OK, I was looking through some POTO C2's yesterday and to my absolute delight found that this story had been submitted to the 'After the Curtain Fall' C2. Thank you to whoever submitted it! It's a real honour!

Chapter 15

Two weeks past without event. The most exciting thing that happened was my turning nineteen. Dad and I celebrated in hospital, Meg and I went to the cinema and Erik…

Erik did two surprising things. The first was that he cooked me a birthday cake. I'm not kidding. I got home from class to find him looking proudly at the chocolate cake he had made and iced. It was pretty good, as well! The second thing was my present. We were sat in the library, talking lazily when he passed me a small box. I opened it and found a necklace inside. I gasped and picked it up. It was gorgeous. A silver chain with a blue stone hanging from it.

"Erik, it's wonderful!"

"It belonged to my mother. It's the only item of hers I own." He said, placing it around my neck. I looked up at him.

"She's… dead?"

"I don't know. I left home when I was fifteen. My mother… well, we didn't get on." This sounded like a serious understatement but I didn't push him for details. I looked down at the beautiful necklace and then kissed him.

"Thank you. This means so much to me."

"Happy Birthday, Christine." He replied with a smile.

I spent those two weeks tidying the house in preparation for Christmas and Dad's arrival, as well as Christmas shopping, stocking up on food and writing Christmas Card. I spent Friday evening sat in the library with Erik, writing card after card.

"Mum used to insist that we send Christmas cards to everyone. She said that if we did that we could usually avoid them for the rest of the year!" I told him. He smiled and pushed another log onto the fire. That was another thing I loved about this house. Log fires.

I wrote the last card, signed it, sealed the envelope and threw it onto the small pile on the table next to my chair.

"Finished. Finally."

"Who are all these people?" Erik asked, picking up a card and reading the names.

"Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, second cousins, family friends, cousins of family friends, second cousins of family friends... It's a big social network and you get trapped in it." I said, pushing the cards into a bag so I could post them the next day. I stretched and smiled.

"You know what we need?"

"Enlighten me." he said idly.

"A Christmas Tree." Erik smiled, resting his book in his lap.

"You want a Christmas Tree?"

"Sure, we used to get one every year. It's so much fun, decorating it, putting the angel on top…" I said dreamily, remembering Christmas's long past.

"I'll have one brought to the house tomorrow. I don't usually celebrate Christmas."

"You don't?" I asked.

"No."

"Then why are you reading A Christmas Carol?" I said innocently.

He looked slightly abashed but recovered himself quickly.

"Because it's a well written piece of work."

"Sure." I teased. He smiled slightly.

"Have you ever read it?"

"Yes. Prefer the Muppets version though."

"The Muppets?" He said, disbelievingly.

"Yeah, you can't beat a singing frog for entertainment." I said lightly, and then started to laugh at his expression.

Erik rolled his eyes and returned to his book. I said,

"I'm going Christmas shopping tomorrow. Is there anything you want while I'm out?"

"No, I've got everything I need. Are you meeting Meg?"

"Yeah, she's done no shopping, as usual. We've got just over a week and she's done nothing."

"And you have your costume for the Masquerade Ball?" Erik asked. I nodded and grinned.

"You're going to love it. Everyone's going in those old fashioned outfits. All the men dressed in dinner suits and the women in big dresses. And everyone will be wearing masks."

"I'm well prepared then." Erik said wryly. I smiled.

"Yeah. Tea?"

"Please." Erik replied absently, his mind returning to his book.

"What am I supposed to get him?" I cried, as Meg and I wandered around the shopping centre. We had been there for three hours and I still had nothing for Erik. Meg shrugged, as clueless as I was.

"Seriously, what do you get the man who owns his own manor?"

"Another mask?" Meg suggested. I glared at her and she laughed.

"Chill, Christine. I was just kidding. Although, maybe he'd like another mask. How many does he have?"

"I haven't the slightest idea." I replied.

Meg shifted a bag to her other hand and said,

"OK – He likes his own company. He owns a large house. He wears a mask. What else do we know about him?"

"He loves music. More than loves it. He lives for his music." I said. Meg grinned.

"Step in right direction. To the music shop!"

"Away, Meg, away!" I said mockingly. She laughed and we went to the music shop. It consisted mostly of instruments and books, but who knew what else they might have.

"Hello there, Christine. It's been a while since we saw you in there." Said the shop owner, Mr Reyer. I smiled.

"I know. I've been a little preoccupied."

"I know, I know. So, what can I interest you with?" He said, smiling fondly. I had been a regular customer before my mother had died and he knew me and Dad well.

"I need a present for a friend. He's a wonderful musician but I haven't got a clue of what to get him for Christmas."

He considered this for a moment.

"What sort of music is he interested in?"

"Classical. Operas for sure."

"Really? Well…" he started to search through the list of items the shop stocked. Meg and I waited when a thought struck me.

"Mr Reyer? Did you ever hear of an opera called Don Juan Triumphant?" He paused for a moment and then nodded, returning to his search.

"Don Juan? Yes… yes, it rings a bell… yes, about nine years ago, in London it was performed. I believe the theatre burnt to the ground on the opening night. I went to see it, it was a wonderful show. A pity it was never continued."

"Why not?" Meg asked.

"The people of the arts are extremely superstitious. They said that the opera brought bad luck and no one would perform it again." Mr Reyer said. Meg pulled a face.

"That's kinda dumb."

"Indeed. The composer was never heard of again. Oh, what was his name…?" He stopped, straining his brains to recall the name. Then he snapped his fingers.

"Lavonne! That's it, Erik Lavonne. He was an extremely talented young man, only nineteen when it was performed."

"Erik Lavonne!" Meg exclaimed. I glared at her to be quiet. Mr Reyer paused.

"What's going on?" He asked curiously. I gave Meg an evil look and said,

"Can I tell you something? It's rather private."

"If it's related to music, then of course."

"Well… Erik Lavonne owns the Manor. It's him I'm buying a present for."

"Really? He lives in town? That's extraordinary! I can see your predicament. He must be very hard to buy for." Mr Reyer said.

I nodded.

"So you see my problem."

"I expect we can find something for Mr Lavonne." Mr Reyer said, returning to his search. I smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, Mr Reyer."

Twenty minutes later we left the shop with big smiles on our faces. We went to the café for a drink before I returned to the Manor.

"What are you doing for Christmas?" I asked her as we found a table, both holding our coffees.

"Mum and I are going to stay with my grandparents in London. And I'm seeing Dad on Boxing Day." Meg's parents were divorced, but seemed to get along pretty well, from what I'd seen of them together.

"When are you leaving for London? We need to meet up and give presents." I said.

"Oh, we're driving down on the day. They wanted us to come sooner but Mum and I don't want to miss the Masquerade ball!"

"It's going to be so much fun." I agreed.

"Is Erik coming?"

"Yes."

"Really? To a public place? With… with people?" Meg said, disbelievingly. I laughed.

"Yes! I think he's slightly comforted by the fact that everyone else will be wearing a mask as well."

"Have you told your Dad yet?"

I shook my head.

"No. He's coming home on Thursday, so I'm going to tell him on Tuesday. Just so he can get used to the idea."

"Yikes. Wouldn't want to be you right now."

"Thanks Meg, you always know how to make me feel better." I said sarcastically.

As I drove back to the Manor I saw Raoul walking down the street. He looked up as he saw me and signalled for me to stop. I drove straight past, pretending I hadn't seen him.

Erik was walking in the gardens when I rode up the drive. He walked around the side of the house to greet me. I kissed him smiling and then bent to clean my bike. He watched in interest as I wiped the dirt away and checked various mechanisms.

"You really love that bike, don't you?" He smiled. I laughed.

"Oh yeah. Love at first sight. I saw it and had to have it. I blew three years of savings on this bike."

"Do you regret it?"

"Not once." I admitted. Erik smiled.

"There's something I want to show you."

Curious, I followed him inside. He led me into the dining room and I gasped. An enormous Christmas tree was stood at one end of the room. Penny and Thomas were standing beside it, grinning. A man I didn't know was standing with them.

"Oh my god! It's amazing! You guys did this?" I cried, staring at the tree in disbelief. It was the biggest I had ever seen!

"We went to the grounds this morning and chose one. This is Penny and Thomas' son, Andrew. He and his wife will be joining us for Christmas." Erik explained. I laughed and hugged them all tightly, even Andrew who I hadn't even met.

"Thank you! This is wonderful!" I laughed excitedly. Penny gestured towards several large boxes.

"Decorations are ready for you, Miss Daae. We've been waiting for you to return."

The door opened behind us a pretty blonde woman entered, carrying a tray of drinks. She was clearly a few months pregnant.

"Christine Daae? I'm Emily, Andrew's wife. Ready to decorate?" She smiled. I grinned widely.

"Ready? I can't understand why we haven't started yet!"

We spent the rest of the day decorating the tree. Erik and Andrew used ladders to reach the higher parts of the tree. Penny and I agreed to split the Christmas cooking. Emily explained that she couldn't cook to save her life.

"Andrew does all the food in our house. He's gotten used to running out to the shops at all hours to get me crave foods!" she laughed.

Eventually we finished. I climbed the ladder to play the delicate angel on top of the tree. The decorations must have been ancient. They were all made out of glass, hand painted and incredibly fragile, but beautiful none the less. I clambered down the ladder and we stood back to admire our handiwork.

"That is possibly the best tree I've ever seen." Andrew commented. Emily nodded.

"It is good."

"Hot chocolate anyone?" Penny asked. She had brought up a tray with a jug of hot liquid and several mugs. A plate of gingerbread men lay next to it. I laughed.

"OK, it's official. This is going to be the best Christmas ever."

"Especially when your father gets here." Erik commented. I nodded and then pulled a face.

"As long as he doesn't murder me first."

"Why would he?" Emily asked, sipping her chocolate. Erik and I looked at each other, somewhat guiltily.

"Well… we haven't told him about us yet. He's in hospital suffering from depression." I started.

"And when he finds out his daughter is in a relationship with an older man it's not going to do anything to improve his health." Erik said. Andrew grimaced.

"That's a problem. How do you think he'll take it?" he asked me. I considered.

"Either he'll be OK, but slightly uncomfortable about it… or he'll forbid me to come here ever again and send me to a convent until I'm thirty."

Erik took my hand and said,

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"What, so he can have a clear shot? No, I think I'll take this one alone." I laughed. Everyone laughed and Thomas looked at the clock.

"It's getting rather late. We should be getting home."

"Yes. We'll talk about the Christmas dinner soon, Christine." Penny promised. I nodded.

"Absolutely."

After everyone had left Erik and I went to the library.

"Did you have fun shopping?" he asked.

"Yeah. Got your Christmas present." I said, teasingly. He smiled.

"I look forward to it."

"You better. You are not an easy man to buy for." I admitted. He kissed me.

"Anything you buy will be perfect."

"Exactly what I wanted to hear." I smiled.

That night I woke in the early hours of the morning, woken by a bad dream. I checked my watch. 2:14 AM.

I put the watch back on the table and closed my eyes tightly as memories of the dream flooded back. It was a little hazy now but several images were imprinted into my mind.

Mum's body laying on the sofa… the funeral, rain lashing down on Dad and me… back to the sofa but now it was Erik who lay there, his mask removed, his eyes staring at med accusingly… Dad laying on the hospital bed… the funeral again, but I wasn't there… I was in a coffin, lined with red silk and I could hear the earth pounding on the lid of the coffin, as they buried me. I tried screaming but no one could hear me…

A cold sweat glistened on my skin and I shivered. Erik stirred slightly, and then settled back to sleeping peacefully. I was facing away from him, his arm wrapped around my waist and his chest pressing against my back. He was warm but I still shivered.

Mum…

That fear seized me again. What did she look like? I struggled to remember but couldn't. I muffled a sob and disentangled myself from Erik. I had to get to my room and find her picture. Seizing a dressing gown, I pulled it on and slipped out of the room.

The Manor was dark and cold. I hurried along the corridors to my bedroom, where my things were. A lot of my stuff had ended up in Erik's room but I had left some in my first room.

I opened a drawer, shuffling through things but I couldn't find the picture. Frantically I opened another drawer, throwing things around until I found the framed picture. I stared at it in the light of the small lamp, kneeling on the soft carpet. Mum smiled up at me. I traced her features. She was so beautiful. Dad said I looked just like her, but I didn't think so. She was so perfect, as if she had been modelled by a craftsman. Her dark, luxurious hair tumbled around her face, her porcelain skin glowed and her dark eyes sparkled at me.

A tear drop landed on the glass. I wiped it away, sniffling. I reached into the drawer and found the bottle of perfume that Mum had owned. I smelled it, remembered how she had smelt when I hugged her. Tears welled up again and I brushed them away, making a noise halfway between a sob and a hiccup.

I hugged the picture to my chest, unable to hold the tears back now. I shake violently as the dream sent images through my mind.

It was some time later when I clambered to my feet, still clutching the picture and the bottle. I walked slowly back to Erik's bedroom. He was awake when I went in. He took one look at my tearstained face and crossed the room, taking me in his arms. I felt I had to explain.

"I… I had a dream… I couldn't remember what she looked like when I woke up…"

"It's alright." He murmured into my hair, leading me to the bed. I placed the items on the bedside table and lay down next to him. He held me close to him and I rested my head on his chest, breathing in his scent. That warmth comforted me and I was soon asleep again.