Disclaimer: Don't own POTO.

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IN HONOR OF OUR FIFTIETH CHAPTER…

A Blipic

It was official: Christine had up and eloped with Jean-Paul the stagehand. They were last seen heading towards Austria. The news hit Erik like flying bowling ball to the chest. At first he was determined to hunt them down, murder Jean-Paul, and abduct Christine. Fortunately, the cousins talked him out of it. Unfortunately for the Opera Populaire, apart from being forced to welcome Carlotta back with open arms, this meant that they had one POed ghost in the house.

After a particularly violent evening, Anna found Erik sulking in Box 5. His tall, thin form was hunched over in a chair, his shoulder blades protruding like the stubs of angel's wings, his masked head bowed. As she gently slid the hollow column shut, she noticed that he was trembling. Anna approached carefully.

"What…do you w-want?" Erik hissed, trying to disguise his quiet sobs. He didn't look up at her.

"Erik…are you coming home for dinner?" Anna asked. It was a stupid thing to say to a man so utterly destroyed as he was, but she hoped he could hear the compassion in her voice.

"No. Leave me alone." His hard, icy words cut through her heart. She wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms and kiss his tears away.

"I'm not leaving. I'll just wait," Anna replied bravely. With that she sank to the ground, her skirts whispering with the movement.

"I said leave!" Erik thundered. He now stood and towered over her, his whole body shaking with rage and agony. Anna cowered, but she didn't move. He didn't understand that she was just as miserable as him.

Furious, Erik grabbed her by her arms and hauled her to her feet. "What about that do you not understand? Or should I repeat it in English?" he sneered. Anna shook her head, blinking hard as she fought her tears. Erik gripped harder, nearly crushing her bones. He watched as she whimpered in pain, but still made no move to depart, or even struggle.

Rather amazed by her stamina, he released her with a backward shove. Anna hit the wall and there she stayed shaking all over.

"I'm sorry, Erik. I just can't stand to see you so sad…I had to do something," she blubbered.

"Did you bring flowers and candy to make me feel better?" Erik said cruelly.

"N-no." She moped her tear-stained face with her hand.

"What did you expect? For me to spring up and start a conversation about the weather? You girls are so simplistic…you don't understand."

"Excuse me?" Anna said, becoming angry now. She drew herself up to her full height, which was still at least two feet shorter than Erik.

"How dare you call me simplistic! And who are you to think you know what I do and don't understand?" she snarled. Erik looked taken aback by her sudden anger.

"I came up here to offer you some silent companionship. Just to be here. I didn't expect you to become as bright as a daisy or to even pour out your soul to me. And don't think for a moment that I don't know what it is to experience unrequited love!"

Erik snorted derisively, "I find it hard to believe that you would ever meet a man who would refuse your affections."

"Well, believe it because he's standing right in front of me."

Her words hung in the air, resounding over and over again in Erik's mind. Had she really just said that? She loved…him? Erik took a step back, shaking his head in disbelief. All thoughts of Christine were flung out of his mind by this stunning revelation.

"No…no…no, no, no! You're lying!" he stammered.

Anna said nothing. Instead she crossed the space between them, cornering Erik against the railing. Slowly, she reached up and pried his mask away, revealing the hideous visage beneath it. His expression was one of shock and fear, mixed with a glimmer of hope. Anna studied his face for a moment, taking in every detail, from the place where his nose should have been to his beautiful sunken eyes. She loved his eyes; there was something so expressive and broody about them.

Gently, she put a hand to one gaunt cheek. Erik stiffened as she raised herself on tiptoes and lovingly pressed her pretty pink mouth to his malformed lips. Immediately, his whole body began to shake. Anna longed to stay there forever, but she drew away, not wanting to frighten him too badly.

Erik didn't know what to think. Should he even think at all? Suddenly, he was tired of thinking, of analyzing. The only thought in his mind was how good it was to be kissed. So, he pulled Anna in and kissed her in return.

Anna's heart leapt into her throat and she began to shake…and shake, and shake, and shake, and….

"Anna, wake up!"

The redhead's eyes flew open. WTF? Wasn't she just kissing Erik?

"Anna! Would you please get up? It's disgraceful to be sleeping in like this," Erik said, leaning over her, fully dressed and looking thoroughly undisturbed.

She blinked at him before realizing it had all been a dream. At once, she burst into tears and pulled the comforter over her head. Meanwhile, Erik was scrambling to get the chocolate and Midol.