I'm back. I don't think that this story will end soon, but I don't want to commit to the chapter count yet. I'm still writing at the moment, so please be patient with me. For now, I hope you enjoy chapter 4.

Greetings Petit Erik

Louise POV

Months passed and the friendship between me and Erik grew. But it seemed that time passed much more slowly in the real world. What was a month here was an hour in the real world. But I didn't worry about it. My friendship with Erik grew with each passing day. So slowly, though, I noticed in myself that I felt more than friendship for him. Of course, it was bound to happen eventually. We saw each other every day and spent a lot of time together. And I noticed that this company was also good for Erik. For so long he was lonely in his hiding place and now he could talk to someone. He was also quite open to me. He had told me about his childhood, how terribly his mother had treated him and how he had run away when he was 9 years old. After that he told me about the gypsy fair where he was exhibited. He struggled with tears at this memory. I gently told him that he was welcome to cry and that I would not judge him for it. After I said this, the tears flowed freely down his cheeks. When he was done with this terrible memory, he told me about Persia. Erik told me how he had met Nadir and I had to smile slightly. The Persian had always been one of my favorite characters. I loved his humor and his eternal, loving bickering with Erik. Erik mentioned the Shah and all the things he had done in Persia. He also confessed the unpleasant things to me. I listened carefully and comforted him at the points where it was important.

When he finished, he turned to me. He was obviously afraid that I would judge him for his past. But I didn't. I opened my arms to him and immediately his arms were around me and he started sobbing. I stroked his back and tried to soothe him.

"Thank you for listening to me, Louise," he said, looking at me.

"It was my pleasure, Erik."

He broke away from me again and looked at me again. Then I felt him reach for my hand. He took it in his larger hand and stroked it gently. I looked at him and blushed slightly. But Erik looked down at our hands.

"I... Louise. I have something to tell you."

He looked at me and I nodded as a sign for him to continue.

"For so long, I was lonely. I had no one to talk to or who wanted to talk to me. My only contacts were Madame and Nadir. But then suddenly you came out of the blue and turned my world upside down quite a bit. I suddenly wasn't so lonely anymore and finally felt that I had found someone who accepted me just the way I am. And you did; unconditionally. And for some time now, Louise, I feel it and I know it. I feel...I know that I...that I...that I love you."

I got tears in my eyes. He loved me! He had told me that he loved me! He didn't look up, but still at our entwined hands. I reached forward and gently cupped his disfigured cheek. At last he looked at me. Now I could finally say what had been clear to me for so long.

"I love you too, Erik."

Erik POV

"I love you too, Erik."

I looked at her with huge eyes. She loved me! She told me that she loved me! I never thought I would ever hear those words. But that made the moment of finally hearing them all the more beautiful.

"Do you really mean that?", I asked her.

"Yes, Erik, I really mean that. I love you."

I felt wonderful. She really did love me. I still couldn't believe it.

"But how? I mean, how can you love me?", I asked her.

Louise tilted her head.

"How could I not?"

I looked down and gestured to my deformed cheek.

"That's why," I muttered, not looking at her.

"Oh, Erik", she said, "I've told you so many times that I don't mind your face. Personally, I love it. It's a part of you, just like your music. I could never imagine you without another face."

After she said this, I got tears in my eyes. She loved me despite my face. I was overjoyed. For so long I had longed for acceptance and now I finally experienced it. It was a wonderful feeling. I looked at her and continued to caress her hand. It felt wonderfully soft. She sighed softly and closed her eyes.

After some time of me watching her, she opened her eyes again. She looked at me and smiled. I couldn't help it and smiled back. Finally, I had a real reason to smile. We put our foreheads together and finally I could see the colors of her eyes. They were green, mixed with blue and gold flecks. I had never seen colors like that before, but thought they were wonderful. We looked into each other's eyes and I could see her emotions. Her eyes were shining with an expression of love. I smiled and hoped my eyes said the same. Obviously they did, because I saw Louise smile. She broke away from me and looked at me shyly.

"Erik?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"I... May I kiss you?"

Mother of God! She was going to kiss me! On my distorted and swollen excuse for lips. However, when I saw her eyes, I couldn't help myself and nodded. She leaned forward slightly, closed her eyes, which I did as well, and a moment later I felt her soft lips on my misshapen ones.

Louise POV

When I kissed Erik, I felt everything spinning around me. I tried to fight it, but couldn't. Finally, I closed my eyes and waited until it was over. When I woke up again, I found myself back in the intensive care unit at Dresden University Hospital. In my world. No! This was not right! I wanted to go back to Erik and to our world. But obviously this was no longer possible. Apparently, I was now back in the normal world forever. And my back wasn't doing as well as I thought it would. It still hurt like hell and was still hooked up to various tubes. But it was light outside, which must mean that a new day had already dawned. So today I would go to the regular ward. The doctors came to me, took the oxygen tube out of my nose and I was wheeled in my bed to the normal ward.

When I arrived at the normal ward, all the equipment and what I needed was placed next to my bed. I thanked the nurses and was left alone for a short time. But a short time later, the first visit came for me. It was my aunt together with her friend. I was more than happy to see them. They asked me how I was doing and I answered the questions as good as I could. But after a short time someone new came into my room. I heard that this woman had suffered a broken neck and survived it! That was a high rarity. Soon physiotherapy came for me and my aunt was able to watch me stand up again for the first time after my operation. It was very difficult and painful but I was more than proud of myself. But shortly after I stood, I was put down again because I couldn't stand it any longer. My aunt said goodbye again after some time and I slept some more.

I was be awakened again by a strange noise. Soon after, I also saw who the noise was. It was my parents. They were looking at me with tears in their eyes. I smiled sleepily and they came to my bed. My mother took my hand and looked at me lovingly.

"How are you feeling?" she asked gently.

"Except that it hurts like hell and I'm totally tired pretty good."

She smiled at me. Of course, my dad came to greet me too. I was so glad they were there. I remembered how scared my mom was about me needing surgery. But now when she saw me, she was glad that it was done. Suddenly one of the nurses came in. I thought she was there for my medication first but that was not the case. She said to me that there was someone at the registration desk who wanted to see me. I could not remember telling anyone else that I was having surgery. I asked what the name of the person who wanted to see me was.

"He told me to just say Erik. That you would know who he was on your own."

I was almost struck. Erik! Erik was here in our world! And he was near me! I was almost getting jittery.

"Oh yes, please bring him in."

"Right away."

With that, the nurse disappeared from my room again. My parents looked at me puzzled, but I just grinned apologetically. A short time later, the door opened again and there I saw him. Erik. Finally. It had felt like years that we had been apart. He saw my parents and obviously got a little shy. But I smiled reassuringly at him and reached out my hand to him.

"Erik," I whispered.

Immediately he was at my side and kissed me on my lips. I literally melted in the kiss. It was wonderful to feel again his strange lips, which I loved more than anything. He broke away from me and looked at me. Suddenly I heard a clearing of the throat. Erik turned around and I saw my father looking at him. I turned bright red and would have preferred to crawl under my blanket if I hadn't had a flex tube in each hand.

"Well," my dad said, "what does that mean?"

I looked at him. Erik had gone a little pale. Apparently he was waiting for my parents to disapprove of our relationship.

"Mom, Dad. Let me introduce you to Erik. My boyfriend."

My dad looked first at me then at Erik.

"Boyfriend? So like in a relationship?"

I nodded.

"Well, let me put it this way. You're old enough to make your own decisions and we don't want to talk you into it. And I suppose if he does you wrong, you'll come to me or chase him out yourself, okay?"

I nodded with tears in my eyes.

"Yes, Dad."

He smiled at me and hugged me as best he could. I looked at Erik, who had now regained some of his color. I nudged him and he grinned.

"So we are tolerated after all," he said to me in an affectionate whisper.

"Of course," I replied.

I slid my hand lightly under his mask and stroked the skin beneath. He sighed and leaned into my touch.

"When are you coming back?", I whispered to him.

"On Saturday. Along with your parents. I could hardly go a day without you."

"Who are you staying with now?", I asked him.

He grinned.

"It may sound crazy but that annoying Persian and Madame, along with her daughter, have actually all come into our world with us."

"What!"

"Yes, believe me. I live very close to Nadir. Strangely enough, all my furniture and musical instruments and everything else, really everything, have appeared with me in my apartment."

"And where are Madame and her daughter now?"

"They are working at the Semper Opera."

"Holy moly. I never would have thought it. I never even thought I'd see you again after I woke up here."

"Don't worry, angel. I'll never leave you."

"I hope so."

"I promise."

I heard someone sniffling and saw tears running down my mother's cheeks.

"That's so romantic," she said, dabbing at her eyes.

I blushed and I could see Erik's normally pale cheek, turning a slight shade of pink as well.

"Well, we're going to get going again because I still have to go to the night shift," my dad said.

"Okay," I said, and said goodbye to my parents.

They also said goodbye to Erik. While he stunned my mom with a hand kiss that made me grin because she blushed, my dad gave him a handshake. I waved to my parents and they left my room. Erik came to the other side of my bed and looked at me. I smiled and brought my hand to his masked cheek. I asked a question with my eyes. He nodded and I lifted the porcelain from his skin. I was greeted by the same sight I had seen in the past. I saw his disfigured cheek and the exposed section of bone at his temple, which at the moment was hidden by his wig. I took his cheek gently in my hand, stroking it and enjoying the feel of the strange skin under my fingers. Finally, my Erik and I were truly united and nothing could separate us. Not even time.