Chapter Fourteen

I paced in my bedroom. It had been days. Not a word…not one from him; from the man I loved.

I bit my lips nervously. I exhaled, keeping myself from crying out as my side started to hurt again. Perhaps I should sit down, I thought. I obeyed myself and sat down, resting.

Looking across the room, I stared at myself in the mirror. My hair was messy and stringy; my face pale; dark shadows around my eyes from lack of sleep. I looked terrible. My eyes were dark and dull, I hadn't smiled in days and it seemed as if I never would.

I closed my eyes for a mere moment, just thinking.

I remembered the night of Erik's opera; the night I realized what he was: a man; the night Jude betrayed me and took me away. I gritted my teeth at the memories.

There was a knock on the door. "Emily? Are you alright?"

I quickly wiped a few tears away and said. "Uh, yes. Come in."

Meg entered my room. She sat down on the bed next to me. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, Meg," I said, slightly fumbling with my words. "Just confused and tired."

"You haven't been sleeping?"

"I've lost many nights of sleep. I can't help but wonder if he's alright…"

"I'm sure he is," Meg answered. "He'll come back. If he loves you as much as you say, he'll come back."

"Maybe you're right…" I was unsure if she was, but I had a feeling that she was. He would come back. Erik would return for me.

"In fact, Mother believes she saw him wandering the halls last night. She said he looked distressed."

My eyes brightened immediately. "H-he's here?"

"Mother thinks he is. If he is, he will come to see you." Meg nodded.

I nodded and a long forgotten smile crept upon my lips unexpectedly. "Yes…"

Meg smiled as well. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better." She got up and walked out of the room, closing the door softly.

"He's here," I whispered in awe. If he was, why hadn't he come yet? That was the question that boggled my mind. "He'll come. I know he will."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

I listened to rehearsals for the upcoming opera. Sitting in one of the seats, I actually wasn't paying very much attention. I was too busy reading over Shakespeare's works. And thinking about Erik. I longed to hear from him.

When the rehearsals had ended I got to the feet and walked back to my bedroom. I looked at the floor and when I looked up…he wasn't there. Why wasn't he there? Did he not love me enough? Why?

I sat on my bed, tears streaming down my face. I sniffed and wiped them away, looking up into the mirror of the vanity. I walked closer to it to see my rosy cheeks and dull eyes. I brushed some hair out of my face and sniffed again.

The day went by in a boring fashion, as it always did. I took my time walking around the halls I knew by heart. No one talked to me, I didn't talk to anyone.

Then, close to when I was about to attempt to sleep another night, Madame Giry came to my room. She bid me come to the foyer. I questioned her, but she wouldn't say why.

I went and no one was there at first. Then someone stepped in the doors of the Opera Populaire. It was a man, I could tell, but whom… Well, that was the mystery.

"Emily…" the voice said.

I turned around to look at Madame Giry, but she wasn't there. I looked back at the man. His voice was so familiar. "Jude?"

He progressed towards me, his face finally coming into view in the dim candle light. "Did you think I was dead?"

I didn't answer. To be truthful, I did. I thought that he had died when Erik had wounded him, leaving him underneath the opera house. "Jude… What-"

Jude's pace quickened and his stern gaze on me stopped my words cold. "Don't make excuses."

I swallowed and bit my lip hard. "I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this."

"Of course you didn't," he answered. "But you couldn't let him be hanged, could you?"

"Jude, I-"

"You what? Didn't care about me?" His voice began to rise, scaring me a bit.

"You're married!" I answered, tears forming in my eyes again. "I once loved you, but then you and Aurora were married and Erik…" My voice trailed off.

"Erik!" Jude shouted. "You care for that disgusting monster? He killed your parents, Emily! Use your head!"

My parents… I thought. I had forgotten. I had forgotten about my own parents- my mother and father. I looked at the floor, tears finally escaping my eyes. I looked up at him.

"You're delusional! You don't really care for that thing! Do you?"

"I do, Jude. I love him," I answered. "Not you."

"Why would you love him?"

"He…" Why did I love him? It was really just a feeling that came upon me one night and I realized it. From when he held me in his lair beneath the opera, to the time I kissed him during Don Juan Triumphant and on, I loved him.

Jude scoffed. "You don't know." He laughed.

I shook my head. "No… I don't…"

I couldn't take it! His taunting and his questions! Instead, I just ran. I turned and ran back to my bedroom. I sat down on the bed and held my face in my hands. I sobbed uncontrollably.

Unexpectedly, hands took my own hands away from my face. I sobbed once more and stared at my lap before looking up at who had held my hands.

At first I didn't believe myself. Those familiar, intense, cloudy green eyes stared back at me lovingly. The white mask on the right half of his face was oddly comforting.

Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around him, bringing my lips to his. I closed my eyes during the passionate kiss and he was the one to break it.

"Where have you been?" I asked, the last few tears falling from my eyes.

"I can't answer that…" Erik answered. "But all that matters is that I'm here…now."

I smiled and leaned against his chest. His arms were wrapped around me and we stood up.

Looking up into his eyes I gave another smile. "I'm scared, Erik…" My smile faded and more wet tears welled up in my brighter eyes. "He's here. He's alive. And he won't rest until you're dead."

Erik shook his head. "You're safe." He gave a reassuring nod. "And I'll always be here to make sure you are."

I nodded and sat down on the bed, still looking at his face. I'd waited so long to see that face again and he was here before me. I couldn't believe it. Everything around me was gone, it was just I and Erik in the darkness together.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

He'd stayed with me until I fell asleep and when I awoke I was back in the swan bed of his lair. I sat up and brushed hair out of my face. I didn't look quite as tired as I had the previous days. I rubbed my eyes and exhaled, standing up.

My feet were cold against the stone floor and I walked around the familiar place. There were sketches and drawings scattered in one corner of the cave. There were drawings of his former love Christine Daae and a few others of myself. The candelabras were lit, the flickering flames dancing against the gold of the other candelabras.

I saw Erik at his organ, where he was most of the time. I came up behind him and he scribbled more notes onto a piece of slightly yellowed paper.

He turned as he heard my footsteps. "You're awake."

I nodded.

He sighed. "We'll have to leave the opera soon." It was so sudden, he took me off guard.

"Leave? Leave the opera house?" I repeated. "I-I can't. It's always been my home. I can't leave."

"It's been my home as well," Erik replied. He stood up and put a hand on my cheek, caressing it. "But the only way you'll be safe is if we leave."

I didn't want to leave, but he had a point. Jude wanted to kill Erik and he was right. We had to leave. But I couldn't.

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Author's Note: It's been so long! I've started other stories and school's been in the way, so I've been busy! I'm so, so, so, so, so sorry! But I hope this chapter makes up for it (not likely).

What do you think will happen next? PM me, or review! :)