Twisted Every Way(Phantom Of The Opera Fic)

Chapter 27: Confessions

"You look as lovely as the first time I saw you." Gustave grinned blushing a bit.

Autumn laughed, "And you Gustave, you still look like that young boy who first came to my dressing room."

Gustave cleared his throat. "Though I've no right to ask you to, there's one thing I'd beg you to do."

"Anything!" She smiled.

"If you love me..." He gulped, "If you care for me in any way, friends or otherwise. Don't leave. Can't you see how terribly wrong things will be if you go."

"Gustave..." She whispered standing up and turning her back to him.

"But I have to do this Its what we agreed on! Me and mother. I've been training for this my whole life. Eating clams and lobster and other things, stupid ridiculous things and all for this. " She exclaimed.

"It's not right Autumn! They'll use you, and they'll leave you and hurt you all for what? An apartment in Paris, some new coat or dress?" Gustave yelled.

Autumn closed her eyes, "Let me just get through this. Gustave, I have to do this! I'm not like you I have obligations, I have to keep my family's name and reputation!"

"You need the friend I was, kind and understanding. But you must stay here now. If you love me." Gustave stuttered.

"Gustave..." She sighed, part of herself agreeing and another part screaming.

"You know his love is- You know it isn't what you need. You're made of finer stuff. Your mother has taught you well enough. Its to leave him and this behind. It's time to be who you're expected to be. Time to do now as you must."

Her words ran dry.

The room gave hush and then in one sweet rush, Gustave's life was decided.

Like two strands of melody at last intertwined, Autumn reached for his hand and grasped it.

His eyes looked to hers with hopeful zeal.

"Oh god if I leave what horrors wait for me?" Autumn wanted to cry and run away but she was frozen in place.

"Autumn, Autumn, don't think that I don't care. But all my hope and all my prayers rest on you now." Gustave sang softly.

"I can't" She whispered.

With that, she departed.

---------

Christine had suspicions, other ones beside gender but she wasn't going to share them, not yet.

Erik had spent the last few days making the room, putting aside a small blanket of a bed, manufacturing space wherever it could be found.

"Do you think it will be big enough?" Erik asked nervously.

Christine stood in the doorway, arms folded across her chest. "Yes dear, it isn't a toddler yet. Most children are only about 2 foot tall when they're born."

"Still..." Erik said motioning with his arms and flailing them about. "It might walk or crawl or something."

Christine gave a chuckle. "It's plenty big dear."

He gave a sigh of relief and looked at her in breathless wonder. "I forget you've done all of this before."

"Not really," she shrugged. "Raoul never let me do anything, it was my duty to sit on the couch and his to run around like a madman."

Erik's brow furrowed, should he be a madman?

"Would you like me to-"

"Erik honestly, I much prefer this way. It feel mutual, it feels like we're in this together." She gave a sad glance away, "Besides I was preoccupied. I didn't get to enjoy it. I was much too busy trying to wish you back."

Erik shook his head as if to brush away the pain of that memory. "Had I stayed, would it honestly have been better?"

Christine shrugged, "Who's to say. In some way yes. In others no. What happened is long past and there's no use wondering over what ifs."

He nodded.

"Besides," She added with a smile, "My wishing paid off didn't it? You're here."

"Yes it would appear so," Erik laughed. Then his face went pale with memory, his head like a radar jolted from door to ceiling as if seeking out something with sonar.

"Are you alright?" Christine laughed, his funny motion intrigued her humor.

"I've just remembered something," Erik mused.

He took several steps towards the door than several steps back: almost as if he were waltzing to some unspoken tune.

"Composing?" Christine guessed.

"Nonsense only fools compose without a piano."

Christine rolled her eyes, it wasn't as if he didn't do that on a daily basis.

"Here!" he said definitively after awhile. "Right here! Fetch me a stool."

Christine dutifully went and brought it to him.

Standing on the stool Erik reached to his full height and prodded forcefully at one of the ceiling boards.

"Watch out!" He called loudly.

Christine had just stepped back when the panel came crashing to the floor with a rather loud smash.

"You almost killed me!" She gasped with a scared laugh placing a hand to her chest.

Erik peeked his eyes down at her, "Almost being the keyword."

"What are you doing up there?!" Christine called out in annoyance as he climbed up the stool and into the ceiling. She was more than anything jealous that she couldn't climb up too. How she longed to see the world he used to inhabit in the walls, all his secret places, and nooks which until now had remained unseen and undiscovered to anyone else.

"Here!" He called out proudy, "I have found them at last."

She was about to respond and peek her head inside but he came down without the stool and landed on his feet behind her.

"God Erik you gave me a fright." She gasped.

He shrugged and smiled softly, presenting her proudly with a box.

"What is it?" She marveled touching the wooden frame gently.

He placed it into her hands, the wood soft to her fingers and patterning beautiful and pleasing to the eye.

"My inventions," He beamed, "Or rather, my toys. Everything from the age of 7 onwards is in that chest of a box."

"Erik it's beautiful," Christine noted. "Even with all it's damage it's gorgeous."

He placed a hand on hers, "And so this child will be. Deformed or not. There is a light in the world for those who choose to see it. Open it."

She did as he commanded, opening the large lid and peeking inside. There were wind up horses and wooden figurines, paper planes and air balloons, everything a child could want.

He sighed, "I only wish I had thought of them sooner. Gustave would have no doubt enjoyed them a time ago, but times are different now."

Christine nodded, thinking of her growing son and how one day she would be forced to say goodbye.

"Little one will enjoy it either way, Erik. They're so beautiful." She repeated to herself.

But Eriks eyes were fixed upon her, "Yes you are, aren't you?"