Ok... Another long chapter, but it's good! Another note: Nightingale is the nickname Lenore use to have as a child, that's why Erik's used to call her that. In fact, there's a Poem about a Nightingale and a white rose--which I had no idea about until much later. Well, it's pretty much about a Nightingale that adores white roses (which Lenore does), this is a Persian legend, and when Allah named the white rose "Queen Flowers", the rather impulsive nightingale flew down to embrace her and was then struck by her thorns. The birds blood dropped onto the roses, and thus, the Red Rose was created. Hmmm... That's probably why Lenore's blood tends to spill quite easily...thinksNote: I had no idea of this legend until much recently by a lovely women by the name of LadyGhost.

The Phantom Of The Opera (c) Their wonderful owners and/or creators

Lenore, Ulrich, Darren (c) ME.

I'm Sorry…..I Don't Understand?

Lenore blinked rather hard to try and figure out what there's to talk about…. Alone…? Her heart made a huge leap in her throat causing her to cough uncomfortably, "Er…S-Sure? But where…?" How strange….

Erik looked upstairs, "Perhaps…. In the hallway…?" He said.

"How did you—"

"Oh, come now, Lenore. I'm an Architecture… don't underestimate me." He gave her a smirk. Lenore hadn't seen that in a long time.

"Sorry, sir," Lenore suddenly felt eight all over again, calling Erik 'sir' all the time to show her respect to her elder. Then again, she felt younger. Erik gently escorted her up the stairs silently, Darren was too busy peaking at the logs and constantly trying to entertain himself. When they were at the center of the hallway, Lenore politely had her hands in front of her, giving Erik her full attention. Erik softly smiled at her, his green and blue eyes looking rather proud and his dark-brown hair pulled back but he defiantly looked older.

"Lenore….," Erik said, looking concerned of himself to try and search certain words to describe himself at the moment.

"Listen, Erik, if this something we cannot discuss over breakfast—"

"It is!" Erik said suddenly, putting a hand over his mouth and shifting his eyes, sighing, "This is… Between us….. Lenore. It's very personal."

Lenore, who didn't realize it at the time, gave Erik such an innocent look of wonderment and curiosity that she looked like she was a small child again. Her deep-blue eyes glowing in the afternoon sun and her white-hair shining in the rays but she managed to look innocently cute to where you didn't dare raise your voice or it would be one of the greatest of sins on this great earth. It was the kind of look to where to couldn't do anything else but confess your deepest and darkest secrets and know they would be safe from anyone else…, "Us…?" she said quietly, cocking her head slightly like a curious puppy, " Em…I….. I don't understand….." Dear God, the Irish accent made it worse!

Erik took in a deep breath and sighed, looked at her sorrowfully, "…..Lenore, I've been awful to you…." He said.

"…..What….?" Lenore muttered uncertainly, "What do you mean?"

"I…," Erik hesitated, fearing that it would greatly hurt Lenore if he told her, "…Ever since we separated during that night of the falling Opera……ever since then I….. When you told me to come with you…. I know you remember, Nightingale…… When I rejected your offer……. Ever since then, Lenore…," He sighed deeply and noticed Lenore waiting very patiently for a reason, "….I haven't even paid you any mind, sweet Nightingale. I… I was very close to forgetting you entirely…. The only thing person I could think about…. Was Christine……" He suddenly noticed her deep-blue eyes had gotten darker, almost black as she looked down at her feet, almost ready to…cry.

"…..Th-That's alright…. I mean……," Lenore said quietly, "….Its understandable…… I su-suppose… …But….. Not at a-all, Erik…?"

Erik slowly shook his head, "No…"

Suddenly, Lenore jerked her head up with a bright smile and a tear rolling down her cheek, "Its okay, Erik, really is it! I mean, Christine was your first 'love' and you obsessed with her for years! It's not your fault, honestly, I don't blame you!"

Erik absolutely knew Lenore was lying in his face. She was giving him the same act she gave him nine years ago when she confessed her mothers death and tried to feel 'okay' about it, "Lenore, stop…."

Lenore stopped and just looked up at him with a sad face, "….I was just a child…. I wouldn't think you'd remember me at all, to be frank…. I think the only way you remember me is because of my hair, but then again, I'm use to it—"

"Stop that!" Erik snapped, "You're not suppose to get 'use to it' and you know it, Lenore! I hate it when you say that! You're not suppose to get at all atone to it! And, mind you, it's not because of your hair it's because of you!" He said then suddenly he wrapped his arms around her chest and hugged her tightly, "……I'm sorry!" he breathed, resting his chin on her shoulders.

Lenore stood there with her arms hanging loosely to her side, for once in her life, lost for words. Her face set as stone and her heart rolling at the bottom of her feet before finally coming to a halt. What are you suppose to say? What can you say? After worrying about someone forseven years and finding out they forgotten about you….? And after what he's been through…. After what she's been through….

"….So….," Lenore said quietly, barely moving her lips, "…….what do you want…. Me to say…..? Herr Erik…."

Erik slowly pulled away from his embrace and looked down at the emotionless face that was Lenore's, "Lenore… I want you to….. At least except my apology…. Unless you don't want to accept it… that's understandable," He whispered.

He's playing the victim…… ……But…… What am I suppose to do? What can I do…?

Lenore slowly felt her chest become tight and hard to breath, feeling her vocal-cords contract and her eyes contracting having small amounts of tears collect on the corners as she leaned forward and rested her forehead on Erik's chest, breathing in sharply, "D-Don't make me choose, E-Erik…! It's not f-fair… You know I would never be angry…. For something as innocent as that…. You know…. That I've always loved you…. like the f-f-father I did loose…."

Erik sighed at himself, feeling somewhat relieved about Lenore's thoughts as he hugged her tightly against him with a peaceful smile on his face and slowly humming a song to try to calm the remorse child. I should've known, he thought, Lenore's better than that…… She's truly grown-up now……… But, I am curious about the black marks on her hands……

"Erik…," Lenore said softly.

"Hn?"

Lenore looked up at him with prickled spots of red on her light-skinned cheeks, "I suggest you go and take a shower in Darren's room before breakfast. There's an extra, large robe for you." She smiled half-heartedly with an embarrassing expression.

Erik instantly went bright red, "Right. Don't explain," he said promptly as he quickly went into the room to the left.

"The other room, Mr. Opera Ghost!"

"That's not funny, Lenore!" Erik bounded to the room on the right and closed the door.

Lenore laughed lightly and went downstairs to find Ulrich and Darren in the kitchen arguing about what else should be used for breakfast.

"I say hash-browns are a good choice! It would go great with the sausages!" Darren exclaimed.

"Nien!" Ulrich snarled, fending Darren away with a nasty fork, "Vere not haffing anymore bread-like foods! It's bad enough we've got all these grease—"

"Boys….," Lenore sighed, feeling like a mother, leaning on the wall with folded arms and a gentle smile on her face, "….what are we bickering about…eh?"

"Lenore!" Darren said excitedly as he trotted to her, "Ulrich is being a bastard—sorry—he's not going to have any hash-browns with this breakfast! Were only having toasted bread, didn't you say you need to have wheat-like food to get your energy up, yah, yah? And…," He calmed himself down, "I think Erik might need the energy…. You know?" he said, smiling at her.

"No! Vere no haffing any—"

"…..Ulrich!" Lenore said, looking emotionally tired, "Let us make today a bit of a celebration…! Let's just have the hash-browns—as a reward for Darren's hard work for last night." She grinned at Darren who jumped like a five-year-old with glee.

Ulrich huffed and started making the potatoes into diced slices. On the side was a plate of beacon, sausages, and stacked of toasted bread with a jar of jam on the side.

Suddenly there was a hard knock on the front of the door……

Erik was enjoying himself under the hot, rushing water of the shower. His wounds did ache, yes, but thanks to the care of Lenore and Ulrich, they were healing very nicely indeed. He folded his arms and bowed his head, watching the dried blood become liquid again and snake down his legs and down into the drain in massive amounts. Erik took great care to wash himself thoroughly, God only knows since the last time he was decently bathed, scrubbing under his nails (which was a royal pain) and washing his hair and neck. Surprisingly, the bandages were rather water-proof and this wasn't much of an advantage and then again it was.

Sighing, Erik turned off the water, stepped out, wrapped a large towel around him and sitting on a stool in the steamy bathroom, dripping.

"Now it was lucky of me... Lenore… Ulrich…," He chuckled to himself, "…Darren… These children… They saved me. …..But, what are they going to do….? Their thieves… criminals… Well, even more now." He looked over his shoulder and saw a sink inches away from his nose and he leaned against it with his mask lying right above his head. He looked up at the ceiling deep in thought, recapping on memories from long ago… when he first met Lenore at age eight by a terrible accident, almost resulting in her death if it hadn't been him to save her…. When she spent weeks with him in his Labyrinth, extremely grateful and respectful towards him and bonded him in almost like a daughter-father relationship. He never thought he'd get so close to such a loner of a oddball child….. But she was comically entertaining and mischievous for her age, not to mention quite mature. However…. Lenore's curiosity got the best of her when she had taken off his mask…. He almost killed her that day, grabbing the small creature by the neck and acting like a uncontrollable animal, choking what little life she had left in her. By Lenore's quick thinking, she said she didn't think less of him… she swore, on her mothers grave….. that was the only thing that made him release her and cower away in a corner. And then Lenore had the courage to approach him again, apologizing for what she had done. Erik then told her to leave, telling her that he's nothing more than a monster…. But she protested, telling him he was the most intelligent person she had eve met in her life and then embracing him warmly and acting as if nothing happened. She even touched his face…. Telling him there was nothing wrong with him.

Erik, while thinking of this, had dried and put on a long, black robe and walked down the hallway and suddenly heard some noises of another man…. Much older than the boys…..

"Listen you three, I heard about the Gypsies thing last night, and I think you're apart of it!"

The man sounded extremely upset.

Wow... Another look into the bond of Erik and Lenore... Poor Lenore always gets herself into trouble! Silly Nightingale. 8D