Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Phantom of the Opera (stuffs Erik into a closet to hide him from lawyers). See?
AN: This story will be coming to a close in a chapter or two. I know that people want it to go on, but the truth is, I've lost interest in the story (yes, it does happen, even to the best of us). However, I've got a newer, better idea for a Phantom story, one that will be much more fun than this one, so keep an eye out for it! Also, please review while you still can! Thanks!
Chapter 9: Down Once More:
A week after Alisa's abduction and rescue, Erik reluctantly brought her back to the Opera House. Once he was sure that she had recovered from the trauma, and after she had insisted on some 'new scenery,' he'd brought her out into public and let her show off her engagement ring to the world. Of course, when a person is getting married, it doesn't take a great deal of effort to let others know.
In this case, it didn't take long for word of the engagement to circulate around the Opera House. He shouldn't have been surprised, but considering how everything he did became immediate news, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Instead, Erik let his employees gossip, the girls giggling and the men winking at him as he passed by them in the hallway. The older women, namely the ones who resembled nosy grandmothers, were all giving him approving nods.
"It's about time he found someone!" he overheard one of them say. "Poor man, he deserves to be happy! Never mind that they've only known each other a few days; as long as that pretty young thing keeps Monsieur Garnier happy, that's all that matters!"
Sighing, Erik shook his head and walked towards his office, the place where he had left his fiancée to her own devices while he checked how things were going in the Opera House. The passageway to his office, which he had once held open for emergencies, had been sealed by his own hands just after Alisa's rescue. It had nearly killed him to leave Alisa alone in the mansion, but it had be long before dawn when he'd left, and he had returned just before she'd woken up.
'Thank goodness I'd put her into her own bed that night,' Erik thought with a sigh as he approached his doorway. 'She would have been upset if she'd woken and found me gone!'
Besides, poor Alisa had suffered enough because of him. If he had just searched the underground caves, perhaps he would have discovered the other man sooner and none of this would have happened!
'On the other hand, if I hadn't saved her from that…man...I would never have proposed to her and we would not be engaged.'
It was a very valid point. Now he and Alisa had marriage plans to discuss.
I tossed aside another bridal magazine in frustration. Most of them were in French, and since Erik was out overseeing the Opera House, I was alone without a translator. When we'd been at the mansion, Erik had stacks of English bridal magazines brought there for me to look at, but here, for some reason, there were only French ones. While I liked the pictures of the wedding dresses, cakes, and floral arrangements, I very much wanted to read the descriptions so that I knew what all of them contained.
"How am I supposed to pick out a dress when I didn't know what it's made out of?" I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest, pouting.
A warm chuckle from the doorway caught my attention, and I grinned as Erik came to sit beside me, his arms wrapping around my waist and pulling me into his lap.
"My poor angel," he crooned as I tucked my head underneath his chin. "I will have to start teaching you French soon, so that you may survive here without me."
I snorted in amusement. "You'd better teach me soon," I said while snuggling closer to him. "Imagine all the trouble I could get into just by saying the wrong thing at the wrong time!"
He chuckled again and held me tighter. "Well, show me the dresses you have found, and I will translate," he said.
Reluctantly pulling myself out of his arms, I picked up one of the magazines and flipped it open to a page that had the corner folded down. I then sank back into my original position in his lap and watched his gorgeous green eyes scan over the picture. The dress had a beautiful corset-like bodice, intricately stitched with shimmering embroidery and which glittered a great deal. From the hips down, the skirt flared out into a wide satin skirt that ended just above the toes. The skirt stretched back a foot or two, trailing behind the bride. A long, gauzy veil and a tiara topped off the whole thing.
"I like this one," I said.
Erik translated what the dress was made out of, and I winced. The list included hand-sewn crystals, diamonds, and lace from Venice, Italy, which probably made it very expensive. I knew that either one of us could afford it, but I felt terrible about spending so much for a dress that I would wear only once!
"You deserve to look beautiful on our wedding day, my love," Erik whispered to me as he pressed a kiss to my cheek. "If this is the dress that you want, I will have it done for you."
I sighed and let his lips move down towards my neck. "You're sure?" I whispered.
He merely hummed as he began to nuzzle my skin.
In the back of his mind, he saw red. Alisa, his dear, sweet Alisa, was marrying Erik Garnier!
'How could this have happened?' he thought as he made his way down towards the staff area.
The passageway stopped at a central point in the Opera House, right where all of the workers gathered together to trade stories, share jokes, or just gossip about anything and anyone. Today, however, there was only gossip, and all of it focused on one thing: the engagement of Erik Garnier.
"I knew they would marry!" cried a maid as she punched a stagehand playfully in the shoulder. "You owe me ten francs, Thomas!"
The man rolled his eyes and handed over the money. "You and your woman's intuition," he said.
All of the other women laughed and began talking about how wonderful it was that their boss was finally going to settle down, thankfully not with one of the empty-headed twits that threw themselves at him. The employees could only imagine what kind of nightmare that a greedy, stupid girl would do once she thought that the Opera House was hers to command as well!
"She's an American, but she's a good one!" chirped a young boy as he danced around.
"Pretty, too!" an old man laughed as he joined the boy in a dance.
Growling, he turned around and headed back towards the manager's office. True, Garnier had tried to seal it up, but it was a simple matter getting the thing open again, especially from the inside. After peeking into the room and finding it empty, he saw a bridal magazine lying open on the table, a sticky note placed to mark the page. Feeling curious, he slipped inside and picked it up.
'It's her wedding gown,' he thought as he opened it up to the page. 'Her ideal wedding gown…'
Grinning broadly, he memorized the photo and placed the magazine back on the table before disappearing into the passageway.
As days passed into weeks, I began to realize how hard it is to plan a wedding, especially when in a foreign country! Erik wanted a wedding planner, since it would be far too stressful for us to do it on our own, but it was nearly impossible to find someone who spoke English. I didn't want Erik to be constantly translating for me, since he had to work at the Opera House, but I knew I couldn't plan a wedding on my own, either. The whole thing left me near tears until, finally, a few of the English-speaking maids offered to help translate for me to the wedding planner…for a little pay-bonus.
Many stressful days followed after Erik announced our engagement to the Opera House. I had to phone home to explain to my mother that I was getting married, which threw her into a rage. After she had calmed down, she'd demanded to be on the guest list, after which I hung up on her. Thank goodness she didn't have caller ID, otherwise I'd never have heard the end of it! Other calls went out to my lawyer back home, who congratulated me on my marriage while he agreed to close up my apartment, "tie up" matters back home, and send my things to Erik's house.
Meanwhile, Erik had his 'people' make calls to caterers, florists, and a bakery for the wedding cake. After sampling a dozen different types of cake, Erik and I had both decided on a white cake flavored with orange cream and covered in white roses. Erik had sketched what we both wanted the cake to look like, and since the pastry chef liked the design of it so much, he agreed to do it our way.
Today was one of those stressful days, though it had actually gone better than a few previous ones. The dress had been ordered a week ago, and today I had been called to try it on. To my horror, the corset-bodice was far too tight, and I felt like a fat cow when I tried it on. The seamstresses had looked at each other in confusion before explaining (through one of the Opera House maids I'd brought with me) that they had accidentally written down the wrong measurements. I had nodded and agreed to come back in another week for part two of the fitting. Thankfully, they decided to cut the price of the dress down a bit, since it was their fault that it didn't fit in the first place.
After leaving the dress shop, I had come straight to the Opera House, hoping to surprise Erik with a visit. He had told me not to come inside unescorted, fearing that my kidnapper would try again, but since he had been defeated before, surely he would not try again. So, alone and unguarded, I slipped upstairs towards Erik's office.
He could not believe that Garnier would be so foolish as to let his precious fiancée wander the halls of the Opera House, all alone and unguarded. For weeks he had watched as Garnier hovered over Alisa's shoulder, making sure that she was safe and unharmed; the girl couldn't even go to the women's room without a female being inside there already!
'Well, if they're going to make it easy for me…' He grinned savagely. 'Why not accept their gift?'
Once again, I woke to the scents of water and wet stone, the air heavy and full of moisture. There was a dull ache in my head, and the effort of opening my eyes took all of the strength I had. It would be worth the effort, though, to see where I was. I had a good idea of what had happened, though. Biting back a groan, I opened my eyes. When I saw the stone wall, I bit back another groan.
I was back in the cave and in the black wooden bed, and when I gathered more strength to move my feet, I didn't hear or feel any chains on them this time. Sighing, I closed my eyes again and tried to collect my thoughts. If Erik found out that I had come to the Opera House and was no where to be seen, he was bound to figure out where I was. He would probably be angry, but that would come later on, after we were safely home.
"Are you awake, my lovely bride?" a familiar voice asked. Before I could stop myself, I sighed in annoyance, though I didn't answer. "Hmm, I shall take that as a 'yes'."
Hands roughly slipped themselves underneath my body and swept me up. I squeaked in surprise, my eyes instinctively going to look at my captor prior, then to looking in the direction he was heading. Struggling against his grip was useless; he was unusually strong, and his fingers and arms held me against him even as my hands beat against his shoulders and chest.
"You will not escape, Alisa," he said, keeping his tone unusually soft, as though he were trying to sooth me. "You are here for one reason, which will be fulfilled tonight."
I whimpered as he carried me into another room and gently set me on my feet. It was a room where the walls were covered in red silk, the bed wrapped in black sheets, looking like a void of darkness in the dim light of the room. I felt as though I were in the most sinister bedroom in the world, and it scared me.
"Get dressed," my captor ordered, pressing a dress into my hands.
Looking at it, I felt ready to faint. The dress was a blood red.
"What do you mean you brought her to the Opera House?" Erik roared at his chauffeur. "I gave you strict orders to take her home right after the fitting!"
The other man winced and quickly babbled a reply, claiming that "the mademoiselle wished to meet with her fiancée in secret, hoping to surprise him." It was the worst thing that could have happened, and Erik was ready to rip something in two.
"Wait in the car outside," Erik snarled, pointing to the door of his office.
The man nodded and, for good reason ran out of the room, terrified that he had upset his employer to the point of losing his job. Anyone who failed to carry out the orders of Erik Garnier tended to lose their job almost instantaneously; small mistakes he could forgive, but sheer idiocy meant looking for work elsewhere. After the driver had brought Alisa to the Opera House two hours ago, no one had seen her since she had walked through the main entrance and headed up towards his office.
Groaning, Erik hung his head. He knew that there was only one place that Alisa could be, and he was reluctant to go down there. He'd been lucky that the first time, considering he'd taken one of the tunnels that he himself had hidden, assuring that no one else would ever find and use it. This time, he wasn't so sure about the rescue attempt he was going to do. However, the other man didn't appear to carry any sort of weapon, so Erik decided to bring the only one he knew how to use.
Standing behind the dressing screen, I was trembling as I pulled the dress on, fearing for my life. The horrible dress was elegantly cut, and would have been a lovely gown, had it been any other color than this. In fact…it closely resembled the wedding gown I had picked out…
"Come out when you are done," my captor commanded, his voice harsh. "Hurry!"
I wanted to stay hidden behind that screen forever, but knew it would be unwise to anger him. Taking a deep breath, I swallowed hard to calm my nerves before walking out into the room. My eyes caught sight of his face, the muscles and skin shifting as his lips pulled up into a smile.
"Beautiful," he whispered as he walked up to me, his arms moving to slide around me. I stepped back, but it was useless as his hands shot out and grabbed my arms, pulling me fully against his body. "My bride...why do you fear me?" he asked while moving his head down towards my face. "Do you not like the gown I had made for you? Red really does suit you far better than white…"
I whimpered and turned away as his hands drifted around my waist. I could feel the heat of his breath on my cheek and feared that he would try to kiss me. While I both feared and pitied the man, there was no possible way that I was going to allow him to kiss me! The man had practically forced himself upon me while claiming that I was his bride; merely thinking about being his forced, captive wife gave me chills. He, however, thought the shivers were from something else entirely.
"Cold, my dear?" he whispered. "Or do you shiver for another reason?" Suddenly, a small cheeping sound filled the cavern, and he growled. "So, your dear fiancé wishes to save you once again?"
A cry of pain burst from my lips as my kidnapper pulled my arms behind me and tied them with something he pulled out of his pocket. I was then picked up and hurled over his shoulder as he carried me into the main cavern, throwing me onto a couch before stalking off into another room. I waited alone in the silent room, holding my breath to see what would happen next and praying for Erik.
All of a sudden, a section of the wall opened and Erik emerged, an angry and determined look on his face. In fact, he looked ready to hurt something…or someone. I hissed, hoping to get his attention, and was rewarded when he turned those wonderful eyes of his looked in my direction. I jerked my head towards the hallway that the stranger had left from, and Erik nodded. He then gave me a puzzled look, to which I replied with a slight turn, showing him my bound hands. To my surprise, instead of hiding or going after the other man, Erik came straight for me, probably to help free me.
"Don't you touch her!"
Erik and I turned towards the voice just as the masked man tackled Erik to the ground.
All Erik could hear was Alisa screaming for him, calling for him to be careful even as he grappled with the twisted man who was trying to beat the life out of him.
"You can't have her!" the other man cried, his hands moving to strangle Erik.
In the back of his mind, Erik knew that he was in trouble. However, unable to reach the Punjab Lasso tucked inside his shirt, all Erik had to fight with were his own hands. So, taking a deep breath, he launched a punch at the other man's stomach, knocking the air out of him and sending him sprawling on the damp, cold stone ground. While the other man gasped for breath, Erik reached inside his shirt and threw the noose over his enemy's head.
A sudden sense of familiarity filled Erik's mind. The feel of the lasso, something which he had not held for well over a century, drew long-forgotten memories into his mind. He remembered killing the cruel gypsy-leader who had beaten and starved him while the other 'freaks' ate well and laughed at his face. That murder had been justified, for Erik could not imagine spending a lifetime being exploited while others took pleasure in his misery.
Another memory was that of Joseph Buquet, his red face bloated from too much drinking and his limp body dangling above the stage of the Populaire during the performance of Il Muto. The old stagehand had not only been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but he had also done his best to grope and harass every dancer and chorus girl in the Populaire. If Erik hadn't killed the drunkard, then surely the alcohol he consumed on an hourly basis would have, though far more painfully.
Now Erik was prepared to kill again, this time to save the woman he loved. Expertly grasping the rope in his hands, he prepared to snap the lasso into place, effectively killing the gasping, struggling man. As his fingers tangled themselves into place, a voice rang out.
"Erik, don't!" Alisa cried. "Don't kill him, please!"
Then, something inside him died. The lust and need to kill his rival shattered at the sound of his beloved's voice. But a fire still burned within his heart, telling him that something must be done to keep Alisa safe and away from the grasp of this man.
'Death is not the answer,' Erik thought, his hands gripping the rope. 'Not tonight...but…something must be done…'
Nodding to himself, he pulled.
I nearly fainted when I saw Erik strangle the gasping figure of the other man. I had cried out for Erik to spare him, but it was clear that he did not wish to. Instead, I watched the noose tighten around my captor's throat until he collapsed to the ground. Whimpering, I tore my eyes away from the sight. A moment later, I heard Erik get up and approach me, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"It's alright…I did not kill him, petite," he said, keeping his voice soft as he spoke.
I looked up at him before turning my gaze towards the figure on the ground. Sure enough, his chest was rising and falling as he lived and breathed. A choked sob tore itself from my throat as Erik freed my hands and put them around his neck.
"Come, Alisa," he whispered as he carried me out of the caves. "Let me take you home."
Sniffling, I looked up at him through my tears. "Erik?" Green eyes looked down at me. "Can we get married soon?"
Erik pressed a soft kiss to my temple as we ascended towards the Opera House. "Anything you like, my love," he said.
AN: Next chapter is an epilogue, and then this story will be over. The next fic should be up soon, probably in a week or less. Review!
