In the morning I woke up earlier than anyone. Walking out to the main cavern, I saw Erik asleep at the pipe-organ. Smiling softly, I took a blanket from the swan bed and draped it over him, so he wouldn't be cold as he slept. Mr. Crawford was snoring on the couch and I started to explore about the kitchen. I found a loaf of bread and a lot of wine and that was it, so I walked back to my room and rummaged in my bag until I felt a piece of cold metal. I looked at the timepiece in my hand and read that it was four o'clock in the morning. Sighing I opened the door to one of the passages and was surprised to see a basket of fruit sitting there. I picked it up, still confused as to who left it there but I brought it to the table anyway. Soon breakfast was ready and I began to pace around the cavern, bored out of my mind because Erik and Mr. Crawford weren't awake yet. As I paced, I sort of stumbled upon Erik's violin. Not stopping to consider the fact that this was in fact not my violin I began playing softly. I played until I heard someone clear their throat behind me, causing me to jump and nearly drop the violin. I spun around and saw Erik standing there, his arms folded, and the blanket still around his shoulders.
"Good morning sleepyhead!" I said in a singsong voice.
"Would you kindly put down my violin?" He growled.
"Sorry…" I muttered, carefully replacing the violin in its case. "I was bored! Oh, and I got breakfast together!"
"You… why?" Erik asked suspiciously.
"Well as a thank you for letting us stay here." I said. "Someone left fresh fruit outside your door…"
"Antoinette…" Erik grumbled. "I keep telling her I don't need her help!"
"Madame Giry?!" I squeaked.
"Yes."
"Erik you should be nicer to her!" I scolded. "She does a lot for you and you could say thank you once in a while!"
"If you are going to be bossy, I will not hesitate to kick you out." Erik said stonily. "You are trying my patience.
"You can't kick me out." I said smugly.
"Oh really, and why is that?" he scoffed.
"Because I know the way to your home." I said.
"You wouldn't dare." He said.
"Oh I would." I replied. "Your breakfast is on the table." I smiled sweetly at him and then grabbed my plate and walked to my room. I pulled out the handbook and began to read as I ate.
"Clara!" I heard a voice call from the outside cavern.
I sighed, shut my book, and walked out only to see a comical sight in front of me. Mr. Crawford and the Phantom appeared to be playing tug of war with the noose. "What in heaven's name are you two doing?" I asked in exasperation.
"He tried to noose me!" Mr. Crawford yelled.
"He tried to steal my breakfast!" Erik yelled back.
"And your response was to try to strangle him?!" I yelled too.
"Well, when you say it like that…" Erik muttered.
I walked over to them and snatched the noose away, promptly tossing it in the lake. Erik protested and I said, "Erik, it's not polite to kill people!"
"It's also illegal!" Mr. Crawford exclaimed.
Erik and I both ignored him and continued to glare at one another. Erik turned on his heel and began to walk away. "Where are you going?!" I asked.
"To watch the rehearsal for today." Erik said stonily. "And you will stay here with Mr. Crawford."
"Oh will I?" I asked, smirking. Erik rolled his eyes before storming off into one of the passages. Without hesitation I took off after him, only to have Mr. Crawford grab my arm.
"He said to stay here!"
"Oh that was more of a… suggestion." I laughed. "Besides, I've always wanted to out Phantom the Opera Ghost!"
And with that I took off after Erik, following him down the dark tunnels and up the stairs to Box Five. Erik sat in the shadows of the red curtains that draped around the box. Carefully I crept behind him, concealing myself in the curtain. "He's there the Phantom of the Opera!" I sang softly. Erik jumped, but didn't turn around. "Oh Erik…" I whispered. He shivered and turned around, but he didn't see me.
"Clara, I thought I told you to stay in the lair." He said.
I giggled and came out of hiding. "Aw but that's so boring!" I said. I sat down beside him and laughed as he moved a seat away. "So you really don't like me, do you?" I said.
"I don't know you." Erik muttered.
"Well what would you like to know?" I asked, turning to face him.
"You're just going to tell me?"
"Yes… why wouldn't I?" I laughed.
"Why did you come here? To this time period?" Erik asked.
"I believe that was Mr. Crawford's fault in part." I said, trying to think how to explain it. "Whatever controls the time travel could have looked into both our minds and saw where we were thinking to go. Mr. Crawford just finished a play and I…" I trailed off. "Anyway, we're here now."
"But… you know me. You know what I've done and what I'm going to do." Erik looked at me with sadness in his blue eyes. "I've killed. Clara, you know that I have! It's all written down in that book of yours."
"I haven't read ahead, if that's what you're worried about." I whispered. "All I know is the stage adaption of your story and even I don't know how true that is. But I can help you, I'll try to make sure that it ends better than the stage one ends."
Erik stayed silent for a while. I turned my attention to the stage where the ballerinas were practicing their dances. "So how does the whole time-travel thing work?"
"No idea!" I laughed. "I'm not exactly experienced, once I got stuck in the 1920s now that was interesting!"
"What happened?" he asked.
"I became the wife of a famous actor, only to find out he was cheating on me and then framed me for cheating on him." I said. "That hurt."
"Oh… I'm sorry." Erik said.
"Nah, I've had worse." I muttered.
"… What?!" Erik exclaimed.
"I haven't had the best of luck with… relationships." I explained. "And I get involved with some of the worst people."
"How many people have you been involved with?!" Erik asked incredulously.
"Erik… I've had all of time." I said. "From the beginning to the day the earth explodes." Erik shot me a panicked look so I added "It's eons off, I can tell you that."
"Clara… where do you belong?" he asked softly.
"No where." I answered.
"No place to call home?"
"No because I don't always return home." I said softly. "And people don't make a habit of waiting for me."
"Why not?" Erik asked.
"Because last time I tried having a home, I had a home with someone!" I exclaimed. I felt tears race to my eyes, but I held them back as best I could. "I disappeared one day and I came back just in time to learn he had gone to war. That day was supposed to be the day he returned home, but he never did." The tears began racing down my cheeks and I swiped them away quickly. "We were supposed to get married." I whispered. Erik kept quiet and I laughed sadly. "Sorry for unloading all of that on you." And then I burst in tears. Erik looked very alarmed as I sobbed; his eyes were wide as he looked at me.
"Clara?" he asked. "What do you want me to do?"
I looked over at him to see that he moved back next to me. "I don't know." I whispered. I buried my face in my hands and continued to cry. I nearly jumped when I felt Erik wrap an arm around me. He moved my hands from my face and let me cry on his shoulder.
"Sh Clara, it will be okay." Erik whispered. "What did you last say to him?"
"I told him that I loved him." I said shakily. "I was only going to the store, but I didn't come back for six years."
"What was his name?" Erik asked.
"Jay." I said. "He left a note for me. When I returned home I found it on the kitchen table." A fresh wave of tears overtook me and Erik stood up.
"Let's return home." Erik said.
