A/N: Told ya more would come soon! LOL Again, I own nothing but Phantomess! This chapter includes more help from AJ Sims…he gave Phantomess more boldness than I could ever put in her!

He left without warning, and so she had emerged from her room to see the sofa empty, the Phantom and his violin nowhere in sight. Frantically, she'd searched the passageways until she came to the broken mirror. He was sitting at the lake with his back to her, holding his music box. Slowly, she crept up beside him. "Monsieur?" He did not face her, but he sighed.

"I have got to fix that mirror. Only this time, no latch."

"And then what? Just stay down here to die alone, the rest of the world locked out?"

"You find something wrong with that, little Phantomess?"

"Monsieur, like it or not, we are in this together. You locking me out does not change that. I am staying for as long as I see that I need."

"Stubborn little viper. I told you to go home! You claim to want to be my friend, yet you cannot obey the simplest command." He turned to face her then, his voice a low growl, and, though he'd called her a viper, his were the eyes that resembled that of a cobra about to strike.

"I'm not leaving, so you might as well go ahead and strike. The only reason, Monsieur, that you are shunned in darkness…that you don't get sympathy is because you push it away." She was mad…sad…nearly to the point of tears as she continued. "You say you want friendship. I'm here! You long to be longed for. I'm here!" She angrily splayed her arms out to her sides. "Go ahead! Strike! I give you what you long for…for three years I tried…and you won't accept it…strike." The place that was the prison of his mind was silent.

Except for the music box. They both listened, frozen in their positions. "Masquerade...paper faces on parade…" He lowered his head and wept. "She was perfect…" As Phantomess watched him, she felt her eyes closing for a moment. In relief? In hurt? She was frozen in her spot, catching her breath, but she could not just stand there watching him. The mirror was gone. No more excuses. Slowly, she approached him. He did not look up. Perhaps he did not notice her. That was going to change right now.

Her arms slid around his shoulders as she gently pulled him into the hug she had only been able to dream of giving. He did not push her away. Perhaps he was too weak to. But his shoulders relaxed beneath her ever so gradually. He slowly set down the music box and clung to her, weeping into her black-caped shoulders.

They stayed like that for a long time. Time itself seemed to stretch on for eons. "You know," She said softly after the moment was closing, "She may have been perfect, but there is one crucial thing she didn't have." The Phantom did not glare, but he looked up at her with child-like, tear-riddled eyes.

"And what…is that?" He croaked.

"A willingness to stay."

"It's my fault she didn't…I…I failed her…"

"No…you didn't fail her Monsieur. You…gave her the comfort she needed…you trained her voice…you gave her hope…" As she spoke, she found herself somewhat rubbing, somewhat stroking his shoulders, an action she'd done often when comforting her younger siblings, but never imagined doing here, with him. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to notice or care…if anything, he relaxed even more. "You're not a failure. You were a wonderful teacher…a good friend…and a good listener…"

"I'll miss her…I'll miss her voice…"

"Perhaps she will return once the opera house is repaired…"

"And then what? Am…I supposed to just…remain down here...and…not go to her?"

"Well is that not what you were planning on? Locking me out? The rest of the world? Her?"

"I deserve to be without her, Phantomess…it is not what I want…I…I want to see her again…erase my mistakes…I…I want to do things right."

"Monsieur, I know that you don't want to hear this…but you did the right thing in letting her go…" She subtly braced herself for another slap, but it did not come. Instead, he pulled back just enough to look tearfully into her eyes.

"Then whey doesn't it feel right?" The question was rhetorical, but she found herself answering anyway.

"Because you're hurting…your heart is breaking…she gave you a wonderful gift…the chance to know what love feels like…but it wasn't the kind of love you wanted or deserved. It was friendship love…but you wanted more…you deserve more…" Softly crying a bit herself, she gently brushed at his tears with her thumb, and as her hand made contact with his deformity, his eyes closed, and he leaned slightly into her touch. "But in order to fully experience that deeper love…you need to let her go in your heart."

"I…I can't…" his hand came up to hers and held it to his face, his eyes flooding even more.

"I know you can't…not now…but someday… and I promise, Monsieur, that I won't leave you before that happens. You can't get rid of me that easy." A small smile appeared on her face, and he slowly returned it before sobbing on her shoulder once again.

The next few months were like a dream come true for Phantomess. Without the mirror, she was free to move back and forth between the two lairs, giving him the privacy and space he desired while allowing for the warmth and comfort he needed.

She knew, however, that he didn't fully accept her just yet. They spoke very little to each other except for that which had already been said. Christine, she realized, was on far too high a pedestal in his heart. To throw her off would be cruel. And so, although it wasn't said clearly, he began building stairs up to her from the bottom. With each encouraging statement from Phantomess that he took as truth, a new step came into existence. Eventually, Christine would be able to walk down safely. But until then…well, that was what Phantomess was there for. To be sure, there were times when the steps leveled off or crumbled altogether. Once, there were two that disappeared completely.

It was the drawings. She knew they were a hindrance to his progress—how could he let go of someone when he was completely surrounded by her image daily? Perhaps she'd spoken too soon. Perhaps she should have allowed it to continue for another month or so. But she also knew that that would only hurt him more, making it all the harder to let go. Letting it continue would only make his outburst worse than what it was as she suggested it now, as he threw music stands and candelabras all over the lair, sending Phantomess to the mirror doorway. She watched as he gathered up the drawings, clutching them protectively to his chest. With a glare sharper than she'd ever seen on his face before, he looked right at her, seemingly through to her bones. "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER."

Any other girl…any other human being or even crawling ant would scurry clear to America in response to such a tone. But any other girl was not Phantomess. She saw through the fear-instilling face and saw the fear he had himself. Her heart softened all the more, but that did not diminish the boldness rising up inside her. Slowly, she stepped forward. The only thing that changed in his face was a raised eyebrow, perhaps he also clutched the drawings tighter. She reached forward. He stiffened, about to slap her or scold her. "I won't touch them." She placed her hand on his shoulder, and he looked down at it. "I'm not going touch the drawings, nor am I asking you to destroy such exquisite art. I am merely suggesting that you put them away. Not for forever. Only until you let her go…only when you learn to separate drawing from model. These drawings are not her. As you do not seem to realize that yet, I'll not bring it up anymore. But you needed to hear it, Monsieur."

His gaze moved from her hand to her eyes, and when he saw the truth in them, he relaxed with a sigh. "Very well. You may store these in your lair. I only ask that I keep one." He shuffled through the stack, choosing a charcoal profile of the singer. Phantomess looked at it and nodded.

"Of course, Monsieur. I thank you for trusting me."

"Do not cause me to distrust you, Mademoiselle. I assure you, you will never regain it once it is lost."

"I know." She smiled encouragingly as he handed her the pile, and she left him to ponder her words.

A/N: That's all I have typed for now, but I'll try to get another chapter up tomorrow at the latest! Thanks again for reviewing!