10. Save Me, Erik!
Margaret lay half-asleep in bed. Her nights were lonely now, for Meg no longer shared her room. Things were going back to the way they used to be, when she first came to the opera house.
She wondered if that was such a good thing…
She had been trying to spend more and more time with her brother and Christine, simply because LaForte left her alone when she was with them. It seemed to be working… but she wondered how long it would be before he finally caught her alone, and what would happen to her then…
XxXxX
The Phantom stared down at Margaret's dozing form from a crack in the trapdoor of her ceiling. Since Little Giry had moved out of Margaret's room, he took it upon himself to watch over her.
He didn't understand why he was so captivated by her… but he couldn't stop himself from watching her through the night, resisting the urge to lay beside her sleeping body and… hold her…
He fantasized about one day revealing himself to her… perhaps she would grow to love him… But cruel reality reminded him that he could never have her, every time he looked in mirror… She could never want to be with him…
Only in his dreams…
XxXxX
Margaret was in a state halfway between consciousness and sleep. She thought she heard the sound of her door creaking open and softly shutting… a weight on her bed… a hand reaching out to caress her side…
She imagined that it was Erik… she sighed softly as he ran his hand from just under her arm all the way down to her hip…
She snapped awake when another hand roughly shoved a piece of cloth inside her mouth.
Margaret's eyes flew wide and she turned to look at her attacker. Her heart nearly stopped dead when she saw the face of Dominique LaForte leering down at her.
"Let's get one thing straight, slut," he said as he straddled her. Margaret was frightened by the malicious tone in his voice. "I'm no idiot… I know your game, you little tease… I was content to play the honourable gentleman and get you into my bed the old-fashioned way, but alas I grow impatient with you… So here's how it's going to work…" One of his hands slid her nightgown up her leg, baring her thigh. "I'm going to make passionate love to you, and you're going to enjoy every minute of it… When I get tired, I am going to leave you and you are not going to tell anyone what happened… No, not even brother dearest… If I like it, I'll be back again… And if you get pregnant, you will have no choice but to marry me… And, unlike Destler, I'll give you everything your heart desires…"
Margaret felt anger flare in her chest. How dare he mention Erik? She screamed profanities at him, but her words were muffled by the gag. LaForte laughed.
"So you're a screamer? Good." He reached down to pull her nightgown over her head. Margaret started kicking and throwing her small fists at him… Anything to get him off of her!
"Stop that, whore!" he growled, backhanding her hard across the face.
Margaret's head hit the headboard, sending her into a daze… She almost lost consciousness, and barely noticed the black shape that seemed to materialize behind LaForte.
XxXxX
The Phantom had never experienced such rage. How dare this man touch her? He threw open the trapdoor and jumped down into the room, landing without a sound. LaForte was too busy fighting with Margaret to notice his presence.
Then he hit her…
The Phantom saw red.
Growling like a beast, the Phantom grabbed LaForte by the hair and threw him off of Margaret. The man let out a cry of alarm. He turned to face his assailant, but a punch to the stomach knocked the wind out of him and he doubled over.
Snarling, the Phantom slammed his fist into LaForte's face, knocking him off his feet. LaForte found himself lying flat on his back. Before he could get up, the Phantom was on top of him, pinning him to the floor with one knee pressed into his stomach.
The Phantom slammed his fists into LaForte's face over and over. He tried to fight back, getting in a few blows of his own, but the Phantom was much larger and stronger than he. LaForte couldn't even see his attacker through the darkness and the blood that was dripping down his face, into his eyes, blinding him.
The Phantom wanted to kill the man right then and there, but a soft sound reached his ears. He turned to see Margaret still laying on her bed, curled up into a ball, eyes squeezed shut, and sobbing violently into her pillows.
The Phantom punched LaForte in the side of the head, hard, sending the man into a daze. He got up and dragged LaForte to his feet. He opened Margaret's door and tossed LaForte outside, as though he were dumping the contents of a chamber pot.
When LaForte's head cleared, he staggered to his feet and looked back at Margaret's door.
"Who on earth was that?"
He decided he didn't want to linger and find out.
XxXxX
The Phantom looked back at Margaret's weeping form. He should have left then. He should have returned to his post and not bothered the girl.
But he couldn't help himself. He approached the bed cautiously and looked her over, making sure that that sick pervert hadn't caused any serious harm. There was an ugly bruise on her cheek from where he had hit her. But she would be able to cover it with make-up.
Margaret's heart rate sped up when she felt a weight on the bed again. She curled up tighter.
"No…" she whimpered, too frightened to move. "Please… don't… don't hurt me… please…"
The figure on the bed did not attack her, as she expected him to. She felt fingers brush her cheek, softer than a butterfly's touch. His touch was almost hesitant, as though he wasn't exactly sure of what he should do. He wasn't rough or demanding, like LaForte was.
She felt his hand move lower and she tensed. He grasped the hem of her nightgown, which was riding up around her hips, and she prepared herself for the worst. But instead of divesting her of the garment, as was LaForte's intention, he merely pulled it back down, offering her some modicum of decency.
Margaret felt herself panic again when the stranger began pulling her into his arms. "Please!" she whimpered. "Please, I don't want to! Erik! Save me, Erik!"
"Hush… I won't hurt you…"
His soft voice instantly quieted her. "Erik?" She tried to look up at his face, but it was impossible to see through the dark and with tears blurring her vision. She lay limply in his arms, just wanting to be comforted. He held her close and rocked her like a baby. He whispered to her with Erik's voice… She imagined what Erik would say, if he were there… He would have comforted her like this…
"I love you, Margaret…"
"It's alright… You're safe, now…"
"He won't hurt you…"
"I won't hurt you…"
"You're safe…"
"I won't let anyone hurt you… I promise…"
Margaret felt herself relax and she snuggled closer to her saviour, burying her face into his chest. "Erik…"
The Phantom tensed when she moved closer to him. No one had ever looked to him for comfort before. But he found that he liked the close proximity. He held his breath as he tightened his grip, pulling her just a bit closer. Margaret did not protest.
"Erik…" How could one word hold so much sorrow?
She was calling him Erik again. He didn't want to be deceptive – not after his experience with Christine – but this girl really needed someone to love her right now…
"Yes, Margaret," the Phantom murmured. "I'm here… Your Erik is here…"
"Don't leave me…"
"I won't… I'll stay… I promise…"
"I love you, Erik…"
"I… l-love you, too… Margaret…"
"Sing to me, Erik?"
"Of course…"
There were many old, familiar tunes and lullabies he could have sung for her… But the Phantom suddenly had a burst of inspiration and began singing something entirely new… entirely his…
"There were nights when the wind was so cold that my body froze in bed if I just listened to it, right outside the window… There were days when the sun was so cruel that all the tears turned to dust, and I just knew my eyes were drying up forever…"
He had never thought up an entire verse so quickly! And Margaret seemed to like the song. Encouraged, he continued…
"I finished crying in the instant that you left. And I can't remember where or when or how… And I banished every memory…"
The inspiration was suddenly cut short. He couldn't think of the next line for this song.
"Don't worry, Erik," Margaret murmured, seeming to sense his despair. She was almost asleep. "You'll finish it someday…"
The Phantom stroked her hair and her face, loving how soft her skin felt under his calloused hands. He lowered his head and softly inhaled. She had a lovely fragrance about her… like roses…
The Phantom was unaware of how much time had passed before Margaret finally dozed off. Gently, so as not to wake her, he laid her on her bed and pulled the covers over her.
"Sleep well, angel," he murmured.
Without a sound, he hoisted himself back up through the trapdoor in the ceiling. Slipping away, he began making his way back to his home.
"I have some business issues to take care of…"
XxXxX
"Margaret? Margaret, wake up!"
Margaret shook the fog from her head and looked to the doorway, where Christine was standing.
"Let's go!" Christine cried. "You and Raoul and I were going to go for brunch this morning, remember? Hurry, you must get ready! And – oh!"
Margaret was surprised by the shocked expression that suddenly appeared on Christine's face.
"What is it?" Margaret asked.
"Margaret… your cheek!"
Margaret raised a hand to her cheek and winced at the pain. A bruise! The memories of the previous night came flooding back.
Dominique LaForte had tried to rape her!
But then… someone saved her…
"Margaret, what happened?" Christine demanded. "Who did that to you?"
Margaret panicked. What would LaForte do to her if she told Raoul? He had warned her not to… and judging by what he had intended to do last night, it appeared that not much was beneath him. He might even hurt Raoul or Christine if she told anyone!
"It… it's nothing, Christine," Margaret lied. "I… I tripped and fell against a doorknob…"
"A doorknob?" Christine repeated dubiously.
"Yes… Oh, I'm such a klutz… I tripped over my skirts… It was stupid, really…"
"Are you sure?" Christine asked, still looking unconvinced. "It seems kind of… well… big for a doorknob… It looks more like… someone's fist…"
"That's ridiculous!" Margaret retorted. "Why, you don't think I'd lie to you and Raoul if someone had hurt me, do you?"
Christine slowly smiled. "I guess not… Cover it with a little make-up, and no one will know the difference!"
"I'm sure you're right… Thank you, Christine… I'll be ready in a minute…"
XxXxX
"Margaret," Raoul said as his sister joined him and Christine in the Populaire's lobby. "How good of you to join us."
"Sorry, I'm late," Margaret murmured. "I'm ready now."
"Good," Raoul said. "Let's go then. The carriage is waiting."
The trio was just about to walk through the front doors when Andre and Firmin burst into the lobby.
"Vicomte! Vicomte!" Andre cried.
"Vicomte! Wait!" Firmin panted as he ran over to where Raoul, Christine and Margaret stood.
"Messieurs, what is all this?" Raoul asked.
"We didn't know who to turn to," Firmin said, gasping for breath. "We had no choice but to come to you."
"What is it?" Raoul demanded. "In Heaven's name, tell me!"
Firmin held up a shaky hand, which held an envelope. Raoul took it from him and turned it over.
Raoul and Christine gasped in unison at the ugly red skull seal that grinned at them.
"No," Raoul whispered. "Not again… This can't be happening again!"
"I don't believe it," Christine whispered. "He… He's back!"
"Who's back?" Margaret asked. "What is all this?"
"Margaret," Raoul said, forcing calm into his voice. "This is the seal of the Phantom of the Opera…"
A hand flew to Margaret's mouth. This couldn't be happening!
Raoul broke the seal and pulled the note from the envelope with shaky fingers.
"Gentlemen," Raoul read. "I offer you my fondest greetings… Have you missed me? Or did you really think that I was gone for good? Allow me to enlighten you, Messieurs, that I never left this opera house. I have watched you destroy my theatre over the past year by casting mediocre singers and performers. I see your taste in divas has not changed. I feel that I have been more than patient, and now it is time for you to let me advise you on whom to cast… But we shall discuss that later… At the moment, there are other problems of greater concern…"
Margaret shivered as she listened to Raoul read. This Phantom had a way of intimidating people, even in writing!
"Monsieur Dominique LaForte is truly a wolf in sheep's clothing…"
"He's one to talk!" Andre scoffed.
"The man is a threat," Raoul continued to read. "He behaves as a perfect gentleman when the occasion calls for it… But in reality, he is a sick, deceiving, cunning little devil… Believe me when I say that he is dangerous. Yes, you may laugh at me having the gall to accuse another man of being dangerous… But expect more than a 'disaster beyond your imagination' should you not heed my warning…"
"He's a madman!" Firmin cried. "We can't allow him to intimidate us like this!"
"There's more," Raoul said. His returned to the note. "One more thing… Tell the–" Raoul stopped short. His eyes continued to read the page. His face twisted in anger and his hand tightened on the note, crumpling it a bit.
"What is it, Raoul?" Christine asked as she took the note from him, smoothing it out. She read the final part.
"One more thing… Tell the Vicomte de Chagny that, if he values his sister as much as believes he does, he will bar Monsieur LaForte from the theatre and have Mademoiselle de Chagny guarded at all times. The man cannot be trusted near the girl… Miss de Chagny no doubt informed her brother of his assault on her last night, and I expect that the Vicomte will take the proper actions… Rape is something that I simply will not tolerate in my theatre. Miss de Chagny may thank the Heavens that an Angel was guarding her last night…
"Heed my warnings… I remain ever, gentlemen, your obedient servant… O.G."
Margaret swallowed hard and turned to glance at Raoul. His entire body looked tense, and he was trembling in anger.
"What is the meaning of this, Margaret?" Raoul asked, his voice deathly quiet.
Margaret remembered someone throwing LaForte off of her the previous night. Then he had taken her into his arms, whispered to her with Erik's voice… sang Erik's song… If the Phantom knew of the assault last night, then that meant that it must have been the Phantom who came to her aid.
"I'm here… Your Erik is here…"
Then the Phantom was Erik!
Shock was quickly replaced by anger… How could Erik deceive her like this? Was she such an idiot that she did not see this side of him – that he was capable of lies and murder – while all along he fooled her into thinking that he truly did love her?
What kind of sick game was he playing? What on earth did he gain by stealing her heart and then leaving her broken and alone?
"Dammit, Margaret!" Raoul shouted, breaking into her thoughts. "Answer me!" He brought his face within an inch of hers.
"Answer me now," he said through gritted teeth. "What is the meaning of this?"