thatgrrl not logged in: Don't worry, the judge is merciful, in a twisted way. I hope you catch this chapter, for the time everything will run smoothly.

Trrmo77: I'm sure you'll be able to take this chapter easily. Thank you, I think fan fiction and everyone's encouragement is improving my writing and imagination.

chapter eleven

Nina gasped and Erik gripped her around the waist to hold her up. the whole court was in an uproar; though positive or negative, she couldn't tell. she gripped him tight as her arms would allow as the judge continued speaking.

"it is the opinion of this court that he serve two years in prison." The judge leaned forward. "however, the pleas did not fall on deaf ears."

"didn't they!" she shrieked. "you have no heart! He's spent his life in a prison of the world's making. Never to feel the sun, never to smell a flower, never to feel the cool mist from an ocean. I actually gave him the first present he ever received this Christmas!"

"silence!" the judge said.

"I will not!"

"a hundred francs."

"you are a low, despicable, heartless, wretch of a judge!" she shrieked.

"two hundred francs." He looked at Erik. "I suggest you control her before she winds up paying a thousand francs!"

"a pleasure if I got to spit in your eye!"

"Nina," Erik said, rubbing her shoulder. "quiet, please."

"as I was saying," the judge glowered at her. "two years in prison." He inhaled. "but as everyone pointed out, he has already spent is life in a prison. So he'll be serving his sentence in another manner."

The courtroom was silent and Nina looked up. Erik's hands stilled on her back. The judge studied her for a moment. "your prison has been the prison every man endures. Therefore, in the opinion of this court, you are to spend your prison sentence outside, in the world." Erik stared at the judge in shock.

"you are to purchase a home, bring all your things from underground, work in the opera house and conduct business yourself." His eyes narrowed. "if you so choose, marry this girl before she changes her mind." the whole courtroom laughed at that comment. "As hard as it is to believe, she loves you and I don't think you'll find another woman such as her. An armed guard will be placed with you at all times and you are not to leave France until your sentence is served." The judge picked up the gavel, realized it was broken and groaned. "Court adjourned!"

Nina gasped and looked at Erik. His face was extremely hard to read. She saw relief and fear on his face.

Christine jumped up with a laugh. She flung her arms around Erik and Nina and laughed. "oh I'm so happy!" she shrieked.

Erik nodded limply. She frowned and leaned closely next to him. "Erik?"

"Nina!" her grandmother said. "aren't we going to get an introduction?"

she nodded. "yes." Erik looked a little wary, but he stepped forward. "Erik, these are my grandparents."

He accepted her grandfather's hand. "an honor sir," he dipped his head to her grandmother. "ma'am."

"you're a quiet fellow aren't you?" her grandmother said. "well, well, a few days with Nina and she'll have you talking."

Nina forced a smile. Erik was practically rigid. "uhh, can we discuss all this over dinner later? We've got some packing to do."

"all right." Her grandmother said kissing her cheek. "we'll see you later."

Erik nodded and his face stiffened considerably when a young man in uniform with a rifle and pistol approached them.

"let's go." Erik said gripping her arm and tugging her through the crowd. People scattered naturally from him. Nina trotted after him struggling to keep up with his pace. Erik hailed a cab and she climbed inside with him. the guard climbed up ontop of the carriage.

"opera house populaire!" Erik snapped.

"Erik, what is the matter?" Erik glowered ahead as he twitched his fingers. Then it suddenly dawned on her that Erik would be nervous. He hadn't been up above since he was fourteen. "oh. Erik," she leaned over and squeezed his hand. "I won't leave you."

Erik shook his head. "do you have any idea how difficult this will be for me?"

"very. But you're a strong man. You can do it."

"do you have any idea what it will be like for you?" he demanded. "people are going to start calling you horrible names! They'll talk! Maybe you should just leave me."

Nina leaned her head against his shoulder. "I love you."

Erik stiffened. "it'd be better if you just left."

"all right." She said calmly as she removed her head from his shoulder and turned look out the window. He was upset and it had been a hard day for him. She decided not to press the issue. "if that's the way you want it, I'll stay as long as you need me."

Erik was uncomfortable. Nina's grandparents were kind but a little bit to probing about his past. He also had Nina's words kept running around in his mind and it was driving him crazy. if that's the way you want it, I'll stay just as long as you need me. he hadn't said anything to her when she'd spoke and now he wished he had. had she honestly meant that?

"well?" her grandfather said. "Are you with us?"

Erik jumped at the touch of Nina's hand on his leg. His leg banged the table jostling his wine.

"oh, how clumsy of me!" Nina said standing up and mopping up her wine. He suspected she'd knocked it over on purpose just so he wouldn't feel awkward.

"that's quite all right Nina." Her grandmother said. "it was an accident."

Erik stood up. "excuse me a minute."

Erik walked out to the balcony and exhaled. He leaned over the rail and watched the people moving back and forth. His mask rubbing on his face only reminded him he wasn't normal like other men.

"Nina, I don't think he's worth wasting your love on." her grandfather's voice drifted out of the kitchen window.

"wasting my love?" Nina said. "you think I'm wasting it?"

"Nina. He didn't say a word to you during dinner unless you asked him a question." Her grandmother said. "he jumps everytime you touch him."

"what should you expect?" he heard the tears in her voice. "he's not used to conversation, nor even my touch. Did you expect him to just become a natural human being in an hour after spending a lifetime underground away from people? No!" Nina cleared her throat. "I can't think of showering my love on anyone more deserving of my love than him. If there's any man who needs love it's him. I've been saving my love for him, and I intend to drown him in it."

"Nina," her grandfather said. "we love you. but we don't want to see you hurt. He seems like so a cold man."

Nina was silent for a moment. "if it weren't for the coldest winter's….we would never appreciate the heat of summer. Winter may last a long time…but summer always comes."

Erik turned and stomped back into the living room. He sat down at the piano and played. Polite or not, he needed to burn off some of the feelings inside him.

The sound of the piano made Nina almost drop her glass. She gasped and set the glass down.

"what is that?" her grandmother asked.

"Erik." She said quietly moving to the living room

"him?" her grandfather said. "impossible!"

"Erik is a man of many talents."

She entered the living room to see Erik bent over his piano playing a song so passionately the music flooded the room. The guard was staring open mouthed at Erik as he played. Nina walked up to him, being careful not to disturb him. she pulled herself up onto the piano lid and watched him as he played. If he was aware of her, he didn't show it. he just played, and she was sure everyone in the adjoining hotel rooms did as well.

She glanced up as the bodyguard opened the front door. She saw several people poke curious heads in the room. They must have knocked and she hadn't heard them. Fortunately, none of them looked mad. She held up a finger for them to be silent and they turned and shushed the people behind them.

She'd heard Erik play this melody before. It had lured her down to the lair after Christine and now it called all nearby people. The music was seductive, beautiful, intoxicating and spellbinding. She hadn't realized that she'd been holding her breath until Erik played the last note.

Erik laid the lid down on the piano and stared down at it. She wiped a tear that dribbled down her cheek. "that was…too beautiful for words Erik." She clapped. "beautiful."

Her grandparents and the guard joined in. Erik glanced around uneasily and his eyes widened when he saw the small group that had also joined in the applause. Nina hopped down and linked her arm through his.

"see Erik?" she said quietly. "you deserve to have your music heard. People will listen to you. if you're good, people will come for what you are, not what you look like."

Erik wrapped his arm around her waist as the group came in. Erik politely answered questions. If some of them knew he was the phantom of the opera they never let on. she could tell Erik was deeply touched by their kindness and she could only hope that the days ahead could be full of sunshine as this moment.