Phantom of the Opera 1. A Falling Faerie

_A/N: This is taking place recently after the infamous disaster, but don't think this is your general new ballerina/singer meets Phantom story (No offense to you guys, love them actually). And no, this woman is not at all a reference to me, she only has the slightest bit of my hair, sad to say for me though, it's not as long. Also, things will become clear while you read it people, have some faith in me. I'm just really bad at wanting to make my readers guess, so don't be surprised by an evil cliffy here and there._

_Disclaimer: Hmm, I'm on a fansite meaning I'm writing about something that I'm just a fan of, so I think that would be a big NO on owning anything of the Phantom, I just own this little young lady._

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'_You can do this'_ She assured herself. That's what she'd been saying for three weeks whenever she came to this point, but tonight she would go through with it, she was sure of it. "It's just one little step," She said out loud, "One little step and it'll be over." 

It was night and the moon was giving a heavenly glow on the earth, especially on the young brunette woman in maid like clothes. The woman was standing just on the edge of the bridge to the Seine river, this was the only way for her to find freedom. She began to slowly lift her foot over the edge as she closed her eyes, she would finally end it all.

"Are you sure you really want to end it like this?" A deep voice said behind her. Being startled she lost her balance and began waving her arms around madly, causing her to fall, but not how she had planned it, instead she found herself going back towards the gravel, readying herself for the hard landing.

It never came. She felt arms around her back and legs, holding her in the air as if she were a light doll. She knew she should open her eyes, should look at whoever had caught her, but she couldn't build the courage to do it.

"Are you all right?" The voice said curiously, "I'm sorry if I frightened you, I seem to have that effect...". She finally forced her eyes to gaze at the person who had ruined her plan. She was met by a face like she'd never seen, it was a man with sparkling green eyes that seemed to glow in contrast to the dark night. His hair was just as black as the sky and was smoothed down to where it curled just at the nape of his neck. She searched all over his face, what she could see anyway, the right half was covered by a white mask, the moonlight giving it the appearance of silver, that ran from the top of his forehead and stopped right at his lip dipping just a bit more on the side. Her mind raced with reasons as to why he wanted to hide his identity, and she found herself shaking in fear.

"Are you all right?" he repeated, "It would be terrible for such a young woman like yourself to be injured, particularly with your beauty," he smiled at her. Her eyes widened and she began speaking with tears forming in her eyes

"Please Monsieur! If you want my body you can have it! Just please don't harm me, I won't scream or alert anyone to you, just take what you want and leave me!" She cried to him, burying her face in her hands. Why must this happen to her, couldn't he have just let her jump to peace?

He looked with sorrow at the crying woman in his arms, would it always be like this for him? Was he to always be a monster, even when doing good? He shook the thought from his head and continued speaking softly to her.

"My dear, you have me mistaken, I merely meant it would be a terrible thing for someone as young as you to end up a floating corpse," She winced at what he was saying, but it was better than rape. "Would you mind if I set you down? It will look odd to a passerby to see a scene such as this," He said to her calmly, trying to ease her fear. She sniffled and nodded to him, still too choked on her sobs to speak. He slowly sat her down till her feet touched the ground and she stood before him, but she was still a bit unbalanced and began to sway. She clutched onto the first bit of him she could, his cloak, and hid her face in his chest, trying to even her breathing and thoughts.

"Now then, mademoiselle..?" he looked at the brown head beneath him, this was really not a place he nor this young girl needed to be and his only hope at the moment was to return her to her home. She finally lifted her face to look at him.

"Bruyere, my name is Faye Bruyere," She said wiping her reddened eyes, "And you are monsieur?"

He looked down at Faye for a moment, taking in her face. Her skin was rather pale, though he figured it was due to the scare he had given her, and she looked a bit thin for her age, as if she hadn't been eating enough recently. She had wild, very wavy dark brown hair that fell around her shoulders and her back. The last thing he looked into were her eyes, they were wide in both fear and curiosity, the colour was somewhere between the afternoon sky and a blue crystal.

"My name is simply Erik, and that's all you need worry about." He stated while once again looking into her eyes. "Now where is it you live? It's not safe for someone to be out this late or in this particular area."

Faye could only stare at him, who was this man? First he stopped her from committing suicide and now he wanted to make sure she got home safely?

"What makes you think I won't try something again once you're gone?" She looked at him with a challenge in her face. Erik simply chuckled at her.

"When you started to slip, you put up a damn good fight in the air to not fall in the river, it's obvious you won't be trying anything again that soon," his eyes were twinkling as she glared at him.

_'What are you doing?' _her mind yelled. '_He saved your life and you're arguing about killing yourself!'_

"I'll ask you this again," he said, beginning to sound agitated but still amused at her response, "Where is it that you live?"

Faye looked at him for a moment considering her options, though without little thought she did the first thing that came to her mind to escape him.

She turned and ran.

Unfortunately for her though, Erik had an agility she hadn't counted on. Before she could even put a bit of distance between them she felt him grab her arm, causing her to spin and slam right into his chest. She became all the more scared of him again when she felt his arms lock around her, tight and restricting. Taking a deep breath Faye looked up into the half glowing, half serious face of Erik, he didn't seem pleased.

"I am not up for such games as these mademoiselle, and you are becoming very tiring to my patience," He said while giving her such a look of anger she almost thought she had done something to personally hurt him. "Now do not play anymore with me like this. Where is your home?"

Faye felt at a loss, clearly this man wasn't going to leave her until he was satisfied that she wouldn't be able to harm herself, and she had no urge to make him anymore angry at her since she had no clue as to what he would do if he didn't receive an answer. So with a defeated sigh she did the only possible thing to please him.

"It's not far from here, just a few blocks away actually in that direction." She lifted her head to indicate the road behind him, since he still held her body in his with a death like grip. Yet in the back of her mind she noted how gentle he was still being with her, his arms hard against her but not giving too much pressure. He looked over his shoulder to see where she was pointing.

_'Those are where the slums are'_ his mind stated, he had just come from the apothecary in that direction when he found this young little wingless fairie attempting to fly. What was he to do with her though? He couldn't just let go of her to run again and he couldn't stay in the street all night, he turned to look back into her eyes.

"Since it would seem you have the intentions of going to the wrong areas, it is quite clear that I am unable to let you wander on your own, but I will not carry you the whole way as if you were some child, even if you may be acting like one," He kept his face blank as she glared at him, "I will though release you enough that you may walk on your own, but you must not try to run from me again and you will allow me to take hold of your arm, understood?"

Faye did not like these rules he was putting over her, she did not want anyone giving her orders, but as she always seemed to find herself in these situations she had no choice but to give in. She kept quiet but nodded to him, shutting her eyes to hold back anymore unwanted tears. He eased his grip on her so she would relax but quickly linked one arm around hers, he was not about to made a fool twice by this young woman.

"Off we go then mademoiselle." Erik stated simply as they began the slow walk back across the bridge towards the slums.

Faye tried to keep her eyes off of him, anywhere really would be better than receiving another look of anger from him, but she couldn't control herself. She was on his left side, looking once again at his face, it was powerful with a strong chin set as if it were made of stone. She could see faint lines around his mouth, but they looked more like he had frowned rather than smiled most of his life. She also took note that he was just a bit taller than her, his shoulder at the height of where her chin was. It was when she saw him swallow and how tight his neck appeared that she realized how nervous she must be making him. Her head dropped down to the ground and she cleared her throat, trying to think of something to say.

Erik cleared the silence between them instead.

"How long have you lived here mademoiselle Bruyere? I can hear a slight accent in you that's not French." He looked down at her and tried his best to look cheerful, though he was failing miserably after his temper rising at her once already.

"I've lived here since I was four, my father was from here until he moved to England where he met my mother, but I'd rather not talk about them right now monsieur Erik, if you don't mind." She blinked back a few tears and sniffled.

Now it was Erik's turn to investigate this girl. '_No' _his mind retorted, '_she's most certainly not a girl, a girl doesn't look like this, a girl doesn't try to kill them self'_. Erik couldn't understand it, what had sent her on such a path as to rid the world of such a young beauty?

_Stop it Erik, you're simply taking her home and that's all, once she's with her family they can give her proper guidance._

He still couldn't stop himself though from looking at her lovely sight, her eyes shining and her dark hair fanning out behind her, reaching to the small of her back. Her attitude was what became so odd to him. Yes, he could understand her being frightened, any girl would if some man had held them like that in the middle of the night, but she also had some hint of courage to her, she had even said his name as though she had known him for much more than an hour. Erik was trying to work his thoughts out when Faye stopped walking.

"This is it monsieur," She said glumly pointing to his right. Erik kept a hold of her arm but turned so his mask wasn't facing the house.

_Last thing I need is for a full home to know I'm alive._

He turned slightly to get a better look at where she had pointed. He eyed the building for a moment until he realized it. He looked back to her seriously.

"This is where you live? Then you are a-"

"Yes," Faye said, hanging her head down in her shame. "Now please let me go monsieur, I must return to them, I know I'm in trouble already."

Erik could only nod to her, now he could see her reason. He released her arm and she began to walk up to the steps of the building, but turned one last time to him.

"Goodnight, monsieur Erik." She smiled softly at him

He looked at her for a moment, taking in her form one last time.

"Goodnight, mademoiselle...Faye."

With that Erik began his walk away from Faye, from her home.

'_That is no home, nicely done Erik, thinking they'd protect her. Why, she'd be in better care with you.'_

"No," he told himself. "No woman would prefer my care, even over that." He tried to convince himself, disappearing into the dark of the streets.

Faye went inside the building and crept slowly up to the second floor, hopefully no one would hear her.

"Faye! You little whore!" Another girl a bit older than Faye ran up to her excitedly, "Did you take a new client without Madame knowing?" She asked happily.

Faye turned her head to the comment, but responded when she heard Madame mentioned.

"No! I wasn't taking anyone at all, please! Don't say anything to her!" Her face began to pale more than it had been as she thought of Madame Bontecou.

Sadly, it was too late, for Faye had been seen when she was outside with Erik.

"Faye Bruyere! You bitch, come here now!" A voice bellowed as she saw Madame Bontecou coming from her room and office, by now all the other prostitutes in the brothel were coming out of their rooms to see what Faye had done this time.

Madame Bontecou grabbed Faye by the hair, pulling it roughly till she was in her face, her eyes glaring dangerously.

"I saw what you were doing, oh yes, and as I've told you all. You DO NOT take clients outside of my business!" She started walking madly, dragging Faye with her by her hair. "You refuse to listen to me, you don't obey my rules, now you're going to be punished!" She stopped in front of a room and pulled Faye up to see it, she began crying immediately.

"Please Madame! I swear to you I wasn't going against you! Please don't put me in there again!"

But her cries were ignored as Madame Bontecou shoved her in, shutting the door quickly and locking it. She spun around to look at her girls. "No one is to let her out, talk to her, or bring her food for two days! Do you all hear me?" They all nodded and said their "Yes, Madame Bontecou's" before promptly returning to their rooms, some already busy again with their work.

Faye stood up in the room, wiping her eyes on her now incredibly dirtied dress. The room had no windows, no source of light and no bed, the only bit of furniture being a lamp table with a bible on it, the Madame's own twisted joke. Faye walked over to a corner of the room and curled herself up on the floor, crying herself to sleep with only the darkness as her companion.

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__A/N: Hoo, so how's that for a first chapter, huh? Do give Faye some time, I promise you that you will be able to understand her better, but all in due time mes amis, all in due time. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be posted or even if I'll be able to write once school starts (I have one more week of freedom). I promise you though I will try my hardest to keep it going and not let homework get to me too much (Seeing as this is my senior year in high school it won't be easy). So please review if you like it, or even if you hate it. What the heck, I don't care what I get, I'll tell you though any helpful critique would be nice should you offer. Now my only question for the nextchapter is should I immediately tell you our lovely Phantom's thoughts? Or perhaps share a bit more of Faye. All right then, until next post, au revoir!_


	2. Lingering Thoughts and Lunch

_A/N: Just to let you all know, anytime that I write this now, I intend to hold my hair back with my ribbons, my little ones, my little black ones, my little black ribbons that make me feel so freakin' in tune with Erik for no apparent reason. Hoo, okay, yes I am suffering from too much caffeine to the system, I don't care, and neither should you seeing as how I wrote a new bloody chapter (both literal and just an expression). Now get to reading and reviewing, the more reviews, the more you'll see of our fair lady and Fantome. Now on a SERIOUS A/N: I'm taking French lessons and we'll be using them sometimes in this to help me remember them better, based on what you read it shouldn't be too hard to know what is being talked about but if it does become too much I'll stick up translations for you. Also, I start school next week and will only be allowed on during weekends, so that will become the usual updating point for me. That's the reason for this chapter being so short as well, I didn't want to leave you guys with what I had._

_P.T.O. Toile is a type of cloth that originated from France, just do a google image search to see it, it's a quite a beautiful piece of work. And I simply took the name Javert from Kay's book for the man that caged Erik, there might be a few other Kay references, but they won't be anything that affects your understanding of the story._

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Erik sat at his organ pounding away, not caring that the tips of his fingers were beginning to turn red and bleed, anything to take his mind off of her. It had been a week since he had bid the young mademoiselle goodnight and every time he had tried to work on a new painting her eyes would flash in his mind, or if he attempted to read one of his books he'd see every woman having wild brown hair.

He ended his piece by slamming his fists on the chords, not caring at the moment the horrendous sound it created. "Damn." Why would this burdening thought not lift from his mind? She was a prostitute, a common whore that he should shouldn't be thinking of in the least. He had simply done his duty and stopped her from ending her life. "Damn!" Why HAD she been trying to end her life? Yes, being in that manner of _work_ was not something all women enjoyed, but if she didn't want to live her life that way, surely someone like her could change it. She had looks, she could easily try to find work as a maid or even work as a seamstress, anything really.

What of her parents as well? What had happened to them to make her so fragile on the subject? She had said her father was French and her mother English, perhaps they had been ridiculed for being such an unlikely pair, or maybe they did not get along in the end for two many differences. Maybe that's why she wanted to cry, they didn't stay together and that's why she was in such a predicament now.

"DAMN!" He finally roared out, dropping his head into his hands. He was going to end up mad if he kept asking so many questions. He needed to get out of his home for a while, clear his head of any more thoughts about this Faye. He got up from his bench and went to his room, it was still fairly early in the day but he couldn't take it anymore, even if he was at the risk of being noticed he had to shake his mind from her. He secured his cloak and took a bit of money, in case he found anything worth buying while out, and made his way to his gondola.

He was making his way across the lake when thoughts of her came to him again. He tried to sort out just why she was there, in his books, his paints. It wasn't love, that he knew, he couldn't love another anyway, not after everything else he had done. Three months had passed since that horrible night, since he had tried to force love from a woman. A month in hiding and he found himself crawling back to the darkness of the opera house, not as if there was much danger returning anyway, everyone had given up the hunt and there were no plans to fix the ruined structure. He mourned the fact that it would never have it's previous beauty, but in it he now had the opportunity to refurnish his home with new things. No longer was the swan bed in his lair, instead there was a large goose feather bed with a black toile covering over it, not that Erik generally used it, he just felt it was wrong for such a fine piece of Carlotta's furniture to end up being reclaimed by her.

The gondola bumped gently at it's dock, stirring Erik from his thoughts. He jumped out and secured it in place, then began a slow walk up the rest of the lower levels. Though the opera house had quite a bit of damage on the outside, the deeper, more hidden levels still retained their beauty and structure. As he walked along, he couldn't help but stare at the grey block walls, thinking how he had once made them look magical, as if he truly had some special power over anything he wished to. He reached the end of his trek upwards, towards humanity, leaving behind his own world of darkness and faerie tales.

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"No monsieur, that's all I need, merci." Faye said, handing a vintner a few bills to pay for the couple of wine bottles she was buying. She didn't have much taste for what she was getting, but Madame Bontecou was always pleased and would usually lessen punishment on her if she paid out of her own money for her favorite alcohols. Two days later after being locked in the black room, the Madame had let her out to go back to her job. Being weak from lack of nourishment she could do nothing but lie back and whimper small cries as she was raped. It may have been the job she was condemned to do, but she never took any personal pleasure in what happened nearly every night to her body.

Faye was walking through the street market, the sun shining down on her skinny frame, it was nearing lunchtime for her and she knew she would need her strength for whatever may come that night. Before she could turn though to head to her favorite café though, something caught her eye. A large figure all in black was hovering over a fruit stand, holding an apple up in the light. Faye looked around, it was summer and most were staying indoors to escape the heat, the few that were out wearing light clothing. Yet here he was, dressed fully in black with his cloak and gloves, but now he was even wearing a large fedora. She thought for a moment that maybe she should just let him be, but then, he was the only person she knew that had talked to her as if she was more than the trash of the world, even if it was prior to him knowing the truth behind her maiden veil.

She walked up behind him and lightly touched his shoulder. "Why, bonjour Monsieur Erik."

Next thing she knew he had dropped his apple and whipped around, grabbing her by the shoulders, a crazed stare in his eyes that looked like a cross of anger and fear. The moment though that he looked at her face, at her eyes, his expression eased and he released her. He backed up a few feet giving her room to breathe.

"I'm dreadfully sorry if I scared you Erik," She apologized even though her own heart was racing now. "It was not my intention to startle you like that." She shifted her feet nervously, maybe it _was_ a bad idea to come and talk to him...

"No no mademoiselle, I just wasn't expecting you to grab me from behind like that," he said looking at her with sincere eyes. In truth, looking at the apple had made him remember all the rotten fruit that had been thrown at him while he was caged, and before he realized what he was doing, he was turning on Javert all over again. "I am at full blame, so no need to say sorry to me."

Faye smiled sweetly at him, but before she could respond a large growling came from her stomach. She laughed and looked to Erik, his one brow quirking at her, she couldn't help but think how funny he looked with such a smug face on. "J'ai faim," she said while still smiling with her hand over her stomach, "Tu as faim? I was about to head to a café not far from here."

Erik considered her offer for a moment, sitting out in the open was not what he was wanting, neither was running into her, but he was finding her company rather enjoyable. "How about I take us to someplace a bit better than a simple café?"

"Monsieur, I don't have that much on me, I'm not sure I can aff-" He raised his hand to silence her and shook his head. "Mademoiselle, I would prefer it no other way than if you would allow me to cover for you, the gentleman in me would not allow it anyway." Faye smiled again at him and nodded, he offered her his arm which she gladly took and off they set for lunch.

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_Next chapter, what things shall be discussed over their meals? Only I know, muhahaha. You shall all just have to leave me lovely reviews, and maybe, MAYBE I can talk my mom into letting me on, then you will all get and earlier post._


	3. Discovered

_Don't expect this to happen often, it just turned out that after I posted chapter two I already had this one writing in my head. A little disclaimer for you guys as well, I do not own that brand of wine, and DON'T ask how I know what it tastes like...I shall simply say it now. When my grandmother's relatives were visiting they brought a bottle, and I've found I rather like collecting wine bottles. Well, when I was emptying it out of it's last tiny drops, curiosity got the better of me and I put one, NOTE ONE drop on my tongue. I don't condone underage drinking, and I'm only four months from being a legal adult anyway, YES, I know the legal drinking age for my country is 21, but I'm at at an age that I had control over my actions and didn't turn into some wine-guzzler from it. Strangely enough though, I found out the legal drinking age age for spirits in France is 16._

_I would really appreciate it if I got reviews on this one, seeing as how I wrote it while sick, I woke up at four this morning after going to bed at two, it wasn't good, I had a semi-raw throat, every muscle in me was hurting, I was suffering chills while running a fever, and was a bit delusional (picturing dinosaurs while trying to get a hot bath is not a good combination. I had to remind myself frill lizards were dead, and that's when I knew I really wasn't doing good. I'm dead serious, in my half-awake, half asleep state I really did see that.) _

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It turned out that the place Erik had in mind for them was quite a spectacular restaurant where only the richest aristocrats were seen. Erik on a couple of occasions during hiding had stolen food from there and found he was quite fond of the chef's cooking abilities. Faye wondered all the more what kind of man he was if he dined just for lunch in this kind of atmosphere. She also became curious as they neared the entrance he pulled his fedora over the right side of his face, nearly obscuring all of his mask. That mask was a curiosity as well to her, she had thought when she first met him it was a way to hide himself if he took a girl, but now, now she knew there was something else behind it. Yet, she didn't really mind that much, if he wished to wear it she wasn't going to let it get to her.

It was a bit more of a concern though to Brielle, another one of Madame Bontecou's girls, who was flirting with one of her regular customers when she saw Faye walking arm in arm with this mysterious person.

"May I welcome you mademoiselle and...monsieur, to Le Jardin Du Ciel, it is just the two of you?" A smiling waiter said as they entered the building and Faye looked around in awe. The walls were painted a light, almost golden pink, while the ceiling was a sky blue with white, puffy clouds floating about as little angels danced along, some playing trumpets while others flew about. "Yes, and would you mind giving us someplace in the back with a bit of privacy?" Erik told the waiter, keeping his head turned to the side, he looked to Faye for a moment, it was obvious to him she wasn't used to such architecture or art.

The waiter took them not only to the back, but to an upper story of the restaurant where they would be the only two and stuck them in a corner. Erik pulled out Faye's seat for her then sat down himself, taking the corner where his mask was to the wall, he also leaned a bit after taking his fedora off to keep into shadow. "I'll return in a few minutes for your orders, but perhaps you would like some wine?" The waiter looked at them anxiously. Faye turned to Erik, she didn't know what they served or what was even a good choice for that matter, she only knew Madame Bontecou's preference.

Luckily Erik solved that problem for her when he looked up from his menu. "We'll take a bottle of Luna di Luna." He said plainly, then giving a small smile to Faye, causing her to blush. She didn't really understand what was causing her to feel this way, as far as she was concerned he was just becoming a friend to her, her only friend really, which to her was...nice.

"Very well monsieur, I shall be back momentarily." The waiter bowed and headed back downstairs. Faye meanwhile looked at her menu, though she wasn't really sure what to order, she hadn't been in a place like this since she was a little girl. She looked to Erik for help, perhaps he also knew what would be good for lunch. "Oh, I can't decide what to have, could you suggest anything Erik?" She looked at him hopefully.

"I think you may enjoy the Blanquette de veau, veal with onions and mushrooms," he said to her looking over his menu, she could only see his eyes twinkling again with that charm he had first shown to her when he saved her life. Faye frowned for a moment, she was thankful, well now at least, for him saving her, but she still couldn't get away from what had caused her to reach that moment. Her eyes began to water and she sniffled.

"Are you all right?"

Faye looked up to see the waiter had returned and was looking at her curiously, wondering what was wrong with the dear girl. She nodded her head and wiped her eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm fine, it must just be this weather." She lied with a smile, but when she noticed Erik was looking at her straight in the eyes, she cleared her throat and looked back to the waiter. "I believe I'm going to have the Blanquette de veau."

"Very good, and you monsieur?" He turned to Erik, who was still staring intently at Faye, but finally placed his own order. "I will be having the Coq au vin." Erik said before looking back at Faye, she wasn't just acting that way due to the weather, but he decided to keep quiet about it none-the-less.

"All right, mademoiselle and monsieur, I will return with your orders and also here is your wine."

The waiter set down two glasses along with a chilled bottle, he then uncorked the top and poured some in each of their glasses. The waiter was gone again while Erik raised his glass to Faye, they clinked them together and each took a sip. It was a strange taste to her, sweet and bitter at the same time, but she found that she quite liked it.

She wondered what else would happen during their lunch.

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"Are you positive on what you saw Brielle?"

"Yes Madame Bontecou, it looked just like the papers had described,"

"All right then Brielle, you may have the rest of the day off for this."

"Thank you, Madame Bontecou, I only wish to help you." Brielle bowed out of Madame Bontecou's office as she sat at her desk. So that was who she was with last week, this was very interesting news to her...

_All right kiddies, here's the deal, I'm sick, this chapter's being broken even more that I intended, but I wanted to post and couldn't be on long enough, but at least out of it you are getting fast updates. So, leave me reviews, I'll post more, and we'll see whether Faye admits the truth to Erik or not._


	4. Lucifer's Own

_I know I said we'd possibly see more of Faye's past, but this little turn is needed and it wanted out first before we saw any more of their nice lunch. I promise you next chapter I'll return to them, but for now you get to learn more of her present situation. Also, as for anyone who thinks Erik is becoming attracted too fast: The man had his heart ripped out and stomped on, even I know that you're not going to heal THAT soon. No, it will become clear dearies, time and patience are all I ask for. Lots and LOTS of talking in this chapter, though I assure you it's not a filler, this will become important in time. This is my shortest yet, but it's due to the fact I can't see too well right now and didn't want to write out too much. _

_Mapped out future chapters today, this is definitely going to be a lengthy story, but I'll let you get to reading now._

_P.T.O. Still working on this new character, so if he seems a bit... off is the best way I could put it, he's not completely formed yet. Also, found out today that I need everyday glasses, I picked out a beautiful pair of frames, half-moon just like dear Dumbledore's, EXACTLY like his in the movie truthfully. I made a slight edit to this (correcting spelling actually, lack of sight messed me up). I would also like to state, free virtual Erik plushies to whoever reviews! -holds out a plushie filled box- Only one to each reviewer. Maybe next time I'll give out Raoul's too!_

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Lucien limped his way into Madame Bontecou's brothel, damn Montague for what he did.

Lucien had tried to cheat at a game of cards the night before and ended up with a knife wound to the leg. He knew that only some time spent with his favorite girl would cheer him up, and he planned to take full advantage today with her.

"Lucien! A pleasure to see you again, I see you're doing well." Madame Bontecou chided while staring at his bloody pant leg. She couldn't really say that he was enjoyable, but he always paid well for her girls, and for that she put up with him.

"Aye, fine as always, this is Montague's fault it is. I was hoping though to be with my girl for a while, is she in?"

"No, that little ratty girl isn't here now,"

"Don't call Faye ratty, ye' old hag, she's certainly got better looks than most of your wretched whores,"

"Why do you have such a fascination with her at all, you could have any girl but you always want her. Everytime you come for her even she puts up a fight and you know she despises you, so why do you always want Faye?"

"Oh, my dear lady, it's that fight in her that I love so much. She's a wild one, I'll admit that, but I'll be able to break her someday," Lucien grinned wickedly, "She'll realize someday that no one denies me what I want."

"Lucien... Come to my office, I need to talk to you on a matter that you'd be the best man for."

Lucien again limped along up the stairs, getting a few calls from some of the other girls, he was one their most _pleasing_ customers.

Madame Bontecou sat behind her desk and considered Lucien for a minute. He was a well built man that could easily handle himself in a situation. Lucien didn't have a lot as far money went, but he was rather pleasing to the eye and had substantial wit, though that merely fueled his arrogance when it came to his desires.

"Lucien, how old are you?"

"I am 28, my dear lady," he said with a smile, if she needed his help, a little flattery on his part might produce a few bills in his pocket.

"You're good at not being caught, right?"

"Bontecou, just what are you after?"

"I want you to follow the girl around,"

"Faye? Not that I object," which he didn't. He'd followed her before, hoping for a chance to take her outside the brothel and save a few francs. "but for what reason?"

"You've heard about that incident at the opera house, haven't you?"

"The ghost who was really a man, whose face was that of a demon, aye. Heard the whole story from Montague a few days after it happened. Heard of the sweet girl he tried to take too, a fine little piece she was, can't say I blame him for wanting such a nice-"

"Lucien, will you pay attention!" Bontecou yelled at him. He may be intelligent at times, but show him some exceptional beauty and his mind would construct many a twisted idea. "Now then, you remember how they said he was never found?"

"Yes, Madame, all that was left of him was some beat down caverns from what I heard,"

"Yes, well, Lucien I've heard something very interesting,"

"And what might that be, that it requires my special abilities?"

"He is not dead, I have seen him,"

Lucien stared at Bontecou, surely she must be drunk again, as if this so called 'Ghost' would really be in her presence. Then again, if he was, it could be very beneficial to him.

"When did you see him? How even, I thought he was supposed to be a mysterious being, something that was only seen if he wanted to be."

"Do you not do the very same?"

Lucien thought on this for a moment, then realized the foolishness in his words.

"Aye, that I do," he blushed for a moment, then his face took on a tough look, he hated the wench talking to him like this. "All right, so tell me about it all."

* * *

_-Holds up the box of Erik plushies once more- Review, please?_


	5. Past Loves over a Present Meal

_Okay dearies, before you send me to the gallows, let me state these things. Ahem takes out teacher's staff and points to chalkboard:_

_1. Our computer crashed, entirely and absolutely died on us it did._

_2. I ordered my own laptop (his name is Roger) that came in only a couple of weeks ago._

_3. Before I could get up this chapter, I had to rewrite things that were lost._

_4. I had to do a book report on The Phantom of the Opera (top grade with a 101 thank you very much). You had best be darn glad too because it gave me a whole new batch of ideas, including a one-shot that I posted a few days ago._

_5. Now, my apologies that I made so many of you wait, I even believe someone took me off their alert list just because I took this long._

_I'm also going to state, the beginning of this is from when my dear twin Nade asked me "Can Erik actually eat that much?"_

* * *

Erik sat staring at his meal while Faye chewed happily on her own. He didn't know what made him order it, the need to impress, maybe? It wasn't that he didn't like it, it was one of his favorite things to steal in fact when he needed nourishment, but he had never taken so much. He took a glance at Faye for a moment then down to his meal again and grimaced. 

'_Why the hell did I order this?'_

"Everything is all right?"

His head shot up and Faye was looking curiously at him, her head cocked a little to the side, for a moment he thought she had the look of an innocent child, almost like…

"I… What?" Erik finally responded, shaking the image from his mind. Faye let out a small huff. "I said is everything all right? You have such an awful look on your face, Is your food undercooked?"

Erik shook his head at her, "No, it's cooked just fine but…" He immediately stopped talking though when Faye reached over, grabbed a piece of the chicken and promptly popped it into her mouth. She chewed the morsel quickly and swallowed. He had never seen such behavior in a woman, nor her next action. Faye grabbed Erik's fork, stabbed a piece of the chicken and brought it to his lips saying, "It tastes perfect, now, it does not do well for one to order a meal and then not eat it, now eat."

Erik could only raise his brow at the girl, no one demanded such things of him, especially not about his own eating habits. Then again, it was obvious she had no intent of removing the offending piece of meat from his lips, so, looking once more from her face to the fork, he unwillingly opened his mouth.

"There you are, see? It's not bad at all now is it?" She giggled as she set his fork down. She began to blush when she thought about what she had actually just done. Why she did it, she wasn't sure, but she felt that the look she received from Erik made it all worth the price of turning red in the face.

'_This woman is mad,'_ Erik thought to himself,_ 'how dare she treat me like a child, and to laugh at me as well!'_ He sat there with all his fuming thoughts when another voice came to mind._ 'Still, she is right, the meat is very good, and the wine is very rich with flavor'._ He was finally at a lost of what to do until a question came to mind, if she was going mad, he would at least get an answer before she was entirely gone.

"Faye, may I ask you about your past?"

Faye widened her eyes and turned a bit pale, the color from laughing fully gone now. _'He wants to know why I'm such a wretched little whore. Why this is my role in life.'_ She wanted to say no, she _really_ wanted to say no, but thinking of how he had treated her with nothing but kindness, she couldn't. She _would not_ refuse him, whatever it may be. She swallowed her nerves and said "What would you like to know?"

"I was just thinking, you said that your father was French and your mother English, I'm just curious on where you lived as a child."

Faye breathed a sigh of relief, her childhood, that's all he wanted to hear. Just her childhood.

"What would you like to know of it?" Faye replied calmly, taking a sip of her wine.

"Well, how did your parents meet for one?"

Faye smiled at the thought. "My father, his name was Lowell. He wrote poetry for a living, but life here wasn't easy for him, no one wanted to buy any of his work, so he decided to move to England in hopes of better pay. He told me that it was while he was trying to sell a book of his that he ran into my mother, Katherine." Faye stopped a moment, thinking of her mother, and gave Erik a warm smile. "He said when he saw her he just knew she was an ethereal being, he was almost too scared to even try and talk to her, he said he thought she would just disappear. It was my mother who talked to him first though, she was very interested in her books and liked looking for things that were of the unordinary…" Faye drifted off, her eyes glazing at what fond memories she still held.

Then Erik cleared his throat.

"Go on then," he said, completely enraptured by her story. "what else happened to them?"

"He began courting her shortly after meeting, she was working under a head seamstress and she agreed to a trade off with him; she would fix any of his worn clothes if he gave her a poem or short story. Well, it didn't take long for his poems to be specifically about her, he would write about a woman dancing in the autumn leaves or heaven sending down the most glorious being. He wanted to show her how he felt for her through his work and-- Erik? Are you all right?" Faye asked urgently, and with good cause, Erik had begun to choke on his wine.

He coughed a moment, trying to catch his breath "Yes, I'm fine. Please, you were saying?"

'_So her father had tried to win the heart of his fair maiden through his art. Must I always be reminded of my own foolishness?'_

"As I was saying, he wrote about her, till he finally asked her hand in marriage. My mother said it was the sincerity and the way he asked her that fully won her over."

"And how was that?"

"He came in the shop she was working at with a tear in his jacket- or so he told her and gave her his newest poem. I only remember the last two lines were 'An eternity I'll spend with you. If you'll only say I do'. When she read the last line, he handed her his ocat and told her there was something stuck in the pocket. It was a little game between them, he'd hide extra things for her sometimes, a small flower or little trinket. That time though, she found a small silver band and my father went down on his knee."

"Amazing, how old were they at the time?"

Faye took on a pensive look before responding, "My father was in his mid-twenties while my mother was a few years younger than him. They were married not long after he proposed and moved to Birmingham. Ten years later they had all they needed; Father's poetry was at its best whenever he was with my mother and he had even written a long story. As for my mother she had given him a son and was at the time pregnant with me."

"So you have an older brother as well?" Erik asked, becoming more curious to everything about her family, they seemed to have quite a full and happy life. So how did she end up here?

"I _had_ an older brother," Faye spat with venom in her words, "please Erik, I don't wish to speak of it." She pleaded, her breathing becoming harsh. Erik took note of how quickly her anger seemed to flare and nodded silently.

"Well then…" He said, trying to find something to take her mind off her rage. Faye laughed, albeit a bit forced and shook her head. "Forgive me," she asked "I'm being silly is all, as I was saying, my mother became pregnant with me. There's not much more to it beyond that, she gave birth to me and we lived there for four more years."

"That's all? But what about-"

"You asked me where I lived as a child," Faye said hotly, "and I lived in Birmingham as a child, so I have answered your question." She said with an air that told Erik there was no more that she was willing to say.

"Err, yes, you did answer my question." Erik said solemnly, he wasn't going to push this… for now. He was quiet, lost in his thoughts before Faye finally spoke.

"Erik?"

"Yes Faye?" He said, looking at her expression, almost a smirk.

"You need to eat your chicken."

* * *

_Oh dear, whatever could be the matter that she could actually get Erik to leave her alone? Don't you just love Lowell and Katherine though, you'll hear more about them, don't worry. Now off with you to leave me lovely little reviews (no emphasis on 'little' though). I've gotten over 700 hits since our computer crashed, and only thirty reviews. That is a pity._


	6. A Friendship

_Ok, so you may find some things that seem a repeat of the first chapter (not really anything big though), and I don't want to hear any complaints. As I've said in the first couple chapters, it will explain itself in due time, just have to place all the pieces so the picture puzzle will look right. Also a little shout to one of my good friends Bonnie (Bonjour ma cherie! I hope you don't find it too odd to know I write things such as this ;D ) who is probably one of the only people at my school who knows about my story._

_Let's just say I'm taking care of the idea that some of you have had that Erik is falling for Faye too fast. I told you all "You will understand in time!" Now don't be a Raoul anymore and have a little patience! This is my first time ever writing anything fluff (if you ever read my one-shots, you know I do nothing but angst) so please leave a review if I was able to get you squeeing, I'd certainly appreciate them!_

_Actually, there shall be no new chapter until I get at least seven reviews, and don't get mad, I did the work on how many people have actually reviewed, and seven shouldn't be too hard to handle._

* * *

Faye and Erik made their way out of the restaurant, Faye fully content with a stuffed stomach, Erik still a bit annoyed that she made him eat that much. The woman would not let them leave until he had devoured most of his meal.

"Where to now Erik?" Faye said happily, stretching her arms out in the warm sun. Erik looked at the change in her, now that she was out with him she seemed a different person. When he had met her, she was frightened, quiet, and looked quite sickly. It appeared that now that she had been with him for a while, she was happy, laughing even, and had an attitude to fit her name.

"Wherever mademoiselle wishes, I would say, it's still only mid-afternoon," Erik replied, pulling nervously on his hat, "would a carriage ride suffice?" Faye spun around to him quickly.

"Oh! Could we do that?" she giggled andcontinued spinning around, "I've never been on one here- _ahh_!"

Faye started to fall over, and with practiced reflexes Erik quickly lunged out and grabbed hold of her waist and arm, pulling her to his chest. Faye winced a moment at being slapped right into him, but also tried to stop the spinning in her head. She held onto Erik, her eyes clenched shut. After taking a few deep breaths she steadied herself and looked to Erik.

"Thank you," she said calmly, "I don't know what I'd do without you to catch me, first the bridge, now here."

"I suspect you'd have quite a few lumps on your head," he joked wryly, but then took a serious face at her. "are you all right? Do you need anything?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm fine, I guess I shouldn't have spun so fast," she laughed happily, "although, you can let me go now, I'm capable of standing on my own,"

Erik was indeed still grasping to her, for fear that she would slip again, he wasn't entirely certain she had simply become dizzy. He still remembered how light she was when he first met her, and he had a feeling that lunch was the largest amount she'd had in sometime. He finally did release her and Faye smoothed the front of her dress.

"Now then, our carriage ride?" She said hopefully.

Erik waved for a hansom, going back to the nervous habit of pulling down his hat. Truly he'd been out much longer than he meant, but his damn human needs were too overpowering, the last person he had spoken to was his only savior and mentor Madame Giry, whom he had not seen since his disastrous opera. Silently he cursed the fact that he was such a monster with such weak needs.

A rather dirty looking man drove up to Erik and Faye, eyeing the odd pair; a man dressed clad in black and a young woman wearing a light blue summer dress, and he was certain the girl he'd seen somewhere before. He ignored the idea though, a paying customer was a paying customer, and he hadn't had any business so far today.

"Need a ride somewhere m'sieur?"

Erik raised his brow and coked his head, a look that stated 'Did I not just call for you?', but he held the comment and instead replied "Yes, the lady and myself would like a ride through the park, can you handle this?"

The hansom nodded in reply to him, "Ye need to pay up firs', good _monsieur_," he sneered back at him, "300 francs," he said flatly.

Erik's face went from annoyed to appalled, arguing with the man, "I will not pay that much right now, you'll get half at this moment, the other after, and only if mademoiselle has a pleasant ride, or we will take someone else's carriage," he ground at him through his teeth.

The hansom was silent a moment, an angry stare coming from his dark eyes, but finally again nodded to Erik and jumped down from his seat. From there, he opened up the carriage door to the couple, offering his hand to Faye to lift her up. Erik quickly got to her other side though to lend her his help, which she gratefully accepted and sat down in the small but comfortable carriage. Erik climbed in after her shutting the door behind him, but opening the curtain a bit to still allow sunlight to shine in. He sat next to Faye somewhat awkwardly, realizing he had left her with his mask to look at, and took to staring out the window to avoid her eyes.

The carriage went off with a slightly rocky start, causing Faye to tumble in her spot a little, but she stabled herself and sat upright. She'd always watched horse-drawn carriages as a little girl with fascination, but never did she really think she'd be able to ride in one. The inside of it was a tad dirty, but still beautiful none-the-less, with cushioned seats the color of a rich, dark, red and gold hangings around the windows. The glow from the sun was giving it a very calming effect and making her quite tired, her eyes drooping a bit. She turned to speak to Erik, only to find his back hunched to her.

Erik still sat in silence, keeping his gaze intent outside the window, thinking about what he was doing. He was out on a carriage ride with a woman. He was with a _woman_. Only now he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do, he knew that soon he would have to let her go back to the brothel, but a part of him didn't want to send her to that treachery. Over lunch they had laughed, he had even learned some of her past, and she was quickly becoming a good companion, could he really just watch a friend go to a fate where she obviously didn't want to be? His thoughts were stirred when he felt a light pressure on his shoulder, and he turned his head to find Faye leaning against him, sighing contently with her eyes shut.

"It's lovely, isn't it? To ride around like this, as if we're royalty…" she said in a sweet and soft tone.

Erik relaxed his body and leaned back, allowing Faye to still rest against him, he wanted to grant her this little bit of pleasure, even if it _was_ coming from a monster. At least he was not as lowly as some, though he'd certainly had the opportunity, oh yes. Many a night during his wanderings a woman would call to him and offer a warm night for a bit of money. Yet he couldn't do something like that, no matter how much his body shook with lust, no, that was a time for his music. His only real lover, one that he could pour his emotions to and not worry.

Faye leaned further still into Erik, breathing in his calming scent, flowers and ink among other faint smells. They reminded her of when she was but a child, she would set in her father's lap as he wrote his poems. She became quite surprised though when she felt Erik lift his arm, she opened her eyes a moment thinking she had angered him somehow, but he merely lowered it again around her own body, pulling her closer. He smiled at her and said "I thought I might make you at least a little more comfortable."

They sat like this through the rest of the ride; her sitting curled against his body, his arm around her gently, as they watched the world outside the little window. As long as they were in that carriage where no one could see them, they could be at peace.

But even a blissful moment on earth has its end.

Too soon the carriage slowed down and came to a halt, jerking Faye and Erik from their silent happiness, Erik released Faye before the handle was even moving. The door was opened quickly by the old hansom, a look on his face as if he expected to catch them in the act of wrongdoing, but finding no such thing he said "The two of ye' enjoy your ride then? Mademoiselle?" with a hopeful look in his eyes.

Faye nodded her approval as Erik took out the rest of the money for him, even he couldn't deny it had been quite pleasant, though it seemed over much too fast. He was shocked when Faye also reached into her basket and gave him a folded note, with a wink she said to him "For your daughter."

The hansom looked at her with a confused face, "How did you… I knew it! I have seen you before! Well thank ye's very much mademoiselle, bless ye' for this!" He exclaimed happily offering her his arm, which she gladly took as she climbed out the small door, Erik following her without delay, wondering just what conversation was taking place.

The hansom got back onto his rightful seat, his manner completely different now, giving a toothy smile to Faye, "Bless ye' again, mademoiselle, she'll be delighted!" he said before starting off his horse, waving as he left.

Erik could only stare at the man as he drove off until he was gone, leaving them at the entrance to the park, till he could no longer stand the question burning in him and rounded on Faye. "What was that?" He said breathlessly "Why did you give him your money, you know he was paid well enough by me, so why did you do it?". Erik wasn't angry but still couldn't hold the bit of venom that was towards the hansom. Faye smiled sadly to him.

"Because… I've seen that man before, at the brothel," she sighed, "he has a little girl, I heard him bragging about her once when he was with another mistress, I could just tell by the way he spoke that his daughter is the only thing he has to keep him… good, to put it that way,"

Erik thought on what she said and understood, even if the man was nothing but scum, she still wanted him to keep what humanity was in him. Faye was such a good person, it pained him to know what would happen to her. He looked into her eyes, not really sure what to say to her.

"Faye, I-"

"Oh! Erik, I've been out much too long! I need to get back, I'm sorry!" Faye cried out, standing back from Erik.

"Faye!" Erik yelled before she turned to leave, "May I… can I see you again?"

Faye looked at him with soft eyes "Yes, but when will I see you?"

He smiled at her, "Don't worry, you'll know my presence when it's there."

She waved and turned about dashing fast as she could, heading away from the park, away from Erik.

Away from her friend.


	7. Revelations

_I have returned to you dearies, and though this chapter isn't long, it is something, Remember now that I'm working on both this story and my new modern Erik/Christine phic, Heartstrings, so I'll switch between the two on updates, though in all honesty Heartstrings will probably go by faster because… well, um, no idea why but it's been writing itself in my mind so much it's ridiculous. Heartstrings is also rated 'M' but this one will remain 'T' so any of you who aren't comfortable with the idea of that much detail can simply stick to this story. Also, a thanks goes out to The Strange Angels Muse, who got me back into writing this, she's recently started writing on here and has really good work that I suggest you read. Sorry that this is short, but it works better for my needs._

_IMPORTANT A/N: Something I'd like to state, I was given three rude reviews, two people that kept themselves fully unknown, the other actually having the courage leave me with their user name (which I commend you for FleshofMidnight, most people are cowards about leaving such slander). Anyway, I want to say I only really started getting into writing, so I don't think it should be expected of me to be perfect, but I enjoy writing so I'm going to continue, and in time I know I'll get better. It's the same as singing or drawing for me, time will improve my ability. If you wish to leave me with a review saying you don't like my story, at least give me a reason, something a bit more constructive than saying Faye should have gone through with her suicide (yes, I did receive this from someone, but there wouldn't be much point to having her jump and Erik arriving too late now would there?). So I just ask you, if you have a problem, let me know why, I'll even work on it if your reasons are substantial._

_You know, something I noticed in my own writing, I tend to phrase things the opposite of how you'd normally hear it, and it reminded me that I completely forgot to tell you guys, I have minor dyslexia. That explains why everyone tells me they like my unique way of speaking, I always flip phrases around._

_Whoo, okay, my rant is done. On with the story (please don't shoot me for this chapter, I did rate it T for a reason, and with her occupation you had to know this would come up)._

By the time Faye had reached the slums, the sun was beginning to set, and her heart was racing in fear and excitement. Erik wanted to see her again! Never did she think she would be so lucky as to meet someone, even a comrade, as kind as Erik was. She had even begun to forget about his mask…

She slowed down to a calm walk as she came in view of the brothel, Madame Bontecou would not be pleased, especially if she knew what she had been doing. Faye walked along the buildings until she felt someone grab her arm and pull her into an alley.

She gasped when her body was pressed roughly against a wall and a tongue ran along her neck, her basket dropped and forgotten next to her. She squirmed as her assailant started to pull at her dress, trying to hike up the skirt.

"I came just to see you today love, and this is how you thank me? You think you're allowed to make me wait like this?" A voice said angrily.

"Lucien…" Faye whimpered as he pulled at his belt, "Please, please don't." she pleaded with him, though she knew it would be of little help. If he was going to take her, nothing would keep him from his objective.

Faye cried silently as he took his pleasure on her, being rough and covering her mouth with his filthy hand, sucking and biting on her neck throughout. He grunted as he reached his moment, panting and leaning into her, keeping her trapped between him and the wall.

"Damn Faye, I knew it would show its worth waiting for you, especially with no charge," Lucien smirked at her as he redid his pants, watching Faye sink to the ground, broken and sobbing. He turned to leave the alley, and while rolling a cigarette gave her one last glance over. "Until later, my _love_." and strode off.

'_Let's see the bitch try to defy me again' _He thought with a smile.

Faye sat on the ground, dirtied, mangled, and a feeling of filth on her. Her thighs were in pain and when she examined them she saw Lucien had left bruises along the sides, all varying between black and purple. She lied there a moment and wept, but she also remembered she was late, and if she took any longer she'd suffer even more punishment, possibly being sent to that evil room. She strained with her beaten and weak body to raise herself up, pulled her skirt back down and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make it look a bit more controlled. With aching arms she grabbed her basket, thanking God that the bottles of alcohol hadn't shattered. She then stumbled her way back out into the street, looking around cautiously in case Lucien was still in the area. She muttered under her breath "Damn you Lucien, return to the pit of hell from whence you came."

She hated Lucien, he was possibly the only man she truly wished would meet his end in this world, then to meet eternal suffering in the fires. He was a man of Scottish parents that had lived in the country side a long time, working on fields and pilfering from passing members of the aristocracy, or so he had told her with great pride. Ever since he had come to her, he wouldn't leave her alone, even going so far as to threaten his men that if he knew they had been with her, it would be by his gun that they would pass from the world.

She walked up the steps of the brothel and entered, taking a deep breath for the pain that was to come. She stepped lightly on the floor, the ancient wood creaking under every touch of her feet. Some of the girls could be heard already busy with their gentlemen, while others were sitting about applying layers of makeup and perfume, hoping to attract good business.

"Faye Bruyere!"

Faye winced, swallowed her fear, and slowly turned her head upwards to see the mug of Madame Bontecou glaring at her. "My office. Now."

She darted at her owner's voice, years of this had trained her to not take any bit of time.

"Shut the door," Bontecou commanded from behind her desk, "there's some things I would like to discuss with you child," she said in a… kind voice?

Faye slowly pushed the door till she heard the soft click of the lock, then turned back to Bontecou, "I- I bought these for you Madame," she strained to say, holding the basket out at full length. Madame Bontecou glanced at the bottles and her eyes danced "Ah, that's a good girl then, but set them down for now and sit," she said pointing to a chair in front of her.

Faye did as she asked without a sound, pondering to herself what was happening. Was she in trouble? Would she be punished for being late? Why was she smiling?

"How long have you been working for me dear?" Bontecou asked as she herself took her seat.

"I- I've been here for 15 years,"

"Hmm, I remember when you came here, you were… nine then, correct?"

"Yes Madame,"

Bontecou laughed a little "It's too bad I can't thank Michael now, you've proved to be quite useful, first a young maid, now you're good business,"

Faye bit her lip, trying to hold the tears that stung her eyes. "Madame, I mean no disrespect, but is there something you need of me?"

"Hmm? Well of course there is, you dumb girl," She snapped, but quickly changed her sneer to a smile.

'_Kindness, remember that, otherwise this won't work'_ Bontecou reprimanded herself silently. "My dear girl, I want to know how you have fared with your men,"

"It's been fine," Faye answered mechanically. What was she pushing at?

"Good, good, and you've taken no suitors outside of here ever since _that_ night, isn't that correct dear?"

"I wouldn't even think of betraying you Madame,"

"That's good, though I wonder, has that man tried himself to see you again?"

Faye swallowed "Why.. Would one even try, after all I'm just a lowly tramp, there are plenty of other girls for him," Faye was torturing herself with this conversation, what if Erik really did have an interest in her only as a whore?

"Oh? So he's been here before?"

"The man I was with? He's… Yes, I do believe he's been here before,"

Bontecou narrowed her eyes "Really? Well then, I must take payment from him next time he comes, you must be sure to let me know when he's around,"

"Of course Madame, is there anything else you need?"

"No, I think that's enough for now, go and get yourself prepared. It's going to be a cold night and I'm certain there will be plenty who would like you to warm them up," Bontecou responded in icy tones, any signs of mercy gone.

Faye rose immediately and made her way out back into the main hall, shutting the door quickly. What was that? Why such an interest in Erik?

"Faye! Faye!" She heard someone shouting and turned to see Brooke, the only one who actually got along with her. Brooke was a few years younger than Faye, and hated her position just as much, so she followed Faye around almost like a little sister. "I just heard that the old cow was talking to you, what happened?"

"Hello Brooke, I'm not quite sure, but she's definitely got some motive to find out who I was with, you remember that night I was locked in the room?"

"I can't ever forget nights like that," Brooke said sympathetically, then suddenly her eyes widened, "Faye, there's something you've got to know, follow me," she said and grabbed Faye by the wrist, pulling her into an empty room.

"Brooke, what is it? What's wrong?" She'd never seen her young friend so distressed.

"That man, I heard Brielle talking about him today…"

Faye felt her heart stop, she had been seen today. "That's why Bontecou was questioning me then, she wants to know if I'm taking a gentlemen without her knowledge. Brooke shook her head desperately and took Faye's hands, clutching them like a child.

"Faye, I heard the others talking about it too, and, well…"

"Brooke, please, what did they say?"

"They said that he's the dreaded Phantom of the Opera."


End file.

Phantom of the Opera, Drama, Romance