A.N: Special thanks to Venus725, EmilyWillow, Emma-J-Riddle, The Singing Fox Demon, JennAnn, GoldenLyre, Amanda, Mini Nicka, WildPixieChils16, Rae, Gypsy, Beth, ChristineErikMatchMadeinHell, Indipyro, Helene, Orli's Babe, Phantomfluteplayer and Chibi Vegeta Face for all their great feedback!

Thankyou so much for your help. I ABSOLUTLY PROMISE THE NEXT WILL BE SOONER!

Erik paled in panic. A small child like that could be anywhere, oh god! She could have fallen into one of his traps! "Erica" he cooed softly trying to be as un intimidating as possible. He received no reply but he heard a faint sneeze coming from under the dining table. He slowly bent down and lifted up the tablecloth. "Hello" he said.

"Hello" she replied playing with her hair.

"Would you like to come out?" he lifted the table cloth and moved to give her space. She was the strangest child, any other child would be running or crying.

Erica didn't move "Why did you lock Mamma in that room?" she looked up at him with her big blue eyes.

Erik stuttered "Well Mamma doesn't know it, but she needs to stay in there." Oh real clever Erik he thought to himself.

"Why?" Erica asked doubtful.

Erik scratched his head "Well…uh…remember how I told you that you and Mamma would be living here now? Well…um that's where Mamma's going to live." He finished lamely.

"Just in that one room?"

"Yes. I-I mean no! In the WHOLE house" he explained

Erica studied him for a long time before bursting out "Why do you want us to live here?"

"Well, because I live here."

"Why do you want us to live with you?"

Erik sighed and sat down, he was never good at these kind of talks "Because I l-l-love your Mamma and you." He looked at her intently trying to judge her reaction, bracing himself for the rejection he was so used to. He was surprisingly delighted when Erica beamed up at him. She crawled out from under the table and took his hand as she stood. She yawned "Tell me a story?" she asked.

Erik thought, he didn't know any stories appropriate for children… "How about I sing you a song?" he suggested.

Erica frowned "Mamma says no music"

"Well, don't worry, Mamma won't say that anymore. Come on" he held out his hand to her and was very happy when she took it in her own. He lead her into the study and sat in his usual chair. He expected her to seat herself at his feet like her mother always did, but she crawled into his lap. Erik was shocked at first but then overjoyed. He felt the warm tingle of acceptance and trust, that he'd only ever felt with Christine before. He stiffly put his arms around her and begun to sing:

Night time sharpens,

heightens each sensation

Darkness stirs

And wakes imagination

Silently the senses

Abandon their defences

Erik looked down, Erica had fallen asleep against his chest, her thumb in her mouth. Erik stopped singing and smiled. He slowly stood and carried her over to the couch where he gently covered her with a shawl, before he left he gently pulled her hand out of her mouth. Thumb sucking caused buck teeth which would interfere with her singing career.

Erik walked towards Christine's room where she'd stopped causing a racket. He took a deep breath, this wasn't going to be pleasant, but it had to happen. He'd try the gentle approach first. He tentively opened the door and closed it behind him. "Christine I'd like to talk"

Christine spun around when she heard his voice, THAT voice! She'd been idly fiddling with the items on her dressing table, correction; what was once her dressing table. Everything had remained the same, everything just how she'd left it. She shook herself, that was the past, this was now; she wasn't a young girl anymore she was a woman, an adult, a mother. "Very well Monsieur" she answered with formality.

Erik gritted his teeth, why was she being so distant? Despite how much she tried to hide it, he could see pain hidden in her eyes and a small glimpse of the old Christine, he just had to get through to her. "Christine what happened?" damn! That wasn't what he wanted to say.

"Nothing!" Christine snapped.

"I-I mean" he tried to start again "Why aren't you with Raoul? Why aren't you living the wonderful life I sent you away to!" he was becoming angry.

Christine glared at him "MAYBE BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO!" she screamed back at him, finally, loosing her composure, "I TOLD YOU I WANTED TO STAY WITH YOU! YOU KNEW THAT, HOW COULD YOU NOT?" she advanced on him "Don't you remember the night of the masked ball? When you fell through the floor infont of everyone taking me with you! DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN US THAT NIGHT?" she was now pummelling his chest with her fists "DID YOU HONESTLY THINK I'D LEAVE YOU AFTER THAT?"

Erik bowed his head "Oh Christine, I'll remember that night for the rest of my life" he replied quietly. "It was the most wonderful and precious night of my life.

Tears streaked down her cheeks "Well I'll remember it too." She spat out in the heat of the moment.

They both turned to look at the door, then each other. Christine looked down and fiddled with her skirt not game to meet Erik's eyes.

"She…she's m-mine isn't she?" Erik whispered

Two large teardrops landed on the expensive carpet at Christine's feet. She looked up at him with her eyes shining and nodded. Then glanced back down and covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob.

Many thoughts ran through Erik's head: joy, fear, love…and anger" he gave an inhuman scream of rage and kicked over the washstand. The porcelain smashed, spraying shards everywhere, causing one to fly up and nick the back of Christine's hand, but Erik failed to notice. "WHY CHRISTINE? WHY HAVE YOU KEPT HER FROM ME ALL THIS TIME? AND WHY…WHY HAVE YOU KEPT HER FROM MUSIC!" he roared.

"BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT HER TO TURN OUT LIKE ME!" she sobbed.

"LIKE WHAT? CARRYING THE CHILD OF A MONSTER? IS THAT IT?"

"NO" Christine yelled back "BEING BROKEN-HEARTED AND HAVING TO RAISE A CHILD ALONE! I. LOVED. YOU!" she screamed at him "I WANTED TO STAY WITH YOU AND YOU…YOU SENT ME AWAY!" Christine fell to the floor in anguish and sobbed in despair.

Erik went silent she loved him? Loved him? Was it possible? His anger quickly dissipated. He knelt down beside her and nervously reached out to comfort her. When she showed no resistance he slowly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. He felt her small form shake uncontrollably with each sob and wrapped her in his arms tightly in an attempt to quell it. "Shh Christine. It's alright. I'm here. Everything's going to be alright now." He cooed. He went to stroke her hair but realised it was still bound up in the uncharacteristic bun. He gently pulled out the hairpins and bun letting her hair fall down past her shoulders and all her beautiful curls reappear. She was beginning to look like his Christine again. Still nursing her he undid the back of her plain black dress and caressed her skin as he pulled it down over her arms to her waist. This was when he noticed the cut on her hand. "Oh Christine I'm sorry." He gently kissed the wound, which had stopped bleeding by now. Christine was beginning to quiet down now and helped him slide the dress past her hips and onto the floor. Erik picked her up, wearing only her corset and slip and gently carried her to the bed. He lay her down and bent to brush the remainder of her tears from her cheek with the pad of his thumb. Christine closed her eyes and took a deep breath, turning her head towards his hand to savour the sensation.

Encouraged by this, Erik bent down to kiss her lips. Christine responded, placing her hands on his shoulders. They quickly grew more intense and before long they had expressed their love and healed old wounds.

More to come! Hehehe remember, if you want me to keep writing you have to feed me! Plz send feedback/review.