A/N: New story, yaaay! I have this one mostly written up so I'm going to post twice a week, and also start rewriting Severed Hearts because I want to revive that story sometime soon... Anyway, on to new adventures!

She was strong, she was brave, she was confident and she was tons of other things that she did not feel like at that moment in time. Fiddling with her newly cleaned and pressed suit jacket, she tucked a stray blonde curl back into her bun after noticing it had escaped. This was her big break, what she had been waiting for and nothing was going to stand between her and the job! Not even She Who Would Not Be Named! With the determination rubbing it in her face if she ever ran into the woman again brought, she did one last once over before leaving the women's bathroom and making her way to the elevator. With her red leather (probably fake leather if she were being completely honest) heels clicking against the marble floor and echoing against the walls made of the same cold stone, her confidence remained strong. After arriving at the elevator she allowed herself to let go of her purse long enough to push down on the up button, it lighting up bright orange after making a click sound.

Standing there waiting for the elevator gave her the opportunity to take the building she had been in for more than ten minutes. She noticed the assumed carved ceiling and almost felt her eyes roll. It was an office building, not a house where you had time to appreciate such details. The elevator dinged getting her attention, and the elevators slowly inched apart, screeching each time the wheels spun. Stepping into the elevator proved to be a challenge, but a businessman who seemed to not have time for her to stand there staring at the handrail forced her to hurry inside, mumbling an apology of sorts under her breath once standing a good distance away from him. "What floor?"

"Fortieth." The man pressed the button for her floor, her ocean blue eyes found a nice pattern in the marble to stare at on the ride. Thankfully the man was in too big of hurry to say goodbye, but she didn't mind.

It took another minute or so to make it to her floor, but once she was there she hurried towards the room she was told to meet him in. To her fear, when she pushed on the door it wouldn't budge... So naturally she lightly knocked resulting in the door opening rather abruptly causing her to jump. "Are you here for the interview?"

"Y-yes. I'm-"

"Come in." The rather overpowering man stepped to the side allowing her to come in, which she gladly did since it felt like someone was staring at her. "You will have ten minutes and in those ten minuets you will convince me to hire you." He motioned at a black leather chair in front of his desk for her to sit on, and she accepted in hopes of not being rude.

"Thank you." She set her purse in her lap, her thumb nail pressing into the leather for comfort. "My name is Christine Daae, I graduated with a four point o GPA, I have a major in graphic design and a minor in business and economics. Here is my portfolio, I've done work for several small business here in the city and they've been more than pleased with my work." The man, who she now was able to see wearing a mask, took the leather binder from her and flipped it open. Not wanting to stare she looked at the lamp on his desk. "I was in several clubs throughout highschool and college-"

"What do those have to do with this job?" Her eyes shot up to his face and she tried looking anywhere but his mask, and thankfully he didn't look up from her portfolio till she had settled on his eyes... His eyes... She was momentarily stunned at the color of them. They were a blue that put cartoon princes to shame.

"I- I'm not sure. Nothing I guess."

"Then do not waste your time talking about the debate team." He shut the book and set it down on his desk, and she tried figuring out what to say. "Tell me about your family life." That even stunned the man if he was being completely honest. He never assisted interviewee's with what to talk about. Something about her dear eyed face that made him want to see her do good.

"Why?" Christine knew that definitely had nothing to do with the job!

"Stability. I need to know there's a slim chance that you will bring your family problems here. This is a professional company and I don't expect any chit chat around the water cooler about how your dog ate a bird the other day."

He had a somewhat understandable reason... "My parents are dead and I don't have any siblings. I'm engaged to a lawyer that I met in highschool and we only have a fish named Dolphin... So I guess I have no drama in the aspect of family and my relationship is stable."

"My condolences." Christine gave him a nod as she noted some change in his mood. "Out of genuine curiosity, where is your ring?" Christine looked down at her fingers and felt her cheeks gain a rosey hue.

"I didn't think wearing it would be professional." She scolded herself since it sounded stupid out loud and with the amusement he he had on half his face she knew it was.

"Christine my dear girl, being engaged does not affect your work. I mean it could, but wearing the ring? If you get the job feel free to wear it since despite the rumors happiness is allowed in this company. Just no phone calls to them while you're working." During all that he had moved to behind his chair, and he set his hands on the back, giving her a chance to notice his wedding band.

"Is it appropriate to offer my congratulations?"

"Oh this old thing..." He glanced down at the ring. "Going on ten years but I guess it's never too late." Christine then wondered how hold he was. Did he have kids? Condo, apartment or house? Minivan or muscle car? He didn't look horribly old... Muscle car. "We got married when we were twenty." Several of her questions were put to rest, but the children one was still up in the air since he lacked any family photos... His entire room lacked photos and a mirror. What CEO didn't have a mirror in their office?

"Do you have any children? I love children... I wouldn't mind for a couple of my own but that'll probably never happen." She smiled and looked down at her purse. "Sorry too personal. Anyway... I'm excellent in working in groups, excel in working solo and always enjoy a challenge."

"Let me guess, you are a pro at multitasking and handle stressful situations well?" That caused her blush to return and she wished she hasn't put her hair in a bun so she could better hide with it.

Continuing past the parts of her application that she had written down, she resumed her facade of having confidence with good posture and eye contact. "I speak five different languages. Latin, French, German, Swedish and Spanish. I am effect with most computer programs and I only wish to do my best. I will be honest, there will be mistakes but I will be eager to correct them. I live off others people's opinions when it comes to my designing, however I always know when it's right. I'm not perfect, nor am I a genius, but I feel that I'm fully capable of doing this job and more... I just need you to give me the chance."

The room was silent, to her it made her want to scream, for him it made it easier for him to figure out why he didn't kick her out for being so straightforward when the last person who did that left empty handed. "I'll tell you what." Christine let out a heavy sigh of relief as he came back around his desk before leaning against it, his legs seeming longer than before. "I'll call you within a week if you get the job. I like what I see, you're honest and you admit you're not perfect which I appreciate." He picked the blondes way too expensive leather binder up and handed it back to her, and for the first time in days he actually smiled when she meekly took it from him and practically squeaked a thank you to him. "Thank you for your time, Miss Daae." Realizing the interview was over she stood up almost too fast and accepted his hand for a handshake.

"Of course, thank you as well. I'm sure you're a busy man, and taking your time to interview someone as small as me is quite nice of you."

"Well a ship needs all members to function, a business isn't any different. If I want to be successful I have to remember that even the plumber who fixes the toilet every once and a while keeps this company running smoothly."

He noted how when she was embarrassed or shy she would rock on her feet. "Of course. Well thank you again, and I'll be eagerly awaiting your call." Christine kicked herself for being so desperate but she needed the job and money, and boy did this one pay well.

"Have a good day." She hurried out, and after hearing the click of the door she let out another sigh, unknowingly at the same time he did. He was bad with people. Not upfront. He knew how to socialize and act, but they made him anxious. He never once cared if someone liked him, but with her? He had a feeling giving her the job would be a very... very bad idea, and of course he was considering it. He wanted to see her again... at the very least he could call her back to a second interview. The final hurdle so to speak just to get rid of the whatever it was he was feeling for her. Intrigued was definitely- no! What was he doing? He was married for fucks sake he shouldn't be so interested in someone else... but then again a conversation isn't cheating and Maley cannot control who he talks to. Then of course after the inner conflict he realized that all of it was based on the idea that she would want to speak to him again. He noticed the cross eyed attempting to look him in the eyes and not at the mask thing, most people who he interviewed had done the same thing, but with her it didn't bug him... God was wrong with him? He needed to talk to Maley and just forget the long legged blonde hair beauty... and that ass... He shook his head and quickly reached for his phone since he had at least ten minutes before the next applicant.

. x .

"So how was the interview?"

"Oh my God, Raoul you have no idea! He was so intimidating and I practically begged him for the job! Needless to say," Christine sighed while looking down her bottle of beer, "I have to keep looking."

"Well you never know it was probably better than you think."

While continuing the conversation she shifted so her feet were tucked under her butt. "No I was like I can do this and I'm not perfect but I'm willing to learn, just give me a chance to prove it!" She stopped waving her beer around when she nearly hit herself in the head with it. Dangerous things, beer bottles. Her shoulders hunching forward with defeat her forehead found a somewhat comfortable spot on her knee. "Maybe I should just be a stripper."

"You think so?" She nodded, and after her fiancé started rubbing her back she turned her head and looked at him. "You do look good with glitter on." Despite her bad mood she couldn't help but smile at his comment, Raoul always knowing how to cheer her up.

"I was a cheerleader in high school so I'm flexible and I'm strong so like it's a viable option that I am now from this point forward taking into consideration."

"Well thank you for letting me know that you're considering becoming a stripper. That's very kind of you."

"Oh you know me," Christine stood up and picked the shorts out of her butt rather unattractively as she moved into the kitchen to find something to snack on. "I make Saint Jude look like a sinner." She opened the fridge and began her hunt for snack food.

"Speaking of that." Her heart jumped when she felt his arms wrap around her, and she melted into his arms as Raoul kissed her neck. "Maybe I can make you forget about that bad interview?" The promise Christine had made to her mom popped into mind giving her the will power to move out of his hold.

"You know I want to wait till we get married."

"Why? Because you think God is going to be mad at you? Christine-" she pulled an apple out of the fruit drawer as Raoul continued on. "He doesn't care. He likes love and happiness and all of that, so why would you think he thinks otherwise?"

"This isn't about God and you know that." She shut the door and took a bite out of the orange and red apple, the name of it being a mystery. "I promised my mom I'd wait for marriage for her sake and I'm so close to keeping that promise, can't we just wait till April? We're six months away and then I'll happily have sex with you but for now I can't break the last promise I have with my mom." She stopped walking when she was at the framed picture of her mother and herself at Central Park for her fifteenth birthday, the day still fresh in her memory. "Please respect that." She took another bite of the apple then sat down on the couch.

"You're right and I'm sorry." She heard his somewhat lazy footsteps dragging across the wood floor as he made his way back to the couch. "I shouldn't of suggested it." She moved up on the cushion when he sat down causing her to go up, and he found a comfortable spot around her shoulders. "I love you, baby." With a kiss to her temple, he prepared for the next six months of torture that was worth it if it meant spending his life with her.

. x .

"So your call was a pleasant surprise for me today. Usually when you're at work the last thing you want to do is chat with me."

"Well what can I say? I missed you too much to wait till tonight." Erik kissed her brunette haired head on his way to the pantry so he could get the new jar of dill pickles out. "So I was thinking..." He stepped out of the pantry and his wife eyed him suspiciously. Him vocalizing that he had been thinking was never a good thing. "Maybe we could revisit the idea of having kids?" He wasn't too surprised when she set the cheese knife down and turned so she was fully facing him.

"You know I don't want kids. We talked about this before we got married and you said you were fine with that."

"Yeah I am... I just thought that maybe the ten years and maturing a bit changed your mind." She smiled sympathetically and he noticed how the corner of her eyes crinkled up like they did when she was forcing a smile. So, like a scolded puppy he left the kitchen with his tail between his legs. It wasn't often that he was disappointed, and he didn't mind it, but he noticed more and more whenever he was it was because of Maley. Children had long ago been pushed to the back of his mind, but Miss Daae pulled them back up front, and something he was alright with ten years ago was slowly starting to bug him present day. Children, he understood were not for everyone and sometimes even he didn't want them, but he was nearing the end of his prime years and sooner or later wouldn't be able to have kids. He wanted to leave something behind on this Earth, not just a company but something more, and that more was kids, but he of course had no plans to push the subject with her again. If after ten years she was still against the idea of children that was one thing she wasn't going to change her mind on.

Which explained why he worked so much. The more time he spent with her as he got older the more he questioned whether marrying her was a good decision which led to thinking about how he felt about her which lead to looking up a divorce lawyer then he remembered he'd never find someone else who tolerated his ugly ass. Then he gave up and learned how to tolerate her inability to grow up and realize there's more than vacationing and partying once again. He made his bed and now he got to lay in it... Rather unhappily.