AN- Last chapter! This story has bugged me and bugged me, so I'm ending it with New Years! There, got that out. Now, please read and review!

New Years Eve

There had never been a duller New Years. Even with composing music, and worshiping Christine from the other side of the mirror, he'd become restless, anticipating something he couldn't figure out.

Even Nadir's surprise visit didn't cause the annoyance in him that it usually did. They even played a good game of chess without getting into the usual argument and Erik kicking Nadir out of his home.

Finally, Erik decided a walk upstairs would do him good. Maybe a good work out with the ropes that held the scenery up, he hadn't done that in a while.

Putting on his cape and fedora, he used his familiar passages to get up to the surface. One quick glance in Christine's room told him she was probably out shopping with Meg, since they'd gotten their New Years bonuses. It wasn't ever much, but it was enough to get a more fashionable dress made, or buy a stack of books fresh from the print.

And the opera house was tomb silent. No one was about on a lazy Sunday, the managers had gone home to their lovers and planned on partying into the New Year far away from the creepy opera house and its grumpy ghost.

Erik finally made it to beginning of the ropes that hung the scenery behind the stage. He'd taken off anything that could get in the way of rope climbing, leaving him in his pants.

An hour in a half later, he dropped back down to where he'd left his clothes, sweat gleaming off his toned muscles.

He redressed, and went back to his home where he began composing again.

Sometime later, a bell rang to warn him of someone coming near the hidden entrance to his home. He turned a switch which blew out all of the candles, and waited.

"Angel? Are you here?" Her sweet voice asked, filling the room and his dead heart.

He grabbed the lamp that he'd been standing near, and lit the wick. He could clearly see her lovely features in the dark, but she couldn't see a thing and he could tell it was terrifying her.

"What brings my angel down here?" He asked, once the wick was turned up so she could see him clearly enough.

"I bought you a present while I was out with Meg, and I couldn't wait to give it to you." She replied, the tension leaving her posture as soon as she saw him.

For once he didn't retort with a slam to himself, but went back around and lit the wall lamps. He then came back to her, and taking one of her small hands led her to the library, where he sat in his armchair and she curled like a cat at his feet.

She gave him the box wrapped in golden paper, and anxiously waited for his reaction.

He unwrapped the gift, and found inside his favorite liquor that was only made in the wintertime and was, in fact, very hard to get a hold of.

"Oh, Christine." He said, drawing his beloved into a hug.

She buried her face in his shoulder, and though muffled, said "And a good New Years to you too, Angel."

And there you have it! It's enough romance to keep an E/Cer happy, and also a shirtless scene. Happy late New Years, and may you have a kicking 2006!