Gustave returned home late that night, a sleeping sister in his arms. 

"Here Mother, my arms about to break," he had chuckled passing her over. 

Erik rushed up to him, pulling him into a hug, meaningful and secure. 

Gustave gave off a laugh, "What's this for?"

Christine gave a shrug, "He's been that way all day. I've given up trying to figure out why."

"I know about the fire Gustave," Erik said slowly once Christine had left the room with Ilios. "I know you were trying to protect him but he was just a child."

Gustave gave a sad scoff after a moments hesitation and admitted all in his trembling voice, "He's not just a child. Can't you see it? In his eyes? Father, he never would have forgiven himself."

"He still hasn't Gustave." Erik sighed, "His silence I feel is his way of punishing himself."

Gustave looked up, "How do you know?"

"I spoke to him."

"And he spoke to you?" Gustave said in surprise, "What did he say?"

"Nothing. Just he was very clear he wanted me to be aware you had no part in any of the strange happenings around here this last year." Erik stated.

"What do you mean?" Gustave asked slowly raising an eyebrow. 

"Let's just say," Erik started, patting his son's knee, "That we were too busy being ghosts to notice one in our own presence."

"I'm no ghost," Eli said softly, rubbing his eyes and entering the conversation abruptly. 

Gustave nearly fell backward off his chair in shock. "Eli you scared me!" he laughed. 

Eli looked as though he might cry at the thought of scaring anybody. 

Before the small boy could turn to run away, Gustave scooped him up into his lap and bounced him gently. 

"So you told Father huh?"

A small nod. 

"Everything?"

A nod again.

Erik gave a look to Gustave and stood up, fixed his waistcoat and spoke firmly. "I believe you two have some things to discuss."

With that he departed. 

"Eli, why?" Gustave sighed turning the boy to look at him. "It wasn't your fault don't make it your fault."

Eli stayed silent. 

"I know you understand me Eli. It was my temper that started the fire not you. I'm supposed to protect you. Me! Not you protecting me with some story."

Eli gave no reply, just rested his head against Gustave's chest and gave a heavy sigh. 

"Eli I can't think of any reason for it at all," Gustave stated, clearly baffled in face and heart. 

Eli sat up abruptly, a scowl overtaking his usually docile face. 

"Because-"

Then he stopped. 

Gustave held his small hand gently to urge him onward. "Go on Eli," He nodded, "I'm listening."

Once again the small face contorted as if the reason was supposed to be so blatantly obvious. 

"Because I love you." Eli stated firmly. 

Gustave smiled softly, his own heart breaking at the heartfelt declaration. 

"Oh, Eli. What have you done?" Gustave sighed pulling his little brother closer to him. 

 "I did start the fire."

"You didn't Eli! I lit the flame." Gustave argued. 

Eli looked away, tears in his eyes, " I didn't put it out."

Gustave thought about that for a moment, he remembered his little brothers face in the candlelight. How with one fire already raging, Eli had reached small hands for the candle and lit another. 

"We were in it together then," Gustave said, knowing full well he would never convince Eli of his own innocence. "You mustn't blame yourself though Eli. You're a good boy I know, you must not hurt yourself with things like guilt."

Eli gave a half enthusiastic nod. He didn't believe Gustave, he knew that fire could have been easily put out had he not reached for that second candle. 

"Come on," Gustave said after a moment, taking his brother's hand and leading him out into the hall. "I want to show you something." 

Eli nodded timidly and followed Gustave down the corridor to where his room used to be. 

----------

Gustave bent down beside the small bed and rummaged through papers and boxes until he found a small blue blanket with something inside. 

"Eureka," he declared triumphantly.

Eli still stoodhesitated at the door frame. 

"Come on Eli," Gustave said, trying to affirm him, "Come and see."

Eli walked briskly over and sat down beside his brother. 

Curiosity eventually overcame his shyness as Gustave placed the bundle in his small lap. 

Fear had always controlled Elis life, and that hadn't changed, no matter how much he trusted Gustave he wasn't ready to be as headstrong as his sister. 

"What is it?"

Gustave grinned, "Mother gave him to me when I was your age. Go on! Open it."

Nervously, hands shaking Eli unwrapped the blue bundle only to reveal a tattered, worn old teddy bear. 

Eli stared at the bear and its lifeless eyes stared back at him. He wasn't sure if he loved it or hated it, they would have to get to know each other better first, the bear and him. Eli turned and gave a look to Gustave that informed his brother of his apprehension, Gustave went on explaining. 

"When I was shy, mother said I needn't tell her anything. I could tell Erik all and he would know and see."

Eli liked the idea of not saying anything. 

He shook his head however, the bear's name most certainly was not Erik. 

Eli put one finger across the seam that ran over the bear's forehead and another to his lips. 

Gustave took a moment and watched his brothers movements then smiled as he understood slowly what the little Phantom meant. 

"A secret name?" Gustave laughed, "Like what?"

Elis brow furrowed, he had known a lot of broken people, people worthy of naming bears after, but very few who deserved his love and pity and help. 

"DeChangy." Eli finally stated. "Rol." 

Gustave stared in awe, how could Eli possibly know? Did he understand all of that already?

"Why?" Gustave asked with a scoff. "Why on Earth would you chose that name, Eli?"

Eli gave no reply, but accepted the bar, kissed his brother's cheek and ran from the room, leaving Gustave to ponder alone on the floor. 

"A bar?" Ilios exclaimed when he returned back to the nursery. "Let me see!"

"Bear not bar," Eli growled, "Mine not yours."

That made Ilios rather cross, and knowing her parent's views on little girls who stole things like bears and cookies she decided to cross her arms and pout instead of scheming of any kind. 

"I wish you would come," Ilios sighed after a lengthy silence, "Upstairs."

"I don't want to," Eli sighed. "Too bright, too noisy."

"You don't want them to see your face?" Ilios asked innocently. 

Confusion slowly slipped into the young protege's heart and eyes. 

He was used to odd looks, but he always accounted them to be too quiet, or queer in his manner that others simply failed to understand.  

"What about my face?" Eli questioned slowly. 

"It's different than mine." Ilios laughed, "It's all funny on the one side, not like Fathers, but still... funny."

Eli frowned, he was a man of science, of arts and literature, he didn't want to be funny. He wanted to be one of the proud sophisticated men he read of in books. He reached a hand up and felt his deformity, trying to close his eyes and remember his reflection during the few glimpses he had gotten of it. 

All his life he believed they had no mirrors because of his father. 

Was it perhaps because of him?

It had never bothered him before, life went on every day as usual and Eli liked it that way. But now, his sister had brought to light a new subject. Eli couldn't help but wonder himself, would he mind it if he saw it every day? Would it drive him mad? 

Before he had the chance to think it over, Ilios was blabbing on again. 

"I hate it down here. So dark, so lonely. It's a whole different world up there Eli, when Gustave takes me it's breathtaking." Ilios twirled around, "The blue skies, the sunshine! It's peace itself and I'm going to find it."

"You can't find something metaphoric," Eli thought to himself, but he wouldn't insult his sister's intelligence, not yet anyway. 

But still, it made him wonder. 

He didn't belong in the dark of the opera house, avoiding all reminders of who he was, the monster he knew he looked like. 

But he didn't belong in the sun of people and brilliant light either as his sister did. 

Twisted every way. 

Eli decided that such answers would have to come with time, and taking his new teddy bear and tucking it gently off his arm, he set off to work on something new. 

A novel perhaps, about his family, about his life. 

A secret diary. 

Maybe he would find some answers in the past, some in the future, find something in his complicated life to ground him and make sense. 

And while the story isn't over yet, I  think, things in my life are starting to make some sense. 

Things like masks and mirrors.

Like roses on rooftops. 

Things like teddy bears.