--The Fountain
He had to be dead. That was all there was to it…his sons sat several feet away from him, and his wife his lovely lovely wife lay in his arms weeping and rocking as she desperately grasped his sides. But he wasn't dead, no; the feel of her tears soaking through his shirt and her nails digging into his skin told him he was still alive. Drawing his love's body closer to his own, Erik whispered quietly into her hair.
"Ne pleure pas, mon ange, ne pleure pas…"
Slowly, Christine's tears ceased and she calmly rose her head to meet her love's amber eyes.
"Oh Erik…I thought…I thought so many things…and when I left, Oh Erik I never got a chance to tell you…and then you were…were pronounced…d-dead and I…I…"
Again she dissolved into tears and pressed herself closer to his chest. Weeping for all that had been and all that now could be. Timidly, Gustave and Jean approached their parents and nervously called for their attention.
"Um…Mommy, who…who's that?"
Quickly Erik and Christine broke apart and turned towards the very confused looking Gus and the very embarrassed looking Jean (who was sporting a rather cute blush). Sniffling, Christine took a moment to collect herself before slowly standing with Erik.
"Perhaps we should explain things somewhere a little more private?"
Laughing nervously, Erik wrapped his arm around Christine's waist and took Jean's right hand in his left and watched as Gus followed nervously beside Jean before beginning to walk off towards the Giry's apartment.
--Apartment #131
It was a scene from Hell in the kitchen, a very outraged Meg Giry was pacing angrily while her mother sat calmly knitting and Theo and Nadir sat at the table playing cards.
"Arrg…that's the last time I send that…that that, man for anything! Damn fool can't even go out for groceries without taking for bloody ever. I specifically told him 'NO LATER THAN TEN MINUTES!'"
"Meg, please give it a rest. Jean is with him and I have no doubt that it's because of him that Erik is taking longer than usual."
"Because of his leg?"
"Of course not Theo, because of his attitude. Too similar to his father you know…"
Antoinette nodded wisely as she continued knitting without even bothering to look up. Theo chuckled under his breath while Nadir actually laughed rather loudly.
"So true Madame! Why, just the other day I went in to give him his medicine and do you know what he said?"
"What?"
"He said, 'I don't see the point in taking this stuff, I mean come on! I'm a Destler; I'm too strong to need stuff like that! Remember what the doctor said?'"
"Honestly, that boy needs to learn some manners."
Suddenly the room sobered as Meg spoke in a rather saddened undertone.
"If he had his mother I'm sure he'd be a little angel."
The mood was unrepentantly broken when the sound of the front door opening drew everyone's attention. (Specifically though, Meg's.)
"Finally! Honestly Erik I could have sent a snail and he would have…been…"
The adults in the kitchen where suddenly sent running towards the foyer when Meg's terrified scream filled the air. Several seconds later, and the loud thump of a person fainting littered the room. The scene that greeted the two other Giry's and Nadir would have been comical had the person standing not too far from the door not been there. Jean was literally crying he was laughing so hard, Erik looked caught in the middle of a rock and a hard place, the little boy who looked like a miniature Erik was looking worriedly at his mother, and said mother looked panicked. Suddenly, Christine was caught in the crushing embrace of Madame Giry.
"Oh Christine! I thought you were gone for good! I thought you'd never come back and when I heard that Hailey had moved-."
"M-Madame…Giry…I…can't…breathe…"
Gasping and releasing Christine from her deadly grasp, Antoinette quickly returned to her normal visage as she smacked Jean upside the head and gave him a reprimanding look. As Theo gently began trying to awaken Meg, two small forms rushed down the stairs having heard the large commotion.
"Whose that?"
"Wha happun ta mommy?"
"Who're they?"
"My friend how on earth did you find Christine?"
"Come on Meg, wake up honey."
Gus, who was normally the quiet-spoken child, suddenly lost his temper, and stamping his foot shouted,
"WHAT'S GOING ON!"
The room fell deathly silent as Gus continued on.
"Who are these people, who the hell is this guy (pointing at Erik), why the hell are we here, and how the hell does everybody but me know everything!"
Panting heavily, Gus calmed his frazzled nerves and flattened his disheveled hair before continuing to speak.
"Sorry, I just…I was tired of being left out."
A blush rose to Gus's face and he returned to his more timid personality and hid slightly behind his twin's more courageous form. Antoinette's stiff and commanding voice swiftly filled in the emptiness left behind at the end of Gus's outrage.
"Well then, I suggest we all take a seat in the living room and we can discuss this."
As the adults made there way towards the living room, Jean turned towards his brother with a rather downtrodden expression.
"Damn, I guess this means we're gonna have a really late birthday."
End Chapter 24
A/N: Woot! Yeah another chapter! Okay I know I said there was going to be an E/C lemon, and there will! Just not right now…in probably a chapter or two from now. Everyone's going to get his or her explanations next chapter, which will be posted tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled. Oh and the line from Erik at the top means 'No more tears my angel, no more tears.' Sorry if it's wrong, but unfortunately, my French is atrocious.
