I sat in the house, watching the rain fall down, it streamed down the windows as it poured from the heavens to the thirsty earth below. It was day now, and it was storming. I sat on a window seat, three windows around me. I hugged my knees to my chest and rested against them.

"Lee, is everything alright?" I looked and saw Mom. I nodded at her.

"Yeah, I guess. I need to go to town and get Erik some music supplies." I told her. She gave me a look.

"Don't you think that maybe you should stay away from him for a little while? Isn't that why you are going to take off in the first place?" She asked. I frowned.

"Well I promised him that I would, he asked me for it. I can't just not get it for him. That's rude." I replied thinking about him made me feel strange. I huffed, looking back outside.

"It's raining a little hard, why don't you wait? I'm sure he'll understand." Mom suggested. I thought it over.

"It'll stop soon, I can go on to town and by the time I get there I think will have passed. I'm going to go ahead and do it. Besides, I think I need to get out of the house." I told her. Mom ran her hands through her hair; she really didn't want me to go. I got up and hugged her.

"He's there for his own safety, Mom, he isn't insane, I promise." I told her, pulling away and going to get ready for my day.

I walked into the music store and browsed. I was going to go to the asylum in an hour so. I wanted to stay away for a little bit more and collect my thoughts and pull it together. I was getting Erik some nice quality music sheets. I bought a couple of packets; hopefully it would keep him occupied until I came back. I laid them down on the counter and got out my debit card and paid for them. I left the store; I had been running errands all day since I left, trying to get my mind off of things. I got in my car and I headed to the asylum.

Nautia let me in. We shared a word or two; I tried not to be hostile. I signed myself in and went down to Erik's room; Nautia unlocked the door and vanished, leaving it unlocked. I didn't really mind, it was visiting hours so it was fine. I walked into his room. He was lying down, which was weird. He stared at the ceiling, when he finally noticed my presence he looked down.

"Hello, Lee." He told me, sitting up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He seemed calmer this time, more sane and that relieved me. I went in my messenger bag and gave him the music sheets, pens, and pencils.

"I hope this helps." I told him. He took them from me in a polite and thankful manner.

"Thank you, Leamera. I appreciate this." He told me. I smiled.

"Anything for a good friend." I replied. He gave me a soft smile, which made my heart almost stop. He was possibly the most beautiful man I had ever seen. I still wondered about his deformity. I knew asking about it would be a bad idea. If my intuition was correct he would show me when he was ready.

"Have you requested for your leave yet?" Erik asked, shuffling through the packets of paper and studying the pens I had gotten him.

"Not yet, I wanted to give you the things you asked for before I went to talk to the superintendent." I told him he nodded.

"Thank you. I'm glad I'm important to you. How many days do you plan on taking off?" He asked me as he sat at his table and began opening a package of the music sheets. It was relieving to see him so civil once more, his hair combed and his shirt was neatly pressed and in order, his eyes were very serene.

"Just a few, maybe two. No more than three. I think two is good though." I replied. He nodded.

"You should get some rest, not to be rude, but you look terrible." He told me, not even looking at me as he opened the package of pens. I knit my brows, rubbing the back of my head.

"Really?" I asked, he looked at me momentarily, those eyes glowing against the white of his mask.

"You look as though you haven't slept in a few days. Is that true?" He asked, standing up and going to his bed, he knelt and pulled out a dusty old case, a violin case. He studied the worn, cracked leather case with a scowl.

"Have I really not touched this for that long?" He asked rhetorically.

"I do work the nightshift Erik, sometimes I drink too many energy drinks for my shift and it keeps me up at night." I told him. Erik hummed, his face showing deep thought. I felt better now that I was here with him. I felt like a freaking druggy. I couldn't go five hours of consciousness without him. I stared at him in wonder. Erik carefully dusted the case off with a handkerchief, it sent dust bunnies flying into the air. I stepped back, not wanting to have a sneezing fit in front of him.

"Perhaps you should search for a new source of energy instead of those energy drinks, I've read the label. How many do you actually drink? It says limit to three a day and that's just the smaller ones. You drink the ones titled 'Mega' more often, there are three servings in that one can and you drink at least two. You should try a lightly caffeinated tea; they have other stimulants that aren't a danger to your heart. Or at least limit your energy drink intake. I would hate for you to go into cardiac arrest." He told me, opening the case and taking out a beautiful antique (to me at least) violin. He plucked the strings attentively.

"Hmm, she needs to be tuned." He said quietly. I laughed a little. Erik looked at me from the violin.

"What?" He asked.

"You're carrying two conversations, one with yourself, the other with me. It's just a little funny is all. I didn't even know you had that." I told him. He looked back to his violin.

"I do that because I can. It's as though I have been reset. Back to the way I was before Christine. I've returned to the height of my intellect. When I was clear minded and had my genius without the madness. I can't tell you how good it feels. I'm so clear minded, Lee. Refreshed even." He told me, pulling out the violin bow and beginning to tune the instrument. I leaned against the doorway.

"I can relate to that, I guess." I told him.

"I don't think you've ever recovered from insanity, Lee." He replied to me.

"I've recovered from something very similar, trust me. Just recently too." I told him, I was afraid to leave though. What if I lost my marbles again once I left Erik's presence? Erik laughed softly.

"I would hope not, my dear." He replied, adjusting the strings. There was a 'thwick' and I saw a string snap. Erik's face contorted.

"Oh dear." He said flatly. I bit my lip and giggled silently.

"Don't think for a second I can't at least see you laughing, Leamera." He told me as took the violin by its neck and started to fiddle around with its strings.

"These strings are over one hundred years old; I'm surprised they haven't rusted off… Would you mind getting me more, Lee?" He asked.

"Why don't you just leave and get them yourself, Erik?" I asked he shook his head.

"With all the technology? I'm a smart man, my dear, but I think even I will be a bit overwhelmed if I just decided to waltz up there and go shopping." Erik told me. I pursed my lips.

"True. You think you could handle a laptop and internet?" I asked. He moved his eyes up to look at me but didn't raise his head. Dear God, way more attractive than it sounded. I almost fanned myself.

"Perhaps, if I were to be taught to use a computer." He told me.

"How do you even know a laptop is a computer?" I asked. He smiled, returning his gaze to the violin as he removed the strings.

"I keep updated with what gets invented, but do you really think I would be able to handle 21st century Paris? I could barely handle 19th century Paris. All the noise and people, I'd have a heart attack." He told me. I frowned.

"I'll see if I can get a laptop, hopefully internet can reach down here, probably not… but I'll see what I can do. Slowly get you accustomed to the 21st century." I said.

"Oh no, don't spend that kind of money on me, Lee." He said, shaking his head, turning and making his way to the table.. I smiled.

"It's fine. I want to, if we ever enter a relationship, I don't really want to have one in an insane asylum, thanks very much." I said Erik froze. Oh, did I just say that out loud? He slowly turned and looked at me.

"Really?" He asked, it wasn't a shy, frightened 'really' that he would've used a few days ago. No that was a broken man a few days ago. Now he was completely healed and back in his glory. I stared at him with wide eyes.

"I mean… if I am the one to break your curse, I would want to be in a relationship with you." I said, trying hard to keep my voice from shaking.

"You don't even know what you have to do to break the curse do you?" He asked, sitting down, crossing one leg over the other, very nonchalant, and almost aloof.

"What every young damsel has to do in fairytales, kiss you right?" I asked, wow that sounded pathetic. Erik's lips curled into a closed smile and he laughed in the back of his throat. I nearly fainted.

"As you have noticed this isn't a fairytale, Leamera, we have to get married. You have to bear two daughters. Just like Alexander and Elizabeth. I really wish the mothers had told the truth instead of a lie." He said, waving the violin bow through the air slowly. If I had been drinking something I would've choked, but I wasn't, so instead I just stared at him with wide eyes. The tip of the bow rested at his temple as he looked at me.

"Oh don't look so dreadfully surprised, Leamera. You're a very mature young woman. I thought you would take that news a little better. Youth of today have such problems with commitment, is that why you look like a deer caught in headlights?" He asked. I shook my head.

"No, o-of course not. Just, a little unexpected." I replied. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I believe you should go, get that time off and rest, my dear, alright?" He asked, pointing his bow at me. I nodded, running my hand through my hair and tucking it behind my ear.

"Ok." I told him, turning to leave.

"Please do leave the door open for me, will you?" He called, I nodded and retreated. As soon as I got upstairs I whipped out my cell phone and called Mom.

"Are you insane! You tell me this freaking story tale about man locked away in a castle and that a woman needs to save him with a freaking kiss but in reality I have to marry him and have his children? What the heck Mom! I love you to death, but you got me pumped up as a little girl that I could save him with just a kiss but I have to marry him! I mean, he's a great guy, but I have to marry him! I made myself look like complete idiot in front of him and he gave me this 'you poor naïve thing you' laugh in the back of his throat and told me I had to marry him and have his daughters! You could have told me this a lot sooner, like maybe add it onto the whole 'the birds and the bees thing' you told me when I was eight!" I whisper yelled through the phone at Mom.

"You didn't believe me, so why should I have told you? Lee, I love you too, but you have always been stubborn. Why should I argue with you? I just thought you would find out the hard way and it turns out you did. Are you alright with this or are you going to crush that poor man's heart just like your Aunt Margie?" She asked.

"Hey! Don't say it that way! I'm not going to sleep around with a bunch of French boys and get knocked up, okay? I didn't say I wasn't going to carry through with it. I'm just not going to marry him on the spot and have his children! I want to do this right, is there a problem with that?" I sassed back. Mom audibly sighed.

"No, Leamera, that isn't a problem. Why did you talk to him anyways?" Mom asked. I rolled my eyes violently.

"Because if I hadn't that would've been rude! 'Oh here's the things you asked for, talk to you later!' Yeah Mom, that's nice." I spat.

"Hey! Watch your tone with me, missy! You're beginning to sound like Nautia, do you want that?" Mom barked, using her 'mommy' voice.

"No. Sorry. I'm just in shock, again." I told her softly, stopping and leaning against the wall.

"Just breathe, babe. You'll be fine. I promise. I told you already, he won't move too fast for you. Of course he might surprise you from time to time, but he won't do anything you aren't ready for. You may have to make the first move for all I know. Margie won't go too deep into detail about what happened with the two of them, so I don't really know. Maybe you should talk to her. I'm sure she would open up to you since you are in her place." Mom told me. I nodded.

"Oh, yeah, maybe. I'll get to that later." I told her. "I need to go; I'm not too far from Mr. Wellhem's office. Bye Mom, we should go out for supper when I get home, it's getting about that time." I told her.

"Oh, nonsense. I'm making you supper. Get home soon, it'll be ready by the time you come back." She told me. I smiled.

"Ok, Mom. See you when I get home." I told her and hung up. I went on to Mr. Wellhem's office and got my time off then went home.

Mom had made me fried chicken. My favorite. But that was over and I was sitting at my desk in front of my laptop with Skype open. I clicked on Aunt Margie's name and waited as the call went through. Aunt Margie's very familiar face appeared on screen. If we were caught together, a stranger would think she was my mother.

"Hey Margie." I told her with a tired smile. She returned a wise one back.

"I thought one of you would be calling. I just thought it would be sooner." She told me softly. Margie was one of the wisest people I knew. Mom always told me it was because of Erik. She told me that the two of them would sit for hours in his room and he would tell her everything he knew, his stories, his knowledge, all of it he gave to her.

"Yeah, Mom covered 'Getting to Know Your Patient's Curse 101' for me. But he told me about the marriage thing, and the kids' thing. Mom can't really help me anymore. She said maybe you would open up to me. Since you've been real secretive about the whole thing with others." I told her.

"You're his chosen, hmm. I thought it would be Nautia. Oh well. But yes, I will open up to you. How is Erik anyways?" She asked.

"Oh, he's great actually. Back to his normal, a brilliant genius without the madness." I told her. She sighed, rolling her shoulders a little.

"The things I would give to see that. You really must be the one then. If Erik has returned to his pride, you've completely rejuvenated him then." Margie told me. I smiled a little.

"Erik was worrying me for a little bit. He was acting insane for a few days there. I come back today with some supplies he asked me to get for him and it was like looking at a complete other person. Even his eyes seemed different." I told her.

"Those eyes, hmm. He could be smiling and laughing with you, but those eyes, they were always just so depressing to look into. So cold and distant. I never meant to hurt him. Ever. Of all the mistakes I've made, that is the one I regret most. I couldn't look him in the eyes when I told him I was pregnant. I could barely look at him. I could almost see a crack in him. One second his face was soft and warm, the next…. It was like taking a hammer to a mirror." She told me. I nodded.

"He's sensitive." I said simply. Margie laughed, and hard too.

"Sensitive is putting it lightly, my love." She said. I smiled. Margie didn't even call Nautia that. We always had a very special bond. If anything in my life was a dead giveaway that I was the one that carried the 'curse breaking gene' it was that. I liked Aunt Margie as a child more than I did my own mother. Nautia and I got into a fight once when we were little kids over it. When I was a teenager, I almost believed that I was her daughter and that my mother took me in so Margie wouldn't have to raise me when she was so young. My mother was a good ten years older than Margie. I still did to be honest. We looked so much alike, and our relationship? Not a typical Aunt/Niece relationship.

"I'm sure Attica has told you he won't move too fast for you, right?" She asked. I nodded.

"Well it's true. Erik learned that lesson the hard way." She told me, setting her eyes with mine in a very intense manner. I couldn't stand it anymore.

"I know this sounds silly, but am I really… am I really my mother's daughter?" I asked quietly. Margie stared at me with that look, that 'you're a smart girl, what do you think?' look. I knit my brow.

"Do you think you are? Whose daughter do you want to be? If you were my daughter, you need to know that you're part of the reason why I couldn't break the curse. Granted my irresponsibility played a very big key, but his children had to be the first ones I even conceived." Margie told me. I shook my head.

"No, I am her daughter. Don't tell her I asked. Sometimes it's just weird how much alike we are, even physically." I told her. Margie nodded.

"I understand Leamera." She replied gently. It was so stupid and cliché. No way was I her daughter. I would've been told before now.

"But is there anything I need to know about this whole thing?" I asked. Margie mulled it over in her mind.

"You aren't in danger of him, he is the most gentle, kindest person you will ever meet, Leamera. Be strong though. That curse will try to destroy you, our grandfather may have been kind enough to have a way to break the curse, but it would never be easy. It can drive you crazy. The curse will make him like a drug to you. You need to be strong, but not as strong as I was. Don't be so completely resilient that you are able to kiss let alone consider another person over him. If you are the one to break the curse, you will overcome it, but if not, the curse will either drive you mad, or it won't work at all and you could end up like me. This curse was meant to either make or break Erik. So you be careful of what you do." Margie told me. I nodded.

"I understand. Do you think I am the one to free him?" I asked. Margie gazed at me for a moment or two, then slowly nodded.

"You are extraordinary, Leamera, not even that gypsy curse is strong enough to stop you when you set your mind to it. And I know you, you will Leamera." She told me, staring intensely into my eyes. I nodded.

"Okay, Margie. Thank you." I yawned. "I'm going to go to bed. I'll talk to you later. Bye." I told her.

"Tell Erik I said hello, and that I'm sorry, again. That is one thing that I will never be able to say enough, Leamera, so don't you screw up, love. Goodnight, sleep well, Leameara." She told me. I smiled gently and nodded then ended the conversation. I got off the computer and went to bed.