Keep Me Close

Catch Up

Sierra POV
"Ok, so would you like a chocolate or white cake for your birthday tomorrow?" I said to Lily as we sat outside in the garden. Erik was busy trying to fix the water feature so Lily and I had decided to read in the grass outside and enjoy the fresh air.
"Chocolate sounds delightful, but you really don't need to go to all the trouble of baking me a cake Sierra-"
"Nonsense! Its your sixteenth birthday of course I do. Now what kind of frosting?" I asked before our conversation was interrupted,
"Dark chocolate cake with espresso frosting!" I heard Erik chime in from across the yard. I rolled my eyes and Lily smirked while shaking her head.
"Excuse me but, I don't believe I was asking you!" I yelled back at him. I turned to see Erik laying under the fountain tinkering away at whatever the problem seemed to be,
"Don't mind him he's just jealous I know my birthday and he doesn't" Lily laughed poking fun at her Father. He doesn't know his own birthday? Oh my poor Erik. Such a sad childhood you have had no even to know your own birthday.
"You realize I can hear you?" Erik yelled back at her,
"Oh I am quite aware Father dearest!" Lily yelled back in a sarcastic manner, Like Father like daughter.
Erik didn't respond this time, so Lily and I went back to reading our respective novels. I was reading Jane Eyer while she read Romeo and Juliet. It was quote fitting for the moment considering her and Jame's new relationship. It was blatantly obvious Erik was not fond of him, especially after the chess game.
"Lily?" I said softly trying to not let Erik hear me, she looked up from her book to me. I scooted closer to her, "Does James have anything special planned for your birthday?" I asked with a smirk, she seemed to know what I meant by the shade of read her cheeks turned. "I promise I won't tell your Father. You must remember I was your age not too long ago dear," I said brushing a strand of her curly brown hair behind her ear,
"He hasn't spoke of anything yet but knowing him he will most likely have something planned for the two of us, the only issue will be getting Father to agree to let me go. I think he lets me go a bit more willingly when your beside him." She said,
"Then if James asks I shall be there. I know how protective your Father can be," I said smiling at her and she nodded in agreement. He really was protective, it was rather amusing at times. I heard footsteps approaching and I tuned to see Erik walking towards us, the top few buttons of his dress shirt undone exposing some of his pale skin to the sunlight. Good, he needs some sun on his skin.
"All done darling?" I asked pulling him down into the grass to sit with us. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his chest. He nodded as he pressed a soft kiss to my temple. I saw Lily lean back and continue to read her book and Erik leaned his head back onto the boulder I was sitting against, softy closing his eyes. Suddenly the world seemed to stop turning for a brief moment, and everything in the world seemed at peace. The man I love by my side and his daughter a few feet away reading peacefully. Is this what it feels like to have a family? A real family? I only smiled and retuned to my reading before all of our attention was grabbed by a soft singing coming from the front yard,
"Lily... Lily..." Lily's attention snapped to the voice, she looked around frantically with a small smile, I looked at Erik and he was looking around rather curiously as well.
(Sang in the tune of how Meg used to sing Christine's name) "Lily.... Lily....Surely you have not forgotten your best friend. It has been too long!" I saw a now taller and beautiful than ever, Noelle appear from behind the hedges.

Lily POV
"Noelle!" I shirked making Father jump a bit as I ran to my best friend. She opened her arms welcoming me into a embrace,
"Oh how I've missed you Lilypad!" Noel said into my ear, remembering her nickname for me from when we were small children. I pulled back to look at her, she was stunning. Her blonde hair now having a slight curl and her blue eyes radiant as ever.
"You look so beautiful Noelle!" I said looking at her,
"As do you Lily!" She said taking my hands in her's.
"I thought you weren't going to be home in time for my birthday?" I asked,
"Well I wanted to surprise you! Everyone else knew I was coming home a few days early to see you. Ramin, as horrible as he is at keeping secrets knew." She said smiling, her perfect teeth seeming to sparkle. Then Ramin came through the same entrance, everything in the world seemed to be right. I had my two best friends in the world by my side once more, reunited once more. We continued to chatted excitedly until Father and Sierra approached us. Noelle looked at the sight of the two of them shocked.
"Ms Allen? Wha-" Noelle began,
"Yes I failed to mention that in my last letter, Father and Ms Allen are together now..." I said smirking at the sight of them together looking happy. Father then approached and took Noelle's hand in his and softly placed a kiss on her knuckles like he had done on the first day they had met,
"Noelle come eri caro?" Father said in a different language, Sierra, Ramin and I all looked at each other rather confused. Noelle however, seemed to know exactly what he was saying.
"Molto bene grazie." Noelle responded. Italian? He knows how to speak Italian... of course he does.
"Come ti ha trattato il tuo tempo in Italia?" He said to her,
"English the two of you, please!" I said frustrated and they both chuckled.
"Italy has been delightful. Ive learned so much." Noelle said beaming, and Father cracked a smile. She then retuned to Italian for a brief second, "Mr Destler devo parlare con te per un attimo. Da solo." What are they saying?
"Well I am simply famished. Why don't I got fix up some lunch for all of us so we may all catch up." Sierra said walking towards the house.
"Thank you dear," Father said. I followed Sierra into the house with Ramin behind me but Father and still stood in the garden with Noelle, saying nothing.
"Noelle?" I said stopping,
"I'll be inside in a moment, there is a piece of music in a new recital I wish to speak to your Father about." Noelle said smiling at me and Father tuned and did the same.
"Ok!" I said hurrying inside the door.

Noelle POV
I decided it would be best to have this conversation in Italian not wanting to risk anyone hearing us, now finding that he was fluent. I wasn't shocked at his knowledge, he was a genius after all. He nodded his head at the direction of a bench under a tree and I followed him as we sat under the shade of the tree. There was a silence in the air, I knew what I needed to say but the topic was a sensitive one most definitely.
"Mr Destler, I know who you really are, or were rather." I said looking at him, I saw his whole body visibly tense and his eyes widened.
"How-"
"Sir, I know you have killed many, I know you are the Opera ghost they speak of. I knew when I was a child, but I refused to believe the horrible things people would say the Phantom had done. Now, I am in love with the son of a man you had killed. He was never close with his Father, he lived with his Aunt in Italy because his Father was a drunk who was incapable of caring for a child as you must know... Robert does not know his Father was killed by the infamous Phantom but believes it was a suicide. I intend to keep him in the dark on this topic." I looked up at him. He was holding his head in his hands in a panicked yet angered manner. "I leaned about your relationship with Ms Daee and how your love grew to obsession, the acts you took to gain her love. The way you faced the Vitcome de Changy. It is mad, but admirable at the same time." He looked at me in utter disbelief. "Mr Destler, I know how little Lily knows of this matter, and I understand why you want to keep her in the dark involving matters such as these. You fear her resentment, therefor I will keep this secret. I know you are a different man now, and you have shown me kindness and compassion beyond belief as I grew up. You helped mold me, Lily and Ramin into the people we are today. Those are the reasons I vow to keep your secret." I said softly placing my hand 0n his shoulder. He didn't flinch at my touch but grabbed my hand. I then left the garden after hugging his side. It was true, I loved him like my own Father. I could never wish to see any pain come to him. I leaned this information through a book that was becoming popular in Europe, it was called "Le fantôme de l'Opéra" I only prayed that to would never make its way across the ocean to America for the sake of Lily and her Father.