Erik's POV

"Gustave, stay still." I scolded as I washed his hair. My son was splashing around in the bathtub as I attempted to wash him. Oh, why was he making such a mess? All I wished to do was get him ready for bed, and yet, he was making it more difficult than it was.

"Please, Gustave." I begged. "Just a moment more."

Since my son didn't have any clean clothes to wear, I slipped him into one of my nightshirts, the length of it passing his feet.

"It's too big." He said, holding up his arms as the sleeves overlapped his hands. "Look at the sleeves."

"It will have to do until I wash your clothes." I said, carrying him out to the couch. But before I could even have him beneath the blankets, he ran over to the window that was facing Phantasma, looking out at all the bright and colorful lights.

"It really is amazing, Mister Y."

"Yes," I said, embracing his shoulder. "It is, isn't it?"

"Could you take me there again?" he yawned.

"Of course. Tell me where you'd like to go and what you want to see. It shall be granted."

"You showed me the freak show the other day, but what about the rides and attractions? Could you show me them too?"

I scooped my boy up into my arms and laid him down beneath the blankets.

"Yes, of course, Gustave. It's late now, so it's time to go to sleep."

"But Phantasma is still open." He yawned again. "Couldn't we go now? Night is so much better for exploring than during the day when the sun is shining. Darkness makes things so much more mysterious."

I could only smile, for this boy was indeed me. Not only did we think the same, but we also looked alike in a way as well. If not for this monstrous face, my boy and I would be twins. Even though my hair has gone grey, it was still apparent that he had been born with my blonde locks.

"Not tonight, Gustave." I said, placing some blankets over his body. "Another night. There is still a few days left until the end of the season. Perhaps when your mother is feeling better we can explore the park together."

"But I want to explore now."

"Then explore it in your dreams, boy."

My son nestled his head into the pillow I had placed there for him. This couch was anything but a bed, but it would have to do for now. Perhaps if Christine agreed to stay with me, we could move someplace else, someplace with more than one room, someplace with a decent backyard for Gustave to play in. I would do anything for Christine, even if that meant moving into a bigger home. It wasn't like I didn't have the money for it. Hell, I had enough money to where my children's children could live happily without working a day in their lives. I would purchase any house my angel desired…I would do anything if only to have her spend the rest of her life with me. Money was no object…

"Goodnight, Mister Y."

"Get some sleep, Gustave."

While my boy and angel slept, I decided to head down to the basement to wash the pile of clothes I had collected. After opening the door in the hall, I carefully stepped down each stair until I was in my mess of a basement. There was a rather large tub that I often used to clean my clothes. After filling up the contraption with soapy water, I threw each garment into the tub, pressing it down beneath the water. This was the least I could do for my angel. She needed clean clothes, and therefore, I would wash every garment she came to Coney Island with. Perhaps I would even purchase a few new outfits for her.

After washing her skirts, I hung them over a clothes line I had hanging from one wall to the other, letting them dry… It would probably take the entire evening, but they would be ready to wear once morning arrived.

"Erik?"

When I heard my name being called, I spun around to spot Christine standing at the top of the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Angel, you should be in bed." I warned.

She slowly stepped down each stair, grasping the railing as she did so. She shouldn't be up out of bed…She wasn't in the right health! I came to her air, rushing to her side and grasping onto her cold hand.

"Christine, you're as cold as death."

"Erik, where am I?"

"Angel," I scooped her body into my arms and carried her back up the stairs despite the pain I was in. I laid her back in my bed, covering her up as she snuggled her face back into my pillows. "Sleep, Christine. We'll talk in the morning."

I stayed by her side until she had completely fallen back asleep. Only then, did I dare leave her side to return to washing clothes. But I could not bring myself to fall asleep. No, after finishing up the wash, I came back upstairs and buried myself in my work. Checks needed to be signed, papers needed to be filled out, and sadly, I was the only one who was able to do it. I owned Phantasma, and therefore, that left me responsible for the hundreds of workers who helped me make Phantasma possible day after day. Oh, my work was never done.

Christine's POV

I wasn't sure what happened after I fell into the bay. When I crashed into the water, the world around me seemed to have just disappeared. But when I opened my eyes, I was not in heaven, nor was I in hell. No, instead, I was back in Erik's four poster bed. How had I gotten here? I sat up, noticing that I was dressed in one of his cotton shirts. Oh, how they smelled of him! After rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I swung my bare feet over the side of his bed, noticing that the kitchen light was on. Curious, I rose and began to make my way straight towards the light. From outside, I could see the sun already rising, making it obvious that I was alive and it was morning.

When I entered the kitchen, the first thing I noticed was Erik standing at the stove, cooking some potatoes. I wasn't sure how I had gotten here, but my angel was here so he obviously must have saved me.

"Erik?"

As soon as I said his name, Erik spun around, looking at me with a look of concern.

"Ange, you should be in bed." He came to my aid, embracing my shoulder to direct me back to his bed.

"Erik, I'm fine, really." I assured.

"You look like death warmed over, angel." He cooed. "Oh, Christine."

"What happened yesterday?" I asked. "What happened to me? All I remember is falling in the bay. Where's Raoul?"

My angel sat me down in the kitchen chair, brushing his fingers against my cheek. "Oh, Christine, I saved you yesterday. Gustave and I were searching for you. We approached the pier to find Raoul standing there looking down at the water…He didn't even jump in to save you, Christine. He just stood there…I jumped in, I saved you."

Everything came rushing back to me. I suddenly remembered my angel saving me, and looking over to see Raoul just standing there. God! How could he just stand there while I was drowning? I would have drowned, if not for Erik. Tears began to fall from my cheeks as Erik embraced me, wrapping his arms protectively around my body.

"It's all right, angel." He cooed. "Everything is going to be all right. Please, please don't cry."

"Thank you…" I cried. "Thank you, so much."

"You had me worried sick, angel."

As my tears slowly came to an end, he reached inside his jacket and pulled out a handkerchief.

"Here," he placed it into my hand. "Blow your nose. Everything is all right, angel."

He stood up, rushing back to his potatoes that were burning over the stove.

"I'm making breakfast." He stated. "I thought we could all use a hearty meal after the events that have taken place during the past few days."

I just nodded, sitting there watching him move from the stove to his cabinets and then back again.

"I'm making your favorite."

"French toast?"

He nodded. "Glad it's still the same. It's been ten years, Christine. I would have thought you'd be different, that your interests would have changed."

"There isn't much that has, Erik."

"Good to know. It's great to know that I'll still be up to date on everything."

"Like I said, nothing much has changed."

"Do you still enjoy your tea with two lumps of sugar?" he questioned, pouring some boiling water into a mug.

I nodded. "My eating habits haven't changed, Erik."

Erik placed a cup of tea down in front of me before turning back to the stove where our breakfast was cooking.

"Something smells good."

From the entrance of the kitchen, Gustave came walking in rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. How funny it was to see him standing in one of Erik's shirts, its length dragging the ground.

"I'm making breakfast." Erik said, pulling out a chair for Gustave to sit in. "We will be eating shortly."

When my son began to walk, he tripped on the shirt, causing him to stumble forward. Erik acted quickly, diving forward to catch him before he landed on the hard kitchen floor.

"Sorry about the length of the shirt." He said, sitting Gustave down in the chair. "It be best that you not move as much. Perhaps it would be better if we went on a little shopping trip."

"Shopping trip?" Gustave questioned.

Erik nodded. "You should have some warmer pajamas. The warm weather is not going to last much longer."

Erik placed a plate stacked with pieces of French toast down in the center of the table and took a seat beside me.

"Hope everything is to your liking." He said. "Dig in."

As Gustave stacked his plate with French toast, I glanced over at Erik to see that he was still wearing his mask. Only when our plates were full did he reach over and pile three slices on his own plate. He cut them with his knife, watching Gustave eating his breakfast. Even as I ate my own meal, I couldn't help but notice that Erik was picking at his breakfast with his fork.

"You have to be hungry." I said, reaching over to touch his hand. "Aren't you?"

He shrugged his shoulders. Oh, I knew he needed to remove his mask in order to eat, and I knew he didn't want to scare Gustave. I took it into my own hands, looking at my son and stopping him from eating.

"Gustave, could you stop eating for a few moments?"

My son put his fork down and looked up at me.

"Sweetheart, Mister Y can't eat with his mask on."

"Christine," Erik's voice was warning me not to go on, but I couldn't help it. I knew he couldn't eat with his mask on, which was the reason why he never ate with me back in Paris.

"Erik, you should be able to eat just as we are." I turned back to Gustave. "Would you mind if he takes off his mask?"

Gustave looked Erik right in the eyes, smiling as he did so.

"I don't mind if you take your mask off, Mister Y."

Silence filled the kitchen. It was so quiet, that I squeezed Erik's hand knowingly.

"Go on, Erik."

"I promise not to be frightened, Mister Y."

Erik's hand shook as he lifted it to his face and removed his mask. And then, my son went back to eating as if his face were no different than his own.

Gustave's POV

Mister Y's eyes glanced at me every few moments as we ate breakfast. I knew he thought I would change my mind about his face, become frightened or repulsed over its hideousness. I couldn't lie and say that he was handsome; because the truth was that he was far from being that. Though, I tried to do as my mother said and look with my heart. Mister Y did have a beautiful soul, one that was kind and filled with my own hobbies and interests. I knew I needed to get used to his face, for it was something that would most likely be in my life for years to come. I wasn't sure that we would ever be returning to Paris again, and if we were to stay here, I knew I was going to have to get used to seeing his face…

"Gustave, your clothes should be down in the basement." Mister Y said. "You and your mother should go down stairs and get dressed. I'll clean up…"

My mother rose with me and walked down the basement stairs with me.

"Mister Y cleaned our clothes," my mother smiled. "That was very kind of him."

I grabbed my shirt that was hanging over the clothesline.

"Mother, are we going to get to see Phantasma today?"

"Maybe, Gustave." My mother said, buttoning my shirt for me. "I'm not sure what we're going to do today. Mister Y still needs his rest."

"He washed your skirts too, mother." I hopped up onto a pile of wooden crates, sitting there as my mother gathered up her clothes and walked behind a corner to change.

"Mother, what are we going to do now?"

"What do you mean, sweetie?"

"Are we returning to Paris? Or are we going to stay here?"

"I'm not sure, love. But, I think we are going to stay here for now."

"Papa didn't jump in to save you yesterday." I said. "He was standing there watching you drown."

Tears began to fall from my cheeks as I thought about my mother. She could have died yesterday…If not for Mister Y, she would have died. Mister Y was a good man, but he didn't know what to do with a child, nor did he know how to care for one. I could take care of myself, but how could I live without my mother?

"Oh, Gustave."

My mother came around the corner, embracing me against her own body.

"You would have died, mother… You could have died. Then what? Mister Y nearly died the other day… I would have been an orphan."

"Oh, Gustave, you're not an orphan. You will never be alone, this I promise you."

"But what if you died? I was so scared yesterday."

My mother rubbed my back, shushing me until cries ceased.

"Gustave, Mister Y will look after you no matter what. But we're together now… Everything will be all right."

"Can we go back up stairs now?"

My mother nodded and began to head towards the stairs. Only then, did Mister Y began to come down into the basement, a pile of clothes in hand.

"I'm going to dress, Christine." He said. "Afterwards we're going to go into town."

Now that Mister Y was here, I decided to stay. When my mother was gone, I continued to sit there on the stack of crates, watching Mister Y disrobe his shirt. I wasn't even sure he knew I was there, for he continued changing. When his shirt was off, I gasped in fright, for every inch of his flesh was covered in lumpy scars.

When I gasped, he looked over, immediately covering his body up with his hands.

"What are you doing down here?" he growled. "You shouldn't be here."

"What happened to you?"

Mister Y lowered the garment, reaching over for the shirt he had carried down with him.

"Please don't tell your mother." He pleaded. "It would repulse her."

"What would repulse her?"

"My body. Oh, Gustave, I'm so hideous."

He buttoned his shirt, grabbing the clean pair of trousers and going around the corner to change in private.

"Mister Y, mother and you made me. She obviously must know about the scars."

"She felt them." He said. "But she hasn't seen me…"

"Mother would understand. Your face is much worse and I'm already used to it."

This caused Mister Y to smile.

"I love your mother." He confessed. "She is the most beautiful woman I have ever met in my entire life. She means more to me than life itself. There isn't a single thing I wouldn't do for her, Gustave."

"Then take her out to dinner."

Mister Y came around the corner fully dressed. He was adjusting his mask and looking at me, confused and probably thinking that I was joking.

"Dinner?" he questioned.

I nodded. "It's been ten whole years since you've seen her. You should treat her to dinner."

Mister Y approached a nearby mirror, adjusting his cravat and staring at his reflection.

"Maybe I will."

"You should. You should go to dinner with her, have a nice dinner and a conversation."

"I own four restaurants in Phantasma." Mister Y continued. "I have private tables at all of them."

"Mother would enjoy dinner with you, Mister Y. I don't think mother is going to return to Paris. She said we might stay here with you. She would enjoy dinner with you."

Mister Y patted me on the head.

"Well, then, I shall ask your mother out to dinner while we're in town."

"Could we go see Phantasma today?"

As Mister Y and I walked up the stairs, he patted me on the back and chuckled.

"Of course, Gustave. I will show you everything…my son."

And I was satisfied with that. What a wonderful day it would be…A wonderful start to my new life here in Phantasma.