Ah… chapter 16. Loverly. I believe I have a plot… part of a plot anyway… this story is gonna be like 42 chapters long if I stick with that idea though, so keep your ideas coming! I may use the ideas that I don't use from you all for this story for the sequel! You never know!

Danielle woke up the next morning, rubbing her eyes and looking around the room before she shot out of bed. She frantically looked around the room and jumped to each of the beds, searching through the covers.

"Okay… they are just having breakfast on the patio…" She looked to the clock as she attempted to reassure herself, "At seven thirty in the morning."

Danielle was failing miserably at finding answers that would calm her. They never woke up that early, and neither did she unless something was wrong. She raced through the rooms of the opera house, asking questions and trying to figure out where her friends had gone. She was forced to stop though when Madame Giry dragged her off for rehearsals. "Damn the two of them… damn them."

A movement from the warm body beside him stirred Erik to waking. His eyes snapped open the moment the movement was felt. There was Elsa, body conformed to bend with his, sleeping peacefully. The velvety red sheets were twisted round her form in the most perfect way. A warm and gentle smile crossed his lips as he layed his head against the pillow again.

But wait! He felt the smooth black silk against the right side of his face. The mask that had once covered the twisted flesh had been removed. Elsa? No… she wouldn't have done it. The mask was laying slightly off the pillow. It must have fallen off in his sleep. His fingers delicately picked up the leather and once again smoothed it over his face. He didn't want her to have to see that. It might scare her away.

Erik definitely didn't want to frighten Elsa to leave. It was so foreign to him, having a woman laying beside him so close. His mind didn't know what to think exactly. They had slept in each others arms all night, and morning as far as that goes, and she hadn't left him.

A twinge in his heart told him that she was better than any Christine, and that there were more warm and fuzzy feelings inside for her. Erik, having those funny feelings for some one? Was it possible? Right now, with her chocolate brown curls falling across her tan face, she was making him believe that it was.

His hand went to touch her cheek, but hesitated. This whole thing was sort of awkward for him, even if they had kissed a week earlier and he had done those things then, but that was in a moment that he had been completely caught up in. Finally his fingers gingerly rested on her cheek, gently caressing the soft skin underneath it.

The touch, no matter how soft it was, still moved her to waking. Her eyes opened and looked up to him. At his sight, she smiled, beaming with delight even though she had just woken up. Perhaps I will explain later how much energy Elsa can have in the mornings. Anyway.

It was completely silent where they were. If she had woken in the room with Danny and Nicole, silence would have been impossible. There was only the sound of melted candle wax dripping into a puddle on the cold stone floor. Erik's home was peaceful, probably because no one knew how to get down to bother anything.

Some would have called it a cave, catacombs, basement, tomb, dungeon, etc, but she could classify it as a home. He had lived there most of his life, hadn't he? Even if it was cold, dark, and dank, Erik had made it his very own. He had placed several of his works of art around and had spent good money on the furnishings. 'Now all he needs is a mini refrigerator and a microwave and we're set!' Elsa thought to herself.

"I… I didn't mean to wake you, Elsa. I was just—"

"Erik, it's fine. I was bound to wake up sometime anyway. It's very nice down here in the mornings," Her lips had a smile yet again as she spoke.

"Actually, its two o'clock in the afternoon."

Elsa's eyes widened at the time. "What?" She immediately jumped up out of the bed and looked around, checking if she brought anything with her.

"What's the problem?" Erik asked as he climbed out of the bed himself.

"Will is going to kill me!"

"Will?"

"Danielle. The nickname will take some time to explain. I'll tell you later. But for now I've got to go. Crap! Nicole is going to kill me too!" Seeing that she had forgotten nothing, she began to rush out.

"Well, let me take you in the gondola."

"No, I know the way, I'll come back later, unless I'm noosed by the two crazies." What? Elsa refusing a ride in the boat? Wow, that rarely would happen.

He smirked to himself as he watched her run down the walkways along the lake. She did run all of the way, and by the time she had gotten to the mirror door, her knees were killing her. Damn the Osgood-Schlatter disease!

Once she was in what was now Danielles dressing room, she shut the door behind her and stopped to rest on the fainting couch. She had been sitting there for maybe two minutes before the door opened. Danielle and Nicole entered the room.

"What were you doing all morning, having a smoochfest with Raoul or something?" Danielle was currently scolding Nicole for being gone as well. She looked over to the couch and seemed surprised to see Elsa sitting there. "And where were you, missy?"

"Finally, some one else you can yell at," Nicole grumbled under her breath.

Elsa sighed, trying to think quick about her answer. What could she say? "Umm… I went out to get the paper this morning for Firmin, and, well, I forgot the money, you see, so I had to sing for a few hours to get the money up for the paper and a croissant."

"A croissant?" Danielle asked.

"Yeah, I was hungry."

"If you went and got the paper, what was on the front page this morning?" Nicole asked her friend suspiciously. There was something to that story that just didn't seem right, so of course she had to ask questions.

"You and Raoul on your dinner date last night. How did that go anyway?" Damn, she was good.

"Wonderful… I think."

"You think?"

"Well, I got a little… umm… drunk… and I can't remember much. But I did wake up with him this morning. Don't worry! My clothes, and his clothes were still on! Well, excluding his shirt, but—"

"Okay! That's enough!" Elsa chuckled. "That croissant wasn't enough to fill me up, how about we go and get breakfast, eh?"

Okay, sorry, this one took WAY longer than expected. We had finals this week at school and my stress level has been at like 100. All good now though. Hope you all liked! Review!