Author's Note:

Ok sorry I didn't put this on the first chapter. blushes I'm rather new to don't own any Phantom stuff...(but I wished I owned the Phantom )...so dont sue me. Cause I'll just give ya some cookies!

Oh, about this story, if you're confused...Its about 3 yeaars after Christine (hiss) ditched Erik. And my story contains both Madame Giry and The Persian as Erik's confidants, because I need both of them- I don't remember why right now but I will. It follows the movie mostly.. Erik has all of the book's man's abilities, but he looks like the Phantom in the movie (Gerard Butler). His island, though, is the like movie's.

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Chapter 3 Meeting Again

(1 week later)

I stumbled along a passage, lingering dreams of Christine still fogging my brain. I slid the mirror to her dressing-room aside and sat in the middle of her heavenly floor. Heaps of roses filled the room to keep it smelling fresh. Tears streamed down my face. "Christine!" I moaned despairingly. "Why?" Why had I let her go? I should have just let the wretched boy go and kept her with me. She would have learned to love me. I was so absorbed in my mind that I did not react in time when I heard telltale footsteps. But they were from the mirror, not from the hall. I wiped my tears, wondering with vague anger who is was. Only 2 people knew of my passages, the daroga and that new soprano, curse her. If it was her...

I slid back the mirror and crept into the tunnel.

And slammed right into someone. "Who dares enter my home!" I snarled.

"I do."

Damn that girl! I shoved her away to me, and listened as her body gave a gratifying thump against the unforgiving stone of a wall. "Oh, that was nice!" Aria grumbled.

"What are you doing here!"

Aria grumbled. "If you want to know the truth, I'm hiding. I'm trying to see how many ways I can get from various places without being seen."

I snarled incredulously. "Why would you wish to do that! You can walk the world unquestioned, unrejected...you should not take that for granted."

I saw the green eyes soften kindly. I winced; I had not wished for pity...

"I didn't mean it that way. But the wide world isn't as kind as you would think."

I muttered and waved a hand. "But you can still be out there..."

"Erik, why do you live here?" Aria asked gently.

I sneered furiously at her. "I'm not sharing my past with you."

Aria sighed in frustration. "Erik, I'm not trying to annoy you, do you know that?"

"Then what are you trying to do? Because you are annoying me!" I snapped.

"I'm trying to be friends with you!"

I snorted in disbelief. "No. What do you really want? Music lessons like Ms. Daae? If so, the music teacher is retired."

Aria shook her head sadly. "I told you my reason. You're more interesting and a whole lot better than the girls I have to put up with." She turned away from me and walked back the way she had come.

I stood dumbfounded. Aria wanted to be friends with me? I watched her retreating back. She had spoken truly. I realized this could be my one chance, my one opportunity, to be more...normal. I, surely, could be friends. But, I pounded into my head, friends only. Only Christine could I love, because she understood me. She knew me. But I could be friends.

I raced up to Aria and fell in step with her, muttering a gruff apology. The smile on her face was driving me insane. "Don't act like you've won anything," I snipped.

Aria burst out laughing. "I don't think it's possible to win with you."

After a bit of silence, Aria asked, "So...how did you find these tunnels?"

I pondered wordlessly for a minute. Could I trust her? I didn't want to get run out if I gave her too much information. Demin! Do you always have to watch your back? A voice asked me belligerently. But, I simply sighed, and answered her question. "I built them."

I felt some stirring of pride when Aria stared wide-eyed, open mouthed at me.

"All of them? How old were you?"

I had to stop and think about that. "13 or 14?...nearly all of them." I guessed.

"Wow."

A satisfied smile turned my lips slightly. "So...what's brought you to the Opera House?"

The contented look on her face dropped like a weight. "Family's dead." Aria whispered.

"My condolences." I said. I knew that was completely stiff, but what could I say? I'd never lost my family because they wouldn't have cared.

"What are your interests?" I asked boredly.

"I...like to write poetry...and compose..." Aria mumbled, blushing.

I was surprised. "Really? So do I...well, rather poetry music."

"I like to play the violin."

"Amazing. Who taught you?"

Aria smiled, a sad, a far off look on her face. "My father."

"Your father was a musician?"

"No. He played as a hobby."

That reminded me of Christine's father, which reminded me of Christine, which of course made my heart twinge painfully. "I...I see."

Suddenly she jumped. "Do you have a watch about you?"

I checked it. "Nearly noon."

"Oh, I must go. Chorus lessons and such at one."

"Have a nice day," I offered.

Aria laughed, a pretty sound. "You too. See you later."

Suddenly she stopped at one of my many false mirrors. "Does anyone use this room?"

Aria asked curiously.

I caught up with her and glanced into the dirty, small room. "No."

"Can...I have it as my little lair?"

I shrugged.