Ahh I can't wait for you all to read this chapter! Thank you all for the lovely reviews once again. I get so eager to upload as quickly as I can thanks to you amazing guys! :) I hope you all enjoy this one! :)

Erik's Guest: Yes, I definitely think she does too haha! Well this problem shall definitely be addressed more in the next chapter! It will be the Masquerade, that's all I'm saying lol. I can't wait to upload that one. ;) Hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

Grapejuice101: You shall definitely like this one haha! :)

The Plan

Blackness suffocated me. I blinked rapidly, hoping I was just dreaming. It was like being awake but not at the same time. Remaining able to see darkness all around you and hear things, but yet not being able to move.

"Hello sweetheart."

No, no, it can't have been Mum! Why was she here? Why wasn't I able to see her?

I attempted to talk, but I found that I could form no words, as though I was listening only from the sidelines.

"The Doctors say that you'll be able to hear us." Her voice sounded weak, as though she had been crying.

I wanted to cry with her, but found I wasn't even able to do that. Oh this was awful! What was that about doctors? Was I in hospital? I wanted to know what happened! Was I in a coma? Had I been in a coma for this time? I must have been! But how, when I had only fainted at the time?

"And I want you to know that we love you so much, all of us do. And we just want you to get better, to come home to us."

Oh and despite how happy I was here, I wanted to too! I hated thinking of my Mum being this upset, not over me!

"I know you will, because you're strong, just like your Nan was. And I love you so much!" She cried, her desperate sobs piercing the air.

No, no, no, this was sheer torture! Why was I able to hear this and yet not able to do anything about it? This was beyond cruel! Mum! I love you too! I cried.

Suddenly though, her cries began to fade and a silence began to suffocate me again instead. No, no, please come back!

A sharp cry tore from my lips as I flew upwards. I blinked whilst trying to catch my breath, my arms rising for a moment as though I somehow reach out and somehow pull Mum back to me.

"Finally, she awakens."

My breath stopped as I peered at the figure stood in the doorway of what appeared to be a drawing room. There were decorations scattered all around, along with many loose scores too.

I glanced back, realizing suddenly that this is the first time he had allowed me to see him. He was stood straight, arms dropped by his sides as he eyed me closely. Of course, the first thing I noticed was his mask. The flickering candlelight's scattered around the room cast an eerie glow against the stark white. He was very tall and dressed very impeccably and it made him appear rather intimidating to put it mildly. I could definitely understand why people were frightened of him, though I wasn't, not for the same reasons anyway. It was more of a fright due to how intimidating he looked, given how small I was.

I diverted my eyes quickly, realizing I had probably been staring. I didn't want to seem as though I was being impolite.

My forehead creased as I took in the new dress I suddenly found myself in. No wonder I didn't feel too chilled anymore. It was a royal blue color and had long sleeves. The top was lined with lacy black. It was beautiful, a little gothic but I found I preferred this compared to some of the brighter dresses. I sensed this must have been belonged to Christine.

"I assure you that I exchanged your clothes discreetly. There's no need for you to feel dishonored." He retorted, obviously mistaking my confusion for disgust from the sound of his voice.

I opened my mouth to apologize but he continued quickly.

"Your dress was far too drenched by the time we arrived here and your lips had turned blue. Luckily, I still have a few of…" he trailed off, glancing to the floor before his mismatched eyes found mine again. Under the candlelight, I could see that was one eye was a cobalt blue, the other a spring green. "Why did you choose to journey here anyway? I presume it was a personal choice, though a completely insane one."

"Yeah, you're probably right." I shrugged. "Though I do not understand how you can ask such a question so casually! You have disappeared into thin air for the last three months. What were you doing exactly for all of that time?"

He tensed, his eyes narrowing. "That's none of your business, and you did not answer my question." He stated unhappily.

"Well you didn't answer mine."

He continued to glare, watching me closely as I raised my eyebrows expectantly. "I asked the question first." He spat through clenched teeth.

"Alright, fine, don't get all vexed." I teased with a roll of my eyes.

He answered that by continuing to glare at me so I chose to move on quickly.

"I came about Christine of course. She isn't the same. She seems so utterly miserable and I think it's because you have disappeared. True, she is with the Vicomte a lot more again but anybody can see that she is unhappy. She always looks as though she is smiling for the sake of it, rather than because she is happy. And as for the fop, well it is as though he has blinded himself into believing that she is happy with him." I grumbled.

He paused for a moment before shaking his head and grumbling; "She has made her choice."

"No please do not be stubborn!" I sighed. "Do you not remember that night she broke the engagement off with the Vicomte three months ago?"

"Of course I remember. I have a perfect recollection." He snapped.

"Well then why didn't you at least attempt to talk to her? I was convinced that you would."

"I was prepared to talk to her. But it seemed she was more interested in running to the fop once again when I attempted to seek her company."

"Well what on earth gave you that idea? Did you see the two of them together?"

He narrowed his gaze to the floor once again, his hand curling into fists at his side. "I caught them in an embrace."

"Well you do realize that the Vicomte has been harassing her for these three months? Up until the last month, she had been trying to keep a distance between the two of them, it seemed. And you must have started to notice the change in her. I really do believe that if you came back into her life, she would completely finish things with him. Ever since the night…of the chandelier, she hasn't been the same." I tried saying it as softly as possible when he winched at the mention of it.

"I genuinely believe she needs you."

"How can you really know this for certain, given my absence over the past few months?"

"Because I have come to know her well and it seems to me as though she is merely playing a role, pretending to be happy whilst you are gone. It is as though she is settling for second best. Why else would she have finished things with him so quickly whilst you were in her life and then suddenly change her mind?"

He continued to ponder on that as I spoke again.

"What was so urgent for you to disappear for three months anyway?"

He glanced back at me. "I was in the process of finishing my opera. It is now complete."

"Ahh," I replied. That made sense; music and Christine were two of his biggest influences and it seemed natural that he would retire to one if he couldn't have the other.

He peered at me curiously. "You do not seem too surprised to hear that."

I shrugged. "Well there are two things important to you; Christine and music. I figured without Christine, you might reside in your music which was why I was so certain you hadn't left here yet."

His eyes narrowed again as he watched me closely. "You really are quite observant."

"Yeah, it is so because I am observant." I smiled; knowing that the musical's influence helped a little bit.

"Why did you choose to assist me anyway? When you found me in the lake, I mean?" I clarified when his forehead creased.

He raised an eyebrow. "What an absurd question to ask. Do you really believe the Phantom to be such a monster that he would simply choose to let you drown instead?"

"No, no, of course not!" I quickly insisted. "But I was stupid for travelling here on my own. I also imagine that most people who are brave enough to do the same are dead rather quickly."

"Yes, I imagine that most rational people would be too frightened to visit the Opera Ghost. Because I am most suitable at murdering people, am I not?"

"I don't believe so, not really. I don't believe you would intentionally harm someone unless they were to cause harm to you."

"Do you not believe I have murdered people before?"

"Oh yeah you probably have, but like I said, I believe you have only probably killed when you need to most. You haven't killed me yet so that tells me that you only kill when someone is a threat to you."

"Well you did choose to grant the frightening Opera Ghost with your kindness all those months ago, and I presume you must have known who I was then. I was returning the favor."

"Well thank you for that anyway. I could have died if you weren't there."

"You would have died it I was not here. Which reminds me, I should ask how you are currently feeling? You knocked your head before you became unconscious."

"Yeah, yeah, I feel okay actually."

"No discomfort at all, no feeling of nausea?"

"Nope, none of that."

"Well, you seem to be communication efficiently too, so it appears you have been rather fortunate." He said, "Despite your ridiculous choice to venture down here on your own."

I huffed. "Yeah, you don't say."

I glanced around the room as I replied, finally taking in my surroundings. I was placed in the middle of a small drawing room, on a quite comfortable lounger.

Behind me the amber flares of the fire flickering caught my eyes. It was hidden behind an oval shaped screen and resting on that was my ballet dress as it dried. There was a mantelpiece above the fireplace, the top filled with different candelabras. The room was decorated in a lot or red, I noticed.

"You are the only person I have encountered before who appears so comfortable in my presence. Why is that?"

I shrugged, turning back to find him watching me closely.

"Well, are you going to kill me?"

"I might if you are senseless enough to attempt to venture here on your own again."

I smiled. "That is why I feel so relaxed. Because I don't believe that you are what people say you are, not really. I don't believe you're a monster, or a murderer for that matter."

His forehead creased at this, his mouth parted in surprise.

"I murdered Joseph Bouquet," he finally said it out loud, in a way that was so casual he could have been talking about the weather. "I almost murdered…" he trailed off, closing his eyes as he shuddered.

"Okay, I don't believe you murder anyone intentionally then."

"How can you say such a thing when I-"

"Yes, I know, you almost murdered Christine, I know." I instantly felt guilty when he winched as I said her name though.

I sighed. "What you did to her was an act of jealousy. I don't believe you really ever intended to hurt her. I think you wanted to frighten her but then you must have changed your mind as you raced to save her. Joseph Bouquet was a drunk, who muddled in everyone's business. I saw it for myself. And he was always telling anyone who would listen, ridiculous stories about the Phantom. It wouldn't surprise me if he cornered you that night."

He shrugged. "Yes, well…he saw my face. I had been watching from the rafters due to box five being occupied by the fop once again. He begun to follow me and I knew as soon as I saw the horror on his face that he had seen me. I could not have let him live after that."

I grinned. "See, I'm wonderfully observant, me."

His eyes narrowed again as he glared at me. "I could still murder you now if I choose to, given just how observant you are."

I rolled my eyes. "Please, sorry to tell you this but…you kind of need me, to get back into Christine's good graces anyway."

He shook his head in disbelief as he walked a little further into the room, still watching me closely. "What do you suppose I should do about Christine then?"

"I'm glad you have asked as I have it all planned out." I grinned.

He raised an eyebrow as he leaned against the wall, waiting for me to speak.

"I think you should reach out to her at the Masquerade. Perhaps you could attend as though you were any other person and before you grumbled about it not being that easy, it is that easy. If you were to appear in your usual fashion, everyone will realize it is you and then you might frighten her away again. I would advise you to send a letter to the managers advising them to comply with the staging of your opera-"

"Yes because they have listened to me greatly so far!"

"Yes but if you remind them about Joseph Buquet's death and the chandelier dropping, perhaps they shall realize they need to listen to your warnings more carefully. You need just to give them an insensitive. Perhaps you could warm them with something like; remember there are worse things than a shattered chandelier." I giggled to myself at my private joke. I was way too obsessed with the Phantom of the Opera.

He eyed me as though I was insane, though I couldn't really blame him. Nobody but me was bound to understand that joke here.

"Anyway you should then reach out to Christine at the ball and suggest that she returns to you as your pupil so you can assist her with the role you have obviously given her. This will give you a way to slowly become closer to her again." I grinned.

He clicked his tongue. "But it is not going to succeed. You said yourself that the fop has been following her around constantly."

"Then I shall distract him…somehow."

He smirked at that. "And how exactly shall do you plan on doing that? I believed that you promised him to not talk to him for the duration of your stay here. I am no expert but I believe that distracting someone does require a sense of conversation."

I flushed at his words. He had a valuable point. How was I of all people going to be able to effectively distract the Vicomte? Though it would be quite funny if I was actually able to trick him, but how?

"I shall have to think of something. Perhaps I could pretend that I found you lurking in our dormitories or something. We all know how much he loves playing the hero and I'm certain he would rush at the chance to attempt to capture you."

He thought about that for a moment before nodding, looking somewhat impressed. "That is not too awful an idea actually."

"Err…thank you, I think?" I joked, clearing my throat nervously as he continued to stare at me closely. Yeah, he really could be quite intimidating when he wanted to be.

"I still do not understand why you would go to all this trouble though. I understand your concern about Christine, but even Meg is terrified of the infamous Phantom. Most rational people would escape from me the first chance they were given and that's even with this," he pointed to his mask. "Present."

"It's just a mask," I snorted.

"Yes, but most people tend to be concerned with what is underneath."

"I imagine you are probably scarred, or have some kind of facial deformity." I shrugged.

"That is putting it mildly."

"I really don't think it matters, not to me anyway. I believe you should get to know the person before you begin to judge them for their appearance."

"Very wise, though what if that person was indeed the monster that everybody believes them to be?"

"I told you before," I smiled. "I don't believe you're a monster, not really. You probably haven't had much of a life and there are probably lots of people who have been cruel to you which will be why you think you're a monster. But you're not, not really. And I think that Christine has the capability to make you want to be a better person."

He half smiled at that. "It is impossible not to want to be a worthier person for Christine, I shall agree with you on that."

"But my point is that I don't find you terrifying at all. I suppose I could understand why people might find you a little daunting when they first meet you, particularly with your mask. But only because it gives you more of a mysterious presence." I said. "I also believe you would do anything to ensure Christine's happiness, which is more that the fop has ever done for her, given what I have seen anyway."

"And that is not because you are biased in anyway." He snorted. "Do not mistake me, I loathe the boy too but…well, you seem eager to help to break up their engagement."

"Yes because he is not right for her! We might not get along very well but he isn't making her happy, anyone can see that. I don't even believe that he truly loves her, not as much as you do. It is like he cannot see for himself how much she has changed. He's selfish, refusing to acknowledge the person he's meant to love more than anything in this world just so he can cling onto her. That isn't love; love is sacrificing somebody else's happiness for your own. I think you do that for Christine, because no matter how much you love her, you have kept your distance. That is real love and I think Christine feels the same way."

He paused for a moment, before frowning. "I think I rather dislike how observant you are."

I smiled, despite myself. "That I can't change, I'm afraid. But I can help you earn back the trust of Christine again, and that is definitely something."

A touch of a smile ghosted his lips as he looked to the floor. "I don't believe I have ever said this to anyone before but…thank you."

"Oh wow, I think this may be the best day ever. The Opera Ghost himself has granted me his first thank you." I grinned.

His response was to literally look at me though I was insane once again.