We are so close to the end of this story! I highly appreciate all of your comments, you don't know how much it motivates me to keep writing. This chapter was a bit hard to write, but highly important, as I consider it a closure for our characters with their past.

Huge thanks to my beta-reader Judybear236, without her, this story would be a complete disaster!

And now read and enjoy!

Chapter 19 The Confrontation

Erik awoke slowly, feeling his eyelids heavy. He hadn't had a better sleep in many months, and he had known exactly why. Meg hadn't been with him. But at that moment, with the feeling of her small compact body pressed against his, he felt whole again, complete. Blinking away from the few rays of sun that streamed through the window, he sighed with protest and rested his head against her hair. Just the feeling of her warmth made his stomach twirl with excitement, his arms tensing slightly around her frame. How many nights he had dreamt of awaking and finding her by his side, in his arms? But instead he had found himself tangled in cold sheets. Alone.

But those days were in the past, forgotten by them both. He let the ghost of a smile play on his lips as he remembered the adoration and desire he had seen in her eyes after kissing her the day before. He had thought that so many days apart would change her feelings towards him, or perhaps would appease them. But gladly, it hadn't. It had done nothing but to increase their need for each other. Lifting his head to the opposite side, he studied the way her eyelashes brushed her soft cheeks. Her skin glowed as his eyes traveled down her face, his attention drawn to her rosy lips, slightly opened as she breathed slowly. His eyes continued his way down her long neck, her head accommodated in a way that the elegant column was exposed, inviting him to touch it as he felt her softness pressed against the solid wall of his chest. A rush of fascination invaded his body as he took in the sight of his arm draped over her hip.

A ray of sun came streaming through the window, landing straight to her face. She sighed in protest and turned her head against his neck, slowly moving down to rest upon his chest once more. He marveled at the feeling of her feet sliding down his ankle, wrapping them around his legs. He smiled, glad to have the opportunity to study his glorious wife like this. Even after their argument, provoked by no other than Christine, he still was amazed by how strong Meg could be. She had helped him escape from the authorities, guided him to an unknown city and still returned to face the consequences of his actions alone. But just a few words by her friend had managed to make her feel afraid and fearful, insecure of him and herself. Although he had witnessed the entire confrontation between the two ladies, he had decided to act as if he was oblivious to that, letting Meg take out every feeling and fear she felt. Still, Erik was surprised when she revealed her main fear: to know if he still loved Christine. He should have known that Christine would use every single detail of what he had done against him, but still he was surprised to know that Meg had thought that it could be true.

He had realized that what he had felt wasn't love, first of all, because he hadn't felt what he was feeling at that exact moment, by Meg's side. She was so different from what everyone thought. Some would think that she was timid and insecure, doing always what her mother would say, tranquil and polite. But Erik had been able to see what most of the world hadn't, the side of Meg that made his knees go weak and his heart quicken with anticipation. The times he had had the opportunity to discuss with her some matters like literature, poetry, history or even music, he had found the activity quite pleasurable, truly curious and intrigued by her point of view and likes. To be able to know her in such intimate ways had given him the chance to know that with only one glance of hers, his heart would flutter and he would instantly calm down. The way she was able to make him laugh with just one word was something that still marveled and intrigued him, as well. And he couldn't forget how strong she was, to the point of even risking her own life for his. Even when they argued, there was a passion in her eyes that made him want to silence her with his lips. Yes, Meg was completely different than most people thought. And still, she was so fragile, and that's what made Erik realize that he was the one supposed to protect her.

Seeing her once more had caused every emotion he had kept inside, including the fear of her rejection, to appear again. But he wasn't scared anymore, he was sure that the worst was over, his sentence had been established and their future together had been spared. It would be only two or three days more and they would be able to return to Florence, where their lives awaited. Erik turned his head back to Meg again, deciding that he had never seen anything more perfect and lovely at the same time. He knew that it was time for him to stand up and go to the Opera Populaire, but still he didn't want to leave her side. Erik was aware of the door in the hallway opening and slow footsteps going down the stairs, Maurice was already up. After a long discussion with the Giry woman, Maurice had accepted to sleep in the guest's rooms, although he had stated that he would still be comfortable in the couch of the living room. Erik had observed amused the reaction of the Giry's when Maurice had said that he would stay in the couch. Although he had warned Maurice that they wouldn't let him do that, he still ignored Erik and confronted the two women. Probably it was the funniest thing he had ever had the opportunity to witness. But after a good fifteen minutes, Maurice had accepted and with a defeated sigh he marched to the room.

Erik chuckled quietly as he remembered the shocked expression on Meg's face when Maurice had said that the couch was fine. He studied the golden highlights in her hair, inhaling slowly the fragrance of peaches and her own scent, surrounding him completely. Carefully, he disengaged from her embrace and slid his arm from beneath her shoulders. Slowly he left the warmth of the bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. Although he would have rather stayed in the bed, holding her and sharing the warmth of the sheets, sleeping soundly with his wife in his arms, he knew that orchestra rehearsals would begin soon, and besides probably Maurice would come looking for him. Turning around, he bent down and placed a lingering kiss in her hair, observing amazed how the ghost of a smile played on her lips and she nestled her head deeper into the white pillows, her hair sprawled around her like a halo. He lifted the blankets from his side and draped them gently over her. Somehow he felt rested and active, as if all that he had needed to sleep well was Meg. But who was he kidding? Of course it had been Meg. He stood, stretching his arms as the daylight streaming through the window warmed his chest.

Walking silently towards the drawer in which Meg had put some of his clothing, he opened it and took out one navy blue shirt. After securing the suspenders, he turned around to look at Meg once more. One of her arms was sprawled where he had been lying, as if expecting him to return to her. Her face was turned to one side, half buried in the pillow as the sheets covered her body. How could he have been so lucky to find her? Or perhaps the most accurate question was how had she found him? His life had changed drastically for good. He was now standing in a room flooded with daylight, his face reconstructed, and he was sharing a bed with his wife. Life couldn't be any less perfect, at least for him. Feeling his chest tightening, he walked to stand at the foot of the bed, removing a strand of hair from her face, taking more time than necessary as his hand lingered on her cheek. Taking a step back, he turned around and walked towards the door, turning the doorknob gently. He knew that he would see her again in less than two hours on the stage, but the intimacy of the moment was too beautiful to ignore. Smiling at her sleeping form, he opened the door and walked outside the room.

As the performers began walking off the stage and into the dressing rooms for a costume fitting, Erik sat with the rest of the members of the orchestra, or to be more precise, with the violinists. Monsieur Reyer had already dismissed them but Erik had stayed with them to show them something he had learned not much time ago, but still it would sound fantastic during Aminta's solo, if they learned to do it right. Holding the violin underneath his chin delicately, he watched amazed how the group of men observed him attentively, eager to learn how Erik did it.

"This technique is called Pizzicato" Erik said as he eyed them carefully "It consists in plucking the strings with the fingers, rather than using the bow. This produces a very different sound from bowing, short and percussive rather than sustained, like this"

Erik began playing a quick piece, the only kind of music that made possible the use of this technique. From his position he could see how the men moved their fingers, mirroring what he was doing. After a moment, he stopped, somehow embarrassed when they clapped enthusiastically, one of them even slapping his back friendly. Minutes after, the whole group of violinists was practicing the new technique. Erik walked around them, observing each of the violinists individually and correcting their mistakes. Soon, they were able to play in perfect harmony, earning Erik's approval. But they still wanted to learn some more, so they asked Erik to show them another technique they had seen him doing earlier. Erik taught them the Spiccato technique, which consisted in holding the bow a short distance above the string, allowing the bow to bounce on the strings, resulting in a series of short, distinct notes. The men caught up quickly with the technique and once again they were playing perfectly.

"Maurice, would you do the honor of guiding us with the piano?" Erik said with a mischievous smile as he turned around to glance at the man sitting near the orchestra pit.

Maurice's jaw dropped a bit as he stared surprised at the group of musicians "Me? Are you serious, Erik? I haven't played in a long time…"

"Nonsense, I'm sure you still remember something" Erik waved a hand dismissively as he sat down on a chair holding the violin he had borrowed earlier.

With a sigh, Maurice walked over to the orchestra pit to sit on the piano bench. Erik could see that he was nervous, but still he was curious to see how good his guard was as a musician. Maurice scanned the score quickly an then nodded towards Erik.

"Let's see gentlemen" Erik began as he accommodated the violin under his chin "From when Don Juan enters the stage accompanied with Passarino. We'll add some Spiccato and Pizzicato right where I pointed out in your scores. You can begin now, Maurice"

Maurice pressed the keys of the piano softly, slowly gaining the confidence he needed and playing each note stronger than the last one. The violins joined him immediately, the song flowing seductively around the empty stage. Erik closed his eyes, still not used to the immense pleasure that playing with others brought him. Soon, they reached the part in which the new techniques were to be applied, making Erik's stomach tingle with anticipation about how it would sound. His muscles relaxed when the sound produced by the violins flooded his senses, the music sounding even better than he had actually imagined. The group of musicians played perfectly the newly learned techniques, as if they had known them for a long time. Erik should have known it, Monsieur Reyer wouldn't admit anything but the best in his orchestra, and he actually did respect the man in some ways. The song came to an end, and immediately the group burst into applause as they congratulated each other, proud smiles in their faces. Erik couldn't help but to smile too, standing up and approaching Maurice. He too was smiling as he observed the musicians. Erik placed a hand on his shoulder, Maurice looking up at him instantly.

"You aren't that bad, Monsieur" Erik said with a grin "You would be an excellent pianist in this Opera House"

Maurice stared at him confused, a pensive expression in his face. But he couldn't answer back as the sound of clapping echoed near the group of musicians. The whole group turned around confused, surprised when Monsieur Reyer appeared at the entrance of the orchestra pit, a soft smile in his lips.

"That was truly incredible, gentlemen" Mon. Reyer said as the group fell silent instantly "It is definitely a very impressive technique. We will practice it more often."

"You should congratulate Jacques, Monsieur Conductor, he was the one who taught us" a man from behind said enthusiastically, his statement soon followed by murmurs of agreement.

"Really?" Mon. Reyer turned around to look at Erik expectantly "Then I'm really honored of having you in our orchestra, and congratulations."

Erik nodded, a small smile tugging from his lips "Thank you, Monsieur"

Mon. Reyer kept his eyes upon him, studying him carefully. Erik was aware of the expression that passed over the old man's features, his mustache curling as he pursed his lips. It was as if he had remembered something, but discarded it rapidly and turned around to walk out of the orchestra pit. Erik turned back to Maurice again, who now was standing next to him. As if knowing what he was about to ask, Maurice just sighed and raised a hand as if giving him permission to leave. With a chuckle, Erik patted his shoulder and walked quickly out of the orchestra pit in the direction of the dressing rooms. He had come to an agreement with Maurice that when rehearsals where over, he would be able to be with Meg, as long as they were not discovered together. But that wouldn't be a problem to Erik. He was a professional in the art of being a ghost.

He walked hurriedly in the direction of the dressing rooms. Soon, a wave of blonde hair caught his eye. Slowing his pace, a small smile tugged from the corner of his lips as he realized what Meg was doing. Standing on her tiptoes, she had both her arms stretched up as she tried to reach a basket of roses, which were supposed to be part of her costume, up on a shelf. Suppressing a smirk, he walked to stand behind her, stretching his arm out to take the basket for her. She let out a surprised gasp, turning around quickly. Her warm eyes settled upon his face, a pleased smile in her lips.

"Rehearsal is over" he said with a smile as he handed the basket to her.

"Also the costume fitting" Meg answered grabbing the basket "Wait here, just let me give this to Madame Toussaint and then we can go"

And with that she turned around and ran down the hallway with the basket. Erik chuckled to himself and leaned against the shelf as he waited patiently for her. But she wasn't long, a couple of minutes after she was already at his side. She looked up at him with a mischievous grin.

"So what do you want to do now?" she asked excitedly, turning around to see if no one was watching.

"Let's go to the rooftop" he whispered raising his eyebrows.

"What if someone sees us?" she breathed "The only way is through the dressing rooms and the whole theatre is there with their costumes"

"Don't forget who is escorting you" he encouraged with a smile as he grabbed her arm and began guiding them down the hall.

"If someone sees us I will deny everything" she laughed, clasping his arm tightly and trying to match his pace.

"You would leave your husband at the mercy of the awfully curious and gossiping people of the theatre?" Erik said trying not to laugh at her expression.

"Without a second thought!" she giggled happily as they entered the crowded hallway.

Erik guided them through the sea of people, Meg let go of his arm, instantly grabbing hold of his hand tightly. With a smile, Erik led them through an alternate corridor as they squeezed themselves to pass a large group of male dancers. The place was filled with the sound of hundreds of voices talking at the same time, making it impossible for Erik to listen clearly. Finally, he reached his destination and turned around the corner, sweeping an arm around Meg's back, he led her to an emptier corridor, the noise of the crowd decreasing. Then he heard a familiar sound of giggling, which sounded exactly as the group of ballerinas which had been following him lately.

Tightening his arm around her waist, he turned back and took her with him into a narrow passageway. Meg fisted his shirt tightly as he pressed her against the wall. A group of people passed just in front of them, not realizing that Meg and Erik were there. They held each other until they passed, and Erik looked out into the corridor, realizing that it was already empty. Turning back to her, he glanced down, surprised when he saw a smile in her lips.

"You didn't want the dancers to see us, right?" she whispered, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"If you had them following you everywhere you go, then you would understand how annoying they can be" he breathed raising a hand to cup her cheek, grazing her lower lip with his thumb

"If you weren't so attractive and mysterious then they would stop following you" she giggled turning her face and placing a kiss in his palm.

"Then I suppose I'll have to get accustomed to it" he sighed dejectedly, the curve of his mouth turning up.

Meg took a sharp breath surprised "Mon Dieu, someone needs to control his ego"

Erik swept her out of their hiding place with a laugh and began running down the hall holding her hand firmly, the stairs that led to the rooftop coming into view.

"Not that fast, Erik!" she protested "I might fall down with my slippers!"

"Right, sorry, I keep forgetting that you are really small" he laughed as he tugged her hand.

Suddenly she let go of his hand and raising her dancing skirt slightly, she began running by his side, soon leaving him behind. Her giggles resounded in the empty corridor as Erik tried to catch up with her.

"Who is the slow one now?" she laughed, turning to see him behind her shoulder. With one swift movement, he caught her wrist, a surprised gasp coming out from her lips as she stopped abruptly. Erik was aware of the sound of voices near, so he found another corner and pushed her inside, followed by him. Trying to suppress his laughter and hers, he raised a hand to her mouth, covering it and muffling her laughs. Meg shut her eyes tightly, her breathing began to return to its normal pace, and slowly, he removed his hand, surprised when she clung to his shoulders and began laughing into his ear, her warm breath sending a shiver down his spine. Looking down to gaze into her eyes, his breath caught in his throat at the sight of her flushed face from the effort of running and laughing, her eyes sparkling with the little lite in the dark corner.

"I won that race" she whispered with a smile.

Pressing her against the wall, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up, forcing Meg to wrap her legs around his hips. Grasping her thighs gently, he managed to keep her leveled, careful to not touch her bare legs.

Erik held her gaze, his eyes falling to her lips "It wasn't fair"

Meg gripped his shoulders and tilted her head to one side "So what is your plan to decide who won?"

"I have an idea" he whispered placing a strand of her hair behind her ear before molding his lips to hers. She let out a moan which he swallowed, his hands encircling her waist as he bent her back with his hands so she wouldn't be uncomfortable by pressing her back to the solid wall, using his hands instead as a cushion. After a moment he withdrew to plant soft kisses down her neck, her arms gripping tightly his broad shoulders for support.

"I want you" he whispered against her lips "You have no idea how much"

"So do I" she breathed, sliding her hands down his broad chest, surprising him with the impact of her warm hands.

"You make me lose my head" he groaned with a laugh, holding her head to prevent her from going anywhere, and pressed her even more against him, returning her ardent kisses with the same emotion.

"We are being silly" she sighed grazing his neck with her lips.

"I don't know what that word means" he chuckled, fastening his lips upon hers once more.

Neither of them wanted to stop, both of them tasting the other earnestly, forgetting momentarily that they were near the stairs which led to the rooftop. At some point, the three first buttons of his shirt were already unbuttoned and her dress was off one shoulder, her soft skin exposed to him. He broke the kiss, and opened his eyes and stared down at her, resting his forehead against hers.

"When we return to Florence" he whispered frustrated "I swear you will be mine"

"I'm already yours"

"I know" he murmured, bending his head to kiss her once more with passion. She encircled his neck as he slowly placed her on her feet, gaining a head above her quickly. Suddenly, he felt her warm hand sliding down his collarbone and down his chest, causing his skin to get on fire wherever she touched. Gripping her waist, he broke the kiss, sliding a hand along her arm. Soon he reached her shoulder, and taking the material of her dress, he pulled it up, covering her skin once more.

"Let's go to the rooftop" he said with a smile as he buttoned his shirt again.

"Oui" she said with a shy smile, brushing aside some of her locks "Just let me fix my hair, I must look ridiculous"

"You always look beautiful" he said with a smile as he grabbed her hand and guided her out of their hiding place.

They reached the stairs and began climbing up quickly, looking down to see if no one was following them. Erik pushed the door open and let her in first. Locking the door behind him, Erik turned around, surprised when he collided with her small body. Confused he looked down at her, realizing that her eyes were fixed on something near the statue on the corner. Following her gaze, his heart stopped when he understood why Meg had frozen suddenly. On the other corner, Christine and Raoul were standing, surprised expressions on both of their faces. Instantly, Erik reached for her hand, feeling it suddenly surprisingly cold. After a moment, Raoul let out a low chuckle as Christine narrowed her eyes.

"I knew it was you" Christine squeaked, her expression changing to a mix of surprise and victory as she looked at Erik.

"Hello, Christine" Erik said, his voice emotionless.

"What have you done, Meg?" Raoul asked, his expression full of concern.

"Excuse me?" Meg answered, taking a step forward and releasing her hand from his grasp. Erik realized what was about to happen, Meg would probably explode.

"How can you be helping him?" said Raoul pulling Christine near him.

"Since when do you decide what I do with my life, Monsieur?" Meg asked coldly.

"Since you decided to marry this monster" Raoul scoffed "I didn't think you were that foolish."

Suddenly everything changed. Erik felt a wave of anger surging through his body as he stared at the face of the other man, a man who had been the cause of all his suffering since he arrived. But that wasn't the reason why he was despising him at that exact moment. It was because he was attacking Meg, and he wouldn't let him. Taking a step forward to stand beside her, he straightened to his full height, clenching his fists tightly.

"How dare you-"Meg hissed.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur" Erik interrupted threateningly "But if you were smart enough, you wouldn't offend my wife."

"Do you actually believe I would receive orders from you?" Raoul scoffed coldly.

Erik chuckled darkly "It wasn't an order, it was a warning."

"How could the managers do this to me?" Christine said staring between Erik and Meg shaking her head.

"I don't know, dear" Raoul stated "But it will end today"

Raoul was about to walk away when Meg blocked his way. Erik observed as her eyes narrowed, burning with anger.

"I won't allow that" Meg warned.

"Please, Marguerite, don't be ridiculous" Raoul huffed "This man is dangerous and as long as he is here, he is a threat to us all."

"He is not!" Meg declared "He has changed-"

"Of course he hasn't!" Christine cried.

"Yes, he is completely different" Raoul laughed coldly "His face may not be the one of a monster anymore, but still he is too afraid to even defend himself, having his little wife here to solve his problems"

In a blink of an eye, Erik was a few inches away from Raoul, his fist up in a menacing way, his teeth gritted with fury. But Meg was faster and stood in front of him, trying to make him step back. She was completely sure that with only one punch he would probably leave the Vicomte unconscious, and that would only make everything worse. Christine grabbed Raoul's arm tightly and pulled him away as Meg tried to make Erik look at her. Erik had his eyes fixed on Raoul, his body aching to strike and silence that man. And it was then when he saw her eyes, filled with calmness and her usual warmth. Slowly, he began unclenching his fists and had to blink several times to focus his vision. Meg placed her hand at his elbow, and suddenly he felt her warmth appease some of his anger, slowly making it disappear.

After a moment, she nodded in reassurance and turned around to face Christine and Raoul, their expressions of pure terror. But what surprised Meg the most was that Erik was the one who spoke, his voice sounding oddly forced.

"If my memories don't fail me, if it weren't for Christine's sacrifice, you would be already dead" Erik stated coldly, his eyes never leaving the couple in front of them.

"What are you insinuating?" Raoul challenged.

"That you must leave us alone" Erik answered dangerously.

"When I know that you can harm my wife or me at any moment?" Raoul scoffed, pressing Christine to his side.

"Please Meg, you need our help" Christine pleaded turning her attention towards her "I know how persuasive he can be…how he can confuse you-"

"I don't need your help!" Meg squeaked furiously "And most importantly, I don't want it, because I don't need it!"

"Christine thought the same, I had to help her" Raoul said calmly, his voice low.

"Do you really believe its love?" Christine said soothingly, with a tint of pity in her voice.

Erik felt Meg's small hand shot up to grab hold of the sleeve of his shirt. He knew that Christine would do that; she would use everything she had to keep Meg away from her. But what they didn't know was that Meg already knew all the truth.

"Stop it Christine, you won't get anywhere with this" Erik warned coldly.

"You don't think that she has the right to know?" Christine choked frustrated "To know that you always loved me?"

"You don't deserve a man like him" Raoul said dismissively "You should aspire to someone better, richer, with a higher position, Marguerite"

"Actually I am really happy with my decision" Meg declared "I couldn't be less happy, because I have found someone who truly cares about me."

"Are you sure, Meg?" Christine insisted.

"I'm sorry to break your illusion, Madame, but I have never loved you and never will" Erik stated bluntly.

Christine's expression changed suddenly, a slash of pain and shame written all over her face.

"What are you-" Raoul began, his expression hardening.

"Now, I would really like to leave one thing clear to you both" interrupted Erik, and without waiting for either of them to answer he continued "I have no plan on harming you, I only returned to try to repair the damage I caused to this Opera House, and as soon as I'm done, you will never have to see us again. So I would highly appreciate if you just don't spoil what the police have arranged."

And with that he turned around, taking Meg by the waist and guiding her towards the door. He pushed it open and waited for her to walk in, but before he could follow, he turned around once more.

"And if you try to cause any harm to Meg, then I will not be responsible for the consequences"

Erik followed Meg down the stairs, leaving a stunned Raoul and Christine behind. Although he had expected a sharp pain to explode in his chest at the sight of Christine, nothing had happened. The only feeling she had managed to get from him was of pure anger and regret. By the way Meg was walking, with her fallen shoulders; he knew that this encounter had truly affected her. She was a fighter, but still there were fights she couldn't manage on her own.

As soon as they were back in the main corridor, Erik guided Meg by the hand towards her dressing room. She had both her arms wrapped around herself in a protective manner. Although he wanted to pull her close and make all her worries go away, he knew he couldn't do that right there. As soon as they rounded the corner, Erik saw Maurice standing in front of Meg's dressing room. Maurice had only known Erik for about three days, yet with only a glance at the couple he knew that something was wrong, something had happened by the look Meg had.

"What happened?" he asked the moment they were close to him.

"A long story" Erik breathed tiredly "I need you to do me a favor, if it's not too much to ask. I need you to take Meg to the house, there's something I need to do"

"Erik...you know I can't do that" Maurice sighed with worry.

"I promise it won't be long" Erik pleaded as he looked at Meg, her face downcast.

Maurice sighed defeated, and turning to glance around he answered "Don't make me regret it"

"I won't" smiled thankfully Erik.

Maurice nodded and turned to walk away to give him time to talk alone with Meg. Erik stepped closer to her, taking her hand in his, momentarily surprised by how cold it felt.

"Meg" he whispered. She looked up, her eyes troubled and dark "I will return to the house soon"

She didn't answer, and instead looked down to stare at their intertwined hands. He leaned forward, and without caring who might see them, he placed a warm kiss on her forehead sweetly. Meg looked up again once more, her lower lip trembling slightly.

"Please, don't be long"

And with that she let go of his hand and walked to where Maurice was waiting for her. He watched them both disappear into the main entrance before he decided to begin walking to the opposite direction. There was something he needed to do, and what had just happened was the main reason why he would do it. He needed to show Meg how much she meant to him, and he knew that the best way to do it was through music.