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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As they reached the door, Erik let go of Melanie’s hand and placed both palms on his head. He let out an anguished cry and bent his head down.

In his tormented mind, Erik saw horrible scenes of murders, blood, and all kind of violence. He looked at his hands covered with his own blood from the injuries the smashing of the mirror caused. He was now holding a rope, a man fought to breath as he squeezed the man’s neck with the lasso. Then another face was chocking in his hands, and another, and another…

“No!” he cried in despair and then looked at Melanie. He threw himself in her arms. “I don’t want to know… I don’t want to remember… my head… it hurts… so much…” he said between sobs as she tried to keep him standing.

Slowly he got to his knees, falling down like a tree torn by a lightening. Melanie tried to hold him, but due to his size and his weight, he dragged her with him down to the ground.

“Erik, you need to be strong and face your past. Erik…” she said as she set on the floor and held the upper part of his body on her lap.

He was lying on his stomach, his face buried in her dress. She held the inert body of such a strong, yet fragile man.

“This is becoming a habit! Pain, fainting, pain, fainting… Leave him on the floor. I will call someone to take him to the room and I’ll tell Daroga to go see him there.” Her father said with annoyance in his voice.

Melanie placed her hand on Erik’s temple and then showed it to her father.

“Daddy, look… it’s bleeding.”

“Jesus Christ! Alright, I’ll call the doctor!”

“Daddy, stop being so grouchy and call someone to help me!” Melanie said trying to slip her body from under Erik’s without hurting him.

The duke walked to the stairs and called two servants who were in the hall. As they reached the entrance of the room, Melanie had already placed a tissue over Erik’s bandage, which was covered in blood.

Both men held Erik up and took him to his room, placing him on the bed. Melanie asked them to bring her water and a cleaned bandage.

Her father slowly walked to the door and stood there watching as his daughter cleaned Erik’s wounds on his head and hands and then re-placed the bandage.

“Thank God the stitches are in order. I think the bleeding was due to his efforts.” She said walking away from the bed and towards him.

“Yes. Efforts braking the house!”

“Daddy, stop acting like that! Let’s leave him alone so he can rest.”

“No, Melanie! That’s enough. I won’t do your will this time. Daroga will climb the stairs and sit on that chair until he wakes up.” He said pointing to the chair she was sitting on before. “When he does, they will talk. I want to put an end to this story! I want some peace! Our lives have been a nightmare since we found this man…”

“But, dad…”

“No. If you say any other word to excuse his actions, I will lock you in your room and only let you out when he is gone!”

Melanie stared at her father opened mouthed as he turned and with his slow pace, left the room and headed downstairs to call the Persian, the man who was going to take her phantom away from her.

She walked back to the chair and set down. She felt Erik’s hand move and touch hers. Then a small cry left his lips and opened his now blue-green eyes to look at her with a sad expression.

“I’m sorry, my dear. I did not want to cause you all this trouble. Where is this Persian? Tell him to come talk to me.”

“I’m here Erik. We will have a serious talk… if the duchess excuse us.” Came the powerful, loud voice of a man standing at the door.

Melanie let a small squeak out as she looked at him. He was certainly an impressive figure. Almost as tall as Erik, all dressed in black, his cape fell down to the floor and he had a hat on the top of his head, which went down almost over his eyes. His thick black hair came down to the length of his shoulders. He looked like a sorcerer.

She turned to Erik and noticed he was staring at the man with fury in his eyes and yet a small grin twisted the corner of his mouth.

“I’ll be in my room, Erik. If you need anything, just call.” She said standing up.

The Persian threw his head back and gave a loud laugh. He ripped the hat from his head with an elegant gesture and bowed.

“My dear lady. If anyone in this room needs help I can assure it is not that man lying on that bed. Hurt or not, I can assure you he is the most dangerous man who ever walked on this Earth. Now, do not fear… we will understand each other.” He said, his eyes locked on Eriks.

She proudly lifted her chin towards the ceiling and stomped out of the room leaving the door slightly opened.

Walking down the hall, she found her dad sitting on a small sofa in his room. He had a tired look on his face and it made her feel guilty.

“Daddy, please, forgive me if I’m being so selfish in my intent to help this man. My life has been so empty since the accident that killed mom. I saw in Erik an opportunity of being useful, of helping someone who suffered a great deal like he did. I know you don’t approve, but think of it as me doing some good to such a sad destiny.” She said while walking inside the room and sitting on another chair across from her father’s.

“My angel, do not compare yourself to him. He had a sad life, I know. But none of it justifies the things he has done.”

“Do you know what he has been through already? No. Daddy, we have no idea of how this man’s life was! Give him a chance to make something good. He acts the way he does because no one has ever given him a chance!”

“What is exactly that you feel for this man, my child?”

“Attraction for his genius mind, his personality… and… you may be shocked by this and sensor me, but he does attract me fiscally… even with his distorted face. I see a sensitive man with a great capacity of loving, and also very virile. He is not like these snobbish noble men filled with effeminate gestures. Erik is a man. Vibrant and strong. I feel safe when I’m with him.”

“Even with all the fiasco he did, breaking the house and fainting?” the duke raised his eyebrows at his daughter.

“He is hurt, daddy! Our carriage ran into him remember? We are the people responsible for his actual state.” She narrowed her blue eyes at her father.

“He came out of the dark into the middle of the street! How on Earth would Pierre be able to deviate? Couldn’t he at least look where he was going…”

“Daddy, are you mocking me? Don’t you know what he was running from?” Melanie said as her eyes were filled with tears.

“Alright, my child. I’m sorry. I really am not taking this the best way.” He said standing and walking towards where she was sitting, placing his hands on her shoulders.

They were like this when they heard Erik’s voice shouting.

“Enough man! I don’t want to hear anything else. Go away and leave me alone!”

Melanie and her father walked to the hallway and watched as the door opened and the Persian stepped out of the room. Before closing the door, Daroga turned around and, in a threatening tone said.

“You are warned Erik. If you do any harm to this family, I will hunt you down. And I won’t be as indulgent as I was the other times. Behave!”

“Go away!” Erik shouted again.

Daroga closed the door and walked down the hall towards the duke and Melanie. She watched him as he approached them. His long, curly dark hair were free of the hat, which he now had in his hand. He had a harsh, tanned face with deep brown eyes, which sparkled when he spoke. She could see he was angry.

He stopped in front of the duke and made a brief bow. Melanie noticed he was in his middle 50s and was still an attractive man, but he had this weird figure she could not quite describe.

“Monsieur, I did what you asked of me. I told him all I knew about him since he ran from his house when he was little. The lack of love, his mother’s disgust towards him, his time with the gypsies, the murderers, the crimes, the violent nature… all of it.” He said in a low voice.

“It seems you told him only the bad things. What of his genius? Why not tell him about the amazing musician, magician, ventriloquist, architect he is?” Melanie asked placing her hands on her hips and facing the Persian.

He looked at her, his eyes burning on hers. He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes until his face was inches from hers. Melanie felt like running away such was the hard look on his face. She felt a shiver running down her spine and began shaking… he looked like a mad man.

“I can not believe this…” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “It is amazing how Erik manages to awaken such feelings in women. I’m impressed! I did not imagine you, mademoiselle, would also be enchanted by his greatness. However, duchess, I do advise you… beware. This artist, magician, you’re enchanted with is a very dangerous man. He is violent and he kills whoever gets in his way. I’ve seen him killing many times already and I can tell you, he kills as if he was playing his piano… with such easy. He is in peace now because he has no memories. Still, he is destroying the furniture of the house… with time he can be destroying your lives.”

Melanie sustained his gaze and tried to control her body, which now was shaking uncontrollably.

“Erik will never hurt us. Even after recovering his memories.”

The Persian backed away from her and looked at the duke.

“Excellency, I did what you asked in respect of all our business relationship. You know this man very well… you know what you are dealing with. Take care of the duchess… If you need me, you know where I live, all you have to do is send for me. I do not need escort to the door… I’ll show myself out. Have a nice day.”

He bowed again and, with a quick moved, placed his hat over his head, turned around and, with his cape flying about his feet, ran down the stairs.