A/N: Hello, I've decided to post this story! This begins after the ending of the movie, when Raoul places the music box on Christine's grave. My friend (visualpurple) and I have been writing this for some time. She controlls Erik, I controll Kendra. I had to rewrite the first chapter, so I deserve the credit for it XD Well, enough with me talking on with the chapter! Disclaimer: I own nothing of The Phantom of the Opera, you all know who that belongs to. The only characters I own are some of the ones you don't recognize.
Erik made his way to the tent in which he knew held the little gypsy girl who he shared a certain gene with. They were both deformed and Erik was here to put a stop to what he had heard. The people of the circus were calling her a freak and showing her off to the public. Erik had gone through a simaliar ordeal, and didn't want the young girl to be as broken as he was. Just as he made it into the tent, he saw a cage. He shuddered at the memory of living in that cage.
xXx
A young girl clung to the flowers that were in her hands. The icy cold winds seemed to tear through her bodice, though it was still intact. She walked to the back of the cemetary where she was now at. Her eyes were filled with tears as she slowly made her way to her mother's grave. When she reached it she fell to her knees and began to sob, memories flooding her mind. "Why did you leave me? Why did you leave me?" she repeated this several times to her mother's grave. She could not understand how her mother could just leave her, she didn't even say goodbye.
This girl, Kendra De Chagney, had been in Covray, France, when her mother died in Paris. She had never forgiven herself for not being there, and now, the second year since her mother had died, she felt like she had in some way betrayed her mother by not being there. When her eyes dropped down to the bottom of the grave, she noticed a red rose with a black ribbon tied around it's stem.
Over that ribbon was a beautiful diamond ring. She picked it up and slid it on her finger. Sighing, she got up and told the carriage's driver to go to the fairgrounds, she had something to do there. Not knowing why she had suddenly came to the fairgrounds, she hesistantly stepped out of the carriage. Hearing some commotion in a nearby tent, she walked over there.
xXx
Erik had been trying to calm a screaming gypsy girl when he heard someone coming. "Listen to me, we share the same fate," he whispered to the girl, showing the deformed flesh under his mask. The little nodded and told him her name was Sorelli. He told her to keep quiet and whirled around when the young girl stepped into the tent. He screamed at her, "Get out! This is none of your business!"
xXx
Kendra was frightened by the man that was yelling at her. She was still crying and found his remarks only made her cry more. "I-i'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude," she said as she tried to move, but found her feet wouldn't cooperate with her.
xXx
Erik was shocked. He saw not the young girl standing in front of him, but Christine, the girl he had loved and lost. This girl was crying and he didn't want her to. "No, no, I'm sorry!" he said, rushing over to her. She looked up at him with puzzled eyes. "C-christine?" he asked, towering over her. The girl shook her head and he watched her dark brown curls seem to fan out around her. "I-i'm K-kendra," she said, "Christine was my mother." Of course she was her mother! Christine could not be there, standing in front of him. Erik sighed and noticed that Kendra was staring at his mask. He looked away and said, "This is Sorelli, she has been kept here against her will to be shown in front of audiances." Kendra looked at him, then at the little girl huddled in the corner. "
"Do you have the keys?" she asked, clearly wanting to forget their last conversation. "No," he said, frowning. Kendra stared at the cage breifly before whirling her dress and walking out of the tent. Erik could do nothing but stare after her. Had he just let this young girl slip from his grasp? Had he ever had Kendra in his grasp? His thoughts were wandering as Kendra walked towards a circus trailor. "Kendra will be back very quickly," he reassured Sorelli, who had begun to whimper.
xXx
Kendra ran towards the trailor, hoping no one was there to find out what she was doing. Even though the fairgrounds looked deserted, she had to be extra cautious because it wasn't just her life at stake. She sighed and tried to open the door of the first trailor she came to. The fools had left it open! "Just my luck," she said bitterly to herself. She twisted the door and walked inside. Looking around the trailor, she found a ring of keys pinned to the wall. She grabbed them and exited the trailor. She felt her heart beat fast as she walked towards the tent where the man and Sorelli now resided.
Walking into the tent, Kendra quietly said, "here, I have the keys," and held out her hand to Erik. As soon as he took the keys, he noticed something glistteringon her finger. My ring, he thought, staring at her hand. Kendra noticed this and left her hand hanging in the air. "Is something wrong?" she asked, puzzled.He shook his head, but didn't move. "T-that ring...I have left it on Christine's grave..." he said, his voice coming out as a murmer. "That was you?" Kendra asked shyly. "I-i'm sorry. I should never have taken it," she said, silently cursing herself for taking what was not rightfully hers.
"No, I just didn't exspect anyone to find it, that's all," he said quickly. He finally found enough strength to pull away from the conversation with Kendra and walked over to Sorelli's cage. He found the right key and unlocked it, setting her free. She smiled shyly at him and ran to hide from Kendra. "It's okay, I will not hurt you," she said sweetly, trying to comfort Sorelli. Sorelli peeked out from behind Erik and he scowled. He didn't want her to be afriad. "Do you know how to properly care for a child?" she asked without thinking it over. She didn't want to insult him.
Erik thought for a moment. Did he know how to take care of a child of this age, which seemed about 6 or 7. After several moments of thought he came to a conclusion; he didn't know how to take care of a child. He slowly shook his head and Kendra could not help but smile. "Were you honestly thinking of taking this child, not knowing how to care for her?" Erik could tell she was joking, but it angered him deeply that his plan had once again faltered. He frowned at himself and Kendra thought she had done something wrong. "I'm sorry to insult you like this," she said, regretting trying to lighten the mood.
He didn't mean to make her think that he was frowning at her, but his pride wouldn't let him tell her that he was angry at himself. "it's okay, I didn't think that far ahead." Erik shook his head and thought for a moment. Kendra walked over to him and reached out to touch him, but stopped herself. He looked at her and then back at Sorelli. "I know how to take care of children," Kendra said, not really knowing why she just said that. Erik looked up at her. "You do?" he said, not being able to ask her to stay and take care of Sorelli. "I could come with you," she said before she could stop herself. "And take care of her."
Erik just looked at her in shock. He she just asked if she could live with him. "Unless you don't want me to," she said, not wanting to offend him, but wanting to make sure the child will be well cared for. Erik blinked at her. "Why would you want to live with me?" he asked, still a little dazed. She walked over and caressed his visible cheek with her small hand. "Yes, I believe I would."
He sensed no doubt in her voice, so he suddenly became happy. "Well, since you want to, I think you can." He moved his face into her touch, nuzzling his face against her smooth palm. Kendra blushed and pulled her hand away. Erik felt unhappy about her hand leaving his face, but knew it wasn't right for her to be touching him. He sighed and traced the outline of Kendra's jaw before he knew what he was doing.
Straightening up, he pulled his hand away and ran it through his hair. "You may not have to endure my presence there much longer. I'm very old and I doubt I'll be living much longer," he said, his normally rich voice becoming rough.