me a bottle of water!" She called over her shoulder, not caring who exactly brought it to her, but wanting her water nonetheless.

"What do we do?" William asked Mr. Figgins.

"Oh, she does this every day. Grovel. Grovel, and she'll come back. She always does. You just have to make her think that you think she's as important as she knows she is." Mr Figgins said, putting air quotes around the word 'knows'.

"Miss Berry! Miss Berry, wait!" William called after her.

Rachel turned around, glaring at him, waiting for him to continue to speak.

"Don't go, please. Don't you have a wonderful musical number in act three? We'd love to hear you sing it."

"I do. But I won't. Because I don't have my costume for act three yet. It was supposed to be finished days ago, and I still haven't received it. How are we supposed to put on this production if the leading lady doesn't even have all of her costumes?" She snapped, before beginning to cry dramatically.

Kurt noticed a few people around him rolling their eyes. He sighed, shaking his head lightly. If he ever had the chance to play the lead he would be humble and grateful. He couldn't imagine behaving the way Rachel did.

"Please, Miss Berry, for us? You can't deprive the world of your talent." William said.

"And we'll make sure your costume is finished by this evening." Sue added.

"If you insist." Rachel said brightly, her tears stopping abruptly, as if she had been waiting for them to beg. Which, of course, she had been. "Brad!" She snapped her fingers at the conductor, instructing him to start the music.

All the musicians flipped through their music, finding the correct song and beginning to play.

"Everybody quiet!" Rachel bellowed, before grabbing her throat spray and preparing to sing.

"Think of me.
Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye."

Kurt listened intently as she sang. She was amazing, and deserved all that had been given to her. But he was nearly certain that he was just as good. But he was shy, so he sat back quietly, content to be a chorus boy. All of his friends were in the chorus anyway, so why leave? He didn't need a leading role to be happy, as much as he wanted one.

"Remember me once in a while.
Please promise me you'll try.
When you find that once again you long
To take your heart back and be free."

Rachel continued to sing, until all of a sudden the curtain came crashing down from up above. Brittany screamed, moving she and Kurt out of the way of the falling curtain, as it landed directly on top of Rachel who let out a shriek, more surprised and angry than hurt, and pulled herself out from under the curtain.

"Miss Berry!" Everyone shouted, rushing to her side to make sure she was alright.

"It's the phantom of the opera." Brittany whispered to Kurt. "He's here!"

"Dammit, Puckerman, what's going on up there?" Mr. Figgins shouted, looking upwards.

"Don't look at me!" Noah Puckerman shouted down from his place on the catwalk. "I wasn't up here when it fell, sir. I had gone to the bathroom, and I came back to this. No one else is up here. Not that I can see, anyway. Maybe it's a ghost." He said with a devilish laugh.

"Miss Berry." William said. "Sometimes these things happen."

"Sometimes these things happen?" Rachel shouted. "For the past three years these things have been happening. And did you stop them from happening?" She asked, looking at Mr. Figgins. "No! You never did!  And you two!" She said, looking pointedly from William to Sue. "You're as bad as him! Sometimes these things happen? Sometimes these things happen?! Until you stop these things from happening, I will not be singing!" She shouted, turning away from them with a wave of her hand, and walking away quickly. "I'm really leaving this time!" She called over her shoulder before exiting the building.

"Good luck, everyone." Mr. Figgins said. "If you need me...Don't." And with that, he was gone.

"She's going to come back, isn't she?" William asked, gesturing towards the door Rachel had just exited through.

Brad shook his head solemnly.

"I have a message from the opera ghost." Carole interrupted, walking towards William and Sue with an envelope in her hands.

"The opera ghost?" Sue questioned, looking around at everyone as if they'd completely lost their minds.

"He wants to welcome you to his opera house." Carole said, having opened the envelope and pulled out the letter, unfolding it.

"Oh, it's his opera house, is it?" Sue scoffed.

"And would like to request that you continue to leave box five vacant for his use, and his use only. He would also like to remind you that his salary is due." Carole said, handing the letter to William.

"His salary?" Sue exclaimed, aghast.

Carole simply nodded, "Mr. Figgins used to give him two thousand dollars a month."

"Two thousand dollars?!" Sue muttered under her breath.

"Perhaps you'll be able to give him more," Carole suggested, "With Mr. David Karofsky as your patron?"

"I had hoped to make that announcement public tonight, when Mr. Karofsky was to join us for the gala. But it seems that now we shall have to cancel, since we've lost Miss Berry!"

Everyone looked around, aghast. They'd never cancelled a performance before in all of Kurt's years at the opera house. It was absolutely unheard of.

"Isn't there an understudy?" William suggested, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

"There is no understudy for miss Rachel Berry. There never has been, and there never will be. She won't allow it."

"It's a sold out performance!" Sue shouted. "We can't refund a full house!"

"Kurt Hummel could fill in." Carole piped up, from where she was standing next to Kurt.

Kurt was shocked silent, looking around and awaiting the response. Yes, he'd always longed for a leading role, but he wasn't sure he was ready yet. He'd have hardly any time to prepare, and aside from that, Rachel would be at his throat every day if he were to do this. He tried not to worry, certain that everyone would object anyway. He was a man. He couldn't play the leading lady. They'd never allow it.

"A chorus member?" William asked. "And a boy, no less? No. No, I don't think so."

"He's been training with an amazing teacher, sir." Carole informed him. "I've heard him sing. Boy or not, he can hit all the notes. I know he can."

"Who is this great teacher Ms. Hudson speaks of, boy?"

"I don't know his name." Kurt admitted. He decided it would be best to leave out the fact that he had never even seen him, either.

"Give him chance to sing for you, please. You can choose not to let him perform, but at least give him the opportunity to show you what he can do."

William looked to Sue, and Sue gave him a small nod.

"Alright." William said. "Alright. Give it a shot, young man. We'll take a listen."

"From the beginning then!" Brad announced, and the orchestra began to play the song that Rachel had been singing just a few minutes prior, when the curtain had fallen.

Kurt took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He'd never sung in front of anyone before. He didn't even know how Carole had known he could sing. She must have listened outside his room one evening when he'd been practicing. He listened closely to the music, waiting for the right time to come in.

"Think of me.
Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye."

He heard a few people gasp in surprise. He hoped it was a good sort of surprise, and not surprise at how awful he sounded. He closed his eyes, blocking out the world around him, and continued to sing.

He neared the end of the song, preparing for the big finish.

"But please promise me that sometimes
You will think of me."

He finished the song, opening his eyes and looking around, waiting for some sort of reaction. There was a moment of silence, and then the whole room broke out into a round of excited applause.

"Alright, Mr Hummel, you've got the job." William announced.

"Thank you, sir." Kurt said, taking a small gracious bow.

"Practice hard, and get yourself to the costume department so they can fit you in some dresses." Carole said, smiling warmly at him.

Everyone separated then, taking a break, and Kurt went to head off to the costume department.

"Oh, Kurt, you were so amazing!" Brittany said, rushing over to him and hugging him tightly. "I had no idea you could sing like that. I knew you'd been taking lessons, but I never would have imagined that."

"Thank you, Brit." Kurt smiled.

"Get yourself down to the costume area and find yourself some nice dresses." Brittany smiled, bouncing away to talk to her mother.

That evening, Kurt was dressed, and decidedly as well rehearsed as he was going to be. He just hoped he didn't disappoint Mr. Schuester, Ms. Sylvester, or Ms. Carole. And he especially didn't want to disappoint his wonderful vocal teacher. He'd never had an opportunity to sing for anyone, other than his mysterious tutor, and he hoped he did him justice.

Brittany came over to him, grabbing him by the shoulders tightly, "You'll be amazing." She said. "Mother is confident you'll be amazing. She thinks you're even better than Miss Berry." She added, in a hushed tone.

"Oh, hush, Brit. I'm not that good. Who knows if I'll even be able to do this at all. I'd never sung in front of anyone, aside from my teacher, until today. I don't even know how Carole heard me."

"She hears everything. But you're amazing. Just go out there and do your best."

Brad and Carole were running around, letting everyone know it was time to get into place for the beginning of act one. Kurt took a deep breath and went to stand behind the curtain.

David Karofsky was watching from his place in box five, listening intently to the boy singing on stage, and if he hadn't been informed beforehand that the role had been taken over by a male, he wouldn't have known. Whoever it was was as beautiful as any woman he'd ever seen, and he sang like an angel as well.

The final song of the show had just begun, and Mr. Karofsky listened with rapt attention.

"Flowers fade
The fruits of Summer fade
They have their season so do we.
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think of me."

As the song ended, David realized who he had been watching all this time. It was Kurt Hummel. His best childhood friend, and someone he'd longed to get back in touch with for years. After Kurt's parents had died, he'd been whisked away, and David had never seen him again. He must have been brought here to live at the opera house, David figured. He stood up, applauding as loudly as he could, as he saw the entire audience doing the same.

"Bravo!" He shouted once, before standing up and leaving, running down the steps to the main floor as quickly as he could. He had to see Kurt. Talk to him. Find out if he even still remembered him.

He'd always had strong feelings for Kurt as a young boy. Feelings that were stronger than friendship. But it wasn't until he was a little older that he realized what they had actually been. As a young boy, he'd never thought it was possible to love someone of the same sex, but now that he was older, he understood that he could. And had. And possibly still did, if they way his heart was racing was any indication.

On his way to find Kurt, he was dragged away by Sue and William, who wanted him to mingle around a bit. As much as he wanted to see Kurt, he let himself be pulled away, certain that Kurt would want to change after the performance anyway.

After the performance, Kurt went immediately downstairs to a little room, where he had a shrine of his mother and father set up. He sat down on the floor, still in his dress from the final act, and lit some candles.

As he sat there, everything was silent, aside from his own thoughts. That was, until he heard the soft voice of his vocal tutor letting out a small, "Bravo."

He looked up, trying to see where the voice had come from, but not even knowing where to look.

Then he heard Brittany calling for him, "Kurt!" she called. She was one of the few people who knew about this room, and that Kurt liked to spend much of his free time here. "Kurt, are you here?"

She came through the doorway, sitting down on the floor next to Kurt, and grabbing him by the shoulders as she so often did.

"Oh, Kurt! You were brilliant! I told you you would be."

Kurt smiled at her, almost self consciously.

"What's your secret? Who is this infamous teacher of yours anyway?" She asked him.

"Brit, when my parents died, and Carole brought me here to live, I would always come down here and light a candle for my parents. Every time I came here alone, I'd hear a voice from above. And that same voice began to inhabit my dreams. When I was very young, my mother and father always told me that I would never be alone, because if they ever died, I would be protected by an angel. An angel of music."

"Do you really believe there's a spirit coaching you?" Brittany asked.

"What else? That would explain why I've never seen him, right? Because he's not physically there." Kurt tried to explain. He'd never believed his parents when he was younger, but he didn't know what else to believe now. "Every time I sing I can feel him here. Next to me. Guiding me."

"Kurt, that can't be true. You must be imagining it."

"He's here now. I can sense it. He's everywhere." Kurt said, feeling slightly frightened, but mostly just entranced.

Kurt walked back to his dressing room, avoiding the many people waiting outside to greet him and congratulate him on a job well done. Once inside, Carole walked over to him, giving him a bright smile, and telling him how wonderful he had been.

"The opera ghost was impressed as well." She informed him, handing him a single red rose with a black ribbon around it. She then gave Kurt a hug, and left him to change.

There was a knock on his dressing room door before it opened slowly, and David Karofsky came in, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Kurt." He smiled.

"Dave." Kurt greeted, slightly breathless.

"So you do remember me then?" David questioned.

"Of course I do. How could I ever forget my best childhood friend?"

"I'm glad you haven't forgotten me. I can't believe it took me until the end of the opera tonight to recognize you. Especially now that I remember when we were younger, when we'd have tea parties with your mother. You'd always put on one of her old dresses and dance around the house." He smiled.

"I'd nearly forgotten about that." Kurt said. "I've missed you, Dave." He stood up, so that he no longer had to look up to see into Karofsky's eyes.

"I've missed you as well." He said, leaning forward to give Kurt a gentle hug. "You were amazing tonight."

"Remember when we were children, and mother and father used to tell me that when they were dead, the angel of music would watch over me and keep me safe? Well, they were right. He's been with me. Guiding me. Teaching me."

"And very obviously so. Come on. I'm taking you to dinner."

"Dave, I can't. The angel of music is very strict. I can't go anywhere tonight."

"I won't keep you away long. We need to catch up, Kurt. I haven't seen you since you were brought here ten years ago. You can't expect me to just leave. Now, change out of that dress." He said, heading out the door.

"Dave, please. You don't understand." Kurt tried. But he was already gone.

He went to change out of his dress, still feeling as though he shouldn't go to dinner, but letting his need to catch up with Dave get the better of him. Once he was dressed in some pants and a nice shirt, he noticed the lights flickering, until they all went out altogether.

He was afraid of the dark, and started for the door, wanting to find out if the rest of the lights had gone out, or if it was just the ones in his room.

He stopped suddenly, however, when he heard the voice of the angel coming from above.

"You aren't really going to dinner with him, are you?" He reprimanded him.

"I...I'm sorry." Kurt stammered. "I tried to tell him. I tried. I swear. Please. Please come out. I want to see you."

"Look in the mirror, Kurt. Do you really want to know why I hide in the shadows? Why I teach you to sing, instead of coming out there and singing for myself?" He asked. "Look in the mirror. I'm here."

Kurt turned, looking into the mirror, and seeing a face, the right side covered in a beautiful white mask. Kurt wanted to know why he covered his face in such a way. Was he really so determined for his identity to remain a secret? When he looked into the eyes of the man inside the mirror, he felt strangely drawn towards him. Wanting to get closer. To look. To see.

"Angel of music, come out of the mirror. Please, angel, show yourself to me without the barrier of the glass."

The angel of music began to sing, causing Kurt to succumb to the trance-like state that had been trying to envelop him since he'd first laid eyes on his mysterious voice coach.

"I am your angel of music.
Come to me angel of music."

The door handle jiggled as David tried to make his way into Kurt's room, worrying when it had taken him so long to change.

"Who's in there?" He called through the door. "Kurt? Kurt?!"

But Kurt didn't hear him. He heard nothing but the angel's voice, repeating the words of his entrancing song over and over again, as he walked closer and closer to the mirror.