Christine Daaé was sitting in her room, making the final preparations to settle down to rest for the rest of the night. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, she thought of Erik. Guilt washed over her. She knew she had hurt him, but she didn't know what else she could have done. She only wished she knew what he was doing now…

~ X ~ X ~ X ~ X ~

"Christine….oh Christine, why? Why do you hate Erik so much? Why would you condemn him like this?" Erik wondered aloud in despair. "She will never love Erik, never. Because of you!" he shouted angrily at his reflection. "Because of your face, Erik's face! Because she won't look past that to see Erik himself, just his face."

He punched the mirror and felt broken shards of glass pierce his skin. "And now thanks to Christine I'm hurting more!" he frowned at the blood that started to well up in the scratches.

"All this pain… Who needs Christine anyways? Erik has his home, his opera, and most importantly his wine. That's what Erik needs, a nice drink. Just a glass or two…" But as anyone who has tried to drink away their troubles knows, you never stop when you plan to.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ One cellar of wine later ~ ~ ~ ~

Christine lay awake in her bed, still worrying about poor Erik. What would he do? Would he kill himself? Would he kill others?

"Christiiiiine!" a voice called in her ear interrupting her worries. She knew only one person who could do that.

"Erik!" she exclaimed, jumping out of bed and rushing to her mirror. "Oh Erik, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry 'bout it Christy," his voice spoke again, but it sounded different. Less…elegant than usual. "C'mere, I have something to show you!" The mirror opened and a gloved hand stretched out to her.

Christine hesitated, but he didn't sound dangerous, just strange, so she took his hand and followed him into his lair. Once they got there, he sat her down in front of his organ.

"I wrote a song for you my love!" he told her with childish glee. He turned to face the instrument and began playing. Immediately, Christine was surprised. The song was…happy. Erik's pieces were usually so full of sadness and anger, but this one was happy and…strange. Upbeat, cheerful and exotic, in a way. Then Erik began to speak:

"Christine, listen to me," he began, turning to face her. "The real world, it's a mess! Life under the opera is better than anything they've got up there!" He grabbed a small guitar, jumped up and started singing.

"The spotlight is always brighter on somebody else's stage

You tell me to take you back there 'cause you feel like you're in a cage

But look at the world around you down here in the catacombs

With all this music around you where else could you want to go?

Under the Opera, Under the Opera!

Darling it's smarter to be where it's darker, take it from me!

Up one more floor they work all day. Down here the music always plays!

The music will play here as long as you stay here, under the opera!"

The whole time he sang, Erik jumped from instrument to instrument, attempting to play the music of an entire band all on his own, and he did strange movements which Christine could only assume was supposed to be dancing.

"Er, that's nice Erik, but-" He cut her off by starting a new verse.

"Those managers like Carlotta, they obviously have no taste

Christine if you don't stay with me, your talents will go to waste

Down here every note is perfect, no one here will sing off key

No one else up there sings nicely, they all sound like frogs to me!" He sang, making a croaking noise and then laughing almost hysterically.

"Under the Opera, Under the Opera!

No boring rules here, no one's a tool here like Raoul de Chagny!

"That stupid fop should go to hell! Then you'd be mine and that is swell!

We'll always sing here, music will ring here

"Under the Opera! Under the Opera!"

His cheerful expression turned serious and he turned pleading eyes towards Christine.

"Christine believe me, you cannot leave me, I won't let that be!

If you go back I'll be alone, I'll be down here all on my own…

So please just stay here forever and play here Under the Opera!"

She felt pity rising in her. "Erik…"

But he wasn't done. The goofy grin returned and the song continued.

"This whole place is mine, I've got lots of wine

I'll share it with you if you'll stay here too

I'll sing you my songs if you'll sing alone

We'll party musicfully!

When the music's done then we'll start the fun

We'll pull out the wine and have a good time

We'll drink and we'll drink till we cannot think

And we'll be totally drunk!" This line started a fresh round of laughter in the phantom.

Christine suddenly understood. He was drunk! Well that explained the song…How long had that wine been sitting down here anyways? She didn't have much time to wonder because Erik began again.

"Under the Opera! Under the Opera!

It's not hard to choose, you've got nothing to lose by staying with me

What have they got? Stupid stagehands! I've got a hot one man band

You'll never be sad here, always be glad here, Under the Opera!

Down here's where the fun's at, you'll never get Punjabbed Under the Opera!

They are all fools there, we are both cool here

Plus "Little Lotte" you've got a hot body!

So join Erik down here and we'll rock this town here

Under the Operaaaaa!"

He struck a pose and quickly collapsed into a drunken heap on the floor.

For a few seconds, Christine just stood there in shocked silence. What….just happened? She regained her thoughts enough to walk over and try to shake Erik awake, but he didn't budge. "Um…I'm just gonna leave now." She told the unconscious opera ghost, wanting to get out of there before he woke up and decided he had more songs to share.

~ ~ ~ ~ Back above ground ~ ~ ~ ~

"Raoul!" she cried, throwing herself at her manwhor- I mean lover.

"What is it Christine? What's troubling you?" Raoul asked, immediately taking on the role the sensitive caring boyfriend.

"It's…it's Erik. He's…." She replayed the scene in her mind and shuddered. "He frightens me!"

"I see," Raoul nodded. "I understand. We must leave at once Christine, before he takes you again!"

Christine nodded. She had to leave before Erik found her with more songs to sing. The death threats and psychoticness she could deal with, but the singing….she shuddered again and left with Raoul, never to be heard from again.

And that is why Christine is so scared of Erik.

Erik: RoseOfDarkness does not own Phantom of the Opera. If she did, the entire thing would be like….like this thing, and my life's story would be ruined by her sugar induced insanity.