A Second Chance

DISCLAIMER:

Title: A Second Chance.
Author: Larissa
Summary: She has the courage to save his life and give him a new one. Based on Susan Kay's and Gerard Butler's phantom.
Rating: R.
Pairing(s): Erik/Melanie and Erik/Christine.
Feedback: desired and appreciated.
Characters: Erik from Susan Kay's book "Phantom" and from Gerard Butler's interpretation.
Disclaimer: I do not own Erik, Christina and Daroga. The other characters listed in this story are all mine. I do not make any money out of it.


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A week had passed and Erik was almost fully recovered. During that period they continued to meet in the morning and after lunch to play. None of the three got tired of spending hours in the music room.

Sometimes Melanie would play by herself and other times Erik would accompany her letting his soul leave his body and wind itself around the violin strings.

The duke, Melanie and even the servants (who stood outside the room by the door) would listen to the music that man was able to play. He was indeed hypnotic and everyone had the feeling of floating above their own bodies, levitating, while he played.

Melanie had never allowed herself to be alone with him again and she could see the hurt and deception in his eyes. However, she knew that she would not resist any longer and would end up giving herself to him, especially after the intimacy they now had, promoted by the music, she was now sure that she loved him with all her heart.

Their souls were connected and she knew that this feeling they had for each other came from another life. They had loved each other for many lives and, when they played together she knew it was not the first time they did it… it was too perfect.

Her father was also accepting Erik’s presence with pleasure and talked with him about his new projects. He intended to build a hotel and wanted to know when Erik could start working on the plants.

So, the past came after the Phantom. One early morning, the sun had just appeared in the horizon, a trample of horses could be heard from the distance.

Melanie woke up startled and ran to the window seeing at least ten men in their uniforms and the carriage of the police chief heading towards the house.

She went to Erik’s room and found him already up and dressed preparing himself to leave the room.

“Come, we have to hide you.” She said taking his hand and leading him through the corridor almost bumping into two servants who had just climbed the stairs.

“Quickly, hide everything that could denounce his presence in the room. Make the bed and hide the jar and the basin. They can’t suspect that someone was using this room.” She ordered.

The two young men ran into the room and she pulled Erik into hers.

She could hear her father giving orders to the butler who had probably just left his own room and was heading downstairs to open the door.

“Wait a while… open the door only when I tell you to do so.” Said the duke while entering Melanie’s room right behind her and Erik. “Melanie, show Erik through the secret passage in your room and then go to bed. I want them to think you are still sleeping.” He said in a low voice.

Melanie pressed a small salience on the side of the fireplace, which set in motion a door disguised by a shelf of books. She handed Erik a candle.

“Go through this corridor that will lead into a small room where you’ll find a bed. You can stay there for a few hours. When there’s no more danger, I’ll go get you. Be careful, the passage is completely dark. There’s light in the room because there’s a grating door that opens to the garden. The door is covered with foliage and it can’t be seen from the outside, so don’t worry.”

“I don’t. I trust you and your father will deal with this problem very well.” He had the candle in one hand and wrapped his free arm around her waist pulling her towards him. He pressed his body against hers and kissed her lips passionately.

“God, how I missed your mouth!” he said with his lips still touching hers.

He kissed her again, this time demanding, pushing his tongue inside her mouth, biting her lips and sucking on her tongue.

They broke the kiss when they heard voices in the hall of the palace. Melanie pushed him through the door and closed it behind him.

She set on her bed feeling her legs tremble. Oh, how she wished she had gone with him and stayed in that small room forever. They would make love as many times as they had the energy for.

“If he is like that for so long… without… hmmm… well, he must have a lot of energy accumulated. Oh, my God!” she blushed, laying down on the bed and pulling the covers over her head.

It was then she realized she had been wearing only an almost transparent cambric nightgown, which showed her body more then hid it.

Did Erik notice what she was wearing? Did he like her body? She wondered burring her face in her pillow.

She was swapped off of her erotic trance by a knock on the door. The voice of her father came from the corridor making her sit on the bed quickly.

“Melanie, are you awake? There are some gentlemen from the police here who would like examine your room. They are looking for an assassin.”

“Just a second, father. I’m getting dressed!” she yelled back as she wrapped her cape around her body and over her thin nightgown.

She opened the door and jumped to the side as three policemen entered the room. The raised their hands to their hats removing them and greeting her with a head move. Her father opened the windows to let the morning light enter.

The slightly embarrassed policemen looked behind the curtains, the dressing screen, under the bed and inside the closet. Once they were done, they quickly said goodbye and mumbled some apologies, leaving the room.

Melanie stood by the door watching them as they joined the other officers and walked down the stairs to the hall. Her father did not follow them, he simply stood on the higher step of the stairs.

“Are you satisfied, monsieur? You didn’t find the man you are looking… perhaps it is a ghost indeed!” the duke said out loud for the chief of police who stood by the entrance of the house.

“If he is, then he is an assassin ghost, monsieur le duc. Please, if you notice any strange movement around your house, let me know. It is for your won safety… he is very dangerous!” the chief said in a rather annoyed tone.

“Thank you for your concern. I’ll stay alert.”

They all left. Melanie and the duke stood where they were waiting until they could no longer hear the horses.

“Wait a while and go seek for him.” The duke said turning to Melanie.

She went back to her room and decided to get dressed so she wouldn’t provoke what she shouldn’t. However, she was a woman, the eternal Eve… so she chose a dress with a neckline much lower then the ones she normally wore. The crease of her breasts showed perfectly, in a very seductive way. She also decided not to wear a corselet, leaving her waist free under the dress. That way, if he touched her, she would be able to feel the warmth of his hands.

“God, Melanie, aren’t you ashamed of yourself?!” she said to herself feeling her face getting hot. She walked to the table by the window and threw some water on her face.

She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled at what she saw. Then she took a candle and headed towards the secret passage.