Stowing away on the ship was the hard part. Eliza fought the entire time until Kasey unwillingly gave in and let Jason drug her again. When she woke she was on the boat they were far out to sea and her father was long gone. They sat in a dark corner in the bottom of the ship hidden by crates of God knows what. Slowly gaining back her strength Eliza watched these two lovers with a scowl on her face. Kasey had fallen asleep in Jason's arms and he held her close with a small smile on his face. Eliza remembered when her mother and father got a long she would see this often after a long day at the theater. They would talk for awhile after super in the living room sometimes even her father's office. She remembered he would put his arm around her and she would lie on his shoulder or in his lap. As her father stroked the bright red hair Eliza watched her mother fall asleep with a loving smile. Her father would look at Kasey like she was his whole world.

But now seeing this man in her father's place her blood boiled. She missed everything from home already. She missed Gustave's playful teasing, the twins fighting over something silly, Meg and Raoul picking at each other just for laughs, Selena's constant need to dance everywhere she went, Jordan's child fascination to everything, she even missed the way her father and Christine were constantly flirting. She missed it all.

Eliza tugged slightly on the rope her arms were bound with. She winced in pain they were starting to bite into her wrists. Jason was awake and heard her. He stared at her for a brief moment. "They're starting to hurt me." Eliza said eyes cast down at the floor. "Please remove them. It's not like I can go anywhere."

Jason thought for a moment then nodded. He slowly left Kasey making sure not to wake her. He walked to Eliza, knelt down and pulled out a knife. Jason gently grabbed her arms and said. "Be still." So he wouldn't hurt her. He slowly put the knife between her wrists and cut her loose. "There." He said putting the knife away. She immediately rubbed her wrists and he asked. "Better?" She slowly nodded. Scared out of her mind she kept her mouth shut. "It is ok to talk. I won't hurt you."

"Tell that to my wrists." She snapped keeping her eyes low.

Jason sighed. "Look, I'm sorry but you were fighting."

"Why are we going to Persia?" She asked.

"Because the Shah wants your father." He answered plainly.

"Why?" She asked finally looking at him.

"I don't ask questions I just do as told. I was told to bring him to Persia, so that I will, and you my dear girl are the key."

"But my mother, how?"

Jason smiled a little. "She was rumored to be your father's wife, and when they found out it was true the Shah had sent for her thinking he would come to her rescue. But when he didn't a new plan had to be thought of. Your mother was kept in the prisons and that's how we met. I assure you the crime I am accused of I am not guilty of. I was framed by my brother Darius. This past year the son of the
Shah brought your mother and I to him and asked of a plan. Your mother spoke of you, but she made all of them swear no harm would come to you. She knew that he would come after you, and I came along for help and a little bit of payback, but turns out my brother is dead. So I'm just here to help. I was offered freedom if the job gets done; both of us were. That's the only reason we do this."

Eliza processed all this new information, then asked "Where did she go when she left?"

Jason hesitated. "Spain, Germany, Italy, Paris, many places before they found her." By that time Kasey had woken up and she just lay there listening to her daughter's curiosity and her lover's stories. She hated the sad disappointed look Eliza kept on her face. "She missed you every moment." He said. "She talked about you all the time."

Eliza looked away. "What does it matter?" She said.

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but Kasey sat up "Jason," He turned to her. "Leave us for a moment please." He sighed then nodded and left. Silence, and Eliza hated it, but it was better than hearing her mother's excuses. "Eliza,"

"I don't want to hear it." She said firmly. "You saw the world without us. You promised, and you broke it. I don't know what they will do with me once we get there, but I would rather do that than be with you."

"Eliza you don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry I left darling,"

"Don't you dare 'darling' me!" Eliza screamed. "Why did you leave?" She demanded.

"Eliza,"

"I'm old enough to know what the hell it is! And it won't matter what you say because I will always hate you." Kasey sat almost in tears but Eliza didn't care. "Now why did you leave?"

"You are so much like your father you know that." She said with a little laugh. "I loved him, I really did. And you," She sighed. "You were perfect. He and I would go on for hours about how you came from both of us, and we just couldn't believe you were ours. I always thought no one could have what we had. Mainly because I had him, and I thought nobody else ever would, or did." Kasey looked away from Eliza remembering those long months. "One day after mother Giry became ill she looked at Erik and she asked him if he remembered the time Christine was late for rehearsal because he was aiding Meg and her on a prank for a diva at the time. He looked at her and he smiled. He smiled like I had never seen him smile before. She went on for weeks and weeks, months, of this Christine. I hated every bit of it. The look in his eyes it wasn't just a look of a fond memory. It was a look of love, of desire. Then one day we had another fight, and the most unthinkable thing was told to me by mother Giry."

"Kasey get back here I'm not done talking with you!" Erik yelled as she took off down the hall.

"Well I sure as hell am done talking to you!" Kasey yelled back. She walked into the library and slammed both of the doors shut and locked them. She took a deep cleansing breath and let it out.

"He loved her you know." Kasey gasped at the old woman's voice and quickly turned.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded.

"Why Christine of course." Giry answered with a laugh and a smile from the place she was sitting. "He loved her so much. Why he left her I guess we will never know." She smiled a little sweeter "She was such a sweet girl."

"Maybe he just grew out of it. It happens." Kasey said giving herself a little hope.

"Oh no. He didn't want to leave her. Not after that night." She sighed. "How he could ever leave her like that I will never understand."

"Leave her like what?" She hated the question as soon as it left her mouth.

"The night before we left, she came to him. They were together that night and he loved in every way he knew how. I had come to his camp later that night and I saw them asleep together. I had never seen either of them so happy. He was heartbroken when he had to leave her; He insisted it was for her safety though." She explained.

Kasey shook her head. "No, you're lying to me!" Kasey insisted.

Giry looked to her. "Why would I lie to you? You are the only one that has made our Erik happy since Christine. You have given him Eliza, and that is something he will always be grateful for."

"I knew she wasn't lying to me, but I still didn't want to believe it. When I asked him about it he told me it was true. I knew he still loved her, and I couldn't be with him if he did. I needed time to clear my head, and I couldn't do that there. I couldn't do it with you." She said finally looking at her daughter. "I'm sorry Eliza."

"Save it." She said. "Why Paris? You knew that's where all of it happened so why go there and torture yourself?"

"I went to find her. And I did. With a son, and husband. I wanted to know she would never get to your father. When I was satisfied I almost came home, but then I saw it. The possibility that the boy could be his son. I knew that if Erik found out it wouldn't be good for you Eliza. I was only thinking of you."

"You were thinking of yourself you don't fool me." Eliza let her mother stare at her in disbelief. "Gustave and Christine are two of the best things that have ever happened to me and Father. After you left we had nothing. And yes I truly do hope I'm making you feel bad. Thirteen years. After thirteen years I think you can understand why you are not my mother anymore." Kasey was near tears and Eliza didn't care. "All you are is the bitch that gave birth to me. And that's all that you'll ever be." Neither of them had anything more to say and for once Eliza welcomed the silence that descended upon them.