a/n: I hope you like this new chapter! I really worked hard on it!

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When I wake up I find that Raoul is still not in the room, but someone else is here. I sit up and look at the chair to see Meg.

"Meg!" she hugs me tight, careful of my arm.

"It is so great to see you Christine," I smile.

"I know. It's been so long. I hope that the Phantom isn't giving you too much trouble," she laughs.

"The only person who is really getting the trouble is Carlotta. Piangi gets a little, but nothing severe. The managers, I worry, might have a heart attack," I frown at her words.

"Don't worry though," she adds, seeing my face, "they aren't in trouble. He simply demands that Carlotta stop prancing about like a ditz, Piangi stop singing like he's constipated, and the managers are a little late with their salary this month and are reminded daily of this."

I laugh again. That sounds so much like my angel, and it makes me long for him more.

I turn back to her, "Is Raoul still around?"

She shakes her head, "No, the managers and Madame Giry finally talked to him and they said not to expect him back for a few days."

Did my angel get my letter?

There's an odd silence and she leans in.

She starts to whisper; "Do you think that he'll be upset that you aren't practicing?"

"I know he isn't," she looks at me worried.

"Christine?" she pushes.

I show her the rose, which I am surprised is still intact and then add, "He has visited me."

"What?" I never told her originally that the Phantom and my angel happen to be the same man, she just simply thought that when I disappeared I had been with my angel, no one else.

"Meg, I must tell you something, but you can't tell anyone else," he look at her sternly.

"I promise what ever is said stays between us," she looks at me and I trust her.

"The Phantom of the Opera, the Opera Ghost, and my angel are all one man," her jaw drops. I continue, "When I came back last week he visited me that one time that I got Raoul to leave. Since then I have received only this rose, but I know that he watches over me."

"Christine, are you sure that this is safe?" she questions me.

"I don't know. He would never harm me though, Meg, because he loves me," I answer.

"Do you love him though?" I turn from her, lowering my eyes.

Then I raise my gaze, "Yes, I believe I do."

"What about Raoul?" she puts a hand on my shoulder.

"That's what worries me," I stop suddenly, hearing a noise. I look over by the mirror where I heard it.

I bring my head to her ear; "Do you want to meet him?"

She looks a little worried, and smiles nervously, but answers, "Yes."

I stand up and she quickly tries to stop me, but I stop her and keep walking to the mirror. I touch the glass and I can feel that it is slightly warm.

I whisper to the glass in front of me, "Angel, there is nothing to worry about. Please, come to me."

I step back, hoping that it works, and then feel Meg come to my side.

For a moment all is silent, and nothing moves.

Finally I watch the glass slide open and I smile at my angel as I see his form start to appear in the darkness of the tunnel.

Meg gasps and holds my right arm slightly harder. I put one hand on hers and she gulps.

My angel, Erik, steps out from behind the glass and walks over to us. He stops and looks at Meg, "Do not be scared, I only am dangerous when I am being threatened."

I move into his arms and Meg looks at us with both amazement and worry.

"Christine, is this the angel your father sent you?" the Phantom smiles at her words, and it's not his normal smirk, this is a pure smile.

"He is," I smile with him.

"Does anyone else know?" she takes a step forward, trying to relax, but she doesn't do a good job.

"Only Madame Giry, who does not approve of it," he answers for me.

"My mother?" Meg looks at me in disbelief.

"She said not to tell you," I look away from her in shame.

She nods and laughs, "Yeah, I can see why too. The Phantom is your angel. I never would have guessed, begging your pardons Monsieur, but you do not seem the type."

His smile disappears but he answers, "I understand. Not many think I would be, and many would be against the idea completely."

I can feel him start to tense, so I start to run one my fingers over his uncovered cheek.

An odd silence falls on the room, and for some reason I can tell that something bad is going to happen.

Meg breaks the silence and I brace myself for the worst, "Pardon, Monsieur, but why are you the Opera Ghost? Why do you terrorize us all? If it is not too bold to ask."

Meg, why do you have to be so curious?

He tenses, keeping a wary eye on Meg, "None of your business, child!"

"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to upset you, I was only curious," I walk over with the Phantom and he sits in the chair that is by my bed.

He sighs, burying his face in his hands, and then looks at her again, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled, you have the right to ask, and more of a right to know."

She sits down next to me on the bed.

I hold my angel's hands and he starts to explain, "A while back I belonged to a traveling circus. They were gypsies, greedy too. They traveled a lot in hopes of good money. To them I was only an attraction. They called me the Devil's Child, and that's all I was. They used to show me off, while I stayed in a cage, locked at all times, except for when they entered and exited. One day, when we were set up a short distance from here, a group of girls studying to be ballet stars were brought there. When they made it to my cage it was the usual treatment: whip me, show me off like an animal, leave. It was simple. That day, though, one girl was different, she pitied me, something I had not seen in a long time. When the others had moved on she stayed behind, and when she turned her back I killed the man who caged me like an animal. She brought me here, and from that day forth this theatre has been the only place I know. I still carry those scars. To me this is my home, and I feel since it is my home then people should follow my rules."

I stare in disbelief, tears in my eyes, and I look to Meg, who is pale as a real ghost. I look at my angel and he weeps.

I pull him to me as Meg finally blinks, taking in everything that was said.

I hush Erik, and finally he stops crying, just as Meg finally gets out of shock.

"Monsieur, I did not know, and I apologize," she looks at him.

He places a hand on hers, "You don't need to, you have no reason to. You are not one of the people that treated me that way."

She stares, "And that girl, that one that saved, that was my—" Her voice trails off.

He nods, "Your mother."

She finds the rest of her courage for the night, "And the mask, Monsieur, what of that?"

He moves his hand away from her and touches the mask; "It hides what I really am."

"And what is that?" she asks.

I turn to him, "Don't say it, you know it isn't true."

He turns to me and growls, "You know it is."

I stare him in the eyes, grasping his hands in mine, "Not to me!"

"Maybe not you, but the rest of the world says otherwise!" I squeeze his hands.

"No," I whisper.

Meg breaks in, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, I've already asked too much."

She stands up and is at the door when my angel speaks, "I'll show you, if you promise not to run."

I turn to him in shock, "My angel, are you sure?"

He turns to me; "She has the right to decide what I am for herself. Man, angel, or monster."

Meg turns around and I get up and quickly move to her side. I watch as my angel slowly, reluctantly, peels the mask from his face.

When it's gone Meg simply gasps.

I hold her still, but I don't need to, she isn't moving at all.

When she finally does move, she moves the opposite of what I would ever guess. She approaches him and is a mere three inches away when she stops.

"Monsieur, is this why you had such a terrible name?" she whispers out.

He nods, "Yes, Mademoiselle Giry."

She shakes her head in disbelief, "How dare they."

I turn to her in shock, "Meg?"

She turns to me and there are tears in her eyes, "No one, not even him, should ever be called the Devil's Child! There is no worse sin then claiming such a thing about another. I'm sorry that I have taken your time, both of you."

With this she moves out the door, crying as she leaves.

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a/n: well? Please review!