Disclaimer: I do not own POTO and as much as I wish I was talented enough to write the lyrics the ever beautiful Music of the Night, I'm not! (Note: The Music of the Night lyrics are from the movie, just in case there is any confusion)

Wee Woo! I ain't got much to say except a shameless plug for my other POTO phic, The Lad with the Golden Nipples. It's a dramatic story of Frankish, the lad with the golden nipples, filled with angst, leather undergarments, Victoria Secret's gift certificates, and gender confusion. So…yeah, check it out sometime. Now on with the show!

"Ok, that has to be the first time I have actually had a good time at a school function."

Mask and Black Rose had ended the night with a rousing rendition of "Dance Magic" from the Labyrinth and had driven to Andre's house in very high spirits, Christine intimidating David Bowie and Erik doing the freaky baby noises.

Christine smiled happily, pulling off her constricting heels and flopping on the couch, discarding the skull mask on the side table. Erik followed her example, albeit a lot more gracefully. He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders without hesitation, the skull mask still in place. Christine returned his smile causing her to miss all of Meg's enthusiastic song and dance she had been "performing" in Andre's living room.

"Hey!" Meg yelled, getting Christine's attention by playfully hitting her on the head with a glittery sliver star wand, and startling Erik so he removed his arm, "don't diss the skillz, miss!"

"Yeah, I think it's time for someone's beddy bye time…" Andre said, putting a hand on Meg's shoulder, "she probably shouldn't have had the punch…"

Erik and Christine watched wordlessly as Andre began to lead Meg upstairs, who refused to move unless she got a piggy back ride. With a sigh and a question of why exactly he put up with her ridiculous demands, Andre squatted down so Meg could "calmly" climb on, but as it was Meg, she decide to take a wild leap, causing Andre to nearly topple over. When he had finally regained his balance and Meg was content, he looked back at Christine and Erik with a bemused look on his face.

"My parents are out of town again, as you may remember, so…yeah, just don't make too much noise…"

And with a tired grunt from Meg, Andre took a deep breath and began to hike up the stairs, casting a side glance at Erik. Soon they were out of sight, leaving Erik and Christine alone, both fidgeting with their gloves nervously.

"So..." Erik said a little awkwardly, clearing his throat to correct his normally flawless voice.

"So…" Christine said, unable to meet his penetrating gaze.

Several moments passed before Erik cleared his throat once more and turned to face Christine, grabbing her hands so she would stop picking at the seams in the gloves.

"Please don't get mad at me for what I'm about to say," he began, giving her hands a reassuring squeeze, "but…are you still in love with Raoul?"

Christine's heart pounded guilty as it sunk to her stomach. Why should he even have to ask this! Maybe if you weren't such a sadistic person!

She sighed and closed her eyes tightly, wishing she could go back in time and stop herself from making such a pathetic display of herself in front of Erik and her peers.

'Yeah, and Raoul's probably laughing stupidly about it in a drunken rage…'

Christine cringed as she saw the sickening scene play in her head, shuddering with anger and embarrassment. As much as she would have loved to find an extremely remote cave and hide there for the rest of eternity, Erik was before her, still holding her hands, and deserved an answer.

"I don't think I ever did…" she said solemnly, still not able to meet his gaze, "I just wanted there to be, maybe because I just wanted to believe I was loved by someone…anyone…"

"But you shouldn't have felt like that," Erik said, removing one of his gloved hands from Christine's to gently cup her chin, "So many people in this world love you. Your Mom, Meg, James really cares about you; Andre thinks you're a great person."

Christine relished the feeling of his soft, silky glove upon her skin, deciding to finally ask the question that had been plaguing her since their first breathtaking kiss.

"What about you?" she whispered, her deep blue eyes boldly locking with his grey ones, challenging him to answer her without fear.

Erik laughed confidently, the mere sound shooting goose bumps up Christine's spine.

"What about me, dearest," he crooned, his lips just centimeters away from hers.

"You know what I mean,"

Erik closed his eyes and kissed her softly, the delicate warmth of his lips upon hers rendering her speechless. He pulled back and watched with fascination as her eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal the most beautiful blue eyes he had even beheld, reflecting what he was sure his eyes were reflecting to her.

Love

Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
silently the senses abandon their defenses

Erik stood up, pulling a very pleasantly surprised Christine along with him. The look on her face…her perfect face, expressing every possible emotion of love and happiness urged him to continue the gorgeous song.

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor

Grasp it; sense it, tremulous and tender

Turn your face away from the garish light of day

Turn your face away from cold, unfeeling light

And listen to the music of the night

Close you eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams

Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before

Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar

And you'll live as you've never lived before

Christine listened, with batted breath as Erik sang to her. She laughed a little from nervousness, having never really been sung to before. As cliché as singing to your girlfriend was, there was only sincerity in his eyes.

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night

Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be
Only then can you belong to me

Erik pulled her close to him, both of their hearts racing, Christine with her resting on Erik's chest peacefully. She closed her eyes, listening to his heart beat and the deep vibrations his voice was making. She relaxed, all thoughts of earlier that night disappearing with each passing phrase. It was just Erik and herself; no one need enter their world of music.

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the harmony which dreams alone can write
The power of the music of the night

Well, it's now or never…

Erik abruptly, but gently pushed Christine away, startling her from the trance like state his melodic voice had put her under. She looked at him questioningly, wondering if she had done anything wrong, when she realized with a rush of surprise that he had finally removed his mask.

She gasped loudly, not from the horror she might have felt for his face, but the fact that he trusted her, after all she had done to him, and reveal to her his life altering secret.

Christine, being swept up in the moment, felt tears of happiness starting to form and walked slowly towards him, a warm, loving smile lighting up every feature of her face, as she softly touched the deformed cheek. Winching slightly from her delicate caress, Erik clasped her hand with his, now fearlessly looking her in the eyes, his soul lain before her.

You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night

Neither needed words to tell the other how they felt. It went without saying. Ever so silently, Erik and Christine shared one night of complete happiness together, with no one to bring them back to the cold and cruel real world where true love is only in fairy tales.

Christine opened her eyes, the bright sunlight of late morning streaming in from the windows shades. She didn't want to get up, even though for the first time in quite a while she had some one who made her want to live and laugh.

"Erik?" Christine whispered, turning around to finally see the entire person she was in love with, basked in the sunlight with no mask to hide himself under.

A little prick of disappointment went through her heart, but then alleviated itself as she thought reasonably that he must have just gone downstairs. Smiling happily, she climbed out of the guest room bed to her bag which had been placed on a sofa for her the night before by Meg. Digging her peach terry robe out from the bottom of her bag, she put it on, thankful for its warmth, and padded softly to the door.

She descended the stairs, yawning and scratching her head lazily, and skipped happily to the kitchen where she heard the voices of Erik and Meg, chatting albeit a little awkwardly.

"Good morning all!" she sang in a high voice, spotting Erik, masked once again, seated at the table and bouncing to his chair, throwing her arms around him and hugging him from behind.

She leaned in and kissed Erik on his unmasked cheek and giggled softly when she saw him blush slightly.

"Erik…what's the matter?" she whispered in a sing song voice, giving him another peck on the cheek.

"Nothing, dear," he said in his normally calm and collected tone.

Christine gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked to the refrigerator, which was much cleaner than the last time she had been visited. His seemingly indifferent tone would have normally upset her, but now she knew as she smiled back at him, that he really cared for her.

She hummed "Fifteen Birds in Five Fir Trees," to herself as she grabbed the carton of orange juice and pour herself a glass. Meg came over at this point, obviously wanting details.

"Meg, don't bother asking, nothing happened!" Christine said calmly, replacing the orange juice in the refrigerator and leaning against the counter, "don't give me that look!"

Meg stuck her tongue out at Christine and slid against the end of the counter top to move closer to her friend.

"Christine…"

"Meg!" Christine said staring pointedly at Erik.

"Alright, alright! But you are going to give me the full excruciating details later!"

Christine rolled her eyes at the ceiling, starting to dread that future conversation, when Andre, who had stepped out to grab the newspaper, snuck up behind Meg, who had been busy, fixing herself a bowl of Lucky Charms, and, with the rolled up newspaper in hand, swatted her across the behind with it. It probably would not have been a big deal, if it wasn't for the fact that Meg startled easy and just happened to have the bowl in her hand. With a loud yelp, Meg threw her hands up, sending the cereal bowl flying behind her and all over Andre.

"MEG!" Andre yelled, shaking the cereal pieces out of his hair.

"ANDRE!" Meg screamed, her hand clasped over her heart.

"IT WAS YOUR FAULT!" They said simultaneously, both seething at the other.

"Oh really..." Andre said a mad gleam in his eyes as he wiped the milk from his face.

"Andre…don't do anything rash…you know I don't like milk that much!" Meg said warily, slowly backing away from the menacing figure of the colorful marsh mellow covered Andre.

"TOO BAD!"

Meg gave a high pitched scream as she spirited around the kitchen, desperate to escape Andre's milky clutches. Andre, as he began chasing Meg around the kitchen and laughing menacingly, threw the slightly soggy newspaper, which had been the start of the whole incident, square on the table in front of Erik, who picked it up calmly and unrolled it.

Christine watched from the safety on top of the counter, laughing loudly at Meg and Andre's antics and Erik's ability to always be collected, as he spread the paper in front of him to the front page.

"Oh my God…" Erik said gasping in surprise.

A little worried about the severity of what it was to cause Erik to gasp, Christine slid off the counter, moving towards the back of his chair again.

"Erik, what is—"

Christine's heart stopped in her throat as her eyes caught the headline of the local paper. There in bold print on the front page read three words that brought tears to her eyes.

Raoul is dead.

"Christine…" Erik began, standing up from the chair and rolling the newspaper up again, as if a lame attempt to correct the situation.

But nothing could correct the situation. Not even her Phantom of the Opera.

Ok…I'm just going to say this once. I have been getting some extremely rude reviews lately, all of which are incredibly ridiculous and sadly prove that even POTO phans are not immune to stupidity. If you have constructive criticism, that's great, as it should probably be brought to my attention anyway. If it is pointless bashing, save it please! If you don't have anything helpful to say, don't say it at all and don't even read my story.

To those reviewers who actually read the story and understand that it is just fan fiction, I want to thank you for your nice comments and I urge you to please review! Love and Peace! Kupo!