A/N: So it's been, you know, a year since I updated. Sorry 'bout that. Also, I'm using the letter E as a scene break. If you are reading this, enjoy!

"Meg, it was the strangest thing, even now I'm not sure if it happened. Maybe I'm just going crazy. It's quite possible you know. Maybe all that toner is finally starting to get to me," cried Christine. Meg was Christine's best friend, had been since they were in high school together. They were sitting in Christine's apartment, enjoying the sunshine and breeze that poured through the kitchen windows as they ate their lunch. They had done this everyday of summer term, and even though summer classes were over they decided to continue eating lunch together until Fall semester started in a couple weeks.

"You don't work around the copy machine that much, Christine," replied Meg, shaking her head so her blond curls bounced and her blue eyes flashed.

"Clearly, you have never copied music for a two-hundred piece marching band before. It's a lot of music," said Christine, tilting her head to look over her glasses in what Meg called "the teacher look."

"Oh, Christine, if it bothers you that much, just ask Mama. I'm sure she'll know what's going on. She said he's a brilliant pianist, you know how weird you instrumentalists can be. It's probably all just a part of his 'tortured artist' personae."

Meg was a dance major, while Christine was Music Education. They always teased each other about their chosen majors.

"You're right, Meg, I'll just ask your mom. She'll explain it."

"Great, come to dinner at my house tonight, you can ask her then."

"Sounds great, what time should I be there?"

"Six o' clock! And on that note, I have to go, if I'm late for work again, Maurice will kill me," and with that Meg grabbed her purse and ran out the door.

Christine continued to sit at the table staring out at the park that was across the street. She thought about the man she saw in the hall last night; she wanted to remember every detail of the event. He had been tall, much taller than her, and he dressed in dark clothes. The hallway had been so dark; she hadn't seen his features clearly. "Tall, dark, and handsome indeed. . . Well, tall and dark at least," she said to herself. She continued to stare out her window watching the sunlight play through the trees until a passing cloud cast a shadow over the scene.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Six o' clock that evening found Christine welcomed warmly into the Giry's home. Christine was a regular fixture in their household. Christine's parents were no longer alive and Dr. Giry had become a kind of surrogate parent. Christine valued the wisdom that Meg's mother had to offer and she also loved all of the stories that Dr. Giry told about her travels around the world. Christine was so wrapped up in these tales that she forgot to mention her encounter with the strange man until dessert.

"I think I met one of your students last night, Dr. Giry. He was asking for the Rhapsody in Blue score."

"Well, I only have one student that is working on that piece, it must have been him.

"It was kind of odd. I heard him singing in the hallway, and we started talking, but when I turned to get the score he disappeared."

"Well, sometimes Erik is a little shy. He doesn't talk to many people that I know of. He went to you to ask for the score?"

"Well, I caught him singing in the hallway, he has a lovely voice. I asked him if he needed something and he asked me for the score. We talked about you, about lessons, and then when I turned to go get the score for him, he disappeared! I've never seen him before, and don't know when I'll see him again, so do you want me to give you the score? When is your next lesson with him, I can get it to you by then."

"That's very kind of you, Christine. Our next lesson is tomorrow evening at six. There are some other scores he'll need as well, how about you stop by at a quarter after, and we can all go down to the band library together and get what's needed."

Madame Giry's mind worked quickly. As long as she had known Erik, he had never sought anyone else out. If he was seeking out a friend, then she would do everything in her power to help, even if it involved a little deception. She would help Erik befriend Christine whether he liked it or not.

"Sounds great, Dr. Giry!"

No mention of Erik was made for the rest of the meal and at the end of the evening Christine left with the promise that she would see Dr. Giry tomorrow.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

At the same time that Christine was saying good-bye to the Giry's, Erik was sitting in his apartment, sipping a glass of wine and wishing desperately for a cigarette. Typically, when he had a nicotine craving he would go practice piano. It was how he learned to stop smoking. Nadir had told him about it.

"Whenever you crave a cigarette," he had said, "or really, any habit you wish to remove, make yourself do something else. Eventually you will train your body to crave the other habit. It's best to replace it with a good habit though, or else you just have another bad habit to deal with, and what's the point."

And that's what Erik did. When he would crave a cigarette, he would go practice piano. When he wanted a drink, he would go practice piano. And when he was tempted by a lovely lady, he would go practice piano. His skill on piano had been hard won through his defeat of his "bad habits." After several years of living a very austere life he had learned moderation. He knew he could enjoy a glass of wine in the evenings. He knew that the only woman who would satisfy him was one that was an eager and willing partner, not one that was paid for.

Yes, he should go practice piano right now. However, to practice he needed to go to the music building. And if he went to the music building he might see Christine. And if he ran into Christine, he would most definitely make a fool of himself, much like he did last night. This was why he was now sitting in his apartment, desperately craving a cigarette and doing absolutely nothing about it.

He thought about Christine. Before last night her voice had been his only focal point. But now that he had really seen her, he was smitten. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Her hair, her eyes, she was amazing. He had to find a way to see her again. But he did not want to be a fool. Or a stalker for that matter. He downed the rest of his glass and realized that his one glass of wine this evening had been a whole bottle. He laughed and the spoke aloud, "Well, Erik, my boy, so much for moderation." With that he turned to his bed and fell asleep, to another night of dreams haunted by bare feet dancing under a swaying skirt and a pair of flashing blue eyes.

His sleep was not the only one that was disturbed. That night Christine dreamt of a tall, dark stranger who kept disappearing around dark corners.

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He awoke the next morning feeling acidic and still a little drunk. And five minutes late for his morning appointment with Nadir. He began to rush around trying to make himself presentable for his appointment, realized that it was a futile task, and then ran out the door.

At twenty minutes past his appointment time, Erik walked in through the door.

"Good morning, Erik. I was beginning to think you wouldn't show," Nadir said as he looked up from his newspaper and taking a sip of his coffee.

"I apologize, Nadir. I was detained this morning." Erik sat in his usual chair and tried desperately not to groan and clutch his head.

"Did you have a late night?" asked Nadir.

"An overindulged one."

"What happened?"

"I drank a little too much wine last night."

"How much is a little too much?"

Erik hesitated. He did not want to tell Nadir he drank a whole bottle of wine, even if it was accidentally. Nadir would then ask him why he was that distracted, and he'd have to tell him about Christine. He definitely did not want to tell Nadir about Christine. Somehow he knew that Nadir would worm it out of him. Maybe not this session, but definitely in the next two. It was inevitable. He shouldn't fight it. If Erik was in the mood to be rational, he would admit that it was good that his therapist knew how to get these topics, these were the things he needed to talk about. But Erik was not in the mood to be rational.

"Let's just say it was too much. Not dangerously too much. Just more than I should have."

"Is there any particular reason you drank more than you should have?"

"Isn't it possible that I was just enjoying my evening, and just didn't realize how much I had drunk?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"You brood."

"Fine. If you must know the truth I was 'brooding' over a piece of music I'm composing. It's proving to be a rather tricky little piece."

"I don't quite believe that either. If you were that involved in a piece of music, you would have been sitting at a piano, not sitting at a bottle."

"A piano was inaccessible at the time."

Nadir just gave him a look over the top of his glasses.

"Fine. That's not entirely correct."

"Oh really?"

"A piano was accessible, but only if I went to the music building and going to the music building meant running the risk of bumping into. . . .her." He shook his head in disgust at himself. He couldn't even say her name.

"What have you done to Dr. Giry now?"

"This is a different her."

"A different her. That is interesting. . ."

"It is the exact opposite of interesting because it's nothing. I'm going to change my schedule again so I won't be in the building when she is. I won't make a fool of myself."

"Oh, Erik. . .maybe you need to make a fool of yourself. Besides Dr. Giry really enjoys the new lesson time. . .you wouldn't want to disappoint her so soon."

"How do you know it would disappoint her . . . no, wait . . . how do you know we changed lesson times?"

"We attend the same church, remember? I asked her how your lessons were going and she mentioned that you changed the time."

"Well, Madame just attends church with everyone, now doesn't she." Erik said coldly.

"It would seem that way. Are you going to tell me what happened with this girl? Or are we going to sit in silence until the end of your session. It's your choice. . .but right now I think it's important to talk about what happened."

"Nothing did happen. . .that's the point."

Again, Nadir gave a questioning look over the top of his glasses.

"It's hard to explain. Madame Giry sent me down to the band library to get a score. The only reason I went was because it gave me a chance to talk to this girl. . .the one I heard singing the other night. I've been. . . .watching her as she works in the band library. She's beautiful, and funny. . .she truly has the loveliest voice. I don't know why, but I felt the need to talk to her. And I started to talk to her. . .but then I panicked. She looked at me. . .and it was like she knew me. . .all of the good and the bad. I couldn't handle that knowledge and I fled. She probably thinks I'm completely insane. . .which is not far from the truth, since I'm sitting here talking about someone that I know nothing about beyond her taste in music."

"Erik. . .why do you think you are afraid of this girl knowing everything about you?"

"Because if anyone knew everything about me they would run. Not everything about me is lovable."

"I know a great deal about you Erik, and I don't run. There's more about you to love than you think."

"That's only because I pay you."

"You know that's not true."

"I know it. . .but I can't trust it. Not yet."

"We'll work towards it. We'll get there. That I promise you. I believe that is our time."

Erik stood and began to walk out the door. He turned to look at Nadir and whispered a simple, "Thank you" and then left.