A/N: Next chapter as promised. I'll have you know I stayed up until 2 in the morning to finish this chapter so don't think I don't love you guys :). A special thanks to laurenbooks125 for her lovely review that totally made my day and made me motivated to finish this chapter and post it so soon as it would have been at least tuesday or wednesday before I would have had time to finish. Anywho... Here you go. Hope you enjoy. Please review and tell me what you think.

Chapter Forty-seven

Knight in Shining Armor

After Helene told all she had found out, they went and found Lionell. Erik gave him a brief explanation before they made plans. However they didn't agree. "We should go now before he has her moved somewhere else. He already has a headstart. We can't afford to wait. We don't even know if the police are coming."

"But what would we do when we get there? We can't just walk in and ask if they will kindly let her go so that you can marry and take the title. We should wait for the police. They will be able to arrest him and get Darcey back safely. I say we wait. They should arrive sometime this morning. He'll need time to move her," Lionell argued back as Helene stood quietly watching.

"You can stay here if you like but I am not going to sit here while who knows what happens to her." Erik stood up and pulled his cloak and gloves back on so he could leave.

"Fine. I should be right behind you with the police. Be careful. I know you care about her a lot and want to protect her but you need to think everything through for both of your safety." Erik nodded and threw open the door and was about to leave but stopped when Lionell called his name. He turned back and reflectively caught the pistol that was tossed in his direction. "You might need that."

"Thanks," he said shoving it in his belt before turning and hurrying down the hallway. He stopped when Helene called his name from behind him. "Erik! Wait for me! I'm coming with you," she exclaimed as she ran to catch up.

"Are you sure? It might be dangerous. You have already helped more than I could have hoped for. Besides, we will have to go on Cesar if we are to get there in good time," he tried reasoning with her so she would change her mind. He didn't want her to get hurt.

"I'll stand watch. I'll be out of danger. And I can take care of Cesar for you when we get there."

Erik sighed. "As long as you stay out of harm's way..."

"Oh thank you so much Erik!" she exclaimed and wrapped her arms around his waist before letting go. "Let me go grab my cloak. Don't leave without me!" She then ran down the hall, leaving Erik in shock. Had this girl, this frightened streetrat, actually hugged him? He shook his head. He would ponder this later. Now he had to focus on Darcey and getting her back to safety.

He continued down the hall and then the stairs towards the stable. He was relieved to see that Cesar was still saddled and had been cared for by a young boy. "Thank you for caring for my horse." He took the reins and flipped a coin at the boy who caught it with a big grin.

"This is the second coin I've gotten today! My mother will be so proud!"

Erik chuckled. "That she will. Good day and thanks again." The boy, who he figured must be the same one that had given Helene directions earlier in the day, nodded and ran off. Erik swore if he ever became master of this estate, a thought that terrified and thrilled him, he would be sure that boy got a raise.

He led Cesar towards the front door. At that moment, Helene ran out the door and skidded to a stop a few feet away from him. "Ready to go?" She nodded and allowed him to lift her from the waist, up onto Cesar's back.

"He's much taller from this perspective," she said in a nervous voice that made him smile.

"Have you changed your mind about coming? He won't hurt you."

"No. I'm going," she said determinedly though he noticed her stiff spine.

He chuckled softly and handed her the reins before swinging up behind her. "Let's go rescue Darcey." He took the reins and started them out at a slower pace before working up to nearly a full out run as they followed the directions to the cottage. As they got farther, he noticed that Helene was relaxing as she got more comfortable with Cesar. However, Erik was getting more and more tense as the anticipation built.

He wondered what would be there when they arrived. He had no notion of what state the cottage was in or how well they were treating her. She was probably scared half to death, not knowing why she was kidnapped or what their plans were for her.

What would they do when they found her? Would they keep their plans as they were before? If they got the title, the smart thing to do would be to sell his apartment and live in one of the family estates. Would she want to live in town or in the country? He had mixed feelings on both as he didn't necessarily like being around a lot of people but he did love to observe them without them staring back at him. He would also miss the opera even if he had no control over much of it anymore.

He still felt overawed when he thought about the idea of being a lord. In his past, he had been only hated and feared and now he had his true love, many admired him, and he was going to be lord over many people and responsible for their well doing. It was overwhelming to think about but it also felt right.

Erik felt a tug on his sleeve that successfully pulled him out of his thoughts. "We should slow down," Helene shouted over the sound of the wind in their ears. He nodded to himself and slowed them down to nearly a walk. "The last turn is up ahead and Tyrell said it wasn't far from there."

"Thank you for noticing. I was lost in thought. We will have to keep a sharp eye out. We will have to stop before we get there so that they don't see us coming." She nodded her understanding and they fell silent as they turned to the left. After a minute or two of walking, Helene pointed towards the cottage that Erik had already noticed. He pulled off of the road and into the trees when there were a bit closer. He dismounted before turning to help Helene. He handed her the reins before whispering, "Stay here. Don't leave the trees unless you hear me call. Cesar shouldn't give you any trouble. Be careful and stay safe. I'll be back as soon as I can." She nodded and he turned and began carefully moving towards the house.

There was still a good distance that had trees though they were not close enough to hide a horse in but they served well enough to aid his progress forward. At first he could only see the back corner of the house so he moved to the side and was surprised to see Lord Dubois dismounting from his horse and walking towards the door. He had expected him to already be here but based on his appearance, he had not been in a hurry to arrive. He looked fit to go to a ball or on a hunting trip, not ready to plot against his cousin to steal the title from her without her even knowing it belonged to her.

He knocked on the door and it was opened shortly after by a man that made Erik feel immediately uncomfortable. As he moved closer, he made an extra effort to remain silent, thanking all the years of practice he had from being the Opera Ghost. As he got closer, he was able to make out what they were saying.

"... careful. If they find her, it will be disasterous for both of us. We need a new plan in case they suspect something."

"Come in and we can discuss it."

"No. I don't want her to accidentally hear me. My reputation would be ruined. The stable will be fine."

Erik felt hope fill him once more where previously it had vanished at the thought of them going inside. If they went inside, it would be much harder if not impossible to sneak in and rescue Darcey. As it was, he had the perfect opportunity.

He waited until they walked around to the other side of the house, leading the horse behind them, before he crept up to the door. He quietly opened it, cringing as the hinges squeaked, before stepping inside. He glanced around at the furnishings before heading for the doorway to search for Darcey.

Not knowing how sound proof the walls were, he kept his voice at a normal volume as he began to call her name. The first room he came across had obviously been used recently but by the man. A pair of dirty clothing was tossed onto a chair in the corner, the bed was unmade and a bottle of cheep whisky sat on the table near the door. Erik closed the door and continued his search.

"Darcey? Can you hear me?" He glanced into the open door of the kitchen just to be sure she was not in there before continuing down the hall. Only two doors remained. "Darcey?" he called a bit louder.

There was a pause before he heard noise and finally, "Erik? Is that you?"

Joy leapt in his heart as he rushed towards the sound of her voice. "Yes. Its me. Are you alright?"

"Oh Erik. I thought I would never see you again." Her voice was just behind the door but when he tried the handle, it was unsurprisingly locked.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get you out of here." He looked around for a key but couldn't see one. "Darcey, I need you to step away from the door. There's no key and I don't have time to look for one. I'm going to have to break it down." She made a sound of understanding before he heard a rustling sound as she moved away. He waited until the sound stopped before backing up and ramming his shoulder into the door. The wood cracked but held firm until the third time. He felt certain he would have a bruise in the morning but didnt care as he stepped into the room.

He hadn't even stopped moving before Darcey rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck. "Oh Erik. I was so afraid," she cried, tears starting to wet his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"Shh. It's alright. I'm here now. No matter what happens, I will always protect you. Come. We have to get out of here before they return." She nodded, pulling back and wiping the tears from her dirty face. Despite the dirt, he still thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. As he looked her over, he felt anger fill him as he noticed a bruise on her cheek and on her arm. He started to ask but knew there wasn't time for questions right now. He took her hand and began to lead her towards the front door. They were almost to the doorway of the front room when he heard voices, causing him to stop.

"The door is open. The sound must have come from here," said a rough voice. Erik silently cursed his stupidity for not closing the door behind him. He had figured he would have enough time to leave and hadn't wanted to risk them hearing it squeak. And he probably would have had enough time except they had obviously heard the sound of the door breaking. He glanced at Darcey, giving her hand a squeeze at the terrified look on her face before pulling her in the direction of the kitchen which he recalled seeing a door leading to outside.

They ran silently into the room and towards the door, their hearts racing in their chests. The doorknob was rusted and he prayed that it would still open but to no avail. It wouldn't even turn. He tried again, harder before giving up. He turned back towards the open doorway, hoping that they might be able to make it out that way but was filled with dread as first the rough looking man and then Lord Dubois entered the room.

Darcey gasped at the sight of her cousin as Erik stepped in front of her, willing to give up his life if necessary to protect her. "Looks like a knight in shining armor came to rescue the pretty damsel, monsieur," the man chuckled.

"Indeed. Surprised to see me?"

"Actually no," Erik answered causing Darcey to let out a small gasp and a surprised look to appear on his face. Darcey pressed closer to him as the look of surprise turned to a laugh. He felt himself heat up with anger again to see how much this experience had frightened her and vowed to make both men pay for hurting her. He made another vow to do all in his power to insure that nothing like this ever happened again.

"Clever. I will admit you are no imbecile. Tell me. How did you know it was me?"

"Let us go. You have nothing to gain and everything to lose by keeping us here," Erik claimed bravely but his answer only brought another laugh. He turned slightly to look at Darcey who looked back with fear. "It will be alright," he whispered before turning his full attention back around.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. I have everything to gain," he said before reaching for his belt to draw his gun. Erik squeezed Darcey's hand once and let go as he drew his own weapon to point it at the man's heart.

"Put down the gun Dubois and I will let you live. Just let us leave. You don't want want murder on your hands do you? The police are coming just behind me and they know all about how you planned to rob Darcey of the title she deserves. You won't get away with this. Lord Rossau got a copy of the will. You don't get the title if she marries by the end of the year. That's why you kicked her out. You thought no one would want her if she was penniless. But you were wrong. It didn't matter she didn't have money. She is a beautiful woman with a wonderful heart. Now I'm willing to make a deal with you. If you let us go, we'll give you one of the estates. We'll even tell the police it was all just a big mistake. Just let us leave."

Dubois visibly hesitated, unsure of what to believe and what course of action to take. The other man started to protest but he stopped as Dubois yelled at him to shut up. "How do I know you aren't lying?"

Erik took a deep breath and gave the only answer he could give. "You will just have to trust me."

He seemed to debate it over before pulling back the hammer. "She can't get married if you are dead."

The next couple seconds seemed to take a life time as Dubois pulled the trigger, sending the bullet hurtling through the air towards him. He flinched in preparation for the inevitable but then he saw movement as Darcey lept in front of him and took the bullet that was meant for him.

As she crumpled to the ground, a scream welled up in him. "No!" he yelled as he fell to his knees.

The hired man shot out of the room as Dubois stared in horror as blood began to pool on the ground. "What have I done?" he asked before turning out of the room as well. Erik ignored them both as he rolled her gently from her side to her back.

He let out his breath as he saw that she was still alive but knew that this might be the end. He tore off his cloak and hastily folded it into a rough square to press against the wound. She hissed in pain and stared up at him with love in her eyes. "You shouldn't have done that," he said brokenly.

"You would have done the same for me. Were in fact," she said with a weak smile. "Erik, was what you said true? Did my parents really leave the title to me?"

"Yes. They loved you very much. Even if they didn't express that love very well while they were living." Tears ran down her face at his words. "Shh. Its alright. Everything is going to be alright." He said the words as much to her as to himself.

"Erik, if I die..."

"You aren't going to die," he claimed despite his uncertainty.

"But if I do, I want you to find Helene Marion and take care of her. Oh, Erik. She reminds me so much of myself. Promise me you will."

"I promise. She helped me find you actually. Without her, we would still be looking," he added, trying to distract himself from the situation.

"She did?"

"Yes." Erik pressed a bit harder making Darcey gasp. "I'm sorry." He shifted her so that she was resting in his free arm as he continued to apply pressure with the other. They sat in silence for a second before she spoke again.

"Do you know what kept me going? Besides trusting you were coming for me? i kept dreaming of a little girl. Oh Erik, she was so beautiful. She had your wonderful cobalt eyes." She stopped as a cough shook her body. "Erik, I love you."

"I love you too. Please stay with me. I don't know how I'll live without you," he pleaded as he pressed a kiss to first her forehead and then her lips. "Don't leave me."

"I love you," she whispered before her eyes fell shut.