The Final Act (A Phantom of the Opera Phan Fic)

Chapter Ten ~ In Which We Part

Charlotte's POV

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I had searched L'Aria in a hurry, a sheer frenzy of panic, distress and anger. The audacity of him! How could he go and say such things as that to our premier guest. Our savior! Our angel! I was simply aghast. And the way Erik took it -- oh it was all beyond me. I could hardly comprehend it.

No Alexander. He was no where to be found. As I made my way from the last little reasonable space within the Opera House, I assumed he would be off into the city by now. There was no telling when he would return. He had not had one of these rages since...well, since before I knew him. He had always been so peaceful and even in temper. Most recently, that is far from what I can say of his character.

Still in a frenzy, I circled back to the office, opening the door on Erik raised from the his chair and staring into a mirror. I swallowed hard and regrettably attempted to close the door before he noticed, but I was not quick enough.

"Charlotte, you do not have to leave."

The truth was now I did not want to stay. But I nevertheless opened the door and walked in, taking a seat on a sofa. "I...I couldn't find Alex anywhere. He must have headed for town or out somewhere. Erik, I'm sure he didn't mean to say it like that, or say it at all. He's just been so --"

"Save the apology, Charlotte. It is not you who threw the words, you haven't a need to try and immerse yourself in a problem that isn't yours to solve." He replied, cutting me off sharply.

Erik moved a little toward me, although it almost seemed that he attempted to keep the one side of his face turned away from me now. "We ought to continue preparations." He said again with a bite at the end of it that made me shiver.

"Preparations. Yes." I nodded dumbly.

I watched as he moved to sit back at the desk, shuffle through some notes he had made, all the while he sat with a furrowed brow . Suddenly, he looked up at me and frowned. "Are you going to come and help, or do I also have to rebuild this Opera House of yours as well?"

I jumped quickly to my feet and rushed toward the empty chair beside the desk. "Sorry. Sorry, I was just...not fully focused. My apologies." I flipped through my own notes clumsily, dropped a few papers in the way that one does when the brain is not working as sharply as it should. With that move, I heard Erik sigh heavily before he gave me a dark gaze.

"Must we drag along? Pick up your papers now, come Charlotte please!"

"I'm sorry, I'm just--" I felt my throat go dry and my eyes begin to water. Why was I getting emotional? What was this? No, I had no need to be crying, yet as I sat here I felt the gentle stream of tears begin to flow down my cheeks and the harsh little sobs flood the room. I was crying. No, correction I was sobbing. Horribly so. My body shaking with each in-take of breath and every tear becoming more persistent. What was happening?

"I can't lose him! I can't!" I heard my voice shutter before I felt his arms wrap around me. The gentle pull. I was against him, his beating heart to my ear. The rhythm steady and calming. His fingers caressing me tenderly, running through my hair.

His voice was rich, deep and soft in my ear as he lulled me. "You are not going to lose him, Charlotte. Give him time. He will come around. It will be all right. Trust me."

For a long moment, I simply stayed in his arms. I felt so weak but so protected there. There was nothing that could harm me, nothing could come against me there. I knew he would take care of us like he said he would. Erik was more than our savior. He was our everything now. We needed him more than ever.