Myshawolf (walks bundled in a blanket and clutching tissues): Sorry this took so long., everyone. Apparently I can't tell time either. Currently I'm sick, which is why this is up. Erik is going to get some interesting advice in this chapter. Also Niagara University made to March Madness championships for basketball. We lost but we still made it. Enjoy and on with the show (Sneezes)

Chapter 7- Angels' Voices

Silence descended on the little room. Erik felt his insides freeze as he faced his students unmasked. Their eyes stared at him in astonishment. He knew it would happen, they saw him as a freak. Next would the inevitable questions. Emotions riding him he slammed the cover for the keyboard down. The loud noises jostled the student's out of their stupor.

Moving fast to make his escape, he bent to grab his scarf. He wasn't sure why he was getting it, but he knew he needed it to keep his composure.

Then he heard it. A strange sound yet one he always hoped to hear in his life. Applause filled the room. Surprised he looked up to see each student smiling at him, clapping. His face must have reflected the shock in his heart . Soon the clapping died down.

"How can you clap for me?" Erik wondered.

Ebony exclaimed, "How can we not? That was beautiful."

Tai nodded, "Hai, I never heard anything so pretty before. It was heavenly, Professor sama."

Kurt grinned, "Can you teach us to play like that? Please!"

Erik couldn't understand what was happening, "My Face. How can you even stand to look at it? This face that even a mother loathes."

Dean smiled at him, "No offense sir. But we already saw it the day we found you."

Felix piped up, "Yeah, and when we get a hold of the guys who cut it up like that, we'll maim them for you."

A murmur of assent passed through the group. Erik blinked at this. They didn't care about his face. In fact they were willing to hurt the ones responsible for his fate. Erik grinned at them, a few squirmed but kept at the conversation of various ways of torturing his attackers.

"As much as I appreciate your concern about the fate of the men who attacked me, sadly I can't blame this on them. God blessed me with this face. The fault is his for abandoning me to a world that hates the ugliness." Erik informed them.

Christian opened his mouth to say something, but shyly closed it fearful of being teased. He didn't think it was fair to blame someone who couldn't defend itself. Erik noticed how quiet Christian was. Erik wanted to hear what he had to say but was soon distracted by the others.

Kurt cleared his throat exerting his rights as leader, "Well, Professor Noir can you teach us to play like you do? It would show Professor Disgrace, I mean Delagasse up."

Erik grinned. Well at least that hasn't changed. Schemes seem to be the same in this time as in the last. But he wasn't offended, it fact he felt very amused by their reactions. They didn't care about his face and Erik was happy with that. He thought about the unpleasant woman from earlier. Maybe he could teach them his tricks. After all, someone needs to teach that woman a lesson. Looking at the hopeful faces, he smiled. This time he would do it right.

"All right I'll do it. You are now official my students." Erik proclaimed.

A cheer arose from among the kids, Erik smiled, may be that girl did have a point. This could be his true home. Grinning at them, he continued the lesson with a light bright feeling flowed through his heart.

The next morning, Erik was shaken awake from his dream. Groggily he reach out to the space next to him in his bed. For a moment he thought he felt Christine's presence. Opening his eyes he stared into a pair bright brown eyes and Dammit's doggy breathe. Erik sat up quickly to get away from the smell.

"Dammit, we need to get you breathe mints." Erik grumbled as he sat up in his bed.

"At least he doesn't jump on you to get you up. He used to do that to Father Kettleburn." Father B smirked from the door way.

Erik rubbed a hand over his face, "What time is it?"

"It is about nine thirty Sunday morning." Father B smirked as he pet Dammit's head, "I have ten o'clock Mass to go to and Sunday school to over see. You better get dressed."

"I haven't been to church since I was a child." Erik protested.

"You and the rest world." Father B joked, "Unless It's the Holy Order of Saint Mattress on Spring Street. But this is a worker's mass and they last thirty minutes at the most."

Erik threw aside the covers and got up, "Fine I'll come, if for no other reason than to meet more students here at the school."

Father B smiled, "Your lesson went very well last night."

Erik grinned at the memory of his student's eagerly listening and their acceptance of his face, "Yes, they saw my face, Father and they didn't care."

Father B smiled, "These faces we are given are the Masks that God has given us. Our task is to look past that facade. Not everyone can Erik, but treasure those that can. I'll let you get dress."

Erik tried his damnest to not enjoy the mass. He really did. But the singing was beautiful and in the pretty chapel, it was hard to not fall into the simple sense of peace that filled the place. The mass was not a Catholic one he grew up with. The Prayers were in English not Latin. Erik listened to the Message that Father B preached and even that was different. The Father spoke of acceptance and love. This time believed in an all loving and forgiving God. A God who didn't care who you were, as long as you did your best to help this world be a little better.

Erik marveled over how much religion had changed over the past hundred years. He always thought of it as inflexible and rigid. Growing up, he was called the devil child and he was destined for hell no matter what. Yet if he was born nowadays, it would be different. Erik smiled as the congregation laughed at a joke Father B cracked. He wasn't ready to join this. After all God had cursed him.

Looking around, Erik spotted a few of his students sitting together. They smiled and waved at him discreetly during the prayer time after the Eurachrist. Erik smiled and waved back. In his day they would have gotten a stern lecture about respecting the mass. Erika shook his head and looked over the Congregation again. He hoped to learn if that white haired girl was a member of the church. No luck in finding her.

Soon the singing started again. Erik listened to a very gospel version of Amazing Grace. He smiled and clapped along with the crowd as Father B walked down the aisle with Dammit. Various hands reached out to pet Dammit who seemed to enjoy the attention. Erik, quickly and quietly, moved out of the way as the congregation slowly moved to leave.

Leaning against a pillar, he heard snippets of conversations from religious to when the next test in a class was. Erik smiled, they were at ease here. Knowing he had wait for the crowd, his eyes roamed over the church again. That was when he saw the window.

Stunned he walked towards it. Looking up at it, the pictures stood out beautifully. The morning sun streamed through the colored panes, giving the picture a very ethereal look. It was very beautiful to Erik.

"I se…ee yo…ou fo...ou...und…ed the Ser…er...mo…on on the Mo...ou…nt Win…in…dow." H.G stammered as he walked up.

Erik turned and smiled at H.G, "Did you enjoy the Morning mass?"

H.G shook his head, "No, I wa…sn...n't he…re fo…or it. I'm he…ere fo…or my mo...orn…ning pra…ay…ers."

Erik nodded remembering that Persian of his time held the same ritual. It was part of his belief system, but he never went to a church to do it. In fact Nadir would do it in private, not telling anyone about it. Erik only knew because after all they escaped the Persian Empire together and had to travel together.

Erik decided to voice his question, "Why are you here then? I was under the impression it was a private thing."

"The cha…pel ha…as a sep…para…rate ro…om fo…or pri…vate pra…ay…er. I te…end to le…ead the oth…her Mu…us…lims on cam…pus in the mo…orn…ning pra…ay…er to sta…art the da…ay." H.G blushed slightly, "Pl…us, I wa…ant to se…ee so…ome….on…ne he…ere."

Erik grinned at H.G little confession. He knew who H.G wanted to see. Mira was sitting with Kurt and the others enjoying Sunday mass. Erik enjoyed watching that little romance unfold. As far as he could tell, Mira most definitely liked H.G back. However H.G was a first year professor and Mira was a student. Granted she was graduating soon, but still such a romance could get the both of them in deep trouble. So Mira played it cool as did H.G. Erik hoped that after Mira was graduated, the two could be together.

Erik placed a hand on H.G's shoulder, "Don't worry my dear friend. Someday it will work out."

H.G smiled brightly at Erik before moving to the worship where several young people stood waiting. Erika grinned as he looked back at the window. He never put much stock in religion. After all How could trust an entity that gave him all pain and suffering. He turned to leave the simple beauty of the chapel. He didn't belong here.

Father B walked up to Erik with Dammit guiding him. Erik smiled at his benefactor. Father B was different just as this school was. At times Erik wondered if the school itself was separated from the real world. At times it felt like it was its own world with its own rules.

"Did you enjoy the mass, my son?" Father B asked as Dammit made him halt.

"Every much so, but it isn't for me, Father." Erik stated as he helped Father B down the stairs, "I turned my back on God when he turned his back on me."

Father B frowned, "I know this will be a personal question but do you worship any religion?"

"No." Erik whispered, "Most of them turn their backs on my kind, the ugly."

"I would like to smack the few religious people ye have met." Father B remarked angrily, his brogue thickening, "Everyone needs to have faith in something, even if it be only themselves. I sense ye donna even have that."

Erik made no comment to that statement. He wanted to deny it, but something wouldn't let him. Ever since he came to this time he had done nothing but examine his feelings on the matter. Erik looked over the natural beauty of the campus. The colors were vibrant as the sway in the cool autumn breeze.

Father B sniffed the air and smiled, "There is a nip in the air. Winter will be here soon. We will need to get ye some sweaters and mitts."

"That is no necessary, Father. I will be fine. Winter isn't that bad." Erik replied, "You have done enough for me."

Father B laughed loudly as he entered Dunleavy Hall, "Ah my boy, you have never experienced a New York winter. Trust me, you will need the gloves."

Erik smirked as they walked through the main lobby of the building. Childish laughter rang through the air. He looked around and in the lounge were Kurt and Tai playing with a swarm of young children. His two students smiled and directed the children to wave at them. Erik bit back a laugh as the children pressed their faces against the glass and waved at them, cheering. Father B turned his head to the noise and smiled at them. Erik merely nodded at them. Tai grinned back as she began to round the children back up to sing a song.

Erik grinned as the music drifted to his ears. He didn't mind children. At times they were more forgiving and accepting than adults were. He watched the children play for a few minutes more before following Father B up the elevator to the class room level of the building.

Father B stepped off on the second floor. This floor was much quieter. Erik noticed that each classroom was filled with older children who were asking questions about everything. Erik puzzled over this. He was never allowed to question what he believed, it was consider blasphemy. Yet these children were allowed that freedom.

"I have always felt that when we question the established rules, we tend to establish a greater faith in them." Father B smiled towards Erik's direction as if he could sense his thoughts.

Erik nodded, "I see."

"We must remember to have the faith of a child when we believe in anything." Father B added.

"Because they put all their heart into something that they can trust?" Erik repeated the line from Father B's homily.

"That and they seem to be able to find the simplest flaws in the most complex ideas." Father B smirked as they walked the hallways stopping by each classroom to check on the lessons.

Erik smiled as they stopped to check on Christian's group. Erik smiled at his student who sat with his class room in a circle. Christian smiled weakly back before returning to the lesson. Father B turned to leave and Erik went to join him when a young girl made a statement that echoed Erik's earlier feelings. Erik turns around intrigued by how Christian was going to handle it.

"Mr. Christian, I think God is unfair." A young girl with haunting gray eyes stated.

"Why do you say that Jessica?" Christian asked.

"Because he seems to take people away when he shouldn't. He makes some people very unhappy for no reason."

Christian paused before answering, "I think God does what he sees fit. He tries to make us all happy and give us the best life he can."

"But not everyone is happy."

"Well, we can be happy all the time or unhappy for that matter. Otherwise how can we tell which is which?"

The girl pondered this point, "I guess. But at times I think he has forgotten about us."

Christian smiled sadly, "You are not alone, Jessica. When my parents died, I felt the same way. Unwanted and felt unloved, I use to be angry with Him for taking my parents away. Then I read this poem I found in a magazine and I realized something very important."

Erik turned fully around and watched as all the children scooted forward to hear what Christian had to say. Jessica even looked eager. Erik turned to see that Father B was waiting patiently for him. Knowing his friend was willing to wait Erik stepped farther into the room to watch and listen.

"No matter who we are or what we believe, God loves us. We may call him different names, but he is still the same entity that cares for us. He is the one person we can count on to be by our side no matter what we say or do."

"Even if we commit murder?" a little boy piped up.

Christian nodded, "Even then. No matter what, he loves us. No matter how lonely you are he is always there by our side to carry us through them."

Erik paused as Christian looked up at him to say, "No matter what we think, we are never truly alone."

Erik turned that remark over in his head some time later as he stepped out of Father B's house. The cool night air swirled around him as he walked to a few feet away to look over the campus. Behind him he could hear the buzz of the TV. Father B had fallen asleep in his chair during a British comedy about a priest named Father Ted. Erik had tucked a blanket around the aging father and stepped outside.

The star winked at him as if to greet him. Erik smiled as he named the different constellations. In the old days he used them to escape death several times. Despite the changes that occurred over this world, they remained the same. Each had its own place in the sky and its own purpose. Often Erik wished he could be like the stars in the sky.

Erik continued to watch the night sky when a warm breeze caressed his face. He closed his eyes as it brushed over it. For a moment his mind imagined them to be finger of a woman. He smiled as Christine's face floated in front of him. He could almost smell her perfume. As he dreamed, a soft slow song reached his ears.

The voice was deep and resonant as it sang in a strange language. It jolted Erik out of his revelry. Soon he recognized the language was of Scandinavian origin but he couldn't place it. He looked out into the dark night for the singer. The voice grew louder behind him. Erik turned to see who was coming up behind him.

A tall figure was walking through the darkness. A tattered white cloak floated on the wind. He wore black pant, boots and a tunic. Erik puzzled over such an old style of dressing. It was almost medieval. It was out of place almost like it didn't fit. A pair of stormy eyes peeked out from under the long black hair that was swept up by the wind.

The figure stopped a few feet away from Erik. The two stared at each other. Erik met the stranger's assessing look with his own hard stare. It was hard to trust someone whose face you have yet to see.

A thick Russian accented voice rang out in the silent night, "Lovely night, ja?"

Erik blinked, "Yes, it is."

"A good night to ponder the stars." The stranger looked up at the sky, "Clear night too. One can see lots of stars."

Erik grinned, "Yes you can. It tends to makes one wonder about their own worth in this world or if it really has a place."

"Or reminds one that it has a place in a bigger picture." The stranger observed amused, "Little pieces in a bigger puzzle."

Erik frowned, "I suppose so. But these pieces never die."

A laugh emitted from the stranger, "Stars die too. Everything must die. That way we know enough to celebrate what we have."

"That's a different look at things."

"We each must look at things differently. The stars see much but even their light must fade. But this must be a depressing topic. We will talk of happier thing, ja?"

Erik smiled, "Sure. What was that song you were singing?"

"A song about a curious little girl who likes to explore One day she found the something she never expected to." The stranger explained good-naturedly.

Erik was intrigued enough to ask, "What did she find?"

"The Angel of Music who sings little children to sleep at night." the stranger smiled, "It is a good song."

"Yes it was." Erik whispered remembering how he used Christine's fascination with the song to get close to her.

"Music is an amazing thing." the stranger continued on, acting unaware of Erik's change in mood, "We write it for one purpose and it fulfills another."

Erik looked at him curiously, "I guess. Who are you?"

The stranger smiled, "A traveler who likes to sing."

Erik glared at him, "I would like a name."

The stranger just smiled cheekily and began to hum as he stared at the stars. Erik glared at him. This stranger was a lot like that white haired girl. So mysterious and cryptic, Erik could feel his patience being tested.

Suddenly a flash of light in the sky caught Erik's eye. As Erik looked away, he missed seeing the stranger's black hair blow away revealing a face very similar to his own. The stranger smiled at the man who stared at the sky. Ja, he thought, Persephone was right about him.

Instead the stranger looked at the same shooting star and stated, "It has been said that music is the voices of the angels in heaven."

Erik turned to comment, only to find him self standing alone under the night sky. He stared at where the man stood not even a moment ago. In his mind he heard that comment before from time that he preferred to forget. Feeling restless, Erik walked back into the house. Quickly he glanced over his shoulder looking for the stranger before he shut the door.