A/N Thank you to all who reviewed. I am so excited about this story, so its nice to hear what you have to say. I hope you enjoy and please review. That is all I ask of you.

Ch. 6

It seemed lunch had brought something to Erik's attention. Something he couldn't help but laugh at himself for. Erik was starting to like Christine. As ridiculous as it sounded, Erik realized it was true.

He understood that he had once loved this girl more than he thought humanly possible; he had at one point in his life killed for her. But as the years passed by, he had thought her to be a happily married Vicomtess and he had slowly fallen out of love with her. He had finally begun to let her go.

Now everything seemed to be turned upside down, everything was suddenly different. She had never married that boy and now, she was working in his opera. His thoughts were so crumpled together that he was beginning to get a headache.

OOOO

"So how was lunch with M. le Opera Ghost?" Meg asked with a smile on her face.

Christine couldn't help but blush. "Wonderful and terrible." Christine admitted.

"What! Was the Phantom mean to you?" Meg asked teasingly.

"Erik was fine, it was me that was the problem!" Christine cried out exasperated

"How do you mean?" Meg asked.

"I told him a little about how I came to be in America. Then, he asked me how I came to be in Lady Charlottes Bordello. I just couldn't tell him Meg, I want to so bad, but I just can't tell him what happened that night. He will see me in such a different light, if he knew my secrets he would never want to see me again." Christine cried. "And I don't if I could handle it."

Meg comfortingly wrapped her arms around her best friend. "It's not your fault what happened and I know for a fact that you would be able to handle anything, you have handled so much already. Erik will know this and he will love you like he always did." Meg tried to reassure her.

"That is just it Meg, he doesn't love me anymore. At least not like he used to." Christine cried. "He even said so himself. He doesn't love me and if he knew the truth, he would never see me in the same light."

"But if Erik doesn't love you anymore, wouldn't that be a good thing. Then you two won't be hung up on the past and that way you can focus on the things going on in your life. Right?"

Christine could find the words to respond.

"Right Christine?" Meg could see the truth that lighted Christine's eyes. "Oh no."

Christine knew that Meg knew the truth; she just had to hear it for her self now.

"I love Erik."

OOOO

"Erik, how many people have you hired exactly?" Nadir asked as he shuffled through some papers.

"More than I would care to imagine." Erik replied as he began to rub his temples. Running an opera had proved to be no easy task.

"What's wrong, you look like something is troubling you." Nadir commented as he put down the stack of papers and took a closer look at Erik.

Erik could see the questioning gaze Nadir was giving him. "What are you looking at you old man?" Erik said trying to avoid Nadir's gaze.

"Out with it Erik, I know something is bugging you underneath that calm exterior." Nadir replied.

"It's nothing." Erik said unconvincingly.

"I bet it has something to do with Christine." Nadir teased.

"No, I have not thought much about Christine." Erik said with an indifferent tone, although he was fairly certain Nadir knew he was lying through his teeth.

"Let me guess, she still won't tell you how she came to be in that bordello." Nadir finally said. He could see the hurt written all over Erik's face. "Erik, she will tell you when she is ready. Maybe you should learn to trust her; you know she just doesn't want to hurt you."

Erik smiled sadly. "I wish I could trust her, but she lost that long ago." Erik said gravely.

"Erik! She was nothing but a child back then. How can you hold something like that against her? She has grown up and like you, she has secrets that she doesn't wish you to know." Nadir said hotly. Erik was defiantly one ridiculous man and since Nadir was Erik's friend, he was forced to put up with such foolishness.

"She knows all my secrets." Erik replied.

"Because you told her them. You trusted her enough to know the Secret of Erik. Give it time and she will come around." Nadir told him.

"You think so." Erik asked.

"I am almost positive." Nadir replied. "Now, lets talk about what we will be doing for promotion." Nadir said as he grabbed his papers once more.

Erik smiled at how Nadir had instantly changed topics, ultimately he was thankful to talk about work again.

"What did you have in mind, Erik?"

Erik thought on what would be good ideas to do when suddenly a tune popped back into his head.

Masquerade, paper faces on parade

"How about a Masquerade?"

OOOO

Three years earlier - New York City

Hush little baby don't say a word,

Mama's going to by you a mockingbird

And if that mockingbird don't sing,

Mama's going to buy you a diamond ring

She smiled at the little bundle in her arms. Singing always put her to sleep and she thanked God for it. In the last two months she had hardly gotten any sleep, but she knew she didn't mind it. This was her baby, the one person she loved above all else. No one would take that away, no one. She would see to it.

"Christine?" Meg's voice called out to her.

Christine looked up as she rocked her baby in her arms. "You can come in Meg." Christine told her.

Meg walked over to the bed and sat down. "Is she asleep?" Meg asked as she looked at the baby.

"Yes Meg, Chloe is asleep." Christine replied back softly.

Meg sat there for a few moments trying very hard not to ask the question she wanted to ask, but it seemed it was no use. She was going to have to ask.

"Does Raoul know? About Chloe I mean." Meg blurted out.

Christine couldn't help but grimace. "No, not yet. Although I am sure he will find out soon enough. I just don't want to think about how he will react. Its still sinking in for me you know." Christine replied.

Meg smiled at her friend. "You are the strongest person I know. After what happened at the opera two years ago, then you leaving Raoul last year, and now you have a baby. It's just so much; I know I wouldn't be able to handle any of it like you have. You are the most incredible woman I know. Truly you are Christine." Meg praised.

Christine couldn't help but blush. Then her mind turned to Erik. "I wonder what he would think." Christine said. "About my leaving Raoul, about my having the baby. I just wonder what he would say and what he would do."

OOOO

The sun was just rising over the city of New York. When Christine looked around, it reminded her of Paris. She sat gazing out over the horizon, thinking about the most confusing time in her life. Even with all her thoughts floating in her head, she couldn't help but think about how it was so peaceful up where she was. The rooftop of the opera was secluded and Christine was thankful for it.

Christine remembered that particular talk with Meg. Even now, she was curious as to how Erik would deal with her being a mother, an unwed one at that. Before the birth of the baby she had been so ashamed of herself. She was no longer engaged and to top it all off, she had discovered she was pregnant a few months before that. It was not the turn out that she had expected.

But after it was all said and done, she figured out that her new life was actually not so terrible. He daughter was the main reason why she had the will to survive. After eighteen years of living, she had figured out the kind of love her father had felt for her. To love a child was like nothing else.

"Three days." She told herself.

Three days until she would see what Erik would think and…

What Erik would do.

OOOO

Isnt that something? I bet yall have some questions, but I can't answer them all. You have to wait to see what Christine's big secrets are. She has many, but now you know one.