A/N: This is taking place recently after the infamous disaster, but don't think this is your general new ballerina/singer meets Phantom story (No offense to you guys, love them actually). And no, this woman is not at all a reference to me, she only has the slightest bit of my hair, sad to say for me though, it's not as long. Also, things will become clear while you read it people, have some faith in me. I'm just really bad at wanting to make my readers guess, so don't be surprised by an evil cliffy here and there.

Disclaimer: Hmm, I'm on a fansite meaning I'm writing about something that I'm just a fan of, so I think that would be a big NO on owning anything of the Phantom, I just own this little young lady.

'You can do this' She assured herself. That's what she'd been saying for three weeks whenever she came to this point, but tonight she would go through with it, she was sure of it. "It's just one little step," She said out loud, "One little step and it'll be over."

It was night and the moon was giving a heavenly glow on the earth, especially on the young brunette woman in maid like clothes. The woman was standing just on the edge of the bridge to the Seine river, this was the only way for her to find freedom. She began to slowly lift her foot over the edge as she closed her eyes, she would finally end it all.

"Are you sure you really want to end it like this?" A deep voice said behind her. Being startled she lost her balance and began waving her arms around madly, causing her to fall, but not how she had planned it, instead she found herself going back towards the gravel, readying herself for the hard landing.

It never came. She felt arms around her back and legs, holding her in the air as if she were a light doll. She knew she should open her eyes, should look at whoever had caught her, but she couldn't build the courage to do it.

"Are you all right?" The voice said curiously, "I'm sorry if I frightened you, I seem to have that effect...". She finally forced her eyes to gaze at the person who had ruined her plan. She was met by a face like she'd never seen, it was a man with sparkling green eyes that seemed to glow in contrast to the dark night. His hair was just as black as the sky and was smoothed down to where it curled just at the nape of his neck. She searched all over his face, what she could see anyway, the right half was covered by a white mask, the moonlight giving it the appearance of silver, that ran from the top of his forehead and stopped right at his lip dipping just a bit more on the side. Her mind raced with reasons as to why he wanted to hide his identity, and she found herself shaking in fear.

"Are you all right?" he repeated, "It would be terrible for such a young woman like yourself to be injured, particularly with your beauty," he smiled at her. Her eyes widened and she began speaking with tears forming in her eyes

"Please Monsieur! If you want my body you can have it! Just please don't harm me, I won't scream or alert anyone to you, just take what you want and leave me!" She cried to him, burying her face in her hands. Why must this happen to her, couldn't he have just let her jump to peace?

He looked with sorrow at the crying woman in his arms, would it always be like this for him? Was he to always be a monster, even when doing good? He shook the thought from his head and continued speaking softly to her.

"My dear, you have me mistaken, I merely meant it would be a terrible thing for someone as young as you to end up a floating corpse," She winced at what he was saying, but it was better than rape. "Would you mind if I set you down? It will look odd to a passerby to see a scene such as this," He said to her calmly, trying to ease her fear. She sniffled and nodded to him, still too choked on her sobs to speak. He slowly sat her down till her feet touched the ground and she stood before him, but she was still a bit unbalanced and began to sway. She clutched onto the first bit of him she could, his cloak, and hid her face in his chest, trying to even her breathing and thoughts.

"Now then, mademoiselle..?" he looked at the brown head beneath him, this was really not a place he nor this young girl needed to be and his only hope at the moment was to return her to her home. She finally lifted her face to look at him.

"Bruyere, my name is Faye Bruyere," She said wiping her reddened eyes, "And you are monsieur?"

He looked down at Faye for a moment, taking in her face. Her skin was rather pale, though he figured it was due to the scare he had given her, and she looked a bit thin for her age, as if she hadn't been eating enough recently. She had wild, very wavy dark brown hair that fell around her shoulders and her back. The last thing he looked into were her eyes, they were wide in both fear and curiosity, the colour was somewhere between the afternoon sky and a blue crystal.

"My name is simply Erik, and that's all you need worry about." He stated while once again looking into her eyes. "Now where is it you live? It's not safe for someone to be out this late or in this particular area."

Faye could only stare at him, who was this man? First he stopped her from committing suicide and now he wanted to make sure she got home safely?

"What makes you think I won't try something again once you're gone?" She looked at him with a challenge in her face. Erik simply chuckled at her.

"When you started to slip, you put up a damn good fight in the air to not fall in the river, it's obvious you won't be trying anything again that soon," his eyes were twinkling as she glared at him.

'What are you doing?' her mind yelled. 'He saved your life and you're arguing about killing yourself!'

"I'll ask you this again," he said, beginning to sound agitated but still amused at her response, "Where is it that you live?"

Faye looked at him for a moment considering her options, though without little thought she did the first thing that came to her mind to escape him.

She turned and ran.

Unfortunately for her though, Erik had an agility she hadn't counted on. Before she could even put a bit of distance between them she felt him grab her arm, causing her to spin and slam right into his chest. She became all the more scared of him again when she felt his arms lock around her, tight and restricting. Taking a deep breath Faye looked up into the half glowing, half serious face of Erik, he didn't seem pleased.

"I am not up for such games as these mademoiselle, and you are becoming very tiring to my patience," He said while giving her such a look of anger she almost thought she had done something to personally hurt him. "Now do not play anymore with me like this. Where is your home?"

Faye felt at a loss, clearly this man wasn't going to leave her until he was satisfied that she wouldn't be able to harm herself, and she had no urge to make him anymore angry at her since she had no clue as to what he would do if he didn't receive an answer. So with a defeated sigh she did the only possible thing to please him.

"It's not far from here, just a few blocks away actually in that direction." She lifted her head to indicate the road behind him, since he still held her body in his with a death like grip. Yet in the back of her mind she noted how gentle he was still being with her, his arms hard against her but not giving too much pressure. He looked over his shoulder to see where she was pointing.

'Those are where the slums are' his mind stated, he had just come from the apothecary in that direction when he found this young little wingless fairie attempting to fly. What was he to do with her though? He couldn't just let go of her to run again and he couldn't stay in the street all night, he turned to look back into her eyes.

"Since it would seem you have the intentions of going to the wrong areas, it is quite clear that I am unable to let you wander on your own, but I will not carry you the whole way as if you were some child, even if you may be acting like one," He kept his face blank as she glared at him, "I will though release you enough that you may walk on your own, but you must not try to run from me again and you will allow me to take hold of your arm, understood?"

Faye did not like these rules he was putting over her, she did not want anyone giving her orders, but as she always seemed to find herself in these situations she had no choice but to give in. She kept quiet but nodded to him, shutting her eyes to hold back anymore unwanted tears. He eased his grip on her so she would relax but quickly linked one arm around hers, he was not about to made a fool twice by this young woman.

"Off we go then mademoiselle." Erik stated simply as they began the slow walk back across the bridge towards the slums.

Faye tried to keep her eyes off of him, anywhere really would be better than receiving another look of anger from him, but she couldn't control herself. She was on his left side, looking once again at his face, it was powerful with a strong chin set as if it were made of stone. She could see faint lines around his mouth, but they looked more like he had frowned rather than smiled most of his life. She also took note that he was just a bit taller than her, his shoulder at the height of where her chin was. It was when she saw him swallow and how tight his neck appeared that she realized how nervous she must be making him. Her head dropped down to the ground and she cleared her throat, trying to think of something to say.

Erik cleared the silence between them instead.

"How long have you lived here mademoiselle Bruyere? I can hear a slight accent in you that's not French." He looked down at her and tried his best to look cheerful, though he was failing miserably after his temper rising at her once already.

"I've lived here since I was four, my father was from here until he moved to England where he met my mother, but I'd rather not talk about them right now monsieur Erik, if you don't mind." She blinked back a few tears and sniffled.

Now it was Erik's turn to investigate this girl. 'No' his mind retorted, 'she's most certainly not a girl, a girl doesn't look like this, a girl doesn't try to kill them self'. Erik couldn't understand it, what had sent her on such a path as to rid the world of such a young beauty?

Stop it Erik, you're simply taking her home and that's all, once she's with her family they can give her proper guidance.

He still couldn't stop himself though from looking at her lovely sight, her eyes shining and her dark hair fanning out behind her, reaching to the small of her back. Her attitude was what became so odd to him. Yes, he could understand her being frightened, any girl would if some man had held them like that in the middle of the night, but she also had some hint of courage to her, she had even said his name as though she had known him for much more than an hour. Erik was trying to work his thoughts out when Faye stopped walking.

"This is it monsieur," She said glumly pointing to his right. Erik kept a hold of her arm but turned so his mask wasn't facing the house.

Last thing I need is for a full home to know I'm alive.

He turned slightly to get a better look at where she had pointed. He eyed the building for a moment until he realized it. He looked back to her seriously.

"This is where you live? Then you are a-"

"Yes," Faye said, hanging her head down in her shame. "Now please let me go monsieur, I must return to them, I know I'm in trouble already."

Erik could only nod to her, now he could see her reason. He released her arm and she began to walk up to the steps of the building, but turned one last time to him.

"Goodnight, monsieur Erik." She smiled softly at him

He looked at her for a moment, taking in her form one last time.

"Goodnight, mademoiselle...Faye."

With that Erik began his walk away from Faye, from her home.

'That is no home, nicely done Erik, thinking they'd protect her. Why, she'd be in better care with you.'

"No," he told himself. "No woman would prefer my care, even over that." He tried to convince himself, disappearing into the dark of the streets.

Faye went inside the building and crept slowly up to the second floor, hopefully no one would hear her.

"Faye! You little whore!" Another girl a bit older than Faye ran up to her excitedly, "Did you take a new client without Madame knowing?" She asked happily.

Faye turned her head to the comment, but responded when she heard Madame mentioned.

"No! I wasn't taking anyone at all, please! Don't say anything to her!" Her face began to pale more than it had been as she thought of Madame Bontecou.

Sadly, it was too late, for Faye had been seen when she was outside with Erik.

"Faye Bruyere! You bitch, come here now!" A voice bellowed as she saw Madame Bontecou coming from her room and office, by now all the other prostitutes in the brothel were coming out of their rooms to see what Faye had done this time.

Madame Bontecou grabbed Faye by the hair, pulling it roughly till she was in her face, her eyes glaring dangerously.

"I saw what you were doing, oh yes, and as I've told you all. You DO NOT take clients outside of my business!" She started walking madly, dragging Faye with her by her hair. "You refuse to listen to me, you don't obey my rules, now you're going to be punished!" She stopped in front of a room and pulled Faye up to see it, she began crying immediately.

"Please Madame! I swear to you I wasn't going against you! Please don't put me in there again!"

But her cries were ignored as Madame Bontecou shoved her in, shutting the door quickly and locking it. She spun around to look at her girls. "No one is to let her out, talk to her, or bring her food for two days! Do you all hear me?" They all nodded and said their "Yes, Madame Bontecou's" before promptly returning to their rooms, some already busy again with their work.

Faye stood up in the room, wiping her eyes on her now incredibly dirtied dress. The room had no windows, no source of light and no bed, the only bit of furniture being a lamp table with a bible on it, the Madame's own twisted joke. Faye walked over to a corner of the room and curled herself up on the floor, crying herself to sleep with only the darkness as her companion.

A/N: Hoo, so how's that for a first chapter, huh? Do give Faye some time, I promise you that you will be able to understand her better, but all in due time mes amis, all in due time. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted or even if I'll be able to write once school starts (I have one more week of freedom). I promise you though I will try my hardest to keep it going and not let homework get to me too much (Seeing as this is my senior year in high school it won't be easy). So please review if you like it, or even if you hate it. What the heck, I don't care what I get, I'll tell you though any helpful critique would be nice should you offer. Now my only question for the nextchapter is should I immediately tell you our lovely Phantom's thoughts? Or perhaps share a bit more of Faye. All right then, until next post, au revoir!