A/N: Alrighty then, this is my first story in FanFiction... how's it looking so far...? Anyway, it's very long and it develops very...colourfully... If you don't like to read detailed things, than this isn't for you. By the by, there's a lot of German language in this, so, for thoes of you who are teaching yourselves, this is a good story for you! D I also want to add Lenore is very skilled with many different languages. Not to get confused or anything, but she's Irish-English...Well... Black Irish, if you know what that is.

Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom Of The Opera, it's original aurthor and/or creator does!

Lenore Haydes, Darren Smith, and Ulrich Arzt (c) Me, however

Many things have changed, haven't they?

Lenore, Erik and Ulrich walked out and found that Darren almost literally had a taxi carriage in front of the circus.Lenore wentand gave the driver a handsome amount of money to keep himself quiet and not tell anyone about what has happened.They helped Erik into the carriage and Lenore directed the man to their town house by the port. They had arrived there within fifteen minutes and quickly got into the house, however Darren wasn't too sure about the drivers loyalty.

"I still say we should've knocked the guy out…" He muttered.

Lenore didn't say a word and layed Erik on the couch near the fire, "One of you light the fire—quickly."

Ulrich strided to the kitchen and ran back with a bottle of rum, opened it and poured it in the fire which contained a few large logs, "Darren," he said, looking at him, "Do you haff a light? You must…."

"I'm tryin' to quit…….," growled Darren, looking annoyed and pulling out a box of matches.

Ulrich quickly grabbed them and started to flick the edges to the box, had one lit and leaned in to put it on the drentched logs….

"Hey!" Darren said suddenly. Ulrich started and looked up at him. "Buddy, I'd do something better than that…."

"Vas—" Suddenly, a great flame burst up, knocking Ulrich back and burning strands of bangs in his hair. He laid flat on his back, looking shell-shocked. Darren sniggered.

"Darren!" Lenore snapped, "Go get some bandages, now!"

Darren jumped and scuttled off ito the kitchen.

"I swear," Lenore growled, pressing her hands together with Erik's hand between them in her attempt to warm them, "That man will never grow up… hang on—" Lenore started patting her sides with her hands, searching for—"My Walkers! My Walkers, damn, I left them back at the tent! No-no-noo—"

Suddenly, both of her gun appeared in front of her face: Ulrich had them in his hands with a smile, "You vould forget your 'ead if it vasn't attached it your shoulders, Lenore…" Lenore quickly grabbed them and put them in her back pockets, heaving a massive sigh.

Darren had came in with an armful of bandages and peroxide, "I-I didn't know what to get, so I go a whole bunch of diffrerent kinds--" He dropped them on the rug between the fireplace and the couch "—so yeah…. Right."

Lenore nodded and smiled, "They're fine, Darren, really," She grabbed some cotton and a bottle of peroxide, she undid the bottle and pressed the cotton over it then tipped it slightly and laid it on the rug again, "His hands….," Lenore whispered as she took one of them and slowly opened it quite carefully to see four, deep, red lines and saw his nails were red with blood as well. Lenore bit her lip and blinked rapidily to hold back her tears as she shakily put the cotton and gently patted the wounds.

Suddenly, Erik made a loud shout of pain, clutching Lenore's aiding hand who leaped at the sudden outburst of noise. Erik fluttered his eye opened and coughed, starting to shiver again. He looked over and saw Lenore's terrified face, he blinked then his mouth twitched into a smile.

Lenore made a small smile and said, "….May I have my hand back now….?" She asked.

Erik made a note of looking surprised and jerked his hand open to free Lenore's.

"You know…..," Darren said with a smile, now with his coat and other winter wear completely off with nothing more then a shirt and a pair of baggy jeans with his dark hair untidy as usual, "…..Our landlord won't allow a fourth, unemployed, person in our little town house, Lenore. It's bad enough that he's wanting 255 francs from us each."

Ulrich sighed and sat on a nearby chair, "Damn leech, vhich ve all know he's guilty a sin vhen it comes to money," he muttered.

"Well, fuck him then—"

"Excuse me?"

Erik had apparently heard this and he was trying to sit up, pressed the bottom part of him palm to set himself up, "What did… you say, Nightingale?"

Lenore looked shocked then sheepish another second, "Well… I said…," Lenore looked at Ulrich who was grinning from ear to ear and giving her a look like 'I-told-you-so'. Lenore scowled to herself Damn it, I'm not twelve anymore and I'm sick of people treating me like a child—I've always hated that even when I was a child! "…..Does it matter….? ….Erik, are you feeling alright? You should be laying down, mate…"

Erik was quiet for a bit, then held out both of his hands in front of her with a weak smile, "…..Could….. could you maybe…… Lenore?" He asked in a quiet voice.

"Oh! Sorry!" Lenore said, taking another cotton ball and wetting it with the peroxide, "Now… This is going to hurt a bit... and… Just brace yourself, lad…" She frowned. Lenore knew how tender and sensitive hands were, especially to people that play instruments with them. Lenore plays the piano and has had one of her hands brutely burned to where the nerves themselves were damaged and thought to have never moved again, but somehow she managed to make her hand work again (and then holding an evil grudge againt La Carlotta, being that it was her fault in the first place that Lenore got burned, but that's a different story).

"…..It's ok…..Lenore…," Erik whispered.

Lenore made a quick sigh and put the cotton on the badly infected wound and Erik inhaled deeply and sighed, his fingers twitching with eyes closed. Lenore pressed her lips together and drew her hand away slowly, watching the cuts bubble from the medication. Ulrich had gotten up and headed for the kitchen. The next thing was heard was water flowing into a pot and a click of a stove and walked back in with his trademark waistcoat and grey trousers that he wore ever since he was fourteen and wanted to grow up. And, of course, his thin glasses.

"I think hot vater vould be a bit more helpful than hydrogen peroxide," he said, drying his hands with a white, cotton hand-rag, "und probably be less damaging…"

"Vas?" Lenore said, looking interested, "How so, Ulrich, mate?"

Ulrich sat down on the same chair, and Darren was sitting on another chair just opposite of him, "Vell, the thing with peroxide ist that it does clean vounds, yes, but it has un nasty habit of burning the skin as vell. So, I suggest ve use hot vater to drain out the infection, vhich I'll assume there ist." He explained very professionally.

Lenore looked annoyingly at him, "That's kind of important information to tell me, Ulrich…" She said sarcastically. She was bandaging Erik's palms now, quite carefully and slowly, she noticed the ends of his fingers had turned back to his normal skin color, thankfully and he had stopped shivering because of the warm fire. "His frostbite is gone, thank God."

Ulrich laughed lightly, "I thought you haff stopped believing in 'God', Lenore?" He asked simply.

"Schließen Sie ab!" Lenore snapped and she stood up straight. Ulrich smirked and shook his head. Lenore then took out her Walkers and headed for upstairs, "I'll be only a bit and…. Try not to burn down the house while I'm gone, would you…?" she said with a smirk and vanished behind the wall.

Darren cocked his head, aiming his ear towards the wall, listening to the thumping of Lenore's feet die away and finally stop, "Finally!" He said and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, pulled out one, leaned towards the fire and lit it then took in a huff of smoke and sighed, sinking into the chair, "…God, I've been dogging for of these babies…"

"Darren you idiot, put that thing out!" Ulrich snapped.

"….Why…?"

"Because—"

"Because we have an ill friend that doesn't need to suck in that smog and because I said so, now put it out." Lenore had walked down the stairs wearing a pair of sweatpants and a shirt looking furious with a scowl. Her short hair flicked slightly in the air in curls.

Darren quickly took the cigarette and flicked it into his mouth with his tongue and shut his mouth with an innocent look. His eyes watering…

Lenore sighed and walked down, "Keep it in your mouth where it belongs….," She walked and sat down next to Erik with a slight smile.

Erik stared at her then looked at her hair, "….It's short….," he said hoarsely, "What….. Happened?"

"Oh…. I got sick of it and I cut it off. It'll grow back, that's the good thing about hair I suppose….," Lenore said sheepishly.

Ulrich wasn't much attention to them, staring at Darren with a satisfied smile and chuckling to himself, Darren's eyes were watering and he was choking quietly, coughing out puffs of smoke. Lenore saw this and watched to see how long he would last with disappointment in her eyes.

Darren finally jumped up, ran outside and started coughing and choking.

"I'm tempted to lock him out…," Ulrich said, looking annoyed.

"Don't let him come back in unless he's tobacco-free, Ulrich," Lenore muttered, "until then, he say freeze his toes off." She narrowed her eyes at the door and patted her fingers together.

Erik suddenly grabbed Lenore's hands gently, brought them towards him and he stared at them, "…..You're….. Still a Pianist…. I hope?" He turned them to expose her palms and saw a bit of black due to gunpowder and he remembered the Walker guns she was talking about, "Lenore….. you're not……. Dealing with guns anymore, are you…? ……Why…?"

Lenore quickly drew her hands away, grabbed Erik's and closed them together, "We'll talk about that later, until then, I want to make sure you'll be alright…. Okay?" She said quietly.

Darren walked back in looking pale, groaning, "N-Never again… Ughh…"

"Frieren Sie," Ulrich said, standing up and starting to go through his pockets, "you're not to come in through here with"--he pulled out a packet of a cigarettes, broke it in half and chucked it outside--"tobacco."

Darren looked shocked then he folded his arms and sat down on the chair looking grumpy.

Grinning, Lenore stood up, patted her legs and walked into to the kitchen.

Erik watched her, thinking, I suppose Darren was right about one thing……Lenore has grown up into a responsible………wonderful…… young women……she can't be older than nineteen either……But, as usual, she's more mature than her age……Erik smiled to himself. But then felt guilty…. He hadn't thought about Lenore at all since they separated. All he could think about was…….

…..Christine….

Erik raised his hand to his chest, over his heart, and heaved a sigh, What a terrible person I am……… So selfish…… Lenore has probably been worried ill over me and… Christine…… She probably hasn't paid me much mind……… And then Lenore risks herself for me……again……What a silly child she is……

"OUCH!" Lenore suddenly yelped, making them all jump.

Darren stood to his feet, looking up over at the kitchen, "You alright, Lore?" He called out.

"I hate these damn, metal pots!"

Ulrich laughed out loud, "She forgot about conduction….. Poor dear…. Need any help?" He asked with a grin and raised brows.

"Leave me alone, I can do it myself, I can!"

Ulrich waved his hand, "Alright, alright…. You'd think she vas ten again, vouldn't you, Jackel?"

Darren smiled, "Yeah. But…heh….she's gotten a bit…Well…. Lets say she's gotten a tad 'fuller'….and more—" He put out both of his index fingers in the air, far apart, then he had them slowly go down and had them barely meet at the center and spread out again when the went down completely, making the shape of an hourglass, "—Well….you know…." He grinned, going pink in his cheeks with Ulrich rolling his eyes.

"Ulrich….," Erik said.

Ulrich jumped and looked at Erik as if he just noticed him for the first time, "J-Ja?"

"….My mask…?"

"Oh! Sorry…," Ulrich quickly got up, headed for the coat-rack and shuffled through the pockets of his coat until he pulled out a white, half-mask out of one of the pockets and walked over to give it to Erik who hastily put it on, "That's why you've been quiet….. Rather nervous around company, sir?"

Lenore had walked back in with a large put of water, wearing massive oven mittens with a few large towels hanging on her arm. She looked quite ridiculous.

Darren grinned at her and couldn't pass up the chance of teasing her, "Hey there, Rag Doll, mind if you come strolling my way, huh, huh?" He jumped his eyes at her and made Ulrich choke on a cough.

Lenore growled, "You know, Yank, if I had any sense left in me, I would spill all of this hot water on your skull, but, fortunately for you, Erik needs it for his wounds….. So, Pooh on you." She stuck her tongue out at him and walked to the rug and carefully set the pot and the towels down. Then Lenore noticed Erik's mask and sighed, "I've told you once…but I won't start….I'll only say this: I hate it when you wear that thing…"

Erik shrugged very slightly and said, "Don't start."

By now, without a doubt, Lenore was exhausted from the adrenaline rush and all of the excitement and she was falling asleep on the spot. The clock that was on the self which was over the fireplace read: five 'o clock. Lenore yawned as she put on the last bandage on Erik's back. When both Ulrich and she were finished with the task, Erik had his stomach and his chest wrapped up in bandages and he looked like he was feeling much better and thanked them respectively.

Lenore stretched her hands over her head and yawned, throwing them downward limply, "So sleeeeeeeplyyyy……," she mumbled, rubbing her heavy eyes. She suddenly felt a pair of hand that was laid flatly on her back, pushing her slightly.

It was Ulrich, "You should get you bed, you're falling asleep on your feet," he said gently.

Lenore smiled, then looked at the other two, "You sure? You might need me for something else…..," she asked.

"Naw," Darren said, scratching his head, "we're ok, Lore, you go on ahead…. I'm gonna tuck in for the night—er—"He looked outside and saw the sunlight breaking through, "—morning, I mean…" He grinned with half-open eyes.

Erik nodded, "I suppose I'll stay on this couch…. It's quite comfortable." He said.

Lenore looked concerned, "Are you positive, Erik? Because I can always—"

Lenore was stopped by a forceful push by Ulrich, "You're starting to sound like a house vife, Lenore, now get to bed," he said, pushing her up the stairs, "ve'll be in shortly….."

Batting Ulrich's hand away, Lenore huffed then smiled at the three of them, looking relieved at last nights events, "Codladh sámh duit," she said in such a light, Irish voice that it caught all of them all guard, which made her giggle at their dumbfounded faces and walk upstairs to bed. She walked at the end of the hall to the one door that was her room. Lenore opened it to find her bed to the far left side of the room with a window at the opposite side and the one thing that took up most of the space was a wonderful, ebony Grand Piano with its ivory keys tucked under its lid and its wires exposed to the world and all its beauty. Lenore smiled at it and closed and then walked towards it in a funny manner: her hands behind her back dancing back and forth on her tip-toes and finally reaching the bench to open the lid to find all perfect, white-ivory keys soundlessly 'asleep' and perfectly aligned with each other with not a speck of dust. Lenore softly touched the keys with the tips of her fingers, tracing them down the route of white and cold, yet soft and gentle tones of the keys, feeling any trace of abnormal traits that might've occurred while she was gone and she could also hear every note for every key in her memory as she ran her fingers down them. Lenore raised her fingers and silently closed the lid like she was covering a black blanket over her children, bent down and gently kissed it and patted it.

"I'm obsessive….," she cooed to herself, laughing lightly and crawling into her bed and sighing in what little sanity she had left. The curtains were closed, which were black, mind you, just to keep the light out, and the bed sheets were deep, royal-blue. In this, Lenore quietly drifted to sleep…

Ok, chapter 2 is up and it only gets better! Like I said before, things are going to develop slowly but it will get good, I promise! 'Til then, Lenore will entertain us with her dark humor... Well... Not in the next one...shifts eyes