i hope you enjoyed the X-Mas special
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Phantom of the Opera...
# Part Thirty-three:
"So what exactly are you planning this time?" Erik grumbled, watching Lark hitching up her cloak snuggly around her shoulders. They had come out next to the lake; the girl had insisted that she needed to go out for awhile. Normally, he would have been fine with that, until she mentioned she wanted to go alone. "There is no way I'm letting you go anywhere by yourself," he ordered, scowling at the young girl. She rolled her eyes at him but managed to smile at him. "It's a secret," she teased, heading over to the boat that was currently tied up to the shore. "I do not find you amusing!" Erik pursued her hissing, "Tell me at once or I shall lock you in the house and never let you out!"
Lark sighed and turned around to face her livid guardian. "Erik, you mustn't be so rash! Or violent," she added, scolding him gently; "you're acting silly." He bared his teeth and hissed angrily at her but the girl only grinned and shook her head. She started to clamor into the boat but Erik held her back by the shoulder. "You didn't answer my first question!" he snapped as his voice got louder as he became more and more frustrated. Lark took this as a sign that his temper was getting the best of him; she needed to remind him of it. "You should control your temper, Erik," she said simply, "it will just get people to dislike you if you get angry so much," she gently easing his clenched hand off her shoulder.
Erik stopped short and took a step back, gasping as though she had struck him instead of just talked to him. The girl felt instant remorse; hopping quickly off the boat she took a step toward him. "Oh! Erik, I'm sorry I didn't mean that!" She took another step toward him with her arms out; he hastily moved back, his eyes wary and hurt. Lark stopped advancing and put her arms down. "That was an awful thing to say to you, Erik," she scolded herself, "I know you're just worried; I should learn to hold my tongue before I rat on your temper." She looked imploringly at him. "Can you forgive me?" Erik sighed and nodded, and motioned for her to get into the boat.
"I deserved that," he muttered softly to himself, "so now I shall just let you go wherever you're going to go." Lark squealed with delight and hugged him fiercely before climbing into the boat. "Thanks Erik!" she said happily, "I'm going to get you something nice when I'm out!" Erik climbed in after her, grabbing the oars. "Hmph," he grumbled, "there is no reason for that…" She turned back her head from her seat in the front. "Sure there is, Erik!" she exclaimed, "It's near Christmas, you should know that!" Erik looked up from rowing with perplexed eyes. "I don't celebrate that holiday," he said as the boat glided over the glassy surface of the water.
Lark looked surprised, "You don't?" she asked incredulously, "Why not?" Erik just shrugged and got to his feet; they had gotten to the other shore. Helping her out of the boat Erik changed the subject before the girl could remember it. "How long will you be gone?" he asked, handing her the Rue Scribe's grim skeleton key. Lark took the key and opened the door; Erik followed her out into the chilly air, pulling his own cloak tighter around himself. "Hmm," she mused, "I think I shall be gone for an hour or two." She shrugged helplessly and smiled once at the masked man with her until he made an exasperated noice and left. "Be back in two hours, two hours only!" he called over his shoulder, the Rue Scribe's door clanging shut behind him.
"He's so bossy," Lark muttered, then smiled brightly, "he's funny, too." She took out the piece of paper from her pocket and checked the address. Richard's home could be pretty hard to find when you only had two hours. Insane giggling overcame the girl for only a moment before she composed herself and was able to fix her cloak and head down the snow covered streets. "I have to stop talking to myself in public…" she shook her head; it had always been a bad habit ever since…She stopped herself, no she wouldn't think about it.
Updated. XD