Note: Alrighty y'all...here's the next chapter! I hope you guys like it! For anyone wondering...YES ALEX WILL DIE! I'm getting there, but I would like suggestions on how he should die...it should be a really mean way of killing him off...or accidental...not sure! Just let me know! Aidos!


Chapter 31

Erik paced in his room on the ship. He thought about the events that had happened after he left his lair. He had slipped out of the Opera House unnoticed thanks to the darkness of the night. He didn't know which deity to thank. He slipped into the stables and had attached Caesar to a phaeton. Throwing his luggage bag inside, he hopped up and made for the docks quickly. When he reached the docks, he rearranged his hood so his face wouldn't show at all. When he asked the dock master if there were boats that were leaving for America, he was told that the first of the two boats had left an hour ago and the second wasn't leaving until later that morning. So now here he was, on the boat that had left a few hours ago. His entire mind was bent on getting Ana back. If that required killing Alex in the process, then by God he would. His gaze slide to where in his luggage case, sat his Punjab lasso. If it came down to a duel, he just prayed that he would win.


Ana was petrified yet somewhat joyous when she discovered something. She had finally realized the reason why she was completely sea-sick nearly all the time. It had become apparent three weeks ago when she missed her monthly menses. She was never late when it came to her menses and she had suddenly acquired a rather large appetite. The only other reasonable explanation for everything was that she was pregnant again. That was the joyous part, the petrified part was she didn't know who the child belonged to. It could very well be Alex's but there was also a slight chance that it could be Erik's. Ana prayed to God that it was Erik's. She didn't know if she could bear to have another child of Alexs'. The only thing that she knew was that she couldn't let Alex know that she was pregnant. It would not turn out so well, in fact it might be very bad. She just had to wait, they had one week or less left before they docked in America. Once she was back in Alex's mansion, she would keep herself hidden, ask her dressmaker to make the dresses a little larger around the stomach. She would hide her secret until it became too noticeable. A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts.

"Who is it?" Ana asked meekly.

"That is such a silly question to ask." Alex opened the door and entered her small room. "We're getting close to America. The captain said we should be there by tomorrow night. We'll spend the night in a hotel then head back to my house." Ana just merely nodded and didn't look him in the eye.

"Once we reach my house, you are to stay in your room for a few weeks. I will cover for you. Then you will start attending the balls and such and I will need to acquire an heir and a spare. After all, I can't die without someone to pass the mansion and such to." He laughed cruelly as Ana tried not to let herself show any emotion. Alex suddenly stopped laughing when he saw what Ana was wearing.

"Are you in mourning my dear?"

Ana slowly looked up, the black dress that she had found made her skin look like pure porcelain and just made her raven hair look darker. "Yes. Shouldn't I be in mourning?"

Alex gave a cruel smile. "Yes, but the question is who are you in mourning for? Your parents or your lover?"

Ana felt her eyes grow wide. "You didn't kill Erik, did you?" But Alex just keep smiling and Ana felt her anger rising. "How could you, you bastard? He did nothing to you..." But Alex just merely slapped her across the cheek.

"Be quiet. He did do something to me. He stole you away from me then challenged me when he slapped me at that Bal Masque. I had every right to kill him and now I am guaranteed that you will stay here with me."

"Leave me. I wish to be alone." Ana said coldly. Alex merely bowed and left her, leaving her with her thoughts. Erik was dead, he wouldn't be saving her and Ana prayed that the child she carried was Erik's because it would be the last thing that would connect her to him.


"Land ho!" the boy in the crow's nest cried out as Ana and Alex took their normal stroll around the deck before she was sent below to go to her room. The faint outline of land was apparent and Ana looked at the land that would become her jail.

"We have arrived earlier than expected. The tides and wind must have been good to us." Alex commented but Ana didn't pay attention. She was led back to her room and was about to shut the door when Alex's hand stopped her.

"Be packed up and ready to go in about an hour. The breeze that we felt up above, will get us to shore quickly. We will spend the night and mayhaps a couple of days in New York before we travel home. I have some business to tie up in New York. Now, I must go make sure Simon has packed all my stuff and is ready to go in an hour."

Alex left Ana, who went over to her small luggage case. Putting her old and soiled dresses back into the luggage case, she noticed the sheet of paper that she had written the words to Erik's song on. Even if Erik was dead, she would keep these words with her and when she gave birth to the babe, she would sing them to the small child. It would be a reminder of what could have been the happiest years of her life.


Erik awoke from a restless sleep when the call came from above. "Land ho!"

They were close to land which meant that Ana's ship would have docked a day or two ago. Doing the calculations, he figured that their boat was not far behind Ana's. He would be able to find Ana and perhaps rid her of Alex forever. Then maybe he could start a life with her. He knew the words that he would say to her, the ones that ruined his life for what he thought was forever. That was, until Ana came along. She saw through his deformity, his monstrosity and yet, still loved him. A knock came at his door, disrupting his thoughts.

"Monsieur, the boat is to dock within the hour." the small cabin boy called through his door.

"Thank you. I will be ready." Erik put all his clothing that he had worn into the luggage case and snapped it shut. He took one look at his hooded cloak and then reopened his case. Folding the cloak up, he tenderly put the cloak in the case. It was time to start a new life here. He would show his mask to the people of America and would not be ashamed. If Ana could let her fears of showing her scars to him go, then he could let his fear of letting people see him walking around in a mask go as well. It was time to stop hiding and let the past go in order to start a bright new future.

Ana at the particular time when Erik's boat was docking, was looking at different dresses in a shop. She didn't particularly want to go out but stay inside where she could just sit by the window and watch as people went on with their normal lives. Instead, she was forced to be outside, watching the world move around her through a black lace veil. It was true she was in mourning, but not over her parents. That had stopped when she reached France. No, she was in mourning over her broken heart and the death of the only man she loved with her heart and soul.

"Miss, do you like that dress?" Stacy, her maid, asked her.

"It is pretty Stacy, though I do not think I would like wear that so soon. I am still mourning after all." Ana replied looking at the beautiful jade green dress. At one time, she would wear that for the fact that it made her look beautiful and that Erik would most likely approve of it. But now, it seemed bland and tasteless. The only color that fit her was black.

"Would you like to look at the shops down there?" Missy pointed to shops that were situated near the docks.

"We might as well. Mr. McKinley will not be done until another hour or so. And when he is done, we are to head back to the McKinley Mansion." Stacy nodded and the two of them headed down near the docks. Ana watched as a boat docked and some sailors began to get off from their long voyage. Ana's thoughts drifted back to when her boat had docked. People rushed around, bumping into her not even bothering to say sorry. Instead of the friendly greetings that one would receive in France, there were shouts, swearing, and some fights even broke out. Men looked at her as though she was some type of whore than a woman. In France, she was received well and the men did not look at her in such lecherous ways. They asked if they could help her find her way around, maybe even get her a carriage to take her to where she might be going. Ana felt safe in France, except at night. But during the day, she didn't feel threatened. Here in America, she felt like a man would steal her reticule from right underneath her nose if she was not careful. Her mind wandered back to the shops as Stacy continued to point out dresses that would look nice on Ana if she were not in mourning. Ana watched the people unloading the boat that had just come in from the glass. Her eyes widened when she thought she saw someone familiar. Turning around quickly, she found that her eyes just might have been playing a trick on her. The light from the glass combined with her imagination was just some sort of cruel joke.

"Oh! Come Miss, we have to be back near Mr. McKinley's meeting area shortly! It would not do good for him to come all the way down here looking for us." Stacy said catching sight of the clock near the shop. Ana nodded and walked away from the docks, ready to face a lifetime of loneliness.

Erik had just disembarked from the ship and was looking for a place to go. America, he had decided, was very different from France. He looked around and thought he liked France a whole lot better than America, despite the fact that he was a wanted man in France. He walked by a store, eager to find a carriage that would maybe take him to Alex's house. While walking by, he passed a woman in a black dress, her veil covering her face making it impossible for him to see her. The maid beside her was chattering endlessly about something. As he passed the woman, he felt a tug deep down in his soul. He stopped and looked back in the window. Could that woman be Ana? But why would Ana be in mourning clothes? Shaking the thoughts from his head, he went along his way to find a ride into the country side.


Okay guys, time to review! I finally made Ana realize that she was pregnant...kudos for anyone who got it right! Now I must be away, I am tired and ready to sleep...adios!