Chapter 26

Time to face the devil. She thought. He pulled the door handle and she heard the click of the lock and the door swung open.

Erik was the first out of the car still holding Aisling's hand. He helped her slide out before slamming the door behind her. As soon as they were both out, the car began driving away. They stared out toward the mist covered scene. The ocean lapping below them, gurgling and slapping against the dock as if telling them to turn back now. But they wouldn't turn back. The lights along the dock shown dimly upon them as they walked along each wooden board. In the far distance they made out the silhouette of Phillipe de Chagny standing casually at the end of the dock. In one hand he gripped the arm of their beloved daughter as she desperately tries to pull away from him. His other hand is left empty but no doubt he has a weapon stowed somewhere on his person. The sight of the Comte made Aisling's blood boil. She wanted to put a bullet between his eyes at that moment. To drive off the murderous thoughts, she focused on her daughter; on how to free her.

Erik squeezed her hand as they came close. She knew he wanted to make sure she was ready to confront him. She squeezed his hand back and held herself tall with a fire burning in her eyes. He took one more step forward before calling out.

"de Chagny!" Erik shouted out. His voice carrying out far beyond their reach with only a soft echo to bring it back to them again. Phillipe heard him call and turned to face the couple, a smirk on his face.

"So, you found me." He said.

"Mommy!" Rosetta called out wrenching her around in his grip. Aisling wanted to run over to her but stopped herself when she heard the soft click of something in the shadows. She looked off to the side in the dark and felt foreign eyes on her.

"Erik, keep your wits about you." She said.

"You felt it too?" He said.

"Oh yeah." She said.

"So you've found my secret service." The Comte said. "Did you honestly believe I'd come here unprepared? After all this is the infamous Phantom of the Opera. The terror of the Palais Garnier, the 'ghost' capable of killing a man in mere seconds then vanishing into the shadows without a trace. The most wanted man in our world."

"Formerly." He said. "I left that life behind long ago."

"Ah yes, you disappeared the night of the fire. Many believed you were dead, that my brother saved Miss Daae yet failed to save Miss Warner." His eyes locked onto Aisling at that moment. "Little did anyone suspect that the two ran off together that night."

"Aisling did die that night." Erik said.

"Then she wouldn't be here now, would she?" He said. Aisling stepped forward.

"I thought I would die that night." She said. "When I woke up I was back in my world, covered in blood. I don't know why I survived or how. All I know is that I died in your world and woke up in mine. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought I dreamt it all. If I didn't see the blood on my shirt or the ring on my finger then I'd say it was a dream." Phillipe just chuckled at her explanation.

"An improbable story." He said.

"But true." Erik said. "After she returned that night, I followed shortly after. I wanted to bring her home so we could finally build a life for ourselves. We never hurt or bothered anyone."

"That's where you're wrong." Phillipe said. "After your death, my brother was praised as a hero. That Daae girl left him, but I knew he could do better. Our family is old and very powerful. In our world, reputation is the most powerful thing about a person. If you get one little stain, then everyone turns away or against you. Therefore, when I heard you were still alive, I knew something had to be done."

"Oh get over yourself!" Aisling shouted. "Raoul told us the whole story already. You knew we were alive and your ego got bruised in the process. Yet we never did anything to hurt you or your brother. That night in Paris, the night of the opera fire, Erik and I planned on leaving the city and starting a new life for ourselves. If your brother never came down below, he'd never have seen us again. The same thing when we came back. We just wanted to be left alone. If anything, Raoul dug his own grave when he followed us. He caused his own misfortune. And, frankly, you've been doing a good job helping him along the way."

"You will not speak to me in this way!" He shouted and began squeezing Rosetta's arm causing her to shriek with pain. Aisling heard her and felt her anger build. How she'd love to separate his head from his shoulders. Erik stepped forward this time.

"You call me a monster sir, but at least I wouldn't go to the lengths you've gone to. You kidnapped out daughter and used her as bait to lure out her parents who've only wanted peace and a chance to live their lives together. You're also the one who faked my death and tried to burn me alive while causing Aisling to raise our child alone, cursed with the memory of losing the man she loves. Perhaps I should have killed the Viscomte that night. I should have killed him, then Aisling and I would have made our escape and flee to a far off land where we could be free."

The urge to kill built up inside of him at the thought. If he did kill Raoul that night their troubles would have been fewer. Aisling wouldn't have been shot or returned to her world to face her father. But if he did kill Raoul, he'd lose himself and her in the process.

"The only reason your brother is still alive is because of Aisling. If she didn't stop me that night I'd have killed him. She reminded me I am a better man than what I became. I am the man who taught her to sing, who lead her through the darkness back to the light instead of letting it consume her. If I truly am a monster, I would have killed Aisling myself when she was fourteen. She made me want to be better than that. The world made me a monster. She made me a man. A true monster takes pleasure in causing pain to others. You've made it your mission to see us as miserable as possible. You're the true monster monsieur."

Phillipe's smile slowly straightened into a thin line in his lips. He didn't like the fact that Erik called him a monster, especially when he had far more blood on his hands than he did. Erik only did what he did because it was the only way he could protect himself. All his life he's been alone with no one to trust. Aisling is the first person in his life to show him what it means to be a normal man. She treated him like anyone else and even showed him love. He wanted to be a better man for her and even start a new life with her. The de Chagny's had everything handed to them all their lives and obviously don't care who they have to hurt to get what they want. Phillipe went to great lengths to make Erik and Aisling suffer and will put their child in danger to get to them. There was no comparison. Phillipe is the real monster.

"You try my patience." Phillipe said and pulled out a gun. Rosetta began screaming.

"Stop!" Aisling shouted. Phillipe smirked.

"Now, now, let's make this easy." He said. "I want to make sure the two of you remember who you're dealing with." He began pointing the gun at Rosetta causing her to thrash violently against his grip. Tears began forming in Aisling's eyes as her fear mounted.

"Stop, please! Leave her alone!" She cried. Phillipe stopped and looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"You did this yourselves. If you two never met then my brother wouldn't be threatened by you." He placed his finger on the trigger. But before he could shoot, Rosetta bore her teeth and bit into his hand. Phillipe cried out in pain but his grip stayed tight on the child's arm. "You little brat!" He lifted the hand with the gun preparing to strike her. Aisling saw him raise his hand and charged toward him.

"No!" Erik shouted trying to reach for her but missed by an inch. Aisling never broke contact with him as she ran. Before he could strike Rosetta, she tackled him down to the ground. Phillipe's grip on the child loosened and she managed to escape running toward Erik who knelt down and brought her into his arms. She looked back toward her mother and watched as she wrestled with her captor. She'd land a punch to his face then he'd turn her over and knee her in the gut but she'd counter by ramming her head into his then bit his arm releasing his gun from his grip. She grabbed the gun then threw it off the side of the dock.

"You bitch!" Phillipe shouted but she didn't give him the chance to hit again. She drew her head back then head butted him in the face. He fell off of her and cradled his face, the slightest hint of blood streaming from his nose. Aisling rubbed her own forehead from the impact.

"No one hurts my daughter you son-of-a-bitch." She growled, her hand halfway into her jacket. Phillipe wiped the blood from his nose and glared at her with a hint of craze in his eye.

"You…" he said in a low, inhuman voice, "It's all because of you. But now… I have you right where I want you." Phillipe snapped his fingers and a swarm of men with guns came out of the shadows. Aisling made to move and who grabbed her by her arms.

"Aisling!" Erik shouted. He made to run to her but was caught by about four men before they pinned him to the ground. Another caught Rosetta by her arms then pinned her to the ground. Aisling was forced to her knees by her captors then raised her head to look at Phillipe.

"What have we here?" He said mockingly and reached into her jacket to find the gun. Aisling struggled to free herself but in vain. Phillipe aimed the gun at her. "I'll see you in hell."

BANG!

No pain. No darkness. No silence. Aisling heard a loud thump and looked to the ground. The sight before her caused her to let out a terrible blood curdling scream. Lying before her covered in blood was her father. She watched him turn his head to look at her, his eyes mixed with regret and sadness. She fought against the two men holding her down trying to get to him. He turned his head toward Phillipe next with determination in his eye.

"I… won't let you… harm her." He said in between breaths. Phillipe just scoffed.

"You old fool." He said and aimed again. But before he could pull the trigger, the sound of a helicopter broke the silence and a bright light shone down on them.

"This is NYPD! Drop your weapons!" A voice echoed out from above. Blue and red flashing lights were seen in the distance. He looked down at Gary.

"You! You called the police!" Phillipe shouted. Gary said nothing. He just glared at him while fighting back the pain.

"Drop your weapon or we'll open fire!" The voice said again. But he didn't lower the gun.

"This is all your fault!" He said. Aisling just stared at him.

"You're the one who sought vengeance. We only wanted to be left alone." She said plainly. The sound of simultaneous guns were heard as countless police officers prepared their weapons.

"We have you surrounded! Drop your weapon!" One of the officers shouted over a megaphone. Phillipe ignored their demands and kept the gun aimed at her.

"If it wasn't for you… if you never came to our world… All this is your fault!" He shouted. "You're the reason my brother is disgraced! You chose that monster and made him look like a fool! You ruined our lives! You're the cause of your father's demise!"

"You're wrong!" Aisling shouted back. "Your brother chose to shoot at Erik. I only defended him. You're the one who decided to get revenge when you heard I was alive. We only wanted to be left alone. To live in peace. You screwed yourself over." They stayed locked in a heated unspoken fight for what appeared to be ages. Neither of them noticed the police officer sneaking up behind Phillipe until they shot at him with a taser gun and he fell to the ground twitching uncontrollably. The two men holding onto Aisling let go and put their hands in the air after he fell. A swarm of police surrounded them; two officers began cuffing Phillipe.

"You have the right to remain silent." One of them said. "Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law…" They continued reading his rights as they pulled him to his feet and led him and his men away. For a moment, Aisling just watched them until she remembered her father. She crawled over to his body and pulled him into her arms.

"Aisling!" Erik and Rosetta came up to her and joined her on the ground.

"Dad, what were you thinking?" She said. He just stared at her, breathing heavily against the pain and the blood loss making him weak.

"You're my… daughter…" He said, "… I… won't let you… get hurt." He raised a hand up to her cheek and stroked his thumb against her skin smearing it with blood. All her hatred melted away at that moment as she held her father. He turned his head to look at Erik. "He's… your guardian now." Aisling bit her lip. "You take care of her." Erik nodded his acknowledgement to him. Gary gave him a weak smile then his eyes slowly began to close and his hand fell back to his side.

"No. No! Dad, don't go!" She sobbed frantically. She clutched at his chest as her tears fell. Another officer came up to them and found the man lying in blood on the ground.

"We're gonna need paramedics here!" They said. A group of paramedics came over with a stretcher then proceeded to break it down to allow easier access. Aisling watched helplessly as they loaded him onto the stretcher. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion at this time. Her mind couldn't comprehend that her father's life was now on the line.

"Ma'am, do you know this man?" One of the paramedics asked. Aisling stood back to her full height before turning to him.

"He's my father." She said still staring at his body.

"Don't worry miss. We'll take him to the hospital." He said.

"Will he live?" She asked.

"We don't know." He said. Aisling felt sick. Her father got shot protecting her. To think a few short hours ago she wanted nothing to do with him and here he is fighting for his life. She felt her head become light and dark spots invaded her vision.

Erik noticed Aisling become pale as she watched Gary. When he saw her begin to sway, he swiftly caught her just as she passed out. He swept her up into his arms much to the surprise of the police officer. Erik looked down at her sleeping face; all worry and sadness vanished from her features.

"If you don't mind officer, we've had a long night. I'd like to bring my wife and daughter home now." He said. The officer was about to protest since they still needed to collect statements from them. But looking at this man, his black mask making him look more terrifying than normal, holding this woman with such delicacy and his eyes tired, he felt for them. He glanced over at the girl. She slowly came over to the man and grasped onto his coat. The man smiled down at her and she smiled back. He knew they should stay, but they've been through enough tonight.

"We'll talk later then." He said. "Just give me your name and address and I can stop by for your statement." Erik felt relieved they'd let them leave. As much as he didn't want to deal with the police, he knew they only wanted to help.

"My name is Erik Destler." He said. "Many people know me as Mister E." He watched the officer's face light up with recognition.

"Of course Mister E. I know where to go." Erik nodded and looked down at Rosetta.

"Let's go." He said.

"Are we going home now?" She asked.

"Yes, we're going home."

Outside the theatre, Christine, Edward, Meg and Raoul waited anxiously for the outcome of the showdown. They had no idea where Gary slipped off to after Aisling left and they feared for their friend's safety dealing with Phillipe. They wondered why he disappeared so suddenly. Perhaps he heard them talk about going to the police and went to find help. If the police are involved, they'll have to be careful. If they discover who they really are, they might try to send them back to their world.

"Look!" Meg shouted and pointed down the street toward a police cruiser. In the back seat, the images of Erik, Aisling, and Rosetta could be seen.

"Oh dear." Christine said. Edward placed a hand around her as they watched the car pull up in front of the theatre. The officer got out of the driver's seat and Erik got out on the passenger's side carrying an unconscious Aisling and stepped aside for Rosetta to slide out. The officer came around and began conversing with Erik for a moment before getting back in his car and driving away. Erik began ascending the stairs toward his friends.

"Erik, what happened?" Edward asked. He didn't answer. Christine looked down at Aisling and knew this wasn't the time to ask them questions.

"How is Madame Giry?" Erik asked.

"The paramedics bandaged her head and gave her some pain killers." Meg explained. "She also as a slight concussion but they say she'll be alright with plenty of rest." Erik sighed and nodded, satisfied in knowing his oldest friend would make a full recovery. He glanced down at Rosetta and saw her head bobbing up and down indicating her exhaustion. He looked to Christine before he spoke.

"Can you take her?" He asked. Christine nodded knowing the poor child's depleted energy and the business both Erik and Aisling will have to endure in the coming days. She knelt down to Rosetta's height and held her arms out for her.

"Let's get you to bed." She said. Rosetta walked right up to her and wrapped her arms around her neck and Christine scooped her up. After Christine stood back up, Erik turned to Edward.

"Cancel all shows for the next few days." He said. Edward nodded knowing after tonight their lives may become more difficult. No doubt Phillipe will tell the police about where they all came from and it would be best to prepare for the worst. "I'll take them to the workshop."

"I've got Rosetta right here." Christine said. "Poor thing fell right to sleep." Erik sighed knowing it's been a long night for everyone, especially Rosetta.

"Everyone get some rest. The police will be here tomorrow to ask questions." Everyone exchanged worried glances. "If they find out who we are, we'll deal with it. For now, let's keep going." Erik then turned his attention to Raoul. "de Chagny, I suppose thanks are in order."

"I never meant for innocent people to get hurt." He said. "I know my past actions can never be forgiven, but at least I could do this for you." Erik was grateful that Raoul did the right thing in the end but he was right when he said he can't be forgiven for what he's done. At least they've reached an understanding for now.

"Good night then." Erik said.

"Good night." Raoul said and he began descending the stairs and making his way down the street. Once he was out of sight, the group made their way back into the theatre to rest and prepare for the coming days.

Sorry or taking a while to post this chapter. The document manager on the site was being a pain in the butt not allowing me to post the word document to my account. Good thing I wait two weeks before deleting the oldest document; I only keep three documents on at a time. So, I just copied and pasted the most recent chapter to one of my existing documents since this one wouldn't let me. Oh well, better luck next week I guess.