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

[Saiyan Princess]

If Catherine could run in the shoes that she was wearing, she would. Things were all about to change, for the.better of.course. "Daddy, I'll always be your little girl, no matter how old I am." She promised her father. Finally, she reached him. She was getting ready to hug him when Christine stopped her. "Please don't." She was calm. "Afterward, that is when you can hug him." Catherine laughed, knowing Mother was concerned about her hair and makeup. "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm just so flustered right now." She was vaguely reminded of her first singing lesson with the Phantom of the Opera as she said this. She was flustered then.

 

[Guile]

Though Catherine's words brought a genuine smile to Erik's lips, he longed to hold his little girl. However, he didn't want to mess up her hair or makeup, so he refrained from doing so. Instead, he placed the back of his hand on her cheek and caressed it. "You are so beautiful, Catherine. I am very proud to be your father, my dear. Do not be worried. You will do fine." Erik removed his hand form her cheek and chuckled. "If it's any consolation, your fiancé is just as nerve wrecked as you. Every couple is at their wedding. Just enjoy yourself."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"You think so?" Catherine asked as Erik's fingers finally touched her cheek. She couldn't help but sort of lean into his hand a little, similar to a cat when they were being pet. "You're proud? Of me? I think you should be proud of yourself. As should Mother." She looked at Christine. When Erik mentioned Andrew, Catherine's heart sank. To lighten up, she laughed. "I thought I felt something damp when I finally got to you at your wedding.

 

[Guile]

"Of course I do, Catherine. You have always been beautiful - even when you were just a little girl." Erik smiled at his daughter, whom of which he was going to give away soon. "Of course I'm proud of you. Why would I be proud of myself? I've done nothing lately to be proud of." He chucked and shook his head when Catherine started to pick on him. "Hey, now. When you're dancing with Andrew and he's just as sweaty as I was, you'll understand that it's all men that get nervous at their weddings - not just I. Plus, you women do it too. You can't pretend that you don't either."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Well, really, if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here today." She thought of that fire years ago and her hand immediately went to the scar hidden behind her bangs. "I'd be gone, Daddy." Christine was trying not to cry over that day, but, that coupled with a wedding for her little girl all in one was just too much. "Erik, please take her away now." She begged her husband before she lost her mind.

 

[Guile]

Erik remembered that horrible day all too well. He remembered how horrifying it had been to almost loose his little girl. "I will always be here for you, Catherine. You know that." Erik saw the pain in his wife's eyes and he pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It'll be alright, Christine." He bent over and whispered in her ear. "Remember, this isn't goodbye. We're just going to be sharing her now." He smiled at his love one last time before holding out his right arm to Catherine. "Well, my darling child...are you ready to see your fiancé?" Erik opened the door, preparing to escort her away.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"I am very ready. Very nervous, actually." Catherine laughed and took his arm. "I just hope I don't make an idiot out of myself at the altar today." She glanced back at Christine one last time as a free woman. "I'll meet you there." Christine assured her daughter as she walked with William in her arms around the room to make sure that everyone and everything was ready. She didn't like the thought.of sharing the child that she went through hell to protect.

 

[Guile]

Erik chuckled and smiled down at his daughter. "Trust me, you won't make an idiot out of yourself. You won't do anything worse than I did, I promise." He laughed once again as he led her out of the room and towards the door that she would enter through to the altar. "It's natural to be nervous, Catherine, but you don't need to be." He smiled down at her again, their arms still linked together. "I will be there with you every step of the way. Even when I let you go, you'll still feel me holding tight to your heart. God knows I never want to let that go." Erik chuckled and, before he knew it, they were there standing - waiting for the ceremony to start.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine couldn't keep from laughing, even snorting once. When that happened, Catherine took her other hand and slapped it over her mouth and nose. "Oh, dear.." she had been worried about that. That, and the fact that she was about to.marry someone that she had known for a little over six months, though Christine had known them far longer than that.

 

[Guile]

Erik laughed at the sound of Catherine's laughs. The poor girl was so nervous, she was laughing! Better than crying, I suppose. He couldn't hide his smile as they waited at the door. Minutes ticked by and Erik looked down at his little girl. "Promise me that you won't stay away too long - that your mama and papa will always have a special place in your heart." He whispered, though he already knew she would. Before long, someone came by to alert them that it was time and Erik smiled reassuringly at Catherine. "Here we go, sweetheart." Just before the doors opened, Erik bent down and placed a soft kiss on her temple. "I love you, Catherine." Then, the doors were open and the music surrounded them as Erik began to escort his daughter down the isle and to her future husband.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine looked at her father for a long time. "You know that you all will. You, Mama, Ali, Lilly, even the little brother that I never got to know." She prayed for that tiny little de Chagney boy that didn't get to see his sister get married. "I promise that we'll be back faster than you can go through Music of the Night." She laughed again. Then, oh, God! The doors opened and she was staring directly at Andrew. Lucy and Lilly were with him, in their maid of honor and flower girl dresses. Alistair stood behind Lilly, holding the rings. Catherine felt like she would die before she ever reached the altar. One man on Andrew's side seemed to lower himself in his seat upon seeing them. Catherine tried to ignore that uneasy feeling as she finally made it to her Andrew. She giggled, just barely heard, because of how strange Christine looked, just crying over the two sleeping babies in her arms.

 

[Guile]

As Erik walked his daughter down the isle, he felt his heart racing, breaking, and bursting for joy all at the same time. It made him want to collapse in a sea of emotion, but he could not. He had to stay strong. All he could do was look at his family, then back at Catherine, then up to Andrew. It was a beautiful sight, truly. Unfortunately, the time to let go of Catherine came all too soon and Erik found tears forming in his eyes. Still, he didn't let them fall. With one last loving glance at her, he placed a quick kiss on her cheek before taking her hand and one of Andrew's and joining them. It wasn't necessary, but it was something Erik felt he needed to do. He let his own hand linger over top of their combined ones for a minute before smiling at Catherine, turning away, and taking his spot off to the side to watch the rest of the ceremony.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine looked directly at Andrew for a long time, too long, it seemed. She definitely.couldn't hear the whole speech that was necessary for a wedding. Edmund and Alistair started fidgeting. Each held a ring. "I love you, Catherine Elizabeth Destler." Andrew whispered. Soon, all too soon, the time came for the rings. Andrew's two sisters started crying their eyes out. They loved Catherine with all they had. James rolled his eyes, standing just behind them as Andrew's best man. He shook his head, hiding a smirk and holding Ed's hand as the boy and Ali handed the rings over. Lilly did what she did best and wrapped her little arms around the bride, though the ceremony wasn't over. Catherine didn't mind. Her consciousness was elsewhere. "I love you too, Andrew." Finally, she took his name, as well as his lips.

 

[Guile]

Erik watched the ceremony through teary eyes. Little Catherine...it seems like just yesterday you were running into my arms like Lilly does now, wanting to be held by your Papa. Now...now you have a husband to hold you, to run to when you need love. I know you'll always love us, that there will always be a place in your heart for us, but there is something about being bound to another person for life that draws you close. I just hope that you will always be happy. He had been able to contain his tears until Andrew and Catherine's lips touched - forever sealing her as the young man's wife. It was then that the warm tears began to silently roll down his cheeks. Take care of my little girl, Andrew. Please, love her with all that you have.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine smiled, partially sensing her father's thoughts. Oh, he decides to bring that up now that there is no turning back. She laughed, coming out of that thought to the present time. "Andrew, come on." She led the man away, away from all the crying, especially after prying Lilly off of her. "Alright, give me my boy." She grinned at her father. "There are two people that he has to meet." William's parents were a few seats away.from the Destlers, his mother in tears.

 

[Guile]

Erik laughed as Catherine came up to him, demanding William. "I love you too, Catherine." He teased before the boy was handed off to her. It was then that he realized William's parents were sitting quite close to them. Erik smiled, quite sympathetically, when he noticed them, even though they didn't see him. That's when the guilt of William's death came back to Erik. I should have been there to stop it. I should have know that the Vicomte would come after one of us. If only I had been near to protect their son...He couldn't help feeling that it was his fault. Why hadn't he been able to stop William from dying? Erik felt weak when he remembered how helpless he had been that night while the young man lay bleeding out. Forgive me... He pleaded in his own head.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"And you can take your little magnet here." She tried to peel her sister off again, but the girl wouldn't move. "No! Andrew can't take Cathy away from us!" She latched on tighter. "I love you too, Lilly." Catherine pat her on the back, pulling the child off again. "I promise I'll be back as soon as Saturday comes around." She kissed Lilly's cheek. Catherine took her son to meet his grandparents. One look at little Willy and Madame van Sergey started crying. "H-He looks like my boy." Catherine handed the child over.

 

[Guile]

Erik laughed and scooped Lilly up into his arms, holding her close. "It's alright, Lilly. Andrew isn't taking Catherine away from us. They're just going to spend some time together. We'll see them when they get back. They will visit often." He smiled at Lilly and placed a kiss on her forehead. That's when he looked over and saw William's parents getting their first look at their grandson. The guilt in Erik remained, and even grew possibly, thanks to this sight.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Monsieur van Sergey held his wife. "Loretta, everything is alright. William doesn't want this. He wants us to be happy." His name was Samuel. The old man rocked his crying wife still. "It's been almost two years since he died. He doesn't want you sad." Catherine stood there, helpless. She still felt a pang of guilt as well, which just made it even.more uncomfortable for Andrew at the moment. Raoul shuffled out of the room and to the party.

 

[Guile]

"If I may..." Erik found himself stepping up to William's parents, feeling rather overwhelmed by all of this. Still, perhaps if he said the right thing - spoke the truth - maybe he could provide them some comfort. "I would just like to say that William was a wonderful young man and I am grateful to have known him. I am grateful that he was a part of my family's lives, especially my daughter's. He was a fine gentleman and I just want you to know that he died trying to save her. I wish there was something I could have done to help him, something I could do to bring him back, but I cannot. I just wanted you to know that he died a very noble death and our family cherishes his memory."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Samuel and Loretta looked up at Erik. William laughed and reached up for Erik. This made Loretta smile and kiss his cheek. "And, you're Erik, right?" She held her hand out to him, smiling still and wiping her own tears. Catherine remembered that night. Oh, it was horrible! Rather quickly, Catherine took her husband into the next room. If she stayed with the van Sergeys, she would start crying. She couldn't do that to them. Christine watched them go, tried and failed to stop them as she also introduced herself. "Hello, I don't know if you remember me, but my name was Christine de Chagney at the time that I left you last. I am Christine Destler now, also Christine Daae. It doesn't really bother me what you call me. Either is fine." Loretta spotted Christine and immediately pulled the woman down into a hug, sobbing her eyes out. "Don't choke the woman, dear." Sam held Loretta's shoulders.

 

[Guile]

Erik smiled down at Loretta and took her hand ever so gently, shaking it. "I am, indeed. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." He waited by patiently as Christine introduced herself and was startled a bit when Loretta pulled her into a hug and began sobbing. A sympathetic look came to his eyes, but he hid it quickly. Oh, what must it feel like to loose a child? I pray to God that I never have to know.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine was able to get away from Loretta. "I know how you feel. I lost a son not very long ago." Nineteen years had passed since the child had died. "It's an awful experience to lose any child, but especially a first son." Christine had her own suspicions of how the baby died. None of them natural. "Would you like to stay for Catherine's party or would you like an escort outside?" van Sergey shook her head and handed Willy off to Erik. "I have to go home. I can't stay here." Samuel helped his wife up, her belly showing a little. Together they left. "Erik, I can't help but feel strange seeing them again." Christine sighed.

 

[Guile]

Erik took William willingly and held the boy tight to him as he watched the van Sergey's leave. "I don't blame you, Christine. I feel the same way. Actually, I feel guilty every time I look at them or think of them. I can't help feeling that I had something to do with the death of their son. If not that, then I at least wasn't very helpful that night. I couldn't do anything to save him..." He confessed what he had always felt to her - the horrible feeling of powerlessness to help William. "I couldn't imagine loosing a child." Erik whispered, almost to himself as if he were trying to imagine the horror that it would be. He couldn't even fathom it. "I'm so sorry that you had to deal with that. I'm sure the Vicomte was hardly any help to you - that he provided little to no comfort in a time of pain and suffering. Once again, I wish I had been there."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"No, there was no way that it was your fault, Erik. You did not hold the sword that struck him down. You did not watch him bleed out in front of the daughter that you raised." Christine sighed and followed the queue to the party. Raoul had stayed behind, listening to who he believed kidnapped his family, took them from him. Then, Christine mentioned William and he felt a sense of guilt. "That child that was mine died because his mother was stressed, still hearing someone that she damn sure didn't want to hear." Raoul muttered. Christine shook her head. "We should be happy. Our girl is married, now. I don't want to talk about one marriage during another, alright?"