Yes! I finally get to update for you all! ANd this was almost the hardest chapter...it's so long I was thinking about cutting some parts off and just adding on to the last chapter. Yes, the next one will probably be the very. Last. One. T-T
DISCLAIMER: No one but Leroux owns Phantom of the Opera. If I can't have him, neither can you!!
True to his word, Erik began to set off to the De Chagny mansion without a word to Richard that entire morning. Rachel, however, had offered him the carriage and also wondered if he would like her to accompany her. "I can help if you want…" she trailed off as she stood shivering on the porch. Erik bowed to her elegantly. "Thank you, mademoiselle," Rachel frowned a little. "Rachel only, please." She said quietly pondering if Erik was always so formal with everyone. He didn't hear her speak against this, though, and he went on. "I highly appreciate your help but I think it will be less trouble if only I come." He looked up at her, locking eyes with her with a slight air of a stern but gentle parent. "You understand, yes?" The woman felt herself quiver and she tore her eyes away from the burning gold. "Of course. It's only necessary and I- I understand that, Erik." He looked relieved and with another sweeping bow, clamored into the carriage and took up the reins. Rachel lifted a hand to wave but dropped it, startled when the front door banged open. Spinning around she barely caught a glimpse of her brother looking red and flustered bolting down the stairs to the carriage. "Wait!" The man gasped, running up to the surprised Erik. "Wait!" Erik, looking odd in such a normal carriage with his rather sinister masked face, set down the reins and gave Rachel's brother his full attention. Richard leaned on his knees to catch his breath.
"You'll…you'll need… this." He wheezed, handing Erik an official looking document. "It is…Rebecca's…Lark's mother, if you don't know….will. It's her will." Rachel gasped and leaned against the porch post, a hand to her mouth. Erik, even more startled, took it gently and tucked it carefully in his cloak. "Thank you very much, Richard." He said solemnly. Richard nodded, still drawing for air and waved him on, urging the black and white speckled horses on with a light smack on their hindquarters. Trudging back onto the porch the two siblings watched as their odd friend set off to the mansion far from their own. Rachel stared at Richard. "Where did you find it?" she asked. He shrugged, finally finding his breath. "Found it in my study account book. Rebecca must have slipped it in when she visited once. You were gone at that time in Rome." He added, noticing her sister's quizzical look. "Ahh." She stared back out to the road. "What did she leave…?" Richard rubbed his hands together for warmth. "Let's talk about it inside, we'll explain it to Lark herself when she gets back." Rachel nodded in agreement and rubbed her shoulders, following her brother through the door.
"You think Erik will get her back?" She asked, looking sideways at him.
"Yes," Richard replied wryly. "A man that insane could become the Emperor of Paris as well as get Lark back without so much as breaking a sweat." Rachel hid a grin.
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Lark got lucky that morning as Raoul needed Christine's advice on some new investment or something. She would be left alone to amuse herself in anyway a blind child could. Which wasn't much….to them. Lark knew that they didn't suspect anything, Christine was as fussy and motherly as ever and the Count ignored her like she was a little ghost, or acted as if she were a mere, rather ugly little vase in the corner. Not that she minded this, in fact she rather preferred Raoul's inattentiveness to her. She found him more threatening and cynical than anyone she had ever met; his eyes were always watching her warily as though her very presence could somehow harm his beloved. Yet he left her quite alone to which Lark was very thankful for, it made things ever so much easier. Even so she still tiptoed as quietly as she could to the stairs taking each one on a delicate, featherlike creep till she reached the bottom. Her heart pounding in her ears Lark slunk impeccably to the back door and eased herself into the garden letting a triumphant smile spread across her face.
"Lark."
A pleasant voice, a caring voice, one she hoped she would always hear forevermore after this. The child's smile widened and she reached out her hands to find them being enveloped between Erik's. She could hear a smile in his tone and elation filled her to the brim. This is who she belonged with! "Hello, Erik!" she said breathlessly, smiling in his direction, her fingers tightening gently on his hand. She felt him lead her over to their familiar bench and Lark sat down obediently when he did. "Now," Erik's voice was filled with barely suppressed curiosity, "What is this big plan you have?" The child grinned, he always got right down to business her guardian did.
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Raoul had kept a wary eye on the child even though she never realized it. It twisted his stomach horribly when he thought of that living corpse walking around his estate. He had thought that he and his wife had been rid of this…this Opera ghost long after he took Christine away from him; but when he saw him outside in the garden… Raoul suppressed a shudder. It was like Christine had said so long ago atop the Opera house when she told of her horrendous story of being with Erik. 'I've never seen him in the daylight…it…it must be horrible!' Horrible it was, too. All signs of his hideous face had been shown perfectly in the bright sunlight. The girl…Lark…she did not mind it seemed. Or perhaps she had never seen the monsters face? The Count had been talking with his wife but now done with that he wondered where the little child had run off to. He had a bad feeling that it would end with Erik coming back again, endangering Christine. And he would not stand for it!
Raoul's worry increased tenth fold as he searched all over the mansion, looking conspicuous about finding Lark. Unable to find her at all he returned to his wife. Christine was writing in their room and the small girl wasn't with her. He swallowed and approached her from behind, kissing her forehead. "I cannot find Lark," he said gravely when Christine looked up at him with a smile. She didn't look as surprised as he had hoped. "Oh don't worry about her, Raoul." She sighed, going back to her writing. "She's off amusing herself somewhere…" Her husband scowled. "That's what I am worried about." Christine looked up sharply, the correct amount of worry that he wanted spread on her face. "What?" Raoul frowned slightly and gently pulled his wife to her feet. "I think we should go check up on her." He announced. "How do we know she is alright, Christine? Remember she is-.."
"Blind!" The woman gasped, a hand rushing to her throat in anguish. "Oh, how could I forget..? Yes, we must go check on her!" They rushed out of the room and Raoul told her how he already searched the whole house. "The garden, then!" said Christine as they came to the entrance hall. "She always goes into the garden."
"Yes, I do, Christine." A small voice said from behind them. Raoul let out an unconscious snarl at the same time Christine gasped aloud. Lark was there holding the hand of the one they wished they would never have to deal with again. Erik. "Get out!" Raoul nearly shouted, stepping in front of Christine, shielding her. Erik observed him with a cold stare. "I am not after your beloved, boy." He said, eyes flashing. "You've made sure of that. No, I am only here from the thing you two cannot take from me again." Erik gestured the child and fell silent, returning the malevolent stares that shot his way from the Count. Christine stared with mute horror at her once-called angel and the small girl she took care of. "Lark…." She whispered brokenly. "Lark, I wanted…I cared…I wanted to keep you safe of him." A shudder of pain shook Erik's skeletal frame and his gold eyes filled with agony, replacing the hate that was there only a few moments ago. "Keep me safe?" Lark had spoken again and this time it was her own little, innocent voice chock-full of shaking rage ranking years and years old. "Keep me safe! From what?" she spat suddenly.
Only Erik did not look at her with disconcert as he kept staring at his love with misery and regret. "Everyone seems to think he's…he's sort of a mad lunatic!" the child continued, her tiny voice reaching to almost a screech she was so furious at these stupid foolish people! "And he's not! I know he's not! I thought you knew that before, yourself once, Madame!" Christine looked at her with a bewildered look and her husband's face turned stony. "Do not speak of what you do not know, girl." He hissed. "And don't you dare to talk like that to my wife!" The Count took a step forward to the girl but it was Erik's turn to let out a snarl, and it was by far more menacing and guttural than Raoul's had been. The young man hastily took a step back eyes widening with horror. The masked man was certainly insane, he growled exactly like a fierce wolf! Lark's hard bitter face softened as she looked in the other woman's direction with a strange look of pity in her glassy, fogged eyes. "Please, Christine. Let me go, let me go with Erik." Her lip trembled. "I was…so afraid when I woke up and he wasn't there. Instead it was you two." Erik's hand tightened on hers. The Countess suddenly frowned and shook her head firmly. "No, Lark! I cannot allow you to go with this ma-…"
"Let her go, Christine." Raoul spoke softly, still staring at Erik with intense hatred only the two of them could understand. His wife looked up at him, speechless. He didn't look at her but spoke directly to the two people in front of him. "I never wanted to take you in, Lark. You had too much involvement with him" Raoul scowled at Erik who glowered. "I could tell, and I am not sorry for this, but I could tell that if we took you we would once again be tangled up with him." He pointed an accusing finger at the masked man who growled low under his breath. "Raoul…" Christine started. "No." Raoul shook his head. "We need them out of our lives, my dear. How else can we live normally with such people as them?" He looked at her sadly. "I want us to have a family that's safe from this past. Let's put it behind us." Christine just stared then glanced at Lark who was clinging to Erik's hand tightly, lips clamped tightly together.
"But she's just a child! Just a child, Raoul!" She said tearfully. Raoul's face became stony again. "We cannot control what she chooses her life to be." He glanced at the child who peered calmly out of empty eyes. "If that's what she wants, she may take that path. Lark isn't our own, Christine, so we must let her go." Christine clung to him and pleaded with her eyes. "But…just a small girl…surely…" Her husband shook his head sadly and took her into his arms; Erik suppressed a small sob of longing. Raoul tipped Christine's chin up towards him. "I want us to have a safe and normal life. We cannot have that if we keep attaching ourselves to this sort of situations. You understand, my love?" The woman's face fell, but then after what seemed an eternity, she nodded and turned to Lark with a sad smile. "I had….hoped you would be happier here. But it seems…" her eyes strayed to Erik who remained silent. "That I cannot control where you go. Be happy, dear. You can leave." A small gasp released itself from Lark's lips and she raced over to Christine who hurriedly took her in her arms so that the child would not hurt herself in being blind. "Thank you!" Lark cried happily, hugging her tight. "Oh, thank you, thank you! I will be happy! I will! Thank you!"
The Countess wiped away a tear and released the girl who beamed in joy and scampered back over to Erik. "We can go now." She said softly. "I really want to see…err…hear Richard and Rachel again." Erik agreed and led her out of the mansion, turning back slowly to Christine and Raoul who were standing side by side watching. "Thank you…" Erik said awkwardly, and with one more glance at Christine, followed the young girl and helped her into the carriage with an elated feeling. They were both going home!
Reviews make me so happy! And when I'm happy, I type faster! 'Course that means I use spell check more...but still...hm.
Erik: Isn't she hopeless?