10

Disclaimer: I don't own POTO, duh! But I do own any OC's I do not own Meg or Erik. Sadly..

Sebastian could have sworn he saw a man up in the rafters. A man with a long black cloak. His face was white as death, but that was all he could see. It wasn't a stage hand, because they weren't at their posts. He grew curious of who the man was, long after he was gone. Was he the one that caused the famous fire that made him worry about Meg's safety?

----

Erik returned to find Meg sitting on the bed with his music box.

"Have fun?" She asked him. He smiled and nodded, but he really didn't. It hurt to remember Christine, and how much he loved her.Meg set his music box back on the end table, and walked to him. "You don't look like you did. Your eyes are a bit red.."

"It's nothing." He told her, trying to stop her from worrying about him. "Dust or something blew in my eye."

"Erik.." She responded. "It isn't that windy outside." He quickly went to the organ, trying not to have to talk about it. "You were thinking about Christine again, weren't you?"

"Like I said, It's nothing Meg. I just remembered when she and Raoul got together, It's nothing to concern yourself with." But she wouldn't leave him be. She sat with him on the organ, and talked to him.

"We had this discussion.." She told him gently. "She doesn't know what she gave up. Your a great guy."He starred down at the organ as she spoke, trying so hard to believe her. To get it through his head that Christine was gone. "But it's no big surprise." That caught him off guard. "Christine is a wonderful person. She's pretty, She's talented, and most of all, she's a real bitch." Erik didn't reply, he knew Meg was right, she was a bitch. "I don't understand why your still holding onto her, she's gone."

"It's hard to let go of something." Erik replied as he tapped a few keys bordly. "When you've got nothing new to hang onto." Meg put her hand on the back of his, and held it lightly.

"You've got me." She was quiet with her words. She knew them, but she didn't know if Erik would take them. To her surprise, he shook her hand off and hugged her. "I can stay here with you...until you feel better. Until Christine is out of your mind." That made his grip on her tighten, he needed her, she could tell. "I won't go back for Ballet, For Sebastian or Alex, I'll tell mother I'm helping a friend. She won't ask who, and I'll stay with you. If you want me too."

"Please.." He whispered. Meg nodded and broke their hug for only a moment.

"I'll go get some things, and come back. I'll stay as long as it takes, or as long as you want me." Erik nodded, and took her to the mirror. Before she left to grab a few things, she hugged him, and asked him to wait. He watched as the blond girl stepped through the mirror, the mirror that separated them for only a bit.

-----

Meg went strait to the dormitories, her doll lay neatly on her bed. She grabbed a bag from under her bed, and put a few dresses in it, she put her doll inside her bag; glad she would be able to help Erik. She liked him; he was a nice guy. Very innocent. He longed for someone to love him, to take care of him. Meg had lived a few years thinking he was no longer there. Living in Christine Daae's shadow; she began to starve. Erik forced the food in her throat, not literally but still. She rested her doll carefully in her bag and started out the door. Sebastian waited for her; hugging her.

"Megara, where did you run off to?"

"I'm helping a friend." She replied. Pulling apart from him. "He's had a lot of problems in the past; and he needs me. I've got to go meet him."

"He's not hurting you is he? Touching you? Forcing you to do what you don't want to? He isn't putting guilt on your shou-?" she put a finger on his lips.

"No. No he just needs me to be around. I can't guarantee when I'll be back, but soon I hope."

"He isn't going to hurt you is he?" She shook her head. "OK. But if he does, you come tell me and I'll tear him a new-"

"I know. Tell my mother where I am if she asks." Sebastian nodded. Watching as the blond angel whom he loved walked out of sight. While Meg returned to the mirror, She had been stopped by Alex. He was smiling at her proudly, as if he'd accomplished something.

"Hello Meg." He greeted. Smiling. Meg smiled too, but wished he would leave so she could go and meet Erik. Like she'd promised. Alex began to make small talk with her, He talked about the hospital, everything that had been happening, like the patents, the nurses's gossip he'd overheard, and anything else. She wanted to leave, but he wouldn't let her.

----

When Meg hadn't returned; Erik felt worse. He was not surprised that Meg hadn't come back; it was an escape attempt. But when Sebastian came running in, having seen her come into the dressing room before, and was screaming her name. Erik knew something was wrong. He slid the window open without thinking it through, and starred at Sebastian, face to face.

"Where is Meg?" Erik asked, his voice was cold as ice. Sebastian hesitated, but shook his head.

"I don't know. I'm scared to death! If something happened to her-" But Erik was already out the door and in the rafters. Sebastian was following, hoping that man knew where his precious Meg was.He moved like a shadow through the rafters, but then saw Sebastian following him.

"What do you want?" Erik hissed. "I'm searching for Meg on my own. I don't need your help."

"Monsieur. Certainly we can look for her together, you've got some strange attachment to her; and I'm her friend. Why-"

"I will be the one to find her." He barked. "You go back to wherever you came from. Meg is my responsibility."

"Who are you?" Sebastian kept following him as Erik tried to lose him. He did not want his help in finding Meg. He knew how that story would end.

"That is none of your concern. If someone has stolen Meg, I swear." He pulled the sword out from it's holder. "They'll taste the steel of my blade. If they've touched her, I'll slice them up so bad they'll make a new color of snow., if they kill her." He clinched his sword. "I'll put them in the morgue." He put his sword back and started running again. "I don't need you to help me."

"Two people looking is better than one." Sebastian told him, determined to find Meg as well. "I can't think of anyone who would want to hurt her."

"What are you doing?" Erik and Sebastian looked over the side of the rafters. They heard the voice from a room below; Erik jumped, grabbed a rope and slid down to the door."Stop It-!" Erik and Sebastian waited not for another word; they barged in and saw Alex forcing himself on her. Erik drew his sword and told Meg to hurry and dress. She did, trying her best not to show anything more; but the two men who were trying to save her, they were her friends and wouldn't care if they got a peek or not. Erik held his sword to Alex's throat while Meg went to Sebastian. "Get her out!" Sebastian nodded and took Meg into the hall; Erik sliced Alex up badly, blood running down his arm.He slid his sword back into the holder and Meg them out in the hallway. Erik looked as if he was going to break down and cry right there; but he didn't. He just looked at Meg, her blond hair now messed up; the dress that was barely hanging onto her shoulders, and her bag in her hand still had her doll in it. He hugged her. "Don't scare me like that. I thought something had happened; I thought you were taken somewhere and been murdered." Erik told her, Sebastian nodding along with him.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you guys. I was coming back to you." She looked up at Erik. "But Alex stopped me and started talking, he got me in there-and-oh god It was horrible." She started to cry; Erik and Sebastian fought over rights to hold her.