Hey everyone! I hope you like this story I've co-written with XBreathXLessX (the original author of this lovely story) and it's not necessary but it would be best to read 5 Year Old Beauty before reading this. It's a beautiful one-shot (or a prequel) that ties in with this story. You could read it for fun or in case you get confused. Well we both hope you enjoy this story and tell us what you guys think! By the way if you want to read 5 Year Old Beauty, it's on my favorites.


Paris, France 1861:

"Nicolette tell me a story." Aurore, a sweet seven year old girl pleaded, holding onto the older woman's dress. Nicolette smiled sweetly and setting down her needles and thread. She picked up the little girl, sitting her down on her lap. Her finger's ran through the sunny like hair that fell down in ringlets. This girl was no older than she when she would meet her dearest friend.

Out of habit, she began to hum the same haunting tune she always had when she was with him. How long were they friends before that day? Three years? Four years? Six? No...it was eleven years. Oh how those were her favorite years of her life, including their last year together when that terrible accident had happen.

A sudden tug on her sleeve brought Nicolette out of her thoughts and back to the present. "What would you like to hear love?" She asked affectionately, her fingers already picking up Aurore's hair. It felt nice to do this, and perhaps when she had a daughter her own she would be able to do this. But until then, she would wait and wait until she found him. She told him she would wait for him..but the years had passed by and her mother was going to sell her off like she was nothing but livestock and so she did the anything she could've done at that time...run away.

"About Erik! When you were younger!" She grinned up at the twenty-four year old not even realizing what she had said made the older woman tense up. A sigh escaped Nicolette's lips, her eyes downcast, fingers falling from the hair. She would have told her anything but him. Talking about him always made everything even more real. He was gone...and no matter what she did or could do will make him come back. All she can do is wait and hope to hear something about the boy she knew long ago. Hope that he had managed to go back and find what she had left for him to be able find her.

"As long as you go to sleep after I'm done. It's way past your bedtime and your mother is going to have my head if I keep you up late with my stories." The enthusiastic blond-haired angel nodded with a bright grin. Nicolette couldn't help the smile that fell onto her face before she looked up, her eyes catching the beautiful flame of the candle.

The fire burned brightly, wisping wildly about. The smooth creamy wax slid down the small candle stick, encasing it almost whole, but let the clear smooth surface seep through the walls it had made. And before she knew it, Nicolette's mouth began to move as she stared at the candle in a trance.


Boscherville, Rouen 1844:

A small giggle escaped Nicolette's mouth as she pulled her hood over head. She glanced up back at the building before grabbing the candle stick she used for light. Tonight was the new moon, and signaled that it was the perfect time to see Erik. Without another noise, the young girl hurried her way to the river bank.

A big smile wound itself on her mouth. For two years since she had met him, their nights would be like this. She would sneak out of the brothel house and he out of his mothers'. They would spend half the night together playing around or just staring up at the stars.

She did it for him. He wasn't that comfortable out in the day, and so they planned to meet in the middle of the night. Yet at first, Nicolette had became afraid that something would happen to her in the darkness, but Erik's only fear was that his mother would find out. But after a few weeks, it became a routine for them to meet during the night on the same selected days of the week. Going out so much, if caught, would cause a lot of suspicion. Besides that, they were both afraid what would happen if either of their mother's managed to find out. Nicolette began to hum so as to keep away those haunting thoughts out of her mind. All that mattered to her now was to meet Erik.

Her smiled dimmed slightly when she thought back to the day she had saw his face. Even now it was horrifying to her. Sometimes she would have nightmares about it somehow fading away leaving nothing but a skull for a face. But then she would wake up and hate herself for having such thoughts and dreams. Erik was her friend and she his Beauty. Honestly, Erik was really nice to her and yet she had such horrid thoughts of him. "Does this make me a bad friend?" She asked softly stopping. She looked up at the stars as if expecting them to answer her. She had promised herself that she would stop at nothing to make him happy. He deserved it. Yet here she was thinking such things. She is a bad friend.

"I won't be a bad friend! His face won't scare me! Because he's still Erik inside!"

A frown replaced her smile and her small hands formed fists as she looked up at the stars determinedly. Yes this was the same routine for her. Every other night she would think such thoughts and make the same declaration determinedly. Because sometimes if you prayed and worked at it so hard, your dreams will come true.

Once again, her smile took flight and she resumed her walk to the river bank. Her humming came back and when she could see their tree in the distance, she took off, wary of the basket she carried in her arms. Her smile brightened with each closing distance.

"Erik!" She cried out happily to the shadowed figure she saw at their tree. Erik's head snapped up and he waved at Nicolette. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. Every time, he would worry himself that she would never come back. That she would hate him, but then every time she would call his name happily with a bright smile.

"Goodnight Nico." He said softly to her. Her smile widened at him. He took note of the basket in her hand and the absence of her other item. A small laugh chuckle escaped his lips as he stood up. "You dropped it again."

"I meant to do that." She sniffed, her hand grabbing his. She felt him tense under her, before he relaxed. It was always like this. The faintest touch always made him flinch or wince, all because of his horrid mother. She wished she could save him, but there's only so much a seven year old could do. All she could do is hope that the terrible monster wouldn't go so far.

"Shall we go?" He smiled at her, feeling the cloth move against his face. He blinked when he felt arms wrapped around him. The wicker basket falling to the floor unforgotten. Slowly he wrapped his arms around the smaller girl realizing that she was saying something to him. It was more of a chant, however.

"Forgive me?"

"Nico?"

Just as suddenly she had hugged him, Nico pulled away from him smiling. She bent down picking up the wicker basket, before turning to him, "Don't you love the night?" She tugged him forward leading him away from their usual meeting spot. On Sunday she had saw something she just had to show him. She even told him so two days ago that she would take him, but that night it had begun to rain and so they left it until the next time.

He was used to her tendencies to change subjects quickly when she was uncomfortable or something bothered her. Even though he was used to it, it didn't change the small pang of hurt that he always felt. She was his friend, couldn't she trust him? Tell him what bothered her like he did with her? She was after all the only person he truly felt he could trust.

"Listen Erik." He turned back to her confused. Nicolette only laughed, happy to see the blue-green eyes going back to the beautiful shade of green they were supposed to be. Overtime she had learned what the change of colors had meant. When he was truly happy they would be the brightest green, but when he was sad they held a tint of blue. "Listen to the music."

"Music?"

"Mhmm."

He stayed silent straining his ears for something he couldn't obviously here. Perhaps his friend had finally gone mad like she always stated before. That would surely explain the non-existent noise, besides the slight cricket chirping and light roar of the wind.

"You're mad, there is no music."

"The music of the night Erik! Just close your eyes and just listen."

"There's only crickets chirping!"

"Then there's the wind. The horses from the stable. Even the sounds of our footsteps! They all blend in together. Can't you hear it?"

Erik sighed knowing better than to go against the younger girl. If anything she would bite his head off; she was a bit tempermental despite lacking the appearance for it. Though her appearance itself was quite odd. She seemed innocent but at the same time she seemed a bit devious. Ah the mystery he knew as his friend, a mystery he hoped to perhaps solve one day.


"Aurore you know better than to have Miss Kingsley tell you stories!" A strict voice stated loudly, tearing Nicolette from her memories. Long had she had been done with the little angel's hair and somehow managed to tuck her in. Nicolette turned and stared at the old kind woman that had taken her in long ago without a second thought. She smiled and nodded her head respectfully towards the older woman.

"But Momma!" Aurore complained sleepily. "It was getting to the good part! Now I'll never know if Erik could hear the music and if Nicolette takes him to see what she had seen the other day!"

"No buts! You've heard the story a million times you could recite it in your sleep! Now off to bed with you, you have a long day ahead of you." Jani Westly waddled her way into the room, her hand over the curve of her belly. Nicolette stood up ready to protest, but Jani held out her hand profusely shutting the younger woman up. Finally she managed to make it to the drawer where she blew the candle out. Immediately darkness settled in, and she made her way to her third child, kissing the top of her cheek.

"Madame, you shouldn't be up and about at this time of night." Nicolette said concernedly helping the pregnant woman out of the room. Faintly she heard a goodnight from the little angel, and supplied her own, not letting go of her boss. Together the entered into that lantern-lit hallway.

Annoyed Jani swatted at her hands, until she managed to get Nicolette to let her go. Ever since she hit her eighth month of pregnancy, the child was more like her nagging late mother-in-law every day! Not even her oldest was worried for her like this one was, and they're not even blood!

"You spoil her, Nicolette!" Jani half-scolded, a hint of amusement weaved in her words.

When she had found the young child in bearing nothing but the clothes she had immediately taken her in, not caring for the protest her mother-in-law always cried out when the girl was brought. She couldn't leave a poor helpless child out in the streets, especially one that was like Nicolette. Lord knows what could've happened to her! Well...at least that's what she thought until she found out her story.

"She's the little sister I never had." She laughed out, thinking back to the brothel days. How she would pity the girls younger than her working in that terrible place. At least then she had found a way to cheat the system all thanks to Erik. Something that the other girls couldn't pull. But not even that had managed to stop her mother from finally selling her like a piece of meat. If she had stayed she would have been forced into a loveless marriage with that terrible smelling man!

"Here we go," Jani stopped in front of the room, turning to her fully. Nicolette gave a small smile of thanks opening the door. She paused turning to look back at Jani. Jani frowned knowing that small helpless look she always had after speaking about her friend.

"We will meet again, no?"

"I don't know Colette. The world works in strange ways."

Nicolette sighed tucking in a piece of black hair behind her ear. She bid her boss a goodnight and entered her moonlit room. Silently she walked over to her window that overlooked the streets of Paris. Carefully she opened the window and leaned out, her head facing upwards.

"'I still can't hear it,' he says." Nicolette whispered softly her eyes shining for the soft glow of the crescent moon. "'You really are mad.'" A soft giggle escaped her mouth and she tore her eyes away from the moon. She blinked her eyes quickly flying to the corner of the building opposite of her. For a second she could've sworn she saw someone move, but who would be out here in the middle of the night? Perhaps she was really going mad!

"Listen, close your eyes, and imagine." Nicolette voiced feeling as if she was living that night once more. She pulled back in, shutting her window softly. With one quick glance at the corner she closed her curtains, encasing the room in total darkness. She closed her eyes and for a moment she thought she felt a soft breeze. Distantly she heard the crickets chirp, the grass crunching under their shoes, a horse neigh from far away, but the most clear noise was that of his voice as they made their way to the church.


Boscherville, Rouen 1844:

"Hurry up Erik!" Nicolette cried softly, tugging her friend's hand towards her. Erik smiled at her impatience, following after her. She had given up for the moment on trying to get him to hear something anyone obviously couldn't. What music could be made by the simplest things?

"A church." Erik breathed out, staring towards the building that appeared in the distance. Nicolette grinned, tugging at his hand once again. They both walked faster, the church becoming larger by each passing second. When they reached the front, Nicolette let go of Erik's hand and pushed against the wide double doors. With a soft groan the doors opened softly with a creak.

"Are-Are we allowed to be in here?" He asked nervously. Nicolette grin turned mischievous as she shrugged her shoulders. Erik gawked at her for at least a second before she pulled him inside the dark church. They both jumped when the doors slammed behind them.

"It's this way." She said letting go of his hand. Erik sighed softly trying to calm down his pounding heart. This was the first time they've snuck in somewhere. Most of the time they met by the riverbank, except for a few weeks in winter. Oh if they get caught both of them would be in big trouble.

"I know it's somewhere in here." He heard her grumble softly. He smiled despite the tight knot in his stomach. A second later a light filled the church and for one split second he thought they were caught. Nicolett's face glowed from the light candle light. She smiled reaching over to grab his hand again.

"Nico what are going to show me?"

"It's beautiful Erik. It's scary looking at first but - but it's so pretty."

She led them to another room with an open door. There was a small spiral staircase, to which they both carefully walked on. The staircase led up to a bigger space, and from what Erik could see was two benches in the middle, however what was in the corner was what really piqued his interest. Nicolette let out a small giggle feeling the need to skip over to the object covered by a white cloth.

"What is it?" He breathed out staring up at it. It was huge compared to them. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Nicolette grab the cloth and pull it down. For a moment he was left breathless staring up at the beautiful object. It was some sort of piano, with large pipes connected to it. Carvings were engraved into it, with a small bench in front of it.

"A organ."


Nicolette shot up straight taking a few deep breaths. She placed a hand on her racing heart, trying to calm herself down. After moment or two, she managed to get her heartbeat to a normal pace and untangled her legs from the sheets.

This wasn't the first time that she had dreams of her past. It was rare and only happened when she dared to dwell of her childhood and early teenage years. It only happened when she imagined about her future and make up stories of how they would meet again. It only happened when she thought of how she could have done a lot of things different for their ending to be different.

"A fool you are Nicolette." She breathed shutting her eyes as if ashamed. They opened slowly, staring helplessly at her hands. "Still the love-struck fool you were ten years ago."

She stood up, her bare feet touching the cold wooden boards. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. She walked over to her window, opening the curtains. Her eyes immediately closed from the bright light and slowly she opened them, listening to the bustling sounds of the people beginning to open their shops. A sigh escaped her lips when her eyes grazed over the corner of the building opposite of her. She had worked a long day yesterday and as a result her mind was playing tricks on her.

Once again she closed her eyes, her cheek tingling as if he had touched it like long ago. It felt as if he just pulled his hand away not a second ago.

"Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation"

Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away from the window as if it had stung her. She shook her head trying desperately to get his voice out of her head. She was completely mad and a fool. Strung up over a man she had loved eight years ago! He had left her, albeit willingly, and she had waited for him. Waited...waited until she couldn't take it any longer. She even left him a note to where to find her! If he wanted to find her so bad he would've already; after all how hard is it to find a woman with purple eyes?

"But you still love him."

Nicolette licked her lips nervously, wringing her nightgown. Ten years she had loved him and perhaps he had loved her back (he had said he cared for deeply!) but she'll never know because that insufferable fool got in the way! Because of him, Erik had to leave. Because of him, she had to watch the boy she loves get chased out of town. And look at her now, a simple seamstress in Paris (the city of love of all places!) who rejects all courtiers because she's still in love with the boy from her childhood.

"But when we meet again, it would all be worth it right?" She asked nobody in particular. She pushed back the biting thought that he could've found love somewhere else. The chance that perhaps he is happily married and forgotten her. Perhaps she's the only one living in the past.


XBreathXLessX and I really hope you guys enjoyed this story! Tell us what you guys think so far about it by clicking on that lovely review button down there ;). Just to let you guys know, we might update in a week or two, so check up for the next chapter of Whispers In the Dark!