Chapter XIV- Life and Death

Meg stared at the ceiling. How long had she been confined in this room? A week already? It felt like a month. She was trapped, as sure as they had shut her inside a barred cage. The rules were quite clear- no leaving the room when a child is about to be born.

It was still quite a ways away, but Mama had insisted Meg be locked away much sooner. Confined to her room. Mama had said that stress from the upcoming execution might cause an early labor.

Meg felt fine. Depressed beyond all reason, yes, but otherwise fine. There were so many things that she had wanted to do with Erik before… well…. Before she was confined.

Those stupid etiquette rules. They drove her mad. She wanted to be outside… with Erik. Yes, he came to visit her in her cage often, but he had to leave to do things- exercise César, go get some food for the both of them, go compose. She didn't blame him at all for leaving her. Who wanted to be shut up in a cage?

And poor Meg was left staring at the ceiling in despair until someone decided to peek in on her.

This was what she was doing now. Waiting for someone to decide to come in and see her. She felt… annoyed. But, apparently, one will have to sacrifice for one's children. Even if they were not born yet.

Mama wasn't even willing to let Meg go to the execution… it was the end of July and August was coming up soon. If Mama had thought that Meg would just be obedient and stay in her room while her husband was being put to death- well, she definitely had another thing coming.

This was going to be a very, very, very trying two months.

Both husband and wife did not sleep the night of August Second. They were stunned- nothing to say to each other that could possibly come close to what they were feeling.

Meg felt like the bed was a coffin- the two of them just laying there and not moving or making any sound at all.

Oh, God, she wanted to die! She was so tired, so weary. She had learned to love God as a child, but God just didn't seem to love her at all.

Oh, Erik, I'm so sorry. I've failed you. She found herself thinking, miserably. I'm not strong. I didn't protect you. She turned her head to face Erik. He was facing back at her. Not really seeing her again. He had been doing that more and more lately- being lost in his own dreamland.

"I'm so sorry. God, I'm so sorry, Erik. Useless, useless!" She murmured, putting her hands over her eyes and shaking her head no, back and forth, back and forth. Nobody heard her apology.

Meg wanted to scream, to hurt herself. She was disgusted- absolutely disgusted- with herself. She hated herself so fully at that moment and jealousy that she thought had gone away- jealousy of Christine- resurfaced. Meg got up and started to pace around the room. Delirium seized her and she grabbed scissors from the desk and placed them over her right wrist.

If you have any courage, something told her. Somewhere in the back of her mind. You'll put an end to it all.

No.

Coward. The voice said again.

No, she wasn't a coward. And she wouldn't do it. She wouldn't take the easy way out. She gripped the scissors, ready to put them back on the desk… that was until Erik yelled and grabbed them roughly away from her.

"What the hell were you doing?" He yelled at her. He held the wrist- the one she had wanted to cut- in his hand, roughly. Painfully. He shoved the scissors back into the desk drawer and locked it. "Don't you ever- ever- try to do that again!"

He was furious. He yelled at her, screamed, shook her.

"I wasn't going to," she said, meekly. "I was putting it back."

Erik growled in agonizing fury, and Meg wanted to drive back into bed and below the safety of the covers. He released her, throwing her hand back down onto the desk. He held it down so her forearm was facing up, and rolled up one of his sleeves. He placed it next to Meg's for comparison.

There were long scars on his forearms, jagged, ugly. "Look at this." He said, raging. "Look, God damn you."

She closed her eyes. She didn't want to see. She could take Erik's unmasked face, his real self- but the knowledge that he had harmed himself- unbearable.

"Don't you ever- ever- do this to yourself." He said, dropping her wrist down. Meg cradled her arm, feeling pain. She was quite sure he had left a bruise on her arm.

Erik moved away from her, facing the window, shocked. She was his anchor. And she was slipping away. She slipped her arms around him, and he didn't move in a refusing way or an admitting way. He just stood there.

She buried her head in his shoulder. "Erik," She said, sadly. "I'm sorry." That was when he placed his hands over hers, accepting her apology. He must have known it was heartfelt.

Caressa's knock came much too soon. It was at five o'clock, sharp. "Master, Mistress," She said, sadly. "It's time to get ready."

Meg's eyes opened and closed, and she soon found herself lying flat on the window seat. She had fallen asleep there. Erik was asleep as well, (or at least he pretended to be) his head resting on her chest. She didn't want to wake up. She didn't want him to wake up.

He was peaceful, and alive. Oh, Erik, she thought. I wish I could protect you. But she couldn't. She had failed.

She had failed him, herself, and their baby.

"Mrs. Giry?" Caressa said, sadly.

"We're coming," Meg said, finding her voice. She heard Caressa's footsteps fading away.

"Erik," She said, sweetly. "Erik," again, this time shaking him slightly, and caressing his face lovingly. After today she could only do that in her dreams. "Wake up,"

He moaned slightly, and his eyes flickered open. Oh, don't cry. Meg thought, furiously with herself. If there was anything Erik needed right now, it was strength.

She smiled, weakly. "Time to get up."

Erik obeyed, not saying a word. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, to absorb him so nothing could hurt Erik anymore. He would be safe inside of her, just like the baby.

He grudgingly began to dress, and Meg followed his example. She picked out the gown Erik had liked best (ironically, it was black) and slipped it on.

He watched her. He asked her to leave her hair down. He loved her hair down. He helped her button the dress. He rubbed her shoulders, from behind her. She wanted to remember the way he made her feel forever, so she closed her eyes and leaned her head on his shoulder, guiding his hands all over her body.

It would be the last time. "I love you," She whispered, and he lowered his head to capture every sound she made. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," He said, kissing her jawbone. "My angel…" he whispered.

Caressa came in, saying that the police had come to take Erik away. For the first time, Meg thought she might have seen tears in Caressa's eyes. She felt a rushing surge of gratitude for that woman.

Erik's arms retracted around her waist and Meg almost cried. Erik walked to the door, and Meg cried out, rushing towards him. She hugged him again, and he let her, hugging her back and kissing the top of her head many times, before he gently disentangled their bodies and opened the door.

The policemen were kind and did not handcuff him. He was just led to the carriage, and Meg followed him out to the carriage drive, and stood stupidly, looking at the carriage drive away- at him- like a stupid rag doll.

She saw him turn back to look at her, as he and the policemen drove away.

At precisely seven in the morning, the household left for the gallows in various stages of doom and despair. But none so depressed as Erik's little wife, Meg.

She arrived to the gallows, and the much of the crowd parted for her, whispering about her unfortunate circumstances, and wasn't she a bit far along to be gallivanting around Anjou? Eight months pregnant and all…

Even the baby protested these words. It rolled and kicked painfully, unhappy.

She got to about halfway through the crowd when Erik was brought out. He was tied at the hands and feet by rope. Meg began to fight to the front, desperate. "Erik!" She screamed. "Erik! Erik!"

She roughly pushed people out of the way, and even accidentally shoved a very old crone down to the ground (though she helped her up anyway) and the little boy at her side watched Erik hypnotically.

"Erik!" She screamed, and held out her hand, trying desperately to touch him. He held out his two bound hands, but they just couldn't reach each other. "Don't let them do this! Don't let them kill you!" She screamed.

Erik couldn't hear her, and she screamed it louder and louder. The executioner pushed him up the stairs and slipped the noose around his neck.

Meg was weeping hysterically. She would catch his body when he fell. He would not leave this earth without love.

"Any last words?" the Executioner said, gruffly, his hand fingering the lever.

"Yes… I'm not-," Erik began, fingering something in his hand.

"STOP!" A shout echoed through the crowd and everyone looked to see who had cried out. The Emperor strode through the crowd, pushing people away and going up to the gallows.

Meg held her breath as the Emperor pulled the noose off of Erik roughly and pushed him away from the platform.

Oh… my… God…

"You're free. I pardon you." The Emperor said, looking like a mess. His voice was shaky and he was torn apart by guilt. "Get… out." He snarled, and cut the ropes around his wrists.

Erik stared at him, and Meg let out a cry, and ran up the stairs and straight into Erik's arms. They kissed each other frantically, moving their hands up and down each other's body. Like they were trying to make sure each other was real, and not a dream.

The crowd grumbled and moved away from the execution site- extremely unhappy at not seeing someone die.

The Emperor watched all of this, sad and depressed. He slowly descended down the stairs and joined Little Jammes. Theywere about to get into his phaeton when Meg ran up behind him.

"Henri, wait." She said. He turned, pain and self-sacrifice all over his face.

She had no words to thank him. They were not expressive enough. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed both his cheeks. "Thank you," She said.

The Emperor started to weep. "Forgive me." He closed the door of the phaeton and they drove off.

Meg watched him drive off, and then ran to Erik (who had happily abandoned the gallows platform for the ground), trying to make sure that she wasn't dreaming at all.

A heavy cloud lifted as Erik lifted her and swung her around- her feet never touching the ground.

He set her down and started to kiss her again, relief in every feature of both of them. That was until Meg backed away, alarmed.

"What is it?" He said, still giddy.

"I… I think my water just broke." She said, loudly and frightened. Madame Giry, Caressa, and Jean-Paul hurried and took her to the carriage. She cried out desperately for Erik, who was right behind her, feeling lost.

AN- YAY!

This was so much fun to write!

Ah… I feel so happy. And it's only like, ten minutes before my carpool comes for school…

Review Response time!

MadamoiselleJustica: Awwww! Thank you so much! That is so sweet- Oh, you totally made my day.

Diana-Lupin- Aww, thank you! LOL! You know what that reminds me of? That part of Aladdin where Iago mimics Jafar and goes "On a scale of One to ten, you are an eleven." LOL! I love that movie...

And everyone else (to which I will write a personal thank you to next chapter-I am so tired…)

Thank you for your reviews! 3

Phantom Update!

I have now finished Phantom! IT WAS SOOOO GOOD!

Unfortunately, the ending kind of creeped the heck out of me… did anyone else get creeped out? Or was it just me?

R

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Or I'll write a review song. Grrr.