Hello everyone!
I know this update took pretty long but I hope you enjoy it!

Have fun reading it and I apologize for grammar mistakes, I was not able to send it to my beta (Sorry judybear :( ) because i was in a rush to post it before I left the country!

How similar were the thoughts of Erik and Carmelina as the train pulled into its stop at austria?

"This place is so beautiful." Carmelina thought to herself, excitement in her eyes as she stared out the train window.

"She is so beautiful." Erik thought as he watched her. He had never imagined that one day he would be here with her, with any woman like her for that matter. He had never dreamed he would be so far away from music but so so close to her.

Carmelina turned around to see Erik looking at her and she felt her chest grow warm with love, if that's what you could call it, love. For a long time, she had wondered whether leaving her home was worth it. She pushed herself through the struggle of cooking, cleaning, washing floors and doing laundry, never really sure if it would amount to anything spectacular but despite all the odds, it has.

Erik stretched out a hand to her and without hesitation she took it. Pulling his cloak over his head, he proceeded to lead her out the train and unto the platform where a whole new world was waiting for them; a world where for once, they were happy.

"There are so many places to visit!" Carmelina chimed, seeing a list of the attractions of austria. "But I think- I think I want to go to the Gardens first!"

Erik cast her a small grin, matching the sparkles in her eyes with his.

"Anything you want my dear."

In the following moments, it was everything that she wanted.

They road in a carriage through the town, where Erik held her close, her head nestled on his chest. Then they arrived at the gardens where their first stop was a small café at the entrance. They sat across from each other, their eyes meeting so often, it felt like the world had disappeared around them.

It was odd, Carmelina thought, seeing the Phantom this way. They had never talked so long and so unecessarily before. Their conversations were almost about nothing but nothing is composed of so many things. For the first time in her life, she thought that life was going in the right direction. She never would have imagined falling for the Phantom and all the evils he had done and thats because, she hadn't fallen for him. She was in love with the person he was now, the one who spared the life of Victoria, the one who chose her life over the opera houses' money, the one who saved her from her parents and the one who taught her to stand on her own, to fight for herself and for what she wanted.

Then they went into the maze of bushes, high walls of greenery towering above them. Carmelina led the way through, but turning back to see if Erik was close and he always was. The place was almost completely empty, except for a few gardeners and visitors who conveniently changed directions upon seeing Erik in his long dark cloak.

They arrived at a circle of roses and on impulse, Erik had picked one and given it to Carmelina.

"For you. You deserve all the roses in this world."

Carmelina felt herself overcome with so much love for him, she had no idea what to say or how to respond so instead, she pulled him close, her head resting on his shoulder, her hands around his neck and their bodies pressed together.

"Let's dance." She murmured against his chest. "Sing please?"

Pressing his lips against her hair, he began to hum, his rich voice filling her ears. They swayed slowly from side to side, their hearts drumming in unison with each other.

"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication

Touch me, trust me, savour 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."

Carmelina pulled away slightly, to look up at the masked man before her, her eyes full of love.

"Erik? No one is around." She stated and he raised an eyebrow at her and then she continued "may I?" she asked, gently cupping her hands around his mask.

Erik didn't know how to feel. No one had ever asked him to remove his mask willingly after knowing what lay beneath it. In slight hesitation, he nodded, closing his eyes to brace himself for her touch. Carmelina removed the mask from his face and she gazed at the scarred flesh that lay on his cheek. Slowly she pressed her soft lips against them.

"You alone can make my song take flight

Help me make the music of the night."

Erik sang and when he finished, they were gazing at each other in looks more loving than either of them had experienced in their lives. Carmelina wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and without further thought, gave into her growing desire and kissed him full on his lips. At first, Erik was surprised at her action but the fire inside him had taken control and he responded much more violently. He placed his hands on her back and pulled her against him, as close as they could get and their kiss heatened with passion.

They broke apart from each other, looking for air, trying to breathe.

"Oh Carmelina." Erik murmurmed against her hair. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I do not deserve you."

Carmelina looked up into his eyes, thinking nothing could ever go wrong- or so she thought.

"Erik, you too are the best thing that has ever happened to me." She chimed, "And madame Giry was right to suggest that I take you with me to Austria."

Erik pulled away from her slightly, to stare down at her, trying to make sense of what she had said.

"What? Madame Giry did what?"

"She told me to take you and that leaving for a while would be good for the opera house." She continued but with a nervous smile on her face.

"Good for the opera house?" Erik's voice raised, his eyes sparking into a familiar fire.

"No, I mean. Good for you too! This is good for you." Carmelina tried to explain but Erik had already turned away from her.

"Madame Giry thought that by if I left, the opera populaire would run better?"

"No surely not-"

"Carmelina!" Erik cut her off, turning back to face her, his face mad with anger. She had never seen him angry without his mask before and as much as she would hate to admit it, he was much more terrifying this way.

"Carmelina! It's because of you Madame Giry thinks I'm doing a terrible job at the opera! It's because of you that she wants me gone! It's because of you, now she does not fear me! She thinks she can steal the opera house away from me! She thinks that I no longer care about the music there!"

"Erik please stop-"

"Carmelina it's because of you!" He boomed so loudly, Carmelina had begun to cry. His hair was all over his face and he was red everywhere. He grabbed his mask and put it back on before anyone else could see him.

Carmelina didn't know what to do. In one moment, he was loving her, adoring her, kissing her and in second he was mad at her, screaming at her, blaming her for everything. She didn't know what to do or how to feel. Carmelina was so caught up in a burst of emotion that she found herself blacking out.

When she finally woke up, she found herself back in her wooden bed, back in her small, smelly cellar and back at the opera house. Her heart was racing and all the memories came flooding back to her.

Everything from the beginning. The time that she had asked for a job from madame Giry, the time that she spent time cleaning, the time when Erik had commanded that she leave, to the time she began working for him. She remembered when she had tore his vest and had almost killed her. It all hit her hard, especially the time when Victoria had arrived, that way they danced that ball night, the way Erik had almost killed her or when Erik had let Victoria take the money to save her life and that time she had seen Christine. She could feel it, she could feel the weight on her chest when they had taken a trip to Austria and when he kissed her.

She remembered how he screamed at her, how he blamed her for everything.

She was a different Carmelina now from that time, after everything has happened, she was different now.

She got up to talk to Erik to find that her door was locked. It hadn't been locked for the longest time.

"Erik?" She called out. "Erik open this door right now!"

And in an instant, the door had swung open, Erik on the other side of it. He had a stoic expression, not even glancing at her. She looked at him but his gaze was fixed far, far away from her.

"Erik, what- what is-?"

"Leave." He commanded calmly, his voice slightly more hoarse than before.

"What?" She asked in surprise. "What? What are you saying?"

"Leave. You no longer work for me and I no longer want you here."

And thats it!

I was planning to make this chapter longer but i didn't cause I don't know, i needed to fill in the other chapters more HAHA

Anyway! hoped you liked it and you can expect another chapter from me soon because i promised myself I would finish this fanfic before my summer break ended HAHA

PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW AND FAVORITE

that is the fuel to a writers flame (not really but I would still love a review, good feedback or constructive criticism :))

Thanks everyone!