Erik's POV

Gustave seemed to finally have come around after spending a few days with me. Though, he always seemed sad, but at least he was starting to smile again. I stayed in the hotel room, never emerging due to the fact that danger was still possibly lurking. Until I knew who harmed my angel, I didn't want to take any risk in something happening to me, or worse, my boy. To take Gustave's mind off a few things, I took a walk with him through Central Park. The colder air was beginning to make its way into New York, and I knew our days of being outside were numbered. Oh, what a mircale it was to have my boy fall asleep that night in my arms. My room only had one bed to begin with and most nights I would stay up…But tonight, I was utterly exhausted. I was already fast asleep, when a knock at the door woke me that night. I opened my eyes, looking down at Gustave, who was still fast asleep in the crook of my neck. I gracefully ran my fingers through his dark locks, lifting his body to place him down on the mattress. I had dismembered my metal leg before crawling into bed, making the task of reattaching it complicated in the dark of the night. I cursed beneath my breath as the clips and latches to lock it into place around my thigh pinched my flesh. Oh, how I wanted to strangle Dr. Gangle for putting together such an uncomfortable contraption for me. As the knocking continued, I grabbed hold of my mask from the night table and placed it over my head, walking towards the door to stop the racket before it woke my child.

I pulled it open after unlatching the lock, noticing my hotel manager standing there.

"For God sakes," I growled, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "What is it? Is the hotel burning to the ground?"

"Sorry, Mister Y." he began. "I wouldn't have disturbed you if it wasn't urgent."

"What could possibly be urgent at," I pulled out my pocket watch to have a gander at the time. "Two thirty," I groaned.

"Sir, the hospital called. They said that you should come quickly."

I grabbed my employee by the shirt. "Did they say what for?"

"No, they just said that you needed to come quickly."

I let the man go, mumbled a frantic "thank you," and hurried back inside to change. I never dressed so quickly in all my life, I was even quiet about it so I wouldn't disturb Gustave. Oh, what could possibly be wrong with my angel? What could she possibly be going through at such a late hour? After covering Gustave up with some blankets, I flew down the hall and out into the night. The hospital was only a short distance away, but I didn't care, I hobbled like a madman. Once through the front doors, I approached the desk and made haste at signing my name on the guest list.

"What's wrong with Christine?" I demanded. "What's wrong with her? The manager of my hotel told me that the hospital called them."

"She woke up a few moments ago." The nurse replied. "She won't stop fighting the doctors. She doesn't understand what's going on. We thought it be best call you in to try and make sense of things for her."

I nodded, hurrying down the hall to find at least three doctors holding my angel down as she fought endlessly to break away from their grasps. Oh, how dare they lay a hand on her! How dare they! They were treating her like some sort of animal…Oh, they would surely pay! My angel was laying there wailing and sobbing, and yet, they continued to hold her down. She didn't understand what was going on…She had been through a traumatic experience. She probably thought that she was still in the hands of the enemy. I hurried into my angel's room and pushed the monsters away from her, wrapping my arms around Christine's body and brining her close to my own.

"Don't you ever touch her like that again!" I snapped. "She does not understand what's going on. Get out of here!"

When the doctor's scurried away, I rubbed my angel's back and shushed her with soft coos. Did she even know that I was here beside her?

"Christine," I gently pulled her body away from my own, brushing her distorted and tear soaked cheek with my hand. "Oh, Christine."

I smiled, relieved to see that she was finally awake. Though, I knew that fighting off the doctors had been traumatic for her, for within seconds, she closed her eyes and passed out once more. I refused to leave her side, for I would stay until she woke again. I knew how traumatizing it would be for her to wake without anyone beside her. I laid my angel's body back down and covered her up, laying myself down beside her. In that hospital bed, I faced my angel, brushing her locks with my hand and humming a soft tune to her. My angel loved it when I would hum…Sometimes when she was sad, I would hum from behind the walls of the opera house chapel, causing her cries to immediately cease. I missed those days…I would do anything to have them back, for I wouldn't have pretended to be her angel of music for as long as I had. Instead, I would have confessed my true identity to her in hopes that our love could have somehow grew, and then, afterwards, I could have been there for everything… I wouldn't have left after making love to her, I would have gotten to enjoy the pleasure of seeing my angel swell with my seed, would have been there for Gustave since day one and lived the last ten years happy and filled with life. But the past was the past and the future was now…But one thing was for certain, I would never leave her again.

Christine's POV

When I woke, everything came rushing back to me… The men! How they beat me, how they took advantage of my body. I remember lying on the floor in Erik's kitchen, screaming and pleading them to leave me alone. My entire body was weak now…so weak that I couldn't even lift my arms from the side of the bed I was curled up in. But I was surprised and relieved at the same time when I peered to the side to notice my angel of music curled up beside me. He was laying there with his eyes closed, the morning newspaper curled up in his grasp. Oh, how exhausted he must have been from taking care of Gustave alone and having to constantly be at my bedside. But I was safe, and that alone was a relief.

I sighed into his shoulder, causing him to wake. Oh, how he pressed my body close to his own the moment he noticed me staring at him.

"Oh, Christine…" those were simply the only words he could spare as he assured me that everything would be all right. But deep inside, my body was still shaking from the events that last took place. Those faces, those horrible faces of the men who took advantage of me plagued my very mind. Erik did not speak about such things to me. No, he only left every few moments to reason with the doctors, reasoning with them to release me now that I was awake. When I was released, my angel carried my body in his arms as I snuggled into his chest. I was still utterly exhausted, making the task of staying awake simply impossible. For some odd reason, we never returned to his studio. No, instead, he carried me to his hotel. The room he led me into had two bedrooms and a kitchen.

"You'll rest here." He said, covering me up with some blankets after placing me in one of the rooms. "I will go down the hall and fetch Gustave. We've been staying in one of the other rooms."

And then, after pressing a kiss to my forehead, he left me to wallow away to sleep. I woke some time later, daylight still shining in through my window. Finding the need to relieve myself, I struggled to sit up, holding onto the night table as I used the walls for support. I was like a ragdoll once I was on my feet; stumbling towards the bathroom that was thankfully located in the same bedroom I had been placed in. I braced the doorway of the bathroom, reaching blindly for the light. I nearly fell flat on my face when I was inside, but I grasped the sink for support, lifting my head and finding it looking straight into the mirror. I gasped so loudly, that it echoed off the walls. No…I lifted my hand with shaking fingers, lifting it to my cheek. I was hideous! Everything came rushing back to me, the men, the abuse, even the part when the boiling water spilled on me. I was wearing Erik's nightshirt, my hand pulling the collar of the garment down to realize that not only had my cheek been severely burned, but the top of my chest was scarred as well. Tears poured down my cheeks as I stared into what was to become my fate. I was completely hideous! Blisterd flesh covered my entire cheek, sore and red flesh continuing down the side of my neck and disappearing beneath my nightshirt. Even my hand was bandaged, making it obvious that I had burned that as well.

"Christine, I was thinking…" I heard Erik's voice, only to be met with his face staring at me from the mirror as well. He entered the bathroom, stopping when he realized what I was doing.

"Oh, Christine, you should be in bed."

My angel would never find me beautiful again. He must have believed me to now be just as hideous as he were. He would never want me again, nor would I feel worthy enough to want to be romantic with him.

"I'm…I'm so hideous."

"Christine," Erik caressed my cheek, brushing his fingers lightly over my scarred flesh. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on."

"Stop it…" I cried, stumbling to the doorway. "Look at me…"

I was sobbing now, so hard that my angel caught me before I fell. He carried me back to bed and covered me up as I threw a tantrum.

"Christine, stop this." He begged. "Don't do this to yourself."

But I couldn't stop crying. I didn't even want to look at Erik, for I felt ugly in every way. I was not worthy of my angel, nor was I worthy of anyone. I was destined to live life as a freak, one that would have to shield herself from the world and its cruelty. No, that's not how I wished to live.

"Christine, please, please speak with me."

But I didn't turn to face him, only closed my eyes and prayed that I would wake up from this horrible nightmare. This had to be a dream. There wasn't any way that I was deformed and looking like a monster. No, this couldn't be it…

"Christine," my angel embraced my shoulder, but still, I did not answer him. Finally, I felt him gently pat my back and rise to his feet. "I shall check on you later then."

And with that, he left me to my thoughts, those thoughts consisting of when I would wake from this horrible nightmare.

Erik's POV

When my angel saw her face in the mirror, it was as if the life had been knocked out of her. She loathed herself, when in reality, I still found her to be the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. I wanted to ask her about her attack, but decided to postpone it until she was feeling better. After getting her back into bed, I wallowed out into the main room to sit at the nearby desk and work. My son wanted to go into her room and hug her, but I knew it was best to leave her be.

"But why not?" he questioned. "Mother is awake. You said it yourself."

"I know, Gustave, but it's best to let your mother have sometime to herself right now. She's been through a lot. I promise that you'll be the first to see her when she is well again."

"Did you see the newspaper this morning?" my son asked. "They posted the story you sent them about mother and you."

I turned to find Gustave looking at the article. "It says that you were mother's voice teacher and that you fell in love with her. Strange, mother always told me something different when I was smaller."

"Oh?" I picked up my pen and began to fill out documents for Phantasma. "And what did she say?"

"That the angel of music looked after her. She said that the angel of music looks after us all." Gustave paused. "Mister Y, are you the angel of music?"

"I am no angel." I firmly stated. "I am only a man."

"Mother used to say that the angel of music loves me and that he would always be there for me… She said when I was feeling lonely or sad, all I had to do was speak to him."

I couldn't help but form a small smile at the corner of my mouth. My Christine, always an angel…

"Mister Y, what are you doing?"

"Looking over applications." I replied.

"Applications for what?"

Gustave hopped himself up onto my desk and looked down at what I was doing.

"Applications for people wishing to come work for me next season."

"Are you hiring?"

I nodded. "Always room for more attractions I suppose."

Gustave picked up a stack of applications and began flipping through them.

"Well, this person sounds good."

I took the parchment from his hand, reading the name that was written on top of it.

"Gabrielle Fuller." Gustave said. "It says that she is known as the half lady. Mister Y, how can someone only have half their body?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not sure, Gustave. God works in sometimes cruel and mysterious ways."

"Do you hate him?" my son questioned. "For making you this way?"

Did I hate God? I wasn't sure… We barely spoke, that was certain. Yes, he had made my life a living hell, but he also brought Christine into my life. Perhaps to tease me and mock me for what I could never have, but in the end, she had become my only pleasure in life. Hate? No, hate was a strong word.

"Well, Gustave, we don't get along. Hate is strong…hate is very hateful and full of disrespect. I hate Raoul, but no, I guess I shouldn't hate God. He created everything in this world, even your mother. Some things have to be ugly, I guess. I'm just thankful that he didn't plague your flawless face with the same fate as my own. No, he spared you, and for that, I can't hate him."

"Did my grandmother really hate you?"

"Don't call her that." I growled. "She is a fowl creature. I tried to get my mother to love me…She would have most certainly loved you."

"Where is she now?"

"Dead." I replied. "She caught a horrible illness some years ago. Heard the news when I was traveling back from my time spent in Persia."

"And what about my grandfather?"

"Dead as well. The heavens spared him from ever having to glance at me…He died a few weeks before I was born. My mother wanted to rid of me the moment I emerged from her body. But the priest; the man who I was named after warned her about what happens to murderers when they pass away…They are said to burn in Hades."

"Maybe I'm your papa…" Gustave suggested. "Maybe he died so that he could come back when you were older, so that you would always have someone to be with. Do you think I look like him, Mister Y?"

"My mother had some photos of him hanging around on the walls. Though, I never paid any mind in looking at them because it reminded me about the disappointment I was to her."

"You're not a disappointment, Mister Y, you're the best father in the whole world. Mother always told me how looks didn't mean anything. She told me that love was found in the soul and not in the appearance."

I smiled, and went back to work. "If you say so, Gustave."

"So, are we going to ask Gabrielle Fuller to come here?"

"If you think her presence will bring more people fleeting to Phantasma."

"I think it will."

"Really? A half woman?"

Gustave nodded. "Of course, Mister Y. If I am going to take over your park someday, you should at least start taking my opinions into consideration."

"All right." I chuckled. "This will be the first of many then."

I continued writing, only to have my child wrap his arms around me.

"Mister Y, is mother going to be all right?"

I patted him on the back and nodded. "Within time, she will be just fine."

"But what about her face? Surely she thinks ill of herself. I heard her crying in the other room when you went to visit her."

"She will learn to accept herself, Gustave."

"She still is beautiful, Mister Y."

"And that is what we must keep telling her. For if we do, she will hopefully start believing it."

"Perhaps we could make mother feel beautiful." Gustave suggested. "Perhaps we could take her out to a really nice dinner and dress her up like a princess."

I ruffled his soft locks. "That is a wonderful idea, Gustave. You're so brilliant."

"Only because you are, Mister Y."

And with that, my son hugged me once more…Oh, and what a wonderful boy he was.