Safe With Me

Summary-

Ever since Christine Daaé was brought to the Opera Populaire, she has felt the loving and safe gaze of the Phantom, her Angel of Music. When the Opera Populaire gets not only new managers but also a new Patron who happens to be someone from Christine's past, things start to change between Christine and her Angel.

Chapter I-

A young girl of eight stood outside of the grand Opera Populaire, she stared in aw of its statues of performers and fairies. The young girl could practically see the fairies playing in the small bushes that were in front of the enchanting building. "Christine." A middle aged woman called out to her from the steps of the Opera Populaire pulling the young girl from the day dreams that had encased her. When woman saw that she had the young girl's attention she beckoned the girl to her. Christine gave the fairies one last look before she picked up her suitcase and her father's violin case that she had sat down while she was looking at the building and began to make her way to the woman who had brought her here.

When Christine got to the woman she noticed another woman next to her. This woman had a stern looking face, warm, motherly brown eyes, and dark brown hair that was pulled back into a tight bun. Christine immediately knew that she was someone to respect and listen to. "Christine, this is Madame Antoinette Giry. She is the Ballet instructor and will be your guardian until you are of age."

Christine gave Madame Giry her best curtsy, just as her deceased father had taught her to do whenever she met new people, "It's a pleasure to meet you Madame Giry, my name is Christine Daaé."

"I will leave her with you then, Madame Giry." The woman said before turning and leaving. Christine watched her go, wanting to cry out to stop her. Though the woman was not very warm or loving she was the only person here that she was familiar with.

Christine turned to look at Madame Giry when the woman placed her hand on her shoulder. "Come, I will show you to your room. After you have settled in I will have someone show you around." Christine nodded and followed Madame Giry into the building and through the winding hallways. As they walked through the seemingly never ending hallways, Christine began to wonder if would ever find her way through the building.

Finally, after what felt like hours to young Christine, but in reality was only five minutes, they came to a small room that held two small beds. "You will be sharing this room with my daughter Meg until you both are 15 when you will be placed in your own rooms if you make it into the chorus. I will give you a few days to get used to living here before your classes begin." Madame Giry said in a stern, yet motherly voice. Christine nodded as she sat her father's violin case on the bed that didn't look to be occupied.

"Maman! Maman!" A young eight year old girl with long blonde hair cried as she ran into the room dressed in a white tutu. "Maman, he's doing it again. Joseph Buquet is scaring all the girls with his stories of the Phantom again!" The young girl cried grabbing onto Madame Giry's hand as if to pull her out of the room and back to where Joseph Buquet was.

"When will that man learn to hold his tongue." Madame Giry said with a sigh, "Meg, stay with Christine, help her get settled in."

"But, Maman!" Meg cried, making Christine feel as if she wasn't wanted there. Christine turned away from them and gripped the side of her dress trying to keep the tears that had weld up in her eyes from falling. She was beginning to feel over whelmed. First her beloved father died leaving her all alone in the world, then she was taken from the home she and her father lived in. The people who had brought her to the woman who brought her here had tried to take her father's beloved violin way from her, but thankfully she had been able to keep it because they couldn't pry her hands from it. Now, only two days after her father died, she was here and she didn't know anyone here. She had never felt more alone.

"No Meg, stay with Christine."Madame Giry told Meg with a stern voice.

"Fine." Meg said with a sigh before flopping down, unladylike, on her bed as her mother left to deal with Joseph Buquet. Meg stared at Christine, admiring her long, curly, chocolate brown hair that cascaded down her back, covering a pretty, light blue sundress that was clutched at the sides by Christine's hands. Meg could see that Christine was slightly shaking, most likely crying. Meg slid off her bed and took two steps so that she was right next to Christine. "I'm Meg." Meg said gently causing Christine to look at her.

"I'm Christine." Christine said shyly. Meg gave her a friendly smile before looking at the violin case.

"What's that? A violin? Do you play? Could you play a little for me?" Meg asked.

"I don't play the violin. This is my Papa's violin, he used to play it for me all the time." Christine said, her hand unconsciously left the side of her dress to reach for the violin case. Meg saw this and went to say something but was cut off by a scream that caused both girls to jump in fright. Meg quickly left Christine's side to peek out of the door, she really wanted to see what was going on but knew that she couldn't leave Christine or she would get in trouble with her mother.

"It must be him." Meg said catching Christine's attention.

"It must be who?" Christine asked.

"The Phantom of the Opera." Meg said turning to look at Christine who looked confused, interested and a little scared. "I've never seen him myself, mind you, but I've heard that he walks the halls at night causing mischief and terror. I've heard stories from the older girls saying that the Phantom runs the place and that if we do not do as we are told then he will cause disasters."

Christine's eyes widened in fright, she was new, she didn't know his rules. What if she broke a rule with out knowing or meaning to? Would he cause a disaster to her? Her hand suddenly flew towards her father's violin, would he take her father's violin?

Meg saw the fear in her new friend's eyes and rushed over to her. "Don't worry, you're new. He'll know that you don't know all of the rules yet, so he'll give you warnings before punishing you." Meg said trying to sooth Christine's fear. "Come, lets get you settled in."

\\''/

Christine's mind was still reeling with everything that she was shown and told during her tour of the Opera Populaire. It was night now and she laying on her new bed trying to sleep, but sleep was evading her. She turned to her side with a sigh, she wanted to go back to the chapel and pray for her father, but Madame Giry told her not to leave the room without someone with her. Madame Giry told her that she didn't want her to get lost, but Christine had a feeling that it had more to do with this Phantom.

Christine sat up in her bed and pulled her knees to her chest and looked over to Meg who was deep asleep. The girl had been nice to her, had tried to understand what Christine was going through. Christine knew that Meg had really tried, but Christine knew that know matter how hard Meg tried she could not truly understand what Christine was going through.

Meg had her mother, true Meg didn't have a father but the young girl had never known who her father was. Christine on the other hand just lost her only family member, her father. Meg grew up in the Opera Populaire, she knew everyone there and everyone knew her. Christine on the other hand had to move away from her childhood home to live here, she didn't know anyone here, and no one knew her.

With a sigh Christine slid out of her bed and pulled on her robe before tip-toeing out of the bedroom making sure not to wake her roommate. Once she was in the hallway, she stood there looking around trying to remember the way to the chapel. After a minute she finally took a tentative step toward what she hoped was the way to the chapel.

Slowly Christine made her way down hallways and further into the labyrinth that was the Opera Populaire. After a few minutes of walking Christine realized that she was lost, she had no idea where she was or how to get back to her room. Tears began to gather at the corner of her eyes, but she wasn't letting them fall, she was eight years old and was a big girl. Suddenly Christine felt eyes on her, she looked around trying to find whoever was watching her, but didn't see anyone. The Phantom was watching her, Christine gripped her robe and forced her feet to keep moving. She wanted Madame Giry there to lead her back to her room, but she didn't want to be caught by Madame Giry, for she knew that she would be in big trouble.

Every sound she heard made her jump in fright, every shadow made her want to scream in fright. A curtain fluttered in a way the frightened Christine enough to cause her to run. She ran down two hallways, her tears finally braking away from their prison causing her vision to become blurry. Once Christine's eyes became too blurry for her to actually see Christine stopped running and collapsed into a ball on the ground and cried. She was scared, and alone, and she just wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

"Christine." She heard someone softly sing her name causing her to lightly gasp and look around to try and find the owner of the voice, but saw no one. "Christine." The voice sang again. Christine stood up, her curiosity getting the better of her, she was going to find that voice. "Christine." The voice sang from further down the hallway. Christine whipped her eyes to clear her vision before taking a few steps towards the voice.

"Hello?" Christine called.

"Christine." The voice sang again, even further down the hallway. Christine suddenly felt giddy, like she and the owner of the voice was playing a little game, and just like that her fears were gone. Christine smiled and took off after the voice, wondering where the voice was taking her. A minute later Christine came to a familiar door, but she couldn't figure out why this door looked familiar. "Christine." The voice softly sang from the other side of the room.

Christine smiled and opened the door, expecting to find the owner of the voice, but only found the room she was sharing with Meg. The voice had lead her back to her room. She had been lost and the voice appeared and lead her back to her room. "Thank you." Christine whispered before crawling back into her bed and falling asleep.

\\''/

Erik silently stepped out of the shadow he was hiding in and walked over to Christine, he knelt down so that he could look at her closely. He had heard that a new girl would be moving into the Opera Populaire. He had wanted to meet her in his own way the moment he got there, but he had some business to take care of.

Once he had finally had time to meet her it was after she was supposed to be asleep. He had expected to slip into her room and watch her while she slept a little, he had not expected to find her wondering alone through the hallways. He quickly figured out that she had become lost and had led her back to her room.

Through out that whole ordeal he hadn't been able to get a good look at her. But now, as she laid sleeping he was finally able to get a look at her. She was a beautiful little girl with her long, curly brown hair and her innocent face. He could tell that when she grew up she was going to be stunning, and many suitors would be after her. A sudden wave of protectiveness washed over him. He would watch over her and protect her from any thing that wished to cause her harm.

Erik suddenly leaned over and kissed Christine on the forehead. After realizing what he had just done, he quickly pulled away and left the room wondering what had come over him, and why he had done that.