Erik Saves Meg Giry

Chapter 1: Convincing Meg

Erik had given Christine permission to tell Meg about him. After all, Meg was Christine's best friend, and he knew she always admired him. He kind of enjoyed it actually, after all, how many other strange looking, secluded old men have gorgeous blondes obsessing over them. Of course she was quite ugly compared to his Christine, but then again, he was biased when it came to her.

Christine had told Meg about Erik, and Meg looked a little concerned. "But Christine, what if he hurts you?"

"Meg, he hasn't hurt me in all this time, and thanks to him, I have the best smelling room in all of France. After all, roses do create a nice perfume. I want to marry him, but he can't come out of hiding, everyone wants him dead."

"Christine, he killed two people!"

Christine rolled her eyes. "Christine, he killed two people!" she mimicked, "Like you've never made a mistake? I know he killed two people, he feels horrible about it believe me. But he's not a bad man; he loves me and wants so much to be accepted. But, I need your help."

"My help?"

"Yes, I figure if we can stage a scene where you are in desperate need of help, and he can rescue you…"

"You want me to risk my life so you can that plastic face monster can…."

Christine was starting to get irritated and muttered under her breath about having access to chandeliers now. She took a deep breath and tried to talk calmly again to Meg. "Meg, after the show tonight, come with me please, I need to show you something."

Meg still admired the Phantom, after all anyone that heard Christine sing knew he was a genius…but killing somehow seemed so wrong to Meg. "I shouldn't do it, but alright."

After the show, Meg followed Christine back to her room. Christine immediately locked the door, and then opened the mirror. She led Meg down to the hidden underground lair. Meg looked scared, but was rather curious too, however, upon seeing the Phantom she quickly stopped all movement afraid of being killed.

Erik went over to Christine and kissed her softly on the lips. "Good evening dear."

Christine smiled, "Erik, this is Meg Giry my best friend. Meg this is Erik, the greatest man of all time."

"H-h-hi sir." Meg struggled to get the words out she was so scared, but Christine got her to sit down and then she started to talk.

"Okay, I want to marry that man," she pointed to Erik. "However, I can't do that until people stop wanting him dead. To do that, he needs to show he's a good person. That is where you come in. We simply put you in danger, and then he saves your life. Simple, non?"

"Why me? Why can't you get saved?"

"Oh yes, that would go so well Meg. They would think I staged it for attention, and then come after him again. However, if you do it, sweet little Meg, no one would suspect you. And when he saves you he's a hero. I get married, you get to be my matron of honor, and everyone is happy."

Erik looks at Christine and then at Meg. "I can understand you wouldn't want t help me. But tell me is there a way I can prove to you I am not that bad, or at least not anymore. I love Christine, I always have, and it was wrong to kill to get what I wanted, but try to understand, no one every taught me about wrong things, they taught me about hate, and greed, and destruction, and pain. But then Christine came and told me I was not evil because of my face, I was evil because of my actions. He pauses and goes over to Christine before continuing. "Yes, she, Christine here, she called me evil. Until that moment I never realized what I was doing. And then, she kissed me to show me that I was not so horrible just because of my face. I loved her long before that, after that, I realized how much I loved her. So much, I told her to go with Raoul." He smiles taking Christine's hand in his own, "From that moment I understood, when you love you don't force the person to stay, you let them go."

"And they will always return," said Christine.

Meg smiled a little. I was fine with Joseph being killed, he was chasing you…but…" she quickly gets quite trying to fight the tears.

Erik, slowly and nervously walks over resting his hand on Meg's shoulder. "I am sorry I killed Piangi. I wish I could bring him back, but I can't. I have no good reason, other than to say I didn't know better. When I was a child, my ….my owners thought my face was great for an act. I was beaten if I didn't perform. At one point they were going to kill me because I wanted to leave. I didn't know what was wrong, but inside it hurt, I didn't want to be laughed at. But, they decided to get what they wanted…money at my expense…no matter what. And if not, they were wiling to kill me. Scared, I killed them and escaped, that is when your mother found me. She took care of me, but she kept me hidden. I am greatful to your mother, but still it hurt, I was still not worthy to come out."

Meg cut him off suddenly, "my mother always helped you, even today she is the only one, besides Christine, who doesn't talk badly about you."

"Don't get me wrong, I love your mother for what she has done." He smiled at the word love, he had never known it's meaning and now he realized he loved Madame Giry like a….mother…no…a friend… a sister…He wasn't sure but he knew it was true. "But, I still felt rejected; she did it to keep me safe, but all my life I was secluded, so it still hurt. So, I never quite understood or was able to feel like anyone cared. And then I heard Christine sing, and fell in love. I learned if you want something do what it takes, even kill those that oppose you."

"But what does that have to do with Piangi, he never said a word to you."

"No he didn't, but he was in the role I needed to be in to get on the stage with Christine. So I grabbed the lasso and right before I killed him I said to him, Miss Daae will be mine fat boy. He tried to stop me, but he couldn't I had already hanged him. Christine was already affecting me, because I felt a little bit of remorse, and I didn't know what it was. Then Christine and I came down here...Raoul came down as well." Pain filled Erik's eyes as he continued, he didn't like to think about that night, but he knew she had to be told everything if they wanted her help.

"Christine told me that her tears were tears of hate. I couldn't bear it, Christine Daae, love of my life, she hated me, not because I loved her, but because I was evil…I had killed. I realized then that I really was no better than those I hated, the ones who hated me because of my looks. It was at that moment I truly felt sorry I had killed Piangi, but there was nothing I could do. But there was…not for Piangi, but for Raoul and Christine. So, I told them to go, I admit I am a coward, I tried to run away when they left."

"Which is why I found your mask…."

"Yes, that is why. But I couldn't stay away, so after a month or so, I returned, but always in disguise as an old man. I never missed Christine's performances and always left her a rose in her room. That was risky, because I knew she hated me, or at least I thought she did."

"I thought I did too for a while," replied Christine.

"Your mother knew I was back, she forgave me. She made sure I had food, after all I was really in hiding now, I couldn't demand anymore money; could I? But then after two years, Christine came and told me she loved me. We decided to keep our love and relationship a secret for two reasons. One, I was supposed to be gone and two, I'm not the most popular man in the theatre. Even your mother doesn't know about Christine and I. You see Meg, I know now what I did was wrong, and there's no way I can amend my wrong doings, but I beg you to help us. I want to start over, and live like normal people. Sure my face is different, but you know what?

"Hm?"

"On the inside, I am the same. I want to be loved." He goes back to Christine. I want to do my music so everyone can hear it. I want to go out in daylight without feeling ashamed. I want a chance…a chance I never got, but that Christine has told me for months a I deserve. Don't you see Meg…if I could save your life, they'll see I've changed. It won't be me causing the deaths, but me stopping them. I will show them that I can be the type of man that can be respected. And then, and then I shall marry Christine, in a real ceremony."

"A real….what do you mean real?"

Erik and Christine quickly show her the wedding rings they've had for so long. And Christine explains, "We can't wear them, at least I can't, people would question it. And I can't very well say, well you see I decided to marry Erik, you know, the Phantom you all so hate with a passion. So, we've had them in here. To us, we are already married, to the rest of the world, I've merely gotten so upset with Raoul and me breaking up that I quit dating." Christine gets quiet and whispers, "Please help us Meg, please."

Not sure she can fully forgive Erik, however, she nods in silence before answering. "Yes, I will help you Christine."

Erik looks at the clock. "It's late, Meg Christine should get you back before they start to wonder. We can discuss tomorrow the plan for everything. Thank you Meg, thank you so much." Not knowing why, he's still confused about these emotions and such, but he goes over and hugs Meg before going to Christine. "My dear, take her back, and if you want to come back down please do. " He then whispers in her ear, "Perhaps we can work on another…vocal lesson… tonight." He grinned as Christine blushed deeply at his comment.

"I will be back in a bit." She kisses him and then leads Meg out of dungeon. "Thank you so much Meg. Can you come down tomorrow with me, and we can plan our plan?"

"Yes, I'll meet you in your room tomorrow after the show is over."

Once upstairs Christine hugged her friend and then returned to her own room, where she locked the door and quickly went back to Erik.

She could see he looked worried and went over to him. "Fear not my love. Soon everything will be okay." She hugged him and he instantly relaxed leading her to the bed.