What If He Wasn't Alone? (A Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction)

Chapter 23: The Heart's Desire

I FINALLY UPDATED!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!! I hope all of you lovely readers enjoy it!!!!

I DON'T OWN ERIK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I NEVER WILL!!!!!!!! I also do not own the song "Edelweiss"

Isa’s POV

The next morning, I awoke to find a large box with red ribbon at the foot of my bed. Frowning in confusion, I untied the wrappings and opened the lid to find a small ball of fur. “Meow!” the kitten mewed at me.

“Aw!” I said, picking him up out of the box. “Where did you come from?”

“He’s yours.” Erik said from the doorway. “You have to name him as well.”

“Sir Daniel!” I cried, cuddling the small grey kitten.

“Sir… Daniel?” Erik asked. “You gave him a knighthood?”

“yes.” I said shortly. “What did you hope to accomplish by giving me a kitten?”

“Forgiveness.” Erik said softly, looking at the floor.

“You can’t just give me a kitten, no matter how adorable, and expect me to forgive you!” I said, a little sharper than I had intended.

“I know… but I had to try.” He said quietly as he turned to leave.

We held uncomfortable silences whenever we were together at meals or when he tried to talk to me. Each morning I woke up to see a rose with a dark blue ribbon lying on my bedside table. Erik would be standing at my door, waiting to say good morning to me and to see if I had chosen to forgive him. This went on for weeks; I continued to keep my heart cold as ice to him. Eventually Sophi and Olive were telling me to forgive him too. Grandma told me that Xavier was dead by the police’s hands and my heart lifted. Finally, after years of the imprisonment of his engagement, I was finally free of him! The bouquet of roses was steadily growing and I couldn’t stand to just let them die; Erik knew that I wouldn’t.

I was in bed, fast asleep, until I heard a soft voice whispering my name. “Isa?”

“Who’s there?” I asked. I glanced outside and saw that the sky was still dark.

“It’s Erik.” The voice said.

“Erik, it’s past midnight, what do you want?!”

“I… I had a nightmare.” He said, sounding embarrassed. I supposed that it did sound a little silly coming from a grown man, but after all the time that I had spent living with Erik I knew how terrifying his thoughts could get at night.

“What was it about?” I asked, forgetting that I wasn’t supposed to be talking to him. I was mad, not heartless!

“Umm…” He said. “It was about…” He muttered something too quietly for me to hear.

“Erik, what was it about?” I asked again.

“I don’t want to say.”