"Do not judge a song by its duration

Nor by the number of its notes

Judge it by the richness of its contents

Sometimes those unfinished are among the most poignant

Do not judge a song by its duration

Nor by the number of its notes

Judge it by the way it touches and lifts the soul

Sometimes those unfinished are among the most beautiful

And when something has enriched your life

And when its melody beats in your heart

Is it unfinished?

Or is it endless?

Being unfinished is the most mysterious part."- Excerption from the diary of Erik.

Erik's POV

My daughter had run out of the flat! She was gone, and all because of me. She didn't want me to be her father, and I couldn't blame her. I was a hideous monster! Then before I could even have time to find comfort from Christine, she too left to chase after our daughter. I dropped to my knees, and felt my heart break into two. There was no heart left, my chest was completely empty, and my heart was floating around inside my stomach somewhere. But then the pain started, the horrible pain of being heart broken. I couldn't just sit here and let my daughter run wild through the icy streets of Phantasma. I needed to find her!

I wasn't supposed to go outside, but I wasn't going to sit around and wait for Christine to return. I threw on my cloak, and ran out into the cold, heaving and coughing as I hurried to find my love and daughter. The air was brisk, and my body shivered but I refused to go back inside.

"Eudora!" I called her name, coughing after each yell.

I checked everywhere, not leaving a single spot unsearched.

My legs were aching tremendously, but I didn't stop a single second. I hurried along the boardwalk, stepping over ice and calling out Eudora's name. My lungs were aching, and I finally stopped to take a breather. I stood there up against the railing of the boardwalk, gasping for breath, and coughing uncontrollably.

"Eudora!"

I heard her name being called by Christine, only to look out onto the snow covered beach and see my worst nightmare playing out. Christine was running towards the ocean, and I didn't understand why…..That was until I saw my daughter's scarf washing on the beach. No….No this wasn't happening! I no longer cared about myself. If my own flesh and blood were to die, I would die anyway. I jumped from the boardwalk onto the beach, and began running; the braces around my legs pinching me with every step I took. The frozen sand tried to slow me down, but I fought against it. This was my daughter, and I wouldn't let her die!

"Eudora!" Christine was screaming for her, but I was already close by.

I ran all the way to the water's edge, and threw off my cloak and cravat. The icy wind hit my chest like a knife, but my daughter needed me.

"Erik!" Christine was running towards me, but I was faster and dove into the frigid water.

"Erik! No! Stop!"

There was nothing Christine could shout to make me come back. My mind was already made up, and I wasn't coming back, not without my daughter. If I died saving her then so be it….

My body was slowing down from the icy waves crashing against my body as I swam out to sea. I couldn't stop…I couldn't stop and let the sea take my daughter. It couldn't have her! And I wouldn't let it! The waves were extremely rough, but I swam through each one, hoping to get closer to my daughter. But my body began to freeze, and swimming became completely impossible. It wasn't long, until another wave crashed against me, dragging me all the way back to shore.

"Erik!"

I sat up, my body trembling from head to toe, and my lungs collapsing within my chest.

"Erik!"

Christine grabbed the cloak I had discarded, and wrapped it around my shoulders, bringing her body close to my own.

"Breathe." she told me.

She was rubbing the cloak harder against my body, her hand making its way to my chest to rub it against the part where my heart was beating.

"We have to get your heart warm, Erik…."

I could hear quiet sobs within her voice, but I was too concerned about getting warm to speak.

"Come on…."

I was suddenly pulled to my feet, Christine dragging me along to find shelter before I died from hypothermia…But all I could keep my eyes on was Eudora's scarf that the waves were slowly pulling away….No! I wouldn't let this be! I pulled away from Christine, just enough to grab hold of the wet and sandy scarf. I wasn't giving up on her! She was my daughter, and I was going to find her.

"Erik, stop!" Christine pulled me along like a dog on a leash, pulling me all the way back to my flat, where she immediately began stripping me of my clothes, as her hand continued to rub over my heart.

"Stay with me, Erik." she cried, trying to keep me awake.

Once I was completely naked, she draped my quilt over my shoulders, and pressed her body against my own.

"You'll be warmer this way."

I was still cold, but I wasn't giving up on my daughter. She needed me now more than ever, and I would not sleep until she was found.

"Erik….." Christine cries finally let loose, but I wouldn't stand here and listen to them.

"I…I saw her scarf on the beach and ran as fast as I could." she sobbed. "Oh, Erik, our daughter…."

No! she wasn't dead, I wouldn't allow things to be this way. I pushed her away from me, and hurried towards my wardrobe closet to throw on a dry pair of clothes. I was coughing tremendously, but I didn't care. I would find my daughter come hell or high water!

"Erik? What are you doing! You're going to kill yourself!"

I fumbled with the buttons to a new shirt, and turned to her.

"Then so be it, Christine!" I snapped. "Eudora is out there, and the temperature will be dropping quickly come night fall."

"Erik, you saw her scarf at the water's edge." Christine was on her knees sobbing, pleading me not to leave the flat again.

"That means nothing!" I was cut off by a violent cough. "That means nothing, Christine. It could have blown from her. I will not sleep until I know she's safe."

I threw on my cloak, and headed towards the door, another cough erupting from my throat.

"Erik, no! You need to rest." she grabbed the end of my cloak to try and pull me back, but I snatched it from her.

"You can either come with me or stay here, Christine, but I am not giving up on her."

I rummaged through my soaked pile of clothes, and tore out Eudora's wet scarf. When I opened the door, Christine came running to my side, and we both left together.

"Erik, please." Christine was now standing in front of me, trying to block my way. "Erik, please rest where it's warm. You're going to catch your death….and look at you."

Her fingers gently brushed through my soaked wig.

"You're still soaked to the bone."

I couldn't be gentle with her, not now. I needed to be the Phantom; the creature who wouldn't take "no" for an answer…I couldn't be her loving Erik during a time like this…No, Erik would do anything Christine asked of him, the Phantom wouldn't.

"I said you could come or stay. Either way, I'm going, Christine." I pushed her aside. "Now out of my way."

I walked down the streets of Phantasma, Eudora's soaked scarf still in my hand. Christine didn't stay, and followed beside me as my coughing continued. I needed to find help, and I knew just where to go. If I was going to find my daughter, I needed Phantasma to be surrounded and searched. And with it being just Christine and I, we couldn't possibly clear the entire perimeter by nightfall…..But did I know what I was doing? What I was about to do would not only ruin my reputation, but also ruin my name for the rest of my life…..

When Christine realized where we were headed, she pulled at my arm, trying to stop me.

"Erik, no! Don't do this! Please…..Don't!"

I pulled away with my monstrous grip, and continued walking to where I was headed; the oddity pub. The oddity pub was a place where my employees gathered all year around to relax after a hard day of work, or just to grab a bite to eat. Today was Christmas, and I knew all three hundred of my workers would be here, and with three hundred workers searching for my daughter, I knew we could find her.

"Erik, stop!" Christine continued pulling at my arm, begging me not to ruin my name any further, but I didn't care! As long as Eudora was found safe and sound, the world could call me anything they like.

"Erik, we can go to the authorities. They could help us!"

I turned, and crossed my arms in anger.

"They don't help freaks, Christine!"

"But I'm not a freak, Erik! I could get them to help me."

"They know you live in Phantasma, Christine. They won't help you knowing you betrayed your own race to join us! This is the only way, and I'll be damned to let my daughter freeze to death over my name!"

"But what about all we've talked about! You said it yourself you wouldn't be the lover I want after hearing such horrible things being said about Eudora and I….Even about yourself."

I calmed down just enough to deeply sigh and look at the only woman I had ever loved.

"Do you love me, Christine?"

"Yes, with all my heart."

"And do you trust me?"

"With all that I am." she quietly responded.

I gripped her shoulders, and lifted her chin to look at me.

"This day was coming, mon ange. It was only a matter of time. I have tried to stall it as much as I possibly could, but Eudora is counting on us. We will have our ups and downs from this day forward, but I could never ever stop loving you no matter what anyone ever says about us. We need to do this, for the child's sake."

Christine looked down towards the snow, and I knew she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready for the words that were to be said about her….the cruel, vulgar words. And yet, who was I to force her? This was all my fault…wasn't it? If I had not laid with her, none of this would even be happening. I was the monster, and it was I who deserved to be punished, not her….How could I be so selfish, and want to bring this innocent angel into such harm? That's all Christine ever was….she was an angel, an angel whose wings were never to be clipped…Yet here I was trying to do just that.

This was my fault, and so it was I who deserved to suffer. I took a deep breath, and turned towards the pub. It was now or never….I walked right inside, with Christine standing behind me, her head still down. All of my employees were dancing and making merry, but the music and cheers instantly silenced as soon as I came through the door. Oh, how to start this?….

"I have come here asking each and everyone of you for a favor."

"But it's Christmas day!" one of my employees shouted out.

"Right…." I growled. "But you must remember who has protected and given each and every one of you a job for the past decade."

The room fell silent again. Each and everyone of my employees owed me their life for all that I have done for them, and I had never asked them for anything….up until now.

"A child has gone missing in the park, and I need everyone of you to help me find her. She's a little girl named Eudora. Most of you all know her, or have seen her around at some point during the season."

Mr. Squelch, who was sitting at the bar, slammed his glass down, and turned my way.

"Boss, it's Christmas day. A missing child case should be turned over to the authorities, you know that. We have tons of missing children cases every season, and they are all found by the authorities."

"Right, but you must remember, Mr. Squelch, that the authorities help the public; the humans who have not deserted their own kind to come and live in our world."

"But boss, why…."

I looked at Christine, who was waiting for the pain to come, for our life's secret to be let out….but I knew she wasn't ready, and I wouldn't allow it to happen.

"I did something terrible four years ago!" I shouted, my heart pounding against my chest over what I was about to say….. "I took advantage of this woman. I forced myself onto her because I had never laid with a woman before…."

"Erik…."

Christine tried to stop me, but I placed my hand over her mouth.

"Yes, and from that un-consensual night, a child was created. I need to find this little girl because she is my own flesh and blood! Now if any of you want to still have a job come spring time, I suggest you get your ass's moving! "

Everyone gasped, as Christine struggled against my grip over her mouth. She didn't deserve to be taken down to hell with me, and I wouldn't allow it. The pub began emptying, and Christine and I were split up within the crowd. I knew I would come across her sooner or later, and marched down to the stables where I kept my animals. I had a few dogs I had trained to sniff out trouble in my park, and I would use them tonight to find my daughter. I pulled my horse Cesar out of his stable, and led him down the isle as my elephants screamed, and dogs barked. I opened their pen, and they crowded around my body, licking my gloved hands, and wagging their tales.

When they calmed down, I held Eudora's scarf down to their noses so they could pick up her scent.

"Find her, boys…." I ordered.

A few moments later, they were barking and on their way out of the stable. I jumped on Cesar's back as fast as I could, and ordered him to follow the dogs. All throughout my park, I heard my employees calling out for my daughter. It was getting colder, leaving only a short amount of time left to find her alive. The dogs sniffed the ground in front of Cesar and I, as I followed them through my entire park. I soon came across Christine who was also searching for her.

"Christine, come…"

She didn't listen to my order, and continued walking along the side of Cesar.

"Christine, stop wasting time!"

She didn't answer me, and I knew she was extremely angry.

"We have a better chance at finding her if you're up here with me."

"Really, Erik? In that case, I'd rather walk."

"Christine!" I sneered. "This is not the time nor place for an argument. We'll argue later, let's just work together and find our daughter!"

"What? Me? The victim? Your victim?"

"Christine!"

"Oh, the victim and her rapist, working together to find our bastard child…."

"Christine!" I was losing my patients with her as she continued to act like a complete child.

"Is that what I am to you, Erik? Your victim? Someone you fucked out of lust due to being a virgin up until your midlife crises?"

"Christine, enough! You know it's not what I meant."

"Really? Because I heard it pretty clear, Erik, I wasn't deaf!"

"I did it for your protection! Now stop this and get up here with me!"

Finally, Christine lifted up her hand, and I was able to grab it and pull her up to my level. I sat her in front of me, and wrapped my hands around her waist as we continued following the dogs.

I was so cold, and my body shivered up against Christine's. I tried to hide it as much as possible, but being out in the cold weather was starting to get to me.

"Erik, are you cold?"

Christine sounded kinder than she had an hour ago, but I knew once we found our daughter things were probably going to turn ugly between us. Perhaps not in our relationship, but an argument was not out of the question.

"A little…" was all I could muster as I violently coughed again.

"Maybe you should let me sit behind you." she suggested. "I could wrap my arms around you and keep your body warm."

I was slipping fast, making Christine's suggestion sound like the better one. I agreed, and carefully helped her move behind me. Once situated, I felt her arms wrap themselves under my arms, and slip through my cloak and under my shirt. Her hands chilled my chest at first, but soon, my body warmed with the sensation of her hands massaging my heart. But that wasn't all she did…..I felt her mouth blowing her warm breath against my neck….

"Erik, your skin is so cold." she suddenly gasped.

"I'm…I'm fine."

"Erik, you need to get home. You don't look well at all and you know what the doctor said."

"Christine, we're so close. I won't give up on my daughter…."

"Erik, you're going to die if we stay out past sunset. Your body won't be able to take the drop in temperature."

"And neither will Eudora's." I snapped.

Suddenly, the dogs began barking, and running towards the coaster. I charged Cesar as fast as he could run. I even heard some of my employees yelling for me.

"Boss, we've found her!"

And they did. My daughter must have gotten soaked on the beach, hence the reason her scarf washed up onto shore. After that, she must have sought out shelter from the air, and came to the coaster hoping to hide up on the covered porch, only to fall through a small trap door I had kept open when closing the park for the winter. She was sitting below, in the shaft, curled up into a soaking heap, and sobbing. She was also covered in grease from head to toe…. Damn me for leaving the trap door open! The trap door was something I had built in order to make it easier to repair the coaster whenever it broke down because it lead underneath the tracks. If there was something wrong with the coaster chain, all I had to do was crawl into the trap door and walk a little to the left….the track would be completely over my head, and easier to repair…..

Mr. Squelch reached inside the eight foot drop, and pulled my crying daughter out. My first natural instinct was to run over to Eudora and scoop her up into my arms, but I didn't….Christine did, but I couldn't find it within my heart to do the same. She hated me, and I couldn't blame her for doing so. All her life she had known me as nothing more than her uncle, and now that she knew it was all a lie, she was frightened. She didn't know me as a daughter should know their father, in fact, she knew hardly anything at all.

On the way back to my flat, I rode on Cesar as Christine walked beside me carrying Eudora's shivering and sleeping body in her arms.

When I saw that my daughter was trembling, I tore off my cloak and handed it to Christine.

"Keep her warm, Christine."

"But what about you?"

I was shivering, but we were almost home.

"I'm fine."

Christine wrapped my cloak around Eudora's body, and her shivering seemed to stop. Before returning Cesar to his stable, I let Christine into the flat, and traveled alone. The stables were now quiet….too quiet. I backed Cesar into his gate, and brushed his dark main, thinking about what to do once I got home.

"Am I a monster, Cesar?" I groaned, brushing his muzzle.

"All I meant to do was make things right. She doesn't deserve to be treated like a monster when she's an angel."

Cesar stomped his front hoof down on the cobble ground, and neighed.

"Glad some body agrees with me."

When I turned my back to hang up Cesar's brush, his muzzle pushed violently against my back.

"Or not….That's fine. I would suspect you to be on Christine's side when she sneaks you treats while I'm not looking."

Cesar huffed, and stomped his hoof.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

With that, I locked up the stables, and began walking home as it began snowing again. By the time I made it to my flat I was so out of breath, that I couldn't even walk up the stairs. By the time I made it to my door I was coughing so hard that I began tasting blood. I walked through the door, and to my bedroom without even searching for my love and daughter. I quickly changed into my pajamas, and crawled into bed, still cold and coughing.

"Erik, you sound absolutely horrible."

I rolled over, and saw Christine entering the room in her robe. She went for my cough medicine, and poured some onto a spoon. Without another word, she held it up to my lips, and made sure that I drank it.

"How's Eudora?" I asked.

Christine set the bottle of medicine down on the night table, and covered me up.

"She's asleep. She's hardly said a word. I don't blame her, she's had a traumatizing day."

"Right. She knows she has a monster as a father."

"Erik…. Please, don't even bring that part up. She doesn't know what you look like. I was talking about her fall into the trap door."

"I guess you're blaming that on me too."

"I said nothing of the sort, Erik!"

"But you're thinking it though, am I right?"

"Goodnight, Erik."

With that, Christine turned and began walking towards the hallway.

"Christine." I quickly sat up wondering where she was going. "Where are you going?"

"To bed." she coldly stated.

"But isn't this….."

I put my head down, feeling the pain of her possibly not loving me returning.

"Erik, don't give me that look. I just think it's better for me to sleep somewhere else tonight."

"Because you're mad at me for what I did today."

"Erik…."

"Christine, please don't leave me alone. We just got back together, after all these years of being separated. We can work things out…please."

Christine paused, and then slowly walked over to my bed before finally crawling in beside me.

"I'm not mad at you for what you did, Erik." she told me, brushing the gray strands of hair on my head. "I'm mad at what you did to yourself."

"I'm not important, Christine. I didn't want to ruin your name. It's my fault….I'm a man who acted out on his lust for you."

I felt her hand slap me across the face, and I lifted my own hand to sooth the pain.

"Don't you ever say that. You make it sound like I didn't want any part of it. We loved each other, Erik, and we acted out on it and a child was made."

"Even so, our daughter hates me."

Her hand caressed my face gently as she pressed her lips to my own.

"She's frightened, Erik, but our love will set things straight. It may take some time, but she will understand."

"Yes, understand, but not love."

She kissed me again, and pressed her body close to my own.

"You just need to concentrate on getting better, Erik. Get some rest."

With that I closed my eyes, hoping my daughter would learn to love me…..

Please review! Love you all!