17 Journey to the Cemetery
Restless and feeling the need to move, Ivy had decided to go visit Madame Giry to make sure there wasn't anything she could do that would take her mind off of the situation. Erik was becoming like a totally different person, one which Ivy hardly recognized. He had been driven to things before, but nothing quite like this. Knocking on the woman's door, Ivy pushed back the hood from her cloak and smiled. "Ivy my dear.. please come in.. I was going to come find you this evening." she cooed, bringing Ivy into her room and shutting the door behind them.
"You were? What about Madame Giry?" Ivy sat herself down in the tiny chair across from the woman as she had done so many times before. "About... Erik's Opera... I'm not even quite sure we're doing it so far, the managers have insisted they want nothing to do with it, but .. I thought I should warn you just in case. He's written you a part..." Ivy looked a bit stunned and gave a nod of her head for her to go on. "The part is silent, so do not worry about that, but it does have you dancing.. you'll always be on stage without a break. He's insisted that no one but you play the part dear... do you know why?"
Ivy shook her head, her eyebrows knitted together. "On stage the whole time? But even Christine isn't on stage the whole time, are you sure there isn't some sort of mistake?" to which Madame Giry shook her head. "No my child, he made it very obvious and pointed out to me which role you were to have. You will need a partner but... all of that can be arranged in time, if we do the Opera. The managers are speaking of doing Don Giovanni instead." she gave a little sigh and her own look of discontentment and spoke once again. "I do not know why he has requested such a thing, but I thought you should know.."
Ivy gave a nod of her head, silent for a moment as she was lost in her own thoughts. Obviously he had done this before her outburst at him earlier. She had not regretted the things she had said to him, but at the same time she wished she could just take it all back. She loathed standing up to him in any sort of fashion, when it made him so angry at her. He needed someone to obey his every wish and desire and it seemed that neither her, nor Christine was that woman.
"Thank you Madame Giry for telling me.. I suppose I shall just have to find out then, if and when we begin the Opera." Ivy smiled and felt her hand patted by the older woman's. "You've no idea what Don Juan Triumphant is about do you, Ivy?" she asked gently. Ivy shook her head, casting her gaze down on the floor. "No Madame.. he has been quite secretive with the whole thing."
Madame Giry began to explain the plot of the Opera though Ivy had stopped listening half way through. She realized that a great many details were inspired by their own true life and put up a hand. "Please Madame Giry.. I do not wish to hear the end of this. If I am to do this Opera I shall know it then but I just.. I cannot." Ivy realized she was at near tears and kissed Madame Giry's cheek. "I must go back.. I am sorry Madame Giry.. please forgive my rudeness." she left the room quickly, leaving a stunned Madame Giry in her room. Could things be that bad that mere words of the Phantom's plan had drove Ivy to tears? She had sincerely hoped not.
As Ivy escaped the room, her hands up to her eyes wiping away at the tears, she felt someone come behind her in a rush. "Ivy.. Ivy.. please tell me you've seen Christine.." she turned around to find Raoul by her side, his face as flustered and nervous as she had been moments before. "Christine.. no I was visiting Madame Giry.. I..." she stopped, realizing what he meant. "She is gone? Again?" Ivy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. No doubt that she had been lured somehow down into the catacombs. "I do not understand it.. I had barely closed my eyes.. I was standing guard at that room. No one could've come in and grabbed her I ..." Raoul seemed to be caught off guard by something, going to the window.
Ivy opened her eyes, realizing Raoul had stopped speaking and came to him, peering out of the window beside him. There below was a stage coach with Christine in the back seat. Both sets of eyes widened as they realized that perhaps she was not alone. Turning towards each other, Raoul made to try and get around Ivy who shook her head. "Raoul.. please.. Viscount... take me with you.. please do not hurt him.. " Even after all this she would still protect him, and she felt sick with herself for it. "We have to stick together.."
Raoul gazed at her and realized perhaps it was for the best, maybe this girl could talk some sense into him, or at the very least could help him keep them apart. He nodded and took her hand as they fled downstairs and out towards the stable. There lie a man, rubbing his head and barely concious. Ivy knelt down beside him as Raoul had gone to get a horse. "Monsieur... where did that carriage go... did someone.. hit you?" she asked, the man looked up at her as if trying to regain his wits.
"Idiot knocked me on the head and took my place, he did!" He rubbed at his head some more. "I believe the Mademoiselle had wanted to be off to the cemetary where her father was buried." Ivy thanked the heavens that they knew where to go and got up, going to Raoul who offered her his hand to get on the horse. He was beginning to be annoyed at the girl who had clearly never ridden one, having to stop and get her up on the horse. "There's no time for you to sit like a proper lady.. just hold onto me and it will be alright. Which way will they go?" Raoul asked, kicking the horse into gear. Ivy squealed at the movement and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "To the cemetary..."
18 Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
As the two road silent through the snow on horseback, Ivy's face buried against the Viscounts back out of warmth and nothing else she closed her eyes and tried to tell herself that this time, this was it. There was no more helping or rescuing him if he didn't want her help. And to demand that she have a part in his Opera without even asking, she'd have to just tell him no about that too. The dancer part of her that longed to be on stage was having great difficulty in accepting that, but Ivy forced it down and thought about something else instead.
Ivy remembered bitterly, the first time that Erik had saw Christine. The girl had been orphaned, much like herself though much younger when it had happened to her. She had been brought to the Opera and trained as a ballet dancer as soon as she was old enough, but Erik had found that gift for song tucked deep down in her soul. It had been an accident that they had found each other, Christine and Meg Giry having found a secret hiding place where Christine would light candles for her father.
The room also had served as a convienient exit up towards the Opera from the catacombs without being heard or seen, and this is where Erik had found her. He had been about to step into the room from behind the wall when he had heard the sweetest most angelic singing. True, the voice behind it was only a small girl and at the time, he was 19 and only beginning to think of himself as a man. He stayed unmoving and silent, just listening to her sing, when he had decided to sing back to her. Hearing the voice, Christine had called him her Angel of Music. And yet the two never saw each other.
Erik had come back to the catacombs later that evening, telling Ivy the tale of the little girl who thought of him as an Angel. At the time, he had laughed, though Ivy could tell in his eyes that he felt almost at peace. It would be the only time in his life that anyone would ever call him that and they both knew it. He was Ivy's angel in many ways, but she would never tell him that. She too was beginning to grow up and her own crush was beginning to take form.
At first Ivy didn't mind Erik coming and going to Christine and hearing her sing as she grew. And the two had still never seen each other for quite some time. It wasn't until Christine had turned become a young woman herself that Erik ever saw her. It was his first time ever demanding that Box Five be left empty for he and Ivy's use. The two in their teen years had done a superb job of making everyone think there was a ghost in the Opera house. Using every trick and corner, they got the Opera manager to leave money for them in which Ivy would use for supplies and food, and now they could actually get to watch the Operas.
The plan was simple, Ivy was to go first since everyone had already known her, and never suspected her to be in league with the Opera Ghost, or be one herself. She was to be seen as she lead Erik through the shadows up to the boxes. Ivy had stood by the door to box five and found it empty, just like they were promised. She had snuck Erik in, making sure all of the curtains were drawn and no attention was to be made. They watched humbly as the Opera began, until Christine had entered.
She had no part, only in the ballet dancing next to her best friend Meg Giry and in truth it was Ivy who had had to point Christine out. "Look.. see the second row of dancers? Last from the left... That... that is your Christine, Erik." Ivy had whispered to him, and immediately Erik had become entranced. His eyes never left the girl dancing on the stage the whole rest of the night, and Ivy had wondered if pointing her out was the right thing to do. And now, oh how she wished she could change the past. Ivy was desperately in love with him at that point, the only man she had ever known to care for her. But he saw her as a sister perhaps, nothing more.
"You'll find love, Erik.." Ivy remembered telling him in that box, watching Christine for the first time. "And she will love you like no woman has ever loved another man, and then you won't have a need for me anymore." and to her surprise he had taken her hand and turned towards her. "No one will take your place Ivy.. you are always first in my life." he had told her, smiling on one of those rare occassions. Ivy had sat back contented, but as she watched him watch her, she wondered how long she was to be first.
19 Wandering Child
Raoul's voice brought her out of her stupor in a flash she had her head up. "Ivy.. we're nearly there.. " he roused her as they came close to the cemetary. "Raoul... do you ever wonder why we both bother? They keep getting pulled to each other." Ivy spoke quietly but loud enough for him to hear, and to her surprise Raoul had nodded. "I think about that all of the time, and then I realize how much I love her and how much.. " he trailed off, it obvious on his tongue he was going to say something desparaging about the man Ivy loved. "I'm not sure how much more I can do this, Raoul..." Ivy told him, and Raoul had only nodded, heading into the Cemetary.
As they rounded the corner, nearly missing some of the tombstones and both nearly chilled to the bone they had found the one thing they had dreaded most. Christine was at her father's masoleum, her voice longing to see her Angel of Music once more. Ivy knew that Erik was there, and calling to her though she could not tell from where. Suddenly she heard Raoul's voice cry out "Christine, no! Stop!" the horse had come to a stop and Raoul had dismounted without even waiting for Ivy.
As Ivy tried to get herself down out of the horse, she saw as Raoul had gone to Christine, explaining that Erik was a monster and definitely not her father. "I can prove it but you must come with me.." And it was then that Erik had come out of hiding. He leapt on the Viscount, knocking him down onto the ground and in a flash, both men had their swords drawn. Ivy scrambled off the horse, only landing herself in a clump in the snow. Getting up, she noticed that both men were heading for Christine who seemed to be paralyzed with fear, or perhaps something else.
20 The Swordfight
Ivy rushed at Christine, knocking her back onto the steps just in time for both blades to come crashing down where Christine had once stood. They had almost killed her in a fit of awful rage. Christine had let out a yelp of surprise and looked up at Ivy with a bit of wonderment. "Ivy? What are you doing here?" Christine had seemed to forget that the two men before her were fighting a duel over her no doubt. Ivy turned her head to see both men struggling and Ivy got up, grabbing Christine to move her away safely.
"I... " Ivy began, unsure of how to proceed. "I came with Raoul.. I was scared for.. for your safe... ty." she finished, panting for breath. She gasped, seeing Erik slash at the Viscount leaving a thin red line of blood across his arm. "Oh god.." Ivy heard Christine mumble, her hand up over her mouth. "I came for him... Erik.. that's his name.. " Christine looked over at her, her hand never moving from her mouth. "You know him? The Phantom?"
"Yes.. I.. I've always known him.. it's a rather long story we don't have time to get into Christine and Raoul can fill you in later but you are not safe with him." Ivy admitted, though it broke her heart. "His obsession over you is maddening.. I've never seen anything like it." Looking over at Christine she saw the girl almost ready to faint perhaps and Ivy put an arm around her to steady her. "I came because of him, not you Christine.. I lied.. earlier.. I.. I love him.."
The younger girl's eyes had gone wide at Ivy's admission and finally she had removed her hand to say something but saw that both men were going in for the kill. Raoul had knocked Erik back onto his back and drew back his sword ready to end it. "No Raoul.. no..... please... for her." Christine shouted out. Raoul stopped and moved to put his sword away and turned his back. Ivy saw that Erik moved to get up and left Christine's side to go to his. Erik's fingers over the butt of the sword, he moved to strike the young man when his back was turned but Ivy's hand stayed him. "Erik no... Christine is right... she will hate you if you do this.. please.."
Erik's eyes finally seemed to take in the fact that Ivy was there and slowly he put his sword back through it's sheath. The young lovers had gotten back up on the horse that delievered Raoul and Christine and galloped off without a word. The Phantom's eyes followed them as they rode out of sight and he stood, spitting out blood. "Now... let it be war.. upon you both." he growled. Wordlessly he grabbed Ivy by the wrist and marched her off towards the carriage he had driven earlier.
"What were you doing here?" Erik demanded gruffly, making sure that Ivy was catching up as they walked through the snow. "I came to stop him.... from killing you. If he went alone he surely would've tried and I couldn't live with myself..." Ivy wrenched her arm out of his grip angrily and rubbed at it as if in pain. "You both were going to kill each other, and then where would your precious Christine be? She'd hate you.. can you take that? Her hatred?"
Erik had gotten up into the carriage and shook his head, the only evidence he had even been listening. He had gone angrily silent again which suited Ivy just fine. She was tired of fighting with him almost as much as saving him from his own obsession. As she sat back in the carriage on the ride home, she put her head in her hands and determined that she would not help him again. And even though she was as determined as she could possibly be, fate would still step in for her to play the role of saviour.
As they arrived back at the Opera house, and everything had been put back in his place, and they were back on their way to their home, Erik spoke. "Thank you... for saving me.. again and helping me not to make a mistake.." his words were deep and he obviously didn't mean them, or perhaps he did but he certainly didn't like saying them. But truth was, was that if he didn't apologize to Ivy, she might not agree to go along with his plan for the Opera. He needed her there, for any of this to work. Everything was relying on her to accept his role.
Ivy nodded at him, pulling her cloak further around her. "It's alright Erik... I just do what I must. But please.. for now... please can we light a fire tonight? I'm afraid we're both catch our deaths if we do not warm up soon." Thankful for the change in discussion, Erik's expression lightened some. "I believe you are right my dear.. a fire we shall have as we dry ourselves out from all this dreadful snow. No wonder I don't go outside, it's rather cold." and then he smirked, and Ivy started to laugh. The Phantom had just told a joke. Maybe things would be better after all.