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Erik and Esmeralda laid in his bed. It had been a week since that night on the rooftop and Erik could never remember being so happy. But sometimes...when he looked at Esmeralda he could tell that she missed home. He looked at her, she was cuddled against his chest. He smiled.

"Es...I think you better go back home for a bit."

She looked up at him. "What-"

He placed a finger on her lips and 'shh'ed her. "I can tell you miss your family. Mainly, your mother, you dream of her often."

She began to protest again and he pulled her closer to him.

"You showed me the world

When I was all locked up inside.

You reached out your hand

and took me on a magic carpet ride

One look at your smile and I could see

the light...shining everywhere.

People like you don't come out of thin air."

Esmeralda bit her lip, and he could tell she was fighting an internal battle on whether to leave or stay.

"But what if my real father is there?" she said.

"Oh, Es." he sighed.

"You don't understand.

There is so much that you don't see.

Just think if you can, what growing up

had to be like for me.

Your father's a man, who tells who you are,

mine was never there."

"How can you say

I don't come out of thin air." she whispered, sitting up.

"There's so much I want to know."

"You've got the chance to learn." he held her tighter.

She leaned back against him, feeling comfortable. "If it means I have to go."

He kissed her temple.

"I'll be right here when you return.

Our wedding can wait,

I love you,

I think it's worth this small delay."

Esmeralda's head was reeling. He had just proposed to her. A few days before he had given her a ring but she didn't know what it was for. Now she did.

"Maybe you're right." she breathed.

"And won't be great to have

your father see our wedding day."

Esmeralda turned and hugged him, tightly.

"I've waited so long

to know the truth"

"And now at last, we can finally say..."

"Your father was really there." He whispered into her hair.

"There's so much that we might share." she whispered back.

"And you'll finally learn...

you don't come out of

thin air."

"Alright. I'll go for a bit." she said. "But...can you come with me?"

Erik's heart broke at the sound of the hopefullness in her voice.

"I've been up there...to that world...that hell." he said, turning away from her.

"The world is changing...PEOPLE" she put emphasis on the word. "are changing." She wrapped her arms around his waist, her face pressed against his back.

He leaned his head back, tears streaming down his cheeks. He couldn't stand seeing her upset. Maybe she was right. Maybe the world was changing. Maybe there were people like Madame Giry and Christine.

Or maybe there are like those people at the carnival. the inner voice in his head snarled.

"Erik?"

"I...I don't belong in that world." He said, getting off the bed and walking into his study but not before he heard her soft, heartbroken reply.

"But you belong in mine."

Erik closed the door behind him, resisting the urge to throw the door back open and taking her into his arms, promising her the world. He slid down the door, holding his head in his hands as he cried.