1
A/N: Thank you for being so patient with me, I know I'm a pain! Ha ha, but you wouldn't kill me because then the story would never be finished! ( GASP!)
I Despise Raoul: Thanks for being an avid reviewer, you always make me laugh! Lol, anyway, thank you for the name ideas. I was kind of thinking Christophe though, what do you think? Don't worry there will be fluff, scandals, and lots of drama. That's my story's sub category isn't it! Oh, I think you should use that Julliard idea for a new story of yours. Weren't you the one who wrote The Phantom and the Fop? I think I'm going to go with letter B, sorry, but at least you have a new story idea ! Hope you like this looooong chapter, review for me!
Sapphire Tearz: There will be lots of fluff, drama, and scandals. LOTS, lol! There will be some major fluff in the next upcoming chapters. I'm not saying who it's between but there will be lots of it! I think too, that I'm going to pick option B for my next story, thanks! Review for me!
Now on with the story, oh and one more thing...
Disclaimer: Obviously you know what is not mine, it's just simply too brilliant for my simple mind. LOL! But Andrew Von Pierce is from my messed up imagination and belongs to me, so if you would like to use him, I'm sure I can get him to comply under certain conditions ( Grins devilishly).
Chapter 8: All in Good Time
" I'm telling you Meg, something is not right with this man. One can only imagine what happened to poor Marie! What if he has come for one of us, what then?" Christine started to panic now, the worst thoughts running through her mind.
" Christine, Erik won't let anything happen to us. Stop worrying, your quite an unamusing sight to see when you get like this." Meg tried to lighten the mood anyway she could. The truth was, she was scared too. Both Erik and that young man had been talking for quite some time now, it was going on an hour and a half.
" I can't take this any more Meg, what if that man, Andrew, has done something awful to Erik? What if he is just waiting for us to fall asleep and catch us off guard!" Christine was now on the verge of a breakdown with worry. Before Meg could say anything to comfort her friend, Christine had bolted out the door, running down the hall as fast and silent as she could. Meg quickly checked to see if little Emma was asleep in her bassinet, luckily she was. Meg mimicked Christine's moves to quickly catch up with her, afraid that Christine might do something stupid, being in the state she was in.
Coming upon the study she heard that all was not going well. There were sounds of a struggle and then a loud groan of pain, and when Meg finally walked into the study she didn't know wether to laugh or gasp in shock. Christine was astride a surprised but equally content Erik, running her hands over his upper torso, equipped with an " Are you ok? Are you sure?" mantra.
" Christine, I'm fine. Yes, I'm sure, just as long as you don't move from where you are." Erik laughed at Christine's look of shock at his comment and showed a mysterious smile towards Andrew. Andrew was the only one who knew his secret so far.
Suddenly, as if something snapped in Christine, she hit him hard on the chest. Andrew and Meg couldn't stifle their laughs any longer, Erik's shocked face was priceless.
" You, you had me worried sick! God, Erik, I thought something had happened to you. An hour and a half, Erik. An HOUR AND A HALF of torture, and here you are sipping wine and...and socializing? Did you even think to come tell me everything was ok?" Christine was so flustered she didn't even give him a chance to respond. " Obviously not, otherwise I wouldn't be out here scolding you for your ignorance."
" Erik you did not tell me she was this spirited." Andrew smirked.
" Oh, no? Well she can't hold a candle to Meg over here, when she starts." Erik joked back, both men laughing at Meg's death stare directed at Erik.
Christine, still in her same spot, just stared from Erik back to Andrew and back to Erik again. Were these two men not just exchanging death glances with one another when she left? And when did Erik become so...so sociable?
Erik's POV
I poured us both a glass of wine, waiting for Andrew to find his voice; waiting for an explanation of his claim. More calmly than I could have imagined, I handed him a glass and took my seat opposite him; carefully observing him fidget with the stem before taking a sip and leaning back, only to sit forward again.
" Care to provide me with a bit of proof for this claim that I find so very irrational?" I stated flatly, burning him with my stare.
" Um... Yes... Well... You see..."
" And I advise you to choose your words carefully..."
" Yes, very well. Where to um...begin...um..."
" How did you come about that pocket watch?" I asked, tired of M. Andrew's useless rambling. If I was going to get anything from him I would have to initiate the damned conversation. " Why hadn't I gone through with disposing of him?" I asked, mentally reproaching myself. " Because somewhere in the back of my mind I know his claim is right." MY conscious defeatdly countered back.
" It was my father's." Andrew answered grimly, only arousing my curiosity more. " Well, Our father's, I guess."
" Was?" I said, trying to avoid his last comment for as long as I could. I wasn't ready to hear I had a brother yet, and I'm sure he wasn't either.
" Yes, he died a year ago. He was passing through a mountain pass, on his way to Switzerland, when the carriage driver lost control of the horses. The snow was just too much to travel through, but he pressed the driver into going anyway. Damned fool." He seemed to spit out the words as if they tasted of bitter poison. If I didn't know any better, I would have to say that he held a strong distaste for our father, and yet I was in no hurry to sway him otherwise.
We sat in awkward silence for a few moments, finding our wineglasses extremely interesting. Then I saw him reach in his pocket and pull out the pocket watch.
" I use to sneak in father's study and look at this watch for hours. One day I even drew it, the details are so intricate and divine; it was captivating just to glance at." He had a far off look to his eyes as he stared at that watch, I knew he was wondering about the picture inside of it.
" It took me forever to etch those blasted details." I said with a smirk on my face. I remember I mad it for our father one year for his birthday. I had hoped he would have given me some kind of praise or recognition, but that was too much to ask for.
" Y-You, are the artist?" He stuttered. I had to keep myself from laughing at his surprised face. I had been doing that a lot since my three girls came back into my life, and found that it was quite enjoyable.
" Yes, and that photograph you showed me earlier, the one inside the watch, the boy in the background was me." I finally admitted while nervously circling the rim of my glass with the tips of my fingers.
" I suspected that much, but I don't know the rest. Would you care to enlighten me, monsieur." He said nervously.
" Erik, you may call me Erik. It is only proper seeing as how we are brothers, Andrew." I said with a slight flourish. I could see him visibly relax into his chair, glad that I was taking this so well I presume.
" I'm not sure you want to know the rest." I told him grimly. I hadn't even told Christine the whole truth about my childhood yet.
" Please, Erik, I must know." He pleaded with me.
" Very well. The year that photograph was taken, I had just turned fifteen years of age, and we just purchased a new abode on the outskirts of Paris. We had moved because people of our old town didn't take to well to my face; I was considered to be the work of the Devil. Our parents, well... they agreed with them. Mother wouldn't come near me, s-she would scream every time she saw me. Father beat me to no end, saying I was a disgrace to him and my mother, so when we moved I had a glimmer of hope that maybe things would be different. However, the day we moved in, towns people came..." I couldn't believe I was crying in front of him, how he must have thought me a weak man.
I turned away, not wanting to cry in front of him, when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I was shocked, happy, and sad all in one moment.
" It's ok, Erik. You don't have to tell me the rest, I'm just glad to have finally found you.
What our parents did to you was inexcusable and disgraceful to you. I'm here for you...brother." Andrew was now crying, as was I, for the man in front of me, for never knowing him, and for never being able to comfort him as brother's do for each other.
" No, you want to know and I need to tell someone. Who better to tell then my own brother?" I declared, teary eyed to an equally blurry eyed Andrew.
" That day, the towns people came, even the God damned priest came to see if the rumors were really true. That the Devil had come to reside among them. One girl about my age came up to me in front of everyone, she s-she was blind. She came up to me and ran her hands over my face and mask, and then she took it off in front of everyone. Oh, the screams, the terrible screams. Women fainted, children ran away, and men shouted for the " thing" to be killed. But nothing, nothing was as worse as when the girl who took off my mask and ran her fingers over my horrid. I'll never, as long as I live, forget the look of pure terror that passed over her face as she screamed. She needn't see me to know that I truly was a hideous monster. I ran away never to look back again, that was 19 years ago." I said wearily; emotionally and physically drained from my tale.
The next thing that happened was truly shocking to me. He embraced me, my brother who I'd only just met, even after he knew of my face, embraced me. It was as if there was silent bond between us, it was comforting and assuring. Breaking away we both gave an awkward ghost of a nod as if to say thank you. We are after all men, we hate to show such manners of affection towards our same sex, it's like an unspoken agreement between all of us.
I told him the rest of my story, of how I was captured by gypsies and made to be a sideshow freak, of how Madame Giry saved me, an how I cam to living under the opera house. He just sat in awe, silently listening to my story. Then I told the most difficult story yet, of how Christine and I cam to be. When I was done we both sat in silence, not an oppressive awkward silence, but not exactly comforting either. I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head. Did he wonder about my face? Of course he' s wondering about my face, who wouldn't after hearing my story of sadness and not see the curse it's self?
" I guess the year you ran away Mom conceived, because I'm 19. So, that would make you..."
" 34" I said dryly, still thinking about what I told my brother. I slowly took a sip of my wine as he spoke.
" Well, you and Christine must be happy I presume? Of course what am I saying? I congratulate you on your beautiful baby girl..."
I spit out my wine, shocked. Me? Me have a CHILD? And with CHRISTINE, no less. Ha! One can only dream and not even the sweetest dream could bring me to that level of euphoria. My child, ha!
" I'm sorry?" Andrew asked quizzically.
I laughed, sitting my wineglass down and looked at him with a humorous glint in my eye.
" My child? You think little Emma is mine? No, my dear boy that child is not Christine's nor mine. For god sakes man, we aren't even in wedlock, where is your sense of propriety?" I mock scolded while laughing, not seeming at all intimidating.
" Erik, forgive me... I-I didn't know." The boy was as red as my satin sheets and fumbling over his words.
" It is forgotten, Andrew" I laughed again, and this time he joined me.
" Forgive me for intruding but, if the child is not yours or Christine's, whose is it?" He inquired.
" Have you not seen little Emma's eyes? They have the same likeness to voluptuous sapphires, just like her mother's." I said slyly.
" Meg?" He breathed, more of a question than a response.
" Yes, Emma is Meg's daughter. I don't believe that this is my place to discuss, so you may inquirer her if you wish to know, but just because you pry doesn't mean she will answer. Remember that when you take her on a moonlit stroll tonight and are trying to...oh damn what is the proper term? Oh, yes...trying to woo her." I said with a big smirk on my face. It was apparent that my brother had taken a strong liking to Meg. I could see it when he spoke of her earlier to Christine; his eyes seemed to soften and almost looked like they were smiling. By God, this boy and I were so similar! Both have the same expressions and moods, wether it be talking about a beloved or viciously staring down an opponent.
" I have absolutely no idea what you speak of." His voice did not waver, but he blushed giving away his true feelings on the matter.
" Yes, yes. You see tonight..." I leaned and whispered into his ear in precaution of an eavesdropper, which wasn't above either of the two women I have been living with. You'll find after living with three, no two and a half women that whispering is a good thing to get accustomed to. " ...and I know that you have feelings for Mlle. Giry, so this could be a good time for the both of us, dear brother." ( YEAH RIGHT. LIKE I'D TELL YOU GUYS YET WHAT HE HAS PLANNED, LOL)
I couldn't believe it, me the Opera Ghost playing matchmaker, let alone for my own brother! Just how much had I changed since Don Juan?
" Meg truly is breathtaking, I have no doubt that her daughter will follow in her mother's footsteps. Perhaps I will go take her for a walk tonight." I could see the sparkle in his eyes as he spoke of Meg and knew I was doing the right thing in giving him a firm push in the right direction.
" Then it is settled, tonight at 8:00 meet me in here. And now onto the big problem we've both been avoiding, the Vicomte." I sneered with much distaste.
His face went white with worry ( HA, HA, alliterations; bonus points for me! Wait I'm out of school. Extra bonus points, YAY! Sorry, read on.) And he had to hold his glass with two hands to keep from spilling even more of it's contents onto my rug.
" I don't know what to do, Erik. I am supposed to bring information about Christine back to him, but I can't; I wouldn't." He said sternly as if to convince me he was not lying.
" What if you hadn't found any information, what then?" I asked thoughtfully, maybe there was a way out yet.
" I'd be killed, that is for sure. That is the sole reason he hired me, I always find something. Damn this!" He slumped his head into his hands in defeat.
I thought vigorously, searching for the right path to take, when an idea popped into my head.
" Andrew, how high up do your customers run in status?" I asked, trying not to sound too curious. It would be interesting to see the vast number of people in high society that needed scandalous information, but also I needed to know for my already forming plan.
" Right up to the aristocrats, I even have a third of the gendarmes." He mulled over his words as if thinking of something else on his mind.
" Yes, I do believe this will work. All in good time though, for now we have company on the near horizon." I chuckled to myself and he joined me after realizing what I meant. I had heard her silent attempt to find me even before she got close to the study. Christine came bounding into where Andrew and I sat, flushed and out of breath. Then, something that I would have least expected happened, she didn't stop running until she leapt into my lap!
I was brought into a new and higher level of heaven the moment she laid her small, silky hands on my body. Curse company and courtship guidelines, at that moment all I could think about was having her. I would have to, had I not been constricted to such confines at that moment; curse propriety and it's tormenting!
Just when I thought heaven couldn't be better then this, she struck me! Not hard of course, but she possessed a hidden strength. I was shocked and amused by her change of attitude, no wonder she was a fine actress. As she was reprimanding me like a child who just gave their mother a scare, I couldn't help but think about tonight; it would be perfect. All in good time though, all in good time.
A/N: Ok people, work your magic and cast a review for me! Lol, I need to hear what you think wether it's good or bad. I'm a tough cookie and won't crumble if you give m some constructive criticism. All I ask of you ( Ha! " All I Ask of You") is no flames, thank you again! ' Til next chapter then ladies and gentlemen.
