Philippe sat in awe at the new tails Erik told. He tried not to laugh at Erik's description of his brother, the amount of hatred in his eyes just at the mention of his name entertained Philippe. "So, you are really planning on proposing to her?" Erik shrugged and got up from the couch in his den. He walked over to the fireplace and stared into the flames and smiled at how he imagined Christine would react.

"I love her Philippe. I've loved her ever since I laid my eyes on her at the fairgrounds so long ago, and I know I will never stop loving her no matter how hard I try. I attempted it once and I failed horribly, I will not put myself through that torture again. I have stood by for too long watching her be tormented by my faults and I will not stand by and watch it destroy her. She need me Philippe and I need her and I don't care what you or anyone else says I'm doing this." Philippe snickered with a wide smile on his face and stood up as he met Erik's eyes.

He placed his hand on Erik's shoulder "Erik, you are like my brother and as long as you don't ask me to kill my real brother I stand behind you one hundred percent." Erik smiled at him. "So, how exactly are you planning on doing this?" Philippe asked.

Erik stared at the music box on the mantel and pushed a small hidden button on the side then it began to play a simple tune. As the tune went on the monkey started to play the symbols and Erik grew a devious smile that Philippe knew all too well. "I and the Phantom have a few tricks up our sleeves, tricks I don't even believe Christine is ready for."

"What do you need me to do?" Philippe offered. Erik turned to him, his smile had disappeared and the look in his eyes was that of the Phantom not of Erik. Through the stories Erik told Philippe he wasn't surprised by this, but the look of the Phantom would frighten anyone, even Philippe though it would never surface on him. These events and the forced separation from Christine had drove Erik into his old ways. He knew Erik was right when he said he needed Christine, possibly more than even Erik knew. Philippe stood as tall and as strong as he could in the presence of Erik and a renewing Phantom who just said

"Keep the boy out of my way."

I wandered through the back hallways like a lost child. I wasn't sure where to go or even where I was going. It was late but I didn't want to sleep I hadn't slept well in weeks. It seemed every time I closed my eyes something always happened to jerk me awake and my Angel wasn't there to comfort me. As I entered the hallway to my dressing room I heard a voice all too familiar and he was just around the corner looking for me again. Raoul had gotten in the habit of coming at night so there were no real distractions. As I stood there not knowing exactly what to do someone came from behind and gently took my arm opened the door to my dressing room and pulled me in just as Raoul rounded the corner. I turned my head to see Philippe De Chaney. I smiled and laughed at the scare he had just given me. I jumped into his arms and he twirled me around like he did with his own little sister.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you Philippe." I said as he returned me to the ground.

He laughed and said "Oh, you'd be surprised." I looked at him strangely and he looked to the back of the room where the mirror is.

I turned not to find our reflections but Erik standing in its place. My eyes grew as big as his smile "Erik!" I ran up to him and jumped into his arms he caught me then greeted me with a long kiss. When we broke the kiss he returned me to my feet but I never left his arms.

"Hi," He said with a snicker but then with a smile still on his face he went serious "come; we have much to talk about."

He took my hand and began to lead me into the tunnels. I looked back to Philippe and jerked away "Wait." I said.

"No. Go on Christine I think I can handle my brother and the managers." Philippe said with a smile. I nodded and Erik led me down. It wasn't long before we found ourselves half way to the shore of the lake.

"You're awfully quite." I said. He didn't really respond he just looked at me and chuckled. I was fine with that reaction but the quick glance I got at the look in his eyes didn't put me at ease. There was something that just didn't set right about this. We stopped at the shore and he went to untie the boat, I stood there and studied him. He walked different, his head and fingers moved to no music I prayed that the first thought in my head was false. He reached out his hand for mine when we got across the lake. He had now removed his gloves, and when I took his hand it was as cold as ice, that was unusual for him. Erik led me into the den and as I took a seat on the couch I watched his every move. I needed to figure this out the way he hadn't spoken to me yet made me uncomfortable, but what really frightened me was the look in his eyes. When he reentered the room there was no avoiding the fact that it was true. He tried to gather his thoughts as he stood in front of the fireplace. I got up from the couch and just stood there for a moment. "It's back isn't it?" He turned his head toward me and I slowly approached him "The music, it's back, you can hear it again can't you?"

He didn't respond, he was being distant he did hear the music he just didn't want to admit it. "Erik please, talk to me, I can help you." I placed my hand on his shoulder and he turned to me. He was on the point of madness. One wrong word from me or one false move from anyone would send him tumbling over the edge of insanity. I had helped him once before when we were younger, but it would only work if he let me in and allowed me to help. I placed both my hands on his shoulders and he placed his on both sides of my waist. "Erik, please." I whispered to him, he closed his eyes and sighed.

My right hand trailed up his neck and to his mask, but as soon as one warm finger tip met the coldness of his skin he pushed me away from him and I lost my balance. I landed at the foot of the couch and he turned from me in fear that he had injured me. Wither Erik or Phantom neither could stand the sight of me in pain. The top of my arm caught something and crimson flowed down my arm. Erik kept his back to me; he stood there processing the event in his head over and over again. I called to him breathlessly holding back tears I dared not let surface "Erik, please." He snapped his head in my direction and awoke from his daze. Erik hesitated to my side as he saw the blood start to seep through my sleeve.

"Christine, I, I'm so, I'm so sorry." He cried.

He knelt down I shook my head "I'm fine Erik."

"I thought having you back by my side it would leave, but it, it won't. It's louder than ever before, it's almost impossible to ignore and, and-" Erik ripped off his mask with a cry of anger letting the tears flow freely. He let his fists fly into the floor and the mask slide to my side. His face fell to the ground by my feet, I hesitantly placed my hand on his head and shushed him. He slowly pulled his head up and stared at me, his eyes moved from my face to my arm he sighed then collected me in his arms. He laid me in his bed and went across the room then came back with a cloth, he wrapped it around my wound. When he finished Erik stroked hair out of my face he stayed silent wanting to give into the music but I would never let him. He placed his forehead on mine and I began to hum. He then laid back and I kissed his cheek and started to sing an old lullaby my father taught me when I was young.

"Hush my little child close your eyes and hear these words of mine," I laid next to him as he listened to his lullaby. "The road you travel is long and wide it's hard and cold from time to time, it seems at moments there's no one here, but take my hand I'll get you through." I cuddled into his arms he closed his eyes as I sung his music away, I didn't want a Phantom I only wanted my Erik and I was determined to get him back. I continued to sing him to sleep "It's dark and difficult you feel like giving in, but don't you worry don't you fret tomorrows not too far away and that's when the sun will rise." He relaxed his grip on me starting to give in to sleep. When I sang, even something as small as this lullaby, I sang for him, my Erik, my Angel, my love. "You will never be alone again I'll stay right here till morning come, I'll sing this song to you again and let the horrors fade away." I closed my eyes and we both curled up in each other embrace then subsided to the sleep clawing at both our eyes.

I opened my eyes to find myself still in Erik's arms. He was still asleep and looked so peaceful dreaming of the perfect life, a life without judgment, fear, and hiding. A life with a family, the perfect wife and child. A life with no mask that was my dream for him, but in my dream I was that perfect wife. In my dream the little one we lost lived and Erik sung her to sleep every night. I dreamed of a little girl, sometimes a little boy, the one thing that was constant was Erik. In my dream he was the perfect father and in reality he would be. I wanted Erik's happiness I know I want to spend my life with him, with Erik not a Phantom and if anybody could keep the Phantom away it was me.

I knew every side to Erik, and that was a lot to know, I loved every side to him but the Phantom, the Phantom is not a part of Erik. The Phantom is one who is to be feared rather than loved, the Phantom is more monster than man, but above all the Phantom is a madman. Erik and the Phantom had battled since his mother died. The Phantom is a killer Erik is not, the Phantom is cold and cruel to all, Erik is warm and gentle to most. The one thing Erik and Phantom had the same was me. They were both in love with me but the difference is if I stepped over the line one would not hesitate to teach me my place the other would. I was their weakness, I was their soft spot, and I was the one that could control this battle between man and madman. I could easily place the Phantom to sleep and completely awaken Erik if I so pleased and if I wanted I could completely awaken a Phantom and lose my beloved Erik forever. But that is not what I wanted, what I wanted was the same as Erik. A life of no judgment, no fear, and no hiding.

I looked at his mask less face. To me he was beautiful I didn't understand why the world had to judge him so cruelly. Why was I able to walk among men and live life by breathing in the warm air, when my Erik was forced to walk through darkness as a shadow and live his life by breathing in the cold air of this underworld like some sort of living corps? But the difference between the worlds we lived in never mattered to him when I was near. Wither we were sneaking around on the streets with man or exploring new things in the darkness of this underworld we were in a different world when we were together. I knew I couldn't give him much and I wouldn't be surprised if when he awoke he took me right back to my room and then after his 'Don Juan' was preformed leave Paris, this opera, his past, and me behind.

Erik is my world and I couldn't imagine a life without him. I hummed his 'Don Juan' as I settled in the crook of his neck. Erik took a deep breath and then exhaled, he was awake he just didn't want to open his eyes. I giggled and forced my head up enough so my face would meet his. I stopped humming and he opened his eyes "I'm dreaming." He said playfully I smiled and lowered my face till our lips met. Erik wrapped his arms back around my waist and rolled me over on top of him I laughed breaking the kiss only for a brief moment.

He smiled through the kiss the second one was short but I didn't care. "Still think you're dreaming?" I asked.

"I don't know yet still debating." I drew in for another kiss then just before our lips met he rolled me over on my back. We laughed for awhile at how my hair flopped in my face and how hesitant he was not to crush my tiny figure. He elegantly swiped the hair from out of my face and when our eyes met I knew my Erik was back, the way he looked at me was a captivating, irresistible look that only Erik could give and I melted under it every time.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and there we laid almost like a picture from the past. We laid there head over heels in love smiling, laughing, and kissing. When we stopped he rested his forehead on mine and we stared into each other's eyes. "I love you Erik." I whispered. He smiled a smile of pure pleasure my words were music to his ears. He moved and pressed his lips against my ear and whispered

"I love you more than music itself Christine. You are my world, my life, my inspiration, and my love vous êtes mon ange." Erik sat up and moved off the bed. He pulled me up and I sat on the edge of his bed. He stood up looking down on me as I stared into his beautiful face he reached into his pocket and pulled out his ring. "And now," He dropped to one knee, my stomach turned into knots. "With that said," I couldn't move, I couldn't speak and I didn't want to either. Is he really going to do this? "Christine," Mon Dieu, he's really going to ask me! "Will you marry me, and this time I promise we will do this right, so, what do you say?"

Tears of unexpected joy welled up in my eyes and flowed down my face. I managed to answer through my tears and a smile as big as the sun "Yes, y-y-yes a million times yes!" Erik grew a smile ear to ear and we both went to our feet. He slipped the ring on my finger, then he wrapped his arms back around me and I climbed into his arm. He held me against his chest and kissed me long, sweet, and intense. Erik was the only person in the world who could make me feel this way, the knots in my stomach had relaxed, my knees went weak, and my body went almost limp in his arms, if it wasn't for him holding me I would have fallen back onto the bed.

Later on we found ourselves going up through the tunnels. We walked into one of the back hallways where no one would find us. By this time everyone would be waiting for my arrival but I really didn't want to leave Erik. He laughed at how I suitably hinted that I wanted to stay with him. "Go before someone comes looking for you."

"Alright, fine you win." I said somewhat annoyed. A short farewell and a long goodbye kiss. I walked down the hall toward backstage and enticingly twirled around to look back at my amazing masked lover ever so often. As I left that hallway and the arms of my wonderful Erik I entered back into a world I longed to escape. The world of pain, judgment, torture, hiding, and fear that I unfortunately lived in.