Chapter 2: Little Ballerina

Erik's POV

Meg seemed to be a good teacher, despite her age; though the lessons were hardly professional. She listened to his life, how he was rejected his whole life; the good and the bad of it all.

She was appalled at the evil that he was shown. His mother was frightened of him; his father abused him; his subjection as a freak in the gypsy fairs; his time in Persia; his return to France; Christine.

Yes. Christine. It had become easy to say her name again, though still filled with the pain. A majority of the time, Erik spoke of Christine, not realizing the look Meg had on her face.

"Erik; I think that before I help you with everything else; you have to get over Christine," Meg said.

It had never occurred to him that he would have to forget Christine and he asked Meg about this.

"Not forget her; get over her. What I mean is, she hurt you the most so once you realize that it probably never would have worked out with her anyway, we can't move on to the rest of your life."

"Why is that?"

"Once I know what she did to break your heart, what she really did, we can probably figure out why you are the way you are," Meg explained.

This did not make sense to Erik, but he did as Meg said and spoke only of Christine for days, most of the time, he would break down and they would stop for an hour or two, then he would continue, feeling better after reliving the painful memories.

One day, he was able to recall the memories without too much emotion, without too much care. Meg seemed delighted by this, and claimed it was only because it had to be a sign of progress. By this point, the month was almost spent.

Meg seemed to want to help him. Her passion was very strong and when they weren't talking, she would practice her dancing for an hour or two before going to bed. Erik never really paid attention to Meg, though he knew she danced very well. She seemed to float on air when she danced and Erik did not notice the beauty of the dance before, but he did not admit that it was beautiful to anyone, not even himself.

The month was nearing to an end and Erik led Meg back up to the surface world; the world he was no longer apart of.

"Thank you, Meg."

"But I didn't get at all what I hoped to accomplish!" she cried, pouting slightly.

"Maybe not; but you accomplished more in a month than anyone could have in a year of this 'counseling.'"

This seemed to cheer Meg up. "I won't be able to be there as often as I was in the last month, but I can still come when I have the chance and help you out with everything else?"

Erik nodded and headed back down to his home.

Meg's POV

She could go back any time! Well…he didn't say she could at any time, but when she had the time. To her, this meant any time.

"Meg!" Her mother rushed in and engulfed her in a hug. "I received news from the de Chagneys; telling me that you refused to stay with them! You weren't at the Jammes's either! Where were you?"

"I was with a friend you don't know about; he's a nice man and I was angry at Christine and I didn't want to stay with Madame Jammes and her daughter either. So I stayed with him and he kept good care of me; I'm fine, Mama," Meg said. It wasn't really a lie, but it wasn't truthful either. Meg was tearing at her insides.

"A man? Meg…"

"I'm ok, aren't I? He did nothing to me." Meg said boldly. Her mother sighed and dismissed the subject, but Meg knew that she had not heard the last of it.

When her mother was out for a while, Meg would go and talk to Erik. The more she got to know him, the friendlier he seemed to become. What a difference it made for him to talk to someone.

Erik wore his mask most of the time, though Meg began to get used to the hideousness of his face. Her childhood fantasies seemed to be coming to life, though Erik was not as handsome as Dracula, he was just as mysterious.

Though she learned of his past, she did not learn much of anything else about him. Meg wanted to know more, but she found it more difficult to tell him this. It was still a miracle for her to admit that she wanted to help him; to get to know him personally seemed more frightening than it ought to be.

Two weeks after her return to the surface, Meg began to practice with the other ballet rats.

Erik's POV

Erik never really cared for the dance all that much, but he watched the ballerinas rehearse more often under the instruction of La Sorelli. Most of them were not as pale nor as skinny as Meg and Erik had to wonder what it was about Meg that drew her to him.

Her love for the dark, her modest shyness….She said she was reminded of Dracula when she saw him. He read the novel when he was around her age, but why would she be compelled to read it? Most girls were more attracted to a handsome prince in fairy tales. But Meg…Meg fancied vampires.

He pushed the thoughts away and watched solely Meg. She was superb! Despite her tiny body, she danced with shocking grace. He seemed to loose himself in her dance. Erik did not blink, unable to tear himself away from the petite girl. She seemed to float on air. Erik began to recognize these…symptoms and he tore himself away from the little girl's dance.

He already went through too much pain to subject himself to rejection again. Erik stood and headed back to his layer underground.

Meg was still very young. She was a sweet child. Not quite attractive, but still…she was caring. Her heart was large. She was innocent.

Erik ended up to the lake unconsciously, walking into the water which tore him away from his thoughts.

Damn! When will I learn to pay more attention to what I'm doing! Erik cursed inward, remembering the many times he had done this when thinking about Christine. He got inside his boat and took out a bag of oats, then went to feed Cesar. The horse was, other than Meg, his most trusted friend. Before he took Cesar, he would confide in the horse his hopes, his dreams. Even about Christine. But talking to Meg about Christine seemed to make things ten times better because a horse could only listen. Meg talked him through things.

Erik came to the conclusion that some part of him would always love Christine, but the rest of him he could devote to his opera, which he had started writing again.

Cesar looked at Erik accusingly as if saying, "Where have you been? I've been starving for half a day!"

"Sorry, Cesar, I've been preoccupied. And yet again, I almost fell in the lake again."

Cesar snorted and Erik could barely feel that the horse was mocking him. "Next time, I'll push you in." Cesar seemed to say. Erik seemed to get better at guessing the horse's thoughts. Cesar was a magnificent animal and Erik thought of the horse as more than just a pet.

He had once remembered a time when Cesar was a foul and the stables had caught fire due to a stableman's idiocy. It was Erik, who saved the horses, though he could not save Cesar's mother, he was able to get the beautiful foul out there. Once the horses were safe, Erik left a message in red ink to the stablemen and Gabriel, the Stable-Manager.

The horses are safe. I advise you to sack those who smoke in the opera. A child's mother died this last night. OG

It did not take long for Gabriel to see the meaning in the letter when he saw the state Cesar's mother was in.

Cesar ate the oats greedily and, once done, he nudged Erik with his snout and whinnied.

"You're welcome, old friend," Erik said, smiling slightly. "What do you think about the petite ballerina? Meg?"

Cesar nodded his head and whinnied again, as if to say, "She's cute; also, she fed me whenever you weren't around to."

"She's young, talented."

"She's in love…with you." The horse thought. "She told me."

"She helped me get over Christine. She helped me see a side of myself that I never knew existed."

"First stage of the second love; denial," the horse thought.

Erik began to brush the horse, talking about Christine and Meg in equal, comparing them. The horse whipped his tail in Erik's face, and Erik laughed. It was a sound that he never truly mastered, but this time, it sounded clear and kind. Happy.

The sound stopped as soon as it had started, but it echoed off the walls. Erik had never laughed before, at least, not like that.

It has to be Meg's doing! Erik thought, continuing to groom Cesar, frowning. I can't fall in love again. I won't fall in love again. How can I? And on top of that, Meg is still very young. She is too young.

Erik finished brushing Cesar and rewarded the horse's patience with a lump of sugar.

Heading back to the lake, Erik got into the boat and rowed back to the layer. Once inside, he looked around. The rooms started looking larger without Meg there. The little girl had taken him.

Erik smiled and sat on the sofa, just thinking. He thought that the moment his mind was cleared, that his mind would turn to Christine. But instead, he saw the little girl dancing like a swan and he berated himself.

Erik growled and tried to get rid of the thoughts. Meg was too young. But then again… she saw him differently than anyone else did…

Meg's POV

Meg stopped rehearsing, her legs feeling numb and worn out, but even still, she seemed to dance to her dormitory. She was stopped by Sorelli.

"Well done, today, Little Giry. You did well."

"Thank you, Sorelli. Um, I could use some advice; is it safe to love someone many years older than you?" Meg asked.

Sorelli looked at Meg and her smile faltered. "Sometimes; but I've been a firm believer that love has no age. If you love someone very deeply, it doesn't matter where that love goes as long as you are with him in the end. But, be careful, Meg. Men can sometimes be deceitful."

"How so?"

"Sometimes, they fall for someone younger and prettier."

"I don't think he's like that at all."

"Even so, be careful," Sorelli said, then turned to walk towards her room, but stopped and turned to Meg. "I suggest you speak to your mother of this as well. I'm honored you spoke to me about this, but it is not my place. Before you do anything else in the matter, discuss it with your mother."

Meg nodded and Sorelli disappeared into her dressing room. Meg gulped. Telling her mother would be hard enough.