All Roads Lead to Paris

NOTE: Here is another, I hope more exciting chapter. Our heroin is settling in Paris, and making friends the same week Christine is in Perros with Raoul. All though, Christine is not mentioned yet in this chapter. But she will appear eventually, and there will be more of Erik soon! Thank you for reading, please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux does.

At 9:00am I arrived in the lobby of the Rue de scribe. Men were lounging around, women chatting amongst themselves. At the front desk I saw that my luggage had been delivered. When I rang the service bell for the doorman, I noticed a Persian man looking at me curiously. "Excuse me," I said to the doorman coming out. "I'm Erika Destler, and I'm here to check in with my luggage."

He looked down at the luggage behind him. "Ah yes, the new chorus girl at the Paris opera." The Persian man continued to watch me. "It is apartment number 501," he handed me the keys, "Welcome to Paris." he smiled.

I began picking up my luggage when the Persian stopped in front of me. "That is a lot for a young woman to carry."

I looked up at him. "yeah, and?" I said.

"Might I be of assistance to you?" He asked.

It is a lot. "Yeah. I could use some help." He carefully placed a large case over his shoulder. "Thank you." I said.

"Your apartment is right next to mine, it is no trouble."

Walking up the many, many steps. "So, you got a name monsieur?" I asked, now dragging my luggage up the steps.

"Most call me 'The Persian.'" he said.

"Don't you have a real name?" I asked.

"I go either by my title 'The Daroga', or Nadir is fine too." he replied.

"What's a Daroga?" I asked.

"It's like a chief of police in my country." he replied.

"Really?" I asked Nadir.

"Yes. and you are Erika?" he said.

"Yup." Nadir gave me an odd look. "What? I asked him.

"Your remind me a lot of a friend of mine." Nadir told me.

"Oh yeah?" I asked.

"Yes. I paid him a visit recently. Ah, here we are." We finally made it up the atrocious winding staircase. Once inside the apartment I droped my luggage on the floor and laid on top of it.

"Ahhhgggg! so many steps!" I cried.

"And more luggage to carry" said Nadir setting the suitcase down.

"Master?" said a man peaking in through the door.

"Oh, hello Darius. Maybe you can help us." said Nadir.

"Anything." he replied.

"We are helping Mademoiselle Erika move in." Nadir Commanded.

The man named Darius bowed and waited for Nadir.

"Master?" I asked confusingly to Nadir.

"He is my servant. He was given to me when I came to live here." he replied.

"Oh." I said.

It took us about an hour to get all of my things into my new apartment.

"Thank you for the help you guys." I said.

"Would you like to come over for tea Mademoiselle?" asked Darius.

"Oh, you know I would love to. But I really have to put all this stuff away."

"Let us help you!" said Darius.

"Oh, no. that's very kind of you but..."

Nadir Interrupted. "You should rest, really."

"Well, I suppose a cup of tea couldn't hurt." I said.

His apartment looked no different than mine. It wasn't very decorated. except. A Persian rug, some brightly colored curtains, and a random gene lamp above the fire place in the living room.

The first thing I saw was the Persian rug. Excitedly, I ran over to it and sat down on it. I took Hold of the ends. "Does it fly?!" I asked sarcastically. "I'm sorry I couldn't resist!" I said laughing.

"You even have his sarcasm..." I heard Nadir say to himself.

"Your friend again?" I asked him.

"Yes." Nadir replied, rubbing his temples.

"Well, I'd love to meet this mystery man one day." I said getting up from the rug.

"Mystery man is one way to put it, yes." Nadir commented.

"Which Tea would you like Master?" said Darius.

"What do you like Mademoiselle?" Nadir asked me.

"I don't think you have it." I said.

"Try me." Nadir responded.

"I drink green tea imported from Japan, cold not hot." I said.

"Darius?" he asked his servant.

"We have black tea from home." Darius responded. Nadir turned to me.

"Do you have anything sweeter?" I asked. Darius nodded and left to the kitchen area.

Nadir offered me a place on his sofa. "So, how old are you mademoiselle?" he questioned, sitting next to me.

"18. you?" I responded.

"30." he replied

"old." I laughed.

"Very amusing." he replied.

"Sorry, I just like to joke around. I've never really had any company before." I confessed.

"Why not?" Nadir asked me.

"Well, I was home schooled, locked away. I think the only one who knew I even existed was my mother." I said.

"Father?" he asked.

"He was a construction worker, I didn't get to see him often when I was young. He died when I was about 8." I said.

"I am very sorry." Nadir said

"No, it's ok, I'm fine." I said.

"Didn't you have any siblings to talk to?" Nadir asked me.

I looked down remembering my long lost brother Erik.

"I never got to meet him." I said grimly.

"And what happened to him?" he asked sincerely. His jade eyes never leaving me.

I kept my head down. My bright yellow/gold eyes faded to a duller shade of gold. "He was very young when he ran away from home. sometimes I feel like I'm my mother's replacement for him."

Nadir placed a hand on my shoulder. "What makes you say that?"

"My mother told me he was hideously deformed." I felt his hand stiffen. "She named me after him. because she finally had a pleasant image that came to her mind, upon hearing that name." I said.

"Erika." he said to himself.

"Yup, that's my name. Don't wear it out." I said sadly.

"And what do you think of your brother?" Nadir asked, taking his hand off my shoulder.

"Unique. Something special." I said facing him.

Darius came in when Nadir was about to speak. "The Tea requested, is ready."

"Thank you. Come mademoiselle." He offered me his arm, (even though it wasn't that far to the kitchen).

At the table Nadir tried to bring the conversation to another subject."Where did you live before mademoiselle?"

"Rouen." I said.

"Is it anything like here?" Nadir asked me.

"Um, no not really. This seems more industrial to me." I said.

"Winter is coming soon." said Nadir.

"Oh, yes." I said.

"Will you go back to Rouen and spend Christmas with your mother?" asked Nadir.

"No, I don't so." I said.

"Well, you are always welcome here mademoiselle. We would love having some company for the holidays." said Nadir.

"That sounds very nice." I smiled.

I didn't get back to my apartment till around 5:00pm I had a really nice time with Nadir.

Darius came back with me and helped me arrange the apartment. It was coming together. When most of the stuff was put away. I realized it was about 8:00 and Darius invited me back to Nadir's apartment for dinner. So the highlight of my day was hanging out with Nadir and his man servant Darius. They were very hospitable.

The rest of the week basically went like this.

Nadir came over or I came over to Nadir's, I finished unpacking the boxes and fixing up the apartment,(with help of course). Then me and Nadir went back and forth making dinner for each other. From day one it was like we knew each other forever. I guess to Nadir that means we we're meant to be friends. And tomorrow he will accompany me to the opera house and show me around. He said his 'friend' taught him the way around the opera house. I hope one day I'll finally get to meet this 'friend'.

Note: so what do you think? Keep going? About Erika's Appearance, she has long black hair that falls in large curls. Her sweeped bangs frame her face perfectly. Her skin is a peachy color. She has Erik's glowing eyes. She also has high and definite cheeks bones and has a small nose. She also loves to wear rouge on her lips. (Back in the day that's what they used as a bright red lipstick and/ or blush). She is suppose to be kind of like Erik's appearance opposite. Let's face it, Erik's an ugly man and Erika is a very beautiful young woman. I think like this it symbolizes without the deformity Erik could have been handsome as Erika is beautiful. Leave your reviews on the way out please! Merci!