"A Little Night Music"

The night always brought a sense of comfort to him. While others saw the night as an end, he saw it as a beginning. The light made it impossible to pretend, or to make believe. Night allowed dreams to become reality and make all appear as it should be. No, night was never frightening to him. He never had to conceal himself in the night. The night welcomed him. While the light; sinful, greedy, mocking light did all it could to banish him further and further away.

For years he hid from the preying eyes of the light, only to wait until the moon and the stars were one with the sky, so he could take them all by storm. The night was his playground and he was indulged in all its splendor and beauty. The night brought on acceptance and courage. His senses were sharpened, his sensations were heightened and his true beauty revealed.

If this were any other night Erik would be indulging in his most sacred dreams and finding ways to bring them all to life, whether by imagination or creation or domination. But this night was not like the others. This night made the realization all too clear that come morning, his friend, his pupil, his Angel would be leaving. Gone away, never to return again. No more moonlight talks. No more lesson plans and instructions. No more stories and laughter. Worst of all no more having someone who didn't care if light ever graced his face. She knew it didn't matter. All that mattered was the essence of him. Night brought him to her and her to him and together they finally felt they belonged in a world that had forsaken each of them long ago.

Arrangements had been made for the child to be taken far away from the Paris Opera House. She would have an adoptive mother and a new home. A new purpose and therefore no need for an old Angel.

Damn you, Antoinette! Why? Why? When you could have taken her in? She was happy here. Didn't she look happy? He looked out in the night sky and whispered, "Didn't I look happy? I had a reason to be here. A reason as to why I was bound and chained in this cold, dismal place. She needed someone. She needed me." He shook his head in disgust. "Unacceptable! " You will answer to me!"

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Antoinette Giry awoke to a pounding at her bedroom door. She groaned. Although she was only in her 20's, she felt as if she were ancient. The constant rehearsals, the additional training to lead some the dancers and now having to take on watching over the motherless ballet rats to earn her keep was trying at best. It didn't leave much room for a life. All she could think of when she heard that pounding, was what did one of those little devils do now? She placed her robe on and opened the door in a furry, only to relax when she saw it was only Erik.

"Do you know what time it is?"

He ignored her question and barged into her chamber. "We need to talk. Now."

She was still half asleep."You realize what the penalties are for being caught with a member of the opposite sex after hours? I am expected to administer these rules, not break them." She looked at him finally and saw he was not himself. "Erik, what is the matter?"

He kept his back towards her and remained silent for several minutes. His body language was causing Antoinette to become unnerved. She took a deep breath; determine to not let him frighten her, although he clearly was succeeding.

"Erik, I asked you question. You barged into my chamber at such a late hour. I demand to at least know why."

"How could you agree to send her away?"His voice was barely audible but she heard him nevertheless. He turned and while she was expecting him to lash out, he took his hat off and looked at her with the eyes of a child. Those were the same eyes she saw looking back at her when she first saw him in the traveling fair years ago, only this time, he wasn't behind a cage.

"Erik, I had to agree to the terms. She isn't my child. Her father left no claims to me."

"She has been here since she was seven years old. You two practically grew up together. She needed a benefactor then, not at 13! She can do without all of that. This is her home. She knows no one else."

"Whose fault is that?" The minute she said it, she wished she could take it back. "Erik, I am not a parent. I was hired to be a teacher and dancer. I assist these girls where and when I can but I could not take on a ward."

"Are you forgetting how you obtained this occupation? You owe me, much Annie. Furthermore who asked you to take on a ward? You are there for the others, why not her?"

"She needs too much, she always has. Madame Valerius wanted an older child. These opportunities do not happen every day. How could we deny her this chance?"

"That woman does not have Christine's best interest at heart. I know that kind. They are rich and they are mean. Our Christine is not like that. She is pure of heart and mind and….."

"And far too trusting." When will you admit this is about you?

Erik was about to agree when he saw the malice behind his friend's eyes. "What are you implying? Do you dare think that I would harm her?"

"Erik, listen to me. Your relationship with the child…. At first it was endearing. You made her stop crying. You got her focused and she found something she loved to do; singing. Yet, while you helped her through the loss of her father you encaged her."

"What the devil are you talking about? She needed a friend. I thought you would have been proud of my interactions with others?"

"A friend, yes. But you came to her as a Celestial being. Good God, what were you thinking? It has lasted for years. You have her believing you really are an Angel from God! She refused to play with girls her own age or even socialize with others. All she wanted was time with you."

Erik wanted to speak, but couldn't. He never wanted to harm her. He only wanted to comfort her that first night when he heard her crying in the chapel. Soon one night turned into two and then three and the days turned into weeks and weeks became years. He hadn't felt so compelled to help anyone in years. Hearing her cries changed all that.

"I know you may think otherwise, but I swear to you I never hurt that child. I….." He was trembling now.

Antoinette went to him and brought him over to a chair so he could sit down."Erik, stop this. I know you would never harm her physically. I swear to you, I never questioned her safety when she was with you."

"Then why?" His eyes were swelling up with tears and she tenderly took off his mask.

"As much as you were helping her, you were hurting her. The relationship was not healthy. A child of 13 can no longer believe in angels or keep company with men in their 20's."

He stopped crying and thought about the situation through a different set of eyes. "I know I did wrong to deceive her. But, she needed an angel so I wanted to please her." He sighed. "It felt so good, Annie to be needed. She actually smiled when she would hear my voice. This wasn't like those vouchers who would pay to hear me sing in the cage. This was different. No malice or peaked curiosity over a freak. I wasn't a devil's child to her. I was an angel. Her Angel."

"What of your face?" She hated having to say it but she saw she was making progress with him and knew that calling attention to his deformity would make him realize that Christine would never have accepted it. "It was always going to end, Erik. At least this way, no one needs to get hurt. She doesn't have to think ill of her Angel of Music and you don't have to feel rejection."

"But she will not know how to interact with those people…"

"Erik, Madame Valerius will teach her. She will be safe and provided for."

"What of her talent? Madame Valerius surely cannot nurture that."

Antoinette didn't know how to answer Erik's question. He was right. No one could guide her voice like he could but it could never be. "Let her go, my dear friend. Let her go for both your sakes."

Upon hearing those words he took his mask and carefully placed it back on his face. He then stood up and tilted his hat firmly to cover his right side, taking his leave from her chamber. Antoinette shook her head, very well aware that he did not answer her plea.

He walked slowly back to his dungeon, wondering how he could have been so blind. What was he ever hoping could come between the two of them? Yes they were friends now but once she grew up what then? Would she want to see him? Would she realize there was nothing to see and forget him? Yes, rejection was inevitable the longer she stayed. Maybe Antoinette did do the right thing after all?

All of a sudden he heard the faintest sound coming from above. He stopped and extended his ear to decipher where it was coming from. When he heard the sound again, he froze.

"The music room….Christine?"

"Angel… Angel where are you? I'm frightened. I am to be sent away! Please, don't let them take me! Angel, I need you."

"She needs me!" He stopped himself. "I can't. Annie was right. If I go, it would only hurt us both later. A clean break. She is to be gone tomorrow anyway. What is the point of my…."

"Angel, please, I beg you." Her cries only grew. "Don't forsake me, tonight."

Logically he should have kept walking and go further below. He should have taken his boat and bury himself in his bedroom across the lake, tuning out her cries. However, since when did logic ever win over matters of the heart?