Hey Guys! WOW A REVIEW! That always makes me happy. PLEASE REVIEW! Even if it's negative, I like to have the feedback. Well, he is the 3rd chapter, and OMG I just KNOW I am gonna mess up Erik's character sooooo badly. I just love him so much that I will prolly end up making him all mushy and out of character.

DON'T WORRY! I will fight the urge to make that be the case! Keep up the reviews and ENJOY!


Gabriella woke to the sound of soft music. She lifted her head up and looked around, then she remembered. Careful not to make a sound she slipped out of the bed she'd been lying in and tiptoed over to the door. She peaked around, she didn't see much, just lots of candles, the lake, and finally her eyes settled on the man, sitting at an organ.

She didn't know if she should say anything, so she simply began walking down towards him. She didn't make an effort to be quiet, she hoped he heard her coming so he wouldn't get mad about he 'sneaking up on him'. Finally she reached him and he looked up at her "Good afternoon my dear" he said "You obviously slept well".

"I'm sorry monsieur" she said staring at the ground "I am ready to leave now". He stood up and looked at her, she was shivering slightly "Why did you come to the opera house in that?" he asked her. She looked up at him and took a little step back shyly "It's all I have monsieur" she told him. He looked her over before turning and disappearing into another room.

He came back with a black cloak and gentle gave it to her "Oh no I could never..." she said, he gently placed the cloak on her shoulders and she sighed "I cannot thank you enough for you kindness monsieur" she said thankfully. She looked up at him "There is, one more thing you can do for me, please" she ventured.

Quietly, he looked at her, before nodding, she spoke "The real reason I came here, was because I wanted to be a ballerina. Could you, can I, is it possible for me to be a ballerina here? A chorus girl?". Was it just her, or did he just smile slightly? He nodded and gently took her hand and began leading her down towards the beach. There was a boat? She sighed, wishing that boat could have been parked under the gutter she'd gone through.

She sat down in the boat and he pushed off. "So, you live down here all by yourself?" she asked. He nodded "Don't you ever get lonely monsieur?" she asked him, her head was beginning to fill with questions for him, but she only had a short time to ask. "Sometimes" he told her. She wondered where they were going, all the passages here looked the same to her.

"Won't your parents be worried about you?" he asked her suddenly, he seemed to shudder slightly at the word parent. She looked up at him, her eyes misty "My parents are both dead monsieur, I life alone. However I must get back to my home. My horse will be wondering where I went" she told him. He raised an eyebrow "Your horse?" he asked.

Gabriella nodded "Yes, his name is Cesar, and he is the only family I have left. If I don't return to him tonight, he'll be hungry". The boat finally bumped into the shore and he jumped out, gently he helped her get out of the boat and he led her up a small passageway "I have a, friend, who will help you become a ballerina mademoiselle" he told her.

They reached a door, and he knocked on it. She heard a slight amount of grumbling come from inside before the door opened a crack. An older woman poked her head out "Erik?" she asked, surprised. She opened the door fully "Please, come in" she told them. He dipped his head to her and led Gabriella inside.

The woman looked down the hallway before closing the door and locking it "What are you doing here Erik?" she asked. He looked over at Gabriella then back at the woman "This young girl is a homeless orphan who managed to sneak into my lair last night. She wishes to become a ballerina, if you'll have her" he told her.

She looked over at the girl and smiled "Hello my dear. My name is Madame Giry, I am the ballet mistress here at the Opera Populaire. What might your name be mademoiselle?" she asked gently. "Gabriella" she replied doing a little curtsy.

Madame Giry circled the girl, looking her over, before finally speaking "She'll make a fine dancer". Gabriella smiled happily, he was about to leave when she rush and hugged him tightly "Thank you Thank you monsieur! I promise I will repay you somehow!" she said. He stood stiffly as she hugged him, when she finally released him he smiled kindly "I hope to see you perform soon my dear" he said gently before turning and vanishing into the hallway.

Suddenly Gabriella looked at Madame Giry "Wait! I need to go back home and get something! Would I be allowed to just go? I would come straight back!" she said, urgency in her voice. The older woman nodded "You may return to your home and bring your possessions back with you" she handed the girl some money "Take a cab, you must return quickly so you may be settled in the dormitories". Gabriella thanked her and ran out into the streets of Paris, nearly tripping over the cloak he'd given her, she'd cherish it forever.

She caught a cab and handed the driver the money, telling him the address. It wasn't long before he pulled up to the abandoned farm, she thanked him and ran back to the stallion barn. She pushed open the door and Cesar nickered happily to her "Cesar, oh Cesar!" she said happily, she went into his stall and hugged him "I'm so sorry I was so long. But now guess what? We are leaving here, we're going to live in the Opera Populaire!" she said excitedly.

Cesar nickered happily as she opened the tack room door. There was only one saddle, and one bridle, both were Cesar's. They were black with silvery gold lining. She placed his bridle on him and stroked him, he looked so good when he was all tacked up and shining. She then went over into her stall and grabbed her small blanket, carefully wrapping a few of her possessions in it. It wasn't much, if anything really.

Before she left, she quietly went out, and looked around the horse farm, one last time. It brought her to tears, and she felt them slide down her face as she remembered all of the horses that once stood right here on this very plot of land. She turned and went into the stallion barn, taking in all it's glory. Her eyes rested on one of the empty stalls and she felt a quiet sob slip through her throat. This had been, their best stallion's stall. His name had been Rose Noire, or Black Rose. He'd been so beautiful, velvety black with a long flowing mane and tail. Purebred andalusian, and he was Cesar's father.

One of her few possessions she'd taken had been Cesar's breeding papers. He was purebred, said so right on the paper. He could fetch a high price, but she swore never to sell him. Finally, she grabbed and tied the blanket into a sack and climbed onto Cesar's back. The stallion tossed his head excitedly and she kicked him gently forward.

He was the perfect stallion, fast yet smooth all the way back to Paris. Finally they reached the Opera Populaire, she saw Madame Giry waiting for her on the front steps. Gabriella halted Cesar at the bottom of the steps and hopped off him, Madame Giry walked up to them, she studied the stallion thoughtfully "Is he yours?" she asked.

Gabriella couldn't help but nod proudly "He's all I have left. He can stay can't he?" she asked. Madame Giry smiled "Oh course dear. Follow me, we'll put him in the stables" she said. She grabbed Cesar's reins and followed her new ballet mistress towards the stable area.

The stable area was a bit quiet, Gabriella inhaled deeply, the barn smelled strongly of horses and she smiled. It was so familiar, so welcoming. A husky looking man came up to them "Can I help you ladies?" he asked. "Yes, this is a new horse. He needs a stall" Madame Giry said plainly. The man grumbled and led them down the stables to an empty stall "Here" he groaned before moving over to some other people who had come it.

Gently, she untacked her stallion and stoked his nose "Behave yourself. I promise I will come visit very soon" she told him. She kissed his nose lovingly and closed his stall door. He poked his head and and watched her as Madame Giry led her out and into the opera house to begin her new life as a ballerina.