Chapter IX- Finding Meg

Little Known Fact- 'Mariette' means 'Little Bitter'!

Also, I would like to point out that Meg's reaction to Erik's face is entirely plausible, because I had the same reaction to Lon Chaney's Erik. Therefore, plausible! Hurrah!

Oh, and didn't Beyonce's rendition of 'Learn to be Lonely' rock? Seriously.

Oh, and I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my best guy friend Matt, who fed me chocolate and read this story, and gave me enough support to get over writer's block.


What was the foolish girl doing in the rain? Erik was looking her bent over figure, which was shivering in the rain. Dear God, was she crying again? She always cried. Well, she did look pretty silly sitting there in the rain, crying. Especially after she had just triumphed on stage.

He touched her shoulder lightly, and she looked up. Her kohland eye shadow ran down her face and she looked like a clown. He started, then trying not to laugh, offered her his hand. She took it. Even through his perfect white gloves, he could feel that her hand was freezing and damp, and Meg sniffled. He pulled her up so she could stand.

Looking around for any ballet girls or actors, he unbuttoned his cloak and gently draped it around Meg's shoulders. He adjusted the way it was hanging off of her. He didn't really know why he was paying so much attention to this girl. She was just like all the other ballet girls, outspoken, superstitious, and silly. All the qualities that made him so aggravated. And yet… oh, damn it.

It was pointless to analyze it. He took her hand and led her to his house.

Okay, was she imagining it, or was he actually touching her? Ugh, she was feeling terrible. She hoped she hadn't caught a cold from the downpour. It would be terrible if she came down with something right after Faust. It was all Little Jammes' fault if it was.

How could Little Jammes do that? She knew perfectly well that Meg was innocent. Why would Jammes do that? (Besides the fact that she had no heart and locked innocent people out of the Opera House!) Meg just couldn't understand.

She did have to admit that it was awfully kind of Erik to lend her his cloak. She couldn't recall a time when he was without it.

She allowed him to lead her to his Lair, happy to get out of the rain and into someplace dry.

"Erik," she said, feeling slightly faint. Erik turned back at her. She looked at him, just inspecting him, and then fainted.


He caught her before she hit the ground, and lifted her up easily. She weighed nothing, practically. Erik strongly thought that his cloak was the heaviest thing he was carrying.

He felt her forehead, and it was scalding hot. Why was she out in the rain anyway? She was such a stupid girl.

He kicked the door open to his Lair and decided that Christine's old room would do for her. Erik laid Meg down on the bed, and covered her up in the blankets, wet tutu and all. She moaned, tired.

He pondered his situation. He could compromise his reputation and get Meg out of those wet clothes, or he could wait until she got up, extract permission to get her of those clothes, and risk her developing influenza, and possibly dying.

So there really wasn't anything he could do. He shook Meg until she woke up. She glared at him, and said "What?" in a very annoyed fashion.

"We need to get you out of those clothes." He said, gesturing. Meg looked down and plucked at her ruined costume. She looked shocked that she was still in her tutu.

"Oh," She said. She moved the covers and lowered herself down. "Do you have anything I can borrow?"

Erik left the room, looking for anything. He came back with some pants that he had outgrown, and a very frilly shirt.

Meg wore that the rest of the day.


When Meg was feeling better, she asked Erik to play her something on the violin that was sitting in the corner, it looked lonely. He obliged, and started to play 'The Resurrection of Lazarus'. He even sang to it.

That was, until he noticed what was on Meg's left hand ring finger. "Whose ring is that?" He growled. Meg jumped, and looked around, wondering what he was talking about.

"Oh," Meg said, sadly looking at the ring. "The Emperor proposed."

"WHAT?" He said, standing up and pacing around the room.

"I didn't want him to!" Meg said, leaning forward toward his pacing figure. "I was totally caught in surprise!"

"And I suppose that you two will be married at the end of the year?" he said, dragging his hand through his hair.

"Um," Meg said, "Not really."

"Next year, then?"

"No, actually the end of the month."

"WHAT? But the end of the month is two weeks from now!"

"I know Erik." Meg said. "I don't like him… his personality is childish, he dresses terribly, for royalty…"

"Meg," Erik said, quietly, almost to himself. Was Meg dreaming, or did he actually call her 'Meg'? Did he actually get the hint?

"What I don't understand is how he found out my name…" Meg said, looking down at the pink comforter. "I was told that he…" She stared at Erik, examining him for the second time. For the first time she actually wondered what was behind the Mask. Would he be mad at her if she asked to see behind the mask? Surely if she asked he wouldn't be mad. It would be better than just snatching it off.

Erik had resumed playing the violin. Meg realized that she felt much calmer whenever Erik played. He was bewitching. It was like her soul was crying for more of the music, and she was living on every part of it, like it was her breath.

Was she really supposed to feel that way about him? Especially when she was engaged? And the man who made her feel this way was not her fiancé, but also a murder? And who had also stalked her most particular friend? Was that right?

Maybe it wasn't right, but goodness knows, she liked the feeling. And maybe her mother wouldn't approve that she might or might not have fallen in love with a person who constantly leaves the Opera House in various stages of terror. Or that she left an Emperor for a man who dodges the law on a daily basis.

But who ever said love turned out perfectly was a fool. If love was perfect, she'd be ecstatic that the Emperor wanted to marry her, Meg Giry, a lowly dancer. And perhaps she would always be second fiddle to Christine. She had done it once; she could certainly do it again. Maybe eventually his heart would heal, and Meg would be the first in his heart.

Then again, she could waste away vying for his affections, while he wasted away vying for Christine's. It would so be Meg's luck.

And yet she wondered what was behind the Mask. "Erik," she whispered, without thinking.

"Yes?" he said.

"Will you… take off your mask?" She said. "Please?"

Well, why not? Finally a reason to get this stupid girl off of his back. And why shouldn't he? He had done almost everything in his power to repel her. Why hadn't she gone away? She was like a boomerang. An unpleasant, superstitious boomerang. Who had blonde hair.

Did he mention she was annoying?

So why shouldn't he take off his mask? So he would. It would be amusing to see her reaction. Would she scream and faint? Or would she perhaps weep and beg him to put it back on? Or maybe a bizarre mix of both, perhaps.

"You want to see my face?" He growled. "Fine. See Monster Erik's face!"

And so he took off the mask. At first, Meg was a bit disgusted, true. But it melted away soon enough. She felt pity, and confusion. It could be so much worse, why was he being bullied so much?

"Poor, poor Erik!" she cried, and hugged him. It was probably the last thing he expected, to be hugged. She wasn't really expecting it herself, it just felt right. She noticed that Erik did not push her away this time.

"Christine," he murmured, barely audible. The violin and its bow slipped out of his hands and fell onto the floor with a soft 'clump'. A single tear from Meg's eye slithered down her cheek and landed on Erik's head.


Okay, response to review time!

Cloud in Crimson- What will Firmin do? Well, he does wear black for the rest of the year. Poor Firmin and Andre, they are so obviously in love. :Giggles:

LenisVox- LOL. I had the same reaction- I thought I was being original with Meg/Erik. Aw, thank you. Erik is so hard to write, IMO. He's sooo… unpredictable.

TinkChan- Wow! I'm so honored:bows:

Girls Lie Too- Woo! Finally I create a character that is truly dispisable! WOO! Thank you for reviewing!

BDP- The answer is: VERY!

AND A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO SAKUME, WHO WAS MY EIGHTIETH REVIEWER!

Thank you very much for reviewing, everyone!

Please review this chapter as well!

:Makes Erik play a wordless review song on his Violin of Lurve:

Unfortunately, I'm still in my slump for review songs… so none for this chapter. Perhaps next?

Well, don't forget to aim me, (XxoCindyrellaoxX) and happy Oscars!