We don't own any of the characters from The Phantom of the Opera, although we do rather enjoy borrowing them from time to time, especially Erik!

Forum Alert – I have started a forum entitled: Secrets Left Untold, Q & A. For anyone who wants to ask any of the ten very talented authors a question as to why they chose a certain storyline direction. Or if you would like to discuss your storyline ideas, please feel free. We are very interested in your opinions! And as this project is getting off to such a great start I thought it would be fun to start another round robin but to have you, our expert readers decide what type of story to write. Also if anyone would like to volunteer to write on the next story, here is the place to throw your hat into the ring.

Chapter one - ToryD

Chapter two - Terpsichore314

Chapter three - KatieKay90

Chapter four - MJ Mod

Chapter five - LostBluePhantom

Chapter six – Moonshine's Guide

Chapter seven - Phantasmarose

Chapter eight - Susana

Chapter nine - Splendorous Night Unfurled

Chapter ten – Hatred Behind a Mask

Chapter 2 – Author – KatieKay90 – Beta – Terpsichore314

A/N I am so happy to be apart of this project. I hope I can do justice to the first two chapters.

Tory's Note – Hey I hope I got this up ok, I am so high on painkillers right now, I don't even know my own children's names. But I do know that my niece has done an amazing job on this chapter. Plus my Mother-in-law is here for Thanksgiving! She is the epitome of Marie Barrone, so let's hope the next four days pass quickly.

Secrets Left Untold

Chapter 3

Erik woke to a ticklish sensation on the unmasked side of his face. Confused, he reached up and brushed a thick brunette curl away from his face. Opening his eyes, he was startled to see that Christine was sleeping peacefully at his side, or, rather, he was sleeping at her side, as this was not his room.

Carefully easing himself out of the bed so as not to wake her, he wondered what had brought Christine to her current circumstances. With so many federal and state agencies available to aid mothers and children, Erik questioned why she found herself on the streets.

Crossing the room quietly, he peered into the makeshift crib that held a wide-awake, smiling Ben. Erik couldn't help the little lurch to his heart as he gazed at Christine's baby boy. Having rarely been around children, let alone infants, Erik was perplexed that little Ben did not seem to fear him as all the other children of his past encounters had. Reaching down, he gently lifted the chubby little boy up into his arms. "I bet you are a hungry little boy," Erik whispered as he held the baby securely. "Come on, let's go see if we can find Jeanne."

∙·•●♥●•·∙

Christine paused in the doorway that led to the large formal dining room, watching her little brother squealing in delight with his new adventure as Erik lifted him into the air. Smiling sadly to herself, Christine wondered what was to become of her little Ben in the dark days ahead.

Erik, sensing Christine's presence, brought Ben safely down in his arms. "Good morning," he called with a gentle smile.

"Good morning," Christine returned his greeting shyly. "I can take him," she said walking quickly towards the elegantly dressed man holding her brother.

"The doctor said that you should take it easy for a few days," Erik said as he pulled out a chair for her. "And I hardly think lifting this little bruiser qualifies as taking it easy."

"But your suit…" Christine protested, only to be waved off by Erik.

"Jeanne," Erik called out towards the kitchen, "Christine is ready for her breakfast."

Christine looked on in alarm as Jeanne entered the room with a large tray filled with a variety of foods. "Oh Jeanne, you shouldn't have gone to so much trouble," she said and jumped to her feet to assist the older woman.

"It is no trouble at all," she said with a slight Scottish lilt to her voice. "Now, I want you to eat a good-sized breakfast, and then you and I can have a nice long talk."

Christine felt an instant feeling of welcome around Erik's housekeeper. "Thank you."

"Here Erik, you had better give him to me," Jeanne said insistently as she took Ben from Erik.

Erik couldn't help the pleased smile that graced his half-masked face when Ben emitted a sound of protest at being withdrawn from his new friend. "I need to get to the office," he said absently as he rose. "Christine, please make yourself at home. Jeanne," he said, motioning his housekeeper to follow him.

Once he and Jeanne were in the kitchen, he issued several other instructions. "Make sure that she rests. I don't think that she is getting enough sleep. Also get her to give Darius a list of things that she and Ben need," Erik said as he stroked the baby's light brown curls.

"All right. I will also try to get her to open up to me. She seems like she is running from something," Jeanne said more to herself than to her frowning boss. "You'd better be going."

Erik was torn. He wanted nothing more than to stay and keep a careful watch over the young mother and son. With a regretful sigh, he turned and walked towards the door, wondering why he felt such an unexplainable connection with the beautiful Christine and her son.

∙·•●♥●•·∙

Christine looked down at the list and frowned at the various items. With a grateful smile, she handed the list to Darius. "Thank you. I wish I could offer you some money to pay for these," she said softly.

Darius knew that the young woman was more than a little embarrassed at the prospect of accepting the charity of Mr. Demetrius. "Are you sure this is all you require, Ms. Christine?" he asked, noting the sparseness of the list of baby items.

"Oh, yes. Mr. Demetrius is being more than generous. I don't want to take advantage," she said with an earnestness that Darius found refreshing.

"Very well, I had best be on my way, then," he said, inclining his graying head.

Christine smiled as he made his exit. Turning to Jeanne, she again asked if she could offer any assistance. "Jeanne, are you sure I can't help?"

Jeanne looked up from her chopping and shook her head. "No, you are to do nothing but keep me company," she said with a wink.

Christine smiled back at the older woman who had been nothing but accepting of her and Ben. "All right," she said, settling back into her chair as she watched over her sleeping brother. "How long have you been working for Mr. Demetrius?"

"Ah, I guess you could say that I have been with Erik about fourteen years," Jeanne said with a smile. "Erik hired me and my late husband to work for him right after he started his first company. The man is a genius when it comes to making money."

"What is it that he actually does?" Christine asked as Jeanne expertly cored an apple.

"He's an investment banker," Jeanne replied offhandedly as she began to slice her apples.

Christine, who was never one for the financial side of things, didn't really know what that entailed. "So he works for a bank?" she asked hesitantly.

"No lass, he is the bank. He uses his money to invest into different ventures. When the ventures start to pay off he not only recoups his money with interest, he also takes a piece of the profits," Jeanne said as she scooped up her apples into her already prepared piecrust.

Still confused, Christine merely shook her head in defeat. "He works in the city?" she asked as she reached down to replace the blanket that Ben had kicked off.

"His home base is New York, but he has offices in London, Tokyo, and Sydney. Erik used to travel quite extensively but prefers to stay close to home lately," Jeanne said as she carefully added the top crust to her pie. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Only if you will let me help," Christine countered, rising from her chair at the kitchen table.

"Erik will have my head if I so much as let you lift a finger, but I guess you won't come to any harm by putting the kettle on," Jeanne said with a resigned sigh.

Smiling at the prospect of being useful, Christine crossed to the large stove to retrieve the stainless steel kettle.

Once Jeanne had her pie in the oven, she turned to help Christine with the tea. "Christine, you will find the cups in the cabinet over the dishwasher," she advised, taking the tea from the canister on the counter.

Once both women were settled back into their respective seats, Jeanne began to broach the subject that had been the proverbial white elephant in the room all afternoon. "Christine, I don't mean to pry, but how is it that you and Ben ended up on the streets?" she asked as kindly as she could.

Christine stiffened at the question although she knew it was justly asked. "I'm afraid that Ben's father decided that he didn't want us with him any longer," Christine responded truthfully, hoping that Jeanne would continue with her assumption that she was Ben's mother.

"I'm so sorry, dear," Jeanne said as she patted Christine's arm sympathetically. "But surely you have some family that will help you?"

Shaking her head, Christine looked towards her sleeping brother, "No, Ben is all I have now," she said with such sadness that Jeanne's heart began to break for the young mother and son.

"Have you contacted the state agencies, Christine? I believe that they offer all kinds of assistance to single mothers."

Christine's heart began to race at the thought of discovery. "I can't," she replied, tears filling her eyes.

"Christine," Jeanne called out in alarm. "Lass, please tell me what has happened to make you think that you can't ask for help?"

"I…I…" Christine was saved from replying by her brother's cry. "I think he probably needs to be changed."

Jeanne nodded as she reached down to retrieve the awaking Ben. "Come on little one, let's see if we can get you changed and fed," she cooed to the grumpy baby. As she reached the door, she turned to once again face the tearful Christine. "Christine, whatever has happened to bring you to us, please know that you and Ben are safe here," she said with an unmistakable truth which soothed Christine's distraught nerves.

Unable to speak for the overwhelming emotion, Christine merely nodded through her tears, so very grateful that she and Ben had happened upon these special people.

∙·•●♥●•·∙

"Okay, meet me downstairs in ten minutes," Erik instructed his driver, drumming his fingers impatiently upon his antique desk. The news of Christine's paltry list was not digesting well.

"Ah, Erik, do I need to remind you that we are meeting with the Allen brothers in less than half an hour," Nadir Khan, Erik's second-in-command, reminded his boss.

"Cancel the rest of my day," Erik ordered as he rose to get his overcoat.

"Erik! I have been working on this buyout for over eight months now, and now that we are about to finalize the deal, you want to cancel the meeting?" Nadir asked with an incredulous expression.

"Yes," Erik said simply as he opened his office door. "In fact I need you to come with me, so cancel the rest of your day as well."

Nadir stood stone still for a few seconds as he watched his boss walk out the door. Shaking himself, he rushed after his strange employer, stopping only for his coat and instructing his assistant on the change of the day's agenda. Once they were alone on the elevator, Nadir turned questioning eyes on Erik. "All right, what gives?" he asked expectantly, arms crossed over his broad chest.

"I need to go shopping," Erik said as he met his employee's glacial stare.

Nadir paused as he took in the information his boss just imparted. "Did you say you need to go shopping?" Nadir asked carefully, regarding Erik as if he had just escaped from a mental institution.

"Yes, shopping," Erik replied in an annoyed tone.

As doors slid open Nadir wondered what had taken hold of his boss. "Okay, and what are we going shopping for?"

"Baby items, clothes…that sort of thing," Erik said, nodding to several of his employees as he strode through the busy lobby.

Darius held open the door for Erik and Nadir, "Good afternoon, Mr. Demetrius, Mr. Khan," he said formally.

"Darius, take us to the nearest department store," Erik ordered as he entered the car.

Nadir looked perplexed as he slid into the seat beside Erik. "So let me get a handle on this: we are blowing off one of the most lucrative investments we have had in months to go shopping for ah, baby clothes?" Nadir asked, now sure his boss had just lost complete control of his faculties.

Erik raised one perfect eyebrow as he regarded his employee. "That's right Nadir. Do you wish to comment further?" Erik said with a steely tone that warned his number two to tread carefully.

Nadir, knowing that his boss was not one who liked to be questioned, settled back into his seat and refrained from further comment.

∙·•●♥●•·∙

"And just what is it that you would like us to do, Ms. Leigh?" Officer Riggatori asked the angry-looking woman who had been bending his ear for the last twenty minutes.

"I want you to do your job and investigate the little tramp!" Isabel said through clenched teeth.

Vito lounged in his office chair as he regarded the overly botoxed brunette. "Funny thing about the law, Ms. Leigh; I can't just go around and investigate people unless there has been a crime committed," he said with an amused glint in his eyes that only set Isabel's teeth on edge.

Smiling, Isabel knew that she would just have to pull rank. "Well, seeing as you are refusing to assist me, I'm afraid that I will just have to contact the mayor," she said, reaching into her purse for her cell phone.

Vito only leaned back and feigned interest in her side of the conversation. As the conversation neared an end, Isabel held out her phone to him. "Officer Riggatori," he announced in an amused tone. Sitting up abruptly, Vito nodded his head as he listened to the distinguished mayor instruct him on the proper etiquette he expected his officers to extend to one of his top constituents. "Yes, sir, right away," Vito said, swallowing hard at the dressing down he was receiving. Handing the phone back to Ms. Leigh, he began to apologize for his earlier rudeness. "Ms. Leigh, please forgive me. I am of course at your service. Perhaps you could once again tell me about this young lady and her son," Vito said as he pulled at the tight collar of his uniform.

∙·•●♥●•·∙

Erik and Nadir, with a team of professional shoppers, made their way through the baby department of Macy's. "I want all of this delivered and set up by six this evening," Erik instructed the store manager, pointing to several other items he just knew that little Ben could not do without.

"Yes, sir," Brian Reynolds said, smiling as he added up Mr. Demetrius's receipts in his head.

Nadir was trying to hide his amusement as he trailed after Erik. "What's next?" he asked with a knowing look.

Erik frowned as he thought of how little Christine had to her name. "Women's clothing," he announced, motioning for the store manger to lead the way.

Nadir merely shook his head as he followed the eager team of retailers.

After Erik had chosen an entire wardrobe of the best in designer wear, he was brought to the lingerie department. Swallowing hard, Erik tried not to show his anxiousness at picking out Christine's intimate apparel.

Nadir noted the red flush that had taken up residence on Erik's face and decided to have some fun at his boss's expense. "So, Erik, what kind of girl is your Christine? Naughty?" he said as he held up a racy black and red lace teddy, complete with attached garter belt. "Or nice?" he questioned with a gleam of mirth in his eyes as he held up a beautiful pink lacy nightgown.

Erik tried valiantly not to picture Christine in either outfit, but failed as his mind conjured up her beautiful body filling both offerings seductively. "As Christine is a young mother, I'm sure she would prefer the 'nice' version, as you termed it," Erik said with a censuring look to his employee.

Rosalyn smiled to herself as she prepared to tread delicately around the eccentric billionaire. "Mr. Demetrius, do you happen to know Christine's size?" she asked softly.

"Uh, I think the sales people said she would be about a size four," Erik said as he tried to look anywhere but at the multitude of lacy bras and panties.

"Yes, sir, but do you happen to know her cup size?" she asked as delicately as possible.

Erik turned beet red as Nadir began to laugh softly to himself. "I have no idea," Erik said quietly, promising himself that he would send Nadir on the first available flight to Greenland on a bogus investment project to extract revenge on his friend's overstated hilarity.

Rosalyn bit her own lip to keep from smiling at the discomfort of her customer. "Is she about my size?" she asked tactfully.

Erik glanced quickly at the elegant woman's breasts and saw that she was a bit larger than Christine. "Uh, she is a bit smaller," Erik said as Nadir lost his battle with his held-in laughter and began to choke in earnest.

"Then my guess is she would be about a C cup. Why don't I pick out a few things for her," Rosalyn offered as she patted Erik on the arm in a gesture of solidarity.

Nodding his head, Erik agreed, grateful to be spared any further embarrassment. "Thank you," he said, scowling at the recovering Nadir. Turning, he walked over to the awaiting store manager. "Please have everything delivered to my penthouse," he said, handing the eager man his private card.

"Yes, sir, and thank you," Brian said gushingly.

Motioning to Nadir, Erik began to walk briskly towards the exit.

Nadir decided that if he wanted to keep his job he had better not mention the events of the past two hours. "So, where to now?" he asked as Darius held the door open.

"Home," Erik responded with a feeling of contentment he had never before known.

Smiling, Nadir settled back into his leather seat as he looked forward to meeting the young mother and son who had completely turned his boss's world on its proverbial ear within the short time span of one day.

∙·•●♥●•·∙

Office Riggatori, with Isabel smiling menacingly at his side, was questioning a frightened Christine. "Ms. Daae, can you please tell me your previous address?"

"Don't answer that, Christine," Jeanne instructed protectively as she held the phone to her ear. "I am calling Erik," she said, sending a piercing look of unadulterated hatred towards Isabel.

Vito gave Jeanne a dampening look. "If you keep interfering in my investigation, I'm afraid that I will have to arrest you for obstruction of justice."

"We will see what Mr. Demetrius has to say about that!" Jeanne riposted to the offending officer.

Vito wondered what he had done in a past life to have landed in this absurd situation. "Ms. Daae?" he prompted.

Christine was trembling as tears began to run unheeded down her pale face.

Isabel smiled contentedly because she knew that it was just a matter of time before the little tramp was arrested and out of Erik's life forever.

Christine took in a deep breath, preparing to answer the officer's questions. "I was living with my mother before she died about a month ago," she said in a haunted voice that touched even the jaded Vito's heart.

Jeanne, who had finally connected with Erik, was speaking quietly into the phone as she kept a careful watch on Christine. After a moment she ended the call and crossed the room to put a supportive arm around Christine's shaking shoulders. "Erik is on his way. You are not to answer any more questions until he arrives," she said soothingly as she turned her angry stare on the other two occupants in the room.

∙·•●♥●•·∙

Erik's hands were in tight fists as he waited for the elevator to reach the top floor.

Nadir watched his boss's reaction with some trepidation. He could honestly say that he had never seen Erik so enraged. "Erik, do you want me to call Robert?" he offered quietly.

"No," Erik said curtly, with an effort reining in his escalating temper.

As the doors slid open, Erik took in the scene with one glance. Once his eyes landed upon the crying Christine his need for vengeance threatened to overpower his good sense. "I want to know by whose authority do you enter into my home and terrorize my guest?" Erik said in a cold steely tone that sent a chill throughout the room.

Isabel paled at the look of pure rage Erik had offered her upon his entrance into the elegant foyer. "Erik," she began, only to be silenced by Erik's heated gaze.

"Nadir, show Isabel out, and make sure that she never again gains entrance to my home," Erik ordered as he turned his gaze onto the nervous police officer. "Now, I want an answer to my question. Who has sent you?" Erik asked in a voice that cut like a whip.

Vito cleared his throat as he faced the half-masked billionaire. "We received a report of a possible fraud crime in process," he began only to be silenced by Erik's outstretched palm.

"Let me assure you, officer, that the only fraud being perpetrated here is one of your being duped by a jealous woman," Erik said with disdain dripping from every word.

"I am sure that you can understand that I am only doing my job," Vito said as he looked towards the door, wanting only to escape the scathing gaze of the strangely masked man.

"What I understand is that you have frightened my guest!" Erik's voice boomed out angrily, causing Christine to jump.

"Erik," Jeanne said softly, alerting him to Christine's distraught condition.

Erik looked over to Christine in the comforting arms of Jeanne and calmed himself. "Nadir, show the officer to the door, and then contact Governor Dodd. I want him to be aware of how our tax dollars are being spent," Erik said, dismissing the errant officer.

Once Nadir and Officer Riggatori had left, Erik crossed to stand before Christine. "Jeanne," he said softly as he kneeled down at Christine's feet.

"I'll see to Ben," Jeanne said as she turned Christine over to Erik.

Christine wiped at her tears as she sat unmoving before Erik.

"Are you all right?" Erik asked gently and took her trembling hands in his.

Christine looked up into his concerned filled green eyes and felt herself melt. "I'm so sorry to have caused you so much trouble," she whispered brokenly as she began to shake with her overwhelming fear.

"Shh," Erik said as he took the seat beside her and pulled her gently into his arms. "I'm the one who is sorry."

Christine leaned against him as if she could absorb some of his strength. "I think that Ben and I should find someplace else to stay," she said in a barely there voice that alarmed Erik.

"No, you are staying here," Erik said emphatically as he pulled her tighter into his protective embrace.

"But…" Christine began, only to be silenced by Erik's fingers upon her lips.

Shaking his head, Erik watched as her eyes filled with doubt. "Christine, let me help you. I promise you that you and Ben will be safe here," he said, watching her closely.

Christine felt a strange uneasiness in Erik as he tried to convince her to stay, as though it was of extreme importance to him. "I…I…" Christine began, only to begin crying at her untenable situation.

Erik felt his heart still at the look of fear in Christine's blue eyes. Reaching up, he gently wiped away a tear that was trailing its way down her smooth cheek. "Christine, I will do everything within my power to help you," he said as he leaned over to kiss her cheek reassuringly.

Christine closed her eyes as she savored the protective feeling that Erik wrapped around her. Maybe she could trust the strange man who seemed so intent on helping her and Ben. But could she trust him with her secrets; would he still be willing to help her if he knew her dark truth?