Another chapter! YEAH! Thank you all for the "Get well soon" reviews. I was just getting over it when I put up the last chapter, but I was reffering to "I" as Nicole considering that is me. Thanks again for all the reviews and comments and hopefully I will be able to post more since the play is over now and I'll have more time. I'm still open to suggestions, so feel free!

Elsa made her way into Christine's room, walking over to the mirror and looking at it, looking around at its edges. A simple "Hmm" came from her mouth as she looked over it. Then, something caught her eyes. The door had actually been opened just slightly. Perhaps Erik had heard their conversation and knew she was coming?

Her fingers gently curled around the frame of the mirror and gave a firm tug on it, which made the mirror door open and swing back on its hinges. She then walked into the long and dark corridor, grabbing a lamp from Christine's room before she entered. Her hand grabbed the door again, pulling it shut before she started down the hallway again.

The legs that carried her were shaky as she walked down the passage, arms getting chill bumps over them as she went deeper under the opera house. Geez, how could Erik keep it so cold down here?

"Alright, careful where you ste—OHH!" The lamp shattered as she dropped it. Elsa had done the same thing Raoul had, opening the water trap. If it was not for some ones strong hand at the back of her trousers, she would be swimming for her life and trying to turn that wheel right now. Sturdy digits wrapped around her wrist firmly as she was lifted back into the passageway.

"You must be careful, Mademoiselle," Erik said as he moved a curtain which was painted to look like a wall and motioned her to follow him. Elsa then turned on her heels and trailed behind him, straightening up her trousers as they walked. After several twists, turns and step, they had reached the living area of the phantom. He motioned to the piano bench for her to sit down on as he remained standing.

"Thank you," She said, gladly taking his offer considering her legs were awfully shaky. She sort of felt as if she was breaking and entering all this time.

"Now, I am glad to see that you are okay. What is wrong with your friend? That is the reason you came to see me, is it not?" He questioned her, moving to lean against a wall.

Dang, he was a sneaky opera ghost, wasn't he? Elsa crossed her fingers together as she spoke to him, a sort of nervous tone in her voice, "Yes, that's why I came to find you. Nicole, she's sick. She's got a bad fever. Danielle and I didn't realize how serious it was because we are so used to the medicine of our time. We all know that she's going to die if she doesn't get the proper treatment. The physicians that are up there seem not to care since all they know is that she's just a new addition to the Populaire that doubles for fight scenes and fences with the vicomte. I know of your medical knowledge and, well, I was wondering if you could help her."

"Why? She is only a new addition to my opera—"

"She's one of the two best friends that I have. When I made the huge move from my home to where I live—lived back where we are from, she was the only one that seemed to want to befriend me, or that I wanted to befriend. She got me, just like Danielle did. She understood me and my problems. She was there for me when all of the stupid people around us teased me or said I wasn't good enough. Her shoulder was always there for me to cry on and she stuck up for me when no one would weather I was right or wrong. Everyone else judged me and lied to me, but she was always honest with me, telling me what was on her mind if I bugged her. If she dies, all those qualities of a friend in her will die with her because she won't be here to keep them going. She won't be the one that's up front with me anymore," a tear drifted down her cheek as she spoke.

The thought of losing either Nicole or Danielle was so painful to her and now that she was about to lose one of them, she couldn't stand it. She had tried to keep from crying around everyone, but while Danielle slept in their room she had stayed up and cried. Being the one to never show her sensitive side in the group and be the support post for the other two, she couldn't let people see her cry, it may ruin her reputation.

Erik paced the floor for a moment or two. He had been touched by Elsa's speech. He was always the one with the problems and being judged on his actions, but he never had a friend to be there for him, to comfort him, to give him advice no matter how ridiculous he advice may have been. He then walked back into his room before he came back with a black leather bag that contained the standard utensils that a doctor would use for a check up of sorts in that time.

"I never had anyone for me, but I refuse to let that be taken from you," he said to her as he moved out to the gondola again. He was trying to protect her after all. He grabbed the pole from inside the boat before setting his bag down. Elsa happily hopped into the boat and Erik pushed them off.

Wee! Phantom to the rescue! Review please!

Love from your beautiful author (heh heh),

Fizz