Wellllll it took forever for me to write this because the fourth of July got in my way and I was so busy with my friends and family. I hope everyone who celebrated it enjoyed themselves though with lots of food and firecrackers! I'm so sorry I was vvvveeeerrrrryyyy late posting this chapter and I will try to do better from here on out, but here's my warning: I have regionals and homework and LOTs I have to do so if I'm sorry in advance if I don't update too fast :/ Anyways here ya go :) Hope you like it!

Erik POV

"Erik." Christine said with a wavering voice from the sofa behind me, causing my head to turn slowly in her direction. She looked concerned…probably for her life since she was in the presence of a monster. I couldn't bear to look at her anymore, every single one of her flawless features were dripping with exquisite beauty and it reminded me that I was undeserving to even put my eyes on her when all she saw in return was a grotesque gargoyle.

"I'm so sorry Christine." I told her in hopes that she would forgive the horrific flaws my face held and the lie I had led her to believe. It was evident on her face that she realized I was no angel after seeing what was under the mask.

I then rushed to my room before Christine could say anything else and locked the door so she could not enter. I was convinced that if she walked in after me I would do something that would cause me regret. I went over to the chest by my bed and opened it. I took out the rose ring and clenched it tight into my palm. I had actually pondered thoughts of marriage the other day. It was foolish of me to think that a girl like Christine, whose gorgeous looks transcended all the beauty on earth would love me even slightly.

Then my attention became caught on the mirror attached to the chest's lid so I put the ring in my jacket pocket. Damn my face! Damn whatever deity who created this cruel world and put me on it. I picked up the chest and through it across the room, causing it to hit the wall. The mirror in it shattered even more than it already was, and its glass landed on the floor around the chest. I made my way over to where it now laid, pushing over small tables and knocking candelabras over on my way. I picked up a sharp chunk of glass the size of my hand and looked into it at my disturbing face. Why did I have to carry this burden? What huge sin could I have possibly committed before I was born to get the pleasure of having a monster's face?

I sat down on my bed and rolled up my sleeves. I don't deserve anything but pain. I thought as I dragged the rugged glass across my skin, watching as hot blood trickled down my arm and landed on the covers of my bed. I kept repeating the action until my arm went numb so I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. I sat there a moment with my head hung back and saw Christine's bewitching face in my mind.

I took a deep breath, feeling all the anger release itself from me and then thought more about the ring in my pocket. A demon like myself didn't deserve to own such a fine piece of jewelry but Christine, my angel did. I rolled my sleeves back down then silently walked out into the living room and noticed Christine had fallen asleep, still on the sofa I had thrown her on.

I went and stood over her for a minute and watched her steady breathing. Her face was flushed from crying and her eyelashes were wet. I kneeled down beside her and gently picked up her left hand, careful not to wake her, and kissed it softly. Then I took the ring from my pocket and slipped it on her ring finger and smiled slightly at how it went wonderfully with the color of her pale skin. I admired how delicate and enchanting she looked and felt deep regret for not being more cautious and keeping her curious hands away from my mask. She was too good to see my face and I should not have yelled at her the way I did back in the catacombs. I should have never even gotten involved with her as an angel and just let her be. But I was in too deep now. This angel on my sofa was mine and I would never let her go. I would lock her away and force her to love me and my disgusting face if I had to, and I hated myself because I knew I would.

As I was admiring Christine, I heard a splash in the lake and the faint noise of feet walking in water coming from outside my house. For a moment I thought it was just my imagination playing tricks on me since none of my traps had been pulled, but as the footsteps got louder and closer, I realized it was real. Someone had managed to actually bypass all my traps!

I quickly stood up and scanned my eyes across the room in search of my mask and wig but remembered they were probably still lying in the passageways that led down to my house. I had no choice but to go meet my intruder without them and so I gave one last glance at Christine's sleeping form before I rushed out the door.

I stuck to the shadows and watched as a man trudged through the lake towards my home. I saw how my boat was a couple of yards from shore and water was heard sloshing on the inside of it like it had been tipped over. The fool.

As he got a little closer I realized exactly who this man was…no man at all but the boyish fop, Raoul. He had probably come in an attempt to save Christine from a monster. I felt my heart become submerged in pain as I remembered Christine sitting close to the boy while she told him about the angel of music had been teaching her.

As he approached the front door with a look of determination of his face, I reached for my Punjab lasso and held it firm in my hand waiting for just the right moment. Raoul stopped at the door and drew out a sword from his belt and lifted his foot as if he was going to kick down the door. I would like to have seen him try, he was rich and had quit clearly seen no type of action in all his life except for that in books. His little strength would surly fail him.

But before he could try, I swiftly came up behind him and wrapped my Punjab lasso tightly around his neck causing him to drop his weapon and move his hands up towards the merciless rope around his neck trying to get it off, but I only pulled it tighter causing him to choke and make a grunting noise.

"Where…is Christine?" He managed to get out slowly in between struggled gasps for air. I concluded I assumed correctly when I thought he was after Christine. He actually thought he had a right to her when she was mine which, come to think of it, made me glad I didn't have my mask and wig; I wanted the boy to see who had brought his untimely end so I spun him around and pinned him against the wall in front of me, never taking the rope from his throat. I leaned in towards his face making sure he had a good view of Christine's Angel of Music.

"You don't need to worry about it. The Angel of Music has her safely under his wing." I said in a mocking tone. I barley loosened the grip I had on his neck allowing him more air so he could talk. I wanted to hear his words fuelled by jealousy and confirm that I had won.

"Let her go!" He shot with what I could tell was false bravery. I didn't much care for what he said so I returned my vice like grip and let the lasso dig into his skin until his eyes started to roll back in his head. I could feel the life escaping him through his last rugged breaths and it filled my senses, with a stimulating feeling of only a drug could bring. Yes…I did enjoy the feeling of my enemy becoming limp in my hands.

"Chr…Chris-" He tried to speak and it amused me that he was losing his ability to even form one word now. But then it hit me; he was trying to say Christine. My thoughts raced back to the angel lying on my sofa right now as I was committing this murder. What would she do if she found out I killed her childhood friend? My muscles went weak at the thought and I felt my grip loosen once again. If she already loathed me for my lie and my face, she would for sure want no part of me after this. She would never feel any ounce of love for me even if I did lock her up and force her to. She would only hate me.

I felt my hands release the Vicomte, causing him to stumble to the floor, landing on his bottom and he crawled away from me in a crab like motion. Fear was visible in his eyes and as he tried to stand he put one hand to his throat and one in front of him pleading for mercy.

"Leave, Now!" I shouted. "Don't come back! If I ever so much as see you look at Christine I will murder you on the spot!" I warned as I watched him, now running back through the water to reach the boat that had now drifted further out into the lake. I watched him struggle in the water to get to it only for a second, then walked off to retrieve my mask and wig. After putting them back in place, I went back in my house and slammed the door shut, forgetting that Christine was asleep. I stopped right in the entrance way and looked down at her to make sure was not wakened. I felt relief when I saw that she had not even moved since I left.

I took a deep breath and looked at the palms of my hands. They itched to finish the job of killing Raoul but I knew it was best to just leave him. If he was smart, he would keep his mouth shut and his hands off of my Christine. I needed a drink. It would help put out the blood thirsty fire coursing through my veins and help me decide my next move would be. I needed to think of a plan. With that, I walked off to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of whiskey to calm my nerves.

Christine POV

I had slept very deeply on the sofa in Erik's home. A kind of sleep that did not leave me feeling refreshed but perhaps more tired than before I had fallen asleep. I slowly rose to my feet trying to recall what happened the night before. I noticed I was still in the skimpy ballet outfit form rehearsals yesterday and wondered how long I had slept. I put my hand up to my mouth to accompany a gasp of shock that hit me like a rock. The memories of yesterday came flooding back to me and it caused my head to spin. My Angel…was no angel at all but a man! I automatically felt very exposed in my outfit that barley covered my legs.

I was stuck in a house under the Opera Populaire with some man who had pretended to be an angel and had no clue as to how to escape to the top! I began to tremble with fear of what would happen to me. I hugged my arms around my body in a sad attempt to comfort myself, but noticed a cold texture on my right arm where my hand was touching. I looked down and saw the rose ring I had admired the other day. Had Erik given it to me? I didn't remember…

The thought had me slowly making my way through the house to look for the masked man. What had happened to him? The house was silent and the last thing I could recall of him was that there were loud crashing sounds coming from Erik's room as I had cried myself to sleep.

I was careful to keep my footsteps silent as I crept through the house trying to stay hidden. I now felt a sense of fear of Erik, I felt like he was a stranger now. The Angel I believed him to be was just simply made up, and I was foolish enough to believe in it. I looked back down at the ring, it seemed to be the only thing left of my Angel of music and I couldn't help but remember the dance we shared and the stories we exchanged while eating cookies I had made us.

I then peered around the corner and looked into the dining room. I saw Erik asleep in in his usual spot at the dinner table. His legs were crossed at his ankles and laid out straight in front of him, while his arms were folded on his chest. He now had his mask and wig back on, and I was a little disappointed. His face was…different, but I wanted another chance to observe it without all the stress of yelling and being drug down cold tunnels. This man now felt like a stranger to me and I wanted to meet him again, it seemed like the first time I met him was when I took his mask and It didn't set well for me to start with all the hard feelings that its removal brought.

I was still reluctant though to even be around him. I was a little apprehensive due to his ruse; what else was he hiding from me? What was he planning to do in that mind of his that now seemed even more like a dark mystery to me than ever before?

I languidly walked over to his sleeping figure, every movement I made, I was careful to keep it silent. The last thing I wanted to do was wake him. I was sure that would only cause him anger and I didn't want to face his temper, which seemed to be the only part of him I truly knew.

As I got closer I noticed that on the table was a rose and a bottle of whiskey that was almost empty. I picked up the rose and stared down into its deep red petals. It truly was a mirror image of Erik. I picked off some of the petals and watched them fall to the floor by Erik's feet. I had just uncovered one of Erik's many folds, revealing more of his petals and thought of the many new surfaces of him I needed to relearn. I realized that there were so many things about him to learn, I just needed to start picking at him, one petal at a time.

"Yes Christine?" I heard Erik's voice causing me to jump and look up from the rose towards him.

"I-um…" I didn't know what to say. I felt a slight bit of trepidation in my throat, along with confusion that caused words to get stuck at the back of my tongue, refusing to escape my mouth. I had many questions I wanted to ask him, in order to get to know the man, like about his face, his childhood, his family, and how he got to the opera house. But I also had questions about the ring on my finger, and what he planned on doing with me now that I have seen his face. I could only imagine what ideas he had in his mind since he probably hated me.

"Are you hungry?" He asked as he stood up and slowly moved in the direction of the kitchen, never taking his eyes off of me, waiting for my answer.

"No, not really." I said slowly. I still felt a little shook up after yesterday and didn't feel like eating yet.

"Well is there anything you need?" He questioned again as he stopped and looked at me, rubbing his eyes and face as if he was still a little sleepy. Why was he acting normal? I expected him to still be yelling at me for discarding his mask and talking to Raoul.

"No…I'm fine." I said skeptically. He went to turn and walk down the hallway towards his bedroom I assumed but then he stopped suddenly and spoke up again.

"By the way Christine, You sang great for the managers yesterday. I'm very proud of you." He walked towards me as he talked and stopped right in front of me.

"You were the true angel yesterday, and I'm sorry for everything last night. My words cannot express the guilt I feel for what I did to you." He lifted his hand up toward my upper arm but stopped before he could touch it. He just left his hand in midair, a mere inch away from my arm's skin. I looked at his eyes which were staring down at my arm in a melancholy way. I didn't understand and looked to the area of my skin he was looking at and gasped when I saw a bruise the size of his fingers.

"Oh, Christine. I didn't know. I will never hurt you again." He said as he switched his gaze to my eyes. I looked down instead of returning it though. I couldn't take the sadness that was radiating out of his eyes.

"Its ok, I'm fine." I said hardly a whisper as I put my hand over the bruise. I looked at my other arm and saw more bruises identical to the other. I needed to leave the room. I didn't want to look at the bruises anymore and be reminded of the temper Erik held so found an excuse to leave and put it out of my mind.

"I have rehearsals. I need to get dressed in some real clothes so I can go to the top. Today is the day I get fitted for costumes." I rushed through the rooms as I tore myself away from Erik's uncomfortable eyes, and went to my room to collect my thoughts.

After putting a dress on that covered my arms, I left my room to find Erik so he could take me to the top. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of going back in his tunnels with him but I had to get to rehearsals. I found him waiting by the front door and he extended his arm when he saw me and I cautiously grabbed it, waiting for him to bruise me once again.

"You will go straight to rehearsals, then come directly to the chapel for me to take you back down. I will not permit you to stop and talk to anyone. Am I understood?" He said sternly and it puzzled me.

"I thought we had lessons at six, not immediately after rehearsals. I have stuff I need to do with Meg." I protested. I didn't want to spend more time with this strange man than I had to. I had even planned on sleeping with the other dancers again if I was allowed to even though I was now a singer. I wasn't sure if I was ready to uncover Erik's petals yet. I just wanted a break from his presence so I could work through everything in my mind. It was hard to think with him even in the same house as me.

"After yesterday, I decided it would be best to keep you out of the reach of Raoul. You're young and have so much to learn. I can't have people like him taking advantage of you. You're coming straight back to me after rehearsals every day from now on, and if you don't I will have to go up and get you myself." He ordered. I opened my mouth to speak against his words but was stopped when he lifted his hand to silence me.

"You will not argue with me. Now come." He walked out the door and I had no choice but to follow, unable to pull my arm from his. I wanted away from this man even though I knew deep down inside of me I still wanted to cling to him as the angel he was, but my instincts went against it. Maybe I would take up Raoul on his offer to stay at his house, to put a safe distance between me and Erik.

Well I promise Christine will come to love Erik again so just please stay with me! She's just a little confused right now since her beloved angel just turned into a man with a disfigured face….pretty shocking if you ask me. I hope you could understand her feelings that I tried to write. I was hoping she gave you a vibe that she was curiouse about this guy but was also a little apprehensive. I guess she's just a little confused.

By the way, soon I might take a break to write and get ahead of you in the chapters so I can update earlier, possibly every day :)

Chapters from now on will become a little more eventful with the plot picking up, so just hang in there :) I have BIG plans…er…uh..Erik has big plans :)

Review please :)