Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Gaston Leroux, Andrew Lloyd Webber, etc own them. No copyright infringement intended. I'm just using these for fun.

Author's Note: My online friend, Nicolebsb from Neopets, created the character of Helene. All sections about Helene and thoughts, speech, etc. are all hers. I am writing the general stuff, plus Madame Giry, Meg, and Erik.

New Beginnings: Chapter Ten

Erik had woken that morning and continued through his routine like it was any other day. Midway through the morning, he froze, suddenly remembering the important meeting to take place in a few hours. Knots formed in his stomach as he began to doubt if this was really the smartest course of action. Thoughts buzzed around his brain as he considered, and he had to sit down quickly as he felt dizzy. Why would he put his feelings and heart on the line again? Last time he opened himself up to someone, she ended up breaking his heart. Erik knew he would always love Christine, and no one would ever take her place. All of his training and guidance had just been thrown away once she became a star. His heart ached at the thought. Was he ready to be treated as if he didn't matter once the means to an end had been gotten?

On the other hand, Erik knew what a kind and generous heart that Madame Giry had. His Antoinette had been his friend and confidant through these lonely, dark years. She genuinely cared about him. Erik knew she would never do anything intentional to jeopardize him. Knowing her, she had debated long and hard before gathering the courage to ask him of this. How could he turn her down? What kind of life was he living, secluded in a damp cave, never seeing the light of day, never interacting with anyone?

And what of Meg? If she were anything like her mother, she would have just as big a heart. He knew she had been toiling as a dancer for so long. Didn't she deserve to shine just a bit brighter? She had watched as many others had gotten their big break and she had been left alone, toiling as a chorus girl. Meg deserved to shine as well.

The new girl needed him the most. She had lived a hard life, from what he heard, with little happiness. From the day she stepped foot here, instead of getting a new start, she had just been persecuted and ridiculed. How was that fair? This girl was trying to better herself and her life, and pompous old men were deciding that she wasn't good enough without even giving her a chance. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was people making snap judgments about things they didn't even understand. She was like him, in a way. All her life she was told she wasn't good enough. He had been reviled ever since he could remember. He believed they could be kindred souls. His blood boiled at the thought of the treatments she had received. He owed it to himself and this girl to prove all of the doubters wrong.

Before he got ahead of himself, Erik knew he had to see this Helene firsthand. No use in jumping to conclusions, no matter what he'd secretly seen. He hurried around his underground apartment, straightening up. He got out a few pieces of simple music with which the girls could practice. He cleared some space if they needed to practice a dance, and he made sure his piano was in tune. He went into a back room and got out two dusty instrument cases. He opened them up to find a pristine flute and violin. These were some of his prized instruments, and he wanted to hear Helene play for him directly. He set them up near the piano and got out yet more music specifically for those instruments. He went to check to make sure he had enough refreshments for his guests and then went to get himself ready.

Hours passed, and Erik felt himself growing uneasy again. He was dressed in his best, looking dashing and imposing at the same time. He began pacing, not being able to sit still. He wished the meeting were over already. He checked his timepiece, knowing the hour was growing ever nearer. Finally, he heard the signal. He checked himself in his looking glass once more, took a deep breath and strode towards the lake. He pushed his boat into the water and carefully stepped into it. He grabbed the pole and slowly began to push himself across the lake to the waiting women.

The same feeling of regret stung Helene's heart as she waited to see her new fate. A question suddenly popped in her mind that hadn't been there before. Could this man even HELP her? What if she just couldn't be helped? What if this man was the best teacher in the world, and even HE couldn't help poor Helene? She knew her heart would just burst if that were the case: to think her father had wasted those years on trying to make her a good player. What else would she do? What else COULD she do? Not like she was talented in any sort of way, besides her music skills. And, it seemed, even they weren't good enough for people. She was too "Irish" to be a good player, and she was too French to be allowed in Ireland. She just didn't belong anywhere. If she went to Ireland to play, if she could somehow afford it, the Irish would mock her just as much: say how pathetic it was for a French girl to try to play their music. They had every right to hate the French, the Americans, and quite a lot of other people in Europe. They all mocked the Irish for either being "stupid and uncivilized" or because they were Catholic. At least the last one applied to Helene.

Meg stood on the far shore, butterflies doing their own ballet in her stomach. She could see veiled fear masked on Helene's face, and her mother had a pondering look. Now that the time had come, Meg didn't know what to think. The breathless waiting was killing her. Time just seemed to crawl by as they waited. Her mother shot her a reassuring smile, but Meg only was able to give a half-smile, closer to a grimace, in return. She hugged her stomach, hoping she wouldn't get sick with nerves. Madame Giry approached the girls and drew them to her in reassurance. Helene's thoughts were broken when Madame drew the two girls closer to her in a comforting sort of way.

"Don't worry, my darlings. This will be more amazing than you can ever hope for." Antoinette spoke the words in a soothing tone, trying to make the girls relax. She smoothed back Meg's hair and kissed the top of her head. She gazed out across the lake, suddenly spotting the tiny boat. It grew larger as it approached. It would not be long now. The girls neglected to say anything in response to her, so Madame Giry stayed quiet.

Helene gave a very weak and forced smile to the woman, though she quickly turned back to the water after hearing something moving through it. Someone was coming across the water. Helene strained her eyes in trying to will herself to see who was coming. Through the darkness, she made out a shape of a man in a little boat. He came towards the women, who were all silent at this point. Helene's suddenly let out a heavy sigh as her lungs started to hurt: she had been holding her breath by accident.

They all watched in silence as the mysterious Erik approached them silently, gently bringing the boat to the edge of the lake. Helene stared unblinkingly as the boat came to the edge of the lake. Madame Giry ushered the girls towards the boat when they seemed rooted to the spot. Helene saw Madame start ushering them into the boat, which Helene suddenly didn't want to do. She couldn't see very well, but what she could see was a bit frightening: a blank face and a skinny body. That's all she could make out of this Erik, just an outline and a lack of features. She felt her hands shaking as she grew closer to the boat.

Silently, Erik held his had out to help each of them into the vessel. Even when Helene just barely took the man's hand as she got inside, she was shaking. Helene situated herself next to Meg, holding her hands together tightly, willing herself to stop. Helene stared at the floor, afraid to get a good look at the man. She was somewhat wishing she had told Madame Giry that she hadn't wanted to go see Erik. Meg was excited and a bit scared, but she hid her features behind a schooled mask of composure. Madame Giry was worried how everyone would react to each other, and she hoped that she wasn't making a mistake. Helene was growing quite frightened, at this point. The whole time, she felt her hands shake as she stared at the bottom of the boat, her breathing a bit more quick than usual. Helene's mouth was glued shut: she couldn't speak. It was just as well, as Madame Giry and Meg each seemed lost in their own thoughts, and Erik didn't seem to pay any attention to the women. The quartet rode in silence, the journey seeming to stretch indefinitely.