A/N: Please enjoy this new fic, written by myself and Mlle Bree. Also, thank you to my beta, gracianasi! Quick warning that this story will change to mature and has dark, sensual themes.
Please review!
Chapter 1
Three months.
It had been three months since she had last seen her father. He called, sure, almost nightly, to ask about her day and school… but it just wasn't the same. Three months since he'd hugged her, three months since she'd heard his violin, three months quiet and alone in the big, lonely house in sunny Santa Monica. She had Meg and her mother Marie Giry, but it just wasn't the same as having her father home.
She sat in the back of every class, watching the seconds tick by, waiting for the moment she could go home and finally see him again. She doodled absentmindedly, hearts and swirls filling the margins of her notebook.
"Christine."
There was no reply - she hardly even heard him. Her temple leaned against her palm as she continued to doodle.
"Christine Daae," Mr. Reyer repeated with a roll of his eyes.
Finally Meg Giry swirled toward her, one hand hitting Christine's elbow out from under her head.
"You are so lucky I'm paying attention," Christine hissed to her friend, catching herself just before she hit her head on the desk.
"Ladies! Will you be answering my question or should I be holding both of you after school today to take notes on the history of the pipe organ?"
Meg glared daggers at Christine for getting her in trouble with the teacher.
"No, Mr. Reyer. I'm sorry. Can you repeat the question?" Christine asked, feeling a bit embarrassed for being called out in front of the entire class.
"This should be an easy enough question for you, Miss Daae. Name the different parts of the violin. If you cannot, I am sure your father would very disappointed," her teacher taunted through narrowed eyes. She hated her music teacher. He would always single her out and make her feel ignorant when she couldn't answer questions not even a college music major could answer. He only expected musical genius from her because of who her father was..
Gustave Daae was a genius - a world renowned violinist and, when time allowed, a guest lecturer. He preferred colleges but every so often he would find himself in the auditorium of some lucky high school. He had never lost the passion for his work - in fact, after Christine's mother had died, he had only thrown himself into it even more. Christine never could quite decide whether it was because he needed the distraction or because he couldn't bear the reminders of his wife that still lingered in their house.
"Scroll, page box, tuning pegs, neck, fingerboard, upper bout, f holes, waist, bridge, lower bout," she rattled off. "And in the lower bout it includes fine tuners, a tailpiece, and the chin rest."
Mr. Reyer blinked at her in surprise, opening his mouth, but before he could get a word out she cut him off.
"If you're going to ask about the bow, it includes the stick, hair, pad, frog and screw. Is that an adequate answer, Mr. Reyer?"
A few chuckles emerged from the class and Mr. Reyer pressed his lips together. "A fine answer," he said. "Perhaps next time we can try it without the attitude."
Christine ignored him, going back to her absent doodling, interrupted yet again when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced around the room and pulled the phone out quietly beneath her desk.
Get your stuff, let's go - Raoul
Christine shook her head. We have another half hour left of school.
So? - Raoul
She glanced through the dirty glass window beside the classroom door and into the hallway only to find Raoul standing beside it, leaning against the wall. He looked over at her, arching his eyebrow with a sly smile.
C'mon Lotte, let's go. You don't even like this class - Raoul
"I think Romeo's lookin for you," Meg whispered, leaning back in her chair, her blond hair draping over Christine's drawings.
"Yeah, I know. He keeps texting me."
If you don't come I'm gonna pull the fire alarm - Raoul
Christine's mouth dropped and she glared at him through the glass. Don't you dare. You'll get suspended.
No I won't. My dad'll just write a check and it'll all blow over - Raoul texted, grinning cheekily at her.
Raoul, I really can't. My dad is coming home today from London.
I don't care? Let's go. - Raoul
Christine sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to win this argument. She raised her hand politely.
"Yes, Miss Daae?" Mr. Reyer said, sounding annoyed already.
"Can I go to the bathroom?"
"What do you think passing time is for?" Mr. Reyer answered.
"It's, uh, urgent. For - for lady things."
Mr. Reyer sighed. "Fine, just go."
"Take me with you," Meg mouthed at her as she gathered her things. Christine tried her best hide the guilty smile threatening to appear on her face any moment. She slid out of the classroom, walking into the hallway to see Raoul standing there with a smug grin on his face. He extended a hand towards her, and as she took it, another voice spoke.
"Wow, Christine Daae is breaking the rules?" Christine looked to her left to see Raoul's best friend, Peter, leaned up against the opposite wall. She didn't respond. His smug smirk twisting in his lips, and one eyebrow arched in a taunting manor.
"Hi Lotte," Raoul said, tilting her chin up to kiss her softly, and she forced a smile in return.
"Hey," she whispered. Raoul smirked at her.
"Come on, let's go," he said, turning and beginning to pull her along behind him.
"It's opening day of the new roller coaster at the pier. Dad was able to pull some strings with the owner at the country club so we could get passes," Raoul said, peeking around the corner to see if there were any teachers snooping about the corridor. She furrowed her brows, realizing that Raoul had completely ignored the fact that her father was coming home today.
"Raoul, wait, no. My dad's coming home today-"
"Peter, is your sister coming or what?" Raoul snapped, cutting her off as though he hadn't even been listening to her.
"She said she would meet us at the car," Peter said, apparently a bit too loudly for Raoul's liking, as he gave the other boy a glare. Christine internally groaned; she hated Carly. Having Peter around was bad enough, but having Carly there was going to make her day a living hell.
They had weaved their way through the halls and to the back door of the boiler room, making their way outside to the student parking lot, the heat of the searing hot Californian sun glaring down on them. There they met Carly. She sat in her fiery red Mini Cooper with trashy pop music blaring.
"Oh god, why is the prude here?" Carly groaned. Christine's jaw clenched, and Raoul's grip on her hand tightened. The girls never seemed to have been able to have a civil conversation before Carly would insult and belittle Christine.
"Ignore her," Raoul said, opening the door to his navy BMW and throwing his backpack into the back seat. Christine went around to the other side of the car, opening the door. She shouldn't have been shocked by his response; he wasn't one to defend her often.
"Oh, yes, Virgin Mary, please ignore me!" Carly snickered as Peter opened the door and climbed in with his sister, chuckling along with her.
"At least I don't spread my legs for the entire baseball team," Christine said, getting a final blow in on Carly. She slammed the door shut, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Did I not say to ignore her? Christ, Christine. Can you just listen to me for once?" Raoul said, fussing with his blonde hair. He looked at Christine. "Huh?"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that…" she whispered, not meeting his eyes, hating it when he was angry with her.
"Whatever," he grunted, throwing the car into reverse and backing out of his space. They drove in silence until Raoul turned the radio up far too loud. She reached to turn it down slightly only to have her hand swatted away from the stereo. "Don't touch it," he said, obviously annoyed with her. She hated it when he acted like this.
"I'm sorry," she repeated, checking her phone and hoping her dad had texted her that he was home.
"Who's texting you?" Raoul asked, slamming on the brakes at a red light, looking at Christine with his icy blue eyes.
"I'm checking to see if my dad texted me." Christine said, hoping Raoul wasn't planning on going through her phone again. Ever since they started dating, Raoul had just gotten more controlling over the years. Whenever she would ask why he acted the way he did towards he, Raoul would always bring up the time Gustave had told him to 'make sure she's taken care of' while he was gone.
"Why would he be texting you?" he asked, looking into the rear view mirror and parting his hair to the side a bit.
"I told you, he's coming home from London today. He's been gone for three months. Have you not been listening to me at all recently-"
He stopped his actions, his eyes narrowing at her. "Oh! I'm sorry, you haven't been the only thing on my mind recently! I'm sorry the whole world doesn't revolve around you!" he snapped, stealing angry glances at her as he looked away from the road. The light turned green and he sped forward.
"Raoul, I didn't mean it that way… I just-" She felt herself getting anxious, her heartbeat speeding up, her ears getting hot, her lip trembling slightly. She would not cry. He always yelled at her when she cried. "Can I please just go home? I want to see my dad… I haven't seen him in three months-"
"So? I went six months without seeing my father once. I was fine."
"I know, but you and your dad don't get along very well and he and Phil always-"
"So you're saying it didn't affect me how it affects you when your dad travels?"
"Raoul, stop! Please… can- can I just go home? Please?"
"Of course, Christine. Always have to run to daddy and cry when he comes home, don't you? You complain about how lonely it is in the house by yourself. Here I am, just trying to take you out..." He paused, looking over at her, his face softening. "You don't even appreciate it. You can't even give it a chance. You'll have fun if you just try to."
She bit her lip, staring back at him. "I do appreciate it, Raoul. I just - I really miss him, you know? And I was really hoping to be there when he gets home."
He huffed in annoyance, setting his jaw as he hit the indicator and cut dangerously across three lanes of traffic. Angry horns of other drivers blared at him as he cut through.
"Please don't be angry with me, Raoul. I don't want to fight anymore," she whispered.
He maneuvered the car around a corner, causing Christine to grab the handle over the door in a panic. "I went through a lot of trouble to get those tickets."
"I know. Raoul, I'm sorry. I really am. I told you that he was coming home today. I was really hoping you'd be there."
He said nothing, staring straight ahead as they turned back toward her house. Sometimes she felt guilty when he was like this - should she be more grateful? He really had gone to a lot of trouble to get the tickets, and putting up with his father was not something he was all too fond of doing. He stopped short at her driveway, her body jolting forward. They sat in silence for a moment.
"Are you getting out?" Raoul snapped. Christine looked at him and forced a smile.
"Yeah, sorry," she said, leaning towards him. He didn't even look at her while she softly kissed his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow morning?" she asked, hoping he would still pick her up for school.
"Yeah… sure," he huffed as she climbed out of the car.
"Bye Raoul, have fun," she said, closing the door. She barely managed to step away before he sped off down the street. She forced a smile on her face, knowing Raoul would be better in the morning when he picked her up for school.
She hurried into the empty house, tossing her backpack into the front hallway and pulling her phone from her pocket to make sure her father hadn't texted her. She scrolled through her notifications but there was no text. She huffed, wanting nothing more to simply catch up with him, have him bring her a gift from London, anything. All she wanted was her dad.
It was far too lonely in the big house. The empty bedrooms, the guest house, the pool and yard, there was nobody except for her. Meg and her mother Marie had checked up on her often, taking her grocery shopping, to appointments and such as a favor to her father. There was one other person who looked after her: Mama Valerius, her adoptive grandma. Mama had grown up in the Deep South of New Orleans, and had adopted Gustave when he had been a young boy from Sweden. She was 84, and as strong spirited as ever. Gustave had brought he up to Santa Monica when she turned eighty, for he believed she needed to be taken care of at that point. That was all she had in her life.
Christine threw herself onto the couch, dangling her feet over the armrest. She went on google and began looking pictures of shoes to go with her prom dress; it was only a few weeks till the big night. She desperately tried to remember what Raoul had said about what colors she was allowed to wear. He had a standard for them.
"No red, no black, no…" He had given her a list of 'don'ts' when selecting her dress months ago. She didn't argue. Luckily enough she had found a beautiful pink, purple, and white gown with a silver trim. She felt like royalty wearing it, especially when she would be standing next to Raoul in his navy suit and golden waistcoat. They were a picturesque couple… they had to be.
She was distracted by the sound of a car pulling into the driveway. She flew off the couch, her heart pounding with excitement, and she was unable to stop the grin that spread across her face. He was home! The door opened to reveal a man with curly brown hair, deep brown eyes, and a kind face. Gustave was home.
"Dad!" she cried, launching herself into his embrace. His warm smile was the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh Lotte!" Her father's soft voice made everything in her word right again. He held onto her tightly, making her feel loved and protected. "I've missed you so much… three months is far too long, my love." Gustave dropped his suitcase on the floor, wrapping his other arm around Christine.
The two shared an embrace for a few more moments until Christine had finally pulled back. Gustave looked exhausted; she knew he needed to sleep but would never tell her that after so many months apart from each other. He cupped his daughters face in his hands, leaning forward and kissing her nose.
"You look just like your mother…" He brushed some of her wild curls away from her face, his face soft with a smile.
They sat on the deck on the back of the house, a pizza box open on the patio table between them.
"So have you sent out all of your responses to the colleges we spoke about on the phone?" Gustave asked between bites of his dinner. Christine sighed, reaching to take a drink of her water.
"Well… I mean..." she began sheepishly.
"Lotte, I don't like the sound of that answer," Gustave said, straightening his posture with a sigh, arching his bushy eyebrow questioningly to his daughter.
"I didn't respond to any of them," Christine said, biting the inside of her cheek anxiously. The change in her father's face worried her greatly. He was disappointed in her.
"Christine, why? You've just thrown so much opportunity out the window!" His tone was harsh and she flinched.
"Dad, I told you. I want to travel. I want to see the world -"
"You're still a child, Lotte! You aren't ready to travel on your own -"
"Then take me with you! Teach me to produce, to teach, to -"
Gustave held up his hand, silencing her.
"No. Your education is important. You are going to college; there is no way around it. You will graduate high school, go to college, earn a degree in vocal training -"
"Dad, it's just a piece of paper! It means nothing -"
"Enough. I'm calling the Dean at Emerson tomorrow and making a donation to the school. Hopefully he'll overlook your late application."
She didn't dare push him any further. The little time they had together should not be focused on her arguing with him about college. He must know what was best… but a part of her yearned just once for her to be allowed to make her own choices regarding her life. She was on her own most of the time, but her life was still run by others for her.
A thick silence settled between the two, the tension obvious, until Gustave broke it with a sigh, looking at his daughter. He reached across the table and took her hand in his.
"You know how I hate to be angry with you. I just… I want your life to be successful and happy." He squeezed her hand three times. Each squeeze was the phrase 'I love you.' She smiled at him, knowing he only spoke the truth.
"I know." She squeezed his hand back.
"So, what else has happened? How are Meg and her mom? Marie reached out a few weeks ago to give me an update on you." Gustave leaned back, taking a sip of his whiskey.
"Meg's good. She's going for an evaluation in a few weeks in New York at the dance academy she was accepted to. Marie is so proud of her. I am too," Christine said, beaming with pride about her best friend's accomplishments.
"She deserves it! She has worked hard all her life for it." He took another bite of his pizza and leaned back in his chair. "How about Raoul? I feel like everytime I come home he seems to have grown up even more." Gustave said, hoping they were well together, knowing that Christine was lucky to have been accepted into the De Changy family. They were kind, generous, a safe choice for her. They were a trust fund family, with business ties all over the world, and Gustave knew a long as she stayed with Raoul she would always be well taken care of.
"Raoul's good. He's really busy with baseball right now, the season is about over. He just got a new car because Phil moved to Paris, the navy BMW."
"Oh, yes! His father and I had lunch in London when he was in town for a business expo. He told me about Phil's big move, the business branching across Europe is excellent."
"Yeah. Raoul won't stop talking about it. His dad was stressing him out a lot with college applications. He's going to NYU for business and international affairs."
"He'll do very well," Gustave said, proud of all of the accomplishments of those closest to Christine since childhood. Raoul and Christine being friends since birth and now dating... It was expected; they had hardly separated as children, with little Meg Giry trailing behind them.
"So it's almost your eighteenth birthday," Gustave said, seeming to suddenly realize his little girl was about to be an adult.
"It is," Christine said with a giddy smirk, knowing her father would finally be home for her birthday this year. He wasn't there the last two, but this year would be different.
"Any idea of -" Their conversation was suddenly cut short by the ring of Gustave's cell phone. He looked at her apologetically. "One second, Lotte."
He slid his phone out from his dress pant pocket. He squinted looking at the number, apparently not recognizing it. "Isn't urgent," he said, smiling and placing the phone down on the table, letting it go to voicemail. "So, what shall we do to celebrate? Dinner? Party?" he asked. Christine's face lit up.
"Dinner with you, Raoul, Meg, Marie and -" The phone rang again. Gustave groaned, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
"This should only take a minute, then you will have my complete attention. I promise." Gustave picked up the phone, answering. "Hello?"
"Gustave." A dark voice filled his thoughts with thousands of memories answered, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. "I need to speak with you." No, no it couldn't be.
"Who's this?" Gustave asked, trying to soothe his assumptions.
"Erik. Erik Devereux, or have you forgotten me after all this time?" The voice in the other line asked, his tone laced with a dark chuckle. Gustave felt his heart begin to race. This voice belonged to his student, partner, and friend. They had not spoken in almost eighteen years.
"How did you- How did you find my number?" Gustave asked, almost breathlessly.
"It's not important."
"What do you need?" he asked, meeting Christine's concerned gaze and trying to mask the mixed shock, fear, and relief he was feeling at this moment
"I need to speak with you."
Gustave sighed. Eighteen years, and now at the moment when Gustave was home, this had to happen. His heart hurt thinking of leaving Christine alone for hours, but he knew that Erik would not have called after all of this time if he truly wasn't in trouble.
"Give me a minute." He sighed, conflicted between continuing the conversation on the phone and catching up with his daughter. If he asked Erik to call him back, chances are he would never hear from him again.
He took Christine's hand in his. "Lotte, I have to deal with something. It shouldn't take very long, okay?" Christine tried her best to hide the disappointment in her expression with a smile and an understanding nod. Gustave squeezed her hand and stood up from his chair, making his way into into the house.
Christine remained seated. She sat on the patio for a long time and picked at the cold, greasy pizza, secretly hoping that her father would just wrap up his call quickly and return to dinner with her. There was so much she wanted to tell him and talk to him about.
The sun set, the outdoor sprinklers turned on, and Christine cleared the patio table by herself. As she had done for months, she loaded the dishwasher alone, glancing every so often at her father's office door.
Christine climbed the stairs, looking back towards the door of her father's office longingly. She wished he would at least come out to say goodnight to her, but he didn't. With a sigh, she turned on her heel and headed for her bedroom.