A/N: I know it isn't Wednesday but I am anxious for reviews to see how this is going. I am still not sure if I did Erik and Christine justice. I finished the story a couple of days ago. Wasn't really happy with the ending. I hope I didn't rush things. My stories seem to be getting shorter in chapters. I think it has something to do with a friend who went to a writer's seminar. They said a book should only be around 100,000 words. Any more is just filler in their opinion.
Well let me tell you it is hard for me to condense everything down and get everything explained properly. I am glad I got a few responses to my question as to whether to continue posting both stories or not. The concenses is that yes I should post both. So thanks to all who gave an opinion in a review or personally.
Chapter Three
Angel Weeping
Oh Lord, Crystal thought with irritation, the man is at it again. Weeping for hours as he plays. It just isn't right. If she offered once she offered a hundred times to bed the man and be done with it. Perhaps if he had another to capture his interest he'd forget that little soprano.
He'll have none of it though. The poor man had given his heart and soul to a woman who seemed not to care whether he had lived or lay dead or dying in some hovel.
Looking around at her spacious bedroom it could in no way be classed as a hovel. Her former home, now that had been a hovel. The stables behind the opera house had been fine for horses but a little less hospitable for humans when living there permanently.
Her former home now lay in a heap of ash behind a similar heap of ashes that once had been the opera house. Living in a not often used tack room Crystal had slept in the small room at the back of the stables for two years.
She hadn't minded really. At least it had been a roof over her head. The paltry sum she earned cleaning the public rooms of the once grand L'Opéra Populaire had been only enough to buy food for a couple of meals per day.
It had never been her plan to work so hard for so little. A few years ago she had been the only daughter of a fairly wealthy family.
Once financial disaster struck her father had done the cowardly thing and took his own life leaving Crystal and her mother to fend for themselves. If Crystal had not had her mother she too might have done herself in.
It hadn't taken the wolves knocking at the door long to begin making demands for repayment which naturally she and her mother could not do had they wanted to do the honorable thing. Being thrown from ones family home is never a pleasant experience but even less so when the daughter of the banker doing the tossing had been a close friend.
Once the money had been gone, so had everyone who knew Crystal's family disappeared with one excuse or another why they could not visit or help a dear friend in need. They deserted Crystal and her mother like rats jumping from a sinking ship.
When Crystal had found Erik at first she had thought he had been one of the unlucky ones who had attended the opera that night. Once she had dragged him to safety it hadn't taken a mastermind to figure out who the man was. Knowing how violent he had been to anyone who thwarted him she had debated leaving him unbound.
He had seemed to be pretty docile in that near comatose state she had found him in. Her kind heart would not let him die in that dirty alleyway with not one soul to care.
It had taken her a few days to find a small space in one of the warehouses to make her little slice of hell in. If it wasn't the four legged rats she worried about it was the two legged variety.
She had to keep shifting the place she slept in as crates were taken away to be loaded on some ship or other. While her Phantom had recovered she had to drag their few comforts from place to place. It had been easier to drag him as he lay on the blanket. Not easy but easier.
For a man who had lived in supposed isolation with little contact with the outside world he had been pretty hefty even then. Not so bad to look at by any means. Her first good look at him by a small candle had given her quite a shock as well as touching the soft inner person she had remained even in her every man for themselves world of poverty.
Lord but she could still remember how fierce he had been once he had woken. He had nearly strangled her before he had come to his senses.
Great sobs had been torn from him once he realized who he was and remembered what he had done. In fits and starts she had told him as much as she knew about the days following the fire.
Naturally he had wanted to know what had happened to Christine Daaé and Crystal had wanted to lie but guessed that would be futile. Being who he was he could ferret out information simply doing what he did best, blending in with the shadows.
A more mistrusting person she didn't think she had ever met. It took weeks for him to trust her even a little. He seemed oddly pleased but uncertain of her ability to look at his bared face without cringing or grimacing once.
She had thought it a good thing he had been unconscious for the first day as she tended his wounds. The open wounds on his face she surmised had been caused by the rubbing of the mask he had worn for most of his life with only a few moments each day without it as he shaved. His other wounds he told her later had been from the gendarmes.
Once his strength had returned a little he had demanded she find him some sort of covering for his face as well as clothing. She had become quite adept at stealing but not on the level he demanded.
Briefly she had even considered trying to track her mother down to ask for her help but knew in her heart dear maman would not want Crystal to intrude on her new life with a new husband and stepchildren.
The man she had met had not wanted to bring another man's grown child into his home so Crystal had been sent on her way with a few francs in her pocket but little else.
Crystal and Erik, as she came to know him, started a friendship with mutual benefits. She had her needs met while only having to be Erik's face the world saw to tend to his financial matters.
Lord had she been shocked to learn just how much money that man had. It boggled her mind why he would have kept himself buried under that opera house when he could have been living a luxurious life anywhere he chose.
She didn't ask why he had chosen that life. It wasn't for her to know unless he had wanted to tell her. She had a good idea why he continued to stay after Madame Giry had brought Christine Daaé to live with her and Meg.
Crystal had to smile at the memory of her first visit to Madame's house. She had nearly fainted when Crystal had revealed just who the rich benefactor was that wished to take over the care of Madame and her daughter.
At first Madame had been adamant about not having anything further to do with the man who had brought about the destruction of her whole life just to obtain the affection of a woman.
During the hours talking while sipping tea Crystal had seen the change in the woman as well as her shy, soft-spoken daughter.
Once the two had gotten over their initial anger they had wanted to know just how Erik really faired. To them he was the Opera Ghost or Phantom of the Opera. As strange as Crystal found it Madame had not ever asked for that little boys name she had saved.
Perhaps her own youth and busy life had kept her on an impersonal level for some years toward her charge. Later it would not have seemed important or perhaps even appropriate to address him as anything other than Monsieur. That is how Erik told Crystal he had been addressed by Madame Giry just as he called her formally by Madame Giry rather than her Christian name.
Crystal grimaced as she remembered those first few months sharing a cramped domicile with Erik. Between being ill, made at the world (nobility in particular) and pining for love he had been one miserable companion.
If he was not threatening to kill her he cried on her shoulder until he could weep no more then went back to threats to hide his shame for being weak in front of her.
When she thought she had gained his trust and hoped he had come to care enough not to kill her, she had told him to get over it or let her plunge the knife in his heart for real. Not that she ever would of course because for whatever reason Crystal cared for him more than anyone she could remember.
He had not given her any reason to care yet had given her countless reasons to kick him out and care nothing for his welfare. She did care though and in his way he showed her he cared for her too. Not romantically although she wouldn't have been adverse to that as Erik had been and still was a fine specimen of manhood.
Lord the names he had called her once he had awakened enough to care that he had not one stitch on underneath his thin blanket.
Once he had further knowledge that his face had also been left uncovered his anger went beyond anyone's she had ever seen or heard.
It had taken him quite some time to settle down to only speaking through his clenched teeth for her to immediately fetch him some clothing as well as some material he could fashion into a mask.
Crystal was of the opinion that her attitude of careless disregard for how he looked had impressed him as much or perhaps more than her willingness to aid him without seeking some compensation.
Looking at him one would think he had not a sou to his name. Later she had learned just how many he did have.
Once he had recovered Erik had snuck back into the underbelly of the opera house to retrieve the bulk of his earnings. He had accounts in banks but had never been of the opinion others could safeguard his money as adequately as he could.
Within a short time they had purchased clothing, luggage, and all the things they would need to mingle among ordinary people. Erik had wanted to stay in France but Crystal had told him it would be better to seek safety across the channel then return when not every person in Paris would be looking for him.
So that is how she came to be living in this luxurious estate in Shropshire. England had suited them both very well other than Erik's continued desire to have his precious Christine returned to him.
Crystal vowed if ever she could do anything to bring that young woman into his life she would move heaven and earth to achieve that reunion. Erik deserved a little bit of peace and happiness after all he had suffered.
She wished he could be happy with her but he could never replace Christine in his heart. Crystal didn't love Erik romantically Lord knows why not, it just simply had not happened. They could be happy she thought if Erik would only give it a try. But then who wants a man to have to try to love them? They either do or do not.
Crystal had been in the company of Erik Gautier since the night nearly a year ago she had found him weak as a kitten. L'Opera Populaire had burned down just a few nights prior to her finding him in that alley half dead from hunger and neglect.
It had seemed likely he was the man all of Paris had been looking for and she had been correct in her assumption.