Katja wondered what she was going to do now that she was alone. It had been a long time since she had been truly on her own. Her husband was right when he said that the last time she had been alone was the day she tried to commit suicide.

She put a hand on her stomach. In a few months she'd have a baby to occupy her time, but for now Katja was going to have to keep herself busy. She supposed that some women would go visit friends, but that didn't really appeal to her. While she had been far from lonely growing up, there wasn't anyone she had a strong desire to see besides her family. And if she were to go visit someone, they would want to know the details of what had happened to her, and Katja didn't think she was ready to talk about her captivity yet.

But then again, she did have a lot to do before the baby came. After all, she was going to need clothes, blankets, toys, a whole nursery. Erik was going to put the nursery together, but that didn't mean she couldn't help.

After eating the delicious crepes that Erik had made, Katja decided to start knitting a blanket for their daughter. Since she was so out of practice, it seemed like the most logical place to start. It would only be a simple rectangle as opposed to more complex clothing. Because Erik questioned their unborn child's gender, and reasonably so, she settled on a pale blue so that way boy or girl, the baby could use it.

Her stepmother had taught her to knit when she was she was younger, but it had been years since she tried. For a long while, she struggled with trying to remember how to actually do it. Luckily after a about an hour, lot of nasty knots, and much frustration, it began to come back to her.

Once she was able to get into a steady rhythm, Katja's mind began to wander. It was strange for her to be completely alone. Erik or Fredrick or her parents had always been just a shout away. If something were to happen or to go wrong, she wouldn't have anyone nearby to help her.

But of course nothing bad would happen. She was far too worried. This wasn't Paris, she wasn't with the gypsies. This was her hometown. Nothing ever happened here. Her kidnapping was beyond shocking for the townspeople because things like that simply never ever occurred here.

As she worked, Katja began to hum one of Erik's melodies. She hoped that he would continue their lessons. Music was so important to him she wanted to be able to understand even just a fraction of his passion for it. And perhaps their child would share her father's genius if she were surrounded by music all the time, even before birth.

She could see it now. Their daughter beside Erik at the piano, the two deeply immersed in a world of music that Katja could only hope to one day understand. The thought made her smile. Erik was going to be an excellent father.

Deep in her thoughts, Katja didn't hear the door open behind her. She didn't hear the footsteps coming across the room towards her. And she certainly didn't expect the hand that fell on her shoulder.

Katja was going to be so shocked when he came home early. Erik couldn't wait to surprise her. Rehearsals had ended unusually early today. The conductor had fallen ill and nobody had proven suitable replacement. While Erik was more than confident in his abilities and believed he could have filled in, he figured the others would have scoffed at him. Even though he had proved his skill with instruments, the other musicians didn't give him much respect.

While Erik felt like he deserved otherwise, he understood why they didn't think much of him. He was strange and mysterious to them. And while they were civil, they made no attempts to befriend him, and he acted likewise. For the most part, he arrived at rehearsal, played his part, and then returned home, socializing only when absolutely necessary.

Even though his job wasn't perfect, Erik was happier than he could ever remember being. All his life, he had dreamed of having a wife, a home, a better life than hiding far beneath an opera house, but he never actually expected to ever have it.

The baby though, he was more than anxious about. There were just so many things that had him very worried. Although the chances according to Katja were small, there was still the possibility that the child wasn't his. Erik didn't think that he could raise the child of the man who put Katja and him through so much pain, and he knew it would destroy Katja if she gave birth to Javert's child.

But the thought of him fathering the child was almost as frightening to Erik. Katja just didn't seem to understand the risks of the child being his. Erik was terrified that he would pass on his cursed face to the child. His own childhood had been nothing short of a living hell, full of rejection and hate. The last thing he wanted to do was force that on their unborn baby.

Deep within his thoughts, Erik paused on the shore of the lake. After making sure there was no one nearby, he pulled off his mask and studied his reflection in the water. Erik didn't understand what Katja saw in him. He was a monster, a beast, a freak. Out of frustration, he kicked a nearby stone into the water. The ripples in the water distorted the image enough to make his deformity disappear. He let out a heavy sigh; if only he had been born normal.

After replacing his mask, Erik continued on his way home. He paused when he saw the horse outside their house. He hadn't gotten a new horse yet, because he was still attached to Cesar, although he knew they were going to need one once the baby arrived. So if it wasn't theirs, who did it belong to?

A loud, familiar scream suddenly broke the silence. Erik took off running for the house. He wasn't about to let anything happen to his wife. He burst the door, desperate to keep Katja safe.