Caylin's P.O.V.
I was nervous. Tonight was our performance and Erik was going to watch the show off-stage. It'll be the first time for him to do it. I just hope he'll behave himself. Breakfast happened as usual, but Erik was still not really interacting with everyone. Sure he was talking to everybody more, but he still had to participate in the activities we did. Heather came up with a plan to do it. She'll take her turn to sing something to make everybody dance and she and Peter agreed to what she wanted sing and told Erik that today is his last chance to show willingness to participate in the activities, or he was going to throw Erik out and take him back to Madame Giry. Erik hesitantly agreed to participate. I think after seeing what the kids were like to him yesterday to show that they had accepted him made him worry about what the adults would be like, and Chloe's welcome prank yesterday didn't help him either. I told him not to worry. Knowing Heather, she was going do something fun. She always does and that's why she's always the one who's in charge of throwing parties whenever we have them. Right we were all gathering for whatever it was Heather had up her sleeve. I looked and saw that Erik sat next to me and was tense all over. He knew what he had to do and was nervous about it. I leaned toward his ear reminding him to participate and to have fun. He didn't have to worry like he did at the Opera House. He was in a safe environment. I just he'll lose himself in the fun. Peter walked out in front of everyone.
"Is everybody here?" Peter asked out loud. Isobel came running in.
"I'm sorry I'm late" Isobel apologized, "Had a problem in the outhouse." I knew Yves had nothing to do with it since he was sitting on the opposite side of me. Yves was still wary of Erik, and I didn't blame him. The wariness while it has decreased somewhat is still there. Peter just nodded toward Isobel telling her not to worry about it.
"Since everyone is here, Heather, will you do the honors?" Peter offered.
"With pleasure" Heather answered slyly. Yes, she had something good up her sleeve alright right. She kissed Rob on the lips before going up getting an "Ew!" from the kids. Heather over to the musicians, telling them what to play and then began to sing and dance once her cue arrived.
Well I'll sing you the story of a sorrowful lad
He had everything he wanted, didn't want what he had
He had wealth and pelf and name and fame and all of
That noise
But he didn't have none of those simple joys
His life seemed purposeless and flat
Aren't you glad you don't feel like that? She pointed at Erik when she sang that, and then pulled him out of his seat and danced trying to get him to do it too
So he ran from all the deeds he'd done, he ran
Things he'd just begun
He ran from himself
Which was mighty far to run
Out into the country where he played as a boy
He knew he had to find him some simple joy Seeing that Erik still standing in place, she grabbed his hands and started to dance with him and he was starting to move a little
He wanted someplace warm and green
We all could use a change of scene
Sweet summer evenings, hot wine and bread the music got more upbeat and I went up to join them in the dancing hoping to encourage to dance which was working and everybody else started to dance as well, including Yves and Isobel
Sharing your supper, sharing your bed
Simple joys have a simple voice:
It says why not go ahead?
And wouldn't you rather be a left-handed flea
A crab on a slab at the bottom of the sea
Than a man who never learns how to be free
Not 'til the day he dies the dancing got more active and Erik was starting to get overwhelmed. I could that he had enough for now. In my dancing I signaled to Peter that Erik needed some away right now. Peter nodded and through some dancing of his own got Erik out of the activity. Thankfully it didn't Erik long to realize what Peter was doing and he gratefully took the chance to get away. Heather continued to sing.
And wouldn't you rather be a left-handed flea
A crab on a slab at the bottom of the sea
A newt on the root of a banyan tree
Than a man who never learns how to be free
Not 'til the day he dies
Sweet summer evenings, sapphire skies
Feasting your belly
Feasting your eyes
Simple joys have a simple voice:
It says time's a living prize
And wouldn't you
Rather be a left-handed flea
A crab on a slab at the bottom of the sea
A newt on the root of a banyan tree
A fig on a twig in Galilee
Than a man who never learns how to be free
Not till the day
Not till the day
Not till the day
Not till the day he
DIES!
When Heather finished singing and we stopped dancing, we all hugged each other and laughed, but Rob pulled his wife in for another kiss.
"Why do Mommy and Daddy have to be gross all the time?" Seth asked me once I came over to them.
"Because they're married and they love each" I answered.
"But it's disgusting" Seth whined. I just gave a small laugh.
"One day it may not bother you as it does now" I told him with a smile.
"I like that Mommy and Daddy are romantic all the time" Alicia cooed, "It so sweet."
"No, it's not!" Seth argued, "It's gross and embarrassing!" Not wanting to be a part of this fight I walked away. I took a few pieces of chocolate on a saucer and placed them in my mouth one by one savoring it. I saw Erik approaching me. I smiled at him.
"At least you participated" I told him once he was close enough, "I didn't except you to participate in the whole thing, but I know you'll get there when you're ready."
"I did it because I didn't want to get thrown out" Erik replied as he went next to me.
"You're a tough one to crack Erik," I responded to him, "It's going to take time before you're completely involved in what we do. With you, just take it one step at a time. You're looking forward to watching us perform tonight?"
"When am I not looking forward to one of the performances of the Troupe?" Erik answered with a smile. I laughed a little.
A few hours later, I was in my witch costume ready to perform and I couldn't wait to go out there.
Erik's P.O.V.
This was an interesting performance. It was combination of multiple fairytales characters with the first act following the traditional stories in its own way, but now in the second act the characters took a life of their own. Caylin was performing the role of the Witch. Now, some of the actors were singing something to each other and the audience. Chloe sang first and she was singing to Isobel.
Mother cannot guide you
Now you're on your own
Only me beside you
Still, you're not alone
No one is alone, truly
No one is alone
Sometimes people leave you
Halfway through the wood
Others may deceive you
You decide what's good
You decide alone
But no one is alone Isobel sang next
I wish...
Chloe sang again giving Isobel a hug
I know
Mother isn't here now Tristan was talking Yves while waiting above the stage waiting to kill a giant. After a little dispatch Tristan sang.
Wrong things, right things Chloe sang the next lyric
Who knows what she'd say? Tristan sang again and they both took turns singing their lyrics
Who can say what's true?
Nothing's quite so clear now
Do things, fight things
Feel you've lost your way?
But-
You decide, but now they sang the next one together
You are not alone Chloe sang alone again
Believe me
No one is alone Tristan sang the next part
No one is alone
Believe me Chloe next
Truly they both sing together again
You move just a finger
Say the slightest word
Something's bound to linger
Be heard Tristan sang now
No acts alone
Careful
No one is alone the two sang together again
People make mistakes Tristan sang, followed by Chloe and they sang together again
Fathers
Mothers
People make mistakes
Holding to their own
Thinking they're alone this time Chloe sang first followed by her husband and she sang solo again and then they sang together again
Honor their mistakes
Fight for their mistakes
Everybody makes
One another's terrible mistakes
Witches can be right
Giants can be good
You decide what's right
You decide what's good Chloe sang again followed by her husband and they sang together again
Just remember
Just remember
Someone is on your side now Yves and Isobel sang together and Isobel let go of her mother as she sang
Our side the two couples sang after another, Tristan and Chloe first
Our side
Someone else is not
While we're seeing our side
Our side Tristan and Chloe sang by himself now
Our side now all four of them sang together
Maybe we forgot
They are not alone
No one is alone Chloe sang alone now with Tristan following and they sang together one last time ending the song
Hard to see the light now
Just don't let it go
Things will come out right now
We can make it so
Someone is on your side
No one is alone
I couldn't stop a few tears from falling from my eyes after the song ended. Peter in his old man costume came up to me and whispered "It's ok to cry. Don't hold anything back, let it all out." Before I knew it the performance was over and everyone had taken their bows.
Caylin's P.O.V.
I felt proud. We had a wonderful audience tonight and I loved performing in the outdoor theatre with torches on either side of the audience performing at nighttime feeling the breeze on my face. We were all in our regular clothes, but we had all planned something for Erik before we ate our food for dinner. Peter took Erik to the center stage, sat him there and took a few steps back.
"Erik, you did wonderful today when you participated in our activities, stayed backstage when the performance was happening and you're finally letting everything out. That's one of the most important things anyone could do, not only as a performer, but as a person as well. I'm proud of you Erik" Peter told him. Erik's jaw fell to the floor and tears were coming out of his eyes. Until now, I don't think anyone ever told him that they were proud of him. "So in honor of all this, for you Erik, " Peter continued, "We've prepared a song for you." And with that he signaled the musicians who were still in the pit area to play the music. We all hummed a bit and then Jo sang first.
Like a breath of midnight air
Like a lighthouse, like a prayer Tristan sang next
Like the flicker and the flare, the sky reveals Jo and Tristan sang together
Like a walk along the shore that you've walked a thousand times before
Like the oceans roar Jo sang solo next
Love heals Heather sang next
There are those who shield their hearts
Those who quit before they start Sal sang next
Who've frozen up the part of them that feels the rest of us sang the next part with Heather and Sal singing the following lyrics together
Don't freeze your heart
In the dark they've lost their sight
Like a ship without a star in the night, but hold on tight We sang together, the same lyrics over and over for a bit with Heather singing by herself after the rest of sang our part in the song
Love heals with that we all started to dance around Erik
When you feel like you can't go on
Love heals
Hold on to love, it'll keep you strong
Love heals
When you feel like you can't go on
Love heals Peter sang the next part
Hold on to love, and it will bring you home Jo then sang with Adam
Love heals when pain's too much to bear
When you reach out your hand, and only the wind is there then I sang with Dave
When life's unfair
When things like us are not to be Jo sang with Adam again
Love heals when you feel so small, like a grain of sand-like nothing at all Heather than sang with Peter
When you look out at the sea, that's where love will be
That's where you'll find me
You'll find me Heather sang solo now, followed by Jo lyric by lyric
If you fear the storm ahead
As you lie, you lie awake in bed
And there's no one
No one
No one there to stroke your head
And your mind
Your mind now they both sang together
Your mind reels I sang next
If your face is salty wet, and you're drowning in regret, just... We all sang the next part four times as some of us snapped our fingers in rhythm with the music while others clapped to it
Don't forget We all sang the next part together as Peter sang the next lyric after the rest of us sang
Love heals
Love will lead you home
Love heals now Heather sang the next part
Oh, keep it in your soul
Love heals Jo sang the next part in Sal's direction along with a wink when she finished her lyric
Keep it in your heart, baby
Love heals Peter sang the next part and continued to do so after we kept singing the chant
I said love
Love heals
When you feel like you can't go on
Love heals
Love, love is gonna carry you home
Love heals
When you feel like, when you feel like you can't go on
Love heals
Hold onto love and it will lead you home We all sang the last part together
LOVE HEALS!
Erik was now crying. Alicia, Seth and Aaron up to Erik.
"Why are you crying Erik?" they asked him concerned.
"Because no one has ever done anything like this for me" Erik with tears sill coming out of his, but with a smile.
"So it's happy tears?" Alicia asked him her voice filled with hope. Erik nodded. Alicia suddenly wrapped her arms around him in hug followed by her brother and her friend. I went over and joined in the hug.
"GROUP HUG!" Chloe called out and everybody crowded around Erik hugging him. Everybody stopped hugging when we heard our stomachs growling. Right after that, we all went to get some food for dinner. I talked some more with Erik, but this time it wasn't just us. The kids along with their parents were in the conversation as well. Even Yves said a few words to him. The three five-year-olds told Erik that they want to perform too, and complained about how while the grown-ups don't let them do everything they want to do, it bothered them even more that grown-ups outside don't take them seriously.
When everyone finished eating, we just relaxed and spent time either playing with the kids, talking or just simply enjoying company. I was leaning against a tree gazing at the stars, looking for the stories they held.
Erik's P.O.V.
I wanted to go to sleep. This was a day that I never thought would happen to me. I never in my entire life believed that I would surrounded by people who accepted me, didn't look at me in fear ( I never wear my mask and wig around them anymore), I was becoming friends with these people, someone who was proud of me and I loved a woman who made me happy. The only other thing I want is for her to love me in return. I couldn't take my eyes off Caylin as she was star-gazing and enjoying the breeze. She looked like a goddess from legends.
"Erik" I heard a stern voice say. I turned around and saw Yves looking me in the eye with a blank face.
"What is it Yves?" I asked.
"These past weeks have shown me that you have changed" Yves told me in a calm voice and I heard the protective edge in it, "But remember this, if you try to woo my mother if, you hurt her in any way, whether or not it was intended, you will have me it answer to. She's been hurt more than enough."
"That's the last thing I want to do" I told him determined, "I'm not about to make the same mistakes I made before. I love her. I don't want anyone else. But I don't want to rush things. I made that mistake once before, and I'm not about to make the same mistake twice. If I ever have her love, I want to earn it, not force it from her."
Yves sighed with a smile. "You r-r-r-r-really have cha-a-a-anged. I truly believe you w-w-w-w-will b-b-b-b-b-back up w-w-w-w-w-what you have j-j-j-j-j-just told me." Yves walked away and caught up with Isobel and I saw Yves taking her arm in his and she leaned into his arm, holding it next to her.
I turned back at Caylin, took a deep breath and walked toward her, my heart beating faster as I got closer.
"Caylin" I called to her. She turned her head to me.
"Yes Erik?" she asked me.
"Can I join you?" I asked her feeling nervous.
"Sure" Caylin answered with a smile. I stood next to her, looking up at the stars while occasionally looking at her.
"Erik" Caylin said to me. I looked at her when she called my name. She took my hand in hers and smiled, said "I'm glad you're here with me, keeping me company." She looked up at the sky again and we began to look for constellations.
"There truly is light in darkness" I thought to myself, "And that light is not just the stars and the moon as Caylin has told me. She's that light in the darkness that was my home and prison. Caylin is my light, not just my Siren."
Once again I'M SO SORRY for making this chapter SO BADLY overdue! I don't expect to forgiven for this, but at least I FINALLY got it finished. Things have just been CRAZY for me emotionally, and I'm still not completely out of it. But I promise you all this, THE STORY IS NOT OVER YET! I will let you all know when I'm close to finishing it and I promise you it's anytime soon. Still have a good amount of chapters to go before that happens.
I want to thank DonJuana19 and Nakia-Park23 for helping me with looking for the lyrics for the revival version of the song "Simple Joys".
I also want to thank QuietDragon13, poisedrose and Eclipsegirl4488 for favoriting my story and mollyjr3, Happypenguin, 20DreamBig12, TheSillyGirl and cloudsomniakitty for following my story while I took so long in posting this next chapter. You all helped me in feeling encouraged and inspired to keep working on this fanfic.
Simple Joys belongs to Stephen Schwartz
No One Is Alone belongs to Stephen Sondheim
Love Heals belongs to Jonathan Larson
PLEASE REVIEW! I can NEVER express enough how much the reviews mean to me!
As you all know all too well, I own NOTHING except my OCs!