A/N: Ok, you'll have to bear with me on this one. Trust me, things are going to definitely get hotter. I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story. Please keep R & Ring. I enjoy hearing all of it!

Chapter 12 – The Passion Within

The sound of the mirror sliding shut had woken Angelina. 3 a.m. Does he ever sleep? She slowly got up and noticed the rose and note laying on the table - the red skull apparently his seal.

The seal was broken open by her unsteady hands. I need to wake-up. She quickly read what he had written her:

Dearest Angelina,

I know you will hear the sound of the mirror closing. I want you to get dressed and come to the stage. Rehearsal begins early today. You may sleep in after you and I practice. I know that Madam Giry will understand. There are only a few days before Don Juan is performed. I want you at perfection status. Come prepared to work. I will expect nothing less then perfection. You will practice until you get it right.

Erik

She continued to look at the note as if it was going to change wording. How dare he! He might be my teacher but he has no right… She sighed. Angelina knew that she expecting nothing but perfection from herself. It was something that she wanted ever since she was little. Everything she did had to be done perfect or it wasn't done.

Knowing he was right, she put down the note and began to get dressed. She paid careful mind to the lacing of her shoes and then realized she did not need them. Aminta was barefoot through most of the musical. Her dancing required moves without ballet shoes. She was becoming accustomed to accomplishing the small feat. It was a new and an exciting experience and she took it head-on.

Angelina stood in the middle of the stage with a lone spotlight on her. She tried to look around but the spotlight was too bright to see anything else in front of her. Was he there? Was he in a seat in the audience?

Music began to fill the opera house. She wondered how anyone was still asleep. It continued to grow in intensity until it stopped abruptly.

"Aminta is a maiden betrayed by her own heart." His voice echoed in through the rafters and into her heart. "She has fallen for Don Juan, even though she does not know it is him. Don Juan would do anything to be with Aminta – even portray that of another man."

Erik's presence was felt although he wasn't seen. His voice pierced her like no one else's ever had. Angelina became hypnotized just by his voice alone. It was as if some sort of spell had overcome her with no control and no way of stopping it.

"In her heart she knows what must happen. How could Don Juan ever love her if he loves every woman?"

Angelina could hear him walking on the stage but could not see him. The click of his boots echoed throughout the barren opera house. She continued to wonder how no one else could hear him or the music that had played. Could they truly be that alone in the opera house?

"Don Juan must be played with passion…with sensuality. You must become Aminta. You have not done that."

She hung her head. She was afraid of everything he just said Don Juan was. Sensuality and passion was not something she was used to. She was young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. Her parents loved each other very much and were very affectionate toward one another. And she knew, at one time, there was passion in their lives beyond their control. There were days it still existed and Angelina could see it in both of their eyes.

But she was far from ever being passionate and sensual. The basic concepts she understood. However, actually expressing them was beyond any reasoning she had. She had very little self-esteem when it came to anything of that nature. Shyness was too light a term for it.

"Why?"

This was the second time he had asked her a question in the past few weeks that she had no answer for. She did not understand it herself and neither could her parents. She had been this way since childhood and never seemed to grow out of it.

"You fear it."

He had taken the fears inside of her and had exposed them. They were lying out in the open now, for the entire world to see. She felt naked and alone. Never had she felt like this. No one ever knew what she feared. Erik did. He knew. And he had little regard to her feelings.

"I will rid you of that fear. Don Juan will be played with passion and sensuality – as it was meant to be. By opening night, you will have nothing but passion in your heart and sensuality on your mind. Aminta will be played like never before. No one will know where you came from and no one will want you to leave. You will be Aminta! And the entire opera house will fall at your feet."

With lightning speed, Erik had his arms around her waist and he quickly pressed her against him. Angelina swallowed a scream as his fingers slowly began massaging her stomach. Shivers ran down her spine as his hands slowly worked up from her stomach to her hips and slowly up the sides of her body.

Over the weeks of rehearsals, Erik had watched Angelina in a new light. From the rafters above, he slowly saw the woman who wanted to be free – free from the chains of fears and doubts. She was not a replica of Christine. No. Angelina contained her own sensuality that had yet to be tapped. There was a woman inside yearning to be free. It was slight moves, words, or even the sound of her voice. Erik could tell that, if when freed, Angelina could be a very passionate and sensual person. When she was free she would move from child to woman.

Her sensuality had brought new light to Erik's music unlike anything had ever had before. He had continued to write and play day and night. Unable to sleep, the music consumed him and images of Angelina performing his grandest opera of all gave him the energy to continue on. Erik's hands furiously flew over sheet music and the keys on his organ. Music filled the cavern for nights on end. The water rippled at the intensity of it.

Angelina's bottled up sensuality was beginning to get under Erik's skin and she had no idea she was doing it. He would be damned if he let anyone else discover it before he did. He did that once with Christine and he would not be so foolish this time. Jonathan de Wynter was a problem that he never saw. Although Angelina seemed to avoid him like the plague, unlike Christine with Raoul, he still worried about his "student" leaving him once again. He would do what was necessary to keep Angelina with him.

Hands continued upward, slowly over Angelina's rib cage. Her soft sighs gave Erik the indication that he was right. There was sensuality within her and she was just afraid to let it out. Her eyes slowly closed…

"Do not close your eyes."

She slowly let them flutter open as her chest began to rise and fall with intensity. He continued upward with his hands.

"Don Juan knows just what to do with Aminta to have her bow to his will." His hands slowly crossed over her collar bone - as light as a feather. Erik watched her eyes glaze over as his fingers played with the sensitive spot just over her collar bone. "With one touch, he could send her senses soaring to the heavens."

Angelina could not figure out where to put her hands. She kept her arms stiff at her sides. His touch was burning every sensation in her body. Did he know what he was doing to her? What his touch was doing? One of his hands continued to linger upon her neck as the other ran down her arm and his hand connected with hers. He slowly brought her hand to his face and touched the unmasked side. She had never felt such soft skin. She longed to turn and see him. As she attempted to, he leaned near her ear.

"Was Aminta afraid of what she could be with Don Juan? Could the innocent young woman, who wanted to be with Don Juan more then life, be afraid of change? Was it the fear inside of her that would not let her passion be set free? Was she afraid of the passion he had for her?"

Erik quickly turned Angelina around. The hands that once touched his unmasked cheek now had made their way to his chest. His other hand continued to linger on Angelina's neck. He looked in her eyes and saw that she was not afraid of him but afraid of herself. His thumb lightly caressed her neck in small slow circles.

Angelina tried to control her breathing but she could not. This is not how it's going to be on stage. It will not be Erik in front of me, it will be Monsieur DuBois. He was a marvelous actor but she would not feel the sensations she did now with him. She finally gathered the voice to speak.

"Erik, it will not be you with me on the stage. It will be Rene DuBois."

He smiled and watched as the expression on her face changed from clouded to bewildered. Gently kissing the back of her hand, he let go of her and began to retreat into the darkness.

Angelina watched him go, feeling alone once again. But this time there was a sense of longing. His touch had left his mark today. She had never felt like this. Was she supposed to? Was this what he was talking about? Had she finally felt passion and sensuality? Did she have it in her to make that come alive in her performance?

"My dearest Angelina, all you need is to think of me. Do not imagine Monsieur DuBois standing in front of you – imagine me."

Did he know? Could he possibly know that she had feelings for him? My God, did I just say that I had feelings for him? He is my teacher. Nothing more. How could I let this man get under my skin as he has?

"My dear, you must sleep. You need your rest. Don Juan awaits."

And as if a gust of wind brought him to her, the same gust had taken him away. Angelina stood on the stage as the spotlight began to dim.

Angelina began a silent prayer as she fell to her knees…God, please help me. I think I'm falling for Erik. Guide me. Save me. Help me love. Show me the path of which I am to take. I fear my heart has run away. Tell me it is not love. Tell me that it is a crush of a silly girl on her teacher. Please, God, save me.