A/N: Wow, another update, and it didn't take a month, either! :)
This chapter is a lead up to the next chapter which will, I promise, have more action in it. I will also stray from my regular format and do the next chapter split between several POV's, since each part will be too short to constitute and entire chapter. As always, I appreciate your reviews. And I'm glad you didn't give up on me!!
Big hugs and thanks to: Padfootz-luvr, neo-lover72, Butterfly of Lothlorien, Senna Wales, Ultimate-Vader-Fan, MenacerPhan, phtmangl1013, tactics, Elisabetta and loverly16. You guys are the best!!!!
Senna Wales: thanks again for pointing out my mistake, I fixed it! :) Also, I never received your e-mail. If you sent it to the fanfic e-mail I never get anything from there. If you send me any more (and I appreciate the critiques!) send them to the Yahoo one, please!!
Disclaimer: I still do not own The Phantom of the Opera. Dang.
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I walked along the path that led from the house into the woods. As I neared the creek I saw a lone figure standing by the creek. It was Erik.
I went to stand by him. He was tense, his shoulders tight as he stood, hands clenched. "Erik?" I said softly.
He turned to face me and his eyes were haunted. There was such pain, such despair, in their depths that I felt a deep rush of sympathy. "Oh, Erik. What is it?"
"I will never be free of my past, Christine. No matter what, it will always haunt me," he said bleakly, staring out at the slow moving waters of the creek.
"What happened?" I asked softly.
Erik sighed. "It is Bethie. She wants to know why I will not go to with her to the Opera House."
I sighed. "Perhaps it is time to tell her, Erik."
"NO!" he said vehemently. "She is just a child. To tell her now may well cause her to hate me, to fear me."
"Oh, Erik," I said sadly. "But…"
"No," he said harshly, turning to face me. "She thinks I do not care, but how can I expect her to feel any different? Every child wants to know that their parents are proud of them. To feel loved, special."
There was a distant look in his eyes that I knew meant that he was not just thinking about Bethie. Of course, I knew of his miserable childhood, the horrible way his mother had treated him because of his face. It had never occurred to me, until then, that he was in such fear of his own children feeling the same way about him as he did about his mother.
"Erik, she knows you love her. She is just disappointed, confused. If we just told her…"
"Absolutely not. I will not have my own daughter hate me," Erik said sharply. His eyes flashed with anger. "She will never know the truth."
"Erik, you cannot expect to hide it from them forever," I said softly.
"They never need to know," Erik said. Then he turned and stalked back towards the house, where I knew he would go and hide away in the basement music room for hours.
I sighed. I understood why he did not want to tell Beth and Stephan of his past, but at the same time, he was their father. They deserved to hear the truth from him, not risk hearing of it elsewhere. He did not give them enough credit. He was their father and I was certain that the truth would not change the way they felt about him.
But I knew all too well how stubborn Erik could be when he set his mind to something. I just hoped that in time he would change his mind and tell his children the truth.
xxx
Beth's birthday celebration was quiet. Beth and Erik were both still upset. Stephan and I tried to keep things light, but there was an underlying tension that was unmistakable. I had a bad feeling that that tension was just going to keep getting worse, rather than better.
Then, suddenly, it was the day of our departure. Beth's trunks were packed and she was ready to go. She was solemn and no matter how hard I tried to get her to talk to me, she just insisted nothing was wrong, that she was simply nervous.
The day dawned bright and sunny, promising to be a beautiful summer day. Out in the country where we lived the summers were mild, not as hot as it was in the city, where we were headed. Bethie had never been away from the little town we lived in and I knew that the great city of Paris would be an amazing sight to her.
The carriage that would take us to the city was due to arrive early in the morning. It was over a days trip, but we would not be stopping, rather we would drive straight through to arrive at the Opera House the next day, late in the morning.
Stephan and Erik brought Beth's trunks and my suitcases down and sat them on the wide front porch. Then we gathered in the music room. Beth was nervously picking at her dress as she sat on the couch. Her face was pale and there was the faintest hint of fear in her blue eyes, though she was trying hard to hide it.
Stephan, who was peering anxiously out the window, waiting for the carriage, suddenly said, "Here it is, coming up the drive!"
Beth jumped up as Stephan ran outside to meet the driver.
Erik walked over to his daughter. His face was drawn, his eyes, so much like hers, were filled with a million emotions, sadness being the most prominent as he looked down at Beth.
"I love you, my child," he said softly. "You are so talented, Bethie. You will be magnificent."
She looked up at him and I saw her anger melt away as she threw herself into his arms. "I love you too, Papa. I will make you proud, I promise!" she said.
"I am already proud," Erik said. "I will miss you."
"Oh, I will miss you, too. All of you!" Beth said.
Erik handed her a pouch, which I knew contained money, more money than Beth had ever held in her lifetime.
"You take care of this money," Erik said. "And if you need anything, anything at all, you send word to us."
"Yes, Papa. I will. Thank you," Beth said.
Erik hugged her one last time as Stephan came back inside. "Everything is loaded on the carriage," he said.
"Thank you, Stephan," I said.
Beth hugged Stephan tightly. "I will miss you, little brother," she said, wiping at her tears as they parted.
"And I will miss you, too. But I will come and see you perform! Mama promised!" Stephan said.
Determined to keep the conversation away from an argument, I gave Stephan a hug and he and Beth went outside. I turned to Erik. "I will miss you," I said. It would be the first time we had been separated since our marriage over eighteen years ago.
"I will miss you, too," he said softly. He pulled me into his arms and I sighed. When we parted I looked up into his eyes and saw the unmistakable flash of fear, deep in his eyes.
"What is it?" I asked. "What is wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. I only wish I could accompany you," he said, covering his emotions easily and giving me a sardonic smile. "The Opera has been without a Ghost for far too long, but I think he should stay retired."
I sighed, but, lacking anything to say to that, I simply kissed Erik on the cheek and allowed him to lead me to the front door. We walked outside to the carriage, where Stephan was stroking the lead horse's nose. There was a last round of hugs, then Erik helped Bethie and I into the carriage. The driver slapped the reins lightly over the horses backs and the carriage lurched forward. Beth hung out the window, waving to Stephan and Erik. Stephan waved back, but Erik merely watched us go, his eyes once again betraying his fear. Though what exactly he was afraid of I could not guess. There were so many things haunting him that it was impossible to know.
Xxx
The drive to Paris was long, hot and uncomfortable. Beth slept most of the way, no doubt she was exhausted from worrying.
I looked out the carriage window in amazement. It had been a long time, far too long, since I had been away from home. Things had changed so much over the years.
But nothing prepared me for my first glimpse of Paris in over eighteen years.
Beth woke up as we came upon the main road that led into the city. She looked out the window in wide-eyed fascination. The city had grown so much over the years, I barely recognised it. The streets were wider with an amazing amount of carriages filling the roads. What had once been open space was now filled with buildings.
I felt a flutter of anticipation in my stomach as we neared the Opera House. When the carriage finally drew to a stop I looked up at the magnificent building, my emotions see-sawing. I glanced over at Beth, whose mouth was open slightly as she peered out the little carriage window at the Opera Populaire.
The driver opened the door and helped us out. Once out of the little carriage Beth gazed up at the building, eyes wide. I smiled at the excitement in her eyes as she stared.
The driver unloaded the trunks and suitcases and sent word to the Opera's manager that we had arrived.
Moments later we were greeted by Monsieur D'Aubigne, who kissed our hands and welcomed us to the Opera.
"We are so glad to have you join us, Madame and Mademoiselle de Nuit. Mademoiselle, we are thrilled that you will be singing in our chorus," M D'Aubigne said, smiling broadly. "Come, come, I will show you around. You will find, Madame de Nuit, that not much has changed inside the Opera since you graced its stage."
I was immediately uncomfortable with his words. I was certain he meant no harm, that he did not even know my name before I married Erik, but still I was nervous. As exciting as it was, being back in Paris, walking up the broad stairs that led to the magnificent front doors, seeing the Opera House for the first time since I had left it to marry Erik, I was still afraid that something would go wrong, that someone would recognise me.
Of course, it had been a long time since the 'tragedy', since the Opera Ghost had wreaked havoc on the Opera Populaire. More than likely if anyone knew the story at all it was simply a myth, a tale now.
Or at least, I hoped so.
(( well, what did you think? How was the Erik/Christine interaction? I hope not too sappy, but I had to get across the fact that he's do darn stubborn to tell the kids the truth and why. Anyways as always, your opinions and reviews are welcomed!!!!! Thank you!!))