OMG Thank you guys! Ohh, I wanna give you all hugs! Oh, and I'm finally allowed back on the comp, and I got the Phantom DVD! HaHa so far, in a matter of 2 days, I have watched it... let's see... 6 or 7 times... (I think I watched it either 3 or 4 times Friday, and 3 times Saturday, let's see how many times I can watch it today! LOL But you guys rock! 50 reviews? -Tear- I'm so happy I could just... -sniffle-... ... ... You guys are the best!
Oh yeah, and I was proofreading my story, and I decided to read my previous chappies... I'm so so sorry for all of the spelling errors! If it bugs anyone to the point of insanity, I'm so so so sorry! I'll do better in the future, I promise!
Disclaimer: I do not own PotO.
Erik woke up early in the morning, and he got out of his coffin with a groan. He had had an unusually peaceful sleep... Erik wandered out of his room and over to his organ in the main room, making not a sound as he walked. Carefully so as not to wake Jane, he sat at the bench and began to play a song he made up on spur of the moment.
It was a wonderful, (and characteristically unlike Erik) light song, climbing up the scale and back down again, over and over yet never in the same way twice. Erik let his emotions out through his organ: his magnificent, passionate feelings for Jane. Instruments were his tools; with them he spoke the beautiful language that few other than him could: the glorious language of music.
Jane's eyes fluttered open, and her ears were filled instantly with the sweet melody that Erik played. She listened to his song for a second, then swung her legs out of bed. She started to approach her wardrobe, but something on a chair caught her eye. It was her Hannibal costume.
How long has it been since I've practiced? Jane asked herself. I've been so caught up in my singing... I'm probably out of shape. She pulled on the costume and stretched her legs out, gasping every once in a while at the effort. Once she was fully stretched and loose enough, she began to dance.
She made up her own steps, each graceful and majestic in its own way, and she marveled at how easy it was to dance to Erik's music. The song wasn't too fast, so that she lost her breath, and yet it wasn't too slow, so that each step had to be strenuously held for seconds on end. Jane chassed and twirled beautifully around her room, an she did not notice when Erik stopped playing. The whole of her mind was completely focused on her dance, as was the mind of the man watching outside her door.
Erik sighed inaudibly from outside Jane's room. Jane was so beautiful; it almost scared him to think that something so perfect could love him. She had been dancing... to his music, and she enjoyed it, judging by the peaceful look on her face. He watched as Jane lifted herself onto her toes, her arms poised above her head in an elegant pose, and his heart skipped a beat, stunned by her flawless movement. She was like water, flowing, and, in a way, vital for the lives of many (for Erik had decided that, should she change her mind about loving him, he would still carry out his plan to destroy the opera house). She also seemed to be very slippery, sliding through his fingers no matter how hard he tried to hold onto her.
Jane sighed as she lowered herself back onto her heels, surprised by how deeply she was breathing. Tomorrow, she decided, I shall have to practice again tomorrow. She then strode over to the wardrobe to change, and Erik walked away, giving her the privacy she needed, and trying to figure out what he would need for his next attempt to show Jane who he really was.
When Jane was changed, she folded her costume neatly and left it sitting on the chair in her room. She then walked out of the room to greet Erik, shaking out her legs slightly to get her muscles used to walking again.
"Erik!" she called down the hallway, headed toward the main room, "Erik, where are-" the words died before they reached Jane's mouth. Erik was standing by the table, which was set up more regally than ever before. He walked over and took Jane's hand delicately, and helped her sit down with an extra-gentlemanly manner. He then sat across from her, picked up his wine glass and raised it to her with a slight nod of his head, and drank deeply. Jane did the same, though she was much shyer about it.
"This tastes... different, Erik. What is it?" she asked.
"That is the finest tokay, from the Konigsberg cellars," he answered with the barest hint of a smile, remembering that he also given a glass of tokay to Christine. It had actually been that thought that had made him decide to serve it. Having Jane drink his tokay made it easier for Erik to believe that she could love him, in a strange way.
"Well, mademoiselle," he muttered when they had both finished, "Shall we begin your lessons?" It was more of an order than a question, and he stood up from the table and took Jane's hand. She allowed herself to be led over to the organ.
"From the beginning of Past the Point of No Return then, Jane?" he asked, and Jane raised and lowered one delicate shoulder in reply. Taking that as a "yes", Erik began to play.
"You have come here
In pursuit of your deepest urge
In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent...
Silent..." Erik went through his part quickly, and Jane went through hers. Using his trained ears, Erik listened for any flaws in her voice, and was pleased to hear barely any, and small ones, at that.
"Past the Point of No Return
The final threshold
The bridge is crossed
So stand and watch it burn
We've passed the Point of No Return..." Jane held the note for a long time, drowning in the sound of her duet with Erik. He had the perfect voice; it could rival anyone's and win with ease. He knew exactly how to hold the notes, how to breathe, how to project, and he was teaching her.
I wonder what my friends would think if they saw me now... Jane thought, and almost instantly another thought, this one unwanted, came to her mind. I wonder what my mother would think if she could see me now...
No! Don't think about her, Jane! Keep it together! If Erik sees you like this, he might not understand why you're crying. Stop! It was too late. Before Jane could do anything, a single pearl-like tear leaked from her eye.
"Jane, what is wrong?" Erik asked when he noticed the tear trickle down her face. Jane glanced at him, but felt more tears come to her eyes, so she turned away from him. Erik reached out a hand and took Jane's forearm and gently spun her around to face him. When she would not meet his eyes, he sat her down beside him on the bench.
Jane leaned her head forward and onto the organ keys, but slowly and gently enough so that it made no noise. Her shoulders shook slightly, and numerous tears spilled from her eyes, but she did not make a sound.
Erik sat and stared at her, his mind spinning. He longed to comfort her, but something told him that he would be no comfort to Jane. Finally putting everything aside, Erik tentatively extended his hand and touched Jane's trembling arm. She did not draw away from him, or even flinch (as he expected), and suddenly Erik could resist it no longer. He moved forward and quickly gathered Jane up in his arms.
Jane almost gasped, but held her breath as her mind processed what was happening. Erik was... holding her. Erik, suddenly realizing what he himself was doing, let Jane go, but she just buried her face into his shirt to close the distance between them. Jane wanted his comfort... Jane needed his comfort. Erik paused for a second, then held Jane again tightly and let her cry against him.
"There, there, Jane," he murmured, even though he knew that those words had no real meaning. He gave Jane a gentle squeeze, whispering occasional words of comfort into her ear, but for the most part savored the fact that she was accepting his kind words and soft embrace.
"Erik, I miss my mother," Jane whispered softly, her tears soaking the front of Erik's shirt (though he didn't mind at all), "Why did she have to... die?" Jane's whole body shook uncontrollably, and Erik held her tighter.
"Jane, everyone has to die... she just, left you sooner than expected... Jane, don't feel bad, please." Erik could feel his heart physically ache for Jane, making each beat constrict his chest. Jane continued to cry silently, but raised her head to look at Erik. Her tears gradually subsided, and she stared into Erik's eyes as he gazed back.
Time went by unusually fast, and after a while, when Jane had stopped crying completely, Erik could feel his heartbeat begin to race. He tried to slow it down, thinking that Jane could surely feel the gentle throbbing of his chest, but he was powerless. Jane kept looking deeply into Erik's eyes, as though expecting Erik to do something.
Erik took a deep breath to buy himself some time. What? What do you want me to do, my love? Something... romantic? He took another long breath, and suddenly knew what to do.
He rose from the bench (and was sure he saw a flicker of disappointment in Jane's eyes as he did so), and then turned to walk down the hall, signaling to Jane that he would be right back.
Jane sat up, and one of her hands went up again to draw a piece of stray hair behind her ear, like they always did when she was nervous. Erik... had comforted her! Jane knew now that she was falling in love, which was rather strange, when she thought about it, but she couldn't help it. There was something about that mysterious yet gentle man that powerfully attracted Jane.
Erik came back, and Jane saw him set something on the table and wind it up. A soft, light melody could be heard coming from the object, and Jane knew that it was a music box. Erik crossed the room and stood before her, then bowed.
"Is ballet the only kind of dance you have mastered, mademoiselle?" he asked, and he extended his hand. Jane looked at it for a second, then gingerly took it and stood up.
Erik rested his right hand on the small of Jane's back, and took her left hand in his own. He listened carefully to the song from the music box (though he had thoroughly memorized it), and then began to dance.
Jane's eyes were almost glued to her feet. Though she was a dancer, she had never danced ballroom style before in her life. Erik sensed this immediately, as he could tell by the unsure stiffness in her every movement and the uneasiness in her eyes. He held her a little firmer and guided her through the steps of the graceful waltz...
Before long, Jane could feel herself flowing through the dance. It seemed like everything around them just disappeared, so that it was only her and Erik. She no longer had to glance at her feet, which now seemed to move automatically. Erik twirled her, and her feet instinctively knew what to do, much to her own pleasure. Absentmindedly, her hand began to move from Erik's shoulder.
Erik felt his breath catch in his chest when Jane's fingers touched the soft skin of his neck. She was really getting into the dance, and Erik couldn't help but wonder if it was because of the tokay. They began to move slower and slower (the music had long since stopped) until they were barely moving, then, as though they had rehearsed it, they both ceased dancing.
Erik's heart started to race again, and Jane's heart beat in tune with his. Her hand was curled around his neck gently, and they both suddenly realized that only a few inches of air separated their faces from one another. Their eyelids lowered just a little bit, and they leaned toward each other, Jane up and Erik down.
DUN! A loud blast of sound erupted from the organ, and Jane and Erik jumped apart. Erik curiously went toward his instrument to look for the cause of the interruption. He found it immediately: a large, hairy rat had found its way onto the keys. Erik cursed it, and it ran away, vanishing into the darkness.
"What was that?" Jane asked.
"A rat. It seems that our little friend found its way to my organ," Erik answered. Found its way a little too soon...
Jane shivered. "Are there many rats around here?"
"I don't tend to see all that many. Why?"
"I'm just... not too fond of rats," Jane murmured, shuddering again. Erik longed to walk over to her and pick up where they left off, but didn't, unsure of how Jane would react. The romance of the moment was gone, much to his displeasure.
"I... think I'll go to bed now," Jane muttered, her eyes downcast, "I feel exhausted."
"That usually happens when one has cried as much as you did today," Erik agreed, half-smiling.
"I'm sorry," Jane apologized, "I've... never really had a good cry abour my mother like that. I'm sorry I put you through it."
Erik shook his head. "There is absolutely no need to apologize, Jane. You needed to let that out." Jane flashed Erik a real, genuine smile, and he gasped to himself. She looked... even more beautiful than his picture of her. He smiled back at her, and she walked off to her room.
When Erik heard Jane's door close, he collapsed into a chair. They has come close, so close, to sharing what Erik had always wanted to share with a woman, when he wasn't threatening to kill her lover. He removed his mask and buried his face in his hands, abhorring the feeling of his fingers against the bumps of his right cheek. If Jane ever saw me like this... he shuddered, then replaced his mask and stood up. He began to walk down the hallway and also started to sing, just as Jane climbed into bed.
"Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be!
Only then can you belong to me..." To Jane, Erik knew, it would sound as if her Angel was approaching from Heaven, since he had thrown his voice.
"Angel, I know how I feel about Erik!" Jane exclaimed happily as she sat up in bed.
"That's wonderful, child! Tell me, how do you feel about him?" Erik tried hard not to get his hopes up as he waited for Jane to answer.
"Pardon my giddiness, Angel, but I think I'm falling in love!" Jane cried. Erik felt his heart skip a beat, and his eyes became wide. He did not abandon his position as Jane's Angel, though, and listened as she told him all about why she loved him.
"I know he was scary before, Angel, but now it's like that person isn't even inside him anymore! He's so gentle now, and passionate. I just can't help it. I love him!" Jane leaned back onto her pillows and sighed. "And I think he loves me too, Angel. It's all just so... perfect. He writes the most beautiful music, and his voice... there aren't words magnificent enough to describe it!"
"You know, child... 'love' is a very peculiar thing. Like a rose, there are thorns underneath its beauty. Are you sure you really do love Erik?" Please say yes... Erik wanted to be sure that Jane really loved him.
"I'm pretty sure," Jane answered, "He's very different from most of the men I've seen in my life, but in a pleasant way. I really do love him..." Jane let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. "Angel, why does he wear a mask?"
Erik froze, even though Jane couldn't see him. What was he supposed to say to that? "Probably for a very important reason, I would imagine," he murmured at last. "Why?"
"I've just been wondering... He never takes it off, ever; at least, never in front of me, but I suppose he must have his reasons... In fact, it just adds to the whole mysterious image he has. I find it strangely attractive."
"That's good to hear, child, but now you must sleep. It's fairly late, and you need your rest." Jane lay back down, and almost instantly her ears were full of the most beautiful singing.
"Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation..."
Erik walked back to his own room, hardly daring to believe that Jane had really said what he had heard. She... loved him! For a split second, Erik felt an unfamiliar wave of terror wash over him, but it was replaced by an uplifting feeling in an instant.
Is this what it's like to be loved? he wondered, Different emotions every second? Erik lay down in his coffin as the wonderful sensation ran through him again, and slowly he fell asleep with a smile on his face.
It was still the middle of the night when Erik woke up. He couldn't sleep; he was too excited, albeit anxious and slightly nervous. He had just attained his "love" status with Jane, and he did not want to do anything to lose it. Erik got out of his coffin and began to pace the floor, trying to get the jittery spring out of his legs, but it wouldn't work. He tried to draw another picture of Jane, but the pen shook violently between his fingers. It was just like weeks before, when he had been waiting to blow up the opera house.
Maybe I'll go out and buy Jane a new dress or something, he thought. There was nothing else better for him to do, so he donned his cloak and scribbled a note to Jane, saying that he would be back soon. He left the note sitting on his organ, and took off in his boat, unaware of how big of a mistake he was making.
Jane woke up early in the morning. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with one of her soft hands, then swung both of her legs out of bed, mildly surprised by their stiffness. Jane slipped into her Hannibal costume and stretched out. She was about to begin dancing when she decided to greet Erik first.
"Erik?" she called down the hallway. She heard no answer, so she crept toward Erik's room, disregarding the fact that she was still dressed in her costume. She tapped twice on Erik's door, then pushed it open when she got no reply.
"Erik?" she called again, her voice a little fearful. Suddenly, there was a crashing sound of metal on rock coming from the labyrinth. Jane quickly backed out of Erik's room, and called his name again. She hesitated, remembering his warning, but ran down the passageway and into the labyrinth when she heard another crash.
"Erik?" This time, a muffled moan of pain answered her. Jane hurried on, even though she had forgotten a candle. She stepped on one of the fringed pieces of material that hung from her waist, and it tore away, though she hardly noticed. She blindly turned corner after corner, her heart pounding, oblivious to the fact that she was once again getting lost. She called Erik's name over and over, and followed the moans that answered.
After a while, she heard the moan, clearer and louder, and thought that it must have come from a passage up ahead. She ran as fast as she could, and turned the corner.
It was a dead end, and there was no one there. Jane was about to turn back when a rough hand covered her mouth with a chloroform-soaked rag and another snaked around her exposed middle.
"Hello, mademoiselle," hissed a gruff voice, and Jane knew instantly that it wasn't Erik's, but she didn't have time to cry out before she fainted.
The Ratcatcher hoisted Jane's unconscious body into his arms and walked away with her, vanishing into the shadows.
Countess Alana- HaHa thank you, thank you! -Bowing- God, you make me feel special! LOL But yeah, I'm so so glad you liked this chappie, and not really, Jane doesn't really know yet that her Angel isn't really an Angel... but, she will find out eventually. It just depends on my mood whether or not she'll be mad... Muhaha!
TheAngel'sMaggie- OMG Thank you! -Virtual hug- You are so cool! Oh, and did you get my review for your story? I loved it! Interesting concept! OMG But I'm so hyper right now! Ahhh! But wait... A Patrick Wilson lover...? Uh... Heh... Ahem... Well, to each his or her own... But don't worry, my best friend is a Raoul fan... and at least I know that she knows that Erik is so totally MINE! HaHa LOL
RoSeQuEeN- I totally love Erik too! OMG He's so so so cute and sexy and cute and... did I mention sexy? LOL and mysterious, and dangerous -yet gentle- and... perfect... -sigh- Thank you for being so awesome!
xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- OMG Thank you! -Virtual hug x2- My friends were all offering to sneak out and buy the DVD for me and help me smuggle it into my room... but of course, my parents would have found out and they probably would have removed all traces of PotO from my room... Wah! But anyway, thank you for being such a cool reviewer!
Madame Opera Ghost- Thank you! I'm glad you liked this chappie! HaHa Erik/Jane fluffiness... so cute!
pinkyphantom- Sory it took so long... I was banished from the comp for a whole week... I'm really sorry! But yeah, they did notice that Jane was gone, but you'll find out why they aren't freaking out about it later... not sure how much later, but I have it all planned out, don't worry. And I'll update faster in the future! LOL Thank you so much!
PhantomAngel-LOL I love getting your reviews! You rock! I told Dani that you thought she wasawesome, and I swear, tears came to her eyes... (well, almost... ok, it was a mental image, but I did tell her) I feel so happy right now! Thank you so so so so so much! OMG I just Love you! -Virtual hug x3- But of course... not like that... I love Erik like that... LOL But anyway, thank you so so so much!
jojo444- Thank you, you're gonna make me cry... -sniffle- But in a good way, not a bad way... happy tears. There we go, happy tears. -sniffle- Thank -tear- you -sniffle- so -blow nose- much! -all out bawling- Oh, and LOL stands for Laughing Out Loud -wink-
Baby-Vixen- glompish? What an awesome word! Ahhh You are like, a genius! First the rum and the jack and arggh and stuff, then "life is a waste of time" and now glompish! OMG Keep the hilarious revoews comin! LOL -wink-
BeforeWeDie- Holy fishsticks? That is so cool! Ahh sorry, I'm a sucker for random quotes! Holy fishsticks! LOL that is so funny! And thank you so so so much, I'm so glad you like my story!
sabeybaby- Yeah, I was a little iffy with the whole Angel thing, too... but I just had to show Erik's dark side... it's so dangerously sexy! Anyway, thank you so much!
Erianna Abyss- Thank you o much! Man, I feel like I'm drowning in love from my reviewers! HaHa you rock! The Carlotta voice is so cool... she's so larger than life, I lahhve it!
DunDunDun! That Ractcatcher came back... what will he do with our beloved Jane? Well... You'll have to wait until I update next time to find out! LOL but thank you guys all so much, I love the reviews! Keep 'em cumin!