Thanks to all who reviewed. I am glad you enjoyed the previous chapter and I hope you like this one just as much.
I know I am not very good at grammar so bear with me.
In this chapter, they are making a little progress in their relationship.

Special thanks to: GerrysLittleMissSunshine08 for helping me with this story.
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Erik's POV

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Darcy left with a swish of her olive dress. The moment she stepped out, I sank back into the coffin, expelling the breath I had been holding with a sigh. Relief surged through me like a warm drink of brandy.

I was so fortunate that my mask had been in place when Darcy awakened me. If it had not…I shuddered at the thought of my beloved fleeing in terror at the hideousness of my face. Yet I could not shake off the irritating memory that I had removed the cursed thing and flung it against the wall before falling asleep.
No matter, it was in place now.

I reached up to comb my fingers through my wig, when the sickening realization hit me. I did not have a wig on! A quick look confirmed that it lay in a heap on the floor. This is just terrible.

If the stone floors opened now to swallow me, I would have gladly descended-so great was my shame.

However, I did not have time to dwell on my mortification now; Darcy would be returning any moment.

I forced myself to get up and make the necessary arrangements. I pulled one black Louis-style chair from behind the coffin and a small bench to the center of the room. Next, I dragged over an oval mahogany table and placed it between the seats. I then stood back and admired my work.

I was not sure how long it would take Darcy to fix a meal, therefore I decided to have a seat and wait for her. The only sound in the room was the steady tick-tock of a large brass clock I had brought and placed near the coffin. Its purpose was to count away the minutes of my life as I prepared to die of a broken heart. Of course, death did not come and release me from my agony, yet the clock remained.

I twisted around in my chair growing more and more inpatient as the time dragged by. It seemed Darcy had been gone for an eternity. What in the devil was taking the woman so long?

A simple meal should not take that long, nor had she gotten lost in the lair. Only one possibility remained. She had tried to leave and found herself lost in the winding tunnels outside. If she was not dead.

I swallowed hard. Images of her caught in one of my clever traps flashed before my eyes.

"No!" I spoke aloud. "She wouldn't try to leave. Not after being so kind to me."

'That is exactly what's she has done, Erik.' The voice in my head told me.

My temper flared. "Serves her right if she gets hurt," I growled, "And if she hasn't, well I'll wring that skinny neck of hers."

I found some satisfaction in picturing her squirming against my strength, begging me to be merciful, promising to never wander off again.

Just as I rose to search for that infuriating woman, a sound reached my ears that stopped me, but also warmed my heart. It was Darcy's light footsteps and her gentle humming of a turn from Faust.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself the pleasure of imagining that I should always hear those wonderful sounds; always awaken to her bringing me breakfast.

Darcy's cough brought me out of my musing, but also brought back my irritation.

She sat down the silver tray, seemingly ignorant of my scowl. The tray contained two cups of steaming tea, and smaller cups of sugar and cream. There were also buttered French toast and strawberry tarts.

"What took you so long?" I demanded as she took her seat. "Did you take to daydreaming of your freedom, the day you would be free of the presence of a monster?"

Darcy grimaced, but ignored me and proceeded to drop to lumps of sugar and stir it very slowly, increasing my annoyance.

"Well?" I prompted, mentally preparing myself for some unpleasant response.

She placed a plate before me. "I couldn't find the flour." She explained calmly. "How do you take your tea? And please stop staring at me as if I've grown two heads!"

It was because she could not find flour. "Excuse me? Oh my tea. Um, I'll take it with cream only."

"There." she said, setting the teacup and saucer in front of me. "I hope you find the tarts to your liking. I have not made them in a while, you know."

I slowly popped a tart into my mouth. 'Not bad.' I thought, 'It's actually quite good.' I greedily stuffed another one into my mouth.

Darcy covered her mouth in an attempt to hide her giggles. "Well I guess you do like them."

We talked about everything and anything during our meal. I told Darcy about many of my inventions and she listened enraptured. Never before had I talked to someone who was interested in me, as a person.
My fear of boring her and my need to talk made me ramble on and on.

"Am I talking too much?" I asked her between sips of tea.

She shook her head and smiled. "I love listening to you speak. You've such a beautiful, calming voice." she sighed and looked at me with a dreamy expression, her face propped in her hands. "I could listen to you for hours."

I chuckled. "You will get no where with flattery, my dear. But if you continue, I shall become vain and get a very big head."

Darcy teasingly rubbed her fingers across my ungloved hand, sending shivers down my spine. "I will still like you in spite of it."

I caught her fingers and squeezed them tightly. It was the first time I initiated contact between us, "Do you?" I stopped, not sure how to ask her. I tried again, "Do you really like me Darcy?"

She looked me straight in the eyes. "Yes I do." she answered in a clear, sweet voice.

Those three words almost made me weep with joy, but somehow I kept control of my emotions.

I hung my head, "How could you ever love me? I am a monster."

"Hush Erik. You mustn't talk like that!" she scolded. "I see you for what you are. Not a Phantom, nor a ghost. But a man. A wonderful, intelligent, but misunderstood man."

"Oh Darcy!" I exclaimed as I pressed my lips gently to her palm, and then rubbed her hand against my un-marred cheek. I half expected her to draw away disgusted by my sudden show of affection, but to my surprise she did not.

"My offer for friendship still stands, Erik," she whispered while gently withdrawing her hand from mine and wiping away the solitary tear that rolled down my unmarred cheek.

"You are too good." I searched her face lovingly. "What have I done to deserve such an Angel in my life?"

"Lived, that's what you've done." Darcy flashed me a beautiful smile. "I promised to prepare a bath for Anna. Afterward, if it suits you, I would like very much for you to play for me and Anna."

I returned the smile, "Ask mademoiselle and it shall be yours."

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Darcy's POV

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I decided to take a nap while Anna bathed, but I found I could not sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, Erik's handsome masked face would haunt me. I allowed myself the pleasure to imagine how it would feel to have his strong muscular arms around me, to feel his sensuous lips crushing down on my own.

I closed my eyes and moaned softly as a delicious shiver tickled my spine.

However, the euphoria did not last long.

'You silly chit.' I thought. 'Erik wants only your friendship and nothing more. His heart is too scarred to love again. Therefore, you might as well stop all this silly nonsense. He will never, never be yours.'

That realization burned through me like a fire, spreading tortuously and leaving me in agony.

Frustrated, I turned over and pounded my fist in the pillows. "Curse Christine," I growled in frustration, "Curse her for destroying my Erik."

I knew it would be impossible to get any sleep, so I gave up and decided it best to freshen up before seeing Erik again. Anna entered just as I finished tying my unruly hair in an olive green silk ribbon that matched my dress.

Anna's flushed cheeks and shining golden eyes made her look very pretty. Her hair formed a wild black halo around her head. She walked to my side and wrapped her arms around my shoulder. A small sigh escaped her parted pink lips. I returned the embrace, placing a kiss on her cheek. She smelled of sandalwood.

"Enjoy your bath?" I asked.

"Yes. But the water was too hot. I nearly burned to death in there." she said melodramatically, alternating between frowns and pouts.

I chuckled. "Sorry about that. It is just that we hardly get hot water upstairs, so I thought you might want to take advantage of it. Next time I will make it cooler.

"Alright."

"You want me to help you with your hair?" I offered.

Anna glanced in the mirror in front of me and wrinkled her nose at her reflection. "I do look a holy terror, don't I?"

I laughed. "I don't know about holy, but a terror definitely.

Anna rolled her golden eyes and threw her hands up. "Sometime you don't look so good yourself, my friend." she twirled a strand of hair around her fingers. "Besides, I'm not the one trying to impress a man."

"Anna! You little guttersnipe!" I threatened to throw the brush at her.

She ducked around the bed. Only her eyes were visible over the edge, "It's true and you know it Darcy. Deny it! I dare you!"

I could not deny it so I chose to ignore her comment. I stood up and placed my hands on hips, fixing my face with what I hope was a stern expression.

"Come here and sit down if you want your hair done."

Anna burst out laughing, falling over in her merriment.

I was now annoyed. "And what, may I ask, do you find so funny?"

"You look…like a…a governess I once had." she said between giggles. "She was a nasty old thing too."

"I'm sure she was having to deal with the likes of you!" I retorted. Why me? "Now get up or I won't help you."

Anna obeyed this time with the occasional chuckle still escaping.

I made her a chignon at the nape of her neck. It made her look slightly older than her twelve years. I stood back to admire my work when a knock sounded on the door. It could only be Erik.

"Come in".

He stuck his head in. "I, uh, brought something for the little girl."

"For Anna?" I asked.

He nodded slowly.

Anna rolled her eyes up at me, a suspicious look in them. "What do you think it is?" she whispered, her voice tinged with excitement.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"

Anna gulped and turned to face Erik. "What is it sir?"

"A dress." At Anna's surprised silence, he continued. "I knew you needed one. I hope it is to your liking and you find the size to be correct. Well, perhaps I'd better set it on the bed."

Erik walked in, his eyes were fixed determinedly on the floor; he placed the large package on the bed and quietly went out.

Anna sunk into her chair the moment the door latched. "I should have said something."

"You should have said 'Thank you'"

She threw a nervous glance at the package wrapped in brown paper. "Should I open it?"

"Of course child!"

Anna hurriedly jumped from her chair and ripped open the package like her life depended on it. "Oh, Darcy look! It's lovely!" she exclaimed, holding out the beautiful gown to herself and twirling around in front of the mirror, admiring the charming picture she made.

The dress was made of velvet and in a dark shade of blue, almost like the color of the night sky. It was trimmed in gold and opened in the front to reveal shimmering gold satin that was decorated with blue ribbons and bows. It was clearly made in the latest Parisian style.

I helped Anna to put on the dress. It was almost a perfect fit for the girl's slender frame.

She was enraptured with her good fortune. "I haven't had anything this fine in such a long time! I'm sorry now that I almost shot him."

She continued to chatter, but it fell on deaf ears as I was wrapped up in my musing.

It made me smile to picture Erik going through the little shops above, trying to find a dress for a twelve-year-old girl. I highly doubted his ability to accomplish such a difficult feat. Girls that age where usually hard to please. Moreover, how did he manage to find just the right size?

Perhaps he had Madame Giry to help. She would know what girls liked, since she had to manage a whole troop of them.

"Darcy…do you think he'll forgive me?"

"What?" I came out of my thought in just enough time to catch the question. "Oh, yes. I think he shall."

"Good."

"Erik is to play for us. How would you like that?"

Anna smiled again, "Oh! Very much so! I've heard him play once. It was as if the angels were playing. I nearly cried, you know."

That I could imagine.

I pushed myself from against the stone wall and offered Anna my hand. We went out together to the main room, where Erik was sitting in front of his piano, waiting to once again draw his audience into his fantastic world of music.

The rest of that evening was more enjoyable then I imagined it would be. Anna was still shy with Erik and he was awkward with her, but other than that, I believe we managed just fine.

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