A.N: Man, I put way too many author notes at the beginning of my chapters. Anyway, this one is necessary, because I don't want Erik to sound like a perv. I don't know if they did this back then, but for the sake of the story, they did wear garments underneath their corsets. And thanks for all of your reviews. I know Patience is a virtue, but it sure as heck isn't one of mine. And to reply to one of the comments, I chose Sarine because I wanted her to seem serene, but be different spelling and I wanted to easily replace Christine's name in the songs so it wouldn't go offbeat. ,

Chapter Six: To Tell the Truth

After Sarine left, Erik beat himself up inside. He had finally found someone who loved him for who he is, and he hurt her over something trivial.

"So goddamn STUPID!" he yelled, hitting the ground with his hands.

It was then that he heard the glass shattering and Sarine's yell. He stood up and ran down the hallway. When he got to where the mirror should be, he saw right to the desk. Stepping on a piece of glass, he looked down. To his horror, the mirror was in pieces, floating in a pool of blood. He ran into the room and saw Sarine on the couch, blood spilling from her wounds.

"Oh my god! Sarine!" he cried, running over and picking her up.

He immediately carried back into his lair and laid her on the ground in front of the organ. Finding some bandages, he carefully pulled the pieces of glass out, washed the blood away, and wrapped her up. Taking her out of the bloody dress, he undid the corset and put on a black costume nightdress that was used for an earlier production. He then twisted her hair into a braid and secured it with a ribbon. Picking her up, he walked to the bedroom. Gently, he laid her down and covered her with the sheets. Then he knelt down and, for the first time in his life, prayed.

"Oh god, please don't take her away from me. I apologize for cursing you so many times. I don't care about anything anymore, except her. Please… I couldn't bear to lose her…"

He stood back up and looked at her. Her scream still echoed in his mind, haunting him. He knew he had one thing to do, and he would need the rest of the night to gather up the courage to do it. Walking out of the room, he sat down at the organ and began writing and composing their duet.

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The next morning, Sarine woke up and looked around. Sitting up she saw that she was in Erik's bed, covered in bandages. The black nightdress had become tangled and twisted, so she got out of the bed and straightened it. Erik wasn't in the room, so she went into the main part of the lair looking for him. There she saw him sitting at the organ, going over some sheet music. He looked up when he felt her stare.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, putting the music down and standing up.

"I feel like someone hit me with a mirror…" she said, looking into the lake.

Erik smiled and walked over to her. He gently touched her face with his hands. She looked at him and he smiled, stroking her cheek.

"I wish I could be like you, not caring what anyone thought, no fear of anyone reaching out to touch me. I am too protective of my secret, and I shouldn't be so," he said, taking her hands. "At least not with you. I realize that you're not Christine. Christine would have pulled my mask off the first chance she got. And she did. When I brought her down here, one of the first things she did was take off my mask, and she hated what was under it. I was simply afraid you would be the same way. But I love you, and it you hate what is under my mask, then so be it. But at least you have the chance to make the choice."

Saying that, he put her hands on his face and closed his eyes. Sarine slowly pulled the mask off. When her scream didn't come, he opened his eyes and looked at her. She was looking at him sadly, her fingers tracing the grooves of his scars and caressing his face. He looked at her, curious.

"I know it's hideous…" he said. "Please don't think of me only as a face…"

Sarine placed a finger to his lips, silencing him. Still holding his face in her hands, she pulled him closer and kissed him. He kissed her back with all the love in his heart. Then he pulled her close to him as tears fell down his face.

"What are you talking about hideous," Sarine laughed through her tears. "I see worse things in the mirror in the morning. I mean, my hair itself is a monster."

They both laughed and hugged each other tightly. Erik finally let her go and looked at her. She may not have Christine's looks, but to him she was the most beautiful person in the world. When he moved to pick up his mask, Sarine stopped him.

"It's your home," she said. "And it's me. You don't have to hide yourself in the presence of either."

Erik smiled as she walked over to the organ and picked up the music he was holding earlier. He walked over and placed his hands on her waist, looking down at the music. He had written and added lyrics to the song that they were playing the other day.

"Light and Darkness," she said, reading the title then looking at him. "I love it."

The clock in the distance told them that it was eleven o'clock.

"We'd better get some rest," Erik said, turning her and kissing both of her hands. "You can sleep here if you'd like."

"I would like that very much," she replied, wrapping her arm around his waist.

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he blew out most of the candles and led her back to the bedroom. When they were at he bed, he pulled the sheets back so she could climb in. She did and watched him as he walked around the bed and got under the sheets. He moved closer to her and draped his arm over her waist. She in turn draped her arm over his and clasped his hand. She looked back and kissed him.

"Will you sing me to sleep again?" she asked against his lips.

"I'll sing you to the moon and back, sweet Sarine."

As she turned back over, Erik leaned close to her and sang to her of promises and true love. And finally he could sing it with his whole heart, knowing she could too.