Erik and Laya returned back to the lair to see Christine and Ali playing with dolls. "Erik, you're back already?" Christine asked.

"Yes, I decided it was too dangerous for her." Erik answered kissing Christine on the head.

"What do you mean?" Christine asked.

"Mommy!" Laya yelled from the boat. "Look what I did!"

Christine looked over at Laya, her five year old daughter, who was holding a rope, a rope which had a dead rat tied to it. Christine looked at Erik. "You taught my daughter how to kill things with a lasso!" Christine yelled.

"I didn't teach her! She just did it!" Erik fought back.

"What do you mean she just did it?" Christine screamed.

"I sent her back to the boat and when I got there, she was holding the dead rat, but I threw that one out of the boat." Erik said as they both looked over at Laya who had not moved a muscle.

"Laya, sweetie, how many rats did you kill?" Christine asked.

"Just two." Laya answered timidly.

Christine looked at Erik again. "You need to talk to your daughter." Erik nodded and went over to the boat. He picked Laya up and walked her over to the part of the lair that was blocked off as Laya and Ali's bedroom.

Erik sat Laya down on her bed and sat next to her. "Am I in trouble, daddy?" Laya asked.

"No, sweetie, but you need to understand that once something is dead, it can't come back." Erik told her.

"But… but you did it." Laya said beginning to cry.

"No, Lay, I didn't. I just made the man go to sleep. He'll wake up, but those rats won't." Erik explained.

"I'm sorry, daddy." She said and began crying. Erik pulled his little girl onto his lap and held her.

"It's okay, just don't do it again, okay?" He said wiping the tears from her eyes. She muffled an 'okay.' "Laya, what is that?"

"What is what?" She asked.

"That," Erik said pointing to a corner of the room, "that there in the corner."

"I don't see it, what is it?" Laya asked.

"It's the TICKLE MONSTER!" Erik yelled and began tickling Laya. She screamed and tried to squirm out of his reach, but he just picked her up and kept on tickling her. He didn't stop until she was pleading to be released. He put her down on the bed and ruffled her hair. "I love you Laya."

"I love you too Dad."

Erik left the room and went to take care of a bigger problem, Christine was mad at him, and he couldn't take that.

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Erik walked out into the main part of the lair. Christine was sitting in bed reading a book and Ali was probably off playing with her dolls in the playroom. Erik walked over to the organ and began playing 'Music of the Night'.

Night-time sharpens; Heightens each sensation.
Darkness stirs, and wakes imagination.
Silently the senses abandon their defenses

At this point Christine looked over at Erik. He motioned for her to come to him. She got up and walked slowly over to him.

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor.
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender.

Erik held his hand out to Christine. She took it and he pulled her on top of him so she was now sitting on his lap. Christine just listened as he continued to play and sing for her.

Turn your face away
From the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes let your spirit start
To Soar
And you'll live as you've never lived before...

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly posses you
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind, in this darkness that you know
You cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night

Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be
Only then can you belong to me...

Erik put his hands over Christine's and continued playing the music. Christine loved when he did this, it just made her feel like part of the music.

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication,
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation.
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write,
The power of the music of the night!

You alone can make my song take flight,
Help me make the music of the night...

As the music faded out, Erik wrapped his arms around Christine's waist. "I'm sorry." He said.

"It's okay." She answered. "It's only going to get harder as time goes on."

"We'll get through it together." Erik said. "But for now, I have to go back out."

"Why?" Christine asked.

"Well, with all the excitement caused by our lovely daughter, I didn't have time to do some important things." Erik said.

"When will you be back?" Christine asked.

"I'm not sure. Just eat with the girls and put them to bed. Kiss them once for you and twice for me." He said and kissed her on the head. "It would also be in your best interest to wait up for me."

"I will." She said. "Now go so you can get back as soon as you can."

Erik smiled and went over to the boat. "I love you." He said.

"I love you, too." Christine answered.

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That night at dinner, Christine had a conversation she knew was coming, but was not at all prepared for.

"Mommy," Ali began, "why does daddy wear that mask?"

"Yeah," Laya said, "why does he wear a mask?"

Christine sighed. "Girls, your father's face, it's not normal, it's deformed. He wears that mask to cover it up."

"Is it ugly?" Ali asked.

"I don't think it's all that bad, but he is very sensitive about it, so he wears the mask."

"Can we see it?" Laya asked.

"You'll have to ask him, I'm sure he'd let you see it." Christine answered.

"Mom, can I have a new doll?" Ali said. Christine was incredibly thankful that the girls were five and didn't stay on a certain subject for very long.

"Why do you want a doll? They are so stupid." Laya said.

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Well, you're stupid!"

"Girls." Christine said warningly.

"I am not!"

"Are too! Why else would you kill rats?"

"Girls!" Christine tried again.

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"No, you!"

"At least I can sing!"

"I can sing too!"

"Girls!" Christine tried yet again.

"Not as good as me!"

"GIRLS!" All three girls looked over at Erik who was now walking up to the dining area from the boat.

"Oh thank god!" Christine said.

"Layanna Marie Destler, come here now." Erik said calmly but sternly. Laya shuffled over to her father. "Why are you and Allison fighting?" This was bad. Erik only used full names when he was angry.

"We… we were talking about why you wear a mask," Erik looked at Christine, he looked angry, but Christine didn't think he was angry with her, "and then Ali said she sang better than me and called me stupid because I killed some rats."

"She called dolls stupid!" Ali called.

"Allison Nicole Destler, wait your turn to speak." Erik yelled. Ali looked down and began playing with her food with her fork. "Why did you say that dolls were stupid?"

"Because they are." Laya said.

"Allison, come here." Erik said. "Why did you say Laya was stupid?"

"Because she killed rats." Ali answered.

"And what purpose did you have for saying that she couldn't sing?" Erik asked.

"I don't know." Ali said ashamed of herself.

"Girls, you are both going to do things that the other thinks is stupid, and you are both going to like things that the other doesn't. That's just part of being sisters. You two are twins, you are going to have to deal with one another for the rest of your lives. Can you just try to get along?" Erik asked.

"We can try." Laya said. Ali nodded in agreement with her sister.

"Good, now come here and give me a hug." Erik said kneeling down and opening his arms. The girls both hugged him around the neck and kissed him on either cheek. "You girls should have been in bed a while ago." Erik said.

"Aw, please Dad, can't we stay up?" Ali asked.

"Yeah, you just got home!" Laya pleaded.

"Well girls, you could, but then you wouldn't be able to go with Auntie Giry tomorrow." Erik said.

"We're going with Auntie Giry?" Laya yelled excited. Erik nodded. "Come on Al, let's go to bed!"

"Goodnight mom!" Ali and Laya said in unison running to their mother and kissing her on the cheek. They then both ran back to their room to go to sleep.