Chapter 1: change

"Raoul…" Christine looked up from their dance, seeing Raoul… her childhood sweethearth… sitting before her on one knee. Her hearth leaped in her chest.. At one hand she wanted to say "Yes! Yes I wanne become your wife and the next Viscombtes the chagney" but then… Viscombtes weren't supposed to have a job at the Opera… they were supossed to stay home, look after the kids and be pretty… which meant leaving the opera behind… as well as Meg… Madam Giry and… her angel of music… the mysterious phantom of the opera… "I… I can't…"

"wh… what? Why?" Raoul asked, getting up with a destrought look on his face.

"it's not because of you Raoul… it's just…" Christine hesitated, looking around with wide eyes to make sure no one else was listening in on them. Not seeing the Phantom of the opera was listening in on them from out of the shadows of one of grand statue's on the roof. Looking just as shocked at Christine's rejection of Raoul as the viscombte himself looked. He had been almost convinced she was chose that fob over him after his little "outburst" the other night. "I can't be what you you want me to be… music is my life…"

"Christine…" Raoul looked up at his childhood friend and sweethearth with a sad look. "this is not only about that… isn't it…" Raoul wrapped his arms around himself, looking at the shadows. "there's another…"

"well…" Christine hesitated…. Yes she fell something for the Phantom of the Opera… but she had no idea what anymore after his outburst the other night. "I…. I am still figuring out my feelings for him… he… he has been my teacher and friend for so long…" Christine followed Raouls gaze to the shadows. "yet I barely know him… and… and after the other nights fight… I…. I am not sure…"

"what happened?" Raoul asked, taking Christine's hands in his own.

"I…. I took of his mask… and… and he got so mad… so incredibly mad... it frightent me more then a little bit" Christine teared up at the memory. "I…. I never saw him so angry before… in all my years as his student"

"well… did you ask him to remove his mask first?" Raoul asked, which made the Phantom looked up rather suprised. Was the fob going to defend him and his actions now?

"w….wel…." Christine stuttered blushing before she finally looked down. "No…"

"well, I might not understand your feelings for the phantom… but… my dear little lottie…" Raoul gently took both off Christine's hands in one hand while he cupped her head up with the other, forcing the brunette to look him in the eye. "I do know you shouldn't have removed his mask without his permission… whatever he is hiding underneath he is clearly very sensitive about…"

"I know…" Christine bowed her head as if Madam Giry had just reprimanded her for doing a ballet form wrong. "I… I don't know what came over me in the moment… he was sitting there by his organ… looking so mysterious yes attractive… I… I just couldn't hold back my curiousity…"

"wel, if you wanne find out what your feelings for him are… I suggest you start with a appology my little lottie…" Raoul smiled as he gently gave his friend a playfull boop on the nose like he had done so many times before when they had been little childeren. "once you do I am certain you will be able to figure out who you wanne spend the rest of your days with"

With these words Raoul got up and headed to the door, making the Phantom hid in the shadow a little more to avoid the Combté would see him. Raoul stopped when he was by the door however, looking at Christine still standing by the statue at the edge of the roof with a sad smile.

"whatever you decide Christine… Know that we will always remain friends… and I will always be there for you when you need me…" was the last thing the combté said before he opened the door and left the roof. Leaving Christine alone with her thoughts… or was she alone…?

Behind the statue the Phantom had heard everything the combté and Christine had said and he was clearly suprised… not only had the fob defended his actions of the previous night… he had also allowed Christine the freedom to sort out her feelings which was perfect! This meant that there was still time! Time to win Christine for himself!

Say you share with me

One love one lifetime…

Hold me, save me

From my solituuuuttteeee!

The phantom sang very quitely from a statue close to Christine, which made the brown headed girl look up with a shocked look, her eyes widening when she watched the Phantom melted out off a shadow close to her.

"h… how match did you hear?" Christine asked, backing away a little from her maistro, still a little afraid of his temper after the events of the other night,

"everything I am afraid… I was hiding here until it is safe to return back to my underground lair" The Phantom walked a little closer to Christine. His gaze on the streets below as he spoke. "and to do some thinking…."

"A….About…" Christine dared to ask after a moment of hesitation.

"well… that…. That I might have overreacted a little… the other day…" The Phantom remarked, looking up at Christine with a soft look.

"A LITTLE!" Christine stated, getting up from were she had sat down to face the older man at her full height. "I thought you were going to KILL me!"

"that's were you are mistaken" there was a flash of sadness and… kindness mixed together in his eyes as he looked at Christine. "I would never have intentionally hurt you!"

"not like monsieur Bouquet?" Christine asked with her arms in her side.

"No, monsieur Bouquet was a drunk with a far to big mouth" The Phantom replied crossing his arms. "I had to do that before he would have found out I am just a mortal man and alerted those moron managers to that fact…"

"You KILLED a man!" Christine's eyes widened as she took a step away from the phantom. "you MURDERED someone and you don't even regret it!"

"The only thing i regret is that you had to see that…" The phantom looked down fumbling with his gloves a little as he said this. Not really knowing what to say next. Small talk had never been his strong point.

"w… was this your first ever kill?" Christine asked after taking that in for a moment, gulping nervously.

"no…" came the curt answer.

"oo" Christine replied, looking down, also lost for words now. She was suddenly very aware that she was alone on the roof with a known dangerous murderer

"Christine I…" The phantom hesitated, not sure what he wanted to tell her next.

"is…. Phantom of the Opera… only your title…" Christine suddenly flapped out, looking up at the man next to her nervously when she did so. "or is that also your name?"

"nosy still are we…" The phantom remarked, looking at Christine, his face softening when he saw the fear in her eyes. "no… Phantom of the Opera is merely my title" The phantom answered her question, hesitating before he went on. At one hand he wanted to tell Christine that his actual name was none of her concern… but at the other hand… it could help him to win Christine for him… "my birthname was… Erik…"

"Erik…." Christine repeated… it sounded so strange yet… it was thrilling for her to finally know her teachers real name. "that doesn't sounds French"

"that's because i don't quite remember were I was born… but it was most defaintly not france" The phantom replied, sitting down on the edge off the roof and letting his feet dangle over the edge as he spoke. Hoping this way he would come off as less intimidating.

"H…How c…come… y…you don't quite…. Remember?" the phantom looked up at this question. A flash of anger burned behind his eyes, but it was gone in a flash and got replaced by a deep sadness.

"because I was sold to a freakshow at a very young age…" The phantom looked down at the streets below as he spoke. Tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "by my own mother of all people…"

"that's horrible…." Christine clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. "why would she do such a horrible thing…"

"because of…" The Phantom started, but stopped when he heard a a sound coming from behind them. Swiftly the Phantom of the Opera managed to get up swift as a cat and managed to slip into the shadows just in time to prevent the managers would have seen him.

"Miss Daaié! Miss Daaié! There you are! Misters Firman and Andre called as the two managers ran over to Christine and gently took her by the arm. "we have looked everywhere for you! Your crowd awaits you…"

"can you give me a few more seconds monsieurs? I will be right down" Christine told the two man before her with a small smile on her face. "I would like to finish my prayer to the angel of music for succes tonight"

At this command the two managers shared a look. Monsieus Andre shrugged at Monsier Firman after which the two man left the roof. Leaving Christine alone with the phantom again.

"well okay then Mamoisellé, but please do hurry up" Monsieur Andre remarked as the two man arrived at the door. "your crowd will not wait for ever"

When the two man had left the Phantom of the Opra re-appeared from his hiding spot, glancing suspiciously at the door as he did so. Christine nodded inconspicuously as she walked to the closest statue and got on her knees, acting as if she was actually praying.

"their watching us…" the Phantom remarked. This wasn't a question but a statement… both of them knew the managers were still standing at the door and watching them, clearly having a feeling Christine might be in leage with the Phantom of the Opera.

"I know…" christine whispered back with her head still in her hands to avoid the managers would see she was clearly talking to someone. "Raoul might have accidently let slip that i was here with someone…"

"whatever the case, you need to go up stage now..." The Phantom smiled affectionatly at Christine as he spoke. " your public is waiting for you"

"meet me at the mirror after the performance ends" Christine whispered in her fists, before she looked up like she just finished her prayer. "amen..."

After this Christine rose to her feet and walked off to the door. She could hear Monsieurs André and Firman quickly head down the stairs, to avoid Christine would know they were eavesdropping.

"Erik..." Christine looked up at were she knew the Phantom of the Opera was hiding somewhere. speaking up now she knew the managers weren't listening in on their conversation anymore.

"Yes" The Phantom of the Opera came out of the shadows a little to show he was listening.

"I just wanted to say..." Christine fumbled with the folds of her dress a little before she spoke up. " Thank you... I... I never really said... Thank you... for everything you have done for me... for being my angel of music and friend for all this time... I really appriciate it..."

"your welcome Christine..." The Opera Ghost smiled, watching as Christine decended down the stairs to meet her adoring public. "your very, very welcome... my angel of music..."

after this and with a silent swoosh of his Cape The Phantom Of the Opera moved himself back into the shadows... after which he was suddenly gone and the roof was empty once again...

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and with that out of the way I end the first Chapter of my brand new story! I hope you all enjoyed it!

A/N

Just to clarify; Christine and Raoul agreed to stay just friends. and Christine vowed to herself to appologize for her Pulling off the Phantom's mask after "stranger then you dreamed it" and to figure out her feelings for the Phantom of the Opera.

Christine didn't appologized yet (because the mangers were eavesdropping) but keep in mind she has the intention to appologize soon!

The phantom overhearing what Raoul had told Christine about appologizing for janking the mans mask off without a warning HAS warmed him up to the Viscombté a little bit. this made his temprament didn't flare during this chapter. but don't worry we haven't seen the last of tempremental, easily angered Erik!

so that was all for now folks! I hope you enjoyed the chapter enough to

REVIEW!