A/N: thanks for reading! This chapter is just a small introduction so the next ones will be longer.

A dust-coating, leather-bound book had lain on the desk in a state of complete abandonment for the majority of the previous three months. This would be the first time it would've been opened since then. There was a quiet squeak emitted from the old book from being left alone for so long upon opening it to the first page. One had to be careful whilst opening it to prevent any loose documents from spilling out. And there was the first document- a brief letter written in a childish cursive scrawl in cheap ink.

- - - Several years ago - - -

The naïve brunette girl, who had been crying before a candle only but a month ago, left a folded note on the windowsill of the opera's chapel. As soon as she scampered off, her angel appeared in the room to secretly pick it up for further investigation. They had begun their vocal lessons about three weeks prior in this very room, him hiding in the walls and listening to her young voice following the accompanying sound of his violin playing. As this girl was still quite young, her teacher granted her weekends to rest her voice, which was why he was so surprised to see her visit their room for lessons on a Saturday night to leave him a note.

Erik concealed himself back in the wall, feeling anxious to read what his budding student had written to him. He seated himself in a comfortable chair and read her writing with a surprising ease, granted that she didn't attend a formal school nor had time to develop her handwriting. The small note read:

Hello Angel,
Please thank my father in heaven for sending you to take care of me and fulfilling his promise to me. Tell Papa that I miss him. As for you, I enjoy our lessons together, even though I can never see you when you're teaching me since you're an angel. I know that Christmas isn't on one of my rest days, but the girls in the ballet (including me) will be gone for the whole day. I'm sorry Angel, I shall come next Saturday to make up for it.
Thank you,
Christine

Ah, so he found out his dear student's name was Christine. Her surname wasn't a mystery, as it was posted underneath a picture of her deceased father in the chapel: Daae. This simple note was kept in a locked desk drawer in Erik's music room, to be later viewed when Christine's teacher felt the need to amuse himself with something other than music, sketches, cast hauntings, the Daroga's unannounced visits, and affairs of the Opera Populaire.

He remembered then to collect his salary from Box 5 and sneak out before all of the Parisian shops closed. Even though he wasn't a man known for his compassion and care for others, he wasn't completely heartless. His Christine was left alone without family, something Erik knew quite a bit about, and would only have the bratty ballerinas-in-training to celebrate such a large holiday. Normally, this "angel" would've requested his Persian friend to do any shopping for him but this case was quite different. The Daroga would've immediately inquired about this poor young girl and her involvement with him then discouraged any further contact. There was something curious about this Christine that wouldn't let her slip from his mind so easily.

So the day after Christmas, Erik's singing pupil crept down to the familiar chapel and noticed a small, elegantly-wrapped box sitting atop the windowsill where she had left a note for her angel only days before. Christine quickly read the tag, inquisitive to find out who had left this and what was inside. The tag instructed that part of her gift would be to still have her day off, even though she missed her last lesson, and it wished her a Joyeux Noel from her angel. Once the box itself was opened by her eager fingers, Christine's clear blue eyes widened open seeing a beautiful silver brooch in the shape of a rose along with a new pair of pale blue gloves.

"If you can hear me, Angel, thank you ever so much." She said, glancing all around the room as if looking for someone to appear.

Though the girl didn't see anyone, her angel did hear her...and he saw her wonderous expression when seeing the gift. Erik felt the ends of his mouth twitch upwards in a small smile, feeling good about what he did for his orphaned student. Maybe there would be a chance that he would tell the Daroga of this occasion...