Here's the second chapter, now we'll see how our beloved Phantom handles fatherhood :) Enjoy! And do drop me a line!

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.

Erik felt as though all the breath had been knock from his chest. "No! It's…it's not possible!" he exclaimed. "Of all the things! You've…" but for once he seemed speechless.

Nadir sighed, "Erik, she's your daughter. And she's quite a little lady" he added as an afterthought.

Erik grabbed Nadir by his collar "You lie!" he spat in his face.

Nadir, frowned pushing Erik's hands away from him. He knew he would have to take a different approach.

"By Allah! You stubborn foolish man! Why is it so inconceivable that she is your daughter! Now you listen to me Erik! I have watched this little girl grow up without a father, and I've watched her mother try to hide the sadness she feels that her daughter has never known her father! Christine still loves you! Still to this day does she wear your ring! She refused to marry the boy because of her love for you! She has raised this child on her own!" He took a breath, not willing to back down now. "She plays the piano unlike any child I have ever seen. She's your daughter; she's got your sharp mind and tongue! But she's got her mother's inherent sweetness and goodness!"

He stopped when he saw the tears in Erik's eyes. He knew he had made his point. "She needs and deserves a father. And I think Christine deserves to know the truth! Allah knows how hard it's been for me to look her in the eye and lie to her every time I see her. She misses you Erik, terribly. She would never admit it to me, but I can tell."

He put a hand on his masked friend's shoulder and handed him a slip of paper with Christine's address on it. "Go do the right thing" with that he turned and walked away, leaving Erik to stare at the piece of paper blankly.

Finally he managed to collect himself; he made his way down the streets to the address on the paper in front of him. He stood on her doorstep for quite some time before gathering the courage to knock. He angled his face so his unmasked profile would be seen first. The door swung open and he found himself looking down into the golden-green eyes of his daughter. 'She's perfect' he thought to himself.

"Good evening, is your mother here?" he asked, softly.

The little girl looked up at him in awe, never before had she heard a voice so pure, so intricately beautiful. She nodded "Yes" she backed away to fetch her mother, but ran right into her.

Christine looked at the stranger and felt her breath hitch in her throat. "Erik?" she breathed.

Madeleine looked from one adult to the next before deciding she should leave. Christine gathered her wits about her, shaking her head. "Umm, forgive me. Please, come in" she stammered uncertainly.

Erik followed her into the cozy little drawing room, sitting down trying to prevent his hands from shaking. They remained in a comfortable silence before Christine could stand it no longer.

"How? I…Nadir told me you…the notice in the paper…"

"Please forgive me Christine. I had Nadir put the notice in the paper. I wanted you to be free of Erik" he said a bit gruffer than he had intended.

Christine nodded, looking down at her lap as she tried to process everything. Instead the tears that had been threatening for what felt like years began to fall. She shot up from her seat, turning away from Erik so he wouldn't see her tears. She stared into the fire for a few moments, pulling herself together before turning back around.

"Forgive me I…would you care for some tea?" she asked suddenly.

He shook his head; he had wanted to take her in his arms when he saw her cry. But he was too afraid. And he hated himself for it. He knew the life he had condemned her to, the guilt ate away at him.

"Christine, please I…forgive me! I never meant to place any burdens on you." He faltered.

She shot up from her seat "Never think that Madeleine has been a burden to me! She has been the only thing that has kept me going since you died! She's the one piece of you that could never be taken away from me!"

Erik sighed a weary sigh, allowing his eyes to close. 'How did things to so complicated?' he asked himself before opening his eyes once again. Christine had slumped back into her chair, defeated. After 6 years she had imagined what it would be like if suddenly Erik appeared out of the blue, how she might react. This was not how she imagined things.

A thought struck her and she felt her stomach clench and turn over. "Nadir knew"

Erik didn't look at her, but continued to stare into the fire.

"He knew all these years, and he never said anything to me! He lied to me!"

"Only because I asked him to. I thought it was for the best" Erik replied quietly. Even as the words left his mouth he knew how unfeeling they were. What a fool he had been! He sighed, suddenly very weary. "Forgive me Christine. I had truly thought I was doing what was best. I thought you would marry your young man, and be very happy together. I never dreamed that you would become…" he stopped unable to continue.

Christine watched him with tears in her eyes, she had not seen him for 6 years and she had never stopped loving him. But this deception, would she ever be able to forgive him for leaving her? Not giving her the choice? She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall freely down her pale cheeks. Erik watched her in misery; he hated to see her cry.

"Christine, please…" but his own voice failed him as he too felt the sting of tears behind his eyes.

They were interrupted by small footsteps on the wooden floor outside the door. Madeleine appeared, smiling and innocent. She ran to her mother, tracing the line of the tears with her little finger.

"Why are you crying Maman?"

Christine wiped her tears away hastily, smiling down at Madeleine unsure of how to answer the little girls question. She cleared her throat "Madeleine, this is a dear friend of mine. His name is Erik," she said gesturing to the dark figure sitting across from her.

Madeleine hopped down and curtsied prettily, Erik extended his hand and kissed the back of it, winking at her as he pulled away. She blushed and giggled before turning back to her mother. "You are Monsieur Nadir's friend. I saw you"

Erik nodded "Indeed you did" she was smart for her age. He knew he would be able to get very little by her. He sat forward and opened his hand in front of her, before pulling a rose out of thin air and handing it to her.

She clapped and smiled widely at him as she took the rose and handed it up to her mother. Christine smiled down at the child, glancing over at Erik briefly. Their eyes met and the same jolt of electricity that she felt those many years ago ripped through her body once more. She kissed the top of Madeleine's head before turning her to face her.

"Perhaps Monsieur Erik would like to stay for dinner?" the little girl asked softly.

Christine grinned at her "Maybe, if you asked him nicely."

Madeleine turned to him and looked shyly down at her feet briefly before looking up at Erik once more. "Would you like to stay for dinner Monsieur?"

Erik's gaze flickered to Christine's; she nodded briefly before looking back at her daughter. He smiled down at her "I would love to join you two lovely ladies for dinner"

Madeleine clapped her hands happily before wandering off to find toys. Christine and Erik sat in silence for a few moments. When they were sure she was out of earshot they allowed themselves to converse.

"She's remarkable," he whispered.

"I know, she is very much your daughter Erik. She's incredibly smart, she doesn't give up easily." She gave him a rueful smile "And she's a musical prodigy. I've tried to teach her the piano, but she's surpassed my meager abilities. I've also been tutoring her in voice, but…" she stopped, looking at him again.

He made a gesture for her to continue "But I'm not a voice teacher, not like my angel" she said softly.

Erik's fist clenched when he heard that title "I was no angel" he said defeated.

Christine managed a weak smile "You were to me" she sighed, "Erik, I know this has all been a lot to take in. But Madeleine needs a father, and I want you to be involved in her life. She loves you, she's adored her father from the very beginning."

"You told her about me?" he asked, horrified.

She nodded "Of course I told her! She deserved to know about her father!"

"How did you explain my absence in her life?" he asked suddenly.

"I told her you had gone away and that one day we would find each other again" she said softly, with tears in her eyes.

Erik shut his eyes, holding his head in his hands. How could he subject an innocent child to his cursed face? How could he expect a child to understand? As though reading his thoughts Christine spoke.

"Erik, she has no reason to fear you. She knows why you wear a mask, and she doesn't care. She loves you that much more for it. She's very smart, she may not have realized it just yet that you are her father. But she would have figured it out soon enough. I told her enough about you"

Erik looked at her, shocked. At that moment Madeleine returned to the room holding a doll. Christine rose "I must check on dinner, Madeleine entertain our guest while I do that alright?"

Madeleine nodded and curled up on Erik's lap to his surprise. Christine walked out of the room with tears in her eyes as she watched father and daughter interact. Half an hour later she returned to find Madeleine on the floor watching Erik with rapture in her eyes as he entertained her with simple magic tricks and his singing. She stood outside the room watching the two of them for a few minutes before she stepped in, clearing her throat.

"Alright you two, come to supper," she said with a smile on her face.

Madeleine stood up and took Erik's hands and led him to the small dining room just down the hall. Neither Erik nor Christine talked to each other; instead they focused their attention on Madeleine who loved the spotlight. All through dinner the adults exchanged glances but never really looked directly at each other.

After dinner they retired to the drawing room where Madeleine graced them with an impromptu concert. Erik listened with his eyes closed as the notes surrounded him and filled his soul. He only opened them when the music ended; he looked at the little girl who was watching him, waiting for his praise.

"Excellent my dear!" he said warmly.

He stayed there until the little one began to yawn; he rose and bade her and her mother goodnight. As he was departing a hand stayed him, he turned to see Christine.

"Come back tomorrow? Please? Madeleine would love it if you did"

He nodded, that was reason enough for him to return. He knew it would take longer for him to repair his relationship with Christine. He wasn't sure if he could, he had made many mistakes and hurt her in more ways than he wanted to think about. He returned to Nadir's flat in silent reflection.