I do not own lyrics or characters.

Christine

It has been two weeks since the masquerade and rehearsals are under way for a new production - Erik's opera.

Don Juan Triumphant.

After the Masquerade Madame Giry dragged him of to her rooms, while I made my way back to the dormitories in a haze of contentment and happiness. I carefully got out of my dress and changed into one of my usual gowns, despite the late hour I thought it better than changing into my night things encase Madame Giry wished to speak to me also.

So as not to wake the younger girls by moving about I made my way to the chapel, which was were I was writing that night. I looked up from my task as soon as I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and hid this book under the extra shawl that I had brought with me.

It was Erik who approached me, his scarlet coloured jacket hung over his arm and his skull like mask still fixed firmly to his face. He was smiling broadly as he placed his jacket on the window seat and came up to me wrapping his strong arms about me.

Immediately I was content and safe.

I sighed in happiness, wresting my head against his chest and wrapping my own arms around his waist breathing in deeply loving the smell of him. I will never tire of being able to touch my angel after all the years of only hearing his voice.

"How did things go with Madame Giry?" I asked drawing away from him slightly to look into his face.

"She was annoyed with me for keeping our engagement secret for so long..."

I felt horrible and shook my head, moaning in embarrassment, guilt consuming me.

"Erik I did not want to hurt her feelings." I told him my voice shaking with dread at the thought that maybe after all I had upset the woman who had been a mother to me.

He laughed and held me tighter to him and I had a feeling that the smile was spreading even further across his face. My heart skipped a beat as I felt the rumble of his laughter go through my entire frame.

"Her feelings were not hurt sweetheart." he crooned in my ear and the guilt slowly lifted from me as I found reassurance in his words.

"She was angry with me love, not you. She felt that I should have kept her informed of our relationship even if no one else was to be told." he explained softly, kissing my forehead and releasing me from his hold completely.

I could understand how Madame Giry must have felt. After all we had been engaged for some months and never told her, though she, along with the rest of the company had noted my happiness over those months.

Erik took my hands gently in his and led me to the window seat and shifting his jacket he sat next to me reclaiming my hands in his own. He then began to tell me about his opera Don Juan Triumphant.

He told be that he has been working on it for years and now finally complete it had been accepted by the managers to be performed – though they did not know his true identity. I was so proud of him and his accomplishments. His opera had been accepted. My Erik's opera was going to be performed before all Paris. I threw my arms about him, hugging him tightly, pride filling my whole body.

Erik escorted me back to the dormitories that night the corridors silent as the party had been over for some hours. We stopped at the door and I slipped in through the door after being thoroughly kissed goodnight.

The next day when I met Erik for my lesson he had a secretive smile on his face and his eyes danced with some sort of mischief.

"We will postpone today's lesson love." he told me leading me down a passage that I had never noticed before.

"Erik where are we going?" I laughed as he caught me for the third time as I tripped over some unfamiliar obstacle beneath my feet. The adorable boyish expression was still firmly fixed on his face as he placed a kiss on my nose and continued to lead me by the hand.

The corridor soon gave way to a large room and I looked above us to see that metal grates served as a ceiling.

"The stage is above us. They are practising the new Opera." Erik whispered releasing my hands his voice was filled with pride. He walked behind me and light filled the dim room as he lit some candles.

I was amazed as I began to hear the music clearly drifting from the orchestra pit several stories above our heads. It is amazing that so much can exist beneath the Opera House and in the walls with out anyone's knowledge.

Erik came up behind his arms wrapping about my waist and I leaned against his chest listening as the musicians tuned their instruments awaiting Monsieur Reyer's direction. Silence came from above us and then all the chaotic sounds of the tuning instrument came together harmoniously as they began to play Erik's music.

I realized then that I had heard him play some of his opera on his organ and had been spell bound never realising that it was his own music that I was listening to, but I was left breathless as I listened to the full orchestra play his creation. The violent yet seductive melody filed my mind as the orchestra rehearsed.

I felt Erik begin to sway behind me and I followed gasping as he spun me around to face him my skirts billowing about me and hitting against our legs. I braced myself by placing my hands on his chest. He took one of my hands in his and placed his other about my waist and we became part of the music that filtered to us from above.

I started to find it difficult to breath as my thoughts stopped, only focusing on the man who's arms I was in. He held me close to him as he spun us about his hold on me never faltering. I could feel his heart beating against my own chest we were so close together, his hands seemed to burn my skin as he held me.

My heart leapt when he kissed my neck below my ear and began to sing softly to me his voice low and dangerous my eyes fluttered shut involuntarily as I lost myself in his voice not unlike that first night when he sang to me . Even now I can feel the shivers down my spine.

"Past the point of no return, no backward glances..."

His voice flowed over me as we continued to move about the confines of the basement, the music surrounding us, wrapping us both in a world completely separate from the life above us.

"...abandon thought and let the dream descend..."

I was enthralled as I listened to the music and words that the man I love had created. I reluctantly opened my eyes and watched him as he sang, his eyes glowing, and I found myself thinking once again how handsome he is.

"Beyond the point of no return..."

The music above us began to ebb as Erik stopped singing, the music started again, higher this time and Erik spun me out and then back into his arms. I breathed heavily my mind foggy as I looked into his eyes my heart beating franticly in my chest.

He leaned down and placed a kiss on my lips. I moved my hands from where they had been on his chest and shoulder and wrapped then around his neck my stomach flipping as he held me even closer than when we had been dancing.

I felt one of his hands glide up my spine from my waist to tangle in my hair. After what seemed like a life time he drew away from me and smiled gently at me as I caught my breath. Staring contentedly into his eyes i felt truly at home in his strong embrace.

It took me a few seconds to surface from the haze that I had entered and I noticed that the music was still playing above us.

"And that, sweetheart." he whispered softly "Is where you come in."

Hey guys have you missed me? (you don't need to answer that :-))

I have a two week wait until my next exam (ooo goody!) and i am short circuiting my brain with all the revision that I am doing – honestly you can see smoke coming out my ears and everything :-). So you are getting this chapter a wee bitty earlier than planned as I took some time off my studying.

Hope you like this. I don't write sexy very well so for the dance imagine the tango or something like that – a bit like what the background dancers were doing in the film.

I think all the spelling and stuff is OK but if not sorry.

The next chapter will be Erik's point of view.

Let me know what you think :-).