Thank you all very much for the reviews. I feel better than ever about this story, and I look forward to writing more and more of it. Heard you all loud and clear...lots of Erik in this chapter! Some backstory, too. I hope you enjoy the calm before the storm...

Please review. (Crossing my fingers to hit 100 with this update.)

Nothing But A Lie

Chapter 10

Nadir Khan glanced at his watch as he entered his office with the lunch that he had just purchased, wondering where Erik was. The younger man had ample time to make it there before him, but his office was still empty. They had met for lunch the day before, and when Nadir suggested they make it a daily thing, Erik had reluctantly agreed with an annoyed shrug after some persisting. Though Erik was not the most…pleasant company, Nadir still cared for the man, still wanted to assure him that he had at least one person who wanted to be his friend.

Khan sat at his desk and began his lunch, clicking through emails as he ate, and Erik finally came in around ten minutes later, looking somewhat annoyed.

Before Nadir could question him, Erik muttered, "Needy little children. If I have one more student introduce themselves to me like they are important, I will no doubt implode."

"Ah," Nadir laughed. "So that explains your lateness." He noticed Erik's lack of lunch. "No lunch again, Erik? No wonder you're so skinny."

"We cannot all be fortunate enough to have the soft belly that you possess, old man," he retorted dryly. "You know I have little need for food."

Nadir shook his head. "You're human, Erik. You need to eat, just like everybody else."

Erik rolled his yellow eyes, waving Khan off with a dismissive hand and beginning to read through the lesson plans he would need to memorize for tomorrow. He had finished his classes for the day, though he still had a voice lesson with one Christine Daae. Yes, the rather small woman who he had met the day before. For some odd reason, he had not quite been able to get those violet eyes out of his head, those eyes that seemed to be constantly pleading for something, those eyes that had been haunting him all night and day…

"So, how are you settling in? Classes okay?" Khan interrupted his thoughts.

"Fine," Erik grumbled.

Nadir pulled up Erik's schedule on his computer, seeing what else he had for the day. "You meet with Miss Daae today, I see. She seems like a nice girl. I saw her showcase performance last semester. The hymn she sang nearly reduced me to tears." He laughed after the confession awkwardly.

Erik's head peaked up in interest for a brief second, before pretending to go back to reading through the lesson plans when Nadir's black eyes caught his curious gaze. "Ah, yes, one of said students who introduced themselves to me. Seemed like a timid little thing. Her voice is good, then?"

"From what I heard last May, her voice is beautiful. But sort of…sad, I guess? Haunting. I can't really explain it. I guess I don't really have to explain it to you though, considering you'll probably hear her later today."

Erik hoped the girl would at least be a substantial enough singer. The last thing he needed was some shrieking female voice to worry about fixing on top of everything else on his plate. He had the horror of walking into his classroom early that morning to find some young, red haired girl rehearsing a solo with her instructor, her voice shrill and passionless, and he shuddered even now to think about having a student like that.

He checked his watch, finding that he only had half an hour before they would meet in a private practice room for her lesson. Though loath to admit it to himself, he felt strange about being in a small room with only the girl for an hour and a half twice a week. Perhaps even a bit nervous.

The last time he had been left alone with a girl was in the hell that was high school, when he'd had a project to do with his attractive brunette lab partner, her face always unfriendly and always twisted in an unpleasant expression whenever she had to look on the freak's masked face. She had met him in the empty class after school, demanding that he do all the work or else she would tell the entire school that he tried to…

He could not even think the word, could barely even handle to painful memory. Still, it persisted in invading his cruel mind.

Of course, Erik had done all the work as ordered. He had known that there was no way anyone would believe him should she follow through with her threat, and she had smiled mockingly at him the day they got their assignment back with a huge "A" on it. He had wanted nothing more than to tell their teacher she had done none of it, but he obviously could not. He already knew it would not be worth it. Surprisingly enough, he had experienced much worse than the girl's threats to his already shady reputation.

It was not as if he assumed the Daae girl would be deceiving in any way, and of course he was the one with the upper hand, being her superior, but still, he was wary.

He remembered how his abusive, hateful, controlling mother had died a few months after this specific incident, how he had dropped out of high school without a second thought. Luckily the terrible woman had waited to off herself until right after his eighteenth birthday, so he did not have to worry about any foster care nonsense. He supposed that was one courtesy his mother had ever done for him. His parents' extravagant home and the copious amount of money they possessed had all been left it him. He would be set for the rest of his life off his parents' money alone.

The thought had been repulsive to him.

Khan had kept in touch with him after he dropped out, having been the school guidance counselor as well as teaching an advanced Anatomy and Physiology class that Erik had taken, and made sure Erik got his GED in place of a high school diploma.

Though Erik would never admit it aloud, he had been grateful for the old man's guidance, and still was. Erik had gone through a very, very dark period before deciding to get his degrees, and he felt much better about himself now that he had a stable career that did not involve thievery, assault, or worse…

He had a rough past. Khan knew everything, having been there for him when no one else ever was, and yet he trusted Erik enough to take on this position. Of course Erik was grateful. But again, he would never admit it aloud.

Khan would never let him hear the end of it if he did.

"I can only imagine how her voice will improve under your guidance," Nadir interrupted Erik's reverie once again. "She'll be one of the finest singers in the school, I'm sure."

"What makes you so sure?" Erik pressed stubbornly.

"Don't pretend like I don't know how musically inclined you are. Really, Erik, your music could make millions. I really don't see why you don't-"

"I showed you my music in confidence once, years ago!" Erik growled. "You swore you would not press me about it."

Nadir sighed, putting his hands up in a placating gesture. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I won't bother you about it again, I swear. Anyway, I'm excited to see how Miss Daae's voice will get even better. That's all."

Erik mumbled wordlessly, pretending to be absorbed in his reading, annoyed with the old man's persistent attempt to converse. Still, Erik found himself remembering how pure and clear the girl's speaking voice was, even through the faint accent she had held—Swedish, if his assumption on her last name was correct—and was quite curious on how it would sound lifted in song. Perhaps she would not be so terrible, he hoped. It would only make things easier on him if she were not.

He checked his watch once again, and saw that it was almost time to find out.

She walked with haste down the long hallway, unable to refrain from looking behind her shoulder every few moments. Now that she knew she was being followed, Christine felt the constant urge to look in hopes that she would miraculously be left alone. Of course, no matter how many times she looked, the man was always there, following far behind her in a seemingly inconspicuous way or sitting in the back of the classroom she was in. No one but her would notice it.

Trembling, she quickened her pace and turned the corner of the hallway, reluctantly beginning ascending the staircase to the third floor. She was familiar with the trek to the practice rooms, and she was already regretting not using the elevator by the time she got to the second floor, as it usually went. Still, she pushed herself up as quickly as she could without seeming suspicious, eager to escape her follower for at least a little while.

Christine was gasping for breath when she burst into her assigned practice room, dismayed to find Dr. Gabriel already there, waiting for her, sitting at the piano bench and reading through a stack of papers in his lap. Her already flushed cheeks heated further as he watched her shrewdly, and she fought to calm her breathing.

Each practice room in the music building was the same small space, sort of like an office but with a piano instead of a desk and a white board against the wall, and an extra chair in the corner. Christine felt the faintest hint of relief as she turned to close the door behind her, glaring at her follower as he approached. How she wished she could scream at him to leave her alone.

But Sky would hear. He heard everything. He made that very clear.

Erik was puzzled by the girl's strange behavior, watching her long, golden braid sway behind her as she hastily closed the door and then…pressed her back to it in some sort of relief? Had she been running? She was not wearing clothes suitable for exercise; a thin blue dress that reached her knees and sandals, so that would be awful strange if she had been. Perhaps she was eager to get started?

Either way. What an odd girl.

He glanced at his watch, standing like a gentleman would to greet her.

"Miss Daae." He nodded his greeting, making no move to shake her hand or move closer to her. Again, Christine found herself startled by the overwhelming pleasantness of his voice, a stark contrast to his stoic posture and unfriendly expression. "You are early. You may sit." He gestured to the chair in the corner across from where he stood, and she nodded breathlessly, going to sit.

Baffled, he could not help but ask, "Were you running?"

"I…um…no. The s-stairs winded me, is all. Heh." She tried to smile, but he did not return it, only looking at her closely, and she flushed and dug in her backpack for her water bottle. She tried to ignore his unsettling stare as she took a few long, greedy gulps.

Erik felt the strangest sensation of his mouth going utterly dry, watching the girl quench her thirst, and then wiping her plump lips with the back of her hand. There was a bandage on her inner forearm, he could not help but notice, as well as a rather obnoxious ring on her the third finger of her left hand. Was the young girl engaged?

Why did that possibility make him clench his fists in his lap?

"If you are quite finished, I would like to get started," Dr. Gabriel snapped, startling Christine into dropping her water bottle. Thankfully she had screwed the lid back on beforehand; how much more embarrassing it would have been if she had to clean up a spill.

Stammering a weak apology, she put the water in her backpack as fast as she could manage and sat up straight, wringing her hands together in her lap and watching him. Again, she couldn't help but notice the strange hardness of his face…

"First, tell me a bit about your previous training…"

At first, their time was spent discussing what Christine had learned last year with Professor Chan, as well as what she thought her strengths and weaknesses were, and what her goals were with her voice. Erik had expected her to immediately gush on how she wanted to be a rich and famous singer, as most young vocal majors would, but when she had shrugged and told him with a flush that she was not really sure what she wanted to do, he found himself entranced. She went on about how she knew she would like to sing in church whenever she could—of course, Erik had internally rolled his eyes at that—and was unsure what she would do with the rest of her time. He had not heard her sing yet, so he could not say whether or not her lack of perseverance was a waste or not.

She seemed to be a very simple girl with simple goals, but something in her eyes—a sort of sad, hopeless glint in the deep violet depths—told him there was more to her story that he could not begin to guess.

Though Erik had never really cared much about getting to know someone before, he found himself asking her more and more questions, and learned that she was orphaned at thirteen and had no other family.

Christine enjoyed talking with Dr. Gabriel, which surprised her. She'd always been one to keep to herself when it came to personal details about her life. Though he was abrupt and serious with his questioning, he was a very attentive listener, his strange, golden eyes never straying from her face. She would have felt uncomfortable by being stared at so intensely, but there was an unmistakable hint of curiosity behind his questions, and she felt that he was just being a good professor who got to know their students on a personal level before delving into the educational things.

Also, there was the strange, almost hypnotic quality of his voice. Every time he demanded a new question, she wanted to answer him. How weird.

And then, she remembered that Sky was hearing their every word, and all of her good feelings instantly went away.

Miss Daae had gotten more short and hesitant with her answers, and Erik watched as she nervously fumbled with the ring on her finger, twisting it around and around. His next question very nearly left his tongue: Is that an engagement ring? He stopped himself, thankfully, clearing his dry throat and checking his watch instead. They had been talking for almost the entire meeting time, and he found they only had a short time for actual lessons. Ah, he figured he had time to hear her sing one song, and that he may mull over her voice and figure out where they needed to focus on for her to make progress by the next meeting.

Christine agreed to that suggestion, reaching into her folder for her sheet music. It was a hymn she knew better than any other; having been her father's favorite, and now her own. Gustav Daae had been a lover of music, which he had obviously passed down to Christine, and it had lived on long after he and her mother had died. Singing felt like the only connection she had left with them, in a way. If she did not have her music…she would surely die.

She handed him her song, and as she stood to sing and Dr. Gabriel turned on the bench to face the piano keys, she realized how she had not properly sung for weeks since Sky had taken her, and she prepared for the worst, biting her lip.

"I am afraid we do not have time for a warm up," Dr. Gabriel said, running impossibly long fingers across the keys, plunking at a few random notes. The masterful movement oddly mesmerized Christine, and she watched as he tested out the proper key in which she would sing. "Do your best. I will keep in mind that you cannot give your all at the moment."

Christine took a deep breath, hoping that her voice hadn't suffered too much from lack of practice, and began singing when her cue came.

If he had only known, oh, if Erik had only known the sounds that would come out of Christine Daae's throat would completely and utterly possess him…he might have never accepted the position offered here by Khan.

And yet, he also might have accepted it a million times more if he could.

The light, pure—so very pure!—and impossibly perfect pitched voice had immediately wrapped around him when she began to sing, invading his empty soul and bringing it to life, and he had very nearly stumbled in his playing. Erik never made a mistake when it came to playing. Though lacking in technique and posture, the passion and power the tiny girl exuded when she sang overwhelmed him. Him! This lifeless corpse of a man! Her voice was one that Erik knew could rule the world if fitfully trained, not one single doubt about it. If he could ever do as Khan pestered him and release his music, he knew then that only one voice would be able to fulfill the honor of singing it.

Hers. Christine Daae. The angel.

Christine.

Erik felt an ache in his stomach and a large, annoying lump in his throat as Christine finished her heart wrenching song, and he immediately stood when it was finished, facing her with wide, frantic eyes. Oh, how he longed to fall to his knees and worship the perfect creature before him! But, no, that would not be appropriate. Not at all. Not when he was supposed to be her superior and she was looking on him with those brilliant violet eyes that were wary and confused and hopeful for positive feedback from him.

He swallowed that lump, and choked out one lonely, widely understated word: "Good."

And then, she smiled. And his lonely, aching heart nearly burst through his skeletal chest.

It was then that he knew.

Erik had no idea how he would survive this life, if this Christine Daae, this angel, would never become his.

His mouth was turned down in a frown as he rushed to his car after attending to some work matters.

Sky did not like the sound of Christine's voice teacher, or the fact that she was completely alone with him when they had their little lesson. When Christine's follower had texted Sky to let him know that there was no way he could get into the room with them, Sky had clenched his teeth in frustration, listening intently to her every word despite that he was supposed to be working. His charming girl would surely find a way to get her voice teacher on her side, wouldn't she?

As he listened in on their meeting, he noticed once again like yesterday how the man's voice sounded attractive. Very attractive; and that was something Sky could admit despite the fact that he had never been attracted to men. There was no denying it. It was almost otherworldly. Maybe even the voice of God, if he ever believed in one.

He tortured himself throughout the afternoon wondering what he would look like, how handsome he was, how he would charm his girl with his voice. His Christine.

Mine.

Of course, he felt a little better when he heard how unfriendly the man sounded, despite his pleasant voice. And when Christine had sung the most beautiful song Sky had ever heard in his life, the man had only uttered, "Good." What the hell kind of man was he? Was he deaf? Did he not hear what Sky had heard? Complete and total perfection?!

Sky's lips were pressed together in a hard line as he drove to pick up Christine, deliberating. No, he was not happy with the arrangement she had with this man, whoever he was. He would need to know more before he made a decision, but if he decided she would stop taking lessons from him, then she would. She would do whatever he said.

Or else.