A/N: Oh how I wish I had an exciting neighbor who acted like an Erik move in close to Halloween. Ah well. This is why I shall fanfiction! (Yes, I just used that word as a verb.) A quick note: The only service cat I ever met was for someone who had PTSD, and I'm vaguely familiar with what trained anxiety awareness dogs do, so forgive me if my description of Ayesha's job is a little shaky/inaccurate.

I googled the character-sitting cite just to see if I could find it again. It was completely gone…vanished into thin air. So much for reapplying. And now I'd have to deal with a guy who sounded like Erik, but have no Erik with me here. I had Eriks in the books and movie I owned and in clips to listen to on Youtube and Fanfiction, but that was it.

I put on my POTO Original Motion Picture station on Pandora to pass time while I waited for my family to be ready to unpack the boxes from the attic: Halloween decorations! On came the 04 movie version of "All I Ask of You." This was the first Phantom song I'd ever heard: it was just another song in my rep for piano lessons; one of the songs I'd play in front of someone from the program that judged whether I could move to the next level of piano. I was in fourth grade. The arrangement was simple, but that song even out of context convinced me that Christine and Raoul (though I didn't know his name at the time) should go together. Flash forward to high school and our choir performed the song "Masquerade" as a choral union (all five ensembles, all 250 students.) We all stood in the isles of the auditorium at the end of a concert and sang the song—actually, we mumbled because there were so many words. Still, that was exciting. By then, I'd heard of Phantom several times, but musicals were hard for my parents to narrate without pausing the movie so as not to talk over the songs that I wanted to hear. We didn't own the movie, and commercial breaks on TV made continuity even more difficult, and so I just never saw it…until college.

My roommate and I were looking through a neighbor's movies to unwind on a Friday night, she spotted that 2004 Phantom DVD, and the second I mentioned I'd never seen it, she grabbed it and called, "We got our pick! Thanks! We'll bring it back tomorrow!"

And after I saw that, I just wanted to hug Erik. I read Laroux and Kay, I eventually got to listen to various movie/TV/radio versions on Youtube over the next few years, and even did a project on the potential mental disorders that Erik might have and how and why he would grow up different today—one A I had too much fun working towards.

My POTO nostalgia was cut short by my mom calling us downstairs. Good thing, too, I thought. Hocus Pocus and decorating! And a distraction from the sadder thoughts about losing my character…for real, who was the other so-called ally? I tried not to think about that. I might as well just write a fanfiction about it for how real it was to my world. There was no actual POTO Erik here. Erik was fictional and I wasn't. Time to live in my own world.

Erik sighed as he held the Phantom charm necklace between his hands. The charm swung merrily back and forth, and the light that played off of it taunted Ayesha, who enthusiastically pounced about trying to catch the little rainbows. After awhile, Erik tossed her a tiny mouse toy and stood gracefully from his bed to place the beloved necklace back into its box.

After Christine had fled his house that night, Erik sat for a long time at the pipe organ. Ayesha stayed beside him, purring reassuringly and giving him comforting nudges. When Nadir had come down shortly after to help Erik hunt for loopholes in the contract, a spectacular discovery was made!

When Erik wore this phangirl's necklace while looking through the information about the various phantom worlds, he saw more than Nadir did…he saw what he soon found to be called headcannons. His phangirl's own headcannons and fanfictional worlds and what iffs. He saw her thoughts while reading Laroux and Kay, saw her brainstorming little ideas bouncing off of one line of dialogue or description, saw her melding and tweaking different phantoms to create her own Erik inside her head, felt her excitement when she read particular fanfictions and her amusement when she read others (and then a few caused her to cringe), felt her happiness and awe when she saw POTO live with friends, felt her ecstasy at hearing particular songs. And he knew all of her phantom daydreams.

Erik rifled through her daydreams until he found the one that he could fit perfectly into her own world: Erik remains living with his mother and stepfather from the Kay novel, and moves to America.

That would work. Erik could tolerate his mother if his Lauren was just up the street. Besides, the fanfiction toned down the dramatics and superstition…what with the 21st century and all. Erik in this world would have had access to therapy and education and anti-bullying programs…and child protective services if need be, but luckily things hadn't escalated that far.

Now, Erik was an extreme introvert with a mother who placed far too much investment on presentation. She did indeed fear others' reaction to Erik, so she rarely allowed him to spend time out with her. She was cold towards him as she was in the 1800s, but when Dr. Ettienne Barye came into the picture, instead of naively encouraging institutions, he sought out behavioral therapy and discipline for Erik and even fashioned him a normal-looking mask. As long as Erik washed both his faces regularly when he went out so that his real face could breathe and his mask would stay free of bacteria, he could go out "like a normal little boy" as Dr. barye had said.

So on Lauren's fanfiction stage, Erik was a young man staying with his family because he could never bring himself to leave his spoiled mother. Madeleine Carriere was demanding and stubborn and vane and you just didn't get in her way lest she have a tantrum. Her tantrums were terrible things; when Erik saw those, he vowed he'd never sink so low. Well, he almost kept that vow. Every little boy has tantrums…Erik was simply taught how to manage his emotions, and his mother never learned that. Therapy, discipline, music…and one other way.

After confiding in Nadir about wanting to keep Ayesha with him, Nadir suggested a survice cat. "Lauren's guide dog is a service dog," he had said. "Perhaps there are service cats?" And so now, Ayesha was with him here. She learned how to detect changes in Erik's behavior—heavy breathing, accelerated heart rate, agitation, etc. and would calm him down by purring or nudging, and in more severe cases, leaping onto his chest or meowing at others to back away.

The only hole in the plan at first had been the last name. Erik had ultimately chosen Carriere because his phangirl was rather fond of the Erik Carrieres for there kindness and support towards the Christines. He hoped to keep some of those qualities if he took the last name of Carriere, toning down the psychopathic tendencies and destructive emotions present in most other adaptations.

In the end, Erik happily accepted and absorbed his phangirl's influences to become his Lauren's perfect Erik…he could finally be somebody's perfect!

His phone dinged: a text message. Erik frowned, irritated that someone was interrupting his time alone…his time for planning how exactly to see Lauren again.

He'd decided to date her the way men dated women in this era, and that way he could hopefully win her family as well. But first he had to meet them and ask her…and that was the frightening part. And then he had to tell her who he really was: he would return her necklace on the date and explain everything.

But for now, the text. Oh, it was from dear Madmoiselle Perrault! 'Happy Halloween, Erik! [ghost emogy]'. She had stayed in France, but had been Erik's dearest friend—besides Nadir. Porr Nadir…they couldn't find a way to fit him into this little story yet. No matter…he could ask his phangirl later. Erik's only condition besides being close to Nadir once he could come was that he had Rookheeya and Reza with him. That man deserved more time with his family out of reach of that horrible shah. Erik grinned and reciprocated the text sentiment. Halloween—what a grand time of year to be the Phantom of the Opera! And what a time to reenter a beloved phangirl's life!

"I had to wait 300 years for a virgin to light a candle."

Dang, I love that movie! Now that I've watched it with family and decorations are all over the house…this is Halloween! (I like quoting movies, okay? I don't own Hocus Pocus or the Nightmare Before Xmas—I just like quoting them.) We still had a couple of hours, though—it was All Hallows Eve Eve. It was in the evening of All Hallows Eve Eve. I was playing with my Treble.

"Twebow!" I coaxed, trying to pronounce her name like a little kid. I was at one end of the living room, hands out shielding my face, while my wound up fur baby was at the other. She made this half-huff/half-growl noise, but didn't move.

So I made a duck quack noise with my mouth and my hand. And that got her going! She ran around, hopping like a bunny, growling and waggling her entire butt. And I cooed things in this squeaky voice like "Tweble is twouble!" and "Who da woof? You da woof!" in a voice that would make Minny Mouse cringe while trying to dodge her. Once she started going, she couldn't stop without really crashing into something…I didn't want to be the something she knocked over.

Soon, I have to usher her outside to tear up the gravel and grass out there instead of letting her involuntarily move our couches and ottoman around inside the house (yeah, she went so fast she moved the furnature). And ten seconds later, she's at the door wanting to come back in. Oh you puppy.

The dog finally calmed down enough for Dicky to jump back up onto his favorite chair and meow for pets…and then there was a knock on the door and they went crazy again. Treble jumping at the door, Dicky running away to hide under a bed or something (no, kitty, come back and let me pet you!) Oh well, so much for a peaceful house. The parents were at work along with the sister, so I could just wait for the person to go away.

But they kept knocking and ringing the doorbell. So eventually I yelled "Coming!" and took a deep breath before opening the door. I was nervous about interacting with an unknown person face-to-face, and my excited dog was not being quiet and so making it worse. I had to whisper-scold her for five solid seconds as I stood there with the door open, and she finally sat still.

"Sorry," I said.

"It's allright," said…the Erik voice! Oh, crap! "I have my cat here. I'm sorry…she helps me with anxiety, and I, uh, had a question for you…"

The cat (oh, that's why Treble was not listening to me) made a little half-purr half-meow. I heard the guy take a deep breath. I just tried not to think about how much he sounded like Erik. He was even really tall like Erik. Was he really skinny like Erik? No, girl, focus on reality!

"Um, what was your question?" I hoped he'd see I was nervous too…maybe that would make him feel better? I hoped.

When he spoke next, he sounded really put together—almost rehearsed. "Tomorrow is Halloween. I have been ordered to spend the evening outside of my house, much to my own chagrin, and refuse to spend that evening with my unpleasant mother."

His voice is Erik. His voice is so nice to listen to. His voice is saying…things that should make sense?

"Seeing as I must socialize, might you give me an excuse to leave my new home by going on a date with me tomorrow evening?"

"Sure," I found myself saying.

Whoa! Well, I guess I won't be doing the Halloween-movies-and-chill tomorrow night. A date? Wait, what's happening.

"Would you like to exchange phone numbers? I can put my number in your phone."

"Okay." Out came my phone, off went the text-to-speech screenreader, and before I knew it an Erik-like hand gave it back.

"I'll see you tomorrow," the Erik voice said.

How…did that even?

And that's how I was here, on Halloween evening, waiting nervously at my piano. Sitting at the piano calms me down…I'm right next to music and music makes everything better. I'm wearing a silvery grey velvet dress and black sandals. I've decided to leave my dog at home and take my good luck cane: a red cane with shiny black decals of musical symbols. I took this cane out when I needed a confidence boost or when I was going somewhere musical, and I definitely needed some luck right now. If this Erik wasn't my Erik, I was so dead!

I had given Erik my number and we'd texted about what we wanted to do…both our families had dinner plans for us, so we decided to go out for dessert. I'd told Erik that you'd never have room for dessert when you eat out in the US anyway because you're so full after dinner, so going out just for dessert was a good way to appreciate restaurant desserts.

I heard the knock and I jumped up. My stomach was swirling and burning at the same time. Treble was jumping excitedly at the door and Mom was trying to get her under control. I was holding my cane with a death grip and fidgeting with the silver rose charm at the end of the rubber band that holds it together when it's all folded up, and sweeping it back and forth to hear the roller tip rhythmically slide across the tiles. Stay calm. Be cool.

My mom opened the door and greeted Erik, but I also heard a woman's voice speaking French. Her voice was in a higher register, her tone pompous and scarily authoritarian. Erik's voice translated warily: Madeleine Carriere was here to meet the mother of her son's date for the night as well as get a good look at the girl.

"Lauren? Erik's here," Mom said.

"Hi, Erik," I said without thinking. I walked towards the voices and soon Erik's hand had taken mine. This hand felt like the hand I remembered…stop—hult, phangirl.

After a silent minute and some exchanging of heated French between mother and son, the mothers parted ways politely and Erik and I went outside after I said a quick goodbye to my mom. Erik kept hold of my hand.

Erik told me his story over dessert, about his family and his life and his hopes for the future, and I told my story. It felt like we were just getting it all out of the way, like it was frivolous-but-socially-important small talk. I was glad when the dessert was gone, because then I could go home and not feel awkward anymore. I so wanted to forget about this almost-Erik person. But sitting here waiting for the check is also awkward.

"You look very festive tonight with your orange toenails and your dark dress," Erik said, snapping me out of my own anxious mind.

"Thanks," was all I could say.

"You know, there's one thing I can think of that would really go well with what you have on. Not that you don't already look pretty."

I'm blushing as I duck my head. "Thanks. Um, what?"

"This. I'm sorry I took it, but it led me back to you, and now that I am back here with you, you can wear it proudly."

Erik leaned forward and put a necklace around my neck. When I went to explore it…I found a half mask charm.

"Hey! I bought one of these when I went to see—"

"Phantom…with some college friends. Chris Mann was the Phantom. You loved the stereo and the acoustics and the way you could be a real phangirl with your fellows."

"How did you know that?"

Erik got up and sat on my side of the booth. His arm came around me and then the Phantom mask charm was singing: "Ne'er forsake me, here remain…"

"No way."

"It's me, my angel. Your Erik has returned."

I dared to hope. My stomach was full of happy butterflies instead of nervous ones. "No way!"

"Through your necklace, I could see your own thoughts and ideas about my story. I saw your fanfiction ideas that you would play with, so I picked one. And it worked! I'd tolerate my poor mother for a lifetime if it meant you would be close."

I put my hands on his shoulders, touched his cheeks with my thumbs to understand where his face was, and leaned in to kiss him. "Thank you for breaking the rules,"I said. I so was not going to get this grin off my face! Best Halloween ever!

"Is that not what Eriks are for? To bend contractual rules and defy social norms?"