Well, aren't you lucky! This is the longest chapter I have ever written. 13 pages on Microsoft Word instead of my usual 10. I just couldn't stop writing! I really hope you enjoy this one. I have literally been planning this chapter since the beginning. :]

Remember Me?

Another week went by without incident.

Now that Amelia and Lucas were no longer together, she sat and ate alone more often. Caitlin was torn in so many ways. She just did her best in being there for both of her friends. Marie was still consumed with the opera, which was being performed that weekend. Erik and Giselle's relationship hadn't progressed.

So another week went by without incident, perhaps just in Erik and Amelia's case. Caitlin had been thoroughly confused by the outcome of François's party. She had questioned him about everything: what he did with Giselle, what Amelia did with Lucas. Things just played out differently from what Caitlin had anticipated, however that might have been.

Erik asked her, in the nicest way possible, to stop giving him advice. She completely understood. He knew that the result of the last week was hard enough on her, he decided not to point out that she 'had never been more sure in her entire life.' Erik simply returned to his melancholy attitude, slowly pushing Giselle away. Speaking of which, she was getting agitated with him and his reluctance with her. Things were not going well between them. The following morning, in fact, would be the end.

They met for breakfast and sat together like they usually did. Erik rarely spoke like he usually did. Giselle babbled on and on... like usual. Half way through her breakfast, though, she became silent. Erik felt her staring at him as he ate. It wasn't her normal stare that made him feel slightly uncomfortable. It was a gape that made him feel uncomfortable for a different reason. He could sense her gaze lingering on his mask. She was looking at him like so many patrons of the traveling fair had. Erik felt his jaw clenching and glared over at her.

"What?" he spat.

"I have a sudden urge to be alone with you," Giselle said huskily, moving closer.

Erik cringed slightly and hoped that his mask covered that expression. He was going to have to end this soon; he wasn't exactly sure what Giselle's intentions were. But he agreed to leave with her, hoping that he would be able extract himself from yet another sticky situation. This was getting to be too much. She took his hand and led him to an empty corridor. It was still early enough in the morning that the halls weren't filled.

"Do you realize how you tease me?" Giselle said softly, still guiding him down the corridor. He was genuinely confused. Erik Destler tease Giselle Leandros? It made absolutely no sense.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She didn't answer for a while and Erik realized where they were headed: the large practice room.

"Giselle, I don't-" She opened the door and playfully pushed him inside. The door closed as she sauntered toward him.

"I am a very confused woman, Erik. At the party last week, you gave me the best kiss of my life. It was innocent, just like you. You weren't kissing me just to kiss me. Your mouth was closed, your hands were modestly placed. I loved that kiss, Erik. But I am confused because I have not received a single other kiss in our relationship."

Erik stood there, dazed. He did not want to kiss her again, especially alone. Especially in this room that held so many memories, some he wished to forget. It took him a few moments to realize that Giselle was moving toward him. He froze. No matter how much he willed his body to move, it did not. Moments passed as she closed in. She smiled and leaned...

"No!" Erik twisted away.

"What?" Giselle's eyes became two burning emeralds.

"I can't do this. I don't want you, Giselle. I don't love you and I never will!" He tried to get around her to leave.

"At least give me a parting gift," she hissed. Erik unknowingly turned to look at her. Her hand suddenly appeared in front of his face and reached for his mask. She ripped it off in one swift movement, revealing his deformity. "Oh, my god!" Giselle screamed with everything in her. "You monster! You deceiving little freak! I can't believe I kissed you!" She threw his mask and ran out of the room, door slamming behind her.

Erik stood there for a moment. His heart was pounding from the sudden adrenaline rush. His hands were shaking with fury and fear. This was not how he imagined ending it.

When his emotions finally subsided, Erik decided to look for his mask.

Amelia sat in a crimson chair, one of many. She decided to go to the matinee of the opera Marie and Caitlin were performing in. It gave her mind a rest. She could finally escape her pathetic reality into a completely different world. A world where good defeated evil and right was always the obvious choice. A world where love's walls were impenetrable. But now the opera was over and she sat alone yet again. Her heart gave a painful thud. Was she in love?

She thought back to before things changed. Well, things had been changing for the better, and then for the worse. Amelia thought about how she had felt. How her heart and stomach fluttered simultaneously when he held her hand. How his lips felt against her cheek and even against her own. How amazed she was with his musical skills. How even the simplest touch felt heavenly. Another ache escaped her heart.

Then she thought about Lucas. She liked him, but never in a way more than a brother. She'd hated how he would always stare at her. Sure, Erik did it as well, but his eyes looked beyond her appearance. When he gazed at her, she felt light, like she might float away. But when Lucas did, she wanted to escape.

Could this be love? Or could she be biased? Did she not want to love anyone else just because she pined for her teacher? Again, her pulse hurt. The thought of him with Giselle made her feel ill. They were not meant to be together. Giselle wasn't really meant for anyone. She was there for many. It made Amelia sad to realize that Erik had been one of the many. A few tears escaped now. She knew that they were supposed to be together.

She had to be in love for this to hurt so much.

Later that day, Amelia chose to eat dinner alone. She liked idea of not putting on a face. And although monotonous, her days were structured. The last week had been barren. Amelia could barely remember what she had done. She wanted to play her violin and hopefully get into the orchestra, but she never felt like practicing. Music triggered something within her that she preferred not to feel.

She had returned to the mail route, blocking out the fact that Lucas was never there. She really did feel bad about leading him on. Amelia wondered if he was experiencing the same emotions she was. Had he been in love with her? She sighed into her meal. A love triangle - or square, perhaps - was the last thing a sixteen-year-old needed.

The thought of her own age reminded Amelia of her approaching birthday. She smiled slightly. Seventeen. It was strange. Usually one feels nothing different when he or she gains another year. But Amelia felt like her age should have changed weeks ago. That's when she changed.

Her unusually morose thoughts were interrupted by Caitlin. She sat down with Amelia, saying nothing. After a few moments, Amelia smiled to herself. Her friend knew her too well. It was times like this when she needed someone, when she shouldn't be alone. When her thoughts transformed from sad to depressed. Caitlin kept her sane. Amelia leaned against her shoulder and Caitlin's arm wrapped around her.

"Tell me," she said softly.

"Tell you what? What is there that you don't already know?"

"Why you're depressed. Why you're always alone. Why you seem to be blocking everything out. Including me, sometimes." Amelia sighed and tried to sit up, but Caitlin's arm kept her in that position. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me everything."

She smiled and rested her head against her friend's shoulder. "Can we talk in private? I think this could get messy."

They left the dining hall and went to the lounge between their dormitories. It was surprisingly, and luckily, empty. They sat on a couch and Amelia explained everything. How she was in love with Erik. How Giselle ruined everything. And how, unfortunately, she let jealousy ruin her relationships. Most of this Caitlin already knew. But she figured her friend could use a good venting and crying session.

After crying about everything she lost, Amelia became very somber. She then enlightened Caitlin on the past week. Her depression was evident as she explained what she could remember. She didn't cry, but Caitlin could practically feel the pain radiating from her.

"I just didn't have the energy or desire to do anything this week. It was strange. But I guess I lost the only consistent comfort. I pushed him away. And don't think you weren't comforting to me. You were. You just weren't the constant kind I needed. And I understand. You were busy with the opera and other things, like Marie."

Amelia's knees were pulled to her chest, her chin atop them. Caitlin suddenly felt extremely guilty, mostly because her reasons for inconsistency weren't true. She looked away from Amelia and tried to think. Her actions hadn't been very reasonable. She was a romantic and she wanted to use Erik and Amelia as pawns for her strange fantasy of love. And, of course, things didn't go as planned.

Her romantic plans had not been successful. This was life, not a fairytale. And now she had to turn to someone who was rational and understood the realistic side of life: Marie.

"Amelia, we're going to Marie for this."

"What? What does she have to do with this?"

"More than you realize."

Erik looked at his reflection. His face was bare, deformity exposed. A few tears came to his eyes when his mind replayed the words Giselle had said. It had been years since anyone had actually called him such things. The stares he could try to ignore, but the words penetrated his heart.

He sat on his bed and his stomach growled; he didn't eat lunch or dinner today. He was actually afraid that Giselle would be there and do something rash. Awful scenarios ran through his mind, like Giselle ripping off his mask for all to see or just screaming when she saw him. Those situations were what kept him away from the surface.

Erik sighed. What was he going to do now? He didn't have Giselle to make Amelia jealous, which he was both happy and sad about. But then again, Amelia wasn't with Lucas anymore. He wondered distantly what had happened between them. Amelia was losing her glow, her happiness... in fact, she seemed to be losing all emotion. Her face always seemed to be devoid of it. That worried Erik immensely.

He knew that the first couple days of their separation he had been depressed. But he never thought Amelia would be capable of feeling that low. Maybe it was because she missed Lucas. Erik's eyes narrowed. Then the voice in his head laughed at him. Really? Isn't it obvious? She misses you, you idiot. You knew from the beginning that she didn't like Lucas. But they were friends. You must know that now that she has lost both of you she is crushed. She wants you.

Erik thought about that. The voice did have a point. But then again he was listening to advice from his head. God, this was confusing.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone calling his name from the labyrinth. It actually sounded like more than one person. Erik replaced his mask and went into the maze. After maneuvering through the twists and turns, he met Caitlin and Marie.

"Erik!" Marie sounded relieved and happy. She hugged him. This was the only contact they had in the past few weeks. He suddenly felt easy. Marie was like a mother and older sister wrapped into a friend. He liked that.

"Can you take us to your home now?" Caitlin said a little impatiently.
"Sure."

He led them back to his home. Caitlin took the liberty of sitting in the large chair. Marie began pacing, which made Erik nervous.

"What is going on?"

"Sit," Marie said, pointing to his bed. He followed her orders.

She paced a bit more then finally spoke. "Caitlin told me everything. And I'm sorry... for not being here for you and for the fact that you had to do everything she said."

He smiled slightly. "Marie, it's really okay."

"But in case you didn't notice, my plans didn't work," Caitlin said softly.

"I noticed. So, what is this about?"

Marie didn't respond.

"Just spit it out!" Caitlin said.

She glared at her friend for a moment. Then she turned to Erik. "I want you and Amelia to talk. Alone, with no distractions. I want you to tell her the truth. It sounds like you two were doing fine until Giselle stepped in. Go back to that person, Erik. Be yourself, like you were before Giselle. I know Amelia loved him."

Silence enveloped them. Erik lowered his face into his hands. He felt strange, because this was not complicated. This was easy. He could be himself for once. His heart thudded at the thought of finally talking with Amelia alone. He lifted his head.

"When?"

The next evening, Amelia sat in L'Automne Café. She was waiting for Erik. Her heart began to beat quickly in anticipation of seeing him again. Her palms began to sweat at the thought of talking to him. She suddenly felt sick, so she took a sip of her tea. She tried to force herself to calm down, but every time someone walked by her heart began its frenzied hammering. Amelia took deep breaths and drank her tea. She kept her eyes on the table, hoping to ignore all the distractions.

Soon, though, she saw black pants walking in her directions. The black pants that fit him perfectly stood behind the chair across from her. Heart pounding, Amelia looked up at him. He looked as nervous as she did. That gave her courage. It also reminded her of how she felt back when he was her teacher. She stood as well.

"May I sit?" he asked softly.

"Yes, but first... there are two things that I've wanted to do these past few weeks." She walked around the table so she was right next to him. Erik looked at her expectantly, but with fear in his eyes. She looked into those dark pools. Then she slapped him across his left cheek. His expression barely changed.

"And the other?" Amelia moved even closer, so they were chest to chest, and wrapped her arms around him. She placed her head against his chest. She felt him exhale and then his arms enveloped her as well. With a sigh, Amelia realized that this was where she belonged.

They returned to their seats and ordered. While they waited for their food, Erik just gazed at her.

"I've missed you," he said softly.

Tears came to her eyes. "How could you miss me when you have Giselle?"

"Mia, let me explain that."

Erik noticed how her eyes got dreamy when he called her his pet name. He liked that she seemed to enjoy when he called her that. Then he told her everything about what went on between Giselle and him. He explained how she tricked him into kissing her, and how he later used her to try to make Amelia jealous. Erik decided to leave Caitlin out of this, unsure of what Amelia would think.

She smiled. "I could tell there was something..."

"What do you mean?" Erik asked.

"Well, your face when you were with her... you always looked very angry or completely emotionless. It was rather funny to me."

"I guess I should work on controlling my face," he said, making them both laugh.

Their food arrived and there was a small silence as they began eating. After a few bites, though, Erik wanted to hear Amelia's side.

"So... Lucas," he said, hoping it would get her talking. It did.

"I was very distraught immediately after... after. He was my constant comfort as I tried to heal. He became my very good friend. But when I saw you and Giselle together, I did the same as you. I used him to try to make you jealous." She looked ashamed.

Erik nodded slightly, his suspicious were confirmed. But then he thought of something else. "What happened this week? With him?"

Amelia sighed and looked down. "At the party, I kissed him, but he could tell I didn't want to. He realized then that it wasn't him I wanted." She blushed deeply. "So he left me at the party, and I really haven't seen him since."

"I'm sorry." The strange thing was that he really was sorry.

They ate more, talking a little in between. Now that the truth was out of the way, Erik and Amelia slowly reverted back to their original relationship. They just talked about everything now. Catching up on what was going on in the Opera House, around Paris. Their conversation drifted to music and both were slightly hesitant.

"Have you played your violin at all?"

"Not really. I wanted to, but I never felt the desire to play. Did you play the piano?"

"I tried, but it felt strange to play without you."

Amelia blushed and smiled a little. "I did play the piano, though. I actually wrote a small melody."

"Really? Could you play it for me soon?" Erik was genuinely interested.

"Sure. I actually kind of thought it would fit in..."

"Our opera?" Amelia smiled and nodded. They began discussing their opera again, and all doubts about music disappeared.

An hour or so passed and Erik's mind kept replaying Marie's words: I want you to tell her the truth. He did tell Amelia the truth. But his friend's voice had a tone that made him think about something much deeper than the past few weeks. His heart lurched when he realized what it was. The truth. To be absolutely real with Amelia, he needed to tell her the complete truth. Erik began biting the side of his finger.

"What is it?" Amelia asked immediately.

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever you're nervous or anxious you bite your finger," she said, looking at the extremity in front of his lips.

"Oh."

"So, what's wrong?"

"I-... I want to talk to you more, but in private."

"Oh. Well that's fine. Where do you want to go?"

"I'll show you," he smiled.

They paid for their food and left the café. Although it was late April, it was still chilly. The setting sun sent radiant oranges and purples into the Parisian sky. Amelia was just wearing a simple dress with short sleeves. She shivered slightly and took Erik's hand. He moved closer, noticing her momentary shudder.

It began to rain very lightly as they walked to the Opera House. Amelia seemed disappointed.

"I don't think we'll get much privacy here," she said.

"Not where we're going," Erik pulled her away from the main entrance. They went to the side and he opened the door to his home.

"What is this?" Amelia asked in a good-natured way. "I've never seen this entrance before!"

"It's my entrance."

"What do you mean?" she didn't move, getting wet from the light rain.

"I... live down here." He wondered if anything would spark her memory.

"You're one strange man, Erik Destler," Amelia laughed a little and went inside.

Erik entered behind her, into the complete darkness. She immediately moved closer, taking his hand.

"Does your home have lighting? A couple candles or gas lamps, perhaps?"

He oddly loved her sarcasm. "Of course it does."

She was silent for a few moments. "Then-"

"This isn't my home. We have to go down."

Amelia sighed and let him lead her deeper into the black.

When they reached the trapdoor, Erik released her hand to open it.

"What are you doing?" she sounded alarmed.

"There's an opening here that we need to go through. We have to go down, remember?" He sighed in frustration. "And we're going to have to jump. I still haven't gotten a ladder."

"Erik, I don't know..."

"It's okay, Mia." He moved closer and whispered in her ear, "I'll catch you."

As he jumped through the trapdoor, Amelia felt both exhilarated and scared. Exhilarated because she'd never done anything like this before, and because Erik was driving her crazy. She honestly wished she would have turned in the moment he whispered in her ear and kissed him. But she was scared because she had no idea where he was taking her. And she was afraid to jump.

"Mia, jump. I will catch you," Erik called from below.

"How? You can't see me..."

"You'd be surprised at how well I can see in the dark. Jump."

She took a breath and jumped through the opening. The drop was only six or seven feet, but she screamed anyways. Erik caught her perfectly, just as he promised. He held her for a few moments. One of her hands was placed on his arm and she could feel the flexed muscle beneath his shirt. That sent her heart hammering yet again. As did his warm breath against her cheek.

Erik could see a few details on her face. She was beautiful even in the dark. Her hand moved from his arm to his shoulder. She nuzzled her face into his neck and he swore she kissed him there.

"Mia," he said huskily. He set her down, but was sure she stayed close. His hands found her face and lifted it to his. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. Amelia reached up and placed her hands against his neck. She pulled him closer. After a while, their lips released each other. Amelia wrapped her arms around his waist. Erik pulled her in, one hand in her hair. It was the most intimate hug, filled with so much emotion.

"I still want to talk," he said softly.

"Talk, then," Amelia countered, face against his chest.

"No," he held her at arm's length, "I would like to talk to you in the light. This is important."

"Okay. Take me to the light." She took his hand.

Erik led her through the labyrinth, kissing her hand a few times. He still couldn't believe this was happening. They were back together. They had kissed. But his elation slowly wore off. He wasn't sure if he could wait until they got to his home. He stopped at the next gas lamp and turned it on. Finally, her face was revealed to him.

Amelia was entranced with how his mask glowed. As they sat down, though, she began to wonder exactly what they would talk about. He started biting his finger again, and she grew worried.

"What do you want to talk about?" she tried to sound normal, but she knew her voice held a hint of dread.

Erik stopped biting his finger and looked at her. He tried to figure out how to start. Then he sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. "Mia, have you ever wondered how you got here?"

Her face was blank. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, here at the Opera Populaire."

"Well, I don't remember it, but Monsieur Reyer was searching for violinists and found me and brought me here," she looked confused.

Erik silently cursed Caitlin and Marie for the story. It was completely ridiculous. His face revealed his thoughts. "Do you really think Monsieur Reyer would be desperate enough to search the entire country of France for a violinist? And even if he was, do you think he would bring back a thirteen-year-old girl?"

Amelia stared at him. Why was he saying all of this? What did this have to do with anything? And how did he know how old she was when she came to the Opera? She shook her head and thought for a moment. He did make sense; why would Monsieur Reyer do those things? Now, almost four years later, it did sound absurd. But of course, she had been a naive girl at the time.

"It does sound strange, but why does this matter?"

"Amelia, I want to tell you a story," Erik looked down at his hands and her eyes followed. She stared at them as he began.

"When you were still living with your three brothers and your sister, you felt out of place. You didn't feel loved. And the day your mother slapped you was the end. You ran away."

Amelia's stomach dropped. How did he know about that? "Erik, I never told you-"

"Please, Mia," he looked up at her. His eyes had almost a golden glow in this light. They penetrated into her soul. They held so many emotions, she couldn't decide on what they were. Pain seemed to be the most evident. "I want you to hear the whole story. You can question me when it is over." She nodded silently.

"After you ran away, you were captured by gypsies." He paused for a moment, realizing how ludicrous that sounded. It was worse than the Reyer story. "They locked you up in a cage with a boy. His only clothing were pants and a ragged sack over his head. The two of you slowly became friends, realizing that you needed to stick together.

"Later you learned that the gypsies ran a traveling fair. There were strange shows at the fair: unusually flexible people, a bearded lady.... And the boy was the main attraction. You see, his face was... deformed. Different. Abnormal, just like the rest of the fair. The gypsies would lock you in a room while they put on a show. They would reveal his face to the crowd, eliciting both screams and laughter. The gypsies would beat him, with both their fists and whips."

Erik stopped for a moment, silently reliving those horrible years. He forced the tears back and for once, they obeyed. He looked up at Amelia when he heard her sniff. There were tears in her eyes as well, only hers had fallen.

"Mia?"

"I-... I had dreams," she breathed heavily, "about being locked in a room and trying to get out. I could hear things..." More tears fell. Then she wondered something. "What was the name of his attraction? What did they call him?"

Erik's face fell. He hated that name. But she wanted to know. "The Devil's-"

"Child," Amelia finished.

"You remember?" he asked suddenly, clutching her hands.

"Not exactly. I always heard that name in my dreams. The Devil's Child... I felt horrible for not escaping that room and helping him." She looked up. "What happened? How did we get out?"

He released her hands and continued. "One night after a show, you picked the lock of your room and got the keys to his cage. But someone saw you. A girl named Marie helped the two of you escape and took you to this fine building to stay."

Amelia looked at nothing, trying to wrap her mind around this. It had to be true. There was no possible way Erik could know what she dreamed. She never told anyone about those dreams. Although she forgot, her subconscious did not. But there had to be more to the story. Why did she not remember any of this? And even though she had a fairly good idea of the answer... Who was the Devil's Child?

He hadn't said much else. Amelia looked up at him, now finding hope in his eyes. She decided to ask the most important question.

"Who is the Devil's Child?"

Erik stared into her eyes. "Me."

She didn't let herself blink even for a moment. She wanted to remember so badly. Tears poured from her eyes. Then she leaned forward and kissed him.

Once it ended, Erik smiled... but it still held pain. "The story's not over." His shaking hand reached up to his face. His fingers grazed the mask. Then they grasped it. Erik removed his mask and placed it in his lap. His eyes were closed when he heard her gasp. Tears escaped.

He opened his eyes again. Amelia saw the anger there and became frightened. He had never looked at her like that. When Erik saw her cower, he lost it.

"Of course! Why would I expect you to be the same! You fear my face just like the rest of the world." He was standing now. Amelia looked away, confused. "Oh, no. Look into the face of the Devil's Child!" he shouted at her.

She looked at him with anger in her eyes and stood as well. "I do not fear you or your face, Erik. You are no Devil's Child. You are just Erik."

Erik's temper cooled slightly. "Why did you gasp?"

Amelia's gaze softened. "I know you won't believe me." She sat down again and he followed. "Your face triggered something. I know that I've seen it before. In a strange way, I recognize it."

He stared at her, not wanting to accept it. He didn't want her making up lies to calm him down. He shook his head.

"Erik?" Amelia nearly whimpered. "I remember."

"No you don't. You don't remember me or the traveling fair. You haven't for three years, Mia, and you never will!"

She looked up at him. "You're right. I don't remember those things." She kneeled in front of him and reached to touch his right cheek. When her fingers grazed the marred flesh she said, "But I do remember this."

Amelia's fingers moved from his temple, down his cheek and stopped at his jaw line. She slid them from the back to his chin. All the while she stared into his eyes. Then she looked down at his lips as her finger traced them. Erik gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her. He kissed her finger. She took in a breath and closed her eyes. That had happened before. Touching his face like that felt so natural for her. And the feeling of his lips against her finger... was something she couldn't forget.

"I remember," she whispered, eyes still closed.

Erik's lips suddenly crashed against hers with such fervor, she couldn't help but return it. Both of his hands clutched her face, keeping her there. Between kisses Amelia would whisper that she remembered. His lips felt amazing against hers and soon her entire face. He kissed her cheeks, her forehead, her eyelids.

When he finally ceased kissing her, Amelia simply touched his face. She studied it and memorized the contours of his cheek. She traced where his right eyebrow should have been, down the side of his nose, across his cheek, then down his neck to pull him closer. She guided his head to rest against her chest, his deformed cheek pressed against the exposed flesh. Amelia's eyes slid closed yet again. The feeling of his skin against hers was surreal. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced.

The thoughts of skin made her think of the beatings he had received. She fiddled with his hair as his head rested against her.

"Erik?" she asked softly.

"Hmmm?" was his reply.

She took a breath. "Do-... do you have scars?"

He didn't answer for a moment. Then, "Yes, Mia." He slowly pulled away from her and stood. As he began to take off his shirt, Amelia pushed his arms back down.

"What are you doing?" she asked, startled.

"I want you to see them," he said very seriously. She nodded and released his arms.

Erik removed his shirt and was suddenly glad for the work he had done the past few weeks. Amelia simply stared at his lightly sculpted chest and stomach. But as her eyes gazed at the muscles, she noticed a few scars. She eliminated the space between them and reached out to touch him. She hesitated, though, and looked up at him. He simply kissed her forehead.

Amelia touched each individual scar on his chest. Then she clutched his arms to turn him around. He followed her guidance and turned. Then he heard her gasp.

"Oh, Erik." There were hundreds of lashes on his back. Most were faded, but all were still lighter than his normal skin. Some were raised more than others. Tears escaped her eyes as she touched a scar. The sound of a whip hitting flesh filled her ears. Her dreams had been so realistic. Amelia rested her forehead against his back and she wrapped her arms around him. Tears fell from her lashes down his back. After a few moments, Erik turned around within her arms. He dipped down and kissed her again. This time their tears mingled with their lips.


I hope you liked it. I couldn't wait to write this chapter! And there is still more that needs to happen. Remember their opera? ;]