Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Wheldon, The Mummy belongs to Steven Sommers, Gargoyles belongs to Disney and Buena Vista and The Phantom Of The Opera belongs to Joel Schmacher, Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The songs in this story belong to the songwriters who wrote these amazing songs. Please don't sue me, I'm completely and utterly broke and it's for entertainment purposes only.
Timeline: Post-season seven, Buffy, during season two, Gargoyles, post-The Mummy Returns and during the movie The Phantom Of The Opera.
Pairing(s): Erik/Christine (a little bit), Buffy/Erik, Dawn/Erik (friendship), Willow, Willow/Christine (friendship)
Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Sorry for the delay! RL got in the way plus a mild case of writer's block caused me to take a little break from writing. Anyway, I'm adding one more fandom to the TOSOC trilogy. I'm adding the fandom of the TV show Gargoyles just to add more of a supernatural flare. Originally, I was going to wait till the second story to bring the characters from Gargoyles in but after a bunch of rewrites, I decided to have three of the characters (Angela, Elisa and Goliath) make their first appearances in the next chapter along with a certain Mummy character (Imhotep). So anyway, don't be surprised to see that I changed the disclaimer and the story summary a little bit. Also, I'm incorporating a little bit of Erik's childhood from the Susan Kay novel Phantom: The Novel Of His Life. If you haven't read it, run not walk to your nearest library or bookstore and read it! Okay on with the story and remember no flames! I will ignore them and I don't have the patience for them.
Summary: The cat is out of the bag when Buffy confessed her love to Erik and they shared their first kiss after singing a song together of their newfound love for each other.
Three months later …
"Buffy, hurry up! We're going to be late!"
Buffy sighed as she inspected her dress for the evening which was a green dress that matched her eyes perfectly. It had been three months to the day since that night on the roof of the Opera House where Buffy discovered her love for Erik. Their relationship grew stronger every day and their love ran deeper than ever. It was the every day things that made the Slayer love Erik more. He started to go out on patrol with her every night and even offered her to teach both her and Dawn to sing in exchange of her teaching him everything she knew as the Slayer to which she agreed after discussing it with her sister and Willow. He gave her a rose every morning when she woke up and even played some of his music to her on his organ.
Now, I get to go out on a romantic date with Erik plus he said that he has a surprise for me before we go. I wonder what it is.
The romantic date was at a masquerade ball that was going to take place at the Opera Populaire. Erik had asked her to accompany him to it a few days earlier to which she said yes gladly. She was rewarded later that night with a rose and a kiss from Erik and a teasing from both Dawn and Willow. She smiled as the memory of that day ran through her mind and sighed happily as she finished getting ready. Then she went out to join her best friend and sister who were waiting for her by the edge of the lake. Willow looked beautiful in the black evening gown she was wearing with a matching cloak. Dawn also looked very beautiful in her evening gown which was red and also with a matching cloak.
"You guys look beautiful." Buffy said with a grin.
"So do you, Buffy." Dawn said returning her sister's grin. Then she looked around.
"Where's Erik? I thought he'd be ready by now."
Buffy was about to say something and nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice of silk whisper in her ear.
"You look very beautiful as always, Elizabeth."
Buffy turned to scold Erik about sneaking up on her but stopped upon looking at his appearance. He looked very handsome in the dark blue suit he was wearing. Instead of wearing a white mask, he wore a black mask that covered the right side of his face. The loving smile on his face made Buffy's heart flutter and she smiled at him back.
"Don't you look handsome." Buffy said. Her green eyes twinkled brightly.
Erik couldn't help but chuckle at her comment. I love her so much. He took her hand and kissed the back of it. Buffy blushed and she grinned from ear to ear at him. At that moment, she felt blessed and lucky to have met a man like Erik who wasn't afraid of her strength and who stood by her every step of the way with everything. Erik did everything for her. He helped her discover the origins of the Key, fought alongside her against the demon three months previous and even protected Dawn at the best of his abilities.
Anything Erik did, he did it for me. God, I love him so much.
Suddenly the thought of going back to the twenty-first century and leaving Erik behind when the time came was heartbreaking and Buffy began to tremble with emotion. She didn't want to leave him behind back to the life he had before she, Willow and Dawn came into it but she couldn't stay either because of her responsibilities as the original Slayer.
Erik must've sensed that something was wrong because he took her into his arms and whispered.
"What is wrong, my love?"
At his words, Buffy burst into tears. "I don't want to leave you." She sobbed. "If we find a way home, I'll have to leave you back in this hell and I don't want to. But I can't stay either because of my responsibilities as the original Slayer. I love you so much, Erik and I don't want to leave you."
As she sobbed in his arms, Erik fought back tears. He had thought of what would happen if Buffy, Dawn and Willow found a way back to the twenty-first century and the thought of returning to the life he knew before they came was unthinkable and painful.
But am I willing to give up my life in this century to be with Elizabeth in her own century? With Willow and Dawnie?
Looking at the faces of Willow and Dawn, the two young women he considered to be his sisters and thinking of the surprise that he told Buffy about only a week earlier, Erik knew what his heart was telling him at that moment. He also knew the answer to his question.
Yes, I am. I love Elizabeth too much to let her go. Without her, I am nothing. But with her, I am complete.
Pulling away from her, Erik wiped away the tears on Buffy's face and with his thumb; he wiped away the tears that pooled around her eyes. Then he took her hand, placed on his chest and began to sing to her. It was a song that he had written for just for her and something he had been working on since that night on the roof of the Opera House. As Erik was singing, Buffy couldn't help but be transfixed by the sound of his voice. She never moved her gaze away from him. Loving, hopeful green eyes looked into kind, gentle golden ones. Erik took her other hand and held it as he continued to sing to her.
Buffy could feel the power of the words of Erik's song and she let out a groan of pleasure when she felt his arm wrap around her waist pulling her close to him. She closed her eyes and smiled as his angelic singing voice stirred every fiber of her soul.
"Erik." Buffy whispered as she slowly began to give in to the passion of her love for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let out another groan as he ran his hand on her back in a gentle caress. Never in her entire life since her brief time in Heaven did the Slayer ever feel such peace and love. She gasped when she felt Erik's fingers run through her hair and his lips brushing against her cheek. She felt tears of joy prickling in her eyes and let them fall down her cheeks.
"Elizabeth." Erik whispered as he finished the last word of the verse of his song. He traced the tears that were running down Buffy's cheeks. She trembled at his touch and she smiled through her tears.
"Erik." Buffy whispered. "I want you."
As she uttered the words, Erik started to sing again and as he did so, he ran his hands down her body and up. Then he took her hand and pressed it against his chest. As Erik sang the words of his song, he pulled something out of the sleeve of his shirt and went down on one knee in front of Buffy. She gasped when she saw what it was. It was a diamond ring. There were diamonds at each side and a large one in the middle of the ring. Tears of shock and joy welled in her eyes again as he spoke. His voice breaking with emotion.
"Elizabeth, for the three months you been here. You changed my life. You became the sunshine of my life, my angel of mercy, the arms that will hold me when I need to be embraced and the one who dries my tears. You saw me for who I am and not for the monster I look like. You have shown me compassion when no-one else has. When you do go back to your century, I will go with you. I would rather die than live without you, Willow and Dawn in my life. Where you are is where I want to be."
"You would give up everything you have here to be with me?" Buffy asked not daring to hope. Erik nodded his head.
"I love you, my darling Elizabeth." He continued with tears welling in his eyes again. "Would you honor me by becoming my wife?"
At that point, Buffy burst into happy tears and threw her arms around him.
"Yes, Erik." Buffy sobbed happily. "Yes, I'll marry you."
At that moment, Erik burst into happy tears and held her sobbing with fierce joy. Then as they pulled away, he slid the ring on Buffy's finger. Then Buffy leaned forward toward him and pressed her lips against his in a gentle kiss. She pulled away for a second and saw the desire flash in his eyes. Before she could react, he leaned toward her and kissed her back. Deepening the kiss, Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and groaned feeling happier than she had ever been in her life.
Heaven. She tasted pure heaven. Erik felt Buffy's small but strong arms wrap around his neck and heard her groan as they deepened their kiss. He felt her tongue inside his mouth inviting his in her own. He groaned with pleasure and happiness. After a few minutes, they pulled back and glanced at each other. Then they both started to sing together.
As they sang the final note of the song, Buffy and Erik glanced at each other lovingly unaware that Dawn and Willow were watching the whole thing with smiles on their faces. They snapped out of their reverie when Dawn let out a sob. Erik saw that the teen was crying. He held out one arm toward her to which she accepted gladly. As he held her, Erik looked up at Willow who was grinning from ear to ear and he heard her voice inside his mind speaking to him telepathietically.
Congratulations, Erik. I'm very happy for you and Buffy. Did you mean what you said about giving up your life to be with us?
Erik nodded his head yes. To his surprise, Willow ran to him and kissed him on the cheek near his chin. At that moment, he felt the happiest he had ever been in his life. After a few moments, he and the Summers sisters pulled away from their group hug.
"Come, my angels. We mustn't be late for the masquerade ball." Erik said. He helped Buffy on the small boat first, then Dawn and then Willow. Then he sailed them and himself to the other side of the lake. As they arrived at the edge of the lake, Buffy couldn't help but grin from ear to ear.
I'm the luckiest woman alive!
Twenty minutes later …
"Wow!" Dawn whispered.
"Yeah, wow." Buffy agreed as she glanced around the front lobby of the Opera Popluaire. It was decorated in silver, gold and every other color imaginable. There were a lot of people in attendance including, to the Chosen Trio's dismay, the managers of the Opera Popluaire and Carlotta. When the actress purposely bumped into Dawn, she gave her a fake smile of an apology and went on her way.
"Why that no-good, rotten …" Furious and embarrassed, Dawn went to confront her but Erik grabbed her arm stopping her.
"Not here." He whispered. "You do not want to attract unwanted attention or face Elizabeth's wrath, do you?"
"No." Dawn muttered knowing that Erik was right. Buffy will kick my ass or have Willow do it for her if I got into a fight with Carlotta during her first official romantic date with Erik.
"Later." Erik said softly. Upon seeing the mischievous look on his face, Dawn grinned at him.
"I'll hold you on your word, big brother." Dawn said in mock anger.
Erik laughed. "I know you will, Dawnie." He said. Then he turned back to Buffy who was looking at him with a curious expression on her face.
"What was that all about?" She asked.
Erik made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "It was nothing, my dear." He said. "Dawn had a rather unfortunate encounter with a certain prima donna who was rude enough to bump into her purposely."
Buffy rolled her eyes in ill-disgusted dislike. "I swear, that woman needs an attitude readjustment." She said. I could go over there and give that bitch a piece of my mind. Then she saw the mischievous glint in Erik's eyes. Or better yet, I'll get Erik to do it for me or Willow.
"Okay, what are you thinking of?" Buffy asked with a smile.
"Just how much I love you." Erik replied. "And many ways to get back at Carlotta for what she did to Dawn."
"Do they involve me?" Buffy asked teasingly.
"Of course." Erik replied softly. "And Willow." Then he leaned over and kissed Buffy gently. She kissed him back just as gently. Then as the music began to play, Erik took her hand.
"My darling Elizabeth, may I have this dance?" He asked.
Buffy grinned at him. "With pleasure." She replied and she linked her arm around Erik's as they went onto the dance floor. Then she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and as they began to dance, she couldn't help but look deep into her fiancé's eyes. Never in a million years did she think that she was going to marry someone.
Anyone. I mean, look at my last relationships. Two vampires with souls and a guy who turned out to be a part of a military group that captures and does experiments on demons, vampires and other things that go bump in the night. And after all that, I end up getting engaged to the Phantom Of The Opera who turns out to be a very sweet and loving guy despite having a deformity on the right side of his face.
The smile never left her face as Buffy and Erik continued their dance. As they were dancing, Willow and Dawn stood by watching them. Dawn couldn't help but smile happily. She was very happy for them. For the entire three months that they were in the nineteenth century, she had always felt that both her sister and Erik were a perfect match but because of his feelings for Christine, she didn't think that they would get together until that night on the roof of the Opera House.
Now they're together and engaged to be married. It was a match made in Heaven.
Dawn was so engrossed with her thoughts that she almost didn't hear a voice calling out hers and Willow's names.
"Dawn! Willow!"
Dawn and Willow turned around to the source of the voice and they both nearly paled when they saw who it was.
"Christine." Dawn said with a bright smile.
"Raoul." Willow said "Fancy you meeting us here."
Christine smiled. "It is good to see you both here." She said. "You both look beautiful."
Dawn nodded her head in thanks while Willow was trying in vain not to blush. "Um, thank you."
Raoul chuckled lightly when he saw that Willow's face was as red as her hair. Taking pity on her, he turned to Christine.
"Christine, why don't you and Dawn go and enjoy yourselves. I need to talk to Willow in private."
Christine at first looked confused but she nodded. "Of course, Raoul. Come, Dawn. There's much to talk about." She said taking Dawn's arm. The teen glanced over and gave Willow a confused glance. The Wicca was just as confused as Dawn and Christine.
"Raoul, what's going on? Why do you need to talk to me?" Willow asked as evenly as she could.
Raoul took a deep breath before he spoke. "You're a Wicca, aren't you?"
How the hell did he know that? Shocked and perhaps a little frightened, Willow nodded. "How did you know that?"
"That night at the performance of Il Muto, I saw you carrying Dawn just before I went up to the roof with Christine." Raoul replied. "I was concerned so I followed you first. I was careful not let you see me as I did. I heard you say some words in Latin and saw a violet light swirling around you and Dawn. Then you and Dawn disappeared. That's when I realized that you are a witch, a Wicca."
Guess I wasn't as careful as I thought I was. Willow thought remembering that night. After Buffy took off after Erik to the roof, Willow went to an empty hallway of the Opera House and did a transportation spell to get back down to the catacombs.
Raoul must've sensed her uneasiness because he said. "Don't worry, Willow. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell a soul." He said.
Willow let out a sigh of relief that she didn't realize she was holding in. "Good, thank you. Like the secret about Buffy being the Slayer, the bit about me being a witch isn't exactly something I tell people all the time."
"Elizabeth said the same thing when I promised her that I'd keep her secret." Raoul replied. Suddenly remembering Buffy, he looked around for any sight of her.
"Speaking of which, where is she?" he asked.
Uh, oh. This is not a good time for them to meet yet. Willow thought as she saw that both Buffy and Erik were finishing up with their dance. She hated the idea of bringing the two rivals together to help her, Buffy and Dawn find a way back home but she knew that the Chosen Trio couldn't keep Erik away from Raoul forever.
We can't do that if we can get Raoul to help us find a way back the twenty-first century.
Sighing, Willow turned back to Raoul and said. "I think she's finishing up her dance with her fiance."
"Fiancé? I didn't know that Elizabeth is due to be married." Raoul said surprised.
"They just got engaged tonight." Willow replied. She inwardly groaned when she turned and saw the dark look on Erik's face. I hope he doesn't lose his temper when Buffy tells him that she and Raoul met before.
Just as they were finishing their dance, Buffy looked up at Erik and was surprised to see a dark look on his face. She turned and inwardly groaned when she saw the reason why.
Oh, shit! Raoul! Okay, Summers. This is now or never. If you don't tell Erik now, you'll regret it forever.
"Um, Erik." Buffy said. "Now, don't get all psycho on me for telling you this…"
"Tell me what, Elizabeth?" Erik asked.
Against her better judgment, Buffy explained what happened that night and about what she found out about Raoul during her first encounter with him. When she was finished, she saw that Erik was struggling with what she told him. Feeling horrible, she took his hand and held it.
"I couldn't tell you." She said in a voice filled with regret. "You were in love with Christine plus with everything else that's been going on. You already had enough to bear. At least now, I'm being honest with you. We spent three months trying to find that demon and a way home maybe Raoul can help us find a way."
Despite feeling angry that she hadn't told him before, Erik saw the logic in her words. For the past three months, he and the Chosen Trio were no closer to finding a way back to the twenty-first century as they did when they first arrived.
Elizabeth is right. We have spent three months trying to find the demon and a way back to the future but we have found nothing maybe the Viscount can help us find it. We cannot do this alone.
"You are right, my love." Erik said finally with a sigh. "But that does not mean that I have to like it."
Buffy barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "You are too kind." She said. Then she and Erik both began to walk off the dance floor but then she bumped into someone. She looked up to see a tall, handsome young man with long brown hair and eyes staring up at her.
"May I have this dance, Mademoiselle?" he asked in an Irish accent.
Buffy was about to say yes when she felt Erik pulling her arm. She turned to him with an annoyed look on her face.
"I'll be fine. You know that I love only you. If something happens, I'll call you, all right?" she said.
Seeing that it was hopeless to argue with her, Erik sighed and said. "All right, my love. I will be waiting for you." Then he walked off, Buffy took up position with the young man and began to dance with him. She could tell that Erik was jealous and getting possessive just by looking at his face and into his eyes.
And for good reason. I'm dancing with a stranger.
Then for some reason, her Slayer sense began to go off. There was something about the stranger she was dancing with. She ignored it and faced the stranger. Like everyone else in the Opera Populaire, he was wearing a mask so she couldn't see his face but she could see his eyes which were brown.
"Are you having a good time, Mademoiselle?" he asked her.
"Yes, I am." Buffy replied. "Thank you. My fiancé is not very happy with me for dancing with you but I told him that I love only him and not every man is trying to take me away from him."
"Every man is like that." The masked stranger said. "Especially when their wives are dressed beautifully."
This is so not how I wanted to spend my first romantic evening with Erik!
That was the one thought that ran through Buffy's mind as she continued to dance with the mysterious masked man. There was something familiar about him that she couldn't explain. The hair, the voice and his mannerisms. They were similar to Angel's when he was …
Oh, my God!
The horrible realization hit her like a ton of bricks and she tossed a horrified glance over at Erik's direction. The angry, jealous look that he had on his face vanished instantly when he saw her and it was replaced with a look of concern and dread. As he struggled to get to her, Buffy then turned to the direction where Willow, Dawn, Christine and Raoul were standing.
Willow! Buffy shouted silently. Take Dawn and Christine and get them out of here now! She nearly winced at the confused look on her best friend's face.
Why? What's going on? Is the demon here? Willow asked telepathically.
No, not the demon. Someone even worse and I'm dancing with him.
Willow looked up and recoiled in horror as she took in the long brown hair and the broad shoulders. The man was wearing a mask but she recognized the brown eyes immediately which were filled with evil.
Angelus!
Willow turned to Raoul with a grave expression on her face. He glanced her concerned. "What is it, Willow?" he asked.
"See that man over there dancing with Buffy?" The redheaded Wicca asked pointing at Buffy's direction.
Raoul nodded his head. "Yes." He answered.
"He's a vampire that goes by the name Angelus." Willow said. "Your brother may have mentioned him to you."
Raoul was about to say that he had never heard the name before then he remembered a letter he received from his brother three weeks earlier warning him of a vampire that was named Angelus and was known as the Scourge of Europe for the violent and gruesome deaths of thousands of innocent people.
And he's here dancing with Elizabeth! She is in danger now and so are Christine, Dawn and Willow.
"Good God!" Raoul whispered in horror.
"Take Christine and Dawn and get them someplace safe." Willow said. "I'll see if I can help Buffy."
Before Raoul could say something, Willow ran down the stairs to the dance floor brushing past people. She saw that Angelus was leading Buffy off the dance floor and toward the front entrance of the Opera Populaire. A second later, Erik appeared at her side. He looked concerned and afraid for Buffy's life and safety.
"Willow, who was that man?" he demanded.
"Remember when Buffy told you about Angel when he was Angelus?" Willow asked.
A horrible realization hit the Phantom like a flash of lightening as he remembered the story Buffy told him about the time when she fought Angel when he was the vampire Angelus. He looked at the Wicca in horror.
"The man she was dancing with. He is …"
"Angelus?" Willow supplied. She nodded her head. "Yeah, that's him."
"Elizabeth." Erik bolted to the front door of the Opera House ignoring Willow's shouts for him to slow down. His sensitive hearing caught sounds of struggle and Buffy's cries of pain. He ran to the alleyway on the other side of the Opera Populaire and what he saw made his heart jolt horribly. Angelus had Buffy tightly in his arms. His fangs biting her on the left side of her neck. Her green eyes looking at Erik pleading with him to help her. Upon seeing the fear in her eyes, the tide turned. All of the fear Erik felt for Buffy's life turned into an uncontrollable rage. Unable to control himself, Erik ran to Angelus, pulled him off of Buffy and threw him against the wall. Buffy fell with a sickening thud on the floor. At that point, Angelus vamped out glaring at Erik.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded angrily.
"The Phantom." Erik snarled. "You attacked my love." At that, he delivered a swift kick to the vampire's ribs sending him flying across the alleyway. Then he and Erik exchanged a series of brutal kicks and punches. Angelus threw a nasty punch which Erik blocked easily. The fight went on for nearly twenty minutes before Angelus gained the upper hand and delivered a vicious punch to Erik's face sending him to the ground. Erik gasped in pain and he looked up at the vampire glaring at him.
"Disgusting, foul creature." Erik spat angrily.
"Now, now." Angelus said in mock disappointment. "Is that a way to talk to a gentleman?" The vampire pulled a dagger out of his pocket and over to Erik but before he could do anything or come any closer, he let out a roar of pain. Erik saw two stakes sticking out of the vampire. One in his chest that missed his heart completely and another one in his stomach. The Phantom then looked to see that Willow and Raoul were standing in the entrance of the alleyway. Willow's eyes were black which indicated to Erik that she had cast a spell on the two stakes. Then he heard her voice in his mind.
Erik, take Buffy and get out of here. Madame Giry said to take her to her room. She'll help her there.
Knowing that there was no time to argue, Erik scooped Buffy up in his arms and went through the window of the Opera House to go through the secret passage to Madame Giry's room. Once he reached the end of the passage, he opened the door to the room. To his surprise and relief, Madame Giry was already in the room. Her eyes widened when she saw the two bite marks on Buffy's neck.
"Good Lord!" She exclaimed breathlessly. "Put her over here." She led Erik to the bed in the corner of the room. Gently, he laid Buffy down on the bed and he stood at the foot of it. Erik watched as Madame Giry took a piece of cloth and wrapped it around Buffy's neck to bandage the two bite marks. Then she looked up at Erik.
"You are very lucky that Willow and the Viscount both came to me when they realized what was happening." She said. "If they hadn't, he would have killed both you and Elizabeth."
Tears welled in Erik's eyes. "I know, Marie." He said. "Thank you."
"You are welcome, Erik." Madame Giry replied. Just she was about to say something, she heard a knock on the door. She opened to reveal Willow and Raoul. Both of them looking very concerned.
"Is she all right, Madame Giry?" Raoul asked obviously very concerned for Buffy's well-being.
"She will be all right but she needs rest." Madame Giry replied.
Willow breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, we were so worried." She said.
Suddenly remembering Dawn and Christine, Erik spoke up again. "What of Dawn and Christine? Are they safe?"
"They're safe." Willow replied. "Although, Christine is confused as to what's going on but I think Dawn will explain everything to her."
Erik breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good." Then he turned to Raoul. "Viscount, may I have a word?"
Despite feeling wary of him, Raoul nodded. "Of course." At that point, he and Erik walked out of the room and out into the hall. Then the two men faced each other.
"What did Willow tell you about herself, Dawn and Elizabeth?" Erik asked.
Remembering the brief conversation earlier he had with the Wicca when she told him about her, Dawn and Buffy being from the future, Raoul answered as evenly as he could.
"Only that she, Dawn and Elizabeth are from the future. That they were sent here by a demon."
Judging by the look in the young man's eyes, Erik could tell that he believed them and that he wasn't stupid enough not to. He remembered what Buffy told him about Raoul's brother being a Watcher-In-Training and how much the Viscount knew of the supernatural world.
"How good are you as a researcher?" Erik asked.
"I'm very good depending on what I'm looking for." Raoul replied. "Why do you ask?"
Erik took a deep breath before he spoke. "Because Elizabeth, Dawn and Willow are trying to find a way to return to their own century and so far, we have found nothing. We need your help."
Am I hearing that right? The Phantom asking me for help?
That stunned Raoul beyond belief but then he realized that Erik was asking for help not just for himself but for Buffy, Willow and Dawn as well.
But this was the man who tried to keep Christine from me and killed a man three months ago.
Ignoring that small voice in his mind, Raoul sighed and said. "I will do what I can to help you, Dawn, Willow and Elizabeth. But you do realize that I cannot hide this from Christine."
"I know." Erik replied with a sigh. "But I believe that she will find out anyway from Dawn. After tonight, she will know." Then he went back into the room with Raoul close behind him. Erik took a chair from the wall and sat down next Buffy at her bedside. Once again, his eyes filled with tears and he took her hand into his and held it.
"Madame Giry, Viscount, Willow." He said in an emotional voice. "Leave us."
Nodding their head in acknowledgement, Madame Giry, Raoul and Willow left the room silently. Once he was alone with his beloved fiancée, Erik finally broke down crying letting go all of his fear and grief. Fear for Buffy's life and grief for his failure to prevent what had happened to her.
"Elizabeth, forgive me." Erik sobbed. Then he bowed his head and continued to cry still holding her hand.
Well, what do you think? The next chapter will be up soon so please review and remember no flames. I will ignore them and I don't have patience for them.