Hey everyone, I just had too many ideas to just let this story sit for another week without a new chapter. Enjoy R&R…

After the night of Clorinda's birth Christine did as she was told and put Raoul's name on the birth certificate and kept Erik nothing more than a friend to her daughter. A few months later the Opera Populair opened once more giving Christine a new home and a place for Clorinda to play in while she worked. Erik had convinced Andre that Christine would be a perfect diva and after hearing her sing for him once more he agreed. Erik had asked Andre to keep his identity a secret and have him do work that he could not be seen doing such as staying down in his lair counting the money they would make each night or watching the opera's from the rafters high above the stage. Everything was working out perfect, even with late night visits from Christine. After every performance she would take the gondola to Erik's lair to be with him. She hated how their romance had to be kept a secret but it was the best for Erik and Clorinda's safety. Even though Erik couldn't be there for his daughter like a father should Clorinda was brought up with Erik in her life as a friend and nothing more. Of course he was there on her first, second third and fourth birthday and he was there to hear her first words and to see her take her first steps but seeing these things didn't make him feel enough like a father. Clorinda had long blonde curly locks and blue eyes just like him along with his nose and Christine's slender body. Every time he would be with her he wore his black wig and mask to make sure that no one not even her could tell that they were related. God only knows if any one even Clorinda saw that he really had blonde hair and a scar on his cheek just like her.

One morning Erik awoke from his swan bed and got dressed in his white shirt and placed on his wig and white mask. He then sat down at his organ and began to write some more notes of the new opera he was working on. He then heard the gates of his lair being opened so turned around to see his gondola entering with Clorinda sitting in it as it drifted to his entrance. Christine was not with, no she was alone looking at all the lit candles in amazement. He had told her time and time again that coming down to his lair alone at her age was prohibited. There were so many dangers along the way that could flip the gondola causing something as small as her to drown. Erik watched as Clorinda got out of the boat and walk towards him. Erik rose, and shouted in anger at his daughter "what have I told you girl! Time after time I have told you about coming down here alone! You do not know how to swim! What if the boat flipped over? People would come looking for you and think that I did it!"

The small girl backed up in fear with tears in her eyes and cried "monsieur Kire I'm sorry" "you have disobeyed me! I don't know what I would do if something ever happened to you!" shouted Erik in such anger. Clorinda kept crying "well you don't have to act like my father, I have a father and he's dead." Erik took a deep breath and realized that he was coming off too father like so changed the subject. "come, I have no right discipline you but your mother does." The gondola ride was quiet and Erik looked down at his daughter as he pushed the boat through the murky waters how he hated himself for yelling at her. "Clorinda dear I apologize for yelling at you." he replied. "I deserved it." said Clorinda as she touched the water with her small hand. "I was just so worried that something would happen to you if you came down here alone." said Erik. "I'm not even suppose to be down here." said Clorinda. "what so ever do you mean?" asked Erik. "my mother is at rehearsal and left me with Nadir and Alex. I ran away to come see you." she replied. "why? I'm not your father and coming around here all the time will get people thinking other wise." said Erik. "did you know my father?" asked Clorinda. "no." said Erik. "I hate it here, all I do is get dressed up in some dress and perform like a Persian monkey." said Clorinda. "your mother is proud of you." said Erik. "I don't want this life monsieur Kire." "then what do you want?" asked Erik. "I love music but I don't want to dance." said Clorinda. Erik smiled, and said "I was just like you when I was your age…..well maybe a little older. I am a musician." "really? What do you play?" asked Clorinda. "Everything that I can get my hands on but the organ is my forte." said Erik. "what does that mean?" asked Clorinda. "what does what mean?" asked Erik. "forte." said Clorinda. "it means specialty." said Erik. "well dancing isn't my forte." said Clorinda as she continued to touch the water.

Erik looked down upon his daughter and said "but you are good at it, I've seen you do it." "ok well maybe I am good at it but I hate it." she replied. "well maybe you should try singing." said Erik. "you think so?" asked Clorinda. "yes it's your mother's specialty maybe it's yours too." said Erik. When the gondola docked on shore, Erik helped his little girl out of it and walked beside her as they walked the halls of the opera house. When they got to Christine's dressing room, they went in to see Christine sitting at her dresser brushing her hair. "Erik? Clorinda?" "mommy!" yelled Clorinda as she ran to her mother. Christine scooped her up in her arms and said "what on earth are you doing here? I left you with Nadir and Alex." Clorinda and Erik looked at each other and Erik said "Christine my dear I saved her from boredom." "really? She wasn't causing any trouble?" asked Christine. "No." said Erik. Clorinda smiled, and said "that's why mother I was bored." "I think I have an idea on what to do about this situation." said Erik. "how so?" asked Christine. "when you have rehearsal I can watch her." he replied.

Christine smiled, and said "I don't think that's a good idea." "why?" asked Clorinda. "because my dear Monsieur Kire is a busy man." lied Christine. "I can do it Christine, trust me." said Erik. "No she is going to stay with Alex and Nadir." said Christine. "have it your way." said Erik he then walked away in anger. Later on that night as Erik sat at his organ writing his music when he heard the gates of his lair being opened and saw Christine trudging through the murky waters. He ignored her, and kept writing until she was right behind him. "what's wrong Erik? When I come to visit you usually greet me." said Christine. "leave me be tonight Christine." said Erik. "what's wrong Erik?" asked Christine. "you know damn well what the problem is." said Erik in anger. "No I don't." said Christine. Erik slammed his hands down on his organ and said "you denied me my daughter's company." "Oh Erik, I was only doing it for your safety." said Christine. "Safety? Christine please she knows not about my relationship to her why not let me watch her during the day?" asked Erik. "Because Erik if she ever found out that you're her father who knows what would happen. I just want you to be safe my love, you've been un harmed these past four years and I want to keep it that way." said Christine. "oh Christine please don't keep me from spending time with my daughter. I love her and me being her baby sitter has nothing to do with me being her father." said Erik. "people will start to suspect Erik and keeping you hidden is what matters." said Christine. "Oh Christine if only you knew how much I love you and Clorinda." cried Erik. "do you want to watch her down here Erik? Because that's the only way I shall let you watch her." said Christine. Erik turned towards his music once more, and said "I'm a prisoner in my own triumph. I can't even touch my daughter, I have to be this fake friend so that I can even be near her. Today I began to yell at her like a father would to his child and had to stop my self from doing it because I came off like her father and she knew it. I only want to be there for her Christine, please don't keep me from seeing her." said Erik.

Christine sat down beside him and said "Erik, you may watch her." At that moment Erik shed tears and said "you don't know how much this means to me." Christine smiled, and began to passionately kiss him as he kissed her back. Erik scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to his bed and continued the kiss as he lied on her thin body. Christine tore off his mask, and kissed his distorted flesh and heard him moan as she did it. "oh angel I love you." said Erik as he touched her neck. Christine then removed his trousers and began to make love to her angel as he made love to her in return. Later on that night as they lied next to each other Erik said "Christine how can you stomach to look upon my hideous face?" "oh Erik don't think that. You are handsome and nothing more." said Christine. "look at my face Christine, and look at my hair." said Erik. Christine touched the blonde strands that he had and said "oh Erik you know what I think?" "what?" asked Erik. "I think that we created the most beautiful daughter in the world. A monster could never create such beauty." said Christine. "her beauty comes from you, not I." said Erik. "but you're wrong Erik, she looks nothing like me. When I look at her I see you and you only. She has everything that you have, the nose, beautiful blue eyes, soft blonde locks of hair and most of all your rebellious personality. She is you and what a beautiful girl you created." said Christine.

Erik smiled, and kissed his angel on the fore head. "oh Christine I love you so much. I have waited these past four years only to ask of one thing from you." "and what is that?" asked Christine. "Marry me my angel. I want you to be my wife Christine please, we have so much beauty together and with us being one means that I shall have the ability to see my daughter all the time." said Erik. Christine lowered her head, and said "I would love to Erik…..but it's still not safe." "I understand, you should go now." said Erik getting out of his bed and walking over to his organ in tears. "Erik, please don't be like this. You're the love of my life and I would love to be with you but it's not safe now. There is a war going on and they are enlisting every man they can find. If we married you would be one of those men. I could never live with myself if you ever died." "so not only do I have the army after me for the crimes I have committed but they also want me to fight with them? What is it that scares you Christine? Me being locked up or me being dead?" asked Erik. "Both my love." said Christine. "just go Christine." said Erik. Christine got to her feet, and said "sometimes Erik your ungrateful attitude is what makes me hate you." she then left him alone at his organ.

The next morning, Christine dropped Clorinda off in Erik's lair so she could go to rehearsal. Erik was so mad at Christine that he sat at his organ while Clorinda sat at the water's edge and threw small pebbles as far as she could into it. Erik looked at his daughter and said "come here Clorinda." she got up and walked over to Erik and had a seat with him at his organ. "would you like to sing for me?" asked Erik. "ok." she replied. "have you ever sang before?" asked Erik. "no." she replied. "Ok well I am going to play a song on my organ and I shall like you to sing along." said Erik. "what song?" asked Clorinda. "what one do you know?" asked Erik. "my mother always sings me "past the point of no return." said Clorinda. Erik paused and said "what? Really?" "yes she does, why? you know that song?" asked Clorinda. "yes I do." said Erik remembering the night of Don Juan Triumphant.

Erik began to play the melody to "Past the point of no return" and then Clorinda began to sing.

" You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish which till now
Has been silent Silent. 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.
Now you are here with me No second thoughts
You've decided Decided."

Erik cringed at the sound of her voice and stopped playing. "Something wrong?" asked Clorinda as she stopped singing. "you…you came off a little strong." said Erik. "sorry." she replied. "no need for apologizing." said Erik. He then began to play the song again and as Clorinda sang, Erik's ears cringed at the sound of her voice. The sound was worse than Carlotta's voice making his ears hurt worse than if she were singing. "Stop Clorinda." said Erik. Clorinda stopped and looked at Erik and said "I'm no good at anything." "nonsense, you just need to learn your place in the opera house." said Erik. Clorinda wiped the tears out of her eyes and touched the keys of his organ. "was my father an artist?" "no, he was a hideous man." said Erik. "how so?" asked Clorinda. "he worked in the scrap metal business and loved your mother with all her heart." said Erik. "I thought you didn't know my father." said Clorinda. "I didn't, your mother told me about him." said Erik. "how long have you known my mother?" asked Erik. "a long time my dear." said Erik. Clorinda looked upon Erik and said "why do you wear that mask?" "to hide myself from the world." he replied.

"why?" asked Clorinda. "I'm not the man that you think I am." said Erik. "I don't understand." said Clorinda. "some day when you grow up you shall understand." said Erik. "what was my mom like when she was my age?" asked Clorinda. "beautiful." said Erik as he looked at his music. "if you knew my mother that long how come you never made her your girlfriend?" asked Clorinda. Erik tried to stop the tears that were in his eyes and said "Because women aren't supposed to love monsters, they are meant to love men like your father." "I don't think that there is anything wrong with you Monsieur Kire." "if only you knew." said Erik. "My mother is performing tonight Monsieur Andre's new Opera "La Stella" said Clorinda. "Yes, and your mother shall be perfect." said Erik. "will you be coming?" asked Clorinda. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." said Erik. Clorinda walked over to one of Erik's mirrors that were in the room, and said "Erik, where did I get this scar?" "from your father." said Erik not even looking at her. "my father did this to me?" asked Clorinda. "yes it came from him." said Erik once again. "do you think I'm ugly with it?" Erik turned to his daughter and said "no, and don't you ever think of something like that ever again. You are beautiful like your mother and to hear such words come from your mouth makes me angry." "sorry." said Clorinda as she touched the mirror. Erik got to his feet, and said "come we must return to your room so that you can get ready for tonight."

Once Erik returned Clorinda to her room, Christine helped her daughter into her dress and started to brush her hair. "you know you have hair just like your father." she replied. "why does everyone keep telling me that?" asked Clorinda. "because you look just like him." said Christine as she began to braid her hair. "mother, how did father die?" questioned Clorinda as she looked at her mother in the mirror. "he was stabbed to death in an alley." said Christine. "do you miss him?" she asked. "no I don't because he was cruel to me." said Christine. Just then Madam Giry walked into the room carrying Christine's costume for the opera. "here my dear." she replied as she lied the dress down on the bed. "you look very beautiful tonight Clorinda." said madam Giry. "thank you Madam Giry." said Clorinda. Christine got up, and said "Clorinda I have to get dressed please go outside and wait for me. Once I am done I shall take you to monsieur Kire."

Clorinda walked outside the door and waited for her mother to get dressed. It seemed like forever for her to come out. "we're going to be late." said Clorinda out loud. She then opened the door, and saw her mother in her dress surrounded by reporters and fans. "Mom! Mom! We're going to be late!" yelled Clorinda as she tried to get her attention. It was no use because the room was too loud for her mother to hear her small voice. Clorinda sighed, and closed the door. "I'll go myself." she replied. Clorinda walked down to the gondola and pushed herself through the murky waters of the opera house. Once the gates of Erik's lair opened and she got the boat to shore, she walked around the candle lit lair looking for him. As she walked around his bed chambers, she noticed a picture frame sitting on the nightstand. She approached it and saw that the photo inside the frame was of Erik and her mother. Erik was standing behind Christine holding her in his arms as they posed for the picture. She then saw a music box that was sitting next to it with a Persian monkey sitting on the top of it holding symbols. When she touched it, it began to play the familiar tune of Masquerade.

Erik had gotten a bath to get ready for the night's events. He had taken off his mask and wig before stepping into the tub. Once he was finished he got up and dried himself off and slipped on his trousers before walking back to his bed chambers to find a dress shirt to put on and to slip on his wig and mask once more. As he entered his chambers he gasped at the sight of Clorinda sitting there looking up at him. He didn't say a word and only screamed in fear as she saw his distorted flesh. She ran passed him, and Erik could only watch as she jumped into the gondola and pushed herself away from his lair. Erik sat down at the end of his bed, and sobbed at the sight of his own daughter screaming in at his face.

Once Clorinda made it back to the hallways of the opera house the show had already started so went to box five where her and Erik usually sat to watch one of her mother's operas. Only when she made it there Erik wasn't sitting in his seat like he always would be. She waited until her mother's opera was over and then when her mother actually came to box five and didn't see Erik sitting there Clorinda said "he never showed up." Christine had a seat next to her daughter and said "was he here at all tonight?" "no, I went down to his lair and a man was there, an ugly man. I screamed and ran away from him and came back here. I hope Monsieur Kire is ok." said Clorinda. Christine kissed her daughter and said "go on to bed I will go check on Erik." "can I come?" asked Clorinda. "no, go on to bed." said Christine.

Christine took the gondola to Erik's lair and began to look for him. She found him lying in his bed with his eyes full of tears. He looked as if he had been crying for hours which would put Clorinda's surprise visit around the right time frame. She approached the bed and had a seat next to him. "Erik, she didn't know that it was you. She doesn't know about your deformed flesh." said Christine. "she screamed in my face Christine. She yelled in fear and ran away from me as if I were her worst nightmare." cried Erik. "she was upset that she didn't see you at the opera tonight." said Christine. "how could I have went and showed my face after having that happen to me?" cried Erik as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "if she knew that it was you Erik she wouldn't have screamed." said Christine. "that's a lie." cried Erik. Christine kissed him, and said "oh Erik if only you knew how much you mean to me." "just go away Christine, I'm still mad at you for denying my proposal to you last night." said Erik. "I'm mad at you for not coming to my performance tonight. Never ever have you missed one of my shows and tonight was the first time. That made me angry Erik and now I don't know what to think of you." said Christine.

Erik got to his feet, and grabbed Christine by her dress and said "You're not the one who has to walk around with this face! You're not the one who can't touch your own daughter or show her any kind of love. You have everything Christine!" "and you have me." said Christine. "yes, once every night unnoticed down in this dark lair that no one knows is here. I can't take you out to dinner or for a walk in the park because I am a wanted man! A monster who can't leave this place because of his own face!" yelled Erik. "then what do you want? Tell me what you want Erik?" cried Christine. "I want you, I want my daughter to know who her father is, I want the world to stop hunting me down like an animal! I want to live like a normal human being." cried Erik. Erik then let Christine go and said "just leave me be Christine." Christine wiped the tears from her eyes, and left Erik alone once in his lair upset that he couldn't live a normal happy life……

More to come….R&R