Disclaimer: I do not own Erik, or Meg, or Madame Giry, or any other characters from the ingenious mind of Gaston Leroux! Anne, however, she's mine...well, she resides in my head until her story is done.

AN: This is my "Merry Christmas" "Happy Hanukkah" "Happy Kwanaza" "Happy Holidays" for you all! I'll be taking a break after this. I'll be back hopefully before 2013!

Chapter 41

Leaving the Opera House, even for a short time, was something I was excited about. I would never have admitted this to Erik, but I longed to see a glimpse of sunlight or breathe a small breath of fresh air. I loved the Populaire, and the people in it, but everyone needed a change of scenery even if just to escape the humdrum of normality. I tried not to appear overly excited about going…wherever it was Erik was taking me, but I couldn't stop myself from dressing quickly and making a rapid attempt at fixing my hair. When I looked in the mirror for a final consultation I laughed. I had missed a few loop holes for the laces and my hair was fixed in a lopsided manner. I looked like something out of a circus.

"If you make a half attempt at anything, you'll always have to redo it." Mama's words echoed in my ears and I began to redo my appearance. I fixed all the laces, even untangling a few knots since I had been in such a hurry. I was wearing one of my older dresses that had managed not to get soiled by my comings and goings in the Populaire. It was a dark burgundy dresses that had a dark copper trim. This dress was one of my favorites as it didn't have any of the extra frills and it had been made just before the change in fashion. As I took the pins out of my hair and detangled it, I remembered how it felt earlier when Erik had placed his hand on my cheek and then ran his fingers through my hair. Goosebumps immediately dotted my skin and I decided to not even bother putting my hair up. I clasped the locket around my neck and was satisfied with my apperance.

As I left the bathroom, I looked on my nightstand and saw a beautiful bouquet of white roses sitting in an ornate vase. Unblemished and very fine, I touched the delicate blossoms and inhaled their fragrant scent. I looked on the table and saw a small card resting against the vase. I sat on my bed and pulled the card out of the envelope.

For all that you have done.

Erik

There was nothing poetic or romantic about his card, but it was his way of thanking me for whatever it was that I had done for him. I smiled and ran my fingers over his beautiful handwriting. It was elegant and proficient as if he had been taught by some great scholar. I pulled out Mama's box from the secret compartment of the chest and placed the card inside. I sat in the floor with the opened jewelry box in my lap looking over all of its contents. I had been astonished, as had Jane, at what was inside. There was a ruby necklace with a matching pair of earrings, and an emerald ring. A thin diamond bracelet was also laid on top of the dark fabric. All of the jewelry was flawless and of the highest quality. I was puzzled and confused as to how, and why, these things had been in my mother's possession. These things could have made us plenty of money and we would not have been subjected to the misery of those four years. I shuddered as I thought of what would not have happened if we had not been forced to live as we did.

Pushing the unpleasantness aside, I sat the card in the box and returned the box to the chest. As I stood up, I smoothed out any wrinkles in my dress and made my way out of the room and out towards the lake. Erik was standing there next to the gondulet, looking as every bit as dashing and handsome as the most well titled man in society. He wore a crisp black suit with matching cloak and it was only his white mask that stood out. I couldn't help but smile at him as he had come to mean so much to me over the time we'd known each other. All that we had both been through both apart and together made me realize all the more how much I truly loved him. It was more than the doe-eyed romantic love that so many people fell in to. But a strong true love that would survive anything, including when Erik decided to take off his mask and show me what was underneath.

"I've heard that women take a long time getting ready. You're certainly no exception."

I chuckled at his teasing comment and stepped in to the boat. "Well, when you want to impress someone, you tend to take a little longer." I looked back at him, seeing him staring at me as if I'd just taken leave of my senses. Perhaps it had been a little forward, but I had grown tired of this cat and mouse game. He'd come close to kissing me…twice! He either was going to have to, or I would take care of this myself.

"Are you coming?" I asked. "Or am I going to have to row this myself?"

A devilish grin flashed across his face before he stepped into the boat. I steadied myself as he picked up the pole and pushed our way along the lake to the other side. The rocking of the gondulet was soothing and peaceful.

"So you said we're sort of going out of the Opera House. Where are we going exactly?"

"The roof."

I turned to face him. "What's up at the roof?"

"It's a surprise."

"I think that's probably the one place in the Populaire that I've not been."

"It's just the roof."

"To you maybe," I smiled. Nothing more was said between us as he docked the boat and turned to assist me. The feeling of his hands encircle my waist made my cheeks flush and I was grateful for the dim light. Even after he took one of my hands and guided me up to the roof, I could still feel his hands on my waist. Silently, I followed him up from the underground lair to the main levels. A few times he turned around to ask if I needed to rest, but I simply smiled and told him that I was fine.

"Higher," he whispered, even when I thought we were nearly there. "Higher still."

I picked up my skirts and matched his steps, trying not to trip over fallen props, thrown aside costumes, and then the stairs. I had never seen so many stairs and I thought counting them would make them go by faster, but after a while I lost count. I gripped his hand as we side-stepped a few wayward people, more engrossed in their partner than us walking by.

"Here we are," he whispered, standing before a closed door. "Ready?"

"I'm not afraid of heights," I laughed at him.

He opened the door and we stepped out into the cool evening air. The sun had not quite set but the East had darkened. From up here, we could see all of Paris. Lights were slowly coming on in the Parisian flats, and the streets were being lit. Erik pulled me towards the sculptures of angels that decorated the barrier that separated me from the street below.

"It's beautiful."

"Is there anything dark in this world that you don't think is beautiful?" He asked me promptly.

I looked out at the city and smiled. "Yes, Erik. There are things and people in this world who I do not think are beautiful." I leaned against him, my back pressed against his chest. "You don't have to concern yourself about being in that category."

"What made you think that?"

I chuckled. "Just a feeling, I guess. You hide away from all the world, so you obviously think you are not beautiful." I looked up at him. "I, however, think you're devilishly handsome."

"Don't lie to me, Anne."

I turned around and cupped his face with my hands. "I'm not lying, Erik. You have a truly beautiful soul, and a good heart."

"Others would…"

"I'm not talking about other people. And if you value their opinion more than I, then I'll stop right there." I stepped away and was going to walk past him but he grabbed my hand.

"Anne, wait. That's not what I meant."

"You still don't trust me." It wasn't a question. Just a simple state of fact.

"You don't know what you ask of me." He dropped my hand and averted his eyes, knowing we had reached that unpleasant topic of his face.

"I'm not asking you anything," I replied. I stepped up to him and made him look at me. "Your face is just as beautiful as your soul and those who can't see that, aren't probably the best judges of character."

"You've not seen it."

I felt my temper rise. "I'm not Christine, as you so often remind me. I am not going to treat you any differently if and when I see your face. If anything, it'll be only compassion for the life you've known because of the cruelty of the world."

"I don't deserve…"

"No one really deserves anything in this life, Erik. We all make mistakes and judgments and no one is perfect, no matter how hard you try to make them so. We give what we can give, and take what little we deserve. That's how the world works."

"Do you really want to see it?"

I crossed my arms. "I'm not going to take off your mask, Erik. It is by your own hand."

I could see him struggling with himself, as if weighing the pros and cons of whatever decision he would make. And then he sighed and his hands reached up to take away his mask. I held my breath, fearing the unknown. Whatever happened in this moment, would define everything from here on. Erik was placing his full trust in me. Whatever gross imaginings had crossed my mind, it wasn't what I saw. I had expected…well, something entirely transfigured that you couldn't even tell it was a face, if rumors were to be believed.

"Like yellow parchment is his skin."

"A great black hole serves as the nose that never grew!"

"He is like Death walking about!"

None of those were accurate. I gasped when I saw what he had been hiding, and it looked as if he had been burned and it never had a chance to heel. In the fading twilight, I saw the reddened skin that had bumps and ridges that were probably from the contours of his mask. It was dry and flaking, probably from the skin's inability to breathe. The "deformity" ran from the middle of his forehead to almost all the way down the right of his face. His eyes were closed, so he couldn't see my reaction, but I could plainly see the pain and fear written across his face. Would I accept him as he was, nothing more than a man?

I held his face in my hands, my left thumb lightly running over this scarred face. Apparently, the sensitive touch shocked him and his eyes flew open. I didn't give him any time to speak or to react as I wrapped my arms around him and kissed his lips. Everything happened so quickly then. I could feel his body stiffen as if trying to break away from me, but his hands soon encircled my waist as he had done earlier in our evening. I could feel his tears on my face, and when I broke away I dried them with my fingertips.

"It's alright, Erik."

"How can you…"

I placed my fingers over his lips. "I love you, Erik." I could see I had stunned him with my words. "I know it's not proper for a woman to declare her feelings before a man does, but I can't keep silent anymore. I love you more than I ever believed humanly possible."

I watched him place his mask back on his face and the change in him was astounding. I would never have called Erik weak, but he seemed to be stronger and more confident with his mask on. He held me close to him and searched my eyes, obviously trying to decide whether or not I was telling the truth.

"You can't mean it…"

"Is that your way of telling me that you don't love me?" I asked, pulling away from him.

He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "I've waited too long for you, Anna. You're not getting away from me now." He held my face tenderly in his hands. "I love you so very much, Anna, like I no longer believed I could."

My heart warmed at his words, and when he leaned in to kiss me, I felt as if everything in the world had righted itself. I was perfectly happy and content here in the arms of the man I loved the most. We stood there in the evening holding each other as the sun finally set, and the dark sky hovered over us.

"This is the reason why I wanted you to come up here," Erik whispered in my ear. I tried not to shiver as his breath tickled my skin.

"You could have held me like this in your home, Erik."

"Not this, Anna." He pointed out towards the sky. "There is the reason."

I looked up at the sky, trying to figure out what it was he was trying to show me. Then it hit me. "The stars," I whispered. I hadn't seen a starlit sky such as this in years. Even while I was on the boat coming here, I hadn't taken the time to walk the decks at night. "It's beautiful, Erik."

"I know that you've missed them. Did you do any stargazing while you lived in the country?"

I shook my head. "Sadly, no. Papa tried, but I could never sit still long enough and by the time there were enough stars in the sky to do anything, I was too tired."

"Shall we begin your lesson now, then?"

I laughed. As long as he held on to me, I didn't care what we did. For the rest of the evening, Erik and I stayed close in each other's arms, watching the stars, watching the people that walked the streets, and enjoying the company of each other.