Chapter 18: Roses Bloom

Erik was pacing back and forth in the dining room whilst Nadir helped Madame Giry set the table and the Persian couldn't help but chuckle,

"Try not to be so nervous, my friend. Tonight will go well" Nadir assured with an encouraging smile that Madame Giry shared,

"I... I just don't want to mess things up again" Erik murmured with a nervous frown and Madame Giry approached before placing a gentle hand on his shoulder,

"You will be fine" she told him gently before fixing his bow-tie for him, offering him a gentle smile before pulling Nadir out of the room when she saw Amelia enter the dining room and Erik turned, finding himself speechless when he saw how nicely she was dressed in a stunning blue gown,

"You... You look lovely" Erik told her gently and watched her smile softly with a blush,

"Thank you... I thought you promised to..." she tried but Erik smiled taking a step forward and took her hand in his own,

"I know... I wanted you to... see me remove it" Erik told her and she smiled softly, watching as he hesitantly and slightly reluctantly, remove his mask and he looked at her when she took the mask from him gently and smiled up at him softly,

"Much better" she told him and he couldn't help but smile softly before offering his arm to her which she happily accepted, allowing him to lead her to the table.

Erik and Amelia enjoyed a lovely meal before Erik looked towards her bashfully,

"I... I have written a new song... A duet. I was hoping that you might perform it with me at the opening of the new season" Erik told her and she smiled at him timidly,

"I don't know, Erik... I am not a singer and... Only Christine is worthy of singing your work" Amelia murmured and Erik was thoughtful for a moment before smiling softly and retrieved the manuscript from the piano for her, offering it to her,

"Will you still give me your opinion?" Erik asked gently, watching as she smiled softly, nodding as she accepted the manuscript and began reading it as silence fell between them,

"... It is about a couple whom struggle to be together. The man wishes to try but the woman believes that she is not good enough for him" Erik explained when she finished reading through the score and Amelia frowned as she realized what Erik was trying to tell her and she stood from the table,

"That's because I'm not" she murmured sadly before going to leave but Erik grasped her wrist gently, preventing her from leaving,

"You know I want you..." Erik sang and Amelia felt her eyes close as he came to face her, touching her chin gently,

"It's not a secret I try to hide... I know you want me. So don't keep saying our hands are tied" Erik told her gently and she pulled away from him gently, trying to leave another way but the former phantom used his mysterious skills to quickly block her path as if by magic,

"You claim it's not in the cards and fate is pulling you miles away and out of reach from me. But you're here in my heart. So who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny?" Erik sang and brushed away a tear that had escaped down Amelia's cheek before taking her hand in his own and raised her arm gently, slowly turned her around in a circle,

"What if we rewrite the stars?... Say you were made to be mine. Nothing can keep us apart. You'd be the one I was meant to find" Erik sang as he gently placed his free hand on her waist and Amelia in turn rested her free hand on his shoulder as he began to lead her in a gentle dance,

"It's up to you. And it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be so why don't we rewrite the stars?... Maybe the world could be ours... Tonight" Erik sang softly before leaning in but Amelia gently pulled away and sighed looking at him with tears in her eyes,

"You think it's easy?... You think I don't want to run to you?... But there are mountains... And there are doors that we can't walk through" Amelia began singing the lyrics that she had read only moments before,

"I know you're wondering why... Because we're able to be just you and me. Within these walls... But when we go outside. You're gonna wake up and see that it was hopeless after all..." She sang,

"... No one can rewrite the stars... How can you say you'll be mine?... Everything keeps us apart. And I'm not the one you were meant to find" she sang, looking at Erik with a hopeless, sad expression,

"It's not up to you... It's not up to me. When everyone tells us what we can be. How can we rewrite the stars?... Say that the world can be ours... Tonight" she reasoned and Erik rushed towards her, placing her hands on her waist and she couldn't help but grasp the labels of his suit jacket,

"All I want is to fly with you! All I want is to Fall with you! So just give me all of you!" They sang together,

"It feels impossible",

"It's not impossible" Erik assured,

"Is it possible?" Amelia wondered and they couldn't help but smile at each other and Erik's smile grew as he lifted her into his arms and spun her around,

"Say that it's possible!" They sang with bright smiles as Erik lowered her back to the ground and they began passionately dancing around the room,

"How do we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine? Nothing can keep us apart. Cause you are the one I was meant to find... It's up to you and it's up to me. No one can say what we get to be" They sang together,

"And why don't we rewrite the stars? Changing the world to be ours" they sang before making their way out onto the balcony and smiled brightly at the glorious sight of Phantasma before looking at each other and Amelia reached up, cupping Erik's mangled cheek softly,

"You know I want you... It's not a secret I try to hide... Now I can have you... My love for you is something I don't need... To hide" Amelia finished softly and Erik smiled at the words she hand changed, leaning forward and softly brushed his nose against her own before they both shared a passionate kiss.

The dress Amelia wears is the dress that Sierra Boggess wears in the 25th anniversary performance of the phantom of the opera during the song "Notes/Twisted Every way"

The song that Erik and Amelia sing in this chapter is "Rewrite The Stars" from The Greatest Showman.

Review for chapter 19!

Kind Regards,

TheAuthor1996