Chapter 4: Love for the Phantom

Flashback

4 years ago

The sound of the doves' wings were heard as they flew around the church making the ceremony that much more magical. Meg looked at Erik as he held her hands, after 3 months after the terrible incident, they were married. Erik kissed her deeply and lovingly as they were pronounced husband and wife. Meg and Erik had eloped secretly, without her mother's permission, because she refused to let Meg marry so young. Erik, being 35 nearly 36 and Meg being at the tender age of 17, made Madame Giry worry about her daughters life ahead of her. Their love is what made their ages not matter. Erik and Meg were destine to love one another sooner or later. It was just on that faithful night that their eyes had met, 3 months ago.

3 months before

Meg stood in the snow and her eyes just stared at the man, that caused havoc at the Opera Populaire. She breathed deep and Erik looked at her, like a wounded beast, ready to run from the hunter.

" You're not as ignorant as you look," Erik breathed

" I'm not here to harm you," Meg whispered

" I don't care if you are," Erik spoke

His eyes were heavy and so was his breath, she could see he was shaking. She walked a little and Erik stood there, she got closer and he turned away.

" I want to help you," Meg whispered

She reached out her hand as though to try to calm him. Erik looked at her as she came closer and Meg came up to him. Her hand touched his face and he looked at her eye to eye.

" Your scared," she whispered, " You poor man."

Erik was surprised at how gentle she was with him, he felt tears fall from his face. She wiped them with her soft touch.

" My guilt is weighing heavily on my mind," Erik whispered

" I will help you," she whispered, " Save you from guilt."

Erik fell to his knees and Meg looked at him. She knelt down and looked at him, she pulled him into her grasp. There it was only warmth and tender nurturing that wove itself into fate's plans.

Love led the two lovers to sneak away to be with one another. Their desires brought them to go beyond moral rights. Erik leaned over her and stared down at her, she pulled the sheets over her soft body, Erik went down and kissed her, still leaned over her.

" I want to be with you Meg," he whispered, " I want you and I to be able to hold each other for life."

" Every waking moment," she whispered

" Everything," he whispered, " I want to wake up to see you laying by my side. I want our love to be unbreakable. Even through death."

Erik pulled down the sheets, that Meg covered herself with, he kissed her from neck to waist. Meg smiled and stroked Erik's face and looked at him.

" My mother will never agree to this Erik," Meg said

" The we elope," Erik said, " It can not be broken."

" Alright," Meg said, " Then we elope."

She laid her head on his chest and let him stroke he bare back, as they laid together.

Wedding day

" Together forever now," Meg whispered

" Never to part," Erik said

Their wedding night was eventful, with both pleasure and surprises. Meg and Erik shared their plans for their long life ahead of them.

3 months after their marriage

" Erik," Meg cried

Erik looked away as he turned her away, she walked towards her beloved.

" What's wrong?" she asked

Erik looked at his hands and saw blood painted them. Meg could sense he was falling ill. Erik collapsed on the hard wooden floor and Meg saw the blood on his hands. She had the neighbor, to retrieve the doctor, she moved him to a more comfortable place to rest. She sat by his side until Erik woke up, but it was days before he did. The doctor told her, that Erik was dying, that the disease he had was incurable. She tried to persuade the doctor to do all he could, but he told her there was nothing. He had possibly a year to live before the disease killed him.

" Am I dying?" Erik whispered

" Yes," Meg whispered

" How long do I have?" Erik whispered as he saw tears fall from her eyes

Meg grabbed his hand and kissed it then replied, " Maybe a year."
Erik grabbed her hand and Meg wrapped her arms around him.

" Oh, Erik, how could I have let this happened?" she cried

" It's not your fault," Erik whispered, " You couldn't control this."

Day by Day Meg took care of her husband, they would spend time together. Treasure each moment that held each other or kissed. Meg watched each day that Erik showed signs of becoming worse. She did not want him to leave her, her worrying made her fall ill and eat very little.

" Please, Erik," she whispered, " Hold on."

" I will, for you," Erik whispered

Winter came and suddenly darkness fell upon them, death knocked constantly at their door. Meg refused to answer it's endless banging, she would stay up just to prevent it from entering. Meg stayed with Erik for endless amounts of times and never left home.

Erik's final month came and Erik only spoke what he never got to say.

" My heart still beats for you and will never die…I will be waiting for you Meg, my sweet angel," Erik whispered, " Remember me every once in awhile."

" I promise, you will never leave my mind," Meg said, " You might fade away from this dreadful world, but not from my heart or mind. I love you Erik."

" I love…" Erik's body gave way before he could finish

Tears drowned Meg's face as she laid her head on. She reached up and shared her last kiss with him. The doctor checked him, but found he had past on. Meg wanted to stay beside him for as long as she could. Her mother embraced the young widow in her arms.

" In heaven we will be reunited,"

" Yes, Erik in heaven," she thought

18 months later

" I saw you dance Meg," a handsome young admire called

" Henri, what a surprise," she said

Meg and Henri had met at the reopening of the Opera Populaire, she and many other people from the company dedicated the Opera to the Late Phantom of the Opera. Though feared by many, there was a special feeling that made people want to see the man of mystery in the flesh. Meg took control of the ballet and her mother watched for once from the audience. Meg always danced for Erik, it was her wish to do so. Her heart was put into it, every show, every movement. Each time she leapt into the air her arms reached out, as though to reach up to heaven.

By the end of the year, Meg had married once again, but she still dwelled in the past. He was no Erik, he never would be, but he loved her anyway. He was always there to support her and always there to comfort her. Henri took care of his widowed wife and though happiness was not their bestfriend, they lived.

By the end of third year Meg found herself drifting away from Henri and she stayed close to the cellar. She held her head up high for her students and cried for hours afterwards. Meg's life was different, she was not the Meg, that danced for music, but for her late husband.

Meg found herself taking care of a Phantom, a man she had found wondering the streets. He dwelled in darkness and spoke of betrayal in his life. His face was destroyed and for the moment she thought it was Erik. She knew other wise, but took him in and he spoke of the name Nicolas. It was then that a new story began, the Phantom of the Opera's ghost had come to the Opera Populaire.

" Dear sweet Phantom, don't dwell," Meg whispered, " Be free."