Thank you so much my dear reviewers. Aladdin did go extremely well! I couldn't have asked for a better performace, the only bad thing is that now I am incredibly bored and depressed. Sorry this chapter took so long to get up. The play was really holding me up on this chapter, but I finally did finish it!

Omg! I can't believe I've gotten this many reviews! (blows kisses to reviewers) I love you guys!

Review Replies:

KitsuneRW: Sorry this update took so long. I'm so happy you like this story! And rehersals and perfomances went very well. Thanks for your review!

ThePhantomsShadow: Yes, it was actually kinda fun making Meg yell at Erik, even though she did say some nasty things. I was feeling a need for a bit of angst and anger. Ya, Aladdin was hard work. Saturday we had a show in the morning and in the afternoon. It was exhausting, but fun. The performances were perfect. Unfortunately it took up all of my time and made it take forever to finish this chapter.

Moonjava: I'm glad you liked that chapter. Thanks for your review and here is your update.

Emily singing reflection: I'm glad you thought the last chapter wasn't blah. I totally understand what you mean. There is nothing wrong with a bit of obsession, and I love writing these stories. And its a good hobby... right? lol. I'm glad you like this story.

I Love Gerry: I'm happy you liked the last chapter so much. It was fun to do a little angst. I had to put in the part about Meg fixing Erik's hands or else I would have been mad at her myself. But then again, she didn't entirely mean to do it. And Aladdin did go very well. I got all of my lines and songs right! (gasp) lol. And also I did review for your phic. And the last time I checked, you were up to 6 reviews, so that sequel better be coming. I've been dying for some more e/m stuff!

PhantomoftheBandroom: I'm glad you like my details. I like putting in little extra things. I especially enjoyed the part with the monkey, just couldn't resist. As for the cloak, I have to put in a little bit of Erik's sexiness. I'm sorry I almost made you cry. Also, Aladdin did go very well, so thanks for your luck!

Nameless Waif: Ya, basically the entire weekend was done while sugar high. Opening night was especially fun. After the show we went to this place down the road. Hehe, sugar and soda. A couple of my friends were like "uh, Rachel, are you sure that's just soda". I was surprised I still had my voice the next day. I did feel bad about putting the thing about Erik being a monster, as we all know that he isn't. I agree with you. What Christine said was certainly very cruel. And Erik really does need to stop smashing mirrors. The are other ways to release anger. Oh well. I hope that your family reunion was fun and I appreciate that you would come if you could. Omg, so do you like live around there! That's awesome! Aladdin did go very well.

meeka: I'm glad you like my story so much! Its alway nice to get a new reviewer. I'm glad you think its intense, since that was the feeling I was trying to express. Thanks for your review!

HPROXMYSOX: Yay! I'm glad you think its better. I was hoping you would. I just needed to get to the good stuff, since I basically suck at trying to do in-between stuff. I'm so happy that you thought that they were dramatic.

irrelevant: I'm glad you liked this story. I'll keep that hint in mind. Thanks for your review!

8. Teach me to Live

Ever since our compromise, our roles had switched and I became the doctor. I took care of Erik the best I could, trying to live up to my word. Every day I put ointment on his hands to help them heal before rebandaging them as I was doing now, taking all measures to prevent infection.

As I wound the bandages around his palm, I couldn't help but notice how perfect his hands were, the trademark of a great musician. His fingers were long, with broad palms. It was as if he held power.

"You know Erik, you really should take better care of your hands. It would be a shame if you hurt yourself so badly that you couldn't play anymore."

"You easily forget that not only do these hands make music, but they kill as well."

I abruptly closed my mouth, deciding not to respond to that comment. He was quite right. I had seen his handiwork with the lasso, but his music, music that was so powerful it was a weapon in itself, surely it helped to even out the evil he had commited.

"There, all done," I said, finishing with the wrappings. Erik took the box with him leaving me alone. I sighed to myself. Nothing I did was ever going to repair the damage I had done between us. It was such a shame. I was really starting to like being in Erik's company. He was such a facinating man with so many dimensions to his personality. He had such a mysterious, almost intoxicating aura that it was drawing me to him, yet I found myself disappointed in how he kept himself separated from me.

It was useless sitting here any longer. I went into my room and decided to occupy myself with some needlework. I had noticed that many of the dresses were a bit large for me and I was getting tired of them hanging off, so I decided to finally do something about it and take them in a bit. I sat there for at least an hour, working on a blue dress that I had been rather fond of, but was too loose around the waist.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Erik push the curtain aside, with a very odd, almost troubled look in his eye. I turned to him, unable to pull myself away from the look on his face.

"Meg, I just can't help but wonder... you've been down here all this time, why do you insist on staying here? Why haven't you gone back to your mother?" he asked.

That last word echoed throught my head and went through me like a blade. It was really the first time anyone had even mentioned her since her death. I had almost thought I was over it, but the sudden mention of her resurrected the grief I had felt. I took a deep breath, wondering if I could really explain the hell I had known to the man who had contributed to it.

"Because... I have no mother to go back to. She died not long after the opera house burned."

"I'm sorry... How did it happen?"

I took in another deep breath, finding it harder to keep myself steady as I recalled the time I spent in the slums.

"She had been very tired. We had nowhere to go and no way to live. The small remains of money that we had with us was not enough. We had triedto find a job, but there wasnothing for us so we turned to begging." I felt my breath catch in my throat as it became even harder to get through my past. "She spent the last week in the slums, where she fell horribly ill. The doctor said it had been a combination of stress and the smoke from the fire." I left off there, fighting back the tears,not wanting to remember the last moments of her life, of my mother lying there, barely breathing. Bitter tears were beginning to sting my eyes. "I spent the last bit of money on the doctor and a terribly cheap funneral. I was all alone, with no way to survive. I begged on the streets, even stole a few times. I had no choice but to sell myself. It was all I had left," I said sullenly, trying to swallow the lump that had choked my throat.

"Erik it was so terrible," I continued, feeling tears on my cheeks as I released the memories I had fostered for too long. "It was so sickening, so harsh. I was nothing, only a toy to be rented out and abused, for a measly 15 francs. That first night... oh God Erik!" I could hold it no longer. I broke down into a fit of sobs, remembering every horrid detail: that one moment, one that should have been the holy unity of husband and wife, it turned into something so sinful, so terrible. I remembered that moment, whena stranger'sdirty manhood had torn away my virginity. It had hurt so much. It had sent a surge of pain through my body and it had not stopped. I could still remember returning to my room the morning after, shaking and shivering, feeling so incredibly empty and so unclean. I sat there, drowning in the painful depths of my memory.

Suddenly, I felt warm arms around me, almost protecting me. I opened my eyes, met by Erik's trusting gaze. "Oh Erik, it was so horrible. I never want to go back, never!"

With great gentleness, Erik tipped my chin, wiping away a tear with his thumb, making me look directly into those clear blue eyes. He stayed that way for a moment, looking into the depths of my soul, yet making me feel stronger.

"Meg, you didn't deserve any of that. I promise you that you will never have to go back there. I'm so sorry that you had to go through that."

That night, I was finding it harder and harder to sleep. My cursed mind did not want me to sleep, punishing me with twisted, horrific nightmares, magnifying the past into something unbearable when I had tried to disobey it. For the longest time I laid on my back, stairing at the ceiling as my worst memories flashed before my eyes. I hated this. My body was tired yet my mind refused to permit sleep. I gave up. It was pointless to lie here any longer. I picked up the candle by my bed and decided to sit by the lake for a while. Watching the swirls of mist and the shimmer of the moon on the water had always had a calming affect on me; God knows I could certainly use it now. However, as I rounded the corner,I found that I was not alone.

Erik was sitting there on a rock in almost a meditative state. His eyes drifted across the lake as he gently swished his fingers through the fog. He looked so peaceful yet something about him seemed tense. I pulled my robe around me closer and sat down at his side, breaking his trance.

"I suppose you couldn't sleep either," he said calmly, keeping his gaze fixed on the lake. I silently nodded. For a moment, it remained silent and the only sound was the water lightly lapping on the shore.

"I wish I wasn't the one who put you through that," he whispered, his voice hinting regret.

"Erik, what do you mean?"

"I've been thinking. Meg, have you realized that if it wasn't for me, your mother would still be here and you would still be a ballerina. I caused all of those problems, all because of a fruitless obsession. I had been so desperate that I had forgotten about other people, especially those who have shown me the only kindness I have ever known," he said, turning to face me. I couldn't help but noticed that his eyes shimmered with tears. "I wish I could take it back. Meg, I'm so sorry." He closed his eyes and turned away, trying to hide the fact that he was weeping.

I looked at him, trying to comprehend this moment. He had said he was sorry. He actually had cared about what he had done. At last I could see that there was a man, a compassionate, caring man, not a monster.

"Erik," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder, "I forgive you."

He turned around, very surprised, and I noted the tears that had trickled down his cheek. "How? How could you possibly...?"

"You said you were sorry, truly sorry. You said you didn't mean for it to happen, and I believe you."

Erik continued to look at me dumbfounded and I watched as another tear escaped his eye. In the back of my mind, there had been a question there, one that would surely be surprising, but what I felt would be better for both of us.

"Erik, would you... stay with me tonight?" I asked, feeling my cheeks turn a shade of scarlet. "I was just hoping that maybe someone else's prescense could help keep nightmares away."

He continued to look at me questioningly, but eventually nodded his head and we went to my room. It felt very awkward as we climbed into bed, and it actually surprised me. I had slept besides men many times, but something about being in the same bed with Erik made the situation entirely different. As we slid beneath the sheets, both of us stayed as close to the opposite sides as possible. Even after Erik had fallen asleep, I remained wide awake. Maybe I had been wrong about this being helpful. Though Erik certainly was keeping nightmares away, sleep was also away as well. I looked over at him, lying on his back in a corpse-like position. He still had his mask on. It didn't look very comfortable either. Carefully I reached over and peeled it off, not the least bit disturbed bywhat was beneath it. Erik was not a monster. I settled down into the covers, making a very bold move by laying my head on his shoulder, which I found quite comfortable. I smiled to myself, finally finding peace tonight.

"Goodnight Erik," I whispered before finding sleep at last.

Yay! Fluff! I'm sorry if Meg appears to be getting over her anger a little too quickly, but I've really been wanting to get to some e/m fluff so I just decided to do it. For those of you who want a little more action, do not worry. It will be coming. It might take up to like 3 chapters to get to it, but it will come.