Meg woke to find a strange weight settled across her waist and legs. When she turned a bit she saw it was Erik's arm that was holding her close to his chest, and by the slightly scratchy material feeling, Meg gathered that it was his leg thrown over hers that gave them weight. A small smile spread across her face as she remembered last night's exchange of words, but surely they were not meant the way they seemed. That would just be insane!

He's so peaceful, she thought. While she didn't want to wake him, it was getting late. Meg reached up to kiss his marred cheek. "Erik, its time to wake up."

"Mmph." Erik's arm tightened around Meg, pulling her even tighter to his bare chest.

"Eep!" Meg squealed, and then she giggled at the situation that for some strange reason wasn't awkward at all. "Erik, wake up!" A sudden lurching in her stomach however, caused her to scramble out of the bed and into the bathroom, where she proceeded to empty the meager contents of her stomach.

Erik was instantly at her side, surprisingly quick for someone who had been fast asleep then woken on the floor. He held back her hair and stroked her back, all the while murmuring comforting words to her. When Meg was done, he gathered her up in his arms and sat for a moment before letting go. Immediately, Meg washed out her mouth and scrubbed her face, and then she leaned heavily against the sink.

"Were you sick on the way here?" Erik inquired, handing her a towel.

Meg nodded, "A bit, but I don't remember much of that."

"What do you remember?" Taking her hand, Erik led her to the cot where they both sat down. Meg shuddered and was silent for a moment. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"You know the saying that talking about things makes them better?" Erik nodded. "Well I just want to get rid of it. Honestly there isn't much to tell, but will you listen?" Answered by a nod and a reassuring pat on the hand, Meg started.

"I can remember being shut in a really dark, cold room. There were a lot of men in the room next to mine. Sometimes I could hear them talking, and the times that I could I think it was about me. I wasn't given a lot of food and the times that I was it wasn't much. They kept telling me that they liked their women skinny. I started to be able to figure out day and night by the times that the men came in. They alternated every night, and nothing that they did was gentle. We docked in New York and they took me to the house where they threw me in with the others. The women in the room didn't have much to say, most of the time we slept. In the beginning I never got any food. Everyone else fought over it and by the time I got to the plate there was nothing but crumbs left. I do wonder how much weight I lost…" she trailed off for a moment and Erik looked at her closely.

All of a sudden she seemed to gain ten years. Her face was gaunt, arms small enough to encircle with overlapping fingers, and her ribs and hips jutted out from under her skin (A/N: note you cant actually see that, but I felt that needed to be put in to make people see how much weight she really lost… -shrugs-). Meg's eyes didn't sparkle as they once did, and faint lines appeared around her eyes. Erik drew back a bit, his Meg had changed. But it wasn't just externally, she now had an air of maturity that she hadn't had before. Her innocence had long sense died and been replaced with something that made her seem untouchable, breakable even. It struck Erik as a bit odd how Meg seemed so able to talk about the very things and people who had caused her to change so much. Erik just shook it off, dismissing it as if her odd reaction was nothing.

Three months passed calmly, for the most part anyway. Meg couldn't seem to shake her seasickness and she became a bit withdrawn, but since Erik had no experience with people, he didn't know if it was normal or not. Although he did find she prayed more than usual, and when she thought Erik was asleep, Meg would talk to her mother. Because she was quiet about it, Erik never heard much other than small snatches here and there such as: "Please let this pass," or "Don't let it be true," even "I can't Maman, I'm not ready." Erik could never figure out what she was talking about, and he wouldn't till they got back to France.

"Erik?"

"Yes?" Erik looked at Meg who was carrying her small bag down the crowded streets.

"Can I visit Christine soon? I haven't talked to them in so long." Meg had started asking Erik for permission to do things that she really didn't. It wasn't as if she was his wife or anything. She was a free woman who didn't have anyone to answer to.

A wave of anger washed over Erik, he didn't want to see the fop. To be completely honest, he didn't want to see Christine either. She didn't exactly invoke any pleasant memories. But as he looked down at Meg walking despondently next to him, he knew that he could bear anything for her. "Of course we can Meg."

"You don't have to come if you don't want to." She said quietly, still walking.

"I don't mind." Much, he added silently.

"You really don't have to."

"I would almost say that you don't want me to come," Erik retorted. Meg just shrugged and the both of the m just walked in silence back to the opera house.

When thy got back everything was exactly as Erik had left it, orderly chaos. It made Meg happier to take in the sight of sheet music and candles strewn about the lair. Meg hurried into her bedroom to put away her things that Scarlett had so graciously given her. Erik looked after her a moment and went into his room to do the same. When he came out, wearing fresh clothes, he found Meg cooking in the kitchen.

"What are you cooking?" He asked leaning against the doorframe.

"Beef stew."

"Smells good."

"Hm." She stirred for a moment.

"Meg are you okay?" Faint worry edged Erik's voice.

When she turned to face him, Meg had a hard glint in her eyes. "Did you mean what you said the first night we were on the ship?" Her voice was cold.

Confusion settled on Erik's features. "What did I say?"

A slight glimmer of tears appeared in Meg's eyes and she turned back to the stew, "Never mind."

"Meg what did I say?" Erik racked his memory for the first night on board, but the days all seemed to meld together.

"I said never mind," Meg snapped. She threw down the spoon on the counter and stormed into the library.

"Meg I honestly can't remember," Erik followed her, "Meg please tell me."

Meg stood with her back to him, her shoulders shaking slightly. The dusty tomes on the wall seemed to be very interesting at the moment. Erik walked over to her, took her shoulders, and turned her towards him, gently. "Meg what did I say?"

They stood that way for a few minutes. Meg opened her mouth as if to tell him, but she gasped, "The stew!" She ran into the kitchen, her skirts flapping. With a sigh Erik followed her.

The stew was bubbling and steam was billowing out of the large black pot. Gently Meg ladled it out into two bowls and sat them on the table. The table groaned under the small amount of weight, causing Meg's frown to deepen. "We need to get a new table soon. This one won't hold up for much longer." Erik nodded and got out the spoons and cups, which he filled with water. As soon as everything was in order, the pair sat down and began eating.

"I'm going to visit Christine tomorrow." Meg said, peering at Erik over her cup.

"Oh?" She nodded, watching him closely. "Do you not want me to come?"

"Only if you don't want to."

"I would very much like to keep you company." Meg nodded again, slower this time. Almost as if she was contemplating what to say next.

"Fine." And they finished their meal in silence.

After they finished eating Meg went into her room and shut the door, slamming it slightly. Erik stayed behind for a moment, and put the dishes into the sink. He looked at them for a moment before deciding that they could wait until tomorrow. Making his way over to the organ he thought about Meg's odd attitude. What did I say to her? Erik shook his head and instead of going to the organ as he originally intended, he walked to Meg's door and knocked. "Meg?" Answered by silence he knocked again. "Meg will you let me in?" He heard Meg sniff behind the door, and the bed groan. Erik rolled his eyes and tried to open the door, it wasn't locked.

When he opened the door, it took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness that the room was in. He sighed and walked around the room lighting candles, giving the room a soft glow. Meg cried out and threw the blankets over her head, burying herself in their warmth. Erik sat on the bed and pried the covers off her head. The face that met him was blotchy, red, and angry. "I could have been naked you know!" She snapped.

"But my dear, you aren't." Erik gave her a wry smile which she answered with a sniff. "What did I tell you?"

"Nothing! Now go away and let me sleep." Her voice was raspy and rough.

"Not until you tell me what I told you."

"You told me…"

Erik realized that he was holding his breath and he let it out. "Meg just tell me!" he could feel the anger bubbling up in his veins.

"NO!"

"WHY THE HELL NOT!"

"BECAUSE!"

"ARGH!" Erik hurled himself at Meg's head and threw his hands on the bed on either side of her head.

Meg squeaked. Erik was leaning over her, breathing heavily with his shirt open down to his waist. Can you say déjà vu?

"Now will you tell me?"

Tears squeezed out of Meg's eyes. "You told me that you loved me." She turned onto her side and hid her face in the pillow.

Erik gasped, he remembered. "And you said it back…" Meg nodded. "And you don't think that I meant it?" She shook her head. "Oh Meg," Something warm splashed onto Meg's face, when she looked up at Erik she saw that he was crying.

"Don't cry," she sat up and wiped away the tears that were falling down his face. "Erik don't cry."

"Meg, I can't believe that I forgot." Erik gathered her up in his arms and lovingly embraced her.

"Did you mean it?" She whispered, tilting her head up to him.

Erik gazed down at her. Tears trickled down Meg's face and he brushed them way gently. "Did you?"

"I asked you first."

Holding his breath, Erik debated whether or not to tell her that he was indeed in love with her. But in doing so, Meg mistook his silence for a negative answer rather than the answer of a man who had has his heart broken numerous times. "I knew you didn't mean it."

"Meg I never said I didn't mean it."

"But you never said that you did."

"Well I was going to!" he snapped.

Meg looked up at him sharply. "You what?"

"I said that I mean it when I said that I loved you. I still love you. God Meg!"

A slow smile spread across Meg's face that was accompanied by warmth that didn't come from the blankets. "Good."

"Good?"

"Yes good."

"Why good?"

"Because then I don't have to feel like a fool."

"A fool?"

"Yes a fool."

"Why a fool?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I love you too."

The goofy grin that was on Meg's face soon adorned Erik's. "You love me?" Meg nodded. "Honestly?" She nodded again. Erik laughed out loud. "You love me." He repeated it over and over as if to convince himself that it was real. "You really love me?"

"Oh God Erik. Yes I love you. Now be quiet."

"Why?"

"Because," Meg kissed him gently. "I said so." Still smiling Meg kissed Erik to shut him up. This kiss was different for Erik. He knew that Meg loved him! Nothing that he could say could match the soaring feeling that he felt right now. Slowly Meg lay back on the bed drawing Erik down with her. "I love you Erik."

"I love you Meg." Meg smiled and turned over so that her back was up against Erik's chest.

"Good night." She yawned and within minutes she was asleep.

"God I cant believe that you love me…" Erik whispered. He shook his head, put his arm around Meg's waist to draw her close and he too was asleep in minutes.