The opera house was silent. Erik had escorted her as far as the dormitories and seemed to disappear into thin air from there. This silence was different than all of the others she had encountered before. The air was still and felt as though it refused to enter her lungs. Erik's watchful eyes usually followed her as she wandered the opera house, but this time she felt completely alone. He had gone, and truly left her.

She reached the main doors after a few minutes of descending the steps of the entranceway. Her hands rested on the large handles, but something willed her not to pull them open. This was her home, her shelter of the past. The Phantom did say that there was no threat for her now in the streets. She was free to go, but did she want to be free? Unconsciously, she pulled open the door and stepped outside onto the cobblestone streets.

It was early; around seven, but many shop keepers had opened their stores and carts, ready to attract the many passersby. Her pointe shoes weren't much protection against the rocky ground, but they were better than nothing. The fresh air filled her lungs as she took many deep breathes, looking curiously at the awakening of the town.

The old man, she thought, I must see if he is alright. Intent on her mission, she followed the road straight to where the old man had sold his fruit. His cart was still behind the white cloth, but he was nowhere to be seen. His door was shut and his curtains hid the interior of his home. The only sign of life was the faint glow of a candle behind the window. Quietly, she knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"Who is it?" came an old voice from behind the wooden door.

"Monsieur, it is me, Madeleine," she replied.

"I have no relations to any Madeleine," he answered.

"Monsieur, you helped me home last night," she continued, hoping he would remember, "I came to see if you were alright." He did not respond. Madeleine waited silently until she figured that he would not answer. Slowly, she turned and stepped back into the street.

"Wait!" he called behind her, "I am so sorry, Mademoiselle."

"Monsieur," she began but he stopped her.

"Please, come inside!" he smiled, holding the door open. She smiled in return and entered.

"I didn't mean to intrude; I just wanted to make sure that you were alright." Madeleine began. "I'm so sorry you were involved."

"Mademoiselle," the old man interrupted, "please, everything is alright. I'm just grateful that you are safe. You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, Monsieur," Madeleine smiled.

"Good. That man was trouble. He's not around, is he?," he asked, peering out the small curtain.

"No, Monsieur." Madeleine replied, "He is long gone now."

"Good." He smiled. "Now, I'm not one for formalities. Please, call me Jacques."

"And you may call me Madeleine." She smiled.

"Alright, well Madeleine, I was about to have something to eat, would you like something?" He asked, leading her into a small kitchen.

"No thank you," Madeleine replied, but Jacques shook his head.

"You look like you haven't eaten in days, Madeleine, and I know that the food I gave you was not eaten." Jacques argued. "Please, at least take some fruit." Madeleine nodded.

A small table and two chairs were in the kitchen beside a little stove and an ice box. Jacques brought a small plate of fruit and some bread to the table and invited Madeleine to sit down. They ate in silence. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until the food touched her mouth. Her stomach growled profusely as she ate her piece of bread and an apple.

"Thank you, monsieur," she said with a smile. He smiled back and nodded his mouth still full of his bread.

"If I had known you were coming I would have prepared something," he apologized as he looked down at the empty plate.

"Please, monsieur, there is no reason to prepare anything special for me," Madeleine said, "I feel horrible enough intruding on you again. I just hope nothing bad comes of it this time." Jacques smiled and took her hand.

"Everything will be alright," he smiled. "You are always welcome in this house."

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Sorry about the long wait! I'll be sure to update as soon as I can!