I'm on a role with my stories! I just noticed that in the story I just posted, A New Year's Surprise, that I had used a Christmas carol and that it was New Year based story. Oh well, I guess I'm just really into the spirit of things. Yay. My grandparents have made it here in one piece, luckily, because it's really snowing here right now! Fun! I love the snow, but when you get foot after foot after foot, it gets more annoying than pretty. Alright, I'm done with my rambling, here's the story!

Everything Is Different Now

Christine silently walked through the halls of the opera house; it was very late and this was her favorite time of day to roam. Nobody could see her this way, which always made her feel safer. Lightly touching the smooth piece of porcelain on her face, Christine sighed, wondering, once again, why she was cursed with such a mark.

Suddenly, the sound of muffled crying reached her highly sensitive ears. Who could possibly be up this late at night? Following the noise, Christine found a boy, around 8, curled up into a ball; his skinny arms wrapped around himself. I've never seen him before. Where did he come from?

"Mama, Papa, why did you leave me? I miss you so much." he whispered hoarsely; he had a silky voice, even though it cracked. What had happened to his Mama and Papa? Deciding that she should go find her adopted mother, Christine turned away from the boy in the chapel, but nearly fell down when she bumped into a solid body.

"Christine? What in the world are you doing here?" Madame Giry asked, curious as to know why the little girl was wandering the halls of the opera house at this hour. The girl was only 6 and she had already been spotted by the stagehands more than once, which earned her the nickname, 'La Spectre D'opéra'.

"I'm sorry, Maman Giry, but I heard this boy crying and I wanted to find out what was wrong with him." she replied innocently enough. Looking back at the boy, Christine noticed that he had stopped crying and had fallen asleep; a bit of his face showed through his arms. He had slightly tanned skin, a perfect nose, and thick, dark hair that shined even in the dim candlelight.

"Oh, you must be talking about Erik." Madame Giry said, seeing the child Christine was looking at; she had forgotten to mention that someone new had entered the opera.

"Erik? Where did he come from?" Christine questioned; her tiny nose scrunching up at the thought. She really didn't like new people coming into her opera house without her permission.

"We honestly don't know, my dear. A lady had come up to the manager's office with him and begged him to give the boy a spot on the ballet or chorus. As you know, the manager is a kind old man and easily gave in; the boy didn't even have to audition. Once the woman left, all he told us was that his name was Erik and that he wanted to get some rest. I don't know what to do with him, Christine! The boy can't dance and, since he never auditioned, he can't join the chorus."

"He can play with me," Christine suggested quietly, "I've always wanted to play with somebody."

"No, Christine. Besides, I thought you like to be alone."

Pouting, Christine opened up the gate she had been hiding behind and walked silently up to the boy, Erik. Pushing back his long strands of black hair, she smiled warmly at Erik. "May he please stay with me, Maman Giry? I'll teach him all I know about music and hopefully by next season he can join the chorus. Please?" Christine pleaded. The more she looked at Erik's sleeping form, the more she wanted know about him and be with him.

Sighing, Madame Giry couldn't help but smile herself as she watched her adopted daughter run her delicate fingers through the boys thick hair. Perhaps a friend would be good for the little girl; she might even stop haunting the opera house.

"Fine, but, you must watch out for him. If I hear one word from the managers, I'll send him to the boys dormitories, where he should be."

Squealing softly, Christine quickly jumped up and hugged Madame Giry tightly. Oh, she had so much to teach Erik! Maybe he could run around the opera with her! "Thank you, Maman Giry! I promise that I'll keep us out of trouble."

Turning back around to face Erik, Christine shook his shoulder gently; trying to wake him up. "Erik, wake up. Maman Giry and I are going to take care of you now."

Erik felt someone shaking him, probably trying to wake him up, but he didn't want to wake up! He wanted to lie on the cold, stone floor and join his parents in heaven. "Go away. I don't need anyone." he mumbled sleepily, but he still opened his eyes to see who was touching him; he sat straight up at who he saw. There was a girl, no older than 6, sitting next to him; she had curly brown hair that reached her waist, long, delicate fingers, chocolate colored eyes, and a white mask that sat on her pale face. Standing next to her was the older woman he had met earlier today, Madame Giry. Looking back at the girl, Erik wondered why there was a mask on the girl's face; she had a really pretty face and all the piece of porcelain was doing was blocking it from his view.

Christine's smile widened as she saw his eyes; one eye was a beautiful blue, almost like the sky, and the other was a mysterious golden color. "Bonjour, my name is Christine. You have very nice eyes." she whispered shyly. The boy was handsome and she could feel a slight blush rising into her cheeks.

"Merci. Nice to meet you, Christine. My name is Erik." he too, whispered quietly. Her eyes sparkled with a joy he hadn't seen since...his mother...

"I know this is sudden, but do you want to live with me?" Christine asked, biting her soft, pink lip. What if he didn't want to live with her? What if her mask and face messed everything up, as it usually did?

Giving a soft smile himself, Erik nodded his head as he shakily stood up on his legs. How long had he been crying anyway? Grasping Christine's tiny hand in his larger one, he followed her as she led him back behind the gate. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to my home. Maman Giry can't come with us since she has her daughter, Meg Giry, to look after. Plus, she's the ballet mistress and she needs to be back here early tomorrow morning." Christine explained as they began to descend below the opera. Christine's mind began to wander as the lights began to get dimmer and dimmer the farther they went. Would Erik like her home? She and Maman Giry made it, but it was made just for a young girl; there was nothing down there for a boy to do. He might like my library, even though it's small? Perhaps he knows how to play the violin! He could play it just like Papa...Papa...all that blood....

Shaking her head, Christine kept walking forward, trying to erase the last memory of her papa. Soon, they came upon the underground lake. Squeezing Erik's hand, she motioned for him to get into the boat, but all she heard was a splash.

"I'm wet!" Erik yelled, feeling the water soaking his shoes and pants. Where on Earth were they? And why was there an lake underneath the opera house? Does every opera house have a lake?

Christine giggled softly; Erik probably couldn't see as well as her in the dark. "I'm sorry, Erik. Here, the boat is right next to you." she told him, getting in herself and picking up the oars. Even though she was 6, she was able to row Erik and herself across the lake, but, by the time they reached the other side, her arms felt like they were going to fall off. She was only used to rowing herself across and if Maman Giry came with her, she was the one who rowed. Helping Erik out of the boat, Christine took his hand once more and led him toward the door to her home.

"Welcome to my home." Christine announced happily, opening the door proudly. Erik felt a small smile on his face as he looked around. There were red rugs all over the stone floor, a fireplace, a writing desk, several vases placed everywhere, all filled with roses, and a couple pink tapestries hung from the cavern walls. It was girly, but it was nice; a lot better than where he had been living the past few days.

"What do you think? I'm sorry that it's only filled with girl stuff, but I never expected a boy to come live with me. Here, follow me and I'll show you the room that you can stay in." Christine smiled, tugging on Erik's hand. She was glad to see an approving smile on his tan face; hopefully he would like his room as he liked the rest of her home. Pulling back a black velvet curtain, Erik's smile widened as he looked around the room. It was girly like the rest of the house; instead, the carpet was beige, the tapestries that clung to the walls in this room were a blood red color, a massive bed sat in the middle of the room, the sheets looked navy blue and made out of silk with a light blue comforter on top, and an organ covered most of the wall on the right side of the room.

"It's...amazing in here. Is this your room?" Erik asked, turning around to face his wonderful hostess. She was standing by the piano that was in the other room, looking down at her shuffling feet.

"It is, but I don't mind if you take it. I'll just sleep the sofa." she replied. She really didn't want to give up her room, but Erik needed somewhere to sleep and it wouldn't be the first time that she's slept on the sofa.

"I can't take your room! I can sleep on the sofa; it's more comfortable than where I used to sleep." Erik protested. He couldn't take Christine's room! He would be intruding in her space and she had been so kind to him for the short time that they'd known each other.

"It's okay, Erik. You can have my room for tonight and I'll have Maman Giry bring down a small bed tomorrow." Christine insisted as she sat down on the sofa, pulling a soft, black blanket out of a basket that was next to the couch.

Erik shuffled his feet a little, feeling a bit bad because he was taking his hostess's room, but she just kept on insisting! She reminded him of a smaller version of his mother... Walking over to Christine's bedroom, he turned around to wish her good night, but laughed instead at what he saw: Christine was already fast asleep; the blanket wasn't even covering her petite body yet.

Walking back over, Erik picked up the black blanket and gently draped it on her body. Before he left, he noticed that her porcelain mask was on crooked. Why did she wear that thing anyway? She had a pretty face; why the mask? Wrapping his long, thin fingers around the edges, Erik lifted off the mask and gasped at what he saw; the skin was red and bumpy, but it was also stretched over her cheekbones. He could see the blue veins pulsing underneath, the scarring, the unnatural way her face was shaped, yet, he was disgusted. Smiling sadly, Erik replaced the mask, tucking as curl behind her ear.

Christine nuzzled her face into the pillow, murmuring, "Papa" Papa? If she has a papa, then why is she living under the opera house?

"Bonne nuit, Christine. I'll see you in the morning." with that, Erik walked back to her bedroom and dropped happily onto the giant bed; chuckling as he felt the silk of the sheets rub against his skin. Burying his head in the pillow, he inhaled a sweet mixture of roses and vanilla.

For once, since he had lost his parents, Erik fell asleep with a small smile on his face.

I hope you guys like that! I originally started it a couple weeks ago, but it had to be put on hold because I was on vacation visiting family and all that good holiday stuff. Now, I can leave this as a one shot, or, I can continue it; it's completely up to you guys! I think I'll add a few more chapters onto it, but I doubt I'll make it very long! I hope you liked it!

^.^