Chapter 25: Escaped

Holding Rosalie's hand, Erik led her through the dark cool night. He had not though this through. They had no carriage, no way of going back to Paris. Two wandering figures drifting through the night, refuges in a cold world were hooded by their cloaks.

Rosalie made no cry of protest or spoke a word. She held Erik's hand trustingly and walked with him. She seemed to enjoy the night as much as her father, the loving cloak which shielded him for so many years. Finally she spoke softly,

"Papa… may I call you that?"

Erik felt his cheeks rise in amusement, "Of course, ma Cherie, if you wish. May I still call you Rosalie?"

Rosalie scrunched her face up, "When have you ever called me that?"

Erik laughed, "Ah of course, 'ma petite' this is what I say."

Rosalie giggled, "What will you do when I grow up and am no longer petite."

"I do not know ma petite I will know when you grow up."

"Papa, did you name me Rosalie?"

"No, your mother did, and perhaps Raoul as well."

Rosalie grew a silent, "What would you have named me, my father?"

Erik tried to ignore the question for as long as possible, "Well even if your mother and I were married, we would have picked it out together so, I'm not sure."

Rosalie stopped and dropped Erik's hand, "Well you must have had some name you liked, Papa."

Erik saw a stone bench along side of the road, picking Rosalie up; he lifted her towards the bench, and sat her on his lap. She looked up at him seeking all that her life had never known before.

"Ma Cherie, I may have suggested a name like…" he almost shrunk from the name,

"Madeleine after your grandmother."

She bounced in excitement, "Oh, I do like that name."

Erik smiled, "It's a bit late to change your name now, ma Rose."

"Oh but I will, I like Madeleine… perhaps as a stage name someday. Mama doesn't use a stage name but I will when I become a great musician."

Rosalie yawned and Erik picked her up and she hugged him sleepily. Erik knew they had a long way still to go. He walked carrying his light daughter in his arms, for a couple hours. He grew tired but continued on, it had been awhile since he had had to employ his survival skills and he relished his walking in the night. The night had always been his alibi for so many years.

He suddenly spotted a carriage driving up the road. It had hung lanterns over the edge and two black horses clip-clopped towards the father and daughter. Erik made a decision to try and hitch a ride with them. He hoped that the people inside would be kind and in exchange for some money take them back into Paris.

The carriage seemed to spot them and the horses slowed up. Erik held his daughter close and walked cautiously towards the carriage door. The windows were tinted and it was dark outside so he couldn't see who the inhabitants were. He heard a woman's voice laugh and the door swung open. Erik's jaw dropped when he saw a well dressed woman he knew with those green eyes.

Isabelle… only she had aged some and no longer was that naïve child he once knew. She was alone in this carriage and her wild hair was pinned up elegantly on her head. Her throat sparkled with gemstones larger than coins. She wore a fur trimmed clock and upon recognizing Erik laughed.

"I always knew I'd see your father again, Monsieur le Fantome. Somehow I always knew that we would meet again. Climb on in."

Erik lifted his daughter in and then closed the door of the carriage. The horses moved again and they began to travel. Isabelle looked from sleeping Rosalie back to Erik's handsome but aging face. She giggled girlishly and Erik glared and shh-ed her.

"Please, don't wake her."

"Well Erik, kidnapping young Countesses now are we," she grinned, "I think since
I've helped you, that some of the random money should be mine."
Erik's eyes narrowed, "I am not kidnapping her and how do you know she is a Countess…"

"…la petite Countess de Chagny? Haha, oh Erik, you continue to amuse me. Well, first off, I am very familiar with high society these days. More than I used to be, even," she added winking and making Erik's cheek flush slightly, "Also, I know you Erik. You of all people would want to take Raoul de Chagny's daughter."

Through gritted teeth Erik whispered, "Not that it is your affair but Rosalie is my daughter."

Before she was about to make a sarcastic comment, Isabelle stared at the severity on Erik's face. She looked incredulously from Rosalie's face to
Erik's. It was hard to tell after the surgery Erik had had to distinguish between his true looks but there were similarities Isabelle noticed. Erik smirked at Isabelle's defeat and added, "She is my child, mine…" he paused dramatically, "and Christine's."

Isabelle flinched at the name and grew somber, "She looks like you."

Erik felt his anger quickly drain and he smiled softly at her, "No, it's all her mother. She's beautiful." He lovingly stroked his daughter's hair as she stirred.

Isabelle had never seen him like this. He was so grown up and paternal. Her heart melted all over again for him. The years had been hard and even harder since she had left him on the street that day. Not a day went by without her thinking about him. She had followed a little of what had happened to Erik and knew that he was an opera star now. She had even been so a couple of his performances. Then he had seemed as arrogant as she feared he might become.

Now he seemed changed again and she wondered how long she could avoid catching him up on her life. So much had happened, her life never ceased to be boring. Thus far the carriage ride was silent but Erik broke it.

"You look so grown up, Belle." Isabelle smiled, "You haven't called me that since… the dark ages. But thanks. You do too."

Erik laughed, "Grown up? Old you mean."

"No, just, seeing you with your daughter… you've really changed."

Erik nodded and sighed, "I'm still learning; it has been difficult at times. I used to just be her voice teacher. So Isabelle, you seem to be doing well."

Isabelle closed her eyes and sighed, "Mon Dieu, two whole minutes. I wondered when you would ask."

Erik grew impatient, "Well…?"

"Alright, alright. Well I have made a bit of an alteration in profession as you may have noticed. That day I walked away from you… I decided to try and change my life. It did not work unfortunately. There is little work for a girl with my credentials. Well something did happen. I met someone."

Erik felt cold and did not understand why. They were only old friends after all. He tried to sound supportive, "Oh? You're married."
Isabelle grinned, "No anymore but I was for a bit, yes. He was a noble. Nice man… a lord, handsome, doted on me until…" she looked out of the window of the carriage as if the memory was too much to bear, "until he died."

"How did he die, Belle?"

"He…" Isabelle tried not to get emotional; after all she had not been passionately in love with Bernard. She laughed at the thought of meeting him for the first time. He had been shy and always treated her like a lady. His stupid grin remained with her every day. He had left his entire estate to her and now because of him she would never need anything again. She would always been safe.

She wiped tears with her lace handkerchief, "He fell off his horse at our estate, and broke his neck…" she turned away from Erik.

He stood up and sat next to her, but she protested quietly, "No… Erik… please I'm fine…"

Erik let her cry for a minute, realizing how much he wanted to comfort her. Even as this powerful woman she was still young and beautiful. She turned back towards him and looked at him weakly, "Oh Erik, I didn't love him the way a wife should. I tried to be happy and make him happy… I tried. He loved me so much and when he died… oh Erik I'm a wicked person I felt…"

"…relieved?" Erik finished her sentence without hesitation. Isabelle nodded and allowed Erik to hold her, "It's ok, and you cared for him even if you did not love him. You cannot always have love in your life. Sometimes caring and understanding are enough and I am sure you gave him both. He had to feel like the luckiest man in the world."

Isabelle looked at him and weakly smiled, "Only because he didn't know I was already in love with someone."