Erik: Well, the authoress is still at her retreat, but I imagine that she should be getting home any minute, now… Alright then, Disclaimer: I don't own me… Now, reviews!

Emma and Hollom: My dear Hollom, you know that if you ever need my advice, I am always willing to give it. After all, you are the only guy here other than myself. And I'm glad Angel can create such a rush of emotions in you, Emma. I suppose she isn't an entirely crappy writer, but I so would enjoy a horror-fic or something where somebody dies (just as long as it isn't me). Oh, well.

MJ-Skywalker: Actually, this is a new question… Another one I am capable of answering… The whole top half of Fantine's face has been burned… You may recall the quote from chapter two: "The only part of her that looked normal were her perfect lips." I guess her mask covers everything but her mouth. Oh, and you think I haven't heard that crack about the musical genius who lives under the Paris opera house before? Been there, heard that, my dear. But your sympathies are appreciated.

VagrantCandy: Fluff and heat? That's a unique way of putting it. I still think it sucked… And I am not sensitive!

Carkeys: Always so easy to please… Here you go, dear… An update… And it's just for you!

pixiestars162: Adorable? Sweet? I'm a disfigured mentally-unstable homicidal musical genius! How is it that I come across as adorable and sweet? Sheesh.

Erik'sPhantomess: Well firstly, I love your pen name. My Phantomess? I'm touched. Secondly… You think I'm sweet, too? I swear, girls today!

Tadriendra of Mirkwood: You're sitting tonight out? That's uncharacteristic of you, though with you absent tonight there could conceivably be a little elbow room in the closet tonight. Well, thanks for reviewing anyway.

Starrylibra: And here you're calling me naughty! Well, contrary to the authoress' usual fanfics, I do not like children at all! As for your offer… the authoress might not appreciate us doing that kind of thing in the closet. But my feelings for you have not changed. Oh, and my birthday is June 17, 1835.

Haley Macrae: OK, I am not naughty! This is the authoress' doing! I had nothing to do with this! I swear it! She wrote it, I only posted it! That's it! Anyways… The s'more pop tarts tasted great… Can I have s'more?

MasqueradingThroughLife: MY-Erik, I think we're both suffering from the same evil… Trust me, you do not want to take my place! But I will take that chocolate.

Me and My Shadow: Peanut butter cookies with Hershey Kisses on top? You girls certainly know how to please me! Ah, my dear, where have you been my whole life?

Lady Golodwen: Ah, Lady G. I don't know what it is about you, but I rather like you. Thank you for the compliment of calling me sexy. However, no… We are not going to make Torture-Erik Day an international holiday… And I was not sobbing uncontrollably when I told Christine to get lost… I was picking up girls… Wasn't it obvious? Refer to yesterday's A/N's and you'll understand. Girls always go for the tortured-soul characters. By pretending to be sad to see Christine go, I accumulated a billion adoring phan-girls who would give me the world! See? I am a genius!

zero sparrow: Well, if the authoress were here, she'd tell you some boring story about her first year of high school at ENSS, so let me offer my encouragement... Hang in there, it'll be the best years of your life.

cylobaby: Silly Phantom? Fluffiness? Making fictional men sleep in your brother's room. You have madness that the authoress would be proud of! (Takes a step back from the intimidating phan-girl). I'm told that if you don't run they won't attack. You're creeping me out!

Ah, I do love answering reviews… Now let's read that new chapter, shall we?

XxXxX

Erik was alone again. He was in the lair. It was dark…

Darker than usual…

"Erik…"

He turned to see Fantine standing only few feet away from him. But something was different about her…

It suddenly hit Erik that her unmasked face was completely flawless! No scars, no burns! She was beautiful! He heard himself gasp. She had high, elegant cheekbones, smooth, rounded features, and such a fair complexion. Those intense, dark eyes were fixed upon him, glittering like diamonds.

"Kiss me, Erik…" she whispered.

Erik did not wait for a second invitation. He reached out and put his hands on her delicate shoulders. He leaned down to savour her sweet mouth.

Suddenly, her face burst into flame! Erik staggered back in horror.

"Fantine!"

An agonized scream ripped though the lair. A scream so painful Erik had to cover his ears, trying to block the sound out. He raised his eyes in terror as he saw Fantine's form engulfed in flames. He fell back, staring at the terrible charred skull.

"Fantine!" He reached out to grab her. To help her. To save her! But her form burned to ash and drifted away from him.

"Fantine! No! No!"

"Monster!"

Erik trembled as an unseen voice echoed through the lair. It sounded like Fantine's voice…

"You destroyed her! It's your fault! Had that chandelier not fallen, she would be married by now! She would have had her career! You took that all away from her!"

Erik cowered on the floor, covering his head. "I… I didn't know!"

"You do not deserve her affections!" The disembodied voice resembled his own now. "You do not deserve her! You deserve to burn alone in Hell for the rest of your days!"

Erik felt himself falling. Falling to darkness…

Above him, he saw Fantine's decayed face. Cold… Mocking…

"Please!" he cried. "Fantine!"

XxXxX

"I love you!" he screamed as he shot upright in bed.

He looked around himself. He was in his room again.

A dream… It had been a dream…

A nightmare…

Erik hugged his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth. It had seemed so real.

"I… I love her…" he realized. "I love her!"

"Erik?"

He raised his head to see Fantine appear in his door way. She wasn't wearing her mask, and he could see concern clearly etched on her face.

"Erik? Are you alright? I heard you cry out."

"Fantine!" Erik leapt from his bed and raced over to her. He threw his arms around her waist and clung to her as though his life depended on her.

"Fantine! I'm sorry!" he sobbed into her hair. "I didn't mean to!"

"Erik? What is wrong?" she asked, confused. "What are you sorry for? I don't understand…"

"It's my fault… my fault…"

"What are you talking about?"

"Fantine…" he brought her over to his bed and gestured for her to sit down. She did so, and he sat beside her. "There is something you should know… Something I have kept from you for far too long."

"Erik, you're trembling," she said, taking his hand.

"Fantine… do you remember the night the chandelier fell?"

"How could I forget?" she whispered, running a finger across her scarred cheek.

Erik took in a deep, shuddering breath. "It was me!"

She dropped his hand. "W-what?"

"Fantine, I did it! I… I wanted Christine Daaé. I wanted to make her mine. I killed Ubaldo Piangi and took his place as Don Juan! The plan seemed flawless… until Christine unmasked me. That was the screaming you heard. I cut the rope supporting the chandelier, which I had rigged to fall earlier. I was trying buy myself some time to escape with Christine. Fantine, it was me! I did it!"

He closed his eyes. "The plan didn't work, of course. Christine's precious fop came to her rescue. I… I would have killed him. Had it not been for her. She stole my resolve with a single kiss. Then she left me… and married him."

He looked at her again. "Can you ever forgive me, Fantine? I… I had no way of knowing! If… if I knew then what I know now…" he trailed off. Fantine's large brown eyes were threatening to overflow with unshed tears.

Would she forgive him?

Could she forgive him?

Fantine suddenly threw her head back and laughed. It was a cold, evil laugh that sent a chill down Erik's spine.

"Why the sudden confession, Erik?" she asked, flashing him a humourless smile. "Hmm? Why the sudden attack of conscience?"

"I… I couldn't hide from you anymore," he offered weakly.

"Odd," she said, running her hands over his bare chest. She brought her face close to his ear. "When you kissed me, I thought it was out of affection. I thought, perhaps, it was possible for someone to care about me. Now I see it was all done out of guilt!"

"Fantine, that's not why I–"

Fantine silenced him with a fierce kiss, tangling her fingers in his hair. It was a kiss that left Erik breathless, his senses reeling.

"Don't bother trying to tell me you enjoyed that," she said as their lips parted. "Who could ever enjoy a monster's touch? My fiancé couldn't."

"Fantine–"

"He loved me until I became ugly. He couldn't even look at me after the chandelier crash." Her lips twisted into a cruel smile. "I suppose I have you to thank for that as well, don't I?"

"Fantine, please–"

"Good bye, Erik," she said, standing up. "You have gotten your wish. The lair belongs to you, now. I will not force my presence upon you when I know it must sicken you."

"That's not true, Fantine!" Erik grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. "I don't want you to go!"

"It's too late for worthless apologies!" Fantine snapped as she tore her arm away from him.

Erik could only watch helplessly as Fantine retrieved her mask and put it on, heading out towards the boat. She stepped into it gracefully and rowed away from him. Then she was gone from his sight.

He was alone again…

XxXxX

It had been hours…

It felt like weeks…

The lair was so eerily quiet without her…

Erik was worried.

He decided to go look for her.

His quest took him up to the roof.

"Fantine?" he called. Snow was falling and it was very cold. "Fantine?"

His sensitive ears picked up a quiet whimper from behind Apollo's lyre.

He found her curled up at the foot of the statue. Her delicate fingers clutched the fabric of her cloak as she pulled it tight around herself. Her lips were blue and she was shivering terribly. The falling snow left a thin layer of white around her shoulders.

Erik knelt down and pulled her close to his chest, allowing his own cloak to fall around her and blanket her in his warmth.

Fantine opened her eyes and looked up at him. They were red from crying…

Fantine felt cold… So very cold…

How long had she been sitting on the hard ground? Why was she even there? She remembered vaguely having a fight with someone. He had told her something… Something that she had not wanted to hear. She couldn't remember what. All she knew was that she had felt as though he had torn her heart from her chest. Who was he, anyway? She had run from him. Not because she was angry, but because she had been so deeply hurt by his words that she had wanted to die, right then and there.

Alone she sat for what seemed like years. There was snow all around and it was cold… so cold… And she waited. Waited for Death to come and claim her. Finally, she felt a presence near her.

"Death?" she asked silently. "Is it You? Take me now."

Death's arms reached out and pulled her close. She waited for black oblivion to take her, to pull her under, to halt her heart and steal her breath.

Death's arms were so warm…

"Let the fires of Hell be my eternal home, Death," she pleaded.

Death held her close, stroking her long black hair. Gentle… So gentle…

Fantine opened her eyes and gazed up at Him.

Why was Death's face so familiar? He looked at her tenderly.

She knew those eyes…

Death scooped her up in His strong arms, carrying her away. He cradled her against Himself as He took her away from the cold December air.

Back into the depths of darkness…

Then she heard a voice. So soft and low.

"Learn to be lonely… Learn how to love life that is lived alone…"

It was lovely. Death carried her into the warmth of familiar surroundings.

The lair…

"Shamed into solitude. Shunned by the multitude, I learned to listen. In my dark, my heart heard music. I long to teach the world, rise up and reach the world. No one would listen. I alone could hear the music…"

So sad… He sounded so sad…

He took her to her room and laid her on her bed.

"Then at last, a voice in the gloom seemed to cry, 'I hear you! I feel your fears, your torment, and your tears.'"

Death caressed her cheek. She felt a wet drop on her forehead.

Was it possible that Death was crying? For her?

"You saw my loneliness… Shared in my emptiness… Learn to be lonely… Learn how to love life that is lived alone…"

Death pulled the covers of her bed over her. She knew Him… Fantine knew Him from somewhere…

Where?

"Learn to be lonely… Life can be lived, life can be loved alone…"

She felt a familiar warmth press against her lips…

Death's kiss…

He moved away from her and left her in the darkness of her room. That's when sweet oblivion claimed her, and Fantine slept deeper than she ever had before.

XxXxX

Erik: Ah, so sad. Well, some of you were wondering when Fantine would fine out who dropped the chandelier. What did you think of her reaction? I think it sucked.

AngelofMusic8578: Hey, Erik! I'm back!

Erik: Ah, good. How did your memory test go?

AngelofMusic8578: I aced it. 100 on all eleven songs.

Erik: Very good. And your solo audition?

AngelofMusic8578: Not too good. But that's OK. I don't need the pressure of having a solo on top of everything else. Uh, what are you doing next to my PC?

Erik: Oh, nothing much.

AngelofMusic8578: Erik! Didn't I tell you to stay away from it!

Erik: Indeed you did, but do I ever listen to you?

AngelofMusic8578: WHAT DID YOU DO?

Erik: Nothing terrible… I just did two updates for you…

AngelofMusic8578: ERIK I'M GONNA KILL YOU!

Erik: I figured… Good bye, ladies! And Hollom! See you all tomorrow!