Chapter Twenty-Five: Underneath

"Nathan!" Amy yelled, walking into the house with her daughter, "Maggie and I are back!" Both of them had paper shopping bags laced through their arms. As a treat, Amy had taken Maggie into town, and let her pick out a few things as a congratulation present for a good show. She had done this a few ties before, and after each time, they would come home and Maggie would show off her new things to her father, who always feigned excitement for her sake.

But as soon as Nathan came out of the kitchen to greet them Amy knew something was wrong. The smile he usually greeted them by was replaced with a frown full of worry.

"Amy we need to talk." He stated, "It's important."

"Dad, is something wrong with the orange company?" Maggie asked worriedly.

"Oh, no darling." He replied turning to her, "I just heard something unsettling about an old friend of ours, that's all. I'll be happy to see the things you purchased later, but right now, Mom and I need to talk privately." As soon as he said that, Amy felt her stomach drop. She knew right away that this had something to do with Erik.

"All right," She said uneasily, "I'll be upstairs then."

Amy watched as Maggie trudged up the stairs to her room, and when they heard the door shut, Nathan quickly took her arm and brought her into the living room. After shutting the door they each took a place on the couch next to each other, both of their bodies positioned slightly toward the other.

"What's going on Nathan?" Amy inquired, "Is something wrong with Erik?"

"I don't know." He admitted, "But I'm afraid that inevitably something will happen." He took a deep breath. "Amy, he's seeing Chris."

Amy let out a sigh of relief. He had made it sound so much worse.

"Of course he is. He's been giving Chris singing lessons." She explained, "They've been seeing each other every evening on weekdays…"
"Yes, I know this." He muttered, somewhat angrily, "I just found this out this morning from Chris. And I wish you would've told me if you knew."

"Nathan, I couldn't. The less people that know about the lessons, the better. Chris, Erik, you, and I are now the only souls on Earth that know of these lessons, and of his existence. I thought that not knowing about the lessons wouldn't hurt you in anyway, and it would be one less thing that you would have to worry about. Erik knows you worry, and he told me not to tell you."

"You should've told me Amy! I don't like things being kept from me! Especially when it comes to my theater!"

"Your theater? It's our theater Nathan! And Erik is our responsibility, practically our child! You two have things that you haven't told me, and Erik and I have secrets we haven't told you! This is just one of those secrets!"

"This secret has gone too far though, Amy!"

She raised an eyebrow. "How? They're just lessons."
"No, they're not." He moaned, putting his forehead in his hands, "They might've been once, but they're not anymore. Erik and Chris… dear God, this can't lead to anywhere good."

"What Nathan?" She asked, gently but fearfully, "What's happened?"

He glanced up at her and took a deep breath. "Chris knows about Erik. She knows we found him as a child, and took him in. She's seen his face. He told her everything about living in the theater and how we're involved in his life."

Amy closed her eyes and leaned back into the couch wearily. So, finally someone outside the circle knew of Erik. She had thought this day would never come, and while the thought was scary, it was somewhat a relief. She didn't feel as alone anymore in bearing such a secret.

"It might be good for him, Nathan." She pointed out, "To have someone rather than us in this world. He might need a friend right now."

"That would be good, except they're not friends." Then he hit her with the confession. "Chris and Erik are—I guess—dating now."

"Excuse me?"

"They're involved romantically. Seeing each other. Going steady."

She sat up. "How do you know this?"
"Chris told me this morning. She said that he could love her, and that she cares about him. I tried to get her to break it off, but she didn't listen. Before leaving here, she told me they had kissed."

"And you tried to talk her out of their relationship?"
"Yes! All it could do is hurt him, Amy. If Chris leaves Erik, it'll destroy him. He can't have one more person reject him. She didn't even know his full background… those days when his depression was full on…"

"She claimed she saw his face, you say."

"Yes."

"And she didn't turn away?"

"No. She sounded like she accepted it. It's just his violent tendencies I worry about." She nodded in understanding.

"I'll go see him tomorrow, and talk to him. Maybe we can still spare both of them before things go too far."

"You know, I must admit on Chris's part, she really seems to care for him. I don't think she understands him, but she cares for him."

Amy sighed. "Yes… and I fear that both of them will hate me after I talk to them tomorrow."