Chapter Eight

The days until Sunday seemed endlessly long for both Erik and Alison. Neither of them really understood why. Each tried to chalk it up to other things. Erik discounted it to the fact that he didn't have much human contact. Alison just thought it was because he was the Phantom of the Opera, and let's face it, being invited to his lair is every phangirl's dream.

But on Sunday, Alison woke up at 4:30. Today is the day! she thought. I'm going to see him again! Then she immediately felt guilty. She hadn't thought about Patrick since… well, since coming here. But Erik's just a friend, she reminded herself. It's not like anything's going on there. It's not fair or right to compare him to Patrick at all because they both have different relationships with me. They met in the dressing room at seven o'clock and he took her down to his lair again. They spent several hours together, getting to know each other and talking about their lives.

This became a weekly practice and before long, they both found themselves living for those Sundays. Little by little, Alison managed to coax him out of his shell and make him less reserved around her until the memorable day when she finally got him to laugh.

Alison intrigued Erik. She was one of the only people he had met who had looked at him as a man rather than a ghost or monster. She seemed genuinely interested in his wellbeing and feelings. He told her all about his life and his travels though Europe, but there was one subject neither of them mentioned. Christine. And as she told him about more of her past, he began to notice that she became evasive about some parts of her life. He guessed that she most likely had a good reason for this, and never asked her about it. He, too, had his secrets.

For Alison's part, she loved hearing about Erik's past. His life seemed so interesting and he had done so many things, but he had also seen so much pain. With each story he told, she felt more compassion for him. So many people had despised him and treated him badly and it made her sad. She was intensely curious about what he thought and had to say about his time with Christine, but she knew that the subject would most likely be painful and decided not to ask him about it. When it came to talking about herself, she told him as much as she could. It was a struggle for her to hide the fact that she was from the future and she had to choose each word she said carefully in order to keep him from suspecting her true origins. Fortunately, he had never been to America, so she was able to convince him that some of the stranger parts of her narratives were simply a product of the culture differences between Europe and America.

Weeks passed, months passed, seasons flew, and soon it had been a year since she had fallen from her college room into the Opera Populaire. She was very well established in the world of the opera house and enjoyed her Sundays when she got to see Erik, or Angel, as she called him. Her life proceeded with regularity and she loved almost every minute of it. Until her peaceful existence was shattered by the arrival of Christine.

For weeks there had been rumors of a great guest artist coming to sing at the Opera Populaire. Nobody knew who it was, which was rare, because secrets were never kept for too long there. Even Erik didn't know who it was going to be. Everyone waited with anticipation to see just who would be singing in the latest performance.

The day she arrived started out innocently enough. Everyone was extremely excited for the secret to finally be revealed, Alison included. They all flocked to the entrance hall, pushing and shoving to get a good view of the double doors. Erik watched from a passage in the wall.

The clip-clop of horses' hooves sounded outside. The noise slowed to a halt and a fancy carriage pulled up outside the façade of the opera house. Nobody could quite see the face of the young woman who stepped out of it, but everyone noticed her grace of movement and her beautiful, expensive dress. Then the doors swung open.

The woman had long, curly brown hair and beautiful, long lashed brown eyes. She was very beautiful and immediately all the men were entranced. A smile graced her lips, but her eyes did not fully take part in it. They held a hint of nervousness as they darted around the room, seemingly looking for something. When she did not appear to see it, she relaxed and looked at all those who had congregated to see her with a gracious twinkle in her eye. From where he hid, Erik breathed in sharply with shock. No, he thought. No, no, it cannot be her; they cannot have sent her here from wherever she went with the Vicomte to torture me. Yet another of life's jokes that are never funny. How it loves to cause me pain. Yet, in his fury and hurt, he couldn't help but notice again how dazzlingly beautiful she was. Her voice floated to his ears in a musical cadence.

"Hello, all of you! It is so lovely to be back here and to be able to sing in such a wonderful place again."

Madame Giry stepped up to her side. "This is Madame Christine Daae de Chagny. She will be singing with us in our latest production of Romeo and Juliet." Everyone clapped enthusiastically. De Chagny, Erik thought with a small wrench in his heart. So she married the fop in the end. I should not have expected anything different. He watched her, his eyes following her every move as the pain in his heart grew. When it got to the point that he couldn't stand it any more, he stalked off with a swirl of his cape, his mind and heart racing.

Alison was slightly in shock. Even before Madame Giry had introduced her, it had been clear to Alison just who this woman was. She remembered her face from the doll that had stared at her from the curtained alcove in Erik's lair. She had wanted to meet Christine for quite a while now and see what she was really like. She's probably too high and mighty now to talk to ballet girls, but at least it's worth a try. Christine floated through the halls of the Opera like a goddess, all the residents of the opera house trailing behind her.

As they approached the prima donna's dressing room, Madame Giry walked quickly up beside Christine. "Please desist from bothering Madame de Chagny. She has traveled a long way and I am sure she needs some rest. Besides, you all have work to do. Go on!" The crowd of people slowly dispersed, leaving Alison, Madame Giry, and Christine alone. Madame Giry looked at Alison. "Did you hear me, Angelique?"

Alison looked at her. "I heard you, Madame Giry. I simply wanted to introduce myself and say something to Chr– I mean Madame de Chagny." She turned to Christine. "Je m'appelle Angelique Taylor."

Christine smiled. "It is very nice to meet you, Mademoiselle Taylor. What was it that you wished to say to me?"

Alison hesitated a second, then said quietly, "I only wished to remind you that your coming here may do damage. More than you might think, perhaps. Sometimes the past would do better to stay dead and buried." She walked away, leaving both Christine and Madame Giry stunned at her words.

She continued the rest of the day like a normal day, but her thoughts were very distracted. She stumbled over steps that should have been easy and her teachers all got upset by her absentmindedness. But she couldn't concentrate on dancing because her mind was full of Erik. What was he feeling about having Christine here again? Was he upset? Angry? She didn't know, but she knew she had to see him as soon as possible.