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

[Saiyan Princess]

"That isn't very nice, Father." Alistair cut in. "She shouldn't do this." He allowed William to bring play with Ali's hair, though it sort of hurt, he had nothing else to use right now. "What will you do if you can't find her?" Lilly asked, before she actually heard the singing as well. It was too late, Erik was onstage, more specifically, in the rafters with Mother. Christine didn't notice anything, so when Erik spoke, she was startled so much that she slipped from the rafters. But, thank God, she managed to grab the same rope that was used for murder. "Oh, God!"

 

[Guile]

"Christine!" Erik's eyes widened in horror as he yelled out her name, watching helplessly as she slipped from the rafters. He leapt for her but he was too late, she was over the edge. However, by some miracle - possibly act of God - Christine managed to grab hold of a rope. The sight of it made Erik cringe as he remembered the life he had taken with it. Still, there was no time to think about such things and he didn't delay in getting onto his knees and leaning over the edge himself, reaching out for Christine. "Christine, darling, you have to let go of the rope. You have to let go and take my hand." Erik fought back panic that threatened to creep into his voice. He didn't want to frighten her anymore than she already was. "Everything is going to be alright, you just have to trust me, sweetheart. I won't let you fall. I won't let you fall." Erik whispered it to her the second time as he stared down into her eyes, as if pleading with her to believe him. The longer she stayed hanging by that rope, he knew for sure that her arms would grow weak and she would fall. She had to let go with one hand and reach for him.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

The twins screamed when they saw their mother in this position. "MAMA!" Lilly screamed her head off, as though she were watching her mother's murder right now. Christine was beyond terrified, she was mortified by the fact that she was well over fifty feet in the air, growing weaker by the minute. She felt hot tears stream down her neck as she cursed her own stupidity. "Erik, I love you." She let go and attempted a leap for safety.

 

[Guile]

Erik watched Christine struggling, the tears flowing down her face and onto her neck. He heard her words of love and shook his head, unable to speak. He opened his mouth just slightly and seemed to be mouthing the word 'no' over and over again as he continued to shake his head in refusal. What Erik was refusing was Christine's helpless words that seemed as if she were saying goodbye - as if these would be her final moments. He refused to believe that. Still, he could say nothing for he was choking back tears. At that moment, Christine let go of the rope. In that split-second that she drew close to him, Erik bent further over the edge. He missed her hand, but grasped tightly to her wrist and did not let go. It was a struggle to hold onto her and he knew his grip was surely hurting her, but he had to hold her that tightly or else she would fall. "I got you, Christine. I'm not letting go. I promise." Erik felt himself almost being pulled over the edge, but he shifted his weight - as he now lay on his stomach - and put his second hand over the edge. "Give me your other hand, Christine. Quickly, I will pull you up." He was slowly losing strength, only being able to hold her up with one arm. "Hurry, Christine. Please." The struggle to hold on to her was clear on Erik's face, but he was determined. Christine would not fall unless he went with her, and he wouldn't let that happen.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Even if Christine fell, Andrew was below with the managers and a fourth man, a tarp in their hands, waiting for her to fall so that they could catch her. Christine looked at Erik as if he were off his rocker. She still held onto the rope with her left hand. Still, she had to trust him. She did! This was her husband! This was the love of her life! The father of her children! Her Angel of Music! The Phantom of the Opera! "Erik!" As she screamed his name, she thrust her other hand forward and on to the ledge. "Oh, God!" Madame Giry's screams were heard below. Then, a relieved hush as Christine grabbed onto the ledge.

 

[Guile]

Erik saw the look in her eyes. She was so afraid, the poor girl. How he wished it were he hanging off the edge and not her. Still, he would not let her fall. Unfortunately, this was a terrible fright she had to endure. The second she grabbed the ledge with her other hand, Erik took her wrist and began pulling her up to safety. It was a struggle from such a position, but he forced himself to deal with the aching in his arms - any pain was better than watching Christine fall. When he had pulled her up far enough to take her under her arms, he did, lifting her the rest of the way. He didn't dare breathe, not until she was safely on the rafters with him again. To his sheer delight, he was successful in pulling her back up to safety, and he didn't wait a moment before he pulled her tightly to his body as if she would fall again should he ever let go. "Oh, Christine!" Erik cried out as he buried his face in her hair. "Christine, my darling, you are safe. You are safe." He repeated, much softer this time, as if he needed to reassure her that she was.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine felt so relieved when Erik finally pulled her up and into his arms. "Oh, Erik! My Erik!" She squeezed him tighter than ever before. She didn't dare let go. Satisfied that their star wasn't in danger any more, the managers folded up the tarp. "Miss Daae? Are you alright?" Christine didn't respond, for one, that wasn't her name, and two, she didn't want them to interrupt herself and her husband. "God, I was so frightened, but, then, I wasn't! I knew you would catch me!" She cried. "Oh, God, I love you!" She lavished him with kisses. "My hero! My knight in shining armor!"

 

[Guile]

Erik matched the tightness of her embrace easily. He didn't hear the managers, he saw no one but Christine at the moment. "Christine, I love you so much." Erik kept repeating this to her, as if he might never get to tell her again. Only now did the fear of almost loosing her come out in his voice. "I promised you I wouldn't let you fall. Oh, my darling, I am so sorry. This was all my fault..." He began shaking with fear, but still did not let go of her. "I'll never let you get hurt, Christine. I love you." Erik promised her between the kisses she was bestowing upon him, with he returned just as fiercely.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Oh, it wasn't yours, but your wife's fault." She smiled at him for a second, before lavishing him some more. "Now, please. Let's get off of this thing before we both go down." She tried to make it.sound like a tease, but it was almost impossible. "Mother! Father!" Catherine couldn't stand the wait, nor the distance between herself and her parents. "Oh, please! Do be careful! But, hurry, though!" She pleaded with them. Christine smiled as she.tried not to look down.

 

[Guile]

Erik calmed down the moment Christine smiled at him. When their final kiss broke, Erik happily agreed to getting down as soon as possible. He stood, taking her hand in his and helping her up. Seeing that Christine was afraid, and knowing that sensation running through his own veins was nervousness, Erik laced his arm with hers as they made their way down. He took it slow, not wanting them to rush and loose their footing, and it seemed to take forever. Still, they arrived on the ground safely, Erik breathing a sigh of relief mixed with a laugh, and that's what mattered most. "There. Safe and sound." He smiled, placing a kiss on Christine's temple and brushing a strand of hair back out of her face.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Yes, quite safe." She turned around and closed the gate, preventing others from suffering what she just did. "Oh, my darling, I love you." She grinned and kissed him again. "Now that you've saved me on more than one occasion, I can testify that I want no other m-" she was cut off. "You come straight to me!" Madame Giry started fussing over Christine.

 

[Guile]

Erik chuckled and kicked the gate lightly, after Christine had closed it. "Who designed such an unsafe contraption like rafters anyway?" He joked lightly before feeling Christine's perfect lips upon his again. He listened to her words, his smile ever growing knowing what she was trying to say, until Madame Giry interrupted her. Erik couldn't help but laugh, partly at his friend's fussing, partly because he was still overjoyed that Christine had come out of this unharmed. It was only then that Erik felt a sense of unease, for he remembered that the managers were there. He wasn't sure why he felt threatened, perhaps a natural instinct after all that he'd done in the past, but he kept his feelings to himself. No need to draw attention and cause trouble...

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Lucy came by as she heard all the noise. She was specifically worried about Alistair. The boy whose arm she was on that night was with her. "Ali!" She tackled him, causing the Destler boy to smile. He was so relieved that Lucy had come back. "Hello, Lu." The boy with Lucy smiled at Alistair. "Glad to know it wasn't you up there." His accent was thick. "Yeah, well, I'm not allowed up there yet. Though Dad swears that I'm gonna be a stagehand someday." He clutched his music in one hand, baby in the other. "Lu, I have something for you."

 

[Guile]

Erik turned from where he was watching Madame Giry fuss over Christine. The sight he saw instantly made the smile leave his face. Anger slowly started creeping into his body, replacing the relief and joy he had been feeling just moments before. Though his mind told him that he shouldn't be so angry with a young child, Erik couldn't help scowling when he laid eyes on Lucy. She was a decent girl, and her family was more than kind, but knowing what she was doing to his son burned Erik deeply. Why would she even wish to come back? She has this other boy now. Why must she torment my son like this? Erik was having a hard time not taking Lucy's actions personally, though he did his best to keep his anger hidden as his mind quickly began searching for a way to stop this heartache before it began.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

The other boy introduced himself. "I'm Derek, Lucy's cousin, well, other cousin, remember?" He laughed. The de Chagney family was bigger than most people knew. It is actually insane how many de Chagney cousins there are, but, considering how many siblings Andrew has, it's safe to say that the family loves children and couldn't stop having them. "We were very close as young ones, weren't we, Lu?" He smiled and kissed her cheek. Lucy returned the smile. "Yes, then my mother died and that stopped." She kissed Ali on the lips. "And, just where do you think you're going?" Madame Giry yanked Erik's arm too. "You aren't hurt? I see no broken bones, no cuts, nothing."

 

[Guile]

Erik's eyes widened and he almost audibly gasped when he overheard this other boy, Derek, introduce himself as Lucy's cousin. Erik's face reddened out of shame. I feel like a damn fool. I never even gave the poor girl a chance to explain herself! Still, all thoughts of self-disappointment stopped as soon as Erik caught the kiss Lucy placed on Ali's lips. His world froze for a moment, as he felt he had just witnessed a beautiful moment in his son's life. Oh, what that kiss must mean to him... Once again, Erik smiled, though his heart was beginning to feel a little empty inside. My children are growing up - all of them - so quickly. Too quickly. Seconds later, Erik felt a tug on his arm as he was yanked around to face Madame Giry's fussing. He laughed, somewhat glad for the distraction. "No, my friend, I am not hurt. I'm perfectly well, thank you." Erik glanced up from her and into Christine's eyes, his own twinkling with the new information - the good news - he had to tell her, in case she did not overhear. "In fact, Madame, my day is going marvelously." He chuckled as he informed his old friend, though he was sure he probably sounded quite mad. Oh, let them think I have gone insane. Christine is safe, Ali can be happy with Lucy now that I know who Derek is....yes, today is a good day.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Though she and Erik were more or less the same age, much closer than Erik and Christine anyway, Madame Giry couldn't stop her fussing, having developed a sort of motherly bond with him over the years. She had watched him grow from a frightened boy with a flour sack over his head to a grown man, father, husband, genius and musician. "You will be the end of me some day, Monsieur." She scolded him. "You must be more careful. This child's play will cause your children to be orphans." She grabbed his chin and forced his head to be still. "Do you understand?"

 

[Guile]

Erik smiled understandingly down at Madame Giry, though his brow was raised and his eyes shimmered with amusement from being fussed over by her. "Oh, enough." He laughed and removed her hand from his chin before placing a quick kiss on his friend's cheek. Erik couldn't recall ever doing that before, but he was so relieved that his body tingled with joy over the good outcome of the day's events. He couldn't help feeling as giddy as he did. "That's exactly what I've been planning all along." He joked playfully in reference to her comment about being the end of her. Then, he began just a tad more serious, for her sake. "Do not fear for me or my family. I will take care to be more weary of our actions from now on. I promise, my friend."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"And you will keep that promise or you won't have to worry about an angry mob coming after you, but your angry caretaker." She tried to joke, though she wasn't very good at it, having been rather serious her entire life. "That much, I promise you. Take care of Christine. Since her father died, I have been her mother, and I don't appreciate it when she's hurt." Christine was now trying to reassure her daughters that she was safe, for both were crying their eyes out. "I was so scared, Mother." Catherine assured her.

 

[Guile]

Erik found himself grinning at his friend's attempted joke. "When have I ever broken one of my promises?" He chuckled and wrapped her in a hug, feeling quite touched by her caring words. "I will always take care of Christine. You know as well as I that I've been watching over and caring for her since her father died, just as much - though less successfully, it seemed back then - as you. I won't ever let her be hurt. You know I would die to protect her." Erik whispered, seeing the tears of his daughters over the shoulder of his friend. He broke their embrace, smiling reassuringly at her once more, and went to them. He was unable to stand by and listen to their sobs without trying to comfort them. "All is well, my dears. Your mother is just fine. Nothing like that is ever going to happen again." Erik tried to assure his daughters this, but he couldn't be positive. He had no idea what the future would bring, but he prayed it wasn't going to be as frightening as this ordeal had been.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"And that shall be even sooner, should you continue this way." The old woman muttered behind Erik's back before leaving him alone with his family. She had another Opera Ghost letter to hand over to the managers. Just what they needed, more scolding. "Papa, I was so worried!" Catherine was breathless as she embraced Erik, then backed off, brought her arm back, then forward, and punched him in the gut. "That was stupid. Why would you scare her like that?" She was serious, but she was also amused. "I don't want to lose either of you." She hugged him again. "God, I hate you so much right now, then, I love you so much as well."

 

[Guile]

Erik gladly returned Catherine's embrace, but was left shocked and speechless after she punched him. He let out a huff of breath mixed with a groan from the impact, not expecting such a thing from his daughter. Clutching onto his stomach, Erik fought to stop his half-laughter half-moans that came from his lips as he stood, doubled over in an unusual amount of pain. As strange that is was that Catherine had punched him, even stranger was that she was stronger than he had expected her to be. It didn't help that he had been completely unprepared for the attack. Still, Erik did not have a chance to complain as her arms were already wrapped around him again. "I didn't...I didn't intend to frighten her." He explained, though laughter and a shortage of breath. "You have a strange way of showing love, my dear." Erik teased, smiling at her as he returned her embrace once again.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"Well, I get that from my father...Father." she grinned up at him. "We were all so scared of losing you both. I didn't know what to tell the twins or Jonathan once he was old enough." She started crying again. "Father, I love you so much. I was so frightened of losing you and Mother. I was going to be an orphan and have to raise my siblings, telling them what I could about the both of you." She was shaking. "Don't do that again!" She raised her fist again. "Or, you'll get more."

 

[Guile]

Erik smile turned into a sympathetic one as he realized the fright Catherine had to endure through this ordeal as well. Oh, my darling child... The guilt he had for this was clear in his eyes. He couldn't imagine what it could have been like for Catherine should he and Christine have died. What it would be like to try and maintain a clear picture of one's parents - to fight a loosing battle to remember the sound of their voice or the way they laughed. It would have been a cruel, cruel thing for Catherine to have to bare. Erik wrapped his hand gently around her raised fist and pulled her into his embrace before she could object. Running his fingers through the hair of his shaking child, Erik breathed his apologies. "I am so sorry, Catherine. I never meant to put you all through such a frightening ordeal. But, you are never loosing your mother or I to any such foolishness. I love you, Catherine." He whispered his next words in her ear, as if she were a small child. "Daddy isn't going anywhere."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine was so upset, so scared and angry that she didn't notice the warmth that came from Erik's body until she was wrapped in his arms, unable to move. "Daddy, I love you so much. I want to tell you every day, one hundred times a day, because I missed fourteen years to do so. Then, I missed seven afterward." She kissed his cheek, then the corner of his mouth a little more intensely than she should have. Still, her former thoughts never came to mind. She only thought of Erik as her father and teacher, nothing more. "God, that scared me." Catherine squeezed him, her hand in his hair. "God, I love you so much!"