Okay, I'll admit that some of the stuff that I've been putting out hasn't been the best, but I'm trying to get all the crap out and the only way I can do that is if I show it to you guys. I know it's weird, but just bear with me, okay? I have a story that I have to write by Thursday for my writing club and all I've been able to write is fanfiction and we don't allow fanfiction. Which I find odd, but I wasn't the one who made up the rules; I just helped make it. So, I just want to get all my Phantom or Twilight urges out before Thursday and hopefully I can write something! I love you guys and I think fanfiction is the greatest! I just need to write something else and I'll get back to you all later!

Home Is Where I Belong

Erik sat in his attic bedroom, tears rolling out of his eyes as he thought of his latest fight with his mother. Get away from me, you little monster! I swear, Erik, one day... He could still feel the sting from her harsh slap, the dull ache that radiated off his back from when he crashed into the mirror. Now look at what you've done! Get out of my sight, Erik! Get out!

"Why, Mother? Why is it so hard for you to love me?" he whispered sadly to himself. He was only seven years old and he had been denied her love all seven years. Just because he wasn't normal like her or Marie didn't mean that she couldn't love him. She often called him a monster, devil, freak...rarely did she ever call him by his actually name, but, when she did, she was usually angry at him. "I've always been a good boy, Mother. Why won't you love me?"

Getting up from his stiff, hard bed, Erik walked over to the window that overlooked the drive to their small house; a house he had never seen the outside of. Many people would have found this odd, but to Erik had never been allowed outside, let alone out of his room. The only time he was allowed out was during his lessons and at breakfast and supper.

Looking out, he saw something peculiar; it was a young woman, she looked a few years younger than his mother, and she held a bundle in her thin arms. Who would be wondering around with a baby at this hour? Erik thought, looking at his small clock that read 10:00 PM. He had heard from Marie that it was dangerous for women to be out late at night without a chaperone. Grabbing his cloth mask, Erik quickly put it on and tip-toed down the stairs, knowing that his mother was already fast asleep.

He was a few steps away from the door when he heard a soft and hesitant knock on the oak door and Erik rushed to answer it before his mother heard it too and woke up; he would probably be punished if she found him so near the door this late at night. Opening it, Erik gasped at what he found; the woman he had seen from the window was beautiful! Even more beautiful than his mother! She had blonde curls that cascaded down her back, soft, sapphire eyes, fair skin, and lips that could have been mistaken for rose petals.

"Young man, is your mother awake?" she asked breathlessly, "I need a place for me and my baby to rest."

"I'm sorry, Madame, but my mother," he spat as if the word itself tasted bitterly on his tongue, "has already gone to bed."

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't know! I saw a light on in the attic and I...I only assumed-"

"It's alright, Madame. Please, come inside and I'll go fetch my...mother." Erik gestured into the house, inviting the young woman in. He heard the baby coo as it shifted within it's mother's arms and Erik smiled; it's sound was so sweet and pure that it could only belong to an infant. Leading the woman into the sitting room, he stood as she settled down into the rocking chair that sat by his piano. "If you don't mind me asking, Madame, how old is your baby?"

The woman's face broke into a sweet smile, "She was born five months ago; she was a whole month early!"

Erik's eyes widened at this; he had never heard of a baby being born that early! Surely that would cause some problems for the poor child. "What is her name?"

"Christine." the woman smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead softly, which caused the child to giggle in response. "Shh, darling, we don't want to wake up this kind boy's mother." she laughed as Christine grunted, as if to tell her that she didn't care.

"May I see what she looks like?" Erik asked as he watched the woman stroke the girl's face lovingly. Looking up from her Christine, she pulled back the blanket that was on the covering the child's face. Leaning over, his face fell at how precious she was; she had brownish-blonde hair, chubby cheeks, a petite nose, and chocolate brown eyes that had an odd violet ring.

"Why does her eyes have that violet ring in them?"

"I don't know. Her grandmother's eyes were violet so maybe that's where she got it." the woman sighed wistfully, as if she were remembering something that she would rather not remember. Before Erik could ask any more questions, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. His whole body froze and he temporarily forgot about the woman and child sitting across from where he was standing. Turning around, he felt a hand connect with his cheek, causing the mask to fly off and land on the other side of the room.

"Why the hell are you awake? I thought I told you to go to your room and to stay there until I told you that you could come back down!" Madeline said in a harsh whisper, her dark eyes looking straight into her son's frightened golden eyes. Hearing an appalled gasp, she removed her eyes to the young woman sitting right in front of her; her sapphire eyes held horror and disgust that Madeline assumed was from her seeing Erik's face. "Pick up your mask and go back to your room." she ordered.

Erik stood there, stunned that he had been slapped twice in the same night. Turning back around, he felt tears falling down his cheeks as the woman he had been talking to looked upon his face with disgust. "I'm sorry..." he whimpered, grabbed his mask, and ran to his bedroom, ashamed and saddened that such a beautiful woman had to look upon his face.

"Young man, wait!" the woman called, gently setting her daughter onto the sofa, glaring at Madeline as she ran past her and up the stairs. What room could possibly be his? Walking over to the door on the right, she tentatively knocked on the door and she heard sniffling coming from the other side.

"Young man," she began softly,

"Erik," he said, his quiet voice muffled from the door.

"Erik, that's a nice name."

"Now tell me yours."

"My name is Eva. Eva Daae. Erik, can you open the door? I want to talk to you." Eva asked, making sure her voice was kind and gentle. Hearing feet coming down a flight of stairs, she smiled warmly as the boy opened the door to his room. He stood there with his shirt, revealing the numerous scars that littered his chest. Tears formed in Eva's eyes as she pulled Erik into a tight embrace, her hands feeling how thin he was and the scars that covered his back. "Erik, do you want to come with me?"

Erik stood perfectly still, afraid that if he moved the dream he was in would shatter. "You....You want me? N-Nobody has...has ever wanted...me." he whimpered and buried his face into Eva's bodice. He felt one of her hands run through his thick black hair and the other rub comfortingly up and down his back.

"Well, I want you to come with me. I'll talk with your mother and I must send a letter to my husband to get the guest room ready." she whispered soothingly; Eva could already tell that her husband was going to love Erik.

"Are you sure, Madame? I don't want to impose..." Erik pulled back from the embrace, staring up at Eva's face. He was scared. He was scared that once they reached her house, she would regret bringing a monster with her. And what about her husband? What if he treated him just as horribly as his mother?

"Don't be silly! You won't be any trouble at all. Now, go pack your things and I'll meet you downstairs, alright?" Eva smiled again, pulling off Erik's mask without even thinking. The deformity covered all of the boy's face; he was missing his nose, tight skin that stretched over his high cheekbones, his cheeks were hollow, and you could see the little veins pulsating underneath the thin layer of flesh.

Erik was paralyzed as he let Eva examine his face. She's seen my face...she'll never want to take me now! Why didn't I stop her? "Erik, look at me." the same woman who was plaguing his thoughts was speaking to him. Numbly, Erik lifted his golden, tear filled eyes and searched her face for the horror and disgust that usually filled his mother's face, but...he couldn't find it. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find it.

"Do you know what I see? I see a young boy who wants nothing but a kind, loving mother. If you come with me, Erik, I promise you won't have to hide. I promise that you can go outside and play with Christine and I promise that you won't have to wear a mask, unless you absolutely want to."

Hearing this, Erik wrapped his arms around Eva's waist and cried. He felt loved...he had never felt loved before. It felt nice...he didn't feel so alone. "I-I want...want to come...w-with you." he sobbed, hoping that she understood what he was trying to say.

"Good. I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?" Eva smiled as she watched Erik run up the stairs that must have led to his actual bedroom. Turning on her heel, Eva walked determinedly down the narrow stairs and into the sitting room, where she found her whimpering Christine being held in the arms of Erik's mother.

"Ahem, Madame. I would like to have my child back, if you don't mind." she asked, but, with the tone she used, it sounded like a command. Madeline stood up and reluctantly handed over the beautiful baby. Why couldn't I have given birth to a child like that? Why is it that this young girl get's a precious child while I get a monster?

"Merci, Madame. Now, I wish to talk to you about something." Eva began, not entirely sure how she was going to ask this woman for her child or what her reaction would be, but, recalling her earlier behavior, she could tell that this was going to be easy.

"And what would that be, Madame..."

"Daae. Eva Daae."

"Madame Daae. Tell me now so that I can go to bed." Madeline groaned, rubbing her temples with her dainty hands, her straight brown hair falling in her face.

"I wanted to ask you if Erik can come live with me." Eva said in a rush, praying that she didn't raise Erik's hopes for nothing. The boy would truly be crushed if he found out he couldn't come with her after all.

"You want to take Erik from me?" Madeline asked, raw anger coursing through her veins, "Why do you want to take him away from me?"

"I've seen the way you treat him, Madame. I've seen the scars, the bruises, and the emotional pain that you cause that child. All he wants is a mother's love and all you've shown him is that you hate him with your whole being. He wants to come with me, Madame, and I will not stop him."

"You think I'm a bad mother! Well, let me tell you something, Madame Daae! That boy there has been shown love; he's just too wild to realize it! He is a horrid child who will bring you nothing but heartache and a fairly good reason to attempt suicide!"

"How can you say that about your own son? He's a kind boy! The reason why he rebels against you is because he feels as if you don't give a damn about what he does! He just wants to have a mother."

"He does have a mother! Me! I'm a good mother and I don't need someone like you, who he has only known for less than an hour, tell me that I'm a bad parent!" at this, Christine began to cry; her sensitive ears couldn't take all the shouting. Eva rocked her baby back and forth, trying to sooth her as best as she could with the situation going on in front of her.

"How come you slapped him? Why are there scars on his body? Why is he so thin? Have you ever even hugged him? Kissed him? Just because he was born with a deformity doesn't give you an excuse to not be a mother. I'm going to take Erik with me and if you clean up your act and want him back, I'll give you my address. But, I must tell you Madame, you've caused permanent damage to him emotionally; he'll never be a happy, carefree child. Au revior, Madame. I hope you have a good rest of the night." and with that, Eva walked calmly over to the door, where she found Erik. He looked at her with his glossy golden eyes and grasped her slender, pale hand.

"May I say something to my mother before I leave?" he asked timidly; he was still afraid of getting hit or a sentence to his bedroom for asking questions, but all Eva did was nod and smile at him.

"Just give me your bag; I'll be right here."

Erik simply walked forward to where his mother stood; she looked angelic in the moonlight, but he knew that the face was only a mask. Underneath her pale, perfect skin was a demon, one worse than him, and when it lashed out, it made the real angels quake. "Mother, I know that you've never loved me; I know that my face is the reason why you can't stand me, but, I just wanted to let you know, I've always loved you. I'm sorry if I wasn't the son you have always wanted, but I tried hard, I really did! Yet, you still refused to love me. Au revior, Mother; I hope you can finally be happy, now that the monster is leaving." Erik choked out and ran out the door, trying to hide his tears from his stunned mother.

Eva took one last look at the woman before her; she looked tired, angry, and...sad. She honestly looked sad about her only son leaving. For a second, Eva considered whether or not it was a good idea to take this woman's child away, but the image of her slapping Erik's frightened face, she shook her head and walked out the door.

^.^

"Erik, dear, wake up; we're here." Eva said softly, shaking his bony shoulder ever so gently. They had spent the past five days riding in a cramped carriage. Erik slowly opened his golden eyes and stared up into the sapphire ones he had grown to trust over the past few days. He was excited to hear that Eva lived in Nice, which was south of France and near the sea, but he still had his doubts: what if her husband didn't like him? What if Christine would grow to hate her adopted brother?

"Really? You're not joking this time?" he asked sleepily. The whole trip Eva had joked that they were in Nice, which caused Erik to cry or to worry even more.

"I'm not, I promise! Look out the window." Erik did just that and gasped at what he saw; it was a simple cottage that had ivy and roses crawling up the sides, a perfect drive and lawn, and a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean Sea.

"This is where you live?"

"Only in the spring and summer; we normally live in Sweden, that's where my husband and I are from."

"Seriously? You have two houses?" Erik asked, unable to contain his eagerness any longer. He had only heard that rich people could afford more than one home, and, from what Eva had told him on their journey, her husband wasn't exactly rich. "My parents are the ones who are rich; they hate Gustave because they believe he can't give me a good life, but they still give us money once a week."

Christine scrunched her tiny nose up at the noise. Who woke her up from her nap? Opening her eyes, she giggled as she saw the boy with the mask. She couldn't figure out why, but he seemed to be kind; her mother trusted him.

"Bonjour, little one! I thought you were never going to wake up." Eva laughed, pulling the arm of her dress down, covered her breast with a blanket, and let Christine eat. Erik always felt jealous during these mother-daughter moments; he never got that with his mother. She never fed him from her breast, never showed him an ounce of love while he was with her, but he couldn't think about that now.

Christine soon finished her meal and snuggled her pale face into her mother's chest, finding comfort in the familiar beat that she had heard in her warm home. She really is precious. Why do I feel jealous when I watch Eva feed Christine? Yes, Mother never did that for me, but I had accepted that long ago...

"Ready to see the inside of your new home?" Eva questioned eagerly. She had sent a letter to her husband the night that they had left and she had prayed that he had gotten it before they had arrived. Erik nodded his head enthusiastically and placed his mask on before opening the carriage door. It broke Eva's heart whenever Erik put his mask on; it was almost like another child was in his place. Christine didn't like it either. The first time he had worn it around her, the second day of their ride, she cried and refused to be held by him with the mask on. I think you'll be good for him, ma ange. I hope you two become good friends. She thought, stroking her daughter's brownish-blonde hair.

Getting out of the carriage, she found Erik standing at the front door, but he made no move to open it. She could she his thin body trembling, his shoulders jerking with hushed sobs. Walking over to him, Eva opened the door, gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, and led him into her home.

Erik wiped away his tears, but found that only new ones sprang into his eyes; the house was warm and welcoming. There wasn't much furniture, but what was there was of the highest quality. The walls were part stone, part wood with pictures of, what he presumed to be, Sweden. The floor was made out of oak and was covered with several soft rugs, probably for Christine, and a red, plush sofa and chair sat in front of the fireplace. "I never knew a home could feel...friendly. I always imagined that every house was like mine, but I guess I was wrong."

"Every house is different. I personally love this cottage because it reminds of the one I grew up in as a little girl, but I also love our home in Sweden because that was where I hold some of my most treasured memories with my family and I hope that I can create some memories there with you too, Erik. Now, follow me, I'll show you to your room and, with any luck, meet my husband."

Following Eva, Erik looked at the paintings that hung on the wall on the way to his bed; one was of Eva and Gustave on there wedding day, one of Eva round with child, and one of a child, around three or four, and she had a pretty smile with flowers surrounding her. "Who is that?"

"Oh, that one? That was me when I was a little girl. My gradpapa was an artist and he painted me one day while I was playing in the fields. Alright, here we are." Eva announced as she opened the door, "Sorry if it's kind of bare; I was hoping Gustave would be home so I could leave Christine with him and take you furniture shopping."

"No, it's fine. There's a lot more stuff in here than at...her house." he whispered darkly. It still hurt to think of his mother; she might have been a horrid person, but he still had a bond with her that Eva could never break, no matter how much Erik wanted her to. Stepping in, he smiled and sat on the bed; it was soft, not hard like his old one, there was a dresser, two end tables, an old chest at the foot of the bed, a small lamp, and a light blue rug that sat in the middle of the floor.

"Well, get comfortable and I'll get supper started. Oh, do you mind watching Christine? I normally have Gustave watch her while I cook, but, seeing as he's not here..."

"No problem." he smiled and took the squirming bundle from Eva's arms. "Bonjour, Christine. I'm your new brother."

Christine looked up at the mysterious golden eyes that she loved; they were the same color as the chain her mother wore around her neck. Grasping his thin finger, she yawned and nuzzled her face into the bony chest of her brother, sighing softly before she fell asleep.

I know I write a lot about Erik and Christine as children, but it's my knack. I love writing this kind of stuff! And you better expect a lot more of it because the next few chapters are going to be just about Erik and Christine growing up. Well, off that topic, review! There probably won't be any mention of the Opera House, but Madame Giry will be there, Meg, Nadir, and...Raoul. I'll make him nice, not evil like in Memories. They're all going to be friends and grow up with each other! So...that's about it! If you review, Erik will give you a hug and a cookie!

^.^