Yeah, this one is much longer, but you'll hate the way this chapter ends... Thank you for all your great reviews, they're very much appreciated! So yeah, this is a sad but tender chapter, so just enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Phantom of the Opera, I only own Anna. I don't own 7th Heaven either, if I need a disclaimer for that since I mention it...


Later on that night, Anna's parents still hadn't returned. Anna regretted that she had sent Erik away, for she now missed him, and was growing steadily more and more worried about her parents.

To keep her mind off of her anxiety, Anna turned on her TV and started channel surfing. She watched an episode of 7th Heaven, then changed the channel again. She reached a news channel, and decided to watch it.

"...And here on the highway we have a bad accident. It appears that 4 cars were involved, and the result... well, you can see here for yourself, folks. The paramedics have confirmed that, unfortunately, none of the occupants in any of the cars have survived," the news reporter spoke into the camera. The TV screen was suddenly filled with the footage of the accident wreckage. Anna gasped at what she saw.

One of the cars belonged to her parents. At first, she refused to believe that it did, but the unmistakable bumper sticker of the family stick figures and names confirmed her worst nightmare.

"No," she breathed as she watched paramedics drag bodies out of the other cars. When a group of people reached her parents' car, she hurriedly changed the channel, but was met with the same view and story. No matter what she did, it appeared that the view of her parents' wrecked car was there. Even when she closed her eyes, the sight was etched into the inside of her eyelids.

"No... NO!" Anna cried as she threw open the sliding glass door. Blindly she ran though her yard and stumbled over her back fence.

"ERIK!" she shouted, tears running down her face like rain, "Erik! Erik please, come to me! ERIK!"

Erik was sitting in his cave when he heard Anna calling his name. He poked his head out of his home and listened intently. There it was again! Anna was calling him, and rather desperately, by the sound of it.

Anna fell to her knees in the soil, crying uncontrollably. She only looked up when she felt warm arms gently around her.

"Anna my dear, what is wrong?" Erik asked, deeply concerned.

"Oh, Erik!" she sobbed, falling into his arms and grabbing a handful of his shirt tightly so as not to let go.

"What is the matter, Anna?"

"It's too horrible! Oh, Erik!"

"What?"

Anna did not answer instantly; Instead, she buried her face deeper into Erik's chest and kept sobbing. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, waiting patiently for her to calm down.

"Erik... my parents... they are ...dead!" her voice cracked and she began to cry again. Erik took a corner of his cloak and gently dabbed her eyes dry, but more tears came. Eventually he gave up and folded her into his embrace.

"Anna, Anna... it's alright... I'm here..." Erik consoled, softly rocking Anna back and forth to try and soothe her. Gradually and slowly, Anna's tears subsided, and she aimed her brown eyes toward Erik's. The two of them kneeled there for a long time, then Erik eventually stood up.

He bent down and carefully scooped Anna into his arms. It took him a second to balance her, but then he steadily began to descend down the hill toward her home. He carried her to her room and set her down on her bed.

"Anna, you need to sleep. Your mind is tired, and your body is exhausted. Sleep will make it a little better."

Anna was about to nod when her phone rang. Cursing under her breath, she got up and ran to get it.

"Hello?"

"Anna, it's your Aunt Stacie," the person on the other line greeted, "I heard about your parents. Most unfortunate, what happened to them," Anna's aunt sounded only half-sorry, "But I have been informed by your grandmother that, since she lives in Florida, I am to be your new guardian! Of course, you could choose to live with your grandma, but that would mean moving to the other side of the country and all that, and I'm sure you would rather stay at home, right?"

"Yeah-"

"So, I am to be your new guardian. Now, I live in my little apartment here, so I think it would be better if I just moved in with you, don't you think?"

Anna was stunned. Here her aunt was, casually making arrangements for Anna's life, while her parents were only a few hours... dead. Was she not sorry at all that her sister (Anna's mother) was no longer with them (and her father, too!)?

"Uh-"

"Great! So, I'll be by tomorrow to settle out some legal things and all that, and then I shall be your guardian. I shall have to move in soon, of course... But anyway, Anna, I have to go now, but I will see you tomorrow, okay? Bye-bye!" Anna listened in shock as her aunt hung up.

"Anna?" Erik murmured as he peeked around the corner, "Anna, what was that?"

"That... that was my aunt. She'll... be moving in, I think..." Anna replied, confused and in shock.

Erik took Anna's hand and gently led her back to her room. He left the room and shut the door behind her as she changed. When she was done, he re-entered.

"So... goodnight, I guess, Anna" Erik muttered, standing beside her.

"Wait! Erik, don't go... You can sleep in the guest bedroom, if you would like."

"I would, my dear, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get much sleep here. The appliances amount to much more noise than I am accustomed to hearing when I am trying to sleep, but I will stay here, if you need me to. I will watch over you while you sleep, if you require it," Erik offered.

Anna stared softly at Erik's face. He is so kind. He's offering to watch over me, even if it means a sacrifice for himself...

"No, I don't need it. It was just, if you wanted to... But no. I'm alright. Go and get some sleep yourself. Heaven knows you need it as much as I do."

"Anna," Erik sighed. Now that he thought of it, he didn't want to leave her alone, "At least let me sing you to sleep."

Anna considered it for a minute, "Alright..." she decided at last with a small smile, her first since she had learned of her parents' death.

Erik smiled and began:

"Nighttime sharpens

Heightens each sensation

Darkness stirs, and wakes imagination...

Silently the senses abandon their defenses...

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor...

Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender...

Turn your face away from the garish light of day.

Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light...

And listen to the Music of the Night..." Erik listened to the slow, even breathing of Anna, which told him that she was finally asleep. He leaned forward slowly once again, and kissed her soft, smooth cheek. The corners of her mouth tuned up slightly, and he smiled and left the room.

Once he was out of the house, Erik strived once again to be silent as he walked. The night was quiet, and he didn't want to alert any of Anna's neighbors of his presence (he didn't know that they were all rather elderly).

He reached his little cave at last, and curled up inside of it. Despite the unusual chill in the air, he was asleep before long.

Later that night, Erik awoke to a rough, crunching sound, and realized with horror that someone was just outside his cave. He remained as still as he could, waiting. A minute passed, and the noise stopped. Still Erik waited. Another minute passed. Two. Three. Five... Ten minutes had passed, and Erik had heard no more of the mysterious person. Deciding at last to check out the source of the noise, he cautiously emerged from his home.

That was when Erik was ambushed.


Yeah, I know, you hate the way I leave you hanging, but this is the perfect place for a cliffy, don't you think? (Smiles evilly LOL) Yeah, I'll work on Chapter 8, but I probably won't get it up before tomorrow...