a/n: man, thank to all for reading! I can't believe that I've gotten this far! I'm going to be slowing down the updates for a little cause I've got exams this coming week, so sorry. But hey, think of it this way, summer is coming and I'll be writing a lot more:) So, hope you like!

Two-Bit Wannabe: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like:)

LilHikki: You're welcome! lol, I'm trying to cut down on crying... but in this story it's hard, my next one I promise less crying... I'll try my hardest:D

inkie pinkie: Thank you so much! I'm glad that I got you like my writing, I'm glad I got you hooked,and I thank you for being such a loyal reviewer.

RAOUL POV

I toss and turn, trying to escape his grasp, but he doesn't let go.

"I thought you loved me!" I yell.

"Love you? I could never love you, you are a man and I am a man. To love you would be an insult to me. I could never love a man, especially you," tears are running down my face.

"Please, Erik, I love you," I plead.

He laughs, "What a pitiful attempt, viscount!"

The chains on my wrist chafe my skin painfully and wear away my wrists, causing them to bleed alarming amounts.

"Please, help me!" I cry out.

His laughter grows louder, "Help you? Why would I want to help you?" His voice is a growl.

I cry harder and his laughter continues…

… I wake up screaming, loudly.

"Raoul?" Erik is sitting beside me.

Backing away from him, I yell, "Stay away!"

His face looks hurt, but I turn and run any ways, anything to get away from him.

I dash on to the ledge to find the way locked.

Trying to turn, I loose my balance and fall in the lake.

Arms circle my chest and I feel Erik pull me up, "Raoul, whatever happened it was a dream, it was only a dream, and it's over now!"

"No, it couldn't have been a dream!" I cry out struggling in Erik's hold like moments before and hitting him in the chest. But he persists in holding onto me.

"It was," he whispers softly in my ear.

"But it felt so real," I give up the struggle, seeing that I will not win.

"It wasn't," his voice sounds so hurt. What have I done?

"I'm sorry, Erik," he has pulled us onto the shore.

"Shh, it's all over now," he gently rocks back and forth, holding me in his lap and whispering words of comfort.

After a moment like this he softly pushes me, "Tell me what you dreamt."

"I don't want to," I whisper like a child.

"I'll tell you, if you tell me," he insists.

I nod, "Fine." I sigh, "We were back in the lake. You were chaining me up again. I kept pleading to you that you loved me and that I loved you, but you came back yelling 'Love you? I could never love you, you are a man and I am a man. To love you would be an insult to me. I could never love a man, especially you'. I cried, hard, but I remember that not for a moment was I crying for myself, I was crying for you, and how easily you denied your hearts wishes. For a moment I really thought it was you."

I feel ready to cry for him.

"Now, what was your dream?" he pushes.

Mine was no better, but I'm used to that, (a/n: my friend showed me something in Susan Kay's book that gave me this idea, sorry Erik lovers! But hey! I'm one too!) "It was of the gypsies. It was one day, which I relive over and over. There was one of them that always tormented me, but most of the time it was just verbally, beating me down with words. Sometimes he would use a whip, and it left scars." I had noticed the scars, but I had guessed as much. "So, one day he came in and locked the cage. The next thing I knew he had me pinned to the ground. And he raped me Raoul. I didn't even have the strength or intelligence enough to fight back; I let the bastard rape me. A few days later I killed the son of a bitch, but I will never forget that day."

I can't look at him, the pain in his eyes in unbearable.

"Come, we need to get you into dry clothes before you catch a fever.

ERIK POV

Too late.

He had already been sitting there a while and the chill of my house did nothing to help. I tuck him into the bed, laying a cool cloth over his forehead as he falls asleep.

Unfortunately what I had to tell Raoul was true, from start to end. I never told anyone about that day, not even Madame Giry. Not until now.

I then realize that I can not care for a man that is fevered, no matter how severely.

As soon as he regains consciousness for mere seconds I whisper to him, "Raoul, do not panic, I will return in moments, I must get you medicine."

I leap off to Madame Giry's room, making it to her room in less than a minute. I slam hard on the door, having come through a passage across the hall.

"Yes, yes I'm coming! What trouble must I look into now?" she growls.

Opening the door and seeing me she gasps, "Erik, what is it?"

"Raoul," I manage between breaths, "he has… fallen ill…. He is… running a very… high fever."

"Come in," she allows me in.

I follow her in, and lean against the door, still quite tired from the sprint.

"What happened?" she demands.

"He ran into the lake and then was sitting on the shore in wet cold clothes for far to long," I explain.

She grabs up a vial and moves to her mirror, "Show me."

So I lead her down, down the path, fast. We arrive to find Raoul moaning, but awake.

"Shh, Raoul," I take his hand, "I'm here now."

"Erik?" he mumbles.

"Yes, and Madame Giry as well," I point out, "We're here."

He falls backwards, onto the pillow, and lets out a long breath before falling asleep again.

Madame Giry picks up his head and tips the vial up slightly, letting Raoul drink it all.

"He'll be better now," she comments, "we just have to wait."

And so we do, long into the night and well into the next day.

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a/n: please don't shoot me Erik lovers, or Raoul lovers. Feel free to shoot me Christine lovers, but don't forget to review before you kill me!