Note: Alright, sorry I have been taken so long to update this but I had finals last week and I had been studying like mad. And this past weekend I got really bad aches in my back and I couldn't move off my couch. So basically I sat there with a heating pad on my back trying desperately not to move. But I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! I had no idea what to do with the whole Erik and Ana scene so I had to develop it in my mind before I wrote it. Hope you all really enjoy it and keep the reviews coming!

Chapter 7

Ana felt the old taste of fear entering her mind. She knew her eyes were wide, showing her fear to this strange man.

Then she had a fleeting thought of biting down on the hand that was clasped across her mouth. She disregarded that thought because she was unsure of whether he carried a weapon.

"Now, if I remove my had do you promise not to scream? I prefer to do business without having to decipher everything you say." he felt her slowly nod and released her in an instant.

Ana massaged her jaw and turned around. "Thank you, I think. You speak of a business deal, what would this include?" she truly wished she could see his face, but the blasted cloak he wore hid his face.

"I know many things about you, Ana Knoll. Of course, I know your darkest secret but I also know of your mother's dream which has become part of your dream. The other part is to have a leading role in an Opera. If you cooperate with me, I shall make that happen." he said quietly with authority hinting in his voice. He watched as her face changed from fear to one of amazement.

"You could get me a lead role? Wait, there has to be a catch, what is it? If it's selling my body, I'm sorry but I'll have to say no." she said dryly.

He chuckled at what she said, "No, I am not one that takes whores. No, I have a different idea. I want you to sign a paper that say's you'll run errands for me. Such as music equipment, clothes, in exchange for some music lessons and maybe some dancing." he saw her eyes narrow when he said 'whore'.

"And you'll get me a lead role?" Ana saw the man nod. She thought of the consequences, pros, and cons. Then she thought about the secret he knew of. If she said 'no', he would alert Alex. So she had only one choice, "Where do I sign?"

Erik smiled to himself. He knew she'd say yes because of what he knew.

"Where do I sign?" she finally asked.

"I do not have the contract with me, but I shall bring it to your room tomorrow evening. For now, a handshake shall suffice." he stuck out his right hand. He saw Ana look hesitantly at it, but stuck her hand out as well.

Erik grasped it and gave it a single shake then dropped her hand as if it had shocked him. He began to stride off when he remembered something.

"You tell anyone about me or seeing me, you shall dearly regret it." he turned around when her voice rang out clearly.

"Sir, what is your name?"

"Erik. Do not ask for the last, it is not important." He felt her eyes on him as he slipped away in the shadows.

He turned around and watched her to make sure she got inside safely. She rubbed her upper arms and stared straight ahead, then turning around quickly she seemed to storm off. Erik looked back down at his right hand. When he shook her hand, he felt a spark through his glove. Thinking that it came from her wool cloak, he thought nothing of it. But now he was positive it had com from her. Her touch was like a warmth spreading through his body. He silently vowed that he would not act the way he had with Christine. No one would replace her, she was his first and only love. No, he wouldn't fall for some whore who'd leave him in an instant for a much more handsome man. Turning around, he slipped into the secret passageway and went back to his sanctuary.

Ana tossed and turned. Images flashed through her mind, creating a horrible collage of nightmares. She saw Alex and his anger in his eyes as he picked her up and threw her against the wall. Flash. He gripped her arms and shook her forcefully. Flash, he was smiling horribly as he held her mother's diamond signet ring. She never took it off and Ana knew immediately that Alex had killed her parents. Flash. A baby wailed in the background as her husband jutted into her hard and tearing her soft flesh. With the cream, it just made it burn even more. Flash, she saw her own wrists, blood dripping out of them, flowing freely onto the sheets and she grinned in her pain.

Ana sat up with a sheen of sweat covering her body. She felt sticky and terribly cold. The sweat dripped off of her and made her sheets damp. She wrapped her arms around her body and rocked back and forth. "I'll forget that past, it's behind me. He was a horrible man, did horrible things to me, but I was stronger than him. I escaped him." She drew a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Then, seeing that it was near seven, she decided to get ready for the second act in the Magic Flute. She stepped behind the seen and slipped into her tights, tutu, and top. Then grabbing her pointe shoes she quickly left her room, taking a quick glance around and then shutting her door behind her.

After an exhausting day of dancing then resetting some scenes because of Carlotta, Ana found herself in the costume shop being measured, poked, and prodded.

The dancers were going to have exquisite costumes of tight bodices with tulle coming off the hip and stopping at their mid-thighs. The rich colors of cream and maroon were going to be blended in the fabric. Ana's costume, however, was slightly different than what the other dancers were. Her, Meg, and Sorelli were to have a solo each, and each were to have costumes similar to the other dancers yet they were to stand out. Meg's dress showed off her bosom rather nicely, being cut at a conservative length. Sorelli's was to be much shorter and to fan out from her body to show off her beautiful long legs. Ana's was to have an off the shoulder look to make her arms stand out. Mme. Giry decided that she had beautiful arms that should be shown to the whole world and had made sure the costumers made her dress like that. It was almost like Sorelli's, but there was a cream gauze that fell off her shoulders and floated down her arms. It crisscrossed in front of her bodice creating a wonderful design, then connected to the tulle. When Ana tried it on with the pins on. She had left her pointe shoes on because the costumers were afraid it might be to long.

"Please go up on releve." The head costumer, Madame Griolia asked her. Ana nodded and went up on her toes. "Now, bring your arms up slowly and do a high fifth." Ana did as she was told. Madame Griolia clapped her hands and considered her dress a success. She asked Ana to take it off, then she was allowed to go. Ana slipped behind the screen and turned to face the mirror. She stared at her image, imagining herself dancing beautifully with her male partner as he picked her up and twirled her around. She knew the dress would do beautifully and she was happy. Taking off the dress, she slipped back into her practice clothes and left from behind the screen quickly. Handing the dress back to Madame Griolia, she walked out and down the two flights of stairs. She hummed one of Carlotta's songs and took her time getting back to her room. It was nearing seven o' clock in the evening, and although Ana had only a small muffin for breakfast and nothing for lunch, she didn't find herself very hungry. She headed into the kitchen, thanking the dear Lord above that it wasn't crowded.

"Hello Chef Gerrit, do you have any grapes and maybe a small roll about. Oh! And a pitcher of water with a glass?" She asked politely.

"Yes, I do. Let me get it for you." the large cook bustled around the kitchen rather gracefully and pulled out the items that Ana had asked for. Handing her a basket with a glass inside, she took the pitcher that sat on the counter and thanked the chef profusely. She turned and walked down to her room carefully so as not to spill the water.

Once outside her door, she pulled out her key and unlocked her door. Bending down, she picked up the pitcher, turned around and pushed the door open with her rear. She made it through the door and knocked it shut with her foot. She turned around, letting out a yelp of surprise nearly dropping her food and the pitcher to the floor. There was Erik, standing patiently by her bed, a piece of paper in his hand and one eyebrow cocked.

"What are you doing here! How in the hell did you get in? My door was locked all day!" she cried, setting the basket and pitcher down on her vanity set.

"My, what language to come from a trollop's mouth. Better that then sweet words of seduction. I found my own way in, don't forget, this is my opera house and I know my way around it. And I told you specifically that I would be bringing the contract to sign. Now, come sign it for me so that I may be on my way." Erik told her in a rather forceful way.

Ana stared at him, the white leather mask somewhat reflecting the candlelight, throwing shadows across the mask. She didn't seemed puzzled by the fact that he wore a mask. She had known a servant in her household back in America that wore a mask across his whole face because of a horrible burn accident that happened when she was a little girl. Her stomach still held some scars from the burning incident, when she had accidently tripped over a servant, causing the servant to spill the boiling water on his face and a little bit dropped on her stomach, giving her slight burns but not to the extent of the servants.

"You will have it signed after I get a little bit of food in my stomach." She said haughtily.

"Don't you dare disobey me." Erik's voice said anger dripping from each word.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't eaten and so now I must eat otherwise I shall faint from hunger exhaustion." She shot back and sat down at her vanity set, pulling out the grapes and a roll. She was aware of Erik's piercing gaze on her back and ignored him as she poured some water into the glass. Then he was behind her, pulling her up and forcing her around.

"You will sign it now, otherwise, I will have to force you to sign it." He said, his breath hot on her face. Ana looked up at him in fear, his face slowly fading from view and turning into Alex's angry face. Ana shook her head and slowly dropped her head down.

"If you insist." she picked up the feather quill that sat on her nightstand and turned back to Erik. "Bring it over."

Erik strode quickly to her vanity set and set it down. He opened it up, and Ana quickly scanned it. It stated exactly what he had told her last night and it included the music lessons as well as dancing lessons with a partner. She also took notice that he signed it in his scrawled signature and that there was a blank line for her to sign. She dipped the quill into the ink jar and gracefully wrote her name, Ana Tessa-Marie Knoll. As soon as she had finished the last 'l', Erik bent down and took the paper from her. Ana caught the faint smell of woodsmoke, cinnamon and a mulling spice. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. The smell seemed to invade her senses and make her senseless. She opened her eyes with a snap when she heard him turn around, his cloak whipping behind him.

"You shall have a list of things and some gold on your vanity set tomorrow. After you are done with rehearsal, you are to go into town and buy the stuff. I will pick it up tomorrow evening." he turned around and began to walk towards the mirror when he stopped and looked back at her. "And you know, you should really eat more than just grapes and bread. You're looking a little on the skinny side." He saw her shocked look and hit the hidden spring mechanism. The mirror sprung open and he slipped inside, closing it with her still looking shocked.

Hey I have a question for anyone out there. I think I'm going to have Ana have this huge problem, like cutting herself, but I need to know if people back in that time cut themselves. I believe they did. But if someone could let me know, I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks! And tune in soon for what Erik really thinks of Ana...duh duh duuuuh!