Chapter 7: A Surprise Visit
She ran through the burning opera house looking for Emily. "Emily! Emily! Emily, where are you!" She shouted, coughing from the smoke. She paused in her running to look around at everyone else trying to escape in frenzy. "Someone please! I can't find my daughter! Please help me!" she cried to them as they passed her by. "Erik! I need your help!" she cried out, tears now pouring from her eyes as she looked around for him.
She looked up and saw him in the rafters, staring down at her. "Erik! I can't find Emily!" she shouted, ignoring the fire that burned around him. There seemed to be another figure standing with him, but all she could see was the figure of a woman with dark curly hair. Her eyes squinted to see who it was, but instead, she saw Emily being held by Erik, safe in his arms. Because she was distracted, she did not notice one of the burning walkways in the rafters fall on top of her, trapping her legs and preventing her escape. She cried out in pain as the fire burned her legs, the flames slowly inching up the rest of her body. "Erik! Someone help me!" She cried, trying to claw her way out from under the wood. The last thing she saw before the flames consumed her was Erik kissing the woman, still holding Emily in his arms.
"No!"
"NO!" She shouted, sitting up in her bed quickly. She looked around at her surroundings and saw that she was still in her dressing room, Emily still asleep in her crib. "It was just a dream…Just a horrible nightmare," she muttered to herself, her hand on her chest as she tried to slow her racing heart.
Tears formed in her eyes as she got out of the bed and walked into the bathroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and grimaced at the sight. She was deathly pale, paler than usual, and her nightgown was covered in sweat. She turned on the faucet and filled the sink with cool water. As she splashed the water on her face she couldn't help but think back to her nightmare. What did it mean? Why was the opera house burning down and who was that woman with Erik? She shook her head of those thoughts and drained the sink. She had to see him; she had to be with him. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was only four in the morning, no one would be up for another few hours. She had time.
Quickly, she pulled on a robe over her nightgown and picked up the sleeping Emily, resting her on her shoulder. She also picked up Emily's blanket and wrapped it around her before setting off to find Erik.
Erik on the other hand kept having restless dreams about a certain dark haired soprano. Christine…he thought in his sleep, tossing and turning as he dreamt of the last night they were together. He'd had the same dream many times before, and they all ended the same way. With him alone and no one to comfort him. It was natural that he expected this dream to end the same way. However, there was a new twist added to it.
After Erik told Christine he loved her, and after she left, there was a white light that blinded him. Shielding his eyes from the light, he saw a slender figure step from it and walk toward him. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime…Let me lead you from your solitude…Say you'll want me with you here, beside you…Anywhere you go let me go too…Erik, that's all I ask of you!" A beautiful voice sang to him. He looked into the light to see a pair of deep blue eyes staring at him kindly. Is that…?
However, Erik was roused from his dream by the sound of something clattering to the floor. He swiftly got out of bed and grabbed his Punjab lasso, moving quietly toward the sound of the noise. "Could I be any louder?" he heard a female voice whisper. He did not turn the corner to see who it was, but he heard footsteps come closer to him. He gripped his lasso tighter and when the figure rounded the corner, he wrapped it around her neck, cutting off any air supply. "WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" He shouted at the woman.
Victoria gasped for breath, trying to fill her lungs with air. "Erik…Erik, it's me…" she managed to whisper. Apparently he didn't hear her and tightened the rope. She found herself thankful that she put Emily in the other bed before she came to his room because she was losing strength fast. Her hands grabbed the rope and tried to pull it away from her. "ANSWER ME!" He yelled at the woman, tilting her head back with the rope so he could see her.
What he saw made him drop the rope immediately, causing Victoria to fall to the ground, grabbing her throat as she coughed and took deep breaths. Erik backed away from her into a wall as he stared in horror. "V-Victoria…I…I'm so sorry…" he whispered, sinking into the shadows. "I had - I had to be with you…" she said hoarsely. She looked up at him, breathing heavily. Standing up slowly, she rubbed her neck and stared into his eyes. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have come without consulting you," she said, her eyes cast downward.
Erik stared at her in shock and amazement. He almost killed her and here she was apologizing to him, acting as if what he just did didn't even happen. "You're welcome in my home any time you wish. You know that…" He said, trying to hide in the shadows. "Erik, why do you hide from me?" She said cautiously, walking toward him. "After what I just did, you have the audacity to ask me that?" Erik asked her, slight annoyance in his tone. She sighed and took his hand, pulling him out of the darkness that surrounded him, "Erik, I understand why you did it and I'm not angry at you if that's what you're worried about." She put his hand against her cheek and closed her eyes. "How could you? I could have killed you," he whispered, ashamed of himself. "But you didn't," she said quietly, opening her eyes and staring into his, "Erik, I know why you protect yourself so. I do not blame you for it. I had to come back." He gazed at her with slight confusion, "What do you mean, my dear?" She felt her eyes fill with tears once more as she remembered the dream, "I had a horrible dream, and I had to see you."
He brought his arms around her small frame and held her to him as she sobbed. "Tell me what happened in your dream," he whispered to her, rubbing her back. She recalled the details of her dream as much as she could through her sobs. When she was finished, her tears had dried out and now she lie in his arms, an almost blank expression on her face. "I was afraid that if I didn't come, you would somehow be taken from me," she said in a monotonous voice. Erik lifted her head by her chin to look at him. Her eyes were bloodshot and tear stains coursed down her cheeks. He brought his lips to hers and kissed her gently, holding her face in his hands. "Nothing can take me from you, mon ange," he said to her once he broke the kiss. "Actually, Erik…I'm not so sure about that," she muttered, pulling out of his grasp.
She hung her head and walked out of the room. He knew she was going to tell him about Christine and he respected her more now for that. Walking out of the room, he saw her sitting at his organ, running her fingers over the keys. He walked up beside her and took her hand in his, "What's the matter?" She sighed deeply and looked up at him, unshed tears in her eyes. "She's coming back, Erik. Christine is to return to the Opera Populaire within the month and a half for a ball," There, I said it. Now he'll probably not want to see me anymore so he can prepare for her arrival, she felt her heart sink at the thought.
She looked away from him, pulling her hand from his, "I…can understand if you do not wish to see me again." Erik smiled gently and turned her face to him, "Whether or not Christine's return is to affect me is yet to be seen, but you child, still have your lessons. And you must not miss them." She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it silently and nodded.
"Mama? Dada?" They heard a small voice say from the doorway. They turned and saw Emily standing there, trying to balance herself unsteadily. Victoria's eyes widened and got up from her seat beside Erik, rushing over to Emily before she fell. She picked her up and brought her back to where she left Erik, "Emily, sweetie, did you walk all the way over here by yourself?" Emily laughed and nodded, her hair flailing everywhere. Victoria looked at her in shock then laughed loudly, hugging her, "Oh Emily! I'm so proud of you!"
Erik watched the moment between mother and daughter with a warm smile. I do love them both, he thought as he watched Victoria try to get Emily to walk again. He walked over to them and kneeled behind Victoria, extending his arms out to the infant, "Come to me Emily. Come to Dada." Emily smiled at him and ran over to him as fast as her small legs could carry her. Victoria froze when she heard him speak, Did he say what I think he did? She stood up and turned slowly, seeing Erik throwing Emily in the air and catching her. "Erik, did you really mean what you just said?" she asked over Emily's laughs. Erik stopped tossing Emily and held her in his strong arms as he looked over at Victoria, "Of course, my dear. Have I ever lied to you?" She smiled at him and shook her head, covering her mouth as she yawned.
"You must be tired. Come, you and Emily will stay here tonight and I shall bring you both back tomorrow," Erik said, walking back over to her. She nodded, yawning again and took Emily from his arms. Emily followed her yawn in suit and rested her head on her mom's shoulder, falling asleep.
Erik led them back to the swan bed and tucked both of them in. He was about to leave when Victoria called out to him. "Erik," she leaned up on her elbows, smiling as he turned around. "Yes?" He said as he stood in the doorway. "Thank you…for everything," she said, a small blush creeping on her cheeks. Erik grinned and walked back over to her. He knelt down to her level and took her hand in his, his other hand caressing her cheek, "It is I who should be thanking you. You've given me so much that I'd never thought I'd have again." She smiled gently and laced her fingers with his. He kissed her forehead and whispered, "Now go to sleep. I shall see you in the morning." She nodded and laid back against the satin pillows, closing her eyes. "Good night Erik," she said quietly as she fell into a deep sleep.
"Good night Victoria, mon ange," he said quietly, kissing her cheek. He walked to the other side of the bed and kissed Emily on the cheek. He blew out the candle on the bedside table and left quietly.
There you go guys, chapter 7. Lemme know what you think. I'm tryin to think of more to put in chapter 8 and any help is appreciated. No flames please!