Disclaimer: See chapter 1.

Author's Note: I know my absence is completely unpardonable, and I completely apologize. I have been working non-stop for the last month and a half on my little project, and it seems to be pretty much complete, except for a few tweaks here and there. If anyone is interested in seeing it, please check out my homepage link on my profile. I do believe anyone who likes fan-fiction will enjoy it. (Hint, hint) But anyway I completely reread what I've written on this fic last night and my head is back on strait, and in writer's mode (and the plot bunnies have been kind and numerous), so back to Lost Love.

Friends

Madam Giry stepped from the coach door outside of La Fenice and stared up to the beautiful structure. "This is it, Meg." She said helping her daughter from the coach.

After the driver had pulled away, Meg turned to her mother with a questioning look. "How will we find him?"

"My Dear, you don't find the Opera Ghost, he finds you." Antoinette said smiling slightly. "We shall attend this evenings performance, and see what transpires."

"Do you think we can really help him?" Meg asked, not sure that they would be of any use to him.

"If he thinks we can, then just maybe." She answered. "Come. We must find lodging near here."

Later just after dark Antoinette and Meg were putting the finishing touches on their attire for the evening, when a deep voice was heard echoing through the hotel room. "You both look very lovely."

Both women turned startled by the unexpected voice. Antoinette smirked at the figure standing just inside the window. "You, on the other hand have looked better, Erik."

Erik glanced at his own reflection in the mirror behind them. Yes, he did look rough. "Pardon my appearance, Madam. I haven't had the benefit of fine accommodations such as these for the past few days."

"Ever the gentleman, aren't we, Erik?" She asked, crossing the room to where he stood. "Even in the face of tragedy." She added noticing the fine lines of worry that crossed his forehead, and his bloodshot eyes.

"Yes, tragedy." He said closing his eyes for a moment trying to calm his nerves enough to say his next words. "Lily has been taken, and I fear for her life."

Meg spoke for the fist time, having overcome her fear at the mention of her friend. "Who would want to hurt Lily?"

"A woman from her past. Her name is Anna. She was Philippe LaChance's lover. I confronted her last night." Erik answered slumping on to the windowsill, as his strength left him.

"You are exhausted, Erik. When did you last sleep, or eat for that matter?" Antoinette asked, reaching out to steady him.

"I am fine, Madam." He answered pushing her hands away.

"What does this Anna want?" Meg asked seeing that Erik would accept no help from her mother.

"For the most part, I think she wants me dead. But she is cruel. I believe she wants it to be in some grand manner, so as to hurt Lily more. She blames both of us for her lover's death. She says when she is ready, she will find me." He tried to explain to them.

"What will you do?" Antoinette asked knowing he would not just turn himself over without a fight.

"Honestly, I don't know." He answered, and for the first time in the many years she had known him Antoinette could see true fear in his eyes. "I have tried and tried to formulate a plan in my mind to rescue her, but nothing that I believe would work will present itself.

Antoinette looked to her daughter, knowing that if a man considered to be a genius could not come up with a solution to the situation, that they were in grave trouble. She turned back to Erik seeing how his shoulders sagged, and decided that one thing was certain. "Erik, you are not thinking strait. You have had little to no sleep or food. It is affecting your mind."

"I will sleep when Lily is back in my arms." He answered her in a growling tone.

"Listen to you. We are here to help you, and you growl and snap at us. Please, Erik. For Lily's sake stay here while we go to the performance. Rest. I will order some food. We will wake you if anything important occurs tonight." Antoinette pleaded with him, knowing they needed him at his full capacity.

"But, what if Anna decides tonight is the night. If I'm not there…." He started, but Meg interrupted him.

"If you are not there, she will just have to wait until tomorrow night. If what you say is true, and you are the one she really wants her revenge against, she will wait for you. When the time comes, and you need to attempt to rescue Lily, you will wish you had taken our advice. You will need all your strength, and your wits about you to accomplish your goal." What she said made sense to him, but he wasn't sure he could go to sleep, knowing Lily was out there, alone and possibly hurt.

Lily heard the key turn in the lock, and was surprised that she would have a visitor so early in the evening. She hoped for yet another day without Anna's presence. She had given up on the possibility of trying to manipulate the woman's twisted mind. Ever time she had come close to breaking the woman, she had snapped, and after being beaten with a metal pipe two nights before, she decided it was not worth the effort.

Lily believed she would have much more luck with convincing Pierre to help her. He genuinely acted as if he cared for her well being, which she knew she could use to her advantage.

She was relieved to see Pierre's smiling face at the door. "So how are you this evening, little Lily?" He asked setting beside her and handing her a bag filled with food.

"Better, after one night without a visit from Anna." She answered, giving him a weak smile.

"That's understandable. I haven't seen her since the other night when I stopped her. I'm not sure, but maybe she took my advice and will stay away for a few days." He suggested. He looked down to the full sack of food he had brought her. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Lily looked down at the sack and tried hard to convince her self to eat. But her heart wasn't in it. "I'm sorry Pierre. I appreciate that you bring me food, but my hearts not in it tonight." She answered. She felt somehow guilty for accepting the food he brought her. Even though he was kind to her, and vowed that he would find a way to help her, he was still one of her captures. She knew if she tried to leave he would stop her, or at least she thought he would.

"Pierre, if I was to stand up and try to leave, would you stop me?" She asked testing his professed friendship.

"That would not be wise. Even if I let you leave, it would not be long before Anna found you again. Even if you went back to Paris she would hunt you down. And then she would kill both you and your Erik." He tried to reason with her. "I'm sorry, but the only way I believe you will truly be free of her is for the two of you to face her."

"You may be right, Pierre. But I prefer to face her on my own terms, and in my own territory." Lily said standing and walking towards the door. Her hand closed around the doorknob, and she wondered if this truly would be her chance to leave. She did not turn to see if he followed her as she opened the door.

But that was as far as she made it. A leering Anna was standing on the other side of the door, holding the metal pipe. "Going somewhere?" Anna asked pressing the tip of the pipe into Lily's stomach and shoving her back. Pierre immediately came forward, hoping to stop Anna from beating Lily again.

"Anna, don't." He said pushing in between them, and grasping the pipe.

He pulled the pipe from Anna's hand and tried to grasp Anna's wrist, but her hand was quicker than his as she threw her other hand forward, which had been hidden in a secret pocket in her dress. A cloud of white colored dust filled the air between them, and Pierre screamed dropping the pipe and clawing at his eyes.

Lily couldn't believe her eyes. She had never seen anyone move so fast in her life as Anna had. And within just a few seconds she was gone and Lily could hear the key turning in the lock. She flung herself against the door screaming in frustration.

Then she heard a lilting voice from the other side of the door in a mocking tone. "Oh Pierre, you are not half the man your brother was." Anna chuckled. "I knew you weren't really on my side, but I never dreamed you would find the courage to openly defy me.

Now you will share their fate." Then Lily heard the outer door open and close.

She turned around and saw that Pierre had sunk to his knees, and was vigorously rubbing at his eyes. She kneeled next to him grasping both of his hands. "Stop rubbing them. You're making it worse."

"It burns." He said trying to pull his hands free.

"Stop fighting me. I will get the water." She said reaching out and grasping the water pail he had brought her the night before. She cupped the water in her hands and gently washed the powder from his eyes. When he had finally stopped trying to rub them she stopped. "Now, look at me and tell me how it feels."

He rocked back on his knees and forced his eyes open, blinking several times. "It is better, but it still hurts."

"It will get better. I have seen it many times. It is just theatre makeup. It burns horribly if you get it in your eyes, but it wears off after a while." Lily explained.

She stared at him wondering at his willingness to protect her. He had gone so much farther than she had ever expected from him. "Why did you do that?"

He stared at the now locked door, which he had foolishly left the key in, giving Anna the perfect opportunity to make him a prisoner also. "I couldn't stand by and watch her harm you. I may be a little over cautious, Lily. But I am no coward."

"You know she is going to kill us, don't you?" She asked him trying to make him realize how serious his mistake might have been.

He looked her in the face, and she could see the resignation in his eyes. "I think I've known that all along, Lily. I just hoped I would figure out a way to stop it. You deserve better than this. I'm sorry."

"No more than you do, my friend." She said shaking her head.

"Friend. I am honored that you would call me such, even if I don't deserve it." He said hanging his head.

Lily reached out and took one of his hands in hers. "Pierre, you have become a dear friend to me. You have risked so much for me. More than most would."

He looked up at her and smiled. "You are the most perfect soul I have ever come across in all my days, Lily. I would risk the world for you."

Lily felt slightly uncomfortable at his words. She did not know how to interpret them. But before she could ask his meaning he pulled his hand from hers and reached over to the abandoned sack of food he had brought with him. "If you don't mind. I haven't eaten yet today."

"No, go ahead." She answered sitting next to him and accepting the apple he handed her.