Chapter 12
Angel and Erik arrived home to again find everyone tucked in for the night. Quietly, Angel stood nearby as Erik placed their coats in the hall closet. Erik wrapped his hand around Angel's and proceeded to lead her to their room. He could see just how exhausted she was.
Marie then emerged from the kitchen after stopping for a late night glass of milk, "Ah, Erik, Angel…good to see you home now. I took the liberty to fix you both a plate from dinner."
"Thank you, Marie, but I think we'll just…" Erik paused when he felt a shake of his arm.
"No, it's ok." Angel lethargically cut in. "I'll eat now."
"Very well then." Erik replied, giving a small nod as Marie headed upstairs. "Good night, Marie." He changed direction and tugged Angel into the kitchen with him. She let go of his hand and moved ahead to sit at the table. Erik had eaten earlier from the catered buffet table while Angel busily filmed her scenes, so he wasn't hungry at all. He snatched her plate from the counter and put it in the microwave. While he waited, Erik glanced over to Angel, only to notice she had drifted off to sleep. He briefly pondered her cuteness at the moment, before snapping his attention back to the microwave. He stopped the countdown just before the ding could disturb anyone at rest. Erik set the plate of reheated food near her before lightly shaking her awake, "Angel, honey…your food is done."
She moaned in protest, but sat up anyway. "Thanks." She mumbled as she wiped at her eyes. Erik remained quiet while she slowly ate. He was well aware that she was in no mood for either small talk or harmless flirting. Angel managed to eat half of her meal. "That's it. No more." Erik left the dish on the table and pulled her to her feet before she conked out again.
"C'mon, love…just up the stairs and into bed." He urged her. Angel absently nodded and managed to make it to her door at least, before passing out in complete exhaustion. Erik chuckled as he changed her first and tucked her in, before slipping himself into something more comfortable and climbing into bed next to her.
It had been instant love the moment she met Erik, but after spending a few days with him, she learned that he was highly eccentric in his ways. He also seemed extremely stiff and rigid in her presence. Angel had the feeling that even light intimacy threatened to further his reclusive ways. But she was determined to win him over.
"Erik, why are you afraid when I touch you?" It was a warm summer afternoon. Nearly a year had gone by before they finally became public friends and after two months of that, she pleaded for something more.
"Drats, I'm terribly sorry, but I must attend to an urgent matter." He purposely brushed her question aside and proceeded to leave.
"NO." Angel grabbed his arm and pulled him back down on the front porch swing. He was completely stunned.
"Angel." He was on borderline anger.
She furiously shook her head, "Look at me, Erik." Reluctantly, he turned her way. Angel decided then to be bold. In sudden movement, she pressed her lips to his. He rewarded her by shoving her to the floor and fleeing.
That nearly ruined her chance with him. But three heartbroken weeks later, the relationship progressed again. It had started when he willingly kissed her. He noticed with clarity that his attentiveness to her was absorbed hungrily by her. He began to settle comfortably in the relationship with her—doting on her quite often. Things were going so well that he nearly was blindsided the day her curiosity turned on him—or more specifically, his mask.
"How long have you been wanting to see what it hides?!" He yelled furiously at her. "Were you pretending this whole time to love me just so that I'd let my guard down?!" His pacing was erratic, frantic and intent to put fear in her.
Yet she stood her ground, "You honestly think I had planned to fool you? You don't know me, Erik. If it was my only goal just to see beneath it, then I could have made you willingly remove it long ago."
Her statement momentarily startled him, "What do you mean? How could you willingly make me want to remove it?"
Her eyes grew wide and she abruptly turned away, "Nothing, I meant nothing by it." Erik caught her evasive rushed mumbling. He knew she meant to tell him something then, he could see the need by the way she fidgeted.
"Angel?" He calmly called out to her, hoping the change of his voice would urge her.
She turned back to him, "Please, Erik. Just consider it a final step for us…to be official lovers." Angel timidly stepped to him, taking his hands in hers.
"You're saying that if I expose myself…"
"Then it means you trust me." She squeezed his hands. "Because I trust you. Here I stand in arms length of you. If you were truly in your rage you would have hit me."
"I'd never."
"Not intentionally, Erik. I know." She stared deeply at him and lowered her voice to a whisper, "Please."
Erik sighed and gave in. Slowly he pulled his hands free from her and reached behind his head to undo the knot. He closed his eyes as the mask fell to the ground between them.
Angel's eyes followed the mask until it hit the ground. Then she casually let her eyes wander back up to his face. The moment she gazed upon his deformity she gasped. Erik snapped his eyes open in readiness to yell at her in an 'I-told-you-so' manner, but the tears falling from her eyes made him hesitate. He felt much like the monster he appeared then—for bringing such celestial beauty to tears. But then his expression became confusion as he noticed her breathing change.
"An…gel?" He was unused to such a reaction.
Confidently she tucked her hand behind his head and pulled him down to her. Just before she kissed him, she mumbled in a whisper, "God…you're such a turn on." He was so startled that he couldn't will himself to move of his own accord. It wasn't until he felt the rest of him become exposed that he got his bearings together.
"Angel, what are you…"
Again, she cut his protests off, "Make love to me Erik." How could he refuse when there was so much pleading in her tone? After that night with her—which was extremely and passionately explosive—Erik learned quickly that his deformity was a source she could focus on to become calm during overwhelming situations.
The sunlight cascaded into the room, planting an early morning glow on Angel's sleeping figure. Erik wondered what her dreams were as he watched a smile form on her lips. "What do you dream of, my love?" He mumbled much too quietly before rising up from the bed.
He looked over and glanced at the violin and the pile of sheet music. The musical score he had written only needed minor tweaking, but he had to settle on imagining the music in his head. He didn't want to disturb Angel while she slept.
Erik sat down at the desk and began working. After last night, he eagerly allowed her the pleasure of sleeping in as late as she wanted. While he scribbled new notes down, he thought of the few things that had to be done for the day.
First, there was the matter of picking up the costumes for Skywalker's after party tomorrow night. The seamstress called him an hour ago, saying that the dress was finished a bit early. He still debated on taking Angel with him to pick her costume up, or merely assign Marie to retrieve it for them. Then there was the matter of entertaining her by nightfall with a private concert—in which he would play this masterpiece he wrote for her.
Erik's thoughts were interrupted when Andrew entered the room. "Ah good, you're decent…" He then turned to see Angel still asleep. "She isn't up yet?"
"Father Keirnan, please, lower your voice." Erik spun in his chair, with his eyes darting to Angel, hoping that she wasn't disrupted.
"Sorry." Andrew then whispered, "Is something wrong?"
Erik sighed, "We just got in much too late last night." He paused and debated on whether he should tell Andrew of yesterday's incidence on set. "Actually, something quite interesting happened, Father Keirnan. A crazed man wandered on to the set and held us all at gunpoint."
Andrew quickly glanced at Angel, "Was she hurt?"
Erik shook his head, "Not even." Then he continued, "I think his plan was to rape her, but he never had a chance." Erik lowered his voice, "That wasn't even the most frightening part, Father."
"What happened?"
"I have a feeling that Angel lost control of herself again." Erik replied.
"What…?" Andrew then realized, "Her power."
Erik nodded, "The whole place started bowing to her. She reveled in it for a split second and then seemed to be jolted from it."
"Good heavens!" Andrew quietly thought for a moment. "I think she's growing closer towards Reece—it's finally getting to her."
"How do we stop this?" Erik asked, but Andrew only shrugged.
"I don't think we can…not once it's been started." More silence passed. "Oh, I wanted to tell you…Chancellor Cheyvon is our dinner guest tonight."
"To see Angel?" Erik sighed and made a mental note to his list of tasks.
Andrew nodded. "I am unsure of her reaction when she gets the news, since I don't really know her personal feelings towards him." Angel stirred then and muttered something, but didn't wake up.
Finn then peeked in the doorway, "Father…Erik…would either of you like to come Christmas shopping with me, Tobias and Marie?"
Andrew got up from his chair, "Sure. I'd like to pick out something nice for Angel." He turned to Erik, "Will you stay with her?"
"Of course, I'll stay her. I also have a project I need to finish."
"Oh…good. Yes, that's for the better." Andrew nodded and left the room. Erik then turned back to his sheet music. However, after checking quickly on Angel's sleeping status, Erik retreated to the backyard.
While Reece sat enjoying his mid-morning breakfast, his thoughts strayed once again to knowledge he recently learned. I just knew that hiring that man would ignite Angel that way. I really wish I was there to have seen it, but then it would have been a dead give-away. Reece sighed, knowing that his recreated imagination of that ordeal most likely failed as to how it really happened.
"I'm sorry to have pushed you to that, dear Angel…" He spoke aloud within his solitude, "…but it was necessary. It's just another push to get you where I want you. This will make tomorrow night that much easier for the both of us." And I'm sure it's helped to put a strain on your relationship with that monster.
Reece finished his breakfast just as his two minions entered the room. "Sir, we've just been informed that your outfit for tomorrow night's party is finished. Would you like to have it delivered?"
He was on his feet instantly, "No. Tell Alfred to have the car waiting out front."
"Very well, Sir." The two minions bowed and left the room to carry out the command.
The next interruption was from the phone resting at the center-point of the table. "This better be important!"
"You better believe it is." The caller replied.
Reece frowned. How dare someone reply to me in such a manner. "Who is this?"
"Who I am doesn't matter. After all, aren't all minions supposed to be anonymous?" The caller continued.
"Yes, but they're also not to be so brash to even those that they don't serve." Reece stood up and began to pace the room. "Now, I know for a fact that you aren't one of mine, since you had the audacity to phone me in such a rude manner. And certainly you can't be hers; because I would know the moment she took it upon herself to gather minions on her own." Reece let a chuckle. "So, you have three seconds to reveal yourself before I hang up on you."
"I was there last night."
That caught Reece's attention, "Well, you still haven't identified yourself. One more chance now."
The caller sighed, "AH, of course. You wouldn't recognize my voice as you did most if not all of the talking during dinner that night."
That was a BIG tip to Reece, but he still wasn't sure. If it's who I think it is, then I suppose he's earned my respect for such a bold move. I wonder if she is there listening in on this. "Well now, this is surprising…I must say…" Reece let amusement into his tone and decided to press a few of Erik's buttons, "How much longer can a monster, such as you, hold onto an angel?"
Reece heard an unmistakable grunt from Erik. "Forever." Erik simply replied, yet it was strained. "But, my friend, it's not exactly how long I can hold on to her…but more so of how many times she let's me."
A flush of anger erupted through Reece then, "Just how DID you get this number?"
"The same way you got hers." Erik calmly replied. "I have connections too, ya know."
Reece closed his eyes and focused on calming down. Just remember, tomorrow night this monster will be crawling back to his monster pit. "You are foolish for calling me."
"How so?" Erik responded curiously.
"I know what you're up to. You've called to attempt to threaten me and maybe to possibly scare me into revealing my plans." Reece felt successful in putting this conversation back in his favor.
"I hate to break it to you, but your so-called plans are rather obvious."
Erik was cut off when Reece began to laugh hysterically. "You are a great source of amusement, monster."
"That will be enough of that." Erik coldly retorted.
"Don't like it when I call you monster, eh?" Reece suavely continued.
"Erik, who are you talking to?" Angel's voice seeped into Reece's ear then. She had awakened to find Erik not in the room with her and had gone searching for him.
"No one, Angel." Erik hastily replied.
"Well maybe you should hang up. This no one is rather upsetting you, it seems." Angel replied. When Erik didn't move, she snatched the phone from him. "I don't mean to be rude, but you're upsetting my fiancée…so I'm hanging up now."
"Perhaps you better think twice about that, my dear." Reece grinned wildly.
Oh god no! Angel visibly flinched when his voice drifted into her ear. The phone clattered to the ground with Angel crumbling to her knees trying hard to keep herself together. Reece heard the tell-tale click of the phone being hung up, but wasn't the least bit upset. That simple reaction from her had fueled his ego.
Next Chapter Soon