Chapter 31
Erik jumped through the hole in the stage, his cloak flapping behind him, expertly landing on his feet. He knew that Elle was following him. His entire life he had been forced a lifestyle that required certain skills, such as being able to moving about without getting noticed or heard and sensitive hearing. She was making no attempts to conceal the fact that she was on his trail. Erik knew the moment he left the room Elle would be coming. That was why he was moving slower, when by this time he could have already been in his lair. The opera house was his stage and he knew many quicker paths that led to his personal territory, but he was not running away. There was no need for he was deliberately allowing Elle to catch up, just close enough for her to be able to follow. As Erik lit a lantern and took off down the black tunnel he wondered if she was still behind him. Perhaps she had stayed behind, changing her mind. It was a possibility, but he knew that she didn't. A minute later he heard a light thud and then breathing. She was still there.
Elle followed the light, her bare feet lightly treading over the damp ground. Falling through the open trapdoor brought back memories of terror, of a man ready to harm her. It was a memory that had been lost, but was now playing vividly in her mind. The scenes flashed and she relived her emotions at the time. The flashback only last a second, yet it still quickened her pulse. Erik had saved her life, and at the time she never truly realized how much she had been in danger. If he hadn't come when he did, which was a miracle, then lord only knows what might have happened to her…
She was beginning to feel cold, a chill starting at the soles of her feet and swiftly moving upwards through her body. Her focus was ahead, so she did not pay much attention to her uncomfortable surroundings. As she increased her pace she asked herself what she was doing. What was she hoping to accomplish by following Erik? Elle was not exactly sure why she was and she realized that it may be a bad idea, but she kept on moving. Logic and reasoning were not guiding her now, intuition and emotion had taken over back in the ballroom. Nothing seemed to matter at that point. Her eyes stared straight ahead, her body felt weightless. If she was not in that state then she would have noticed that they were moving through an underground labyrinth.
Suddenly the light was gone. Elle did not see where he had gone and she stepped frantically, with only the wall she was tracing for guidance. Her eyes strained, hoping he had only turned a corner, but there was none she could find. She continued on for some time, following the ragged stone wall, her feet occasionally stepping on small stones that she could not see. Her free hand held the bottom of her dress, which she had been holding up in order to avoid tearing on the rocks or being tripped. For a moment she faltered; Elle's right foot had been cut by something sharp. She stopped to access the damage, barely able to see a thing. Although she did not touch the injured foot, she could feel the warm blood dripping down her toes and onto the floor. With one grimace she began walking, being a bit more cautious of the ground. She knew that there was nothing she could do about the wound now, especially being in the dark and not having any supplies. If she tried to go back then she would probably end up lost, or worse.
Then abruptly Elle stopped again. The cold ground had ended and water was lapping over the ends of her toes. It was surprising warm, a pleasant change from the tunnel she had just emerged from. Her eyes traveled from her feet upward and she smiled at the sight. She had found the lake, which she had been rowed across several times before. On the other side of the body of water laid Erik's lair. It had been almost a year since her last visit there and, oddly, she felt like she missed it. Then Elle realized that she had no way of crossing the lake, Erik had always taken her. If he was on the other side, then he must have taken the boat to get there.
Although this realization was probable, Elle looked around for something anyway. Some hair fell from where it was pinned and strands splayed across her face. She pushed the hair behind her ear mechanically. Her eyes searched for a shape in the dimness, hoping that something was left behind. Finally they landed upon an object. Moving closer and reaching out to touch, Elle found that what she saw was not an illusion. Before her was the boat that she remembered. She wondered how he had gotten across, or if he had gone somewhere else in the large building. The boat appeared to be waiting, and she decided that she might as well take it. Trying to be graceful, she placed one foot inside the boat and then the other followed. Soon she was balanced and struggling to row herself, alone, across the water.
The boat glided smoothly forward, and she could see light coming from the side that she was headed. A mist seemed to appear over the lake as she reached the middle. As if in a dream, music started up, quiet at first but then getting louder and louder until it felt that the entire opera house must be able to hear it. She knew that they couldn't. It was not a song that Elle recognized, but she immediately knew who had written it. No one else could produce such notes, so intelligently stringed together. There had never been a composer that Elle was aware of whose music came close to what her teacher had played for her. She wanted to stop right there and listen with her full attention, but she continued on rowing. Her arm was sore by the time she made it to shore, the boat stopped the minute it hit land. Music was still playing, seemingly unaware of another person's presence.
As she stepped out of the boat and onto dry land, Elle's eyes went straight to the organ. She did not need to the person playing in order to know that it was Erik sitting in front of the instrument on a wooden bench. His back was towards her, his head slightly bent down, his fingers moving precisely over the keys. His eyes were not on the music laid out in front of him, he obviously had this piece memorized and was instead watching his fingers hit each note. Her eyes left him and glanced around the room. It looked the same as she remembered, although her memory was a bit foggy. Looking back all of her visits there almost seemed more like dreams then memories, yet she knew better than to think that they were not real. There were still stacks of paper lining the side. He must have kept at his work.
The song drew to a finale and the room grew quiet. Elle was not sure about what to do or say, so she stayed over by the boat with no intention of moving. Erik still sat at the organ, his hands now resting on his lap. They were both aware of the other for what felt longer then actually was. There was a lot of past history in that room, so it was only proper that they should speak there. Erik had been waiting for her, knowing that she would find the way. At the point where he left her she could only go straight without knowing the layout of the area. He knew another way without having to cross the lake, therefore arriving at his home many minutes before her. At the moment that was not important, neither one of them was thinking about how the other arrived.
Then, without turning around, Erik broke the silence. He was neither speaking nor singing, but using more of a mix of both.
"What do you seek in following me?
What is it that you hope to find?
Some change, something new?
As you can see, it is all the same,
Even me."
"Things have changed, Erik," Elle responded after a second of hesitation. Not having to look into his eyes made it easier for her to speak. She spoke quietly, but a change could be heard in the tone. The year had worn on her, and she was no longer the meek girl that she used to be. Now she was stronger, made stronger through pain and suffering that no one her age should have to endure all at once. In a way she almost sounded wiser, although she was not even twenty. "As they always do."
"So that is why you have come," he replied, slowing turning to face her. "You wish to catch up on things. Well it has been quite some time."
"To be honest, I am not sure why I am here."
Erik nodded, his eyes penetrating Elle. He believed her. His head moved down gradually, not sure what to say next, and then he saw something. There was a smear of blood on the ground, leading to where Elle was standing. Her emerald gown covered her feet, but he knew that the blood must have come from her. He was not bleeding and the blood had not been there earlier. Jumping up from his seat, he asked, "Did you hurt yourself?"
She looked at him oddly, wondering why he would ask that, but then stopped when he gestured to the floor. Elle pulled up the silky fabric of her gown, revealing her white calves and feet. One foot was covered in blood. Instantly she understood, remembering that she had injured her foot on something earlier while trying to make her way through the dark. Looking at her bloody foot, she said, "I think I cut my foot on something, a rock perhaps."
"I will be right back," Erik stated curtly, disappearing into one of the adjoining rooms. He returned holding some supplies in his arm, the same as he did when he dressed the wound to her head. He gestured for her to sit down so that he could have a look at the foot. Setting down the items that he brought, Erik left again to get some water to clean the blood off with. He told her to wash her foot, appearing to not want to get too close to her. She wondered what he would have done if she were unconscious, but she did it anyway. When Elle was done he quickly dressed the wound, his fingers touching her skin for less than a second. Not before long Erik was returning his supplies back to where he had gotten them, leaving Elle alone in the main room.
Curious, Elle began looking around a bit. It was not necessarily snooping; she just wanted to see what he had been working on. There was a thick pile of papers on his desk, which she happened to be sitting in front of, and her eyes rested upon them with interest. Elle scooted the chair over in order to get closer to them and her eyes scanned the top page. It was, unsurprisingly, the beginning of an opera, which she was sure, went on throughout those many pages. He had been writing an opera this entire time. Elle desperately wanted to read it, hear it, see it come to life- already knowing that anything he spent his time creating would be worth it.
"What are you doing?" a voice asked her and Elle's head shot up, seeing that Erik stood only feet away from her. He had returned from the room to find her reading the opera. Apparently he was annoyed that she was looking at his work. Erik waited for her answer although he did not need one- he had caught her in the act.
"Nothing," she quickly replied, not believing that she did anything wrong. She knew that he was private about many things, but she was still going to take a chance with hopes that he would acquiesce. They were both silent for a moment and then Elle spoke again. "You've been working on an opera. Do you mind if I take a look at it?"
"It's not finished yet," he answered without a second thought, walking over to the other side of the desk and moving the stack. He placed it out of her reach, so that she could no longer read it comfortably from where she was sitting.
"When it is finished then?" Elle asked with determination.
"Perhaps."
Elle adjusted the bottom of her dress as she sat on the chair. Her foot did not hurt because she was not on it, so her mind quickly forgot about it as it raced with other thoughts. She realized that since she was now the director she held the decision over which operas the opera house produced and who would be in them. It was time for her to begin working on the next production, and she had yet to choose an opera. "I would like to produce some of your work, if you let me."
"I will come to you when I am ready for that," Erik said, implying that he would in the future. He returned to his bench, taking his coat off and placing it to the side. Now he was only wearing his white shirt and black pants, with black shoes. When Erik had first arrived he had shed his cloak, no longer needing it. His lair, although due to its location would seem the first place to get cold, was heated. He had made sure of that years ago, creating a heating system that would keep him comfortable while he was in his home. It only extended to the adjoining rooms, but that was all he needed it for. The answer he gave Elle was for two reasons. One, the opera was not ready yet. Two, if he was ready for the opera to be produced then he would have contacted her and ordered it- not asked. "And when you are."
Silence consumed them once more. Erik was staring intently at the pages in front of him. He was so close to finishing the opera that it bothered him immensely he could not get the last piece perfect. It had to be perfect of course; the ending was one of the most important parts. Audiences left the theatre with an everlasting impression of the performance, which relied heavily on that last scene. Certainly the rest mattered as well, but this song had to be the best- it had to surpass all of the previous ones. It was the song he had been playing when he heard the boat hit ground and Elle step out. Most of it was already written, but there was something that he felt he had to change.
He was aware that Elle was purposely not looking at him, just like he was not looking at her. Instead her eyes wandered, landing back on the desk in front of her. Erik thought about what she had said, offering to produce his opera without even knowing what it was about or what it would sound like. She appeared to have blind faith in his work. This would be the second time that any of his work was seen, the first being the famous performance of Don Juan Triumphant, which was famous because of his disappearing act. If he allowed Elle to use his opera then the situation would be completely different. There would be conditions though; Erik wanted to choose the cast himself. It was not that he doubted Elle's proficiency, but he was fastidious and desired very particular people to play the roles. There had been many times that he had to sit back and watch directors choose less than par singers, who he deemed unfit to be allowed on any stage.
The direction of his train of thought turned. Erik considered Elle for the part of the lead lady. She would be fitting for the role because he had trained her himself, taking her vocal cords and turning them into a finely tuned instrument. It had been quite some time since her lessons with him, so if Elle did perform then she would need to begin her lessons again. He looked up from the sheets and glanced over his shoulder at her. Her hands were fiddling with her dress, sliding the silken fabric between two fingers. She did not notice that he was looking. Erik wondered if she had given it up, knowing that since she returned he had not heard her sing once. His deep voice lifted up out of oblivion, filling the air with sound. He did not speak loudly, but it sounded as if he had for it had been quiet for several minutes. "Have you completely given up the opera?"
"You know I haven't," Elle answered, turning to see that he was looking at her. She was glad that he finally spoke, but she was curious as to where he was going with his questioning. "I am the director now."
"I meant singing," he clarified, a trace of annoyance in his voice.
More silence. Elle looked away from him and down at her hands. She had given up singing because of him, because it reminded her of him and that memory was too painful. With her new work and resolution she had almost forgotten about singing altogether- about how it made her feel. It was singing after all that helped her deal with her mother's death. Elle still remembered the last time she sang. It was right there, feet from where she was sitting. At the time little did she know it would be the last musical notes that would leave her throat. There were no tears to fight back, but instead memories and she battled them away. Regaining her strength, she responded, "I have not sung since my last lesson with you."
Erik clearly remembered that last lesson. He remembered the tears in her eyes, the pain that he had caused her. Although he was not one to regret things, he regretted that night- those harsh words. "I never meant to hurt you."
Elle knew that he was speaking the truth. She never had believed him to be the person that he viewed himself as. He was not cruel and heartless, but just the opposite. She wondered if there was anyone else who had seen that besides her. "I know you didn't."
Then, after she spoke those words, she realized why she had come. It was an obvious reason that she had ignored, having harnessed her feelings long ago. Bravely, and expecting nothing in return except peace of mind, Elle added, "I still love you Erik."
Those words were nothing that he had ever heard before. No one had ever told him that they loved him before, so Erik was not sure of how to react. His past experiences made him doubt the words he heard, but he could tell that she meant them by the way that she spoke. Erik was frozen, and for the first time in a while, unsure of himself.
"Goodbye Erik." The words brought Erik back to life and his head shot up to look. Elle had gotten up from her seat and was preparing to leave. It reminded him of his dream; those were the exact words that she said before she was about to enter a carriage and leave him behind. The only difference was that this time she was about to get into a boat and leave him behind, and that she was not wearing mourning clothes. It was that moment that he realized he did care for her; he just simply did not want to admit it to himself- or anyone.
"Elle, wait." She listened to him and stayed where she was. Elle waited, but it looked as if Erik was still gathering his words together. Finally he uttered, "We can continue on with your lessons, if you would like."
"You mean lessons with the Phantom of the Opera?" she replied, not answering him and not giving him a chance to answer her. Elle did not want to dealing with the Opera Ghost, as she had done before. She continued on with a bolder, mature side that he had never seen before. Erik got up from his seat and stood facing her. "I want you Erik, and not an apparition. I want the man behind the mask- the man who writes this beautiful music."
"There is no man behind this mask," his hand gestured to his covered face. "I'm a monster, remember? What am I, if not that?"
"That is not you. A true monster could not sing so wonderfully and could not compose such music. If you were truly malicious then you would not have helped me when I needed it. You saved my life once, I will never forget that. You are beautiful Erik, why can't you see that? When will you stop hiding behind that mask?"
"You will regret this," Erik uttered, not believing what he heard.
"The only thing I regret is your fate." Which indeed she was. Elle did not think it a content existence living under the opera house like a rat in a hole. She wished that she could help him in some way, like he helped her, but she had done all she could. Thinking their conversation was over she turned away, about to get into the boat. The second her foot touched the bottom she heard him speak again.
"I never wanted you to leave."
Elle looked at him and pulled her foot back. "I never wanted to leave."
"You wanted to know the truth?" Erik asked, referring to their last conversation before she had moved. They were both standing, with about ten feet between them, and were gazing into each other's eyes. For once he was letting his guard down, allowing himself to be vulnerable just as Elle did when she first admitted her feelings. "The truth is when you were gone I could not get you off my mind.
"Elle, I love you."
Without either of them saying another word Elle strode up to him, forgetting that she was just about to leave. He stood still, looking down, for she was only an inch away from him. She could feel his breath on her hair as her head tilted upwards to look at his face. Her hands moved from their place at her side, each slightly grazing the cheeks of his mask. Then she placed one on each side and gently began to pull it off, taking her time. Erik did nothing. This was the third time that someone had taken off his mask without permission, but he allowed her to regardless. He waited for her response to his face, remembering when she saw it and showed no trace of disgust. Elle threw the black mask to the side, her hands now touching his actual face. Her eyes looked into his and then their mouths found each other, molding them into one as they both sank into a kiss.
A/N: Ok, I know that some of you now want to kill me for putting them together, so I am ready for the inevitable reviews. I know that Erik loves Christine and all, but I think that he deserves some happiness and so does Elle after both of her parents dying. It was the most charitable thing to do and besides, you should have seen it coming. There is yet another chapter left, a sort of epilogue if you will, which probably will not be as long as this but at least it will tie things up. Anyway, hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long and in my defense this is a longer chapter then the last one. Review away!
harem98- Thanks, glad you are so excited. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint you.
SpikeLover520- lol, as if it wasn't obvious enough. Thank you.
Oni-Gil- That would actually be kind of funny. Sometimes I randomly break out singing in front of people. I don't think they would mind it much if I had a better singing voice. I am not good enough to sing Christine. Emmy Rossum was really good in the movie though.
Blaze-LoganLover- I know what you mean. I've been getting lazy lately too. Thanks.
Captain Oblivious- Yes, trapdoors, very handy indeed.
LaMartienneElfique- Thank you, I'm glad you think so.
Ethalas Tuath'an- You are a quick one, and I don't mean that sarcastically. Hmm… this will probably be over when you get back. At least that's something to look forward to.
witchesfire- Everyone hates them, that's why I love them. Hehehe… Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
priestesstaisho- Thank you, hope you liked this one too.
Anri- Thanks. (smile) Still one more chapter to go.
Jessica01- Thank you.
xEternalxDarknessx- Thank you so much. I am pleased that you enjoy it and I hope that this one met your expectations as well.
enigmatic-charismatic- Thanks. Yes, most of the time I don't even mean to have a cliffhanger- it just happens. lol.
Kchan88- Thanks.
Phantom's gurl- Yeah, I haven't been updating as soon as I want to. Hope you liked this one though!