Hello...this is my very first phanphic ever..so please be gentle...and helpful comments, criticism, suggestions will be greatly appriciated..also a special thanks to my editor. disclaimer: I do not own any POTO charecters...that privlage belongs to kay, gaston and webber...I only own a few random idividuals, and valcan...well...hope you enjoy..J.A.

Trust Me

October 21st 1880

Dear Journal,

The war has finally ended, and I am expecting father home any day now. I am overjoyed to see him again, the estate has been quite lonely since he left. Oh, Lord! How I have missed my dear father... I have prayed to the Lord above that he

will come home safely! See, father serves under the great Lord Desslar.

He is a powerful figure and many fear him. Well, I fear that I

grow weary and must be off to bed.

Yours sincerely,

Christine Daae

As Christine closed her journal she let out a soft sigh. Wordlessly, she placed her journal upon her bedside table and climbed into bed. She stared out of her bedroom window. The rain pattered down endlessly, leaving wet streaks on the window. Christine slowly drifted off to sleep and dreamed about her father coming home and telling her all the stories of his travels. The sound of clattering hooves on the wet stone path woke Christine suddenly. She ran to the window and saw her fathers whole company outside in the courtyard. She threw on a thick ivory robe and ran down the stairs to the large foyer. Just as she reached the bottom stair A man about average height walked in.

"Papa!" Christine yelled with joy.

"Oh, my dear Christine! I am happy to be home again!" Gustave replied.

"Oh, Papa, how much I have missed our evenings of stories...and, Oh! I just missed you so much!"

and with that she ran down the last steps and hugged her father. Once they released Christine looked fully upon her fathers face. His brown hair fell in strands around his face, each strand dripping water for the downpour outside. His kind face looked down at her, and his deep chestnut eyes held a warmth that only a father could ensue. He was covered in dirty silver armor, mud and road grime covered the once shiny metal.

"Oh, my dear Christine, I have many stories to tell, but first I have to go tend to my steed." Gustave said as he turned to leave again.

Christine grabbed his arm, "No Papa! I will do it. Just let me go change." Her father smiled and nodded.

Minutes later Christine was finished changing. In a deep red velvet dress, she dawned her cloak and rushed outside. Christine then realized that during the whole reunion the men had stood in the courtyard, their hoods over their heads.

She walked up to a man with red brown hair,

"Sir why do you wait here? Do you need my father?" she asked confused.

"We are waiting for the lord Desslar to come and excuse us." the man replied.

"Oh my! He is coming here???"

"Yes mademoiselle, he is."

"Well, would you like to come into the barn until Lord Desslar comes? It is quite large and much warmer than out here!" she graciously invited them.

"That would be wonderful! Thank you." the man smiled. Christine grabbed her father's horses reigns and led him into the barn, followed by the men.

As they all took the tack off of their horses the same man came over to Christine,

"Hello my name is Joseph, Joseph Buquet. I am the lord's adviser."

"Nice to meet you, Joseph. I am Christine, Gustave's daughter." she replied with a smile.

"Ahhhh...so you are Christine! Gustave always talks about you. So much in fact that the lord Desslar would like to meet you personally."

Christine was very surprised and asked unsure,

"Me?Really?"

"Yes," Joseph went to reply but was interrupted by the arrival of two men walking up to the stall.

"Keeping the pretty lady to yourself Joseph?" the taller of the two men asked jokingly.

"I am Firmin," the tall black haired man continued, "and this is my friend Andre." He then pointed to the man next to him who had a bit of a mousy look about him. They both appeared to be around the age of 40 years.

"Hello, I am Christine..." and before she knew it she was introduced to every one in the company.

"Well, it has been wonderful getting to know you all, but I must leave." she said now very tired and sleepy.

"Goodbye mademoiselle Daae!" all of them replied at the same time. She left the barn and went into the house. She walked silently to her room and climbed into her bed. As she drifted to sleep she did not notice the shadow flying silently into the courtyard.