WHAT MADNESS IS THIS?

TWO chapters in one day? Has FP33 finally gone insane?

No, she is just happy since her new computer was shipped out today and should arrive soon! So you get a bonus chapter!

Just please, don't skip over today's previously posted chapter and only review for this one...we will never make our 'special offer quota' that way!

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Guest Reviews: (so far)

guest: Yes I can and I kind of already did. It is up on Kindle now for sale and as soon as I finish posting it I will be uploading it to Amazon in paperback book form. It will probably end up as BIG as MBTM...it is LONG!

Grandma Paula: I made sure my Erik drank lots of milk, so he avoided the ulcer problem, ha ha. Erik and Amir DO have good talks...right? Deep down they are best buds! Of course he will cry at the reunion...this is ERIK after all. ha ha. And we younger women like to take him in our arms too!

LOVEDIT: Yah, it is irritating, but no one can blame him for his worry. So far so good on the reviews...you all might get a mass posting near the end after all. Ha ha, loved the countdown to Erik's ulcer...he might not be so hot on the idea though. Yah, Charles will be like..."What?" ha ha.

PhanGuest: Erik does need to stop lying! I think he will come to that conclusion soon enough...or will he? It is kind of second nature to him now as a way to protect himself. One reunion with parents 'coming up'!

Mystery: Ummm, Christine is blind...of course she is in the dark. ha ha. I think a lecture would be required after the wedding! Erik and Amir are SOOOO much bros! They just need to admit it. I look forward to the day they sit around sipping something and talking like buddies. How does THIS rate as "Erik kicking Amir out of his underground house" speed?

Sryianlight: No more suffering...get to the reuniting! Amir is your BFF! I would have laughed if Erik had dropped everything and left Amir standing there to run upstairs and find her. ha ha. I am glad you are willing to wait...hope this chapter helps you get closer to that magic moment. ha ha. The festival is still a few weeks away, plenty of time for a reunion with no worry about missing it.

TheRebbs98: Liked that Queen of the Mole people, did ya. I put that in for KittyPimms to make her laugh! Define 'Raoul bashing' ha ha. I will see what I can do. To answer your question "no". Sorry.

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Chapter 37

A Journey in the Night

Erik was plagued with nightmares that evening, but none of them were fabrications of dreams, for he never closed his eyes once. No, these nightmares were instead memories he had lived through in his past. Each and every horrible act of murder and violence he could recall dredged up and now put on display before him. Thankfully, the majority were still lost in the hazy, drug induced fog that clouded his mind back in Persia, but the ones he did remember were painfully vivid. It was those that tormented him, causing him to pace his room till the wee hours of the morning. How could he face Anna knowing he had done such things? He was not sure he could bear to see the look of disappointment on her face, should she ever learn how far he had fallen. She had told him to be good and never forget he was a gentleman – and yet he had become a killer…a monster in every sense of the word.

He knew that Christine had accepted his past and he had sworn he would spend the rest of his life showing her that he wished to change, to be a good and righteous man for her. Yet would Anna see things the same way? Would Christine's father? Before, when they were just impersonal names and titles, he had not given them much thought. But now they had faces…and he feared the looks of scorn he might see on them.

What was he to do?

Making his way to his dresser he opened one of the top drawers and pulled out a wooden box, opening it as he surveyed the contents. It was a mask – yet not like any of his other soft leather ones – no, this one was special. He had crafted it several years ago when he had heard about the advances in the production of latex and vulcanized rubber, spearheaded by an American engineer named Charles Goodyear. It had taken him a month to get the consistency right as well as create a mold that was acceptable, and tinting it to a suitable flesh tone had proved most difficult. Still, after much trial and error, a lifelike mask had been the end product. He had hoped it would be his salvation, his way of interacting with the general public without drawing too much attention to his horrific face – and at first it had worked wonderfully. However, Erik soon realized that wearing the latex mask for more than an hour caused a severe reaction to his skin, making it even more irritated and blotchy than it already was. The itching and burning effect the rubber created was nothing short of agonizing, thus causing Erik to box up the mask and put it away, not daring to wear it again. He had heard there had been recent improvements made in the technology, but he had not bothered to try again and there was no time to do so now. Yet Amir's startling news had caused Erik to become desperate enough to pull it out and chance wearing it once again.

It was his only hope of making a good first impression on Christine's parents.

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The following morning, when the clock finally struck eight, Erik had not slept a wink, but still he did his best to make himself presentable before exiting his room. He had not made it far when he heard a cry come from Christine's room.

"Erik! Erik, come quick!" came her frantic call.

Within seconds he was at her door, pushing it open as his body tensed for battle, ready to slay whatever foe was causing her alarm. Yet instead, he saw her standing in the middle of the room, still in her nightgown and looking quite happy - smiling from ear to ear. When she heard him enter she spun around and looked at him carefully…really looked at him. Her scrutiny caused him to feel uneasy and he took an involuntary step backwards, watching her cautiously.

"What is the matter, Christine?" he asked, his body relaxing somewhat now that he knew there was no danger.

"Nothing is the matter…everything is wonderful!" she announced, her smile growing even more. "Erik, I can see distinct shapes today! I can tell that is my dressing table and that is the armoire." She pointed at each one as she spoke. Then she turned to him and once more allowed her now semi focused eyes to graze over him from tip to toe. "And you, Erik…I can see you!" She walked closer, reaching out her hands - but not because she needed them to feel her way - but instead to confidently grasp hold of him. Taking Erik by the hands she held them out at his sides, as if she were inspecting him for the first time. "I always knew you were tall, but to actually see your height is quite impressive. And you appear to be a bit on the thin side as well, so as your future wife I will take it as my duty to fatten you up. I still cannot make out every detail, but Erik…I can see you! I can now find you in a room even when you are being eerily quiet, like you often are." She gave a quick laugh. "You can never hide from me again!"

Erik did not know what to say. His only thought was he was glad she was still unable to see his features clearly enough to ask to inspect his face. He knew she would do so eventually, for her sight was improving by leaps and bounds. He was just glad it had not fully returned today. He had been debating on whether to mention his flesh colored mask to her and his intent on wearing it to meet her parents, but perhaps it was best to omit such information at the moment. After all, he had little faith it would work and he did not wish to get her hopes up needlessly.

"Does…does this mean you now wish to begin cooking in earnest?" Erik asked, doing his best to divert her train of thought and alleviate some of the tension that now coursed through his body.

"Well…I might not be ready to tackle that cake again anytime soon, but I can certainly whip up some breakfast!" she announced happily. "Just let me get dressed and we will see what I can manage without creating too big of a mess for you to clean up!" And before Erik could react, Christine quickly rose on her tiptoes and balanced there long enough to give him a warm and welcome kiss. "See, I know just where to kiss you now too!" she informed him, running her fingers through his dark hair then down the side of his mask. "I think I am going to like being able to see again very much indeed." Then, with a playful shove, she ushered him out of her room so she could change in private.

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Anxiously, Amir once more made his way to Erik's abode, not having had much sleep himself the night before. He had spent the evening shadowing Charles and Anna Daae, watching the beleaguered and exhausted pair as they had gone to several shops, businesses and restaurants, showing Christine's picture and asking if anyone had seen her. It was quite heart-wrenching to watch their hopes shot down each time before they had returned to their small flat in defeat. He could only imagine they diligently resumed their search the following day, eager once again to do all they could to locate their missing girl.

Darius had been rather perplexed that Amir had hardly touched his dinner, as he instead watched the clock and waited impatiently for the time to visit Erik to arrive. He was not sure what he would discover when he got there, but he was eager to find out.

Amir did not hesitate as he pounded on the door, straining to hear any sounds coming from within the secret abode. His panic level was just starting to rise when the door slowly opened, revealing a somewhat haggard looking Erik on the other side.

"Ah, Daroga. Right on time…how unusual," he muttered, stepping aside as he invited the man in.

As Amir crossed the threshold, he noted that while Erik had attempted a sarcastic jab, all the bluster and fight seemed to have gone out of the man before him. Had something terrible happened?

"Erik…are you all right?" he asked quietly, wishing to know just what kind of lion's den he was walking into.

"Ask me that later…when this is all over," Erik sighed, looking as if his slumped shoulders were already overburdened with concern. "Christine is in the parlor…we should not keep her waiting." Then he turned and headed that way, leaving Amir to follow with a concerned frown on his face.

When they arrived, Christine was indeed waiting for them, once again a wide smile on her face. It pleased Amir to see at least one of them was in a pleasant mood, yet he kept an apprehensive eye on Erik just in case.

"I am so happy you returned, Monsieur," Christine greeted him after both men had taken a seat. "My sight has greatly improved even from yesterday. Erik says that I might have full use of my vision within a week's time! By my wedding day I will be able to see my groom waiting for me at the end of the aisle!"

"That is marvelous news indeed," Amir assured her, sounding equally happy. Yet one look at Erik and the frown returned to his face. Why did this information seem to cause him pain?

"So have you come to give Erik your answer?" Christine continued, oblivious of the mental struggles going on around her. "I do hope you say yes, for even if he will not admit it out loud, I know Erik is eager for you to agree."

"Agree to what?" Amir asked, looking from Christine to Erik and then back again. "I am afraid I have missed something."

"That can be discussed later, Christine," Erik broke in, halting the train of conversation before it derailed. "Right now, Amir has pressing news he wishes to share. Something very sudden and important has just arisen… about your parents."

This did indeed drive all wedding plans out of her head as she turned an anxious look towards the Persian.

"My parents…what about them?" she asked. "Are they all right…nothing has happened to them, has it?"

"No! Nothing like that, my dear," Amir quickly assured her, watching as she gave a grateful sigh of relief. He then shot Erik a withering look, angered that he had now put him in the position of announcing their arrival. Apparently the twenty-four hours he had asked for was not spent confessing what he had learned about her parents being in town the previous day. And it did not appear that Erik had any intention of being the one to inform her now, leaving it up to him to do the honors. "You see, Christine…I just happened to run into your parents…here…in Paris."

"What?" she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand in shock. "My…my family is here? Now?"

"It would appear that some of the letters you sent did not arrive in a timely fashion," Amir began, giving Erik a glaring look before continuing. "And when the telegram you sent did not pacify their concerns, they immediately booked passage to Paris and arrived sometime in the last few days." Amir did all he could to avoid mentioning why the letters failed to arrive or that he had any knowledge about their arrival the previous day when he visited. "They have apparently been to your old apartment, the police station and the Opera Garnier in search of you."

"Oh, Erik!" Christine cried, tears coming to her eyes as she turned towards him. "What must they think? I can't imagine their worry when they arrived… only to find that I had…vanished!"

"We will quickly rectify that, my dear," he assured her, leaning forward and taking her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Amir is here to guide us to where they are staying, this very night. You will be with them soon and they will no longer have reason for worry or concern."

"He will…I mean, we are?" she sniffled, doing her best to regain her composure.

"I have everything in hand, Christine," Erik told her, offering a handkerchief from his breast pocket. "We will be leaving just as soon as the streets become less crowded. There is no need to worry."

"Thank you, Erik," Christine said with a grateful smile, dabbing at her eyes. "And thank you for your help as well, Monsieur Amir. It is deeply appreciated."

"Of…course, I am happy to be of assistance," he stammered, looking at Erik questioningly, having no idea what was truly going on.

"In the meantime, I suggest that you pack a bag to take with you, seeing as how I am certain your parents would hardly approve of you returning with me once they learn where you have been living for the past two months," Erik warned.

"Must we tell them?" Christine begged, obviously not looking forward to her father's reaction to the news. "Can't we simply say I have been staying with friends? It would not be a bold faced lie."

Erik suddenly recalled Anna's aversion to lies of any kind and how she had once warned him that it was wrong and wicked to be untruthful. The one and only time she had dared tell a falsehood to his mother, concerning her ability to bake rose biscuits, the shame had plagued his nanny to no end. No, he would not be party to deceiving Anna in any way. He already felt like a heel over the untruths he had told Christine, and he knew they had to stop…now!

"No…I think it best to tell the truth in this matter. They would only discover the lie eventually and I will not be the cause of you being dishonest with your parents. They deserve better than that," Erik stated firmly, referring more to himself as he said the words.

"Of course…you are right," Christine lowered her head in shame, her cheeks turning a bit pink at his gentle reprimand. "I will go and pack my things immediately, I do not wish to be the cause for delay tonight." She quickly stood and left the room, heading to do as Erik suggested.

As soon as she was gone, Amir all but pounced on Erik, eager to find out what the masked man had up his sleeve.

"What the devil has that devious mind of yours concocted now, Erik?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice low so Christine would not overhear. "What do you have planned?"

"No more than I have just stated," he replied almost painfully. "You will lead Christine and me to where her parents are staying and I shall hand over my darling angel, safely back into the arms of her loving family."

"And you? What will you do?" Amir suddenly feared that Erik had plans of dropping her off and making a run for it. Yet, from what he had observed, Erik's love for the girl would surely prevent him from doing such a foolish thing.

"I…I will do my utmost to ingratiate myself to her father and hopefully renew my past acquaintance with her mother," Erik admitted with a heavy sigh. "I wish to do this properly, in a way that will please Christine. I will thus petition her father for the right to take her hand in marriage. Though I fear things will not go as smoothly as either Christine or I hope. Parents are a whole new beast I have yet to deal with and I get the impression I will turn out to be the same for them."

"You will never know until you try," Amir stated hopefully. "Who knows…you might be pleasantly surprised."

This caused Erik to give a rueful chuckle. "I have been surprised many times in my life, Daroga…and Christine's confession of love has been the only pleasant one I can recall in the past two decades. I dare not press my luck wishing for another." He then stood, looking at the Persian with a mixture of anxiety and hesitation. "I am going to ready myself as well and when I return, I would appreciate it if you did not react in any way that might alert Christine to… well…the changes I am about to make."

"Changes?" Amir was now both curious and concerned.

"I will be donning a special mask for tonight's journey," he explained. "One that will allow me to blend in a bit more with the normal crowd. Please avoid any gasps or sputtering when you see it, thus alarming Christine. I do not wish for her to know of this and thankfully her eyesight is still fuzzy enough that she will not notice on her own. Can you do this, Daroga?"

"I will endeavor to keep a straight face and a calm attitude," he promised, now quite anxious to see this intriguing new mask.

"See that you do," Erik threatened as he left the room.

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Amir was left alone and after a while began to busy himself by looking around the room, touching things and examining books on the shelf until he heard Christine's delicate steps as she returned. Putting the volume back on the shelf he turned to see her standing there with a case in one hand and her cloak in the other.

"I am ready to go," she announced, sounding excited, yet a bit afraid at the same time.

"Erik said he had some things to prepare before we left," Amir told her. "He shouldn't be long."

Christine made her way back over to the settee and Amir politely joined her, desperately trying to think of something to converse about in Erik's absence. Yet it was Christine who initiated things by speaking up.

"You say you saw my parents? How did they appear? Well, I hope," she asked, begging for further information.

"Yes, I did see them, but I did not speak with them - thinking it was best I alerted you to their presence first and allow you to be the one to inform them of your…well…good news," Amir told her.

"Which news? Our engagement or the fact that I am now able to see again?" Christine laughed, obviously excited about both. "I was so dreading telling them about the barge accident and how it had taken my sight, but now…now I can assure them that all will be well."

"And Erik…what do you think they will say about him?" Amir had to admit that he was more than curious about how they would react to their daughter's chosen fiancé.

"I suspect they will be wary to begin with, I mean even I was when I first met Erik," she chuckled, thinking back to those early days alone with him in his underground home. "But I know they will quickly see the goodness I have found in him and be pleased that we are in love. It is true that my parents are overly protective, almost to the extreme, but in the end they want me to be happy…and Erik makes me very happy!"

"Erik has confided in me that he has told you of his past and what he hides behind his mask…are you certain that you can live with this knowledge?" Amir hated to ask, but he felt it would lay his latent fears to rest if he heard it directly from her.

"How Erik looks is of no importance to me, for it was his heart I came to know first. His face will simply be another part of him that I dearly love. I will not lie, however, and say that his painful and violent history was not a blow, but I firmly believe that those days are behind him. That Erik is now, and ever will be, a reformed man - bitterly ashamed of the life he was forced to lead back in Persia," Christine stated with the utmost assurance.

"I can attest to that first hand," Amir nodded sadly. "I was there the night he broke down and begged me to help him escape from the hold the Shah had over him, both mentally and physically. It had never been his intention to fall into that lifestyle…to become the puppet of a cruel and twisted man who fed off of violence and the misery of others. I curse the day I brought him before the Shah, never knowing just what he had up his sleeve once he got a look at Erik's face. That is why I risked everything to help him escape and continue to keep an eye on him now. I have always felt somewhat responsible for what they did to him and I will go to my grave trying to make amends for the part I played in his nightmare."

"You are truly a good friend to him," Christine said, placing her hand on his in an affectionate gesture. "Erik has great difficulty expressing his feelings, but deep down, he knows what you have done for him and he truly appreciates it. And one day he will find the strength to tell you so himself."

"Well, my dear, I will not hold my breath waiting for that day to come, for fear I perish in the attempt," Amir laughed good-naturedly. "Yet, it warms my heart to hear you say such things. You have been a blessing to him and I wish you both an eternity of happiness."

They might have said more but they heard Erik coming down the hall and quickly silenced their private conversation.

"It would appear you are ready, Christine," Erik said as he entered the room. "Are you quite prepared to serve as our guide, Daroga?"

Amir turned to assure Erik that he was indeed, but at the sight of the man before him he temporarily lost all ability to speak. Or at least he did for a moment, but unfortunately when he did regain the capacity to form words, all he managed to do was irritate Erik by doing just what he had been specifically instructed not to do.

"Merciful Allah!" Amir gasped, jerking back as he stared open mouthed at Erik's face. It was all quite surreal to see him looking…well…ordinary. The mask did not make him look particularly handsome but neither did he appear ugly, he just looked like any normal man you would meet on the street. If he was able to cover his deformity in such a manner, leaving him quite presentable, it made Amir wonder why he had not been wearing it all along.

"Monsieur Amir, are you all right?" Christine asked, taken aback by the Persian's startled expression.

Erik gave the gaping man a stern and threatening look, silently conveying his infinite displeasure in his ability to follow the simplest request. To his credit, Amir did pull himself together quickly, clearing his throat as he stammered out a response.

"Oh…yes, I am quite fine," he insisted. "I…I just thought I saw something…I mean…I …oh, never mind, it was nothing. Nothing at all to be concerned over. I'm afraid I am getting older and my eyesight is not what it used to be, so you must forgive my jumpy nature, my dear."

Christine stared at him with a puzzled expression for a moment before deciding to let the issue drop, figuring it was not worth further embarrassing the man over nothing. Besides, she was far too excited about the prospect of seeing her parents and introducing them to Erik.

"Did you pack enough clothing to get you by?" Erik inquired, directing her attention to him, in order to allow Amir to fully compose himself.

"I think what I am bringing will be more than sufficient until we are married and I am able to return," Christine assured him, figuring that she did not have to take all the things Erik had purchased for her. He had been rather generous and her closet was now quite full of beautiful dresses, shoes and necessary undergarments. So much so, that they would never have all fit in the suitcase he had provided for her anyway.

"Then shall we?" Erik asked, quickly helping her into the warm cloak before tucking her hand in the crook of his arm. Giving a jerk of his head, he instructed Amir to grab her case – more as punishment for his slip of the tongue – as he led them out of his house and up through the tunnels to the surface.

When they stepped out into the night air, Christine snuggled in a little closer to Erik, allowing his tall frame to shield her from the biting wind. Fall had turned to winter and there was a threat of snow coming on soon, promising to cover all of Paris in a blanket of white.

Darkness had enveloped the city and Erik felt that even the clouds seemed to be on his side as they covered the sky and blocked out the moon. Amir went first, leaving the alley by the Rue Scribe, still clutching the small case containing Christine's belongings as he checked for signs of people who might be milling around the streets. He quickly hailed a cab and signaled for Erik and Christine to join him once he had informed the driver of their odd request to drive around aimlessly for a quarter of an hour before taking them to their destination on the Rue de Perlet. The man gave Amir an odd look, but quickly agreed when he was given a hefty tip for his compliance.

Erik helped Christine up into the cab while Amir strapped the bag to the back and then climbed in himself, settling down in the seat opposite them. The journey was made mostly in silence, Christine being lost in thought and straining her eyes to see anything out the window as the glowing street lamps went by. Erik was far too nervous over the upcoming meeting to make conversation and Amir feared the possibility of saying the wrong thing and further incurring Erik's wrath. By the time the driver arrived at his round-about destination, Erik was more than ready to vacate the claustrophobic little cab, much preferring the wide open spaces and fresh air. His rubber mask had begun to bother him, just as he had expected, and the sooner this night was over the sooner he could rip it off his face and find a measure of relief.

The sidewalks were blessedly bare, no pedestrian in sight, as the cab pulled away and they crossed the cobblestone street towards the flat marked 314. At the base of the steps Amir stopped and handed Erik Christine's case.

"I believe this is where I will take my leave," he informed them. "I do not think my services are needed any further and this appears to be more of a private matter for just the two of you."

"Thank you so very much for all your help and kindness, Monsieur Amir," Christine said, reaching out as she took hold of his hand, pulling him towards her as she bestowed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "I am eternally grateful for all you have done."

"It has been my privilege, Mademoiselle Christine," Amir assured her, blushing slightly at the feel of her warm lips. He gave Erik a quick glance, and while he had been scowling the whole trip, he somehow now appeared to be even more irritated…if that was at all possible. Still, it was she who had kissed him, and he for one would not be bullied into feeling guilty over the kind expression of gratitude she had bestowed upon him, not even by Erik. "I wish you both luck," Amir told them as he turned and headed down the sidewalk, eventually disappearing into the night.

"Well…this is it," Christine told Erik as she grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Are you nervous?" Erik asked, seeing the almost frantic look in her eyes.

"Are you?" she countered.

"Dreadfully so," he confessed. "I have never had to meet anyone's parents before, let alone impress them. I don't even have any experience with my own in this case, seeing as my father died before I was born and my mother hated me from birth."

"Erik, I am so sorry you had such a horrible experience growing up," Christine whimpered, reaching out and embracing him tightly as she laid her cheek against his chest. "From now on, I am your family and I will never show you anything but love and devotion. I swear!"

"I know," Erik sighed, much of his trepidation melting away at her gentle words and touch. She was like a healing balm to his frayed nerves and he would have given anything to simply stay there like they were, wrapped in each other's arms. Yet the night air was not good for Christine, or her voice, and he would not risk having her get sick this close to the festival. "Come, my dear…let's get this over with."

"Oh, Erik, you make it sound more like an execution than an introduction," she laughed, though even she could not hide all her uncertainty.

"We will find out exactly which it will be in a few moments," Erik said with a sigh, taking her by the elbow and guiding her up the steps. When they stood in front of the door he took an involuntary step back, leaving Christine to be the prominent one while he effectively faded into the shadows like he preferred. She paused slightly, standing up straight and squaring her shoulders before lifting her hand to knock on the door. There was silence at first, followed by the sound of footsteps slowly coming towards the door.

This was the moment of truth…the moment that would either allow Erik's dreams to come true or dash them all to pieces.

He held his breath as the door swung open.

I TOLD YOU the cliffies were coming!

Oh my! What will happen now?

Will Erik's new mask (or old one, in this case) help him to put his best face forward?

Who will answer the door? Wouldn't it just suck if they got the wrong house? ha ha.

Don't forget to hit that cute little review button below...for BOTH chapters!