Disclamer: No, I do not own Erik. ( i simply borrow him for my own purposes )

AN: Sorry for the long wait. It's all kind of up in the air and Anne all of a sudden decided to throw a bit of a tantrum. She's not usually one to get angry. Hopefully, this will mean the two will meet up very soon! R and R! 3

Chapter 7

"Anne…do you believe in Heaven?" Meg asked.

"Yes," I readily replied. "But what does that have to do with your story?"

Meg didn't answer my question. "So…you believe in angels?"

"I believe that there are angels in heaven to watch over us and to protect us and to plead for us to God." I answered her patiently taking a sip of my onion soup. I still did not know what these questions had to do with this story she was beginning to tell me. I was soon to find out.

"The Phantom of the Opera has existed for as long as I can remember, but I guess you could say that the story really begins when Christine Daae first came to the Opera House. She's the same age as me so she was seven when she came. Her father, a brilliant violinist, had died and Mama brought her to live with us. Christine and I became fast friends and we learned ballet together.

"Christine's father had told her that when he had passed on, he would send the Ange de la Musique to her."

"An Angel of Music?" I asked, bewildered and baffled.

"Yes. In the beginning Christine believed that this Angel had come to her and he taught her how to sing. She never sang in public and her lessons were always kept secret. But I always knew when she would have them. She got better and better and the years passed. And then…the day came that I don't think anyone will ever forget.

"We were in the middle of rehearsing Hannibal and our new managers had arrived. Monsieurs Andre and Firmin watched our rehearsal and had asked Carlotta to sing an Aria from Act Three. It was entitled Think of Me and as she was singing the backdrop crashed down on her."

I sat up straighter and my eyes widened in shock. "Just like…"

"Yes, just like your first day here. All attempts to calm her down failed and she stormed off in one of her iconic diva tantrums. She swore she wouldn't sing again the Populaire and Mama insisted that Christine Daae would sing the aria. And she did. She was so beautiful and so breathtaking that the managers immediately made her the diva. She went on to perform in the Opera that night and received a standing ovation." Meg stopped and I could see that she was lost in remembrance. "She was so beautiful in her white ball gown with crystals in her hair. She had all of Paris at her feet and could have accomplished so much."

I could sense sadness in her voice and although I could not completely understand her pain, I could empathize. I reached across the table and took her hand, not speaking as I tried to convey my support and friendship for her. Her eyes eventually lost the faraway look and then she returned her attention to me.

"She fell in love, however. An old childhood friend, the Vicomte de Chagny, came to that Opera and fell in love with her and she with him. Unfortunately for either of them, Christine's Angel of Music, who was really the Phantom of the Opera, had fallen in love with her and he lured her down to the depths of the Opera House.

"I do not know what happened, but she was soon brought back up the surface. It was the very next day as a matter of a fact. But by then, Carlotta had returned and the managers had persuaded her to return as the diva. The newest Opera, Il Muto, Christine was cast as the pageboy, a silent role, and Carlotta was the lead. This was against the phantom's wishes and during the middle an aria, Carlotta began to croak."

"Croak?" I whispered.

Meg nodded. "Like a frog. The crowd was alive with hysterical laughter and Christine then became the lead and Carlotta…well, she fled the stage and returned to her dressing room. The Phantom was behind it all and he was also furious because someone had taken his seat in Box 5."

I chose not to comment on how childish that sounded.

"While Christine was getting ready, Joseph Buquet a stage hand was killed. It was also rumored to have been the Phantom's fault. Joseph Buquet was not a well liked person and he had stumbled upon many of the Phantom's secrets. Pandemonium was unleashed when his body hung from the cat walk and all I know is that Christine and the Vicomte went to the roof. I assume that was where they proclaimed their love for each other. All I know for certain is that Christine and Raoul were inseparable for three months. Christine wore a beautiful engagement ring on a necklace she never took off. The Phantom didn't bother us for three whole months and then, on the night of a Masquerade Ball, he appeared. He was terrifying dressed all in red with a skeleton mask. He presented an opera he had personally written called Don Juan Triumphant. Christine was to play the lead, albeit begrudgingly.

"The Vicomte decided that it would be a perfect opportunity to capture the Phantom. The managers and cast were all aware of the plan, and there were guards hired to capture or kill the Phantom. What no one planned on, was the Phantom stepping in to play Don Juan after Piangi, the lead tenor, had exited the stage. Christine and the Phantom sang this very sensuous duet but at the end of the piece, Christine tore away the Phantom's mask." Meg shivered and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "His face…it was hardly a face. I never heard such a cry of anguish and despair than what the Phantom uttered when Christine tore it away. The next thing any of us knew, the Phantom had kidnapped Christine, but not before he had released a chain that was connected to the chandelier."

"The chandelier caused the fire."

"Yes, but I'm afraid that's where my story ends."

"What?!" I felt as if the story had been half told. I felt as if there were more and I had only been told one side.

"I know that the Vicomte went down to the lair and that he came back with Christine. I followed the troupe down to the Phantom's lair, and all I found was his mask."

I leaned back in my chair trying to piece together what Meg had told me. "But…you still believe he's there."

"Oh, he's there. He's still living beneath the Opera House. He's still running the show."

"But…what about his crimes? Why doesn't anyone stop him?"

"Are you kidding? The man might be insane at times, but he's a genius. The Opera House flourishes underneath his control."

"But Meg…at what cost?"

"Very little now, Anne." Meg took a sip of her tea and dabbed her lips with a napkin. "What happened on your first day was an accident." Meg raised her hand and waved for the waiter to bring our ticket. "The Opera House is giving beautiful performances and nothing really bad happens anymore."

"Not until another Christine shows up," I muttered.

"Well, there won't be another one like her again. She was an angel that touched our lives for such a brief time, and she's gone now."

I tried not to acknowledge the bitterness in Meg's voice and I waited until after our waiter had gone before I addressed it. "Have you heard from Christine since she got married?"

Meg shook her head. "I've gotten a few letters from her, but nothing of any great value. She just goes on and on about how wonderful her life is now that she's risen to a Vicomtesse."

The air got tight and we quickly settled the bill with waiter and I pulled Meg to her feet and we left the shop. We were silent for a few steps as I was mostly trying to gather my thoughts on how to approach the elephant in the room. Honestly, there was no way I could comfort her without being completely honest. I had a few very vivid opinions on all of this, but I knew that making hasty comments could come back to haunt me. We were back at the Opera House before I realized it and Meg was getting ready to go her own way.

"Meg…" I reached out and touched her arm. "Why don't you come back with me to my room? I gave Jane the day off, so I could use your company for a little while longer."

She begrudgingly gave her consent and we made our way back to my room, the only sound between us was the click of our shoes. I didn't know Meg that well, and we were really only just becoming better acquainted. Would my opinion be wanted? Would I end up driving her away without even trying to befriend her?

"You cannot control what everyone does, Anne." My mother's voice rang loud in my ears. "Worry about tomorrow when tomorrow becomes today. It'll come with its own problems so don't worry about those when you've got ones that already need to be dealt with."

I opened my bedroom door and I guided Meg inside. She sat down on my bed and took off her hat and gloves. I took off my gloves and laid them on my vanity and then sat down next to Meg. I took her hands in mine and gazed into her blue green eyes.

"Meg, I don't know Christine. I don't know why she's not written you and has basically left you for fancy dresses and glittering jewels."

"Anne…don't." She tried to take her hands away but I wouldn't let her.

"No, listen to me. I know what it's like to put your faith in someone and then when circumstances change, they leave you flat. You can't spend all your time feeling bitter about it. You've got to move on with life. Be all you can be with the circumstances that have been dealt to you. Honestly, she can't be too much of an angel if she's treated her best friend this way."

"Anne!"

"And speaking of Angel!" I stood up and started pacing. "You expect me to believe that a man is responsible for the rise and fall of the Populaire? You expect me to understand that the gendarmes have not gone down to his lair and arrested him if he's still there? A murderer? A criminal?! Meg it's complete madness and insanity! I can't believe you even feel safe in this place!"

"Anne be quiet! He'll hear you!" Meg rushed over and put her hands over my lips. "He has ears everywhere!"

"He is no more a phantom than I am." I whipped her hands off my face. "Running everything as if this was a puppet show instead of people's lives!"

"You don't know him, Anastasia. Don't pronounce an opinion on him!"

Meg and I whirled around and saw Madame Giry standing in my doorway.

Vile girl! She had no idea who she was dealing with! Erik stood behind the mirror and watched the scene unfold. How dare she speak of his angel in such a way! She knew nothing! She understood nothing! Ever fiber in his being wanted him to shatter that mirror and wring her little throat. His hand had reached the lever to part the mirror when he saw Madame Giry standing in the doorway.

Blast that woman! Always getting in his way when he wanted to accomplish something.

"You don't know him, Anastasia. Don't pronounce an opinion on him!"

He saw the astonishment, fear, and a brief flash of anger cross Anne's face. Meg quickly picked up her few things and flew out of the room. Madame Giry closed the door and leaned against it looking at Anne.

"You would do well to remember Anne, that our Phantom does have ears in ever corner of this opera house.

"Your phantom is a man! A fallible human being!"

"Who is alone, Anne, with no family and no one to whom he can trust. Surely you know what that's like."

Erik watched as Anne seemed to freeze and then immediately lower her eyes. Madame Giry must have hit a nerve.

"But Christine…":

"Was a chance at salvation for him. Ugh, I told Meg not to tell you the story."

"Why?'

"Because you would not understand! Even I have a hard time to understand our Phantom's tale. So much has happened to him and the world has turned on him again and again. And when he had a chance at life, a chance to leave the terrible fate that he had no control over, he was thrown once again into darkness. With no mother or grandmother to save him."

Erik could not understand that underlying tones and messages that Madame Giry was sending to the young girl, but he could tell that Anne was trying to understand. She wouldn't, though. No one could ever understand or save him from his solitude and the hell that he lived in. He had tried to make one person see, and he failed.

"It still does not absolve him of his crimes, Aunt." Anne's voice was hard and cold. "I may have lived amongst the dregs of society, but I never…"

"Because you had family, Anne. He's had no one, but this opera house."

"There's a higher…"

"Power? Who do you mean, Anne? God? God has never been with our Phantom."

No…God never cared much for Erik. Prayers had never been whispered on his lips since he was a child. Prayers never stopped the beatings, or the cries of horror.

"Have some compassion, Anne. Your mother told me you had it in spades. Learn a little more before you judge, Anne." Madame Giry walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her. At first, Erik had no wanted stay any longer, but the tears on Anne's face stopped him.

"I don't…understand."

Erik couldn't help but feel a little smug at her tears. She had no right to judge him! She had no clue of the pain he had been through and how alone he felt. He had ever right to seek whatever consolation he could in what little light was gifted to him. As far as his Angel was concerned…would he do it all again if the had the chance? He had no regrets, and he would be damned if he let this woman change him. What Erik chose to ignore was that he was already damned.