A/N: I am SOO sorry this took so long to update!
Chapter 22
Erik woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. He heard whimpering and looked down at Isabelle. Her mouth was twitching and her brows were furrowed. She was mumbling incoherently and Erik knew she was having a nightmare.
"Erik...help me," she mumbled, tears starting to run down her face, her mumbling becoming more frantic. Erik gently kissed her lips,
"Isabelle, ma petite, please wake up," Erik begged, hating to see her dreams affecting her so. She whimpered and her eyes opened. They were filled with pain and fear, she looked into Erik's eyes as more tears rolled down. Erik gently wiped them away and tried to comfort her without upsetting her injuries. Isabelle clung to him like a newborn child would to it's mother. Erik's usually strong and brave wife had been broken and it hurt him deeply to know she had suffered things almost as badly as he had in his life.
"Erik," Isabelle whispered frantically, "I'm scared." Once again tears filled her eyes as her voice broke with emotion.
"Shh, don't be," Erik soothed, "I'll never let another person harm you, your uncle is dead, he'll never bother you again, I promise."
"He is?" Isabelle asked urgently, "He's really gone?"
"Yes, he fell down the stairs and broke his neck," Erik confirmed, Isabelle let out a deep breath, completely relieved.
"Oh Erik! I was so scared there, I kept praying you would come and I felt awful for not being able to tell you I love you," Isabelle cried, "I was scared the only memory you would have is of the argument, I wished myself away in your arms. I've always felt safest when you hold me."
"Shh, Isabelle I came home and knew something bad happened, it felt as though my heart was being torn out," Erik whispered, "I had been thinking about children on my way home and was scared that you would have died hating me, and it would have eaten away at my soul knowing I never got to tell you that I love you."
Erik wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his lap, not upsetting her injuries. She clung to him as if he were her lifeline. Erik smoothed her hair and sang quietly to her as she fell back into a dreamless sleep.
R/R please!