Chapter 7

Serena looked into Meg's accusing eyes for the longest time. She knew that she had to make Meg understand her actions here and now. There would be no second chance. Their friendship and Erik's life and freedom were at stake.

"I'm going to start from the beginning and I prey that you'll listen without prejudices. I hope you'll understand."

It was now or never.

"I met Erik – the man you would refer to as the Phantom of the Opera – my first day here at the Opera. I was standing here on the stage, dreaming of singing in front of a full house. Then suddenly I saw someone in the shadows. I couldn't see him properly so I assumed it was a stagehand. He asked me to sing for him when he learned I was a chorus girl and I complied. After I'd finished, he complimented my voice, asked for my name and was gone. He intrigued me. His voice was so beautiful and oddly musical. When I returned to my room that night, I found a red rose with a black silk ribbon tied around the stem waiting for me and I knew it was from him by the note that came with it."

Meg remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"A few weeks later, you told me about the Phantom of the Opera. Do you remember asking me what I was looking at afterwards? I had caught a glimpse of that man again up on the catwalks and went up to see if it truly was him. After hearing your story, I began to suspect that this mysterious man might actually be the Phantom, but I kept my suspicions to myself. Up on the catwalk, he asked me to sing for him again but I knew that if I did, someone down on the stage might hear. So I promised to meet him up on the roof that night and sing for him, if he told me his name. After some hesitation, he said that I could call him Erik and I left. True to my word, I went up to the roof that night. Maybe you think me stupid but even after spending so little time with him, I trusted him. I figured; if he truly was the Phantom, he must have had a reason for showing himself to me. I mean, everyone thought he was dead and if they knew he wasn't, they would capture him and probably hang him. So why had he taken the risk of letting me see him? I wanted to know the answer. So there I was, standing on the roof singing for him. This time when I finished, he let me see him. He knew I knew who he was and wondered if I wasn't scared. I told him that if he had threatened me or tried to kill me the times I had met him, I would have been frightened. But he had done nothing of the sort. I also told him that I wanted to be his friend."

"Are you out of your mind?" Meg interrupted.

"Shh! I'm not finished. Though, he actually asked me the same thing. He asked me what we would be doing as friends and I told him that I could sing for him if he wanted me to or perhaps he could play something for me, since you told me he was a genius on both organ and violin."

"That's what Christine used to say."

"Anyway, after that, when I was about to leave, I said that I couldn't see why everyone was so afraid of him. He replied that he could be dangerous but that he suppressed that side only for me. I said to him that he shouldn't. That if he kept everyone away, they would never get a chance to be his friend and love him. And he closed his eyes and said: 'No one could ever love me, Serena'."

Meg was confused. She didn't know what to think. The Phantom was supposed to be evil but nothing about the way he had acted towards Serena spoke of evil.

"And then it was that time when I offered to sing Carlotta's song 'Remember'. I was so nervous about singing in front of you all but then I spotted Erik up on the catwalks and I was instantly calmed. I felt like I could do anything as long as he was watching. Last night, before the show and before you came by to pick me up, he spoke to me in my room. He calmed me when I was nervous and said that he believed in me. After the show, Erik spoke to me in my room again and said my voice had been perfect. I begged for him to let me see him and for him to take me with him. I knew the last person he had taken with him down to his lair must have been Christine and I wanted him to move on. He appeared behind the mirror and tried to talk me out of it, as if I didn't know enough about him for asking him that. He said that no one would willingly surrender their safety into the hands of the Phantom, but I only replied that I trusted him without doubt and would willingly put my safety into his hands any day of the week. So he took me with him."

"And what happened down there? I came by to check on you later and found the passageway behind the mirror where a few red rose petals lay on the ground. That's how I knew he was alive."

"He showed me his lair and in order to let him know he could truly rely on me that I wasn't going to leave him like Christine had done, I said the thing most unlike Christine I could think of. I said that I would like to play a game of chess. For many hours we played and then he showed me a bed where I could sleep. I awoke later and found him sitting at the organ but he wasn't playing. I asked him why and he said that he couldn't anymore, that his music had abandoned him. I wondered if it was because of Christine. He became so angry when I mentioned her name. That was the first time he had frightened me. I told him he scared me and he looked horrified. He begged me to forgive him and asked right out into the air if he would never be able to control that horrid feeling of anger. He began to cry and I comforted him. I think that was when I began to understand that I had fallen in love with him."

Meg gave a startled gasp. Surely she must have heard wrong? It wasn't possible that Serena meant what she had said. This was the Phantom they were talking about after all. Even if he was nothing like Meg had pictured.

"When his tears had subsided, we sat in front of the fireplace and he told me a lot of things. How he felt after Christine left; how he would dream that she had returned and would run out into the living room when he woke up, expecting to find her there. But all he found was an empty chair. He also said that one day he decided that it was enough. He had to start living again and he began to sneak around the Opera, just like old times. It was then that he met me. And he told me how he felt for me."

A loving smile graced Serena's lips and Meg stared in wonder. Serena truly meant what she had said. The dreamy look upon Serena's face told Meg everything she needed to know.

"I said that I felt the same. I told him what I thought when I first met him, how I trusted him and knew he would never hurt me, how much I missed him when we weren't together. I said to him that I was scared to death, that I had never been in love but that I knew I would spend the rest of my life regretting it if I didn't take a chance on this. He said to me that he trusted me and to prove it, he removed his mask. After what you had told me, I was expecting to see a monster. But I saw no monster. I saw only Erik. So I kissed him."

Serena's smile disappeared and she bowed her head for a moment. Then she turned to look at Meg, her eyes blank with tears.

"That was what happened. That's how it is. I'm in love with the Phantom of the Opera. I hope you can forgive me for lying to you, Meg and I hope with all my heart that we can remain friends. I didn't want to lie but I was afraid you would call for the Police and I had to protect Erik."

A few minutes ago, Meg didn't want to understand. Now she realized something. The Phantom she had known three years ago was truly dead, but this Erik Serena described had survived. Perhaps it was the person the Phantom had always been underneath; the one nobody had seen before. But Serena had and it had changed her. Not in a bad way, but for the better. Love was something no one should pass up when given the chance.

Meg felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips and hugged Serena close.

"I forgive you, Serena. I understand why you acted the way you did. The picture of Erik you have described for me sounds nothing like the Phantom I thought I knew. I would be honored if I got an opportunity to get to know your Erik a little better."

Serena laughed and returned the hug.

"Oh, Meg, I'm sure we'll have plenty of time for that! I'm so happy you understand!"

The two girls laughed happily together, both of them failing to notice the person eavesdropping behind one of the curtains. Pierre Morel had come to the Opera Populaire hoping to find Serena and perhaps spy on her for a while until that mysterious lover of hers showed up. But the information he had been given was nothing less than disturbing.

This woman Albert was so transfixed by had an affair with the Phantom of the Opera! Pierre had heard the stories about the ghost down in the catacombs just like everyone else. Everyone knew his name after that chandelier incident three years ago. And this girl knew who he was and what he had done and still loved him? She would pass up a life in wealth and comfort for a drafty, chilly home in the catacombs of the Opera living with a murderer?

Pierre had a feeling Albert would not be happy about this.

The following morning, a carriage pulled up in front of the Opera carrying only one person. It was a young man in his late twenties, his clothes simple but of fine quality. His dark brown hair shifted slightly in the wind and his brown eyes traveled from the foot of the building all the way up towards the roof. A glimpse of interest and admiration showed in the dark depths of his eyes for a moment before he put his hat on, paid the driver and walked up the stairs to the double doors of the Opera House.

The distant sound of singing reached his ears as soon as he stepped inside and a recognizing smile graced his lips. A servant was already on his way towards the handsome stranger.

"I beg your pardon, Monsieur, but the Opera is not open for the public until later tonight. Perhaps you could come back then?"

The young man only smiled in reply, shaking his head.

"I thank you, but I have come to see someone."

The servant made a face; as if was ashamed he had to do this.

"I'm very sorry, Monsieur, but we can not allow people to walk into the Opera anyhow they please. It's for the safety of the staff, you see."

The calming smile on the man's lips remained.

"I'm sorry; I should have been more specific. I have come to see my sister, Serena Cartier. My name is Nathaniel Cartier. Could you please tell her I am here to see her and then I can wait here in the meantime?"

"Most certainly, Monsieur."

The servant hurried away and Nathaniel, preferably called Nate, sat down upon a couch to the right of the doors, studying the painted ceiling with much interest. Only a few minutes later, Serena came running towards him with a happy smile on her face.

"Nate!"

With a hearty laugh, he seized her in a fierce hug. Brother and sister drew apart, mere words not enough to express how much they'd missed each other.

"You should have told me you were coming," she scolded. "If I'd known, I could have asked Madame Giry to find you a room to stay in."

"I wanted it to be a surprise, Serena. If your Madame can't arrange something, I can stay at one of the motels."

"Don't be silly! You can stay in my room should it prove to be any problems."

"Now, now, sister, think of what people will say," he teased.

"We're siblings, stupid! It's perfectly innocent!"

He raised an eyebrow, but decided to drop the subject. Once again inclining his head backwards, he looked up to the ceiling.

"This is the most beautiful building I have ever been inside. I would love to know how the architect that drew it could come up with the idea. I bet he would have a few things to learn a fellow architect," he said.

"Well, brother, I think I can arrange a meeting with him if you'd like. After all, we are in love with each other."

Nate whipped around to stare at her wide-eyed, his mouth agape.

"You're in love?"

Albert de Martin threw his brandy glass into the fire with an aggravated scream. Pierre Morel flinched but stood his ground.

"You're telling me she's in love with the disfigured murdering bastard living beneath the Opera House! You're telling me a goddamn cripple bested me for her love!"

"Yes," Pierre replied instantly.

With anther scream, the decanter with brandy joined the glass in the fire. Albert felt like hitting, kicking, killing someone. He took a deep breath to regain his calm and walked over to the cupboard holding his private weapons.

"I want you to solve this little problem as soon as possible, Pierre. You do not hesitate to kill, understood?"

A smile crossed Pierre's face and he put his hand on the comforting weight of his pistol.

"When, my dear friend, have I ever hesitated to kill?"

A/N: I'm so, so sorry I haven't updated sooner! I know I said I would but obviously my memory isn't as good as I thought. Thanks to Mayla and sbp for your reviews! Love you guys so much! The story's escalating, don't you think? We're drawing nearer to the peak and soon all Hell will break loose. I'm so happy you guys are actually enjoying this story and I will really try to update soon. Thanks a lot for your time!