"The monster is still there," Madeline pointed out. "He still wants to hurt you."

"Erik cares for me," Adellade argued. She sighed and curled up in the chair. "Unlike you."

"I only wanted to protect you. From him."

"He's not a monster. He would never do a thing to hurt me."

"What about the times he allowed the gypsies to hurt you?"

"That doesn't-"

"And all those days spent in Mazenderan? When he wouldn't do what he was told even though he knew you would be hurt?"

"He did his best. We would've been dead if it hadn't been for him."

"And the times at the opera house? Or have you forgotten that he was the one who led to my death? To the death of your own mother?"

"You are not my mother."

"Then who brought you into this world? Who raised you? Who gave you the love a mother should?"

"Erik raised me. He gave me love you never gave."

"I am your mother, Adellade."

"You were never my mother."

A knock sounded at the door and she went to answer it. "Erik? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see if you had slept any last night," he pointed out, stepping inside. "And also to tell you that Gustave loved his present. I'm surprised you managed to obtain Garnier's journal of the opera house designs."

"He was happy to pass it along," she pointed out. "I've had them for some time now, actually. He said there was no need for them after they had finished turning the opera house into a ballet school-and he didn't want to see them destroyed of course. I figured Gustave would be happy to have them. He does have an interest in architecture, you know. Just like his father."

"Just like his father indeed." Erik sighed. "Though I'm correct in presuming you didn't sleep last night?"

She shifted her weight. "I couldn't. The nightmares, remember?"

"Of course."

"You know he doesn't truly care," Madeline pointed out. "He only came as a courtesy."

"You do still need to sleep," Erik continued.

"I can't. We've been over this already. I just simply can't."

"Have you tried?"

"How can you call that 'caring' when he wants to send you back to the nightmares?"

"It's not that simple," Adellade argued. "The things that happen during the nightmares…. They frighten me, Erik. I can't sleep for a moment knowing what happens the second I close my eyes…. Some I don't even wake from. And when I do: there are moments when I don't know where I am or how to return home."

"You've been sleepwalking again."

"Yes. They just feel too real at times…. Far too real…. Sometimes I wasn't certain if I was asleep or awake…. Do you know what that's like? To not know if you're trapped in a nightmare or if the nightmare is your life?"

"Every day when you were in Mazenderan. Never knowing what they might do to you...if that was the last time I would see you alive…."

"And yet he still wishes to see you returned to sleep," Madeline pointed out. "He knows exactly what awaits you when you sleep, and he won't do a thing about it! How can you call that 'caring'? I would never do that to my own daughter. I would never rest until there was a way to banish all those horrid things from your mind."

"So you know why I can't sleep, Erik."

"Adellade…."

"Please. I can't sleep. Not when that's going to happen to me-not when I'm frightened of what I'll see, of what may happen while I'm sleeping…."

"But to live the rest of your life without sleep?" he argued.

"If it'll keep away the nightmares. If it'll keep all of that away, then why not?"

"Because you need to sleep, Adellade."

"I don't want to!" she screamed at him. "I don't want to see the nightmares again! Don't you understand that? I can't see them again! I just can't!"

"They're not real," he insisted, gently holding her by the shoulders. "You know that, Adellade. None of what you see is real."

"He doesn't listen to you." Madeline smirked. "See how he twists your mind around? The same way he's been twisting your mind for all these years…."

"That doesn't matter. I can't see those things again. I can't." She stepped back from him and turned around. "Perhaps you ought to leave. Nothing you say will change anything."

She flinched as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "Erik would recite a thousand words if he believed it would take away every single nightmare."

"It won't change a thing. They'll still be there. And I can't see them again, Erik. I can't."

"I know," he whispered. "But you still need to sleep."

"Erik. I-"

She was cut off as he pressed his hand against her lips, the other one wrapping around her. Adellade gagged as he poured something into her mouth, pressing his palm down so she couldn't spit it out. She grabbed at his arm, trying to free herself, trying to pull him off her.

He released her and she stumbled forward, coughing and gasping for breath.

"What was that?" she demanded, glaring at him. "Erik…."

He held her up as the floor began to sway under her. She blinked, her vision blurring, her limbs growing heavier, refusing to hold her up.

"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "You didn't. Erik. Please." She reached up to grab him, holding onto his shirt. "Please. Don't. You can't…."

"I warned you he was a monster," Madeline's distant voice gloated. "Look at what he's done to you now…."

XXXXX

Erik sighed and picked her up, carrying her to the bed. He gently laid her down and pulled up a chair.

He reached into his pocket and stared at the vials in his hand. The man had said that there was enough strength in them for her to fall asleep instantly-while half would be enough to lull her into sleep. He still had three more left….

Yet the way she had looked at him once she had realized what he had done…. The hurt in her eyes was enough to cause him pain-not to mention the begging, pleading look she had given him. He wished that to see her fast asleep would be enough, yet he couldn't help but imagine what she was seeing now.

There had been nights when she didn't want to fall asleep in Mazenderan. Nights when she would do anything to stay up just for a moment longer. Yet those nights she had wanted to stay awake just to see him-because she knew he would be gone to work on the palace or do some other thing that the Shah had commanded once the sun rose. She had been afraid of falling asleep on a night when a nightmare had been particularly horrid, but he had always been able to help her fall asleep once more. For her to stay awake this long without any sleep for fear of what she might see…. How horrible were the nightmares now?

"If only there was something that Erik could give you that would banish the nightmares from your mind even for just one night...just one night…." He sighed and looked at her. "Every happiness I've known has been because of you. You were the first to ever show any kindness to a little boy up in an attic. You were the one who came to my cage and tried to make me smile with your dances. You were the one who brought me drinks at the inn. You were the one who stayed in Mazenderan with Erik despite everything they had ever done to you. And if it wasn't for you: Erik wouldn't have ever met Christine and he would have never had his son." He swallowed. "Yet it would seem all Erik could ever give you in return is pain and suffering. So many punishments because of his stubbornness...so many dark memories...so many nightmares that keep you awake at night…. If there was ever a way to banish those nightmares: Erik would do it. Even if he had to endure every one you've had just so you could have one night without them: he would. But there isn't a way. I've tried and I've searched for something that would help. I've only found one thing...yet Erik can't give it to you. To do that would be to lose you forever and I can't. You deserve it. You would have no more suffering, no more pain, no more nightmares...yet I'm so sorry to say that I'm too selfish of a man to give it to you. I can't give you up, Adellade. I can't. I'm so very sorry, but I simply can't lose you."