Chapter 6

The rest of the day went past quietly without another event. There was nothing Anelle could do to expel the thought of her parents out of her mind, and nothing Erik could say to make up for her loss. So they went through the following hours in almost a cloud of worries, both trying to avoid the reality of the situation.

Anelle sat on the floor with Ben, playing the mindless games he seemed to somehow always engage himself in. Typically, sitting through even more of these continuous hours of child's play with him would have been intolerable, but the mindlessness of it all was actually the best thing for her at the moment.

Erik occupied himself as he always did; writing and playing on his organ, though he was always half-listening to Anelle and Benjamin, making sure they did not need anything. In particular, he was waiting to make sure Anelle wouldn't try to walk around without assistance. He couldn't understand why she was being so impossibly stubborn about insisting she did not need help, even when she was clearly experiencing excruciating pain, and knew that she was only inflicting further damage on herself.

The mood that cast itself over the entire space was one that hadn't been there in days. There was an absolute misery that hung around them, the kind that hurt to even breathe in. It was not so unlike the kind he had experienced following the departure of Christine.

Christine.

He hadn't dared to even think that name since the fateful night. Despite the disarray and frustration watching after Marie Anelle and Benjamin caused, they served as almost the perfect distraction. It was easy to keep his mind busy when he had the health of others to think about. He wondered if that was the real reason he had ultimately decided to keep them there with him; because he couldn't stand the thought of being left alone again. Nothing could be worse than being trapped in isolation with his thoughts.

He was dangerously close to breaking down when he heard Anelle's soft voice raise slightly.

"Come on, it's time to go to bed," she said, the kindness in her voice very obviously showing that she was speaking to her brother.

"But I'm not," the argument was interrupted by a gentle yawn. "Even tired yet." Anelle laughed under her breath.

"I know, but it's late and you need to rest." In reality, she actually had no idea what time it was; there was no way to tell. But the day had already been so long, and even she was beginning to feel her body craving sleep. "Go get yourself ready, and I'll meet you in bed."

Erik didn't wait for a request, since he knew it wasn't likely for one to come, before standing up from where he was reading and walking over to Anelle. He wordlessly offered out a hand, and she took it without arguing. For a moment he thought that maybe she had finally accepted that he was right, but quickly realized that her mind was just too occupied with other thoughts to start a battle.

He helped her over to the bed, staying very close until she was sitting comfortably. She didn't say a word, or even look up at him.

"Do you need-" he began to ask.

"No," she interrupted, her voice quiet but sharp. "I don't need anything."

He had seen so much suffering and pain in his life, more than anyone he could ever imagine. But little of it compared to the look of resigned anguish that was on her face. There was no hidding the grief and burden that was consuming her. It was rare that he felt the need to help anyone, but seeing her in that moment sparked a moment of sympathy that he didn't know he still possessed. But there was nothing else he could do or say in that moment, and he knew quite well that she found no comfort in him being there, so he turned and walked back over to his chair. He picked up the book he had been reading before, but kept his attention on listening to the two siblings.

It was only a minute before Ben jumped onto the bed, his black hair ruffled messily from his quick movements; nothing Ben ever did was slow or thoughtful, he was completely consumed by impulsivity and the need for everything to happen now.

Anelle scooped the little boy onto her lap, his head resting on her leg. It brought comfort to both of them as they stayed silently in that position, Anelle stroking his hair absentmindedly.

"You know how much I love you, don't you Ben?" she asked, breaking the silence in the air. She would have given anything to just let them continue through the night without speaking, but she knew she couldn't. She knew that there was a conversation that they needed to have, no matter how much she was dreading it.

"Yes, I know," he responded in a sleepy voice, his eyes barely open.

"And you know that I will protect you from everything in the whole world," she continued. "And that I will take care of you and make sure that you are always safe and happy." Her voice cut off for a moment as she tried to fight off the tears that she could feel burning her eyes and straining her throat.

"Do you remember seeing the people who weren't alive anymore before Erik found us?" she asked, hoping that, at the very least, she wasn't stirring up traumatic images in his head that would haunt his sleep.

"Yes," he said again, not any fear in his voice, as if it was any old memory.

"And do you remember what we are told happens to people when they aren't alive anymore?" She wanted to back out of the whole conversation, to stop now and avoid having to give any more unhappiness to him. But there was no way to avoid telling him; he had to know eventually, and it would only get harder the more time passed.

"They to go heaven," he told her, like he was informing her with something very important. "to wait for the rest of the people they love." A tear fell down her cheek, stinging her skin all the way down the trail it created.

"That's right," she told him. "They go to heaven where they are happy, and healthy, and safe. Where they can watch over their loved ones forever." Ben looked up at her, confusion dotting his face as he wondered why she was crying. He had never seen her cry before, not ever. He couldn't imagine something so upsetting that it would make her cry.

Anelle took a breath, trying to steady her shaking voice. "Before Erik found us, mother and father were hurt very badly," she told him. She wanted to look at him as she said this, but she couldn't; she couldn't bear to look at him. "They were so hurt that their bodies couldn't hold onto their lives any longer. So they went to heaven, and that's where they are now. They are watching us from up there, instead of from earth like they did before."

She ran out of the strength that had kept her from crying, and tears began to flow freely down her face. She couldn't think of anything to make herself calm down; she doubted anything that could do that existed. She was consumed by grief and fear.

There was some confusion on Benjamin's face; there was no way for him to truly understand the situation at such a young age. He remembered learning about heaven, and it was always described as such a happy place. So he couldn't understand why Anelle was so upset. If their parents were there, wouldn't that mean that they were happy? He understood that he missed them, even just being separated from them for three days, but if they were watching over them, and if he still had Anelle, and now they both had Erik, then that must mean that everything would be okay

(A/N: I would just like to give another big thank you to everyone who has been reading, following, and reviewing this story. It means so much to me to see people enjoying it. Things are about to start picking up, so make sure to stay tuned!

Also, everyone should go check out the story 'Down Once More' by AliceHeart247. It is an absolutely incredible Phantom fic that doesn't get nearly as much love as it deserves.

Remember to review!)