Hi everybody, thank you so much for your kind reviews! I could not do it without you. And yes, I know, it will take a little while till they are reunited, but keep in mind, the family will be together at one point, and think about Erik's surprise when he learns about Christine's reason for leaving! ;-)
Anyway, thanks to each and everybody who reads this story, has added it to favorites, put it on alert or written a review or two! You always make my day, when I get an email informing me of one of these!
My other story will hopefully be updated tomorrow, Monday at the latest, just for those of you that follow WWSG as well.
I do not own anything or anybody... not even the baby, since Kay already gave them one... :-(
Chapter 8 – News
A few weeks later Erik finally was strong enough that he stayed awake for more than a few minutes at a time. So, once he had finished his bowl of stewed vegetables that Darius had prepared for him, he leaned back into his pillows and softly asked Nadir, "Christine? Where is she? Why is she not here with me?"
Nadir was confused. "Christine? Why would you expect her to be here?" he asked hesitantly. "Didn't you tell me she was going to marry that patron of the Opéra, de Chagny, I think his name was?" Nadir paused. He had not thought about it previously, but now that Erik had brought up that woman, he found it strange that there had not been any news about her wedding yet. Considering the fact that she had lost her livelihood when the Opéra burned down, wouldn't it have been logical for her fiancé to marry her as soon as possible so that he could provide for her?
Erik shook his head, smiling broadly at the memory of what had happened between him and Christine while above them the Opéra had been burning down and a mob had been looking for him. "She wears my ring, daroga," he informed Nadir, "and it is me she loves. We are getting married. So where is she? Why is she not here with me? You said she was fine?" Erik became agitated. "Was that a lie? Did you just tell me she was fine to keep me calm? What is wrong here?"
Nadir grabbed Erik's shoulder to calm his friend. "Erik, are you sure?" he asked. "This is not one of your many fever-induced hallucinations? You are honestly convinced that Mlle. Daaé loves you and wants to marry you?" As inconceivable as that idea seemed to Nadir, considering the events that had lead up to the fire at the Opéra Populaire and Erik's injuries, at least it would explain why she had not married that young patron yet.
Erik frowned. For a moment he doubted. Had these things really happened? Had Christine truly allowed him to make love to her and told him that she loved him or were his "memories" just wishful thinking? Then he grinned. No, this had been no dream. The memories of their time together were too vivid, and no dream or hallucination could ever cause that feeling of completeness, of acceptance, of... happiness, that now filled his whole being at the thought of Christine.
"She does love me," Erik repeated. "I told her to wait for me at Mme. Giry's..." He paused. "Is that where she is?" he then asked. Of course! How could he have been so stupid! She certainly could not stay with Nadir and help him care for Erik. That would only draw unnecessary attention to Erik's whereabouts, as well as ruin her reputation.
Nadir hesitated. Erik seemed so convinced that the young soprano was waiting for him, but how likely was that? After all, she had not seemed to care much for her former "Angel" once she had learned about Erik's trued identity. It was becoming obvious, though, that he would have to investigate, find out more about Mlle. Daaé's current situation. He also knew the time had come when he would finally have to contact Mme. Giry. First, because Erik was obviously going to make it now, and that woman deserved to know that her friend and foster brother was still alive, and second, because she was probably able to shed some light on Mlle. Daaé and her feelings for Erik, the Vicomte or both.
Nadir suddenly felt uneasy. Had it been a mistake not to inform Mme. Giry immediately after they had found Erik? What if Erik was right and Christine had promised to marry him after all – for whatever reason? Wouldn't she consider herself free of that promise, considering that the Phantom had officially been declared dead? Was she maybe just waiting until a suitable period of mourning had passed before marrying the Vicomte? What if by leaving her in the dark about Erik's survival he had destroyed the latter's chance at finding happiness with her?
No, Nadir shook his head. Christine was not married to de Chagny yet, that he was certain of. It was therefore not too late yet. For, if she truly did love Erik, she would be overjoyed to hear he was alive and recovering and they would find a way to allow her and Erik to start a new life together somewhere, and if she did not love his disfigured friend, then it was better for both of them if she moved on, thinking him dead, for then she could not bring Erik true happiness, even if she kept her promise and married him.
"I guess Mlle. Daaé is with Mme. Giry," Nadir therefore hesitantly told Erik, and when he saw how his friend still fretted, unable to calm down, he added, "I will pay the good Madame a visit later and see if I can find out more about your former student's whereabouts." He stressed the words "former student" somewhat, thus making it clear that he was not too convinced of Erik's claim to be loved by the young diva.
Erik stared at Nadir. "You do not know for sure?" he asked. "Have you not been in contact with Antoinette? Does she not know that I am here with you?" Erik got even more agitated, as realization finally hit him. "They do not know that I am here," he repeated defeatedly. "What do they think then where I am? Do they believe...? No!" Erik screamed in desperation.
"You let them believe I was dead! They think I am gone! How long...?" Erik realized that he had lost complete track of time. How long had he been unconscious and in the throes of fever? A week, two? No, it must have been longer, for it had been mid-February, late winter, when the Vicomte had tried to ambush him during the opening performance of "Don Juan Triumphant", and now... Erik could hear the birds singing outside, and the old tree in the backyard of Nadir's apartment building that he could see from his window, was full of new, fresh green leaves.
"Two months," Nadir admitted. "It has been close to two months since... you got injured. But," he tried to explain his actions, "your condition was critical for the majority of this time. I could not be sure if you would survive. I did think about contacting Mme. Giry, since I know she considers you a friend, or almost family, but, Erik, you must understand, you were so weak, I did not think you would pull through, and so... I thought it would be cruel to tell her you were alive, to get her hopes up, only to have you die on us a few days later after all. I did not want to do this to her. I wanted to wait till I could be sure of your survival..."
Erik groaned. Two months! Two months of Christine and Antoinette thinking him dead. How would that have affected them? Were they mourning him? Was Christine still faithful? Or was she considering settling for second-best and marrying that... that fop after all? Or was she devastated at the thought of having lost him? A smile played across Erik's thin lips at the thought of how news of his survival might cheer her up. His Christine! How could he doubt her feelings for him after having experienced utter bliss in her arms, after having been one with her in the most intimate way a couple could be together? He thought of the way she had looked at him after their love-making, the way her eyes had sparkled when she had finally realized that her heart had been his all along. Oh, how relieved she would be to learn that he was still alive, just barely, but alive after all, and on the way to recovery.
"Go at once," Erik told Nadir. "Don't waste one single moment. Go to Antoinette and tell her and Christine that I am alive. What must they have suffered, thinking me dead! How could you let them believe that for so long! My poor Christine, my sweet angel, how she must have cried at the news of my death! And Antoinette as well. She does care for me, and is like a sister to me. Go and dry their tears! Go!"
Nadir hesitated for a moment. He was not sure he could leave Erik when the latter was so agitated. "I will go," he stated, trying to appease Erik. "But you must promise me to relax. The ladies would not want me to let you fret so much. You calm down, and I promise I'll talk to them immediately."
"Go!" Erik groaned again. "How can you expect me to be calm, when my fiancée and my foster sister have thought me dead for two months! Go, and bring them to me!"
Nadir nodded, and hurriedly left the room. After having asked Darius to keep an eye on their patient, he went to see Mme. Giry.
Xxx
About fifteen minutes later Nadir arrived at the address Erik had given him a long time ago, the one where he could supposedly reach the ballet mistress should he ever need to convey a message to her from Erik. When he approached the house he began to doubt, though, that he was indeed in the right place. The building seemed abandoned even from a distance, and when he got closer, he noticed that it was not just the windows that were closed, but the blinds too. The door was locked and nobody answered, when he rang the doorbell.
"Interested in buying the house?" A deep voice interrupted Nadir's thoughts. "I am afraid, you won't be able to get in and have a look around. You need an appointment with the estate agent for that, but I can assure you that it's in good condition, has not been abandoned for long yet. Can't be more than maybe two to three weeks or so since the lady moved out."
"I was looking for an acquaintance," Nadir informed the stranger facing him, making it sound as if he were a tourist passing through Paris. "I was under the impression that she lived here. That is, the lady in question is related to a friend of mine who suggested I visit her while in Paris and convey his greetings. A Madame Antonia Miry?"
The friendly stranger laughed. "Giry, that's what the former owner was called, but I think her first name was Antoinette, but then, that's just another form of Antonia, right? Well, since she moved so recently, your friend may not have known about her change of address yet. Pity, you won't be able to give her his regards."
Nadir nodded, looking dignified. "I suppose you are right," he replied. "Unless, that is, you might be able to supply her new address?"
The stranger shook his head. "No, I am afraid, I don't know where she went with the girls. I doubt though, you would be able to go see her, even if I did. I had the impression they were leaving the city, going far away. The young aristocrat, who had been courting the soprano..." The talkative man interrupted himself. "Well, you probably have no clue what I am talking about, but one of the girls, I guess you could call her the foster daughter, she had been a diva at the Opéra Populaire, before it burnt down roughly two months ago. She was engaged to a nobleman, a patron of the Opéra, but she was also involved in some scandal there. Some think that she may have even had something to do with the fire. There was a madman there, who tried to force her to love him, he died in the fire but still... I guess her reputation was tainted..."
The stranger met with Nadir's disapproving stare. "Not that I would know any details about this," he quickly added, "and far be it from me to cast any doubts on the Mademoiselle's conduct, she certainly always seemed to be a proper young lady, but something must have happened that prevented her planned marriage to that Vicomte, for I saw her leaving with Mme. Giry and her daughter. The Vicomte was there to see them off. He seemed sad, and I heard him say something like 'If you ever need help..' It was early in the mourning, at dawn, the ladies were all wearing dark dresses, the atmosphere was depressing. And she said something like 'Thank you, you will always be my friend', that's why I guess they had to break off the engagement because her reputation had suffered. They were both very sad, especially the young lady, but then, things would weigh heavier on her, wouldn't they?"
Nadir nodded. "You may be right, Monsieur," he commented. "Thank you for your information. I guess I will have to tell my friend then that his relative moved without leaving her new address."
He took his leave of the stranger and started his way back. He was not sure what to make of the news he had just received. Why would Mme. Giry suddenly leave Paris with Christine and her daughter? Obviously Christine was not going to marry the Vicomte anytime soon, but why? Was it because her reputation was tainted and a union between her and the young nobleman had therefore become impossible, as the stranger, presumably a neighbor, had suspected? Or was it true that she loved Erik, as his friend was convinced, and had it been her to call off the engagement? He had a feeling that only Christine knew the answer to that – and unfortunately, she was out of reach and it was impossible to contact her. For a moment Nadir considered approaching the Vicomte in order to find out where Christine had gone, but then decided against it. No, the Vicomte could only be an absolutely last resort. What would de Chagny think if a stranger he had never met before suddenly asked him about his former fiancée? Wouldn't he find this suspicious? The last thing Nadir wanted, was to make the world find out that Erik was still alive – or to at least have doubts about the former Phantom's supposed death at the hands of the mob. No, it was safer for Erik if the Phantom's death remained undisputed.
But what was he to tell his young friend? He groaned inwardly at the thought of having to confess to Erik that he had come too late, that the ladies had left Paris a few weeks ago, apparently still believing him to be dead. How would Erik take these news? Nadir had a feeling that this information would not be too well received by his still recovering friend. "If only he won't suffer a relapse," Nadir thought. "Oh Allah, I am sure you have kept him alive for a reason. Please protect him now, help him deal with this blow. That man has suffered so much already, if it is true that this young soprano cares for him after all, help them. Let us find a way to locate her, to reunite them." But despite his unwavering faith in his God and his conviction that Allah would guide his words, Nadir still had a feeling that having to tell Erik the truth about Christine's and the Girys' disappearance might turn out to be among the hardest hours of his entire life.
Xxxx
When Nadir finally arrived home, a nervous Darius greeted him. "Allah be praised that you are finally home, master," the loyal servant told him. "Master Erik is extremely agitated, I do not know how to calm him down, and I am sure this will have negative effects on his recovery."
Nadir sighed. "I fear I won't be able to make him relax," he mumbled, slowly making his way to the guest room, where Erik was impatiently waiting for his return.
The moment he entered, Nadir was bombarded with questions. "Did you see her? What did she say? Was she very upset that you did not tell her sooner that I am alive? How is she? Did she miss me?" And finally, "when will I see her?"
Nadir raised an arm in a defensive gesture. "Stop it, Erik," he begged. "I will tell you everything, but please promise me to relax..."
Erik's eyes widened and he paled visibly. He had caught up on the Persian's hesitant tone. "There is a problem," he whispered, defeatedly. "Is she.. does she... the Vicomte?"
Nadir shook his head. "No," he stated flatly. "No, she definitely is not with the Vicomte, but... I do not know where she is. Or your friend Antoinette and her daughter, for that matter. The house is deserted and up for sale, and a neighbor told me the ladies left a few weeks ago. He was convinced they were leaving the city altogether, and he was positive that the Vicomte was seeing them off and that it seemed as if it was a farewell forever between him and Mlle. Daaé."
"Why?" Erik gasped. "Why would they leave Paris?"
Nadir shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, Erik," he confessed. "Maybe they wanted to get away from here, forget everything that has happened, start a new life somewhere else..." He somehow did not have the heart to tell Erik that Christine's reputation might have suffered due to the events Erik had caused at the Opéra and that therefore she could not bear the thought of living in this city where people doubted her virtue.
"The Vicomte was not going with them?" Erik asked again. "Are you sure, she left alone?"
"As far as I know, the ladies left alone," Nadir confirmed. "And I am fairly certain there was a mention in the papers of the Vicomte having attended the opening of an art show somewhere earlier this week, so I guess we can safely assume that he is still in Paris."
"She probably left because she thought me dead," Erik groaned. "She could not live here anymore after losing me..." His poor Christine, his angel, the woman who had given not only her heart, but also her body to him, how must she have suffered to learn of his supposed demise! That she apparently had broken off her engagement to the Vicomte despite the fact that his own reported death had freed her of the engagement to him filled Erik with joy. It was good to know that their encounter had meant enough to her to not settle for second-best and remain faithful. Or... Erik shuddered. Or had she not been able to marry the Vicomte because of... "Because of what I did to her," he thought. "I might have ruined her chances of marrying a good man, and now that she is gone and it is doubtful that I will ever find her again..."
"We must find her," Erik screamed. "I need to know what is going on, why she left, why she did not marry the Vicomte, even though she thought me dead, I need to know if she is faithful because she wants to or because she has no other option and the Vicomte did not want her anymore..."
"We will look for her," Nadir agreed, "but first you need to recover, to get strong again. You won't be able to follow her, to search for her, if you remain as weak and bedridden as you are now." He rummaged through a drawer in the nightstand and produced a white powder which he dissolved in a glass of water. "You need to relax in order to get better. Drink this now. I promise I will help you locate her, even now, while you are still sick, I will try to get information on her possible whereabouts, but you must cooperate and do your best to get well as quickly as possible."
Erik sighed. He knew Nadir was right. In his current condition he would not be able to find Christine. Their reunion would have to wait. "I will do as you suggest," he finally relented, "since it makes sense that I need to get well first. Then we can search the world for my Christine. I will not rest until I have found her again and will hold her in my arms again."
