Chapter 5: the Sleeping Bud bursts into Bloom…

Meg's POV

Meg got into her new bed and found it more comfortable than her bed at the Opera House was. She smiled and closed her eyes, sleeping soundly…

Sunlight streamed inside from her window and Meg awoke, momentarily wondering where she was. The previous days' events flooded back to her and she smiled. Getting out of bed, she set out one of her new dresses and washed her face. Looking into a mirror, she noticed something different about her look. She seemed to look…older. Was she growing up without even realizing it?

Shaking her head, Meg pushed her thoughts aside and began to dress. She was maturing, she new that, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to let go of her past. The opera was all she knew.

Once Meg had successfully gotten the dress on, she ventured out into the living room, Erik slept peacefully on the sofa, his mask slightly askew. Meg looked around and noted that there was no food in the kitchen, so she decided to wait for Erik to wake up before asking him what they were going to do for food…

Erik's POV

Erik woke and removed his mask, rubbing his small, barely visible eyes. Placing his mask back on, he looked around and saw Meg exploring the flat with boredom.

"Something wrong?"

"There's nothing to do. I was waiting for you to wake up. Not only am I bored, we have no food, Erik," Meg said, looking at him sulkily.

Erik studied Meg for a moment. Something seemed different about her today. She seemed to be in pain a little bit. He pushed his thoughts aside. "Alright; we'll go out for breakfast, then we'll go to the market and get some food. How's that?"

Meg perked up and nodded. Erik grabbed his cloak and he led her out of the house. The small café nearby wasn't as good as the one in Paris, but it was sufficient. They headed out to the market afterwards and Erik let Meg take over, though he did have to tear her away from the jewelry and shawls a couple of times.

Once they had finished their shopping, they headed back to their flat. Erik caught himself staring at Meg more. Angrily, he looked away. But after a moment, Erik wondered if it was wrong to look at Meg as such.

She is…growing up, I guess. And I am over Christine, of course. So why do I feel horrid when I look at Meg as more than a friend? I…no…I can't fall in love again. It's still too soon. I love Meg, but I don't want to…I don't want to get hurt again.

"Erik?"

Erik turned back to Meg, and smiled under the mask. His smile vanished at the look she gave him; her expression was that of physical pain. "Yes?"

"I can't explain it, but I've been feeling strange all day. I feel sick…and in pain," Meg explained. She did not need to continue. Erik learned more than he would need to know over the years, especially while living in Persia with the Sultana. Though he never admitted it to Daroga, the Sultana would include him on…feminine needs.

At the time, he wondered why she would order him to go to the market and get her some…yeah…

"Erik!!!"

Twenty year old Erik raced to the Sultana's room as fast as his legs could carry him. Once there, the Eunuchs let him enter and he looked at the Sultana's frustrated face.

"Yes, your Excellency?"

"I need you to go to the—oh, damn it hurts—I need you to go to the market and get me some pads." (AN: tried to find out what they were called in the nineteenth century; couldn't find anything, sorry)

Erik gave her a funny look. "Pads, your Excellency?"

"Erik, don't tell me Daroga hasn't given you the Talk yet! This is the one time I do not need any of that!"

"But I really don't know what you're talking about, your Grace," Erik whimpered, cowering under the Sultana's ferocious glare. She could be really scary at times, despite her being only a couple years younger than him.

She ignored him and threw him a bag of gold. "Just go to the market and ask one of the women to show you where to get the pads."

He regretted that he even obliged to the Sultana's orders that day. The women he asked either thought that he was perverted, insane, or jesting. Finally, Daroga found him and explained what pads were, all the while laughing.

Erik had never felt so embarrassed in his life. Humiliated he had been before, but never so much as he was that day. It was the only time he actually felt good to need his mask.

"Erm…Meg, you're mother did talk to you about…uh…feminine stuff, didn't she?"

Meg nodded. "She never explained how painful it would be though."

"OK, erm…find a woman who can help you. I'm just going to…wait here with the food," Erik instructed, taking the other bags from Meg, handing her a few francs, and standing against the wall.

Meg's POV

She wasn't sure what Erik was saying until he mentioned her mother talking to her about periods. For sure her mother was unable to describe how painful it could feel. Any moment, she was going to throw up; she could feel it.

Meg ran into a woman and she asked the woman about where she could find anything to help her with her period. The woman kindly directed Meg where to go and moments later, Meg was leaving the store in a slightly better mood, but the abdominal pain had intensified.

She rushed to get back to Erik. Wanting to get back to the flat as soon as her legs could carry her, Meg quickened into a run. The pain subsided a little, but she felt weaker than before.

Swooning, her vision blurred and someone ran over to help her before everything went black…

Meg woke up in her room at the flat. She sat up and looked around, there was a wash tray and a cloth slid off her forehead. The door opened and Erik came in with a tray. On the tray was a bowl of steaming soup. Meg scooted herself into a more comfortable position as Erik placed the tray on the table. His mask hid the beauty that only she could see.

Yes. To Meg, Erik was abhorrently beautiful. His face was hideous to others, but she believed that past the face was a good man. She wanted to prove that if given the chance, Erik could be a civilized member of society. More so, he could be her husband. It was all Meg could dream of.

"Thank you, Erik." Meg said sweetly. Erik looked at her and she saw a glint of yellow behind the eye holes of his mask. Meg smiled at him and Erik stood.

"You are very welcome, Mademoiselle Giry," he said playfully, bowing a little bit. Meg laughed and he exited her room.

Meg took the soup and began to eat, thinking of Erik's…unusual behavior. Could Erik be changing into what she hoped to present him as? Meg knew that he was joking, but she believed that that didn't matter much; he was warming up to her, even if he wasn't warming up to other people around him.

Erik's POV

Erik lay on the couch and picked up the book he was reading. Les Miserable. He was almost finished, though he didn't like the story much. Despite this, Erik couldn't help but finish the story any way. He was almost finished as it was.

Les Miserable was about a convict who takes in a child. The child grows to be beautiful and a young man falls in love with her. The young man doesn't trust the convict and steals her away, only realizing that the convict was a good man too late.

Erik finished and set the book aside. Looking at the grandfather clock, he got up and knocked on Meg's door.

"Come in," Meg called. Erik opened the door and saw that she was just getting back into bed, her clothes lying on the chair near the window.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "I was…worried, when you fainted."

Meg gave him a troubled look. "I'm sorry, Erik. I didn't know I'd be this bothersome."

Erik sighed and sat on the edge of Meg's bed. "Don't think that you're a bother, Little Giry," he said. "Like Cesar, you are a dear friend of mine."

The moment the words left his lips, Erik felt that he might have spoken to quickly. Meg's usual cheerful look darkened and she looked down.

Oh, Erik, you fool! You did it now!

"Just a friend? Is that all I am, Erik?" Meg asked in a small voice.

"Well…I mean…I really care for you…but…"

"I'm going home," Meg stated, getting out of bed and grabbing a newly acquired bag, packing all her new clothes in it.

"Meg, be reasonable; no one is going to allow a young girl walk alone. Especially with ruffians about at this hour."

"It doesn't matter, anyway," Meg said bluntly. "You tell someone that you love them and all that can happen is that they really don't care at all. They pretend they do, but they don't!"

"Meg, listen to me—" Erik demanded, grabbing her shoulder harshly. Meg yelped and a glint of gold fell out of her pocket. Erik let go of Meg and she backed into a corner.

Erik knelt down and picked up the locket. "Meg…where did you get this?"

When she did not answer, Erik turned back to her and saw her kneeling on the ground, sobbing.

Meg POV

Reality was on her doorstep. She could feel it. And she was frightened. She felt her air tighten around her and a shadow cast over her. Erik.

She pushed him away. "Get away from me!" She shouted. He obeyed, but she could read the shock in his actions. Meg paid no heed as she ran out of the flat. Erik didn't follow. She half hoped he would.

"Meg, sleeping buds burst into bloom every spring. Soon, winter will be over for you. You will become a flower."

Her mother had told her this on her birthday. She was excited by this when she first heard it, but now that she was blooming, she was scared. She wanted to go home; back to opera.