Erik's POV

I'm playing with fire. How am I to expect myself to move on so easily? I can't even listen to Don Juan without breaking down. How my heart aches still from Christine. Just knowing that she is dead makes me feel dead on the inside. There is still a chance she is alive, right? She may have survived and they just wrote an inaccurate article. One could only hope. After what seemed an hour, but was really only three minutes, I stood from my piano. I owed Elphaba an apology. My feet dragged with me as I walked down the hallway to her makeshift room. I was about to call her when I heard muffled sobbing behind the door. A sorry was not going to cut it. I had been cruel to her without meaning and I was going to fix it. Quietly, I crept back down the hall to my room. She didn't have any dresses to wear, so that would be the first order of business. I grabbed my cloak and swung it around my shoulders, placing on my fedora as well. Taking my pen, I scribbled a note to her telling her I would be going out and placed it on the handle of her door.

The remaining snow had melted away, signaling the beginning of spring and the beginning of a new season of my park. Dr. Gangle was in charge whenever I left Phantasma, which was not very often. If there was one thing I hated, it was going into town. Never could you step foot there without being called something awful. The world hated me, and so I hated it back. I hopped in my carriage and told the driver to take me into town. Hopefully this would set things straight. I leaned my forehead against the window and looked out at the passing fields. If only everything was as peaceful as this. When we stopped at the gates of town, I told the driver to pick me back up at five o'clock and he may do whatever he wished to do until that time. Broken carousels would have to wait.

I walked along the main street of town until I came along a clothing store. When I walked in I was greeted with racks of dresses and suits. I headed over to the dress racks and picked out a few red and black dresses. I purchased them and was about to walk out when I saw a beautiful navy blue evening gown in the window. I approached the counter again and asked how much it was.

"That there is a beaut. Expensive though, one hundred dollars that is." He replied. Money was not an issue for me. I had enough money to let my grandchildren live comfortably without working one day in their life. Too bad it will all go to waste when I die.

"I'll take it." the man behind the counter whistled.

"And how are you going to pay for that?" I rolled my eyes and took out a hundred dollar bill from my wallet. He looked at in disbelief and then back at me. "Would you like it wrapped, sir?" He asked moving to the window exhibit.

"I'll take it as is." He nodded and brought the dress to the counter. I scooped it up in my arms along with the other dresses and was about to leave when the shop keeper looked up.

"You must really love that woman." He said with a slight smile on his face. Then reality hit me. I did. For the first time in forever I loved someone besides Christine. Someone who can look at me and love, someone who does understand me and what I go through, all because of looks. I nodded my head slowly.

"Yes, I suppose I do." I thanked the man and left the shop. I checked my pocket watch when I got outside. Nearly five, but I had fifteen or so minutes. I then scoped the street for a jewelry shop. When I found one I entered and looked around. I wanted to get something simple, but screamed I'm sorry. I decided against a ring, and went through multiple cases of necklaces and was about to give up, when I saw it. A simple chain with a single diamond music charm hanging from it. I went to the counter and purchased it. The woman behind the counter wrapped it in a black box with a red ribbon and handed it to me. When on the streets once again I checked my pocket watch. Five o'clock. I hurried to the carriage that was waiting for me and stepped inside, relieving myself of the dresses that were becoming heavier and heavier with each passing minute.

As soon as the carriage stopped at Phantasma, I payed the driver and started my journey to the opera house. The air was cool and refreshing, the perfect temperature for a walk. When I got to the lake, I placed the dresses in first and rowed the gondola to my underground home. Elphaba was sitting on the piano bench playing and singing a song I had never heard before. I didn't wish to interrupt, so I stayed near the door of the room and listened while she continued with the sad song.

Hands touch, eyes meet,
sudden silence, sudden heat
hearts leap in a giddy whirl.
He could be that boy
but I'm not that girl
Don't dream too far, don't lose sight of who you are,
don't remember that rush of joy.
He could be that boy,
I'm not that girl
Every so often we long to steal,
to the land of what might have been,
but that doesn't soften the ache we feel
when reality sets back in
Blithe smile, lithe limb
she who's winsome,
she wins him,
dark hair with a gentle curl,
that's the girl he chose
and heaven knows,
I'm not that girl
don't wish, don't start
wishing only wounds the heart,
I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl,
there's a girl I know,
he loves her so,
I'm not that girl.

I noticed she was looking at the picture of Christine I had set there a day earlier when she spoke about the other girl. Was she singing about me? Did she have feelings for me, even if they aren't love? Obviously, I had cut her deep and hopefully this would cheer her up.

"That was beautiful." I said walking in. I put her dresses in her room in order to surprise her later. "I didn't know you could play." Her head snapped around to me and she stood up quickly.

"Oh, I don't. Sometimes I just experiment is all." She said refusing to meet my gaze. This might be harder than I before thought.

"Elphaba, I didn't mean to offend you earlier. It's just, I have a hard time with that score. It brings back memories I would rather forget." I sighed.

"Then why did you choose it?" She retorted.

"I love it." I replied simply. "And I want to show you something." I held out my hand to her and she took it, still not meeting my eyes. I led her to her room and covered her eyes. She said nothing and went along with it.

"Keep your eyes closed. No peeking." I said as I moved away.

"What are you doing" she asked. I turned to look at her. She had a faint smile touching her lips. Perhaps this won't be as hard as I thought. I took the evening dress from the closet and placed it in her hands. She opened up her eyes and gasped.

"I said no peeking." She stared, open-mouthed, at me.

"I can't accept this." She said finally, holding the dress out to me.

"Oh, but you must. What will I do with it? Besides, you need something to wear when we go out for supper tonight." With that I turned to leave.

"Erik?" I turned around.

"Hmmm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" She shook her head at me and smiled.

"For everything." She replied. Elphaba knew it was so much more than gifts.