Disclaimer: I don't own Phantom of the Opera or Wicked.

Remember: Keep your hand at the level of your eyes, and nothing matters but knowing nothing matters.

Chapter IV: Setting Off

Elphie woke the next morning under a heavy fleece blanket. She blinked.

This wasn't here when I went to sleep…

Shrugging it off, she detected the faint sounds of Erik's organ. She slipped through the door and walked up behind him, losing herself in his music. He ended the piece a minute later and pivoted on the bench to see her properly.

"You're awake, I see."

She nodded, rolling her eyes.

He smiled ruefully, turning back to the sheets of music.

"And I saw that as well. Did you have a good sleep?"

"Yes… I was wondering, how did that fleece blanket make its way to my bed in the night?"

He stiffened. "You looked chilled."

She edged him over so she had room to sit. "Did you stay up all night?"

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"Well, yes, but I thought –"

"If there is one thing I do that is honorable, Mademoiselle Elphaba, it is that I keep my word. Always."

Elphie tossed her hair. "I see. In that case, you are bound to assist me in finding Fiyero."

His gaze snapped to her. "I didn't… fine." There was no point in arguing with the girl; she had proven to be a match for him.

Erik whirled from the bench and swept his cloak over his shoulders in a fluid motion that left Elphie staring in admiration.

She sprang from the seat as well and hurried back into the Louis-Philippe room. She emerged with her own dark cloak whipping around her arms, but he had beaten her. Erik stood waiting at the gondola, fedora on, fixing her with a stare only the Opera Ghost could.

Elphie cursed under her breath for having been so slow, then her eyes widened as it clicked. "I need to make one thing clear: I will not go anywhere in that rickety little craft."

Erik's lip curled in a mock sneer. "Don't you trust me?"

She snorted. "Hardly. Is the passage we used last night blocked?"

"No."

"Then we're using it."

Erik's eyes flashed as he followed her stiffly down the passage. She dared defy him?

Elphaba strode ahead, not particularly caring about Erik's reaction.

Not water…

Anything but water…

She heard his cloak swirl in the cool air and spun around. "If you think you can creep up on me like that, you're wrong."

Erik's breath caught in his throat. No one had ever heard him approach from behind before now. He glanced down and quickly whipped the lasso out of sight behind his back, feigning innocence.

"Perhaps you are simply being paranoid, mademoiselle," he suggested as he swept past, stowing the lasso back in his cloak for another time.

They found the morning overcast upon reaching the Rue de Rivoli. Erik hailed a cab and Elphie leapt back to avoid the splash of water on the street.

She grabbed his arm as he attempted to climb in.

"Where are we going?" she asked, eyeing the horses warily.

Erik fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Darling, we're going to find your brother, don't you remember?"

Elphie frowned. "No, we're looking for… your student," she finished, catching on.

The cab driver glanced over his shoulder at the passengers. Thankfully he didn't notice Elphie's skin; her hair had fallen forward as she clambered inside and obscured his view.

Erik settled on the seat across from her, stretching his long legs. "Château de Chagny, rapidement," he barked, and the carriage set off immediately.

Elphie gave him a puzzled expression, and he crossed to sit beside her so the driver wouldn't hear.

"The chateau is where Christine lives," he explained.

Elphie wanted to slap him. "What about Fiyero? You promised to help me!" After a beat, she added, "And he's not my brother; you know that. I didn't spend the afternoon pouring out my past to you for nothing."

Erik leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Yes, but we must present a respectable face to the outside world first."

She still glowered at him, and he threw up his hands.

"Fine. Christine doesn't live with him, alright? No one knows where she is."

Elphaba raised an eyebrow. "They why are we going to this… residence, if you know she's not there?"

Erik adjusted his mask slightly. "Because even though its occupant is my greatest adversary, he knows Christine's whereabouts."

Leaning back with a gloating smile, he added, "His servants keep tabs on all the strangers in the city, and… on occasion, he sends them after me."

"Why?"

He snorted impatiently. "To have me brought to him, to get 'information about Christine', but torture me and kill me. Obviously, he hasn't succeeded."

He moved back to his original seat, and they both stared out the windows.

Elphie broke the tense silence. "So, you're walking into a trap?"

Erik's eyes flickered. "You could say that."

"For me… Thank you."

He said nothing.

The carriage lurched unexpectedly to a halt outside the mansion, and Elphie was thrown into Erik's chest as he stood. Pulling herself up, she caught the glimmer in his eyes.

"Feeling forward today, are we?" he purred, straightening his cravat.

"Definitely not."

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A/N: This was fun to write, especially the ending. I've read enough romance novels in the past year to want to put something in about their carriage ride.  I also liked the idea of Erik stepping out of his comfort zone (a little OC, I must admit) for Elphie's benefit.

Phantomfreak07