** Author's Note : Hey everyone, i forgot to do this with my first chapter, I do not own any of the origional Phantom characters, nor do i own the songs used in this story, those everything belongs to their creators, except for Rose, Luccus, Nikki, and a few small others. Enjoy Chapter 2 3 **

Rose looked back down at the city there, was a crowd pouring form the doors of the opera house, tonights show must have been finished. She knew her mother would not come looking for her for another hour or so, she would be swarmed by people wishing to giver her their praise personally, and then she would want to change from her costume. Rose was safe in her secret place for quite a while. She started singing one of her favorite songs, one she sang every time she came, alone, to her secret place.

Rose:Tis the last rose of summer left blooming alone

All her lovely companions are faded and gone

No flower of her kindred, no rosebud is nigh

To reflect back her blushes and give sigh for sigh

Rose was about to begin the second verse in the song when a someone else picked up the song where she had left off, She turned to face a boy dressed like gentleman, who sang better then many of the men she knew from the cast. She eye were drawn to a mask that covered the right side of his face and then to his eyes, as dark as the night that surrounded them.

Luccus:I'll not leave thee, thou lone one, to pine on the stem

Since the lovely are sleeping, go sleep thou with them

Thus kindly I scatter thy leaves o'er the bed

Where thy mates of the garden lie scentless and dead

Rose hesitated on continuing for only a moment, both uncertain and enthralled with the sudden appearance of this boy she had never met.

Rose:So soon may I follow when friendships decay

And from love's shining circle the gems drop away

When true hearts lie withered and fond ones are flown

Oh who would inhabit this bleak world alone?

Luccus: This bleak world alone..

They ended the song unfaltering and beautiful. The boy moving closer to Rose who had never left her place on the edge of the roof.

"Who are you? And how did you get here?"

she asked the boy in a kind and quiet voice, unsure if he could have possibly hear her, as he extended his hand for her to take. She took his hand and lowered herself back to the roof floor, their hands falling away form each other once she stood before him.

"My name is Luccus, and i got here the same way you did Rose."

His voice broke a little bit on her name, realizing a bit too late that she hadn't intorduced herself yet. Rose's eyes widened when he spoke her name, but fear was some how escaping her, and she barely felt uneasy, just curious.

" Phantom?"

She had heard the gossip from almost everyone, about the ghost that wandered the opera house, and who had been the cause of the fire only ten years ago. He wore a mask and had a voice like an angel. A voice so beautiful in fact, that her mother, had thought him to be her angel of music. "Angel?"

She stepped closer wanting to know exactly who this boy was, even though he gave her his name. He made a funny face mixed between emarrassment and fear and backed away from her into the shadows of one of the other gargoyels.

"Ph-phantom...no im-im just his... apprentace..."

Rose almost sqeeled in delight.

"So he is real?"

She moved forward again and he stepped back almost against the house wall.

" yes but he doesn't like people much, and he is a much better singer then I. Im positive he would be offended if he heard himself being compared to me..."

Roses jaw dropped slightly and then turned up into and smile her small cheeks blushing slightly.

" I dont believe you...there couldn't possibly anyone who can sing better than you, Luccus."

She watched a he looked away and his face turned redder than her cheeks, she started to giggle, and he laughed too. A clock tower sounded near by and both children jumped at the sudden noise.

" I have to go!" they both yelled together.

Luccus turned to leave through the door but Rose caught his arm.

" Will i see you again?" She was frighten that the answer would be know, this boy was the first person in the world that Rose had felt comfertable talking to..and the first one to ever hear her sing, let alone sing with her. Luccus turned back for and nodded, " Yes, ill be here when you are here. I'll see you soon Rose."

She let his arm go and he ran through the door. She followed shortly after she was sure he was gone and made her way to find her mother, before she noticed that Rose was gone. Weeks and then months went by, with Rose and Luccus meeting on the roof top for an hour or two whenever Christine would be occupied for a while. They would sit on the roof edge or sometimes climb the gargoyels, singing together and sometimes, Rose would listen to a story about the Phantom, Erik, as Luccus calls him. It was a spring evening when Luccus had ventured into a topic of conversation that had many people in Rose's life dumbfounded.

"Rosey?"

"Yes, Luccus?"

" Why don't you talk to anoyone but me, and why don't you sing unless your by yourslef."

Rose closed her mouth, not because she didnt know how to answer the question, but because it was instinct. The question had been asked so many times before.

" I, dont like people much."

She took a deep breath before continueing," Ever since i can remember I have been adored for the simple fact that I am the daughter of the famous Christine Daae. I haven't been adored or even liked for that matter because im...me..because im Rose. I don't talk because that what i see when i look into most peoples eyes is ' oh look at her her mother is christine' . And when ever im introduced to anyone it's ' you come and meet the daughter of Christine Daae. And, as for my voice, well, everyone always begged me to talk and when i would talk they would say 'Well you're Christine's daughter is you wont talk then please sing. we want to hear you sing. But i didnt sing and i wouldn't sing, and after awhile they all gave up, ill get the odd request every now and then but i decline with the nod of my head and they leave me alone. It was my doing that they cast me as a cellist. When i was eight i took my cello to the middle of the stage and started playing in the middle of rehearle. They cast me in the pit orchestra and in solos immediatly. my mother...she cant play anything but piano...so people didnt campare my playing with hers. Thats why i still play my cello, when i feel like it i mean, they learned to ask after i stopped showing up to the ones they just put me in."

Rose stopped her rant to breath and looked up at Luccus who just nodded, as if he had been expecting that answer. Rose was still getting used to the way he always seemed to know what she was talking about, like he had been there and seen it with his own eyes...she was starting to get the feeling that that was the case, but every time she asked, he would change the subject to one of his stories, and she couldn't help but listen. Her eyes traced the outline of the mask he wore.

"Luccus?"

"Yes, Rosey?"

"Why do you wear that mask?"

Luccus turned a bright scarlet color and turned his face away from her. It was the first time she had ever mentioned the mask, but if he got to ask a person question and recieve an answer so should she.

"It's nothing really, you don't need to see."

Rose was shocked by the hurt and sadness in his voice, but was determind to know the answer.

"Please luccus...I answered yours...i haven't told anyone why i dont talk...not even Nikolis and he follows me around constantly begging for me to talk."

Luccus' sadden face looked jealous and greedy at the mention of Nikolis' name but quickly faded away to sadness again.

"Please Luccus?

Rose scooted over closer to him and reached out her hand toward his and he took hers gentaley.

" I promise i won't laugh, or be afraid."

They sat in silence for a while, Luccus thinking about weather or not to remove his mask. After what seemed like eternity he grabbed his mask with his empty hand and pulled his mask away, his grip on her hand tightening slightly. Rose saw his whoel face before her, the left side an adorable boyish face with dark eyes to match his dark hair, and the right side of his face, was twisted and turned into grotesque patterns that would have frightend away anyone else, but not Rose, she found a type of beauty in his face. His face so beautiful on one side and then the other a beauty that you had to look for and unterstand to see it, much like rose herself. She opend her mouth to tell him how she felt, reassure him that she wasn't affraid, when someone screamed so loud from behind them that Rose nearly fell from the roof top.

" GHOST GHOST, THAT THING IS TRYING TO STEAL ROSE, SOMEONE HELP PLEASE. SAVE HER! A MONSTER HAS ROSE!"

Rose watched as Luccus put back on his mask, and started towards Nikolis, towards his only escape and exit. Rose could hear the rushing foot steps of people running thorugh the corridor beneath the spiral stair case. Shouts and hollers to 'find christine, inform christine that the phaontom has stolen her child." Rang through the open air smack rose hard in the chest. Rose ran after Luccus, pushing Nikolis out of her way when he tried to stop her. Luccus was ways a head of her, moving easily down the steps, she was at his heels soon after he feet left the stairs following quickly after him.

" Luccus im sorry, please i didnt know he was there."

She watched as tears started to spill from the his mask covered eye, as they rouned a corner. Rose felt arms wrap around her as she was hoisted off of the ground, a small shreak escaping her mouth, Luccus turned to help her, but one of the gaurds grabbed him too, and he struggled to get free.

"NO, NO, PLEASE LET HIM GO!"

Rose twisted and turned hollering for his release, she watched as Luccus kicked the guard bellow his belt, watched as Luccus hit the floor and ran, a couple gaurds following him, but he was fast, and Rose was sure that he would get away. The gaurd thst LUccus had kicked called to the one holding Rose,"Get her to her mother, now!" And Rose was carried away, in silence, tears streaming from her eyes.