I am a little upset the reviews have been so few for the first chapter but the story will go on. Hopefully things will pick up for our duo and the reviews. LOL

"Mama! What happened? Is Christine alright?" Meg sprang out of bed the moment she heard the door knob turn.

Madame Giry nodded as she brought Christine to her bed. "She is fine, my Meg. Just tired and a bit bewildered by the night's events."

"Bewildered?" Meg sat at the opposite side of Christine on the bed. "Christine, you looked so happy after the performance. Did the Vicomte find you? He… He didn't upset you, did he?"

"Meg, please! Christine needs her rest. You are going to share my chamber tonight. Go and pack a bag. I don't want Christine disturbed until further notice."

"But Mama!" She jumped up.

"Meg Giry, did you not understand me the first time?"

Meg cursed under her breath.

"I heard that! Now get your things. It's late, we all need rest." She then helped Christine change and then covered her with a blanket. "Sleep, dear one. Things will look better in the morning. We will then have a nice, long chat."

"Do you…. Do you know who he is?" It was barely a whisper, but Madame Giry heard her inquiry.

"I do. I have always known, and I never would have allowed it, if I thought you would be in any danger. But I never thought he would bring you down there. That was wrong and stupid."

"Have you seen…." She then shook her head.

The old woman answered her question. She knew what Christine was referring to. "Yes. Years ago. I was a young girl and he was only a boy." Her mouth dropped. "He showed you his face?"

Before Christine could answer Meg came out of the bathroom. "I'm ready, Mama."

"Come, let's go." She didn't say another word to either girl. She only took Meg's hand and closed the door behind her.

A few minutes later, the door opened once more. A man in a cape and fedora entered with care and locked the door behind him.

"Christine, are you alight?"

She sprang up from the bed. "No! Please don't…."

He extended his hand as if to say he would not hurt her. "I only wanted to make sure you were alright."

"How dare you come back here! I will never be alright again. How can I be?"

"I never wanted this to happen. I swear to you when I appeared before you…. I…...Don't know what I was thinking but I know I never intended for this. I would never harm you."

"But you have harmed me. You have taken all I have ever believed and made it a lie and me a fool."

"No, No. I…..." He tried to come closer.

"Stay where you are! You are not my angel. You are a false friend. You deceived me for years. You are a…. a…."

"Monster."

"Uh…I don't know. I only know what you are not."

"Oh Christine. I know you hate me and fear me now but not long ago you loved and idolized me. Couldn't we go back to that place and time once again? Why must one look at this…." He pointed to his mask. "Destroy all the years we had before tonight?"

"You think that is the reason why I fear you?"

Her words hurt him more than if she had slapped him cross the face. "I know it is." He hissed.

"You yelled at me and called me the most dreadful names. You almost hit me!"

"I felt I had been attacked. You talk of being lied to, but what about me?"

"You?"

"You said you wanted to see me. You said you would obey my commands. You wished we could talk as two humans. I trusted you and you take me by surprise and strip me of my shield. My only defense against humanity and all its cruelty. You betrayed me because you had to see what lied beneath. Why did you do that? Why couldn't the music be enough?"

She didn't know how to respond. She had been confused and curious. She had awoken to music and mist and remembered that her Angel of Music had appeared and was not a celestial being but a man. A man of flesh and bone. Someone she had been so close to touching only hours before. Someone who appealed to her in ways she never knew possible until tonight. What had come over her to behave in such a way? She was so reckless. Why? She sat down on the bed and covered her mouth as she turned away from him.

"Is it over, Christine?"

She turned her head slightly towards him. "Is what over?"

"Our music of the night."