A short while later Erik entered his house to find Angelique sitting on the floor staring into the fire. Her dress was fanned out gracefully around her, and beside her was an untouched cup of English tea. Erik stood still where he was watching her watch the flames. The fire crackled and snapped softly in the background and cast long and unfamiliar shadows in the otherwise unlit room.

A feeling of something hung in the air heavily, something that eluded Erik's grasp and yet somehow found a place on Angelique's face. Slowly, as if fearing to break something fragile, though he didn't know what, Erik removed his hat and cloak and set them in their proper place. He made a wide circle to the other side of the room out of the girl's line of vision. There was the creak of a cabinet opening, the sound of something being taken out (one thing, two things, three things) and set down on wood. Glass slid against glass, a small clink and liquid being poured. The sound again and more liquid. Glass slid against glass once more and the item was set back in cabinet.

Seconds passed and suddenly a glass of golden-brown liquid hovered above her head and to the right. Angelique took the glass gratefully, holding it in front of her with both hands as if it were precious. Erik sat down beside her, but dared not speak a word. Situations like this, he realized, were not his forte. Beside him Angelique took a good-sized drink. The liquid ran fiery hot and delicious down her throat.

"Cognac." She said softly. "Double distilled in pot stills and then aged for one year in new oak casks before being further aged in used old casks until the drink reaches its maturity. This one has been aged for about ten years. Very fine, and very expensive." She glanced sidelong at Erik and laughed out loud at his shocked expression. "Well, am I correct?"

"Actually, yes very much so, though this particular bottle is twelve years old." Erik shook his head and finished off his glass "And to think, here I was struggling to find a way to politely offer you drink. You never cease to amaze do you?"

"I should hope not, heaven forbid." The silence returned, (but for the fire) this time settling around the two comfortably. It wasn't often that she drank anything as strong as what Erik had given her and soon Angelique began to relax visibly beside him.

"Erik?"

"Yes?"

"Who's house was that we were at earlier tonight?"

A mental image of Christine flashed briefly in Erik's mind. "An old friend."

"Oh, an old friend of yours Erik? They must be very interesting indeed. I would have loved to meet him."

"Her." Erik corrected before he realized he had done so. Alcohol, he thought belatedly, dulls one's wits and opens one's mouth.

"Oh." Silence for a moment. "I'm sorry." Erik looked at her in wonder, she had known somehow, though he had told her nothing. There must have been something in that single word he muttered, something that he had not meant to be there, but there it was and Angelique had been able to pick up on it. She did not push him on the matter, but remained silent beside him, offering comfort in the form of companionable silence.

Erik cleared his throat and began to speak awkwardly. "About earlier, I did not think it would upset you so, seeing as…well with you being… If I had known, I would have handled the situation differently."

"I'm all right really. I suppose things of this nature should not disturb me anymore. I am la meurtière masquée after all." She said with just a hint of malice. Erik wondered where she had found out what the public had named her. He had been careful to burn every paper to keep her ignorant to the fact that there was a whole world out there that wished her nothing but death.

Angelique grew distant as she stared into the flames. Erik could feel the situation slipping and he hastened to change the subject. "How is it you know so much about fine spirits?" It was the same trick she used on him sometimes, he realized, to get him to tell her about his past.

"My former occupation. Before I came here I was a server at a little pub called Le Chat Souriant." Angelique smiled at a memory. "After you do something for a while you begin to pick up on things. I made a few friends over the years and they taught me a thing or two about how spirits are made."

Erik tried to imagine Angelique serving tables. Briefly he remembered the first time they had had an actual meal together. He could believe it, but how could she have had such a public job if she had been wearing that mask. Surely someone would have said something about it, someone mush have been curious. He himself was insanely curious, he realized, to know the reason she wore the mask but he could not bring himself to ask her directly why she did. He asked instead. "Angelique, did you wear a mask before the night of…before you came to the opera house?"

"Yes. Ever since I can remember. It was a gift from my mother." Angelique answered gently.

It was too ironic, but where as Erik recalled the memory of his first mask with anger and contempt, Angelique spoke of receiving hers as if it were a pleasant childhood memory. Erik couldn't believe it and he stared at Angelique with unveiled astonishment.

"Surely, you do not enjoy wearing it?"

Angelique regarded Erik curiously before answering. "It has always been a blessing."

Erik's eyes narrowed and he gripped his empty glass with more force than was needed. "A Blessing!" His voice boomed. "Oh, you poor girl, it is a damnable burden and a curse that we must hide our faces from the world!"

Angelique rose up to meet his challenge with ill-hid indignation. "Your wrong! You don't understand, this mask protects me."

It was almost laughable. "That is a horrible lie. It's only what you've been taught to think. I too once thought the same thing." Erik thought back to a time when he had thought his mask was a magical ward against the horrible monster in the mirror. " But it simply isn't true. I've grown since then and I know now that it was all just a terrible lie." He said, almost shouting by this point. Angelique stared at Erik in amazement. He looked down on her, eyes practically glowing with rage. He was tense all over and his hands were balled into fists at his side. She swore that she could feel the anger pulsing off of him in dark waves, threatening to smother her.

"Erik…" She said softly, "Perhaps it is time we went to bed. It's been a long night and I'm sure we both need our rest."

Erik blinked. "Rest? Yes…of course." He stood, gathering the glasses as he went and setting them in their proper places. He hesitated before going to his room. "You're quite sure you're all right?"

"Yes, of course. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Erik walked into his room and shut the door behind him. As he dressed for bed, he found himself thinking about the way Angelique had acted earlier after he had 'dealt' with the man who had accosted her. Her eyes had glazed over and he had been unable to reach her. For a moment, he had thought she had gone completely mad and he had been concerned. Erik stopped what he was doing and let the thought sink in. He had been concerned for her. The idea astounded him. It was definitely not something he wanted to feel for anyone at the moment. He would just have to keep his distance, but she was just so damn intriguing. It was the mask; it had to be. It was amazing that someone other than himself had suffered the same fate and been forced to wear a mask since they were a child. Even more amazing was the fact she wore it gladly. She counted it a blessing! What was she hiding!

A sudden wave of understanding hit him. He imagined he was feeling something along the lines of what Christine had felt the day she stripped him of his mask. He had long since forgiven her for the incident, but tonight, he finally understood.

In the other room, Angelique was making ready for bed; arranging blankets Erik had bought for her into a pallet on the floor in front of the fireplace. Tonight, for the first time in a long time, she remembered to be afraid of Erik.

Twice in one night, she had seen that look in his eyes. Once in the garden and again, more intensely, when they had discussed her mask. She couldn't understand what had made him so upset.

well...Ihope that appeases you for a while...ya right. This chapter took a lot out of me, but I'm trying to update at a reasonable pace. Please review...it is like one in the morning and my eyes, they burn! I suffered for you the least you can do is post on incy weency tiny little review.