Erik POV

She was at my bedside, day and night, hardly ever gone when I would drift in and out of the conscious state, at times I would wake to her crying. I would lay a hand on her own, she would look up at me and smile. She would start humming an unfamiliar tone, but every now and then, I would hear her singing in the kitchen, my mind could register her words, but the beauty of her voice was phenomenal, I couldn't have done better with her voice, clean and clear, it took my breathe away. Jaclyn was everything I searched for in a wife, so, I had decided there, that once I recovered fully, I would asked her to become my wife. She came back into my room with a bowl, she sat down on the bed beside my legs as I sat myself up. Jaclyn waited until I was comfortable to hand me the broth she had made, I took it from her and nodded my thanks to her, she smiled and looked away.

"Jaclyn, could you explain to me something?" I asked. She looked back at me and nodded.

"Why is it, that sometimes when I wasn't in good health previously, that you would be crying?" The first thing was that she was thinking about Amarillo. "I was afraid of losing you." She muttered. It took me by surprise. I looked down at the broth.

What else would make her cry, Erik, have you not heard her "Yes, I could learn to love him, if that's what he wants." Or where you off in your fantasy land kissing Christine?

"No." I whispered quietly, luckily, Jaclyn was looking away at the time. I looked at her and drank in her image, her sheer beauty, the majestic creation she was, I wanted to taste her again, but I was hardly fit to kiss her now, she was now returning my gaze.

"Something wrong?" She asked sweetly, her eyes showed concern.

"Nothing, ma cher." She smiled again. She got up from the bed and left, I watched after her longingly. I was madly in love with her, she was gentle and sweet, she didn't care about looks, she cares about me. It made me love myself for once in my lifetime, I heard Jaclyn shuffling about in the house, I enjoyed hearing another human now, when I was living under the Opera, if I heard a rat it would agitate me extremely. I smiled at my past few years, though tormenting, I had learned more about the world, myself. Jaclyn returned, she laid eyes on me and grew worried, "You look paler than usual, are you feeling alright?" She came over to me and lay the back of her hand on my forehead, it took it, "I'm fine. Don't worry." She looked at me, and ohh, that look on her face was priceless, it was almost motherly, yet it showed the affection of a lover. I fought back a shudder. I reached up to her face and caressed it gently, she took her usual seat and smiled. "Finish your broth, Erik." She said gently. I laughed slightly and drank the rest of the broth down, Jaclyn took the bowl gently.

"Now lay down and rest, you need it." She leaned over me and kissed my forehead.

"I love you, Erik." She cooed, my breath caught.

"I love you too, my Dove." I replied to her. She smiled gently. I obeyed her and laid down, I closed my eyes, and fell asleep, dreaming of Jaclyn.

"When do you think I'll be able to get out of bed? I'm tired of being bedridden." I stated after I woke up, Jaclyn was redressing my wound, I sat up and Jaclyn unwrapped the bandages.

"Well, you can get out of bed now, but no hard work. Understood?"

"Yes. Finally, I hate being in bed all day. I feel like a lazy lump." I said, smirking, Jaclyn chuckled. I took her in my arms and held her to me, she sighed contently and rested her head on my chest.

Jaclyn POV

I listened to his heart beat, it was strong, therefore Erik was going to recover fully. I was finally truly happy with my life. Erik had a different rhythm to his heart beat, it was relaxing, but I hadn't a clue if that was normal, I was hoping it was, at this point in time, I had no clue what I would do without my Erik, I would be heart broken if he would to die and leave me so suddenly.Erik's voice broke my train of thought. "Jaclyn, what's wrong, why are you crying!" He asked, scared.

"I was kind thinking about losing you." He caressed my cheek and kissed my forehead softly.

"I'm not leaving anytime soon, I promise you that." He smiled gently, stoking my cheek. I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him down to my level, I locked his lips with mine, his hands slid down my back, and pressed me closer to his strong body, the kiss intensified as Erik slid a hand up my back, starting to undo the ties that kept my dress on. I broke away, "I admit, I would enjoy that just as much as you, but I said no hard work, I'm pretty sure that type of movement could cause your wound to reopen, then you'd have to go back to being a lazy lump." I said sweetly. I looked up at him, expecting to see that crazy light in his eyes the first time that I stopped him, but I didn't, I saw an understanding look in his eyes. He nodded to note he understood.

"I don't want that happening, it makes me sick just thinking of it." he said, chuckling lightly. He leaned down and kissed my cheek, " Is that legal?" He whispered in my ear, his breathe tickled my ear and roused my hair slightly, but my soul became a beating stallion, running across the fiery plains of seduction. I sucked in a breathe to calm down.

Erik sank back down on the bed. "I thought you said you didn't like feeling like a lazy lump?" I said, giggling

"Right. Why don't we go for a walk? I need to loosen up." He said, standing and guiding me out of the room, and out of the house.

We were walking peacefully, talking and laughing, when we came the river that lead into the ravine, it brought back good memories of my child hood, I had lived in a clearing in some woods, and there was a creek that I would go wading in.

"Erik come on." I tugged him to the river. He started laughing, "What?" He asked, I took off my shoes and lifting my skirts, I stepped into the water.

"What are you doing."

"Being playful, Erik. Come on." I pestered him to come in with me, he eventually gave in and came in, "Its not that I want to, its that my mother, she tried to drown me in the river." I looked at him in disbelief, his eyes were far off and misty. I took his hand and caressed his face letting my dress fall to the water, he gave me that look he had on his face when we first met, where he looked with his eyes and then turned to face me completely, I loved and hated that look, it showed me he was in pain, but it showed me he needed me, and I was hardly ever needed before Erik.

"Your mother didn't even give you a chance did she?" I asked gently, not knowing if it would worsen or improve the situation. He shook his head, his voice cracked as he spoke, "No, she didn't." I lead him out of the water, we sat down at the water's edge. I held Erik as he broke down crying, the sharp jerks of the sobs raking his body shook us both.