After the performance I informed Raoul I had to talk to Erik before I left. He might not have believed me but the incident with Joseph was an accident. Raoul didn't like it but he agreed because he knew that Erik would never hurt me. As I made my way to my dressing room I passed Carlotta's and it was empty. Nothing but a vanity mirror, a sofa, and a few chairs. She was gone and gone for good this time. I turned into my dressing room and locked the door behind me. I made my way past all the flowers and gifts to get to the full-length mirror. I slid it open and shut it quickly behind me then I started to explore. I went down the narrow hallway that led into the rest of the tunnels from my room.

I started to call for him. "Erik! Erik!" I knew he was still close because I was in the performance. Even if he was shaky and in a panic with what he possibly blamed his self for with Bokay. There was no answer so I called out again. "Erik!" I began to worry "Erik Mcgalla you answer me this instant!"

Then as I came upon a small stair case I heard sobbing and Erik softly say "Christine." He was worse than I thought he'd be. I stepped down and he tried to hide himself from me like he once tried when we were children. I knelt down beside him and put my hand on his head as he attempted to bury it in his arm that lay on his knees. I tried to get him to look at me.

"Erik. Erik calm down. Everything's going to be alright." As I petted his hair he jerked his head up.

"Alright?" he began tears streaming down his face and mask. "It all my fault." He said turning away. "And now before you know it they're going to have police in here after me."

"No!" I quickly said. "No Erik I'm not going to let that happen. When we were nine we made a pact, remember. I watch your back, and you watch mine. That's how it's always been Erik, it's always been you and me against the world. That's how it always will be too. I'm not going to let anything happen to you Erik." I placed my hand on his cheek and wiped away the tears still running down his face. Then placed my hand on his mask and softly brushed them off, I was the only one he would let touch his mask. "You're not killer Erik. It's not your fault." After that was said he fell into my lap as a young child would with his mother. As much as it pained me to tell him I had to go, I still had to. I knew Raoul would start to worry, but I hated seeing Erik like this so I couldn't leave just yet.

A few minutes passed and Erik still laid in my lap as I comforted him as a mother or sister would a scared child. I had finally calmed him down he was still a little shaky though, but I don't blame him after something like that I would be too. "Christine, remind me again why you would want anything to do with someone like me? Someone as ugly and as monstrous as me?"

He sat up and looked at me waiting for an answer. I smiled and reminded him again "Because you're not a monster Erik or ugly as matter a fact." I said.

"Then what am I?" He asked.

"Misunderstood. You are Erik Mcgalla and what you do is you make the best out of the darkness that you have been plunged into. The thing about the dark is that darkness is often misunderstood. Just as you and I are. What most people call monstrous we call genius. What most people call ugly we call beautiful. We see things differently from everyone else Erik. That's why you and I have got to stick together through the thick and thin." He looked at me and smiled. I was the only one who knew about Erik and really understood him. That's why Erik is my best friend he and I see eye to eye. I glanced up and told him that I should probably get going.

"Why?" he asked as I stood up.

"I have prior engagements. I'm supposed to go to the Liveria house for the break. I promised Sophia that we would catch up." Which wasn't a complete lie. Even though I was mainly going to spend time with Raoul. That was the main reason Erik didn't want me going to the Liveria house, because he knew Raoul would be there. He stood up and had a worrisome look on his face. I smiled at him and said "Don't worry Erik I'll be back. I promise." I gave him a hug and told him it would give him more time to work on his 'Don Juan Triumphant' he laughed as I told him that I hoped it was done by the time I returned. Of course I knew it probably wouldn't be. I went up the stairs and back to my dressing room tunnel and I glanced back to give Erik one last goodbye but he was nowhere in that tunnel. I quickly went out of the room and down the hall, through the foyer and out the front entrance then down the stairs.

I was greeted with a big hug and kiss from Raoul. Then we got into the carriage and went to the Liveria house.

When we arrived Sophia and Molly stood in front of the house ready to meet us. Molly was Mama Liveria's eldest daughter almost like a big sister to me. We got out of the carriage and Sophia was the first to greet me. She almost knocked me over she hugged me so hard. Molly was surprised to see me, she being my foster sister of course she knew of my best friend Erik but she had never met him. So when I talked to Raoul earlier that night I made sure to leave Molly's name out. We entered the house and Molly took me to my room then shut the door and said "Ok, talk." She knew something was going on and since it was just her and I it would be the only time I could tell her.

"He knows about Erik. Or should I say they know about Erik." I said

"Oh, my God. Are you serious? Christine I don't think that's a good thing." She said scared for Erik as I was earlier that night.

"You honestly think I wanted to tell them? I had to though. Raoul would have gone in after him and tried to kill him if I didn't tell him." I explained

"And what about Sophia?" Molly asked

"Are you kidding me? Sophia's, well Sophia. It would have come out around her eventually, and let's face it she understands more than her brother." Molly was never really a big fan of Raoul. Much like Sophia she just tolerated him. Molly seemed to think there was more to Erik and I than just a friendship. Somehow she was able to see a love connection but that's mainly because we had a past but nowadays who doesn't. I will admit that I have some feelings for Erik but I'm sure he doesn't love me like that.

"How does Erik feel about you being here?" she asked expecting a non-sarcastic answer because when she asks me questions like that, that's the kind of answer she normally gets.

"I don't know." I replied "I don't think he was all for this plan but I wanted to come." Molly was a little confused because I normally spent my vacation days with Meg, Jessica, and Erik so this made no since to her.

Then she got a strange look on her face and said to me "Why do I get the feeling that Erik wasn't all you and Raoul talked about?" I looked at her with a nervous smile. "Oh, no." she said afraid of what I was about to tell her. "Molly. We're engaged."

"You and Raoul? Are engaged to be married?" She asked shocked. I nodded Molly looked like she was either going to be sick or faint.

"Molly are you alright?" I asked. She just stared at me in shock. She didn't know what to say or do at the moment. Then she pulled herself together and asked me how it happened so I told her everything. I started from the notes that everyone received that Meg told me about. Then went on to tell her about Carlotta's disaster of a performance and Joseph Buquet's death. She still didn't really approve of Raoul but for my sake she would give him a chance.

"So when are you two going to tell everyone?" She asked.

"We were thinking at the welcome back masked ball next month. It would be a perfect time. Everyone will be there just getting back from the holidays and Raoul seems to think that it would be a good way to bring in the New Year." Molly nodded and said that she just hoped we knew what we were doing. I giggled and told her that we did. After that she told me goodnight and left the room.

I began to think of everything that had just happened. I still couldn't believe that Joseph Bokay was now dead and that Carlotta was now long gone from the opera house. I tried to take it all in and I smiled as I thought of Raoul's proposal. But then it vanished as I thought of the condition that I left poor Erik in. I missed him and this would really be the longest he and I had ever been apart. It would be hard but I hoped it would be worth it. The real question now was not when I was going to break the news to everyone, but how in the world was I going to tell Erik.