Erik's POV

The following morning I awoke and started to boil some water over the stove. The sun wasn't even up yet, when Gustave came walking out into the kitchen carrying his kitten. I had almost forgotten about the small ball of fur that I had allowed Gustave to keep. The boy sat down at the kitchen table and placed the kitten on the table top.

"Gustave, not in the kitchen," I replied, turning to face my son. The boy scooped the kitten up into his arms and smiled.

"Sorry, Mister Y."

"So, have you come up with a name yet?"

"I've tried a lot of names, but he doesn't respond to any of them."

"Well what names have you tried?"

"Well, I tried Bubbles, Kitty, Stripes and BoBo…"

"No wonder the cat hasn't responded to any of them," I chuckled. "They're horrible names. Stripes? He doesn't even have any stripes. Oh, you have to be more creative than that, Gustave."

"Like how?"

"Well, do you know his type of cat were considered royal?"

"Really?"

I nodded. "They sat on the thrones with pharos. Sometime, they were even buried with them when they died."

Gustave pondered for a few moments and then smiled. "Egypt…"

"Egypt?" I questioned.

He nodded. "Yes, that's what I'm going to call him. For short, I'll call him Egy…"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "I believe he likes it."

"Mister Y, your party is tonight, isn't it?"

I nodded and approached the table with my cup of tea.

"It is…"

"Well, I've been working on my costume for the party all week. Mr. Khan said that it would keep me busy."

"Well, what have you come up with?"

"I want it to be a surprise. I'll show you later…Though, what I really wanted to ask, was what you were going to dress up as?"

"I…I don't normally dress up, Gustave."

"And why not? Why don't you dress up, Mister Y? It is a costume party, after all."

"Perhaps, but dressing up and being a part of something like that isn't truly my type of entertainment. I only throw the party in order to give my employees some kind of reward at the end of every season. Being a part of the celebration was never something I enjoyed."

"Because you were alone?"

"It's part of the reason."

"Well, how come you never asked anyone to dance? I'm sure you have a lot of girls working for you? That's what my papa always did at parties, anyway."

Oh, this made my blood boil. How dare that fop ask another woman to dance, when Christine and he were married! If Christine were here now, I would never ask another woman to dance ever again. She was everything I ever needed…

"I guess I'm the shy and silent type, Gustave."

"You shouldn't be. How are you supposed to ask anyone to dance, if you don't approach them?"

I smiled and lifted the boy up onto the counter. "Gustave, you must understand that your mother meant everything to me. Sometimes, people only love one person their entire life, even after that person dies. That's how I am, Gustave. Your mother might be gone, but she will always hold my heart. That's why I can't love another."

"Well, you love me, don't you?" he curiously asked.

"Of course, with all that I am, Gustave."

"Then I'll be your date tonight."

I chuckled and ran my fingers through his dark locks. "I will hold you to it, Gustave."

"Wait until you see Mr. Khan's outfit…It's sparkly."

I rolled my eyes, already envisioning the ridiculous attire the man would come dressed in.

"Would you like to help me decorate?"

"Would I ever!"

With that being said, I scooped the boy up and we headed towards the hall where my hallow's eve ball would be held. I had my employees bring out the boxes of decorations and ordered them to leave them on the floor. Gustave was already running from box to box and pulling out the orange and black ornaments.

"Slow down, Gustave," I ordered. "You're going to tangle the streamers and decorations."

"Everything looks so scary…"

"Indeed." I said, pulling out a long, black streamer. "Help me hang this…"

The child obeyed and we spent the afternoon hanging streamers and skull shaped ornaments. The finishing touch was the pumpkins we had carved. I set them out all over the hall, while Gustave came behind me with a match, lighting each candle that had been placed inside of them.

"Everything looks great, Mister Y!"

"It is, Gustave."

I scooped the boy up into my arms, looking outside at the setting sun.

"The food and music shall be here soon. I believe we should go back to the house and get ready before Nadir comes strolling around."

When Gustave agreed, he and I headed home. Once there, the boy ran to his room to dress, and I headed upstairs to rustle something up. I rummaged through my closet, not really being interested in dressing up. Though, from behind me, I heard Christine's voice.

"I have just the perfect outfit."

I spun around to see her standing at an old trunk that was placed at the end of my bed. No…I wouldn't go there. She reached inside of the open lid and pulled out the cape to my red death outfit, the same outfit I had worn on the night of the Paris Masquerade ball. No…I couldn't possibly wear this.

"Put that away, Christine," I angrily warned, pressing my eyes closed. "Put it away."

"It's dashing, don't you think?"

"No…Absolutely not. It would do nothing but bring back horrible memories. No, Christine…Please…"

But Christine didn't listen to me. She simply approached me with my red fedora that matched the outfit and placed it atop of my head.

"There, all that's missing now is the mask."

"No, Christine, please…"

The woman pressed her lips against my own and smiled.

"These memories should be good ones. On that night, you crashed an entire party…"

She was laughing, but I wasn't… How could I laugh?

"I don't wish to wear this, Christine. I don't want to wear this costume."

"It must mean something to you, Erik. Otherwise, you wouldn't have kept it. This costume is meant to be worn to a party…What better night to wear it on, but tonight? Wear it. Create new memories with it."

She placed the red cape into my hands along with the pants and jacket.

"You will look dashing in it."

I looked down at the garments and tried to smile.

"Christine, would you accompany me to the ball tonight?"

The woman smiled. "And what? I have nothing to wear…Besides, you already have a date."

"What are you talking about…"

Before she could answer, I heard Gustave's voice.

"Is that what you're wearing? Oh, you look wicked, Mister Y!"

I spun around to face Gustave at the doorway. Only, he was hard to recognize because he was wearing a black suit with white bones painted on every inch of it, and his head was covered by a pot that had been painted orange, with eyes and a scary face cut out of it.

"You look…scary," I said.

"Thank you, Mister Y…Mr. Khan helped me with the pumpkin head, but I did everything else myself. I'm Pumpkin head…well, one that has a skeleton body."

"Very creative."

"And what are you supposed to be?"

I looked down at the costume and shooed the child out of my room.

"I shall show you in a minute."

When the boy was gone, I changed into my costume, and pulled the door open again. The boy's jaw dropped the moment he seen me standing there.

"That is the best costume I have ever seen, Mister Y. What are you?"

"I am Red Death, Gustave."

"Wow…that's so scary, Mister Y. I really like it."

"Your mother did as well…"

"Mama saw you in this costume?"

I nodded. "Yes, a long, long time ago before you were born. The Paris opera house had an annual masquerade ball."

Gustave hopped up onto my bed and removed his mask. It was obvious that he was interested in the story."

"Tell me more…"

"What more do you wish to know?"

"Well, was mama your date?"

"I wish that she had been, but no… She went with your…um…She went with Raoul."

"I would have gone with you, Mister Y. How come mama didn't go with you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. I guess it's because I didn't ask her. Your mother was seeing Raoul at the time, and it angered me. I guess it made me jealous."

"Did mama dance with you?"

"No…She didn't…"

"I don't like this story, Mister Y… It seems as though that evening made you really sad."

"It did…Which is why I don't go to public events. Seeing other people dancing and having fun makes me sad in a way. I never had that joy in my life."

"If it makes you feel any better, Mister Y, I'll dance with you tonight."

I chuckled. "That's very kind of you, Gustave."

Before either of us could say another word, I heard someone knocking at the door.

"That would be Nadir," I replied, lifting the boy from off of my bed.

Gustave grabbed his mask and laughed. "Let me scare him, papa!"

"All right," I chuckled. "Go ahead. Though, I don't believe the man is scareable. He has seen more things in this lifetime than one man should."

"I'm going to try though…"

The child ran down the stairs and opened the door, growling as he did so. Nadir smiled and backed away, laughing.

"You frightened me, monsieur Pumpkin head."

"Really?"

Nadir patted Gustave on the head and entered. Of course, Nadir had to come dressed in one of his Persian attires, hat and all. Though, the only thing that made his outfit a little eye catching was the fact that the entire thing was covered in glitter.

"Not bad, wouldn't you say, Erik?" Nadir questioned, standing in front of me with a smile.

"When I told you I was having a costume ball, that didn't mean to come dressed like you're about to go to dinner with the Shah."

Nadir took this as in insult, for his smile instantly faded, leaving him standing there angered.

"How dare you say that to me, Erik! Like you have the nerve to speak about costumes, when you're dressed in that Red Death outfit…The same outfit Christine ran away from."

Oh, I would surely kill this man! Gustave spun around after hearing Nadir say those exact words. He wasn't smiling any more either, and he seemed upset, if not curious.

"Papa, why did mother run away from you?"

"Oh, now you've done it, Persian! How dare you speak about Christine around the boy?! You know that we're going through a rough time!"

"It's nothing, Gustave," Nadir said, spinning around to face him. "Sometimes adults say things they don't mean. Come along, let us head to the party."

Even when I arrived at my crowded hall, I stayed away from the crowds. I had been sort of looking forward to the ball, but ever since Nadir brought up the Paris masquerade ball, my interest quickly faded. While everyone danced and had a great time, I found myself outside in the hallway, leaning over one of my white rails and staring at the ocean. In my hands, I held my red fedora, my fingers running nervously over its red velvet.

"Why are you out here, Erik?"

Beside me, Christine appeared. Though, I didn't face her, I only continued looking down at my hat.

"Erik, what's wrong?"

"Why did you run away from me that night?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The night of the Paris masquerade ball…Why did you run away from me when I arrived?"

"You did frighten everyone, Erik," she chuckled. "But you did know how to make an entry."

Christine was trying to make this funny, but I wasn't feeling the joy in it. No, this would not turn out to be some sort of joke. I was serious and I wanted answers.

"You had his ring around your neck. You know, Christine, I only wanted to come and spend time with you. Back then, I had never danced with a woman before, and I only wanted to do so with you. For years, masquerade balls came and went, but never had I ever attended or danced with anyone. Each year, that night was the only night I could have come and gone as I pleased. Perhaps if I had a date, I would have enjoyed myself. But not, each year while the patrons and employees of the opera house had the night of their life, I sat alone in my lair…Sometimes I cried, but other times I just pounded away the hours on my organ to drown out the joyful music that was coming from above my home."

"Erik, I never knew…" I felt her hand upon my shoulder.

"You never asked," I moved away from Christine's embrace. "Never once did you ever ask me to join you at the ball…Even when I was your angel. No, you always went with Meg Giry. And then, when your interest sparked in the male species, you took Raoul… Never once thinking to ask me."

"And why was it that you never asked me to the ball yourself?"

"I was afraid of being rejected by you. I was afraid you would have laughed, and if you would have done so, it would have killed me, Christine."

"The past is the past, Erik. What matters now is that you're throwing a ball, and in that very hall, you have a son who loves you. He asked you to be his date tonight, and you're here…standing alone and wallowing over things that don't matter anymore. I'm gone, Erik."

"No you're not…" I growled, pressing my eyes closed. "You're here…You're with me. How can you possibly be gone and still here? It drives me mad, Christine, mad! I try to think of the answer to such a problem, but there is no such answer! You're gone, and yet, you're still here."

Christine pressed her hand against my chest. "I'm in here, Erik. That's all you need to know."

I placed my hand over her own, feeling the beating of my heart. I closed my eyes if only for a minute, and in that minute, I heard Gustave's sad voice.

"Papa, why are you out here?"

I opened my eyes to find that Christine was no longer standing before me, and was replaced by Gustave.

"No reason…I just wanted to be by myself, I guess."

"Well, you're missing all the fun."

The small boy took my hand in his own and led me back towards the doors of the hall.

"Mr. Squelch is stacking pumpkins and everyone is bobbing for apples…"

Tonight, I missed Christine more than anything in the world, but at least I had my son.