A/N: Welcome to my sequel; old friends and new readers! I hope that I do you proud of this story, which is set in Love Never Dies, ten years after the events of my first fic. Gene will now be a major character and almost every chapter excluding this one will flip back and forth from Annika's point of view and his point of view.

Also, I must ask that you forgive my confusing writing style. In the first story, Annika reads the book when the fic is based on the movie and the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. In this story, Annika will be attending the London production of Love Never Dies, but it will follow the structure of the Australian production. I am very sorry.

I think I've wasted enough time with my rambling, so you may proceed to read!

Less Than a Nightmare

Chapter One: Without My Angel

Hello again. You've heard the first part of my rather odd story, but I am afraid that it is far from over. It seems as though you wish to join me again, yes? I was hoping you would say so. But this time, things are a little bit different, for I am joined by my friend, Gene. He had a part to play in this story as well, and I think it's time that he was given the spotlight.

Through Annika's Eyes

"Waffles or pancakes, Annie?" Gene asked me as I stumbled out of bed and into the kitchen. We had been living together for ten years and, wait, I probably just confused you.

I really should've started off with 'Our story actually takes place ten years after I last documented it'; because it does. My apologies.

The hospital released both myself and Gene on the day we turned eighteen. I'm pretty sure that by that time, we were no longer considered their problem as we were technically legal adults and so; we were set free to make our way in the world.

This was a lot easier for Gene to do, as I really hadn't even finished the first grade before I was carted off to the loony bin and while the hospital offered courses for me to take; Sycamore coming out made it hard for me to think and keep focused on my studies. Sycamore never came back after that day in Erik's lair, and I didn't miss her at all. Symmetry stayed however, and she soon wormed her way into my little group of mental friends.

It became apparent to me when I was seventeen that Gene really didn't believe my story of my time spent with Erik, and he only said he believed me to calm me down. Despite this, he still loved me like a sister, and I loved him like a brother. One thing I didn't like about him was his tempter though. It really was explosive, and it almost got me hurt a few times, but finding out his anger triggers just like I did with Erik was helpful.

Apparently; Gene's girlfriend Patty had dumped him for some other guy, and even mentioning her name was enough to have him breaking furniture. I guessed that was why he was asexual.

But despite all of his flaws, both mental and personality-wise, Gene was incredibly smart, making it fairly easy for him to get a decent job as an account without applying to college. The fact that it was 2004 when he got the job helped quite a bit too, as I watched the years roll by and the economy get worse and worse.

Me? I stayed home. The both of us mutually agreed that we would take care of each other, no matter what, as we were the only friends each of us had and our first spontaneous act as legal adults without any restraints was to get the Hell away from where I spent most of my life. A cute little apartment stationed only three blocks away from the Adelphi theater in London seemed to be just far enough, and for the moment, it seemed like we might just have a chance at a relatively normal life. While Gene was the bread winner, with him having a job and all, I played homemaker.

Degrading, you ask? Yes, of course it was!

Beneath me? Not really, I did know how to clean.

Boring? Please, that was the least of my worries.

I found that while Gene's friendship dulled the ache of losing Erik; I was slowly losing my marbles by not having him with me. I'd come home from grocery shopping and see him standing by the window out of the corner of my eye. I'd get so hyped up and that familiar flash of hope that we all get when we think we've found what we're looking for would surge in my chest as I'd turn to get a good look at him and find him gone. At night, when I was alone in my room, I could hear his voice singing songs in my head; replaying constantly like one of those iPod's.

It was enough to drive me absolutely nuts and I became more than a little bit obsessed with finding a way back to him. I rented books from the library; books on magic that I could use to maybe transport myself to his dimension, but all that got me was an empty spice rack. Some nights I'd just stay up until the sun rose; reading my copy of The Phantom of the Opera, hoping against hope that I would perhaps wake up and see Erik in fort of me like I did before.

I do believe that I was worrying poor Gene, because he became extremely anxious around me; especially when I brought home the Ouija Board. That was the day that he took me aside and told me to give it up, but in a much nicer way. I spent the night crying and when I woke up the next morning, Gene was in the kitchen, making breakfast, which he never did due to his chronic laziness. Which leads me back to my story.

"Waffles or pancakes, Annie?" He asked as I stumbled out of bed and into the kitchen. My eyes stung from when my mascara had gotten in after crying and all I could do mumble waffles and sink into a kitchen chair.

I put my head down in my hands and reminded myself to give thanks that at least it wasn't a hang over, although my head was killing me.

"Hey, Annie?" Gene asked, setting a plate of very mangled waffles down in front of me. I looked up to see him sitting down on the chair next to me and I sighed.

"What?"I asked halfheartedly as Gene moved a little closer to me and put an arm around my shoulder. I smiled at his efforts to cheer me up. Gene was always really good to me a treated me like a little sister; even if we both were twenty six.

"I'm sorry that I had to say that to you last night, but it's time to move on. Erik isn't real, Annie. I hate to say it to you but it's true." I nodded and sighed again. I wanted it to be true, I wanted to go back and find the man I loved' but I had been searching for ten years, and I was no more closer to finding him than I was when I started.

"I know." I replied, letting my eyes fall to the food in front of me. I have to admit that while Gene put up with my delusions, it was evenly matched by the way I put up with his cooking. It was bloody awful.

"And to make it up to you for it, I decided that I would keep my end of the deal." He said and I was, for a moment, confused.

"What are you talking about Genie?" I asked and he smiled like a maniac, reaching towards his wallet.

"I wasn't going to tell you, it was going to be a surprise, but I don't think it would hurt." By then I was a little bit annoyed.

"What the Hell are you on about?" I almost shouted and he put up his hands in a sign of surrender and produced two slips of paper from his wallet. I gasped when all the pieces finally clicked.

"Two tickets to see Love Never Dies tonight." He said with a grin and my mouth dropped open. I had wanted to see the sequel to Phantom for so very long, but money was a bit tight and random splurges like that were uncommon and often had negative repercussions. "I promised I'd take you to see a Phantomy musical, Annie. I don't break promises!" Gene defended when he saw the look on my face but I just smiled.

"I'll let this one slide, but for now, I have to go put on my face!" I smiled back at him and stood up, leaving my breakfast almost untouched as I went to go and make myself look halfway decent.

That night came much faster than I had expected and all too soon Gene was holding the door of our apartment open for me. He looked fantastic in his dark grey dress shirt and black pants. I didn't really bother; just a white dress and a touch of makeup. I was excited though; it was my first time being in a theater, and the fact that I would almost get to see Erik again was surreal.

I was actually nervous as we found our seats and the lights began to dim. I grabbed on to Gene's hand and squeezed it tight as the music started to play and the show was on.

In all honesty, I really enjoyed Love Never Dies, but after the show I could tell that I was pissing off Gene by all of my comments on it. Even though he had already given me Hell about my delusions, I still found it in my heart to hope that it was real, but my comparisons seemed to tick him off.

"That guy; Ramin Karimloo was really fabulous, but he can't hold a candle to the real Erik's voice. Oh God, now that's true beauty. And can you believe Meg? She would never do that! That's just weird!" I chattered away as Gene led me down a back street that took us straight to our little flat.

Nobody stared at me as I rambled on, mainly due to the fact that it was London and they were all way too busy. But despite that, Gene still had to go and blow it all out of proportion as both of us had been drinking a little, and we both knew we weren't driving, but it seemed as though Gene had enough to make him abnormally angry.

"Geez Annika!" He exclaimed, earning a lot more stares than I got. "Could you just stop for a bit! He is not real!" I was stung my how he spoke to me, but I knew he was right; I had to let go.

"Okay, I'll stop." I replied and Gene smiled smugly, as though he was pleased. He did have much time to bask in his triumph as when we passed the intersection right across from our flat, a black car swerved out of nowhere.

I was frozen in fear as it came speeding towards us, going way too fat and giving us no time to get out of the way. I felt nothing as the car made impact with myself and Gene, sending us both flying into the air.

We never hit the pavement.