"What the hell is that?" Roxana asked Raoul as he flipped through his mail. She'd noticed a familiar family crest on one of the envelopes. Raoul frowned and opened it, raising his eyebrows.

"It's from Andrew Westcliff. It's an invitation…to a ball. To introduce his sweetheart to society?" He looked at Roxana and Christine who were standing near the piano. Erik's mouth was firmly pursed and although they couldn't see it, his hands were gripping his arms so hard, he would surely leave a mark.

"Lord Andrew Westcliff requests the pleasure of your company to celebrate his courtship of Marguerite Giry?" Raoul nearly dropped the paper as Erik looked at Christine. Color had drained from her face.

"I tried to stop her." She said softly. "She wouldn't listen…" Roxana put her arm around the girl.

"There is nothing you can do now…it's out of our hands." She said sadly as Raoul shook his head.

"She's right…but we have to talk to Madame Giry…we have to…"

"It won't matter." Erik said softly. "She's so afraid that Meg will abandon her, she will go along with anything. I know Annie…she loves that child so much it will be the death of them both! I will speak with her." He said, grabbing his cloak.

"I'm coming with you." Roxana said as he nodded slightly and helped her put her own cloak on.

"Christine, could you watch James for a bit? If not, send him up to Ana." She said and kissed the little boy before leaving with her husband.

"Antoinette?" Erik called as he knocked on the door. Roxana calmly held his arm as she always did. The door opened and a drained Annie was revealed. He gasped at the sight of her. She looked so tired.

"Annie?" He asked and she waved him in, looking at the girl with him.

"Is this the one?" She asked and he nodded solemnly.

"This is Roxana…my…wife." He said, unsure of how to introduce her. Madame Giry shook the girl's hand.

"Pleasure dear." She said, pulling them into her living room.

"Where is little Giry?" Erik asked her as they sat. Antoinette sighed.

"She's seeing her beau…why?" She asked, looking at him.

"I heard about Christine's visit the other day." He said and she nodded.

"It didn't go well…I turned her away Erik! I had to…Meg was…it was bad." She said and he nodded.

"She was all upset." He said and Antoinette sighed.

"I know I just…wait. You've seen Christine?" She asked and he nodded.

"Roxana and I have been staying with her for er…well, personal reasons really." He didn't want to scare her, not when her daughter might be in the arms of a demented rapist.

"My brother-in-law…" Roxana explained, "He's been harassing me." She said as Madame Giry's eyes widened.

"That's not what we came her to tell you Annie." He said, his voice dark with worry.

"The problem is, Roxana's brother-in-law is Andrew Westcliff. Your daughter's beau." He said and Antoinette stood up.

"Andrew? Sweet Andrew?" She asked in disbelief. "But he's so good to Meg." She said and Roxana scoffed.

"He's a good actor. I can assure you, if you allow her to travel this path, it will only end it heartache. Mainly for her." It was obvious that the woman did not want to hear this and was quite unnerved to know her daughter had taken up with someone like that.

"Look, Erik, Roxana…I appreciate your concern, but if I tell her she can't see him, I might lose her forever and she'd end up with him anyways. She's so distraught over trying to be as good as Christine…" She said and Erik put his hand over his eyes, shaking his head.

"That's insane…she feels she's not as good?" He asked and Annie shook her head.

"With all of the attention I gave Christine and then her marrying Raoul…it's hard for Meg because she kind of felt left out in the cold."

"Annie…you are her mother! Jesus Christ! What has happened to you? You're not the same woman I once knew…" He said and she spun on him.

"Don't you dare tell me who I am…Erik! You of all people! Don't you even go down that road…I'm sorry…this is the way it is…now I'd appreciate some time alone." She said and he touched her shoulder.

"Annie I…"

"Just go." She said and left the room.

"Come on Erik." Roxana said sadly. "We did everything we could." She said, taking his hand supportively. He nodded.

"Damn them all…let them learn the hard way." He said, pushing her gently out the door. She looked up at him and he had to look away.

"I think it's safe for us to go home now…Andrew has a new project on his hands." She said. He nodded.

"Yes. Home." He said vacantly as she pulled him into the carriage.

Sure enough once they had gotten their things from the Chagnys and returned to their house, an invitation from Lord Westcliff sat on the front table.

"Are we going to attend?" Erik asked and she looked at him in shock.

"We?" She asked and he nodded.

"You don't think you're going alone, do you?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No, I suppose not." She said, as Ana and Carolina walked in, carrying their new clothes. Roxana held a sleeping Jamie.

"It's going to be funny sleeping in our own beds again." She laughed and he shrugged.

"It's only been three days." He said and she nodded.

"Ah well…at least I won't have to deal with you stealing my blankets any more!" She said and spun on her heel to put Jamie in his bed.

He rolled his eyes and walked up to his room. This house felt so empty…so…dead. There was nothing in it. No life, no love, no happiness. Not to mention the darkness in this house. Not that Erik minded darkness. He thrived on it, but this was a different kind. The kind that consumes the soul.

"Roxana!" He called, walking across the hall into her room. She was sitting near her window half covered in shadow.

"May I help you?" She muttered with her eyes closed. He sat beside her and touched a lock of her hair to which she opened her eyes.

"Everything is falling apart isn't it?" She asked tiredly and he frowned.

"You mean this whole business with Meg." He said.

"I just…I don't even know her, yet I feel somehow that it is up to me to save this child from Andrew's wickedness. No one can seem to see it. Justin couldn't even see it. He looked up to his brother so." She said and Erik sighed.

"I see it. Christine sees it, and Raoul sees it." He said, trying to make her feel better.

"But it's not enough…what can we do?" She said, "I feel so helpless. Andrew needs that money for something. He's in a huge debt." She said. "And I don't know what from."

"Did Justin know he was obsessed with you?" Erik asked and she shook her head.

"I tried to tell him once, but he just brushed it off. I mean, it was his brother. The man he'd grown up with!" Erik shook his head.

"That doesn't matter Roxana! If he was harassing you, your husband should have known! He could have hurt you!" He said and she nodded.

"He did." She said, her voice low as she looked around the room. It was as if she felt he was watching her.

"He made me kiss him a few times. I was so frightened I couldn't even come out of the room, much less tell Justin. When he found out I was pregnant…he went into a bit of a rage. He yelled at Justin, told him we weren't ready for a baby. We would regret it. The was the only fight they ever really had. After that Andrew didn't come around for a while, but about a month before I gave birth, he came back and Justin swore their relationship was never better. Then he died." She said dryly. Erik sighed, saying what he'd been thinking.

"Do you think he had something to do with Justin's death?" He asked and she shook her head.

"No." She looked him straight in the eyes. "I think he had everything to do with Justin's death."

"How do you do it?" He asked and she raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon?"

"How do you keep it all inside like that? I know damn well it's ripping you apart, and yet you still manage to sit there, cool as water. Cry damnit! Show some emotions!" He said, desperate to put the spirit back in her eyes. He'd only seen it a few times when she fought him, but usually her eyes were black and lifeless. Like his used to be…She looked at him wearily and shook her head.

"I cried so much, I don't think there's any left." She said blankly.

"You can't sit their inside your own mind." He said. "That's the worst place to be."

"What do you care? I didn't ask you to sit here with me." She said and he glared at her.

"I know. God! Can't you see I am trying here? Opening up to someone like this…it's not easy for me alright? Give me a little credit." He growled at her and she looked at him finally.

"Erik…I'm sorry. I've been rude. You're right. We should be more sensitive to each other's feelings." She said and he looked at their hands. Especially now that I know I feel for you…though I am not sure in what way.

"I'm not angry with you…I'm scared. I didn't want to care about someone. I tried not to…I really did. Love…well, I don't think I am quite at that point, but I do care for you. And I care for Jamie, but the point is, I have feelings for you that I can't seem to control. It's probably from living with you and just growing fonder and more used to each other, but everytime I see you, I could just scream at the frustration I feel."

"Oh Erik…you wouldn't want me. I'm a dried up widow with a little boy." She said and he snorted at her.

"Dried up? You are twenty-one years old! It's almost like you want to be unhappy!" He said and stood. He sighed, deciding to drop this subject.

"Besides," He started, standing up. Maybe this would get her attention. "I don't want you…I was just being a good friend." He said and left her to her thoughts. If she's going to be difficult then I am certainly not going to make things easier on her.

I don't like this chapter much…but it's kind of filler. Sorry.

Syd