THE MASK AND THE ROSE

A/N: Thank you so much for all the ones who reviewed! I can't tell you how much it motivated me to continue writing this story. I'm very pleased you all liked chapter one. In this next chapter, it will be kind of slow, but good (I hope). That's why I backed it up with chapter three, which hopefully is a much more exciting chapter than the second. Well, anyways, please leave me a review once your done reading this chapter and I'll be sure to reply to it.

-phantomangel132

THE MASK AND THE ROSE:

Chapter Two: An Unexpected Surprise

Christine's P.O.V:

I paced the carpeted marble floor as mama, papa, and Gerard kept locked inside the bedroom. The muffled sound of clinking glass and quick murmurs echoed through the hard oak door. Even though mama had demanded I wait in my room, I couldn't help but listen at the door. I knew I needed to be cautious because Gerard already had bustled in and out of the room once. It was a great possibility it could happen once more.

With the impatience of a young child, I sighed in agitation and carefully pressed my ear against the door.

"I'll start on the face," I heard Gerard's deep rumbling voice say.

I pressed my ear harder against the wood with hope I could hear anything else… Nothing; only silence greeted my eager ears. I leaned my back against the wall and busied myself with twirling a strand of curly light brown hair around my index finger.

Suddenly, a high pitched scream sounded from within the room. I started violently from my thoughts, my heart beginning it's quick pace. I turned the brass knob and swung the door open. Why had mama screamed? Was she alright? It couldn't have possibly been papa who made that horrible noise! Well, Gerard maybe….

I dashed into the room and saw mama cowering in the farthest corner of the room. Gerard pressed himself against the wall, his eyes wide and face dreadfully pale.

"Oh my…" papa groaned as he concealed his face within his hands.

My worries were directed at mama and I immediately rushed to her.

"Mama," I asked," what happened?"

She continued to sob in her arms.

"Mama-"

"Christine!" papa roared. "Go to your room, now."

I looked up from mama's trembling form and stared papa in the eyes, but I did not follow his command.

"Go to your room, as I asked," papa repeated between gritted teeth.

I broke my gaze from papa and glanced over at Gerard, and then at the bed where the little boy lay. I froze instantly, every muscle taut and rigid. I stiffly staggered to the side of the bed and peeked over the top at the face of the boy.

Fear welled in my throat and my mouth grew dry like sandpaper for the boy's face wasn't normal. It didn't even look human or alive, for that matter! The skin was a nauseating yellow color, the skin stretched tightly over protruding cheekbones and a tall forehead. The eyes were deeply set, eyes that remind you of the skull of a skeleton's. I needn't describe the nose for there was none; just a black, gaping hole in the middle of his face. A well formed jaw and finely sculpted lips were the only normal aspects of his appearance.

I tried to move way from the bed, but my legs resisted, staying rigid and tight. Papa's familiar grip wrapped itself around my upper arm and gently pulled me from the bed. He sat on the divan sitting against the wall and lifted me onto his lap.

"It will be alright, Christine," papa whispered soothingly. Long gone was the angry, chastising papa I'd seen moments earlier.

But I knew it wouldn't be alright. Even though I was free of the horrible sight of the boy, I couldn't close my eyes without seeing that-that dead head resting on the downy pillows.

I buried my face in papa's chest and inhaled the rich spice scent of his clothing. Papa wrapped his arms around me tighter and rubbed my back soflty. We sat like that for many moments, mama's sobs eventually fading into heavy, worn out breathing. I jerked my head from papa's chest when the soft clicking of footsteps reverberated off the bedroom's wooden floor. Doctor Lafayette stood with a black leather case hanging from his hand. He glanced from mama, to Gerard, and then questioningly at papa.

"Over on the bed, monsieur," papa directed as he pointed over to his bed.

Doctor Lafayette moved his gaze over to the still creature on the bed.

"Oh my goodness!" Doctor Lafayette excaimed as his hand flew to cover his heart.

His face went pale, and then he looked at papa again. "That is the boy?"

"Please, Armand, he needs your help," papa pleaded. "He most likely won't survive if you don't shove aside your fears and save him."

Doctor Lafayette nodded his head, his eyes once again on the boy. "I can start to work on him once I am alone, but Pierre, I would rather have you in my company, if you don't mind."

"No, I don't," papa replied, then he turned his eyes on me and began lifting me off his lap. "Christine, you must go back to your room now or stay with mother."

"No!" I cried as I hugged my arms tighter around his waist. "Please, let me stay with you. I promise I won't make any noise and I won't interfere."

Papa glanced at Doctor Lafayette who waited patiently near the double oak doors.

"It's fine with me, Pierre," he said. "Christine is always wonderfully behaved when I come for a monthly checkup."

Papa settled on the divan once more and took me in his arms. Gerard walked to mama and lifted her off the floor and guided her from the room. Doctor Lafayette closed the door and removed his black cloak and set the leather case at the foot of the bed. He rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt and went to the side of the bed to examine the boy.

"There is a piece of glass stuck in the bottom of his foot, also," papa informed the doctor as he studied the bruises and cuts along his arms, legs, and chest.

"My goodness, Pierre," Doctor Lafayette gasped, "where did you find this boy?"

"Gerard found him in the second storage room," papa answered. "He was lying on the ground, unconscious. Do you know what happened to him, Armand?"

Doctor Lafayette nodded his head 'yes'. "I can tell from the scars along with the bruises and cuts that he may have been beaten... and very badly. He probably came from somewhere especially dirty, say the streets or woods, for he carries a drastically arising fever."

He rubbed his waist. "And he's got a broken rib."

I watched silently as Doctor Lafayette smoothed ointment onto his cuts and covered them with a white bandage. I hid my eyes when he plucked the large, jaggad piece of glass sticking from his foot. He wrapped both of the boy's feet with a white cloth and wrapped the same cloth around his waist for the broken rib. Doctor Lafayette unrolled his shirt sleeves and replaced the black cloak when finished.

"Well, that wasn't so difficult to do," he admitted when papa rose from the divan.

"Thank you very much Armand," papa thanked gratefully.

"Pierre, I would like to have a weekly checkup on him, if you don't mind," Doctor Lafayette said. "I need to check on that broken rib, but in the meantime, rub this ointment and replace the bandages on him each morning and night. And for the fever, I want you to feed him this medicine. It will help immensely."

Papa put me down for a moment and gathered the objects Doctor Lafayette shoved into his hands. "You are more than welcome to come when you think necessary. But thank you for coming. We all appreciate it."

Doctor Lafayette nodded his head and turned and opened the door. Before he left, he looked at papa again and said, "And, Pierre, please have one of your servants wash his hair ans clean him up a bit. He reeks as if he hasn't bathed in months."

Papa and Gerard carried the boy to one of the spare bedrooms near my own. Gerard offered a clean, white tunic and white leggings for the boy to wear. The filthy, ripped up pants would not do for the time being. Each morning and evening, I snuck from my room and slipped into his bedroom. I watched silently as Amelia soothed the balm over his wounds and rebandaged them. In the afternoon, Amelia came in once more to force the syrupy liquid down his throat. I watched only once, and would have rather not. The yellow liquid would dribble down his chin and tunic front. My stomach squirmed at the sight, and each time afterwards thatAmelia asked for my company in the afternoon, I remorsefully rejected her invitation.

The boy showed no signs for many days of ever waking up. Ocassionally, during the first few days, he twitched and moaned several times. As the week progressed, he tossed and turned constantly and let out soft sighs or unintelligable mumbles. I couldn't help but smile when he mumbled randomly. There was one morning when the boy opened his eyes. I gasped lightly when I caught a glimpse of his eyes, for they were the most beautiful shade of gold I had ever seen. I suppose he heard my gasp because his eyes rapidly turned in my direction. I stared, mesmerised as he watched me, not even murming a single word or sound. We just stared at each other for the longest time, until, unfortunately, he once again closed his eyes.

It was one night in particular I never want to forget for it marked the beginning of our friendship. I snuck from my room and resumed in my usual place on the divan with a single lit candle. The boywas very still that night, which I found rather peculiar since he usually was restless at this time of day. I held my breath for several long moments before, to my surprise, he began to sit up in bed. I instantly shot up from the divan to his side.

"No!" I hissed. "Lay back down; you've broken your rib."

The boy instantly glanced at me with a slight shade of fear in his eyes.

"Who are you?" he asked hoarsely. "Where am I?"

His hands reached up to his face, his features contorting with horror when he realized nothing covered his deformity. I reached out quickly and removed his hands and held them in my own.

"Please do not be frightened," I said reassuringly. "My name is Christine Daae; I will not harm you. None of my family will."

The boy stared from me to our clasped hands. Without saying a word, he timidly withdrew his hand from mine.

"Where am I," he whispered.

"You are in Rouen, France," I replied. "At the Daae chateau."

The boy laid silently for a moment, probably lost in his own thoughts.

"What is your name?" I asked quietly after a few moments of silence.

He started from his thoughts and turned to look at me again.

The distrust flashing in his eyes slowly faded. "My name is Erik."

A/N: I don't really like the second part of this chapter, but it was the best I could think of at the moment. Please tell me what you think of this chapter in a review. Like I said before, this was supposed to be a slower chapter, but I can assure you the next will be more intense. It goes into more of the background of Erik.

-phantomangel132