Yay, another chapter! Well, I really am looking forward to hearing you guys' thoughts and/or comments. I bet that if you all really wanted to we could get the reviews up to eighty… Wow, I would be so thrilled, I would probably do my very, absolute best to post in the next few days if I did get a ton of reviews… But even if I don't, I still love y'all.

Big thank yous to Phantom's-Only-Christine, xxxQueenOfTheDarknessxxx, AmethystBlack061, Neko-chan4566, AngelicMinx, and EasleyGirl101 for your lovely reviews on the last chapter :D

And all the people reading this should feel special too, because this whole story would be a bit pointless without you haha… yeah…

And maybe at some point I should probably throw in a thank you to my sis, whom is a great sport about knowing pretty much nothing about the story, yet is remarkably able to give me semi-usable ideas. We shouldn't let it get to her head though, because there are those other times when I seriously consider spoofing my own phic just so I can write something with her really stupid ideas :P

Anyways, enough boring author-note stuff,

Enjoy!

Seraph showed Amelia the suite of rooms she had picked out that she would "live in." Her friend didn't say a word until after Seraph had shown her through the rooms.

" 'Phina, I wish you would trust me," Amelia said softly.

Seraph looked at her a little sadly. "I wish I could. You understand though, don't you? I will tell you eventually, I just can't afford to at this point."

Amelia nodded. "I know, and I do understand. I wouldn't tell anyone where I was actually staying if my uncle was trying to kill me either."

Seraphina smiled, "It sounds so dismal when you put it that way. I prefer to think of it as having a grand adventure that no one but me knows about."

Amelia giggled, "Oh, well I'm sorry for making it sound dismal, goodness!" She hesitated, "You do plan to make it look more lived in though, right?"

Seraph blinked owlishly at her. "It does look lived in! Doesn't everyone keep cloths over their furniture and a thick, undisturbed layer of dust and grime across every surface?"

Amelia laughed and touched Seraph's shoulder. "It's good to hear you joke 'Phina, and I'm very glad that your rooms have windows. You could use more light."

Seraph shrugged. "Yes, I'll enjoy the light but I don't mind the darkness, it's friendly most of the time. We're sort of kin I suppose."

Amelia stared at her for a long moment. "And that would be exactly why you need more exposure to light. A bit more human companionship wouldn't go amiss either. You don't have anything planned in the next few weeks, do you?"

Seraph frowned and shook her head hesitantly, "No, I don't think so, other than all the things I have to do here… Why?"

Amelia beamed at her and Seraph took a step back, eyeing her friend's frighteningly happy expression warily.

"Excellent, that's absolutely superb 'Phina! It happens that there's an event coming up this week, you'll love it. Madam Bonnaire is hosting a masquerade ball. I still need a costume, you should come with me and get one too."

Seraph hesitated. "Wouldn't I need in invitation?"

Now it was Amelia who paused to think. "No," she said after a few moments, "I can get you in."

Seraphina sighed as her only plausible excuse that Amelia would have accepted was shot down mercilessly. "All right, I'll go with you. What day is it?"

Amelia stared at her in astonishment. " 'Phina, you really need to get out and interact with people more, this is Monday."

Seraph blinked in surprised amusement. "No, no, I know what day today is, when is the ball?"

A slightly sheepish expression replaced Amelia's previous one, which had been vaguely horrified. "Oh, the ball is next Sunday, but we should find costumes before then, perhaps on Wednesday?"

Reluctantly, Seraph agreed, "Sounds like a good idea. I'll take a look around at what I have here that we could use as well."

Seraph hadn't thought it was possible, but it almost looked as though Amelia's smile widened.

"Perfect," she exclaimed, "I have someone I want you to meet, but I'm not going to say another word about it until Sunday, so don't even ask."

Seraph opened her mouth to do just that but Amelia held up one finger.

"No, I'm not going to say a word."

Seraph closed her mouth again with a glower, and sighed. "Fine, well, we should probably go and do something to help out…"

Amelia glanced around the rooms again. " 'Phina, I think getting these rooms cleaned up should be the first thing that you do. Would you like my help?"

Seraph looked around as well, her eyes resting for a moment on the wall of bookshelves, one of which concealed the passage down to the caverns and Erik. She nodded a little reluctantly to Amelia.

"Yes, that would be wonderful, thank you." Having her friend present would prevent her idiotic and absolutely foolish urges to go and check on how her Phantom was doing. She shook her head, hating that she had to remind herself that Erik wasn't, nor ever would be, hers.

Amelia gave her a strange look, but didn't comment. However, the young woman couldn't help but wonder what man her friend had met, who had her heart in such a fragile state. That was the impression that Amelia got from Seraphina's expressions at least, though she couldn't really think of where her childhood friend would have met a man, much less one worthy of her.

* * *

Seraph released a weary sigh as she closed and locked the door behind Amelia and the cleaning ladies. It had been a long and exhausting day, but they had gotten a lot done. Seraph looked around the entryway. For the first time in years, the floor shined, freshly swept and mopped, the wicks in all the gaslights along the walls had been replaced, though they weren't on. Tomorrow, one of the cleaning ladies' husbands was going to come and help with more of the heavy lifting. Perhaps she should have him remove the boards off the windows as well to let a little natural light inside.

Wisps of her hair were coming down from the braid that she'd put her hair up in to keep it out of her way as she worked, so she slowly began undoing it as she trudged upstairs again. She desperately wanted to go and see how Erik was, but she knew that if she did she might end up apologizing to him. She refused to do that, her words had been justified and she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her grovel for his forgiveness. Indeed, the last expression she had seen on his face gave her little hope that he would even be willing to forgive her, though in reality it was she who had yet to forgive him.

Seraphina massaged her temples, attempting to assuage the headache that now roared through her tired head. She paused and looked around, only now realizing that she had come to her old set of rooms instead of the ones that she had been dutifully cleaning today, with the very welcome assistance of Amelia. With a long, drawn out sigh, she slipped into the room that had been Erik's, she wasn't sure why, but for some reason she did.

The room was cool and dark as she went over to the bed, sinking down tiredly. Out of the corner of her eye, something white caught her attention. It was draped over the back of a chair and she got to her feet again with a moan to investigate.

It was a garment of some sort, a thick and heavy black fabric lined with soft white fur, which had caught her attention. She picked it up with a smile, bringing it up to her face. It smelled of Erik.

She tested the weight experimentally, then swept the cloak around her shoulders, her smile widening as it swirled dramatically. It was a garment suited to the Phantom, and to the enigmatic man named Erik.

The cloak was cool against her skin at first, but it warmed quickly and she yawned. She knew that she couldn't risk going through the passages when she was this tired, there was too great a chance that she would trigger one of the traps or darts. Her gaze fell on the bed again and she went over to it, crawling into the middle.

Yawning again, she cuddled up in the soft fur that lined Erik's cloak, closing her eyes with a gentle smile playing about her lips. She fell asleep with the realization that, despite her best efforts, she had forgiven Erik for his wrongdoings, and that there was no way she could escape from her love for him.

* * *

Erik looked at the pocket watch again, for probably the third time in the past ten minutes. She had been gone all day and he had given her space, though now he was beginning to wonder if something had happened to her. Had her uncle's hired thugs come back? Had he frightened her too badly?

He had made dinner for the two of them, thinking that she would be back by then, but night had fallen and there was still no sign of her.

He was feeling significantly better, though not yet fully recovered, and he had searched all day for something interesting to do. He had done a few small tasks perhaps not befitting the Phantom of the Opera, but necessary nevertheless. He had washed a few dishes and put sheets and blankets on the second bed, guessing that Seraphina wouldn't be willing to share a bed and knowing that the couch was horrendously uncomfortable to sleep on.

After that, he had set candles around the room, replacing the stubs in the sconces. As he had tidied the blank sheets of paper he had noticed a rough sketch of, presumably, a portion of this building. Considering that it hadn't been there a few days ago, he guessed that Seraphina had drawn it. It appeared to detail living quarters.

Erik frowned, committing the map to memory quickly and going to the passage that led there. He made his way carefully, then tripped over something that had woven in between his feet. Spice mewed pitifully, looking up at him with a wounded expression, then turning her back to him and proceeding to lick her injured paw. He scooped the small kitten up and stroked her, ignoring her offended looks and attempts to jump down.

After several moments, he set her back down again and straightened. The kitten purred and rubbed against his boots and he watched her, amused by her sudden mood-shift.

When the kitten started down the passage, he noticed that she stayed to the right side of the passage for several paces before turning and walking across to the left side and continuing for another several paces, then moving to the exact middle of the passage.

He followed her movements, at first testing each step carefully, then, when he hadn't found any traps in the kitten's chosen path, he moved more confidently behind her, trusting her feline instincts.

After a while the passage leveled out and he noted the openings on either side of the hall, some were one-way mirrors similar to those that he'd had at the Opera Populaire, though much smaller than the one in the dressing room. There were also a few peepholes that presumable looked out of paintings in the rooms.

When he reached the only doorway in this hallway, he carefully stepped through, looking around.

Someone had definitely been busy cleaning and moving furniture around, but there was no sign that Seraph was here now. He poked around a bit; his heart sinking as he realized that the rooms looked like someone was planning to move into them. Had he messed up so badly that she was willing to risk her life to get away from him?

He went out into the hallways of the theatre and slunk cautiously to her other set of rooms, to see if perhaps she was there.

When he arrived, it was dark in all the rooms, the doors ajar. There were no fires lit and all was still and silent. Even so, he went through her bedroom, the kitchen, and the living room for any sign that she had been there earlier in the day. If something had happened to her, he would be able to find her easier if he had an indication of who might have taken her.

There was nothing in any of the rooms, so he moved on to another section of the theatre. It never once crossed his mind to look in the room that he had stayed in for a couple of days.

* * *

Seraphina woke warm and refreshed. She stretched out and burrowed her face into the soft fur, inhaling the comforting scent of Erik.

After a while, she opened her eyes and sat up, pulling the cloak around her shoulders again.

While she had been asleep, she had realized that, though she knew that she had forgiven him, she wasn't sure that she was willing to admit that to him yet. He certainly didn't need to know that she loved him. If she told him that, he would probably laugh in her face.

No, Erik didn't like her and she wouldn't shame herself, therefore she had to act as though she didn't forgive him. She frowned deeply and got to her feet. She wished that things could be different. Perhaps with time they could come to an understanding of sorts.

She sighed and went to the door, slipping across the hallway into the kitchen. She would go down to the caverns, make sure Erik was all right, and fix some food.

Seraph stopped and looked down at the cloak wrapped around her and sighed. She didn't want to take it down to him, because then he would know if she ever borrowed it, but on the other hand, it did belong to him and she should return it to him.

She stepped through the doorway into the cavern and Erik looked up at her from where he stood by a box. An emotion passed across his face but by the time she really noticed it, it was gone.

Cold and distant, she reminded herself, act aloof.

She nodded coolly to him as she swept past, gracefully draping his cloak across the box next to him as she passed on her way to the icebox. There was already a nice meal on the table and she turned in surprise to Erik, who was watching her, his cloak now in his hand, his face as unreadable as ever.

That was one of the things that Seraph truly didn't like about Erik, she could never tell what he was thinking or feeling, it made her feel uncomfortably vulnerable.

"You made dinner?" She asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice.

There was a pause, then he answered, "Yes, I did. I thought you deserved a break after working all day."

Seraphina knew that her treacherous expression softened as her stomach fluttered, so she turned away, not wanting him to be able to see and exploit her weakness for him.

"That's very nice, thank you." She responded formally as soon as she was sure that her voice wouldn't betray her as well.

Behind her, Erik's face tightened slightly, his mouth pulling into a faint frown.

Dinner was a silent affair, the air thick and heavy, the stillness oppressive, and afterward it wasn't much better. The two unrelentingly stubborn people worked side by side, though Seraph refused to look at Erik and he tried not to glance at her too often. When they were done with the dishes, Seraph picked up a book and went over to a chair to read for a while.

Erik went to the icebox and got something out of it, muttering something softly to the three kittens that were waiting eagerly at his feet. He bent, and Seraph couldn't help but be curious what he was doing. She couldn't see from her angle, so she shifted a little in her seat, tilting her head.

The Phantom had placed a dish of milk on the floor for the kittens, which were purring and lapping it up as he pet them. She couldn't help the warm smile that slipped onto her features as she watched them.

Erik looked up, his gaze meeting Seraph's. His face was soft and for a moment she was able to delude herself into thinking that he looked welcoming, as though he wouldn't push her away if she went to him, but then she remembered the cold look she had seen in his eyes so many times as he looked at her, and her smile faded. She looked back down at her book a little sadly and the Phantom gritted his teeth in frustration.

She had been so close to actually smiling at him.

After a while more of silence, Erik walked to the entrance of the bedroom before he turned back to Seraph, pleased to find her watching him.

"I put blankets on the other bed, which should be more comfortable than the couch."

Her eyes dropped to the floor again as she replied, "Thank you Erik."

He nodded once before disappearing into the bedroom.

Seraph blinked tiredly, though at this point it was more emotional exhaustion than physical, and she got to her feet, finding a nightgown and looking warily at the bedroom before she slipped into a separate side-room, changing quickly.

She blew out the candles on her way to bed.

As she came into the room, she couldn't help but glance at Erik, who was reclined on one bed, the three kittens once again settled around him.

She got into the other bed and blew out the candle next to it, her eyes meeting Erik's. She turned away, laying her head on the pillow.

The room went dark as Erik extinguished his candle as well.

Seraph lay awake for a long time, listening to Erik's breathing, wondering if he was awake. After a while, one of the kittens mewed, demanding attention.

"Here kitty," she called softly, her voice barely louder than a whisper. In response, the kitten mewed again.

Silence fell once more and she waited to feel the slight shift of blankets that would signal the kitten's jump onto the bed. There was nothing.

The kitten mewed again and Seraph sighed.

"If you want attention then come over here. Don't wake Erik, you little cad."

The cat meowed louder and fabric rustled. Seraphina lay still as Erik got up and came over to her bed. He set one of the kittens next to her and stroked it until it lay down, before he returned to his bed.

Seraph giggled softly as the kitten mewed again softly as Erik moved away and she began to pet her, encouraging Spice to let the man get some rest.

"Thank you Erik," she whispered softly into the darkness, completely unaware of the pleased expression that resided on the man's face.

"You are welcome, Seraph," came the soft reply, his rich voice seeming to meld with the deep gloom all about her.

She smiled and closed her eyes, slowly sinking into the oblivion of sleep.

* * *

Seraph woke slowly, a fond smile gracing her lips. There was light seeping through her closed eyelids and she could smell breakfast cooking. For a moment, she thought that she was back in her home, with mother and father at the table reading the paper, but when she opened her eyes, she remembered that she would never see her parents again. Her smile faded some and she looked around, sitting up slowly.

Erik was on the other side of the room, watching her, a book in his hands.

Seraph was unaware that her cheeks colored lightly as she met his gaze, but Erik saw and one corner of his mouth twitched up into a hint of a smile.

There was a demanding meow at his feet and they both looked down at Spice, who glared at Seraph for a moment before rubbing against Erik's boots.

He bent, picking the small cat up, and when he looked back at Seraphina, her smile was gone and she was gazing moodily at her blankets.

"I made breakfast," Erik said, hoping that Seraph would smile again, but she didn't. She didn't even look up as she thanked him and climbed out of bed.

Too late, she had remembered that she was still supposed to be mad at him. Erik left the room silently and she found a dress that was suitable for cleaning, donning it quickly. She tugged on her shoes with some difficulty, then finally made her way out to the main cavern, brushing her hair and glaring at the stone floor.

She accepted the plate that Erik handed her and thanked him politely, though she stubbornly refused to meet his eyes.

Once she was done eating and had cleaned her dishes, she slipped into the passages, going up to meet Amelia for another long day of cleaning.

When she arrived in her new suite of rooms, Amelia was already there and Seraph was very grateful that her friend's back was turned. She crept toward the door to the hall and opened it, "coming inside" loudly.

"Oh, Amelia, you're here already?" Seraphina asked in a surprised tone.

The look Amelia gave her said that she wasn't going to fall for that. " 'Phina, you do realize that it is almost eleven in the morning, correct?"

Seraph blinked, startled by that information. "Of course," she lied unconvincingly.

Amelia sighed, "Tomorrow we need to get you a pocket watch as well. Having windows obviously only works if you're actually inhabiting the rooms that contain some."

Seraph winced slightly, avoiding Amelia's gaze. She seemed to have been doing that a lot lately.

"I would tell you Amelia, honest I would, but it's complicated and…" Seraph trailed off and Amelia's expression softened.

"I know you would 'Phina, and it's all right if I don't know where you're staying. I wouldn't be trusting either in your place."

Seraph smiled and clapped her hands together, looking around. "So, what do we need to get done today?"

Well, so what did you think? Flames welcome :P along with the normal reviews of course...

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