Hey guys it's me. Just thought I'd let you all know that school's going again (if you haven't figured that out by now). That means updates with be inconstant, but still at least about once a week. Luckily for you guys, this semester is easier than last, and my other fanfic just wrapped up, so I only have to update this one for now. FYI I am doing voting for my next story, but I won't start that until this one is done, mostly done, or I have an absolutely awful case of writer's block (that last one is a worst case scenario). Read and Review, you know how this works. Enjoy!

~nibblesfan

Erik stroked Ella's hair as her sobs eventually began to slow. "Look at me," she hiccupped. "I'm absolutely pathetic." She hid her face in the crook of his neck. "I'm such a mess."

"You're fine," Erik replied soothingly. "I completely understand. But you're safe now. I won't let anyone force you to do anything you don't want to do. Okay?" She nodded, but kept her face buried in his shoulder. He gently pulled her away and tilted her face to him, but Ella shut her eyes. "Will you please look at me?"

Slowly she opened her eyes. They were red and puffy from her tears and their stormy grey color was swirled with fear. He gave her a soft smile before rubbing away the tears on her cheeks. "Erik, I'm scared," she whimpered.

"Scared of what?"

"Archer isn't going to let this go. Erik, I ran away from what was supposed to be our wedding. He's not going to be so forgiving about this."

"I won't let him hurt you," Erik promised. "Ella, I'll protect you." She threw her arms tightly around his neck. The sound of footsteps reached his ear, so he pulled her into a protective embrace. "I trust this is more than enough proof for you Antoinette," he said, when she appeared in the tunnel.

"Proof?" Ella repeated. "Proof of what?"

"What happened, Ella?" the ballet mistress asked, running towards the couple. "What are you doing down here?"

"He…Archer…wanted to take me away. He wanted to get married. But I ran away. I didn't know where else to go," she sniffled. "So I came here."

"To me," Erik added smugly. "You know what that means."

"What are you talking about?" Ella asked.

"Antoinette told me that if I came near you again, she'd send you away," Erik replied, shooting a bitter glare at the ballet mistress.

"Why?!"

"I wanted to make sure you weren't in any danger. Erik usually means well," she replied carefully. "But he doesn't always think about things rationally, especially when he gets emotionally involved. I told him it was your choice and yours alone. He couldn't make it for you."

"That's why you left," Ella gasped. "I thought…I thought I wasn't worthy of you."

"No!" Erik cried. "If anything, I'm not worthy of you." Ella gave him a watery smile before leaning in and gently kissing him. Erik relished her touch, even though he could taste her salty tears. "I never wanted to leave you."

"Ella, you realize that your fiancé is frantic," Antoinette interrupted. "He was practically beating down my door trying looking for you. He was considering calling the police if he didn't find you soon."

"I'm not going to marry him," she replied, shaking her head. Erik could feel her heart start race as she started to panic again. "If he finds me, he'll force me to! Madame Giry, I can't! Please don't make me face him!"

"Listen to me Cheri," Erik said softly. "Unlike me, you belong in the light and you can't stay in the darkness. He'll be upset and probably angry, it's true, but I won't let him hurt you."

"Erik, I can't!" Ella was quickly dissolving into hysterics. "Oh Erik, don't make me go upstairs. I don't want you to leave me!"

"I won't if you don't want me to," he assured her. "I'll stay on the other side of the mirror the whole time, and if he upsets you or tries anything, I'll be right there to stop him. All you have to do is call." She hesitated so he continued with, "You can't hide from the world."

"That's what you're doing!" she accused. "How can you say that I can't?"

"Because you're an angel. You bring light to everything you do. I'm a monster doomed to the darkness of hell because of my face." He caressed her cheek. "I'm trying to save you from my fate."

"Maybe I don't want to be saved!" she shouted. "How come no one asks me what I want?"

"Ella, I'll do whatever you ask of me," Erik replied. "But first we need him to leave us alone. And the only way that will happen is if you make it happen."

Slowly she nodded. "I'll do it. For us."

He smiled. "Come. The police in my opera house is not a welcome suggestion." Erik gently pulled her to feet and wrapped his cape around her shoulders, explaining, "It's cold down here."

The odd trio made their way back upstairs to the doorway that also served as Ella's mirror. "Oh God, I can't do this," Ella suddenly cried, whirling around. She was trembling and her face was quickly losing color.

Erik gently pulled her close and kissed her temple. "You can. I'll be right here. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise you."

Antoinette handed him back his cape, before turning to Ella. "I'll be with you in there the whole time. You won't be alone."

"You don't have to do that," Ella replied.

"But you are a ballerina in my care, which means I do. And I'm sure you'll need all the support you can get. Erik means well, but someone needs to have a more rational approach to this whole situation."

"I'm insulted," Erik pouted.

While they waited for Archer, Madame Giry began pulling pins out of Ella's hair, slowly setting her red curls free from the once-elegant up-do it had been in. Suddenly the door burst open and Meg flew in. "Ella! Oh thank goodness! We've been looking everywhere for you! What happened?"

As she stuttered, searching for an answer, Archer appeared. "Ella, love, are you okay? What happened?"

"Archer, please, just leave me alone!" She was just getting so frustrated with having to have this fight with him. He just never listened to her about anything.

"Ella, what's wrong? Why did you run? Did someone threaten you?"

"No!" she shouted. "Archer please. I don't want to see you anymore."

"Who's threatening you?" he demanded.

"No one!" Ella shouted. "Archer don't you get that? No one is threatening me! Please, I just realized everything's moving faster than I can handle, and I need to have some sort of control over my life."

"Things are going too fast for you? Then we'll slow down!" Archer cried. "But if you felt I was pushing you too much, then you should have said something!"

"I tried! Archer you don't listen to me!"

"I'm listening now!" he replied. "Just tell me what's going on! I'll do whatever you want to keep you happy!"

Ella stared into his desperate eyes for a moment and realized what she had to do. She could feel tears welling up. Archer was a good man, he didn't deserve this, but it was hurt him badly now or hurt him even worse later. "Do you mean it?" she whispered. "Do you truly mean that?"

"Yes of course I do love." He moved to kiss her, but Ella twisted away. Out of the corner of her eye, Ella saw Madame Giry move in front of the mirror, a barrier to keep from Erik bursting into the room. "What do you want me to do?"

"Archer, I want you to leave. Please. Just go."

"I…I don't understand."

"I don't want to marry you. Not now, not ever, Archer."

"What's gotten into you Ella?" he asked. "This isn't like you."

"Go," she pleaded. "Go and find someone who can be with you. Someone that deserves you."

"Ella," he protested. "I don't want 'someone', I want you! I love you!"

"But I don't love you!" she screamed. The second the words slipped out, Ella clapped her hands over her mouth. She had been trying so very hard not to say it in those words. She had been trying to end this delicately. She had been trying to spare his feelings.

Archer stood there, utterly dumbfounded. "Ella?" he whispered in shock.

"I'm sorry," she cried. Her tears began to fall at the utterly dejected look on his face. "I didn't want things to end this way. I really didn't."

His mouth moved like he was trying to speak, but no sound came out. Archer looked so heartbroken. Finally he turned and disappeared out the door, unable to say anything more. "Ella?" Meg began softly. "What happened?"

"Just go Meg," Ella begged. "Leave me alone."

"But…but…" Madame Giry ushered her objecting daughter out. She looked back to Ella to make sure she was okay, but Ella just waved her away.

The second the door closed, Ella felt a pair of strong, secure arms wrap around her. It was then, in Erik's embrace, that Ella truly let herself break down in tears of relief and regret for hurting Archer. "Don't worry," Erik murmured into her ear. "The worst of it's over now. You're almost done."

Little did they know it was simply half-time.