Erik looked up from his seat on the dressing room couch when George entered.

"I'm not going out on stage, Sir," George leaned back against the door, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. We have a contract for tonight; signed and everything. You are the one who wanted to do this. I can get work elsewhere; you are the one ruining your own opera."

"She's requesting the impossible of me, George! She wants me to go back on stage with my face exposed."

The man laughed, "That's not impossible, Mr. Y. Especially after everything else you two have been through. Is it really true she came back to you right before her wedding? And you left her in the morning; before she woke up? And yet she's here with you now years later?"

Erik sighed, "I see we'll never stop being a subject of gossip."

"We all know she and music are your greatest loves…"

"I appreciate this but any unmasking has gone terribly wrong."

"But if you walk out already that way. Let me see, Sir. I've seen your daughter plenty of times; she's a smaller version of you, correct?"

The Phantom chuckled, "To an extent. Her issue is mild compared to mine. Why do you care so damn much if you can get work elsewhere?"

George lifted one of his hands and ran it through his black hair, "Your wife is a talented and kind woman. I enjoy working with her. And you, Sir are a musical genius. I can get work elsewhere but I would not be performing something so moving or so complex."

The Phantom stood and took a deep breath as he lifted his hand to the beard, "Just don't scream."

From the wings, Christine watched the Act Two opening ballet as the ballerinas in their fall nymph costumes twirled as Demeter with the rest of the small company sung of a mother's lament for her daughter. She looked towards the audience and in the second row saw Gustave leaning into Charlotte's ear as she pointed at something. Rose sat on his other side their hands curled around each other. Daisy on the other side of her daughter; she looked at their hands and seeing nothing else was happening returned her attention to the stage.

So much was made of a mother's love, as shown in this opening number of Act Two. And now a mother herself, Christine knew she would wander to the ends of the earth looking for her children like Demeter…but what of a father's love? Her other mother died when she was young. Her father was all she knew. He made sure they always had food, clothing and shelter as they traveled, nourished her soul with religion, music, stories, dancing. He promised her an Angel of Music when he died…and he kept that promise albeit took some twist and turns.

Her thoughts turned to her husband as she caught sight of Charlotte again. Parents were not supposed to have a favorite child, but Christine knew deep in her husband's heart Charlotte would be the one he would save if could only save one of their children. And she was fine with that answer. Charlotte was turning out just like her, a daddy's girl. But it was more than that, Erik loved all his children; but theirs was a bond based on a mutual understanding and unfortunately pain. Neither of these she could never comprehend or heal in either of them no matter how much she loved them.

Lost in these thoughts, The Diva was taken back when she noticed faces in the audience, gasping, furrowing eyebrows in bewilderment, or whispering to each other. Charlotte stood up on her chair, a smile on her face the instant the first note escaped from his mouth.

"Dada!" Christine could see her say in excitement as Gustave tried to pull her back down. The Diva turned to the stage and sure enough there was her husband in the Hades robe but missing both the beard and wig. She held her breath waiting for a greater audience reaction but then realized they might have thought his appearance was part of the show. However, his voice was never more beautiful. He was playing the King of the Underworld, but this was the first time she truly felt she was seeing her Angel of Music.

"Dada!" Charlotte exclaimed again still refusing to sit down.

Christine placed her hand over her mouth and giggled, just as Erik turned and met her gaze from the stage. It was almost time for her entrance. The Diva lowered her hand, smiled and nodded her head.

"You did it! You actually did it!" They were barely into the wings of the stage when Christine expressed her excitement. She pushed him against the wall as set pieces and cast members moved past them for the next scene. Persephone ran her fingers down the deformed side of her Hades' face, "I really didn't believe you would do it. Did you see Charlotte? She was so excited!"

"You seem just as excited, Angel."

"Quite in the wings!" The stage manager spat at them.

As husband and wife held hands and stepped forward for another curtain call bow, the applause and roar of the audience brought tears to Erik's eyes. Christine held his shaking hand tighter as they bowed for a third time before finally disappearing behind the lowering curtain. The rest of the cast erupted into applause and cheer around them.

Christine pulled Erik into her arms and felt his trembling body, "Oh Angel, what a triumph! Did you hear how they loved it?" She reached one of her hands up and wiped his tears.

"Tears of joy, Christine," There was a hitch in his voice. "I went out there…not a single scream, yell…"

She did not need him to finish the sentence as she pulled him tight and kissed him.