Authors Note: Thank you thank you again for reviews. Okay all my adoring fans, How would you like to see DRAWINGS of this fanfic? I am curious to see if they are wanted then I might draw for this fanfic. A warning, Since I specialize in Anime drawings they will be done in Anime style. But anyways. PLEAAASE Review and tell me if you want to see drawings for this fic. If not, that's alright… I guess…. I'll be okay with it…. ::tears:: Well anycase here is chapter 15! Enjoy!

Alienation! Well, sorta.

"So what were you two doing all nice and cozy like on the couch?" Erin said interrupting her thoughts. Carley grinned innocently.

"Planning to elope. What were you doing all cozy like on the couch?" Carley shot back.

"Hey I was kinda unconscious there!" Erin stated vehemently. Carley sighed.

"Erik... is so amazing!" Carley said as she flopped backwards on the couch. "Such a powerful, confidence. And yet so quiet and assuring. And to think all of that wonderful being is hidden behind a mask. I could believe he was an Angel any day." Erin stayed quiet. Obviously something had happened while she had been out cold. She had a feeling Carley wouldn't tell her until she wanted to. Oh well, she would find out eventually.

                    *                  *                  *

The capacious halls in the hotel let the acoustics magnify  Carley's words. Erik heard them loud and clear. For a moment he paused, savoring the words, which he had often hoped Christine would say. He stopped and leaned against the wall. Christine. It had all been such fun; a child's game, really. Taking dear Christine's infant-like faith and fondness for music and Angels. And he had loved her. And she loved the Angel. But not him. No not him. It would have been better to keep playing the hidden Angel, to keep pushing her childish fantasies.  But here... there were more children involved. They wanted to play Angel too. He was torn now. Two minds battled in him. Could he play their game? No it would be cruel. If they ever saw his face... it would replay again the situation with Christine. But he owed them his life! No... he had chosen to humor them. He still could have been killed by the mob. If not...just wasted away to nothing. Why had he chosen to humor them? He swore quietly. Part of him wanted to stay. Why... he couldn't explain it rightly. But the other... wanted to leave. His mind drew up a picture of them if he left. They would be heartbroken. All right. He would stay for a while. He turned towards his room. Such bareness... He hadn't noticed the first night. It needed something. Music wise...yes. He would have a word with the manager to-night.

"So much for our first day in Paris, huh?" Carley's voice made him turn. She had been talking to Erin and was halfway out the door. He heard Erin's laughter following. She turned.  "Oh! Erik! I didn't know you were still out here." She said blushing and smiling. She caught his eye.

It must be such a shocker for him... So many people at once. He's probably used to being alone.

"I was just going to go see the manager." Erik stated absentmindedly distracted. They broke eye contact.

"Would you like me to go with you?" She asked genuinely,

"No, Mlle. That isn't necessary." He said confirming his decision to go alone. He wouldn't need anyone.

"Oh...all right." Carley said a little crestfallen. She turned back into the room.

"'Mlle, I should also mention I might be going out to-night, so as not to worry you two." Carley glanced over her shoulder at him.

"O..kay.." She said slowly, her voice tinged with confusion. She turned and walked into the room, disappearing from view.

"Marry me, Erik!" Erin exclaimed in a Carley type voice. Carley just glared at Erin. "My bad… I just thought, maybe, your intentions aren't as pure at you lead us to believe." Before Erin could even start to laugh, Carley had her in a secure head lock.

"Take it back!"

"Ow! Ow! Take what back?" She asked teasingly.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn!" Carley grabbed a glass of water that was on the night stand and dumped it on her. 

"Blaaaagggghhhhh!" Erin screeched and flopped off of the couch, in exaggerated writhing in pain.

"Pah! Serves you right for making me watch Signs at night." Carley said laughing at Erin's imitation of those dumb aliens. Carley laughed again.

"Oh NO its still alive! MORE WATER!" Carley tackled Erin. "Quick Merrill, Get some more water! I have it pinned!" Carley imitated Joaquin Phoenix's voice.  "I'll save you!" She grabbed the pitcher of water that Erik had brought in for Erin. She proceeded to dump its contents all over Erin.

"Mademoiselle's!" Erik's voice cut in, his golden eyes widened in horror and astonishment. A very dry Carley was strangling a very wet Erin in a crumpled, tangled heap on the floor. They both froze and looked towards the doorway where Erik was standing.

"I… It was…SHE HIT ME!" Erin stammered.

"What?! I did no such thing!"

"YOU MORON!! Why do you think I would think that actually saying that you hit me would make Erik think that you actually hit me?" Carley and Erik stared back at Erin in quiet awe.  "I didn't do it." Erin stood up and ran out of the room. Carley, disheveled and momentarily shocked, stood up.

"ERIN!" She yelled starting to after her. Erik quickly caught her arm. 

"Mlle, I am inclined to believe that you did something to her. Although I don't believe you actually hit her." Erik said quietly. Carley turned and looked him full in the face, smiling.

"Erik, you have a lot to learn about sisters." She said her eyes sparkling. Erik was caught off guard by this look. He lowered his eyes from her face unable to look such beauty, such radiance, face to face. Erik had seen love. Unconditional love, and it was a terribly beautiful thing to behold.  Erik released her arm and dropped his hand to his side. When he spoke again, Carley could feel the smile in his voice.

"So I do. And now Mlle, I shall go out. But please, do me this favor and don't pour water on your sister again. The draft in here could cause her a nasty illness." With all the regained dignity of a king he strode out the door and left the light of the room melding with the shadows.

"Adieu." Carley whispered. She watched him walk down the hallway and let out an uneasy but quiet sigh. She hated it when he left. She felt alone. Even more alone than usual.

Carley forgot about pursuing Erin and went back to the couch and sat down. Carley had no one except Erin. It wasn't that she wasn't anti-social, it was because she was afraid. Afraid that what happened to Erin might happen to her. What pain Erin when through, she might have to, too. It was silly to think that the same thing could happen, but she thought it non the less. Her thoughts flashed to a picture of Erin in a hospital bed. Bruises adorned her face, her lip was split, and her hand had stitches across the back of her wrists where the doctors had done surgery to relay the bones. Carley began to sob.

*        *          *

Erik came down the stairway. He needed to find Michael. He needed Michael to watch over the girls tonight. Just for tonight. Erik walked to the front desk and asked an old man for Michael. He never once looked the old man in the face, but that didn't seem to bother him. The old man got up and Michael came out.

"What can I do for you, Monsieur?"

"I need you to watch over my…" Erik searched for the words to describe the two girls.

"Friends?"

"Yes. I shall be back before morning but I don't want them to worry."

"Where shall I say you have gone?" Erik didn't reply because he honestly did not know. He just needed to get out.

"A walk."

"All right. A question? Why would the girls have to worry?" Erik was still trying to let the thought of 'friends' sink in. "Monsieur?"

"They are dear to me. If anything happens to them, I will personally see to it that your business will drown and so will you." Michael grew pale. "Do you have children?" He shook his head. "Do you have sisters?"

"Yes."

"Protect them as if you were protecting your sisters. Like I said, they are very dear to me."

"I understand." Erik dropped two francs and left. He raised his hand to call a carriage but retracted it as soon as he had put it up realizing he had no where to go. He decided to walk. To let his feet take him away. Walking is good anyway. It gave him time to think. Erik thought of many things. Of the girls, of music, and of Christine. Dear, dear Christine. He could not say that he loved her any more because he knew that it was not returned, but it hurt. It pained his soul. A single tear fell down his cheek and he wiped it away with haste. He couldn't cry, he wouldn't allow it. Crying showed weakness and he was not weak. Through time he had grown to accept the gasps and cries his face got and when he was young, he would come home and cry because of them, but now, he didn't even hear them. When he was taken away from his home to be in the circus, he only cried once. The first night he was there, he thought about all the people he knew and if they even cared if he was gone. He came to his senses and realized probably not. He had not cried since then until he had first taken Christine down to his home. She touched him and he cried.

Erik looked up and saw that his feet had taken him to his 'home'. The opera house. A small gasp escaped his lips. The opera house had brought him nothing but pain and anguish, but yet he still returned there. Why? He thought. Addicted to the pain, old man?  Erik forced his thoughts to return to the girls. He remembered the Carley wanted singing lessons. He should get some music she could practice with that would be equal to her beauty. And maybe… maybe I could pick something up for Erin… A grin formed on his face as he made his way closer to the opera house.