A/N: I got a quick two more reviews to reach my four. I'd like more but four is enoght to deserve another chapter so here you are as promised. Read, enjoy and review.

Chapter Twenty-six

Phantom's Fury

Anna followed her usual routine if one can develop a usual routine in such a short time. As Anna sat brushing out her hair she marveled how quickly she had become accustomed to living underground let alone the fact that her host laid claim to the infamous titles of Opera Ghost and Phantom of the Opera.

If Anna had given it much thought she would more than likely have been appalled at the ease she felt living with a man who could also be said to be insane on occasions as well a murderer when the need arose if one could ever justify killing another person that is. She thought Erik might be the only person in her limited acquaintance who had good reason to feel murderous with any degree of legitimacy.

There were those who throughout history who had murdered just for the sheer joy of it or because one person coveted what another had. Anna did not think of herself as a violent person but in all honesty she could almost say with certainty she would think about it if she ever came face to face with Roger Hanover again.

Standing up Anna had been glad she had decided to leave off her corset. Her dress felt tight enough. Soon she would require a whole new wardrobe. Erik would be the one footing the bill for this new wardrobe when they married. It bothered her a little but what other choice did she have? Eating three sumptuos meals a day could account for her weight gain. She could only hope for that to be the case.

Anna lost her train of thought when she heard a bellow from down the hall in Erik's room. She could here him cursing in some languages she could understand and some she could not.

Hurrying down the hall Anna did not even think to knock she simply barged in. Erik stood in the middle of his bedroom or what should have been a bedroom but looked more like a place of internment instead.

Of all the things Anna had imagined in Erik's room a coffin certainly had not been even in the peripheral of her thoughts. The pillow covered with a lace edged pillow casing, sheets and blankets made it evident that Erik did not merely have this coffin for decoration, he used it for sleeping.

As Erik continued to curse with his back to Anna she looked around trying to ascertain what might have upset him. The room looked as if a small hurricane had come through only picking up and tossing his clothing.

Just then Anna noticed Erik did not have on a shirt. His back to her afforded Anna with a good look at the scars crisscrossing his back. Anna put her hand over her mouth to hold back her shocked gasp.

Not knowing she did it Anna crossed his room with her hand outstretched. The first touch of her fingertip had Erik whirling around in shock.

They looked at one another for a few seconds before Erik turned to rummage through all the piles of clothing until he found a shirt. He placed it in front of his chest holding it up to just underneath his chin.

His face flushed with a red tide of embarrassment. He had no mask, no shirt and far less dignity than he had just moments ago.

Pointing a shaky finger Erik commanded, "Leave at once. This is highly improper. Why did you not knock?" Erik scowled at her trying to convey more anger than discomfort for having Anna see him without benefit of clothing.

"I heard you shouting something awful. I thought a hoard of those rats had made their way into your room. What is all this mess about anyway?"

Anna went around the room picking up Erik's tossed about articles. When she caught a glimpse of his trousers gaping open with half the buttons popped off her mirth nearly exploded from her.

"What in the world are you looking for? I assume this mess can only mean you have lost something precious."

"My clothes," Erik exclaimed as if that explained everything.

"What about your clothes? They seem fine to me. Elegant in fact. You always look impressive. So, what's the problem?"

"The problem dear woman is that incompetent tailor has made inferior garments. They must have shrunk when washed as now not one single thing fits me." Upon looking down Erik saw his gaping trousers. Glancing up quickly he hoped Anna had not seen the way they gaped apart. Her eyes he discovered were trained on him looking just where he did not want her to be looking.

He immediately dropped his hands down with the shirt thus baring his chest. Anna's eyes moved from down below his waist to just above it. She ran her appreciative eyes over Erik's chest. He did not have the physic of a muscle bound circus strongman but he seemed rather well formed to Anna's inexperienced eyes. He in no way looked skeletal. Far from it in fact. She would almost bet that many men would envy Erik for his well honed body while women would not be turning away uninterested if he were to perhaps walk about with his shirt off. Anna got sidetracked for a few minutes as she pictured Erik as she imagined him lifting those heavy dumbbells musclemen lifted. An all too vivid picture forming in her mind, had her own face turning scarlet. Anna felt the sweat begin to pop out on her upper lip. Good heavens her mind had certainly developed the ability to conjure detailed pictures suddenly.

Erik became all the more frustrated as he could not decide which horrible part of him he should cover. He had forgotten about his face during his ranting over his ill-fitting clothes.

When he next paid a visit to Monsieur Bernard he had better have an acceptable explanation for this outrage.

"Erik, I hate to be personal and I know this question is inappropriate, but, do you think you may have gained a few pounds in the last month or so? I remember you telling me food held little interest for you but I have noticed, well I noticed you have been eating rather well and regularly also. Might this new regular eating habit not be responsible for the fit or rather lack of fit in your clothing?"

"Mademoiselle Anna, are you trying to say you think I have grown fat? Before I was merely ugly, now I am to be compared to swine?"

"Erik don't speak such nonsense. You are not fat. In fact you are quite lean and well muscled. Do you know how many of those nobles would sell their own wives to have your body? Gracious me any woman would find you attractive, especially me."

Anna clamped her hand over her mouth as she realized what she had said. All her words came back to taunt her. Oh Lord above had she really gotten so personal and said all those things out loud and to his face? Her aunts would have a stroke if they had heard her.

Erik slowly digested what she had said and absorbed the meaning of her words. Had she really called him attractive? Had she said she herself thought him attractive?

Erik resisted the urge to turn and look in the mirror so he might see what had changed to make him less hideous than before. Had he really added flesh and muscle to his tall once skeletal frame?

Anna began to back away from him as she mumbled something about getting to work on time and she would meet him at the boat. Turning abruptly she bumped into the door frame before exiting the room as she almost ran down the hallway to her own room. Slamming the door Anna leaned against it covering her face with her hands. Oh heaven help her what was she to do? If only she could erase what she had said from his mind. How could she look him in the eye again after her confession? He must think her quite loose in her morals to speak so boldly to him.

Erik stood just as Anna had left him for a few seconds then plopped down on the chair behind him. He held his shirt out in front of him looking at it as if it were a foreign, never before seen object. She thought him attractive. Not only that but she thought other women would find him attractive.

Dare he hope? No it could not be. He must have misheard her or his own mind created phrases that he thought his ears heard but she did not speak.

No he had been in full control of his faculties. He had not been daydreaming or fantasizing. He had heard her correctly. Now what should he do with this knowledge? Dare he attempt to act on her attraction?

Erik stood resolutely as he put his shirt on. As he buttoned his shirt he noticed it too had become a little snug.

Perhaps all those years as competition for a skeleton all he had needed all along had been a few good meals.

Erik exchanged the ruined trousers for a different pair. Before he put them on he cut a little slot in the back then fastened it together with a safety pin. Safety pins he concluded did have many uses. The little inch the length of the pin gave wasn't much but at least Erik could button his trousers without fear of coming undone and exposing things better left unseen. Well, at least left unseen until a proper time came along for sharing such things.

Erik had made the decision he would attempt to kiss Anna good-bye. Not on her cheek but on her lips. Nothing ventured, nothing gained as the saying went. Erik would be venturing forward while hoping to gain much.

Nervously Erik smoothed his hands over his waistcoat. He had even braved looking in the mirror. He looked, if not handsome at least presentable and every inch a proper gentleman. Today he would not be wearing his mask. He wanted nothing to be in the way of the kiss he sought.

Just as a boost to his confidence he splashed on some of his cologne. He wanted no odor's resembling the grave surrounding him today.

Deciding nothing more could be done Erik left his room eager to come to the end of today's upward journey. Anna he found to his delight already waited for him at the edge of the lake. This afforded Erik the opportunity to assist Anna into the boat which meant he had to hold her hand in his. She readily offered said hand to him. Erik made sure he seated her softly. Today he seemed to pole the little boat along quite a bit faster than ever before. His mind conjuring pictures of what waited at the end of his journey powered his arms with more strength than ever before.

Once they had left the tunnels and began climbing the stairs Erik's confidence began to evaporate like water in an unwatched boiling teakettle.

Once at the very top Anna turned to smile one last time into Erik's eyes. With Anna looking at him so trustingly Erik's impulses took command of him. Before his brain could intervene and order him to stop he pulled her to him and kissed her. Inexpertly but he kissed her all the same. Her gasp opened her mouth allowing his tongue to touch her own. Erik did not know if this was something that should occur but he liked the sensation so he would not be the one to object.

Anna, after that first surprised gasp felt other emotions and sensations overwhelm her. Heat began to spread from her belly to other places. Nothing unpleasant. In fact Anna could say with all honesty that she liked what Erik did even if he seemed tentative in his exploration of her mouth. Her own inexperience she felt would not be so noticeable as Erik seemed to be as inexperienced as Anna could claim herself to be.

If Erik had thought Anna would attempt to move away from him he indeed received a shock when she moved closer even as she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Erik's instincts had him deepening the kiss even as his own hands pulled her closer to him. Without being aware of it Erik lifted Anna completely off her feet as he held her firmly against him. Their bodies aligned perfectly together as the kiss seemed to go on without end.

"Oh Erik what are you doing to me?" Anna mumbled against his mouth as he continued the exploration of her inner moistness with his tongue.

Erik now had the problem of his manhood straining against his trousers. His alter ego urged him to take advantage and grind crudely against her seeking all the pleasure her body could offer. Erik won the battle with the less gentlemanly side of him.

He let Anna slide down his tall frame. That proved to be a wonderful torture as he felt her in every tortured part of him. Once on her feet Anna slid her hands down over Erik's chest not in any hurry to part from him.

Anna's face had flushed during the passionate exchange. She noticed Erik's face seemed quite flushed as well. His cheeks which normally seemed quite pale now had a healthy pink coloring.

"I will return at nine o'clock. You will be here won't you?" Anna knew he would be but she did not want him to think she was taking him for granted. Erik merely nodded. He could not speak had he even tried to do so. His emotions had locked his throat prohibiting him from uttering a sound.

Anna sighed. As much as she wanted to stay she could not. She would much rather spend the day with Erik. They could perhaps continue this new discovery that had cropped up between them. She regretted her promise to spend the evening with Desiree who Anna did not particularly like. The only consolation Anna could think of at the moment was that the evening would end fairly early.

Anna reached up to kiss Erik one last time. This time Erik had the presence of mind to bend down so she could place her lips on his own if she had the desire to do such a thing. Erik felt tremendous relief when he felt her soft well formed lips touch his grossly malformed mouth. When Anna offered such gestures even something not as personal as a kiss, Erik did not feel quite so grotesque. He felt less monstrous.

Erik had an unexpected premonition as he watched Anna go through that door. He felt as if he had said good-bye to her for the last time. He had even stepped forward to pull her back. The closing of the door behind Anna prevented Erik from dragging her back to the safety of his home.

Erik's years of fighting to preserve what little life he did have, had honed his instincts over the years. Every fiber of Erik's being shouted for him to go after Anna and bring her to safety. Tamping down those urges he reasoned what could happen to her in the opera house. This evening she would be in the company of another woman. There would be safety in numbers Erik placated himself with this knowledge. Anna would surely be safe in a restaurant with dozens of other patrons dining out in the open.

By nightfall while Erik paced about his home he would berate himself for disregarding his own instincts. Had they not kept him safe all these years? Erik's rage would come to murderous levels once more. God himself may not be able to save those who kept Anna from returning to Erik.