A/N: More Phantom cookies for all!

Trigger Finger

Aminta was unusually nervous as she approached the theatre with her parents. She hadn't attended a social event like this in a long time. She had never liked to anyway. But now, in her dazzling gown and gold mask, she felt more beautiful than she had ever felt in her life, more sure of herself. What did she have to be nervous about? Besides, maybe Erik would make an appearance. She hoped so, just not one like the last time he had, disguised as the Red Death. She smiled to herself thinking about that. Erik had long since told her everything that had transpired all those years ago, saying that she had a right to know. One of the things she loved most about him was how he treated her like an adult, not like a child who must be protected from the world. Oh, it wasn't to say that her parents didn't love her, but they were far too protective of her. Erik knew that you couldn't try to protect someone from reality forever; just look what had happened to Christine! A childlike mind in a woman's body ever since her father died, and all because he had kept her from growing up until that day. Aminta shuddered inwardly to think that her parents wanted her to be like that. It was that exact reason that the love between Erik and Christine had failed. Christine was used to things being "safe", and having someone around to protect her from those that weren't so she never had to know about them. Erik would have protected her, certainly, but she never gave him that chance. Besides, he wasn't what she would consider "safe". But Aminta didn't want to think about that now.

The night air was warm with a touch of humidity, which, considering it was June, wasn't surprising. Undoubtedly the main hall of the theatre would be warm from the heat of so many bodies. Aminta preferred the cold to the heat, but could deal with it. The hall was magnificently decorated for the occasion (but what the occasion was Aminta never actually knew). Banners hung everywhere, flowers filled the corners and tabletops, garlands were wrapped around the banisters of the grand escalier, and everything seemed to shine with an inner light. Music filled the air as surely as the scent from the flowers and the perfume the ladies wore. The heavy smell was almost dizzying, but Aminta liked it. Almost as soon as they entered, a boy around Aminta's age came over and asked her to dance, sweeping her into the throng when she accepted his hand. As they whirled to the music, she saw her parents dancing together. She smiled; it was a beautiful sight, really. One that had broken Erik's heart so long ago. What would he say now, she wondered. She would have to ask him if she saw him.

The dance was one where you changed partners constantly, so Aminta never danced with any one person long enough to find out who they were. Finally the dance ended and Aminta, very dizzy by now, stepped to the side for a moment to catch her breath. A new song, a slower one, started up and for a while Aminta just watched the dancers. She had never seen a spectacle like this before, though her parents had described the Masquerade in full detail (minus the part where Erik descended the grand escalier dressed as Red Death) and she had been able to imagine what it would look like. Still, seeing is better than imagining most of the time. So rapt was she in taking in the sight, she jumped slightly when she felt someone's cool fingers on her bare shoulder. She turned around and saw a dashing man dressed in deep crimson with a cloak and mask of gold.

"Erik?" she asked softly. He smiled and bowed to her.

"Lovely lady, may I have this dance?" he asked, offering his hand.

'Yup, it must be Erik,' she thought. Smiling, she curtsied and took his hand. "Good sir, you may have every dance." Erik laughed softly as he spun her out onto the dance floor. Aminta lost herself immediately in the perfect rhythm in which they moved together, in his beautiful sapphirine eyes that looked so much like her own. A few times some of the younger boys tried to cut in, but each time Erik would say, "This lady is dancing with me," and sweep her away. Aminta did not mind at all. However, someone else did.

"Who is that there?" Raoul asked Christine. "That man dancing with Amy? I hope he's not who I think he is."

"I don't know," said Christine in an unconvincing tone. "He doesn't look familiar." This was actually an honest response, considering that Erik did not look like he normally would be imagined as in his costume. But Raoul and Christine both knew perfectly well who he was, and Raoul did not like the look of rapture in his daughter's eyes as she danced with him. Frowning, he went over to them.

"Uh-oh," said Aminta, glancing over Erik's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Erik asked. He glanced back and saw Raoul coming. "Oh." His grip on Aminta's hand tightened slightly (or was that her?) as Raoul approached.

"I should go with him," she said softly. "Just for a little while, until he cools down a little."

"You're probably right," said Erik, though he didn't want her to leave. "I'll find you later." He pressed the back of her hand to his lips briefly and vanished into the crowd just as Raoul came up to Aminta. She smiled at him.

"May I have this dance?" she asked, trying to distract him. He bowed slightly and took her hand, placing his other on her waist, but she could see him still looking around for Erik. "Oh Father, don't be such a stiff," she said with a light little laugh.

"You were dancing with him?" hissed Raoul.

"Yes, and now I'm dancing with you," said Aminta indifferently. "What does it matter? I hardly think it's for you to decide with whom I dance." Seeing the look in her father's eyes, she sighed. "Can't you put aside your differences for just one night?"

"Why?" demanded Raoul petulantly.

"Because it's my birthday?" asked Aminta softly. Raoul was visibly taken aback. Looking into his daughter's eyes, his expression softened.

"All right," he said. "I'll try."

"Well, it's better than nothing," said Aminta. Raoul laughed and spun her around. As he did, Aminta noticed something that would instantly make Raoul forget what he had only just promised her: Christine was dancing with Erik. She tried to make sure that he always had his back to them as they danced, but it became harder to do this without her leading. If she tried too hard, Raoul would know there was something behind him that she didn't want him to see. He may have been inattentive, but he wasn't entirely stupid. She drew his attention to her, engaging him in deep conversation as they danced, until the music ended again. By this time, she was tired and a little hot. As soon as she was able, she slipped away from her father and went up to the landing of the grand escalier, scanning the crowd for Erik. It took a while to find him; he didn't stand out as much anymore, which was most likely his intent. When she did, she kept her eyes on him until she could catch his eye. She made a gesture that she was leaving for a little while and he nodded. That done, she went up the stairs and made her way up to the roof.

The view from the roof of the Paris opera house was phenomenal. Thirteen stories above the street, she could see everything. The humidity had siphoned off somewhat, and a cool breeze now blew, a welcome sensation on her hot skin. She sighed and opened her arms to it, removing her mask so the air could get to the flesh of her face. This action made her wonder briefly how Erik could stand to wear his mask all the time, but such thoughts as this she promptly shut from her mind. Instead, she went to the edge of the roof and looked down. It was quite an impressive distance from the street, and she was almost dizzied by it. Gazing down on the night-owls far below, she gave a small shiver.

"Cold?"

Aminta smiled. "Vertigo," she replied. Erik laughed as she turned to face him. "How did you know I was up here?"

"What was there to know?" he replied. "I saw where you went and I followed." Now it was Aminta's turn to laugh.

"I'm sorry I had to go before," she said.

"You don't have to explain," said Erik dismissively. "It wasn't your fault."

"I had a devil of a time keeping Father from seeing you and Mother dancing."

"Just as it is your right to choose your dancing partner, so is it Christine's."

"You know perfectly well what I mean!"

Erik laughed in a manner almost playful. Aminta couldn't help laughing with him.

"Erik, I can't thank you enough for the gown and mask," she said. "They're absolutely gorgeous. Did you make them?"

"The mask, yes," replied Erik. "Not the gown. And I'm so glad you like them so much."

"Like you thought it would be otherwise! I assume this means you found that drawing? I knew I left it somewhere."

"Yes, I found it. You portray me very kindly."

"Well, why not?"

Erik gazed thoughtfully at her for a time. "What is it?" she asked.

"Just out of curiosity, how did you know it was me that first night?" he asked. Aminta was a little surprised by this, but smiled.

"Two things," she said. "One, I could think of no one else who would be in the Ghost's Box, let alone the theatre itself, that late at night and that early before the performance. Two, I could tell by the colour of your voice."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was blind, I could sort of "see" sounds. My father's voice was green, Mother's was bright red, almost pink. Yours was pure white. I could think of only one person who could have a voice so pure that it would appear white through the darkness of my vision."

"Mine."

"Yours." There was another silence. Aminta looked like she was going to say something, but she stopped with a frown and closed her eyes for a moment. "My father's coming, looking for me."

"How do you know that?" asked Erik in surprise.

"If I close my eyes, I can still almost see the colours of sounds," Aminta explained. "Can't you hear it?" Erik listened for a moment, then nodded. They could both hear the faint footsteps on the stairs outside the door. "I don't want to talk to him, and I don't think he should see me talking to you." Erik nodded again.

"Come, hide with me," he said.

"Where, oh where?" Aminta half-sang with a grin. Erik laughed and swept her behind the same statue that had concealed him when he witnessed Christine's betrayal. The door opened and Raoul came out, looking around.

"Aminta?" he called. "Aminta, are you here?"

"Yes and no," murmured Aminta. Erik smiled and pressed her hand gently, signaling for her to follow him as Raoul was moving into such a position as to be able to see them if he looked to his left. He turned his head just as they stepped around the other side of the statue, but he caught sight of Erik's gold cloak.

"All right, I know someone's there," he said. "Come out where I can see you!"

"Damn," muttered Aminta.

"You stay here, I'll go out," whispered Erik. "You're right in that he shouldn't know we were talking. I'll distract him, you try to slip back downstairs."

"I'll see you there, then," said Aminta. Erik smiled.

"I know you're there!" shouted Raoul, irritated.

"No need to shout," said Erik smoothly, stepping out from the shadows, his cloak swirling elegantly. Aminta slipped around the other side of the statue, glancing back and forth between the door and the two men.

"Where's Aminta?" demanded Raoul.

"Well how should I know?" asked Erik. "Am I Aminta's keeper?"

"Don't toy with me," growled Raoul. "I'm sure she was with you. She must have been with you; no one else has seen her. Whenever someone disappears around here, you're the one to blame." Erik just laughed. "Oh, you think that's funny, do you? I know what you're doing!"

"Really?" asked Erik mildly. "And what, pray tell, would that be?"

"You're trying to take her," said Raoul. "You tried to take Christine, but you couldn't. You will not have Aminta! I tell you now, stay away from my daughter!"

"It is not for you to decide!" said Erik a little shortly. "Who are you to tell her who she may and may not see? Now I'm telling you, Chagny, I could take her from you forever and she would help me to do it! You know this. But I would never try to move her against her will. And that is the difference between you and I."

"How dare you!" roared Raoul. "The difference between us is that you are a monster! A heartless, unfeeling monster!"

"Is that so?" demanded Erik, losing all patience. "Then it was a 'heartless, unfeeling monster' what made her smile tonight with the gift of a golden mask and matching gown! It was a 'heartless, unfeeling monster' with whom she danced of her own volition! It was a 'heartless, unfeeling monster' who made her feel beautiful! And it is a 'heartless, unfeeling monster' who makes her smile and laugh continually because it pleases him to see her happiness! Even you cannot deny this."

"She will come to fear and hate you!" declared Raoul.

"She will love me!" returned Erik with a somewhat sinister laugh. "She already does."

Aminta, who had been listening to all this, swore she saw the idea occur to him seconds before Raoul drew and fired his pistol.

Time froze for an instant as Erik waited for the pain to explode in his chest before the bullet penetrated his heart and killed him. When it didn't come, he realized for the first time that he was holding Aminta, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Something warm, sticky, and wet was soaking into his shirtsleeve and he looked to see what it was. Blood. And not his blood either. Aminta's. Blood was pouring from her shoulder where the bullet had struck. He stared in shock, and he knew that Raoul was horrified at what he had done.

"Oh God," whispered Raoul. "Oh God."

"He's not helping," said Erik scathingly. "Get a doctor! Now, before she bleeds to death!" Raoul was obviously disinclined to leave his daughter but he had no choice. He ran back downstairs, leaving Aminta alone with Erik, who, still holding her, slowly knelt down and sat back on his heels, cradling Aminta in his arms. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around blearily.

"Erik?" she asked in a hoarse, shaking whisper.

"I'm right here," he answered softly. "I won't leave you. Oh Aminta, why did you do it?"

"I had to," she whispered. "I didn't even realize what I was doing until I had done it. I couldn't let him…I couldn't…I…"

"Shh, save your strength," he told her. "Help is coming."

"But they'll see you," she said thickly.

"I don't care! Besides, they won't know. It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

"Well you matter to me."

Silence once again. It took a moment for what had just been said to register with them both. Aminta stared up at him, then smiled.

"You matter to me, too," she said, taking his hand and then hissing in pain.

"Don't move," Erik instructed her. The door flew open suddenly as Raoul came back with a doctor, who had come to the Masquerade dressed, ironically, as a skeleton.

"Dear God, what happened?" the doctor cried when he saw Aminta.

"Accident," she mumbled. "Misfire…"

"Don't try to talk, honey," the doctor said, kneeling down next to her to examine the wound. "Sir, give me your jacket," he said to Raoul, who complied immediately. He tore off one of the sleeves and tied it tightly around Aminta's shoulder, causing her to cry out in pain. "I know it hurts, but we have to stop the bleeding," he explained. "We have to get her to the hospital. She needs stitches, and we have to get the bullet out." Erik, somewhat reluctantly, allowed the doctor to take Aminta from his arms.

"Erik…" whispered Aminta before she could stop herself. He squeezed her hand lovingly.

"I'll be here," he whispered back. "Hold on, Aminta. Hold on for me." She nodded and slowly released his hand. Blackness consumed her vision as consciousness slipped away. The last thing she saw was Erik rising and watching as she was taken away. She couldn't speak, but she hoped he could tell what she meant to say:

'I won't die, I promise.'