The Feeling in You Heart

Author Note: Wow, I couldn't be more excited. I just got my first review and it was a good one, so much thanks to Phantom's Ange. It is great to know someone like this fic. Now I would really like to see more reviews soon so I don't get sad, so please, please read and review.

Chapter 3: Helping Hand

He jumped out and offered her a helping hand. As she stepped out bottom of her coat flapped open a bit and he saw what looked to be bruises and nail marks on the inside of her thighs. He felt a powerful rage bubble up from him. He had risked his life for filthy prostitute.

Erik yanked her from the boat violently and started yelling at her. "You whore! That's what they wanted from you. You weren't worth the trouble, you are filthy whore."

Grabbing on to the back of her coat, he easily ripped it from her causing her to fall to the ground. In that same second he felt a slight bit remorse at the sight of her with out the nasty brown coat

She was in nothing but her under things and the back over her chemise was shredded and soaked in her own blood. It looked as though some one had taken a whip or maybe even a jagged knife to her back in a fit of rage. Her long dark brown hair was matted with blood, some sticking to her torn back.

She sat up gasping in pain as she brought her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. She put her head down on her knees and started trembling.

"I am no whore monsieur," she said in a small voice, head still on her knees. Slowly holding out her left arm she opened her hand and said, "please hand me back my coat so I may cover myself properly."

He stood there looking at her in shock. Her body was covered in cuts and bruises. She had been beaten, probably raped, and she sat there calmly asking for a dirty disgusting coat to cover herself with. Who was this woman? He looked at her wrist to see rope cuts marring her flesh. He went to hand her the dirty coat when he actually looked at it. The back was just soaked with her blood.

"I'll...I'll just er...go get you a blanket." He turned, walking, looking at the floor as he tossed the coat aside as he left to retrieve a blanket. Walking into his room he remember he only had one bed left and it was his own. During the fire, the swan bed had been destroyed. He glanced around his room. His eyes came to rest on the coffin that lay in the middle. He couldn't leave it there for her to see, so he quickly pushed the heavy thing against the wall grabbing a sheet to cover it with. Hoping to make it seem more like a table, he put some candles and a book on it. Pleased with his work he went to the bed pick up the blanket and walked back to where she sat.

He stood in front of her and she looked up at him. For the first time he was able to take in her beautiful features. Unlike Christine's fair skin, hers' was slightly tanned and flawless except for an ugly bruise beginning to form on her left cheek. Her eyes rested on his. They were a breath taking deep blue making him feel like he was staring down a bottomless ocean.

Clearing his throat he said, "I'm going to clean your wounds to prevent infection. But first I am going to help you up and take you to my bed." Silently he began cursing himself for his choice of wording, but decided it was better if he pretended there was only one to take that statement.

Thankfully she nodded and he bent down to her level.

"Just put your arms around my neck."

She obeyed silently clasping her hands together behind his neck. Holding the blanket up, he put it around her gently as he helped her stand up. Just as she was on her feet, she nearly fell. He picked her up easily noticing she stayed silent even though he knew he was causing her terrible pain. He carried her slowly to his bed and set her down carefully.

"Lie on your stomach and I'll be back in a second with supplies to clean out your wounds." He turned and walked away to find a basin, filled it with warm water, searched for bandages, and returned to her side. She was lying on her front just like he told her with her face to the side staring straight at him.

"This is going to hurt quite a bit."

She nodded and closed her eyes putting her head on her arms. He gently unwrapped the blanket from her back, but was careful not to uncover too much.

Looking over the damage he said, "I am going to cut off your top," feeling the need to explain everything he was doing so he would not scare her. She gave no indication she heard a word he said, but when he began to tear the remaining material apart, she tensed her entire body automatically.

Dipping a towel into the luke warm water her began cleaning the drying blood from her back. He then administered a salve to each gash on her back in the hopes of preventing infection. During this time he counted twenty-three. Some were minor, but most were not. One on her left shoulder blade went down to bone. Thankfully all the cuts, but that deep one, had stopped bleeding. He bandaged her up quickly and looked over his work.

He saw something very odd on her lower back that was obscured by the blanket. He slowly pulled the blanket down a tiny bit hoping she would not notice. What he saw surprised him. In fact he had never see such a thing on a woman of this nature before. On her lower back was a two inch long black dragonfly.

A/N: I'm having a lot of fun with this fic. Please look to the left corner of your computer screen, click on the link that says review. I do like encouraging ones and good constructive criticism. Thanks very, very much.