I stared at her a moment. "E-Erik? As in... the composer Erik? The Phantom?"

Christine nodded, her expression grim. "Yes. That is exactly who I mean. He still remembers you, you know? He can't wait to see you again."

I glared. "Well why doesn't he just come and see me then?"

She laughed. "You know he likes to visit you at night. Me too... I just happened to see him in the city."

I nodded. "Of course. So he will probably come to me soon then?"

She smiled. "Yes. If I had my guess, he might come tonight."

I nodded. "Then I will wait for him. You, my dear, should go in there and make Madame Destler's day. But you should know... the one thing that hasn't changed, even if she may not answer to Mrs. Moony now, is that she wants you to sing."

Christine frowned. "Me? But you know I gave up the life of a singer."

I nodded. "Go tel that to her. Her heart's set on it my dear."

I watched her disappear behind the door, not bothering to disturb them for the next few hours as I wandered to the stage slowly. If Erik was here, there were only a few places he could have gone, and to me, it seemed almost logical he would return to the stage. If he was looking for me, it would make sense. The stage was the last place we had truly connected, though I had gone below the opera house. I started into an aria from Don Juan Triumphant and looked around, toward Box 5 where I knew he had often watched performances in the past.

"You remember my music." I turned, pulled back to the presence by the voice behind me. There he stood, just as Christine had said.

"I never forgot your music Erik. I never forgot you. But why is it I find out from Christine you're here? When were you going to tell me?"

He took my hand in his own, just as gently as the first time he had stood with me on the stage. "I had all intentions to come to you tonight. But why, my dear Nellie, is Carlotta still your prima donna? Her voice is-"

I scowled, beginning to remember why, for the last years, I had thought of him as little as possible. "Her voice is quite good. If you weren't so obsessively drawn to Christine, monsieur, perhaps you'd see that."

He frowned. "Come home with me Nellie."

I whimpered, trying to pull my hand free. "B-Beneath the opera house?"

He nodded, pulling me through an open trapdoor I hadn't seen before. "Yes my dear. We have much to discuss."