Chapter 8
Erik looked at her with disbelief.
"You want me to meet him? Do you really think that's a good idea?"
"What do you mean?" Serena wondered. "You don't trust me?"
The worry that had appeared on his face as soon as Serena mentioned she wanted him to meet her brother vanished and he smiled, reaching down to grasp her hand and raised it to his lips.
"I trust you with all my heart, Serena. I realize how important it is to you that I meet your family and I would truly love to get to know your brother, especially since you tell me he's a gifted architect. I'm only worried someone will see me and alert the police."
"It's been three years, Erik, and they all believe you to be dead. It's not likely anyone would recognize you as the Opera Ghost even if they did caught a glimpse of you. It's time to let go of the past. Start living again, Erik."
He turned away from her.
"I've never lived at all. My whole life I've been stuck inside this Opera house, mostly down in the catacombs. Until I met you, I was sure I was meant to live all alone, that no one could ever feel anything besides repulsion and fear around me. This 'living' you speak of, I don't know how to do that."
She walked up behind him and put her arms around him, tears in her eyes for all the things he had been put through in his life. He had known nothing but pain and hardship and everything he had endured, he had endured alone.
"I've got you, Erik. I won't let you fall. If you let me, I will teach you how to live for real."
He breathed out with a small chuckle and turned around in her embrace to hug her back.
"Yes, I'd like that," he whispered.
She drew back, wiping away her tears.
"So will you come with me and meet my brother? I thought we could meet him up on the rooftop. It's less likely someone will see you there."
He looked thoughtful for a moment and then he nodded.
"I'll come with you, but only if you allow me to show up after a short while."
She narrowed her eyes at him, suddenly suspicious.
"You want to scare him, don't you?"
He grinned mischievously. He'd known all along she would see right through him. But you can't abandon your nature completely, can you? After all, he was the Phantom of the Opera. He was used to dramatic entries.
"Call it a remnant from my darker self. Nothing exceeds the surprised look on a person's face who didn't hear you coming."
She sighed, rolling her eyes. She should have anticipated this.
"Yes, I noticed very early in our acquaintance that you feel that way."
He would still surprise her quite often. He would come up behind her silent as a cat, not uttering a word until she felt his hot breath against her neck and spun around with a gasp. She reproached him for it, but he claimed it to be a harmless pleasure. 'Harmless till the day you give me a heart attack', she would answer.
"Very well," she continued. "If that is the only way to make you agree to this…"
"Splendid! See you later, then, Serena."
And before she could say another word he was gone. She shook her head and walked off to find her brother, silently wondering if boys ever grew up.
Meanwhile, having been left alone a little longer than he preferred, Nate decided to take a walk around the Opera. The chance to study a building this beautiful was too good to pass up and who knew if he'd even be able to stay here for long? Perhaps that Madame Giry would find it inappropriate and throw him out.
He was walking along corridors, occasionally halting to carefully knock on the walls or admire an especially finely crafted door more closely and was so caught up in what he was doing that he actually passed the open door before realizing what he had seen.
He went back and looked in, eyes falling upon a lone figure moving gracefully across the room in pirouettes, dancing to music only she could hear. She spun around one last time, lifted one of her legs high towards the ceiling for a few moments and then dipped down in a perfect curtsy, her blonde hair flowing down her back like a silky fan and her head bowed.
Out of impulse, he began clapping his hands and with a startled gasp and wide eyes, the young girl stood up straight, clearly uncomfortable about having been caught practicing her steps in this room all by herself.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Nate hastened to say. "I didn't mean to scare you; I just wanted to express my compliments for your fine dancing."
"Thank you, sir," the girl replied, a stubborn sparkle replacing the frightened look in her eyes, "but I wasn't scared. I was just… surprised, that's all. Do you make a habit out of watching women without their notice?"
Against his will, he found himself smiling when instead he should be upset by what she was implying.
"No, mademoiselle, I most certainly do not. Then again, I don't see why you should be so defensive. You really do dance beautifully and it seemed only appropriate to tell you so."
"Well, I still think it's unnerving of you to watch someone without their knowledge," she said with a delicate snort, but a faint blush appeared on her cheeks nonetheless from his compliment.
"Then I promise to let you know next time I'm watching you practice."
She looked at him with sudden suspicion.
"Who are you, sir? I do not believe I've seen you before around here."
"No, mademoiselle, I arrived today. My name is Nathaniel Cartier, Serena Cartier's older brother."
A sunny smile appeared on her lips and every trace of suspicion was immediately gone.
"Are you Serena's brother? Pleased to make your acquaintance! My name is Meg Giry and I'm Serena's best friend here at the Opera Populaire. Have you come to see how she's fairing? I promise you, I have done everything in my power to make her feel at home." Suddenly worried, she added; "She hasn't complained about me, has she? I fear we had a bit of a squabble some time ago but I had the impression that was all taken care of and we were friends again. Has she said something to the contrary?"
"No, no, mademoiselle Giry, there's nothing to worry about! She hasn't complained about you or said anything about a squabble. From what I gather, she likes it here very much. I only came to visit her and see that everything was well. Apparently, it's better than well since she told me she was in love with someone and wanted me to meet him. You wouldn't know who she was talking about, would you?"
Meg frowned and then nodded.
"Yes, I know who she's talking about, but I haven't had the pleasure of meeting that man myself yet so I cannot tell you very much about him. I think you will have to form your own opinion but if she is in love with him, he must be something special indeed."
Nate smiled.
"I think you are right."
He took a look around the room and then turned his eyes back to her.
"Are you planning on staying here longer, mademoiselle, or can I escort you back to the more occupied parts of the Opera? I won't be much of an escort though, for I fear I didn't exactly pay attention to where I was going so it's doubtful I'll be able to find my way back to Serena's room."
Meg returned his smile, taking hold of his arm with easy affection.
"No, I would be honored if you would escort me. Although, it will be best if I show the way, non?"
"Please do, mademoiselle."
"Please call me Meg, sir. You don't have to be formal with your friends. You are Serena's brother and I am her friend; we already know each other."
"I will, if you call me Nate."
"Why do I have a sneaking suspicion you don't want anyone to see us going up here, Serena?" Nate asked a while later, as he climbed yet another set of stairs behind his sister. "Is the rooftop a forbidden place to visit?"
"No, but not many do. It's quite the exercise, isn't it?"
Nate sighed, brushing dust of his shoulder and plucking spider webs out of his hair. 'Quite the exercise'? That's the understatement of the year!
"Why can't we meet this love of yours in your room or at some café in Paris instead of at the roof of the Opera? What is he doing up there, anyway? Don't tell me his some sort of squatter you've taken pity on and smuggled up here so he would have somewhere to sleep and then typically fallen in love with!"
Serena paused for a moment, regarding him with a completely blank expression.
"What? That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Where do you get those ideas? Are you sure you would not be better suited writing sappy love stories instead of working as an architect?"
Nate made a face and gave his sister a light slap on the arm, making her laugh.
"No, dearest baby sister, I am quite content as I am, thank you, and does not passionately dream in secret of writing 'sappy love stories'!"
"Really? Because you had me fooled there for a moment."
"Haha. But seriously, why do we have to meet him up here and fight both dust and spider webs in the process?"
"I suffer from neither, dearest ancient brother. Watch where you're going and you won't walk into piles of dust or spider webs hanging from the ceiling. And… you'll understand everything when you meet him."
"What, does he have a need to stay out of attention? Is he some kind of Arabic prince having fallen madly in love with you and wants to take you with him back to Arabia and make you his queen?"
"Remember what I said about those sappy love stories? I seriously think that could be something for you. And no, he's not an Arabic prince. But it is important that he doesn't draw any attention to himself. I said you would understand when you meet him so stop pestering me with stupid questions and watch where you're going instead. That spider web you have on top of your head really doesn't match your suit."
"Serena, you are the very embodiment of humor."
"I try."
"Oh, but this is wonderful!" Nate exclaimed as they came out onto the roof of the Opera House. "I've never seen a building of its like! See here, the curve of rail blending in perfectly with the rest of the structure? Or the way the edges meet so that the space of the roof seems a lot bigger than it actually is?"
Serena had to smile at his apparent fascination. All his life, her brother had had an interest in buildings and their design and she was glad to see he thrived in the profession he had chosen.
"And this little detail here, I mean, it's just brilliant! It's more than a piece of art, it is perfection in itself! Mere words cannot describe the geniality behind this structure!"
"I thank you, sir, for your kind words."
The phrase was spoken softly, like a caressing whisper, but it still succeeded in startling Nate a great deal. He spun around towards the man who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the roof.
"It is not often," Erik continued. "That my work is complimented so highly."
Willing his heart to stop racing, Nate studied the man before him. He was quite tall, dressed entirely in black and with handsome features. But his face, on the other hand, was partly covered in a white mask, which Nate found very strange.
"Erik, you came!" Serena said with a happy smile.
Nate glanced at her for a second, once again startled but this time for another reason. As far as he could remember, he had never heard her sound quite so happy. Her feelings for this man must be serious indeed.
"I promised I would," Erik replied and went over to her, settling for merely giving her a kiss on the hand instead of on the lips. He wasn't sure it would be appropriate to do so in front of her brother just yet.
"I assume this is the secret lover of yours that you wanted me to meet?" Nate asked her.
"Yes, it is," she confirmed and then couldn't help but tease him: "And he is no squatter, nor an Arabic prince."
"Very funny," Nate said, both of them noticing the confused look upon Erik's face.
"Just something Nate said on our way up here," Serena explained. "He was trying to come up with reasons for why the three of us couldn't meet in a more public place instead of on the roof."
Erik nodded in understanding.
"Well, I suppose introductions are in order," Erik said with a slight bow. "My name is Erik Destler and it's a pleasure to meet you, monsieur."
"Nathaniel Cartier and it's a pleasure to meet you as well, monsieur," Nate replied with a similar bow.
"I take it you are an architect, monsieur Cartier, judging by your earlier words? You seem to have some experience in the area?"
"Why, yes, but not nearly as much as you must have had if you designed this whole building. It truly is beautiful."
"Again, I thank you."
Serena smiled inwardly, content that this seemed to go so well. It meant a lot to her that the two of them got along.
"I apologize if my question upsets you, monsieur Destler," Nate began hesitantly. "But I have to ask why you wear a mask upon your face. Is it a question of fashion or is it because of something else?"
"Nate, you don't have to know why…" Serena said, irritated, but was cut off by Erik.
"Please call me Erik, and I understand you must wonder."
"The stories of the Phantom of the Opera are not unknown to me, Erik," Nate stated, the other two realizing he must have suspected Erik's true identity all along. "I do not judge those I don't know, but I have heard what actions the Phantom was guilty of bringing about a few years ago. Are you that Phantom and are you guilty of what the rumors say?"
Serena was about to reply, but Erik held up his hand to silence her, meeting Nate's gaze all along.
"I am the one referred to as the Phantom and three years ago, circumstances made me guilty of both murder and burning this Opera House almost to the ground. I assure you, I didn't mean for any of it to happen but it did and I can never atone completely for that. I can only hope people understand I didn't do it on purpose. I never intentionally murdered anyone three years ago and as far as most people are concerned, the Phantom of the Opera has been dead a long time. I would wish for them to continue to think so. I haven't been the cause of trouble in years and have only observed from afar. Please believe me when I tell you I mean no one any harm, and least of all Serena."
Nate was silent for a while, studying Erik's face. Then he finally nodded and smiled for the first time since coming face to face with Erik.
"I believe you."
A/N: Oh, god. Really, it's been TOO long!!! I can't BELIEVE I haven't updated until now. It's actually much thanks to you, Hikari Yamamoto. I didn't think anyone read this story anymore so, even though I had the next chapter pretty much finished, I didn't update. But, after your review I realized maybe everyone hadn't given up on me… ;) Thank you so much. And about what you said, you know that I haven't described what Serena looks like? I have, a little. In chapter 3, before Serena sings Remember in front of all those people, she stands in front of the mirror and I mention the colour of her hair and that she has dark eyes. Eyes so dark brown that they are close to black is what I meant by that. But, you're right. Her appearance isn't often mentioned. I will make sure to do something about that in the next chapter. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. :)
All you others out there who have an interest in this story: I promise I'll try to update soon. I have some ideas for coming chapters. Just, please, review! Reviews make me work faster. :D Hugs and kisses!