The Phantom of the Opera: A Beauty and a Beast (Guile and Melody)

[Guile]

Erik could hear the anger in her whisper, but he brushed it aside, doing everything he could to calm her - to make her not despise him and his presence. At last, he had begun to sing - softly now, but passionately. All of his heart began to pour out as they remembered that night together and spoke it aloud. "And I touched you, and I felt you. And I heard those ravishing refrains." Oh, just remembering that night brought a warmth back into his heart, happiness back into his soul, that he had not felt in so long. And her voice...Christine's voice was so beautiful, especially when blended in with his own. If Erik hadn't been singing with her, he would have felt breathless.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine responded with her own experience. She felt her own wonders and pleasures. "The music of your pulse." She took his hand and literally felt his pulse now. Christine couldn't take just holding his hand, she brought her arms around Erik's head, to his blind spot, and pulled her lover's head to her chest. "And I held you." She held him close, stroking his hair. "And embraced you." Then, their voices blended together. "And with every breath and every sigh." Christine then sang one line alone. "I felt no longer scared."

 

[Guile]

"The singing in your veins." Erik allowed Christine to wrap her arms around his head and pull him to her chest. As he rested there, listening to the steading beating of her heart, Erik traced his fingers over her arms - starting at her elbows and moving slowly up to her shoulders and then, neck. "And I touched you." He echoed after her. "And I felt you. And with every breath and every sigh." Erik felt like sighing now, feeling her hands stroking his hair, hearing her soft voice in his ear. "I felt no longer shy." He sang as he let his hands wrap around her waist and pull her closer to him. "At last our feelings barred beneath a moonless sky."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine's voice was soft as she sang the next couple of lines. "And blind in the dark, a soul gazed into soul, I looked into your heart, and saw you pure and whole." She placed a hand on his heart, smiling down at him. If only you knew what our time together meant on that long ago night. It was the best night of my life. Christine also counted the nights she had with her husband. It was hard to say this, but she couldn't find joy in them.

 

[Guile]

Erik closed his eyes as soon as he felt the warmth of her hand upon his chest, just over his racing heart. Her words, her confession of what she felt that night about him, brought him close to tears. She saw me...She saw me as a man, not a monster. "Cloaked under the night with nothing to suppress, a woman and a man, no more and yet no less." Erik took her hand off his chest and entwined his fingers with hers as he stood to his full height again, looking down into her perfect, shimmering eyes. "And I kissed you." He sang to her again, caressing her cheek with his free hand as their voices blended once again. "And the world around us fell away. We said things in the dark we never dared to say." Erik's heart flipped in his chest as he sang the next verse with her. "And I caught you. And I took you." Then, it was bliss as they met again. "With a need too urgent to deny. And nothing mattered then, except for you and I. Again and then again beneath a moonless sky." He sighed, feeling breathless for the most beautiful reasons. He couldn't imagine he would ever come this close to Christine again.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine was so lost in him that she grabbed the lapels of his coat and laid her head against his chest. She spoke softly. "Erik, do you remember what you did, after the deed was done? How I felt when you were gone?" Christine put her other hand on his cheek. Unbeknownst to the parents, the child was listening at the door, waiting for a chance to come outside, meet Christine's friend, and get a glass of water. "Please.." Christine whispered. "Tell me what happened."

 

[Guile]

Erik had stopped and was breathing deeply - partly from her touch, and partly because he was trying to get the nerve to confess to her why he had left. Though he felt her touch and knew it was a caring one, Erik still found that he was afraid to tell her the truth. To gain the strength he needed, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him and held her, taking in her smell, her warmth, everything. It worked, and he opened his mouth to speak, but did not let go of her. "I-I woke in the middle of the night to see you till there, sleeping so peacefully. You hadn't run from me as I feared you would. After all, who would want to wake up in the morning to find me in their bed beside them? I hadn't known then how you felt - that you were looking upon me as a man and not...and not a monster." His voice started to waver as his reasoning for leaving her that night became clearer the more he explained. "I was ashamed of myself, Christine. I was ashamed because I, the hideous monster, had tainted you, one of God's most precious angels. I knew I couldn't look you in the eye again after what I had done. All I could think of was that you had laid with me out of pity for me and I was ashamed for letting you do so. Thinking I was saving you from having to see me again, I got up while you slept and whispered my goodbye to you and...and I left." Erik's heart broke again as he remembered how he had had tears rolling down his cheeks as he kissed her sleeping form on the forehead.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I l-..." she didn't have time to finish her sentence. They were now out on the balcony together, Christine on one end, Erik on the other. "I had feelings for you, Erik. You know that." Christine held onto the railing of the balcony. "Mother! Mother, it was awful!" Gustav took this opportunity to sprint to his mother, crying. "Mother, the nightmare again!" Christine felt a good eighty pounds hit her as Gustav hugged her waist. He started crying. "Hush, now, Gustav, it's alright. It's alright." She smoothed his hair.

 

[Guile]

Even as Christine said these words, Erik's heart still doubted them. Perhaps it was because he did not want to get his hopes up that, perhaps, if he had stayed, things would be different. That, just maybe, he would be married to Christine and would know what it was like to have a wife and child. Just at that moment, Erik heard a young voice from inside, growing louder as it approached them. He turned immediately and saw a young boy latched onto Christine. Gustav...this is my son. He could hardly believe that the child before him was the same baby that he had held only a few, short times ten years ago. Erik's heart flipped with emotion, but he hid it from the child who was not facing him anyway. The shock, joy, and pain was all clear in Erik's eyes though, even if not on his face. Our child has grown so much...

 

[Saiyan Princess]

As the boy trembled, Christine hushed him. "Don't be frightened, Gustav. It was just a dream." She murmured. "You're safe, no one will find you. No one will hurt you." She kissed his head. "Now, I want you to meet an old friend of mine." She stood, taking her son by the shoulders and spinning him toward Erik. "This is my friend, Mister Y, Gustav." She introduced the man. "Mister Y, this is my son, Gustav." She eyed Erik, wanting to cry. "Tell him how old you are, Gustav." The boy was mesmerized by this man. "I'm ten years old, sir." He was staring at his father's mask. "It's nice to meet you." He held out his hand to the man, not knowing the truth.

 

[Guile]

Erik stood perfectly still as the child was turned around to face him. Still, the poor man's heart raced as he came face-to-face with his own flesh and blood for the first time in ten years. Not only that, but the boy was so familiar. He looked so much like Christine and yet, Erik could see his own traits in him as well. It made the father swell up with pride that he had to force away - joy that he had to pretend didn't exist for the sake of Christine's secret from her husband and son. "Hello, Gustav." Erik finally managed to get out, sounding a little weak at first, but gradually putting on an air of confidence. "Ten years? My, you are practically a man." He smiled, which wasn't too hard even though he was filled with joy as well as pain from this encounter. Reaching out to him, Erik took his son's hand and shook it gently but firmly. The contact almost brought tears to his eyes and he broke it rather quickly, not sure how much longer he could keep himself together. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Gustav." He smiled again, but felt weak on the inside.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

The young vicomte turned his head up toward Christine at the compliment, then back to his new friend. "Yeah, well, Mother doesn't think so. She thinks I'm still a baby." Christine shook her head with a scoff. "Gustav, I never said that, dear. I said that I would prefer it if you were." She watched the release, then her son watch Phantasma, as he did daily, from the window. "You're going to take me there sometime, right, Mother?" He asked, without looking back at Christine. "I told you I would as soon as I can." Christine promised him for the millionth time in life. "We'll wait for your father to be able to come with us." Luckily, the child couldn't see that Christine shot Erik a look.

 

[Guile]

Erik noticed rather quickly what Gustav was talking about. That promise...she made that to him when he was a baby. She still has not been able to take him? Not that I blame her. Waiting on that drunken Vicomte to do anything with his family must take about ten years or so. A smile came to Erik's lips as he realized, for the first time since Gustav was born, he could do something for his son and, hopefully, for Christine. "Do you fancy my world, Gustav?" Then he added, just to clarify, "Phantasma" and waved his hand at the place in the distance. "It is a beautiful place - a magical escape for some, a fun day out of the house for others." Now, he looked down at his son, his eyes shimmering with an excellent idea. "Would you like to see Phantasma, Gustav? I could show it to you." Erik looked up at Christine, into her eyes, hoping she would agree to this. "If your mother agrees, of course."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Gustav's eyes lit up like fireflies. "It's all yours?" The child brought his attention to the man now. "You really own the place? It's beautiful?" He took Erik's hands again. "Mister Y, that's amazing! You'll really show me your world?" He couldn't keep the joy from his voice as he took in all of this news. "That would be grand!" Now, he had to deal with Christine. "Mother, can I? Can we? Can Mister Y and I go tomorrow?" He was practically jumping out of his skin. "Y-Yes, Gustav, but you must do as Mister Y tells you, please." She bargained, but there was no need, Gustav was a good boy. "Yes, Mister Y. I want to go." Gustav smiled up at him.

 

[Guile]

"Yes, Gustav. It is all mine. Though, I couldn't run it without my lovely employees." Erik couldn't stop smiling at Gustav's excitement. He simply chuckled softly and awaited to hear Christine's answer. A part of Erik feared that she would say no. After all, the way he was greeted when he first showed up again tonight was anything but welcoming, though he couldn't blame her for that. Still, they had come far in such a short amount of time and he prayed she would at least let him do this. Please, Christine. Just let me have one day with my son. I beg of you. He pleaded with his eyes perhaps just as much as Gustav was doing with his mouth. When, at last, Christine agreed, Erik let out the breath he was holding and smiled down at his son again. "That's marvelous, Gustav. Perhaps you can meet me at the gate of Phantasma then?" He suggested. "Unless your mother would prefer me to come here and walk with you there. It isn't too far, but you never know with people today what could happen." Erik didn't want to risk running into Raoul, but he could understand if Christine was concerned about her son walking to Phantasma on his own. "Either way, I will be more than delighted to show you around my world. I have not had a visitor in so long." In fact, I'd say it's been about ten years. He thought to himself, once again, about the last time he had seen Christine before today.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine answered for him. "I don't think would be wise for Mister Y to come and get you." Christine watched Gustav as she said this. "Your father doesn't like strangers." She explained when her son was about to argue. "Oh, okay." Gustav took his mother's hand. "Well, Mister Y, I will see you tomorrow, then. Bright and early." He shook Erik's hand one last time before Christine ordered him back to bed. Once Gustav was gone, Christine couldn't look Erik in the eye.

 

[Guile]

"Of course, Gustav. Goodnight." Erik shook the child's hand, simply smiling at the idea of having spoken to his son. It was like a miracle. The last time Erik had seen him, he was drooling and barely able to hold himself up. Now, he was speaking full sentences and walking around like a young boy should. It was then that the sadness reached back up to him. I've missed so much in my son's life. Once the child had gone off to bed, Erik looked up at Christine to see that she was avoiding his gaze. He sighed, closed his eyes for a moment to stop those pesky tears from forming, then opened them again and spoke softly. "He is beautiful, Christine. There is so much of you inside of him - I saw it the moment he faced me." Erik swallowed hard, feeling rather uncomfortable as he tried to find a way to communicate with her through this. "Thank you for letting him come with me tomorrow. You don't know how much it means to me to be able to spend just one day with him, even if I do have to pretend to be a stranger. Don't worry about him." He added. "I'll make sure he stays safe while we're there. Phantasma isn't dangerous, but I will still keep an eye on him."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"That's all I ask." Christine responded with a choking sound. "I just want him to be happy." She continued. "But something tells me that you didn't come to give your son a day in Phantasma." She walked inside, still crying as she sat her butt on the love seat at the window again. "Why are you here?" Christine wiped her tears. "I'm sorry, that was rude, but what are you actually doing here? You know you could have been caught." She played the masquerade song on the Persian monkey music box again. "It isn't safe for you to be here."

 

[Guile]

Erik saw her tears and the sight made him feel ill. He hated seeing her upset, but for some unknown reason it always seemed to be he that upset her! Still, Erik followed her inside and, as she sat near the window, Erik made his way to the piano. "It was not rude, Christine." He spoke softly still, as if in deep thought, as he placed his hands over the music piece he had brought with him and laid down on top of the instrument earlier. "You have every right to question me. I wanted to see you and Gustav, that much is fairly obvious, I believe." Erik said with a half-hearted smile as he looked up at her, the music from the music box beginning to play. It was heart-wrenching to listen to once again. All the horrible memories that song brings back. It just reminds me how, no matter how hard I try, I'll never be a normal man. I'll always have to hide my face from the world. Erik took his music in his hand and made his way to Christine's side, hesitantly sitting down beside her. "Another reason that I came was to ask a favor of you. I know you owe me no favors, but this could be beneficial to you and...and your family as well." Oh, how he hated saying that! What he wished more than anything was that he could be Christine's family - her loving husband and Gustav's father. "I wanted to ask you to sing this song for just one night, one performance, at Phantasma." Erik passed the music to her timidly. "I-I wrote it over the past few years. It took me so long because, well, I found that, without you, music became meaningless. I no longer found joy in composing and everything I created was worthless. That is, until this piece." His heart raced as he waited for her reply "I need to hear you sing it, Christine. If you will do this, just this once, I will pay you double what Hammerstein pays you for a performance. Please, Christine." Erik begged her softly. "I need to hear your voice again."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine took the music from her former lover and looked through it. "This is genius, Erik, my darling." She smiled. "I haven't seen anything like this since you showed me your Don Juan, Triumphant. Christine smiled, but then she was asked if she would sing this song. "I've done this before. I've seen this before!" She shot up out of her seat. "How dare you! I'm a married woman! Why can't seeing our son be enough for you!" She thrust it at Erik. "No! I want nothing to do with you! I want nothing to do with Phantasma! Just spend tomorrow with Gustav and go away!" She walked away.

 

[Guile]

Erik felt a rush of relief wash over him, as well as a hint of pride, when Christine complimented his song. It truly meant the world to him, for he valued her opinion more than any other person's. Still, she hadn't accepted yet and, just as Erik feared, she refused him...harshly. "What do you mean? How dare you, Christine. Perhaps you are a married woman. Does that mean that you cannot simply sing for me?" He was growing furious with her. Erik had to hear her sing this. He would not take no for an answer. "You will sing this song, Christine." He placed the music on the piano and went after her as she tried to walk away from him. Erik took her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him - to see the anger and hurt in his eyes. "You will sing this song and make up for all the pain you have caused me, intentional or not. It is the least you can do for me after the way you left ten years ago with my son!" He practically growled. "You had no right to keep him from me, to refuse me the right to see him. I am already doing you a favor by letting you and your husband play off this happy family charade. If I were a real monster I could have spoke the truth to your oh so loving husband years ago. You will sing my song, for one performance, or I will take what is also mine." Erik was very quickly resembling his old Phantom side. "Let's see, Christine. You kept Gustav from me for ten years. So, you either sing for me or you can spend the next ten years wishing you could see your boy growing up!"

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"You wouldn't!" Christine guarded the door to Gustav with her life. "You can't take him from me!" She shook him off. "He's not going to be allowed to go with you tomorrow if you continue this way!" She felt the hot tears come to her. "Back off!" She kicked toward him. "I'm warning you!"

 

[Guile]

"Oh, but I would, Christine." Erik glared at her, furious because of her constant refusal. "You saw no problem taking him from me ten years ago, why should I care if I take him from you now?" He didn't attempt to go into Gustav's room, but he did grab her by the shoulders and pull her away from the door, pushing her into the wall opposite his room. "That is my son in there, too, you know. Do you have no heart? He means the world to me, he's meant everything to me since he was born, and yet you kept him from me for the past ten years. You forced me to keep your little secret from your husband and the rest of the world. And now, I am forcing you to sing for me. You will sing this song if you wish to continue your happy marriage to the Vicomte." Now, he let go of her shoulders, finding that he longed to break down and cry right there because of the way he was treating her, but he couldn't stop. "Gustav will meet me at Phantasma tomorrow. He will be safe and he will return to you if and only if you agree to sing for me. If you do not agree I will take him now." Erik couldn't even put anger into his threat. He was serious, very serious, but he felt so ashamed of himself. He was so desperate, though, and desperate men take desperate measures.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"No, please!" Christine begged. "He needs me, Erik. Please!" She began to cry. "Just give me time to think about this, please!" She pushed him off. "Please, if you respected me, you wouldn't touch me whilst I am married." Christine sobbed under his gaze. "Give me until you pick him up to think about this." She held his hand, trembling. "You wouldn't take him from me and I know it!"

 

[Guile]

Erik felt his eyes beginning to water at her tears. God, how could he threaten her if he hated to see her cry? How would he be able to take her son away from her if he could hardly stand here and ask her to sing without feeling like the monster that his face reflected? Erik stood there, listening to her, trying to decide what he should do when, suddenly, he felt her hand take his. He knew right then that he could never take Gustav from her, but he would not let Christine know that. "I will do whatever is necessary to ensure my happiness. If I cannot have you, I must have something to keep me alive. For years, it was my music. Unfortunately, since you left, you took the joy of music with you. Either you sing for me in the hopes that, perhaps, it will restore my love for music, or I will take our son and simply be a loving father to him. I will give you until tomorrow to decide, Christine. Think hard about it and do not doubt my abilities. I will take him if you give me no other choice." Erik lied to her. He couldn't take their son from her - he couldn't do that to Christine. Erik cared about her far too much to hurt her in such a way. But, until tomorrow, he would have to pretend like he would.