A/N: Cameron's going to start having a diary (journal, whatever), too. It'll be in bold and italics together.

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Beyond the lake, in the catacombs of the Opera Populaire, is a wondrous place full of magic and mystery. And there is one person who makes all of this happen - Christine.

Every day that I'm with her, I sink a little deeper into Christine's influence. She teaches me so many things - not about just singing or music, but many things about the world that I wouldn't have a clue about otherwise.

It's quite funny, really, when I think about it - I'm learning things from a fifteen - year - old girl! I'm always filled with wonder every time she tells me something new; I wonder how she got to be so smart...

But one thing I'm completely curious to know about - the one thing that she won't tell me - is about her personal life. All she's told me about it is that she'd lived in her home since she was about a month old, with only her father for company.

Jannes told me some time ago that her father had been The Phantom before she, and that he had been killed a little over a year ago, but he never says any more than that.

Then, whenever I ask her about it, she gets all hostile. If I push it too far, she gets angry about it and shouts at me... she has a violent and ungovernable temper.

How is it that I make her so angry by asking the simplest questions?

"Cameron."

Cameron walked over to where Christine sat on the piano bench and sat himself down on the floor in front of her. "Yes, Christine?"

She gazed at him for a moment. "It's time for you to go back up," she finally said, rising and walking over to where her cloak was hung up. She put it on over her shoulders and turned back to where he still sat. "Come."

He looked at her beseechingly for a moment. "Why must I go?" he asked sadly. "Do you not want me here with you? I'm sorry if I make you angry when I ask you about your -"

"Oh, Cameron, it isn't that!" she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You need to go back up to work on Genius's Mistake. They can't exactly rehearse without you there. It's already been two weeks; I can't be the reason that they postpone rehearsal any longer. Besides, I need you to take a message up to them."

"I see." He rose and walked over to her, sighing. "Then I suppose you need to take me back."

She nodded. "And besides, then you can see Emilie again. You want to see her again, don't you? She is your fiancee. Take her out to a nice supper tonight. You've missed her, I know."

His face lit up at the sound of that idea. "Truly?"

She swallowed hard, trying to restrain herself from getting angry out of jealousy. "Truly. Now come." She stepped onto the gondola and grabbed the rowing rod.

When he'd stepped on, she rowed away.

When they reached the passageway, she extended her hand to him. He took it, and then they walked down the passageway to the mirror together.

Then they stepped up to the mirror. "What was it that you wanted me to tell everyone?" he asked her.

"Ah, yes," she said, nodding. "Tell them that I don't want them working on anything but Genius's Mistake until I tell them not to. They may not work on any other production. Am I clear?"

He nodded. "Yes. How long is this going to take?"

She shrugged. "A little over a year, perhaps."

"A year?" His eyes widened. "That's quite a long time... how will the Opera make any money?"

"It won't. That's my other instruction - they're going to have to shut down the Opera until the opening night of Genius's Mistake. And that will make even more people come as well, since it will have been closed for such a long time."

He nodded. "All right. I'll tell them. Shall I refer to you as 'The Phantom'?"

"I suppose that's all right." She opened the mirror. "Now go. I shall see you in... oh, let's say... two weeks."

He stepped through the mirror. "Two weeks. I shall be here. Goodbye, Christine."

"Goodbye, Cameron." She started to close the mirror.

"Christine, wait."

She stopped. "Yes?"

He gazed at her for a moment. "It was good to see you again, Christine."

She smiled. "I feel the same about you. Goodbye." Then she closed the mirror and started walking back down to her lair.