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Somewhere only We belong to	By : InfernalParadise Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 5210 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Thx for your flattering reviews... I was overjoyed when I read them!! :)
I just realized by now how long the chapters always are. But that's because I write the story in Microsoft Word, and I don't plan on how long a chapter is or what it's about. I'd rather post a terribly long story in one piece anyway, but it just has to be in chapters, so sorry for that and thanks for your understanding!!
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Chapter 5
Getting Company

The days moved on, turning into weeks even before Seraphine realized it. She hardly saw Erik now, only for about ten minutes during the pause when she and her parents went to the Opera once a week. It was more a show-off for other aristocrats than the actual interest in music that guided the Ducards, and maybe they felt like they owed their daughter since the Opera had been her home for so long. Seraphine learned to even appreciate those evenings when Carlotta tortured endless arias on stage, for every sacred minute of the pause after the first act granted her the bliss to feel Erik’s arms around her, have his lips against her own, and hear soft words that confirmed his love and the want he had to endure. How he bore the loneliness was something Seraphine found herself wondering about many times as she always felt his presence during the Opera. In the darkness of box number five that used to be kept absolutely empty ever since the chandelier crash, Erik’s eyes guarded her like a dark angel spreading its wings protectively around her.
Next to the books in her room and the knowledge of Erik’s love, the only real comfort Seraphine owned was Madame Ducard’s mother Agatha who had turned out to be a nice, old, yet absolutely deaf and dumb lady. Seraphine spent hours in her company, telling her of things that would have made her blush if anyone could have actually heard them. It felt good to simply let her feelings out without having to talk to a wall or a window, and her grandmother enjoyed the young woman sharing her time with her. They played endless rounds of cards, always to have Agatha winning, but Seraphine didn’t mind. The old woman had accepted her from the very first day on even if they didn’t communicate with each other except for a few necessary signs of their hands, and Seraphine only felt inner peace when she stayed at the old house in the country. As for the huge manor in Paris where she used to live with the Ducards, she felt more like a prisoner. Erik’s labyrinth beneath the Opera was nothing compared to the endless rooms and corridors there that always led to yet another bragging room filled with expensive furniture and delicate lamps. Even after a few weeks, she still didn’t feel the least bit of home in her own room, while Agatha’s smaller house surprised her every time because the old lady owned so many antique things of her own childhood. She and her daughter Madame Ducard were two completely different people, Seraphine noticed this very afternoon as her grandmother let her win the last round to support her self-esteem that truly suffered from getting defeated all the time. With a thankful smile, the young woman hugged her grandmother and rose to get some coffee and cookies. Today had been a special day for Seraphine as Madame Giry’s old midwife had confirmed her suspect about being pregnant. After spending almost the whole afternoon with senselessly telling Agatha of her joy, the young woman started to feel like an idiot. Here she was sitting to her grandmother, telling her things the old lady did neither hear nor understand. Thus her heart nearly skipped a beat when she suddenly heard a voice behind her while making her way to the door.
"You know, my dear, I’d just love to meet your child’s father. He has to be an impressing man."
Feeling how the color left her face, Seraphine turned around to stare at the old lady who gave a wink.
"Dear Lord, you did understand what I told you?", she brought out with a gasp, but Agatha simply chuckled.
"I understood every little word. Sometimes it’s better to pretend to not hear and speak… especially these days as people tend to become more and more treacherous."
With a few troubles the old woman rose to come to her feet. As it dawned on Seraphine what she actually had told her grandmother, she couldn’t help a blush creeping across her face.
"Oh, don’t worry about your little secrets, Seraphine", the way she spoke her grandchild’s name sounded beautiful, "I’ve heard similar things when I was still younger. After all, I’m having a daughter as well. How do you think I got her – by magic?"
Agatha laughed at Seraphine’s astonished look.
"And of course I won’t tell anyone of it… you are my granddaughter, my dear. I even like to believe that you take very much after me. Besides, how could anyone so deaf and dumb pass on your secrets?"
"I don’t know what to say, grandmother", Seraphine admitted as she fell down on a chair nearby, "From all the people I got to know during the last weeks, you were the only one who accepted me the way I am."
"While the others try to stuff you into expensive dresses and make you a doll of nobility", Agatha nodded before giving a sigh, "Oh yes, I know what you’re talking about. I’ve never truly been rich, either. But then I met your grandfather who was an extraordinary man… and now I’m here."
"What happened to him?"
"Well, as I already mentioned, your grandfather was an extraordinary man. He was, however, also an extraordinary drinker and smoker. And one pretty day his poor heart refused to take his lifestyle any longer. You see, wealth doesn’t protect you from sicknesses."
Seraphine didn’t dare asking about the time he had passed away, but judging by the almost cheerful words of Agatha, she assumed it had been quite a lot of years ago.
"Now, my dear, as we can both talk to each other normally, I’d like to hear more about Erik."
"Well, he’s simply… Erik", Seraphine answered with a shrug, but her grandmother winked at her and gave a little laugh.
"He seems to be much more than that if I remember the last few afternoons. I would have never imagined my granddaughter being the one to conquer the heart of Paris’ most known Phantom. But you are a Ducard after all – and believe me, it was not the easiest task to get your grandfather, either."
"Honestly", the unease in Seraphine’s voice was too obvious, "I don’t feel like a Ducard. I’ve been raised by Madame Giry, and I will always call her my mother. It’s not describable what it’s like to grow up in an Opera, grandmother. The scents, the people, the footsteps, all those noises… it fills your senses for your whole life. And even when you’re far away, you still feel anything as if it were just next to you and all you had to do was take one step to enter it again."
"I understand", Agatha said in a quiet voice, approaching her granddaughter that seemed strangely lost in the wealth that surrounded her even here, "One should stay where the heart lies. And yours, I can clearly see, rests in the Opera, and not at the Ducard’s place."
"If only they understood… but they can’t, and it’s not even their fault."
"They will have to learn, Seraphine. A bird can’t be caged forever for it longs to fly."
Sometimes her grandmother’s words were as cryptic as Erik’s, Seraphine noticed with an angry sigh. And yet, she had hardly ever felt so understood by anyone else than Agatha who was a sensible woman by all means, and no old rich show-off.
"Do you think Erik would mind coming over to my place one of these next afternoons?"
"He would, grandmother", it hurt Seraphine having to tell Agatha the truth.
"Well", the old lady said while placing her hands on her hips with a resolute expression, "I suppose that means your grandmother will have to come to the Opera, then. It’s a pity as I won’t be able to hear anything of the music."
"I’m so sorry about that", Seraphine grinned at her. They made an amazing treacherous couple, it dawned on both of them as they continued making their secrets plans.
The Ducards suffered from the strange pressure having to be present whenever Paris’ nobility met. In most cases, the place that called for such meetings was the Opera Populaire anyway. That was why Seraphine had recognized her parents from somewhere at their first encounter – she had probably seen them many times before as had the other people working in the Opera. But watching a performance had changed since she had been forced to spend it next to her parents now. Every little detail, every familiar smell of her surrounding started to lose its fascination, fading into a cold cloud that included her father always falling asleep and her mother being too stupid to even grasp the easiest action on stage. Besides, the only times at the Opera that counted were the pauses in which she was able to see Erik. She was tired of coming up with fake excuses to stay away the whole pause as well with having to see him only in secret, knowing how little time they had then. By the end of the week, it had already been six days since she had seen him last, and she feared for her sanity, let alone the health of her body that simply screamed for Erik. Her only comfort on Saturday night was her grandmother who sat next to her, perfectly pretending to be deaf and dumb – which had led to a huge lack of understanding on Madame Ducard’s behalf who couldn’t comprehend why her stupid old mother had insisted on accompanying them anyway. But Monsieur Ducard had found no objections as he had already noticed how well his mother-in-law and Seraphine got along with each other, thus Agatha had joined them tonight. Besides, he still wasn’t absolutely sure if the old lady actually was as restricted in her senses as she pretended to be. After an unnerving first act in which Carlotta had truly shown herself being at her best – what meant the worst for anyone who had ears to hear the tortured music escaping her throat – Seraphine helped her grandmother to get to her feet.
"She needs fresh air", she explained and Madame Ducard nodded, letting them go without further questions. The woman had found out meanwhile that her mother and her daughter had developed an interesting, yet weird way of communicating with each other that included gestures and various grimaces. As for herself, she felt glad that Agatha had someone to spent some of her afternoons with and she didn’t care as long as her crazy mother didn’t intend anything that would endanger Seraphine’s life. Little did she know that various rides through the forest and some most hilarious tries about women’s abilities to climb trees and parts of the country house already had taken place.
Seraphine guided her grandmother into an abandoned corridor and gently pushed her without any warning through a former invisible door in the wall that had suddenly opened. Following the old lady, she bumped against Erik who stared at her with an expression of astonishment.
"Grandmother, this is Erik – Erik, this is my grandmother Agatha", Seraphine introduced them to each other before biting her tongue hard to not slip a word about her pregnancy. She and Agatha had agreed on better telling Erik the next time when they were both alone as she didn’t exactly know how he’d react.
"Forgive the uncomfortable part of my home", Erik indicated a slight bow to the elder woman, but Agatha gave an annoyed sound.
"Oh please, I’ve seen worse already, young man."
"Your attic for example", Seraphine said with a grin.
"No more words about that terrible attic, child", her grandmother shook her head in disgust before taking a closer look at Erik. Wearing the black mask and being dressed in blood red and black, the flickering candle lights on the tunnel’s wall flattered his appearance. If only she were fourteen years younger, Agatha thought to herself with a hidden smile, and if only he didn’t belong to her granddaughter then. Erik’s eyes narrowed at her gaze, yet he felt no hint of uneasiness. Instead he noticed how much of her grandmother was in Seraphine. The dark, meaningful eyes, the strong will that stood obviously behind any action, and especially that grin which surrounded both their lips that very moment.
"Seraphine, dear, would you mind leaving Erik to me for a second? I promise you will still have a bit of him before the pause ends."
With a heavy heart, her granddaughter left the tunnel to return to the corridor. Agatha turned to her more or less future son-in-law, admiring his appearance once more.
"I have no intentions of scolding you, don’t worry", she started, "But I’ve seen how you look at my granddaughter and I hope you’ll keep doing that as long as you are alive."
"I love Seraphine – there’s no doubt about my feelings for her. But look at me", Erik pointed at himself in slight anger, "There’s no life I could give her that she truly deserves. I am a monster, living in my dungeon. And she’s an angel that happened to find its way down somehow..."
"Don’t say such nonsense!", the elder woman interrupted him, forcing him to suppress a growl, "Seraphine loves you because of anything you are. And you’re no monster – I even dare to say you are very handsome."
"You wouldn’t if you knew my face", he replied coolly.
"The Phantom speaks through you, Erik", Agatha stated without fear before straightening her dress with careful movements, "Anyway, should you ever be in need of help – may it be money, a shelter or whatever – I want you to know that my door is always kept open. Seraphine is dear to me, thus you are dear to me as well. It was a delight to finally meet the infamous Phantom."
Erik bowed to her.
"The pleasure was on my side, Madame. I see you’ve passed on quite a lot of qualities to your granddaughter."
"Do not flatter an old woman, young man", Agatha sighed, catching the glimpse of a grin on Erik’s face. She decided to better leave him to Seraphine who seemed to be more than happy when her grandmother swapper positions with her and took her place outside on the corridor.
"An amazing old lady", Erik admitted, "Now – where are we supposed to be?"
With that, he pulled her towards his body, claiming her mouth with his lips as he kissed her passionately. For six aching days, he had longed for Seraphine being in his arms again, to feel her hands on his face, knowing that she was only his. And during every secret meeting, he loathed the Ducards even more because they had no idea about the pain they had caused him and Seraphine by taking her away to a place that would never ever be a home for her.
"I love you", he whispered hoarsely and tears of anger and desperation burnt in his eyes, "Another week without seeing you will kill me."
"Tomorrow night is the new premiere. Where do you want me to meet you?"
"In Christine’s dressing room. She will be behind the stage during the pause anyway."
Both gazed into each other’s eyes before Seraphine hugged him tightly, pressing a kiss to his temple.
"I love you so much, Erik."
As soon as the pause was announced the other night, Seraphine excused herself and ran as fast as possible into Christine’s room where she had to stop in front of the mirror because of lack of oxygen. Her new, expensive dresses made breathing hard for her as they had very tight corsets. Meanwhile, the large mirror opened a bit to reveal Erik who was standing behind it, already waiting. Her pale face scared him and her obvious troubles with breathing made him frown with unease. How he longed to just rip the damned dress from her body, to feel her against his skin, to touch her like they had done during so many nights. But time was merciless on them, he knew, and all he could do was embracing her when she almost collapsed into his arms.
"I miss you, love", he whispered into her ear, covering her face with sweet kisses while his body ached with need.
"God, Erik, it’s so terrible. All that wealth and bragging. I can’t stand it anymore."
His fingers reached behind her to loosen the corset a bit, and a smile appeared on his face when he saw her regaining color again as she was finally able to take breaths without much troubles. Another swift movement and Erik pressed her against the cold wall of the tunnel behind the mirror, grinding his hips into her to let her feel his painful arousal.
"I want you so much", he growled, his fingers gliding over her body, "And if I had to take you right here against the wall… I need you…"
Seraphine pressed her lips to his in an impassioned, yet desperate kiss, moaning into his mouth as he continued his thrusts.
"Why don’t we leave, Erik?"
"No", one of his hands cupped her cheek to make her look at him, "they would suspect Madame Giry or the others. We have to leave when no one expects us to. In two days ahead – at night."
With a truly surprised, but utterly happy smile, Seraphine nearly suffocated Erik who laughed at her shown emotion.
"Now, listen, my angel. I will be in your room then – just wait for me."
"But how…", he cut her short by a kiss.
"I’ll have my ways, don’t worry. Just don’t let anyone get suspicious. And don’t take any of those dresses with you… we will get you better and more comfortable ones once we are at our destination."
Sharing one last, impassionate kiss with her, he released her most reluctantly. The mirror closed behind Seraphine again when she suddenly remembered what she had longed to tell him for more than a week in which she had rarely seen him at all. Scolding herself for the passion and want that caused her brain to obviously stop its working, she turned around and called out Erik’s name.
"Yes?"
"I need to tell you one more thing."
The mirror opened again and Erik smiled when he stepped out, leaning with his back against the mirror glass.
"And that would be?"
"I know for sure that I’m pregnant."
A stunned expression stared back at her after she had spoken those words.
"What?"
"I am with your child."
It took him another couple of seconds until he actually understood. Then, however, he lifted Seraphine up to swirl her around with a soft laugh.
"You are sure?"
"Absolutely."
"I love you", he kissed her as she cupped his face, feeling the joy that seemed to radiate from his soul, "And I love our child – no matter what it’s going to be."
She smiled when he lay a gentle hand on her belly, but the sound of the soft bell that announced the end of the pause interrupted their peaceful moment.
"I have to go. Otherwise they’ll wonder where I am."
One final kiss was shared before Seraphine moved towards the door to return.
"We’ll see each other in two days at night", Erik said with a cryptic smile.
She turned around to face him the last time.
"I’ll never forgive you if not."
The rest of the Opera obviously intended to last forever. It seemed to Seraphine that time had decided to not move on any further since she knew that Erik would come the next night. And yet, it was only two more days until she would escape that living nightmare around herself. She rested one hand on her stomach, smiling to herself at the thought that for the following months she’d always have something of Erik to be with her even when he wasn’t around. The old midwife she had visited a few days ago secretly while pretending to go and see Madame Giry had already helped many of the women working in the Opera, thus she hadn’t been surprised when Seraphine had shown up. Concerning her pregnancy, however, she had shown astonishment as she and Madame Giry were close friends and she had been the only one to know about the love of the ballet teacher’s two foundlings. And much to Seraphine’s wonder, the old woman had only smiled at the visible sorrow of the young, future mother.
There’s no need to worry about your baby, child. Trust me when I promise you that it will be without deformation for sure as such freaks of nature aren’t to be passed on.
And even if, Seraphine thought to herself as Christine continued singing on stage truly beautiful, it will be mine and Erik’s child. I already love it now although I don’t know its genders.
Next to her, her father fell asleep and gave a snore. With an inner sigh, she wondered how she could truly be the daughter of that man, but decided that the Opera was much more interesting than the behavior of a rich idiot. As Christine ended her aria and applause rose, Seraphine took a look at box number five. Even in the darkness there she felt Erik’s presence, knew that his body hurt with want probably even more than her own. During the beginning of the following duet, however, Erik leaned slightly forward, allowing her to at least seeing parts of his face. Thanks to the black mask he wore that evening, he appeared to be nothing more than a shadow in the dark box, and even Seraphine had to concentrate hard to recognize him. Suddenly, as if he read her mind, he turned his head and gazed right back into her direction. And strangely, she felt a shiver of pleasure running down her spine – something she hadn’t experienced since Erik’s last fit of rage that had been weeks ago. The sensation was comfortably familiar, yet filled with a mysterious, dark seduction only Erik could cause. As he continued to look at her with an intense gaze, Seraphine was thankful for the darkness around them that avoided anyone to see her blush at the realization that they were both making love to each other just by looks, and the whole Opera witnessed their intimate happening. By the end of the duet that lead to the final aria for tonight, Seraphine knew damn well that she should divert her gaze, but anything inside her cringed just at the imagination of doing so. How she hated Erik for filling her with such need when she was aware that no release could be found. Her only cold comfort was the knowledge that he himself wouldn’t feel much better, either. As the final applause set in, Erik retreated with a seductive smile into the shadow and Seraphine found it hard to come back to reality that meant nothing more than her father waking up and clapping his hands frantically although even her mother knew that he truly had missed the whole Opera.
"What a nice Opera", Madame Ducard said to her daughter when they left two hours later to return home. A weak nod came from Seraphine, while her father had troubles walking. What he had missed about the Opera had been replaced with plenty of Champagne during the little party of the rich and renowned of Paris afterwards, it seemed. Even with all those terribly important people around that created boredom whenever their mouths opened, the aching of her body hadn’t subsided. Slowly it dawned on her that even her own hands in her bed at home later weren’t able to assemble Erik’s in the least, thus she suddenly stopped to look at her mother, forcing herself to shed a few tears.
"Darling, what’s wrong?", Madame Ducard asked as she closed her arms around her daughter.
"I miss the Opera so much", she sobbed, praising herself for the stunning performance that impressed even her drunk father, "I used to sleep here every night and now…"
Seraphine broke into tears again that convinced both her parents.
"The poor little thing", Monsieur Ducard announced, clinging to his daughter for both comfort and own support since his feet found their work difficult, while his wife was near tears as well.
"You will get used to our house, I promise", she told Seraphine, but her husband raised his voice in a hilarious loud sound, "For God’s sake, then – let the child stay here if it wants to…"
"But Alexander… what will Madame Giry think when we tell her she has to take care of Seraphine tonight?"
"I don’t care what the old crow says", he declared in obvious drunkenness, patting softly on Seraphine’s head as if she were a little dog, "She wants to stay, she will stay – after all, we aren’t the Ducards for nothing, my dear!"
Before he announced another clever thought, his wife helped him into their carriage.
"You better wait here while I talk to Madame Giry", she told her husband with a sigh, but he only nodded in boredom.
"Good night, father", Seraphine said, still in tears for she feared that she might break into laughter otherwise because of her parents. Sometimes they were both truly too amusing to be taken serious as the richest family in all of Paris.
"Sleep well, little one", the slightly blabbering words came back, but Madame Ducard laid an arm around her daughter’s shoulder and shook her head at the sight of her drunk husband before walking back into the Opera. Seraphine faked another couple of tears when they didn’t find Madame Giry immediately, only receiving more sympathy from her mother. Finally, when the ballet teacher was found, Madame Ducard didn’t need to say much as it was obvious which kind of help she wanted to ask from the other woman.
"Of course I would feel honored to take care of your daughter tonight", Madame Giry bowed slightly, "That is if you agree…"
"How could I every deny my little darling such a plea?", Seraphine’s mother hugged her tightly, forcing a few fake touched tears from the young woman.
"Now, don’t cry anymore", Madame Ducard planted a soft kiss on Seraphine’s forehead, "Sleep well. We will send you our carriage by tomorrow midday."
Already before Madame Giry closed the door of her room behind them, Seraphine broke into laughter, only to see her substitute mother fighting with a big grin as well.
"You are the most talented actress I’ve ever met", she praised the young woman, "I assume, though, that you don’t intend spending your time with me when there is someone beneath the Opera who would strangle me if he found out that I kept you here instead of sending you down to him."
"You are right. Although I have to admit that I truly miss you", Seraphine sat down on Madame Giry’s comfy chair, "Anything is so… I don’t know. Unreal maybe."
She looked up and her substitute mother caught a short glimpse of the child that she had found years ago. The little girl that used to chase Erik around and sit in her lap at night to listen to goodnight stories. How soon the years had passed by, Madame Giry noticed not without a sharp pain in her chest.
"The Ducards want only the best for you."
"But they don’t know me, mother", Madame Giry stared at her in silent awe at the little word that caused her so much happiness, "How can anyone want the best for someone else when he doesn’t understand one’s feelings? Putting me into an expensive dress and introducing me to Paris’ rich society doesn’t change me as a person. I was raised by you at this place, and this is how I’ll always be… you formed me, taught me all I needed to know – they won’t take that away from me. Never."
Releasing a quiet sigh, Madame Giry moved to Seraphine, laying a finger under her chin to make her look at her.
"Seraphine?"
She watched as the young woman raised her head in silence.
"Is it true what Madame Biselle told me this morning? Are you with Erik’s child?"
"I am."
"Does he know?"
"I told him during the pause of the Opera tonight."
"And?", Madame Giry watched her face attentively.
"He said he loves the child… as well as he loves me."
Closing her eyes in relief, the elder woman gave a smile.
"I know I should have taken care", Seraphine said thoughtfully, "but the imagination of getting pregnant didn’t ever bother me – not with Erik being the father. Although I have to admit that I don’t know how things are going to develop…"
"Erik is no inexperienced boy. He will find a way, do not worry", Madame Giry replied with a cryptic smile, "I better let you go now… I’m sure he will be surprised you are going to stay over night here."
Seraphine got to her feet to find herself looking into Madame Giry’s eyes.
"My little girl is going to be a mother", she suddenly stated as if she found it hard to believe her own words, "Take care of you and the child. And take care of Erik."
It sounded almost like a goodbye, Seraphine realized. Did she know about Erik’s plans to go away tomorrow night? Or was it a mere presentiment for some day in the future, accompanied by the true caring she felt?
"There’s so much I need to thank you for", she simply said in reply before pulling Madame Giry into a hug that was lovingly responded.
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Somewhere only We belong to