Chapter Three

Maska- Thank you so much for reviewing my story! Matthew makes some of his revenge in here. Enjoy.

A/N: I don't own Phantom of the Opera, and I don't own Learn to be Lonely or any other POTO lyricswhich appear later in this chapter, but I do own Chelsea, Matthew, and I kind of own Erik, he's the descendant of The Erik, so I thought this Erik up.

Why? Why? Why? Why had Erik sent Matthew back? Why was Chelsea here with a man who claimed to be The Phantom of the Opera? Alone? Her mind screamed at her. Why was Matthew glaring at Erik with daggers in his eyes? Why did Erik want to be alone with her? (OK enough why's, on with the story).

Erik escorted Matthew to the tunnel leading back to the Opera House. Erik came back to Chelsea and offered her his hand (like in the movie) and she took it, her heart beating wildly. He led her into a cozy sitting room.

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Erik could tell the girl was scared, her eyes were wide, and her face was just a little pale. In fact, he could almost hear her heart thundering. He knew she didn't trust him. Well, he told himself, he was just going to have to win her trust, and her heart. Erik mentally kicked himself for admitting even to himself that he was falling in love with her.

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Chelsea seated herself when Erik motioned to a chair.

"So, do you believe now that I am the Phantom?" Erik inquired.

"Well, umm, I-"

"No you don't" Erik finished for her. She blushed visibly, he noticed.

"I mean you could be The Phantom, but then again you and Matthew could just be playing a joke on me, although I have no idea why."

"Exactly, why would we play a joke on you?" Erik reasoned.

"If you are the Phantom what has that to do with me?" Chelsea wondered.

"I was just as surprised as you were when you got here!" Erik stated to get angry.

"If you don't want me here, why did you send you send Matthew back alone?" Chelsea said standing up, her hands flying up to her small hips, eyes flashing. Erik was taken back; generally he was not used to having people yelling back at him. Of course, when he got angry a rope found itself around the other person's neck. Erik sighed.

"I'm sorry" Erik whispered,"It's just that I am really am the Phantom" as he said that he pulled out a plain gold ring and inside it were the engraved words "Erik + Christine"(from the book)

Chelsea looked at the ring, still skeptical about the proof.

"This really doesn't prove anything, but I'll trust you on this." Chelsea said looking up into Erik's piercing blue eyes. Again Erik felt his heat quicken.

A few minutes later Erik led Chelsea back up the tunnel to the dressing room. At the mirror the parted.

"Good-bye" Chelsea whispered to Erik.

"Good-bye" He said his heart hurting, he didn't want to leave her, she was one of the only people who treated him like a human. As soon as the mirror was shut Matthew burst into the room, Chelsea gasped.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know that you were back yet, but anyway while you are in Paris you can stay here."

"Here?"

"In this dressing room, if it suits you." Mathew said. Chelsea nodded and found her luggage in the room already. As he left, sure Erik would not be far away.

A few days had passes and Chelsea thought of little other than Erik. Erik's mind was filled with thoughts of Chelsea, of her smiling up at him, of how to win her heart, and her voice would not leave his head.

"Matthew also thought of Erik, but of how to get his revenge, for sending him away, for distracting Chelsea. It was true that he was crazy for Chelsea, but this could present dangers later on. (hint, hint)

On Friday night Erik wandered up on to the balcony, imagining Chelsea was with him.

Matthew had been wandering around the Opera House, checking the rooms and locking up, before leaving the keys with Chelsea, so she could look around if she wanted, though Chelsea normally stayed in her dressing room thinking of Erik. Matthew had found himself up on the balcony when he saw a tall black shadow. Matthew felt a red wave of anger wash over him, and he grabbed the knife that he always had in his coat pocket.

Erik had his back turned when someone jumped on him. He felt fists and shoes digging into his body. Suddenly something sharp out of nowhere slashed across the left side of his forehead, right above his mask. Before he had time to reach for his Punjab lasso the attacker had whipped it from around his thin waist and threw it over the side of the balcony. Blood flowed down his face, under his mask, and into his eyes as he swung his fists blindly. He felt contact with something. A hollow crunch sounded, and then there was a thump. His attacker was knocked out.

Erik felt dizzy and sick as he made his way down the stairs and around the opera house. His head burned, and he knew he'd never make it back to his lair without passing out. There was only one place left to go. Chelsea's room, Christine's old dressing room. Erik felt his way down the hall, finding a secret passage to the mirror in her room (yes I made the passage thing up, but I didn't want Erik going to knock on Chelsea's door). Erik's breath was coming in ragged gasps as he felt the mirror that connected to the dressing room. He fell down unconscious as he heard an angelic voice coming from inside the small room, hitting a small latch causing the mirror to swing open.

Meanwhile up on the balcony Matthew was coming to. His head hurt, but he felt proud of himself for disarming Erik and for managing to survive the scuffle. Erik's Punjab lasso had plunged harmlessly down to the streets of Paris. He is never going to get Chelsea, Matthew told himself. (we'll just see about that)

Chelsea gasped in the middle of her singing when the mirror in her room swung open and a body clad all in black dress clothes fell into her room. Chelsea backed into the wall, but when the man's body didn't move she crept over to him.

"Erik" She breathed as she turned the body over. His eyes opened suddenly.

"Chelsea?" He whispered faintly.

"Shhh, I'm here, I'm here." Chelsea helped Erik to his feet and led him over to a chair.

"Your face!" Chelsea gasped. Erik's hands flew up to his mask. "No! It's not that, your face is covered in blood."

"That fate which condemns me to wallow in blood …" 'Erik sang ever so softly, and he thought he saw a faint smile play across her lips. Chelsea walked over to the sink and wet a washcloth with warm water. She picked up a brown bottle, a white tube and a band-aid. She knelt down beside him and started washing his face gently. He savored her sort touch, and leaned into her hand. Chelsea rose to rinse the rag and went back to wiping the blood off of him. She rinsed the cloth twice more before the right side of his face was clean. Suddenly she reached for his mask; he backed away anger coming into his eyes.

"Please" She whispered. After a long moment or two he took a deep breath and nodded. He felt her small fingers grasp the white mask and his cover fell away from his face.

"Please, please, please don't be afraid or scream". His mind begged her. Don't think of me as a monster, I couldn't bare it, because I'm falling in love with you. Please, please." Mentally he was on his knees before her. He watched her face, looking for signs of fear. Her eyes filled with tears, but her face stayed the same. She cupped his face in both her small hands.

"Erik, look at me." He did so his eyes searching hers." You are one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. You face is nothing to be ashamed of. No one could be afraid of someone with a heart so big, and a soul so beautiful. You aren't a monster, a corpse, or the Devil's child. You are Erik a person who has had more hurt in his life then I ever thought possible." She said while she washed the side of his face no one had ever touched before.

"Okay, now I have to clean your cut. This is going to hurt a bit, I'd tell you to squeeze my hand but I'm going to need both of them, and I really don't want my fingers broken." She said and Erik laughed. "Can I do anything else?"

"Could you sing?" he asked.

"In sleep he sang to me

In dreams he came

That voice which calls to me

And speaks my name

And do I dream again?

For now I find

The Phantom of the Opera is there

Inside my mind" Chelsea sang as she doused the wound with hydrogen peroxide, Erik winced. Chelsea patted the cut dry and put the band-aid on it. Then she picked up the mask which lay at her feet and wiped the blood off of the smooth leather.

"Erik?" Chelsea said looking into his bright blue eyes which were shining with tears, not from pain, but from joy. Joy that he hadn't been called a monster, joy that she had looked him in the eye without fear with his mask off.

"Yes" he said looking down into her beautiful green eyes. She smoothed her dark chestnut hair that had long sense fallen out of its pony-tail.

"I- I" She stammered.

"Yes" he said again. Chelsea took a deep breath.

"I think I'm falling in love with you." Erik's tears spilled over as he bent down and kissed her. As their lips met Chelsea's CD player started and "Learn to be Lonely" stared to play, softly at first, but growing louder.

Child of the wilderness

Born into emptiness

He took her hand and placed his other hand on her slender waist. She placed her free hand on his arm and her head on his chest.

Learn to be lonely

Learn to find your way in darkness

They started to dance slowly around the room. Erik bent and kissed Chelsea again.

Who will be there for you?

Comfort and care for you?

As their lips drew apart Chelsea whispered two words, "I will".

A/N Okay guys what did you think? What's Matthew going to do now? Please review. My mind is running out of ideas on what's going to happen next, so ideas would be great.

P.S. Review, review, review, review!