No more exams!!!! Hooray! I'm free at last, I'm free at last, thank God almighty I'm free at last. Well, Martin Luther King suffered more than I did...but his words still express what I'm feeling right now.

Disclaimer: I don't own POTO or any of its characters. If I did Erik would be all mine and I wouldn't be writing about him. But it's not meant to be. *wipes away tear*

Chapter 6:

Madelaine pulled out her mobile phone.

'Erik, there is somebody I want you to meet.' Erik frowned inwardly. Hopefully it wasn't a new boyfriend. 'She's been a very good friend to me since I came to America, and I hope you will get to know each other.' Madelaine began texting Christine. Not allowing Erik to see her phone, she sent her friend Jen from tennis a message to call her back in a few minutes. Madelaine prayed that this would work. She and Erik continued to chat idly about what they had been doing since they had last seen each other. About a minute later there was a knock on the door. Madelaine got up to let Christine in. 'Come in dear, Erik arrived just after you left.'

'Can't wait to meet him,' Christine said. She followed Madelaine around the corner into the kitchen where she saw a tall man with dark hair facing away from her and intently studying a painting on the wall.

'Erik, this is the person I was telling you about. Christine, this is my son Erik.' Erik turned around. Christine's eyes widened as she took in the mask.

'Monsieur Durrante?'

'Miss Christine?'

'You know each other?' Madelaine asked confusedly. Christine answered hesitantly.

'Yes, we, uh, met at the airport this morning. I had to take him through a security check. I guess I'd better introduce myself properly. I'm Christine Daae. Please just call me Christine.' She once again held out her hand.'

'Then you must call me Erik. Did you say that your surname is Daae?' Erik asked curiously, shaking her hand. A brief look of pain crossed Christine's face, vanishing so quickly that Erik almost didn't see it.

'Yes. My late father, Christophe Daae, founded the Daae Home.'

'I'm sorry. It seems you have helped make my mother very happy here, something I must thank you for.' Christine smiled.

'It's been a pleasure. Your mother is a wonderful lady and a close friend of mine.' Just then Madelaine's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID.

'It's Jen from tennis. I'm going to go outside, there's better reception out there. With that, Madelaine left the room and walked out the front door before Christine or Erik could say anything.

She sat down on a bench near the path and answered her phone.

'Hello Jen,' she said.

'Now what's all this about? All your SMS said was to give you a ring,' said Madelaine's tennis partner Jen.

'You know how my son is visiting? I asked Christine to come over and I want them to be friends. They don't need an old lady to get in the way,' Madelaine said in a voice that was a little too innocent.

'You crafty bugger. Not that I'm against it. Christine needs someone in her life and not that blonde buffoon who's always chasing her.'

'Indeed. So how's that new grandson of yours going?'

Christine and Erik sat there for a minute and then both spoke at the same time:

'So what do you do for a living?'

'What do you do here at the Daae Home, Miss Christine?' They laughed.

'You first, Miss Christine,' Erik said.

'Not unless you call me just Christine, no miss,' Christine said.

'I insist you go first, Christine,' he said with a twinkle in his eye.

'I was asking what do you do for a living?' Christine said.

'I live in France. I compose music and write operas for the French Opera Company.' Christine's eyes opened wide in awe.

'I went to see one of the Company's operas when I was twenty and my Father and I were visiting Europe. Did you write it?' she asked excitedly. Erik laughed.

'Unless you tell me your age or the name of the opera, I'm afraid I can't answer that question,' he said with a smile. Christine blushed, embarrassed. I wonder if she knows how beautiful she looks when she does that, Erik mused.

'Oops,' she said. 'I'm twenty-five. The opera was called Il Muto.' So she's only five years younger than me. Hmm. Erik inwardly slapped himself. Get a grip, Erik. She's not looking for a date, least of all with you. She's just being nice because she's friends with Madelaine.

'Yes, I did as a matter of fact. I was the same age as you are now when I wrote it. It was one of my first operas. What did you think of it?' Erik asked, genuinely curious about her opinion.

'I thought it was a very well written opera. But...' Christine hesitated.

'Go on,' Erik prompted.

'I didn't particularly like the performance of the lead soprano,' she said, blushing again as she hoped she hadn't insulted him too badly. Erik's eyes were once again drawn to the blush in her cheeks. I can't believe she doesn't know how pretty she looks when she does that. Christine took his brief pause as anger and lowered her gaze slightly. His next words relieved her.

'Yes, I must agree with you. The singer was a star in Europe in her earlier days, but her voice had deteriorated as she aged. The company cast her because they thought her celebrity status would draw people in; I'm afraid at that stage I was a rookie composer and writer so I had little influence over the casting process. I was meant to feel lucky and honoured by the fact that my work had been chosen,' Erik said ruefully. 'Thankfully she left before my next opera was performed. She realised she wasn't getting any younger so she returned to Italy where she was born.'

'That's a relief,' Christine said with a smile. 'I'm glad she didn't use a microphone for most of the performance. She might have broken my eardrums.'

'Hey, you had it easy!' Erik complained. 'I was conducting and was far more exposed to her...uh, music.' Christine started laughing. She managed to stop before her sides split. I like this guy. He's genuinely charming and funny and nice to be around. And he's only five years older than me. Wait, Chrissie. He's only being nice to you because you're Madelaine's friend. He isn't looking for a date.

'Now it's my turn. What exactly do you do here?' Erik asked.

'I'm just here to be a friend to the people here. I'm not qualified as a doctor or anything like that. Neither was my father but he always kept tabs on all the people here. I enjoy their company. I try to visit everyone here; both the residents and whichever staff are working at the time at least once a day. It doesn't always happen but at least I can try,' Christine said.

'So how does your job at the airport come into the picture?' Erik asked.

'If I wanted to, I could just live off the money from the House because I own it and I did for a while. But I began to feel guilty because I wasn't exactly doing anything. I have people to manage everything from finances to housekeeping and just living off something that I felt I didn't properly contribute to just didn't make me happy. So I went into training and then got a job at the airport. It's fairly close to home and I still get to see everyone while actually earning money. It also made me feel better when I was given charge of all the special cases, such as yourself and any strip searches that could be necessary.' It was here that Christine blushed. That blush is really beginning to distract me, Erik thought. 'Some of my colleagues that used to do the work I now do were very unprofessional and it made me angry so I asked the head of security if I could take over. What with growing up in a place like this, I had no qualms about doing anything and did my best to prevent any awkwardness. I don't know if I'm going to work there much longer. I have two younger colleagues that I have given training to handle other cases because I don't really get to spend enough time at the Home. I think I'm going to hand in my resignation in a few days.' Her blush, which had temporarily faded, flared up again. 'I'm sorry. I seem to have a case of verbal diarrhoea.' Why can't I stop blushing? This is so embarrassing.

'No, what you have to say is interesting.' Okay her blushing is now driving me mad. Why can't she just do something horrible already so I can stop liking her so much? It was at this point that Madelaine came back in.

'Sorry I took so long,' she said. Erik and Christine looked at the clock and saw that fifteen minutes had passed. 'Jen started gushing about her new grandson and it was when she stopped to take a breath that I told her I had to go.'

'How is he?' Christine asked. 'He was such a lovely baby, all smiles and such big deep green eyes.'

'You always were a sucker for green eyes. I bet that was why you never went out with blue eyed Raoul,' Madelaine teased. Christine laughed.

'Believe me Madelaine, he had many other faults that prevented me and will always prevent from going out with Raoul, no matter how many times he asks.' Erik kept his face neutral. He didn't know who Raoul was but Christine wasn't seeing him and didn't plan on it. If this guy was still asking her then that meant she didn't have anybody else in her life either. I have deep green eyes. He once again mentally slapped himself. We've been over this, Erik. She wouldn't go out with you unless you and Raoul were the last men on Earth. Even then she'd probably change her mind about him. Christine stood up.

'Well, I still need to see a few people before I turn in. It was a pleasure to properly meet you, Erik. Madelaine, I will see you tomorrow.' Christine turned to leave but then turned back again. 'Where abouts are you staying?' she asked Erik. Here it comes. The bad part. She will ask me to stay here, hoping to get some extra money.

'In the inn down the road about ten minutes away,' he replied.

'Would you like to stay at the Daae Home?' Yep, thought so. 'If you would like, every unit, such as the one your mother lives in, comes with a guest bedroom. You're welcome to stay here at no extra cost.' Erik barely managed to keep himself from gaping.

'That would be very helpful, not having to drive over every day.' No wonder Mother is friends with her. She's wonderful.

'Not a problem. If you want to move in tonight, just bring your belongings over and the permanent parking space is on the first left as you drive in. If you have a time frame that you'd like to stay here then you can let our receptionist Casey know and if you have any other needs or help moving your belonging then you can also tell her. She'll have a few forms to fill out but it's nothing special, we just need to know a few things about who you are and some contact details,' Christine said.

'Thank you very much. I don't know how long I'm going to be staying here but if I figure that out I'll let you know,' Erik said.

'Not a problem,' Christine said. She reached over and gave Madelaine a hug. 'Hope to see you both again soon. Good night.'

'Goodnight,' Madelaine and Erik chimed.

'Isn't she just lovely?' Madelaine asked Erik.

'Indeed she is,' Erik answered absently, watching the figure of Christine walking away through the window. Madelaine used her hand to cover a small smile.