Twisted Every Way(Phantom Of The Opera Fic)

Chapter 65: Reconciliations

The door creaked open and the small girl burrowed deeper into her covers.

"Elizabeth is crying," Fred said with a bewildered smile. "Bawling in fact, making more noise than I ever heard out of her."

"Good." Ilios plainly spoke.

"Now he's come to deal with me." She thought to herself, "How quickly loyalties are swayed by nepotism."

Fred had always been her ally, he had always come alone before, now she knew Elizabeth, now that she didn't have a nanny anymore would have to come with them. She would never have her Fred back again.

"If you want to leave now you can."

Fred looked at the lump of blankets and gave a baffled smile. "Leave? Why?"

Ilios groaned and turned her back to him, "If you're mad. And don't want to stay anymore. I understand."

Fred's eyes twinkled with mischief, "Mad? I'm ecstatic with glee! Someone needed to have a good talking with that child. Lord knows Anabel won't let me have at her- I thank you! Profusely."

Ilios emerged from her blanket cocoon. "She's not my real cousin. We don't have to get along Uncle Fred."

"You can try Ilios. And If you don't you can still find a way to love something about her. Anabel isn't...the....easiest person to get along with, but I still love her."

Ilios gave an exasperated sigh. She hated being wrong. "Everyone here reads too much. Eli doesn't even do any real living. Just lives other people's lives."

"Sometimes we hide away in the imaginary because we don't want to face what's right in front of us." Fred sighed, a far off look in his eyes.

Every once and a while Ilios would catch a glimpse of it in her Fathers eyes as well, a blazing fire.

Sometimes it was for only a second, a single moment spark relapsed into darkness. Other Times Erik would stare out the window for hours on end, the fire raging inside his mind. The wind singing as it cried. Like a child trapped somewhere, unable to escape from the cold.

Her Father told her it was just the Opera set, the winds crying trying to escape the cold.

Ilios knew it was him.

"Won't you come down? Anabel brought apples! Real fresh New York apples."

This caught Ilios's attention. New York had been her refugee in heart. The idea of the looming buildings all new and proud, unlike the sad bell towers and cobblestones of France, appealed to her sense of adventure.

Fred's strong calloused hand extended to her, and a smile against her better judgment crawled up onto her lips.

Taking his hand she hesitantly made her way downstairs. Into battle once more.

They reached the staircase and Fred nearly fell down the two flights tripping over Eli.

"Goodness Eli," Fred exclaimed. "What are you doing there?"

Fred helped Ilios down the stairs and sent her off to make peace for Elizabeth, then returned, sitting down beside the boy.

"I'm drawing," Eli shrugged. "My mask hurts. I don't know how father does it."

"Come now," Fred smiled kindly, "I didn't save your life just to have you mope around. You should be living, downstairs with the rest of us."

Eli shrugged, "I don't like parties."

Fred smiled as Ilios slowly shook Eliza's hand and they went running off together.

'They seem to be getting along better now," Fred noted happily.