Blah! This chapter took me forever! DX I'm sorry, but it just didn't want to be finished. I'm also sorry if it's not as good... It's one of those ones you have to sludge through to get any more of the story done at all. Hope you guys haven't gotten bored and left! (crickets chirp) ... Guys?
DISCLAIMER: No Phantom ownage for Haley.
Part Thirty-seven:
Little by little the few days barely seemed to move much to Erik's displeasure and aggravation. Had Lark not been with him or the less than energetic Richard, he would have probably gone mad and gone against Rachel's wishes to work alone and take off to Paris himself.
"I hope she brings her painting," Lark mused out loud one afternoon outside.
Erik graciously granted her request to go out sometimes to feel the sun and the earth under her feet. Of course, he would have to accompany her each time, not that the girl minded as much. The only thing that soured her mood was Richard's gloomy presence.
Erik, who stood near her nodded agreeably, not caring whether the painting came home or not so long as Rachel could be there as well. The sun took its time sinking into its nest of the mountains beyond them, splashing its last colors into the sky.
Richard sat a ways off from Lark, almost challenging the sun with his glare. He spoke not a word in consent to the wish expressed with his colleagues but seemed lost in his own thoughts. The girl, determined to not be ruffled, shook her hair from her face and tried to soak in the fading sunlight like a sponge.
"Erik, are the clouds on fire or are they blushing?" she asked teasingly, her own useless eyes closed against the harmful rays.
She often asked him questions like these to describe what she used to know and see herself. It painted a picture in her own mind she told him once and that if he could answer, then she could see what they saw in her own world. But instead of Erik answering her childish question, Richard looked up at the blazing orange and gold and red sky.
"The sky's burning down, the flames are so intense." He murmured, his voice surprisingly flat.
She bit her lip against the sharp reply that she wished to reply and instead thanked him, her own voice flat and untrue. Erik glared at them both, baffled by their choice of punishment they racked on each other. Every day it seemed that Richard wanted to say something, but the young woman would cut him off short, saying something uncharacteristically cruel or sarcastic and again the man would fall silent. But at the same time, he would do the same and whenever Lark seemed to want to say something kind or make an opening for normal conversation, he would dismiss either himself or her.
"It is so stimulating listening to your loving conversations," Erik said coolly, helping Lark up as at last the sun sank into its bed. "But I can only take so much. We shall leave now."
It was not a request. Lark protested only slightly, but allowed herself to be guided away by her foster father, a slight pout on her pretty face. Richard stood and stared once more at the vanquished sun. He could feel it within himself. His feelings needed release, any kind of release! Not once did the simple three words escape him to be voiced into reality. Now, looking beyond the mountains, his lips parted and his whispered to the wind not the words he wished, but ones of despair.
"What shall I do?"
Silence was his only reply and staying only for another moment, he followed unwillingly behind Erik and Lark. Suddenly he nearly ran into the skeletal back of Erik himself and had to check himself quickly to prevent collision. The tall man's gaze seemed on something fantastic for his eyes were opened wide in amazement. Lark, blind to what seemed to have stopped him located and touched his hand, silently asking for explanation. None could be heard and with puzzlement, Richard followed Erik's silently shocked gaze. The house, unlike the dark little hovel they left it as, now gleamed with a cheery light and a carriage sat proudly before it. Rachel returned home.
"What is it, Erik…?" Lark asked timidly, but Erik already set off at a fast, but still oddly graceful pace towards the house, oblivious to anything else. "Well!" the girl huffed snippily, barely concealing the worry that would have been very apparent in her voice.
"Rachel's home," Richard told her softly, "he was excited."
Her eyebrows rose in amazement. Hesitantly, she smiled slightly at him remarking that she would have loved to see that. A small smile touched his own lips and he laughed slightly agreeing. And then it became like it used to be. Friendship rebound together, they laughed together for a moment. It would only be that moment though, for Lark's smile fell and returned to being hard and cold as the reasons of her dislike came flooding back. She declined his help and with new eagerness to see Rachel herself, hurried down towards the house as fast as she could without accidentally killing herself.
Richard watched silently and then kicked the ground in frustration.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Inside, everything seemed to be filled with light all the way to the brim from the joy pouring out of the corner of the kitchen where Erik and Rachel sat. Flushed and sitting as close to Erik as possible without being too forward, Rachel wore all smiles. The painting, she explained, had indeed been all finished but needed to dry more.
"Of course, I brought it here to dry." She added, slightly smug. "I promised you all you could see it."
Lark, grinning as wide as her pert little mouth would allow, squealed excitedly at the news the 'masterpiece' would actually be here with them.
"Brilliant!" she trilled, "brilliant! You have to explain it all for me!"
The artist laughed and agreed full heartedly though slyly mentioned that she may explain it far better than it truly was. Erik smiled but stayed close to Rachel with his hand straying to her elbow in a silent, but gentle permission to speak with her. Richard merely rolled his eyes.
"Just ask, Erik." He drawled. "I think that'd be best. We all know here, if I may be so bold in saying so."
Rachel looked around at everyone in confusion. Lark smothered a laugh and attempted to look solemn. Erik scowled, muttering something about wanting it to be special. His soon to be bride, however, looked very lost and stared now at the masked man beside her.
"What do you all mean?" she asked suspiciously, "What are you planning?"
She sent a glare at her brother who merely smirked and left the room to let Erik explain to her in the best way possible. To his relief, no one stopped him. He would need to be alone for a moment. Inside Richard knew, as over-dramatic as it would be once Erik asked her for her hand, he as a brother would not be able to stand the happiness in her face. Not when he himself would be lonely the rest of his life. To no one's surprise, except possibly Erik himself, Rachel's shriek of joy could be heard through out the house. A thud told Richard that she could have either fainted or attacked Erik as she once was prone to do when surprised greatly. A short laugh escaped Richard and he disappeared into the parlor.
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
For a few days afterwards, all the occupants could think or talk of was the thought of a wedding between two important people. So many details to be made, so many choices to go through, it baffled both the bride and the groom. They would be sitting side by side on the divan, pouring over ideas on hastily gathered paper, dismissing some they didn't like and thoughtfully viewing the other's choice in whatever the matter would be. A few hours later and it would be decided that it was to be a small wedding not meant for the public.
A simple service would be sufficed with a priest from the town church in their own backyard. The summer brought on the most wonderfully colorful of flowers in the fields and Rachel wished that it could be that they joined in on the scene. Erik, still dazed from actually being accepted, agreed willingly. If he could have her for his own wife he wouldn't have cared if they got married in the sea with all the fishes swimming around doing the conga. Of course, if he knew what the conga was and it was in his genre. They decided also that it'd be held in a week, not wanting to wait.
"We don't have as much time as others do," Rachel put lightly when Lark questioned her about the length of time away the wedding would occur. "And I don't like waiting." She added.
The week dragged after that, making it seem so much the longer of a wait than anything. Finally, with a priest's pocket bulging with money for payment and sworn secrecy of the ceremony due to Erik and his need for security from others, the wedding was complete. Rachel and Erik now would be legally husband and wife. No one minded the fact that the guest total equaled to five people for at attendance to such an event, the splendor and food afterwards were beyond comparison. The priest left early for whatever reason but the bride couldn't keep a sneaking suspicion that Erik scared him off away from her thoughts. But even so the small party was the best any of them have ever had.
Of course, when it ended Rachel and Erik did not stay but started to gather their things with Erik still trying to persuade his wife that she needn't do anything while still in her wedding gown. Richard helped them pack their things silently, his face showing whatever emotion called for. His sister and brother-in-law would be gone for two months at the most leaving Richard in charge of everything behind. It all seemed to go so fast. One moment he saw himself helping Erik with a particularly large piece of luggage and the next Rachel was hugging him as hard as she could, tears in her eyes.
"It won't be very long, but do try to be good," she told him severely through teary eyes.
Richard rolled his eyes and sighed.
"We'll be fine," Lark piped up with a smile. "I'll take good care of everything!"
It made the new bride smile as well. With a few more good-bye hugs and kisses, the new couple was off in the distance with Lark and Richard waving goodbye.
"Just you and me now, huh Rich?" Lark said quietly, eyes closed. "Two months without Erik or Rachel…"
She looked like she would cry, but not a single tear fell. Richard stood respectfully and quietly a ways from her, staring after the long gone carriage. They stood there for merely a moment before Lark spoke again while turning her back to the horizon where her guardian and friend disappeared over.
"However will we survive?" she sighed.
Sorry it took so long. DX I can actually get back to writing normally now, so no worries!!