Note- this has been revised…

Author's Note- well, here be the Christmas chapter! I don't know how many new chappies I will write between now and Christmas- depends on how much time I have and if I feel like writing. I will probably get some more out though. I am also beginning anther phic, kinda like this one, but different, with another of my friends. I will be posting the first chapters soon I hope. Merry Christmas to Everyone!

Erik- just get on with the reviews and the chapter…

Jen- fine, fine…

Ram Jas- haha, I am lazy too- don't worry about that! And, as far as updates, I believe the part of my AN above explains. I sometimes don't get chappies up as often as I would like, because, half the time, doesn't let me! I still haven't figured out why, but some days it just doesn't let me upload- hence the reason the last two chapters were up late. And, yes, I know what you mean. Hopefully you will enjoy this chapter . Eight days as of now, whoot! I can't wait! Time has been…odd…this year…some times it seems fast, and others…too slow. If I think of the first few weeks, they seem like an eternity away, yet, also like they just ended. Odd. And, hehe, same- I didn't see PotO until a party of my friends in September, but then I got the DVD for my bday, hehe- I didn't even tell my parents I wanted it! And, Merry Christmas to you as well.

El loco uno- Hehe, thanks for the review, and you shall find out!

Tallacus- you are very welcome for the bday note! And, glad you liked the ideas for the gifts! Thanks for reviewing

Chapter 19

Masks

"Alright, this one is for you, Erik." Jen said, handing him the package. She picked up another. "Gabby." And another. "Me." There weren't many gifts beneath the tree, but they didn't care. Jen and Gabby had one each, and Erik had two- one from each girl. "Alright, let's open." Gabby said, already beginning to tear at the colorful paper. Erik watched how she did it, then followed. He smiled and pulled out Gabby's gift. "Thank you." He said, examining the candles. "I thought you could use some new candles in your lair." The cellist said with a smile. There were indeed a lot of candles in that gift, and Erik certainly could use them. Jen grinned. "Thanketh you, dearest Gabby." She said, examining the dragon-ish gift she had received. It was a small painting, but excellently done, of a dragon in flight.

"You're welcome." Her friend said, struggling with the gift from Jen. "You need to wrap things so humans can open them." She muttered, looking at her friend. The percussionist just grinned. "Good luck with that."

"Jen…thank you." She heard Erik say, and looked at him. The Phantom was holding the four mallets the percussionist had gotten him. "I figured, if you are gonna keep that other marimba in here, that you should have some mallets of your own to play it with. Those are exactly like the other pair I have. Use them where, mon cher, use them well."

"And for the chocolate…how did you know?" he asked, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Everyone likes chocolate." Jen replied, smiling slyly. "And, the way you at the cake at the restaurant, it gave away a good deal of information."

"I see." He said, watching Gabby fumble about with Jen's gift. "I hate your wrapping." The cellist said, glaring. "Here, lemme try." Jen said, holding her hand out. Gabby tossed the box to her, and the percussionist untied the string that was holding the paper together. "There." She said, tossing it back.

"Thanks." Gabby began to undo the paper, and soon grinned. "Oh my gosh!" the cellist cried, and quickly took off the lid of the box. She held in her hands a mewling grey furball. "A kitten?"

"You are most welcome." Jen said, nodding her head and smiling. "I'm gonna name him…er…Waffle!" The other two in the room grinned. "alright." Jen said, and Erik smiled. Jen's stomach then growled. "Well, shall we eat?"

"Aye." Gabby agreed. "Erik?"

"I am fine with that, but first…" he stood and walked back towards his room. Jen sighed, admiring the way he walked. "You are a looser." Gabby said, elbowing her. "I can't help it." Soon Erik reappeared with two boxes. "I believe there are more gifts to open." He said with a genuine smile. The two's eyes lit, as anyone's eyes will when they see new presents, and they snatched them out of his hands. Jen began shredding the paper, while Gabby carefully opened it. Jen finished first, and found a box inside. She looked up at Erik, raised her eyebrows as if to say 'what be this', and opened it. What she saw inside made her eyes widen, and she grinned. "Erik…I…how did you know?" she asked, lifting out the mask. It was almost exactly like the ones she had drawn in her costume designs. "I found your sketches." He said. Gabby was grinning, looking over her's- a bat mask. Jen's was a draconic mask, black, complete with horns and glittery scales. "thank you Erik." The percussionist said, grinning as she put it on. It fit her perfectly. Jen was beginning to wonder if he had them custom made, but didn't ask.

"Wow…these are awesome." Gabby said, playing with hers in the same way Jen had. It was also black, with a bat snout and ears. "It will go great with my costume! Thanks Erik!" The cellist stood and hugged him. "I'll go get breakfast out here."

"Breakfast?" Erik asked Jen after she had left. "We had this all planned out for you. We put up the tree and decorations, then Gabby went to work on breakfast- and dinner. You are gonna have the best Christmas ever!"

"You don't know how much this means to me." Erik said, taking a seat, tears of happiness forming in his eyes. "Yes we do." Jen said, sitting beside him and embracing him. "Thank you. I owe you so much, Jen. You and Gabby both. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"You can…you can take of your mask." Jen said, pausing to think in the middle. Erik turned his head vehemently, and placed a hand over his mask. "Not that mask." She said softly. "The one you wear all the time. The one that you use to hide your feelings."

"I…" Erik didn't know what to say. Jen sighed. She placed a hand on his white mask, and began to pry it off. "Jen, don't." he said softly. "I don't care what your face looks like. You have to learn to live without a mask. So do I." she said softly.

Erik closed his eyes, not wanting to see her reaction to his marred face. He didn't to see the look of disgust and horror. He felt the mask come off, and cringed. "Open your eyes, Erik." He did so, but very slowly. "Erik, it doesn't matter. I care about you." This was becoming harder for Jen. She was discarding her mask too, letting her feelings come out. They looked into each others eyes for a long while, blue-grey and green-grey, not speaking. Then Jen pulled him into an embrace. "Give her up, Erik." She said at last.

"I can't."

"You haven't tried." With that said, Jen reached up and kissed him, their lips meeting. She let Erik deepen their kiss, then pull away. "Merry Christmas, Erik." Jen then stood, and walked off to help Gabby prepare breakfast, leaving Erik sitting there alone, dumbfounded. He just sat for what seemed like a lifetime, his mind in turmoil over what had just happened between him. He wanted Jen to come back, he wanted to hold her like that again. He also wanted to be near Christine though. Was he letting go of his love for the singer? Was he giving up his mask? Jen had seen sides of him that even he didn't know he had. Perhaps he was falling under the dragon's spell, being pulled under her power against his own free will. Perhaps, he thought, it was fate. No, it couldn't be- Erik didn't believe in fate. But whatever was happening, he wanted to figure it out. And soon. He picked up his mask, and put it back on, then went to go get dressed, leaving his gifts but not his thoughts behind for the moment.

Author's Note- Well, there you have it. A little Erik/Jen action included! Review, and I will try to get some more written before Christmas!

Erik- I hate you

Jen- I know…bye!