whoo, chapter four. how come no one reviews? c'mon, people, tell me i suck or something!

And on we go....

Christine stood straight and tall in the room, holding a note as long as she could. Erik played a violin on the other side of the wall, eyes closed. As her voice faded away, she looked at the mirror skeptically.

"Erik, why can't I find the passage I used last time?"

"I sealed it up." Erik said smoothly, placing the violin on the floor to stretch his fingers out. Christine frowned.

"Why?"

"Because, my dear, you do not belong down there in the night." She smiled suddenly, walking forward and placing a hand on the mirror.

"You know, Erik?" She started, still smiling. He looked at her.

"What?" He asked when she stayed silent. She looked up, even though she couldn't see him. He could see her quite clearly, however, and he caught her eyes with his for a second.

"You're much younger than I expected." She finished. He snorted lightly.

"I'm two years older than you, Christine."

"I'm twelve." She said. "If you're two years older, that would make you fourteen."

"Clever girl." Erik muttered, picking up the violin. "Now, back to your singing lessons, which is what I'm here for."

"I want to visit again." Christine said, ignoring the music that sailed through the room. Erik stopped playing and stared at the girl.

"Why in the world would you want to visit again?" He asked, staring at her astonished.

"It was a interesting place, Erik, and it was rather nice to actually see you." She said, smiling. "As much as I love your voice, I mean."

"You aren't coming back." He stated firmly, trying to calm himself. 'It doesn't mean anything---Raoul is still coming!'

"But---"

"And that's final, Christine." She pouted.

"Sing with me, then." He sighed---it was getting to be a problem, the way he was refusing her less and less lately.

"Fine, I'll sing with you." He agreed, placing the violin on the floor as he stood up. "What is it you would like to sing?"

"That song that you keep singing to me." Christine said. "I feel as if I know the words, somehow." Erik froze. She couldn't possibly be expecting him to sing that, could she?

"It's a love song, Christine." She smiled.

"I know." He bit his lip. 'It was sung in a desperate attempt to get away from me---but do I tell her that?'

"It's not meant to be sung by me." Christine's shoulders dropped.

"Come on, Erik, please?" She pleaded. Erik sighed.

"All right, all right. Fine." He shook his head, not believing what he was about to do. 'I'll have to change the words a bit---keep it between her and Raoul, in a sort of sense.' "I'll start, ready?"

"Yes, Erik!" She called. He rolled his eyes.

"No more talk of darkness.
Forget your wide-eyed fears.
He's there, nothing can harm you.
His words will warm and calm you." Christine frowned---he was changing the words! He can't do that...can he?

"Let him be your freedom.
Let daylight dry your tears.
He's there, with you, beside you.
To guard you and to guide you." She made a decision---she would not change the words as he was doing.

"Say you love me every waking moment.
Turn my head with talk of summertime.
Say you need me with you, there beside you.
Promise me that all you say is true.
That's all I ask of you."

"Let him be your shelter.
Let him be your light.
You're safe---no one will harm you.
Your fears will be far behind you." Christine sighed as he continued to change the song. Well, she thought, two can play at that game, and maybe he'll let her visit him again.

"All I want is freedom.
A world with no more light.
And you, always beside me,
To hold me and to hide me." Erik almost paused---she didn't change the words. Imagination, he thought lightly. My imagination works overtime.

"Then say you'll share with him one love, one lifetime.
Let him lead you from your solitude.
Say you need him with you, there beside you.
Anywhere you go, let him go too.
Christine, that's all he asks of you." She touched the mirror lightly with her fingertips (when had she gotten so close?) and continued the song.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime.
Say the word and I will follow you."

"Enough." Erik stopped Christine and she frowned at him, confused. "That's enough."

"Erik...?" He picked up the violin and looked at Christine.

"The lesson is over, Christine." He said calmly, his lips in a thin line as he struggled with his desire to open the mirror and sing, actually sing, with Christine.

The next day, Christine approached the room with the mirror silently, closing the door behind her softly.

"Erik...?" She called out uncertaintly, not sure if he would still be there becuase of the way he had been acting the day before.

"You're a bit late, Christine." She flushed. "Let's get to work."

Six years passed without incident, and Christine never asked Erik to sing with her again. Instead, as she turned eighteen, her lessons seemed to be more focused on Hannibal, despite the fact that (according to Christine) they weren't doing that. Erik ignored her and continued to tutor her in Hannibal's music.

"Besides," She complained as she stood in the room with the mirror, dressed as the 'slave' she was, leaning with her back against the mirror. Unknown to her, Erik was doing the same thing. "It's not as if I will get the lead. That part is for La Carlotta."

"Her voice is terrible." Erik said absently. "It sounds as if a tone-deaf person tutored her. You, however, have me as a tutor, and so therefore things will work out."

"How do you know?" Christine asked, curious, turning to look in the mirror, wishing for the millionth time that he would just allow her to see him again. He glanced at the watch that Madam Giry had given him when he turned eighteen a few years before.

"You're late for rehearsals, Christine." He said instead, ignoring her questions. Christine opened her mouth, about to tell him that it was rude to change the subject, when---

BAM! BAM! BAM! She flew to the door and opened it to find Meg standing, her eyes wide.

"We're late, Christine, Maman is going to have a fit!" She said breathlessly. Christine glanced back once at Erik before flying down the hall. Meg stood in the doorway. "You as well, dear big brother." Meg said, eyes sparkling in amusement. "Don't you have something planned with La Carlotta and a falling scenery piece?"

"Go catch up with Christine or Madam Giry will have both your heads and mine." He said, rolling his eyes at the amusement in his 'little sister's' eyes. "Besides, Christine will be suspicious. You said it yourself---she never told you of me."

"She doesn't have to." Meg said simply. "I found you first." Meg giggled and he shook his head, knowing she couldn't see it.

"Just go all ready." Meg waved before following Christine down the hall.

"Signora, these things do happen." One of the managers was assuring an angry La Carlotta. Erik smirked in amusement as Carlotta's eyes widened and she looked at the new managers in shock.

"For the past three years, 'these things do happen'!" She shrieked in anger. "But did you stop them from happening? NO! And you two!" She went from pointing accusingly at Master Lefevre to pointing at the unsuspecting managers, who winced due to their inexperience with the screaming prima donna. "You are as bad as he is! 'These things do happen'!" She mimicked the managers, who seemed to shrink a little. "Mah, NO!" She put her hands by her head in a 'stop' gesture. "Until you stop these things from happening, this," she pointed at herself for emphasis. "does not happen!" She whirled around, yelling for the thing that resembled a dog.

"Amateurs." Piangi laughed at them. They looked at each other helplessly. Madam Giry, who had disappeared shortly after the scenery dropped on La Carlotta, came back with a note as Master Lefevre wished the new managers good luck.

"I have a message from the Opera Ghost." She said. Erik nodded lightly.

"God in Heaven, you're all obsessed!" One of them cried out angrily. Erik sighed lightly---he hated having to scare the new managers. It would have been so much easier if they had believed about him in the first place. "HIS Opera House?" Came another outraged cry that gained Erik's attention. Madam Giry was telling them the contents of the letter. She ignored his outburst skillfully.

"And commands you continue to leave Box Five," She pointed at the aforementioned box with her cane. "Empty for his use, and reminds you that his salary is due."

"His salary?" The manager cried out (Erik sighed again---he was going to have a tough time convincing this one.)

"Oui. Master Lefevre paid him twenty thousand francs a month." Erik tuned the rest of the conversation out, not wanting to hear the stupid manager's outraged cries any longer. A single line brought him back, however.

"A full house, Andre, we shall have to refund a full house!" Well, he knew one of the managers names now. Andre. Now, if he could just remember it...

"Christine Daae could sing it for you, sir."

"A chorus girl? Don't be silly." Erik felt a rush of anger. How dare they underestimate Christine? Madam Giry continued to pushed Christine in the limelight, and Erik suddenly caught his breath as she walked to the front of the stage.

"Andre, this is doing nothing for my nerves." The other manager grumbled (really, Erik would have to learn his name later.)

"Well, she's very pretty." Andre pointed out, trailing off as Christine began to sing.