Again, wrote most of this in one sitting. So i'm pretty wrecked. Also, its 2am! But this chapter is cute, i think :) It's a nice change from my other story. Don't get me wrong, i love writing drama and suspense... but sometimes its just nice to write about happy, Erik because its SO far from reality... well... fanreality :P

THANK YOU FOR LE SUPPORT!

Phanty belongs to Leroux and Lloyd Weber

Still holding the rose I rushed to the door.

"Are you alright, child?" Madame Giry asked with a stern expression on her face. "People have been asking after you."

"Yes I... I was speaking with my tutor..."

"Ah." She said, nodding knowingly. "I see."

She looked down at the rose in my hands.

"And what did he say?"

"He... just congratulated me." I said, ignoring the slight tone of suspicion I sensed in her voice. I trusted Madame Giry; Ever since I came to the Opera she had been like a mother to me and I had always told her everything, trusted her with every secret... but I couldn't trust her with this. Not yet.

What I had just experienced with... Erik was like meeting someone for the first time but in a way it had seemed a long time coming; as if I were finally meeting an old friend. Whatever it was, it was new and special and I didn't want anything to jeopardize it. I wouldn't tell anyone about Erik... I couldn't. Not yet. Not when I knew so little about our friendship... or courtship? No, I was silly to think that. He had not done anything at all to make me believe such a thing and surely it was a strange concept. What would I tell Madame Giry and Meg when the time came to pass? That I was courting the Opera Ghost? No, surely not. As soon as he left I found myself questioning my feelings. And whatever the feelings were, they were strong. For a man I had only physically just met, I almost found myself willing to give up a dream role just to spend more time with him...

We must have only spoken for half an hour or so but I felt such a strong connection... perhaps one that had always been there for me to see but I had not looked for it.

Madame Giry looked at me for a moment before speaking. Had she believed what I had told her?

"Yes, well. You must come to bed now. It is quite late."

As we walked back to the sleeping quarters I found that my thoughts drifted back to Erik; back to the Phantom who no doubt usually roamed these corridors at this time, back to my Angel who would always be watching over me. As a girl I had no fear as I roamed the ill-lit corridors of the sleeping Opera house for I knew that my Angel would watch over me wherever I went. Now, I felt the same sort of protection. I knew that if Erik wasn't close, all I had to do was call him and he would come, just as he has always done. I looked around me. The darkness seemed to engulf my entire surroundings save for random shreds of moonlight which littered the walls and the lamp which Madame Giry held out in front of her. I smiled to myself in the darkness; the darkness which in every way now reminded me of him. It was my special little secret.

"Did you see le Vicomte de Chagny?" Madame Giry's voice broke the perfect silence which surrounded us. "I believe he wanted to see you. Meg tells me that he is an old friend of yours."

Oh yes, Raoul...

"No I... I haven't had the chance."

"You should see him, Christine. He seems like a nice boy and he would treat you well."

"Yes, I would like to see him."

"Good, should I tell him that you will see him tomorrow night then? After your performance?"

Tomorrow? No, not tomorrow.

"I... cannot see him tomorrow." I said.

"Why not Christine? This is the third night you will have dismissed him. He will not wait forever, you are aware."

Madame Giry was a stern, righteous woman, she had never been one for avid affection and she did not often express herself. I knew though that she cared for and wanted the best for me. She always had and this was her way of showing it. She knew the way the world worked, she wanted me to have the best life that I possibly could and in order to do that, I would need to marry into money. Raoul seemed like the perfect choice; he was rich, yes, but I had already built a friendship with him which was more than what most women got when they married... I knew that the chances of finding a suitor like Raoul would be slim... but perhaps I did not want a suitor like Raoul...

"I have plans tomorrow night..."

"What plans?" She asked.

"I... Madame, you know that my tutor wishes me to return to him after each performance." As true as the statement was, I wanted to see him again. I was quite happy to blame it on him if it meant that I could see him, and I was quite sure that he would be welcoming of the blame if he knew of result.

"Your tutor." She said, stopping in her tracks, the lamp light sitting eerily on her face. To my knowledge, Madame Giry did not know the identity of my tutor, no one did. "Yes. I suppose that your career is important... but so is marriage, Christine. You should make time for le Vicomte and you should make it soon."

I lay in bed and began to think on the past few days I had had. Ever since my father died I had felt out of place, as if a piece of me were missing or ill- fitting. It was as if a piece of my puzzle was turned around the wrong way and as much as I had molded it into place over the years, it would never truly fit in.

Now, I felt changed. My father had told me that he would send to me the Angel of Music, perhaps he had known the importance of such an Angel. Perhaps Erik had known father. This was the link to my father I had been searching for; the link to myself... the missing puzzle piece. The Angel had been my companion in the Opera house when I hadn't anyone else. Had it always been Erik? Had father sent him? There were so many questions left unanswered, swirling around in my mind; creating a vortex which was preventing me from sleep. How could I possibly sleep when I knew that I was seeing him the next day? How was I to get through an entire performance with everything on my mind... with him on my mind?

I valued Erik because he was my Angel of music... but I knew that I valued him for other reasons as well. He had been so real; so real and there was so much left to discover.

I poured myself a glass of Merlot and sat down at my desk. For months all I had been able to produce was mediocrity; dreary iterations of ballet music and drawings which lacked passion entirely. Everything had changed. I was inspired. I wanted to draw, write, play... I wanted to express myself but when I finally put graphite to paper I found that I could not focus. I could not help but think of Christine; our conversation, our proximity... I could still feel her warmth in my hand.

She wanted to see me! She wanted to see me! She had met me as a man, as a real, tactile person and yet she wanted to spend time with me. The thought seemed utterly impossible and yet it was true. I did not care under what circumstances or pretense she wanted to see me; they were minor details.

I felt the peculiar sensation of laughter bubbling up inside my chest. The feeling was so foreign to me that at first I resisted it, but the more I thought on the prospect of Christine and myself, the harder it became. Eventually, I gave in and let it overcome me in a wave of warmth and elation. How could something so fortuitous have befallen someone like me? I could not remember the last time I had laughed aloud but the feeling was just as addictive as the cause. It seemed quite strange to be laughing at what was seemingly nothing. I felt quite mad but I found that I did not care! Beside the fact, I was alone... who was there to judge me?

Downing the glass of wine in celebration I poured another. I must have stayed awake for several more hours of elated merriment before readying drunkenly for bed and collapsing upon it. It was highly uncharacteristic of me to drink myself into such a state but I had never felt more at ease... never more connected with the human race. For once in my life I felt somewhat normal and was this not what normal people did to celebrate?

To my surprise I awoke to someone standing over me. Flooded with panic I forced my eyes open to see Madame Giry standing over me, accusatory expression upon her face and her hands on her hips.

"Erik." She said plainly.

"Madame!" I exclaimed, jolting awake, clasping my hand to my face. "What are you...?" I was unaccustomed to seeing anyone in my living quarters upon waking... or any time at all. Madame Giry had been the only person I had given information to regarding my entrances for I knew that she would guard said information with her life. However this privilege was not code for invitation.

"What are you doing here?!" I pulled the blankets up to my chest. "I am not dressed! What is the meaning of this?" Slowly I got out of bed and turning away from her, replaced my mask and wig before spotting my discarded shirt on the floor and pulling it over my shoulders.

"This is an outrage! I did not give you permission to visit whenever you so pleased." I sat back down on the bed and held my head in my hands "You know that I sleep during the day..."I mumbled irritably.

"Oh, never mind that, Erik. I need to speak with you about someone."

"Yes, well surely this someone has died or something equally dramatic has befallen them." I rubbed my eyes absentmindedly. "There could be no other reason for you disturbing me like this; invading my privacy."

"Oh, don't be like that." She said, sitting down across from me. "It's Christine."

Christine? How could I have said something so awful about her?

"What of Christine?" I said, looking up.

"Did you see her last night after the performance?"

"Yes." I said defensively. "I am her tutor. Of course I saw her after her performance."

"Are you seeing her again tonight?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you asking me these questions?"

She sighed and began distractedly fiddling with a piece of fabric on her shawl."You know that I care about you... that I care about both of you."

"What is troubling you, Madame? Please do get to the point so that my peaceful slumber and I may reunite."

"I want to know what your intentions are with her. You know of our new Patron le Vicomte I assume? I have seen him near her dressing room and... I am aware of his interest in her."

"His interest?" I asked, sitting up a little too abruptly... I held my head once more. I had had red wine instead of white but the headache was still sizable. "His interest in her? He does not even know her!" Of course I had known of his interest. It was plain to see.

It was absurd for people to assume that he had some sort of claim on her just because he had been seen around her dressing room. Was that what everyone thought?

She shrugged. "Apparently they were childhood friends." This I had not known... I was not sure that if the time came I would be able to compete with someone she had met so young. Perhaps he had known her father; if that were the case she would undoubtedly want to spend time with this person. What sort of person would I be if I prevented her from doing that...?

"A long time ago..." I muttered, quite displeased with myself; I sounded like a petulant child, sulking over something they could not have. Perhaps that was what I was.

"So you have seen him around her?"

"I may have..." I said, turning out my bottom lip in a sign of disinterest.

"Well, I know of their friendship but it seems clear to me that he wishes to court her." I felt a terrible, lunging sensation in my stomach at her last words. Yes, I had known of his intentions but this had confirmed my fears... If it was clear to other people, soon enough it would become clear to Christine.

"What has he to offer her?" I asked, almost to myself.

"Money..." She began.

"I have money."

"So it is a matter of interest?"

"I... want what is best for Christine." I said, trying my best to sound diplomatic. "I do not however think it wise for her to throw her career away for something as trivial as marriage, and to someone such as him. He is young and frivolous with money, he will have spent It all by the age of thirty, I guarantee it... AND..." I raised my finger. "And he is not a musician; he could never fully understand Christine or truly appreciate her."

"Erik, I came to ask you what your intentions were because I knew that le Vicomte had set his sights on her. I didn't want her music lessons getting in the way of... what I believed to be an opportunity for her; I wanted her to make an effort with him because I believed him to be a good option for her."

"Option?"

"...For marriage." She said tentatively.

"Madame..? Surely not!" I was astonished. I had always thought Madame Giry to be quite scrupulous in nature and did not at all expect her to place wealth and societal position above love... above music... but Christine's well being was paramount...

"Yes, but I am more than happy for you if you do have intentions with Christine... Do you?"

I hated having to reveal anything about myself; my plans, my thoughts, my intentions... But I had to swallow my pride. If I wanted to win her I simply had to.

"Yes... I have intentions." There it was. Any dignity I had retained sitting on the bed in my disheveled state was gone. "...No doubt more honorable than those of le Vicomte."

"Yes." She said, seemingly ignoring my addendum. "I thought as much. I feel then that I should caution you. As much as I love Christine, she can be quite fickle... I worry for you."

"So then... you wished for me to step aside so that that boy might have his chance with Christine, and now when you learn of my intentions you wish to discourage me anyway? Madame, while I appreciate your concern I am more than capable."

"I simply worry for both of you! You are like my brother, Christine; my child. Of course I wish for two people that I care about to find happiness together... I just wished to discuss it first."

"Yes, well is this enough discussion for now? Have you finished your interrogations? I wish to return to bed."

"Yes. Yes, I will take my leave." She stood up and walked to the same doorway through which she had entered.

"Madame..." I called.

She turned back. "Oui?"

"How is she...?"

Madame Giry smiled. "She is happier than I have seen her in quite a while."

"Merci." I said. I could not prevent the smile from spreading across my face. It was selfish to think that I could be the cause of such a thing but I would allow myself the delusion... at least for a little while.

She left as abruptly as she came. I scratched my head, utterly beguiled by what had transpired. No matter, I knew that when I awoke it would be time to see Christine once more.