Music of the Night: The Phantom of the Opera Returns (Guile & Melody)

[Guile]

Erik walked on, stumbling a little as they walked. He had started to feel very weak as he had been searching for Catherine, but he didn't know why - he was coughing and his hands were trembling. He tried not to lean on his daughter too much, for he knew she was in a bad state as well, but by the time they got back to Christine and the children Erik was having a hard time staying on his feet. He smiled at Catherine and through his raspy breaths he said, "Oh, darling, I will. Don't you worry for me. I do not die today." He believed his words were true, but there was something making Erik feel very weak and he didn't know what he could do, what was wrong. However, he didn't feel as though death were approaching. Severe illness, though, he thought was a probability.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She smiled at him as she laid him down on a sofa and his family surrounded him. Christine, on both knees beside her Erik, his hand in hers, smiled, then went back in time to nearly thirty five years ago, when she was a young child and her father passed into the next world. She couldn't, in her own way, have another father die. She wasn't about to let her Angel of Music join Monsiuer Daae in the after life. "Erik, my darling..." she threw herself upon him. "Please be well." She kissed his hand. "Do you require any nourishment or heat?"

 

[Guile]

Erik vaguely felt Christine's presence beside him and he smiled a very weak smile, as he tried to force himself to keep his eyes open. He held her hand in his right one and reached up with his other arm quite slowly to caress her cheek. "I will be, dearest." He assured her with a raspy, weak voice very much unlike his normal one, before a coughing fit took hold of him. When he was finally able to catch his breath after he stopped coughing he lay his head back on the sofa and closed his eyes. "I don't know what's come over me," he told her as loud as he could speak, which was not loud at all, "but whatever it is, I will get over it. I can fight anything for you." He said, opening his eyes and smiling at her again, his white teeth shinning at her. "And no, my darling. I would prefer just to lie here for a while..." he was cut off mid-sentence as his eyes rolled back into his head and he blacked out.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine knew that he was living and smiled as she got up and turned her face to Catherine, who was only staring out a window, silently wishing she could join William in the afterlife. Christine put her arms around her child from behind and noticed that Catherine was moving her engagement ring around her finger. "Mother, I miss him!" She let herself be rocked back and forth by Christine. "I know, Child, but, you will find love again just like I did with your Papa." Christine comforted her. "Mama, I don't want to live any more!" Catherine screamed. Christine squeezed her. "Do not say such things!"

 

[Guile]

Erik lay unconscious, as Catherine and Christine talked, his breathing still raspy. After just a few minutes his eyes blinked open, but he didn't move - his body ached and he didn't know why. He couldn't remember what had happened for a few seconds, then it came rushing back to him almost as quickly as his consciousness. Ah, yes...Catherine. Now he remembered hearing her voice just as his eyes were opening and sounds was coming back to his ears. He turned his head to look at where their voices were coming from. He saw Christine holding Catherine - both of them looked rather distraught. Why wouldn't they be? Especially Catherine...the poor girl. As Erik lay there listening to them, unable to get his voice to work, he wished there was something he could do to bring the nice, young man back for his little girl. He shook his head at how helpless he felt he was starting to become.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She yanked herself away from Christine's grasp and walked over to her father's motionless body, thrusting the dagger from his side and raising it in the air. "My dearest William!" She screamed and was about to take her life when she was stopped by Edward Tremaine. "Stop this, woman!" He struck her and yanked the weapon from her. "Leave him be!" He tried to get away, but Catherine lunged and tripped him, but he did not fall and kept running. Catherine kept screaming for her true love. "WILLIAM!"

 

[Guile]

Erik sat up abruptly as his daughter was about to take her own life, but Edward got to her first. When he watched him strike his daughter he wanted to get up and chase after him, but all his body would allow him to do was get onto his knees and keep Catherine there so that she would not go after the boy, or worse, try to kill herself again. He held her close to him, rested her head against his chest, ad tried to sooth her with soft words. "Catherine, my child, please don't. Hush, dear, hush. I know it hurts...I know." He ran his hands over her hair and kissed her forehead as he remembered the many times he had contemplated taking his own life after Christine had left him. "He's with God now, safe and happy at last. He would not want you to join him so soon - you know that. He would want you to keep living, for the both of you." His voice was raspy, but he was able to keep himself from entering into another coughing fit. It hurt to move and speak, but he would deal with a little pain to save his daughter's life, and to ease her pain - which was far worse than his, all things considered.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She tried to squirm away. "No! I'm not going to wait for him!" Without thinking, she struck Erik, but that only seemed to make his hold tighter upon her. "No! NO! YOU KNOW NOTHING OF OUR LOVE!" She grew weak and passed out, still trying to escape her father. "There is...no one...to join..me...in song.." she fainted. Christine watched all of this. "What will become of her? Raoul will surely kill for her again." She feared this most, but showed it not. "He is not a man to give up."

 

[Guile]

Erik was stunned and her violence toward him hurt his heart greatly, however, he only held onto her tighter - he would never let her go in this condition. He held onto her tightly until she passed out in his arms. Seeing his daughter in this state brought Erik close to tears, but his mind was spinning so quickly that he didn't have the time to cry. He lifted Catherine up in his arms, the best he could seeing as he was still very weak, and placed her gently on the sofa. His face still stung, but looking at her lying there so peacefully made his heart sting more. He kissed the poor girl's head and turned to Christine. "I'm not sure. Whatever happens, we don't want to leave her out of our sight." He said, fear rising in his chest at the thought of what might happen if she were to escape in the night sometime. "We have to watch her, constantly. Who knows what she would do to herself if she got the chance?" He added in a whisper. "As for Raoul, well, as long as she's with us - under our supervision - I think she'll be safe. The first time we had no idea anything like this would happen, we were unprepared - now, we're on the look out for him." He knew it was a ridiculous idea - their daughter couldn't possibly be locked away forever. But what could they do? If they set her off by herself Raoul would surely come after her. Even if he never found her she would probably kill herself. Erik hoped her suicidal thoughts would go away soon, so that they didn't have two people against them with death on their minds.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine thought this as well. "Perhaps we should try and hold her, only for a while, just until she calms." She knew he would probably say "no" but losing her daughter was a fate worse than death. "Please, for a week or two." She didn't know what else to do. "We will host a party, to celebrate her coming of age." She thought this would be a decent idea to get her mind off of William. "A masquerade. To find her someone new." She wanted to sing so badly, but she dare not ask him for another song. They needed to stay with Catherine.

 

[Guile]

Erik thought about her idea and nodded his head, slowly beginning to warm up to the idea. "I agree, Christine. She has to stay here until she...calms herself. Otherwise..." he didn't want to say out loud what his daughter might do - he couldn't bare to think of loosing her, or any of them. He just wished that William hadn't had to have died either. "A masquerade sounds like a marvelous idea, darling." He said, a smile finally forming on his lips. He tried not to think about his own mask that haunted him everyday. "I think it would be wonderful - if she found someone new I'm sure she would get over these...harsh thoughts." He went over to Christine and held her close to him. He kissed the top of her head and spoke to her softly - he could feel his strength coming back just slightly at her touch. "I'm so sorry that all of this had to happen. I can't help feeling it was my fault somehow..." He thought back to how he had been the one to lead Christine away from the group and back to the stage - how he had continued the song with her, a song that was not meant for him. "I promise you, Christine, that I will not let anything happen to Catherine." He comforted her. "You believe me don't you?"

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She swayed her body against him. "Ah, my true love, our infant is only grieving and will soon be better. For now, let us take her below and keep her there." Christine picked up Catherine's head, but nothing else. "This is for you, my dearest." She turned. "Erik, my love, how will we force her to stay? She will certainly not want to be locked down there for two weeks." She pondered this a while. "We must plan the party. I must admit, this idea is intriguing your wife." She kissed him. "Come to me, Angel of Music...come to me, Angel of Music...." her melody was quiet.

 

[Guile]

"I pray you're right." He said as Christine went over to Catherine. He was about to follow until she asked him how they would keep her there for two weeks. He thought about this. "I suppose we'll just have to..." he hated this idea, "force her - keep the gate locked, and her away from the lever." He shook his head. "It's cruel, I know, but what else can we do?" He let her kiss him, he smiled and even chuckled a bit as she did so. "You're quite adorable when planning for events that aren't for you." He said with a smirk before realizing that she had referred to herself as his wife. He stopped and stared at her for a moment, intrigued. Did she mean to say that? Or, was it, perhaps, just a slip of the tongue? He couldn't decide, but as she started singing quietly he found his mind slipping away into her again. He forced himself to step away from her and move toward Catherine, whom he picked up in his arms. He grinned back at Christine. "I thought you were the one that said we had to get Catherine down below." He teased. "Then, you start distracting me from doing so with your beautiful voice and captivating eyes." He placed a quick kiss on her lips before starting down into the cellars with her and Catherine.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Her blush, once again, crept up on her cheeks. "If this is the only way to keep the child from harm and out of sight of Raoul, so be it." She treasured this kiss. "You are cruel, Erik." She began. "I sing for you and only you and yet you ignore me. You are a horrible teacher." She was teasing, but she looked hurt. Thank Heaven she was an actress. Almost in a dancing motion, she moved around him. "Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye, remember me, once in a while, please, promise me, you'll try." She indicated for the twins to come with them. "When you find, that once again you long, to take your heart back and be free, if you ever find a moment, spare a thought for me."

 

[Guile]

"Aha! But look how much you've learned from me, my dear!" He chuckled as she started to move around him and sing while they made their way - all of them - to the world below. Her voice was captivating and he desperately tried to pretend that he was ignoring her. He wouldn't even look her in the eye, although he had a sly grin on his lips, and this time he refused to sing with her. Of course, he longed to sing with her, but he wouldn't let himself give into her. He was going to stand his ground - if she were going to tease him, he would tease back, and happily so. He even muttered a very convincing, "I'm sorry, what was that dear?" after she finished the first verse, though a tiny chuckle could be heard from him as he did so.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Lillith squealed her delight. "Eep! This is going to be so much fun!" She had never been down here at all except for stopping on the stairs with William beside her, supporting Catherine's ring. Alistair remained somewhat more dignified than his baby sister. He just got in and stood, taking the paddle that moved the small ship. Christine took it and the other from anyone else. "We aren't moving until your father kisses me." She acted childishly, for she knew he wouldn't refuse her. Or would he? "Since he will not sing with me, a kiss is what will get this boat moving."

 

[Guile]

Erik watched as Christine took the paddles and he grinned at her, though he was shocked. "Oh-ho...good one, Christine. Very well played." He said calmly as if this were a game of chess and he needed to be careful with his next move. "Well, kids, I guess we're stuck here." He said and crossed his arms over his chest and waited for a few moment to see their reaction. He laughed when they assumed he was serious. Giving in, he placed his hands around Christine's neck softly and kissed her lips for several moments, letting that feeling seep into them. When he pulled back and looked in her eyes he said in a whisper, "well...you won." He grinned at her. "May we go home now?"

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"I always win, Master." She handed one paddle back to him and held the other herself, beginning to row. "How romantic." Lilly rested her head in her hands and was now propped on her elbows and knees, staring at the water below. "Sissy stuff..." Alistair stuck his reddish pink tongue out of his mouth and messed up his face. "Not true, Ali." His sister argued. Christine, listening to them, purposefully swept the ore over their heads and dropped it back in the water on the opposite side. "Quiet now." The journey was long and Catherine was beginning to come around. "Nnnnhhh?" She held her head. "Hush, my dear." Christine smiled down at her. "And sleep."

 

[Guile]

Erik chuckled at his children's views on his recent moment with Christine. He turned to look at Alistair and smiled at him. "Some day you'll think otherwise, son." He laughed as Christine swept the ore over their heads and the children hushed themselves immediately. As he kept rowing with Christine he, too, noticed Catherine stirring. Looking down at his poor, grieving daughter his heart ached again for her recent loss. He shook his head sadly before forcing himself to look ahead at water in front of them. When they finally got in through the gate and the boat was docked, he helped Christine, Alistair, and Lilly out of the boat before picking Catherine up and carrying her over to the bed where he laid her down once again.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Will Sissy be alright, Papa?" Alistair asked as he climbed up on the bed to sit next to her. "Careful, my son. She is very sick." Christine waited for Catherine to move and wake, before the gates could close. Luckily, she did not and Christine was able to relax. "My husband," she had said it once more. "Do you love me for me? Why did you choose me out of all of the little girls in this place? Why give me your music?" She teased. "Do not confuse me with an ungrateful child, for I am still grateful to this second." She walked back to the wardrobe, thankful that her dress was now dry, and went behind the furniture to change. "No one is allowed back here."

 

[Guile]

Erik patted his son's shoulder and ran his hand through his hair with a smile on his face. "Of course, son. She'll be just fine - we just have to give her a little while to get better." He listened to Christine's request - and the way she addressed him as 'my husband', which caused his heart to leap - and chuckled at her teasing. He walked over near the wardrobe, but stayed a distance away from it so that she could change feeling that she was in private, as she was. "Of course I love you for you, Christine. I can't say why I chose you - I suppose there was just something about your beauty and stubbornness that drew me to you," he teased with a laugh. "I suppose I loved you from the minute I saw you and wanted to give my music to the one that I loved." He confessed. "Christine," his voice suddenly got serious and, in turn, softer, "I want you to know something and I want you to believe it with all your heart. I want you to know that I would love you, for you, even if you could not sing - a scale, not even a note, I don't care. I don't only love you because you have a beautiful voice or...a beautiful appearance." He added with a smile forming at the corner of his mouth, though she couldn't see from where she was changing.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Her heart leaped up into her throat and did a back flip down to its normal position. "I know." Her voice was a whisper in this room. Coming back out, she walked away from her family and sat down at his piano and started playing a concerto piece, something she had heard since meeting who was now her husband to be. "I have always loved you, my Erik." She sighed as the music got louder. She was thinking of the lyrics to the song, but couldn't believe herself when she forgot them. "Dear God...I've never had this happen before." She pulled little Lilly on to her lap. "Mummy forgot the words."

 

[Guile]

"I love you, Christine. But you already know that." He said with a smile. He stood and listened to the very beautiful piece that Christine was playing when suddenly, she stopped. He walked over and put his hands on Christine's shoulders, slowly turning his thumbs in circles on her skin. He kissed the top of her head. "It's alright." He whispered to her. "It happens to the best of singers, which you are." He smiled at her warmly. "Don't fret over it."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She arched her back slightly as she shut her eyes. "A song from my childhood and I forg-" she pauses and feels foolish for thinking that this was such a huge deal. "It's okay, Mommy." Lillith laid against Christine's breast. "I don't mind. I like it without the words anyway." Christine kissed the child's lips. "Alright, to bed with the both of you." She searched for Alistair, who was behind Erik. "You as well." Alistair sighed and crawled into bed with his sisters. "Where will you sleep?" Alistair asked his father.

 

[Guile]

Erik smiled at his children, went over to the bed and pulled the covers up over all three of them. He kissed them each in their turn, on the forehead. He took Alistair's question into consideration. "Well, son, I'm not sure. Don't worry about that - your mother and I will work it out. Goodnight." He smiled at them before turning and heading back over to Christine. "You know, I'm not so much concerned as to where I'm going to sleep, but where will you sleep, dear?" He whispered to keep his voice down so that the children would actually sleep.