Anastasia's POV

I glance up from my violin as Erik pauses playing the organ and glances over towards the bed Christine is residing in, my eyes follow his and widen at the sight of Christine of her approaching the organ. How dar she interrupt my precious time with Erik and entrance him wither her girlish charm. I scoff lightly and swiftly putting my violin away, knowing that I should go beneath the dial so she doesn't find out about me.

"Anastasia, I do not wish to have the lovely Christine know about you, therefore please steal yourself away." Erik whispers in a deep husky tone that makes my spine tingle with mysterious pleasure.

"As you wish." I quietly reply, scooping up my violin case and rushing down the dial, making sure that I am still able to observe Erik and Christine, just in case something happens and Erik needs me to be there for him. I silently watch in utter horror as Christine begins to caress Eriks face before tearing off his mask, showing red swollen skin beneath his sad blue eyes. Erik flings himself backwards, pushing the ungrateful minx onto the floor, howling at christine for her transgression and betrayal. I smile with pride as Christine looks as frightened as a field mouse in front of a swooping barred owl and meekly reaches out with the mask in her hand, jumping as Erik tenderly takes the mask from her and turns around to place it back on his face. He then tenderly picks up my precious watch and closes the lid, leaving me literally shut out of the world. I glide down the spiraling stairs to my room, carefully placing my violin in its appropriate place before looking over my collection of books. The pocket watch seems to take pride in granting my wish for updated literature of all sorts, I decide on The Hunchback of Notre Dame by the wonderful Victor Hugo and proceed up to the face of my watch with a pillow also in hand, ready to patiently wait for my beloved Erik to return to me. An hour quickly passes as I am transported to the streets of Paris, watching Frollo obsess over the lovely gypsy Esmeralda. I hardly notice the lid opening to reveal my handsome Erik., I hurry to my feet and dash over to the conjunction of the crystal and the watch face.

" My dear Erik are you alright?" I cry with worry, pressing my small hands to the glass as he cradles me close to his chest.

"I am now my dear, it seems like now you know my greatest secret as I know yours." Erik sighs heavily with despair, I smile with understanding and long to caress his sweet face.

"So it does Signore." I softly respond, Erik's eyes glazing over with tears as he fights back his emotions. I gaze into his eyes, understanding the betrayal and hurt.

"I'm sure you find me as much of a vile beast as everyone else does," he confides, hanging his head dejectedly as tears start rolling down his cheeks. I choke back a sob as he continues with his lamenting, "I will never find anyone who will accept me as I am. I will never be loved in the same way I long to be loved!"

"That is not true Erik," I retort, letting tears run down my cheeks, my older brother Romulus coming to the front of my memories, "one of my older brother was born with a cat lip and a deformity such as yours only it covered the whole upper half of his face. He was always despised and looked down on. After a long time one of his friend's sister was able to look past Romulus's deformity and they ended up getting married. They had 3 children when I was…" I choke up at the memory of how I was torn from my family that fateful night, "Please Erik, never say that no one will love you. Any woman would be a fool to not fall in love with you."

Erik cradles me closer to his chest and weeps, visibly overcome with his emotions. I long to hold my dear close and console him, showing my unconditional love for him, making him forget about that haughty christine and her blatant disgust for Erik's deformity. How can she ignore his wonderful personality, bright intellect, and pure talent for a mere skin disorder? I ponder as Erik's sobs and tears slow to a crawl.

"Thank you Anastasia, if only all people had the viewpoint you do." Erik chuckles weakly as he wipes his tears away, noticeably more relaxed and light hearted than before.

"If they did it would be a miracle." I scoff light heartedly causing Erik to chuckle softly, sitting down at the organ.

"That it would be my dear, now shall we proceed with Don Juan Triumphant?" He questions, I smile and nod vigorously before dashing down to retrieve my violin and help my dear with his master piece's finer details. The clock had just chimed three o'clock when Erik began to prepare to tonight's showing of Il Muto, featuring his 'precious' prima donna Christine.

"Erik?" I begin to ask, stopping as he waltzes over to the watch, blue eyes shining and shirt only halfway buttoned, revealing his toned broad chest.

"Yes? What is it?" Erik worriedly replies, picking me up to make sure nothing is wrong. I push a deeper pink and wring my hands as i get closer and closer to his bare chest.

" I was wondering if you would be willing to remove the lid so I can view the outside world. I'm curious to see where you dwell and how the Opera Garnier has changed." I meekly responded, hoping with all my heart the I would be granted this request.

Erik's POV.

"I was wondering if you would be willing to remove the lid so I can see the outside world. I'm curious to see where you dwell and how the Opera Farnier has changed." Anastasia shyly requests, the adorable pink glow on cher cheeks deepening as she wrings her petite hands from nervousness. I smile and nod my head happy to oblige my dearests small request.

"Of course Anastasia, I simply cannot imagine what it has been like for you to not be able to see the world change around you." I state, grinning at the ecstatic expression on Anastasia's face. My mind wanders to the subject of how old Anastasia really is, she only looks to be 18 or 19.

"Oh thank you so very much signore! I am in your debt!" She exclaims, rushing to the edge of the crystal nearest to me and placing her small and on the glass.

"It is my pleasure, Anastasia. Now how do I go about removing the lid?" I ponder, turning my precious watch to look at the hinges.

"There is a small lever made of metal on the lid near the hinges. If you press on the lever then the hinges will detach. Oh and please do call me Ana, most everyone I knew did." Anastasia, Ana, informed me, the lid did indeed lift away from the main park of the watch, leaving the crystal open to look upon the outside world. I quickly finish dressing and fasten Ana to the breast pocket of my swallow tailed overcoat, making sure my cloak does not cover the crystal.

"Are you ready Ana?" I question, gently lifting my watch so I can gaze down at her beauty. I almost burst out laughing when I see her regally perched on a cloud of pillows, lying down so she can look out and not crane her neck as much.

"Yes I am Erik, thank you again." Ana's enthusiastic reply makes me grin brightly, I slowly turn around my room causing anastasia to gasp in admiration from inside my precious pocket watch. We then proceed in silence, only talking to discuss my traps and the layout of the catacombs. I dash to the secret passageway leading to the hollow column in box number five. I hiss in annoyance when I spy Christine's foolish suitor occupying my box. I climb to the cat walks above the stage and growl when I see Carlotta as the countess and my dear Christine as the page boy. How dare those foolish managers defy my every move.

"Is everything alright?" Ana's sweet voice questions, calming my frantic nerves and melting my anger into mere annoyance and frustration. I quickly pull together a clever plan to force those idiotic managers to obey my commands.

"Yes my dear, I do have to fix a few things with this particular casting choice and teach those foolish managers to heed my commands." I whisper, dashing quickly to my stash of potions and poisons, picking out a particularly nasty one that stips and individual of their voice, I then pour the mixture into a bottle exactly like the one that holds Carlotta's potions to help her sing high notes. I proceed back to the stage area and stealthily switch out the potions after the aria begins, then dash swiftly to the dome where the rigging for the chandelier and access to the maintenance balcony are. I walk out onto the balcony and take a deep breath, preparing my voice and diaphragm for projecting my message clearly.

"Did I not instruct that box five was to be kept empty?!" I growl, projecting my voice with enough power to shake the chandelier, the audience gasping and Anastasia squeaking as my voice reverberates within my precious pocket watch.

"Erik the man Buquet is following you! Please be careful, he was the one that murder my last caretaker Antonio." Ana cations me as carlotta's voice beings to croak like a bullfrog's, I chuck to myself and lead Buquet to the cat walks where I would be at an advantage. The ballet begins as I hunt Buquet, hiding Anastasia with my cloak as I condemn Buquet to the gallows and allow his body to fall and hang above the spinning ballerina. I uncover Anastasia and make sure that she is still alright before following Christine and Raoul to the roof of the opera house, watching in horror as they pledge to love one another. My heart breaks at the loss of Christine, the two run off leaving me to wallow in sorrow and longing for a love like theirs. I sob in anguish, clutching the single red rose I had left for Christine in her dressing room. The two leave the snow covered roof in high spirits.

"You will curse the day you did not do all that the phantom asked of you!" I exclaim to the sky, letting the cold seep into my bones and snowflakes swirl around me. I unpin my precious pocket watch and cradle it close to my chest, facing the crystal upwards so Anastasia can see the snow fall.

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