Disclaimer: I do not own anything associated with Phantom of the Opera, only my characters and the plot.

Chapter Seven- A Lover's Serenade

Delphine

His sad eyes watched her as she began to run through her mind. Maybe she should have told him of what La Fuevre had said earlier. Should she have been straight forward with him? Than again, he would not have found it plausible, that she had hid such a thing from him. Especially when they shared music.

"Delphine…" Erik said again. He never seemed to get past her name.

Delphine shook her head and looked down at the ground. "Erik, I don't think I want hear what you are going to say?" She said. She was afraid that he would tell her that she had hurt him. That she had showed she did not care enough to tell him.

"You need to hear it though." He said. He fell quiet.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I did not tell you." Delphine said with a quaver in hr voice.

"Delphine, you are not to blame. I am afraid I am the one at fault."

She raised her eyes and looked at him with confusion. "Erik? What are you talking about?"

---

Erik

He stood before her. She seemed to be pleading with her eyes. She seemed to be begging him to tell her, to explain his strange behavior. She had never seen him like this before. He had made sure of that. He felt a bit defeated. How he had fallen out of love with Christine so fast and into love with Delphine was beyond him. He had not expected to ever have such feelings for his little Delphine.

She was his friend. His only friend in a world where everyone was afraid of his touch. Why had her little bit of affection affected him in such a drastic way?

She was getting nervous. She jumped at every sound that pushed through their barrier of silence. She began fidgeting with her fingers. He wanted to tell her but he didn't know how.

This was much different than with Christine. Delphine was much closer to him than anyone else in the world. How was he going to tell her that he, who had promised her nothing but friendship, had fallen so in love with her before he could stop himself. A thousand different scenarios went through his mind. None of them seemed to fit.

She would not scream and recoil in horror, but she wouldn't love him back either. Would she? No, he thought to himself. She would never find a reason to love someone like me. He could see her just staring at him, a mask on her face to hide her true emotion. She would slowly pull back from him and he would have to retreat into the darkness, his heart broken again.

He knew this was probably the real reason he was hesitating to tell her. He didn't think his heart could handle it again. He felt that all his emotional strength had been spent on Christine, there was nothing left for Delphine. He hated to admit it but he was fragile. When he told her, his future would lay in her hands. He did not doubt that she would try to be gentle with him but he also did not doubt that she would strip him of his hopes.

"Erik, tell me now!" Her voice was anxious. The poor woman, she seemed to think it was her fault. She was not at fault, he was. He had always been. "What did I do?" She asked, ignoring his earlier confession that she was at no fault.

He wanted desperately to tell her. To fall to his knees and clutch her hands to his cheeks and tell her. He wanted to push away the fears that gripped him, froze him in his spot, and confide in her. He tried to push some noise out of his throat but all that came was more silence.

The claustrophobic silence seized them and he had to turn away from her gaze. She sighed and sat down on the chaise lounge. Closing her eyes, she seemed to calm a bit. He glanced at her, her mind might be becoming more peaceful but her body was still rigid with tension. She looked uncomfortable

He, himself felt out of place. She was making him more nervous by the minute. He knew that he would not be confessing to her tonight. He did not think he could bring himself to after making her wait so long for an answer from him. Besides, all of his determination had vanished almost as quickly as it had come.

There was a knock on the door. "Delphine?" Christine's voice called through the door. "The owners would like to have a word with you. Are you done?" He looked at Delphine. She seemed almost glad for Christine's intrusion. He was as well.

"Yes." She called. As he heard the lock begin to turn he gave her a weak smile.

"Good night, Delphine." He said. With that he fled through the mirror, only stopping to see if he could hear her voice.

---

Delphine

She smiled politely as Christine, La Fuevre, and Robert entered the room. "That was superb, my dear child." Said La Fuevre. "I had no idea you could sing so powerfully. It far surpassed anything you had sung before. Like an angel."

"Thank you, monsieur." She said.

"I do say, you need not thank me. I should thank you. I think you have single-handedly brought success to this Opera House. You have earned many admirers. My own nephew told me he had fallen in love with your voice." La Fuevre's voice drifted away.

The thought suddenly occurred to Delphine before she could stop herself. Was that what Erik was there for? Had he wanted to confess his love for her? She shook her head to clear the thoughts. It would do no good for her to think of such things. He still loved Christine. "I find it hard to believe that you will not sing again." Christine's voice said as it drifted through her mind. She looked confused.

"What?"

"Monsieur La Fuevre asked you if you would sing again. You know you cannot refuse the people of Paris and yet you shake your head."

"Oh no, I am sorry. I have something else on my mind."

"What could possibly be on your mind?" La Fuevre asked. "You are victorious over the elusive Phantom of the Opera. You have brought the people of Paris to their knees. Conquered over his image."

Delphine's heart dropped at the mention of Erik, who was alone down in his own world. "She is thinking of her lover, no doubt." Robert's voice penetrated her thoughts of Erik. She could feel the color in her cheeks rising.

She stood abruptly and glared at him. "Why would you suggest such an absurd thing?" She asked.

Robert lowered his head in a semi-respectful nod. "I am merely saying that love is the inspiration for tonight's performance. He should be proud to have inspired such sound from such a throat."

She furrowed her brows, trying to figure out what he was saying. Was he saying that he was sorry? "Thank you?" She said unsure of herself. He smiled at her.

"So where is this lucky man?"

"He was already here." Christine said. Delphine looked at her and she clasped a hand to her mouth. "I mean…he gave her a quick congratulations and had to be on his way, back to Germany." The two men looked at Christine.

"He is German?"

"Y-yes." Christine stammered.

"Enough, there is no interest in my love life." Delphine interjected to spare her friend from faltering any more. She gave the men a warning glance to fend them off and the subject was dropped. Letting the relief wash over her, she let her happiness shine through. "I can assure, monsieur, that I will sing again." La Fuevre smiled at her and nodded.

"Than, as one half of the owners, I thank you." He said his goodbye and left the room.

"I shall agree with my other half." Robert said. He smiled at Delphine and caught her hand. "You were amazing. Such passion…" He said as he brought her hand to his lips. "Until tomorrow." He said as he turned to leave the room.

As the door shut behind him Christine approached Delphine with a menacing glare. "I demand to know everything!" She said.

Delphine pulled away from Christine and let out a laugh. "Whatever is there to know?"

"I was patient, if I had any idea what you had gotten yourself into…how could you…Delphine I thought you knew better." She finished. Christine's face had gone pale and she had started to shake. "What on Earth possessed you to make you love such a…man." She said.

"I don't expect you to understand." Delphine said as she turned away from her friend. "I hardly understand it myself." She let out a sigh and brought a hand to her forehead. "It all started that night after my first performance on stage, do you remember? After you had gone back down to Raoul and Henri?" She said as she pushed her hair out of her face. "It started with that letter, the one I published in L'Epoque. He wanted me to publish it so I did. Than I went back to try and find him. Things just progressed from there. Oh Christine, had you seen the way he bared his soul to me. You would not be able to blame if you had seen what we have shared. He understands me better than I understand myself. I am his only connection, aside from Madame Giry, to the outside world."

"But how…"

"Did I come to love him?" Delphine predicted, she had turned her gaze back on her friend. Christine nodded her head solemnly. "I am not sure. I had tried to leave Paris after L'Epoque had written that filth about me…I hadn't actually told myself that I had loved him before that." She said. "He had become my best friend, the one person I would rather spend all of my time with. Doesn't it only seem natural that I should fall in love with him?" She asked, knowing that her answer would probably tell her differently. Was there something there before? Have I really loved him for that long? She asked herself. She was terrified to think that she had repressed her feelings for Erik for so long without knowledge of it.

"Does he love you?" Christine asked with a fearful tear in her eyes.

Delphine found her heart beginning to race. Her own fear was threatening to surface. What if he had come to her tonight to tell her that he had unconsciously led her on. "Do you think so?" She asked with more anger than she meant to. Christine looked taken back. "You shouldn't have to worry about that because I am sure he doesn't."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because he's still in love with you. How could you possibly think that he would have feelings for me when he still falls apart at the mention of your name?" She was practically shouting now.

"I think-"

"Besides, you know me. I always want what I can't have. Couldn't have Robert. Couldn't have you trust me for a second. My own father thinks I am going after some rich married man! No, what I want is for Erik to just look at me the way he looked at you. For him to love me like I love him. Not some sad friendly relationship." The tears were falling from her eyes now. They rolled down her cheeks.

Christine went to her friend and took her hand. "Delphine, I don't think you realize how much he does love you."

"What?" She asked through her tears. "Are you blind? After what I just did I'm surprised he even came to talk to me."

"What did you do?"

"I didn't tell him I got the lead. I didn't even try to tell him. He was asking me about this divine voice and if the singer was beautiful and I just couldn't tell him. He wouldn't have believed me anyway."

"Delphine, I saw the way he was looking at you tonight. I can't even describe the look on that poor man's face. He is as terrified of his feelings as you are."

Delphine swatted away Christine's hand. "Don't try and make me feel better." She said. "I'm not dumb, you know?"

Christine sighed and walked toward the door. As she pulled it open she looked back at Delphine. "Believe what you will. I know that there is no possible way that he does not love you. I can guarantee you that I was the farthest thing from his mind tonight." With that she shut the door.

Delphine shook her head. Christine was wrong. Erik still loved her. He had to. Every single time Delphine mentioned her name he would start acting abnormal. He had to still be in love with Christine.

The thought of him loving her, over Christine, was to much for her to wish for.

---

Delphine moved gracefully across the catwalk. It swayed gently under her. She could hear the people below her, they were laughing and making jokes. They seemed so absorbed in their own happiness that the awful silence that had fallen on the Opera House had not effected them.

Delphine had tried to sing again. It had not come out the same as it had that night, a week ago. It was still her melodious voice, but something was missing. There was no emotion, it fell flat. Her passion seemed to have been wasted. La Fuevre seemed determined to give her time to recuperate but she doubted that would help.

The past week should have been one of the best of her life. She had been greeted in the streets, it had gotten to the point of annoyance. Her father had finally broken the silence and even her brother had stopped by to say hello to her. Christine had become more quiet around her, but Delphine knew that she would always be there. Robert had stopped his aggressive searches for her 'lover'.

The one thing that she had not expected was Erik. He had not even tried to find her, to speak with her. She had stood in her dressing room for what felt like ever. Standing in front of the mirror, in hopes that he would come through it. She had been tempted numerous times to thrust the door open and flee down into the darkness. Her own humiliation kept her away, though.

As she walked to the end of the catwalk her heart began to race. Had that been a shadow, a rustle of a cloak? The stagehand that appeared before her gave her a concerned look and continued on his way. Sighing she moved away from the catwalk and headed for the auditorium floor.

---

Delphine let out a sigh as the dancers began shoving each other about. The rehearsals had not been going well. Greatly aggravating the owners, the cast seemed to make numerous mistakes. There had been more than one incident in the pit orchestra and Therese, who had lost her voice, had thrown a fit on stage. The end result of that moment of entertainment had been numerous broken props and one angry maestro who had demanded his two weeks vacation.

"Delphine, do you think you can sing the aria?" Robert asked from in front of the pit orchestra.

"What?" She asked startled out of her thoughts.

"The aria?" He tried again.

"Oh yes. Of course." She said. She composed herself as well as she could and waited for her entrance. The violinist began well enough, he had finally conquered the part. After the first four measures though he had completely stopped. The entire cast turned their eyes to him. The man had gone pale. He stood up and rushed out of the room without a word to anyone.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Robert asked with annoyance as he slammed his fist down on the edge of the stage.

Delphine walked toward him and sat beside him. "Go on?" She asked.

"How are we supposed to go on when we have no cast, no musicians, and no one buying tickets?"

"No one is buying tickets?" She asked startled.

Robert shook his head. "The usual loyal customers, other than that we have lost the attention that publicity had given us. Delphine, this might be the end. We started out so good, so good." He said wearily as he continued to shake his head.

"Listen Robert, I know I haven't been up to standard lately but…I'll come through for you and La Fuevre. As for the rest of them, their just distracted."

"Why though?"

Delphine shrugged. "Maybe they need some excitement of their own." She said as she pushed herself back up to her feet. "Have you ever taken them down into the cellars?" She asked with a joking gleam in her eyes. Robert's head tilted to the side, as if he were considering the idea. "I wasn't serious." She said quickly. "Half of them have been down there already."

"Still, you're right. There has got to be something we can do for them."

As if fate would have it, La Fuevre walked out with a letter in his hand. "Robert, I think you had better read this." Robert and Delphine approached him and looked at the scrawled handwriting in red ink. "Can you believe that?"

Delphine turned away to block their view from her tears gathering in her eyes. "I cannot believe he would threaten us if we did not follow his orders." Robert said. "Where did you get this?"

"In my mail, at my home." He turned to Delphine. "My dear child, I won't take you off the program. His threats are idle. Besides, there is no proof this is any real Phantom. It could have been anyone who did not wish to see you sing again."

Delphine nodded her head, but she knew better. What would be Erik's reason for demanding she be taken out of all future performances? Her mind began to race. "May I have a break?" She asked as she pulled at her skirts.

"Why yes, though rehearsal begins in half an hour." La Fuevre said. She went quickly toward her dressing room. Erik would not hide from her any longer. She felt betrayed and hurt. The man she loved so dearly had demanded she be forbidden from being in any performance. He had demanded she be taken away from her passion. The one thing they shared.

As she slipped into her dressing room she searched about for anything she could use to defend herself. Defend herself, that is what she told herself she was doing as she picked up the letter opener and put in her boot to hide it from his view. She would not hurt him, even if she could, but she knew she had to have something to use against him. To make him feel her pain.

---

Erik

He was sitting in front of his organ, waiting for some sound to come out. The silence had started to get to him. What he normally did not mind pushed against him like a knife through his flesh. All traces of Delphine had vanished over the course of the week. He had made sure some of it was taken away. Others had fled from him, disappeared without his permission.

The sound of her voice, it was still there but it had already started to fade. Her soft eyes had closed their delicate lids on him. Her gentle touch had left nothing but an imprint on his skin, one that he had trouble telling apart from the others.

After he had left Delphine in her dressing room he had come to his lair and gone into a fit of rage. He couldn't explain it, he had not thought he had that much anger and violence harboring in his heart. The glass he had broken still lay strewn about the floor. The engagement ring that Delphine had taken off while she was cleaning the organ lay where she had left it. He was terrified to touch it, afraid it would scald his skin even through his gloves.

The organ had made no noise for him, it seemed to push him away. The fear that music had started to desert him made him hate himself all the more. He struggled to keep the sobs from racking his body, even now he was visibly taking great effort. Above all of this, he missed Delphine. He wanted to be near her, to hear her, feel her touch on his face, see her happiness radiate off of her. He had not resurfaced at the Opera House. He feared Delphine as much as he had come to love her. He couldn't let her know, he had made up his mind that nothing would become of them. She couldn't let her beauty go to waste on someone like him, he wouldn't allow it.

He stood up from the organ, the bench scratching the ground beneath it. He began to pace, his head was a mess. All of his thoughts were thrown about, not one single coherent thought seemed to make it's way through. Had Delphine done this to him? Had he driven her this mad?

He tried to slow his mind down, keep his thoughts collected. It was of no use. As he stared out at the gate that barred him from the world he saw her. She was moving through the water, the boat lay on his side of the gate. He had not wanted her intrusion. As she came into view he realized that his letter had been received. She looked daggers at him. He stumbled back and turned away from her icy glare.

"Erik!" She shouted with venom in her voice. "Open this gate. Open this gate or so help me God." As if this had been the secret password, the gate sprang into life and rose steadily in front of her. He continued to face away from her, despite the sound of her skirts moving closer and closer. The water was lapping around her. He steadied himself for a blow and held his breath. Her hand came down on his shoulder.

---

Delphine

She let her hand fall to his shoulder. It had been much softer than she had meant for it to. She had struggled to keep the anger burning in her heart but she knew that once she saw Erik she would fall apart. He stood facing away from her, as if he was made out of stone. "Erik." She said quietly. "Why would you…"

He pushed her hand off of his shoulder and moved away from her. "You have proven that you had one brief moment of glory, why ruin the chances of the Opera House by demanding to be paid the salary of that which you do not deserve?"
Her face began to heat up, he had been watching her fumble through the week. "You are a despicable man." She said. "I hate you." She said before she could stop herself. The moment it had passed from her lips she desperately wished she could draw them back in, swallow them and believe it had never happened.

"Than the letter achieved its purpose." He said so quietly she almost lost it among the pressure of the silence.

"Erik, would you rather I hate you?" She asked surprised.

He didn't answer, he didn't turn to her. He remained the same as he had been since she had entered.

"Erik, I care about you. Why would you want me to hate you?" She asked. She moved closer to him. "Why Erik?"

"Delphine." He said quietly. The pain in his voice made tears swell in her eyes. She rushed to him and threw her arms about his waist.

"Erik, I cannot ever hate you. I-"

"Please Delphine, I only want you to be happy." He said. He did not push her away, instead he clasped her hands with his own gloved hands and held them to him. "I want you to be happy." He repeated with effort.

Delphine had let her tears fall on his back. The feel of his gloved hands on hers made her feel more sorrowful than she had the past week. Her sobs echoed his empty domain. "Did I teach you nothing?" She asked as she pulled her hands away from his. He finally turned to her with an empty expression on his face. "There is…" She began to pull at his gloves. As she let them fall to the ground, she brought his hands to her face. "nothing to fear from your touch." She closed her eyes and let the warmth of his skin meet hers. He had started to pull away but she held his hand tightly.

"Delphine…" He said. "Why do you torment me so?"

Her eyes flew open with surprise. "What?"

"I have tried to push you away, spare you the pain, yet you have no fear of me. I will do nothing but hurt you." He said with glistening eyes.

"Erik…what you are doing now, this is hurting me." She said as she brought her own hand to his face. "I cannot stand to be apart from you. Erik, I love you." She watched him through her tears as his own fell from his eyes. He had started to cry. Never before had she been the one to comfort him.

---

Erik

He let her hand caress his face, wipe away his tears. Before long, she had nestled in his arms where he kept her tight. She had told him what he had wanted to hear, had been afraid to hope for. He knew he must tell her, after what she had done he must. "Delphine," He started. She looked up at him and his heart set sail. "I…"

"Erik, don't speak. Not right now." She said. He gave her a confused look. Surely, she would want to talk. "Lets sing." He narrowed his eyes, trying to contain his smile. She led him to the organ. "Lets sing your Don Juan Triumphant." She said as she placed her fingers above the keys. He had expected her to start from the beginning, from the very first piece of music. She began to play that familiar tune which had seemed to haunt him for so long. His own Point of No Return, echoed through the cellars. She stopped and looked at him, waiting for him to sing. He could do nothing but stare at her. "You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge, in pursuit of that wish which till now had been silent, silent…" She began for him. Her voice trailed away, he wanted to continue in the path she had set for him but he was afraid. He was terrified of hoping they could have a chance. She gave him a pleading look.

"I have brought you, that our passions may fuse and merge-in your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumbed to me…" He sang before he could stop himself. She had turned to face him, his heart began to race. They stared at each other, both unsure of what should happen next. Her hand moved back to his face. It moved over his bare flesh and landed on the mask. He drew back. "No." He said.

"Erik…why must you keep yourself from me? Do you not love me?" She asked with a quaver in her voice. He wanted to smile, how could she not know.

"I do love you, Delphine. Which is why I do not wish to let you see me, the real me. I don't want to lose you."

She moved toward him again. "Erik, I have already seen the worst life has to offer, a life without you. I doubt that whatever lies behind that mask will deter me from loving you." He let her fingers wander to his mask. Her soft fingers gently pulled the mask off. Before he could stop himself he had his hand up to block his face from her view. She set the mask aside and pulled at his hand. "Erik."

"Delphine, I love you more than I thought was possible for a man to love. I don't want to lose you." He said as if warning her.

"Than show me your face." She demanded. He shook his head, sadly.

"This face, it is the face of a monster. I know I will lose you when you have seen me." He said as he pulled away from her.

"Erik, I have already told you my love for you. I don't know how much clearer I can be, you will not lose me." He didn't answer her. She bent down and pulled something out of her boot. His heart leapt into his throat. He watched her study the letter opener and press the tip against her finger. She spun it around and pointed it toward herself. "Will this be the way you lose me?" She asked with annoyance.

He moved toward her. "Delphine." He said with a panic.

"I can, you know. It will hurt like hell but…" She moved it closer to her skin. She had to conceal her smile as she pretended to push it into her skin. He flew to her. His hands reaching for her. It was only as he pried the letter opener from her and threw it away that he realized his face was bare. He turned away from her. "Erik!" She said with surprise. "I don't care. Your mere physical appearance…it means little to me. I love you, not for some handsome, dashing man, but for the man who inspired my voice and brought me music. I love you Erik, not the face that you say curses you." She reached for him. "If possible, your face makes me love you more."

He turned his sad eyes on her. "How is that possible?" He asked as he watched her face for any movement that could reveal her lie.

"It makes you imperfect, it makes you human." He gave her a confused look. She sighed and moved toward him. "Before, all I knew was that you were different, much different from any man I have ever known. You seemed perfect, almost inhuman. Beyond my own knowledge, incapable of accepting my love. For what heavenly musician allows the love of a mere mortal. Truly, that is how I felt. That you were some god in disguise. Now, I see you for you. A man, a man who, perhaps, needs me as much as I need him." She had put her head on his chest and seemed content to let her words drift away as she listened to the beating of his heart.

"Than this is…" He looked down at her with a serious expression. "this is real?" She nodded her head and let him wrap his arms around her. "The point of no return." He said quietly.

Delphine realized it was. She could never go back to the person she had been before. The person she had been before Erik, even before Robert. She had changed so much, every action she made changed her. Would she have continued to love Erik three years ago, when she was more like an immature child? Would she have even cared at all?

She had reached the point where she couldn't turn back, even if she wanted to. As she stood there, with Erik's arms around her, she knew that she had changed the course of her life once again. Whatever should happen to them, she would know she had reached the point where she would never give Erik up. Her point of no return.

---

Author's Note: Hello, I hope this chapter was worthy of your time. I don't feel to happy about this chapter. It didn't seem to flow right. It was hard to find the right way for Delphine and Erik to finally come together. Thank you to those of you who read it, and those of you who reviewed it. Such as Lady Galriee, if you want to hit Robert than I think I did my job. Thanks to PhantomLover05, as well.

Until next time.