Disclaimer: You know it. I know it. Please don't make me repeat it.
Guardian Angel
They stood stunned, staring at each other, Raoul in his impeccable finery, Erik in his everyday wear, except for his mask. That was how Michelle found them when she left the kitchen.
"Erik, I have your...lunch?"
She watched the two men stare. Michelle glanced quickly at each of their faces, gauging their moods. Fortunately, all she saw was surprise. The reasons were obvious: Raoul was down here, in Erik's lair, and Erik wasn't wearing his mask. Anyone would be shocked at that, especially if they knew Erik, which she knew Raoul did.
"Why, Raoul! What a surprise!" she said, finally catching the men's attention. "What brings you down here?"
Raoul, now doubly surprised, exclaimed, "Michelle?! What on earth are you doing down here?!" just as Erik asked, "You know him?" They glared at each other again.
Michelle sighed, knowing she would probably have to play peacemaker soon. "Yes, Erik. I do know Raoul. His father and my mother were, um, friends. Raoul, I'm staying with Erik until those criminals are apprehended."
Raoul's eyes widened. "Criminals?"
"Yes, criminals," Michelle said testily. "You know what I'm talking about. I know you do."
"Well... yes, but... with HIM?" Raoul indicated Erik who had been watching the exchange with acute interest up till now. Now he was mad.
"Why not?" he said in a low, cool voice that promised trouble.
Raoul practically snorted, "Well, for starters, you're a murderer." Erik stiffened. "For another, you seem to be too busy lolly-gagging around to be much protection to anyone. And, for the third, how do I know you haven't RAPED her?"
Erik grabbed Raoul's lapels and slammed him into the wall, his face contorted with rage. *Okay* Michelle thought. *Time to nip this in the proverbial bud.*
She stepped forward just as Erik slammed Raoul back a second time. "Alright now. That's enough," she said adopting her best angry schoolteacher tone. Erik pulled Raoul back for another slam, but Michelle grabbed his arm. "I said that's enough!"
Erik dropped the Vicomte and turned to her, the anguish in his eyes stopping her breath. He looked down and let out a breath. "I'm sorry, Michelle. But...the things he said..." He looked into her eyes. "I would never hurt you. You know that, don't you?" Erik knew he looked and sounded pathetic, but he didn't care as long as she wouldn't push him away.
She didn't. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his face. "I know. You wouldn't hurt me."
He covered her hand with his own. "What he said was true," Erik said glancing at Raoul who was getting off the floor after catching his breath. "Not about the raping thing. But the killing..." Erik looked at Michelle again. "I did killed people. Not all that long ago."
Michelle put her other hand on his arm. "Did they deserve it?" she asked.
Erik unconsciously put his hand on her waist. His voice was thick with regret. "No. They really didn't."
Michelle moved her hand from his cheek to his chin. Erik lifted his eyes to meet hers, only inches away. He was afraid he would see disgust or anger or, worst of all, fear in her eyes, but all he saw was compassion. She smiled softly and said, "Then at least you realize that now."
Erik was going to kiss her. He knew it. She knew it. It was inevitable. Had been probably since the first day they met. Erik leaned forward, closing the gap between his lips and hers. Her eyes drifted closed. The cool air did nothing to dispel the heat building inside of him. The sound of Raoul clearing his throat in the background doing nothing to...
Raoul?! They jumped apart as if they had been burned, and maybe they had. Blushing guiltily, Michelle looked at Raoul. Raoul was looking like an older brother that had caught his sister in the gazebo with the local rake.
After a moment, Michelle regained her composure. "Now," she said, "I want you two to apologize to one another."
Raoul looked at her sharply. "Apologize? For what?"
Michelle gave a long-suffering sigh. "You need to apologize to Erik for saying those awful things. Erik? You need to apologize for slamming Raoul into the wall. Well, go ahead. Apologize and shake hands."
Raoul and Michelle had a staring contest for a few seconds. Michelle won. Raoul sighed and stuck out his hand toward Erik. "I'm sorry I accused you pf those things," he said, "even if they are true."
Erik glanced at Michelle, then decided it would be of no use to argue. "I'm sorry I slammed you into the wall," he said. "I hope you can get the wrinkles out of your clothes."
They shook hands and let go as if the other had yellow fever. Michelle rolled her eyes. At least they were pretending to get along. It was a start.
"Okay Raoul. I told you why I'm down here. It's your turn to explain."
Raoul muttered, "He told me you were here."
That caught Erik's attention. "He who?"
"Nadir, of course." He looked at Michelle. "I asked him where you were, but I didn't believe you were here."
Erik became indignant. "Why not?"
"Oh, no. No, no, no. We've been through this already." Michelle brought them back to the subject at hand. "Answer my question. What are you doing here?"
Raoul brushed a few strands of blonde hair out of his eyes. "Christine's gone. She wrote me a note and left."
"Why would you think she'd come here?"
Raoul threw his arms in the air. "I don't know! The note said she wanted to talk to you." He pointed at Michelle. "I figured Nadir would have told her the same thing he told me and she'd come here." His shoulders sagged. "Why would she leave me?"
Erik opened his mouth for what would no doubt have been a not nice retort, then closed it when Michelle said, "Shh!"
She was standing almost completely still with her head cocked. Raoul started to ask, "What is-?"
"Quiet," Michelle hissed. "I hear something." Erik and Raoul listened, and sure enough, they heard something. Footsteps and voices. Female voices. Michelle suddenly smiled and relaxed. She motioned for the men to follow and be quiet. She slipped into the room by the lake, parlor, she called it, and hid in the shadows next to the entrance to the labyrinth. She motioned for the men to hide as well. Erik slipped into some other shadows, tugging a reluctant and confused Vicomte after him. After a few moments, the trio clearly heard some familiar chattering.
"Oh, why did I let you talk me into coming here? It's so dark and creepy."
"Don't worry. He assured me she is here, and he wouldn't lie."
"How can you be so sure?"
Out of the darkness came two women in dark cloaks with the hoods pulled up, hiding their faces. They crept in, not even noticing Michelle when she slipped behind them. She snuck forward and yelled, "BOO!"
The two women screamed and spun around, their hoods falling to reveal a blonde head and a brunette one. Michelle grinned. "Hello, ladies."
The duo laughed and hugged Michelle chattering excitedly. When the greetings were through, Michelle turned to Erik and Raoul who had stepped out of the shadows. "It's okay gentlemen. I think you know these intruders."
The "intruders" were actually...Christine Daae and Meg Giry?
"What are you doing down here?!" Erik and Raoul shouted at the same time.
Meg was gaping at Erik, still without his mask, and Christine was looking at Raoul guiltily, so Michelle explained. "Well," she began, "As Raoul deduced, Christine did go to Nadir to find where I had been hidden. Naturally, he told her exactly where I could be found. Being a little worried about Erik's reaction, she brought along Meg. Strength in numbers and all that. The only remaining questions are why Christine wishes to speak with me, and who else has the estimable daroga told?"
Erik stared at Michelle. "How did you come up with all of that?"
Michelle grinned at him. "Part of it was from what Raoul told us, part from what we overheard, and the rest Christine told me herself."
Erik nodded. "Do you really think he told other people?"
"Told other people what?"
Everyone turned to the new voice. Nadir climbed out of the boat, pulling a wooden chest after him. Michelle raised her eyebrows. "Nadir. This is a surprise. Is anyone else to be joining us?"
Nadir smiled fondly and replied, "I'm glad you haven't lost your perky sense of humor."
"I'll take that as a no," Michelle said dryly. "Very well. I hate to sound cliché, but what are you doing here?"
"I came to make sure the two of you haven't killed each other yet. And I come bearing gifts." He opened the chest to reveal a set of China with pink roses and blue pansies around the rims and edges. Michelle squealed, "My China!" in delight and threw her arms around Nadir's neck. Erik felt an unfamiliar sensation-jealousy? - and tried to think of something that would make her react that way to him.
Michelle took the chest and turned back to the group. "Since everyone seems to be here, why don't we adjourn to the dinning room for hot chocolate and cookies?"
She turned and led the way. Everyone followed. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said as she entered the kitchen.
Everyone else stood around the long table, obviously uncomfortable, but none more so than Erik. He finally broke the silence. "Please, everyone. Have a seat. I'll...help with refreshments." Erik left the dinning room and went to his bedroom, where he had left his mask. *The Opera Ghost returns,* he thought. *And just when he felt he was becoming a man.* He left his room and went to the kitchen to help Michelle.
Michelle adjusted the still-warm sugar cookies on a plate from her box of China. The small hearts and music notes smelled delicious. Satisfied with the arrangement, she looked for a pot in which to heat the milk for the chocolate. She was on her knees with her head in a bottom cupboard when she heard someone come in. She turned, pot in hand, to see who it was. "Erik. So good of you to assist me." Erik nodded and helped her to her feet. That was when she noticed he was wearing his mask.
He must have seen the question in her eyes because he said, "I still need this. The others don't like my face."
Michelle frowned. "How do you know that?"
Erik's laugh held no humor. "You saw the way they looked at me. Like I'm a freak. They're probably right." He turned away and picked up the plate of cookies. "I'll deliver these to our guests."
Michelle knew what was happening. Erik's insecurities and old hurts had returned with the appearance of people from his past. He put on a mask and put up a wall between Michelle and himself, their earlier intimacy forgotten in a blast from the past. Well, he had tried to build a wall between them the first day she came here, and she had knocked it down with only a few words over breakfast. And she would knock this one down, too, or her name wasn't Michelle Rosella Winterbrook.
"Erik," she said. He turned around. She took a breath, unsure how to begin. "Erik," she repeated, then picked up a small cookie from the plate and held it up. "What do you see here?" she asked.
It was a small heart-shaped cookie. "I see a cookie," Erik said in monotone.
"Is it okay to eat?" she asked.
Erik was getting suspicious. "Yes," he said warily.
Michelle broke the cookie in half. "Now what do you see?"
"A broken cookie."
"Is it still edible?"
"Yes."
Michelle nodded. "Exactly. The point of this demonstration is that a broken cookie isn't ruined. It doesn't have to be put on a shelf for the bugs or thrown away. A broken cookie," she paused to put half the cookie in Erik's mouth, "is just easier to share." She slipped the other half into her own mouth.
Erik was silent for a moment, then his eyes softened and he smiled slightly. "Thank you," he said.
Michelle felt something tighten in her chest. There was so much said in those two little words. "Hey," she replied, "What are friends for? Now take these cookies out of here before I eat them all."
Erik turned to leave. He paused at the door to look at her one more time, then went into the dinning room. *Just as I thought,* Michelle mused as she set the milk on the stove to warm. *That was about as hard as cutting soft butter with a hot knife.*
Guardian Angel
They stood stunned, staring at each other, Raoul in his impeccable finery, Erik in his everyday wear, except for his mask. That was how Michelle found them when she left the kitchen.
"Erik, I have your...lunch?"
She watched the two men stare. Michelle glanced quickly at each of their faces, gauging their moods. Fortunately, all she saw was surprise. The reasons were obvious: Raoul was down here, in Erik's lair, and Erik wasn't wearing his mask. Anyone would be shocked at that, especially if they knew Erik, which she knew Raoul did.
"Why, Raoul! What a surprise!" she said, finally catching the men's attention. "What brings you down here?"
Raoul, now doubly surprised, exclaimed, "Michelle?! What on earth are you doing down here?!" just as Erik asked, "You know him?" They glared at each other again.
Michelle sighed, knowing she would probably have to play peacemaker soon. "Yes, Erik. I do know Raoul. His father and my mother were, um, friends. Raoul, I'm staying with Erik until those criminals are apprehended."
Raoul's eyes widened. "Criminals?"
"Yes, criminals," Michelle said testily. "You know what I'm talking about. I know you do."
"Well... yes, but... with HIM?" Raoul indicated Erik who had been watching the exchange with acute interest up till now. Now he was mad.
"Why not?" he said in a low, cool voice that promised trouble.
Raoul practically snorted, "Well, for starters, you're a murderer." Erik stiffened. "For another, you seem to be too busy lolly-gagging around to be much protection to anyone. And, for the third, how do I know you haven't RAPED her?"
Erik grabbed Raoul's lapels and slammed him into the wall, his face contorted with rage. *Okay* Michelle thought. *Time to nip this in the proverbial bud.*
She stepped forward just as Erik slammed Raoul back a second time. "Alright now. That's enough," she said adopting her best angry schoolteacher tone. Erik pulled Raoul back for another slam, but Michelle grabbed his arm. "I said that's enough!"
Erik dropped the Vicomte and turned to her, the anguish in his eyes stopping her breath. He looked down and let out a breath. "I'm sorry, Michelle. But...the things he said..." He looked into her eyes. "I would never hurt you. You know that, don't you?" Erik knew he looked and sounded pathetic, but he didn't care as long as she wouldn't push him away.
She didn't. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his face. "I know. You wouldn't hurt me."
He covered her hand with his own. "What he said was true," Erik said glancing at Raoul who was getting off the floor after catching his breath. "Not about the raping thing. But the killing..." Erik looked at Michelle again. "I did killed people. Not all that long ago."
Michelle put her other hand on his arm. "Did they deserve it?" she asked.
Erik unconsciously put his hand on her waist. His voice was thick with regret. "No. They really didn't."
Michelle moved her hand from his cheek to his chin. Erik lifted his eyes to meet hers, only inches away. He was afraid he would see disgust or anger or, worst of all, fear in her eyes, but all he saw was compassion. She smiled softly and said, "Then at least you realize that now."
Erik was going to kiss her. He knew it. She knew it. It was inevitable. Had been probably since the first day they met. Erik leaned forward, closing the gap between his lips and hers. Her eyes drifted closed. The cool air did nothing to dispel the heat building inside of him. The sound of Raoul clearing his throat in the background doing nothing to...
Raoul?! They jumped apart as if they had been burned, and maybe they had. Blushing guiltily, Michelle looked at Raoul. Raoul was looking like an older brother that had caught his sister in the gazebo with the local rake.
After a moment, Michelle regained her composure. "Now," she said, "I want you two to apologize to one another."
Raoul looked at her sharply. "Apologize? For what?"
Michelle gave a long-suffering sigh. "You need to apologize to Erik for saying those awful things. Erik? You need to apologize for slamming Raoul into the wall. Well, go ahead. Apologize and shake hands."
Raoul and Michelle had a staring contest for a few seconds. Michelle won. Raoul sighed and stuck out his hand toward Erik. "I'm sorry I accused you pf those things," he said, "even if they are true."
Erik glanced at Michelle, then decided it would be of no use to argue. "I'm sorry I slammed you into the wall," he said. "I hope you can get the wrinkles out of your clothes."
They shook hands and let go as if the other had yellow fever. Michelle rolled her eyes. At least they were pretending to get along. It was a start.
"Okay Raoul. I told you why I'm down here. It's your turn to explain."
Raoul muttered, "He told me you were here."
That caught Erik's attention. "He who?"
"Nadir, of course." He looked at Michelle. "I asked him where you were, but I didn't believe you were here."
Erik became indignant. "Why not?"
"Oh, no. No, no, no. We've been through this already." Michelle brought them back to the subject at hand. "Answer my question. What are you doing here?"
Raoul brushed a few strands of blonde hair out of his eyes. "Christine's gone. She wrote me a note and left."
"Why would you think she'd come here?"
Raoul threw his arms in the air. "I don't know! The note said she wanted to talk to you." He pointed at Michelle. "I figured Nadir would have told her the same thing he told me and she'd come here." His shoulders sagged. "Why would she leave me?"
Erik opened his mouth for what would no doubt have been a not nice retort, then closed it when Michelle said, "Shh!"
She was standing almost completely still with her head cocked. Raoul started to ask, "What is-?"
"Quiet," Michelle hissed. "I hear something." Erik and Raoul listened, and sure enough, they heard something. Footsteps and voices. Female voices. Michelle suddenly smiled and relaxed. She motioned for the men to follow and be quiet. She slipped into the room by the lake, parlor, she called it, and hid in the shadows next to the entrance to the labyrinth. She motioned for the men to hide as well. Erik slipped into some other shadows, tugging a reluctant and confused Vicomte after him. After a few moments, the trio clearly heard some familiar chattering.
"Oh, why did I let you talk me into coming here? It's so dark and creepy."
"Don't worry. He assured me she is here, and he wouldn't lie."
"How can you be so sure?"
Out of the darkness came two women in dark cloaks with the hoods pulled up, hiding their faces. They crept in, not even noticing Michelle when she slipped behind them. She snuck forward and yelled, "BOO!"
The two women screamed and spun around, their hoods falling to reveal a blonde head and a brunette one. Michelle grinned. "Hello, ladies."
The duo laughed and hugged Michelle chattering excitedly. When the greetings were through, Michelle turned to Erik and Raoul who had stepped out of the shadows. "It's okay gentlemen. I think you know these intruders."
The "intruders" were actually...Christine Daae and Meg Giry?
"What are you doing down here?!" Erik and Raoul shouted at the same time.
Meg was gaping at Erik, still without his mask, and Christine was looking at Raoul guiltily, so Michelle explained. "Well," she began, "As Raoul deduced, Christine did go to Nadir to find where I had been hidden. Naturally, he told her exactly where I could be found. Being a little worried about Erik's reaction, she brought along Meg. Strength in numbers and all that. The only remaining questions are why Christine wishes to speak with me, and who else has the estimable daroga told?"
Erik stared at Michelle. "How did you come up with all of that?"
Michelle grinned at him. "Part of it was from what Raoul told us, part from what we overheard, and the rest Christine told me herself."
Erik nodded. "Do you really think he told other people?"
"Told other people what?"
Everyone turned to the new voice. Nadir climbed out of the boat, pulling a wooden chest after him. Michelle raised her eyebrows. "Nadir. This is a surprise. Is anyone else to be joining us?"
Nadir smiled fondly and replied, "I'm glad you haven't lost your perky sense of humor."
"I'll take that as a no," Michelle said dryly. "Very well. I hate to sound cliché, but what are you doing here?"
"I came to make sure the two of you haven't killed each other yet. And I come bearing gifts." He opened the chest to reveal a set of China with pink roses and blue pansies around the rims and edges. Michelle squealed, "My China!" in delight and threw her arms around Nadir's neck. Erik felt an unfamiliar sensation-jealousy? - and tried to think of something that would make her react that way to him.
Michelle took the chest and turned back to the group. "Since everyone seems to be here, why don't we adjourn to the dinning room for hot chocolate and cookies?"
She turned and led the way. Everyone followed. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she said as she entered the kitchen.
Everyone else stood around the long table, obviously uncomfortable, but none more so than Erik. He finally broke the silence. "Please, everyone. Have a seat. I'll...help with refreshments." Erik left the dinning room and went to his bedroom, where he had left his mask. *The Opera Ghost returns,* he thought. *And just when he felt he was becoming a man.* He left his room and went to the kitchen to help Michelle.
Michelle adjusted the still-warm sugar cookies on a plate from her box of China. The small hearts and music notes smelled delicious. Satisfied with the arrangement, she looked for a pot in which to heat the milk for the chocolate. She was on her knees with her head in a bottom cupboard when she heard someone come in. She turned, pot in hand, to see who it was. "Erik. So good of you to assist me." Erik nodded and helped her to her feet. That was when she noticed he was wearing his mask.
He must have seen the question in her eyes because he said, "I still need this. The others don't like my face."
Michelle frowned. "How do you know that?"
Erik's laugh held no humor. "You saw the way they looked at me. Like I'm a freak. They're probably right." He turned away and picked up the plate of cookies. "I'll deliver these to our guests."
Michelle knew what was happening. Erik's insecurities and old hurts had returned with the appearance of people from his past. He put on a mask and put up a wall between Michelle and himself, their earlier intimacy forgotten in a blast from the past. Well, he had tried to build a wall between them the first day she came here, and she had knocked it down with only a few words over breakfast. And she would knock this one down, too, or her name wasn't Michelle Rosella Winterbrook.
"Erik," she said. He turned around. She took a breath, unsure how to begin. "Erik," she repeated, then picked up a small cookie from the plate and held it up. "What do you see here?" she asked.
It was a small heart-shaped cookie. "I see a cookie," Erik said in monotone.
"Is it okay to eat?" she asked.
Erik was getting suspicious. "Yes," he said warily.
Michelle broke the cookie in half. "Now what do you see?"
"A broken cookie."
"Is it still edible?"
"Yes."
Michelle nodded. "Exactly. The point of this demonstration is that a broken cookie isn't ruined. It doesn't have to be put on a shelf for the bugs or thrown away. A broken cookie," she paused to put half the cookie in Erik's mouth, "is just easier to share." She slipped the other half into her own mouth.
Erik was silent for a moment, then his eyes softened and he smiled slightly. "Thank you," he said.
Michelle felt something tighten in her chest. There was so much said in those two little words. "Hey," she replied, "What are friends for? Now take these cookies out of here before I eat them all."
Erik turned to leave. He paused at the door to look at her one more time, then went into the dinning room. *Just as I thought,* Michelle mused as she set the milk on the stove to warm. *That was about as hard as cutting soft butter with a hot knife.*
