"Katja?" She looked up at the sound of her name. "Would it be alright if I changed your bandages? I need to see how your back is doing." She nodded her consent and sat down in front of him. He lowered her dress, swept her hair over her uninjured shoulder, and slowly began unwinding the bandages. Once her chest was exposed, she quickly crossed her arms to cover herself. Keeping his eyes trained on her back, Erik examined the wound. "You're healing nicely," he announced. "The infection has gone. I think it will be fully healed in another few weeks." His voice got quiet. "It's going to leave a very nasty scar though. I'm sorry. "

He gently began to rub the salve across her back, now simply a precaution instead of an actual necessity. Her silky skin was soft to his touch. Suddenly an image of her lips pressed against his in a passionate kiss, of the pair tumbling onto the bed flashed through Erik's mind. Katja hissed in pain when he accidentally pressed too hard on the cut. "I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, eager to get the fantasy out of his mind. He had no clue where it had come from, but he quickly bandaged her up and was quick to distance himself. There was no way he ever could, or would, act on it.

"There. I'm finished now." Katja nodded her thanks. She was still so quiet. Now that Erik knew she could speak, Katja would talk from time to time, but it was rare, and it was almost as bad as before. Perhaps with time she would open up more.

"Erik," she whispered a while later.

His attention snapped to her. "Yes Katja?"

"Can I ask you a favor?" she asked timidly.

"Of course you can," he replied. "What would you like me to do?"

She grew quiet again for a moment, before taking a deep breath and blurting out, "Canyoutakemeoutside?"

Erik. It seemed to fit him perfectly. The name was strong and powerful, yet handsome and eloquent at the same time, just like him. He was gentle with her, yet admitted that he had done terrible things. But how could that be? He couldn't be both cruel and kind. Could he? It was time to see if he could be held to his promises.

"Can you take me outside?"

He didn't respond at first, but Katja swore she could almost see hurt in his eyes. "Would you like me to?" he finally asked.

"If…if it's not too much trouble," she stammered. "Please. I…I just want to spend a few minutes out in the sun. I've never gone this long without seeing it before."

His eyes softened. "Yes, of course I will take you if that's what you wish. I'm afraid you're going to have to wait a while though."

She was puzzled by his response. "Why?"

"The sun isn't up yet," he replied. "Dawn will be in about an hour."

"It's the middle of the night?" Katja asked in disbelief. "Shouldn't we be asleep?"

"Well it's actually very early in the morning," Erik corrected. "And you sleep when you're tired don't you?" She nodded. "Well just because it's early for the rest of the world doesn't mean it has to be for us. I've never really followed a traditional schedule."

"Doesn't that make it difficult for Herr Kahn to drop in unexpectedly?"

"Nadir knows I keep odd hours compared to the rest of the world," he explained. "We've known each other for a very long time. He knows more of my habits than I'd like."

"Oh."

A while later Erik approached her. "Would you still like me to take you outside?"

Katja nodded. "Yes please."

"I need you to promise to stay with me. You can't wander off. It's dangerous upstairs if you're not careful. I know my way around, so as long as you're with me, you'll be safe." When she nodded in agreement, he offered her his hand and helped her into the boat.

Her eyes grew wide when she saw the destruction. Everything looked like it had been completely ravaged by flames. No wonder he said it was dangerous. She was afraid that something would collapse on top of them. "What is this place?" she asked, gawking at their surroundings.

"Once upon another time it was known as the Opera Populaire," Erik told her as he led her up a precarious looking staircase. "But that was years ago."

"What happened to it?"

Erik sighed. "About five years ago there was a fire during the performance. The main level and everything above it were destroyed. Only the lower levels, like my home, were unaffected."

"Do they know what caused it?"

"The chandelier fell on a full house. It crashed onto the stage, setting the theater on fire."

"It sounds like a terrible accident."

"An accident," he repeated quietly. Erik shook his head and continued with his story. "Well, they never restored the building, so it's been abandoned ever since."

"But you're still here," Katja pointed out.

"I've always been here," he replied softy. "And I always will be."

She wondered what his response meant. "Did you work here?"

"You know I'm a musician. I consulted with the owners to help them improve the performances. I also composed music. It was during the debut of my own opera that the fire started." Something in his eyes made her realize that he wasn't telling her the full story. But she wasn't going to push him. It was his story to tell if he wanted.

He led her to a door and opened it for her. "Come, the outside is just through here." Her eyes grew wide when she saw the lightening sky and the sun beginning to peek over the horizon. "I thought you'd like to see the sunrise."

Erik could feel a smile creep across his face at Katja's expression. She looked so happy, it was contagious. The rising sun illuminated highlights in her hair, making it look like glittering gold. This was where she belonged. How could he have ever considered keeping her underground?

"Thank you," she cried. "This is…this is…thank you."

"I can bring you up here whenever you'd like," Erik told her. "All you'd have to do is ask. I did tell you that I would take you outside if you wished."

Katja hugged him tightly for a brief moment before backing away, a rosy pink blush lighting up her cheeks. "Thank you Erik," she whispered.