Part Two - If You Wish

High above the city of New York, rain clouds were parting to reveal a few twinkling stars. The bulbous moon shone down on tall buildings with blinking lights atop them, stoplights that winked different colors, and the light from the Statue of Liberty's great torch...

But there was one light the moon shone down on that did not come from some building or stoplight.

Across town, at the Juliard School of Music, one light shone above the rest.

Two lovers, entwined in each other's embrace shone brightly, bathed in moonlight and their love.

They fit each other like two halves to become a whole, the girl's arms around the man's neck, his about her waist; her head fitting perfectly in the crook where his neck met his shoulder, his cheek laying softly against her hair... It was beautiful...

Alison had seen deep down to the man behind the mask, had seen and loved. Erik's own love for this amazing woman only grew with each passing minute. Their hearts were full... and in that moment, both felt finally complete. Each had found that missing piece in the other and were simply content to remain locked in that embrace forever...

It was a long moment before Erik finally spoke. "Well, this certainly has been an eventful evening," he said, laughing softly.

Alison laughed with him. "I agree... It's not everyday I get a black eye and then wind up in the arms of a wonderful guy..."

"It's not everyday an angel can convince me to let her take off the mask and then stand in such an open place without it..."

"Oh!" Alison suddenly remembered the mask that lay on the ground near their feet, and lifted her head. She knew he wouldn't want to be seen. "Would you like to... go?" Her eyes softened, she didn't want him to go, but his comfort came first. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable..."

"I don't want to go anywhere without you... We could go back to my dorm."

She smiled. "Wonderful. We'd better go before my roomies come out, wondering what happened to me."

He pulled away from her reluctantly and knelt down, retrieving the mask. He straightened and looked at it for a moment in his hands. She placed a hand on the side of his face again and gazed up at him tenderly.

"You can put it back on if you want to... but it doesn't matter to me."

"It matters to me," he said, replacing the mask with a soft sigh. "I am not ready to let the entire school see me."

She smiled sadly. "I understand."

He touched the side of her face lightly with one hand, but remained silent. Reluctantly, she moved back a few steps and picked up her things where she had dropped them. She leaned around the doorframe, calling in, "I'm going out!" Without waiting for a response, she closed the door and shrugged into the jacket. "Lead the way, mon amour."

Erik looked out over the balcony to see if it was still raining, realizing for the first time that they were both soaked from their trip through the water earlier... it seemed like hours ago. He began to lead her back toward his room when he saw it was only misting lightly.

As they walked side by side, Alison snuck her hand over to his and threaded her fingers through his. He smiled slightly at her touch and glanced at her briefly. "You're wet," he stated in a mock-serious tone.

"Very observant of you," she replied, smiling up at him. "You are too, if I'm not mistaken."

"Hmm... Maybe we'll both get sick and have to skip classes tomorrow."

She gave him an evil grin. "What a shame that would be..."

"Indeed," he laughed as they reached his dorm and he opened the door for her as usual, disappointed that he had to release her hand to do so.

She smiled and walked in, setting her things down as she had before. He followed after her, closing the door behind them. She looked down at herself rather sheepishly. "I hadn't noticed the rain earlier... Maybe I should have changed into some dryer clothes."

"Do you want to go back to your dorm to change?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't go nonetheless.

She shook her head. "No, I want to stay with you. You, on the other hand, should change."

"You'll get sick," he said. He couldn't let that happen. "If you want, you can towel off your hair... maybe borrow a t-shirt and robe until your clothes dry."

She shrugged. "Sure."

He went to his room and returned with a black t-shirt and long black satin robe for her. "Here you are... There are towels in the bathroom."

"My thanks, milord," she said, taking the things from him. "I'll be right back." She turned, tossing a smile over her shoulder and headed for the bathroom.

He smiled slightly and sat down at the computer to check his e-mail while waiting for her.

In the bathroom, Alison towel dried her hair, making it turn wavy from lack of blow drying. Afterward, she hung her clothes over the shower curtain and dressed in the shirt and robe, which trailed the floor a bit, being too long for her. She returned to the main room and smiled at him. "How do I look?"

Erik turned from the screen and laughed softly. "Stunning." He found he rather liked her hair that way... He turned back to the computer and shut it down. There was still no word from the last publishing company...

"Your turn," she said, gesturing toward the door.

He smirked. "Yes, mother," he joked, going into his room and closing the door behind him, not catching the Look she gave him. While she waited, she looked over his vast collection of music.

'Jeez, it'd take me a year to look at all these...' she thought. One album caught her eye... Emile Pandolfi... She picked it up and found it was the same CD she had bought a while back. She loved his piano playing, the jacket said he had been classically trained since the age of five... That impressed her. She placed the CD in his sound system and turned the sound down low... 'Somewhere in Time' came through the speakers...

Erik returned a moment later, dressed in a loose black shirt and pants. He had toweled his hair off, but hadn't bothered combing it. She turned at the sound of the door opening and began to laugh softly when she saw his tousled hair.

He hadn't realized. "What?"

"Your hair," she said, walking toward him. "It's even cuter than when you take the helmet off."

He gave her an odd look in return and tried to straighten it, but it was hopeless... It simply didn't want to stay. She laughed lightly and walked all the way over to him, reaching up and running her hands over his hair. "There..." she said, but the moment her hands moved away, it went every which way again.

Erik laughed softly. "It takes me forever to get it to stay back in the morning."

"Well, I wouldn't worry about it," she grinned. "I think your hair is adorable."

He shook his head. "I don't believe it, but thank you anyway." He ran his gaze over her and smirked at the length of the robe.

She glanced down self-consciously. "What?"

"It's a bit long for you... You ought to be careful not to trip."

She smiled at his concern. "You're right, but I think it's neat. I can pretend I'm wearing a gown." To emphasize her point, she twirled around once, holding the robe off the floor.

Erik watched, but was more interested in the way it parted, giving him a glimpse of her long bare legs... He finally forced himself to look away so she wouldn't catch him staring.

Luckily for him, she didn't notice and stopped twirling, holding a hand to her head. "I'm out of practice... I'm a little dizzy."

He smiled beneath the mask which she returned as she caught the glimmer in his eyes. "Of course, you may have something to do with that," she said, moving closer to him.

His smile faded and he crooked one eyebrow. "Do I?"

"Yes. I remember feeling quite disoriented after several of our meetings."

"That's good to know... It wasn't just me," he said, surprising her.

She raised her eyebrows. "You felt that way too?"

"Yes..."

"I could never tell!"

He gave her a slight smile. "I'm a good actor."

"So I noticed," she said as she returned his smile, walking over to him. She gazed up into his eyes. "You're good at a lot of things."

Himself, he was lost in her endless eyes. "As are you, my angel... No one has ever been able to make me feel like this before..."

"I feel the same..."

He brought his hand up to her face, running it lightly through her silken hair, wishing with all his heart to kiss her... But looking at him was one thing... that was quite another...

He sighed lightly as she tilted her head to his touch, a hint of a smile gracing those coral lips. He brushed his fingertips across her soft cheek. "My angel," he breathed.

She placed a hand over his, turning her head slightly and softly kissing his hand before closing her eyes and holding his hand to her face...

Quickly, he decided to take the chance... While her eyes were closed, he removed the mask with his free hand and leaned close to her... hesitating a moment before kissing her softly, tenderly, allowing her to pull away if she wished.

Alison blinked in surprise at the slight pressure he applied against her lips, but did not pull away. She closed her eyes again and released his hand so that she could place her own about his neck. She leaned against him, sweetly kissing him back.

When she didn't pull back, it gave him the courage to deepen their kiss, lightly running his tongue across her lower lip, trembling when her lips parted just enough to allow her tongue to lightly play with his. His arms lightly rested about her waist while she, for her part, held onto him for dear life, otherwise her legs would have given out. Shocking sensations rippled through her body, all the way to her toes. She twined one hand through his hair, returning his passion with equal fire...

It was a long moment before he broke the kiss, pulling back only slightly, his eyes remaining closed. "I'm sorry..." he breathed. "I should not have... but I could not resist..."

Her breath was short, making it difficult for her to reply. Her eyes were also closed as she grasped his shirt collar for balance. "My... God... Where did the floor go?"

He laughed softly, keeping his hands at her waist to help steady her. She leaned her head against his shoulder and sighed.

"No one's ever kissed me like that before..."

There was a pause as he cherished the feeling of her body against his. "No one has ever let me kiss them before..." he told her, quietly.

She lifted her head a bit and looked at him with eyes that had darkened to a dim greenish-blue. "No one?"

He returned her gaze, losing himself in those sea-like depths. "No one..."

"You could have fooled me."

He smiled slightly. "I love you, Alison."

"I love you too, Erik," she breathed, running a hand along his jaw.

He closed his eyes to her light touch, still amazed that she could, let alone would, touch his face. She smiled and ran her fingers over his forehead, across his cheeks, traced his lips, as though she wanted to memorize what he looked like. He kissed her fingertips softly as they passed his lips, taking her hand in his own.

A faint smile played on her lips. "Mon amour... Je t'aime."

At that moment, the music issuing softly from the speakers changed to a new song. "When I Fall In Love" drifted sweetly around them as Erik opened his eyes again to see Alison's beautiful smiling face gazing up at him. The moment was perfect.

He gave her a gallant bow without releasing her hand. "May I have this dance?"

Her smile never faltered as she nodded. Without another word, he swept her into his arms. It wasn't the dance that mattered... it was the ability to hold her close, as he'd always wanted. Her head rested lightly on his shoulder as he moved them around the small area, the rest of the world falling away as the clouds completely parted and moved on, revealing thousands of brightly shining stars. Shining for them.

Alison flew into her dorm around seven the next morning, leaning against the door heavily. Her mind swam with memories of the previous night... After the CD had finished and she and Erik had danced far into the early morning, they had fallen asleep in each other's light embrace on the couch. She sighed contentedly and closed the door. Her roomies, Britney, Darla, and Crystal looked up from their small Japanese television in slight surprise.

"Where you been?" Britney asked, running a hand absently over her pink spiked hair.

Alison hummed lightly from her area of the dorm. "Somewhere wonderful... I think I might go back..." she replied in a dreamy voice.

The other three looked at each other knowingly, then climbed to their feet. "Come on, girl... spill it."

"Spill what? I'm certainly not cleaning it up..."

Darla blocked her path to the bathroom. "You were out all night."

"After some weirdo came to the door asking for you," Britney added.

"And you've been going out very early in the morning and coming back very late," Crystal put in.

"In short," said Britney. "What's up with you?"

Alison rolled her eyes. "Nothing's up with me."

Britney snorted. "Bullshit! I'm not a complete idiot! Who is this guy?"

Alison looked at them and their 'we're not budging' faces and relented. "Okay, fine... I'll tell you. His name's Erik. It started a few days ago and..."

That evening, after the sun had gone down, Erik walked to Alison's dorm and knocked lightly on the door. His heart beat with anticipation at seeing her again... How quickly they had gone from oddly met friends and teacher and student to their current relationship...

Britney opened the door a moment later. She gave Erik the once-over then yelled over her shoulder, "ALISON!! Your boyfriend's heeee-eeeere!!"

Erik, for his part, glared at the pink haired twit. Alison came into view after a moment, a faint blush of embarrassment on her cheeks. "Thanks, Britney," she mumbled.

"Whatever," Britney tossed over her shoulder as she disappeared into another part of the dorm.

Alison smiled up at Erik. "Fancy meeting you here."

He smiled lightly beneath the mask as he held out a single red rose to her. "For you, my dear."

"Awww..." She took it from him and breathed in it's sweet scent. "How sweet... Thank you."

The smile lingered as he just gazed at her for a moment. "Ready to go?"

"Yep," she replied as she put on her jacket and grabbed her purse. Still holding onto the rose, she called to her roomies. "I'm going out!" There was a mumbled reply as she shut the door and turned back to him with a radiant smile. "Ready."

He turned and began leading her down to the pavement for their second attempt at a walk.

"Did you have fun in class today?" he asked as they walked.

She gave a short laugh. "I managed to stay awake, I think that's good, although I wouldn't use the word fun." She kicked at a small stone laying on the sidewalk, sending it off into the darkness. "How about you?"

"I nearly killed one of my teachers today," he said, nonchalantly. "Some interesting theories about some of the older composers personal lives that you won't find in any book." She looked up at him in interest as the intermittent lampposts alternately illuminated and shadowed them. "We got into an argument," he continued. "About a composer's personal life having nothing to do with whether or not we should listen to his music. The only time I've ever said more than two words in that class. The students were shocked."

"I'm not surprised," she said. "What was the outcome?"

Erik smirked. "He gave up of course."

She grinned. "Atta boy!"

He laughed softly, but Alison had something else on her mind. She paused for a moment, letting the air fill with silence. "My roomies were shocked when I told them we were together..."

Erik also let the conversation drop before he spoke again. "Is that what that look she gave me was all about?"

"What look?"

He shrugged. "I don't know how to explain it, but it wasn't quite the same one she had given me before."

Alison twisted up her mouth, thinking. "I wouldn't know... Sometimes I think that Britney isn't on quite the same planet I am... But..." She paused once again, Erik's mind beginning to fill with dread. "That might have something to do with it. They didn't seem too hot for the idea."

He sighed lightly, focusing on the pavement before them. "It... may not be wise to tell people..."

She furrowed her brow. "Why?"

He was silent for a moment as he tried to think of the best way to explain. "People's... reactions... can be rather unpredictable..."

Alison wasn't quite sure what he meant, but before he could further explain, Erik saw a few figures appear out of the darkness ahead of them. Having the uncanny ability to see in the dark, he could make them out perfectly, but Alison saw nothing.

Keeping an eye on them, Erik switched the dragon head walking stick to his other hand, hoping it was nothing... but his instincts were telling him otherwise. He stopped Alison gently and turned, leading her down a different path. "This way..."

She glanced at him curiously, but followed where he led her. "Anything wrong?"

"I hope not." He glanced over his shoulder to see if they had pursued after them.

To his chagrin, they had and more figures were appearing on the new path he had led Alison down. Grasping her upper arm gently, Erik stopped them both as his eyes never wavered from the threatening shadows gathering about them. He judged that there were about half a dozen or so.

Alison furrowed her brow in confusion as she couldn't yet see them. "Erik?"

As the figures came closer and into her line of vision, Erik spoke in a low voice that only she could hear. "Alison... If you get the chance, run back to your dorm and stay there..."

The figures were only a few meters away by then and stopped. One of them spoke. "So, you're going out with the freak, huh Alison?"

Alison looked from Erik to the person who had addressed her. She recognized the voice. "Geri?"

Erik glanced around, most if not all of them had weapons of some kind. His grip tightened on the walking stick.

"Sarah told everyone in the class about your boyfriend," Geri continued, with particular emphasis on the word 'boyfriend.' "What'd the freak do to trick you into going out with him?"

Alison stiffened and glared at Geri. "Erik is not a freak. Now let us pass."

Geri had a queer sort of half-smile on his face. "Oh, I don't think so..." he said as someone pushed Erik from behind.

Erik regained his balance quickly and turned, releasing the catch on the dragon head, but didn't draw the sword.

"Stop!" Alison cried, but no one seemed to hear her.

Another thug pushed Erik from the side as the click of a switchblade opening was heard. Erik drew the sword then, dropping the other part of it, every muscle pulled taut, ready to fight. The thugs were taken aback slightly at the sight of the fierce blade, but knowing they outnumbered him, they pressed in.

Someone grabbed ahold of his sword hand, lashing out with fist aimed at his ribcage, but Erik dodged the blow, breaking free of the hold easily, obviously an experienced fighter.

Alison was growing increasingly frantic at the ensuing fight. "Stop it!"

She was paid no mind as more came at him. Erik held as many back with the sword as he could while striking out with his free hand.

In desperation, Alison grabbed the arm of one of the thugs. "Stop!" she cried, but he shook her off, throwing her backward. She landed hard on her side, the rose Erik had given her falling from her grasp and landing somewhere in the dark.

In concern for her safety, Erik turned to her. "Alison, stay out of this!" The last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt.

While his attention was refocused on her, however, someone struck him with a length of pipe forcefully in the side. Alison screamed as a sickening 'thud' was heard. Erik dropped to one knee and the sword fell from his hand. Surprised at the pain, he looked up immediately and forced himself to stand, holding his side with one hand and stood ready to defend himself with the other.

"Erik!" Alison screamed as another thug lunged at him.

Someone close by to her struck her with the back of his hand, cutting off her screams to small whimpers. "Shut up!"

Fire in his eyes, Erik went after the one who had hit Alison. Seeing him coming, the guy flipped open a switchblade, knowing that he was hurt, he figured he would be easy to take down.

The others were moving to gang up on Erik, but Alison finally got smart, crawling for her purse which she had dropped sometime during the scuffle and grabbed her canister of mace from it. Whirling around, she sprayed the nearest person in the eyes and proceeded to knee him where it hurt. He went down.

Meanwhile, Erik was trying to hold his own while minding the stabbing pain in his side. Finally, he saw his opportunity and punched the guy as hard as he could right where his ribs met, knowing that if the punch connected, he would be out on the ground for a while.

The guy tried to dodge, but wasn't fast enough and Erik hit him just to the side of where his ribs joined together. A crack was heard...

He blacked out and fell as Erik turned to deal with whomever was closest and standing.

A few were still left, Alison having blinded then kicked many of them, but not without receiving some bruises of her own. Erik grabbed the one holding Alison by the arms and swung him around, trying to remove any threat to her. Ignoring the pain, Erik concentrated on fighting the guy's advances, striking out wherever he managed and dodging as much as possible.

While Erik fought that guy, another began advancing toward him. Alison tried to interfere, but he knocked her to the ground like a rag doll, rushing up to Erik and landed a fairly square punch to his face, knocking the mask askew.

Thinking quickly and deciding it might be an advantage, Erik removed the mask entirely and let it fall to the ground.

All activity stopped.

Everything was silent.

Horror, shock, disbelief, disgust, and fear all passed in rapid succession on each thug's face.

Erik snickered. "Boo," he said with an evil grin.

Alison was silent from where she lay on the ground, waiting to see what would happen next...

One by one, they each turned tail and ran. One of them was unconscious, but none seemed to care... They only wanted to place distance between themselves and the horrific sight.

After they had gone, Erik automatically bent and replaced the mask, then went to where he had dropped his sword, picking it and the other piece of it up and locking it back into place.

Alison knew he had to be in great pain, yet his first words to her were,

"Are you alright?"

She gingerly touched her lip which was rapidly swelling. "I could use some ice... You?"

Lightly, he touched his side. "I think they broke something."

She rose to her feet. "We should get out of here... in case they come back."

He shook his head slightly. "They won't come back, not tonight, but yes... We should go."

She went to him. "Do you need my help?"

He leaned a bit on the cane. "No, I'm alright..." He laughed softly, but painfully. "I've had worse."

"That does nothing for my nerves," she replied as they began walking back to his dorm. Despite his reassurances, she glanced at him every few moments to see that he was indeed 'alright.'

Erik glanced about them every few seconds for any sign of the thugs returning as they walked down the path. He noticed Alison glancing over her shoulder now and then as well. It was no wonder that he was relieved once they reached his dorm. He unlocked and opened the door for her.

She sighed as she went inside, placing her things down and removing her jacket. "Sit down," she told him. "Where is your refrigerator?"

He went to his chair and sat in accordance to her command, leaning back slightly and closing his eyes. "In the kitchen... Through there," he said, gesturing at a door on the other side of the room.

She went to the kitchen and put some ice in a dishrag for him. She returned to the main room and handed it to him. "Bandages?"

He appreciated her concern and her determination to take care of him, but he glanced over her slight injuries and knew she should take care of herself first. "Alison, you should take care of your own injuries... Like I said, I've survived worse."

She shook her head firmly. "I'm fine. Where do you keep your first aid?"

"Second drawer in the dresser in my room," he replied absently, but he shook his head, feeling the wound tentatively. "I'm pretty sure he broke something."

"Then you need to go to the doctor's."

"No," he answered quickly. "No doctors."

"Why not?"

"I hate doctors." He sighed lightly. "I spent too much of my early childhood in hospitals."

She gave him a Look. "So you're going to sit there and let it knit incorrectly?"

"No, I'm going to take care of it myself like I always do." He returned her Look. "If I went to the doctors they would bandage it tightly and tell me to lie down for a long time." His tone told her that he didn't want to argue. "I can do that myself."

She cringed slightly. "Can you do that? I mean, have you set bones before?"

"Yes."

"I'm staying."

He wouldn't hear of it. "You need to take care of yourself, Alison."

"I'm fine, you're not. And I'm not about to leave you alone." She knew she could be just as stubborn as him.

He sighed lightly, no way he wanted her to see him without a shirt. "I would rather do this myself..."

She raised one eyebrow, then pointedly took a piece of ice from the dishrag and held it to her swollen lip, her only real injury besides the bruises on her arms and one on her face. "There, all taken care of."

He began to laugh, but stopped after a moment, flinching slightly. "Don't do that, it hurts too much to laugh."

"Sorry..." She furrowed her brow. "I am going to stay."

He paused, but saw no way to dissuade her. "As you wish," he said in a low voice.

"Don't be so stoic, chere," she said as she headed for his room. She returned a moment later with the first aid kit. "Here... You can take care of yourself as you request, and I'll sit here if you need something. Fair?"

He sighed lightly, closing his eyes for a moment. "You're going to see either way," he said softly. He opened his eyes again. "I suppose I could use your help. It will be hard to bandage that area tightly myself."

She smiles slightly, unable to smile too much because of her lip though. "Alright, tell me what to do."

He pointed to the box she held. "I'll need the bandages from there... Pretty much the only thing that can be done for broken ribs is just wrapping the area and being careful for a while."

She nodded and went to the table. She set the box down, opening it with a small 'click' and removing the bandages and tape from it.

He stood as she did so and began unbuttoning his shirt. She held the piece of ice to her lip while she waited, unaware...

After the last button was undone, he glanced at her for a moment before easing the shirt off his shoulders.

Alison's eyes widened, the ice cube fell from her hand and skittered across the table.

There was a large purple and black mark on his side where he was hit, but no swelling. It was the rest of his body that startled her. His chest ran with random thin scars while longer, deeper scars covered his back. Very light track marks were on his right forearm, she could only guess at what those were from... She froze as not so distant memories came back to her...

Erik's head was down and he closed his eyes once again, not looking at her. He didn't blame her if she left right then. "You should go back to your dorm," he said, softly. "I can do this myself."

She was too stunned to say anything for a moment, but she blinked when he said that and shook herself out of the stupor she had been in. Now was no time to freeze up. She took up the bandages and went to him in determination. "I said I would help and I'm going to."

His only response was to sigh lightly.

Alison kept her eyes focused on the black and purple welt. Her nervous habit of chewing on her bottom lip was back in force. "Raise your arms, if you can."

Erik kept his eyes closed, not wanting to see her expression, and did as she asked. Some of the scars on his back evened out as he raised his arms, he had obviously been in that position when he received them. She tried not to think about what might have happened and began winding the bandages tightly around him, tying them in a knot, then taping to be sure.

She paused for a moment, then ran the tips of her fingers along one of the scars, her brow furrowed in concern. He tried not to, but shivered involuntarily as she touched him.

"How did all this happen?" she asked him, softly.

His eyes remained closed, but he lowered his arms. "My mother... her boyfriend..." he said, quietly.

"Why?"

He had no wish to discuss it with her or anyone. He repressed a shudder at the memory. "Does it matter?"

She paused, eyes softening. She knew she had reached a wall. "Evidently not."

He sighed. "I'm sorry..." He paused. "I don't know why he did this. Some people are just cruel."

Her eyes closed briefly, nearly incapable of imagining such cruelty. "Once again, some people are on crack."

He turned his head slightly. "I'm sorry you had to see this..."

"Don't be, I'm not," she said and she meant it. She took his hand gently. "Come on, you should lie down."

He finally opened his eyes and looked at her. "Thank you, Alison," he said, his soft voice full of sincerity. "For everything."

She smiled as much as she could without hurting her lip. "I didn't do much..." She frowned suddenly. "Except get you beat up."

"That was not your fault." He wouldn't have her blaming herself. "Besides... I'm still standing. Some of them are not." He smirked.

She grinned lightly. "I must say... this was the most excitement I've had since... well, ever."

He laughed softly, suppressing the urge to wince at the pain. "I've had to do that too many times."

She frowned at the thought and began leading him to his room, to the couch that she assumed served as his bed. "Lay down... be careful."

He gave her a slight smile. "I assure you, you do not have to tell me," he said in a joking tone. He lay down carefully, flinching slightly regardless and was glad the mask hid that from her.

She knelt down next to the couch and looked down at him in concern. "Do you want anything?"

He shook his head slightly. "No, thank you... You have done too much for me already. You ought to get some rest yourself."

There was no way she was leaving him there by himself in that condition to go back to her own dorm. "What if you need something later?"

"I won't..." he paused for a moment. "But if you wish... I could sleep on the couch out there... Pull out the bed in here for you and you could stay tonight..."

She grasped his hand firmly. "You will pull out nothing. And if I have anything to say about it, you're not moving from this couch." She squeezed his hand a bit. "I want you to get better."

He was a little disappointed, he had hoped she would stay the night... The previous night when she had fallen asleep in his arms was still fresh in his memory...

She smiled softly. "I'll sleep on the other couch." She caught the smiling twinkle in his eyes. "And if you need anything, you're going to wake me up, got it?"

He was indeed smiling back at the angel before him. "Got it."

"Good." Looking in his eyes apologetically, she placed a hand on one side of the mask softly. "And I'm sorry that this happened."

"Don't be. It was not your fault."

She sighed, not believing that for a second, but she wasn't about to tell him. "I'll say goodnight then."

He returned her gaze, still smiling softly. "There are extra blankets in the bottom drawer of the dresser." He placed a hand lightly over hers. "Goodnight, Alison."

She planted a kiss on top of his head before rising to her feet and pulling the blanket over him, then getting one for herself out of the dresser. She gave him one last smile before going out to the other couch.

Good night? Hardly. Thoughts plagued Erik's mind for most of the night, therefore rendering sleep an impossibility. Finally, he managed to drift off a few hours before dawn, thoroughly glad it was a weekend.

Alison, likewise, had found difficulty in sleeping until she found a position that didn't hurt her because of the bruises she'd accumulated. She woke automatically a few hours after sunrise, more than a little rumpled from sleeping in her clothes.

Rising, she went to Erik's door and cracked it open to look in on him. He appeared to be asleep still and he was, though dreaming none too pleasantly...

Unable to move by some unseen force, he stood helpless as he watched many dark figures brutally attack Alison a few feet from him. He lacked the power to close his eyes from her bleeding form, nor could he raise his hands to his ears to shut out her screams or cries for mercy.

His heart twisted as he saw her look directly at him, reaching out her little hand in vain. "Erik... please, help me!"

Alison went to the kitchen for a glass of water, unaware of Erik's nightmares. 'I ought to keep a toothbrush here if I'm going to keep doing this,' she thought.

Erik, in the midst of the terrible dream, woke very slightly and tried to change position, the pain of the movement waking him completely to his relief.

He ran a hand over his forehead, damp with perspiration and then for a long moment, didn't move. He thought about what he had decided the previous night... knowing that this weekend would be the last he would spend with Alison...

He finally moved to get up, slowly though. He paused when he reached a sitting position, closing his eyes against the pain it caused... coupled with the pain of what he knew he had to do.

Alison walked back to his door with her water and a slight yawn, feeling very much like a mother hen. She started slightly when she saw him upright. She walked all the way into the room. "Erik, you shouldn't be sitting up..."

He looked up as she came in, trying to hide the pain in his eyes. He hoped she would think it was from the injury and not at the thought of losing her. "Good morning, Alison," he managed.

"Morning," she replied, sitting on the couch next to him. "How are you feeling?"

That was the truth, but he couldn't tell her that, of course. "Could be better, but it could be worse as well. How are you doing?"

She touched her lip which was slightly better than before, but she knew she had to be careful. "I don't think I'll be singing for a while." She pushed up her sleeves to reveal dark purplish bruises along her arms and knew there to be others on her body. "And I'm a little banged up, but other than that, I'm fine." She looked at him in concern. "You got the worst of it. Although I do believe that most of them will be singing soprano for a while," she said with a slight grin.

He laughed softly, ignoring the pain. Instantly, she remembered that he shouldn't laugh, flinching slightly. "Sorry..."

He waved away her apology. "That's alright. It was worth it. Laughter cures all wounds, or something like that, right?"

She smiled. "Something like that." She realized he hadn't had anything to eat since before last night. "Would you like me to make you something to eat? Anything?"

Hunger wasn't on his mind, not that he would have eaten anyway. "No, thank you. But you can help yourself to anything in there if you want."

"I am a little hungry," she admitted, but she wanted to see to his needs first. "Something to drink?" she offered.

"No, thank you," he said again.

She was beginning to wonder if he was going to refuse everything she offered to him, but as she thought she smiled to herself as she settled on something she knew he wouldn't refuse. Leaning forward slightly, she kissed the side of the mask lightly. "How about that?"

His heart twisting painfully at her tender gesture, he reached out to her and brushed his fingers lightly across the side of her face. "You're making me jealous of my mask."

She giggled softly at that, despite her slight discomfort because of the bruise on her face.

He smiled lightly, but somewhat sadly. He knew how much he would miss her sweet laugh. "I'm sorry this happened... I never wanted you to get hurt..."

"It's not your fault, Erik. I could have ran... I didn't want to leave you. So really, it was my fault. I'm just sorry that it happened at all." She frowned. "When I get ahold of Geri..."

He cut her off. "Don't. He will only hurt you again. And none of this is your fault, I should have expected it."

That surprised her. "Expected it? Why?"

He sighed lightly, letting his hand fall back to his side. "This... has happened before... many times. People seem to think they need to protect others from me."

She pursed her lips. "Yet another example of people who are on crack. I don't get it..." She paused, glancing at him. "How many times?"

He shook his head, glancing away from her. "Too many, I don't remember. I'm not even allowed to have friends, let alone..."

"...a girlfriend?" she finished.

"Girlfriend," he echoed. "Seems so shallow compared to what I feel for you... but yes. I have had girlfriends in the past and this almost always happened."

Her eyes softened. "Then what?"

"The girl usually left."

She took his hand gently in her own. "Good thing I'm not your usual girl."

He looked at her with a small smile, his resolve to leave her was faltering slightly. "I've come to realize that."

"Good," she smiled, cracking her lip in the process. "Ouch!" She held a hand to her lip. "I'm okay... Just shouldn't smile too much."

He smiled lightly. "I truly am sorry this happened," he apologized yet again.

She gave him a look that said 'I love ya, but you have to stop apologizing.' "I understand, Erik. It's okay."

"I can't help feeling responsible. I should have been able to protect you." He sighed lightly, completely ignoring the pain in his side. Attempting to lighten the air a bit, he said, "At least it's a weekend though, no classes."

She laughed slightly. "Thank God for that. I can only imagine what people would say if we showed up looking like this..." She gave him a small smile. "And you shouldn't feel responsible. You didn't know that this was going to happen, and we were both outnumbered. So don't worry about it," she said, giving his knee a soft pat.

Erik wished he could not worry, but he knew it would more than likely happen again, so he said nothing.

"Now..." Alison continued. "We have a lot of free time. What would you like to do, my liege?"

"Something that doesn't require too much moving," he said, half-joking.

"I wasn't about to let you anyway." She smirked, regarding him. "Hmm... You're immobile..." She gave him a sly look. "What to do, what to do..." she pretended to think about it.

He smirked as well, pondering the look she gave him and realized for the first time that he still wasn't wearing a shirt, just the bandages.

Apparently, she noticed too. "Perhaps you should put some clothes on?" she suggested, holding in the giggles.

"I am wearing clothes," he smirked. "Just not a shirt."

"Details, details..."

He carefully rose to his feet and headed for his dresser. She followed him to make sure he'd be alright.

With one hand over his injury, he rifled through a drawer with the other, trying to find a clean button up shirt.

"Need some help?" she offered, almost certain he would refuse.

She was right. He shook his head as his pulled a shirt from the drawer. "No, I found one."

It wasn't without pain, but he managed to put on the shirt and button it himself. Alison admired the shirt at once. It was dark purple, almost black, in color and made of all silk.

Erik wasn't concerned about the shirt, but something else... The track marks on his right forearm. He hoped Alison hadn't seen them...

She had. She had noticed them the previous night, but was hesitant to bring them up because of the way he'd reacted about the other marks on his body.

She knew what they had to be from. A person only gets marks like that if they use any drug that requires a needle, she would know...

Ordinarily, she would have let the matter pass... but she had to know for certain, if he was doing what she thought he was doing. Her old fear began to stir at the back of her mind, but she pushed it down... She didn't want Erik to know... She had more than a few skeletons in her closet as well.

Erik buttoned the cuffs of the shirt but didn't bother tucking it in. He turned to her. "Better?"

She nodded in appreciation. "Yeah." She reached out and felt the sleeve's silky material between her thumb and forefinger. "Nice..." She let her hand remain on his arm. She had to admit, he had good taste, she really liked the shirt on him. Most guys don't realize that that's the reason girls buy them clothes. Alison was a firm believer that there's nothing nicer than hugging a guy in a really nice sweater... or in this case, a dark purple silk shirt.

He smiled. "I ought to wear this more often," he said, jokingly.

"You do that," she said, but her tone was far from humorous. She had to know. "Erik..." She hesitated. She didn't want to believe her own suspicions... but what if she turned out to be right? She forced herself to go on. "Why are there marks on your arm?"

He sighed lightly, glancing away from her. He had thought he had escaped this conversation. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with."

"Why shouldn't I concern myself?"

"Because it isn't important. It's nothing."

"Nothing that you want to share with me, you mean," she said, softly, dropping her hand from his arm.

He looked at her quickly. "No, I don't mean that."

"Then what?"

He shrugged. "I don't know... I just... I hoped you hadn't seen that..."

"So you could go on hiding it from me?" she asked. Her voice was calm and steady, not angry at all.

"Yes."

She gazed straight up at him. "Why is it so important to you that you keep your past from me?"

"That isn't my past," he told her, quietly.

She had made the wrong assumption. If it wasn't his past, then... She was silent for a moment, her lips parted slightly. He too was silent, waiting for her to say something now that she knew.

She glanced down, finally. "I see."

His eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Alison."

She didn't appear to hear his apology. "Would you tell me why, please?" she asked, quietly.

"Because it stops the pain. At least for a little while."

She nodded slightly. "I see."

"That's the second time you've said that."

Alison paused, her eyes still focused on the ground. After a moment, she spoke again in that same quiet voice. "Excuse me..." And she calmly walked out to the living room without looking at him.

After the door quietly clicked shut behind her, he closed his eyes, not moving from where his feet seemed rooted. "I'm sorry," he said to the empty room, his voice barely a whisper.

She stopped when she reached the living room. She grasped the back of a chair with one hand as if for balance and covered her mouth with the other, closing her eyes. She fought for control of her emotions while he wasn't watching.

He moved slowly to the doorway of his bedroom and watched her silently, fully expecting her to walk out.

Taking a deep breath, she turned slightly and caught sight of him. She paused before speaking. "Erik..." she began.

"Don't," he interrupted. "If you're going to leave, then just go."

She turned from him again, closing her eyes. He didn't understand... how could he? He didn't know. But he had a right to... She took another deep breath, making herself voice the words. "You asked me once... what makes me get depressed..."

He was confused, but nodded slightly. "Yes..."

She paused for a long moment, then moved to sit on the couch, motioning for him to follow her which he did, his brow furrowed slightly.

She took another deep inhale before continuing. "I told you then that there were some things I wish to forget..."

He nodded lightly but remained silent.

"Seeing your arm made me remember..." She swallowed hard, finalizing her decision. "I think... I should tell you now before we go any further."

He stayed silent, allowing her whatever time she needed. Alison, for her part, wouldn't look at him and closed her eyes. All the memories she fought so hard to push away came rushing back as she unfolded her tale...

"When I was in high school back in LA," she began. "I hung with the... 'Out' crowd. Black makeup, dark clothes, you know?" He replied in the affirmative and she continued. "Well... sometime near the end of my senior year... we all went to a 'party'..." She bit her bottom lip, speaking almost painfully now. "It was pretty wild..."

When Erik made no move to respond, she went on. "Some of them were drinking... the hard stuff... Others were shooting or snorting, or whatever it was called back then..." She paused. "Someone..." She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she hadn't started this, but made herself go on. "Someone put something in my drink... Everyone was pretty zoned by then..."

Erik was fairly certain he knew where this was going, but made no attempt to interrupt.

Alison took a shuddering breath. "The last thing I remember..." Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "Was a bunch of guys leading me to a dark room in the back..."

He closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Alison..."

She went on. "When I woke up..." She paused, emotions rushing in and clouding her voice. "My-- my clothes were gone..." She covered her face with her hands, tears beginning to stream from her eyes.

Tentatively, Erik began to reach out a hand, to touch her, comfort her in some way, but drew back at the last moment, afraid she wouldn't want him to. "I'm so sorry, Alison..." His own voice was thick with emotion, mostly anger for what had happened to her.

"That's not everything," came her muffled voice.

He dreaded hearing what he was certain she was going to tell him, but didn't stop her.

"I stopped hanging out with that crowd... but... a few months later..." She paused, her voice dropping even more. "I found out I was pregnant."

He closed his eyes again. "What did you do?" he asked, softly.

"My family was angry at me for what had happened... They said it was my fault... but they wouldn't let me get an abortion."

"You had the child."

She let her head fall to her knees and wrapped her arms around her head. Erik had to lean forward slightly to understand her. "The birth was difficult... I-- I almost died that night." She paused. "The baby didn't survive... The nurse told me it died in an incubator two days later... The doctors said it was my fault for what I had done..."

"What you had done?"

She gulped back a sob. "The... drugs I had done prior to finding out I was pregnant..." She paused again. "My family has never forgiven me."

"It wasn't your fault."

She was crying in earnest now. "I don't see how it could have been anyone else's."

"You did not ask to be raped," he told her with conviction. "It was not your fault."

"I chose to go there," she repeated the litany her family had given her. "I knew what kind of party it was."

"You did not choose that. You did not know what would happen, you couldn't have known."

She sighed shakily and sat up, but she still didn't look at him. "It's in the past now... but it still comes back... And then reminds me what I am."

"What you are?"

She forced the words out. "I'm filth, Erik. Unclean, a disgrace." Her shoulders were slumped as she looked at the floor. "I can never get back what I lost that night."

His mouth was set in a grim line, wishing he could get ahold of whoever put such ideas in her head. "That isn't true. Alison, none of that is true."

She only sighed and shook her head, sadly, turning completely away from him. "I try to tell myself that, but I can't believe it... Not after everything that happened."

That only made him more determined to prove her otherwise. "None of it was your fault, Alison. You are listening to people whose opinions should not matter."

She closed her eyes. "I can't help it," she said in a small voice.

Erik hesitated, but reached out to her again and gently stroked her hair, for comfort, he hoped. "They are the same people who call me a freak, Alison," he said, softly. "If you are a disgrace, then I am the demon they claim me to be. Neither of us chose this."

She stiffened at first to his touch, hadn't believed that he would want to after what she told him, but relaxed slightly as she listened to him. When he had finished, she slowly turned her tear-streaked face to him and after a moment, threw her arms about his neck, her body shaking with light sobs.

He put his arms around her gently, glad she was being mindful of his side. "We didn't choose this, Alison," he told her, in the same quiet tone. "It was never our fault. You are an angel to me, no one else matters."

Still shaking a bit, she lightly kissed his neck where the mask didn't cover. "You're the first person I've ever told who didn't care..."

He closed his eyes. "I love you," he assured her. "Nothing can change that. Nothing."

She mentally thanked God for such a wonderful man as she clung to him. "I love you too... always."

Erik was silent for a moment. He didn't know if he would be able to tell her to leave... not after this. He wasn't sure he would survive it himself.

Alison sat back up, mostly in concern for his injury, and wiped the tear tracks from her face. She gave him a little smile. "I don't know what I did to deserve you... but it must have been really good."

He returned her smile with a light one of his own. "I would be lost without you, Alison," he gave her the simple truth. "You are everything to me."

Her smile didn't waver as she touched the side of the mask lightly. "I feel the same. I feel complete when I'm with you."

He closed his eyes and sighed softly. "I had meant to make you leave me... so this would not happen again... to protect you." He shook his head slightly. "I was a fool to think I would be able to."

Her eyes widened as she let her hand drop. "I could never leave you."

"I wasn't going to give you a choice." He looked at her, explaining quickly. "Please understand, Alison... I could not see you hurt because of me..."

Her brow furrowed. "Erik... bruises go away. But you can never be replaced."

"It was only bruises this time..." His voice was grim.

She paused. "What do you mean?"

"It will not end. It never does." He looked at her very seriously. "They had knives for a reason. When they realize you do not intend to leave me... they may turn them on you."

She covered her mouth with a hand in shock. "What do you propose we do?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "That is why I was going to leave..."

She shook her head firmly. "No."

"I see no other way..."

Her eyes softened as she grasped his hand in both of hers. "Erik... please. You can't..."

"I can't risk losing you."

"But you would lose me either way!"

"If I left, I would know you were safe."

She paused to let what he said sink in. "You mean leave the school?"

He nodded. "If necessary, yes."

"What about your education?"

"You are more important to me," he said, simply.

She shook her head. "You can't leave!"

"It would only be... until you finished school, perhaps?" He looked off across the room, thinking. "Then we could leave together... Where no one would know me and no one would hurt you."

"You can't sacrifice your education for me."

He shrugged lightly. "I was only here for my own amusement anyway. You know I don't need it."

She glanced down at their hands, still joined. "I just don't want to go anywhere without you... It's difficult enough to go back to my own dorm room... I don't even want to think about you leaving me indefinitely."

With his free hand, he lightly brushed the side of her face with his fingers. "I have often wished you could stay here with me."

"Me too," she said, softly.

He sighed lightly. "I also wish those idiots would simply leave us in peace. But it seems I rarely get what I wish for."

She smiled lightly. "But I've always gotten what I wished for when it comes to you."

He returned the smile and decided to lighten the tone for at least a few moments. "Spring break is coming up," he said, changing the subject. "Do you have any plans?"

She shrugged. "Not really. You?"

"No. I thought perhaps we could go someplace. Forget about all this for a little while."

She smiled. "That sounds wonderful! Where could we go?"

"Anywhere you wished."

"Anywhere as long as I was with you."

He thought for a moment. "I was never one for beaches. Perhaps we could go to Europe..."

Her eyes widened. "Europe? How would we get there?" She pointed to herself. "Starving college student, remember?"

He gave her a smile. "My treat. I have an allowance from my mother's accounts. She my have been a psycho, but she was a wealthy psycho."

She laughed, beginning to marvel at the opportunity of going to Europe. "I've never been to Europe... What part of it were you born in?"

His smile widened as he enjoyed hearing her laugh again. "France, of course." He allowed his slight accent to thicken for a minute. "As eef zee accent eez not a dead geeve away."

She laughed again. "Of course... Where in France?"

"I was born near Rouen, but I grew up in Paris. I have not been home in many years."

"Is it pretty there?"

He gave a slight sigh, remembering. "Absolutely beautiful." He was very serious now. "I would love to show it to you."

"I'd love to see it, it sounds perfectly marvelous."

"Is that where we shall go then?"

"Sure, why not?" she smiled.

He returned her smile. "You will love it there. I can show you where I grew up... The house is in my name now."

"That would be wonderful..." She laughed slightly. "I probably won't want to leave!"

"I know I won't."

Her brow wrinkled in thought for a moment. "Maybe we don't have to..."

"Of course we do. You have your classes."

She turned very serious eyes to him. "I'm willing to give them up to stay with you."

He shook his head. "I couldn't ask that of you."

One look at her told him she meant business. "You don't have to ask."

"You have a life here, you can't give that up."

"What life?" Although he could hear the humor in her tone, he knew she was serious. "My parents and relatives detest me and they are all far away... They don't care what I do with my life and I am more than willing to leave them behind."

"You'll leave more than them behind. You know you're talking about moving to an entirely different country."

She was still dead serious. "What do I have that's keeping me here? If you leave... I have nothing."

He suddenly stopped and thought for a moment. "There is a conservatory not far from the house I own..." he said, slowly. "You could attend classes there, if you wished..."

She closed her eyes and was silent for a moment. "There, I wished..." She opened her eyes and smiled. "And I always get what I wish for when it concerns you."

He smiled at the thought of returning home with her. "Always."

"Yep." She began listing. "I wished for you to play your violin for me, it happened; I wished that you would sing something from your opera for me, it happened; I wished that I could stay here and help you, it happened... And I wished that you would find someone who could love you for yourself..." She reached up and placed her arms around his neck again, looking into his eyes. "Look at that... It happened."

He gazed back into her smiling eyes. "You truly are an angel, Alison," he said, softly.

She laughed lightly. "Nah..."

"To me you are." He also laughed. "My own personal angel." He smiled. "It will be wonderful to show you Paris. You've no idea how homesick I become."

"I can't wait to see it, I've always wanted to. That's the reason I learned French."

"Perhaps this was destiny," he said with a slight half-smile.

She shrugged. "I've never believed in that sort of thing, but... I don't know. What I feel for you goes beyond anything else I've ever known, so... Perhaps it was."

"Well, it does not matter. We will be out of danger... Free from those idiots without having to part."

"And that's what's important."

"Yes." He smiled. "And all our wishes come true. The only thing to decide now is when to leave."

She shrugged again. "When's good for you?"

"As soon as possible," he replied without hesitation. "I don't want to give them another chance to hurt you."

She nodded in agreement. "I don't want to see another mark on you either." She sat back, remembering. "Which reminds me... How is your side?"

He thought for a moment. "It hurts whenever I breathe." He laughed softly. "Try breathing without moving your ribcage, but I have dealt with worse."

She furrowed her brow in concern. "Oh, dear... Do you have any painkillers you can take?" she asked, thinking of the usual stuff everyone keep in their medicine cabinet.

There was a slight pause. "Those marks are from painkillers, morphine to be exact, so yes. But I didn't want to take it in front of you."

"Oh..." Her eyes lowered, her voice dropped again. "Well... I can leave, if you want me to..."

He laughed softly. "That isn't what I meant. I didn't want you to find out before... Now I know it bothers you."

"Only because of what it stood for, for me..." Her voice evened, reasoning kicking in. "But I've dealt with things like it before, and I know how it is... I don't like it, but I realize that some things are necessary."

He glanced away slightly. "I have not taken it as much since I have known you... I get it from a friend who works at a hospital. And it does not do anything to my mind... It only relaxes me. That's all."

She breathed a little sigh, obviously relieved despite the fact she knew he wouldn't hurt her. "Well, that's good."

"The people you spoke of never take morphine, it is too tame." He reached out and lightly brushed away a strand of hair from her face. "It could never make me hurt you." He gave a slight laugh. "I would never do anything that may hurt you... but it would help this... Are you certain you do not mind?"

She chewed on her bottom lip, but shook her head no. "If I can just... go to the other room?"

He thought for a second. "Perhaps you should go back to your dorm... Not because of that, but you should change."

She nodded her head. "You're right." She rose from the couch and held out her hands to help him up.

He took her hands and stood. He hadn't needed her help, only wanted to hold her hands for a moment before she left. "Come back whenever you wish... When you return, I'll go online and set up plane tickets and make arrangements for our things to be shipped."

She smiled. "Alright. I shouldn't be long." She raised an eyebrow. "Take that blasted thing off so I can give you a kiss."

He laughed softly and complied. She smiled, then tilted her head up, softly touching her lips to his in a sweet kiss which he returned in kind. She pulled back reluctantly.

"You take care... I'll be back."

He smiled, lips slightly tingling from her sugar touch. "You too. I'll see you later."

She returned the smile and edged toward the door, picking up her things. She opened the door, turning to give him one last smile before exiting the dorm and heading to her own.

Erik went to his room and did what he had to before laying down on the couch, closing his eyes, and awaited her return.

Less than an hour later, Alison knocked softly on Erik's door. She heard no reply, nor did the door open, so she tried the knob which gave way easily.

She walked in, didn't see him in the main room and looked in on his bedroom. She smiled as she saw him asleep on the couch/bed, without the mask. Closing the door behind her, she walked over quietly and knelt down next to him, planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

Erik woke up at the contact and looked up at her, still half asleep. "There's a pleasant way to wake up."

She smiled. "Feeling better?"

He nodded. "Much better, especially now that you are here."

"I'm glad to be here."

"Did your roomies have any comments about your appearance?"

Alison sighed and rolled her eyes. "Crystal and Darla weren't there, but Britney was. Pink haired twit asked if I was bitch-slapped..."

"Someone ought to bitch-slap her," he said as he sat up. "But soon you won't have to deal with her anymore."

She smiled, but was still worried as he sat up. "Careful now..."

"I know, I know." He smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not about to injure myself further. That would put a kink in our travel plans."

"And that wouldn't be very pleasant."

"Not at all. Shall we go get our plane tickets, then?"

She grinned, excitement kicking in. "Sure!"

He stood and they moved to the main room. He sat down at the computer and logged on. "Nowadays, it seems a person can get anything online."

She nodded. "I know, it's incredible really."

"It makes my life a lot easier." He logged onto an airfare site.

The computer chimed. "You've got mail..."

Erik checked his mail, doing the tickets and mail at the same time. There was only one new message...

RE: Music for publication

He decided to take care of the tickets first, procrastinating before reading what he was certain would be another negative response. He turned to Alison, slightly. "Window or aisle seats?"

"I prefer window, the clouds are amazing," she replied, unaware of his anxiety over his latest e-mail.

Erik bought three seats in one row in First Class. "Now no one will sit next to us."

She glanced over his shoulder at the screen and did a double take. "First Class?"

"Of course," he said, nonchalantly. "Coach is too cramped."

She was in a bit of shock. "This will be an experience. I've never ridden First Class, either."

He smiled and finished putting in the information for the tickets. "We leave in a week. That should give us plenty of time to get our things together."

She smiled as well and placed her hands on his shoulders, gently. "Wonderful."

Erik finished with the tickets and closed the window. His hand hovered over the mouse as the little mailbox icon relentlessly told him he had new mail to open. Despite the reserve he held up as protection, fear had begun to gather at the back of his mind.

As she looked at the screen, she suddenly knew why he was hesitating. She cleared her throat, afraid of what might be in the e-mail as well, now. "Shall we wish together?" she asked.

He gave her a nervous smile. "Yes..." After a moment, during which she knew he screwed up his courage, he reopened the mail screen.

She chewed on her bottom lip, wishing to the bottom of her heart that the e-mail bore good news.

After mentally offering a brief wish, for Alison, he opened the mail. He was almost afraid to read it, but he told himself that it didn't matter now... She was with him and that was all that mattered.

Despite the truth in that, he knew deep down that it did matter. He had talked to many people before this publishing company, this was his best shot. If this guy refused him... he wasn't sure what it would do to his confidence in his music...

Alison squeezed his shoulders gently, for encouragement, she hoped. It calmed him a little to know she was there with him...

He steeled himself for another disappointment...

Sir,
In regards to your submission... It would be an honor for our company to publish your unique music... You have an amazing gift...

The letter went on, but he was in too much shock to read the rest, to even say anything. Alison, reading over his shoulder, felt her jaw drop. "Oh, my gosh..."

He regained his power of speech after a moment. "Whatever we wish," he mused, softly.

She started hopping up and down like a little kid, squealing happily. "This is wonderful!" she exclaimed. "I knew the world couldn't be totally inhabited by idiots!"

Erik read the letter again...

...would love to meet you in person to go over terms...

Erik's smile faded. "And here is the catch..."

She stopped jumping. "What?"

"They want to meet me." His voice was flat.

"And... you can't?"

"They will change their minds if they meet me."

She groaned, flopping onto the floor. "Dang it all to heck... You finally get something accepted..."

"It doesn't matter," he said, beginning to close the file windows. "Perhaps they will accept it anyway. Let's not let this ruin today."

She sighed, a small smile returning to her. "Right. If they have any sense at all, they'll accept it no matter what."

"Yes." His smile returned as he shut off the computer. "We should celebrate."

"How?"

He paused. "I don't know... This whole not moving thing makes it a bit difficult."

She smiled. "I've got an idea... You stay there."

He was a bit confused, but did as she bid. "Alright..."

Alison went to his collection of CDs and picked up a variety of Swing tunes that she had seen earlier. She placed it in the stereo and turned it to a slow number. She returned to Erik with a soft smile and held out her hand to him.

"May I have this dance?"

He smiled lightly and took her outstretched hand before standing. "Of course."

She twined her arms around his neck and smiled up at him as he placed his arms around her waist lightly. She knew that he wouldn't have to move very much since it was a slow song, and they could still enjoy the dance and the proximity it afforded them to each other.

She leaned close to him, minding his side, and rested her head lightly on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He closed his eyes as well, savoring the moment. He had completely forgotten about the pain, the music... everything but her.

A sigh escaped her as the world slipped away as it usually did whenever she was with him. In that moment, the stars could have fallen around them and she wouldn't have noticed... Nothing else existed except him and the love she felt in her heart.

Unfortunately, the song eventually ended and the CD stopped in the stereo. Alison sighed again. Erik held her close, even thought they weren't dancing anymore. Neither wanted the moment to end.

She tilted her head up and kissed his chin. "Congratulations, mon amour," she said softly.

He almost responded, but ended up kissing her instead. Instantly, everything was lost and gone, nothing else existed outside their own little world. Alison lost herself in that kiss, the slightest amount of his love for her shown in it.

Forgetting, Erik drew her closer to him, but the movement sent a shot of pain through his side, forcing him to pull back from her, much to his disappointment. She smiled up at him, though disappointed as well that the moment was broken and the lovely lightheaded feeling was gone.

"What a great way to celebrate."

He smiled slightly, hiding the pain in his side so she wouldn't make him sit down again. "Indeed... But I believe we have some arrangements to make now."

She sighed, nodding in agreement. "We're going to have one busy week ahead of us."

One slightly frazzled week later, Erik and Alison were making their way through the crowded airport. Erik, who absolutely detested airports, led the way through the mob while Alison, who adored the excitement coursing through her, trotted along happily wheeling her carryon behind her.

Since they had only told who they had to, Alison considered it rather conspiratorial, a secret they shared. As if they were stealing away to another country to avoid the government or something like that... She giggled slightly. 'I feel like a child,' she thought.

They reached the gate with a bit of time before boarding, and Erik took their tickets to the counter to check them in before going with Alison to find seats in the waiting area.

Alison was going through a repeat of her behavior before they saw Phantom, barely suppressed excitement. She smiled at him. "I almost can't believe that this is happening."

Erik smiled back lightly, pulling on the hood of his sweatshirt a bit to hide the mask as much as possible. "Nor can I. I am finally going home... and with my angel by my side."

She giggled lightly. "And I'm going to my new home, with someone who loves me. All in all, I think things are turning out rather well, don't you?"

"Very well," he agreed. "Better than they have ever been in my life."

The boarding call for first class sounded. They stood up and Erik glanced around a bit before his gaze rested on her again. "Well, our last few minutes on the ground, or standing, for a very long time." He paused. "Our last few minutes in this country."

Alison turned full circle, looking around as though she wanted to remember everything. Despite wanting to go with Erik, she knew she would miss the states. She smiled sadly. "Good-bye New York... Good-bye Juliard... Good-bye U.S..."

He smiled at her good-byes. "We will come back and visit," he promised. "And now to Paris..." He sighed lightly, saying the phrase he hadn't thought he would. "And now home."

She slipped an arm about his waist and smiled. "Home... Nice ring to it."

He placed an arm around her shoulders as they went through the gate, leading her before him as they found their seats. Alison placed her bag in the overhead while Erik placed his underneath his chair. She took the window seat while he took the center, very glad they had the row to themselves.

She rested her head lightly on his shoulder. "I never thought I'd be doing this."

He smiled, looking down at her. "I never thought I would go back... I certainly never thought I'd ever find someone like you."

"I could say the same."

He smiled again as the announcements were given and the plane began its obnoxious taxiing process. Alison took Erik's hand, excitedly, which he held, watching both her and the scenery out the window as it began to whip past. Alison's eyes were glued out the window as they flew up and up and into the sky.

"Good-bye Statue of Liberty," she said.

Erik snickered. "That's French anyway."

She giggled lightly, a small part of their journey already come to greet them. "I know... There's a smaller version somewhere in Paris... I don't remember where."

He smiled lightly as the plane leveled out. The flight attendants began making their way down the aisles, offering food orders and drinks. Alison heard Erik mutter something about 'glorified waitresses,' but she let it pass with a bitten back grin.

She leaned against him again and sighed. "I'm so happy..."

Erik seemed about to reply when an annoying flight attendant reminiscent of Britney except for the blond hair came to their row offering food orders, soda and wine, which due to the mask, Erik declined, so she turned to Alison who asked for a soda and ordered the chicken for later.

The soda was handed to her, and the flying server moved on.

Alison cleared her throat. "As I was saying... I'm so happy that I found you."

He laughed softly. "As I am with you." He paused, she seemed to sense his slight unease. "I had wanted to give you something... but I wasn't sure when I should." She turned in her chair slightly so she could look at him, slight confusion written on her face. He paused for a moment, then continued. "It belonged to someone very dear to me... I want you to have it." In his hand was suddenly a thin gold band with roses etched into it, small red stones inlaid in the center of each delicate flower except for the largest which held a diamond. He took a breath. "It means... whatever you wish it to mean."

She gasped when she saw the ring, it was the most lovely thing she'd ever seen. "It's so beautiful... Are you sure? I mean, if it belonged to someone important to you..."

"I am certain," he said. "It belongs to you now."

She smiled. Since he was sitting on her right, she held out her left hand for him to put the ring on. He took her hand lightly with his free hand and looked into her eyes.

"Where do you wish it to go, my love?" he asked softly, hoping she understood the full meaning of the question.

She gazed back into his eyes, her face a few inches from his. "If you tell a wish, it won't come true. See where it fits, mon amour... Then we'll know if my wish comes true and if you were right about destiny playing a part in all this."

He gazed at her for a moment before closing his eyes. She didn't know, but he was offering a wish as well. He opened them again after a pause and looked to her hand, trying the ring on her third finger... her ring finger.

A perfect fit.

Alison closed her eyes for a moment, smiling. When she opened her eyes and looked at him again, there were happy tears edging them. As best she could from their position, she threw her arms about his neck and embraced him.

A round of applause burst from the flight attendant's cabin behind them and Alison thought she saw a flash of blond hair but thankfully, someone shut her up.

Erik returned her embrace, closing his eyes. "Every wish comes true," he said, softly.

"It must be magic," she replied, half joking, but mostly serious.

"You are magic. You make everything seem so wonderful."

She shook her head slightly. "Not seem... It is wonderful. It's too marvelous not to be." She pulled back slightly and kissed the cheek of the mask. "Mon amour... mon chere... Je t'aime."

He smiled lightly. "You're making me jealous of my mask again, my love," he said in a quiet joking tone.

She smiled as well. "Blasted thing," she remarked, just as quietly, as if she didn't want to break the little bubble around their private moment.

He laughed softly. "Well, we have a very long flight ahead of us, then we can go home and I won't have to leave the evil thing on."

The sly look crossed her face as she leaned in close to whisper in his ear. "Unless you wanted to go make out in the airplane's bathroom..."

Erik was struck with a strange mix of shock, amusement, and desire to do just that. "My dear, you are positively evil."

She pulled back to look at him, the sly look still in place. "This from the guy who called me an angel not fifteen minutes before."

"Even angels have a dark streak," he quipped. "I rather like yours."

"Oh, good," she grinned.

He was still smiling beneath the mask, quite amused by the suggestion... Too bad everyone would see them go into the bathroom... Too bad those damned bathrooms are so small as well...

She sighed, seemingly mirroring his thoughts as she reluctantly pulled back from their embrace. The position was giving her a cramp in her arms. "Well, now we have something to look forward to when we get home."

Although disappointed that the contact was broken, he couldn't stay in that position for much longer either. "We have much to look forward to when we get home. Exploring a house no one has lived in for years... a city that you have never seen before... Simply being together..."

She threaded her fingers through his. "So many possibilities."

"Our future."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "And to think... three weeks ago we were strangers."

He shook his head lightly. "We were never strangers, we simply hadn't found each other yet."

That phrase clicked something in the back of her mind... 'Oh... I know he'd love that... to thank him...' She told herself not to forget and to show him later.

He inclined his head and looked at her. "You should sleep. We have a long flight ahead of us."

She raised her head slightly and looked into those arresting eyes of his. "Alright... When we get there, I have something for you."

He smiled beneath the mask as she placed her head back on his shoulder. "Yet another thing to look forward to."

Many hours later, they were winding their way from the airport. Alison was stunned to hear French spoken everywhere, and that she could understand most of it! To Erik, it was like a breath of fresh air, and understandably so.

After they had found their luggage, they climbed into a taxi and started toward their new home.

Alison stared out the window with her eyes wide, as though she'd never seen a road before. Erik smiled as he watched her as well as the city that passed by the windows, a strong feeling of homecoming washed over him.

"It's so strange to hear nothing but French," she remarked, sounding like a true tourist.

"It is wonderful."

She grinned. "I never said strange is bad."

He smiled at that. For a while they simply enjoyed the scenery, Alison commenting on what she saw in amazement, until they arrived at a huge house, not too close yet not too far from the center of the city.

Her eyes widened at the size of the house. "You said she was wealthy, but you never said she was loaded..."

He laughed lightly as he exited the cab, going to her side of the car and opening her door for her. She exited the cab and went to the opened trunk, getting her things while Erik paid the cabby.

"A person has been paid to keep up the house," he said, getting his things as well. "Cleaned it and opened the windows for a bit about once each month... So it should be habitable."

She nodded. "Good..." She smiled. "Let's explore."

He smiled beneath the mask and went with her down the path to the door. Alison gazed at the rows of well groomed rosebushes all along the path and the front then craned her neck to look up at the house. He set down his things and unlocked the large oak door when they reached it, opening it for her and allowing her to enter first.

"Welcome home."

She sighed happily at his use of that phrase and entered the house, setting her things down inside the main hall. The house was dark.

Closing the door behind them, he set his things down next to hers and flipped a switch near the door. Lights designed to look like the old gas kind illuminated the room. Alison gazed around in awe at what met her gaze. The entire house was decorated much like something from the previous century.

The marble floors reflected their images faintly, and a large winding staircase curled around to meet them, leading up onto a balcony which she assumed led to a hallway. Arched entryways were on either side and in front of them, with delicately fluted architecture on each one. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling which was painted to look like the daytime sky with wispy clouds floating across a pale blue.

Alison sighed. "It's beautiful..."

Erik smiled. "I'm glad you like it."

She turned to him and smiled as well. "I love it!" She closed the few paces between them and placed her arms around his neck. "But not as much as you."

He returned her embrace. "This place holds painful memories for me... but we can be happy here, I know it."

She looked up at him, remembering what he had breifly told her about the scars on his body. "Are you sure you're alright with staying here?"

He nodded lightly. "I am sure. The ghosts of the past don't stand a chance against us." He smiled. "Come... let's explore."

She returned his smile as she took his hand. "Lead the way, my liege."

He proceeded to lead her around the house. It had been a very long time since he had been there, but he remembered where everything was easily. He showed her the various rooms on the first floor, including the sitting room which had a piano in it, but the last room was the one that impressed her the most. It was the music room.

"Wow," she said softly. She had never seen a room just for music in someone's house. "You had a music room?"

He smiled. "Yes. There is a library on the second floor as well... The rest of the second floor is mostly bedrooms and sitting rooms."

"I must say, you certainly know how to impress a girl."

His smile remained as he gazed at her. "Well, it is all yours now."

She shook her head. "No... It's all ours."

"Yes... Ours." He laughed softly. "On to the second floor. We can come back here later. You have yet to choose a bedroom."

A thought struck her as she looked at the music room. "Wait... Remember, I promised to give you something."

He pondered that a moment, jokingly. "I don't know how that managed to slip my mind."

She smiled as she took his hands and pulled him further into the music room. She led him to a loveseat and had him sit down. "Stay here... Close your eyes."

He smiled and did as she asked, wondering what she was up to.

Once his eyes were closed, she went over to the piano and sat down. Her piano skills her lacking, but she managed to play the simple chords flawlessly as she began singing in italian.

"The moment I heard my first love story
I began seeking you,
Not realizing the search was useless.
Lovers don't meet somewhere along the way,
They're in one another's souls
From the beginning."

He listened as the song floated around them, allowing himself to be lost in her voice as he always wished to during their lessons.

The last note and chord lingered on the air for a moment before it fell silent in the room once again. Alison rose from the piano and walked over to the loveseat, sitting down beside him as he opened his eyes.

Erik looked to her, at peace after all the excitement of coming all that had happened within the past two weeks running through his mind, he looked at her with a love he could never express with words.

She leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "I promised myself when I learned that song, that I would only play it for the man I truly love... You."

She had touched him to his soul. "I could never ask for a more beautiful gift..." he said, softly.

She gazed into his eyes and placed a hand on the side of the mask. "May I?"

He nodded slightly. "Yes."

Gently, she removed the mask and set it down on the floor. Returning her gaze to his beautiful eyes, she ran the back of her hand along his jaw line. "I owe you a kiss."

"So you do..." he said quietly before leaning to her and softly pressing a kiss to her lips.

She kissed him in kind, her eyes closing, her arms slipping around his neck. One of his hands found its way around her waist, other closer to the back of her neck and he deepened the kiss, forgetting completely about the rest of the world.

One of her hands slid upward to twine in his hair, a soft purr escaping her throat as she responded to his kiss. Her sense of time and place was lost as that kiss told her things of their love that words never could.

After a long moment, he broke the kiss, kissing her again softly, but breifly, before pulling back slightly.

She smiled lightly, her eyes still closed. "We probably never would have come back out of that bathroom if we had gone in."

"No..." he agreed, quietly. "And all the other passengers would have seen us."

She giggled softly. "Wishing they could have what we have."

He smiled as he touched the side of her face, lightly. "No one has what we have."

"That's the best part."

"No... This is..." And he kissed her again, which she sweetly returned. After another long moment, he pulled back again and laughed softly. "We're never going to see the second floor..."

She laughed slightly. "There's a second floor? I had forgotten... What's my name again?"

"Alison." He smiled. "My beautiful Alison..."

She returned his smile, laying her head on his shoulder. "My wonderful Erik..."

She closed her eyes halfway within the circle of his arms as he stroked her hair lightly. Both were perfectly content never to move from that spot again.

As she placed a hand on his chest, the diamond in the ring caught the light. "Erik... Who did the ring belong to?" she asked, curiously.

He closed his eyes. "It was my grandmother's wedding ring. When she died... it was given to my sister."

That surprised her. "I didn't know you have a sister."

"Had," he corrected her. "She is dead. She gave me the ring before she died."

Her eyes softened in sympathy. "I'm sorry they're gone... I would have liked to meet them."

"I never met my grandmother..." he said. "She died before I was born. My sister was older than me. I think you would have liked her though. I know she would have liked you."

She smiled lightly. "Would you tell me about her?"

His voice became very quiet... reverent. "She was beautiful... and very kind. She was much older than I and to me... she was an angel. She protected me when she could." His arms tightened around her slightly before he continued. "When she was dying... she told me to keep that ring... and when I found the woman I knew I would love forever... to give it to her... and she would look after her as she looked after me." He paused. "She is my guardian angel."

She closed her eyes. "I'm glad you had someone like her. What was her name?"

He replied softly. "Christine." From the way those two syllables fell from his lips, from the mere tone in his voice, it was obviously a name that meant the world to him.

A small smile crossed her lips. 'Erik and Christine...' She nestled closer to him. "I know she's still watching you... I'm sure of it."

"She watches over both of us now."

She opened her eyes slightly and the diamond winked at her again, as if to confirm his words. "Is that why, whenever I'm with you, incredible things happen?"

He smiled. "Perhaps."

She laughed softly before the laughter turned into a yawn. He smiled again.

"You should get some rest. It has been a long trip."

She nodded slightly, reluctantly agreeing. "Yeah... but that means we have to move."

"Well, we will have to move eventually," he said. "And I don't think you'd want to sleep like this."

She laughed. "Never tried sleeping in a chair before."

"You'll get awful kinks in your neck and shoulders," he smirked. "I sleep in chairs all the times."

She blinked. "You do?"

"I usually sleep wherever I happen to pass out," he told her in an amused tone. "If you noticed, I didn't have a real bed in my dorm. If I was lucky, I'd end up on a couch."

She grinned. "Well, you've got me here to drag you into a bed if you happen to... pass out somewhere."

"Well, it would be easier for me... If you pass out, I'll just carry you to your bedroom... which you have yet to choose," he pointed out.

"How many bedrooms are there?"

He thought for a moment. "Four. Two guest rooms, my mother's and my sister's."

"What about yours?"

"The attic was mine."

She blinked and paused before speaking again. "The... attic?"

He nodded slightly, Alison could see his throat working as he swallowed. "Mother did her best to keep me out of sight. Christine convinced her that the basement would be too close when she threw her parties on the first floor, so I got the attic."

She frowned, but strove to be polite, this was his mother, after all. "I... don't like your mother very much."

"That's alright. Neither do I."

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Well... Shall we have a look upstairs?"

He lost himself in her gaze for a moment before registering her question. "Of course."

Reluctantly, she rose from the loveseat and took his hand. "Onward, my liege."

He stood and looked down at her lovingly. "This way milady." He led her from the room, still holding onto her hand.

The mask was forgotten on the floor.

Erik led Alison up the winding staircase at the front of the house to the second level. He showed her the various rooms, which weren't very many as compared to the first floor. There was a large library and sitting rooms attached to various bedrooms. He showed her his mother's bedroom first which was very fancy, also the only room in the house with mirrors; his sister's room second which was elegant but simple, with quite a few strange yet pretty music boxes and dolls, some of them looking handmade. Lastly, the two guest rooms which were pretty, but plain.

"I like the second bedroom," she remarked as he closed the door on the fourth room and they stood in the hallway again. "The one with the pretty boxes and dolls, it reminds me of my grandma's house."

He smiled faintly. "I made most of those. I wonder if the music still plays on the boxes..."

"Let's see..." She led him back to the room and carefully picked up one of the music boxes, turning the key once. She lifted the lid and soft music tinkled in the air. She smiled. "It's lovely." She glanced about the room. "Everything is."

He too looked about. "No one changed anything in this room after she died... I did not let them."

"Good, she had excellent taste."

He nodded slightly. "She did."

She set the box back down gently, running a hand lightly across it's surface. "May I use this room?" she asked quietly.

He was slightly startled by the request and hesitated.

She saw his hesitation and went on quickly. "It's okay if you don't want me to."

He closed his eyes as if deep in thought... or listening for something. After a moment, he seemed to come to a conclusion and spoke again. His words were a little halting, as though he wasn't completely sure and something would stop him at any moment. "No... you can stay here... if you wish... I think it would be alright."

She smiled. "If I wish..."

His eyes opened at her words and he returned her smile. "Always."

She looked at him and twirled the ring around her finger. After a pause, she walked over to him, thoughtfully. "Where will you stay?"

"Most likely one of the guest rooms," he replied.

"As long as it's not in any attic."

He shook his head. "No. Never again."

She yawned again, trying to stifle it behind her hand. "Darn jet lag."

He laughed softly. "I'll go get your bags so you can change, then I think it's time for you to go to bed."

She pouted slightly. "Yes, daddy."

"Very funny." He smiled. "I'll be back in a moment," he said before heading for the door.

As he left, Alison went over to the draped bed and sat down, gingerly picking up one of the dolls. It was strange to be in Christine's old room... Alison could feel a piece of her, lingering on in the air, as if somehow, she could sense her presence, if she waited and listened hard enough.

"Who were you, Christine?"

Erik returned a moment later, but appeared not to have heard her speak. "The boxes from New York should be arriving any day now. For now, we'll have to make due with what we have. Tomorrow we can go shopping for anything we'll need until then."

Setting the doll back down, she smiled up at him. "Alright."

He set her things out of the way. "Goodnight, Alison."

"Do I get a goodnight kiss?"

"If you wish," he smirked.

She closed her eyes. "I wished..."

While her eyes remained closed, he moved to her and softly touched his lips to hers. Returning it, one of her hands reached up to brush across his face while his rested lightly at her sides. Their kiss lingered for a long moment before he broke it, opening his eyes to look at her for along moment. "Goodnight, my love," he whispered to her.

Her eyes only opened partially, her thoughts still blissfully absent. "Goodnight..."

Chapter Two

The next day, as promised, after sleeping in leisurely, Erik took Alison shopping. As they walked down the boulevards, she glanced into shop windows, took in every activity on the street, even craned her neck to look at the sky. Erik had eyes only for her. Turning to him, she returned his gaze and smiled.

"It's incredible here."

"Only because you are here. If you see anything you want or a store you want to go into, just say so."

"No, I'm fine with window shopping for now," she replied, though happy to have carte blanche. "I just want to walk with you and enjoy the scenery."

Eventually, the two of them ended up walking along the Seine. Erik was silent, still barely able to believe that he was truly home and that she was truly with him.

Alison stopped as they crossed a bridge and looked out over the water and the city, leaning against the bridge's ledge. She gave a soft sigh. "I never thought it would be this wonderful."

Erik moved to stand just behind and to the side of her, looking at her and not the water. "Nor did I."

She smiled over her shoulder at him. "I don't just mean coming here, either."

He returned her smile, once again cursing the mask. "I think we are both owed a 'happily ever after'... Perhaps that is what this is."

"I hope so," she said, reaching back to take his hand.

He twined his fingers with hers. "As do I." A flash went off suddenly as a couple of people took a picture of them in front of the river. He growled softly. "...Bloody tourists..."

Alison only giggled. "Once again... people jealous of what we have."

That made him smile. "One of the only problems with Paris is all the tourists. Most of them don't speak French at all."

"I guess that makes me one step above a tourist, then!"

"You're not a tourist, you live here now."

"And for that I am very glad."

Unable to resist, he reached out and stroked her jaw with his forefinger. "We should go. We have some real shopping to do before we go back and the later it gets, the more tourists show up."

She shuddered. "Eeesh... Lead on, my leige."

It was nearing sunset when they returned to the house. They had bought food as well as their other purchases, which they busied themselves with putting away.

"Good thing we got going when we did," Alison said, tossing Erik various cans of food. "You were right, those streets get as thick as soup."

"And it isn't even tourist season yet," he remarked, deftly catching each can.

She grimaced. "Eeesh."

"I ought to print a tourism book with phrases and such... but incorrect ones. That would teach them to come without learning anything first."

Alison burst out laughing at Erik's twisted sense of humor. "I can just see you doing something like that!"

He snickered. "I would too."

"Oh!" The thought of him writing reminded her. "What's the word on that publishing company?"

He was silent for a moment, turning away to put more of the cans away. "I haven't replied to their email yet."

"Erik!" she exclaimed, shocked. "I thought you wanted to get your music published!"

"I do."

"Then why haven't you replied?"

"They want to set up a meeting."

"You're going to let that stand in your way?"

"They won't publish my music if they meet me."

"You don't know that for sure."

"Yes, I do." He closed the cabinet having put the last of the things away before he turned to face her.

She put her hands on her hips. "How?"

He sighed lightly. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me just to get into a college? No one who sees me is willing to deal with me."

"So I'm no one?"

"That is now what I meant."

"You said no one."

"You know I did not mean you."

"Then you can't say no one. 'Hardly anyone,' but that leaves room for a chance."

"Fine. No one but you."

"You don't know that," she repeated. "There may be some people out there like me."

He smiled lightly, despite their argument. "There is no one else like you."

She sighed, smiling as well. "Thank you, but I just don't think you should give up. You're stronger than that."

"It is nice that you are so certain of that because I'm not."

"Why aren't you?"

"If I was, I would have emailed them by now. I don't know why... I'm just not."

"You can't just give up without even trying... What's the worst that could happen?"

"They could refuse to publish my music and inform me that people like me simply cannot do things like this, just as... just as everyone else always has."

"So you keep trying! Where would we be right now if I had simply given up after we were attacked?"

"You'd still be in school."

"I'd also be miserable. And so will you if you don't at least try."

He sighed again, turning from her. "I don't want to meet them."

"Why not?"

"Why do you think?" His tone was sad, not angry.

"Erik..." She sighed. "If you don't try, you'll be stuck wondering what if for a very long time, perhaps the rest of your life. Why did you try in the first place if you're going to go on thinking this? You must have known that a personal meeting was possible."

"I had hoped that it would not be necessary."

Her shoulders drooped slightly. "I can't argue about this anymore. If you're not going to listen, you're not going to listen, but I think you're making a huge mistake by not at least giving it a shot. You can't possible know for sure what those people will think, so I think you're being completely irrational, no matter what's happened in the past. I know that you're stronger than this, and if they're really interested in your music, they'll publish it regardless. It's up to you."

His head remained inclined toward the floor for a long moment... "If I go... will you come with me?"

She was surprise he had to even ask. "Of course."

"Perhaps I will go... I need time to think."

Smiling, Alison hugged him from behind. "You know where I stand, but I'm behind you in whatever you finally decide."

He rested one hand lightly on her arm. "Thank you. You mean everything to me, you know. There is nothing you could ask that I would not do."

"I don't want you to do it for me... Do it for yourself."

He sighed. "We shall see."

"Whatever you decide, chere... I'm with you." She squeezed him lightly before letting him go.

He turned to look at her then. "I know. And I thank you for that. I would not be able to go alone."

She smiled, encouragingly, she hoped. "I'll always go with you, wherever you want me to go."

He returned her smile. "Neither of us will have to be alone again."

At that, she sighed, embracing him from the front this time. "Thank God. I think we've both had enough of that."

His own arms wrapped around her. "More than enough.

"Have I told you how grateful I am to have you?"

"Mm. About as grateful as I am for you? I think it goes without saying, my love."

She giggled softly. "That's right, I almost forgot... We speak without words."

"The sign of true soulmates."

"There was a time I never thought I'd find you."

"I had given up hope as well... I thought I was destined to be alone."

"I remember... I felt an empty space in me before... And before I knew it, you had completely filled it up."

Erik's eyes drifted closed at that and he fell silent, amazed at how right it felt to have her there, fitted perfectly against him. His heart melted as he felt her give a contented sigh.

"I could stay like this forever..." he told her in barely a whisper, not wanting to break the spell.

She nodded her head against his chest. "I could too... Couldn't think of a better way to spend forever."

It was a very long moment before Erik spoke again, though neither had noticed the time passing. "I promised to make dinner tonight. Have you decided what you would like?"

"Anything, as long as it's not snails or still looking at me..." He laughed as she gave him a sheepish smile. "What would you like for dessert?"

"Surprise me."

She gave him a sly look. "Oh, you're leaving it up to me, eh?"

He found he rather liked that look. "Yes. Am I going to regret that decision?"

Playfully, she trailed one fingertip along his chest. "Oh, I don't know..."

He smiled, delighting in the sensations that provoked against his sensitive skin beneath his shirt. "I'll just have to wait and find out, hmm?"

A few devious giggles escaped her. "Wait long enough and we might just wind up in the bathroom after all."

Very much enjoying the mood she was in, he laughed softly. "We are alone here... No reason to hide in the bathroom."

"Mmm... Alone at last."

With a breath of a touch, he traced his fingers lightly down the side of her face and her neck, resting on her shoulder, his eyes following their path and then back up to hers, watching as she shivered pleasantly at his touch. "Sometimes it is good to be alone," he said, his voice dropping nearly an octave so that the mere sound quivered through her.

"Especially when you're alone with the one you love."

Erik hesitated a moment before removing the mask. Alison knew he was still vaguely uncomfortable doing so, but nevertheless, he set it on the counter behind them without looking away from her and then lowered his head, kissing her neck softly where his fingers had been.

Another tremor ran through her, goosebumps chasing one another up and down her spine at his feathey touch. When she closed her eyes, she could have sworn she was supported sorely by his arms, the floor having disappeared... and he had only touched her neck.

A breath of a whisper stirred her hair behind her ear, so light she thought for a moment the words might have been an echo from her mind,

"I love you, Alison."

He never gave her a chance to respond. Instead, he drew her even closer to him and kissed her as he had wanted to do, even since the bridge that morning. Coherent thought rushed from her head, her toes curling in her shoes as she was swept up in his remarkable passion... Passion that had before only been revealed when he played or sang... A passion that only she knew on this level. A passion she returned fervently, responding to his kiss with a soft purr deep in her throat, her arms tightening around him... wanting nothing more but to lose herself totally in that moment...

They didn't part for a very long moment, but Erik eventually forced himself to. In the midst of their undeniable passion, he was afraid of going farther than she wished to.

She, on the other hand, was having a difficult time thinking of much of anything. It was difficult enough to breathe for the moment.

"Where... on earth... did you learn to kiss like that?"

He smiled. "You tell me... I've never kissed anyone but you."

"...I can't feel my legs..."

He laughed softly as she sagged against him, holding onto his shoulders. "Give me a moment while I try to recover my memory..."

He kept his arms about her to hold her up, should her legs indeed give out. "Memory is overrated anyway."

"Then perhaps you should kiss me more often."

At that he looked down into her eyes with a mischievious look of his own. "My thoughts exactly."

She could only giggle as she caught the gleam in his eyes. "You're reading my mind again..."

"I don't need to read your mind... I can see it in your eyes."

She smiled, but the sly look reappeared. "I think that's good because I can have some rather shocking thoughts sometimes."

"I don't think anything could shock me anymore."

"Nothing?" she said, reaching up to caress his face.

He tilted his cheek to her explorations, closing his eyes slightly. "Beyond your being able to do that? No. Nothing."

"Oh, I'm sure I can think of one or two things..."

One eyebrow raised. "Oh, really?"

She nodded, outlining his ear with one fingertip. "Mm-hmm."

Bringing one hand up, he traced her jaw lightly. She didn't even have to try and she drove him mad with love for her... Gently tilting her face up, he kissed her again, but softly this time, with only a hint a promise of the passion he had shared with her a few moments ago.

Her eyes remained closed even after he had pulled back. "Do you know you're irresistable?"

"No," he smirked. "But I know you are."

"Believe me, you are." Her eyes opened and he was lost in them again. "Very much so."

He didn't respond, instead he took her left hand in his right, twining his fingers with hers. Looking down at their joined hands, the diamond in the ring she wore winked at him. Now more than ever he was certain that Christine had looked out for him and brought them together.

His gaze followed their hands as she gently lifted them to her lips, kissing his fingers lightly. The light glanced off the diamond at her and she pouted slightly as something came to her attention.

"I don't have a ring for you."

Erik didn't reply, he hadn't even really thought of his own ring, he had only wished to give her something to show how much he loved her, but Alison smiled. "I'll have to give it some thought."

He returned her smile. "Perhaps now I ought to give some thought to what to cook for dinner. You are very distracting, you know."

She blushed at his gentle accusation, giggling. "I just can't help myself... You're too irresistable."

"I'm certainly not complaining."

"Neither am I... I'm quite happy here in your arms."

"Makes it very difficult to cook, though..." he joked. "Luckily, I've always been quite happy to forego food."

Again came the sly look. "Ah, but then we won't get to have dessert."

He smirked. "You and that look of yours... What on earth are you planning?"

The look was quickly replaced with an innocent one. "Oh... you'll see."

Curiouser and curiouser... "Perhaps I ought to start dinner then."

She nodded. "Perhaps you ought." Grinning, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him breifly. "I'll get to work as well."

Mentally, he chose something to make for her then, delicious yet fairly quick to make... His curiousity over what his sly little minx was cooking up was getting the better of him.

She gave him a stern look then. "And you can't come looking for me, I want to surprise you."

More confused than before, he simply nodded. "Alright."

A smile was his reward. "Good." Stroking his bare cheek one last time, she moved away from him reluctantly. "Call me when dinner's ready."

She blew him a kiss beofre disappearing out the door.

It took him a moment...

'What dessert could she possibly make outside the kitchen?'

Less than sixty minutes passed and mouth-watering smells had been issuing from the kitchen for the past thirty. Erik hadn't seen hide nor hair of Alison, which only made his curiousity grow as he set the dining room's table with the fine china, candles in tall candelabrum, a very good wine, and blood red roses from the garden in a vase at the center. Standing back, he nodded to himself. Everything was ready.

"Alison!"

She walked in a moment later, all smiles, and stopped as she saw what he had concocted for them. "Oh, everything looks lovely..."

He couldn't help a smile of pride as he pulled out a chair for her, very gallantly. She sat, of course, still smiling.

"Thank you."

He poured wine for them both before going to sit opposite her. "Our first day and our first dinner in our home."

She sighed happily. "And everything is perfect..." As an afterthought, she raised her wine glass. "We should make a toast."

He raised his as well, thinking for a moment. "To happily ever after," he said, semi-jokingly, "...and love ever-lasting," he finished, seriously.

She smiled again. "And to wishes coming true," she added before they both sipped from their glasses.

"Are you ready for dessert?"

Erik had been ready two hours ago. He had eaten his food quickly without really noticing and so had finished everything on his plate for the first time in over a decade, while it seemed to him that Alison was deliberately taking her time... to 'savor his meal,' so she said.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Well... I'm not."

Argggggggh!! She was doing this on purpose!

She only grinned, unaware of the anxiety beneath his composure. "Wait here, it'll only take me about two minutes." Before he could respond, she winked at him and dashed out of the room, a moment later he heard her racing up the stairs to the bedrooms.

Two minutes turned into ten.

Absently, he drummed out a rhythm on the table with his fingers.

Five more minutes.

Just as he was about to go after her, he heard the back door swing shut and Alison whistling a 'yoo-hoo!' into the house.

He presumed he was to follow her. What was she up to?

The sight that met him outside only confused him more. She seemed to have set up a trail for him to follow. A trail of candles in candlestick holders and red, yellow, pink, and white rose petals, leading from the door out into the gardens.

Intrigued, he followed her trail, mentally recalling her choice of flowers... Red for passion, yellow for friendship, pink for love, white for innocence...

Down the path a little way, the trail ended at a stretch of large trees, the candles set in a circle around a particular one with low branches. Looking up as he remembered 'Percy,' he was completely awestruck by the sight that met him.

Alison sat perched in one of the branches, large and low enough to accomodate two people, wearing a full length gown of soft white silk, the straps leaving her arms bare, and the skirt managing to be full and clinging at the same time.

She smiled down at him. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Indeed," he breathed, wishing he could freeze that image forever... All she needed was wings. "Care for some company?"

"I was hoping for some..." She patted the space next to her on the branch, inviting him to climb up, which he, of course, did.

Still smiling, she leaned over and whispered against his ear. "Look up..."

When he did, the millions of stars and the moon in the sky looked down on them, brightening everything around them and illuminating Alison's dress, making her seem like the angel he called her.

Again, she whispered to him. "The stars in the sky are not so great a number as the times I would gladly live my life over, if only to meet you again. To know you is worth a hundred thousand pains. The moon is not so big as the love I have for you, it fills my whole being, overflowing my soul with gladness... And my heart belongs to you, forever and a thousand days..." Lapsing into silence for a moment, she softly pressed her lips against his cheek before finishing, "Because I love you, my dearest one."

He could not speak. With her simple words and sincerity she had rendered him utterly speechless. He had not allowed himself to cry since he was a small child, but he found himself fighting tears now... in the face of such a love he had never dared hope to find.

She saw the teary look he had and furrowed her brow in concern, placing a gentle hand on his sleeve. She had hoped this would make him happy, not upset! "Erik, are you alright?"

He closed his eyes for a moment before looking to her. "Yes... It's just..." He shook his head slightly, unable to find the words. "You truly are an angel, Alison."

That made her smile again. "Only for you, mon amour."

Softly, he brushed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. This night seemed more like a dream than reality to him... A dream he never wanted to wake from. When she leaned her head toward his touch, closing her eyes, he inclined his head to her, kissing her with the softest of touches which she responded to in kind.

That was all that was needed. No words need pass between them. The moment had been etched in their hearts and their hearts had spoken all that was to be said.

When they drew back, Erik ran his hand through her hair, drawing it back from her face, letting the moonlight wash over her features. "You are so beautiful, Alison..." he told her, quietly. "So very beautiful..."

She blushed. "You're going to give me an ego."

He smiled. "You well deserve one."

"How did you like your dessert?"

"Wonderful... but that might have just been you."

She giggled. "I'm glad you liked it."

"This evening has been so perfect," he said, smiling, as he looked up to the sky for a moment. "I don't want it to end..."

She sighed lightly, laying her head against his shoulder. "I don't either."

He wrapped one arm about her, content to simply sit with her that way. She grinned as he did so. "Deja vu..."

He smiled as well, remembering. "And we will have so many nights to spend like this."

"As long as I'm with you, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do."

His gaze fell to her ring, the moonlight shining off of it caught his eye and he was silent for a few moments, lost in his thoughts. Alison closed her eyes, snuggled against him to ward off the chill of the evening, though she couldn't help a slight shiver. Erik, of course, noticed and wished he had brought a jacket for her but he wasn't even wearing one himself. It would have been a shame to cover up her lovely dress anyway...

"Perhaps we ought to go inside," he suggested, even if he never wanted her to leave his arms.

She nodded, reluctantly. "It is a little cold, and we wouldn't want to get sick... Although I am enjoying this."

He gave her a slight smile. "Next time, we'll have to remember to dress warmer."

"I knew you were the one with the good ideas... Would you help me down?"

"Of course," he said, climbing down then reaching up for her. Once he had lifted her down, she remained against him for a moment, resting her head against his chest.

Then she smiled up at him. "I believe our first dinner in our new home is a success."

He returned her smile. "Most definitely."

Taking his hand, she began to lead the way back to the house, bending to blow out the candles along the way. Erik was silent, lost in his thoughts again. When they reached the back porch, Alison turned to look at the sky again, leaning her hands on the rail. She furrowed her brow slightly as she turned her gaze to Erik, seeing his faraway look. She leaned against him slightly to get his attention. "What are you thinking about, mon amour?"

"Everything." He smiled lightly, looking at her for a moment, not sure how to ask her what had been on his mind for most of the night.

"That's a lot of thinking."

He laughed softly. "Not everything... Everything important... This... and you."

"Well, myself I can't stop thinking about you, so that wouldn't be new to me." She grinned. "What's so important?"

He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Lightly, he brushed the side of her face with the fingers of one hand. "You really need to ask that?"

She leaned into his touch. "I'll admit..." she said, a bit guiltily, "I like to hear you say it."

"You are," he told her, his tone soft. "You are everything to me, Alison... I love you."

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Just as you are to me. I love you more than anything."

He was silent for a moment, watching her until her eyes reopened. "There's something I've wanted to ask you, Alison... I know you accepted the ring, but... would you... Do you really wish to marry me?"

For a moment, he knew a few seconds of terror, not unlike the moment after she had removed the mask the first time.

But Alison slipped her arms about his neck. "Do you really have to ask, Erik?" She gave him one of her heart-stopping smiles. "Of course I do."

He sighed lightly, exhaling the breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and returned her embrace. Despite everything... he had still harbored some doubt.

She leaned against him, fitting her head into the crook where his shoulder met his neck. "I'm so glad you're not so afraid of touching me anymore... Before, I was sure you thought I would break."

His eyes closed as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Not break... Disappear."

"Why?"

"Because it all seemed too much... It couldn't possibly be real. You couldn't be real."

At that, she pulled back slightly and held out her arm to him. "Pinch me."

He blinked. "What?"

"Pinch me on the arm," she repeated, grinning.

"Why?"

"To check and see if I'm real."

He laughed softly at her impish idea. "I have a better way to tell."

"How?"

He kissed her.

She giggled against his lips.

He pulled back at that. "You seem real enough to me, now. A dream wouldn't laugh when I kiss her."

She blushed, even though she knew he was joking around. "I couldn't help it... It was all so cheesy..." She smiled. "And wonderful."

He returned her smile. "Well, we've made it as far as the porch. Perhaps we ought to go the rest of the way in?"

She giggled softly. "Perhaps we should."

He once again opened the door for her, following her inside.

"I ought to change out of this dress..."

"Why?"

"So I don't get it dirty. Silk is very hard to clean."

"You look like an angel in that dress... Not that you normally don't."

"Turn it down, Erik."

"Never."

She wrinkled her nose at him. "You're so difficult. It's a good thing I like you that way."

He grinned. "I seem to have had quite a bit of such good luck in the past few weeks."

"I know... I never thought that something like this would happen, and so quickly."

It brought a smile to his face, thinking about their virtual whirlwind relationship. "A month ago I had no idea I would meet someone I would love more than anything else in the world... Let alone that we would move to Paris together..."

"And plan to get married..."

"Married... It really does seem too much to be real."

Her gaze fell from his for a moment. "I know... but thankfully, it is."

At her softer tone, he became instantly worried that things were going too fast for her. He stepped closer to her, bringing one hand lightly underneath her chin and gently turning her face back to his. "It is. Very real... And we have much to do... The conservatory... the meeting... our wedding... Perhaps it is time to slow down a bit."

She took a pause to consider, then nodded. "It is a little overwhelming..." She blinked. "Wait... You have decided to go through with the meeting?"

"Yes."

A bright smile lit her face like the sun and she threw herself into his arms excitedly. "Oh, Erik, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed.

He laughed softly, wrapping his arms around her likewise, though surprised by her reaction.

"We'll go in there and wow 'em so they won't be able to say no!" she declared, passionately.

He couldn't help but smile. "We shall see."

Chapter Three

Erik awoke to a strange sight the next morning.

There was an Alison on his chest.

He blinked to make sure he wasn't still asleep and having some obscure dream, but she remained, her arms folded across his chest on top of the blanket, her chin resting on her arms, her knees curled beneath her, and her haunches in the air. She was smiling a silly grin at him.

It was definitely an interesting sight to wake up to. He had no choice but to return her grin.

"Good morning."

"Morning, sunshine!"

He laughed softly. "Sunshine?" There was a name he'd never been called in his life.

She giggled as she brushed away the stray hairs that always fell into his eyes. "Had to throw it in. Sleep well?"

He sat up a little but not much, not wanting her to move, though the blanket slipped down a bit, revealing that he had not worn a shirt to bed. "Very well. I always do now."

She smiled. "That's wonderful!" Her gaze dropped to his chest for a moment, clad only in the still-necessary bandages. She glanced away quickly as she felt herself blush slightly. 'It's too early in the morning for unholy thoughts...' She looked back up to his face, forcing herself to concentrate on that, though that left her with the temptation of his lips... "I made breakfast!"

Erik, being as perceptive as he is, noticed her slight blush and had to force himself not to smile, he couldn't help finding it charming. However, being as innocent as he is, he did not realize the cause of it. "Oh?"

"Yep... I made un-french toast."

"Un-french toast?"

"It's not french, so it must be un-french."

"Ah. I see."

"Yes, I have no sense of logic."

Erik was highly amused. "No, it is logical."

"Maybe in a twisted sense," she said with a grin. "But then again, I've never been quite normal."

"Being normal is highly overrated," he told her jokingly. "So, are we going to go downstairs and have breakfast or sit around in bed all day?"

Alison pretended to think it over, sitting up, placing her index finger to her chin and looking up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Both sound very tempting..." Erik didn't comment as he knew exactly which one he would prefer... "Well... we could have the best of both worlds and I could bring breakfast up here."

He smiled lightly. "Perhaps next time. I really should get up anyway. I'm still not used to sleeping this much."

"Alright." She giggled, kidding around with him. "Should I leave the room to spare my virgin eyes?"

Erik laughed at that, realizing that she couldn't possibly tell if he was dressed at all underneath the blanket. "You've seen me without a shirt on before."

"I was joking, dear. Besides," realizing the turn in the conversation as if for the first time, she became very serious, dropping her gaze from his, "my eyes are anything but virgin."

He sat up a little more at that and brought her eyes up to his, his tone very serious. "Virgin or not. You are innocent."

She gave him a small smile, seeing no condemndation in his eyes, only love. "Thanks."

He gave her a smile of his own. "We ought to go downstairs."

"Alright." She hopped off the bed, her blue velvet robe flying out behind her, giving him a glance of the pajamas she wore and went to his closet, retrieving his black satin robe. "Your royal robes, my liege."

He had followed her out of the bed, and put on the proferred robe. "My thanks, milady," he said as he tied the sash. "Shall we go then?"

"Of course. Just hope it's not ice cold by now..." She took his hand and led him downstairs and out the back door where she had set their breakfast on the veranda... Two plates of french toast, two glasses of orange juice, a bowl of strawberries, and a bud vase with a daisy on it, all set on a tray between two wicker chairs overlooking the grounds which were aglow with morning dew.

Alison sighed at the sight, but Erik merely looked around then returned his gaze to her.

"Almost as beautiful as you," he declared.

She gave him a half-smile. "Turn it down, Erik. I can't compete with nature."

"You don't need to compete. And I can't turn it down. I think the gauge broke."

She laughed. "I can't remember ever being complimented so much."

"That only shows how blind the rest of the world is."

"Well, I believe we've already stated that." She smiled. "Come on... Let's eat."

He returned her smile before moving to take one of the chairs as she did. He looked out over the grounds again. "It really is a beautiful morning. I missed this... There was never anything like this in New York."

"Too many buildings," agreed Alison between sips of orange juice. "Same with LA. I never saw my first really beautiful sunset or sunrise until I went to the beach. And there was never anything as stunning as this."

"It's nice not to have the constant drone of traffic as well. I cannot say I miss that place, but I am glad I went there." He looked to her again. "Otherwise, I would never have met you."

She smiled at him from across the wicker table. "Likewise." She picked up a strawberry and began to nibble on it. "So, what are the plans for today, all knowing one?"

"No plans. The day is ours. To spend as we see fit."

She blushed... More unholy thoughts. "There's an awful lot to do in a place as big as this."

He nodded lightly as he sipped his juice... Completely unaware. "Any ideas?"

She paused with the strawberry at her lips, trying unsuccessfully not to blush again. "Oh, a few..."

He caught the ripe color on her cheeks, absently noting that it complemented the strawberry she was eating rather nicely, but was quite sure her blush wasn't from what he thought. Couldn't be. "Care to elaborate or will you leave me guessing?"

"Hmm... I'm sure you could come up with some interesting guesses..." She was being playfully evasive and he knew it. "I suppose I could tell you, but what fun would that be?"

He started to say something, but stopped, he took a sip of his orange juice instead, pretending to look over the grounds to try and keep from smiling at the wicked grin on her face.

As he wasn't going to guess, she continued, "Well, it's not my first choice, but you could show me around Paris."

He glanced at her. "I'm rather curious as to your first choice," he said, his tone telling her he was amused. "But somehow I doubt you're going to tell me."

"Oh, I don't know..." she said, the sly look in force. "Maybe if you ask me reeeeeeeeeally nicely."

He laughed softly. "Now, I'm afraid I'm better off not knowing," he said, joking, of course.

She turned away from him, crossing her arms across her chest. "Oh, fine, if that's the way you're going to be about it..."

He smirked. "Of course, I could simply give up the matter and show you around Paris... Perhaps to Notre Dame?"

"Sure." She was still turned from him, so she tossed her next challenge over her shoulder. "My first choice probably wouldn't interest you anyway."

"And what would that choice be?"

She turned her sly look on him then. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

She paused for a moment before getting up and wandering casually over to him. He watched her warily, wondering what she was up to now. Leaning down, she whispered against his ear...

"To go and find a bathroom..."

Giggling, she ran off into the grounds, singing as she ran barefoot through the wet grass. Erik, for his part, was too stunned for the moment to move.

"Quand il me prend dans ses bras,
Il me parle le tourra...
Je vois la vie en rose..."

As she sang, she jumped up onto the endge of the fountain, walking along it. Erik rose from his chair then, following her out into the grounds and stood a few feet from the fountain, watching and listening. She looked right to him as she sang the french love song.

"Il me dit des mots d'amour,
Des mots de tout les jour
Et ca me fait quelquechose..."

He remained silent, though he knew the song and wanted to join her, he wanted more simply to listen to her voice and allow himself to get lost in it, easily believing they were the only ones who existed. He moved closer to the fountain as she moved in and out of his vision as the spray alternatly revealed and hid her like the elf she impersonated.

She walked around the edge of the fountain as he came closer, moving toward him, never taking her eyes off of him.

"Il est pour moi,
Moi pour lui dans la vie.
Il me le dit 'Je jurez' pour la vie."

Holding out her hands to him, she beckoned him closer and he complied... How could he not...

"Et des que je l'apercois,
Alors, je sens a moi..."

He kissed each of her hands gently before looking back to her and sweeping her off her feet and off the fountain. He couldn't resist her... He kissed her without putting her down.

Though he regretted that she had to stop singing for him to do so, he never stopped marvelling at how soft her lips were, how sweet they tasted... 'A bit like strawberries today,' he thought with an internal grin...

Alison was rather surprised at his actions for she had never known him to do something so bold, but she wasn't about to complain. She wrapped her arms about his neck and returned his kiss, absently wondering if he would kiss her every time she sang... 'Note to self: Sing more often...'

Bending at the knees slightly, Erik set her back on her feet without breaking their kiss and she leaned against him so she could still be near him.

It was a long time before Erik thought to break their kiss, he slightly regretted his actions since she wasn't singing anymore... but only very slightly. He was silent, not pulling away from her, absently crushing tendrils of her hair between his fingers.

She took a deep breath, leaning against him for lack of strength, her forehead resting just at his shoulder.

She breathed the last line of the song in english, so softly that only he could hear... "My heart... beats with love..."

"As does mine," he said, softly. He kissed the top of her head. "My beautiful Alison... My angel."

She closed her eyes. "Erik... My Erik... My wonderful, incredible, gorgeous Erik..." She sighed contentedly.

He was silent for a long time, content simply to hold her that way. As he looked out at the grounds, a thought struck him. "I want to show you something, Alison."

She looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes which only made her seem more beautiful to him. "What is it?"

"You have to see," he told her, smiling.

Returning the smile, she said, "Lead on, my liege."

Chapter Four

Erik moved away from her, reluctant to give up the proximity, but certain she would like this, he took her hand and led her away from the house toward the trees around the edges of the grounds. Alison did nothing more than raise her eyebrows curiously and followed silently.

Beyond the fairly well manicured trees that marked the fringe of the estate, was a woodland area. She could only guess at how long the trees had been there and it was evidently the home to several forms of widlife from the birds she could hear in the trees and the occassional scuffle of leaves and branches from some other small creature.

Eventually, Erik led them to a good sized stream and stopped there, near the water. Smiling, he pulled her in front of him to let her see the view.

Alison gasped. Before them lay a setting usually fit only for fairy tales. Sunlight filtered in through the trees, glinting off the water, dappling on the ground, and making the dust motes in the air look like fairy dust. Different flowers dotted the carpet of grass, morning glories and wild roses twined upward on the trees nearby. Ferns and Queen Anne's Lace decorated spots near the stream, violets, bluebells, and daisies grew in clumps everywhere.

Alison covered her mouth with one hand, ashamed to have broken the perfection of the idyllic scene with her gasp. Her eyes were wide with childlike wonder. "It's beautiful..." she whispered, though aware she was making a gross understatement. "I've never seen anything like it... Except in my imagination."

"I used to come here as a child. This place was my sanctuary." He looked at her then. "And now it is ours."

She smiled up at him, leaning against him slightly. "Thank you... This means a lot to me."

He returned her smile lightly, but didn't reply. He watched as she sat down on the soft grass before the stream, listening to the sounds of the water and forest. She rotated her neck and he watched the early morning sun filter through the trees and catch in her waterfall of hair.

"You would have a knack for finding a place like this. I've never felt so..." She paused as she searched for an appropriate word to describe this peace she'd never felt. "So..." She sighed in description.

"I'm only glad I could bring you here," he said. "I've never shared this with anyone... Not even Christine." She looked up at him with great surprise written on her face at that. "I would escape from my room at night and come here..." he continued as he sat down next to her. "Sometimes during the day I would hide here for hours and they would never find me. I used to think this place was magic... and if I shared it with anyone, the magic would be gone."

She tilted her head at him, biting her lower lip slightly. "And... is it?"

"No."

Her smile reappeared as she placed one hand over his. "I can feel that magic."

"You are a part of it."

He expected her to scoff, but she replied, "And you are the other. I sensed it in you the moment I first... heard you. It was why I had a difficult time believing that you were real." She paused, giving him a shy half-smile. "But you are real."

"As are you. Now, whether you are human or angel is another question," he added in a half serious tone.

She threw back her head and laughed. "I assure you, I'm no heavenly being. Far from it."

"You are to me."

"What makes you think so?"

"The way you sing... something in your laugh... and in your eyes when you look at me," he explained. "So many things."

She glanced away from him, blushing slightly. "Thank you... I never knew that such little things could elevate my status to angel." She looked back up at him, her lingering blush and smile making her look even more beautiful to him. "I'm not an angel, Erik... But for you... always."

He only smiled at her, but reached behind her to lightly runs his hand down her hair, watching as she closed her eyes against his touch.

"What did I do to deserve this?" she asked, very softly. "To deserve you? It's all too wonderful..."

He would agree, finding it easy to believe that no one and nothing else existed here, not even time. "We both deserve this..." he told her, matching her soft tone. "Happily ever after, my love."

Strangely, there was nothing funny in what he said. Ordinarily, if anyone else had said something so cliche, she would have laughed, saying that there was no such thing... but when he said it, it sounded right. It fit.

Everything felt so perfect. She loved the man next to her with all her heart and knew to her soul that he loved her just as much, if not, more. A happily ever after was certainly due for him... and perhaps for her as well. She could and did believe him when he told her that this was their happy ending... together. With a sigh, she leaned over and placed her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes to the sound of nature, just wanting to be near him.

"Happily ever after..." she echoed. "Doesn't sound so impossible after all."

He moved his hand from her hair to her waist, very lightly, and closed his eyes, content simply to hold her. Turning slightly, she leaned closer to him and rested a hand on his chest. She could think of nothing else she would rather do than remain there forever in the arms of the one man she loved more than anything.

After a little while, when her body went limp, he realized that the soft sounds and comforting warmth must have gotten to her... his little angel was asleep. Smiling softly, he lay back on the grass, taking her with him. She curled up closer to him in her sleep and he wrapped his other arm carefully around her, not wanting to wake her.

Listening to the stream and the soft sound of her breathing, he closed his own eyes and fell asleep a short time later.

Chapter Five

It was the sun that woke her up much later on, shining directly overhead, but she didn't want to move, loving the warmth of being in Erik's arms, feeling so safe and protected. 'Wonderful...' she thought, adding aloud, very softly, "I could get used to this..."
Erik smiled lightly, having woken up the moment her muscles shifted to a wakeful state, but didn't open his eyes. "I'm glad of that... because I already am."

She lifted her head slightly to look at him. "Why didn't you tell me it was so nice to wake up to someone else with you?"

"I didn't know."

Finding that reason acceptable, she nodded. "Okay... I'll tell you one thing, a person could easily get addicted to something as nice as this..." she said, snuggling in a bit closer.

"Then it's a good thing we both enjoy it."

She laughed softly. "I should hope so!"

He smiled, always loving to hear her laugh. "It is also nice not to have to go by a schedual anymore. What would you like to do now?"

She blushed slightly at the things those words brought to mind, very glad he couldn't see from their current position, and also a little shocked at herself. Quickly, she tried to think of more appropriate thoughts. "Umm... we could..." She remembered something he had mentioned before. "Oh! Later this evening, you could show me the opera!"

He pondered that for a moment, liking the idea. "But we have quite a few hours until then... What shall we do in the meantime?"

She had to bite back a giggle. "Well... I don't know... Suddenly, my mind's a blank."

He smirked. "Somehow, I doubt that."

That caused a fierce blush. "Oh?"

"Indeed," he replied with a sly look of his own.

"And... what makes you say that?"

Incapable of shrugging in their current position, he simply smirked again. "Nothing..."

One small giggle escaped. "Oh, really? Do tell. What's going through your head, then?"

"I'm a gentleman. I can't say things like that."

She lifted her head to look at him in mock surprise, finally showing that she was blushing. "Why, Erik! I'm shocked!"

He laughed softly. "Somehow, I doubt that."

"And why is that?"

Touching her cheek with one hand, he said, "Because I don't think it was my comment which turned your face that shade of red."

She quickly placed a hand to her face, and feeling how warm it was, she turned her head away in embarrassment, at a loss for words. "Well... well, I... umm..." When he gave her a low, soft laugh, she turned back to him, her face still flushed, but her tone was only in mock anger. "Oh, sure, go ahead! Laugh at my embarrassment!"

"Why should you be embarrassed?"

"Wouldn't you be if you were caught blushing beet red at something... improper?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"I see nothing improper," he told her, softly.

She would have shrugged then if she could have. "You've just always been so... chivalrous. I wasn't sure what you'd think."

"I think..." he replied, slowly, "That I love you... and you love me. And we are to be married. And a person can hardly control their own thoughts."

"God knows I'm having a heck of a time trying..."

"Then don't."

She looked up at him, confused. "What?"

He shook his head slightly then, quickly changing the tone of the atmosphere. "Nothing... Perhaps we ought to go back to the house, we've been here a long time."

He began to shift to get up, but she placed a staying hand on his chest, looking at him intently. "Oh, no you don't. You're not getting away with changing the subject this time."

"Do I ever get away with it?" he asked, with a smirk.

"Yes, you have, but not this time. What did you mean?"

"I didn't mean anything." She wasn't buying it and under her intent look, he sighed. "I meant... that you only need to control your thoughts if you want to."

"And if I don't?"

His words were the same, but his tone was much different. "Then don't." She blushed again, glancing away. "Alison... don't look away."

Slowly, she brought her eyes back to his and he brushed her still blushing cheek with his hand, to which she shivered pleasantly, her eyes closing halfway.

Erik remembered how she had described herself in his apartment when she told him what had happened to her in high school... It seemed an entire lifetime ago... How anyone could believe such things of this blushing angel was quite beyond him. "You truly are an angel, Alison," he told her, softly.

"And you are getting very repetitive..." She smiled at him. "But I like it."

"I speak the truth," he defended his redundancy, smiling. "I'm only glad you no longer deny it."

"Well, you're just so good at persuasion, my love... It's too hard not to give in."

"A talent I am truly glad of."

She gave him a smile. "Well... I am content to stay here all day... but I would like to get out of these pajamas."

"I suppose we ought to go back in, then."

'Unless you want me to change out of my pajamas here...' She bit her tongue against that thought as another blush crept into her cheeks and she crawled to her feet. "Yes, perhaps we ought."

He stood as well, brushing a few strands of grass off his robe and retying the belt which had come loose. She took his hand and smiled up at him, voicing one of what had become his favorite phrases.

"Lead on, my liege."

Returning her smile, he led her back through the trees.

Alison held Erik's hand tightly in her own as they made their way back to the house. She breathed the afternoon air in deeply, mostly to help her regain control of her over-active blushing.

"I was wrong before," she said.

He glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

"When we went to see Phantom, I told you that it was the greatest night of my life. I believe I was wrong."

Relieved, he let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He hadn't been able to silence the voice that told him he wasn't going to like what she was wrong about. "Oh? What changed your mind?" was all he asked in response.

"So many wonderful things have happened since I've known you," she said with a little shrug. "I think I have yet to see the greatest night of my life. Althought that one ranks right up there with meeting you for the first time."

"You enjoy nearly being hit by doors, then?" He smirked, referring, of course, to her listening behind the practice room's door.

"It would have been worth it, even if I had gotten my nose smashed," she said, offhand.

"Well, I am certainly glad you don't make a habit of lurking behind doors."

"Only when what's behind it interests me... Or throws me into an impromptu trance. Thank you," she said automatically as he opened the backdoor for her. She headed for the stairs, saying, "I'll go change."

He nodded. "I suppose I ought to as well."

"If you want to," she said, grinning, and she tossed the sly look over her shoulder. "You are rather handsome in that robe."

He tilted his head at her, resembling for a moment a parent repremanding a charming, though negligant, child. "Behave yourself, mademoiselle."

"I am behaving... badly!" She winked at him, making him laugh, and she giggled all the way up the stairs as he stood at the bottom, looking up at her. "How's this for behaving?" She took a flower from a nearby vase and leaned over the bannister to throw it, landing it on his head. "Oh, it's you, dah-ling! Just completes the whole ensemble!"

Removing the flower from his head and trying very hard to look serious, he said, "You have an odd sense of fashion, my dear."

"No one's perfect, love!" she called down from further back in the upstairs hallway.

"Perhaps." He continued, more to himself as he headed back outside to clear the dishes, "No one but you."