Walking the streets when I heard a scream, I look behind me and I see a girl about to get raped. Anger welled in my chest as I burst into a run at the two. I leap about five feet away and tackle the man. I stand up and slam him against the wall of the building. His scream of pain ringing out in the quiet street. I look to the girl.

"What are you doing out this late?" I asked her, making my voice sound rough, unrecognizable. She looked at me with big blue eyes, metallic blue, like Erik's blue eye. My heart wrenched. I press the man painfully back into the building after he tried to get away from me, he whimpered.

"I-I was coming home from my job at the bar." She told me, her voice trembling. I look at her, and throw the man to the ground. I kick him.

"Let me finish this and I'll walk you home. You don't need to be out this late by yourself." I told her. The girl nodded. I throw the man in to the alley a few feet away from us and beat him, to make sure he learned his lesson about trying to take advantage of women in an Angels' city. I walk out of the alley and grab a ladder leading up to the top of a building.

"Why are you going up there?" The girl asked. I looked down at her from the building.

"Angel's aren't seen." I returned. She only nodded and started down the street, a few feet away from the edge of the building, I started running and jump. Landing soundlessly on the building top on the other side of the alley down below. I waited for the girl to catch up and start walking across the building top. I saw the old Opera Populaire coming up in the distance. My heart jerked and tears stung my eyes. I reached under my cloak and touch Erik's ring, I was wearing it around my neck, keeping the only thing I had of him close to my heart at all times.

The girl crossed the street and entered an apartment complex. I grabbed hold of the fire escape and I slid down. I begin to walk back to head quarters, to change and go home for the night. I approached the Opera Populaire, the temptation to enter, just to walk inside the building that I met my true love in once more, returned. I gave in and approached the old doors and pushed them open. They sagged on their hinges, which made them hard to open. I entered the foyer, tears stinging my eyes. I went forth to the auditorium. That was when I broke down, falling to my knees, crying.

Then, a haunting sensation, I felt as though someone was there, someone was with me. I look up, no one in front of me. I look to each side, no one. I froze, was someone behind me? I stood ferociously, turning, lashing out. Indeed someone was there.

"Fireface." I spat his name, still angry at him for holding me back that fateful night I was taken away from Erik.

"Dragonfire, what are you doing here, you are going to get hurt." He told me, his eyes calm. I glared at him and took down my hood.

"I don't care." I told him, turning away from him, looking up at the stage that I used to perform on. Fearing the Opera Ghost just like any other ballerina. I walk closer to it, and jump down into the orchestra pit, I heard shuffling below me I looked down and saw a grate, my eyes just barely catching movement. I shook myself, no. Erik wasn't there, he couldn't be. He was dead and I knew it.

"Getting yourself killed probably isn't something Erik would want you to do." Fireface told me. I turned my eyes unto him and gave him my death glare. I jumped up out of the orchestra pit and grabbed him by his collar, slamming him to the ground, my foot on his throat.

"Don't you even start suggesting what Erik would and would not want me to do. AT LEAST I'D BE WITH HIM IF I WERE DEAD!" I screamed and bolted away, going deeper into the Opera Populaire. I came to Christine's old room, Erik had told me there was a passage leading from the room to his lair. I opened the door. I closed it and locked the door closed. I slid down the door and started to cry all over again. My beloved, gone. I looked through my tears to the old mirror, was the passage way still there? I stood and went to the mirror, placing my hand on the dusty glass. I slid my hand to the golden edge and moved the entire thing to the side. My heart leapt, the gapping hole stared at me through the darkness. I pulled my flash light out of my pocket and turned it on, I went in through the hole, that was when I heard Fireface pounding on the door, screaming both of my names. I quickly turned and pulled the mirror back over the passage entrance. I slid deeper into the tunnel, why was I doing this, was it for closure? Was I hoping that Erik was some how miraculously still alive? I didn't know, but something deep within me told me I needed this. I didn't know why, Erik left the Opera Populaire the night of the fire and as far as I knew he never returned.

I came to the underground lake. I jumped at the sight of a boat docked, bobbing up and down innocently on the water. What was is doing there? I approached it cautiously. I looked into the boat. The floor didn't appear rotten, I tested it gently, then put my whole weight on it, expecting to fall through into the icy water underneath the boat. I looked down and saw that the floor held strong. I raised an eyebrow. The boat was newer than I expected. I picked up the pole and navigated my way through the channels, remembering the way I was lead down to the Opera Ghost's lair. I looked around, I felt watched. I literally felt a gaze on my face, like someone was in the boat with me. I pointed the flashlight down into the boat, almost expecting to see someone, though, no one was there.

BUMP! I fell into the boat with an OOF! And I dropped the pole and my flash light in the water. I pushed myself up from the boat and looked into the water seeing my heavy duty mini flashlight was stubbornly shining in the water, my heart tore in half as I saw what the beam was shedding light on. His mask. I ignored the flashlight and reached in the water, pulling the ivory mask out of the water. The mask just glowed. I could almost see that blue eye staring up at me from behind the mask. Tears fell from my eyes.

"Oh Erik." I muttered. I suddenly felt as though his arms would wrap around me, that his voice would coo in my ear like he used to do. I reached in the water and pulled out my flash light and saw I was at the lair. I stepped out of the gondola and onto dry land, tears still racing down my cheeks. This was where he lived for so long. I walked forward and saw a room Erik had been proud of. The room with the eagle bed, I pulled away the curtains and beamed the flashlight around the room. Everything was perfect. Had Erik come back after I was taken? I couldn't help it, I fell to my knees, all out crying and sobbing. I felt so torn inside, yet I was comfortable crying here, where Erik drew his last breathe. A feeling of regret washed over me. Why hadn't I tried harder! I loved him and I just gave in. I was so lost. So alone. Utterly alone in this world.

~Three Hours Later~

"Jaclyn." Such a soft voice. So warm, nurturing. I was shaken gently. My eyes fluttered open, only to close again.

"Erik?" I muttered, dazed. I heard the person sigh heavily.

"No, it's me Fireface." He told me. Tears began to sting my eyes again. I sat up on the bed, how had I gotten on the bed in the first place?

"How long have you been here?" I asked him. Fireface snorted.

"I just got here." He told me, so it wasn't him who put me on the bed, I knew I didn't lay down on the bed. I looked away, and around the room. There was a warm glow coming from the corner, a candle was lit, and a rose, with a white ribbon tied around the stem. My heart stopped. I jumped off the bed and made my way to the small table. There was a note under the rose. I picked it up.

I've found my way, little dove.