I'm SUPER-excited about this story... I think you'll be surprised by some aspects of it, but I hope it's enjoyable. Review, please! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera. I wish I owned Erik, but if I did, I wouldn't be writing this story.

Chapter One: Attention

"The summers die, one by one! How soon they fly on and on!"

Christine Daaë winced. Although her father was on the second level of the house, she could still hear his powerful voice. Her fingers left the piano keys as her heart ached in a way that she instantly recognized. Wistfully, she sang along softly, never noticing when the duet became a solo. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her.

"You're flat."

She jumped. "I… I'm sorry," she apologized quietly.

Her father nodded. "I have a music lesson with Carlotta, so I'm about to leave." Carlotta was Mr. Daaë's most promising student. "I have to grab some groceries afterwards, so I'll be gone for a few hours. Okay?"

What could she possibly say? Like her father would really stay home if she said that she didn't want him to leave. So, she gave him the only answer that was logical.

"Okay, see you later." With that, he was gone.

She sighed. Silence seemed to be her constant and unwelcome companion. For an insecure nineteen-year-old, solitude can be a terrifying thing, and Christine was no exception. Silence was the only thing that consistently gave her attention since her father didn't seem to care if she was present.

Christine bit her lower lip, struggling to fight back angry tears. It was just so unfair! Of all the voices her father had trained, he never paid any kind of special attention to the voice of his own daughter. Yes, he had taught her how to sing, but only because it would be a bad reflection of his teaching abilities to have a tone-deaf daughter. He never requested her to sing for the sheer pleasure of hearing her voice. Though she didn't believe it, she had a talent for music and a pure voice; however, she was too intimidated to sing around her father anymore. While she sang at work and was told she had a lovely voice, her father didn't seem to agree, and his opinion mattered most to her. She crazed what she feared she could never have: the attention of her father.

Her biggest fear was disappointing him. She loved him almost to the point of idolization. She wanted to please him in all things, but she couldn't. It broke her heart whenever he said that he loved another woman's voice because he never said that he loved her voice. Yet, she believed that his voice was the most beautiful sound on earth. He probably didn't understand how much she yearned for his approval, how much she needed to hear him say that he was proud of her, just once.

If only he knew…

o0o

He was staring at her again.

She kept her eyes on her paper, but her face turned bright red and her heart thudded faster… and not in a pleasant way. Those eyes burned into her and it took all of her willpower not to run out of the room. She carefully arranged her long hair to shield her from his gaze and attempted to concentrate on the list of Spanish words in front of her.

Dr. Buquet was a short, round man with greasy black hair. He had tiny, dark eyes and a fairly monotone voice, which meant that he was extremely boring as a teacher. None of his students liked him, and a few, including Christine, were afraid of him. She would have changed to another class if she only could, but a year of a foreign language was required at her college, and unfortunately, Spanish was the class that could be fit in around her music classes. So, she was forced to endure the teacher's lusty and unashamed stares class after torturous class.

Christine raised her eyes quickly in order to take notes from the whiteboard, and they met Buquet's eyes again. The coldness she saw there terrified her, and she shuddered. He started to move towards her like a snake slithers to its prey. Just before he reached her, the bell rang. He turned his head, and in that instant, she grabbed her textbook and all but ran out of the room.

She didn't stop until she was safely at her rented locker in the hallway. As she fumbled with her combination, the banging of a locker next to hers made her jump, and she almost screamed until she realized it was her best friend, Meagan Giry.

"Geez, what's your problem?" her friend asked, taken aback by Christine's jumpy behavior.

Christine took a deep breath. "Sorry, Meg. I was just literally saved by the bell."

Meg gave her a sympathetic look. "Was Dr. Buquet giving you a hard time again?"

"You could say that." Christine managed to successfully open her locker. "I never want to set foot in his classroom again."

"Why don't you talk to your dad or the board about him?"

"That's the thing!" Christine exclaimed angrily, slamming her locker shut. "He hasn't actually done anything. He's just a creepy guy who stares at me!" She rubbed her temples with her fingertips. "Besides, you know better than anyone that Dad will just think I'm being ridiculous."

"Well, at least you only have to take Spanish for another few months. Then, you'll never have to be near Dr. Buquet again," Meg said in a consoling tone.

"Thanks." However, May seemed ages away for Christine.

"Do you want to make a Starbucks run?" Meg asked in an attempt to cheer up her friend.

Christine shook her head. "I have to go straight to work."

"Oh. I guess I'll see you later, then. Let me know if you want to study for our western civ test after work." Meg gave her a quick hug and the two friends went their separate ways.

I really need to rethink my life, Christine thought to herself as she started her car. Although she was only nineteen, she already felt a sense of hopelessness about her life. To an unsuspecting acquaintance, she supposed she looked like everything was going well for her. Her father was successful, she made good grades, and she had a good job at a high prestige restaurant. Yet, she had no idea where her life was headed.

In reality, Christine was lost.

o0o

"As you can see, gentlemen, we have much to gain by sponsoring such a large corporation," one of the men finished.

The man who was most hidden in the shadows smirked ever so slightly. The men with whom he dined played at being upstanding citizens, but he knew better. They were thieves, traitors, and murderers dressed in business suits. While he worked with them and attended their meetings, he despised each and every one of them.

"Brava, Buquet," he said with a sneer. "Becoming respectable, are we?" He enjoyed the sight of an angry flush on the man's face. Joseph Buquet was the most despicable of the group present. His cover job was a Spanish professor at one of the local colleges. However, he was a violent man, and all of his underground business partners knew he was behind many missing person's cases. They also knew that those missing people would never be found alive.

"I assure you, Mr. Campion, that I have no such intention," Buquet remarked with more than a trace of contempt in his voice. "But, it's important that the general public views us in a positive light."

The statement earned another smirk. No matter what Buquet claimed, Erik was certain that the man wasn't well-liked either by the general public or his fellow criminals. "Ah, I understand," he said, his voice sarcastic. "And, would you mind sharing how successful you have been in maintaining your excellent reputation? Perhaps you would be so kind as to give us some tips."

Before Buquet could respond, a soft, feminine voice was heard. "Good evening. My name is Christine, and I'll be your server this evening."

Erik never would have looked at her if he hadn't heard Buquet say, "Hello, Miss Daaë! I had no idea you worked here!" The predatory smile on his face clearly stated otherwise. Erik raised his eyes curiously… and froze.

She was beautiful. Her skin was pale, which enhanced her large brown eyes. The girl - for she looked very young - had long, curly chestnut hair. Yet, it was the shocking depth of resignation and sadness in those eyes that rendered Erik unable to take his eyes off her.

"Yes, Dr. Buquet," she replied politely. "How are you?"

"Very well, Christine. Thank you," he answered. It was then that Erik noticed she wasn't meeting Buquet's eyes. She seemed nervous.

"You know each other?" another man asked.

"She's one of my students," Buquet explained, emphasizing the word my when he saw the way Erik was staring at her.

"Would you gentlemen like me to take your drink orders?" Christine asked with a smile that wasn't quite genuine. All she wanted at that moment was to escape her Spanish professor's gaze.

All of the men ordered their drinks except for Erik. "And, what would you like, sir?" she inquired with a smile. He blinked several times before realizing that she was talking to him. "I'll just have water," he finally managed to answer. She nodded and left, his eyes never leaving her.

"I have to say, I'm jealous, Joseph," the man seated directly to Buquet's left commented. "She's very pretty. All that's left for you to do is seduce her!"

A current of anger shot through Erik. The girl - Christine - was innocent and pure… he could see it! For a leech like Buquet to pursue her was an outrage. While his own hands were not exactly clean, he never harmed women and children. Buquet, with his perverse tastes, could not say the same for himself. It was distasteful, the way he so brazenly intended to ruin a young girl. However, Erik managed to check his temper and calmly commented, "If Buquet is capable of seducing anyone, that is."

The group of men howled with laughter while Buquet glared at Erik. Then, Christine appeared with a tray of water glasses, causing more laughter. She blushed, which - in Erik's mind, at least - only added to her beauty. The waiter holding liquor and wine next to her also looked embarrassed, quickly handing out the drinks and abandoning his co-worker to the table's coarse entertainment.

Poor girl, he thought sympathetically. She thinks they are laughing at her. He was surprised. Since when did he feel sympathy towards anyone?

Christine recovered quickly and handed each man a glass. When Erik received his, he looked her in the eyes and said, "Thank you, Christine."

She was stunned for a second. None of her customers had ever spoken to her in such a kind and gentle voice before, and none of them had ever thanked her by name, either. She decided to be extra attentive to the strange man wearing the white mask. "May I take your order, sir?" she asked cheerfully.

Erik purposely ordered one of the more expensive dishes. He couldn't help but feel smug when she took Buquet's order last. She didn't look at Buquet while he was talking, either, which he noted.

"The best for last, right?" he asked with a wink. She smiled indulgently, but she was thinking, Dream on, sicko. If I had a choice, I wouldn't be serving you at all. After she placed their orders, she stood by the bar and watched the group of men. The one who had treated her so kindly wore a white mask that covered half of his face. He must have been very serious because he didn't smile or laugh. She shuddered when Dr. Buquet saw her watching them and winked again. More than ever, she felt uneasy around him and wished that he had been the one to order water instead of alcohol.

When their food was ready, she served the masked man first and Buquet last. "Enjoy your meal," she told the group. Then, she looked directly at Erik and smiled gently. "Please let me know if you need anything," she instructed.

"Thank you, Christine. I will," he promised. Her smile widened, and she left again.

"Just wait until you hear her sing," one man commented.

"Sing?" Erik questioned, his interest instantly piqued.

"All of the servers perform during Friday evenings," the man explained. "I've never heard a finer voice."

Sure enough, Christine walked onto the small stage not ten minutes later. She took the microphone in her hands, closed her eyes as the opening measure of Pie Jesu played, and then, she sang.

The world might have ended and Erik never would have noticed. He felt as though he was hypnotized. The girl's voice was absolutely exquisite. She sang like an angel, and for the first time in his life, he questioned the logic of his doubt of God's existence. Only an all-powerful and perfect Being could create so much beauty. Again, he marveled at her depth of emotion. She was so young, and yet, she seemed so much older in her soul.

Although he never wanted the song to end, she was murmuring a thank you into the microphone as the crowd applauded all too soon. The conversation at his table focused on business, but his mind was elsewhere.

He tried to speak to her when she brought their check, but Buquet moved first.

"Are you intending to take Spanish III next semester, Christine?" he asked with a smile that closely resembled the Cheshire Cat.

Is he serious? she wondered as she gave him a rather plastic-looking smile. "No, sir, I'm not… I'm only taking Spanish this year because it was the only language course that fit into my schedule." Take that, Professor. She smiled again with a hint of sarcasm and hurried away.

Buquet saw Erik's arrogant smile out of the corner of his eye. "She wants me," he affirmed. "She just doesn't know it yet."

Christine, who was within earshot, gasped angrily. How dare he! Could he not take a hint? She was his student, for crying out loud! Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she took the receipt to her customers.

"Have a good evening, gentlemen," she bid them with a hint of disdain. But, before she could escape, a hand grabbed hers. She whirled around angrily, expecting to see her loathsome Spanish professor… and met the eyes of the masked man.

"You have a beautiful voice, Christine," he told her gently.

"Thank you, sir," she answered in a surprised tone. "That's very kind of you to say."

"It's true; you have the kind of voice that can touch people." Even me.

Unexpected tears entered her eyes. This man had shown her more kindness and attention in one evening than her father had shown her during the past seven years. "Thank you so much… for everything." She realized that he was still holding her hand, and she let go quickly. "Have a good night." Then, she was gone.

Erik watched her walk away. Once she was out of sight, he placed a hundred dollar bill on the table. She deserved so much more for her sweetness.

He smiled. He was certain he would be seeing Christine Daaë again very soon.