A/N: Disclamer, I do not own the inellectual properties of thePhantom of the Opera. I do not ownErik. (But if I did I'd make him bring me chocolates and write me love songs.)

Yay! First chapter! I am reasonably proud of myself. We'll see how that fares if I make it to the last chapter.

In case anyone was wondering this is a E/OC fic. Christine and Raoul will both feature in it but not for a while. Until then enjoy my little Katerina and her nonsense.

He was coughing, that was what woke him up. He forced himself to his feet. He could barely move and shivers wracked his body. He gritted his teeth.

"Blast it," he murmured.

He looked through the herbs he kept but his vision was blurred. He didn't know exactly what he needed or what he had. Perhaps… If he could find someone… No. That was silly, who would help him?

He grabbed his cloak and tossed the hood over his face. Perhaps he could find an apothecary and still have the grace to get out of there before he fainted.

"Blast it!"

Katerina dodged between a couple that was walking down the sidewalk,

"Pardon!" She called after herself.

It was late fall and the air had a crisp chill to it. Katerina ran; her long black hair flying behind her with her blue cloak. She was a pale beauty with dove grey eyes, she noted the looks from two men unloading a baker's cart, but she was in too much of a hurry to pay them much mind. She had promised her brother she would help in the shop once a week and it had occurred to her that today was Saturday and her brother kept the shop closed tomorrow. She sprinted around a corner and leapt quite gracefully over a kneeling paper boy who watched her land in awe and run up the stairs to the small apothecary shop her family owned.

"You're late!" Thomas teased as she skidded into the warmth of the shop. His dark hair was tousled and his brown eyes glittered with laughter, "I knew you were going to show up today. You forgot all about last week didn't you?"

Katerina panted with her hands on her knees, "I started a new piece, completely consumed by it."

Thomas shrugged and filled the glass jar he held in his hand with herbs from a wooden box on the counter, "Such is the way with you artists. Now get your apron on and help me sort these."

Katerina grinned at her brother and yanked her cloak off.

The morning flew by in relative calm, selling cures and medicines came naturally to Katerina. Her mother had been an herbalist and her father a surgeon. Her elder brother William was studying abroad to become a physician while he left her younger brother and herself to keep the apothecary shop running.

She was leaning against the wall during a lull in the day when Thomas gave her the look.

Her eyes narrowed, "What are you thinking about Thomas?"

Her brother smiled, "It's just that Madam Mina came around earlier this week with some papers that were left in your loft. After you moved?"

Katerina blinked and tried to look innocent.

"Kat, if you've moved out of your loft, where exactly are you living? Certainly not in the shop, you'd be here on time."

"I found a cheaper place," she ventured.

"There was no cheaper rent than Madame Mina's unless you're selling your looks, and by God's grace Kat, you better not be doing that."

"I am not whoreing myself out Thomas, I just. Well, I was tired of living on stipends from you and William. I wanted to do something on my own for a bit."

"You are somewhere safe thought? Please tell me you aren't living like some vagabond in an alley or something."

Katerina laughed, "No, I am not living in an alley, off an alley but not in it. I am perfectly safe Thomas. Please trust me."

"You aren't going to tell me where this place is, are you? I know that look."

"It's special to me. I like the privacy."

Her brother sighed and leaned over the counter he was behind,

"Kat, are you living with a lover?"

Katerina rolled her eyes, "No, what would make you think such a thing?"

He shrugged, "A brother can hope."

"Thomas!"

His laughter was only broken by the bell above the door. Customers had entered and Katerina swiftly went to wait on them.

"Thomas, I'm off!"

Katerina waved at her brother and he smiled over the customer he was waiting on. He had a very strained look on his face. Katerina paused and listened, he was talking to a rather large man with red rimmed eyes. She knew an addict when she saw one.

"I am sorry sir, but this just isn't enough money. I cannot sell you the full dose; this could perhaps get you half but…"

The man was impressively large. Katerina swallowed, William had been robbed once by a group of opiate addicts. They had beaten him and ransacked the shop. The bell above the door sounded and a tall figure in a black cloak entered.

Katerina quickly went to wait on the customer still keeping an eye on her brother. She knew the customer said something to her and her hands reacted on their own, fetching herbs and a salve.

Money was left on the table as the large man turned, angry and empty handed. He glared at her for an instant and the customer she was with before he stormed clumsily out of the shop. Katerina felt her heart ease as the hooded customer left almost as quick.

"Are you okay?" She called to her brother.

He nodded back at her, "Thought he was going to knock me one for a minute but then he seemed to have gotten a better idea."

Katerina nodded and looked down. There had to be at least thirty francs in a messy pile on the counter. Her mind flew back to what the customer had purchased.

"Oh blast," she whispered, "he gave me too much."

"What?" Thomas asked.

"The other customer, he left the money on the counter and I wasn't paying attention, he left entirely too much."

Katerina gathered up the excess and handed the rest to Thomas, "I'm going to see if I can catch him before it's too late. I shall see you Monday."

Thomas nodded, "Be careful, it's getting dark earlier now. Have fun in your alley, you vagabond!"

Katerina chuckled as her brother called after her. Then she frowned, she thought she saw the customer head to the right. She tightened her cloak around her, Thomas was right; it was getting dark earlier and earlier this time of year. She was walking past an alley when she heard voices and a grunt.

She was horrified to see both customers from the shop, the larger man accosting the cloaked one. The addict held a gleaming knife and the cloaked figure leaned against the alley wall as if he were stunned.

The larger man was yelling in Spanish, something about money. Katerina almost gasped as he raised the knife. The figure brought up its hand and Katerina cringed as the blade slashed a brilliant wound across its palm and wrist. The figure took a step back as if he was about to faint and then suddenly lashed out. The knife clattered to the stones and the larger man stumbled backwards.

Katerina was in a panic, she had to do something; she needed to find a policeman. Something, she should…

"Halt there! Help! Police!" She cried and it worked. The larger man looked up with a panicked expression and ran down the alley, leaving his blade behind.

Katerinarushed forward just in time to catch the collapsing figure. It was a man, and he moaned in her arms. She shifted him to lean against the stone wall and pulled her apron off and pressed it tightly to the wound in his wrist. His head leaned to the side and she didn't know if he was still conscious.

"Monsieur!" she hissed, "Answer me, please."

The hood covered part of his face and she gently pushed it back. She blinked, he was wearing a mask? What an odd thing to wear; a white mask that covered the right half of his face. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be in pain.

"Monsieur," she breathed.

She could see the shadows of scars at the edge of the mask in places. His dark blondish hair was pulled back from it. Gently she reached up and touched his cheek. Katerina blinked, he was burning up! That was why he could barely defend himself.

She wrapped the cloth around his wrist again as the blood seeped through. It was a deep wound, it needed to be stitched. Gingerly she pressed her fingers tighter around his wrist.

He moaned again and his eyes fluttered. Slowly he opened them. He didn't seem to see what was in front of him.

"Monsieur, can you stand? We must go from this place."Katerina whispered.

His head moved as he tried to focus on her.

He had the bluest eyes she had ever seen.

Katerina blinked and shook her head. Night was falling fast and he needed to be taken somewhere safe. Mustering all her strength she pulled him to his feet. She was able to get his arm around her shoulders and still keep a tight hold on his other wrist. He seemed to be fading in and out of consciousness. She prayed that it would last until she could get him home.