That music he heard was so beautiful and he felt he had to write it down, but he felt so light-headed and he wasn't even sure if he was sitting or laying somewhere. He saw like he was sitting in front of his desk but he felt like he was in bed, and no matter how he tried to move his hand to write on the empty sheet music paper in front of him, his left hand wasn't moving in front of himself and did not wish to obey his brain. He found it rather strange and annoying and he wished to let out an irritated little snort when he heard a sweet voice behind his back.

- Papa, Papa look what I drew!

Mahtab, standing by the desk, her head reaching only up to the top drawer of the desk, was holding out a paper towards him, and as she extended her arms the paper covered her face and he was only able to see the top of her blonde head and her skeletal fingers griping the edge of the paper. The paper seemed to be empty, but taking a second look, he noticed a drawing by crayons slowly appearing on it, the colors and shapes getting stronger and more visible, and finally a painting could be seen. He did not understand how a faded crayon drawing turned to a detailed oil painting, but he did not even care any more, as he saw his portrait and Mahtab sitting on his lap, hugging his neck by two arms. After that, the painting disappeared, and transformed to a scene where him and Mahtab were having fun at the beach, and the small girl showed him a huge shell.

- This is the largest shell I have ever seen. It is beautiful. Just like my family. - Mahtab exclaimed happily on the painting, holding up the shell above her head.

The shell started turning in her hands, at first it was just moving around, but it sped up to nearly chaotic spinning, and the scene disappeared, only leaving a milk-white fog for a few seconds, but through the fog he could see Mahtab's smiling face. She reached out her tiny hands towards him, and with a huge grin she started talking again:

- Thank you so much for the train, Papa, I love you so much, you are the best Papa ever, no one has such a sweet Papa as you are, I love you! I love you! Lift me up please I want to go up high!

Her laughter echoed in his ears as he saw her tiny chest braced by his huge skeletal hands, and she hugged his neck tight…

- I love you too, Mahtab. - He smiled.

He opened his eyes. The guest bedroom's green walls and dark brown furniture welcomed him, and he saw Mahtab sitting by the bed in an armchair, and now he was examining him with a relieved expression.

- Are you feeling better, Papa? - He walked closer, checking Erik's pulse with a doctor's routine.

- Yes. - Erik nodded, as he really felt better. - You have grown a lot. - He added, thinking.

- What did you say? - Mahtab leaned closer, but instead of a reply, Erik sat up a bit to be able to kiss his child's forehead.

- I hadn't done it to you in a while, had I? - Erik wondered. - But I did not stop kissing you for the reason I love you any less since you had grown a lot. It is hard to believe you grew up, son. I just had a dream, seeing youas the small child you used to be not too long time ago and I love that child. He is still in you. And I love that pure child no matter how old you turn. You will always be my sweet little… girl…

Mahtab did not get offended, surprisingly, by the fact Erik called him a girl, because he felt Erik has the right to think so in a way. His memories came back from Mahtab's early childhood, for sure, when it was yet undecided if he was a boy or girl, and being born as a female, Mahtab knew Erik will always consider him as a daughter, but he is kind to respect his will, so he refers to Mahtab as a son.

- Papa, it does not matter what am I to you. As your son or daughter I love you the same.

Erik took that skeletal hand, not much smaller than his own and kissed it with adoration.

- We are one of a kind, my sweet child. We resemble each other the most, and it is a blessing. You are the closest to me… you…

Mahtab could not reply because of the tears choking him, but he softly and silently kissed Erik's forehead in return and petted it with love. To his relief, it wasn't as hot any more as it used to be. A good sign, thankfully.

Kristina, not knowing anything about Erik's fever and mood swing, arrived back from Noel's school in a bad mood, not even slightly better than when she left the house. She knew that school did not take her seriously and the principal was belittling the problem. She did not believe it would do the family and the school any good at all if she tells Erik everything about the happenings, as if Erik goes to the school, he will be enraged and only God in Heaven knows what would happen then. If Erik loses his mind and patience, contrary to his old age and somewhat tamed-down temper, he could still be a threat, especially if he is fighting for his wife's and children's manners. Kristina knew she had to talk to Erik about the subject, but she rather wished to send Noel to another school, preferably. Maybe they will have more luck with another group of teachers. Still, it was a matter to be discussed with Erik as well, she can't decide all alone in this important matter.

She sighed partly with sadness and partly with anger when she entered the house and headed to the study to talk to Erik. She was surprised she could not find her husband there, and wondered where n Earth could have he disappeared. Wandering around the salon and their bedroom as well, she could not locate Erik, but she bumped into the Persian.

- Oh, Mohammed, haven't you seen Erik?

- No. - The Daroga replied as fast as he could and tried to look like someone who wasn't telling lies. He was ashamed to lie to Kristina, but he was asked not to tell about Erik's illness yet, so he obeyed the children, contrary to finding the idea as nonsense. These silly children can't hide Erik from the rest of the family for weeks until he recovers from the surgery. They will have to tell the truth eventually, but he wished to leave it to them.

- Are you sure? - Kristina got surprised.

- Yes, Kristina, I haven't seen him yet today.

- Oh, he has to play hide and seek when he should act about Noel's future! - She snapped angrily.

- What has happened? - The Daroga asked worriedly, putting his hands on Kristina's shoulders.

- Oh… - She sighed. - I have to sit down for a while, I am dizzy from being upset.

The Persian gently sat her down on the sofa in the drawing room, and she told him what had she gone through at Noel's school, and she dared to tell him the horrid sentences the principal was implying about Erik's nonexistence and Kristina Daaé being one of those opera singers who never had a husband and a legal father to her children.

It was an insult and something had to be done about it.

Someone has to speak for Noel's rights and has to protect Kristina's honors, even if it is just in front of a principal and an asshole music teacher.

And he was ready to do so, hearing each and every word. His anger was boiling when he put on the fedora and grabbed the walking stick from next to the fireplace of the study after he got dressed in the finest suit he had.

With a sigh, he left the house to visit the morons, and fight for the family.

Three knocks could be heard at the door of the principal's office. It was close to two o clock in the afternoon, and the principal did not expect anyone would disturb him at that hour, so he called out with a surprised intonation:

- Enter.

The door opened and a tall and incredibly thin man entered the room, wearing a black coat, with black tie and he had a moustache covering his lips and a pair of glasses. Other than that he looked to be an ordinary man, he had dark blonde hair and maybe green eyes, but one eye seemed to be a bit of lighter colored than the other. Or it was just an optical illusion because of the glasses, who knows.

- Bonjour, and excuse me for bothering you, Sir.

The newcomer started speaking. His voice was indescribable, but rather young and slightly off compared to the appearence of the man. The principal could have sworn he would start talking on a deeper voice, and it was strange for someone to have that kind of a voice, and the figure itself was a bit humorous and unusual.

- I bid you a good day. - The principal responded, standing up and walking closer a bit to greet the man.

The man shook his hand with a hint of uneasiness in his glance and now that the principal arrived closer to him, he could easily tell now the guest had different colored eyes. A light green one, and one nearly black.

- What can I do for you? - The principal asked curiously eyeing the unusual guest.

- My name is Erik Daaé. - That one replied slowly. - I came here to talk about my son, Noel. And… my wife.

He intonated the word "wife" with such a hardly discreet annoyance and anger, that the man instantly remembered the blonde woman talking about that boy in the morning.

- Oh… Noel Daaé… - The principal removed his glasses and nervously cleaned it. - Oh… sit down, Sir, please.

The man walked to the chair facing the principal's desk and sat down, and without a word, he put, or rather slammed some papers down on the desk.

- What are these? - the principal asked with surprise.

- Why don't you check? - He retorted, looking slightly annoyed.

The headmaster lifted up the papers and read them.

One of them was a marriage certificate of Kristina and Erik Daaé, dated to the 13th August, 1881, a birth certificate of Noel, naming Erik and Kristina as his lawful parents, stating Noel was born in a legitimate marriage, Erik's identity booklet, in which there was "structural engineer, retired" written as his occupation, and the document also named Kristina as his wife and it listed they had a good amount of children named Mahtab, Florian, Noel, Gregory and Belle Daaé, and he adopted two more children named Valentine and Éponine.

- What a nice big family… - The director stuttered, seeing he had made a mistake.

- Indeed. - The man nodded. - And so now that we had cleared up the question whether my wife is a mother of a few bastards or not…

- I… I beg for your forgiveness, Monsieur.

- Accepted. - He groaned. - Be happy I don't like to attend at duels any more. - He murmured under his breath, but perfectly audibly for the other man, who was a bit afraid of the strange figure, to be honest, and feeling guilt about being impolite to a lady who asked for his help earlier, it even made the man more frightening.

- Monsieur… you have to understand people… make up… theories sometimes and we had never seen you earlier, only your wife. It is hardly uncommon for the father of the children not showing themselves even at the registration of the child, and at the start of the school year. I imagined…

- You imagined what you imagined, it is your problem, not mine. - He barked. - But insulting a woman based on your theories is my problem and I am not allowing anyone to insult my family. But now it is cleared up, I would like to talk about Noel, rather than your fantasies.

- As you wish. - Anything, just this strange man shall leave, and maybe his guilt and shame about the issue shall fade, he thought silently.

- Monsieur, what was your father's occupation, may I ask? - The man asked with a sudden interest. How comes this to the subject…?

- A… a teacher.

- A teacher of which field?

- Literature. - The man gasped, not really knowing where the conversation might be going.

- And your grandfather?

- He was the doctor of the village we had lived in.

- A-ha. A good doctor, wasn't he?

- He was. - The principal nodded proudly, hoping the man shall change the subject.

- Right. Tell me, what is the difference between the rash of measles and smallpox. - The strange man asked with a hurrying passion.

- How… how should I know? - The man spat out with disbelief. - I have never seen patients like these..

- Why? Did you not just say your grandfather was a great doctor? - The man retorted with a grin. - You told my wife you agreed with the teacher who stated Noel should be a master musician because there are more musicians in his family. Why, good Sir, are you not a living book of medicine and health with such a honorable family history?

- I understand the matter now. - The principal sighed agreeably. - I shall talk to Monsieur Lasourd about Noel's grades.

- This is what I wished to ask for, nothing more, nothing less. - He nodded slowly. - And mind you, if my son's grade remain the same… I might come back and take him out of your school. And not only that, but I shall make sure everyone I know and would wish to take their children here to study, would learn about the fact they shall be careful with your honorable music teacher.

With these last sentences the man's voice turned even more higher pitched, but he cleared his throat and stood up, collecting his papers.

- I am certain that everything shall turn to the better and you won't need to take these steps. - The principal assured the angry father quickly and the most calming way possible.

- I would hope so. - The parent nodded again, then put the papers back into his coat pocket, turned away and walked out of the room while abruptly saying goodbye.

The principal was calm and relieved to finally have that strange man out of his room, and fell back into his chair with a deep sigh, getting ready for the talk he was going to have with Monsieur Lasourd.

Kristina heard the front door opening after a while, when she was trying to reason with Belle why to complete her homework before she had to go to the ballet course, and curiously glancing to the side she noticed a familiar thin shape dressed in a familiar black suit and wearing a fedora, quickly hurrying along the hallways towards the study.

- Finally! - She jumped up, leaving Belle in the drawing room and hurried after the man. - Where have you been? You don't even say hello to me now? What has gotten into you?

He stopped, with a small gasp and the realization he was unveiled. He cleared his throat again, but did not turn away to face Kristina.

- Where have you been? I wanted to talk to you about Noel the whole day long, and you disappeared to somewhere… Erik!

- Yes, my sweet Kristina, everything is all right, I cleared up the issue.

- What happened to your voice? - She took a few steps towards him and put her hand on his shoulder.

- Nothing. - He replied quickly. - Maybe a cold.

- A cold? - She narrowed her eyes with suspicion, forcing the man to turn her direction and without a warning she ripped the human mask off of him to see him without anything covering his face from her…

- Mah… Mahtab! - She took a step back in surprise.

- Yes, Mama, it is me. - He admitted with a sigh.

- But if you were at Noel's school… where is your father?

- Mama…

- I demand a reply this instant, young man! - Kristina lost her patience, which happened to her very rarely.

- He is ill. - Mahtab admitted finally. - Come with me to see him.

When Kristina was guided into the guest bedroom and she saw Erik laying on the bed, sleeping again, she simply could not stay angry with the family. Mahtab briefly but honestly told her what had happened, and though she was frightened to hear about the operation, she was proud of Mahtab for the reason of being able to not only performing a life saving surgery on his own father, but even going to the school fighting for her morals and the family, knowing Erik simply was unable to do so at that moment.

- How much time does he need to recover? - Kristina asked worriedly, looking at Erik.

- Two or three weeks. Don't worry Mama, Noel and I are going to take care of him and watch over him.

- I trust both of you my dears. And… thank you Mahtab… you are… simply an irreplaceable treasure to both Papa and me. We love you.

- I love you all, Mama. You, Papa, Flo, Noel, Greg, Belle, Lily and the twins. I would do anything to make any and all of you happy.

Kristina kissed her son with love and hugged him close to herself. Knowing the boy simply could and would do everything for them, and despite his facial disfigurement and being born as a girl, he was a treasure no one else in the world could have.

She always knew Mahtab wasn't just a disfigured child, and Erik wasn't simply a monster either. People judge books by their covers without knowing the inner beauty they might have.

She sat down at the edge of Erik's bed and caressed his face by the back of her hand, smiling.

- I love you, Erik.