Hi guys. I've got some bad news. This is the last chapter you guys will be getting for a while. I'm moving to college on Wednesday and it's gonna be chaotic moving in, finding my way around campus, getting my new job sorted out, and figuring out classes, but fret not, sooner or later, I will return to you! And hopefully sooner! But for now, read and review!

~nibblesfan

Erik rolled out of bed and haphazardly pulled on his trousers in an attempt to bring a sense of decency to the situation as Amelia screamed. She had wrapped herself in the bed sheet and had backed up to the mirror. "You sick bastard!"

"Amelia," Erik started, taking a tentative step towards her, his hands outstretched as if to show her that he wasn't a threat.

"You forced yourself on her!"

"No!" Erik shouted. "I would never!"

She moved from the mirror to the organ, trying to keep her distance. "You're a liar and a murderer and now a rapist."

He shook his head and began to plead with her. "Amelia, I would never do that to you and Mia. You have to listen to me!"

"Whatever tricks you used on her, won't work on me!"

"Just listen!"

"Stay away from me!" Amelia shrieked, backing up as far as she could against the organ, but there wasn't anywhere for her to go. Erik took another step forward and she looked frantically from side to side, trying to come up with someplace to go. Her eyes settled on something on his organ, and before Erik could react, her fingers curled around a candelabra.

Erik went reeling as the candelabra collided with his jaw. He reached up and gingerly touched where she had struck him and felt something warm and sticky, and when he pulled his hand away, he saw the blood. "Amelia…"

"Shut up!" she screamed, swinging the candelabra at him again. "I knew letting you mess with my head was a bad idea! You seduced her with your tricks and you raped her!" He dodged another blow as she swung at him yet again.

He grabbed her wrist. "I. Did. Not. Touch. Mia. Without. Her. Consent. She chose to be with me! I would never hurt her. I'm not that much of a monster."

"No, no, no, she would never! She's married to Gaston!"

"But she did," Erik replied gently.

She shook her head back and forth in denial as she struggled to free her wrist. "This is more of your trickery. It has to be."

"You know it's not."

"Do you really expect me to believe that? You've done nothing but trick me and lie to me and I don't doubt you've been doing the exact same thing to Mia!"

Erik drew himself to his full height. "I wouldn't!" he shouted. "I wouldn't do that to her!" He was desperate to make her see that he wouldn't hurt Mia.

"LIAR!"

"I LOVE HER!"

Amelia froze and turned deathly pale. "You what?"

Exhaling slowly, he stared at her with pleading eyes, trying to make her understand. "I love Mia," he confessed. "I haven't told her yet, but it's true."

"No," Amelia sobbed. She would have fallen to her knees if Erik still hadn't been holding on to her wrist. "No, you can't! You're lying! You'll ruin everything! I've finally secured the life Mia was supposed to have and now you're going to ruin everything!"

Recognizing the signs of a breakdown, he pulled her closer. "Calm down Amelia. Everything will be alright," he cooed.

Almost immediately, she put her free hand over her ear, like she and Mia did every time they fought for control. "NO!" she screamed.

Amelia lowered her head and almost instantly her gaze snapped up back to him and he knew that Mia had regained control. "Erik? Erik, what happened to your face?" She started to reach up as if to touch him, which she saw the candelabra in her hand. It dropped to the ground with a heavy clunk. "No, no, no, no," Mia moaned. "Oh God, I'm sorry Erik. I'm so, so sorry!"

He held her tightly against her. "It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything to me. It was Amelia."

"But if I had just kept control…"

"Don't talk like that," Erik whispered, smoothing her hair. "It wasn't your fault, it was not your fault. There was nothing you could have done."

Keeping the sheet wrapped around herself, Mia ran to her discarded clothes and pulled out her handkerchief before gently pressing it against Erik's bleeding jaw. When he hissed in pain, she winced herself before letting out another slew of apologies. "I'm so sorry Erik. This is all my fault. Please forgive me."

Erik reached up and put his hand over hers. "Stop it Mia. There's nothing to forgive. It wasn't your fault, and I blame you for nothing."

"I'm sorry, it's just that…"

"You don't have to apologize for apologizing," he said with a laugh.

"My God, I'm all flustered now, aren't I? I'm sor-" Erik leaned in and cut her off with a soft, sweet kiss. When they broke apart, Mia smiled at him. But just as quickly, the smile slid from her face. "Erik, how long was I asleep?"

"It's only been a couple of hours since you came down here."

"Oh no! Where is my dress?"

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I have to go," Mia replied as she grabbed her abandoned her clothes and began to dress. "Help me please."

He was confused but began to lace her corset for her. "Where?"

"Home. Gaston is going to be absolutely furious," she answered as she buttoned her dress.

Erik froze. "What?"

"If he's come home, and I'm certain he has, he'll be furious with me."

"What?!"

"Gaston doesn't like not knowing where I'm at and he's only gotten worse since I lied to him about being here. He's going to be livid when I get back."

"But I thought…" Erik couldn't get the words out.

"Thought what?" Mia asked.

"I…I thought…thought that this meant…" Erik stared at her, hurt in his eyes, the sting of rejection burning within his heart. "This meant you chose me."

"Of course I do!" Mia replied passionately. "But choosing you and being able to stay with you are two completely different things."

He grabbed her shoulders. "Why not?" he shouted.

"Because I'm married!" She let out a loud sob. "I'm trapped with Gaston with no escape, Erik! There is nothing I can do!"

"Stay with me," he begged. "I can take care of you."

She shook her head. "He'll come after me. He'll find me. Gaston's not going to suffer the embarrassment of having his wife leave him. He'll tear Paris apart before he'll let me slip through his fingers."

"I'll hide you," Erik promised. "I'll hide you here. He'll never find you."

"It's just not possible," Mia whispered.

"Just trust me."

"I would, but I know him too well. He won't deal with the humiliation, mistress or no. I'm so sorry Erik. I'll be back as soon as I can." She placed a kiss on his cheek before opening the mirror and running down the passage.

"Mia!" Erik screamed. "MIA!" When she didn't answer him, Erik fell to his knees and tried to fight back the tears in the corners of his eyes, as he could feel his heart breaking again.