Disclaimer: I still don't own The Phantom of the Opera, but if I did, I would make Erik regret it. He would never get any rest because I would insist that he spend all of his time singing to me or giving me voice lessons.
A/N: Here it is. The last chapter of Dreams. It's been a long, beautiful ride. I'd like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers, and everyone who read but didn't review. I may do a few one-shots that continue the story, but there won't be a sequel. I don't think I could do it justice. There will probably be a revised, too. My next story will be a Labyrinth fic. If you don't know what Labyrinth is, do yourself a favor and find on DVD. Yes, it's a puppet movie, but it has David Bowie. Look out for my updates, people. I will be back, God willing and the creak don't rise. Yes, I am from the American South.
Chapter Twenty-Four: Lessons Learned from Adam and Eve
The next few weeks were spent in a flurry of planning. Danielle needed a dress, they needed to find a Protestant church, and Marie absolutely insisted the moment she was informed of their upcoming marriage that Danielle and Erik had to live apart, at all costs, until after the wedding. She was delighted that they were going to be married and happy, but, for propriety's sake, they could not sleep under the same roof. Erik, angered by the insinuations that came with this proposal, refused to be forced away from Danielle because of "an old woman's prudery." Unfortunately for him, Danielle agreed with Marie.
"Now that we have a romantic relationship, it wouldn't be right for us to continue living together as long as we are unmarried," she reasoned. "Before, I was your student, your friend, a sort of ward, but now I'm your fiancé. That particular role is vastly different from the others."
"But I'm not trying to take advantage of you," Erik declared hotly.
"No one says you are," Danielle said, laying a sympathetic hand on his arm. "We just shouldn't risk any temptation," she whispered, hoping Marie and Nadir couldn't hear from the other room in Erik's lair.
"Temptation," Erik spluttered, obviously not sharing her desire for privacy. There was no doubt that Marie and Nadir had heard that inopportune outburst.
"Temptation," Danielle affirmed with a beguiling smile that made Erik blush. It was actually very adorable to see his face, ears, and neck redden like that. There's a guilty conscience in there, somewhere, Danielle thought to herself, watching his reaction.
Erik was much quieter when he, hurt by what he took as an implication of less than honorable intentions on his part, assured her, "I wouldn't be tempted to do anything you wouldn't be willing to do; you know that."
"I wasn't talking about your temptation only, Erik," Danielle stated wryly.
"Your temptation," Erik muttered with raised eyebrows, staggered by the idea. It had certainly never crossed his mind that she would…he had never expected her to…it had never occurred to him that she would actually want…He couldn't even think it. It was too hard to believe, he couldn't even put it into words. She was probably only saying this to mollify him, so he tried not to pay attention to the way his stomach churned.
"My temptation," Danielle asserted, as she wrapped her arms around his neck, twining her fingers in his hair, and gave him a kiss he would not soon forget.
They were both startled by the sound of a throat being cleared close by. They broke apart and awkwardly eyed the two people standing in the doorway of the study. Marie's eyelids were closed firmly, as if in a silent prayer for strength, though no one could be quite sure whose strength she was praying for, hers or theirs. Nadir, leaning against the doorpost, was making a valiant attempt not to laugh at the couple. Erik and Danielle had the grace to look mildly embarrassed by being caught in such a position, though Erik looked more annoyed than anything else.
"Temptation," Marie declared resolutely.
In the end, it was decided that Danielle would get a hotel room, and Marie would stay with her to chaperone. They couldn't both fit in Marie's quarters, and having Danielle in the opera house unattended was just like letting her live with Erik because of his infernal passageways. Erik, of course, insisted on paying for the hotel and all of their room service. He also told them that money was no object once they went to a dressmaker. He wanted his bride to look ravishing, though she could have come wearing rags and still manage it.
Marie and Danielle did as he told them. Danielle wanted something simple. Marie secretly wanted Danielle to spend as much of Erik's money as she could, but was quite convinced after seeing Danielle in the dress she favored. It was nicely form-fitting, with slightly puffed off-the-shoulder sleeves. Marie noticed with some amusement that the bodice revealed just a hint of bosom, which was more than Danielle had ever exposed before. Marie was momentarily tempted to comment on this, but thought better of it. The material was a beautiful, pure white, a fitting tribute to her famed chastity. Danielle's veil was so thick with lace, it was almost impossible to distinguish her features behind the blusher.
They brought all of their purchases back to their temporary dwelling. Night was falling as the two women packed everything away. The wedding was tomorrow, and all of the arrangements were made. Danielle was surprisingly calm as she stared out the window of their room at the starry sky. Marie thought that she should probably leave the bride-to-be to herself for a while. This was her last night as a maiden. In less than twenty-four hours she would be at home with her husband, and her independence would be at an end.
Danielle was dreamily humming to herself, toying with the curtain, when she heard a grunt below her. Confused, she looked down to find a man climbing the wall towards her. She was thinking of screaming when the man turned his face upwards. Erik. I should have known.
Once, he was nearly within reach, Danielle held out her arm to him. He took it gratefully, and hauled himself through her window.
"I see the element of surprise is gone," Erik stated before wrapping his arms around her. "How long until your bodyguard gets back?"
"I don't know," Danielle said with a laugh. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to see you," Erik purred, lightly kissing her neck.
"Erik," Danielle whispered, trying to ignore him but failing dismally, "Marie could be back any second."
"I'm already back," Marie called from the doorway.
Erik snarled in exasperation. "Good evening, Marie," he muttered, turning to face her.
"This is a ladies' bedroom, Erik," Marie informed him. "You should not be here. It isn't decent, so be on your way."
"I did come here for another reason," Erik said to Danielle, staying right where he was. "I needed to bring you my wedding ring, and I wanted to give you something," he added mysteriously.
"Don't you think you've given me enough," Danielle asked, looking at him adoringly.
"Nothing would ever be enough," Erik whispered seriously. He handed her the box containing his wedding band, and pulled another, longer box from his jacket pocket. He opened it to reveal a string of cultured pearls.
"Oh, Erik," Danielle gasped. "They're perfect. Thank you."
Erik took the necklace from its box and fastened them around her neck. "I thought so. You can't tell how bewildered that jeweler was to see Octavian Gautier back in his shop."
Danielle hugged him, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Well, you've done what you came to do," Marie stated impatiently. "Now leave."
"Wait," Danielle exclaimed, "Erik, stay a minute. Would you," she asked with a false attitude of timidity, "sing me to sleep again?"
Erik looked to Marie for permission, not that he wasn't going to stay anyway. She nodded her head, a slight twinkle in her eye that gave away her stern façade. Erik led Danielle to the bed, sitting beside her, an arm around her shoulders. She rested her head against his chest, waiting for him to begin. Erik sang the same song he had sung to her all those months ago when they had been in similar positions.
Marie watched them with a tear in her eye, a smile stretching muscles that were unused to the act. It was so good to see them together. They loved each other so much it was hard to believe that either had ever been as lonely as she knew they once were. She could see that Danielle trusted Erik implicitly, and Erik would have done anything to prove that her faith was well-founded. Erik finished his song, and Danielle was already sound asleep. Erik, paying no attention to the other woman in the room, lifted Danielle's hand to his lips and planted a gentle, but fervent, kiss there.
"Erik," Marie called lightly, "might I have a word with you in the other room?"
Erik got to his feet, lingering ever so slightly over Danielle's peaceful form before following Marie into the sitting room. Marie took a seat in a chair facing the settee, which Erik chose to occupy.
"I can see that you love her," Marie began, "but there are some questions I feel I must put to you before I can feel truly satisfied about this marriage."
"I don't see why your opinion is a concern," Erik growled.
"I must know. Erik, do you love her more than Christine?"
"Christine," Erik asked, a little surprised that Marie would bring that up all of a sudden. "Of course I love her more than Christine," he said incredulously, as if merely stating the obvious. "Christine was a dream. Danielle is a reality."
"But if Christine would, of her own free will, choose to come back to you," Marie questioned desperately, "would you still marry Danielle, forgetting about the woman you once loved?"
"I would choose Danielle without a moment's hesitation," Erik assured her, "and I would never regret my decision. Christine is nothing compared to Danielle. Danielle is mentally stimulating, talented, strong-willed…she's not just an innocent, delicate flower. She is perfect, or at least very nearly so. Christine was a beautiful and sweet, but she was a child. Danielle is a woman. She and I have infinitely more in common."
Marie was highly relieved that he had taken such a sensible and mature view on the subject. It would have been horrible if he had held onto his fixation with Christine when he had a woman who loved him right in front of him. It would have broken Danielle's heart if she discovered that Erik loved someone else more than her.
"Besides," Erik interrupted her thoughts, "I've seen Christine, and I didn't care about her at all."
"You've seen Christine," Marie asked, startled.
"She and her husband came to see Danielle after a performance once," Erik mentioned casually without a trace of bitterness, as if it made no difference to him at all. In fact, it didn't.
"What happened?"
"The Vicomte decided to inform Danielle that she was studying under a monster," Erik said smugly. "Danielle informed him that she thought differently. He told her all he knew about me, but she said she had already gathered as much. She even convinced them to leave us alone. She was marvelous."
"She didn't care about what you had done," Marie asked breathlessly.
"Not at all," Erik told her proudly. "When we got back home, I made a full confession. I told her everything about my past before I met her. She told me none of it mattered. She doesn't even care about my face."
Marie was astonished by Danielle once again. It didn't surprise her that Danielle took no notice of Erik's deformity, but to be completely unconcerned about his disturbing, even violent, past was strange, to say the least. Of course, Marie knew that Erik would never dream of hurting her, particularly since she was more than willing to stay with him forever, but most women would at least be a little afraid of him. Danielle really was a strong woman.
"Do we have your blessing," Erik inquired sardonically.
"Of course," Marie practically shouted with delight. "Oh, Erik, you are certainly lucky to have her."
"I know, Marie," Erik whispered. "I know."
The next morning, a coach was waiting for Danielle and Marie. It would take them to a little church just outside of Paris where a pastor would join Erik and Danielle in marriage. Danielle was jittery as she climbed into the back, arranging her wedding dress so it wouldn't wrinkle. As they bumped along, Danielle threw anxious glances out the window, wondering if she would be ill.
"Don't look so worried," Marie reassured her. "This is a happy day."
"I know, Marie," Danielle said with a tiny, uneasy smile. "I'm just so nervous! What if I do something wrong?"
"It's a very simple ceremony. Nothing will go wrong."
"I wasn't talking about the ceremony," Danielle admitted.
"You will make a wonderful wife. Erik will be very happy with you."
"I didn't mean as a wife," she blurted.
"What did you mean, dear?"
Apparently Danielle couldn't say. She just blushed and looked back out the window, not meeting Marie's eyes.
"Oh, I see," Marie said with a knowing smile. "You mean as a lover."
"Marie," Danielle whispered, shocked by her use of the word, no matter how accurate.
"You shouldn't worry about that, either, Danielle. People make love all the time, and they obviously enjoy it. It's instinctive."
Danielle blushed some more, but looked a little less worried. She even smiled a little shyly, as she met Marie's eyes again.
"You don't think I'm wicked, do you?"
"Of course not, Danielle," Marie told her. "I do have a daughter, you know, and I didn't make her by myself."
The coach shuddered to a stop. The driver helped Danielle and Marie down. Marie helped Danielle fasten her veil securely, and kissed her cheek before letting the blusher fall over Danielle's face.
Inside the church, Erik was pacing, just as nervous as Danielle. Nadir had long given up trying to calm him. The pastor looked amused. He had thought Erik odd when he had first met him, but now he saw that he behaved as any man would on his wedding day – like a jumpy fool.
The unmistakable sound of the coach stopping made Erik blanch. Suddenly he seemed to be having trouble breathing. It looked like he was about to bolt until the doors opened. Marie Giry hastened down the aisle to stand beside Nadir. Danielle lingered in the doorway a moment.
Erik stopped searching for the best exit and stared, his mouth hanging wide open. Danielle was bathed in sunlight, giving her the ethereal appearance of some otherworldly creature. The veil obscuring her face made Erik mad with curiosity. In that moment, she seemed mysterious and inscrutable. He wanted to learn all of her secrets. Once again he blushed. He vaguely thought that he shouldn't be thinking things like that in a church as Danielle started down the aisle.
She couldn't believe her good fortune, as she walked toward the altar. Erik's clothing was as polished as ever, but she could see that he wasn't so unruffled. It was so sweet to watch the almost goofy smile appear on his face. She knew that she should want the ceremony to last a long time, but all she wanted to do was get home.
When Danielle got to the end of the aisle, Erik raised her veil with trembling hands. She was already crying, but smiling as if she'd never been so happy in her life. Erik started to cry, too. In a daze, they vowed to love, honor, obey, and cleave only unto the other till death did they part. The pastor declared them man and wife, but they didn't wait for permission to kiss. Erik only came back to himself when they were leaving the church, and getting into the coach that would take them home.
"Did we just get married," he asked her, choking.
"Oh, Erik," Danielle laughed, throwing her arms around him. Erik held her face with his newly beringed left hand, and kissed all of her tears away, as new ones threatened to fall.
Erik was grinning like an idiot when they finally got back to the lair. They ate in a distracted manner, both giggling whenever they caught the other one staring. This happened often, so it was late when they finished. Erik took Danielle by the hand and led her to the study. He shed his jacket and vest, and then picked up his violin.
"I wrote this for you while you were staying with Marie," he said, fitting the bow to the strings. "I needed some distraction. It was very boring without you."
The melody he played was, as always, very haunting, but there was something very romantic about it. It had that quality of dark romance that was often found in compositions by Liszt. Danielle's blood was pounding in her ears as the music sent her into a trance much like the one she had experienced the night she had first come to Erik's – now her – home.
Erik watched her lean back against the sofa, fighting the urge to lick his lips. Who knew that the simple rise and fall of her chest could send shivers up his spine? He couldn't take his eyes off her as she watched him play. Her beauty was unearthly as she sat there, still in her wedding dress, her eyes half closed. He was finally able to glance in another direction when the song came to an end.
Danielle got up as Erik put away his violin, and floated toward him. It certainly felt like she was walking on clouds. He faced her, his eyes filled with barely controlled longing, and she kissed him, trying to take away that look that broke her heart and melted it all at once.
Erik was so preoccupied with her mouth that he didn't notice what her hands were doing until they had freed half of his shirt buttons from their buttonholes. He pulled away as if she'd burned him, gripping her shoulders, holding her away from him. She looked stunned and hurt. Erik knew he had to explain why he had done this before he lost all his strength.
"Danielle, you know I don't expect anything from you," he said, his eyes on the floor. "I know that you probably think that I'm entitled…as your husband, but I would never consider that my right. I will understand perfectly if you refuse. I want your happiness above all selfish…pleasures." Somehow he couldn't avoid that suggestive word; it was the only really accurate one to describe what he was talking about.
"Erik, of course you're entitled to it," Danielle assured him, bringing his face up to meet her eyes. "It would be a sin to deny you."
"You shouldn't think like that," Erik muttered. "Don't think of it as denying me. Think of it as doing what is best for me."
"What do you mean," Danielle asked, bewildered. "Are you…are you saying you don't want me?"
"Of course, I'm not saying that," Erik stuttered. "I'm just saying that I don't know if I could handle the rest of my life knowing what I'm missing."
"What you're missing," Danielle repeated, confused. Then it dawned on her what he meant. "Wait, you think I mean to…consummate…our marriage, and then never…again?"
Erik's downcast attitude was all she needed be sure this was exactly what he thought she was planning.
"I don't know whether to laugh, or strike you," Danielle said, offended. "You must have a very low opinion of me if you think I would treat you like that."
This frightened Erik. Clearly, she didn't understand at all.
"I love you," Danielle continued before he could interrupt. "I want to be your wife, your true wife, not just once, but every night," she added, leaning in to press her cheek against him neck.
Erik's mind was on fire. Was she saying that she actually wanted him? He didn't know how much more of this he could.
"I don't deserve you," Erik muttered. "Surely it would be more sinful to give yourself to a man like me than to refuse him?"
"God gave woman to man for a reason," she whispered into his neck.
"Woman also tempted man into his downfall," Erik countered, smiling down at her.
"He knew Eve would give Adam that fruit, yet he created her anyway," Danielle rejoined, smiling as well. "God didn't want man to be alone." Her expression became more earnest. "Surely if God felt that Adam, the first man to sin, deserved a wife, wouldn't He think the same of you? You need a wife as much as Adam did, Erik."
Erik couldn't argue with her logic. Perhaps she was right. She did know more about theology than he did, after all.
It took only a moment's consideration. He drew her as close to him as he could, and kissed her with all he had, then picked her up, giggling. Their destination was obvious: his bedroom. He kicked it open, and then, before entering it, he lifted his eye upward, as if to Heaven, and whispered, "Thank you."
He carried her over the threshold, and pulled the door closed with his foot.
A/N: About Erik asking if they had just gotten married. My cousin got married in October, and when they left the church to go to the reception, he actually said, "Are we married?" I thought it was really funny and sweet in a dopey kind of way.
A/N: I really agonized over how I was going to end this. I knew I couldn't talk about what happened after they closed the door. My own modesty wouldn't have allowed it. I couldn't decide if I wanted to even go past the coach taking them home, or if I wanted to end it there. I thought that Erik might have a few issues concerning the wedding night, so I wanted to resolve them, but I wasn't sure how. I hope I did it well. One of the reasons I love Erik so much is how sexually innocent he was in the book by Leroux. I mean a kiss on the forehead made him weep! How sweet is that? I just wanted to kiss his brains out. Anyway, enough about my fantasies. I hope I gave someone out there a few moments of entertainment with this story, and maybe even a little inspiration. Songstressgirl07 out.
