It was midnight as the couple strolled along the Parisian streets, cloaked in darkness. Only the faint light from the street lamps caused their figures to cast shadows along the cobblestone, which now had about an inch of snow covering. It was untouched – neither motorcar nor carriage had disturbed the blanket of soft white.

The couple walked arm-in-arm, huddling together so as to keep warm. They had gone to the nearby church in order to listen to the children's choir sing Christmas carols – Christine had insisted, and because she had been so eager, Erik (though reluctantly as some of the children did not have perfect pitch) accompanied her without much complaint. And, standing at the back so as not to frighten anyone with his mask, they watched the little church choir sing in their robes and ruffles.

"Darling, weren't the children absolutely wonderful?" Christine asked, squeezing Erik's arm gently as they crossed the street.

"They still need a lot of practice…if only they had a decent teacher, why I could have had them in perfect condition." He sighed, but when Christine glanced at him with a raised eyebrow he quickly added, "but I do admit they were better than I had initially expected."

He felt her sigh, partly in relief and partly out of contentment, and she snuggled closer into his side, adjusting her grip on his arm.

Erik relaxed a little when he realized they were the only ones on the street – the only disturbances in the snow had been their footprints. He began to hum to the tune of Silent Night, weaving his arm out of Christine's so he could wrap it around her shoulders. She in turn wrapped her arm around his waist.

The sudden bong of the great clock startled them both, sending them into a fit of laughter.

"Merry Christmas, darling," Christine laughed, placing her hand on his chest.

"Merry Christmas," Erik leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Erik took Christine's hand in his, and wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her close. He began to hum Silent Night again, swaying them both to the music.

With this little prompt, Christine placed her free arm on his shoulder and rested her cheek against his.

In the middle of this snowy scene, the couple danced slowly under the light of the streetlamp. Erik began to sing softly as he led, leaving Christine breathless (as she always was whenever she heard his angelic voice). This tender scene between the two lovers would have left even the greatest cynic with hope and joy.

Erik stopped their little waltz, pulling back slightly to gaze into Christine's eyes as he sang the final line, a little louder so as to add a more operatic style.

"You're crying!" He said, worriedly, wiping the tears from Christine's eyes with the tip of his thumb.

"You're beautiful," she choked out, reaching up on the tips of her toes to kiss him, pulling him as close as she could.

Erik began to sob silently, shaking in her arms. "I love you, Christine," was all he could manage to say, and they remained in a silent, fierce embrace for a few moments.

Realizing what had just happened, they both pulled back, laughing and sniffling as they wiped the tears from each other's eyes. Christine gently pulled his mask away, wiping the tear from his bad eye before kissing the deformity, placing his mask on again.

"No time for tears," Christine smiled. "This is a day of joy."

"I love you," he whispered again.

"I love you, too, darling," she replied, placing a kiss on his cheek.

They huddled together again, arm in arm as they continued their journey home, both humming Silent Night in perfect harmony.