Christine woke up the next morning, sunlight filtering through the window and a smile on her pretty face.
Meg, who was getting dressed was surprised to see Christine smiled. She was a little girl too, but she was old enough to realize that Christine had not smiled in a long time. "Christine, you're smiling! What had happened?" she asked softly.
Of course the same figure was secretly peering into her room, but Christine didn't realize it. He felt his fondness for the small child grow even more as he saw her glowing, beautiful smile grow across her face.
"My Angel, Meg! He came to me last night, I know it! It's what Daddy had promised me", she said, quickly getting out of bed and getting dressed.
Once again, he felt tears fall down his face. How had he given this child so much happiness? Nothing like that had ever happened to him before; he had only caused people to feel uncomfortable, frightened, and disgusted whenever he was around them.
"Really Christine? That's wonderful", Meg believed her. Her eyes were soon also glowing with happiness, happy that her friend was pretty much back to normal and amazed that an angel had really visited her.
Madame Giry entered the room, also surprised to see Christine smiling once more.
"Mother, Christine was visited by her Angel last night! I was asleep when it happened, but she told me", Meg said excitedly to her mother, hugging her.
"That's wonderful Christine", Madame Giry said. She knew that it was probably just a dream, but she was happy to see Christine like this again.
"Meg, today I would like you to show Christine around the opera house. Not all of it, just the places she will need to know. I think you know you're way around well enough. Finish getting dressed, girls. And then meet me for breakfast", Madame Giry said, and then left.
She stepped outside. "If they get lost, I expect you to tell me somehow. Please", Madame Giry said to the wall of nothingness.
She knew that he was there, and that he would do what she asked. That was what he had promised her when she first brought him here, and he hadn't dropped that promise once.
He went off with a swish of his cape in consent, getting back to his morning business about the opera house.
The rest of the day, Meg showed Christine around the opera house. They luckily did not get lost, but the figure still watched over them, making sure of their safety. He just couldn't seem to keep away from the new little girl, Christine.
Once again, it was nighttime, and Christine was, once again, having a hard time getting to sleep.
The figure sighed and quietly came to her without being seen. Was this going to become a nightly thing?
"Christine, close your eyes. It's your Angel", he said gently putting is hand on her shoulder.
"My eyes are closed now. Are we going somewhere?" she asked him.
He helped her get out of bed and took her hand. Her hand was so warm, soft, and small in his leather gloved hand.
"Yes, Christine. We're just going for a walk", he said. He meant it, but he just wanted to become closer to this little girl.
"Alright. But Angel, I can't see. How am I supposed to walk? Why can't I look at you?" she asked innocently, still holding tightly to his own hand and her eyes still closed.
He sighed, realizing his mistake. He certainly didn't want her to see him yet, but he knew that she would have to someday, anyway.
"Alright Christine, but before you do I need to tell you something. I have a mask on half of my face. Don't worry about it, but don't forget that I am still your Angel. You may open your eyes now", he said, waiting for a gasp of horror, a scream, anything.
But he heard nothing. He looked closer to make sure her eyes were actually open. To his surprise they were.
"I like it. You're pretty, Angel", she said, moving closer to him and firmly holding his hand. He was surprised, but promised himself that he would show no emotion.
He led her deep into the opera house, and almost to the catacombs, when he stopped. No, he wouldn't show her this yet. Not now.
"We're going to go back now, Christine. Is that alright?" he asked her.
"Yes. I'm sleepy", she yawned. He took her in his arms, once again carrying her to her room. He stopped at a bench somewhere along the way and sang her a lullaby. He had wanted to sing her to sleep, but knew he couldn't because Meg would be sleeping there.
"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination", he began. When he finished, he thought Christine was asleep, as her eyes were closed and she hadn't stirred.
But when he sang the last word, her eyes fluttered open. "That was pretty Angel. You're a good singer. Maybe you could teach me one day", Christine said.
He carried her to her room and laid her in her bed, ending once again with a kiss on his cheek from Christine. And once again, he felt like he was actually needed.
That night she had the strangest dream. She was at the opera house, and she could see ballerinas twirling. There was one ballerina, and she couldn't see her face. It was all blurry. Then this man came, he sounded nice, but she couldn't see his face either. Then this woman started to sing terribly, and the stage fell on her, and there was so much commotion. Two of the ballerinas' faces were blurred out, and she recognized no one, but then a familiar voice spoke, but so distant... and she woke up.
That night he had the strangest dream. He was holding a rope, and his mask was off. To his astonishment there were two other people in the room, but he couldn't quite make out their faces. He thought it was a woman and another man, he put the noose around the man's neck. The woman wore a wedding dress, he just didn't understand why. She advanced on him, and he got frightened, she was so close (how could she bare it if he didn't have his mask on?) and then he woke up, pondering the strange dream.
He rarely dreamed, except for nightmares, which usually reflected his horrible past. But this dream was like... a story.