Gustave had come without extensive long term packing, without a second letter, without confirmation. His brother needed him desperately, so he was there.

Erik had calmed down as the hours went by. This Luke meant everything to Gustave as well as Autumn. From the many words Gustave had used to describe Luke to him he knew him to be truly a son to them both.

He knew how he had felt watching Eli hanging on for dear life the worry he felt about his children. Looking into Gustaves eyes he could sense that same fear.

Fear of not having his father approve.

Erik didn't have the heart to remain mad.

Erik couldn't help but remeber the horrors Gustave had went through at Lukes age. The only thing separating him and the sea a small wooden plank. His life and fate in the hands of a madwoman.

Erik would kill for Gustave.

Gustave now jabbered on about New York, his gaze going to the nursery awaiting his brother every few moments.

Erik almost laughed aloud, smirking evilly to himself. He knew even Luke, let alone anyone in New York had no time to notice a strange man with a mask. All New Yorker's wore a Mask, a mask of lies and poker faces. He could easily follow any one of these people to their homes and have endless entertainment for weeks! Oh, the pranks he could play! But, Paris needed him, all that could come later.

Erik closed his eyes and in the map in his head followed the path Gustave spoke of to the apartment which he described as : "A small place, but big enough for happiness."

Now in the calm of the early afternoon, as the true daylight spread in and everyone grew happier and more awake with it, Erik could truly look at his son.

Gustave stood in front of him, talking happily, but Erik knew he looked much older and more tired. He seemed to age ten years in the last year, or as Autumn would later inform the last couple weeks.

"Father!" Gustave exclaimed pulling him into a hug. "I can't express what it means, your blessing."

Erik sighed, "No children for three years understood?"

Anabel laughed and Autumn nodded, "I'm sorry Gustave I had to agree of he wouldn't let me have you."

"We have Luke," Gustave laughed, "What or who else could we need?"

Autumn sent Christine a glance.

"I'm nervous for you. About the new baby." Gustave noted as he ran his hands through his hair, "I have this horrid feeling it's not going to be easy this time..."

Erik nodded, he knew that much.

Gustave laughed scarcely, "If I had known, about Eli- I would have- God, part of me can't stop thinking this is all my fault. That kid was my responsibility and I let him down. I just..."Gustave sighed and laughed, "I suppose I'm not making much sense."

Erik put a hand on his shoulder, "You're making perfect sense if I hadn't said what I said to Meg that day if I had held my tongue a second longer. Your mother never would have gotten hurt, and things might have been much different. But Gustave, if anyone is to blame here, It's me. I trusted him when I shouldn't have."

Christine looked away with a tired gaze, "Your father always thought you'd hold the whole incident against him."

Erik shot a betrayed look to his wife. He was unable to meet Gustaves eyes.

Gustave stared at him awestruck, "How could you ever be afraid of that?! For nearly 20 years now you have raised me perfectly in every way, on your own. I will never blame you for mothers pain, for anyone. Do not dare to blame your self for such a sin that was only committed by the one who pulled the trigger."

Erik smiled, "I can now be at peace then,"

Gustave nodded and glanced impatiently as Fred entered. "Can I see him? "

Fred nodded and Gustave took off running.

Christine sat silently, even her breathing couldn't be heard. That was one her quirks, whenever she could no longer handle reality when she felt she was about to break, in her own way she froze time. It kept going of course, but to her she was left behind, stuck in the peaceful tranquility of night and nothingness.

She took a deep breath and she was that small girl listening to the melodies of the opera house. Deep, slow, breaths. Deep, slow, silence. Deep slow ticks of the clock. Time stands still. It wasn't till Erik and her son sat down beside her that she awakened from her daze and was suddenly crushed by reality.

"Are you okay?" Erik asked holding her hand.

The warmth of his hand in hers unfroze her and she felt warm and safe. She knew of no better place to cope than in his arms. She sighed deeply her eyes red and tired.

"I will be fine. I'm always fine." She said sitting up tall and showing no emotion in her face.

"I know you enough to know better." Erik said solemnly, "You pretend like no one else in the world could possibly know how much you're broken inside. You think never could you burden someone understands what you're going through."

Here he turned her aside, leaning in to whisper in a low tone as Eli stirred awake.

"But I am in the same position as you, and I too have the same feeling. I'm not like the others. Christine, I can tell when the slightest color has gone from your cheeks." He held her hand tighter and gazed into her eyes, "I can see when the winter is coming."

"Father?" Eli whimpered turning his head.

Gustave smiled and spoke back softly, "Hey kid. I missed you."

Eli gave a small smile. Was it really Gustave? he had dreams now, for many a night where his brother had returned, was this one of them?

How his head throbbed today, worse than usual, he felt faint and queasy.

"Gustave?"

"Christine," Erik said with a small gesture in the direction of the door, "We should go."

"No, he's talking!" Christine beamed, "I want to hear him talking."

Gustave gave a look to his father and a shrug.

"Hey Old Sport. What have you been doing? Running around getting shot? That's my job."

Eli squinted, his vision blurred, "I mistook it."

"Mistook what?" Gustave inquired.

"The angle. It was the cosine, not the tangent, I messed up real bad Gustave real bad."

Christine stared as Erik tried to remove her from the room. "Erik did you hear him?! Erik?!"

Erik sighed, "Come on."

"He does understand Erik! He does, he knows, he's heard us all along."

Eli gave a small scoff and shook his head, "That was mom wasn't it?" He laughed.

"Yeah," Gustave chuckled.

"My covers blown?"

"Afraid so kid." Gustave nodded. "Afraid so."

"Drat," Eli moaned rubbing his head. "Do me a favor, hand me the liquor."

Gustave made a face in shock, "The liquor?"

"It's for the pain," Eli winced, "Just a bit."

Gustave rose, found the bottle and carried it back, watching in horror as Eli took a swig as a grown man would.

"You really shouldnt." Gustave said gravley.

"I do as I need to for survival." Eli stated.

Gustave watched as his younger brother set the bottle aside and moaned in pain.

"It hurts Gustave, more than any other hurt I've ever felt before."

Gustave made a frown, he thought it had been just a blood loss issue. How grave was the situation?

"I'm not talking about the injury," Eli choked out, reading his brothers confusion, "I'm talking about those people. So many scared people. They could have shot me dead and it wouldn't had hurt half as much."

Gustave looked away, this is what he had been afraid of. From the moment he saw Elis face, this day had haunted his mind.

"I don't mind it really," Eli sighed. "They would have feared my mind. But- mother tried to shield me from it, she kept me in the sunlight. The dark seems so much more alone after you've touched the sun."

"Your gonna be okay Eli." Gustave said , his voice breaking. "We'll get you in the sun again."

Eli hoped so.

But he long ago had learned to draw the line between what he hoped and what he knew.

He knew now that he belonged in the dark.

He was to live in the music.

Live in the night.