A month passed, with no sign of The Phantom. Kurt was beginning to get worried. The Angel of Music had never gone this long without some sort of contact, usually in the form of a voice lesson.

Kurt had to wonder if he had heard Kurt's conversation with Dave on the roof a month or so ago. He would not have been pleased with that. Kurt should have known he'd be listening. He was always listening.

Kurt had started up a more or less relationship with Dave since then, joining him for dinner, and the occasional night out at the theatre.

Dave had proposed a total of three times, but Kurt had politely declined each attempt, still unsure of his feelings.

He wished the Phantom would come out of hiding and at least speak to him so he could explain himself. He couldn't blame the Phantom for being angry with him when he didn't know the whole story. The Phantom must have feelings for Kurt, otherwise what happened between them in the Phantom's home under the opera house wouldn't have happened, would it? The Phantom was probably hurt. Kurt should have known better than to start a relationship with Dave. He knew how angry the Phantom could get. He was probably lucky the Phantom hadn't come after Dave yet.

And yet, here he was, waiting for Dave to arrive so they could go to the opera house's masquerade ball together. They'd have to be careful. The Phantom would certainly be watching them here.

The front doors of the opera house opened, and Kurt looked up to see Dave stepping inside, wearing a beautifully tailored black suit. He looked absolutely handsome, and Kurt  smiled at him shyly.

Dave held out an arm for Kurt to entwine with his own, and Kurt did so, "We have to be careful tonight, Dave." he whispered.

"Is his about the Opera Ghost?" Dave asked. "I thought you weren't afraid of him. And besides, he hasn't been seen or heard of in a month, Kurt. I'm not even worried about him anymore."

"I'm not afraid of him, Dave. I know he'd never hurt me. I just..." Kurt couldn't say that he was afraid of hurting him. Kurt hadn't spoken of his feelings for the Phantom to anyone, and didn't plan to. Especially not to Dave.

"It's okay if you're scared, Kurt. You can tell me. But he's gone. For whatever reason, he's gone, and I don't think he's coming back."

Kurt sighed, not wanting to fight. It was a masquerade, after all. No one would be able to see their faces, so even if the Phantom was watching, he wouldn't know that Kurt was with Dave.

They headed to the ballroom to join the rest of the members of the opera house, and Kurt decided to let all thoughts of the Phantom escape his mind. He was just going to relax and have a good time tonight. Everyone at the opera house had been working so hard, and they all deserved a night of fun.

Everything would be fine.

For the past month, the Phantom had been working hard, writing a new opera for the members of his opera house to perform.

He hadn't had time to check up on them all much, and just decided to trust that they were following his orders, though he doubted that to be true. He knew Kurt and Dave had started up some form of relationship and he couldn't bare to look at them. It pained him in ways he couldn't comprehend.

So he stayed far below the opera house, writing furiously, until his new opera was perfect. He then waited. Waited until a large gathering was arranged. He had gone up and hidden where he could hear Sue and William talking a week ago, and heard them planning a masquerade ball. He knew that would be the perfect time to announce his new opera.

On the evening of the ball, he put together a nice ensemble, different from the black pants, shirt, and cape he usually wore. He dressed himself in a red suit, and put on a mask that, instead of only covering the right side of his face, covered the entire upper half. Then he waited.

Waited until everyone was gathered in the ballroom. Dancing and drinking, and having the time of their life.

Then he walked slowly into the room. Quiet. Making sure that no one took notice of him.

He stood at the top of the steps, overlooking the room; Cleared his throat.

Everyone turned to face him, gasping in unison, recognizing him immediately despite his change in attire.

He walked slowly down the steps, looking around at all the shocked faces staring back at him.

"Why so quiet, my friends?" He asked them. "Did you really think you'd gotten rid of me forever? I do hope you've missed me while I was gone, but it was necessary that I take a few weeks away to write you a new opera." He sneered at them. "Don Juan Triumphant. Here it is." he held up the finished script before throwing it on to the ground at his feet.

"I do have a few notes, before you all begin rehearsals." He announced. "Miss Berry must be taught how to act. I personally find her performances mediocre at best." The Phantom said.

Rachel let out an indignant huff, crossing her arms over her chest.

"My managers need to realize that they belong in an office, not the arts." he said, pointing at Sue and William with a sword, which he had just pulled from a sheath at his side. "As for our star, Mr. Kurt Hummel, I assume he'll do his best. However, if he wishes to return to our daily lessons, he does have much more to learn." The Phantom said, trying not to let the sadness show in his voice. He'd missed seeing Kurt every day, and looking at him now, with David Karofsky standing by his side defensively, it was too much for him to take.

Kurt stepped away from Dave, approaching the Phantom slowly, almost hesitantly. Suddenly, a wave of rage washed over the Phantom. He couldn't let Karofsky take Kurt away from him.

"You belong to me, Kurt!" He half whispered, half shouted.

He ran back up the steps, disappearing through the floor in a cloud of smoke and flames.

David quickly followed the Phantom up the steps. As afraid as he may be, he wouldn't let the Phantom get away. Not when he finally had Kurt. He couldn't lose him now.

He jumped down into the hole where the Phantom had escaped, pulling his sword out as he went, ready to fight.

He landed in a room of mirrors encircling him. No matter which way he turned, all he could see was his own reflection. That is, until he saw the Opera Ghost behind him. He turned around, swinging his sword, but only slashing the air. This continued for a few moments, David never really knowing where the Phantom was, the illusion of the mirrors throwing him off. He held his sword out defensively, trying to make sure that no matter what direction the Opera Ghost attacked him from, he would be prepared to shield himself.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around, seeing Ms. Hudson behind him. He took a deep breath as she pulled him out of the circle of mirrors.

As soon as they were out of the room, she turned to walk away.

"Ms. Hudson! Ms. Hudson, wait. Please. You have to tell me what's going on."

"I know nothing more than you do, Mr. Karofsky." She protested.

"That can't be true. If it is, then how did you know where to find me?"

"Please, Sir, just drop it. There have been too many accidents."

"Accidents? Ms. Hudson, please, help me to understand. For all our sakes." Karofsky begged. If he wanted to keep Kurt safe, he needed to know what exactly was going on.

"Fine." She said, looking around to make sure they were alone. "Come in."

David followed her into a room, where they would be alone, and no one else could hear.

Carole wasn't sure she should be telling Mr. Karofsky this story. If the Phantom happened to be listening, he'd be furious. But she cared too much about Kurt and David's safety to let the story go untold. She cared about the Phantom's safety as well, and she thought that by telling Karosfky the story, perhaps he would understand. He needed to understand why the Phantom was the way he was.

"It was a long time ago." She began, bracing herself to finally tell the tale that had been pent up inside of her for so many years. "There was a traveling fair in town. I  was just a young girl, then. Training to be a ballerina. I resided in the dormitories of this very opera house, at the time. All us girls in the dormitories went to see the traveling fair one day." She said, remembering the day as if it had just been yesterday.

Carole walked onto the fair grounds with her friends. She had been excited to go. Had never been to such an event before. But once she arrived, her excitement had faded. It was a disconcerting place. The fair grounds were dark and unclean, and it looked as though the place was just created to frighten people. Her friends didn't seem to be frightened, however, skipping along merrily. She wasn't frightened either. Just...wary, she supposed.

Most of the events here were just people to be gawked at. She didn't find that amusing in the slightest. She couldn't even begin to imagine how awful it must be, being so hideous that a fair would ask you to come and get paid to be looked at for other people's amusement. Hardly any of them even did any tricks. They just stood around in their designated areas, waiting to be stared at.

It must be an awful life to lead.

There was a small monkey running around, and her friends decided to follow it, so she went along. It ran up to a small tent, where a large, scary man with lazy eyes stood telling them to come inside.

"Come in. Come in." He urged. "Come in and see the Devil's Child."

Carole was slightly unnerved by the man. Not because of his appearance, however. It was more his demeanor that frightened her. Still, her friends were all following the man into the tent, and she didn't want to be left alone outside, so she went along.

Once inside, she saw a small boy sitting on the ground in a large cage with a burlap sack on his head, with holes cut out where his eyes and mouth must be, so he could see and breath. She pushed her way up to the front, grabbing on to the bars, and looking into the cage sadly.

He had to be younger than she was by at least a few years.

How could someone do that to a child? Keep him locked in a cage for all the world to come and stare and laugh at him. It wasn't right, and Carole was disgusted and saddened. She wished she could help him.

She noticed that he seemed to be making something. A small stuffed monkey, made from various kinds of burlap sat in his lap, and he was attaching two small mettle circles to each of its hands. He clapped them together, and they made a small dinging sound.

She wondered if this was all he had to keep him occupied. Making little stuffed creatures. Were those stuffed toys his only friends?

The awful man from outside the tent entered the boy's cage then, ripping the toy out of his hands, and kicking him over so he was lying on his side on the floor. The man then began whipping him with a long piece of rope.

Her friends were all laughing, seemingly amused by the sight in front of them; While Carole, on the other hand, could hardly bare to look.

This wasn't right. Was that even his child? Carole doubted it was.

All she wanted to do was leave, and yet she couldn't look away.

The man pulled the burlap sack off of the small boy's head, revealing a distorted face, and the children around her laughed harder.

Carole didn't understand it. Why people could be so amused by someone else's pain. It was awful.

The man whipped the boy a few more times before leaving the cage. The boy scrambled to put the burlap sack back upon his head, and Carole assumed he hated anyone seeing him. She didn't blame him. All anyone would ever do was laugh at him. His face was so distorted on one side that it was hardly a face at all.

She felt so much compassion for this young boy. She was nearly certain she wouldn't survive, being treated that way every day of her life. She wouldn't be able to bear it.

Her friends all walked away then, now that the so-called show was over. She followed, but did so hesitantly, wishing she could comfort the boy. Tell him that everything would be alright, even if she knew it probably wouldn't.

As she reached the doors, she heard the sounds of a man being strangled. She turned around quickly and saw the boy with the burlap sack over his head strangling the man who abused him. She was frightened. Wished she'd left faster. She really didn't want to see this; Didn't want to see a man die. But she had to admit, there was a part of her that was elated. The boy was strong, and he was saving himself.

If that man had to die for the boy to be safe, then so be it. He deserved to die for the way he had taken advantage of such a young boy who was so very, very disfigured.

The man struggled, but the boy was relentless, choking him until he was certain he was dead. The boy then reached over and picked up the little stuffed monkey he had been making earlier. He looked up, making eye contact with Carole.

Just then, a few men who worked at the fair came into the tent, seeing the dead body of the man on the ground.

Carole quickly grabbed the boy by the hand and fled.

She knew the men would be following them and she needed to get him somewhere safe as quickly as possible. The opera house was just down the road, so she held on tight to the boy's hand and they ran as fast as they could.

She opened a window in the back of the opera house, and shoved him inside. She then ran around to the front of the building, going quickly inside, and down to the room with the window she had shoved him into. Only then did she notice that he'd brought his stuffed monkey with him. She gave him a small smile, taking his hand again, and taking him down. Down, down, down in to the depths of the opera house, where he would stay for the remainder of his life. Where he was safe. Where no one could hurt him.

"I hid him from the world, and the cruel people who inhabit it." Carole ended her story. "He knows nothing else of life. He has not left the opera house since that day, Mr. Karofsky. It was his playground, and now his work place. He's a genius. He is an architect, a composer, a...a magician." Carole said, the tears that had been threatening to fall since halfway through her story finally beginning to relent and disappear from her eyes.

"But Ms. Hudson, can't you see? He may be a genius, but he's also mad. Insane. Dangerous, even." Karofsky said.

Carole let out a sigh, knowing that Karofsky was right, but also knowing that she would protect the Phantom until the day he died. She felt it was her duty. She was the one who had saved him after all.

Things would be much easier if Kurt would just make the decision to be with the Phantom for good.