"Erik? Erik, talk to me!" she pleaded as he continued to drag her through the passage. "Please! What's going on?" As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Ella saw they were reaching the shore of what looked like an underground lake. He swept her off her feet, dropped her unceremoniously into a boat, climbed in after her, and began rowing as she continued to beg for some explanation, but received no response.

Suddenly they stopped. She could see candles everywhere, a beautiful organ, and everything decorated in black. "Erik, where are we?" Ella whispered. This had to be Erik's home, but how could all this be in one opera? He silently stepped out onto the shore and pulled her out roughly. "Just tell me what's wrong! Erik, you're scaring me!"

The flames of rage in his eyes caused Ella to shrink backwards. "I won't be betrayed again!" he snapped as his only explanation.

"Wha... What are you talking about?" she stammered

The accusation was clear in his eyes. "I saw you kissing him!"

He didn't understand. She just had to explain the situation to him, and then he wouldn't be so upset with her. "No, he…"

"Don't deny it!" he shouted. "I saw you!"

"Let me explain!" Ella begged. "Archer saw us kiss last night, and he was jealous. He kissed me, it's true. But I asked him to leave me alone. I told him I didn't want to see him anymore."

His eyes softened. "You did?"

She nodded. "I did." Ella wanted to prove to Erik that he could trust her and to show him how much she cared. She reached up and caressed his cheek. Erik closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. "Trust me," she murmured before bravely catching ahold of the porcelain mask and tugging it free. He needed to know that she needed him, no matter what.

"No!" Erik howled. He twisted away violently enough to send Ella staggering backwards. "Why did you do that?" he roared. "Is what you've been after all this time? A nosy ballet rat got curious about the Opera Ghost. That's all this has been hasn't it? A game?" He stormed away, leaving her standing there, the white porcelain still in her hands.

"Erik?" she whispered as he sat heavily at his organ and buried his face in his hands. After placing the mask aside, she cautiously approached him. When he didn't move, she knelt at his feet. "Erik, I didn't mean to upset you." Slowly he raised gaze to meet hers. "Erik, it's just…it's just." Ella could feel tears welling up, but she had to tell him. "It's just, I know nothing about you, and I needed to know something, anything, about the man that stole my heart."

He started at her for a moment, stunned at her confession. "Oh Ella," he sighed. "I'm a monster. I'm not worthy of an angel like you."

Ella gently guided his hand away from his face so she could really see it. The skin was twisted and bulged in several places. She could see several veins, and in one part it looked like she could see his skull. If she was honest, yes at first glance, it repulsed her, but she would make sure he would never know. With time, she was positive she would learn to accept it. She wiped her face clean of all emotion before wrapping her arms around his neck and replying with, "You're only a monster if you let yourself be one."

"How can you bear to look at such an atrocious face such as mine?" he asked.

"Because you're still my Erik."

He held her tightly against him. "Surely you are an angel sent to be my saving grace," he murmured.

"You changed," she replied. "They all insisted you were a monster, but I knew you were a changed man. I told her you were!"

"Wait, you did what?" he asked, pulling away.

"Christine kept telling me you were dangerous, that you would take advantage of me, that you would hurt me, but I told you were different now!"

Ella was rather pleased with herself, but Erik looked horrified. "Christine?" he hissed. He stood suddenly. "Christine?!" This time his voice was raised to a shout. "Why would you tell her about us?" he demanded. When Ella tried to calm him down, Erik reached up and slapped her with enough for to send her crashing to the floor. "Do you know what you've done you stupid girl?" he screamed.

"I…I didn't tell," she whimpered.

The sight of Ella on the ground was enough to awaken old memories in Erik. He had promised he wouldn't lose control of his temper less than twenty-four hours ago and yet she cowering in fear from him. "I didn't…I didn't tell Christine anything," Ella whispered, hiding her injured cheek from him. "She…she saw you…saw us at the Masquerade together. She recognized you and followed me. She told me not to trust you, that I would regret it. I told her you changed. I guess I was wrong."

Guilt crashed over Erik. He had hurt her without a second thought. That was how he had lost the first time. Falling to his knees beside her, Erik reached for her, but she gave a soft cry of protest and turned away. "Mon Ange," he whispered. "Please forgive me. It's true I've done horrible things, but I'm trying to change, trying to change for you."

"Erik, I thought I could trust you. I thought I was safe with you."

"Every time in my life something wonderful happens, it gets taken away from me, and that's become my natural reaction. Ella, I know I can't undo what I just did, but I need you to know that I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You truly didn't mean it?" she asked after a long moment of silence.

"No, I swear on my life." Ella hesitantly crawled into his arms. Erik brushed his fingertips across the mark on her face, and he knew it was going to be bruised. "I'm so sorry Mon Ange."

She just shook her head. "I've had worse."

"Tell me."