OMG! I just took a quiz that said that what I'd be if I was in Phantom… my name would be Victoire, I'd closely resemble MEG, I'd be the Head Ballerina, People would like me, and ERIK WOULD LOVE ME!

-falls flat on back because of ecstasy-

Chapter IV- Protecting You

"Meg?"

It was a man's voice talking to her. What was happening to her? She felt so… sluggish. She dreamt that it was Erik's voice calling to her, and she smiled.

"Erik, where are you?" she murmured softly. He called her name again, and this time she felt something wet against her cheek, and it caused her eyes to flutter open.

It wasn't Erik's face who was above her, but the Emperor. "Oh!" she said, trying to sit up, but feeling dizzy. The Emperor provided an arm to support her, which she used, gratefully.

Taking a good look around the room, she gasped. The room was trashed- the chairs they had scrimped and saved for were ripped and broken. Her favorite portrait of Erik that used to hang about the mantle was ripped into a million tiny pieces and the beautiful frame laid broken into two pieces. The rest of the things Erik and Meg had bought together- their lovely china figurines, the pianoforte- were ruined.

Meg started to weep at the sight. It was not tears of sadness at losing the expensive items… but their Sanctuary from the Past was destroyed. The things that they had experienced were supposed to have been forgotten, and shielded away.

It was a reminder that the past would always catch up with them. It would never leave them be. All they wanted was to be alone, just to be alone.

Upon an untouched chair, was something white… Meg crawled over to look at what it was. It was Erik's mask. It had brought them together once, would it do it again?

The Emperor held the weeping Meg in his arms, and wondered, just for a moment, if what he was doing was right. Meg certainly did seem to be in love with that Ghost. On the other hand, the Ghost was very good at deluding people, and Meg could very well be deluded.

Or confused! There was nothing worse than being confused.

There was no way that Meg could have fallen for the Ghost in her free will. It was just too… strange.

Not to mention a bit insulting. The Emperor dabbed the back of Meg's head a bit, getting the blood out of her hair. Meg looked at him.

"Where did they take my husband?"

"They arrested him, of course," He said, and Meg got up, uneasily, onto her feet.

"What!" She screamed. "I have to find him!" Running her fingers through her hair, she turned to the Emperor and grabbed him by the lapels. "You must take me to him, please!"

"Meg, you are not in any condition to go anywhere," the Emperor said calmly, sitting her down on the ruined couch.

"Please," she said, and she began to cry.

Oh no. He had never dealt with a crying woman before. How to handle this one?

"Fine," he said. "We can visit him after we get your head bandaged."

Relieved, Meg allowed the Emperor to bandage her up… not really realizing what his presence meant.

"This lady is to visit the Opera Ghost," the Emperor said to the prison guard, who was surprised that Erik had any visitors.

"Number Three," he said, "… but don't go inside the cell," and said something aside to the Emperor, who waved him off, and motioned for Meg to go in, which she did, happily.

That was, until Meg saw the cells. The bricks were covered by hay, and it was dirty, and smelled bad. In each cell she passed there was a man, who cat-called her, told her to come back, that they were lonely. A few whistled.

She found Erik at the end of the prison. He was curled up in the far corner, maskless and without a shirt. Her fingers curled around the wrought iron bars, and she called his name softly.

He recognized his wife's voice, and he looked up. He looked down at the floor (or what passed as a floor), like he was ashamed he was there. She stuck her arm through the bars, trying to touch him, to comfort him.

He must have realized it wasn't a dream- he walked to his cell bars and took her hand. "Meg," he said, softly. "You shouldn't have come,"

"I wanted to," she said, slightly breathless. "Oh, Erik, how are we going to get out of this one?"

"I doubt I am," He said, and looked to the side of the cell, where there was a noose hanging in the corner. It was a sort of cruel foreshadowing of what was to happen to him. When he turned to look, Meg saw long scars that went down his back. Horrified, she started to cry.

Knowing she had seen his scars, he tried to touch her face. "I don't cry," he said, meaning it to be some kind of comfort.

"Erik, I'll get you out of here," Meg promised, taking his hand through the bars. "I promise, and we'll go someplace where no one can find us."

Erik obviously didn't believe her, but he kept silent. They stood in silence, trying to think what to say to comfort one another. Finally, she presented his mask to him, which she had wrapped, yet again, with a handkerchief.

"What's this?" he said, surprised. "You wrapped my mask," he said, giving her a small smile. Suddenly feeling confused, he said, "Where did you know where to find me?"

"When I woke up, the Emperor was there, and he took me to you," she said, still not making the connection.

"The Emperor!" Erik said, and stiffened. "Meg, don't trust him-,"

"Okay, time's up, Princess!" said the Jailor, and grabbed Meg's gown by the collar, jerking her out of Erik's reach. She could see Erik's arm desperately trying to grab on to her, but to no avail. She was literally dragged out of the Prison and thrown outside.

Yes, yes, you all hate me, I know. –Puts up vegetable and fruit shield-

Really, though… it is needed for the plot… ALL I CAN SAY IS DON'T WORRY ABOUT ERIK.

You guys don't really think I'd kill my 'Boo', would I? ;)