Mia paced back and forth, running her hands through her hair. Erik had brought her up to the roof per his promise the day before. He hadn't been going to, except she had suddenly become so agitated down in the lair, he thought it would help. Except if anything, it was worse up here in the fresh air. As she paced, she muttered to herself, something she had made fun of him for earlier. Erik thought about saying something, but Mia seemed too upset. It almost sounded like she was saying, "Conceal," over and over again.

"Are you alright?" Erik asked, feeling rather concerned. Mia had tried to throw herself off the roof yesterday afternoon, and he wasn't up to dealing with that again. Besides, if he was honest with himself, even though right now Erik was anything but, there was a certain attraction he was beginning to feel towards Mia. He was doing everything in his power to deny it, but he was starting to struggle to keep the Vicomte, his true objective, as his main focus.

It took Mia a moment or two to realize he had spoken. "I...I'm fine," she replied, clearly lying.

"What's wrong?" She just shook her head as a response. "Mia?"

She turned to face him. "I...I just have a lot on my mind." Erik could see that her eyes were clouded with emotion. He was having a hard time telling what she was feeling, and he was guessing she was having the same problem.

Erik watched as Mia made her way to the ledge. He took a step forward to grab her if needed, but instead of climbing up and threatening to jump, she grabbed the wall so tight, her knuckles began to turn white. Her knees were trembling, so much so that Erik realized she was clinging to the wall to stay on her feet. Whatever was 'on her mind' was troubling her immensely. He moved so that he was standing beside her, but Mia turned away, refusing to look at him. But Erik knew he could get her to tell him what was wrong. Erik dropped his voice to a warm, soothing tone, the same one he had used when comforting a certain little girl years ago. "Mia, what's wrong?"

"Christine, what's wrong?" Erik asked the small brunette girl who was crying in the corner of the chapel. He had overheard Antoinette Giry telling the manager the orphan's name, and was hidden in one of the walls watching her. She was the daughter of one of the greatest violinists of the time, and Erik wanted to see if she had the same potential. But he was quickly learning that the little girl's sobs broke his heart. Even he, the Devil's Child, couldn't bear to see someone so innocent in so much pain.

Her head immediately shot up, searching for the source of the voice. When she couldn't find anyone, the little girl wiped her eyes and stood, awe shinning in her face. "Are you my Angel?" she sniffled before wiping her nose.

An Angel? Erik thought to himself. He was far from an angel, but he couldn't hurt the vulnerable Christine further by admitting that fact. She seemed so desperate, he wanted to ease her suffering. But he didn't know to what angel she was referring. She thought he was her guardian angel perhaps? "Do you know who I am?" he asked gently.

"My Papa promised me that the Angel of Music would teach me to sing after he was in Heaven. That's you, isn't it?"

The Angel of Music? That was an easy one. He was the Phantom of the Opera after all. She could have asked for something he was unfamiliar with. Erik exhaled slowly. He wasn't exactly sure what he would be getting into if he agreed to teach this little girl. He had no idea what she would be when she grew older. Finally, he nodded, although Christine couldn't see him. "There is no need to cry anymore Christine. I am your Angel of Music," he replied. After all, what was the worst that could happen?

Erik stepped behind Mia, putting comforting hands on her shoulders. "There's no need to be upset Mia," he cooed in her ear, letting his voice take on a soft, hypnotic edge. "Just tell me what's wrong."

Mia closed her eyes as she felt Erik touch her. She wanted to pull away, she needed to pull away, but she couldn't. He was supposed to be falling for her, but the more time she spent with Erik instead of the Phantom, the more she realized she understood him. And honestly, he was beginning to attract her. But she couldn't tell him that. This was terrible! Escape still needed to be the first thing on her mind, but it was beginning to waver.

His voice was a smooth, almost seductive purr. "What's wrong?" he asked again. She shook her head, trying to clear it. Her thoughts were beginning to grow fuzzy and Mia was afraid she was going to lose the last of her self-control. Whatever Erik was doing to her, however he was managing to do it, she didn't like it. "Mia, tell me." She twisted away in an attempt to get him out of her head. Erik wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. "Shhhhh," he whispered in her ear. "Calm down."

She could feel her body going limp, as she was unable to keep resisting the haze he was pulling her into. There was something comforting about the fog he was lulling her into as he rocked her in his arms; it made her problems seem so far away. "I wish I could be a bird," she murmured, finally answering his question.

"And why is that?" Mia could hear the surprise in his voice, but he was quick to resume his hypnotic tone.

"So I can leave all my problems behind," she answered. "If a bird doesn't like their life, they can just fly away and go somewhere else. I wish I could do that." Mia closed her eyes and began to sing a soft tune that she had written to one of Erik's melodies, although she hadn't shared this one with him yet.

"One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
Why live life from dream to dream?
And dread the day when dreaming ends
One day I'll fly away
Fly, fly away"

Erik was silent for a moment before responding with, "But birds can be caged, can they not?"

"But they can always hope that one day the cage door won't be shut, and they can one day be free again. I have nothing. I'm doomed to the life they planned for me, with no hope for escape."

"Or maybe you're just waiting for someone to open the door to your cage," Erik whispered in reply before leaning in and placing his lips on hers for a soft, sweet kiss.