A/N: Song credit (and yes, I know it is a modern-ish song, but it fits too perfectly to ignore): Like an Angel Passing through My Room, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (1981). I personally recommend the Celtic Woman version.
Angeline slipped cautiously out of the bedroom the next morning, keeping an eye out for a potentially irritable Erik, but the living room, study, and kitchen were empty. She would have worried for him if it were not for the single red rose on the coffee table between the wingbacks. It rested its velvet petals on her father's soft blue book. She picked the bloom up, toying gently at the edges and thinking of how wonderful it was to dance in his arms the night before. She closed her eyes to the memory, smiling and swaying to the graceful movements that had haunted her dreams that morning. Opening her eyes she felt the pang of disappointment to find her arms were empty and holding only air. She yearned to have him once more in her grasp, to hold him to her and feel his arms encircling her in their delicate tenderness.
Finding a glass, she put her precious gift in water and placed it beside her treasured book and propped up the letter Cecilia had given her the previous night so he would know where she had gone. She smiled at the presents she had received from the only two men she had ever loved in her life. How she longed Erik could have met her father. She knew they would have gotten along well. Another twinge of disappointment rose this time from the darkest depths of her heart to get caught in her throat when she remembered the look Erik had given her. His utter despair at her apparent betrayal of her promise. If only she could tell him she had not meant it. If only she could see his sweet eyes once more. He had always seen right into her. He had comforted her from the soul up.
With one last wistful glance at the rose, she left the house and made her way to meet Cecilia. The child was practically bouncing by the time Angeline came up to her.
'Oh, I'm so excited to see the Opera now that it's finished! We should be some of the first people to see it!' She gushed eagerly.
'Is Phillip not joining us today?' Angeline asked, looking behind the girl expecting to see him there with his idiotic grin.
'No, he has business to attend to, but has asked that you and Erik come and join us for dinner tonight. He says he has something important to tell you.' She told her with not a little dread at what her brother had planned.
'I'll have to see. Erik was not in this morning, so I'll have to hope he comes home in time this evening.' Angeline explained, visibly fading at her memory of her lonely morning.
'Shall we?' Cecilia offered, dragging her friend from her melancholy.
They walked there, enjoying the slight crispness in the air and talking of meaningless inconsequentialities. Both were avoiding the subject of the previous night's events. Finally, they made it to the palace of music.
Angeline marvelled at the majestic elegance of the exterior. The towering building did not intimidate, but instead gave her a thrill like she had never felt before. The great statues of angels perched on the roof with the copper and glass dome at its triangular peak brought forth in her a sense of longing. Walking through the great front doors, she nearly gasped at the grand staircase. Its marble steps and sweeping rails were adorned with gilt gold figure holding clustered candelabras, bathing the room in a warm, dreamlike light. It all seemed so splendid, she wondered if it was truly real.
It was here that the two managers of the theatre were alerted to the young ladies' presence.
'Ah, Mademoiselle Martin! So nice to see you again!' One of the men flattered, coming over to Cecilia, who was enjoying Angeline's reactions more than the sight before her.
'Monsieur André, it was so kind of you to invite me here. I hope you don't mind my bringing a friend.'
'No! Not at all! Firmin!' He snapped to the stern man standing a bit away. 'And what is your lovely friend's name?'
'Angeline Roux, she has taught me French as well as improved my singing.' Cecilia announced proudly.
'Mademoiselle Roux, what a pleasure it is to meet you. Firmin and I welcome you to our theatre.' André bowed low, taking Angeline's hand reverently.
'Thank you, Monsieurs, I am honoured to have been invited to such a lovely place. Truly, it is magnificent.'
Firmin and André paused, looking at her in awe. She looked just like that Daaé girl! She sounded like her too.
'Tell me, Mademoiselle Roux, would you by any chance know a singer by the name of Christine Daaé?' André asked nervously, unwanted memories of five years ago flooding him with dread.
'No, Monsieur, I do not. I have heard of her in passing and a little of the great tragedy surrounding her career here, but nothing beyond that.' Angeline explained, recalling the faint mentioning of the name the day she sang in town.
'Incredible. I only ask because you bear an uncanny resemblance to her.' André explained, letting out a pent up breath. 'In fact, if you had not said otherwise, I would have said that you were twins. She truly was a beauty, and despite the regrettable events that plagued her employ, she was the finest singer we have ever had.'
'Well, then I thank you for your flattery.' She said, bowing with hidden discomfort.
'Shall we get on with the tour?' Firmin said impatiently, much to Angeline's relief.
'Yes, yes, thank you.' André bustled, starting on one of his well-rehearsed speeches about the Opera. He added in the little bits about the restoration and some silly jokes that made Cecilia laugh out of politeness. Angeline, however, seemed too enthralled by the place to hear any more than every other word that the managers prattled out. André was a rambling idiot who did not know the arts from his own foot, while Firmin simply glared at everything as if he wanted to be somewhere else, but was forced to remain here. He spoke very little, often to scold André for his chattering, or to make some derogatory comment about the look of the place. Angeline could have hit him for saying anything bad about this pantheon of music; at least, she would have if she were truly listening.
They made their way into auditorium and she nearly fell to her knees at the grandiose magnificence of the room. The red velvet curtains were like hanging seas of blood, dipping and rippling their tantalizingly soft fabric. The gold figures that laid and posed in the most sophisticatedly seductive positions stared down at her with heavenly elegance. The lush cushions of the hundreds of chairs in their orderly rows filled the floor. As her eyes tracked upward, she was in further awe of the domed ceiling with its dreamlike paintings and the shimmering chandelier that hung dauntingly over the seats. It shone in all of its crystal brilliance and casting the most wondrous illumination upon the whole room.
Angeline had completely drown out all voices, simply taking in the sights, smells, and general impressions of the room until she saw a flicker of movement at the far left of the auditorium. One of the curtains in the box closest to the floor but one back from the stage on the left moved. Just the slightest flutter, but a motion nonetheless.
'Cecilia, did you see something?' Angeline asked, unknowingly interrupting Firmin in one of his favourite stories.
'Where?' Cecilia followed her friend's indicating finger.
'That box. I thought I saw a shadow move.'
'Box five?' Firmin asked, both men paling to the colour of a sheet.
Angeline kept her eyes fixed upon the box, making her way through the seats, hoping to have a different angle to reveal whatever it was that hid in those shadows.
'Angeline,' Cecilia piped up suddenly. 'I was just telling the Monsieurs of your wonderful singing. Perhaps you would care to give them a sample.' Cecilia offered, worried about her friend's sudden fixation. She ignored the flash of dread that filled her friend's eyes and only nodded her on encouragingly.
'Yes, we would love it if you would be so kind as to grace us with a performance.' Firmin said, getting a little colour back, though he still was dabbing at the nervous sweat that had come to his brow.
Finding her way to the stage with Monsieur André's assistance, Angeline took her place at centre stage. Cecilia manned the piano, smiling up at her expectantly.
Angeline whispered her song to her, leaning over the edge of the stage, trying to hide her nervousness.
'Perfect.' Cecilia nodded, full of encouragement.
Erik had come home only moments after Angeline had left. He had not really intended to do anything in particular, but he could not bear to be in that house with her after everything that had happened the previous night.
Coming in, he noted with a sad smile that Angeline had found the rose he had laid out for her. It rested in a tall champagne glass next to her prized book. He then noted a small bit of paper folded on the sky blue volume. Opening it, he saw writing that did not belong to Angeline. Cocking his head at this, he discovered two sides of the page. One was clearly addressed to Angeline from Cecilia, but the other was for him and hidden so subtly that no one but him would have bothered to notice.
Erik, I am taking Angeline to the Opera Garnier. I would greatly appreciate your valued attendance for I feel Angeline will need you there.
Sincerely, Cecilia Martin
He puzzled over this. Why was Cecilia asking him to come to that dammed Opera House? He had far too many bad memories of that place to dare even walking by it on the street. But Angeline needed him there?
Despite how it pained him, he knew full well that he could never deny his angel anything, even if she was not the one to ask for it. And so, with not a little displeasure, he set off for the theatre of his nightmares. It felt all too familiar to be sneaking in one of his old entrances and following the never-ending babbling of those two fool managers. He was amazed that they had stayed at all. Perhaps they had yet to find replacements. He cringed away the unwanted memories to locate Angeline.
As always, he was stunned by her beauty, and this was no different. Her face was alight with a wonder like he had never seen before as she took in the sights of the theatre he had once called his own. Hiding in his old box, he nearly leapt from his skin when her head turned straight to him. He felt suddenly afraid when she continued to stare, but a moment more and he soon saw she had not actually seen him. He took a relieved breath when Cecilia distracted her.
He nearly burst out laughing when he saw the fear still plaguing the managers at the thought of his continued presence. Everyone knew he was not truly a ghost, but it made him venomously happy to think that his existence still gave them worry.
His thoughts were interrupted when Angeline's voice cut through his mind, tying him to her instantly.
Long awaited darkness falls
Casting shadows on the walls
In the twilight hour I am alone
Sitting near the fireplace, dying embers warm my face
In this peaceful solitude
All the outside world subdued
Everything comes back to me again
In the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
Half awake and half in dreams
Seeing long forgotten scenes
So present runs into the past
Now and then become entwined, playing games within my mind
Like the embers as they die
Love was one prolonged good-bye
And it all comes back to me tonight
In the gloom
Like an angel passing through my room
I close my eyes
And my twilight images go by
All too soon
Like an angel passing through my room
Everything comes back to me again
In the gloom
Like and angel passing through my room
I close my eyes
And my twilight images go by
All too soon
Like an angel passing through my room
Erik could barely feel anything beyond the tears rolling down his cheeks. She had sung so beautifully, and those words…they were him. Every verse was him in his lonely life. She not only had sung his torment with solitude, she had sung it for him. He knew it the moment she started that these words were for him, whether she knew he was there or not.
The applause from the managers startled both her and Erik. They had forgotten anyone else was there.
'Brava, Mademoiselle Roux! Tell me, would you care to audition for a role in the next season?' André praised with unexpected enthusiasm.
'I-I, well…' she stumbled over words. 'I doubt I could-'
'Nonsense! You were fantastic!' Firmin chimed in, eager to have his praise heard.
Erik watched her shrinking from the attention. She had been like a great light just a moment ago, and now she was starting to dim under the hungry stares of the managers. Cecilia was right, Angeline would need saving today. Throwing his voice, he purred at her ear in one of the ghostly tones he had not used in so long.
'Angeline,'
He watched her turn toward the back of the stage, searching him out. Glancing back at the now distracted managers as they planned out her eventual career, she made sure no one saw as she dashed off the stage.
Angeline was not sure where she was going, simply knowing she needed to follow the voice that had called to her. It had sent a shiver down her spine, though she knew it was not from fear. She took quick turns and zigzagged her way through the labyrinth of halls behind the theatre, growing more frantic as she went. Finally, she found herself in growing darkness. She knew she was lost and should try to call out for help, but she was afraid of where that help would come from. Her childlike fears began to play on her when she thought of going back in front of the managers. They had wanted to hire her, and she knew she would most likely do well, but it felt too familiar a trap.
She was about to take another step when an arm quickly caught her round the waist. Bending forward from the surprised stop, she realised that the floor simply ended, dropping off into a dark pit of which she could not see the bottom and only faintly make out the existence of at all. She knew the instant the fingers began to relax around her waist who had caught her. To her horror, however, they slipped away into the darkness.
'Erik, no!' She called out at the pitch black behind her. She could not see a thing. 'Please don't leave me!' She cried, feeling hot tears begin to prick her eyes. He remained silent, and though she could not even hear his breathing, she knew he was still there. 'Please, I'm sorry about last night. It was not my intent to remove your mask or to make you think I would. I made a promise and I mean to keep it. Please forgive me, Erik!' Her body shaking from the fear of being alone in the dark made her legs weak, causing her to sink to the floor.
'Erik, I can't see a thing, please, please don't leave me.' She begged.
Erik looked down at the suddenly small girl before him. Every second that ticked by brought her arms closer in on herself and her whole frame seemed to shrink until he wondered if there would be anything left of her after a minute. She reached out a hand to him, a plaintive whimper escaping her throat as she did so, but when he went to take it she recoiled with a sharp intake of breath. It was then that he remembered how hard he had gripped her hand when removing it from his face. His cat-like sight allowed him to make out the look of pain on her face as well as the subtle bruising around her thumb and pinkie finger. Damn it all! He had hurt her once again!
Angeline barely heard him take a step back after her cringing from his touch, and squeaked his name. She was beginning to feel the darkness envelope her, drawing her in and swallowing her whole. She had never feared the dark before, but this was different. This darkness held the threat of loneliness and loss.
Suddenly, she felt something more real and tangible take hold of her, sliding beneath her now curled up legs and wrapping around her lower back. She felt a wall of strong warmth press against her right shoulder. She felt herself being lifted from the cold floor with such gentle ease she began to wonder just how many times she had made him do this. Her arms instinctively unfurled from her chest and encircled him as she buried her cheek into the crook between his neck and shoulder. She felt him inhale stiffly, but remained holding her as he walked an old familiar path through the dark.
Erik walked for a little while, eager to get her out of the dark, but dreading the time when he would have to let her go. She felt so sweet at his neck, and her warm breath glancing across his throat made his heart race. She was curled into him tighter than usual, reminding him of how she turned to him for security. Why did any of this have to end? He lamented silently.
Kicking open the desired door, they were both blinded by the incoming sunlight. Erik was used to this feeling, but Angeline, to his infinite pleasure, buried her face into him to further herself from the offending illumination. Eventually her eyes adjusted as he set her down, urging her forward, though remaining in the shadows, himself.
Angeline stepped forward into the light, thankful that the day had proved to be overcast though still bright enough to see. She felt his hand slip from hers and immediately turned to see him hovering on the border between the light and protective shade. Her questioning face brought forth a pained and saddened expression from him.
'You were meant to walk in the sun, Angeline, while I must hide my sins in the shadows. I will not condemn you any longer.' He said, looking as if he were about to disappear again. He stopped when her hands gripped his arm firmly.
'Then join me. Let me lead you from the dark as we both try to amend our pasts.' She said with anxious determination and hope in her eyes.
Erik felt like he was under some sort of spell as he staggered from his gloomy hiding place and stepped into light with Angeline. He followed her without question, not daring to break the hold she had on his arm, let alone his heart and mind. She was so beautiful, her hair sparkling in the overcast light, and her eyes shimmering their hazel green-brown. He admired her in her dusty rose coloured dress, with its ivory lace and black ribbon running through, but most of all he simple adored her. She was everything he never knew he needed in his life. She was a strong hand to lift him up when he fell into his pits of despair, she was his rock to cling to when things did not go as he had anticipated, and she was the tree he could never fell when he was angry. She had been none of these things. Suddenly, she did not seem so perfect.
He winced at the pain that thought brought to his cracked heart, but worked to save face for her. His sweet, heavenly Angeline should never see him crumble at something so insignificant. And yet, she had seen him weep over far less. She truly was a marvel.
'We can see all of Paris from up here.' She breathed, taking in the sight with wide and dreamy eyes. He had completely forgotten they were on the roof and memories quickly threatened at that thought. 'The Opera House is so spectacular, Erik. I never knew a place could look so beautiful.' She continued.
Erik fought hard against every moment and memory that attempted to storm the wall of his heart, but with Angeline here, his defences were too weak. She must have seen this, for her face instantly turned from one of wonder to one of painful regret.
'Oh Erik,' she said, tears clearly coming quickly. 'Oh Erik, I'm so sorry.' She pulled him into an embrace, holding his torso tightly. 'I'm so sorry I brought you here. Please forgive me.' She begged once more, pulling him in as he curved into her. 'I did not mean for you to come here, and I never would have asked knowing what it means to you. I'm so sorry.'
The words' meaning finally hit home for him and he began to straighten up, trying to look at her face in utter shock and confusion.
'You-'
His question was not finished, however, as sounds of the managers and Cecilia coming up the spiral staircase alerted their unwanted presence.
'Erik,' Angeline looked up at him with strong concern flashing in her eyes. 'Go! Don't let them find you. You have to go without them seeing, I know you know how!' She urged pushing his chest back firmly so as to hide him from the immediate view of the door to the room.
'You know?' He managed out with pure surprise written all over his face. 'You know I'm the…' He could not finish for the mischievous glint shining in her eye and playing at her lips.
'Erik, I've known almost since the moment I met you.' She replied, already turning to greet their soon to be arriving guests.
'Then you know what I've-'
'Yes, now go!' She shooed one last time, only glancing over her shoulder at the stunned Erik.
Cecilia was the first onto the roof, giving her a knowing look as Angeline held her finger to her lips secretively. Cecilia nodded, understanding full well that her plan had worked, at least partially. Angeline and Erik were reunited after their petty misunderstanding the previous night.
'Ah, Mademoiselle Roux! We were very worried about you after you disappeared so suddenly.' Firmin blustered.
'Yes, how did you get up here?' André asked, dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief from the exertion of climbing all of those stairs as well as their earlier frantic search below.
'I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.' She answered nonchalantly.
'Why ever did you run off like that?' Firmin questioned as they began to trek back down.
'Oh, I thought I heard something. It must have been a ghost.' She smiled behind her as she descended the steps, bringing up the rear of the little party. She heard the managers give off strange choking noises she could only associate with fear at the mention of their old antagonising spectre.
At her ear, just loud enough for her to hear came the familiar ethereal purr she had heard earlier.
'I'm here, your Phantom of the Opera.' It half sang, half whispered. She grinned, closing her eyes to the shivers that ran down her spine and over her skin at the lullaby sound of his voice.
'Perhaps we should invite your new ghost friend to dinner tonight.' Cecilia offered with a laugh.
'Hmm, I'll have to see what he thinks, you know how he dislikes certain members of my company.' Angeline replied jokingly.
'Yes, indeed. Though I'm afraid he would have to part with you as I have something I need you for until tonight. He would have to come over on his own.' Cecilia continued, enjoying their little game.
Angeline let them get a little ways away as they walked towards the front entrance. 'What do you say, dinner with the Martins?' She asked of the ceiling, unsure of where to direct her question, but knowing he would hear her nonetheless.
'For you, anything.' Came his soft reply.
Angeline was stopped short by this. 'Erik, I have something I need to tell you.' She sounded almost sad.
Cecilia called for her insistently.
'Tonight.' He whispered so close she could have sworn she felt his breath on her cheek, but when she turned, there was no one there.
Reluctantly, and with a few glances back, Angeline came to Cecilia's calls. A pit grew in her stomach, though why she did not know. Something seemed amiss about tonight, but she could not quite determine yet what it was.
A/N: Ooooh, I wonder what's going to go down? Haha. I do love keeping you all in suspense. Cruel me, I know. I promise everything will be resolved soon-ish.