"Emily"

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters there within, it's all Tim Burton's stuff!

The wind sighed softly through lightly beige colored, chiffon drapes and into the lovely home of a newly wed couple. The home once belonged to the groom's family, but because his parents had mysteriously vanished, much as he himself had into the forest, Victor assumed ownership over the estate. Married for only two weeks, the couple were coming to know one another and making the home more to their liking; with a bit more color from the dull and drab. Within the confines of the home, the couple shared a tender moment of harmony…or perhaps a not so harmonious one.

The pang of a cacophonous chord reverberated through halls, bouncing back and forth the mistake, nine and ten-fold. A shy giggle followed not long after.

"Oh," a feminine voice echoed shyly around the large estate of the Van Dort home. "I can't seem to get the chords right, I think my fingers are too short."

A lovely young lady, frowned slightly and glanced over to a young man sitting beside her on the piano stool. He had a delicate smile on his lips, as he brushed a hand through his brown hair and his soft brown eyes hesitantly surveyed the young lady; his wife. Her auburn hair held in a severe bun on the back of her head, a plain but elegant gown of vertical maroon and white stripes which fell all the way to the floor fitted to her slim body. Hey dainty little fingers that did not know a days worth of work slid from the piano keys and her lovely face hampered in remorse as she turned her eyes from him, gazing at the now idle hands which lay on her lap.

"I've disappointed you, haven't I?" she asked sadly.

"N-no!" he stumbled over his words, not wishing to offend his timorous wife and yet unsure of how he should continue. "This is n-not a p-particularly easy piece."

She looked back at the wide array of white and black keys, as though willing them to play themselves, unable to meet his eyes.

Many afternoons had been spent like this, in which Victor tried to have his newly wed wife enjoy what he took passion from most in life, but she would be unsuccessful in her attempts at each session. He could see that the succession of failures was beginning to take its toll on her vivacity, her courage, but Victoria had spoken nothing of it to him; perhaps in fear that he would become frustrated with her?

"I hope that you will forgive me, Victor. I am afraid that I do not have much of an ear for music." She tentatively pressed a key on the piano, followed by two others, creating a sound of discord. "Mother had persisted that I never go near the piano. I have been compliant for so long that I do not think it possible for me to play. I keep expecting Mother to round the corner and strike me for such impropriety." Victoria unconsciously rubbed her forearm with the hand that had been playing only a moment before. "I…I could never be your Emily."

Victor inhaled softly and bit his lower lip, drawing his eyes away from Victoria. She had been quite curious about his adventures in the Land of the Dead (being one of the few to believe him straight away) and he did not spare any detail. This, of course, encompassed the rather lively piano duet he had once shared with the corpse bride. He had closed his eyes at that particular part of the story, silently recalling the wonderful memory and it was then that Victoria had thought it such a romantic idea to play the piano. Elated, Victor wanted to share his passion of music with her. The abrupt proposal startled Victoria, but she shyly agreed to the prospect of learning to play. And over the two weeks, the poor young lady had not much improved.

Victoria sighed and closed her eyes remorsefully. Moved by her plight, Victor slid from his side of the bench to wrap his arms around his petite wife.

"Oh Victoria, I ask too much of you. It does not matter whether or not you can play, so long as you are here beside me."

"I only wish to make you happy." She sniffled, actively trying to hide the shame of her tears from her husband with her hands.

Victor tenderly brushed a tendril of hair from her eyes with a sincere smile. He allowed his long, elegant fingers to tenderly caress her cheek.

"You already have."

Victoria looked up at him; looked up into those soft, honest brown eyes and knew that he meant every word. She smiled softly in the wake of that smile and leaned forward into his embrace. His body pressed lightly against hers and he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

They held one another for a tender moment until the doorbell rang. Starting out of the loving embrace, the couple stood. Victoria started at the sight of the clock.

"Oh dear, I did not realize it had gotten so late. I had better prepare supper." Victoria placed a kiss on Victor's cheek and left his side. He watched her go, a delicate smile on his face. He did have such a beautiful bride.

The doorbell rang impatiently again, breaking through his thoughts.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He mumbled, flustered and a little annoyed at the intrusion for a peaceful moment with Victoria, he moved forward. He stepped on something on his way to the door and a sharp yowl startled him.

"I'm so sorry, Emily!" he called after the cat as a fluffy, slightly ruffled white tail disappeared around the corner.

Victoria had insisted on having a cat and Victor could find no reason to argue, though he secretly would have preferred a dog. Victoria also named the cat in honor of the woman who had brought them together after the terrible misadventure at the church; a sort of tribute of everlasting memory to the poor deceased bride.

Victor shook his head. Emily had been the sweetest person, next to Victoria, that he had ever met, once he had gotten to know her. It was a terrible occurrence, what had happened to her and even more so how it had ended. That Barkis fellow deserved what he had coming to him. Victor thought angrily, surprised even by his own thoughts. And Emily, poor Emily, hopefully she had gone to a better place.

Victor opened the grand doors at last to greet the mail carrier, who gave him a handful of letters. He thanked the postal man and closed the door. Sifting through the mail, one in particular had caught his eye. He opened it and read the tight, but elegant script of Mrs. Everglot, detailing that he and his wife were invited to tea the afternoon next. He smiled and shook his head, he had only fallen into a tremulous favor with the Lord and Lady by sating them with a rather hefty raise of money. Still, the words were rather rigid in their design, meant only as a proper invitation and no more. He and Victoria would attend, though he believed he could have pleased the Everglot's more if he decided not to show up. Either way, he could not wait to see Victoria's reaction to the letter.

The sound of piano keys playing a sweet melody stopped his heart for a moment. He paused to listen to the familiar chord. Who could that be playing?

"Victoria?" he breathed and made his way briskly back to the piano room. Still the sweet music played and Victor took a deep breath before peering around the frame of the door.

It was not Victoria playing the piano at all, but the cat.

Victor's jaw dropped.

Here was that silly feline, good only for eating and sleeping and the occasional stepping on, playing his piano with all four white feet.

When the cat saw him enter, she stopped playing and mewed to him. Around her neck was a great blue bow, something Victor had not seen before. Victoria must have bought the ribbon for her.

Victor stared at the white feline; she in return, cocked her head and mewed once more. He swallowed and made a hesitant approach to the cat on the piano. The cat did not shift in her position, but she did watch his approach in interest. If ever a cat could stare in the eye of her owner with such bright intelligence, this feline surely did. Victor did not take his eyes off the cat, but he did press a key when he had come abreast the piano.

The cat reacted by playing a chord in the key he had pressed without even shifting her bright gaze from him; a wave rippled elegantly through her tail.

Astonished and a little suspicious, Victor pressed another key. The cat repeated her actions from before, but once again in the key he had played. Her ears pricked forward at him as though in invitation.

Victor could not suppress a smile as he sat on the bench, careful not to alarm the cat, though he doubted she would have bolted even if he had pounded the keys.

Victor ran a longer chord himself, the cat mimicked him, but added a dash of something extra at the finish, as though she were trying to outdo him. His smile broadened.

So that was how it was to be then?

He shot off into something more difficult and the white cat followed him with what appeared to be ease as she pranced about agilely, light as a feather, fleet as a sparrow. Back and forth they played until their solos came together in a beautiful duet, Victor's fingers flying and the cat dancing briskly on the keys. Finally, a grim smile contoured the young man's features as a familiar piece was drummed across the hammers; a song he had once shared with a corpse bride.

The white, puffy-tailed feline finished the piece as the bride had once before, though no limbs ran up his sleeves to greet him. Warmth built in Victor as he stood, certain at last who was before him, no matter what the form.

"Emily!"

If a feline face could smile, Emily's surely did.

Suddenly the ribbon over the cat's neck came alive, fluttering about on silken wings; transformed into a brilliant blue butterfly.

The delicate creature circled him once in the dance that butterflies usually did and hovered over the piano.

Victoria had come into the piano room in a tizzy of confusion.

"Victor, I heard the piano…and unless you've sprouted another arm, that must have been a duet—"

She stopped when she saw the cat on the piano.

"What is Emi—"

Her face of confusion lightened to that of comprehension and in a shock she pressed a hand over her mouth.

The familiar blue butterfly fluttered around Victoria and a sound of exclamation caused her to hold her heart. It couldn't be—could it? Finally the little butterfly fluttered out of the open window and up and out of sight. A dawning comprehension took hold of her features. Victor smiled up at his wife with sparkling brown eyes. She quickly closed the distance between them; a note of astonishment had taken hold of her voice.

"Victor?"

The brief exchange of knowledge and certainty flashed between their searching eyes and Victor nodded.

"Emily."

Author's Note: I LOVED this movie. I don't know how exactly this idea came into creation, it is rather abstract and I do believe I have a cerebral link of insanity that is always pulsing—so I imagined what it might be like to have one of those butterflies return and use the body of a cat to call back a memory of Victor's!

But honestly, I wondered if just perhaps, one of those little butterflies had one last mission to complete, one last reassurance to give and it came in the form of perching atop a kitty cat to say one final goodbye. I toyed with the idea and this story became of it.

I'm an avid piano player myself (though cram it all, I can't read notes, I memorize all those difficult pieces) and I thought it would be so romantic to have Victor and Victoria share a mutual passion over the piano, (even though I sapped poor Victoria's ability to play for this story, sorry girl!) eventually Victoria leaving Victor to his own thoughts and an interaction with some form of Emily. I hope I pulled it off well!

Please review! I love them reviews!

Blackfire 18