Wonderful story. I was hoping Erik wouldn't get the surgery and get the mask instead since his face makes him who he is, but the story had a happy ending so I guess that's all that matters.

I truly wish that I was reading while you were writing. Your appeal for reviews made me wish I was helping. But, I found your story wonderfully creative and could not put it down. I look forward to reading your sequel.

I absolutely loved the story. I think you are a very good writer.

Oh, what an amazing end to an amazing story! Such top honors for Erik, successful plastic surgery... then Phillipe ends up looking like and treated like Leroux's Phantom! And I think this is the first story where anyone had some big, lovable giant dogs like Mastiffs!

Thank you for sharing this with us; can't wait to read the sequel!
-Missy

Aww...! And Erik even got his much-belated birthday kisses again AND he has ANOTHER relative on the way! He is quite, er,... prolific with his "output", isn't he, be it music, architecture, or...? ;-)

By the way, I forgot to mention in my last review how I did not like Raoul's provoking Erik as he did. Seems just a tad mindful of how he got the Populaire to "lie" to The Phantom to perform his opera only to use it to set up a trap with Christine as bait. Raoul may have meant well, but he's again playing with fire. We all know where the road leads to that's paved with good intentions... *shudder!*

Wow; some very heavy and painful deception here; even for ERIK. He's taking a VERY big risk, and I never thought I'd see him put anything above his relationship with Christine - ESPECIALLY now that they're married! What a tight, sticky web you weave, dear Filhound! Let's see if our hero(es) can somehow find their way out of it - and even if they do, at what ultimate cost?

LOVE this story!

Love the interaction between these two! If the Comtesse and Erik had been closer in age and she'd been able to reach out to him as she later wished she would've , I think they might've ended up together. Then there'd have been no Raoul *Gasp!* and then what of Christine? Would she have ended up a victim of Phillippe? Well, sometimes all things work together for good in the end. :-) I just hope the Comtesse or no one else falls victim to Phillippe's evil! Get'im, Erik - in good tme!

I'm not sure why Erik would think they'd necessarily be safe in his mother's home, but I guess it's time he and his mother once again meet face to face. Poor Madeline; like the song, "Don't know what you've got until it's gone".

Did Nadir actually say that Phillipe was even more ruthless and dangerous than Erik? Ruthless, maybe I could see, but dangerous? Erik's impulsive temper is his downfall, but I'm sure he's more intelligent than Phillipe, so if he can somehow keep his cool just enough... the tension mounts!

Onward!

Aww... loved how Michel addressed Erik as "Monsieur le Fantome"!

A most enjoyable story thus far! Onward!

I'd been wondering when a real villian was going to show up - not that I necessarily wanted to see one - but I can tell this is already one of the nastiest Phillipes I have seen! Well, all the more satisfying when Erik finally bests him - at least I hope that's what will happen!

P.S. Erik first introduced himself as "Magnussen" when he was pretending to be Christine's cousin. But then wasn't he later referred to as "Mulheim"? Was that because it was actually his father who was the great mason/architect that was killed in trying to restore the de Chagny chateau?

Let me stop here and say that I've been so engrossed in reading that I've forgotten to review certain chapters along the way! So I'll just mention some things in retrospect.

One, I love it in stories where Erik meets some of his own family and he gets a dose of some of his own medicine when one of them has the same intelligent yet mercurial temperment that he has! He and Severine would've made a formidable pair of Phantoms, wouldn't they have? And who'da thunk it that the Phantom's own sister would be a "phangirl"! ;-) LOL

Two, that's wonderful about Erik's brother having so much love and respect for him, dedicating his life to helping those like Erik have better lives AND in naming his son after him! It's also always so touching and amazing to see how wonderfully our fearsome Phantom turns into such a great childrens' favorite with his entertainment and toy-craft! He may not be a "Great Uncle" in the biological sense but he's a GREAT Uncle regardless, even if he's biologically just a "regular" uncle. ;-)

Three, I never would've imagined that (a) the de Chagny's would have an estate dating back around the time of the Normans, and that (b) Erik would set the plans in motion to restore it and save it from ruin!

I'll bet Raoul's glad now he didn't have Erik captured and/or killed, and I think he'll get even "gladder" as time goes on. Can you say, "Brother-in-law Phantom"? :-)

Loving this story! Onward!

Oh, my... now I REALLY love the Comtesse; she was a good person even younger and showed Erik some kindness! Never would've thought that Erik and anyone from Raoul's family could've grown up / lived in the same area. Clearly Raoul didn't get so much of her intelligence, but she still had to have had some good influence on him growing up - at least he's been starting to open his mind up a bit to Erik's not being just a "monster", per se.

I LOVE the Comtesse! Never thought I'd ever say THAT about any of Raoul's family, let alone the Fop himself! Wow... I just had to laugh at their exchange! I think she and Erik are going to get along swimmingly! :-)

Hi, Filhound - I'm BA-ack! Well! Hell's frozen over! Christine should get a Nobel Peace Prize for diplomacy to get both Erik AND Raoul in the same carriage - RAOUL'S carriage, of all things - and not have them both end up torn to bits? Well, probably moreso Raoul than Erik, but STILL. Is Raoul actually not made of flesh and blood but some sort of special material that has caused him to not keel over from a coronary or an anuryism? That can sit in some level of apparent comfort while feeling (undoubtably) a bit - er,... perhaps emasculated by the indiginity of giving into Christine's insane demands? Maybe they're all just worn out from the whole horrifically maddening, traumatic evening?

ANYWAY - my senses finally woke up to remember that this is, after all, still a work of fiction - but to seem so improbable but yet believeable - well, that's another testament to its talented author.

Your humble and obedient reader,
Missy