Voice Of A Troubled Angel

Chapter Fifteen: Snowball Fight

     "We should go outside and have a snowball fight." Christiana stood next to Erik as he wrote at his piano.

   "You're hardly in the condition to do that, and I am too dignified to throw bits of frozen sky at you," he paused. "Nor does it sound very appealing to have them thrown at myself."

       "Please?" Christiana begged.

    Erik could not refuse her warm, dark, pleading eyes. His heart was softening.

     "Alright my dear."

                         🌹

    Meanwhile, back in town, a meeting was being held at the Sheriff's office.

   "Mrs. Dame, we can't do anything about your daughter. It appears that she wanted to leave. She did leave the house. There were no signs of a struggle. Mr. Cathy did recieve a call from her and he claims she sounded happy," the Sheriff said. He knew he should look for Christiana... but he also knew that she'd probably be much better off with  whomever and whereever she'd gone. She'd had an hour long conversation with Mr. Cathy. No one called in for ransom. He didn't want to put Christiana back in her mother's care anyway. Something wasn't right with Mrs. Dame. He didn't like this Ray kid either.

    "But surely she could be hurt," Ray said.

   "Christiana sounded perfecrly happy. I know when she is happy and when she is distressed, she has worked in my store practically since she could walk!" Mr. Cathy said. What he wasn't telling the police was that he knew where Christiana was - at Mr. Stanton's house. But he would never want to disturb them or disrupt the solitude and quiet Erik Stanton seemed to value. He'd keep Christiana safe. Heck, he might even convince her to marry him by the time the new year roles around. It was November, after all. Hopefully they'd invite him as a witness... he knew Chris would put her foot down on the subject. He was like a father to her.

   "And do you think you know my daughter better than I? I want my daughter!" Mrs. Dame had repeated this several times upon arriving at the station. She had acted abnormally calm this entire time. Her stiffness was unsettling, even to Ray, who was, in general unsettling.

   "Mrs. Dame. We are looking for her," said Officer Ferveine.

   "Well look harder."

   "Ma'am, we are doing everything we can," the police chief lied, but only a little bit. Andrew Moncharest knew all about Mr. Cathy's reputation and Mrs. Dame's. He'd grown up being fed literature and cookies by Mr. and Mrs. Cathy. If Cathy said she was fine, she was fine. Mrs. Dame had never seemed like she cared much for her daughter.

     "I demand you get her back! I want her back!" Mrs. Dame's voice grew colder.

      "I know, Ma'am. We are trying."

    In our own way. To keep her safe.

                           🌹

      Christiana leaned against Erik, her hands tucked into the crook of his arm as he walked with her around his house, looking for a nice, soft area of soft snow. He still could not believe that she could tolerate touching him. It was miraculous enough for her to be in his presence. He grew fonder and fonder of her....

   Christiana was simply grateful for his warmth and kindness. She doubted anything could become from the two of them. She could never be enough for a man like him. She was so small compared to his greatness. And he seemed to be fantastic at everything he tried. She was next to him, basking in his attention, his warmth, talentless and no where near pretty. But she would savor his generosity as long as it lasted.
     They walked a little further, having almost come halfway behind his large glass house, when Christiana strayed from Erik's side, saying she'd like to look at a specific tree for some incomprehensible reason. Erik turned for a moment and was met with a cold and wet thing hitting the back of his shoulder. Snow littered his jacket and Christiana was no where in sight.

   "Christiana!" He called. "This is quite childish, my dear!" She shot another snowball at him - thank goodness for his fast reflexes; he ducked out of the way just in time - and gave away her position behind a tree. Erik smirked and marched forward, bending down to collect large handfuls of snow as he went.

   Christiana froze in shock that he was actually playing with her, but quickly regained her senses. Laughing, she ran from her spot to take cover behind a better object. She chucked snowballs at him as she ran, and shrieked every time one of his landed on her. He was throwing them gently, and she appreciated that, as she was still not fully healed.

   They spent half an hour running back and forth, launching snow at each other, racing around, and laughing. At last they crumpled onto the ground, laughing still and completely out of breath. Christiana was grinning madly, her face pink with exertion, just as Erik's was. He was smiling too - he could not remember when he had so much fun or even played with another person physically. He certainly had never thrown snowballs before.

    He looked down at her, taking in her smiling face and bright eyes, taking a mental picture to save forever. Her eyes wanderes to his and her mouth suddenly turned down Erik suddenly froze as her hand reached up. She touched his mask. The minutes he moved it, he'd shove her away... but she didn't remove it. Instead, she put it back in place, since it had slipped faintly.

    "Now you're symmetrical again," she said, amused.

   "Yes, thank you. And for not taking it off." He wrapped his hand around hers, still staring into her eyes.

   At the same time, both he and Christiana realized how close together they were... their faces inches apart. She pulled away, expecting that he would want that.

  "Come," Erik said, standing and ignoring the moment she moved away from him. "It is cold, and you need to rest. I'll light a fire and we can read." He extended a hand to her, which she gladly took.

   "Thank you, Erik."

    He slipped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close, for warmth, he told himself. But the way she moved closer suggestes to him that she might not hate him as much as he thought.

    Oh his angel, how he adored and loved her. Christiana was something to cherish and enjoy. And she was his. For the time being of course. But his and with him right now. That was all that mattered.

   Still happy and out of breath, the duo walkes into the house.