Erik's POV

My angel's eyes widened when she seen the house we would soon be living in. It was beautiful…Stone with white shutters. There was everything we needed, a yard, a deck that would one day have a swing hanging from it…Oh, it was like a dream come true.

"Erik, are we going to actually live here?" she gasped.

I nodded. "Of course, Christine, only the best for you."

"Can we go in?"

I nodded and opened the front door. Yes, the inside still wasn't complete, but at least my angel could see the space.

"This is beautiful, angel."

And then, she turned and embraced me tightly…Oh, how wonderful it was to have her in my arms.

"When everything is complete, we shall move here." I assured. "Perfect, is it not?"

"Yes."

"Not far from Phantasma, either." I said. "I could commute on the train whenever I needed to."

When Christine yawned, I scooped her up into my arms and headed toward the train station to board the next train headed to Coney Island. Tonight had been absolutely perfect, so perfect that when we arrived back at the hotel, my angel kissed me before crawling into bed. It was lovely to see her smile again…

"Christine, you know that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen?" I questioned, crawling into bed beside her.

"You make me feel beautiful." She mewed, closing her tired eyes.

I, myself was exhausted. So much, that after sending Gustave to bed I lied down beside her.

"Tonight was perfect."

"It was…" I said. "And when we move into our new home, our life shall begin."

"When everything is through, Erik, someday, I would like to marry you."

My heart stopped within my chest. Marriage? My angel wanted to marry me?

"Y…You do?"

"Yes. How could I deny such a thing? I love you, Erik."

"I love you too, Christine."

"Hold me…"

And I did just that. After a few moments of laying there with my eyes closed, I rose to my feet. Tomorrow night I would catch the three men who harmed my angel, and by God, they would pay for their crimes. I looked out upon my park, gazing at the boats sailing across the ocean. I was tired, but not tired enough to lie down and let the worries of tomorrow pass. Instead, I entered the small kitchen of my hotel room, placing a kettle of water on the stove to boil. Tea always helped me place my worries aside, and therefore, I would sit in silence and enjoy a cup.

"Papa?"

I turned to see my child walking around the corner rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"I had a nightmare."

"Did you now?" I questioned, lifting the boy into my arms. "I guess you and I should talk about it then."

I sat him on my only knee, patting him on the back to calm him down.

"I don't like nightmares, papa."

"Well, who does, Gustave? But, the best thing to remember is that they aren't real. Dreams can't hurt us, Gustave."

"Why do I have nightmares?" he questioned.

"Perhaps because I get them myself. I have always gotten nightmares, Gustave. My past has been a horrible one. Though, you've lived a lavish life so far…"

"I'm not one to get frightened over things, but nightmares do scare me. Especially when I wake alone. I do hate it."

"You're not alone." I said. "You have your mother and me."

When the kettle began to whistle, I sat the boy aside and rose to pour my cup of tea.

"How come you're up, Mister Y? I thought you said you were tired. Did you have a nightmare too?"

I chuckled. "No, Gustave. I'm just worried about some things."

"What sort of things?"

I came back to the table and began to sip on my drink.

"Nothing of importance." I lied. "Just somethings."

"I think you and I did a great job tonight, papa… I believe mother was extremely happy."

"Yes, Gustave, I believe she was. We make a great team."

My son hugged me and smiled. "Will you tuck me in?"

"Will I tuck you in?" I teased. "If you wish."

Once more, I lifted my son up into my arms and carried him back into his room. I even tickled his stomach as I laid him down into the blankets. Oh, how it lifted my soul to hear him giggle.

"Raoul never tucked me in. He said that only babies need tucking in."

"Well," I brushed his locks with my fingers. "I was never tucked in as a child."

"Never?"

"Never once."

"Well, I love it when you tuck me in, Mister Y."

"I do too."

My son clutched his stuffed bear to his chest as I covered him with his blankets, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I love you, Mister Y…"

"I love you too. Get some rest, Gustave and I'll see you in the morning."

"You promise, Mister Y?"

"Promise."

And with that, I headed towards the door. I was about to turn the lights off, when he called for me again.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Gustave?"

"Leave the lights on, please…"

"I believe I shall get you a nightlight once we are settled in our new home."

"I love the dark, Mister Y." he assured. "I embrace it just like you do. Though, my nightmares scare me. I do hate waking alone."

"So do I. But, I have your mother to wake up next to now…It makes me feel better."

"When will I get someone to wake up next to, papa?"

I chuckled. "When you find the right woman. And when you do, she will make you feel as loved as your mother makes me feel."

"Goodnight, Mister Y."

And with that, I left Gustave alone, returning the kitchen to finish my tea and return to bed with my Christine.

Gustave's POV

It was horrible! I woke later that night from another nightmare. Even this time, the lights did not make me feel any better.

"Papa?" I scurried from my room and headed down the hall in order to find Mister Y. He was lying fast asleep beneath the blankets with my mother, his mask and wig removed and lying on the night table. His leg was also leaning against it.

"Mister Y?" I shook his shoulder, causing him to stir. "Mister Y…"

When his eyes were open, he sat up, running his fingers through his sparse locks.

"Gustave?" he reached over on the night table for his watch, he opened it to read the time. "It's nearly three. What's wrong?"

"I had another nightmare."

"Gustave, nightmares can't hurt you."

"But I'm scared."

"Erik…"

My mother began to exhaustedly stir, sitting up and running her fingers through her curls.

"Angel, what's wrong?"

"Gustave had a nightmare."

"Aww, sweetheart."

My mother lifted me up into bed with her and hugged me.

"It's all right, Gustave. Nightmares can't hurt you, love. I'll sing to you if you'd like."

I nodded and snuggled into my mother's shoulder while she hummed to me.

"Mother, could I sleep with you tonight? I don't want to go back to my room…"

"Of course sweetheart."

My mother laid me down beside her and covered me up. Afterwards, I closed my eyes and snuggled into Mister Y's chest.

"I told you time and time again, Gustave… Nightmares can't hurt you, boy." My papa ran his fingers through my hair.

"I'm scared."

"And there isn't anything to be frightened of."

And as my mother sang to me, I fell into a dreamless slumber.

Erik's POV

"Even when we were in Paris, he always got nightmares." Christine said, as I lied there beside her with my eyes closed. It was late, and all I wanted to do was sleep. And yet, my angel was lying beside me, speaking to me as if I were still awake. Yes, I was, but I wanted nothing more than to sleep.

"I told him time and time again that nightmares can't hurt him. Yes, they are sometimes scary, but one must learn to roll over and go back to sleep."

"I'm sure he'll grow out of it, love…"

I then opened my eyes to look at my beautiful angel. She seemed exhausted as well, but why she refused to sleep was beyond me.

"Angel, I love talking to you, but I would enjoy going to sleep. I have to wake early, and I haven't slept yet."

My angel smiled and brushed her hand against my cheek.

"He's so beautiful when he sleeps isn't he?" she questioned, referring to Gustave, who was sleeping soundly beside her.

"Yes, he is."

"He looks like you."

"Oh, really?" I teased, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You really suppose so?"

"I know so."

Finally, I yawned, and settled down beside her.

"Christine, I believe it's time to sleep now."

Christine snuggled into my chest and sighed deeply.

"You know, it's hard to sleep when I'm beside you?"

"How so?"

"Because I've never been so happy, Erik. When I'm beside you, time stands still… I could lie here for hours staring at you, talking to you…It's amazing, it's love. That's how I know…"

"How you know what?"

"How I know that I love you. Even when I was with Raoul, I never used to stare at him, like I stare at you. When I'm lying here beside you, it's as if I can't bear to sleep. I love you, Erik."

I pressed my angel's knuckles to my lips, savoring the feeling of her flesh against it.

"You know, for ten years, I lied awake at night wishing you were here beside me. Some nights I couldn't even bear to sleep… I worked, paced the floor, worked some more, eventually passing out over my work in a fitful sleep. I've never slept so well, as I do now, angel."

Christine smiled and pressed her lips against my own.

"Remember when you and I made love over ten years ago? Remember when we finished and settled down beside one another just like this?"

I nodded. "I never forgot about it, Christine."

"I've imagined that night for years. Even when I slept beside Raoul, I still imagined it. Some nights I felt like getting up and coming to find you. Some nights, I felt like fleeing Paris."

"What stopped you?" I questioned.

"I had a baby…It wouldn't have looked good, Erik. But, even so, I still never stopped thinking about you."

"Me neither."

"What about you?" Christine questioned.

"What about what?"

"Why haven't you ever come searching for me?"

"I left you so that you would be happy, Christine. It hurt me every day to know that I left you, but I had to…You understand why, Christine, you know what I did was right."

"Even so, I wish that you would have never done it. I knew what I was getting into the moment I agreed to lay with you that night. If I didn't think it to be right, then I wouldn't have returned to you. You mean more to me than life itself…God chose you to be my lifelong love, for he allowed us to create a beautiful child with one another."

"I'm here now." I cooed. "And I promise you that I will never, ever leave you again. Do you believe me, angel? Please…I must here it for myself. Please know that no matter what, you're stuck with me until the day I die. There is nothing you or I could do that would make me feel the need to run away from my problems again."

"And I feel the same way, Erik. I love you. I shall never leave you ever again."

"Good." I pressed a kiss to her beautiful lips. "Now, it's late and we must sleep."

"Do we have to?" she yawned.

"Yes, angel. We have the next sixty years or so to spend every night awake and talking until the sun comes up."

And with that, we both closed our eyes and fell into a dreamless slumber.

Christine's POV

The following morning when I woke, Erik was still asleep beside me. I knew he was exhausted and decided to let him sleep. I wasn't sure what he had planned for the day, but rose and dressed, preparing myself to make breakfast. I left my son asleep beside Erik and headed into the kitchen. A few moments later, I heard someone rummaging from the next room, only to find Erik sitting at his desk. I wasn't sure what he was up to, but approached him from behind and embraced his shoulders. The moment he felt my contact, he covered his work with his hands defensively, as if he didn't want me to see whatever it was that he was working on. But why? He was never like this. No matter what sort of music he was working on, he never once covered it from my eyes.

"Erik, what's wrong?"

"What are you doing?" he questioned. "Can't you see that I'm working?"

"And why are you acting like this all of a sudden? What's so secret?"

"None of your business."

Deciding not to anger him, I backed away and wallowed back into the kitchen to continue with making breakfast.

"Christine?"

I didn't even turn when I heard his voice. If there was one thing that angered me, it was ignorance. I wasn't even interested in seeing what he was writing, but he thought just that.

"Go away, Erik." I sighed. "You already angered me."

"I can be a monster at times."

"And we've had this conversation numerous times before. Why can't you control your anger with me? It bothers me greatly."

"Either way, angel, I'm sincerely sorry about what happened a few moments ago. Forgive me, don't forgive me, it's up to you." And with that, my angel left the kitchen…

Erik's POV

I had angered my angel…oh, why? Why do I always find myself in a rage with her? The only thing I wished to do was shield the papers I was filling out. Those papers being my day's schedule. I didn't want her to see that I was going to meet Raoul at the bar later in the evening, and the only thing I did was anger her. But tonight, everything would be over, over at last. I would have those bastards in my grasp, and then, i would have my revenge. I would torture them, and then, after they were terrorized, I would hand them over to the police. No one hurts my family and gets away from it. Not only that, but after tonight, Christine would be mine forever more. She and I would finally be alone at last, and then, when the time is right, I would ask for her hand in marriage. Our marriage would be perfect…small, and beautiful, in the church of my angel's choice. I wanted to marry her like a normal man, in front of a priest and people….I wanted everyone to know that I was normal and that I had a wife….Yes, it would be perfect. After finishing up my work, I stood up from my desk once more and approached the kitchen to find Christine setting our breakfast down on the table.

"Christine, I truly am sorry." I assured. "You must understand that I have trouble controlling my emotions. I just didn't want you to see whatever it was I was working on."

"And why not?" she angrily questioned. "Why didn't you want me to see it?"

"Because, ange, some things are meant to remain private."

"But you never felt that way before." She argued. "Never once have you ever acted like that. You let me see every score you ever wrote, even when it wasn't finished. What changes that now?"

"It wasn't music." I said. "It was something private. I do like privacy, Christine. At least once in a while, anyway."

"Is it someone else?" she questioned.

I chuckled at such a ridiculous question.

"Someone else? Oh, Christine, now you're talking idiocy."

"Then what? What is it that you didn't want me to see, Erik?"

"It was nothing, Christine, and it better remain that way."

"You're cruel."

With that, she turned away from me. Oh, what could I do to make her feel better? There was nothing I could do. Why was it such a crime to keep things private? Even if I wanted to tell her, I couldn't, for she would get angry at me…. No, it was best to keep things private, no matter how angry she became at me. Oh, damn me, damn me to hell.

"You're acting like a child." I growled. "A selfish child who hasn't gotten her own way with things. Why don't you grow up, Christine, act like the adult that you're supposed to be."

I turned, and not even three seconds later felt something hard, yet soft hit me in the back of the head. It only took a few moments to realize that Christine had thrown her oven mitt at me.

"How dare you?" I growled, picking the oven mitt up off the floor. "Do you know what damage you could do to me? I do have an exposed skull area behind this wig."

"I don't care. You deserved it."

"You're a child."

"And so are you, Erik. Sometimes you anger me."

"And you don't think that you do the same to me?"

"Only because you anger me first."

"I don't have time for this." I growled. "I'm going to continue with my work. If you need me, I shall be in the other room. That is, if you're interested in throwing more kitchen utensils at me."

"You are the child, Erik!"

How badly I wanted to throw the oven mitt back at her, but I knew two wrongs didn't make a right. Therefore, I sucked in my breath and headed towards my desk once more. For I knew soon enough this fight would be over, and life would go on…