A/N 1.0: *smiles sheepishly* Hey there, eerbody. Before we get on with the story I just wanted to say I AM SO SORRY for leaving you all hanging, not updating, sorta neglecting not only this but all my writing as of late. I'm like the worst author ever. I do promise to be better about it since I'm no longer in both a personal and a writing funk. In fact, I'm in neither lol so things will definitely get better on the updating side. In fact, I'll have another chapter of this up in a few days. I promise. And I mean it this time 'cause it's already 2/3 of the way finished lol. so, enjoy and I'll catch ya on the flip side:)

Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or lyrics from Phantom of the Opera.

Chapter 5

"In all your fantasies, you always knew that man and mystery were both in you"

Caroline's eyes fluttered open sometime later to see what was causing this floating sensation. Her orbs were met with complete darkness and, for a second, Caroline thought her eyes had yet to adjust but then she remembered. She had been walking home with Tyler, they had kissed, but then his 'friend' had attacked them, and after receiving a gruesome injury, Mason and Tyler had left her lying in the streets to die when, out of no where, her guardian had come to her rescue. She cautiously looked up and was able to make out slight facial features of whoever was carrying her, the man she was assuming to be the Angel of Music.

So, she was dead, then.

But she didn't feel dead. Caroline could feel her heartbeat strongly in her chest. She could feel the rise and fall of the Angel's chest as he breathed, she could hear his heartbeat against her ear and it was all very disconcerting.

"What's going on?" she asked into the darkness, looking up at the Angel's profile. He didn't answer. He didn't even spare her a glance as he kept walking through the darkness, holding her tightly in his arms.

After all the stories her father had told her about the Angel of Music, Caroline should have found his embrace comforting, especially after spending every night since her father's death dreaming of the moment she would meet this Angel.

"Are you my Angel?" she asked, trying once more to get his attention.

He chuckled at first, a dark sound resonating in his chest. "Oh, sweetheart, you're sorely mistaken if you think I'm some kind of angel."

"Then who are you?"

"Rest assured, I'm no stranger," he whispered darkly. "We've met a few times before whether that be in person or in your wandering mind."

Caroline's brow creased before it dawned upon her. With another gulp, she thought back to Katerina's stories about a tall man with yellow eyes and fangs. A man who wore a mask to cover his true identity.

'A terrible monster who knows nothing but how to torment those like me who become his victims,' Katerina had said.

"You're the Phantom. Aren't you?"

He said nothing. But the way one side of his mouth lifted in a smirk, she knew she her guess was true. "See, I told you we had been acquainted before." Caroline's brow creased once more and he looked down at her, peering at her with blue eyes through the mask that covered the top half of his face. "Don't over think it, love. It may have simply been from stories placed inside your head but the fact of the matter is, you've heard of me in some way, shape, or form."

Tears came to Caroline's eyes as she thought more about the abundant rumors that made their rounds and the tall tales the older members of the Corp de Ballet told the younger girls. She recalled Katerina's tales and how the Prima Dona would come back looking dazed and confused after being missing for hours, shying from even Trevor's touch. She remembered waiting outside of Monsieur Grant's office one night with Elena while Madame Flemming, Monsieur Grant, and Mason tried to pry information out of a frightened and distressed Katerina.

But most importantly, she remembered the day she and Elena had stumbled upon the soprano in the darkness of backstage, huddled in a corner with blood running down her neck. Caroline gulped and lifted her hand to run her fingers over the spot the strange man's teeth had sunk into her neck earlier, tearing through her flesh gruesomely. But, to her amazement, the spot had been healed.

The Phantom stopped suddenly and gently set her on her feet, only to hold out his hand. With her fingers still resting over her pulse point, Caroline gave him a wary look.

"If your going to torment me like you did Katerina just go ahead and kill me. I don't want to play your sick games."

"That would be quite contradictory, wouldn't it? An 'angel' committing murder?"

"You told me that you were no such thing."

"I did, but, do give me some credit, Caroline. You were the one who referred to me as an angel in the first place. The Angel of Music, I believe."

"I'm not quite sure that you can be both a phantom and an angel," she snapped, giving him a glare.

"Is that any way to speak to you 'generous, undisclosed sponsor'?" he asked, feigning offense with a smirk as Caroline's jaw dropped. The Phantom lifted his hand to her once more before speaking again, fixing her with an imploring blue gaze. "Now, if you insist on calling me your angel or savior out of habit, I won't oppose, but let's get on thing straight, love. I'm no Angel of Music."

"Then who is?"

"You are," he said, lifting a torch from the fixture on the wall before turning to look at her with a devilish smirk illuminated on his masked face.

Caroline gave him a shy, disbelieving look before going against her gut and placing her small hand in his much larger one and let him lead her away, further into darkness, the only light coming from the torch clasped in his hand.

She sighed into the darkness after several minutes of walking on in silence. "I think you're mistaken. I'm the furthest thin-"

"Do you really believe that your talent is so worthless?" he asked. The question was harsh but the tone of his voice was not and Caroline could not bring herself to answer. "Then that is, truly, a pity, sweetheart."

"Excuse me for wanting to stay humble and not let all of this get to me! It's not like I'm going to be Prima Dona for an extended amount of time."

The Phantom chuckled. "For what reason? There's no one here in this labyrinth but the two of us. Revel in it, love." He turned to her and studied her irritated expression with blue-green eyes on fire and arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Fine, be stubborn. I'm a patient man, love, and I have ample amount of time for you to realize how truly wonderful you are and how amazing you could be. But, in the meantime, would you do one thing for me?" he asked, pulling her forward gently and helping her step down into a gondola-like boat.

"Well?" she asked expectantly. The boat rocked as the Phantom lowered himself into it and Caroline clutched the sides tightly until it lurched off into the water, continuing the smooth pace they had set earlier.

"Sing for me."

"What?" she asked quietly, shocked by his request.

"I want you to sing for me," he repeated softly. Caroline turned back slightly and looked up into his alluring blue gaze. There was something so earnest and gentle about it, almost as if he was caressing her like she was the most intriguing and fragile thing he'd ever met.

No one had ever looked at her like that and while Caroline wasn't entirely sure how she should feel that the first person giving her that look was the Phantom, the horrid tormentor of her beloved opera house but she couldn't quite help the warm feeling spreading through her heart. She slowly turned back and faced forward in the small boat and closed her eyes while taking a deep breath, listening to the silence before acquiescing to his simple request.

"In sleep he sang to me

In dreams, he came

That voice which calls to me

And speaks my name.

And do I dream again?

For now I find

The Phantom of the opera

Is here

Inside my mind."

She stopped abruptly, leaving them surrounded in uncomfortable silence, unsure of where to take up her made-up tune next.

"Sing for me, Caroline, you angel of music. Sing for me."

With another deep breath, she continued, her voice sliding easily through scales and arpeggios instead of reciting song lyrics. She stopped abruptly once more when their small boat passed through an iron gate, fog parting along their path into some kind of lair. With wide eyes, Caroline took it all in as they drew nearer.

The boat came to a stop and the Phantom stepped out turning to extend his hand to Caroline. She didn't take it immediately as she continued to study her surroundings, at least what she could see of them. Her eyes stopped on four curious items just behind the masked man in front of her, lining the stone wall of the lair.

Her blue eyes filled with fear as she instinctively shrunk away from the Phantom remembering just who he was and what he had done despite his sweet words and encouragement only moments ago. They flicked to his face and while Caroline wasn't too keen on begging for her life when it seemed futile she couldn't help the words out in a quiet whimper.

"Are you going to kill me?"

The Phantom watched her fear-filled eyes in confusion as they looked to his face and then back behind him again. He followed her gaze, turning slightly to look at what bothered her and saw the four, black polished coffins sitting along the wall and squeezed his eyes shut. "Do you really think that low of me?"

"Yes," Caroline responded, finding some of her spitfire again as her now narrowed eyes snapped back to his face.

"That's a pity."

"I'm sorry your reputation isn't that clean."

"I saved your life!"

"Oh, so you do one semi-decent thing and now you're my hero?"

The Phantom growled in exasperation. "I killed my hybrids to spare your life. You should be thanki-"

"You're what?" Caroline asked, her brow creasing at the mention of hybrids.

"You mean you don't know? About the Lockwoods?"

Caroline gave him a blank, confused look and he took a half step closer to where she still sat in the gondola. Realization hit him immediately.

She didn't know. She was completely clueless. Through her affairs with the infuriating patron, Katerina had, at least, known about the existence of werewolves. Katerina was frightened of vampires to her very core, he had made sure of that. The former prima donna didn't confirm their existence or his identity as a creature of the night, another thing he had made sure through some persuasion, so to speak.

Caroline was completely different. She was innocent and pure, uncorrupted by the darkness that plagued his existence. And to think, his original plan with her had been to snuff that light out, to torture her just as he had done with Katerina. The Phantom, for whatever reason, had never felt so guilty or remorseful for his wrong doings.

"What about the Lockwoods?" she asked in a quiet voice, drawing the Phantom's attention back to her. "Is Tyler alright? What's going on?"

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams for the world you live in is deceptive. Close your eyes, Caroline," the Phantom said in a gentle, yet firm tone causing Caroline to look even more confused as the flicker of fear in her eyes grew slightly. "Start a journey through a strange new world; leave all thoughts of the life you knew before." Only then, he thought, holding his hand out to her once more, can you belong to me.

The way she looked up at him oh so terrified and unsure should have enticed him, made him feel powerful but it only bothered him. He didn't understand it. This girl was supposed to have been his prey, his new toy so he could continue to torment those in the Opera Populaire but in that moment, the Phantom knew that wasn't what he wanted anymore. He wanted to protect Caroline in hopes that maybe, just maybe, she could share some of her light with him. Maybe she could be his companion and save him from the curse of his loneliness.

"You're safe," he whispered, his blue eyes silently begging her to take his hand.

And, after a few moments, Caroline took his hand, her eyes never leaving his masked face.

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication

Touch me, trust me. Savor each sensation

Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in

To the power of the music that I write,

The power of the music of the night.

A/N 2.0: I seriously spent forever trying to decide which Music of the Night lyrics to use. like you guys have no idea how hard it was lol. it's actually pretty pathetic but then again sorry, not sorry it's my fav song:P to those of you who still don't really have an idea about who the Phantom is then I hope this answers some questions lol:P note, this doesn't mean the story's over so don't jump to conclusions! that's all I ask of you. ... okay, that was lame lol. this is Klaroline. there will be a few more twisties and turnys (including some more characters! can you guess who?!), and it will end differently than The Phantom of the Opera. that I promise, you!

thanks to musicalfreak for being super awesome (seriously SUPER awesome. if for some reason you haven't read anything of hers, you're missing on some SERIOUS Klaroline feels) and reading bits and pieces of this and telling me it doesn't suck:)

anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! and, maybe, drop a review by if you have a minute? I love to hear theories or just hear from y'all in general...even if it is to tell me how much you hate me for being a failure of an author lol. I'd appreciate it! See ya in a few days, lovelies:)