Katdancer: Yes! I hope I did well with the trial. I am horrible with things like this and I know absolutely nothing about politics!

Availre: Thank you for reviewing. EVERYONE! Check out Availre's story, it's a good one!

Savor-Each-Sensation: You may have mentioned that. But I give my reviwer's credit for that. Everyone's reviews are like inspiration for the soul. A simple word gives me great pleasure and energizes me. I hope I didn't leave you dangling too long.

Trrmo77: Yes it was the wagon master. Erik will have another memory of Nina that will make everyone gasp in amazement.

Phantom Serenity: Don't worry, they say it in this chapter!

Chapter ten

Nina inhaled as she watched Erik. The judge had graciously allowed erik to wear his mask, otherwise this trial would have been pure torture for him. They had begun questioning him about Buquet.

"you pleaded guilty to his death. What provoked your decision to murder it?"

Erik firmly locked his jaw and he refused to speak. She realized he didn't want to humiliate her in the courtroom.

"Are you refusing to answer your actions?"

Erik nodded, "I am."

Nina shook her head. Tell him.

He shook his head and signed back. No. I won't have you humiliated.

"Excuse ma'am!" the judge said to her. "if you've anything to say, wait your turn!"

she stood up and Erik spoke quickly. "this is not her concern your honor! I insist she be left out of this!"

Nina gripped the banister and cleared her throat. "your honor. I…would like to testify. I-I know what happened. I was there…when Buquet died."

The judge nodded, "since he refuse's to speak on his behalf, will you take the stand and please speak a little louder?"

"your honor!" Her grandfather said. "she's just got her voice back this morning after many years of silence. She can't speak very loud yet."

The judge looked ashamed. "my apologies. Silence in the court when she speaks so everyone can hear."

Nina moved towards the stand as Erik came off. She smiled weakly as tears filled her eyes. Erik was in complete shock and he had tears running down his face.

"you can talk?"

she nodded and squeezed his hand. "since…this morning. I wanted to surprise you."

Erik quickly kissed her hand before he moved to sit in his chair and he kept his watery eyes trained on him. she smiled and signed. I love you.

I love you too. He signed back.

Nina placed her hand on the bible, swore to tell the truth and held the bible in her hand and kept her hand firmly on the bible.

"now," the prosecutor said. "how long have you know the defendant?"

Nina shifted. "almost two months. But…I knew him when I was five. I lived with a gypsy carnival," she looked at Erik and she saw him look up and confusion in his eyes. "he was about fourteen, I think." She cleared her throat. "He had been there with the carnival, long before I was born. He'd been put on display, because of his deformity and billed as….the devils child."

"what was his nature back then?"

"the same as yours monsieur…if you'd been jailed in a cage, beaten, starved, had things thrown at you." she saw the prosecutor flinch visibly. "he was savage towards those cruel to him, but he was nice to me."

"how'd he escape?"

"that would have been Madame Giry."

"and when did you meet him again?"

"when he took Christine down to the lair for the first time."

"forcibly?"

she shook her head. "she went willingly. Raoul and I were outside her door and there were no sounds of a struggle." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. Erik poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the desk. He nudged Raoul who brought it up to her. "thank you." she sipped it and resumed, her voice a little stronger. "I'm sorry."

"and what happened?"

"It took me a while to figure out where they went, but I found my way under the opera house and I fell in the lake. I can't swim, he pulled me out of the water and saved my life."

"was he angry?"

"no."

"what happened after that?"

Nina decided to leave the topic of Erik giving her a dress out, for it would set tongues wagging against them. "he built a fire in my room, made me tea and left me alone. The following morning, he returned us to the surface where I was assaulted by Buquet."

"in what manner?"

Nina hesitated as heat filled her cheeks. She dropped her gaze. "verbally and physically. Madame Giry…prevented things from going further." She inhaled. "but the night Carlotta made her famous croak…I was sent to get her cat. Buquet cornered me, up in the catwalk, and this time…Erik was the only one there."

"so he strangled him?"

she nodded, "After pulling him off me." her blunt wording made the prosecutor squirm. "Madame Giry and Christine can vouch that there have been other girls who've had to suffer from his hand."

The courtroom buzzed at this revelation.

"you swear that all this is true?"

Nina nodded, "I swear."

"why didn't the accused state this?"

she smiled at Erik, "well, Erik didn't want me to be humiliated."

"Erik?" the prosecutor frowned.

She nodded. "yes, he has a name."

"thank you. will you step down please?"

Nina nodded and cautiously made her way back to her seat. Christine and Giry were called to the stand and they gave their testimony about buquet's character. Madame Giry even found two ballerinas's willing to testify about his treatment of them. She exhaled when she saw the look on the judges face, she knew Erik wouldn't be charged.

"if I had my way," the judge muttered. "I would have hung him myself!" he cleared his throat. "now, on with the murder of Senor Piangi."

Carlotta was the first called upon stage. She reported all the pranks Erik had done on her and then the managers presented all the letters Erik had sent them dictating how 'his theatre' was to be run.

Nina glanced at Erik. She had no idea that all of this was going on behind her back.

She frowned at his back and turned to Christine. "why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew!"

she shook her head. "Erik keeps some things from me and this is one of them."

She sat back and watched as Erik took the stand. First, he cleared up the doubt about the opera house. He then produced a paper showing that he clearly owned it. but due to his face, he let the 'owner's run' the theatre due to his face. they had to follow insurrections and his 'salary' was the rent they paid. He then showed figures of how much they made each month and that the rent was reasonable. He also showed a receipt showing he had been the anonymous benefactor who replaced the chandelier. Andre and Firmin were properly embarrassed and apologized profusely. Erik publicly fired Carlotta and told her never to sing another note in the opera populaire.

"Nina," her grandfather said. "it looks like you unknowingly hooked a millionaire."

She shook her head. "I hooked a man."

"so, explain what happened the night you killed Piangi."

Erik glowered. "I didn't kill Piangi!"

"explain what happened that night then."

Erik exhaled. "I needed to talk to Christine, but her fiancée and the gendarmes were making that extremely difficult. I wrote the play she and Piangi were performing in that night so I knew every note." He cleared his throat. "Piangi ducked behind a curtain and I did put a lasso around his neck. I had him stand on a box, which I did not kick away."

"why put the rope around his neck?"

"if I'm going to take his place on the stage, I can't have him running around alerting the police can I?"

Nina turned and hissed. "Meg, remember the box?" she nodded. "Piangi must have fallen off or something like that."

Meg nodded. "yes. I see what you mean."

"do you expect us to believe that after you killed Buquet by a similar method?"

Erik glowered at him. "Buquet would have been given the same penalty after he'd been tried. But due to the lack of witnesses, he would have gotten away with every hand he laid on every underage girl."

"why didn't you report it?"

Nina turned to Erik. He was looking at her, debating on answering that question. It's all right. Tell them.

"for the same reason I don't appear publicly unless I'm forced to. People are more fascinated trying to see what's under my mask than what I'm saying."

"well I agree there." The prosecutor said with a smirk. "I'm curious to see what's under that mask myself."

Nina stood up, ready to jump to his defense.

The judge groaned. "what now miss?"

"the prosecutor should mind his tongue." She said sharply. "marguerite Giry, myself, and whomever helped Buquet down can verify that there was a box beside Piangi. Piangi was overweight, and if he tried to escape, he might have fallen off the box and hung himself."

"have you any proof?" the prosecutor asked.

"have you any that he did hang him?" she said firmly. "If Erik says he didn't hang Piangi, I believe him."

"you know the accused very well don't you?" the prosecutor asked.

Nina nodded as he stepped closer. "we're very, very good friends. He has shown me nothing but respect towards me. when I was mute, he was overly considerate and generous. Never made me ill at ease or awkward. When I had nowhere to go after the theatre closed for repairs, he let me stay with him. he gave me money for food, clothes and never once asked for a single franc back."

"you say you lived with him?"

Nina felt the hairs on the back of her head, stand up on end in warning. She nodded. "he also paid you for food and clothes. But did he pay you for any other services, such as, in bed?"

Nina gasped.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Erik bellowed as he stomped towards the prosecutor.

"Erik!" She said catching the corner of his coat. "Please don't!"

Erik turned to face her just as the prosecutor reached for his mask. Erik let out a howl as his mask and wig were ripped off his face! the whole courtroom screamed in terror and even the guards drew back in horror. the prosecutor stared in horror at the items in his hand.

"Give me those!" Nina shouted reaching for them as Erik tried to bury his face in his arm.

She handed Erik the wig first and he hastily put it on. she handed him the mask and he hastily put it in place. The courtroom silently grew quiet. She turned back to her grandparents were staring at her in shock. she gripped Erik's arm and tugged him back to the table.

The judge pounded his gavel. "all right." He said. "That does shed some light on the accused's attitude. But I shall not forget the criminal actions against him."

Erik watched as the judge exhaled. "however, before I pass judgement there is one question my conscience won't permit me to remain silent about." The judge motion for Nina to come forward and she did. "you seem to care for this…man very much." Nina nodded. "If there's anything you wish to add, say so now. Your pity may have some bearing on this case."

Erik held his breath as Nina was silent for a moment. "pity him?" she looked shocked. "I don't know what you're talking about. I love him!"

The whole courtroom gasped in shock and horror. even the judge looked stunned. Erik felt the blood leave his face at her declaration.

"my dear, all of us have seen his face and," the judge stammered as he shook his head. "Well, you're so attractive. It just isn't possible."

"I thank you, your honor for the compliment. But as the prosecutor said earlier, "have I got proof?" I'll give you proof. For obviously, no one believes me." Nina spun on her heel and walked up to Erik. "would you remove your mask and wig for a moment?"

Erik stepped back cautiously. "why?"

"trust me." she said. "please."

Erik closed his eyes and did as she asked. Once again, the courtroom was filled with sounds of disgust. But this time Erik felt Nina press her body to close to him and he opened his eyes as Nina ran her hands through his thin strands of hair. He gasped as Nina kissed him on the mouth!

The courtroom was in an uproar and the judge was banging on the gavel but no one was listening.

Nina kissed him as if he were whole. No! she kissed him as if he were the only man in the room. He couldn't believe it! how had he ever thought what he felt with Christine was love? This had to be love! No one! No one would ever do such a thing to someone as wretched as him.

she pressed closer to him and his hands shakily made their way around her waist. He felt awkward for a moment, but everything clicked. His soul was flooded with the most joy and happiness he'd ever felt in his entire life. He ran his hands down her back. Nina let out a quiet, pleasured moan and he pulled back.

Nina stared at Erik, his jaw working hard and tears pouring down his face. tears were coming down her eyes as well.

"Erik?"

he cried and sank down to the ground on his knees, kissing the hem of her dress. "thank you!" he cried. "thank you!"

Nina knelt down and pulled him close to her. "Erik. Please, don't."

"I don't deserve you."

Nina shook her head. "don't, Erik, don't say such things about yourself. I love you."

"ORDER!" The judge shouted as the gavel broke. Silence prevailed. "all right, you've proved it. that has to be one of the most horrible, disgusting, yet wonderful thing's I've ever been privileged to see." He inhaled. "now all stand while I give the verdict."

Nina helped Erik up and he placed his wig and mask back on.

"Erik…..what is your last name?" The judge asked. "I don't believe you mentioned it."

Erik blinked. "I don't know."

The judge snorted. "you don't know your last name?"

He glowered. "I lived with gypsies since I was five and I was known as 'the devil's child for nine years."

"how came you by the name Erik then?"

"she gave it to me." Erik looked at Nina.

She blinked and frowned. "I-I don't…remember."

"do you remember breaking your top?" she shook her head. "I fixed it and you asked me if I had a name." She scrunched her eyes shut and slowly, some of that came back. "I said no."

"and I said if I could call you Erik," she said excitedly. "because you looked like an Erik!"

"Madame!" the judge snapped. He exhaled. "please. This is becoming almost unreal." He stood up. "it is the opinion of this court that …Erik… has been found….guilty….on both charges!"