Almost-Lost-Hope6: lol, I hope you like this chapter as you liked the last one.
An Anti-Sheep Cheese Muffin: Thank you again for informing me about my little mess up.
And to all my other readers! The 6th chapter's here! I'm headed to my dad's this weekend, but I've been working on the next chapter all this week. I'm almost done so it should be up some time next week. Have fun!
Chapter 6: Is It Love?
The lessons and rehearsals continued for months. Time seemed to go by quickly, and Victoria found that she and her daughter had spent six months in the opera house. Hamlet went off perfectly and everyone loved Victoria in it. Now everyone was eagerly waiting for their next production. Emily was now a year old, having been 6 months when they arrived to the Opera Populaire. Slowly she was learning how to talk and walk, making Victoria very proud. She had even become adapted to Erik to the point where she called him 'dada' during one of his visits. Victoria thought back to the memory of Erik's surprise when Emily called him dada, and it brought a smile to her face.
She had made wonderful friends in the opera house, Meg and Nicole almost seemed like family to her now. From the end of rehearsals to when she had her lessons with Erik, she spent it with them. However, she had yet to tell them about where she went every night after she left them.
Through the six months that they had been at the opera house, Victoria found herself growing fonder of her teacher and friend. He would come for her every night at 8:30 just like he said and they would work well into the night. Occasionally, when she would get tired and he would let her rest on the swan bed with Emily. She even found her and her daughter spending nights in Erik's home, which neither he or she minded. But her curiosity always bugged her as to why he wore his mask, though she never asked.
One night, during the music lesson a cry disrupted both Victoria and Erik. "Dada! Dada!" they heard Emily cry from other room. Victoria smiled and turned to Erik, "I believe she's calling for you." Erik laughed softly and stood up, "I will see to her, you stay here and rest." She nodded and sat down on the organ bench, watching his back as he walked to the room.
"What's the matter, Emily?" he asked quietly, sitting next to her on the bed and placing her in his lap. She cried into his chest, her small hands gripping at his shirt. He checked her diaper to see if he was wet and found that she wasn't, he couldn't see that she was hungry, so he assumed she had a bad dream. Rocking her in his arms, he shushed her. "It was only a dream, ma petite ange. Everything is alright now, I'm here," he whispered, rubbing her back. Her cries subsided somewhat, coming in small whimpers now. So he sang to calm her, "Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation…Darkness stirs and wakes imagination…Silently the senses abandon their defenses…"
Victoria heard him sing from where she sat. Smiling to herself, she stood up and tiptoed over to the bedroom. She peaked her head around the doorway and saw him sitting on the bed, Emily in his arms, as he sang to her. "Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams…Let your thoughts of life you knew before…Close your eyes, let your spirits start to soar…And you'll live as you've never lived before…" She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as she listened to him. His voice was intoxicating, almost hypnotic. She realized it then, she had fallen for this man. Her eyes opened in shock.
Am I really in love with Erik? She thought to herself, biting her lip. She risked another peak and saw Emily smiling fondly at him, the same smile on his face as he sang to her. "Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world…Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before…Let your soul take you where you long to be…Only then can you belong to me…Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation…Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in…To the power of the music that I write…The power of the music of the night."
She smiled at how close her daughter had gotten with this man. She was happy that she could think of him as her father if she could never know her real one. But did he want to think of Emily as a daughter? She looked back at him and noticed how gentle and loving he was with Emily. Perhaps he did think of her as a daughter. Erik's last note interrupted her thoughts, Emily now asleep in his arms. She watched as he placed a soft kiss on her head before laying her back down on the bed. She gasped softly and ran back to the bench, being as quiet as she could. She pretended to be looking over the music as she heard his footsteps come closer.
Feeling his hands on her shoulders, she smiled and looked up at him. Do I tell him I love him or not? She thought, looking into his eyes. She stood up and turned around, facing him completely. They stood like that, staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Without knowing it, they both subconsciously moved closer to each other until their noses practically touched. She was a bit hesitant at first, but the fire she saw in his eyes pushed her confidence. She raised her head and their lips touched. The kiss was slow and hesitant at first, she wrapped her arms around his neck as his encircled her waist. After a few seconds they pulled away, getting lost in each other's eyes. She smiled up at him and kissed him again, this time with more passion. Her lips molded to his, getting familiar with them. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, asking for entrance, which she gave instantly. Their tongues intermingled and danced together fervently. Finally, they came up for air minutes later. Both were breathing heavily as they looked at the other.
"Erik…?" She whispered, panting from loss of breath. "Yes, mon ange?" He whispered back, caressing her cheek. No…I won't tell him now, I'll wait a little longer, she thought to herself, not noticing that she was spacing out. "Victoria?" Erik said, looking at her with concern. Did she not like the kiss they shared? Did she think it was a mistake? His voice shook her from her daze and she smiled at him, shaking her head, "Nothing, Erik." She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed contently, "Is Emily alright?" He paused before he nodded, Perhaps she does not carry the same feelings for me as I do for her…"Yes, she's fine, my dear. Shall we continue our lesson now?" She lifted her head from his shoulder and smiled fondly at him, "Of course." She kissed him lightly on the lips before pulling away and standing behind him. Erik paused when she let go of him and grinned to himself, Maybe she does care for me…
They finished the lesson around midnight, Erik finally having decided that they both needed rest. As they made their way back to Victoria's dressing room with Emily, both were silent, thinking to themselves.
Do I tell her? I do care for her, but should I tell her I love her? Whatever this feeling I possess for her is, it's different from what I felt for Christine…Erik thought, surprising himself. Victoria, however, was thinking something else, How long should I wait? Do I wait for him to say something first? What if he doesn't have the same feelings? She bit her lip nervously and held Emily tighter to her.
When they reached the mirror to her dressing room, they turned to each other. Victoria opened her mouth to say something, but closed it quickly, not thinking of anything. Giving up on trying to think of something to say, she leaned closer to him and kissed his cheek before turning to leave. He grabbed her wrist before she could step through the mirror and turned her around, kissing her forcefully on the lips. She felt her knees almost buckle as she leaned against him, one of her arms steadying Emily, the other around his neck.
He pulled away a few seconds later, grinning at her dazed expression. She opened her eyes slowly, her blue eyes glazed over with passion. "What – what was that for?" she whispered, straightening herself. Erik chuckled at her stutter and ran his fingers through her hair, "A simple token of my affections and a thank you for sharing your company with me." She blushed and smiled, hugging him with her free arm.
Their close contact caused Emily to stir from her sleep. Her big eyes opened to see her mother and her 'dada' hugging, her comfortably between them. "Mama…Dada…" she said quietly, stretching her arms up to them. Victoria pulled away from Erik and looked down at Emily, smiling and lifting her up so she was sitting in her arms. Erik smiled at Emily as she grabbed one of his fingers with her hand. "Erik, I wanted to ask you something concerning Emily," Victoria said, watching them.
"Yes?" he asked, playing with Emily. "Well…I wanted you…to be her father," she said, looking down quickly. Erik look up at her, his play with Emily suddenly stopped, "Surely you can't mean…No, I-I can't be her father." She looked up at him, hurt in her eyes, "Why not? Erik, she's more drawn to you than to anyone else. She loves you and calls you her 'Dada.' You and I both know that she needs a father figure in her life, and there is no one else more suited."
Erik looked at the woman who was asking him to be the father for her child, and thought to himself, Surely she can't want a monster like me to be her daughter's father. He looked down at Emily who smiled up at him and reached for him. He picked her up and held her in his arms, studying her face. Emily laughed and enveloped her small arms around his neck as best she could, "Dada." Erik looked back at Victoria who had small, but hopeful smile on her face. He held Emily close to him and closed his eyes, thinking about what it would be like to have a child. True, she wasn't of blood, but she did look somewhat like him with her dark hair. "My dear, this has become so much for one night. Give me one day to think, and I shall give you your answer at tomorrows lesson," he said, looking down at her sadly as he held Emily out to her. She nodded and picked up Emily, laying her head on her shoulder. "Alright, I shall see you tomorrow then," she said with a faint smile, not catching his eye. She touched his shoulder lightly before departing, closing the mirror behind her.
Emily cried from being taken from Erik. "Dada!" She cried, squirming in her mother's arms. "Shhh Emily…It's alright. You'll see him tomorrow," she cooed softly, trying to calm her daughter. But Emily refused to calm down. Victoria walked over and sat down on her bed, wiping the tears from Emily's cheeks. What can I do to get her back to sleep? Erik's voice always does the trick, but what can I do? She thought, rocking Emily in her arms. Leaning her head down, she kissed Emily's forehead before she started to sing 'Music of the Night'. As she sang, Emily's cries diminished to small sniffles. Victoria knew that her voice was nowhere near Erik's but it seemed to soothe Emily none the less. By the time she finished the song, Emily was yawning and started to cuddle up to her. She smiled and placed Emily back in her crib, covering her with her blanket. "Sleep well, my angel," she whispered, brushing Emily's hair from her face as she slept peacefully.
She was about to change into her nightgown when there was a soft knock at her door. "Are you awake, Victoria?" She heard Madame Giry call through the door. "Yes madame, I shall be there in a minute," she said back to her, checking on Emily before opening the door. Madame Giry smiled warmly and said, "I apologize, my dear, for coming so late, but there is something I've been meaning to tell you. However, you were not here when I came earlier."
Victoria looked at her confused and invited her in. "What is it, Madame Giry?" she asked, closing the door and taking a seat on her bed, Madame Giry sitting across from her. "Tonight, Meg received a letter from Christine. It seems that she is coming back in a few months for the ball," the elder woman said. Victoria's confusion arose more, "What ball, madame?"
Madame Giry regarded her with a skeptical stare before she realized that she hadn't told her about the ball, "I forgot to tell you that also. We're are to have a grand masquerade ball in honor of our next production." Victoria's eyes brightened and she jumped up from her seat with excitement, forgetting about Christine's return for the moment, "Oh! A ball! How wonderful! When will it be, madame? Oh no! I have nothing to wear." Madame Giry laughed softly at the girl's antics, "Relax, dear. The ball will be in another month and fortnight, and you needn't worry about a dress. Meg and I will help you find one, and we will find one for little Emily too."
"Oh thank you, Madame Giry!" Victoria said happily as she gave her a hug. Madame Giry was taken aback slightly before she hugged her back. "You're quite welcome, my dear. Now, the reason I told you this so late was because I knew you were at your lesson with our Phantom. And I assume you know of his past with Christine," said Madame Giry as they pulled away. Victoria nodded, her happiness somewhat lessened at the thought of Christine returning. "I am unsure if Erik should be informed. So I'm leaving the decision with you, my dear. Be careful with it," Madame Giry said, moving toward the door, "I'll leave you to rest now. Goodnight, Victoria." Victoria sat down on her bed and smiled at her, "Goodnight, madame."
With that, Madame Giry left Victoria to her thoughts. She's coming back…What do I do? Should I tell him about it or not? He would get upset at this news so maybe I shouldn't tell him, but what if he gets upset with me when he sees her? She thought as she pulled off her gown. She sighed and pushed the thoughts from her mind.
Getting up, she walked in front of the mirror and slowly pulled the strings on her corset. "What do I do…?" she whispered, after finally untying the corset and throwing it aside. Her head tilted to the side as she stared at her figure in the mirror. "Erik…?" she called out softly, wondering if he still remained behind the glass. She got no answer so she assumed that he had gone home. Letting out a yawn, she walked over to her armoire and grabbed her nightgown, slipping it over her head. She thought back to when she asked Erik to father her daughter as she crawled under the covers. "Oh Erik…What can I do to make you see that both Emily and I need you in our lives?" she whispered to herself, falling asleep.
So, Christine has decided to return, and Madame Giry has left it up to Victoria for me to find out, Erik thought as he turned from the mirror. This was what he had been dreaming of for the past few years, Christine coming back and being with him. However, the joy he was supposed to feel didn't surface. I should be happy about this. Could it be because of my feelings for Victoria have overcome what I felt for Christine? He thought, making his way through the underground. He knew that she was the only person besides Madame Giry who had showing him compassion. She did not care to know what horror was behind his mask and she respected him like Christine didn't.
He ran his fingers through his hair as he reached his home. "But I loved Christine for so long, and then there's the matter of Emily. Of course I want to be her father, I love her as if she was my own. But what about Victoria and Christine…What do I do?" He muttered to himself as he got ready for bed. He got into bed and relaxed against the satin sheets. What do I do…? He thought as he fell into a uneasy sleep.
Phew! Hope you liked it guys! Review please! but I beg you, no flames!