Twisted Every Way(Phantom Of The Opera Fic)

Chapter 53: Dear Old Friends

"Fred?!" Gustave gaped as he set down his bag on the sandy shore. "Ana?!"

Anabel kissed Fred's cheek and ran to greet her friends. 

"How is he, Anabel?!" Gustave asked nervously. 

"Fred taking good care of him. I think he's going to pull through."

Gustave's eyes widened and he gave a small nod, "You and Fred?"

Anabel blushed, "Married. A year now."

"Fred?!" Autumn laughed in surprise, "What on earth are you doing here."

"Oh yah know," Frederick stammered awkwardly, "Fishing?"

"I haven't seen you since-" She stopped there, giving a small and awkward chuckle. 

Fred sighed and looked at her kindly, with a smile that told her that he had changed much since she last saw him. "Let's put that all behind us Autumn. No hard feelings."

Fred turned to Gustave and grinned, "My cousin!"

Gustave looked down with a smile and fumbled awkwardly with his shoes before looking up, giving a sigh and embracing Fred. "Alright, just this once."

"Wheres Luke?" Autumn whispered to her husband. 

"Look!" Luke screamed in delight from the other side of the dock, "It's a skull! A human skull! How disgustingly awesome is that?!"

Gustave rolled his eyes and retrieved the boy dragging him back by the back of his vest. 

"When did this happen?!" Anabel laughed pulling Luke into a hug and ruffling his hair. 

"He needed a home, we had one," Autumn shrugged with a smile. "4 months now."

Fred grinned at Luke and tipped his hat, "Pretty big for a four-month-old aren't you."

"Father," Luke said ignoring Fred, "Could I go see the other skeletons now?"

"Luke Good Heavens no," Autumn groaned shuddering, "Come on,  Ms. Destler will want to meet you."

Luke shriveled his nose, "Who's she?"

Gustave gave a heavy sigh, "It's her husband you wanna be worried about." 

"Is he a pirate?"

Fred gave a laugh but Anabel nudged him in the side so hard he went doubling over in pain. "Anabel don't do that!"

"What's there to be scared of then?" Luke pouted. 

All the grown-ups except for Fred seemed to ignore his question. When the others had moved on ahead on their way to the small house Fred turned over his shoulder and mouthed the word "Deformed."

Lukes' eyes widened and he felt like shrinking back. Was Fred joking? 

As he entered the small house he couldn't help but fall silent. It was warm inside, one might even say normal, the living room nicely furnished. Not the home of a monster his small mind would have expected. 

"Luke dear, keep up," Autumn urged helping him onward. 

Luke jumped in his skin at the sight of another child in the doorway they had just walked through just seconds before. 

Luke, who was hypnotized by the ghost of the girl staring back at him from the doorway failed to notice the entry of Erik and Christine. 

They had been speaking for several minutes before Ilios turned and joined her mother, burying her face in her dress skirt.