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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“When have I ever denied you anything, my angel? Your happiness is my happiness and if you think that your life is beside this man, then who am I to go against this love?” The duke lowered his head as he answered with a half smile on his face.

“Thank you, daddy! I want to ask you something else… If we have children, do you think they might have the same deformity?” Melanie said with a worried wrinkle formed on her forehead.

“I believe not. This deformity on Erik’s face is likely to be the result of a skin disorder caused by Syphilis, which is a disease his mother probably had. It is passed on from mother to child at the moment of the birth or before by a bacteria. Therefore, I think it’s very unlike for your children to have it…”

“Oh, thank God. Well, it’s all perfect then… now we only have to wait and hope that Erik decides to do the plastic surgery. I think it would make him feel better about himself… he deserves to be happy. You know father, since we brought Erik to this house I haven’t gone horse riding. I think I’ll do that now, it will make me some good.” She said as she stood up.

“Go then, child. It will make you feel better. I’ll write to a few people who I believe will have some information about this plastic surgery… I hope this helps Erik decide what’s best for him.” The duke said opening the drawer on the left side of his desk and taking several pages of paper from it.

When Melanie crossed the garden towards the open field which was part of her father’s domains riding her black stallion, she didn’t notice Erik watching her from the window of his room.

I can’t tell them I remembered that place… I need to go there. He walked away from the window and started pacing. But they won’t let me go. I know, I’ll take Melanie’s horse! It’s a strong animal and will bear the weight of what I want to bring… I’ll go at night when they are all asleep. But now I need to see where she keeps her horse…

And so he did. When he heard the sound of her horse’s gallop, he walked down the stairs and made his way to the stable. The duke had fine animals, but Melanie’s was the best. She entered the stable and stopped the horse almost on top of Erik. He helped her as she got down.

“Erik, I almost ran over you! Two times would be too much, don’t you think?” she said placing her hands on his chest.

“There was no danger. This time I was alert.” he answered taking her right hand and placing a soft kiss on her palm.

“Sometimes I think you grew up around panthers such is the easiness of your movements and the softness of your steps.”

“Life must have taught me to be like that… Where does he stay?” Erik asks taking the horse’s reins and holding him still.

“There’s a servant who takes care of that. He will brush his mane and tail and then put him to rest, over there.” She answered pointing to the place where Drakon, which was the stallion’s name, used to stay.

“He is wonderful! I like horses.” Erik said while caressing the horse’s muzzle with the palm of his hand.

“And it looks like he likes you.” She smiled as the horse leaned his head towards Erik and sniffed him.

Erik kept caressing Drakon’s muzzle and neck as he quietly spoke in his ear. The horse seamed to like what he was hearing.

“I think I’ve always had ability to deal with animals, especially horses….”

“Let the man take him away Erik… I tired him today. And I’m starting to get jealous of this horse!”

Erik looked at her surprised by her reaction. He placed his arm around her waist and they made their way back to the house. He laughed as he looked at her clearly seeing jealousy on her face.

They entered the palace through a side door and as they reached an empty corridor, Erik pushed her against the wall, pressing his body on hers until she was breathless.

“So, you are jealous of me, my angel?! That’s good… it’s a proof of love… and it excites me. Don’t you want to go to my room? Or perhaps that room in the secret passage, where we can have more privacy…” he said as he planted kisses on her neck.

“Erik, behave! Every day you get more bold… I can’t control you anymore…”

He looked in her eyes as he bent his head down and kissed her softly on the lips. She moaned and he pressed his mouth harder over hers in response, biting her lower lip. Making his way down her neck, he placed her earlobe, which was easy to access since she had her hair pinned up, in his mouth.

She recovered her senses and tried to push him away, but it was like trying to move a stoned wall. She finally managed to free her mouth from his.

“Erik, stop. What if someone sees us?”

“Let them see! I love you, I want you. I can’t stay without touching you anymore… it’s driving me crazy! I’ve never felt this way for anyone in my life… I would remember if I had!”

“I feel the same way. But we can’t… my father would kill us if he finds out…” she said and he finally backed away at the mentioning of her father.

“You’re right. But what can I do then? If I asked him your hand in marriage he would throw in the street and tell me to never come back.”

Melanie took his hand and they slowly began walking through the corridor hand in hand.

“I asked him what he would say if you asked my hand in marriage… and he said he consent on it. He said he can’t deny me anything.” She said, blushing and looking down.

Erik stopped and turned to the side to face her.

“Well then, this changes everything! I wasn’t sure yet if I would make the surgery… but now, it’s settled! We’ll go to India whenever your father decides.”

Melanie’s face lighted up with a smile and she jumped on his neck, kissing him passionately. He returned the kiss by pressing her harder against his chest and lifting her up from the floor.

They broke the kiss and stood like this for a while, her forehead resting on his, their eyes closed.

Slowly he placed her back on the floor and they made their way to the dinning room, since it was noon.

The duke made a toast to Erik’s decision with champagne.

“It will be the beginning of a new life for you, Erik. You won’t have to hide from people…” the duke said.

Melanie thought Erik would ask her hand in marriage, but he didn’t. Maybe he’ll wait for the result of the surgery, and then… How she wished she could be entirely his. Be joined to him in body and soul. They would complete each other, she was certain of that.

They went to the music room and spent the afternoon delighting themselves with Erik playing the piano and Melanie singing. Sometime the voice and the image of a young woman with curly, brown hair and pale skin came to his head. But only for a moment and he couldn’t remember or identify who it was… maybe it was Christine, but the memory of her escaped his mind.

After dinner, Erik excused himself and went to his room, saying that the events of the day had been to much for him and that he was tired. In reality he wanted to sleep for a while before he had to wake up to go to Paris.