Disclaimer: wait…wait!…. Nope, don't own it still…

Is the Phantom really young Erik's son? All will be revealed!

The Black Knight, part 1

"What are you talking about?" Erik asked, amazement and fear spread along his face.

"The Phantom, boy!" Raoul cried. "The Phantom is your true father!"

Erik still didn't say anything, just stared at his father-or his step father now. "How can be he my father?"

Raoul left in a hurry. "Ask your mother, she'll tell you."

Madame Giry looked at the boy, sadness and happiness shown at the same time. "Do not fear for her, Erik. She'll be fine. For now, I shall have Meg care for you. When she is ready to return, your mother will. I have full faith in the Phantom. Don't worry, child. They will be fine."

The Vicomte nodded in thanks. With weak legs he followed the stage manager out and down to a pathway to the kitchen.

Down in Erik's lair

Erik stumbled out of the boat and threw his bloody cloak on the floor. He swaggered over towards the table and collapsed onto the floor.

"Erik," Christine said. "You're hurt."

The Phantom let out a painful breath. "I'll be fine. Just...help me to the bed. Then go up to your son, he needs you."

Christine placed a handaround and led his over to the bed. Once he was comfortable, she sat next to him. "Thank you," he whispered. He panted heavily as she ran a hand down his cheek and rested it on his shoulder. To her surprise, he cried out in pain. At that moment she tore at his shirt to reveal a knife hole. "My god, you've been stabbed."

"Nothing that won't heal with time." he panted. She shushed him.

"No, I am staying with you until you're better." Christine said.

"You...should be with your son. He needs you now." he responded.

Christine shook her head. "Madame Giry and Meg will care for him. Besides, he's a big boy. Brave, strong, and a survivor."

"What if they come for him, as well?" Erik asked.

"He's an excellent swordsman," she said. "He gets that from his father."

Erik chuckled. "Come now, the Count isn't that good of a swordsman."

Christine sighed. "I wasn't talking about Raoul, Erik." Erik looked at her, confusion ran across his face.

"What are you talking about, Christine?" She took acloth and pressed it to his wound.

"You're his father, Erik." she paused. "His real father. Why do you two think you're so much alike? Brave, talented, stubborn, and a knack for music."

Erik was silent. "How is he my son?"

Christine smirked. "Don't you remember, the night before Raoul and myself left for Italy, for our wedding..."

She was gone. The one true love in his life was gone. He sat there for hours, staring at the same music box, its tune playing over and over. "You alone, can make my song take flight." a heartbroken Phantom said. "It's over now," he whispered. Tears soaked his shirt. "The music of the night is dead."

"Then let the Music live again for one last night." a voice said. He turned around to see Christine standing there.

"Christine, what are you doing here?" he said. "You don't belong here."

"I couldn't let myself live without giving you one last thing to remember me by." she whispered. "Is it true, my Angel. Do you truly love me?"

He nodded and sniffed. "More then life itself."

Christine ran a hand over his disfigured face. "Then let me show you how much I love you..." She kissed him again; her lips caressed his so tenderly. He felt her arms go around her neck and pull him closer.

But he stopped, letting his nobility take over. "Christine, this is wrong. You belong to him."

She shushed him. "Tonight, my Phantom. I belong to you. Please. Just one night."

"Oh, Christine." he said.

"Help me, my Angel," the soprano whispered. "Help me make the Music of the Night."

No more was said. He kissed her lovingly as she led him over to the bed where they slowly began to undress...

"So he's my son." Erik said, recalling that night when their love took flight.

"From head to toe." she said. "Now, lets get you cleaned up. We can't have that wound getting infected."

She took a bottle of wine from his shelf and popped the top. "That's exactly what I need." Erik muttered. She held the bottle over his wound and poured it, the wound stung. "Gentle, please!" he begged.

A pinprick was felt against his skin as Christine flushed his would and began to sew it up. He clenched his teeth tight together, until it was done.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked.

"It hurt like hell," Erik said. Christine chuckled and watched his eyes close.

"Sleep tight, my Angel." she kissed his forehead as he fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Christine got up, another thought ran through her mind. "My son. Erik is right, he could be in danger." She scribbled a note on a piece of paper and left it by Erik, incase he were to awake and she be gone.

The soprano made her way up to the Prima Dona's room where she saw Erik sitting, his shirt was soaked with tears.

"Erik," she said. "My son."

The boy looked at the mirror. "Mother?" he asked. He ran over to the mirror and watched her appear. "Mother! Are you all right?" She opened the mirror as he ran through it and hugged her son tightly.

"I'm fine." Christine said. "How is Raoul?"

Erik's face shrunk. "Upset." he paused. "Is it true? Is the Phantom my real father?"

His mother nodded. "Yes, all that Raoul told you was true. Erik, the Phantom, is indeed your father." A smile ran across the boy's face.

"Can I see him?" he asked. Christine listened intensely, but all was silent in the Opera House.

"Come with me, quickly, before anyone sees." Erik ran past her and down into the hallway. Christine slid the door shut and locked it. Christine and her son sped hastily down the path and into the awaiting boat. Erik jumped in and Christine began to row.

After a few moments, they arrived at the Phantom's lair. Erik saw him sitting on the bed, blood seeped from his wound.

"Father!" he called. The Phantom picked is head up.

"Erik." he muttered. He was semi-conscious, as the boy came running over. "Are you okay?"

"Fine, Father. I'm fine." the boy said.

"There's another name you're going to have to get used to, Erik." Christine said. "Father."

The Phantom sleepily and closed his eyes. "That's a name I am willing to hear." Sleep engulfed him as Christine watched him sleep.

"My father, the Phantom." Erik whispered. "Wait until the kids at school hear that."

Christine laughed quietly. "Yes, they'll be petrified. Come now," she hurried him off to a smaller bed that was in his lair. "off to bed with you." Erik looked at his father once more; a smile crept across his face. After putting on a large nightshirt he lay down in the bed his mother prepared and fell asleep.

"My father, the Phantom," he muttered again, a smile crept across his face.

After Christine was sure her son was asleep she sat down next to her Phantom and slowly removed his mask. This event earned not the slightest stir from him. Her eyes lingered upon his face, a handsome one at that. She wasn't afraid of his face, but only that he'd hide that now. It was like it had been ten years ago.

She ran a finger over his cheek. "Do not fear, Erik. I have no fearand neither should you." She lie down next to him and fell asleep.

Late at night

His eyes opened slowly to feel an arm across his chest. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the lowly lit area. A small snore came from his son that lay in a bed halfway across the room. He rubbed his eyes, realizing something was missing.

He bolted upright, only to have the tear in his shoulder scream. He clutched his shoulder and let out a muffled cry of pain, and placing a hand over his cursed face. He fell back onto the bed, his teeth clenched.

"Shh." A voice soothed. "Relax, Erik."

Erik felt the pressure on the bed shift as Christine's face came into view above his. "What have you done with my mask?" he muttered angrily.

"It's on the table besides you." She responded. He looked and reached for it, only to have Christine stop him. "Please, your face holds no horror, Erik. I want to look into your eyes, to see your face." He felt her hand run across his face and down the right side, where the mask would have been.

"I don't want Erik to see me, he may be frightened." He confessed. Christine shook her head.

"He loves you, he won't fear you, I promise." She got up and began to change his bandage. "You're healing quite nicely, but you must relax."

He sat through the process as the bandages as the blood was removed from his skin. The tape irritated his skin as she slowly pealed it off and replaced it.

"There," she said a few minutes later. "done."

"Thank heaven." He muttered. The soprano rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I should see what is happening up there, I'm sure Madame Giry as some information as to who they were." Christine got up. "Watch him for me, Erik."

"Just come back, and be careful." He responded. Christine bent down and gave him a reassuring kiss, then left. He watched her go into the boat and row away. But something clicked in the back of his head and gave him an uneasy feeling. He slowly got up and quickly dressed, trying to ignore the pain in his shoulder. He reluctantly put the mask over his face again.

He walked over to the boy and shook him. "Erik, wake up."

The boy stirred slightly and yawned. "What?"

His father stood over him. "Come quickly, something is happening."

At the mirror

Christine walked slowly down the path and finally arrived at the mirror. She peered in and saw that her room was dark. With a pull on the lever the mirror opened and she slowly walked through.

"Christine." A voice said. His voice sent chills down her neck. Raoul walked out from a dark corner.

"Raoul." She said. He hugged her suddenly.

"Listen to me, Christine." He whispered. "Get your son and leave this place, quick."

Christine gave him a strange look. "Why?"

Raoul spoke quickly. "Don't ask questions, just go get him and—"

The door burst open as several shots fired. "Get down!" one commanded.

"I'm sorry, Christine. They threatened to kill me of I didn't get you here!" Raoul cried.

The leader walked over, Christine noticed a patch across his eye. "Countess, how good of you to join us." He taunted.

"Why are you bothering with her?" Raoul screamed. "I'm worth more then she!" Christine watched in horror as the gunman struck Raoul across the face, a gash was made in the Count's face.

"Raoul!" Christine cried. She looked at the gunman. "What do you want?"

He placed the barrel of the gun under her chin and gazed into her eyes. "Your Phantom has left five of my brothers dead, surely you thought I would return."

"Mother!" Erik came careening through the mirror as a pair of arms grabbed him.

"Erik! Let him go!" Christine begged. "I'll give you anything you want, just don't harm my son or Raoul."

"Then tell me where the Phantom lives!" the man retorted.

Christine's lips sealed tightly. "He's merely a ghost, I was the on who killed your brothers." She said bravely.

"Then who was the man with the mask?" the leader screamed.

"It was me, I was playing the Phantom the whole time." Raoul said. His heart stung to even think those words.

"Then where did the boy," he made a gesture towards Erik, "come from?"

"There's a secret room behind the wall," Christine said. "We were hiding there."

The man scanned Christine for a flaw, but he found none on the talented actress. "Take the boy and his father away, and leave the Countess in the room upstairs."

From behind the mirror, the Phantom watched the men take Christine, Erik and Raoul away. He quickly made his way down to his lair to retrieve his weapon. "Now you are out of the equation. I shall rid my theatre of these fools by myself, and myself alone."

Down in his lair

He fastened the sword to his belt, completing his attire. Black was certain a good color for him. But the color wasn't important now.

All that he cared about was Christine and Erik. Maybe for Raoul's life, but not that much.

"Seal my fate tonight." He whispered. "Tonight, the Phantom makes his second stage debut." With one last breath he left. He would save Christine and Erik.

Even if it meant his life in return…

ch 7 up soon…