A/N: This chapter is dedicated to ramie rocks. I can't PM you, so I'm telling you here how much I appreciated your review. I know you wanted at least one more chapter (there will be a lot more to come, I promise) and here is the chapter you asked for. I hope it satisfies.

Chapter Fourteen

Alison ran away from the dressing room, pushing past laughing ballerinas and drunken stagehands. At one point, she ran smack into Patrick.

"Alison! What's wrong?" he asked, his small smile turning into confusion. She just shook her head and ran past him. She didn't know where she was going, only that she needed to get away from everything and everyone. Pushing open random doors and running up stairs, she opened a door and found herself on the roof of the opera house. Funny that my steps should have led me here of all places, she managed to think before the tears took her. She sank to the ground, sobbing and not able to stop.

After a while, when she had cried herself out, she smiled a small, watery smile. I promised I wouldn't cry over him anymore, she thought. Isn't that ironic. I think I love him too much ever to stop. She put her face in her hands. It's ridiculous that anyone should ever make me feel this way. I know I wanted to be in love, but if I had known it would be like this I never would have wished it at all.

She got up and wiped her eyes and her face with her hand. She walked to the edge of the roof and stared out at Paris. She looked without seeing the beauty before her. All she could see was a half-masked face yelling, "CAN YOU NOT SEE THAT I WILL NEVER STOP LOVING CHRISTINE?"

Suddenly, a song occurred to her that seemed perfect for the situation. Although she didn't sing usually, she thought that it was appropriate considering who she had fallen in love with. She began to sing softly.

"I've seen his face, I've heard his name

I've lost my place and he's to blame

And I can't stand it

When I'm staring in his eyes

And he's not looking back

It ain't a big surprise

I've heard music, I've heard noise

I wish that he could hear his voice

The way that I do When I go to sleep at night

And dream my life away

But he's gone when I awake"

Okay, small word change, she thought with a momentary flash of humor. I can't really be singing to "Sami", can I? At least it sort of rhymes with the rest of the song.

"Erik, Erik

Why can't you see What you're doing to me?

The way his hair falls in his eyes

Makes me wonder if he'll ever see through my disguise

And I'm under his spell

Everything is falling and I don't know where to land

Everyone knows who he is

But they don't know who I am

Erik, Erik

Why can't you see What you're doing to me?

I've seen you conquer certain death

Even when you're just standing there, you take away my breath

And maybe someday

You'll hear my song and understand that all along

There's something more that I'm trying to say

When I say

Erik, Erik

Why can't you see What you're doing to me?"

From behind her came the soft sound of clapping. She turned around and her heart nearly stopped. "Angel! What… what are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you and thought that I might find you here. You have a rather nice voice, by the way. Completely untrained, of course, but there is something there."

"Um… thanks." Thank God he doesn't speak English, otherwise I would be completely and totally screwed. Then something occurred to her. "May I ask why you were looking for me?"

He stepped back at the abrasiveness of her tone. "I wanted to apologize." He seemed to be forcing the words out. "I should not have yelled at you the way I did. I do not know why I was so upset."

She looked down. "It's all right. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did." But she knew that everything she had just said was a lie. Her reaction was perfectly normal, at least in her eyes, and it was most certainly not all right.

He stepped forward and stood on her right side, looking out at Paris the way she had been doing moments ago. She turned back around and looked with him. She was uncomfortably aware of his presence and his every move. The silence stretched longer and longer between them because neither could think of anything to say. "Beautiful view," Erik managed eventually to try and dissipate the awkwardness of the moment.

She turned her head towards him. The sun struck his face, giving it a strange glow. His face was mildly relaxed and his eyes were distant. The only side of his face that was visible was the unmasked one and he looked, in that moment, like an angel. "Yes," she said softly. "Yes, it is."

He caught her gaze. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment. Alison broke the gaze and turned back to the view. He continued to look at her, seeming to work up his courage.

"Angelique?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes?" she asked without looking at him.

"Did you really mean it? What you said in the dressing room?"

She frowned. "What I…" Then she realized what he meant and her eyes went wide. She snapped her head towards him. "What… how… you were listening behind the mirror, weren't you?"

He nodded shamefacedly.

"How much did you hear?" she asked in a panic.

The look on his face told her all she needed to know.

Her cheeks went bright red and she covered her face with her hands. "Oh God… I'm so sorry! I never meant for you to hear any of that. It… I… Oh God," she repeated in despair and turned away from him.

"I know you never meant me to hear it. But you have not answered my question."

"What question?"

"Did you mean it?"

She turned her head to look into his eyes. "Every word," she said, the honesty shining from her eyes. Then she quickly turned back around, too embarrassed to look at him anymore.

"Angelique," his voice called softly. "Look at me. I will not hurt you, I promise." His mouth quirked slightly in a smile, but it gave way to slight nervousness.

She turned all the way around again and looked at him fearfully. He looked into her eyes. There was an emotion in his gaze that she couldn't place as he took a step closer. And another. And another. She couldn't understand what he was getting at. What was he doing? He was too close. She dropped her eyes to the ground.

A sensation. Fingers, trembling but strong, caught her chin and pulled her face up to look into his eyes. Her brain went into overdrive, trying to process everything at once. His close proximity to her, so close that she could touch him if she had the courage. His fingers on her chin, sending a rush of warmth all through her body. She had dreamed so often of him touching her like this. It was better than she had ever thought it would be. But why? What had prompted him to do this? Especially when he had just found out one of her biggest secrets, the other being that she was from a different time. His eyes, staring into hers, arresting her gaze and keeping it on him. They were still full of that nameless emotion and something else, something that was almost nerves. What would he have to be nervous ab– She was cut off mid-thought as his mouth covered hers.

Fireworks exploded in her mind. She had become nothing but sensation and feeling. His lips were soft and tender, but tentative, unsure. He wasn't moving at all. He was still, almost expecting her rejection. She knew he had probably only ever been kissed by… No. Don't think about that now. It's just him. It's just you. So enjoy it while you can. And she kissed him back.

He had been almost frozen with fear, waiting for her to push him away in spite of her revelation. And for a second, he really thought she was going to. But then he felt her lips move against his. She was kissing him! And he hadn't coerced her, or threatened her, or in any way harmed her. She was doing it of her own free will, and it was beautiful.

They kissed for a moment, and then Erik broke away, nervous as to her reaction. She looked up at him, a wide smile on her lips. Then something occurred to her and it faded to a confused frown.

"What happened to 'I will never stop loving Christine'? Not that I'm complaining, I just…" Alison's voice trailed off. She was embarrassed to finish the thought. Fear coursed through her. What if he's so desperate for love that he turned to you as a 'backup option'? What if… No, don't think that way. He hasn't even said anything yet.

Erik sighed and looked her in the eyes. "When I said that, I was trying to convince myself as much as I was trying to convince you. I…thinking about Christine and loving her had seemed strange for a while. I did not know why: I thought something was wrong with me. That is why I was behind the mirror. I was trying to remind myself why I had fallen in love with her and rekindle the spark in my heart. However, I found something quite different. " His mouth quirked in a small, mischievous smile, a gesture that was rare for him. She blushed and looked down.

His eyes became serious again as he looked at her. "But what you said… that was what I was looking for, even though I did not know it. The reason loving Christine felt so strange was because my heart was no longer hers."

Hope fluttered in Alison's chest. Does he really mean what I think he means?

"My heart… is yours. Je t'aime, Angelique." He whispered the last few words. Even after all they had shared in the last few minutes, he was still nervous about her reaction. His life had taught him to expect pain and rejection, and so it still surprised him when she looked up at him, eyes shining.

"I love you too, Erik." Shock shot through him. I never told her my name!

She saw the expression in his eyes. Oh no, oh no, oh no. He hasn't told me that, has he? Whoops… I'll explain that to him someday, but I don't want to ruin this moment. Okay, I just need to distract him. I think that's easy enough. She slid her hand to the nape of his neck and pulled his lips down to hers. As she had anticipated, her touch sent all thought flowing out of his mind as he set his hands tentatively to her waist and pulled her to him.

This kiss was not like the first. There was no hesitation, no nervousness, no fear. Just two people who loved each other and weren't afraid to show it. Alison felt like she was melting into him as they held each other closer until it was no longer physically possible to get any closer. He dominated her mind. She could feel the warmth of his body. She had been kissed before, but never like this, never this passionately.

Erik was thinking much the same thing. Christine's kiss had spoken of desperation, fear, and sacrifice. But Alison's lips held pure love. It still blew his mind that someone like her could love someone like him. But he wouldn't protest or point that out to her; he would just enjoy it while it lasted.

The blue, cloudless sky arched like a dome over the world as the two figures kissed on the roof with Paris at their feet, never stopping or hesitating. They were all that existed for each other and love surrounded them like a sweet perfume. For that one moment, the world was perfect.
And then the moment was shattered by agitated voices that came from the stairwell. They broke the kiss and let go of each other, looking behind them at the entrance to the rooftop.

"I should go," he said regretfully.

A part of Alison wanted to hold on to him and never let go, but she knew that he was right.

He pressed a last kiss to her lips. "I love you," he whispered, and was gone.

She was left staring after him, shell-shocked and light-headed. The door to the rooftop burst open to reveal Christine, Madame Giry, and Patrick. Alison turned around, eyes wide. "Oh, hello," she said vaguely.

"Alison, there you are! We were worried about you," said Patrick, moving towards her. "How do you feel?"

She looked at him. At his words a song had popped into her head. A smile broke out on her lips. Christine was shocked, just having seen her crying and upset.

Alison walked over to Patrick a little unsteadily and began to sing.

"Ask me how do I feel
Ask me now that we're cosy and clinging
Well sir, all I can say, is if I were a bell I'd be ringing!
From the moment we kissed tonight
That's the way I've just gotta behave
Boy, if I were a lamp I'd light
And If I were a banner I'd wave!
Ask me how do I feel, little me with my quiet upbringing
Well sir, all I can say is if I were a gate I'd be swinging!
And if I were a watch I'd start popping my springs!
Or if I were a bell I'd go ding dong, ding dong ding!"

She grabbed Christine's hands and swung her around in a circle.
"Ask me how do I feel from this chemistry lesson I'm learning."

Patrick frowned. This was all highly irregular. "Uh, chemistry?"
She grinned back at him. "Yeah, chemistry!
Well sir, all I can say is if I were a bridge I'd be burning!
Yes, I knew my morale would crack
From the wonderful way that you looked!
Boy, if I were a duck I'd quack!
Or if I were a goose I'd be cooked!
Ask me how do I feel, ask me now that we're fondly caressing
Well, if I were a salad I know I'd be splashing my dressing
Ask me how to describe this whole beautiful thing
Well, if I were a bell I'd go ding dong, ding dong ding!"

She finished the song and spun in place, around and around on the rooftop.

Patrick frowned. "That didn't answer my question. What's wrong with you, Alison?"

She looked at Patrick, the sun shining from her eyes. "Absolutely nothing!"

Then she ran down from the rooftop, giggling all the while.

Erik had watched from behind the statue of Apollo, smiling at her display. He hadn't understood a word of her song, but it was clear that she was happy. And he couldn't keep a silly grin off his face, something he had never done in his life. He felt like dancing around and singing himself. He shook his head at his own foolishness and slipped away from the confused group.

Christine looked at Patrick and frowned. "Has she gone crazy?"

Before Patrick could reply, Madame Giry cut in. "Can you not see? She is in love."

Patrick stared. "What? With who?"

"I do not know. But I can think of no other reason that she would act like this."

Patrick's eyes narrowed. So that's how it is, is it? At least now I know the truth. All I have to do is figure out who her lover is. Once I do, he will be very…upset…

Hey everyone! I just wanted to mention that the first song Alison sings is called Sami/Harry and it's in Little White Lie and A Very Potter Musical, respectively. If you haven't heard of either of those, shame on you and look them up right now! The second song is called If I Were A Bell from Guys and Dolls. Please review and let me know what you think.