AN: Hey guys! I'm going to go ahead and post this. Finals are next week and so I'll have plenty more time to write after Thursday when school is out. I wanted to get something else up for this story. I'm going to keep updating All About Your Heart every week on Tuesdays and Thursdays like normal. Once that is done (because it's getting SUPER close) I'll pay this story more attention. Bear with me as this one isn't completely written like All About Your Heart is. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Disclaimer: Nothing Phantom belongs to me!:(

Erik's POV

I was perplexed at the girl who's wrist was still tightly grasped in my hand. She looked and sounded exactly like Christine. The only difference I could perceive was a fire in her eyes that I had never come into Christine's gaze. It reminded almost of... But that was impossible so I dismissed the notion quickly. But she had mentioned that Elizabeth Denton was her guardian. She had made that distinction- guardian- instead of mother.

All was silent on the roof as we waited for what the girl would say in response to my question. I could tell how confused Gustave was at the scene he walked into. I didn't feel like telling him that Nadir and I had come up here to find this girl attempting to end her life. That was for her to tell should she so choose.

"Erik, I-" the Daroga started behind me.

"No, it's fine," the girl said finally, the fire not leaving her eyes.

She turned her gaze away from me to stare at Gustave.

"I came up here with the intention to end my life when these two came up and stopped me. We were just discussing why when you decided to join us."

"End your- Why would you want to do that?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders, a smile playing at her lips.

"No one would notice."

Gustave stared at her in bewilderment. I, too, was shocked how calmly she could talk about something as serious as taking her own life.

"Surely someone would," Gustave insisted.

She shook her head, the fire in her eyes dimming slightly, but still very much there. I wondered what she would look like if her eyes were like mine. Again, I dismissed the line of thinking. Her eyes were a clear island blue, just like Christine's and Gustave's.

"You don't have any family that would miss you?" Gustave continued.

"The people who know I'm alive and exist are all dead," the girl replied nonchalantly.

Again, Gustave looked at her like she had two heads, shocked at how unaffected she was by what she was saying.

"What do you mean the ones that know you exist?"

"Apparently, the only people who knew of her were her mother who died seven years ago and her guardian who died a week ago in that fire at the inn," the Persian interrupted.

"What? How is that-"

The girl let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes at Gustave's perplexed state.

"It's possible because my parents weren't together when I was born so the only people who knew of me at that point were my mother and her maid who was the only person she trusted at the time. I was given to that maid for her to raise so no one would ask any unwanted questions. Seven years ago, my mother died and a week ago that maid, my guardian and the only family I've known also died. Since my father never knew about me, there isn't anyone to miss me."

The fire had returned with more intensity throughout the girl's rant. It made me nervous to think what she would be capable of if properly angered, though I refused to acknowledge why. It had taken me too long to finally grasp that I had a son, and I wasn't about to start hoping that I might have a daughter as well. The odds that this girl was part of our little family weren't too high anyway.

"Who was your guardian?" Gustave inquired.

"Elizabeth Denton."

"But she was here alone."

"That's what we wanted everyone to think."

"It's been seven years."

"I'm aware."

"How have we not seen you before now?"

"And we're back to where we were before you arrived."

"Excuse me?"

"Before you interrupted. I had just been asked almost that exact same question."

"And what was your answer then?"

"I'm good, aren't I?"

"Good at what?"

"What I do."

"Which is?"

The girl paused, her head cocked and studying Gustave as if considering whether or not she wanted to tell him what exactly she did so well.

"Sticking to the shadows," she finally conceded.

"What's your name?" I finally cut in.

"What?" the girl asked, turning her gaze back to me.

"Your name. What is it?"

The girl's eyes searched mine, and I was sure I could see her mind going a mile a minute. Just when I was sure she wasn't going to answer, she posed a question.

"Do you really not remember?"

"Remember?"

"Was I really that impressionable? I mean, I haven't forgotten that night on the ship for a moment, but if you really don't remember..." the girl's voice trailed off.

"Ship... Wait, you were... Oh, my."

"Erik?" Nadir asked behind me.

"Charlotte?" I inquired softly.

The side of her mouth lifted in a smirk and her eyes sparkled just a bit more.

"You do remember."

"Remember what?" the Daroga demanded.

"On the ship back from Coney. We had a conversation on the deck the first night on board," I said without looking away from Charlotte.

I couldn't believe it didn't occur to me sooner. I mean, as soon as I found out Elizabeth was her guardian it should have been obvious. She had told me on the ship her last name was Denton, just like Elizabeth's. I tried to recall what she had looked like when I talked to her on the ship. An image of her small body leaning against the side of the ship gazing out over the sea of stars above and the sea of black below popped into my mind. She had grown and matured nicely.

"She lived on Coney?" Gustave's surprised voice cut through my thoughts.

"That's where Liz raised me," Charlotte replied.

"Why Coney?"

"It was safer than keeping me here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Charlotte shrugged, choosing not to answer the question. The look in her eye told me that she was hiding a lot more than she wanted us to realize. She obviously wasn't comfortable with opening up to people, especially if she spent most of her time sticking to shadows. Just then, a breeze came along and she shivered.

"Shall we make our way inside?" I suggested, keeping a firm grip on her wrist still.

"Um..." Charlotte said, glancing back once more at the edge of the roof. "Fine."

Continuing to hold onto her wrist, I dragged her along behind Gustave and the Persian. We followed the passages down to the fifth cellar and only once we were inside the house with all exits locked and traps set did I let Charlotte go.