Thank you for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I am glad you're enjoying this story. Im kind of sad to see some of my earlier readers disappearing though. I hope I didn't scare anyone off for any reason.

For my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving!

If Christine had any sort of doubt about Erik taking over her lessons, they were quickly squashed by the end of her second hour with him. Her voice had already made improvements, even she could hear a difference.

He did not praise her much when they were working, solely focused on correcting her slouching or mouth placement. It was a lot to get used to, Erik's perfectionism. His need for it was obvious.

The song she had chosen for the concert had quickly become more challenging and she fought with herself to sing it how he wanted. At some point, it began to not even sound like the original. She barely recognized it.

She was impressed with both herself and his ability to coax her voice in such a way and she told him so.

"It was inside of you the entire time, Christine," he gently reminded her. "I'm merely tuning it, as I did with this appalling piano." He was surprisingly humble and unintentionally funny.

Christine did catch up with Raoul on Saturday, as they had planned, and she was excited to see him. Thankfully, there was no embarrassing singing or hats, but he had taken her out to a Mexican restaurant where they could laugh over chips and salsa.

Raoul was charming as ever, even more so now that he was older and had life experience. Despite the steps forward she was taking with Erik and her lessons, it felt comforting to fall back into the past where things were simpler.

Raoul had a way about him that made her forget about her worries and just make her… laugh. She didn't think she had laughed this much since her father had died. It was a relief.

He had dropped her off at her apartment and she didn't think she quit smiling until she fell asleep that night. The piano music from Erik's apartment drifted in and out of her dreams.

"You're sure smiling a lot," Meg commented one evening at the dinner table in her mother's house. Antionette had stepped away to grab a pitcher of tea to share among them.

Christine looked up from her mashed potatoes. "Oh am I?" She said with an embarrassed laugh. "It's just… things are really getting better, Meg."

"With lessons?"

Christine nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!" She suddenly realized she hadn't told anyone that it was now Erik teaching her and for some reason, she stayed silent. He was a man of mystery and secrets. Would he be alright if she told other people he was training her? "My voice is getting better with every lesson!"

Meg grinned. "Oh wow! I can't wait to hear it! You have, what, three weeks left till the concert?"

Christine nodded, grabbing her roll and ripping it apart with her fingers. "Yes. I'm nervous but… I am feeling pretty confident that I can do it, you know?"

Meg was truly delighted with this statement. Christine felt a bit guilty for making her worry for so long. "I'm really glad, Chris. You were so glum before. It's like you're becoming a different person recently. I was beginning to wonder if it was Raoul's sudden appearance that was doing it, but I suppose that was wishful thinking."

Christine almost laughed. Meg was always wanting her to be with someone, didn't she? "I am happy he's back in my life, but it's just friendship, Meg. I mean, I'm going to need someone to keep me company when you abandon me for Julliard."

Meg rolled her eyes. "You'll forget about me, I'm sure. As for me, I'll just become a famous ballerina and travel over the ocean to other countries and star in Swan Lake." She waved her hand with a playful dreamy look on her face.

"Not with how lazy you've been practicing," Antionette interrupted with a slight scowl, sitting back down at the table. Meg blanched. "I'd say since you were given the offer to go to Julliard, you've done nothing but lay around the house and watch reality television."

Christine laughed behind her hand. Nothing seemed to have changed between them. She almost missed living there with them. Almost.

At her next singing lesson with Erik, Christine struggled with the song for the first time. When he stopped her for a third time, she groaned in frustration and pulled at the ends of her hair.

"I don't know what's wrong with me! I know the song. I've been practicing as much as I can."

"I know you have, I've heard you," he reassured, hands going to his thighs. The news startled her. Had he always been able to hear her singing from his apartment? She quickly realized that it would make sense; his nighttime melodies had become a part of her sleep routine. The vents seemed to carry their music between them.

"Something is off, I can feel it. I just don't know what it is," she admitted, unwilling to admit that she could hear him also.

Erik gradually turned to look at her from the bench. "I believe it is that the song doesn't speak to you on an emotional level. This song, although we have tweaked it to our fancy, is still quite a short song about flowers in the springtime. You hit the notes beautifully, but it's the feeling that is lacking."

Christine's shoulders slumped. "Oh… you're right," she realized. The song didn't quite fit her anymore. "What can we do about it? It's too late to pick a new one."

Erik hesitated and then, with a final decision, grabbed the black folder that he'd placed on top of the piano before she'd entered. She had noticed it but hadn't been overly curious until then. "It's true you only have two weeks till the concert, however," he slowly slid out sheet music and then promptly handed it over to her, "perhaps you'd like to give this a try."

She took it with interest and skimmed over it. She didn't recognize the song and she tried to hum it in her head but was failing with his eyes on her. "I've never sung it before. I sang the other one in a competition when I was younger. I don't think I'll be able to learn this so quickly."

She tried handing it back to him, shame written on her features, but he didn't take it. "Before you reject it, why don't you sight read it. You know the other song well, if anything, we won't be wasting any time by taking this detour."

Christine looked back down to the music again and then up at his expectant gaze. "I… okay. We can try it."

Erik almost smiled but turned back to the piano so quickly that she would have missed it. He supported her along with the piano and she sang hesitantly over the words, but effortlessly found it to be one of the most captivating songs she had ever heard. It was slower, the notes drawn out almost hauntingly, Erik's long fingers skillfully coaxing out the melody. It reminded her of the many songs that she had heard him play through the night.

The notes were adhered to her register and she found it quite easy to keep going, finding that it highlighted her best attributes. To her amazement, the lyrics spoke of how her heart felt: the loneliness, longing, and just a small amount of hope. How had he chosen such a perfect song? It was as if he had seen right through the walls she had built around herself, leaving her exposed and vulnerable. Strangely, it also felt liberating. To let go of these emotions in such a way.

When they came to the end, Christine was stunned silent, the last of the notes fresh in her throat. She was openly gaping at him when he breathlessly turned to measure her reaction with wide eyes. Had the music moved him as well? Her heart was beating so fast that she absently put her hand to it.

"What song is this?" She asked in awe. "It's so beautiful!"

Erik glanced down quickly and then spoke in a rich, quiet tone that had her heart stumbling. "It's one of mine."

Christine froze, staring at him blankly, mystified by his answer. "You wrote this? Oh my goodness, Erik! This is… This is the most incredible song I've ever heard."

Erik adjusted his mask with one long hand, seeming to be embarrassed. "For the longest time it was purely notes in my head. However, your voice… it slowly gave it words."

Christine's heart stopped all together. He had written it with her in mind? Her fingers clutched at her shirt where her heart was. No one had ever done such a thing.

"I… believe that you could learn this song quickly, if we up your lessons to three times a week. This song is written tailored to your voice," he told her swiftly. "If you perform this song, even at a measly little Marlers concert, the audience will weep from the beauty of it. They won't be able to get enough of you. But that would only be the beginning, Christine, I—" he stopped abruptly. His voice had raised an octave as he had gotten excited but quickly lowered it once more, composing himself. "This is up to you, of course, but I dearly hope you agree to sing the song."

"Your song?" She asked, still unbelieving that something so extraordinary had come from her shadowy, masked neighbor. He was a genius.

Erik paused and then nodded once. "If you'll be so kind."

Christine's heart fluttered and she really had no choice but to agree. For the remainder of the lesson, they began working on the new song. She agreed to meet him three times a week for lessons, knowing it would be impossible to learn and perfect it for the concert otherwise. He let her take the music with her, telling her to practice an hour each day, but to not overdo it and strain her voice. She would be ready when the night of the concert came, he reassured her, he was positive of it.

His unwavering confidence made her believe it.

"Oh, I won't be coming home tonight till later so you can go ahead without me," Christine told him as she collected her bag and they headed for the back door as usual.

Erik glanced at her. "With your friend again? The one that giggles too much?"

Christine laughed at that and shook her head. "No the other one. The one who recently reappeared. He's taking me out again to an old diner in the town over. He mentioned milkshakes, but I promise I won't let it hinder my voice. He said he would pick me up from here - oh there he is!" She spoke as they exited the door, catching sight of a white Audi. Raoul waved from inside and she grinned. "Thanks for today, Erik. I'll see you tomorrow!"

With a wave to him, she ran off to catch up with Raoul, not noticing the tense body of her teacher in the shadows or the clenched fists at his sides, as he watched them drive away.

oO0Oo

"No, of course I didn't forget you!" Christine laughed with a roll of her eyes, pointing a fry in his direction. "You told me you'd be here when I came back and so it's you who lied."

Raoul's grin only widened. "You were supposed to be gone for one summer."

Christine sighed sadly. "That's true. Dad got a new job up there and so we were stuck in this horrible apartment for almost a year. It was rough, but Dad found a beautiful park where he'd set up his violin and play for the people there. Most times it was just the ducks as an audience, but it was nice, all things considered."

Raoul eyed her. "I'm sure you miss him."

Christine's throat closed up and she nodded, looking down at the basket of fries between them. "Yeah, I really do. I visit him and mama every anniversary of his… passing."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when it happened. I wish I had been."

She shook her head. "It's all right. You were thousands of miles away, Raoul. I wouldn't have asked you to come home even if we had kept in touch."

Raoul sighed and took a drink of his chocolate milkshake. "You're doing okay though, right?"

Christine gave him a wobbly smile. "Of course. I mean at first it was hard, but I've got Meg and her mom. And my new apartment. Oh, and of course the salon."

"Oh yeah, remind me to tell my Aunt you're a pet stylist. Her goldendoodle is in horrible condition. She's been neglecting to groom him."

Christine cringed. "Oh god, that sounds like a nightmare. Their hair gets so matted towards the skin."

Raoul smiled at her. "Do you like working there, at the salon, I mean?"

She nodded with a wistful smile. "I do. It only took me six months to get it down and I've been working there for about two years now. It's… nice. Therapeutic almost. Dogs are really amazing creatures. I hope to have one of my own one day."

Raoul popped a fry into his mouth. "Why don't you get one?"

Christine shrugged. "I can't afford it. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to leave them at home all day while I'm busy. Maybe when things settle down in a few years… well at least I hope they settle down."

"Yeah, nothing ever really goes the way you expect it to, does it?"

Christine seconded that. Nothing in her life had gone to plan. If it had, her dad would still be there and she'd be happy going to school with a music degree maybe.

But then she wouldn't have met Erik. She smiled at the thought of him. She was singing one of his songs. It made her stomach get butterflies just thinking about it.

"You should go to the concert I'm singing in. It's in a couple weeks. I'm singing one of my teacher's compositions and it's literally the most beautiful song I've ever heard."

"Wow. I didn't know Anne wrote music," Raoul said, impressed as he leaned back in his chair.

Christine realized her mistake. "Oh, no. It's not Anne. Well it was but… not anymore." She glanced up at him and he was frowning.

"Oh? Someone else?"

She nodded vaguely, not really knowing why she was withholding information. Perhaps because she knew Erik was a private man. Or maybe she was wanting to protect him from judgment. Something told her that Roaul wouldn't understand.

"Come on, Christine. You can't just open up a story and leave it hanging like that. Who do you think you're talking to?" Raoul playfully groaned and Christine cracked a smile. He was still so boyish.

"He's just a man who works for the Garnier Theater in town. He's really helped me develop my voice," she told him, swirling her straw to her ice water around.

Raoul seemed to be satisfied with the information but raised an eyebrow warily. "So it's a man, who works at the theater, and you're singing one of his songs? Does he have a thing for you or something?"

Christine tensed at the question and she tried not to overreact. She laughed it off uneasily. "What? No! Of course not. He was just trying to help me out. The other song I was going to sing wasn't working out. Besides! He couldn't possibly look at plain old me like that. He's unearthly," she confessed and tried to drop the subject.

"You're not plain, Christine. You're wonderful. A little bit kooky sometimes, but wonderful just the same," Raoul wisecracked and she was relieved they were back to joking around.

"Not as kooky as you are, Raoul Chagny!"

Raoul laughed and called for the check.

He drove to her apartment and as she moved to open the door, a thanks for the night waiting on her lips, he grabbed her hand and leaned over the center console to press a kiss to her cheek with a warm, soft mouth, silencing her.

Christine's heart jerked and she whirled her eyes to him. He smiled softly at her, making her unexpectedly become uncomfortable for the first time since seeing him again.

"Thanks for coming out with me again, Little Lotte. I'm glad I finally found you."

Christine swallowed thickly and gave him a wobbly smile, her cheeks flushed. "I… me too. Have a good night," she told him, trying not to seem too hasty to get out of his car in fear that he'd try to kiss her again.

Christine waved at his retreating car and breathed a sigh of relief when he was gone. She turned around to head for her apartment and glanced at Erik's apartment, wondering if he was still up. She briefly saw a flash of light through his blinds but it was gone as her eyes adjusted, leaving her to wonder if it was her imagination.