Christine's face went white. I tried to give her a comforting smile but it felt too false to give to her. Her mouth moved like a fish's did as it gasped for life on a bank of a river, trying to find words to say in this situation. But what can you say after your friend tells you they're dying? You hope it's a cruel joke and they only said it to scare you. No one tells you how to handle this situation, what are you supposed to say? Are supposed to say sorry? And what are you supposed to do when it's the friend you were ad at for something she didn't control? Namely that of a man's heart.

"Danielle..." she didn't have anything to follow up with.

"I've been dying for a long time." I could feel Erik hold his breath, I knew he was going to ask me about it later. "It's been a miracle that I lived to be seventeen at all."

"Why? What's wrong?" Her eyes darted over me, looking for something wrong, like a deformity.

"I have a bad heart, it's literally broken. It pumps too much blood to my lungs and, if I don't take my medicine, the vessels in my lungs rupture and blood will leak into them, drowning me; it is a slow and painful death. My brother's a doctor and created the medicine that I take, it's fast acting and reduces blood flow." I pulled out my flask and let out a humorless laugh. "Why do you think I carry this around? Alcohol is a natural blood thinner." I leaned close to Christine, determined not to let Erik hear this bit. "If I don't take my medicine every day around the same time I'll have an attack. Sometimes it's just feeling woozy or it could be broken vessels and coughing up blood but if the latter happens my medicine can stop it almost instantly. If I don't have it I'll die in five minutes but those five minutes will feel like five years." I pulled away and took the silver chain from my neck. "I want you to have this." I clicked the heart pendant open and showed her a white pill on a small bed of satin.

"What is it?" She asked as I put it over her head.

"My back up pill. If I ever get caught without anything I have that, or if I have ne medication left that'll give me one last day to say goodbye. I want you to keep it." She twisted in her seat and looked at me with wide eyes.

"I couldn't, what would happen if you needed it?" She tried to take it off but I put my hand over hers.

"Well, I'd ask you. Don't we spend, like, everyday together? When I go out with Blaise and Henri it's at night and I take my medicine in the morning so it wouldn't be a problem." I looked at the mirror and around at the dressing room. "I don't have enough to keep me alive forever." I looked her right in the eyes. "I only have enough to last me one more year. Christine, no child will ever call me mommy, I will likely never marry and all the money I'm making by performing is going towards my funeral if I can't get home, so I'm spending the last months of my life with the people I love."

"Danielle, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Christine looked down, I guess she felt bad for minorly acting a tad rude.

"It doesn't matter Christine. No matter what happens, I want you to remember me this way, not any other way you'll find me. I know what's supposed to happen Christine," I lowered my voice again, "and Raoul does not marry me." Christine flushed. "Yes, it is how it sounds. I'm going to borrow him for tonight, so you can see this teacher of yours." I winked and walked to the door, "I'm pretty sure Raoul would love you to come with us though." I closed the door behind me and almost bumped into Raoul.

"Danielle! Is Christine ready?" He put his hand on my arm and looked over my shoulder at the door.

"Christine said she wasn't feeling well so she decided to turn in early," I lied easily. I didn't like to lie to Raoul but this had to happen. Christine had to go with Erik and unmask him. And I had to break up with Raoul so he'll fall in love with Christine and break Erik's heart. "Let's go! I haven't eaten for hours!" I put my hand through Raoul's arm and walked to the carriage with him.

ERIK

Danielle. It's strange how I have Christine here, singing with me in my gondola, and all I can think of is her. Who could have thought she was so sick? I land the boat and listen to the fading notes of the same song I sang with Danielle. No, this is Christine. The girl I love.

"I have brought you,
To the seat of sweet music's throne.
To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music,
Music.
You have come here.
For one purpose and one alone.
Since the moment I first heard you sing,
I have needed you with me to serve me, to sing,
For my music.
My music." I stood in front of my organ and sang to her, successfully keeping her in a trance.

"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses." I pulled her from the gondola over towards the diorama of the stage as she sang 'Think of me'.

"Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night." I turned her head to face me. Her eyes were filled with wonder at the beauty of the caverns of my home.

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live as you've never lived before." Her eyes closed to absorb the vibrations of my voice. She looked so peaceful, I couldn't wait to show her the wedding dress.

"Softly, deftly music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it secretly possess you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night." I slowly pulled her towards the alcove where I kept the dress.

"Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be
Only then can you belong to me." I ran my fingers down her face and pulled her to me.

"Floating, falling sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night." I held her hand to the mask on my face and led her to the dress, I pulled back the curtain and she looked past. The surprise must have been too great for her. She passed out in my arms and I carried her to rest on my bed.

"You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night." I lowered the curtain around her so the light wouldn't bother her. I left Christine and sat at my organ, my thoughts again consumed with Danielle. I felt horrible all over again. I can't believe that I'd hit a girl who was dying. I ran my fingers over the keys to try and distract myself as a new melody filled my mind. I reached to grab a blank piece of music paper when my hand knocked into something wrapped in plain letter paper. I was sure it hadn't been there before. I opened the gift, thinking that it was something from Antoinette. I flipped over the to the front of a picture frame and came face to face with the girl of my inner musings. Danielle stared up at me, looking like an angel on Earth and nothing like the sick girl she was. I looked at the writing in the bottom corner in neat, loopy cursive; All my love, Danielle. I ran my fingers over the picture, maybe it meant she forgave me. I placed the picture on my desk face down so I wouldn't indirectly tell Christine I was teaching Danielle as well. I leaned into the keys and began composing.

I was so caught up in my composing that I didn't know that Christine coming until I felt her rip off my mask and stare in horror at my face. My hand flew to my face and I pushed her down.

"Damn you!
You little prying Pandora!
You little demon
Is this what you wanted to see?
Curse you!
You little lying Delilah!
You little viper
Now you cannot ever be free!" I stormed around knocked candlesticks over and pushing papers screaming at Christine.

"Damn you,
Curse you..." My anger drained out of me and the red left my vision.

"Stranger than you dreamt it
Can you even dare to look
or bare to think of me:
this loathsome gargoyle, who burns in hell,
but secretly yearns for heaven,
secretly... secretly...
Christine..." I crawled over to her, covering my face with my hand. Tears streaked her face as she pushed away from me; disgust and loathing clear on her face.

"Fear can turn to love - you'll learn to see
to find the man behind the monster:
this repulsive carcass, who seems a beast
but secretly dreams of beauty,
secretly... secretly...
Oh, Christine..." I sat with my shoulders hunched and tried not to move, I didn't want to scare her anymore than I already had. Slowly Christine picked my mask up off of the floor and handed it to me. I could've killed myself when I saw the terror in her eyes and how her hands shook. "Come, we must return, those fools who run my theatre will be missing you. Christine reluctantly followed me back to the opera above.

DANIELLE

"Raoul, I had a great time tonight." The restaurant we had gone to was warm and the food was good. "What did you think of the show?" Now down to business.

"It was incredible. You looked beautiful." He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. Please God, don't let him love me.

"What did you think of Christine?" He seemed a bit confused as to why I was asking about Christine.

"I thought she was wonderful, I never thought I was going to run into her again after she moved away, why do you ask?" How'm I supposed to phrase this?

"I heard you and her were childhood sweethearts, did you fall in love with her again when you recognized her as she sang Think of Me?" I tried to sound like I was teasing him even though I was dreading the answer.

"I... I don't know what to say to that. Yes, I feel something for her but I don't want to stop this. I don't want to lose you." I let my head fall to the side and looked at him, smiling. I wish I could love him and have him love me. I wish a lot of things that couldn't happen. No matter how much I wanted this to happen it can't.

"Raoul, I didn't want to tell you this; I didn't want to hurt you." Raoul looked hurt and shocked, what did he think I was going to tell him?

"What is it?" He held my hand tighter.

"I can't be with you. It's not that I don't want to, it's because," I didn't finish. Tears fell from my eyes and stained the table cloth. "I'm not going to live much longer. A year at best." I couldn't look him in the eyes. Raoul was so sweet and kind, he didn't deserve to have this pushed upon him.

"What's wrong?" It's always that question people ask.

"My heart. I need a new one, this one doesn't work right." I explained everything about it to him.

"How is that medicine made? I haven't heard anything in modern medication like it." Oh, fuck me hard.

"I'm not from this time, whether you believe me or not I'm from the future." Shitstorm begin: now.

"Surely you're joking?" I knew he wouldn't believe me. I looked him in the eyes.

"No, I'm as serious as a brain tumor." Worst. Analogy. Ever.

"Are you... crazy?" I laughed hard and long.

"I might be a little crazy but not in the bad way. Why do you think I'm so different? No one acts like me here." I didn't want to have this conversation, the death one was enough. "I wouldn't lie to you Raoul, I like you too much." I reached across the table and pinched his cheeks. He gave me a sad smile. "Don't you trust me?" I said as I tweaked his nose.

"I was hoping you were mad, it would be easier to believe then all of this. I could still be with you if you were crazy. I do still want to be with you but you seem to want me to stay away." He shook his head.

"It's not that. I want you to be with me until the end, I just want to see you happy, happy in a way I can't make you. I saw the way you looked at Christine in her dressing room. I want to see you happy before I die. Or I might have to come back as a ghost and haunt you until I do." I winked at him, "and who knows what I'll see then." I looked down, clearly staring at his body. Raoul flushed bright red. "There's the familiar rose tint I remember." He blushed deeper. "I'd better get back, we have another show tomorrow."

"Alright, but I'm driving you all the way home today," he said. Smart ass.

"My place? Your place would be better for the things I have in mind." I blew a kiss at him. He turned as red as a tomato and began to stutter. "Just kidding." I got up and began to walk out.

"You're horrible," he said, nudging my hip with his.

"Aren't I just?" We climbed into the warm carriage and started toward the opera.

"Do you think this is the right choice? Couldn't we try to fix your heart?" I laughed.

"Honey, the first open heart surgery won't be performed until 1893 in Chicago. I'm a dead woman walking." Raoul lowered his shoulders and lowered his eyes looking the image of sadness. "Raoul, I've become used to the fact that I'm going to die, don't look so sad."

"How can I not? I have feelings, big ones, for you and I can't be with you because of it." He leaned back against his seat, it always seemed we sat across from each other.

"It's just not how history wrote it darling." I reached across the small gap and took his hand. "You've given me so much joy Raoul, a shoulder to cry on and someone to talk to, it's funny how I repay you." The carriage stopped outside the deserted opera house. "I'll see you around Raoul," I said as I pulled away. He grabbed my hand as I tried to leave the carriage.

"Can I have a kiss goodnight?" He asked hopefully.

"Nope, what do you take me for, easy?" I joked, feeling a little weird at the thought of kissing Christine's future husband.

"Just one?" He smiled. God, he's cute.

"Fine. God, you're needy." Raoul laughed a whole, open mouthed laugh. I pressed my lips to the corner of his mouth, in an indirect kiss. "See you tomorrow night at the show Raoul."

"Goodbye Danielle." Raoul looked like he was about to cry. I brushed my lips over his eyelids.

"Goodbye Raoul." I turned and walked into the opera, not thinking of Christine's escapades in the the Phantom's domain beneath the opera.

Hours later there was an incredible panic. Christine had disappeared and the media had caught wind. Andre and Firmin were in a tizzy when I came out and asked if I had seen her.

"No, I can't imagine where she would've gone." I walked away, trying to get away before the whole Carlotta scene.

"Where is she?" Too late.

"You mean Carlotta?"

"I mean Miss Daae
Where is she?" Raoul ran up the steps, looking distressed and worried.

"Well how should we know?" Andre looked tired and angry.

"I want an answer!
I take it that you sent me this note!" Raoul looked at them both as they argued that none of them wrote. I walked over to Raoul and read the note he held in his hand. No doubt Erik had written it. I put my hand on his arm and looked him in the eyes, trying to convey this was serious.

"Where is he?" Carlotta stormed in, I could almost see the smoke coming out of her ears.

"Ah, welcome back!" Andre and Firmin bumbled over to her, trying to get into her good graces.

"Your precious patron
Where is he?" Raoul ran to meet Carlotta and her possy and they began to argue about the letter Erik sent her. I tuned them out until Madame Giry came in with Meg.

"Miss Daae has returned." Megv stood behind her, half hiding from everyone.

"I hope no worse for wear as far as we're concerned." Asshole Firmin needs a good slap.

"Where precisely is she now?" I have no idea what Andre meant by this; what could he do by knowing where she was?

"I thought it best she was alone."

"She needed rest," Meg looked down, embarrassed.

"May I see her?" Raoul asked Madame Giry.

"No, Monsieur She will see no one." Madame Giry seemed determined to make sure Christine wasn't disturbed.

"I'll see you later Raoul, I'm going to check on Christine." I left quickly, going down to see Erik; no matter how scared Christine was Erik will be more heart broken.

There were crashes and bangs coming from Erik's home, just beyond the entrance, Erik roared in anger. "Damn it!" I was going to have to go in there, wasn't I? Well, into the lion's den.

"Erik, throwing a fit is really unbecoming." I walked through the door and looked at all the stuff on the floor. This mess was going to be a bitch to clean up.

"What do you think you're doing here?" Erik growled at me from where he stood by his organ.

"Checking to see that everything isn't ruined beyond repair and you haven't killed yourself." I looked over his desk, not finding anything broken, just scattered on the floor.

"Get out of here!" I put my hands on my hips and stared at him.

"Or what? You're going to kill a girl who's dying?" Erik seemed to visibly calm down. "Why don't we calm down and talk about what happened?" He sat down at his organ and looked at me. I kneeled down in front of him. "What happened?"

"Don't you already know?" He asked darkly.

"Duh, I'm from the future. But you'll feel better if you tell me." I rearranged my skirts. "So spill, what happened?"

"I brought Christine down here in a trance, I thought it would be easier to reveal myself to her. She fainted at the sight of her dress so I let her rest on my bed. While I waited for her to wake I began to compose, I didn't hear her come up behind me and she ripped my mask off. I screamed at her and hit her. I terrified her. She'll never love me now." Erik hung his head in shame.

"You should've expected that. Really, why wouldn't Christine wonder what was behind the mask of a man that has taken her into the bowels of the opera? You need to learn to control your temper. Jesus, you're as bad as prince Adam in Beauty and the Beast." I rolled my eyes.

"Who?" Oh yeah, it hasn't been invented yet.

"Not important. Erik, what you're doing is not the way you get someone to love you."

"How do I get her to love me?" He asked sarcastically.

"How am I supposed to know? I can't have relationships, I'd just end up hurting someone. Do you know what it's like losing someone you love? I couldn't put anyone through that." I stuck my legs out in front of me, sitting crouched hurts.

"I heard what you told Christine." He looked at me straight in the eyes.

"I know. I could feel you staring." I wasn't going to make it easy for him to bring this up. "How creepy is that, watching a private conversation like it was a play?"

"You're working on my nerves." Erik sounded pissed but he was smiling.

"Why was Christine afraid of you?" His eyes went black, I'm bringing out the worst in him.

"Because of my face." He spat his words at me. I got up and sat next to him on the bench.

"Erik, show me what's under your mask." He quickly turned away from me.

"Not on your life."

"What a careless choice of words, I thought you were more eloquent than that Erik," I said. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"How can you say that so calmly?" I laughed.

"Weren't you listening? I've become used to the idea that I'm going to die, you'd have to if you were in my position, I've accepted death for years; he seems like an old friend." When you're friends with death it's a little hard to be afraid of something. "Why don't you want me to see what's underneath your mask?"

"Because it sent Christine running, why would it do any different to you?" He growled.

"Erik, come here." He had walked to the other side of the room. I got his to sit next to me again before I turned to him. "Do you want to do this the easy way of my way?" I put my hands on my hips and stood before him.

"You'll never get me to willingly take my mask off woman." His eyes were sharp as daggers. I smiled down at him, I was going to get my way one way or the other.

"You've chosen my way, so just relax." Obviously his body went on high alert. I put my hands around his head and crushed his face against my chest. It was kind of funny watching him try to pull away. "I'm not letting you go until you relax and listen to me." He gave up and stopped struggling. "Why should I care what half of your face looks like? It's just the outer part of you, it's what's on the inside that matters to me." Erik hardly responded to what I said. Okay, time to try another approach. I grabbed the top of his mask and pulled it off and pulled out of Erik's reach.

"Give it back!" He lunged for me but since he was covering half his face it was easy to get away from him.

"Erik, I already know what's under your mask more or less and I know you're wearing a wig. You might as well trust me." He eyed me suspiciously. "Think of it as making up for bitch slapping me." His breathing came fast. He was obviously suspicious. "Trust me Erik." Slowly Erik let his hand drop. The harsh redness of it surprised me but didn't repulse me. I walked close to him and studied the ridges and harsh lines of his deformed face; it looked like a bad burn from a fire that had left deep, unforgiving scars. I ran my fingers over it's unsmooth surface, it was at once sickening and captivating at how easy it was to see the muscles move just beneath the surface of his skin, Erik was clenching and unclenching his jaw. Though the deformity covered half his face to his chin his lips were still perfect, taunting and perfect. Erik had closed his eyes but I could tell that one of his eyes sagged downward; Erik's face was twisted and terrifying but it held a strange beauty. I slowly pulled off his wig to reveal a half head of shaggy sandy brown blond hair. The deformity reached almost all around his head. His ear was normal but he had no eyebrow.

"Are you going to scream and run as well?" His eyes opened and I saw such a painful sorrow.

"Why would I run from you? I happen to think, in my professional opinion, you're very handsome." I caressed his twisted skin.

"Lying is a horrible habit," Erik said darkly.

"Fine, don't believe me. I'm just saying what I, and about six million other people think, that's all." I lifted my hands in the air, in mock surrender.

"What are you talking about?" He looked bewildered, momentarily forgetting his mask was off and his wig was in my hand.

"I'll tell you later. Or not at all. It depends on the powers that be." God time travel isn't worth the jet lag it brings. "Erik, you've shown me something incredibly personal, it woulds be horrible manners if I didn't reciprocate the gesture. I'm going to go change into my clothes from the future." I walked towards the alcove where I hid my backpack.

"Why?"

"Because what I have to show you I can't in these clothes."

I came back out in a pair of straight-leg blue jeans and a black David Bowie concert t shirt. Erik eyed my outfit, deciding whether to laugh or look appalled. While I was changing He had donned his mask and wig.

"Erik, you know I have heart problems and you should know why." I never wanted to revisit this memory but I wanted Erik to know this story, no matter how much I wish it would go away and never come up again. "When I was four my father tried to kill me." Erik's face contorted to a look of pure horror.

"Danielle..." I shook my head, indicating that I wasn't done.

"He woke me up one night about four thirty in the morning. It was a Saturday and both of my brothers were out. Mike, my oldest brother, was at some high school party. He was seventeen and probably getting drunk off his ass while my other brother Alex was having a sleepover with one of his friends. He was eleven. When my dad woke me up he said there was something he wanted to show me in the woods near our house and, being four, I thought he was going to show me fairies so I followed him into the woods, off the trail until I started complaining about how my feet were hurting. He turned to me and told me to lie down and take off my shirt. I didn't want to get in trouble so I did what he told me. He held my hands above my head and used his knee to pin my legs down, then he took out a scalpel that he had brought home from his job as a surgeon at the hospital in our town and cut me open. I screamed and begged him to let me go but he laughed He laughed!" I screamed. I had begun to shake, the memory brought me right back to that time of being a helpless little girl who couldn't do anything to defend herself. "He cut me clean through and opened me up, cut me open like a corpse for study! He began to pull out my organs and name each one." I could feel my sanity slip away.

"'Here, baby girl, is your big intestine. Isn't it funny how it's smaller than your small intestine? Look how but it is!'" I screamed, miming showing Erik an intestine. "'This is your liver. Can you feel it, baby girl, can you feel it?!'" My breathing became laboured. " He pulled out each of my organs to show me and the put it back, like they were baby pictures in a photo album or something! If the organ couldn't come out he'd just give it a nice squeeze to make sure I knew it was there.'And this,' he said with a lunatic smile on his face, 'is your heart! Can you feel it beating in your chest? Can you feel it?' He squeezed it hard and everything went black. I assed out and he broke it, he broke my heart! I don't know how I didn't die just there but I lived through it all I lived it was worse than dying." I walked around the space, trying to make the memory less real. "When I woke up dawn was breaking. The promise of another day shone on the horizon. How I wished that day would die, and I along with it. Do you know what it's like trying to fit your organs back inside your own body and physically hold yourself together as you try to find your way to the path and get help?" Tears rushed down my cheeks, I couldn't look at Erik. "If there hadn't been a jogger on that trail I would have died. She called the police and an ambulance came. I was still holding myself together or my guts would have spilled out." I choked on my tears and fell to the ground. Erik wrapped his arms around me.

"Danielle, I'm so sorry." I leaned into his warmth.

"It's not finished. After the emergency surgery to save me I found out that my father had gone home and he killed my mommy. He was waiting to ambush my brothers when they got home. My mom was... my mom was..." I let out a small scream. "She was five months pregnant with my baby sister!" Tears stopped my speech again and Erik held me close and hard. "Her name was supposed to be Maria! Her name was supposed to be Maria." I cried and cried for I don't know how long. "She was going to be so beautiful, Erik. A new baby girl wrapped up in pink."

"Danielle, I'm sure she would be. What happened to your father?" I chuckled darkly.

"He was sentenced to death and died by electric chair. I wish I could have watched the fucker fry." What he gow was too good for him, if only they were still allowed to hang people. "Isn't it strange how, in a story, the character that seems happiest is the one who's suffering the most? It's almost poetic."

"I wish there was some way to make it better," Erik mumbled into my hair. I loved being held by him like this, I felt so safe. I reluctantly pulled away.

"I don't think anything will make this better." I lifted my shirt and tugged my pants lower around my hips to reveal the long upside down Y incision.

Hi everyone, sorry it took so long to get this up, I really had to stop and think about this in places. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Review! Everyone belongs to their rightful persons.