Chapter 13: We Have All Been Blind

I had gone to talk to my parents, like I said. Erik came and watched from the shadows, holding Angel the whole time. I was a little worried, but I knew there had to be some reason left in them. There had to be. I knocked on the door of my father's office and he quickly pulled the door opened and looked at me. He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. I told him I needed to speak with him and he quickly ushered me into the room.

"Vanessa, thank the Gods you're okay," he said.

"Father, I'm fine but I need to speak with you," I told him. I felt Erik's eyes on us and knew he was becoming tence. I took a deep breath and sat my father down so he could try to relax as I spoke.

"Father, I love Erik-er, the Phantom," I told him. "I willingly had his child and I want to live my life with him. Father, I know it's hard for you to understand. Think about what Grandmother always used to say; he's a good person with a confused path. I love him, Father, please don't hurt him-if not for me then for Angel. She needs a father to raise her." My father looked at me as though I had spoken another language. He looked at his feet and I knew he was trying to think of what to say or how to react. I heard something that sounded like a cape-or cloak for that matter. I put my arm out to let him know I had things under control.

"Vanessa, I can't believe this," Father finally said when he looked up at me. I smiled, thinking he had understood. "He's brain washed you! Come, we must tell the athorities." He grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, meaning to take me out of the room and to the police.

"Father, no!" I shouted. As if he was summoned, Erik appeared and ripped me out of my father's grasp. Angel was crying and screaming something awful. Erik handed her off to me and pulled his sword as if he meant to protect me. I saw the pistol in my father's coat and knew he was no match. I tugged on Erik's cloak and he rushed the three of us away.

He didn't say a word as we returned to his lair. He began throwing our things back into trunks as I tried to hush our screaming baby. Erik looked at me and approached me, wrapping me in a tight embrace; careful not to hurt out baby. He kissed me and kissed Angel and sat down by his organ, collecting some papers.

"Erik, what are you doing?" I questioned. Erik turned to me and looked up at me. He seemed like he was sad and let his head hang. I sat next to him, still ocking Angel so her little whimpers would hush. Erik looked at me and kissed me before returning to his packing. I looked down at Angel who looked up at me with a rather confused look. I let out a sigh and repositioned myself on the bench by Erik's organ and began playing it with one hand.

"Child of the wilderness, born into emptiness. Learn to be lonley, learn to find your way in darkness," I sang. "Who will be there for you, comfort and care for you? Learn to be lonely, learn to be your one companion. Never dreamed out in the world, there are arms to hold you. You've always known your heart was on it's own. So laugh in your loneliness, child of the wilderness. Life can be lived, life can be loved alone." He came out of our room and looked at me, staring as though I had spoken a foreign language. He approached me and kissed my forehead. I could tell he was crying by how his lips parted. He knew that song was about him-for him.

"Vanessa, I have to protect you," Erik told me.

"Then protect me," I said. "You know I'll go anywhere with you." Angel cooed at us, making him smile. Our moment was interupted by a very loud crash. He took my hand and pulled me through a number of passages to where he wassure we'd be safe. I heard no one chasing us, but knew they were still searching. I swallowed my fear for Erik and Angel's sake. I didn't need to get them riled up. I could hear and opera being preformed and knew we were close to the stage. I took deep breaths as Erik lead me to the rafters about the stage. We watched the preformance until we heard the guards coming again. We continued running and running until it seemed like we were at a dead looked at me and I at him. The next thing I knew I heard gun shots and Erik crying out in pain. I looked up and saw dozens of police men cornering us. erik grabbed my hand and pulled my along, unaware that he was pulling me onto the stage. I could hear people mumbling and the cast seemed rather confused. More shots were fired, aimed at Erik I was sure. I knew he was getting hit, I could see the red liquid staining up his under shirt. The police approached us, and in the cluster I saw Pioter with a gun as well. It was still smoking. Erik would never be able to defend himself agaisnt these many guns when he had only a sword. I tried so hard to think of what grandmother would do. She had saved Erik's life once before, she helped him to run away.

"Phantom, you are under arrest," Pioter said, pointing the gun at him. I looked at Erik and saw how weak he was.

"No! Pioter, don't!" I shouted, throwing my own well being aside and moving in front of Erik. I heard a gun shot, but I felt no pain. I looked up to see Erik's body drapped over Angel and me. His mask had come off along with his wig. He fell limp beside me, his breathing ragged. I crouched beside him and looked into his eyes. I could see the life leaving him and tried to help. I set Angel on the ground beside him and began trying to cover the massive wound Pioter gave him.

"Vanessa..." I continued my frantic work. "Vanessa, it's useless."

"It's not, it's never useless!" I shouted, still trying to stop the bleeding.

"I'm going to die, Vanessa,"

"Please don't die, Erik," I begged. "Angel needs a father, I need my husband." the tears came out of my face in huge droplets. Erik lifted his hand weakly to my face and I held it there so it wouldn't slip away. If I kept ahold of him, he wouldn't go away.

"Say you love me, please?" Erik asked.

"I love you Erik, with all my heart," I sobbed. I saw Angel begin to move out of the corner of my eye. She crawled into Erik's lap and sat there, crying as if she knew her father was dying.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude. Say you'll share with me each night each morning. anywhere you go let me go too?" I sang with as much passion as I knew how. Erik looked at me weakly and and pulled me down to kiss his blood spattered lips. It tasted of iron, but I didn't care at all. He still tasted like Erik to me.

"Love me...Vanessa...that's all I ask...of...you..." his breathing stopped after that and i knew I had lost him. I cried even harder and begged for him to come back, for the lord to take me in his stead. I would have gladly died for him, all I wanted was my Erik back. I heard Angel begin to cry as well as she craled onto Erik's bleeding chest and tugged at his shirt as if to wake him up.

"Dada, up," she sobbed. I looked at her and picked her up in my arms. She was only a few months old, and she knew how to say those few simple words. She was
her father's child-a genious. I looked at Erik's lifeless body and kissed him one last time, expecting him to kiss back and say he was acting.