Welcome to my story! This is my first fanfic and sadly I did NOT have a beta, so please excuse the grammatical errors. I am in the process of reworking this story and fixing those little mistakes I should have caught the first time. I hope you enjoy the premise. I am in the process of formulating another story so please leave your feedback, it helps fuel my creative bug.

Basically, one day I was contemplating...what if Christine and Erik had been the childhood sweethearts and Erik needed to steal Christine from the villainous Raoul?! This is what came about...

THE ONLY PLACE

Six years. Six years since she had last seen his face. Well, in reality, he had never really let her see his face. He had always kept half of it hidden behind a white mask. What was he doing now? Was he alive? Did he think about her too? Christine sighed and tossed another shirt to the floor, watching her pile of discarded clothing grow.

"I have nothing to wear." Christine groaned. "I should probably just stay home and..."

"Don't you give me that excuse again," Meg tossed a hot pink mini skirt in her direction. "If you can't find something on your own...you will be going in this," she threatened.

Christine glanced at the fuzzy gray sweat pants lying on the floor next to her. What she wouldn't give to crawl back into them, grab a pint of mint chocolate chip ice-cream, and turn on an old black and white movie. Night clubs were definitely not her thing. A fact which she pointed out again to her best friend.

"First of all, it's not a night club; it's more of a coffee house… but instead of coffee they serve alcohol." Christine rolled her eyes as Meg continued, "Plus its open mic night and I can't wait to see what talent…" Meg grinned, "or lack there of we will have the pleasure of heckling tonight. Oh, and second," Meg took a deep breath, not wanting this to come out wrong, "You need to get out." Oops maybe she should have taken a deeper breath, that was exactly how she didn't want it to come out!

Christine stared daggers at her former friend and then threw her hands up in surrender. "I know, I know it's just…"

Meg groaned, "Stop, I already know where you are going to go. Christine, I love you but that was 6 years ago! You were 14 years old when he left and have not heard a word from him since!" Meg's voice was becoming louder as her rant continued, "In fact, I am beginning to doubt of his actually existence, I mean who just disappears like that? It's like he was a phantom or something! You were young, naive and frankly deserve so much better then that!" Meg, satisfied that she had made her point, continued her hunt through the closet. She felt a small gasp escape as she pulled out a tiny red dress. Beaming she turned to Christine. "This is perfect for you!"

Christine glanced over and saw the dress Meg was squealing about.

"Not a chance Megan."

"Come on." Meg pouted. "You need this. You are not getting any younger. Do you really want to be 50 years old someday looking at a dress like this and wishing you could have had the guts to wear it when you had the chance?"

Christine eyed the dress again. It was a deep crimson red with thin straps that intertwined in the back and ran all the way down revealing bare skin until it reached her bottom. The length came right above her knees but with the red pumps Meg was holding out for her Christine knew it would look even shorter.

Meg must have seen the horror in Christine's eyes because her face softened and her lips pouted. "Pleeeaassee?"

Christine through her hands up in defeat, "Fine. Just stop making that face, you look like a duck."

Meg laughed and grinned in triumph, "You won't regret it!"

"Too late," Christine sighed.

A couple hours later, the two ladies entered the overcrowded club.

The second they walked in Christine felt self-conscious.

Why had she let Meg talk her into this? All that talk about Erik had made her momentarily weak. Almost against her will, she forgot the noisy surroundings and let her mind drift back 12 years ago... to the first time she had see Erik.

She had been 8 years old and sitting outside of school waiting for her father to pick her up. Sometimes he got so wrapped up in a song or piece of music he was composing, he would lose track of time. Christine would wait for him by sitting on the bench nearest the principle's office. This way someone could keep an eye on her in case the usual 10 or 15 min of tardiness turned into something longer. It wasn't that Christine's father did not love her; he simply had two loves in his life. One was Christine and the other was music.

Today, Christine sat waiting for him coloring a picture of a fairy princess and singing a quiet tune to herself. It was a song her mother taught her before she died. Christine always felt somehow protected by her mother in heaven while she sang it.

"You have the most exquisite voice I have ever heard." A voice said suddenly.

Startled, Christine looked up into the darkest pair of eyes she had ever seen. Dark but hauntingly beautiful. An 11 year old boy stood before her. He was tall and skinny with the blackest hair she had ever seen. Covering half his face was a small white mask.

"Hi there. Do you like music?" Christine asked.

She could see the answer in the boy's eyes. They lit up and even though his face was covered she could see the expression on it as he talked about his love for art and music. Christine thought it the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"You should come over to my Papa's!" Christine exclaimed. "He loves music too and everyday after school we spend the entire afternoon singing and playing different instruments. Well, Papa plays but I sing… and dance!" She exclaimed proudly. "Oh, here he is!" Christine grabbed the boys and hand and raced towards her father's beat up old Chevy. A dainty old man glided out eloquently and picked up his daughter in his arms.

"Papa this is…" she turned to him, her small lips twisted in a frown, "what is your name?"

"Erik," the boy answered shyly.

Christine gave him a smile and put her hand out, "I'm Christine Daae and this is my papa." She turned to her father, her affection radiating from her face.

"Papa may Erik come to over this afternoon and have lessons with me?" Christine's eyes got wide and she smiled up at her Papa as if trying to cast a sweet spell over him.

"What about your parents Erik? We should probably check with them first," the fragile old man answered

Erik looked down. "My mother is dead and my father never cares where I am," he whispered. Then he looked up, "Please Mr. Daae I love music so much, there is nothing else in this world that gives me greater pleasure."

That simple phrase did it. Mr. Daae could never turn away another admirer of his great passion. "Hop on in Erik," he beamed. "We music lovers need to stick together."

As time went on Erik ended up going over to Christine and her father's every chance he could. He became like another member of the family. The trio would play and sing together till late into the evening when Mr. Daae would declare Erik had better get home before his father started getting worried."

Only Christine knew the truth. When Erik's father didn't have a bottle in his hand it was always a belt to teach Erik a lesson. His only escape was Christine's house where he could almost forget the pain of the life he had been dealt.

Life was wonderful, but time went by and the two started to grow up. Christine remembered when their relationship had started to change. Her body was beginning to develop and when she was around 13 other people began to notice as well. The boys in her class were always asking her out and she started to become very popular. Erik tried not to let it bother him when he saw all the boys crowded around Christine like dogs around a fire hydrant. Sure he was 2 years older but that didn't give him any confidence. They were normal, he was a monster. They were what Christine wanted, not something like him. Still, he hated them.

He hated the way she laughed at their jokes and let them carry her books. He knew it was only a matter of time before she had to choose her social life over him. There was no way she could have both. He would never fit in with any of them. She was so beautiful and he was always the "freak" to them. He didn't know why Christine even put up with him these past 5 years.

As if she knew he was thinking about her, she looked up at him and smiled sweetly. She then moved through the noisy crowd of testosterone and walked straight up to Erik, took his arm in hers and proceeded to walk down the hallway. The other kids flung piercing looks at him and started to follow.

"Wait, Christine!" One freckled boy shouted.

Christine turned around, her arm never leaving Erik's.

"Come walk with us, not this freak! We don't even know why you hang out with something so disgusting. He's not even all the way human! I heard he doesn't even have a nose under that mask!" The boy smirked and the other kids cheered and applauded in laughter.

Erik knew what was going to happen next. This was it. Christine would realize it was them or him. He looked at her and tried to tell her with his eyes it was ok. He understood he would never fit in. What he saw happen next shocked not only him but everybody in the room.

At first Christine's eyes widened with shock then slowly glazed over with anger. She marched over to that boy and slapped him as hard as she could across the face.

The boy's face widened with surprise and then tears began to fall.

"If you ever hear you talk about Erik in that way again I will hit you again, only this time, it will be somewhere that might do more permanent damage. Do I make myself clear?"

The tear struck boy only nodded and then took off running down the hall, the rest of the crowd trailing carefully behind him. Nobody dared say another word. Head held high Christine walked back toward Erik gave him a kiss on the cheek and said nonchalantly, "Walk me to class?"

After that day they were truly inseparable. To Christine everything was perfect. She knew she was young but she couldn't help how she felt. She loved Erik with all her heart. She knew one day they would get married and raise a family. She knew he would become a great musician and all their dreams would come true. Unfortunately that day never came. Instead of living happily ever after, he disappeared. She had been waiting all morning for him to come to her house. He always walked her to school and walked her home. But this particular day he never showed. Terrified that something was horribly wrong she skipped school and ran straight to his house. Erik's father answered the door and a sinister smile crept up his intoxicated mouth.

"He's not here." He answered before she even asked.

"Where is he?" Christine demanded, her voice trembling with fear.

"Gone." He retorted, "Ran away and said he was never coming back. He said he was sick of this town and everyone in it. Said there was nothing keeping him here and to not try looking for him." He paused and took a big gulp from his beer can. "Although I can't imagine why he would want to leave with a pretty little thing like you around."

Christine rolled her eyes trying not to throw up in her mouth.

He'll be back she thought to her herself. He wouldn't leave and not tell me or say goodbye at the very least. She turned quickly away from the broken down house and cried the entire way home.

Meg's gentle shaking brought Christine back to reality. The truth was he had never came back. He never wrote her, called her, or offered any explanation to where he went. Maybe Meg was right and it was time to forget.

"Look Christine there's Raoul!" Meg shouted excitedly.

A handsome blonde haired man waved and motioned to two empty chairs.

Christine nodded and started making her way toward the table. She had been seeing Raoul de Chagny for a while but it was still not serious. The reason being, she had yet to say it was. He was more then willing to become exclusive but Christine could never get herself to seriously commit to anyone. She had always held out hope that somehow Erik would make his way back into her life with some explanation of what happened all those years ago.

Raoul's eyes drank her in. "You look amazing Christine."

"Thanks," she replied as he pulled out a chair for each of the ladies. Christine took the chair not facing the stage and crossed her legs.

"The first guy is about to come out, I hear he is pretty incredible" Raoul stated.

"Well he better be," Meg grinned mischievously, "or we'll let him know it, right Christine?"

Christine gave a half smile as she sat back closed her eyes and waited for the performer to begin. Her father had always told her the best way to listen to music was without any distractions and tonight her head was full of them. The first sound she heard was soft piano playing and then a deep rich voice that sounded somehow so familiar.

Seems like our love is on a road to nowhere fast
All my life I thought a love like this would last
But every road can hide a corner we can't see

Christine's eyes snapped back open. That voice!

I had a vision that I woke up by your side
I felt you breathing and our souls were intertwined
But who controls love's destiny? Not me.

It can't be! Christine's head was spinning, It was impossible.

We had it all right in our hands,
We had the space to fly and still a place to land

Christine closed her eyes again, letting the voice wrap around her like a silk blanket.

So I'm calling out, I'm calling out to the only one
Who can save us from what we've done
Don't leave me hanging on
I'm reaching out and praying you'll come back again
It's just darkness I'm living in
And you're the only place my heart has ever been.

It was him. It had to be. There was only one way to find out. Slowly she turned her chair towards the stage and feasted her eyes on the performer. Her heart stopped in her chest and her hand flew to her mouth.

Maybe I'm young and in the ways of love naive
Maybe I'm desperate for a reason to believe
There wasn't any way I thought that we would fall.
I've seen perfection in a rainbow in the sky
I've seen a child make the coldest grown man cry
But loving you I thought was greater than them all.

There he was, sitting at a piano his fingers expertly moving over the tiny white keys. Her eyes started at the bottom and worked their way up. He had a tall lean frame with broad muscular shoulders and a firm wide chest. A strong set jaw line that seemed to hypnotize as he sang. Pitch black curly hair slicked back around his neck. She could never forget those dark brown eyes. They seemed almost black, but if one looked close enough, you could see specks of gold. Last of all he wore a white mask planted firmly on the right side of his handsome face. Oh yes things about him had definitely changed. She finally saw what she had always known would happen, it had been 6 long years and he had grown into a sinfully handsome man.

We had it all, just you and me
Now there's a doorway to my heart without a key

So I'm calling out, I'm calling out to the only one
Who can save us from what we've done
Don't leave me hanging on
I'm reaching out and praying you'll come back again
It's just darkness I'm living in
And you're the only place my heart has ever been.

Christine was memorized. She couldn't take her eyes off his and found herself wondering who he might have written this song for.

Wherever you are right now

come back and show me how you feel
Because I'm lost without you here

Calling out, I'm calling out to the only one
Who can save us from what we've done
Don't leave me hanging on
And I'm reaching out and praying you'll come back again
It's just darkness I'm living in
Cause you're the only place my heart has ever been.

When he finished there was a moment of silence, the crowd was still hanging on his every word. Then without warning the room erupted into a frenzy of applause.

Christine was a nervous wreck. She was now looking furiously into her lap. Would he see her? Should she approach him? Would he talk to her? Would he even recognize her? Once again she raised her gaze to the stage only to find her blue eyes locked with his, a stunned expression on his face and his dazzling mouth hanging wide open. Oh yes, he had recognized her.

To be continued! If you want that is! Read and Review and tell me what you think! Thanks!

By the way the song in this is You're the Only Place. I think there is some debate out there as to who wrote it but I do know both Josh Groban and Nick Lachey sing it. No offense to Nick but if you guys really want to hear it please listen to Josh Groban's version. It is so beautiful! Man his voice... anyway Its on youtube if you want to listen!