Nothing has changed, Erik thought as he settled himself into his underground home. Living under the Opera house had its advantages, no dusting was required, even after he had been gone for two years the place looked the same. The usual smell, the cold damn air, courtesy of the lake before him, kept the place dust free. Nothing in his home had changed, but Erik had, and he knew he would never be the old Erik again.

The sound of footsteps upon water alerted him that someone was coming. Erik took a seat and waited for the intruder to show himself. The vision of the Ballet Mistress was somewhat disappointing to Erik.

"Erik?" she said carefully. She was clearly disgusted by her surroundings, and fearful of the place sheltered.

"Madame Giry." He responded calmly and threatening from within the dark. She had never heard his voice before. It was deep but soothing. "What brings you down here?"

"Gustave said… I thought that you might be back already since a carriage stopped behind the building early this morning." She explained.

"You were right."

Madame Giry could not bring herself to look for his face in the shadows. She realized that he was no longer a boy, but a man.

"Gustave is gravely ill and wishes to see you."

"What illness has struck him?" Erik asked worried.

"The doctor is uncertain of the true cause, but he is in his death bed. Gustave is dying as we speak. Come, I will take you to him."

"No. I will go to him myself, I know my way around."

"You must hurry; there is no time to spare."

Erik battled the urge to refuse to see Gustave. He didn't want to confess what had become of him. But Gustave had once shown him the only speck of kindness that Erik ever knew. As much as he wanted to remain in his seat, he owed Gustave a last visit.

Erik waited until Madame Giry was left in the room to enter through the secret door. He looked down at Gustave and found guilt striking him with tremendous strength. If only he had read Gustave's letters. If only he had known that his friend was ill. Erik internally blamed himself for once again letting his friend down. Gustave had sincerely given him his trust and Erik had betrayed him in the worst of ways. He had denied their friendship to be true; he had denied his un-repayable debt to Gustave.

Madame Giry touched Gustave's shoulder and took a few steps back to give Erik room next to the bed. At last Gustave noticed that Erik stood by his side.

"Erik, you have returned." Gustave spoke slowly and with much struggle. He was visibly finding it hard to breath.

"I got back early today. I didn't know you were ill." Erik said.

"You stopped writing."

Erik didn't add to Gustave's comment.

"You have grown Erik. You are a man now." Gustave said trying to smile.

Erik kept quiet. Gustave moaned. Erik felt awkward; the emotion inside him was too akin to pain. A feeling he thought he had learned to forget while in India. Sadly Erik accepted that it was sorrow and angst for the untimely and certain death of a loved one.

"Gustave, I am sorry." A broken Erik apologized.

"For what?" Gustave tried to joke.

Erik shifted his weight and smiled at his friend's attempt. The dim light from the candle highlighted Erik's face and just then did Gustave notice that he was wearing a mask once again. This time it was a white half mask of uncertain material. It covered only the side of his face that was distorted. The expression on the mask was startling, and with it Erik's eyes appeared more menacing than ever.

"You are hiding again." Gustave said.

"That is something I rather not talk about right now."

"If not now, then when?"

"Never." Replied Erik.

Gustave took in a deep breath and coughed.

"Erik, I have called to you because there is something I must do before I die." Gustave's voice became lower with each word. "When I am gone Christine will have no one. No one but you."

Startled by Gustave's implied suggest Erik turned away from him before speaking.

"How can you ask such a thing from me?"

"Please Erik, I trust only you to guide and protect my daughter. Erik, you must promise me." Gustave begged. "Promise me Erik; promise me that you will take care of her when I am gone. I don't have much time…"

"But Gustave…"

Erik walked over to the bed and held Gustave's hand tighter as tears dwelled in his eyes. This was the last plea of a desperate man that knew that he was dying. The frantic attempt of a father seeking to find a shelter for the daughter he will be leaving behind. Erik couldn't deny the death wish of the only person that ever saw him as just another human being. How could he deny anything to the man that had acted as the father Erik wished he had had.

"I promise." He finally answered.

"I have to say goodbye to Christine. Madame Giry, could you…?" Gustave said trying to look for her.

"Yes Gustave, I will bring her to you."

Erik followed the woman with his eyes as she left the room; he then turned to the dying man.

"I will leave you alone to be with her."

"No, Erik. I want you to stay. I want her to see you and know that you will be her guardian from now on."

Erik couldn't let that happen.

"Gustave she will be frightened. I do not think a child can handle her father's death and the sight of a monster all at once. Two shocks of such nature will surely but her in bed ill."

"Christine is a good child, she will not turn from you, and she will take you into her heart just as I have." Gustave responded.

"I rather our meeting be later. When she is more ready to accept that I, a hideous creature, was her father's pick for her tutor."

Gustave did not have to strength to fight Erik, not anymore.

"As you wish, but remember to keep your word to me." Gustave accepted defeated.

"I will. Here, I brought this back from India. It's for Christine." Erik said placing on Gustave's chest a papier-mâché music box, in the shape of a barrel-organ with the figure of a monkey in Persian robes, playing the cymbals, attached to it. "Farewell my friend."

And with that Erik disappeared into the shadows of the room.

"Thank you Erik." Gustave whispered, not sure if Erik had heard him.

Gustave traced the monkey figure and then placed it to his side knowing that he had made the right decision by asking Erik to care for Christine.

The door to the room opened and in walked Madame Giry with Christine by the hand. His daughter was so young, so innocent that Gustave felt guilty for leaving her an orphan. If only his body could fight, he would stop at nothing to be with her one more day, one more hour. A single solitary tear streamed down his cheek.

"Father, are you feeling better?" she naively asked as she stood by the bed.

Gustave swallowed and struggled to control the tears that threatened to betray his courage. Madame Giry headed for the door but stopped midway when she heard Gustave's shaken voice.

"Madame Giry, please stay. I want you to take Christine back when I…" he paused for a moment "… when I am done talking to her."

"As you wish." The woman answered.

Christine looked at Madame Giry sadly, and the woman motioned her to pay attention to her father.

"Christine, my child. I have something important to tell you."

"Yes, father."

"I… I will be joining your mother very soon."

"You are going to heaven father, to visit mother?" She was so unaware of the situation. At the young age of ten she still didn't understand the grim reality of death.

"Yes, I will be going to heaven, but not on a visit. You see, heaven is such a beautiful place that once you are there, you never want to leave." Gustave lied to her once more.

"Can I come with you then?"

"No Christine, not yet, this time it will be only me."

"If you won't be coming back, who will care for me? You don't love me anymore father?" she asked as she began to cry.

"Don't ever say that Christine! Of course I love you. I love you more than anything in this world and the next. More than you can ever imagine. But there are things in life that you can only understand as you grow older. This is one of those things."

Gustave reached to wipe the tears from her face.

"I will no longer be here with you, but you will not be alone. Once I am gone, I will send you the Angel of Music…"

"But father, the angel is gone. He has been gone for years." Christine said concerned that her father had forgotten that detail.

"I have asked him to return to you, and he will never leave you again. He brought you this." He said to her and handed her the music box. Christine smiled and held it against her heart. "The angel will protect you. He will guide you, and you must listen to him."

Christine turned to look at Madame Giry then back to her father.

"Madame Giry will also be by your side to make sure you become an honest woman. Do as she and the angel say my child, and grow strong and beautiful for me…" Gustave's voice broke off as he fought to keep the tears inside him. "Please Madam Giry, take her now."

Christine placed the music box on the bed and launched herself over her father. She hugged him tightly, crying hysterically.

"No father! Please don't!" She exclaimed realizing he would be gone forever.

Gustave joined her tears and embraced his daughter one last time.

"I love you Christine. The Angel will be with you, I promise."

"Father, no! No, no, no!"

"Come with me Christine." Madame Giry asked pulling her away. She dragged her out the door and closed it behind them, leaving Gustave free to draw his last breath in what little peace he could find.

In his need to relieve himself of all burden of fault, Gustave wept for the child he was leaving behind. He grabbed the music box at his side, turned the key and listened to the melody as thoughts of no more pain filled his mind.

Surrounded by the shadows of the Opera house Erik watched as Gustave's life extinguished. He was with his friend until his last moment. Erik shed silent tears for Gustave, tears that echoed only in his soul. His only friend was gone, he was alone once again. Only this time he perhaps had something to live for, someone to care for. Gustave's daughter should not experience any more pain; Erik would make sure of that.