Thank you for all of the lovely reviews and messages, everyone!

I tried to get at least fifteen minute in most nights after rehearsals to write, so hopefully everyone's a bit happier with the quicker update? And it's a long chapter, too!
I've written a bit more, so the next chapter should be up fairly quickly!

At the moment this story looks like it should have four or so more chapters. Unless I think of something to add in, but I'm still with my original plans.

Thanks for reading!

I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I knew Erik had changed during his time here in America, but I would have never thought he would reveal his face to anyone. First Gustave, and now apparently Meg.

"I -" I was at a loss of things to say, and Meg hiccoughed as she stared in her lap. "Did he show you, Meg?"

"I made him angry," she started again. "I was trying to convince him to choose me over you - foolishly, I know - oh, Christine don't look like that! He would never give up on you; he never has before! But I thought if one person in the world loved me...and who better than Erik? Nothing's ever been set in stone for him, and I just thought that if I could prove to him I would be something permanent in his life he would want me. So..." she took a deep breath and put her hands over her face. "I told him that I loved him and he took of his mask because he was so angry and I screamed, and I can't remember exactly what happened after that, but I think I pushed him away and no one has seen him since."

She said all of this very quickly, and it took me a moment to respond. "Oh," we were both silent, and I don't know how many minutes passed as we sat and hoped the other would speak first. All I could think of was Erik - where was he? Was he okay? But Meg was here, sobbing in front of me now, and I had to do something with her first.

"You should have known better than to say those things, Meg."

"I was not thinking clearly!" She whined hopelessly. "My mind has not been in the right state for years, Christine! Every morning I wake up and wish more than anything I could just sleep through the remainder of it; there's nothing good for me! What do I have to live for?!"

"Your performances!" I reminded her. "They are what you live for, no?"

"My performances," she repeated with a scoff. "And then I go back to my dressing room to proposals from men who were in my audience, because there's nothing else I'm good for."

"Meg, that's not true," I said gently. "You're so beautiful - you know I was always jealous of your hair when we were younger. You just have to pull yourself out of this stage. Things will get better, I'm sure of it."

"I don't know how to fix this, Christine." I could hardly hear her.

"Just...get through this next performance. Then it's the end of the season and you have months before you have to think of your next move. I will help you all I can manage, Meg. You know I'm here for you."

"You don't have to be, Christine. I don't deserve you after all I've done to get rid of you."

"You are hurting, Meg, and I want you to realise all the good that's left in the world. We'll find something for you. Things will be good again."

It took her a long time to answer. "Thank you," she rubbed her eyes, which looked awfully painful, and I made a move to help her to her feet. "You need to rest, Meg, you look like you haven't slept in days."

"I'm not going home to face my mother like this -"

"You may have my room. Gustave is in his room, in case you need anything."

"I won't bother him." She pulled off her boots and allowed me to help her into the bed. "Christine," she called as I was leaving. I turned at the door with my eyebrows raised. "I doubt Erik will want me to perform at the concert."

"You bring quite the audience, Meg. I'm sure your performance is being anticipated as we speak."

"Do you know where he is?"

"I have a fair idea. I'm going to find him now."

"Let him know how sorry I am." Her voice was broken.

"I will do my best." I promised. I began pulling the door closed behind me. "Get some rest, Meg."

}~*~{

Erik was just where I thought he would be - sitting at the bench of the exquisite piano in his secret hideaway somewhere under his park.

I knew he was aware of my presence, as he always was, but he did not stop playing as I walked slowly toward him. I tried to make my footsteps unheard as the melody he played dragged me under, tugging at my heart in the most unbearable way. The song was impossibly sad, and I felt myself tear up when I reached him.

The song slowly came to an end, and instead of molding into a new piece, his fingers slid from the keys and his back hunched in the most hopeless way it was able. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as gently as I could manage so as not to startle him and pressed my face into his shoulder blade. I felt him pull away from me slightly, but I did not let him go, telling him without words that I was not leaving him.

"Christine,"

"Meg came to see me,"

He pulled away more strongly, but I locked my hands together in front of him and forced him to remain in my grasp. "Erik, listen to me for a moment! She is sorry. Believe me. You do not know what she's been through since you arrived in America. I'm not going to tell you, because it is not my business, but please understand that she is in more pain than any of us would have thought. She's been forced to do things I could not live through, and she believed she was doing them to help you. She has been doing everything she can for you, and she has never felt good enough." I felt the tears slip out of my eyes and spoke into his coat as I continued. "Please forgive her. At least enough to come back to the real world - I don't expect you to ever be on speaking terms, but please, for me."

"She was right, though," he said quietly. "She had the reaction I was sure about and yet, I convinced myself otherwise."

"Always negative," I sighed. I lifted my head and watched the wall in front of me. "Erik, I chose you. Do I have to remind you of that?"

"You need not stick to your promise, Christine. I understand -"

"I am going to stay here, with you, because you are the one person in the world other than my son - our son - that I am sure of. Must you make me confess the things you stir in me that my husband was never able to?"

He was silent, but did not make a move to shy away from me again. I removed my arms from around him and walked so I was standing before him, tightly between the bench he was sitting on and the piano behind me. So close that my I felt his knees against me.

"Will you please look at me?"

He lifted his head slowly, and all I took notice of was those haunted eyes...one hidden behind the white mask on the right side of his face.

"Do not try to push me away." I told him gently as I put my fingers to the base of his mask. I paused for a moment, just to be sure he was not going to overreact, before I pulled it from his face. His eyes remained squeezed shut and I lifted my right hand to ghost across his left eyelid. Still, he did not open them.

"I think you are beautiful." I told him, my voice choked with emotion, but strong, to tell him I was being completely truthful. "If not on your face, then absolutely everywhere else. Erik, there is no one else in the world..."

I leaned down as best I could and pressed my lips to his right cheek, feeling him tense in front of me. "Do not overthink anything, my darling. You are being too hard on yourself." I pressed my forehead to his own and cradled his face in my hands. "Don't you remember how easy everything was that night? I want things to be that way between us, Erik. With everything. I want you to wake up and just know that you are loved and that I will not be leaving you this time."

I felt his hands on my sides as I spoke, and finally his eyelashes as he opened his eyes. I opened my own and leaned back enough so I could see him. "I've sorted my life. I know what I want, and you're making me feel so small when you try to convince yourself that I've chosen wrong."

"I do not want to live without you." He breathed.

"And I do not want to live without you." I said, shaking him slightly. "So why can we not just leave it at that and begin our life together? That is all I want. Think about Gustave - he needs people in his life to look up to, and if we are both so indecisive he is just going to get in one of his states. He needs us."

Erik did not say anything, and I knew he continued to torture himself in silence. I turned slightly to hide his mask behind me on the top of the piano and ran my hands through his hair gently. "Are you listening to me, Erik? Are you hearing my words, but dismissing them before they can convince you otherwise of what you force yourself to believe?" I was not going to speak again until he answered me, and I watched him expectantly as he stared through me, never looking at my face.

"Christine, you are one in a million who can see me for anything other than..." he shuddered as he gestured toward his face and I watched him carefully when I lifted my hand to brush my fingertips against the calluses and distorted skin of his cheek.

"Yes, I may be one in a million, Erik." I said gently. "But does that not just prove to you how perfect we are together? You are one in a million yourself, Erik. There is no one in the world quite like you," I bent to bury my face in his hair. "No one as brilliant, or clever, or wonderful," he scoffed, and I pulled back and placed my hand under his chin so he would look at me. "It is as if you call me a fool, doubting yourself to this extent."

"I would never insinuate such a thing, Christine. You know that."

"I do not know if I can believe that, if you will not listen to what I have to say about you." I let my thumbs brush at his cheeks, my left moving about the uneven ridges while the right glided across smooth skin. My eyes fell to the left side of his face - taking in his dark eyes rested under his arched eyebrow, his gentle cheek bone, his lips, twisted beyond normalcy from both birth and his now bitter expression. "So, are you going to believe me when I tell you there is no one else for me, Erik? That you see yourself so differently to how I see you? That...that I love you?"

He began shaking, and it was a moment before I noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks. I brushed them away with my finger tips and held him more tightly. "I missed my chance to tell you that ten years ago, but I am saying it now. I love you, Erik. I spent a decade wishing to be in your arms, and now that I'm able to, all I want is for you to accept me into your life completely. Let us both be happy. Please,"

He stood and moved past me, stopping not far away and facing the opposite direction. I watched as he put his face in his hands and knew he was gathering his thoughts, possibly telling himself he was not good enough yet again.

"You said that this place was somewhere we could be together, Erik. Do you remember? There is no other world when we are down here. Just the two of us."

I'd moved to stand behind him, and it shocked me when he moved so quickly I almost didn't realise, gasping when he stopped to tower over me. His eyes were strong, determined, I noticed as I peered up at him, and my own expression questioned him as he lifted his hands and cradled my face between them.

It took too long for him to kiss me this time, but when he finally did, I could feel something had changed. Even his movements were more confident than I could have believed, and I knew after this he would not shield himself from me anymore - not to the extent he always had, anyway. He finally believed what I had constantly been trying to make him see, and for that I was relieved and grateful. My life could start now.

I felt his hand still holding the right side of my face as the other trailed down my shoulder blades, stopping at the middle of my back and pulling me toward him in a way that made my head feel too heavy, my mind too dizzy, and I felt my neck give up to the strain as my head fell back completely, only just being caught by Erik to keep me connected to him.

He now acted in the way that had always annoyed me about Raoul when it came to our kisses - the way my husband had always been so sure of himself with me. It had made me sick at times, but with Erik...it did nothing but convince me I never wanted to let him go.

I was not even aware of my arms, but imagined them to be limp like my head, so it surprised me when my hands began cramping from holding on so tightly to coat, clinging to his arms and not giving him the chance to leave me if he tried. I moved them over his shoulders so my hands were resting against the base of his neck and attempted to move myself even closer to him, but there was no way for our bodies to take any more space between us.

Our kiss lasted such a long time - a lot longer than I'd ever allowed a kiss with Raoul to last, and we finally pulled away from each other breathlessly, still clinging to the other for support. Erik's expression was difficult to read, but from what I could see of his face, I could decipher the feelings of bliss I also felt dwelling within me. That, and his eyes were strained. I knew he was thinking too hard and tightened my hands on his upper arms to get him to listen to me.

"Do you feel that, Erik? I promise you, that only occurs between the two of us. Never have I felt like that with Raoul. Only you. Please tell me you feel it," he nodded, and I sighed, unable to help closing my eyes. I only opened them again when I felt his long fingers tracing my jaw, and I looked up to see something I never had before.

Erik. Comfortable, serene, happy. A giggle slipped out from between my lips and I took his hands in my own and held them to my chest. "I'm willing to give up the life I've known for a second chance with you, because I know that is the only way I will ever truly feel like I am alive, but I need to be assured you will be as present in this relationship as I am."

"Christine," he breathed unevenly, his fingers curling around my own so tightly it could have been painful if I didn't crave it so. "I have to allow myself to believe you want - no one has ever -"

"I do, Erik," I assured him. "I want you more than anything. I want to live beside you and see you happy more than anything else in the world. Can you manage that? Can we wake every morning and know we're loved and happy?"

"You know I love you more than anything in the world," he murmured, seeming unable to remain still as his hands reached up to comb through my hair.

"And I love you the same, Erik."

"I want yourself and Gustave to be happy."

"You would make us happy. You know that." I exclaimed in surprise when I was lifted off my feet and held tightly to the man before me, laughing delightedly before I was cut off by his lips. "Does that mean you agree, Erik? Will you accept a divorced woman into your life?"

"Only if she is to accept my own proposal shortly afterwards."

I was unable to refrain from kissing him once again, my feet still almost a foot from the ground in our secret little hideaway.

}~*~{

I expected Gustave to be sleeping when we arrived back at what had quickly become my new home, but he met us at the entry foyer, ink stains on his left arm and face and what looked to be a new score clutched in his hand. His eyes were relaxed, but studied every one of our movements as Erik closed the door gently behind me and helped me remove my coat.

"What are you doing awake at this hour, young man?" I asked when he continued to watch us, never blinking.

"I lost track of time, I suppose."

"Well, go wash up, and I'll make sure you're comfortable."

"Could Mister Y tuck me in tonight, mother?"

"I -" I was taken aback. I knew Gustave and Erik had bonded tremendously in the short time they'd shared together, but I never thought Erik would get chosen over me for preparing Gustave for sleep. Erik could be extremely compassionate at times - I had seen that for myself just this evening, but I could not imagine him being anything but awfully proper while tucking in our son. Then again, I reminded myself, Gustave was much the same way occasionally. Perhaps the change of attitude was what he was after.

"Of course he can," I hoped I didn't sound as bitter as I thought I did over my rejection. "If Mister Y cares to, that is."

"I will see you to bed, Gustave. Now, go wash up as your mother asked."

Gustave immediately turned and rushed toward the bathroom, leaving the two of us standing by the door. I gave Erik a questioning look, still wondering if that had truly just happened and his lips twisted into a smirk. I was pleased with myself to see his walls falling and a less-guarded composure take over his person.

"When did you become so popular around here?" I asked with a small pout.

Erik chuckled, something which, again, surprised me, and I felt his long arms curl themselves around my shoulders. "You've seen him to bed every night for a decade, Christine. Perhaps the change in scenery has made him seek other experiences?"

"Or perhaps he likes you better than me." I huffed, attempting to worm my way out of his arms. He let them fall to his sides and I sensed him following me into the living room, where I sat to untie my boots and point and flex my toes, never looking away from them.

"You know that is not true, Christine. No one could love such a monster over an angel."

"I'm going to be very upset if you keep speaking about yourself that way." I mumbled quietly, standing again and noticing our height difference was even greater without my boots on. I wasn't able to resist pressing my cheek against his chest and sighing as I wrapped my arms around his middle, feeling his do the same. Now that we had our relationship out in the open, we were as pathetic as love-struck children, and I wasn't about to tell myself to act more like a woman nearing thirty.

"Mother," we broke apart when Gustave's voice sounded from just feet away and Erik straightened, completely professional once again.

"Are you ready to sleep, Gustave?"

Our son nodded once and I bent to kiss him before Erik followed him into my bedroom. I watched them go, debating with myself on whether or not to follow or stay put. I know I couldn't fool Erik with sneaking up on them, but would he truly mind? Gustave was a lot more perceptive than me, but if I kept as quiet as possible, I thought I stood a good chance of going undetected.

Gustave's door was cracked the slightest of amounts and I pressed myself against the wall to listen to what was happening on the other side.

"Are you warm?"

"Yes, thank you, Mister Y."

"If you need more blankets, let me know. I have spares somewhere in this house."

"No, I'm okay."

There was a pause, and I wondered what was happening. Erik was the first to speak again. "I apologise for my lack of expertise at tucking you in, Gustave."

I pressed my fingers to my lips to hold back my laugh. "No, Mister Y, this is nice. Just speaking to you."

"That is all, then?"

"Well - if you don't mind, there was something I wanted to speak to you about in particular."

"And what is that, Gustave?"

"Are mother and I going to stay in America with you, Mister Y?"

I don't think I was breathing while I waited for Erik to answer.

"That is primarily your mother's decision, Gustave, but yes, it would seem that way."

"Are we going to stay with you?"

"That is what I hope Gustave, but there are things that need to be sorted first."

"Raoul," Gustave supplied knowingly.

"Yes."

"Mother seems different with you, Mister Y." Gustave said again after a moment of silence. "In Paris, she used to hold her chin up higher like this. And she wouldn't smile like she does here. She seems...younger, to me. And I know she is happier. I can tell."

"I want your mother to be happy more than anything in the world, Gustave, so I am glad you have taken notice."

I stepped away from the door and tip-toed back to the living room, standing before the empty fireplace with my arms crossed as I studied a beautiful painting hanging above the mantelpiece. No doubt one of Erik's creations.

Erik left Gustave's room a few minutes later, and he raised his only eyebrow in my direction. "Eavesdropping, Madame?"

"Not to anything I don't deserve to hear," I grinned and met him halfway, reaching up to peel the mask away from his face. He flinched slightly, but kept eye contact with me the entire time, and I smiled to let him know how proud I was. "There's no need for this when it's just the two of us."

"Your son is just a few steps away. If he were to come out here right now -"

"Our son," I stressed, placing his mask on the nearest coffee table. "Will eventually have to come to know your true face, and we both know he looked too tired to even climb out of bed. He won't run from you again, Erik. You merely took him by surprise the first time. I know he's come to adore you."

"It would seem," I felt my heart warm at the appearance of another slight smile on Erik's face and I took his hand to lead him to the lounge and sit down beside him, curling my legs up underneath me and leaning into his side. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and took hold of my hand while I rested my head against his chest, taking a deep breath of his scent and closing my eyes.

"I could stay like this with you forever."

"You are tired, my Christine."

"But I don't want to retire just now. I would much rather sit with you for just a little while longer."

"Do not let me keep you from dreaming."

He didn't need to. I was so relaxed, I did not even realise I had drifted off to sleep in his arms, waking hours later in my new bed, still completely dressed. As I forced myself to get up and change into my night attire, the events of the day past filled my mind, and I found myself smiling so widely my cheeks hurt, hardly able to believe such events had happened.