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

[Saiyan Princess]

"Don't let him control you. When you're angry, it means nothing but pride to Raoul." Christine's words were little more than a whisper as she dropped her hand, embarrassed that Erik had seen such a thing. "He did nothing to me that I regret. I don't regret getting choked and pinned to the wall if that meant that Catherine was alive and safe." She started to flashback into an earlier time. A little curly head poked out from around a corner at her parents. Her mother was against the wall, pleading with the father to calm down, saying that she loved him. The man let go, using a belt on the child once. The mother screamed and pulled the little one away. "It was something that I was proud of, for Catherine didn't get hurt." The present day Christine smiled at her husband.

 

[Guile]

"No...no, Christine..." Erik whispered, clearly pained by the words she spoke of what she endured with the Vicomte. "No one should have to go through anything like that. What you did was wise and you probably saved Catherine's life by doing what you did. But, why did you not come get me, Christine?" He looked into her eyes, searching for an answer to that question. "I know at the time you were trying to make it work between you and Raoul, but he was hurting you. I could have stopped it, or I would have died trying, you know this. If I had known then that he was hurting you two, I would have confronted you about it and done everything I could have to stop it. You endured all that pain when you didn't have to. Why? He was not worth it, Christine. The Vicomte is not worthy of your love. I don't even believe that I am, but no man that hurts a woman deserves her love. Why would you suffer like that for him?"

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Erik's words stung like ice. "I could not find you, my Phantom. I searched, but you had left." She opened the room of her eldest daughter, opened the curtains, and saw Catherine and Andrew together with William in the middle. "I thought I could handle it without running and screaming to my protector like that frightened child of so long ago." She walked around to Catherine's side, moved her hair back, and kissed the girl. "I look at them all, and then I wonder how anyone.could hurt a child."

 

[Guile]

Erik's bowed his head in shame when Christine told him that she had been searching for him, but he had left. "Christine, I am so sorry. I didn't know that you would come looking for me. I didn't know what was going on with Raoul, you, and the children. Please, forgive me." He followed her into Catherine's room, but only stepped a few feet inside before stopping. "There is nothing wrong with searching for help, though, darling. Especially in situations like you were put in with the Vicomte." Erik looked over at his daughter lying there and thought of all the pain she had been exposed to. "I don't know why people hurt children. It is wicked, but they do it. I understand the Vicomte's position though. If I were married to a woman who had children with another man, I believe it would be painful to see those children. However, there is no way on Earth that I would ever hurt them. That is where Raoul and I differ. Catherine, Alistair, and Lillith were not Raoul's, but they were your flesh and blood. As I said once before, if you had had a child with Raoul I would accept them with open arms simply because they are a part of you. I don't understand why he could not do this for our children."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"And I love that about you. That is special. As I told you, Raoul and I tried." Christine took her eyes from the man that she married. "We came very close." She admitted, having lost a child to an.infantile death long ago. "Sadly, that poor little.boy didn't make it past three weeks." Thinking of how she had screamed for help from Erik, begging to be taken away from Raoul, the woman took Erik by the hand and led him to their private quarters. "But, I know that it will never occur between us."

 

[Guile]

Erik was shocked by this news, and remained looking so as Christine took his hand and led him to their own room. "Christine, I...I am so sorry." He couldn't even begin to imagine what it must feel like to loose a child, even one so young. Oh, it must have been horrible "I had no idea that such a thing had happened to you." Erik was equally surprised to hear the confidence in Christine's voice as she spoke of how such a thing would never happen to them. He didn't want to speak of this subject, but he felt he had to, now that it had been brought up. "How can you be so sure, Christine. After all...anything can happen. I don't like to think such horrible thoughts, but tragedies happen everyday. What if one were to happen to us?"

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Having grown quite cold concerning that child, Christine merely had to shrug it off, though hidden behind the stone was hurt. "Well, it was an accident. There was nothing to be done. He would be nineteen today." She smiled still, hiding the hurt. Her immediate concern was Jonathan. "Oh, God..." Christine immediately swept across their home and examined her baby. "He's fine...thank heaven." Breathing a sigh of relief, she returned to her husband. "It won't...don't scare me in such a way." She was about to go to bed, when the little girl that she treasured came a'running. "Mama, it was awful! I thought Papa got attacked! It was a nightmare!" She actually hugged Erik. "Oh, Daddy, you're okay!"

 

[Guile]

As Christine ran off to check on Jonathan, Erik stayed by the bed thinking about what Christine had told him of this other child. She is blocking this emotion I can tell. Christine loves all of her children, as well as her lost son. Yet, she's trying to push the horrible memory back into her mind. Who can blame her though? If I had lost a child...oh, I would be traumatized. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Christine's return and forced himself not to bring up the subject of her lost child, or the possibility of loosing of their own. "I'm sorry, Christine. I won't say such a thing again." Erik was unable to say anything else, for Lilly came running up to them and wrapped her arms around him. He pulled his little girl up into his arms and held her close. "Hush now, Lilly, it's alright. It was only a dream. I am just fine, we are all fine." Erik smiled at his daughter reassuringly and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"I just worry about all of my children now. Especially before they reach a year old. That's why I'm constantly holding Jonathan, Erik." She whispered to him, as their daughter trembled in her father's arms. "I.don't want to go back to sleep. What if that dream comes back and Raoul takes me away again. You couldn't move and Mother was too slow." She whined still. "I can't sleep again." Christine watched her daughter. "Darling, it's alright. You're safe. It's all a dream. Raoul is gone now." She rubbed the little girl's back as she kept pleading with Erik not to make her go back to bed. "Please...no.."

 

[Guile]

Erik heard Christine's words and he understood completely. Any parent would worry about their children, but especially if they experienced the loss of a child before. He could not even begin to imagine... "Everything is going to be just fine, Lilly. Raoul is not here and a dream cannot hurt you." Erik ran his fingers through his little girl's hair comfortingly as he whispered to her, hoping to console her. "I won't let him take you away...not ever." He held tight to Lilly before looking at Christine with a slightly concerned look in his eyes. Then, he spoke to his daughter. "If you cannot sleep alone tonight, and your mother doesn't mind, you can sleep with us. I know what it is like not to sleep because of nightmare - to wish for someone to hold you and not let go until you are no longer afraid. I do not want you to be afraid, darling."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Lillith looked to her mother, desperate for the woman to accept this proposition. "Mother, please?" She whispered. Christine had been watching Jonathan as Lillith talked. When silence came over them once more, Christine answered. "Well, just this once. You're too old to be sleeping in Mommy's and Daddy's bed." She caressed Lilly's cheek. "Just this once. We're safe here. No one knows about our home but the Girys and Andrew, and they would never tell Raoul how to get back here if he's too drunk to remember." She led them back, folded the sheets down and smiled. "Goodnight, my love." She got into bed and waited for her Erik to follow.

 

[Guile]

Erik waited for Christine's answer and, when she agreed, he smiled at Lilly. "There, now you have nothing to worry about. But your mother's right, just this once." He chuckled and laid Lilly down on the bed beside Christine before climbing in himself and covering both of them up. "Goodnight, Lilly." Erik placed a kiss on his daughter's forehead before leaning over and placing a soft kiss on Christine's lips. "Goodnight, darling." He whispered to her before lying back down. "I love you both."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine kissed him passionately for the longest two minutes of her life, secretly upset with the child between them for upsetting the balance between herself and Erik as husband and wife. Still, she broke the loving gesture and kissed Lilly's lips as a mother would her daughter before pulling the child close and letting her hand rest on the girl's hair. "Goodnight, my love." She whispered before falling asleep again.

 

[Guile]

Erik was feeling the same thing as Christine, concerning their child resting between them. However, if it made his little girl happy, then he would sacrifice one night like this. Besides, it was a nice change - Erik had never been there to do something like this when they were even younger. He smiled and softly inhaled deeply when Christine broke their passionate kiss. Erik had been starting to run out of air, for they did not break for so long, but it was a beautiful sensation - one that he fell asleep to, near his wife and little girl.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

The very next morning, there was a strange, definitely strange sound, like shuffling and tiny whispered voices. Christine felt the bed between herself and her husband and was shocked to find that Lilly wasn't there. Opening her eyes, Christine sat up. "Lilly?" She spotted Alistair whispering to a girl over by Erik's piano/organ. It wasn't his sister, but someone quite familiar. Christine turned back to Erik, shook his arm and whispered to him. "He's just like you, my Erik." Christine couldn't be happier with this sight.

 

[Guile]

Erik woke form his peaceful slumber to the soft touch of Christine's hand on his arm. He opened his eyes and smiled at his wife and tried to process what she had said as he blinked the sleep out of his eyes. He was confused, until he turned his head and looked out to find Alistair with...no, not Lilly. Ah...so, Ali had taken a liking to Andrew's little sister. Erik laughed softly, turned to Christine and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "What can I say? All the Destler men know how to impress ladies. It's in our blood."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine scoffed at Erik and pushed him away from her and off the bed, still watching through the curtains at Lucy and her son. "You also have a way of getting banned from bed tonight." She chuckled as she took her gaze from the children and peeked over the edge of her bed, down toward Erik, who was now on the floor. "What do you say to that?" The children heard the thud and jumped, not knowing they were watched. "What the devil?" Lucy whispered. "My mother and father." Alistair explained.

 

[Guile]

Erik was unprepared for Christine to push him in such a way. Naturally, he hit the ground with a thud and then stared up at the ceiling in a daze. Then, he saw Christine peer over the edge at him and he grinned before reaching up and pulling her down onto the floor with him. Erik laughed and held her to him so that she could not get away before he began placing kisses all around her face. "I say, that if I cannot sleep in the bed with you, then I suppose I'll just have to force you to sleep with me on the chair. I'll tie you to it if I need to. You don't actually think I'm going to let you have the bed all to yourself while I sleep all alone and abandoned by my wife, do you?" He joked with her.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Don't you dahhh!!" Christine squealed as she was yanked to the floor on top of Erik. "I hate you so much." She breathed heavily, her hair hanging over her right shoulder and her fingers curled under his collar. "I hate you." Her heart was wild with all of the emotions that she could not release last night with Erik. Her head bent down and her lips touched his collar bone. "I hate you." She told him yet again. "You're awful and crazy."

 

[Guile]

Erik's heart raced because Christine was so near. Even though her words said otherwise, Erik could feel the love in them and it sent sparks through his body with each syllable. "Oh, you do?" He purred in her ear, as he circled his fingers up and down her back. "I suppose you're right - I am crazy." Erik let out a soft laugh and tried not to sigh as her lips pressed against his collar bone. "But I am only crazy because you have made me this way."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine's shoulders raised when Erik began to circle up and down her spine. Then, his words were like silk. So soft, yet so confident. It irritated her yet it didn't. "It's not my f-fault..." she brought her hands up to his face and circled his cheeks with her thumbs. "I love you so much, Erik." She laid her head on his shoulder and breathed on his neck. "I love your presence."

 

[Guile]

Erik chuckled softly, still running his fingers up and down her back, at the intoxicating way she was responding to his touch and his words. Then, she began circling his cheeks with her thumbs and he smiled in ecstasy. It was a beautiful sensation, but then she topped it unintentionally when she laid her head on his shoulder and breathed on his neck. Oh, it sent shivers up and down his spine, feeling her warm breath on his neck. "I love you, Christine. And I should hope you love me." He teased softly, placing a tender kiss on the palm of her hand as he brought it to his lips. "I would be highly offended if you didn't." Yes, this was bliss. This is what he lived for. "You don't know the joy your words bring to me. Or, on second thought, perhaps you do. I should like to think that my words make you feel just as loved and as special as you make me feel."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"I do love you and I hope that you are aware of that when you are walking Catherine down the aisle today." She smiled and sat up, kissing his knuckles. "Unfortunately, we cannot stay like this all day. Why do you think Edmund and Lucy came here?" Laughing, she got up and flipped her curls behind her again.

 

[Guile]

Erik's eyes widened slightly as he remembered that today was his daughter's wedding. "Yes, of course! Dear Lord...look what you make me do, Christine. You play with my mind until all I am thinking about is you and forget everything else." He laughed, not meaning what he said, and stood up once Christine had gotten up herself. "Well, my dear, shall we go greet our guests?" Erik grinned, thinking about how he could tease Alistair about his meeting with Lucy later. After all, what are father's for if not to torment their children? Out of love, of course.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Oh, yes. You figured out my ever so devious plan of ruining our first born's wedding." Christine laughed and took Erik's hand. "Yes, let's go greet them." It was only the two younger children, their father and older siblings hadn't yet made it to the hideout. Alistair brought Lucy over to the piano and started playing a song that he himself was working on. His parents were gone so often that he occupied his time by composing. Lilly rummaged her clothes trying to find a dress for the occasion. Andrew, William and Catherine slept still. Christine sighed. "Today of all days and she.decides to sleep?"