THE MASK ANS THE ROSE

A/N: I apologize to everyone for not updating for quite some time. I spent most of these past weeks planning out the chapters and figuring out how to begin this one. I should also say that even though it takes me a while to update sometimes, I will never quit on this story. Anyways, thanks to starryspark, trallgorda, mini nicka, and mayirella for coming back to read and review. I was very pleased with your feedback on chapter three, and I hope you enjoy this chapter much more, even though it's a little slower since Erik is still recovering.

-phantomangel132

P.S. Thanks to starryspark and trallgorda for pointing out to me that Christine's mother should be called 'Madame' and Christine herself should be called 'Mademoiselle'. I tried to edit that mistake in chapter one, but since it wouldn't let me, I'm just telling everyone now that the names have been switched.

THE MASK AND THE ROSE:

Chapter Four: On the Road to Recovery

Christine

I paced, back and forth before Erik's bedroom door as I waited for Amelia to finish changing Erik's bandages. It was the morning after he'd awakened and I'd promised before leaving to come back to explain the occurrences of the past week.

I started when the door swung open and Amelia bustled out with rolls of cloth and bottles of medicine tucked underneath her arm.

"Is he awake?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes," she replied. "He asked where you were the entire time and was wondering why you hadn't returned yet, or something. How does he know you, anyway?"

I looked down at my feet and mumbled, "I snuck into his room last night and he happened to be awake. Please don't tell mama or papa, though."

When I looked back up again, I saw Amelia roll her eyes and slightly shake her head back and forth.

"I don't know what were going to do with you, Christine," she said.

I smiled and opened Erik's bedroom door and slowly walked inside. The room was shady, but a few candles were lit in several different areas of the room. I shut the door behind me and glanced at the bed. Erik was lying there, staring at me, unblinking and silent.

"Do you always prefer to sit in the dark?" I asked to break the rather awkward moment.

He shook his head and murmured, "No."

"Would you care if I opened the drapes?" I asked. "I would feel more comfortable if I were able to see you clearly."

I could tell I'd caught him a bit off guard for he sputtered and stammered as he replied: "If-if you care to."

I crossed the room and threw open the drapes, relieved to be surrounded with the sun's morning rays instead of the suffocating blackness. The bedroom was immediately alight with a joyous feeling and the heavy ambience previously there seemed to dissipate into thin air. I plunked down on the divan and twined my fingers nervously together. I don't know why I was so nervous, but I could guess it was because Erik still lay there staring without uttering a word.

"Why are you so quiet?" I asked.

"I'm just waiting," he replied.

"Waiting for what?"

"For you to tell me what's happened the past week," he answered. "You promised last night, didn't you?"

"Oh," I said, a bit surprised. "Um, yes I did."

I inhaled deeply and glanced at Erik who waited patiently for me to speak.

"It was early in the morning when we found you," I began. "I usually visit my parents in their bedroom during breakfast. When I went in there that morning, papa and our butler, Gerard were arguing over something which I know nothing about. Gerard stormed from the room after the uproar and returned moments later with you unconscious in his arms. Apparently, he'd found you in the second storage room along with a rather large mess. The servants spent the entire afternoon cleaning up your mess."

The faintest shade of pink spread up through Erik's neck and sent an even more macabre appearance to his sallow skin.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I truly am very sorry. At that time, I wasn't thinking much of anything, except food."

I smiled and replied, "It's all right. I think the servants have forgiven you and I was never angry with you from the beginning."

Erik nodded his head to the best of his ability and said, "Please, continue."

"Oh, yes," I said, suddenly remembering what I'd been saying before; if only I could recall where I'd stopped. "Now where was I. Oh, I remember now! Anyways, the day we found you, papa sent for the family doctor, Armand Lafayette. Before he came, Gerard and papa set to work on cleaning you up a bit. Mama had sent me out of the room by that time and I was forced to content myself with pressing my ear against the door."

Erik smiled at this.

"It was when I heard mama scream did I come back into the room, and I saw you lying on the bed…."

I stopped at this point. Erik remained silent with his gaze suddenly turned from me. I was afraid I'd offended him and wouldn't want me to continue since he didn't show any signs of wanting to communicate with me.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I should have left that part out of the story if I didn't want to offend you."

Erik finally turned to me and replied, "I appreciate your honesty, and I'm glad you didn't sugar coat what happened the day you found me. And don't worry, I'm not offended. No one has ever been kinder to me than you have. Now, please continue."

I gave him a gentle smile and continued, "Doctor Lafayette arrived a few moments later and examined you. A piece of glass was stuck in one foot, a gash was in the other, many infected cuts covered you all over, and you had one broken rib. I could also add you stunk horribly!"

Suddenly, a sound so beautiful and enchanting emitted from Erik's mouth; he was laughing. I was mesmerized, and when he'd stopped laughing, I was still staring like a fool.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

"Your voice," I managed to squeeze out. "Your voice is the most beautiful sound I've ever heard."

"Thank you," he thanked gratefully with a small hint of a smile playing across his mouth.

Cheeks burning scarlet, I struggled to regain my composure and cleared my throat.

"Gerard lent a clean tunic and pair of leggings for you and Papa brought you into this room," I continued. "Amelia, the woman you met this morning, came in here every morning to change your bandages, rub ointments on your cuts, and fed you this disgusting yellow medicine Doctor Lafayette suggested you take.

During the time you were unconscious, I sat right here on this divan and watched you. I hoped you would wake and it wasn't until last night that you finally did."

"Is that it?" Erik asked once he realized I was finished.

I nodded my head and said, "There wasn't really anything important you missed."

"It just seems a little strange," he said," because I felt like I was gone for an eternity."

I opened my mouth to reply, but the door suddenly cracked open and Papa's large head peeked in.

"May I come in?" he asked.

I nodded my head and Papa opened the door wider and walked inside with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Good morning, Papa," I greeted.

"Good morning, my angel," he replied, his gaze slowly drifting to the bed.

"I see you are finally awake," Papa said stiffly, "and you have met my daughter,"

I turned my head to look at Erik. The wariness had crept back into his eyes.

"Y-yes," he stammered nervously. "I've been awake for some time now."

"If you care to, Gerard may carry you down to the drawing room where you may eat your breakfast," he offered. "There I can introduce you to the family and our servants."

"Yes, sir, I would like that very much," Erik replied.

"Good, I will send for Gerard."

Papa gave us a curt nod and then whirled around on his heel and strode from the room.

Erik gasped as Gerard lowered him onto the huge armchair.

"I apologize if I'm causing you pain," he said. "But we've got you pretty much settled now."

Gerard spread an aged quilt across Erik's lap and elevated both bandaged feet onto a stool. Erik shut his eyes and rested his head against the back of the chair.

'It must be horrible for him right now,' I thought. 'He can barely move around a little without wearing himself out.'

"Christine," Gerard said, "why don't you stay in here with him? Maybe help him if he has any trouble eating."

I nodded my head.

Brigette, our cook, brought us one bowl on a tray filled with chicken broth for Erik and a plate with red grapes, an egg omelet, and croissant for me. I nibbled on my croissant while Erik slurped the chicken broth greedily. We ate in silence, and when I'd finished eating my omelet, our little cocker spaniel puppy, Muppet, came trotting happily into the drawing room. I set my plate aside and picked Muppet up and let him sit on my lap while I finished off the red grapes. From the corner of my eye, I saw Erik watching.

"Do you like animals?" I asked as I petted Muppet's soft fur.

"More than you might think," Erik murmured as he stared at Muppet sadly, a faraway look in his eye.

"I used to have a dog similar to this," he suddenly said. "That was a long time ago, though…"

I decided not to question Erik about his past. I barely knew him and I suppose I could contain my insatiable curiosity until Erik decided to tell me his story. The despair in his eyes and distant manner told me he'd had a rough life so far, and it would be difficult to discuss.

"Mama never wanted an animal in the house," I told Erik. "But Papa said that I'm only going to be a child once, and I should have the pleasure of owning a pet. I've always thought Papa's spoiled me a bit."

"Do you enjoy it?" Erik asked.

"Enjoy what?"

"Being spoiled, "he answered.

"It's flattering that Mama and Papa care for me, but I never receive satisfaction from always getting everything," I admitted.

Erik was still watching Muppet as he licked his front paws.

"Would you like to hold him?" I asked. "He loves new people."

Erik nodded his head and I stood from the divan, setting Muppet momentarily on the floor. I moved the empty bowl and tray over on the coffee table and picked Muppet up again and placed him on Erik's lap. Muppet sniffed his hands cautiously, and then his tail began to wag wildly back and forth.

"He likes you," I said. "Try rubbing his belly. He loves anyone that rubs his belly."

Erik did as I said and we both laughed when Muppet's leg began shaking crazily.

"What's his name?" Erik asked.

"Muppet," I answered.

Erik played with Muppet for a few more moments before Mama and Papa came into the room. They were followed by Gerard, Amelia, Thomas, James, Brigette, and Monique (all the servants at our chateau.)

"Did you two have a good breakfast?" Papa asked.

"Yes," I replied. "It was wonderful."

Erik shook his head in agreement. Papa cleared his throat and began, "May I introduce to you my wife, Charlotte Daae."

Mama curtsied with a slight smile in Erik's direction.

"You've already met my little Christine," Papa continued. "And the rest are our servants: the butler, Gerard; Amelia, one of the housemaids; our cook, Brigette; James, our messenger boy; Thomas, whocleans the stables and handles the horses; and Monique, who is another housemaid."

All curtsied or bowed with a delighted smile. Erik glanced shyly at each and said shakily, "My name is Erik. It's wonderful to meet you all."

I felt a brief stab of pity. Erik looked a little frightened and so nervous. I gave Erik a reassuring look and he seemed to calm a bit. All the servants welcomed Erik and eventually they all cleared away, back to their household chores. Papa and Mama left too, and Erik seemed a bit relieved.

Erik sighed and said quietly after a moment, "I think I'm ready to go back to my bed about now."

Each of the following days was pretty much the same. Once I'd waken, I'd race into Erik's bedroom and Gerard would carry him down to the drawing room. Very few words passed between us, at first. I didn't know what to say to someone ill and he was rather reluctant to say anything, either.

The first week since he'd waken, Erik would only stay awake for a few hours before he'd knock himself out. He tried harder each day to stay awake a little longer, and he did make progress, but it wasn't till later did he finally regain complete strength.

Doctor Lafayette came for frequent visits. On the first visit, he was rather pleased Erik was healing so rapidly, although his splintered rib would take a few months. The wounds around his body slowly closed up and he was allowed to remove several bandages, even though Doctor Lafayette seemed a bit wary of it all.

May faded and June came. Erik had healed enough to stand and walk around, but he was always required to use a cane when he was up and about. Our relationship grew each day, and every day in the mornings, Erik and I strolled around the chateau or through Mama's exquisite garden. He mostly listened as I spoke as we both admired Mama's roses or lilacs. When my voice grew hoarse, he was forced to talk since we both seemed to dislike awkward silences.

I loved listening to Erik speak. His voice was so soft and angelic, I sometimes felt as if I were in a trance. Erik proved to be rather surprising, too. I almost couldn't believe it when he told me his greatest interests were music, architecture, and art. He sounded like a genius as he shared his opinions of a particular piece of music or commented on a certain structure that he thought needed improvement.

I decided to not share my own musings of becoming an Opera singer or my opinions with Erik. I was afraid he might think I was too simple in mind compared to him, and I liked Erik too much to make him think ill of me. I knew I was victim to bearing an overly imaginative mind, and to Erik, my thoughts might be plain laughable.

Once we'd finished walking around the chateau's grounds, Erik and I would go inside and sit in the drawing room and play with Muppet or continue with our deep conversations until Mama called us to the dining room.

Life seemed never better for me since I'd had a friend by my side.

A/N: So, how did you like it? It was a little slower than the rest, but I have good plans for the next one. I don't know if it's just me or not, but for a kid version of Christine, does she sound like she's out of character or not? If she does sound that way, please tell me in a review how you think I should improve on Christine's character. Thanks.

-phantomangel132

P.S. Since chapter two, I have notified my readers when a new chapter is up. I've decided not to anymore since it takes up to much time to send messages to each and every one of you. Just thought I'd let you guys know.