Author's Note: And how much do you all love my speedy updates:) ANYWAY...SO...we have finally come to the moment we all have been waiting for...and although it is a bittersweet moment, (because it is the 'happy ending' we have all awaited) I believe that we all will be happy with the results. Now...I will be posting an Epilogue, so dont loose hope with me yet...I am also considering (let me emphasize the CONSIDERING part...) a sequal with Angelique as the main character...let me know what you all think. I will also be sending out my individual 'thank you's' in the epilogue as well. Love to all!
Come To Me Strange Angel
"Honey? Are you awake in there?" I reached for the doorknob to Angelique's room as I spoke through the door. She was always getting into mischief. She was too smart for her own good, but whenever I caught her doing something that I knew she shouldn't be, I couldn't find it within my heart to punish her. It would seem wrong, to punish anything that was tied to Erik in any way.
I pushed the door open and found her standing in front of her bedroom window, facing me with a look of excitement and surprise in her eyes. I gave her a quizzical look and walked towards her.
"What are you doing out of bed, my love?"
The gleeful smile she had on her face died away slowly. She turned around and looked out the window. I heard her gasp as if something had upset her, so I rushed over and looked out as well. I saw nothing.
"Momma…"
"Yes, darling? What's the matter?"
"Where'd he go?"
I was flabbergasted. Had some stranger been here? "Who, honey?"
"Daddy…"
"Daddy?" I withheld all my emotions and tried to think rationally. She must have been dreaming…the poor thing… "Angelique…you must have been dreaming…"
"NO! He was right here! I hugged him! He took of his mask for me…"
"That's impossible…now go back to sleep…"
"NO! I MEAN IT, MOMMA! HE WAS HERE!"
Tears formed in my eyes as I grabbed her halfheartedly by her shoulders. "Listen to me…This is not a funny joke! Now…your daddy died and no amount of hoping and dreaming can bring him back." I began to sob once again and Angelique wrapped her tiny arms around me.
"Ok, mommy…ok…I must have been dreaming…I am sorry...don't cry momma…"
"It's ok darling…come on…get in bed." I pulled back the covers and allowed her to get in.
"Momma…will you stay with me…" She smiled innocently and so I climbed in after her, wrapping her in my arms and humming softly into her ear as I stroked her soft chestnut hair. Her breathing became delicate and even with sleep. I placed a kiss on her forehead and then found that I could barely keep my own eyes open. I drifted in and out of a restless sleep. Softly, a voice sang to me in my sleep.
"I'm
here, nothing can harm you
My words will warm and calm you.
Let
me be your freedom,
Let daylight dry your tears.
I'm here, with
you, beside you,
To guard you and to guide you…"
It was Erik. Erik was singing to me in my dream. I hadn't dreamt of his voice in years, and sadly I had to admit that I was beginning to forget exactly how it sounded, but his voice returned to me in my dream as clear and as lifelike as ever. I promised myself that I would not wake up…I wouldn't allow myself to…I had to hang on to him as long as I could. I dreamt of him singing to me softly, as he gathered me up in his arms and carried me away.
"Let
me be your shelter,
Let me be your light.
You're safe. No one
will find you
Your fears are far behind you.."
The part of my brain that was still conscious told me that Raoul must be carrying me to my bedroom. Lazily, I mumbled into his cravat, telling him that he should have left me there…and telling him not to wake me. Raoul responded in a low voice that was unlike his normal one, "You are certain, you want to remain asleep?"
I mumbled, "Yes" and Erik continued to sing to me.
"Say
you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
Lead me, save me from
my solitude
Say you want me with you, here beside you
Anywhere
you go let me go too
Gabrielle, that's all I ask of you…"
Erik's voice disappeared as I was gently set down on my bed. Raoul asked, "Do you still want your dream to continue…?"
"But…it's gone…he stopped singing…" I sleepily responded, refusing to open my eyes and finalize the end of the dream. "He is gone…gone from me forever once again…NO!…Please…make the dream come back…if only for a few minutes…so I can reach out to him once again…Please…NO…Come back! Erik!"
I heard a sharp intake of breath coming from Raoul. "Gabby…The dream has ended…it's done and gone…you don't have to be haunted by it any longer…"
"I'm not haunted…I'm blessed by it!"
"No! It haunts you…and you become lost within the dream when you should live in the reality."
"Why are you saying this? Why are you speaking so harshly to me? You of all people should know…that reality is cruel…but perhaps not…Erik was the only one who truly understood that…"
"I am saying this because it is you who refuses to open your eyes and truly see what life has in store for you…"
"I do not, Raoul!"
"Raoul?" I heard him whisper his name almost questioningly. "Than do it! Open your eyes!" he roared.
I did. My eyes flicked open and it took a moment for them to become adjusted to the soft candlelight of my room. I looked above me, ready to angrily shout at Raoul, but it was not Raoul leaning over me. My heated words died in my throat as I looked upon an ivory white mask.
ERIK! I saw his chest rising and falling with each harsh breath. He sat down at the end of my bed and continued watching me. I scrambled into a sitting position and then backed up so that my back was leaning against the headboard.
I unbelievingly started to cry softly. What wicked dream is this? The look in his eyes was desperate and I watched as he reached his hands out towards me, but as I recoiled, thinking that if he touched me, the dream would end, he rested them in his lap. I saw tears falling down his cheeks as well and he buried his face in his hands. Erik wouldn't cry in MY dream…would he? I heard him whisper softly in his sobs, 'my Gabby'.
"Erik!" The word hung in the air between us and he looked up at me once again.
"Gabby…" His lips barely moved as he spoke.
"This is no cruel dream…?"
"No, my dear…it is not…"
Still reluctant to believe in something so miraculous I asked, "How can I be sure?"
"I…I suppose you cant…but…" he scooted towards me skeptically and when I didn't move away from him, he moved closer yet. "All I know is that, if this is a dream for the both of us…than I hope we die while having it…" His body was barely touching my own, but I could still feel his hot breath on my face.
"But you are already dead…"
"No…I didn't die…and now, I have found you once again…and you have suffered far too long without me to comfort you…allow me to do so now…I love you, Gabrielle…" He leaned in and I felt his solid body flush against mine. His lips were only inches from my own and as he began to close the gap, I pressed my hand firmly against his chest, holding him back.
He looked at me sadly, wondering why I had stopped him and the look in his eyes was more sorrowful than I could have imagined. It was in that moment that I knew this was no dream and that Erik had finally come back for me. I frantically began to sob out of joy. He must have been immensely confused because he simply stared at me in wonder. I pulled off his mask and looked upon the face that I hadn't seen for over four years and we both wept. I pulled him close, caressed his face with both my hands and my lips, while he sat still and simply basked in my love.
"OH ERIK! I thought you were dead! I thought you were dead! I thought you had left me!"
"I already told you once…that I would never leave you…"
"Oh, I know…but I saw you die…and…oh, but what does it matter! You're HERE!" I kissed his unmasked face again and again, not wanting to stop, savoring the feel of his skin beneath my lips because it meant that he was truly here. It was then that he stilled me with his hands on my face.
"Gabrielle…I cannot begin to tell you what your touch now means to me…I had actually thought that you might have refused me…told me to leave…"
"And why would I do that?" I smiled at the hopeless man I adored.
"Because…I once saw you in town…with two children…and with Raoul…"
I felt my smile fade. Had he truly doubted my love and loyalty? Did he still? I opened my mouth to respond, but his hand covered it gently.
"No, don't say anything…I know everything I need to know…"
I pressed my lips to his hand and then asked, "How do you know?"
He took a raspy breath, "From…our…our daughter…" His face lit up as he looked upon me. "Before we were separated, I thought you had given me everything…the chance to be a friend, a lover, a protector and a husband…but now, I find that you have made me a father as well…and I…I adore you all the more…" His eyes dropped from holding my gaze, to watching my mouth. His fingertips traced my lips and then brushed my cheeks lovingly. "Gabrielle…I……You…..You leave me speechless…I am at a loss for words, now that I have looked upon your beauty once again…"
"Than don't say anything…"
At the same time, we closed the space between our mouths. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around his broad, strong shoulders, adoring the feel of him holding me once again. My stomach was in one massive knot as he kissed me as if it would be our last. I raised one hand to place on his face, as if to make sure it was truly him and as my fingers encountered bone and thin layers of skin, I nearly wept with joy. We kissed frantically, all the while, savoring the taste and feel of being together again, after so many long years of being alone.
Breathlessly, we pulled our mouths apart, but the grip I had on him tightened. He possessively hugged me and whispered into my ear, "I will never let you go again…I am just sorry that we lost four precious years…and that I wasn't there to witness the birth of our child…"
"There was never a moment that I didn't think of you…every breath I took was for you…and I named our daughter for you as well…" I desperately tried to catch him up on all he missed.
"I know…our Little Angel…"
He laid back on the bed and I followed, laying my head across his chest. He wrapped one arm over my torso and his other hand stroked my hair. "Oh Erik…I don't think I'm ever going to let you stop holding me…I'm scared that I'll wake up…"
"No…this is no dream…Although, I am here because of a dream…" His voice became almost trancelike. "I dreamt of you singing to me, but when I reached out for you, my hand passed right through you…as if I were truly dead…it was then that I knew you still missed and loved me…which is why I am here…"
"Never doubt my love…I will love you until the end of time…and I could never love another…" I tried to console him.
"I know…you are mine.." he snapped back to the present and smiled mischievously, "And so is your voice…"
"Oh…you said yourself that you were dreaming…my voice was only that good because the dream made it so…" I blushed, hoping he didn't see my reaction.
"I cant believe that…"
"Yes well…now that you're here…I'll sing for you more…but you must keep in mind that it isn't really that good…"
"Fine…I will tell myself that as I am lost within each word escaping melodiously from your delightful lips."
He kissed me again, this time slower but with an equal amount of passion. Suddenly we heard the door creak open. We simultaneously sat upright only to see Angelique in the doorway.
"I told you I saw daddy…" she said to me.
"Yes, my love…you were right…" I gave her the biggest smile I could. She squealed out of joy and came running toward us. She catapulted herself onto the bed and then hurled herself into Erik's arms. Erik's eyes widened, as he found his arms occupied by his own daughter. He then looked at me with his eyes shining vibrantly, almost as if the sun itself resided there. And through those eyes, I saw all that our futures could and would be and the best part of it, was the fact that I knew we would share our entire futures with each other; as a family: Erik, Angelique and I.
