Stranger Than You Dreamt It

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Black Starling : Wow, thank you for your review! I'm glad you like my Raoul so much, I'm flattered by you opinion of him.

As soon as the mirror closed behind her, Christine was amazed by what was behind it. A tunnel with candles along the wall that lit the tunnel nicely. As they walked, Angel kept glancing back at her as if to make sure she would not get lost. That was not surprising, even after all these years of going to his home on the lake, she still could not remember her way around. Granted, she believed that Angel did that on purpose by taking her different ways each time, not that she blamed him, it was for his own protection.

As they made their way down, Nada began humming a melody, to which brought a smile to Christine's lips.

It was the song Angel had made a couple years ago, one that was for the both of them to sing.

Farren, who was riding on Nada's back also began humming and Christine saw Angel roll his eyes before shooting her a glance, waiting to see what she would do.

Christine grinned at him and opened her mouth. She began to sing.

In sleep you sang to me, in dreams you came.

Your voice that called to me, and speaks my name.

I'll track it down below, and there I'll find.

The phantom of the opera is there, angel and friend.

Christine saw Angel's lips twitch as if fighting a smirk. He turned away from her to face forward, Nada and Farren continued to hum the song. For a second, she did not think he would sing and was relieved when he did.

Sing once again with me, our strange duet.

My voice entrances you, down your life's path.

But do not turn from me, to glance behind.

The phantom of the opera is here, your friend and guide.

Angel had turned to give her a look as he sang his third line, golden eyes containing the implication of her promise from long ago. Christine's breath caught in her throat as it often did when those eyes were focused on her, but Angel turned away as he went into the next line and she was able to regain her breath before she had to sing the next verse.

Squeezing his hand, not that Angel gave her any reaction, she opened her mouth.

Those who have seen your face, draw back in fear.

I am the mask you wear,

It's me they hear. Angel added and merged his voice with hers, making Christine ecstatic at the harmony that rang through the tunnels.

Your/My spirit and my/your voice, in one combined.

The phantom of the opera is here, part me and you.

They finally got to the boat and Christine climbed in with Nada, who Farren was still getting a ride from. Angel unhooked the boat, grabbed the pole to steer and stood in the boat. As he made it take off he sung the next verse, much to Christine's delight.

In all your fantasies, you always knew.

That dusk and darkness,

Were both in you. Christine joined.

And in this labyrinth, where night is blind.

I/You find, the phantom of the opera

My/Your shadow and night.

"You do not have to do the last part if you are tired." Angel whispered from behind her and she sent him a grin.

"What kind of student would I be if I left a song unfinished?" without waiting for a reply she turned around and sang.

He's there, the phantom of the opera.

Christine took a short but deep breath and let out a high note that flowed from her in rhythm with how Angel had taught her for the song, letting the last one linger slightly longer. She took another breath and did the same thing but higher, then again yet higher still. Her voice echoing through the cavern of the underground lake, Angel's house a few meters away now. She took another breath but this time only let the one note drawl out, she repeated it for a second time. By the third she was tired but with her Angel standing directly behind her, she wanted to impress him.

Therefore, on the last note, she made her voice go as high as it would go and she held it until she felt the boat hit the shore of the miniature island.

Around her there was a sudden overwhelming silence, especially after the echo of her voice had gone away.

"Lovely as always." Angel praised behind her and she turned to watch him jump out of the boat. Farren hopped off Nada's back and landed in front of her. The eagle cocked her head to the side.

"Impressive but you went too high on that last one. You can damage your voice if you do that too often." Farren scolded, causing Christine to flush in embarrassment and feel berated.

Nada jumped out of the boat with a squint in her eyes focused on Farren. "Christine was trying to do her best, like she always does."

"And Farren knows that." Angel cut in before the two companions could get into an argument. He had tied the boat to its post and was now holding his hands for Christine to take. She did and stood up. He continued.

"However, Farren is right." Angel focused on Christine. "While it was marvelously done, you should not do that frequently. Perhaps save it for occasions you are in front of an audience."

You're the only audience that matters, Christine thought, but on the outside nodded her consent.

Angel grinned and helped her out of the boat. "Come let us get you some tea to soothe your throat."

Christine heard Farren and Nada's grumbling behind her, but she ignored the two of them to watch Angel instead. The four of them went inside the small house, Christine sat at the table that was big enough to hold two people, and Farren flew to one of her many perches, this one being the living room's where she enjoyed standing on top of the couch, while Nada took a spot next to Christine.

Angel went into the kitchen, which was not truly a kitchen but it worked enough that it had running water and he was able to have a fire when he wanted. Christine was sure she will forever remain in awe at this house that her angel had built from the bottom up when he was a child.

A few minutes later, Angel returned to her, now without his hat and cape, and handed her a cup of pleasantly warm tea. She usually took her tea with one sugar but did not think Angel would like to hear that. Sugar was not the best thing to have to soothe ones throat and voice after all.

"I am curious." Angel began, taking the other chair across from her. "Do not believe I remain angry at you, but I would like to know how you are acquainted with the Viscount."

Christine almost choked on the sip she had taken of her tea but was able to swallow it down without incident. She had hoped that he would not bring that up, but he did say he was not mad anymore so she guessed it was fine.

"When we were children, there was a house by the sea. We met and became friends." Christine explained. "I did not think he would recognize me after all this time."

"From the affection in both of your voices in the room, I would say the two of you had fonder thoughts then friends." Angel countered.

Christine shrugged. "You could say we were childhood sweethearts."

"Ah…" Angel turned his head away and Christine panicked at the thought that he would believe she continued to have feelings for the Viscount. While she can confess to herself that she did, it was not nearly enough for her to walk away from her angel.

She reached forward and placed her hand on top of his hand that rested on the table. Angel startled and focused back on her in surprise.

"While I would not mind having him as a friend, I want you to know that whatever feelings I had as a child for him are no more. He is no threat to my promise to you, which I fully intend to keep." Christine declared firmly.

Angel blinked at her once then his lips curled upwards in a soft grin, bringing her relief.

"Peace, my dear. I believe you." Angel replied and Christine's heart skipped a beat at the nickname.

It was her turn to look away because of the heat that had come to her cheeks.

He rarely called her anything but her name, and it was a joy to hear a term of endearment from him. She knew that he called Meg and Mme. Giry such names as well, but she was a fool in love, she would take whatever she could get.

Recently, since she was now a fully grown woman, she began to believe that she might be able to tell her angel of her feelings but worried about his reaction. For one, it technically went against her promise but she hoped that she could convince him that because music and her love for him were one and the same, she would never leave the stage or him. However, there was the fact that her angel has never shown any interest in the flesh. Maybe he was only clever at hiding it since she was his student, but from what she knew about him from the Madame and Meg, Angel has never shown such interest. Towards anyone. It was discouraging to say the least.

Angel sent her off to bed shortly after. She took Nada with her into the guest bedroom and had gone to sleep hearing her angel's soft voice through the walls and whispering melodies in her ear.

The next morning, Christine woke up and came out of her room to see Angel wrapping his cape around his shoulders in one smooth motion.

"Oh, you are awake." Angel stated, a grin on his lips.

"What are you doing up?" Christine yawned, putting her hand to her mouth to cover it.

"It is morning, Christine." Angel responded with an amused smirk. He finished tying his cloak. "And I did not get the chance to take Farren out for her flight, she has gotten quite restless now."

Angel nodded to his side and Christine saw Farren shifting from one foot to the other on her perch on the couch. The eagle beat her wings a couple times aggressively then began to peck at them.

"Shh…" Angel hushed in a low voice, pulling Farren's head away from her feathers. "We are going now, stop fidgeting."

"Hurry up then." Farren grumbled, hopping on her human's outstretched arm.

"Can we come?" Nada asked, coming out of the bedroom. "We can use the fresh air."

Angel nodded and Christine followed him out to the boat.

Christine could tell Angel took them through the fastest way possible, since it only took about five minutes once they left the boat to get to the roof. Once there, Farren, quickly took off into the pink sky, becoming a dot within a few seconds.

She tried to keep sight of the eagle but soon gave up. She looked back down and saw Angel remove his cape and place it on a statue's arm. His eyes squinted upwards, rolling to find Farren in the sky, the light of the morning sun causing the gold of his eyes to gleam. He must have found her because his eyes gained a focused gaze in them.

After a few moments, Angel closed his eyes and his body grew still, telling Christine that he went into a merge.

Probably to give Farren more energy to fly longer to ease her agitation at having to wait. Christine felt bad, seeing it as her fault since if she had not asked to go to Angel's home, he would have taken his companion for her nightly flight.

Still, she could not help but feel happy that she was with the two of them as they took to the skies.

Christine turned and watched the sun come up and wake a sleeping Paris. She favored the night view but the morning one was not too bad. She did not know how long she stood there but shot a glance at the motionless Angel.

"Think I can get a look under that mask?" She asked Nada, who immediately shook her head.

Ever since her first failed attempt, she has been trying to get the chance to see her angel without his mask. She did not get the opportunity often and when she did, she ended up stalling for too long and the opportunity vanished. Meg had told her that she had never seen his face, but Mme. Giry had, she asked the Madame about it, but was always rejected.

"No way!" Nada hissed. "You would get caught!"

"He's in a merge." Christine argued. She straightened and started over to Angel.

"Christine!" Nada warned.

"I'll be quick and careful." She replied and stopped in front of Angel.

She never noticed, because she was not this close to him often, but he was only a few inches taller than her now. She stared at her angel for a few moments, hesitating but shook herself out of it. Slowly she reached up and her fingertips touched the smooth material that was the mask.

As she began to lift it, holding her breath while doing so, Farren's voice rang out.

"Erik!" the eagle screeched, causing Christine to jump back but the mask came off in her hand.

Christine let out a horrified shout at seeing her angel's face for the first time. Never has she see such a terrible sight!

Erik's body jerked and his eyes opened with a sudden gasp of air, having been forced out of a merge. The eyes were not his regular, but instead were dilated like an eagle's who has caught sight of its prey. Those eyes narrowed on her and they were that of a predator.

Christine started to back away and Nada jumped in front of her.

"Erik!" Nada called urgently, trying to bring back the human from the eagle.

Erik blinked and shook his head. He reached up and placed his hand to his forehead. Upon feeling his own skin, he froze.

He whipped his head to Christine and spotted the mask still in her hands. His eyes widened in shock then narrowed in a heated rage that terrified Christine like nothing ever had before. She shrank away from him in that fear, turning her head away.

"Damn you! You little prying Pandora! You little demon, is this what you wanted to see!" Erik yelled, pushing pass Nada to grab Christine's arm and forced her to look at his face again. She shrunk back in horror and he pushed her away, causing her to fall onto the ground. She curled in on herself and Nada came to stand in front of her protectively.

"Curse you!" Erik snarled, stomping away from her. "You little lying Delilah! You little viper, why would you do such a thing!"

The last sentence was cried in desperation, making Christine look up from her spot on the floor. Her heart pounded in her chest but it began to ache as she watched Erik stopped at a statue and fall to his knees next to it as if all his anger left him at once, his hand clinging to his face to cover it.

"Damn you. Curse you." She heard Erik whisper, the hand not covering his face curled into a fist on the ground in front of him. Farren came and landed next to his hand on the ground and pecked at his fingers that covered his face gently. When the eagle turned to glance at Christine, the look of betrayal was overwhelming in Farren's yellow eyes.

"Stranger than you dreamt it," Erik whispered brokenly, his head turned towards Christine, two pairs of golden eyes stared at her now. "Can you even dare to look, or bare to think of me? This loathsome gargoyle."

Christine, try as she might, was unable to stop herself from flinching at the sight of Erik's face again.

"Oh, Christine." She heard his wounded whisper.

"I think the two of you should go." Farren declared inflexibly and when Christine looked at her, the eagle's eyes were ice cold as they met her own. "Those two fools who run our theatre will be missing you."

Christine cringed at the tone but knew that whatever she tried to do now would bring Erik no comfort.

She stood on shaking legs and began to walk to the door that led back inside. Nada made sure to stay in between Farren and her. As she got to the door, she turned back one last time, only to see Erik in the same position, though now his head was pressed to the ground and his shoulders were shaking, and Farren making a soft chirping sound near Erik's ear. Farren looked up and glared at her for still being there.

Christine quickly opened the door and she and Nada went inside.

The horror of seeing Erik's face was quickly turning into shame and guilt.

She had betrayed her angel. She hurt the man she loved and she did not know whether she would be able to redeem herself to him and his companion.

Did any of you really think that I wouldn't put the unmasking scene in there? I sure hope not! Anyway, here is the beginning of what leads to the rest of the story! I kind of feel evil with how it goes but it's not too bad…maybe.

I wasn't planning on updating until later this week but figured everyone would be busy with Thanksgiving and all coming up so here it is. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Next chapter will be in Raoul's POV. Don't forget to review! I need something to look forward to with work still being exhausting.

See ya next time.