Disclaimer: Once again! I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or anything that goes with it. Sob

Hi guys! Sorry about the wait. Homework and soccer is taking over my life! Lol. Thanks for the reviews, and they are greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy the this chapter, and keep up the reviewing!-QK

Chapter 6- Hello, Charlotte

10 years later

Charlotte stared out the window, tears brimming out of her eyes. She stared down at her bloated, pregnant stomach and lovingly stroked it. A picture of her poor, late husband caught her eye and she caressed the glass cover of the photograph.

Oh Javert, she thought sadly. Why did you have to die? She had been married to her husband for a few years, they were happy, in love, and she was pregnant. And then…Charlotte closed her eyes tight, trying to forget. He had been teaching the chorus girls a new step when suddenly a beam from above fell down on him and killed him instantly. She didn't even have a chance to say goodbye. Charlotte looked down at her stomach, felt the kicks coming from within.

"Oh Meg." She whispered. "How am I going to survive without him?"

Charlotte glanced at the clock and sighed. It was time for her to head back down to the theater, to teach the chorus girl the new act. When her husband, who had been the old dance director, had died, her manager had put her as the new dance director, for she could not dance anymore with her being pregnant.

Charlotte thought about this and wiped her eyes. Maybe he'll let me stay the dance director, she thought. Charlotte slowly got up and turned around to get her coat from the closet. Carefully opening the door, she stared at the solid black coat. It reminded her of someone she had thought of everyday, for the last 10 years.

"Hello Charlotte."

Charlotte froze. The coat she had been holding dropped to the floor. Everything in her body, including her heart, froze and her eyes widened with realization.

That voice….she thought with horror. It's him.

Using every ounce of bravery she had in her, she slowly turned around, chills running through her, to face the man who had been haunting her dreams ever since the day she saved him.

They both stared at each other for a moment. He was a young man now, tall, taller than she remembered. He was wearing an all black suit, and a white mask covered most of his face features, but you could still tell her was devastatingly handsome. His hair, black as night, was slicked back. He was handsome, and he was dangerous. His eyes, those eyes that had haunted her for so long, seemed to pierce through her soul from behind the mask. For a slit second, his eyes drifted down to her stomach and widened a bit. But Charlotte blinked, and the eyes were once again placed upon her face.

"How nice to see you again" Charlotte shivered in fear and anticipation at the sound of his dark, silky voice.

"I-I-it's b-been a w-while" Charlotte whispered, doing her best not to stutter. She took a big breath. "…E-erik.

At the sound of hearing his name for the first time in years Erik felt a sharp feeling of pain. Seeing her for the first time in years was one thing, but hearing his name? His body cringed in pain. She was beautiful, as beautiful as he remembered. Just seeing her lovely, sweet face made his heart begin to ache. He quickly brushed tried to brush it away; he decided long ago that he would be the one causing the pain, not the other way around. But the feeling of pain stayed with him, no matter how he tried to push it away. Taking a sharp but silent breath, he spoke to her.

"Yes it has." How very….different you look." Erik raised an eyebrow as he glanced down at her pregnant stomach.

Charlotte was starting to feel very frightened. She used to know this little boy, Erik, who was standing in front of her. But something was very, very different about him, and the kind little soul he once had seemed to be replaced with something else. Something cruel, and dangerous. Charlotte slowly started to back away, trying to take little steps so he wouldn't notice. Oh, but Erik did notice. A smirk rose out from underneath his mask. So she was afraid of him, was she? Good. He calmly started walking toward her, enjoying the terror in her eyes as he got closer and closer.

Suddenly Charlotte lost it. All her emotions, from having her husband dead, from being pregnant, to seeing him made her loose control.

"Oh god Erik!" she screamed at him. "Don't hurt me please, for my baby's sake! I'm sorry, I'm sorry for what I did, but please don't hurt me!" She crumbled into a heap at the floor, sobbing.

Erik was taken back with surprise. Did Charlotte actually think that he was going to hurt her, the one person who had ever shown him compassion? He watched her sobbing on the ground and felt his first pang on guilt for scaring her like this. But he could not stop now, he wanted something, and he was sure that she could give it to him.

"Charlotte." Erik spoke clearly and sharply, but not sharply enough to scare her.

"Stop crying. I'm not going to hurt you, but I do want something that you can help me with."

Charlottes, red, puffed eyes widened with surprise. He didn't want…well….that did he?

"E-e-erik…I can't…..I-I w-wont d-do it…I-I'm p-pregnant…"

Erik cut her off by laughing out loud, cruelly.

"No Charlotte, I don't want that. I'm quite pleased to say that I do not love you anymore, and I was a foolish, silly boy when I did love you."

Charlotte felt relieved, but at the same time a little bit disappointed.

"O-oh..." She stuttered.

"What I want from you is something entirely different. You are the new dance director, is that correct?"

Charlotte did not speak, but merely nodded.

'Give this to your managers." He handed her a white envelope, sealed with red wax in the shape of a scull.

"W-what is it?" Charlotte eyed the envelope carefully, thinking it contained something harmful.

"Charlotte…you remember the last day you ever saw me, am I correct?" His cold eyes glared at her as she slowly shook her head, avoiding his gaze as best as she could.

"You may think I loathe you right now, but that is not true. I actually want to thank you."

Charlotte started at him, a look of confusion on her face, her mouth already forming questions. But Erik cut her off before she could speak.

"You made me realize something. Everyone judges me by the way I look, so why should I take their orders, or follow their rules?" I know things Charlotte. I know how to compose songs, build and create things. The gypsies taught me many things, like magic, and how to…" Erik swallowed.

"…kill." Charlotte was starting to look frightened again, her eyes the size of marbles.

"I follow no ones rule anymore. I live only for myself, and for music. Music is my life, Charlotte. Every since you taught me to play the organ, I have been addicted to music. There is nothing else as important to me. So I have decided that this opera house will now belong to me. I will decide what shows they will perform, and who will do it, and they will pay me. And if they defy me, well I'll just have to deal with them."

"Deal with them?" Charlotte stared at Erik's emotionless face, trying to avoid his piercing eyes that looked so frightening as they stared at her through the mask.

Erik stared at her quizzically. "You remember the gypsies, don't you Charlotte?

Charlotte stepped back gasped. A look of pure terror was painted on her face. "You're not actually thinking of…of...k-killing them are you?"

"Whatever I want to do I can Charlotte. And you'd be smart giving your managers that letter. You wouldn't want me to deal with you, or your precious baby would you? Erik started chuckling, a deep, frightening laugh.

Charlotte gave out a small cry, and pressed her eyes shut for a moment. When she finally opened them, Erik was gone, only the sound of his laughter echoing through her mind.