Erik's POV

How could I ever step into the world again after having been humiliated in front of the entire island? That's what I thought about on most days as I sat up in my bedroom staring out the window. Even after endless days and hours of soaking my flesh in alcohol, the patches of the black tar were still stuck to my flesh. I felt even more hideous than I had felt before. Even so, my park still needed to be ran, and things needed to be done. So that I didn't have to be out during the day, I had Mr. Squelch take care of it. Though, at night, after my park closed down, only then did I dare to emerge in order to take care of business.

"You've missed another one of my performances, Erik," Christine sighed, walking into the room, still dressed in her performance attire. "Then again, that's been the usual with you. What's wrong with you, ange?..."

Christine sat the tray down on my night table, but I completely ignored her.

"All you do is sit up here day after day, staring down at the world as if you're a monster…"

I didn't say a word, only took the newspaper with my picture on the front page and held it up so that Christine could see it. She sighed and pulled it from my hands.

"Erik, why do you insist on doing this to yourself? The man is evil, and this isn't the last time he'll try to warn you about ruining his park. Erik, why don't you go to the police? Why won't you do something? That man hurt you…It isn't the same anymore. In today's world, you can't just let anyone harm you. There is a law against that."

"You wouldn't understand a damn thing about anything, Christine!" I growled.

Yes, I should have held my tongue, but if there was one thing I loathed, it was when Christine babied me.

"Erik, you don't have to be so harsh. I was only trying to speak my mind."

"And sometimes, your mind should keep itself quiet. Encase you've forgotten, I am, after all, still Paris' most wanted man. I can't just walk into a police station and complain if you haven't noticed! Wonderful idea, Christine. Thank you…Now, please, leave me be."

"You know, Erik, when you're angry, you get miserable. I hate you when you're miserable…"

"And I hate it when you baby me like a child! You have a child, Christine, and you need to go to him and leave me be…"

"Fine," Christine growled. "Clean your face on your own…"

While Christine stomped towards the door, I turned to her and shouted.

"If you haven't noticed, the tar hasn't been coming off!"

When my door slammed closed, I groaned and tipped over the basin of water. From there, I grabbed my cloak and headed out the door, too angry to stay in this household a moment longer. After storming through my closed park, I headed towards the beach, passing the boardwalk along the way where Gustave was sitting in his abandoned boat. Oh, what was he doing out here this late? Not that it was any of my business, but a child of his age shouldn't be left alone.

"Gustave, it's late…Why are you out here, boy?"

"I…I heard you and mama screaming in the house. I didn't want to be there with all the shouting. You've become miserable, Mr. Erik…"

I took a seat beside him and sighed. "Well, boy, can you blame me? I have a right to be angry with the world and myself."

I felt Gustave's fingers running along the tar that was still stuck to my neck. I knew it would be days, possibly weeks before it would completely come off.

"Does it hurt when mama washes your face, Mr. Erik?"

"Terribly…Sometimes I feel as though she's rubbing my flesh raw. It hurts…But, then again, the entire world hurt me when they laughed at that photo in the paper. It's been their usual joke ever since. Here I am, attempting to run a clean business and then, people like Mr. Tilyou come along and destroy it all. He's trying to run me out of town…Trying to close down my kingdom that I have spent months building for the world. And all because I'm making more money by doing so."

"Mama always tells me to hold my head high, Mr. Erik. She tells me to never let anyone's words hurt me. People are mean, especially people like Mr. Tilyou. But you shouldn't let what he does to you stop you from ever doing what you love. I know you love Phantasma, Mr. Erik…"

"Come along, boy, it's time to go home."

I scooped Gustave's body up into my arms and carried him the rest of the way home. Once there, I drew a bath for him and began undressing the boy.

"Mr. Erik, will you read to me before I go to sleep?"

"Of course, Gustave…"

"You know, Mr. Erik, tomorrow is my birthday."

"It is?"

Gustave nodded. "Yes, I will be six tomorrow…"

"And what does the birthday boy want for his birthday?"

Gustave shrugged his shoulders. "Mama never really has enough money for presents, Mr. Erik."

"Well, I'm sure that will change seeing that she works for me now. I already paid her for each night that she has sung for me. I'm sure she went out and bought you something really special for your birthday."

"Mr. Erik, what did your mama give to you for your sixth birthday?"

I stopped to think for a moment, remembering all the birthdays that had come and gone in my life. Even when my mother asked me what I had wanted, I told her a kiss, and yet, she couldn't even give me that.

"It's nothing…" I stammered. "Nothing…"

"Nothing?" the boy questioned. "But how could that be true?"

"Perhaps it is because I wanted something that was impossible for her to give."

"Was it too much money?"

"Not quite, Gustave…It was something free in life. Well, maybe it was free to others, but for people like me, there was always a price that came along with it."

"What was it, Mr. Erik?"

"I…I asked for two kisses, Gustave. One for now, and one to save. My mother, of course never gave me anything I wanted. She always forbid me to feel the simple pleasures in life."

"I'm sorry about your mama, Mr. Erik…I wish you had my mama for a mama when you were small. My mama loves everyone."

After rinsing out the boy's locks, I lifted him from the tub, only to feel his lips upon my twisted cheek.

"For you, Mr. Erik…One for now and one to save. Though, I would kiss you anytime you wanted. Your face isn't disgusting or revolting."

"Enough, Gustave," I kindly gestured. "Enough…It's time for bed now."

After tucking the boy in bed, I closed the door and headed towards the stairs, still in awe about feeling his lips upon my cheek. The boy was special, oh, so special. If I was to ever have a child, I would want him to be it. The boy didn't find anything in this world revolting enough to turn away.

"Erik, there you are…"

I was just walking up the stairs, when I heard Christine's voice. She smiled at me, but I couldn't even look at her.

"You know, Erik, this is exactly why I didn't want to tell Gustave about us yet. It's times like these that make me regret agreeing to be with you. Even when you're angry, you turn me away as if I am the monster. I wasn't the one who threw tar at you, and I wasn't the one who snapped those pictures. And yet, when one person does something, the entire world is to blame, even me…"

"Christine, I am not blaming you for any of this. Being alone is just the way I deal with things. I've always been alone through my pain, which is why I find it easier to deal with when I'm by myself. I don't know how to cry upon someone's shoulder, nor do I know how to take sympathy from someone…I am a creature of the night, one who has lived in solitude for far too long…"

"And I'm trying to change that, Erik… I'm trying to change that and yet, you won't even give me a chance. If solitude is what you wish for, Erik, then why did you give me that ring? Why am I wearing it, if all you wish for is solitude? Having sex and then throwing me aside when it comes to your feelings and emotions is not what a relationship is. In a relationship, you tell one another everything, hurtful or not."

"Right," I sneered. "Because you're the relationship expert. I forgot about your loving Fop…"

This was all Christine needed to hear, for she came marching up the stairs after me and slapped me across the face. Oh, this got my blood boiling. I grabbed hold of her wrist and pinned the woman against the wall.

"Madame, if there is one thing I expect from you, it is respect! I have never once disrespected you, nor have I ever hit you… I deserve the same treatment."

"Get off of me!"

I pressed my weight against her own, pushing her harder against the wall.

"Touch me again, Christine and I won't think twice about doing the same to you."

"Erik, stop this… You're not yourself…"

"Not myself?!" I snapped. "You've got a lot of nerve…"

I attempted to step back, but as I did so, Christine shoved me. At this point, I didn't have my footing to where I could stand straight, causing me to stumble backwards and fall down the stairs. When I landed at the bottom step, my head crash landed against the nearest wall, the stitches that had been applied to my exposed skull area torn. Christine regretted what she had done, for she came barreling down the stairs.

"Erik, I'm so, so sorry…I…I didn't mean for you to fall."

She grabbed a towel to press against my head and helped me to my feet. But I was far from being over my anger.

"Get out of my house! I want you and that boy to leave this instant! Out! Out!"

"Erik, stop this… You're being a monster."

Blood now stained my hand as I tore through the bottom half of my house. I grabbed the woman by the throat and threw her outside. But did Christine give up then? Of course not… She broke through the door, grabbing my arm to pull me into the bathroom, but I wasn't listening to her.

"Erik, you need help…"

"I do not need any help! I've never needed any help, Christine! I can take care of myself! Out! I don't want you here anymore! I want you to leave and never come back…"

"And I know you don't mean that!" she cried. "I know that you're just angry about everything that has happened. I know that you don't mean a damn thing! Now stop this and come into the bathroom and get cleaned up. Your wound needs re-stitching."

My boiling blood had calmed, leaving me as a man once again. Knowing that I didn't have the strength to fight this off any longer, I followed Christine into the bathroom and sat quietly as she stitched my bleeding wound.

"Christine?"

"Yes, Erik?"

"Forgive me for grabbing you by the throat…I…I never meant to harm you, ange… No, I am simply a monster who takes things way too far. I don't deserve to wear this ring upon my finger, nor do you deserve to do so either."

I was reaching for my ring, when Christine stopped me from removing it.

"Not tonight, Erik. We all make mistakes…But, I do have a better way that you can repay me."

"Anything…"

And that was how I was roped into helping Christine with Gustave's birthday. Not that I cared about helping out, for the boy was like a son to me. He was my best friend and so, I promised to help Christine with anything that she had planned for him. Even though my head was pounding the following morning, I was forced to wake up extra early and head to the bakery to pick up Christine's cake that she had ordered nearly a week ago. It was an extremely hot day, and the woman hadn't given the details of his party, but I didn't bother asking. Instead, I did as she asked me to do and picked up the cake and brought it back to the house.

"So, Christine, what do you have planned for the boy?" I asked, placing the cake down on the counter.

"Thank you for picking that up," she said, handing me a balloon. "Here, blow this up. I have to be finished decorating before he wakes."

I wasn't sure what Christine had bought the boy for his birthday, but for the past few weeks during my travels, I had been picking up small gifts that I had stored away for Gustave for when special occasions arrived. This was most certainly one of them, which was why I had wrapped up the best gift of them all…Oh, he was going to love it. I had wanted to save it for next Christmas, (if, or when that day ever arrived,) but this seemed to be a better day.

"You'll never guess where I'm taking him today?"

"And where would that be?"

"To the beach, of course… Don't you think that he'll love that?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Christine, it is his special day. He's been to the beach over a billion times. He goes there every day. No, I think I have something that would be ten times better."

"And what's that?"

"I order seafood from a fisherman who docks his boat on the other side of the island. A friend of his is a pirate of sorts and I believe that he came in last night to see his friend. If I could arrange it, I believe a tour of his ship would make the boy even more happy than anything in the world."

"You would do that?" Christine gasped.

"For him, of course I would…Now, I'm going to go have a chat with my fisherman, so, why don't you wait until the boy wakes and bring him down to the docks in an hour or so…And don't tell him where you're taking him."

"Erik…I…"

"Don't say anything, Christine."

"If you can do this for Gustave, I'll never be able to repay you…"

"No need to, Christine. Besides, the boy deserves to have the best birthday in the world."

With that, I gave the woman a quick peck on the lips and headed outside to start my day. Oh, this was going to certainly be a birthday Gustave would never forget.

All right, some anger, some fluff, and then, more fluff. Please review everyone!