Who is the nicest author ever? Hopefully you say ME since I am now giving you another bonus Saturday Chapter! But...you might not like me much by the end of it *ducks and runs*

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Guest Reviews:

Mystery: Hmmm, maybe THAT is why Erik does not sleep...too many cliff hangers. ha ha. I both like and dislike the idea that Erik made a rubber mask (apparently Leroux started it all) but with the way it irritates him, I am going to not have him use is much - even if he fixes it. I prefer him with the white mask myself, and so will Christine. ha ha. But it can come in handy. Yah, there will be wedding and living talk later. I am posting early JUST so you can stop turning an odd shade of blue...are you a Smurf?

Guest: Well the suspense is bad, but this chapter might kill you anyway, ha ha. Erik is a smart man, if there was the technology, I think he WOULD try it!

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Chapter 38

Words Best Left Unsaid

Charles Daae sat beside the fireplace in their small rented flat on the Rue de Perlet, his head resting in his hands as he allowed the fear and despair he had kept at bay to finally wash over him. They had been searching for three days and so far no one had offered a single clue to where his little girl might have gone. Yes, it had been encouraging to hear from the managers of the Opera Garnier that she had recently been seen alive, but even that small bit of hope was wearing thin in the face of their disappointments.

Anna had done her best not to show her worry at first, but as the long days and nights had slipped by, both on their journey to Paris as well as their past few days in the bustling city, Charles had watched her begin to crumble. His wife was a strong woman, he knew this, but Charles also understood that where Christine's safety was involved, she had her limits. Just being in Paris again brought back a lot of painful memories for her, ones she had tried so hard to forget. It was here that Anna had lived the life of luxury as the Vicomtesse de Chagny before being so callously abandoned over something that had obviously not been her fault. Not to mention the last time she set foot in France, it had been on a mission to rescue that little deformed boy she had taken care of so long ago.

Charles knew that Anna had never fully gotten over the loss of that child and even now he could see it plagued her greatly. He had prayed that having a babe of their own would heal her wounds, yet it had only compounded her grief in many ways. Numerous milestones in their lives were clouded by her obvious regret that they were not shared with the little boy from her past. In his place, Christine had become her obsession, as if she were trying to make up for what she was unable to give him, by bestowing twice as much on their precious little daughter. Not that Charles begrudged this, for he too was guilty of doting on her as if she were the one who hung the stars. He and Anna had never dreamed that they would have children, since he had been middle aged at the time of their union and she had claimed she was unable to conceive. Yet the day she had announced they were to be blessed by such a miracle, it was one of the happiest days of his life.

When his tiny infant girl had been placed in his arms, Charles Daae had sworn to protect, care for and love his little charge with all his heart, and he had never failed to do so…until now. He released a low moan as he recalled the conversation he and Anna had over the prospect of letting Christine travel to Paris alone for the audition at the Opera Garnier. Money had never been plentiful and while purchasing three tickets by rail would not have been out of the question, it was an expense. Christine had argued that having them go with her when there was a chance that she would not even make the final cut for the festival was wasteful. Instead, she offered to go alone, audition first and then let them know if they should join her when she received word of her acceptance. At first Anna had been against it, not wishing for her baby to be out of her sight for such a long time and especially in such a big and unforgiving city. Yet Christine had begged them, and being the kind of father who allowed his little girl's sad and pleading eyes to sway him, he had at last relented and gave his permission. He now regretted that choice with every fiber of his being. For she had disappeared and so far nothing he had done, or could now think to do, had brought her back to them.

He was a failure as a father.

Worse yet, he was a failure as a husband as well, for nothing he said seemed to offer his wife the measure of comfort he wished to impart. She barely slept, hardly ate and was on the verge of a complete breakdown, leaving Charles no other choice but to secretly intervene on his wife's behalf. While she had been speaking with the owners of several shops on one side of the street, asking if any of them had seen Christine, he had covertly visited an apothecary. There he had procured a sleeping draught with the idea of forcing his exhausted wife to get some much needed rest. It had worked well and Anna never realized that he had spiked her drink that night, allowing her to drift off to sleep beside him on the sofa before carrying his unconscious wife to bed. He had thought of taking some himself, for he too was beyond tired, but it felt wrong – feeling that he needed to be alert in case something transpired that would require him to protect his slumbering Anna.

So there he sat, berating himself for all the pain they were now suffering at the disappearance of their Christine. Where was she? Was she hurt or scared? Who was that man the managers had claimed she was with…and what might that devil have done to Christine without them there to protect her? He could feel his blood boil at the thought of some scoundrel taking advantage of her, perhaps convincing her that he could further her career or that she needed him to defend her against other men who had similar thoughts to his own. Christine had always been levelheaded, even as a little girl she had not been one to give in to threats or bullying from other children, standing up for herself and putting them in their place. Yet what experience did she have with conniving and salacious Frenchmen who had nothing on their mind but the seduction of innocent girls such as her?

That is where Charles knew he had failed at his job. He should have been here to protect her!

He was not sure how long he had sat there, wiping at his tears that would not cease, when he heard the knocking at their door. It was long past suppertime, and far too late for decent people to be visiting, thus causing Charles to fear the worst. He had told the police to notify them immediately if they found anything, no matter the hour, and he felt the cold hand of fear grip at his heart as he suddenly assumed the worst.

Good news never arrived in the dead of night.

Still, he knew he could not ignore the call and he slowly rose to his feet, all the blood draining from his face as he allowed his stilted legs to carry him towards the door. With one last deep breath, allowing a final moment for hope to remain alive, he grabbed the handle and yanked it open.

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The light from the small entryway caused the silhouette in the doorway to be nothing more than an unidentifiable shadow, leaving Christine with no clue as to who now stood before her. Was it her father…or perhaps some servant who now waited in silence, expecting her to announce herself and her intentions? Without any way to know for sure, lest they speak, she cleared her throat and spoke up.

"Pardon me, Monsieur," she began, a bit shaky and unsure. "I am looking for Charles and Anna Daae. Have I perhaps come to the wrong place?"

"C-c-christine?" Charles gasped, his voice cracking as he almost collapsed out of pure relief. "Is…is it really you?"

"Father?" she asked, reaching out her hand as he grasped hold of it and pulled her into a long overdue embrace.

"Oh, my baby!" he sobbed as he buried his face against the top of her head, crushing her to him as if he would never let go. "You're alive and you are back!" he mumbled over and over again doing all he could to regain his breath. By now they were both in tears and neither one showed any signs of stopping.

Finally Christine did pull back and craned her head so as to see around him as she squinted her eyes at the room beyond.

"Mother…are you here?" she asked hopefully. "Mother? It is me…Christine," she called into the empty room.

At this Charles took hold of her by the shoulders and held her at arm's length, studying her with the scrutinizing eyes of a doting father. It took him only a few seconds to notice Christine's semi-vacant stare and the way she seemed to be having trouble focusing on his face. That coupled with the fact that she had not recognized him when he opened the door and how she was looking for her mother in an obviously empty room, led him to conclude only one thing.

"What is wrong with your sight?" he almost shouted, tipping her chin up so that her face was more in the light. "Can you not see me, child? What has happened to you?"

"I…there was an accident, Father," she began, a lump in her throat now making it hard to speak. "I was rendered temporarily blind…and I could not see anything for many weeks. But I am getting better, my sight is returning more and more each day," she quickly added, doing her best to relieve his obvious concern.

"Oh, Christine, where have you been?" he moaned, taking her in his arms once more as he began to draw her inside, reaching out to close the door. Yet before it could shut completely, a hand shot out and halted its progress, causing Charles to take a few steps back in shock.

"She has been with me," came a voice both soft and stern as Erik entered the small room.

"Who the hell are you?" Charles gasped, taking Christine by the arm and shoving her protectively behind him. The man posed a very daunting figure, quite a bit taller than Charles and seemed to not only take up the entire room, but command it as well. He was dressed in a black evening cloak, black gloves and a gentleman's hat pulled low over his eyes. Charles could make out very little of his face, but the almost catlike yellow eyes that peered from the shadowy brim caused a cold shiver to run down his spine.

"Father…this is Erik," Christine spoke up, unable to see the looks of suspicion and mistrust being exchanged between the two men. Yet, from the tension in the air, as well as her father's tone, she knew she needed to explain quickly. "He is the one who saved me after the accident on the barge that robbed me of my sight. He took care of me."

"You took care of her?" Charles asked, his eyes narrowing. "Are you a doctor perhaps?"

"No," Erik answered evenly, doing his best to keep a tight hold of his nerves. The burning sensation caused by his rubber mask was becoming very distracting, but he fought to keep his answers polite and truthful. "I have had no formal medical training, but I am quite knowledgeable about the human body and how to render assistance."

"Oh, I am certain you know more about the human body than you are letting on," Charles spat, deducing that this must be the man who had been posing as Christine's cousin, all the while harboring a desire for more than familial ties with his lovely daughter. "Care to tell me why, if you are not a doctor as you admit, you chose to shoulder the care for Christine yourself instead of turning her over to the authorities or a hospital?"

Here both Erik and Christine grew condemningly silent, yet not for the reason Charles was imagining. Christine did not know how to answer without revealing Erik's secrets, and Erik did not wish to come across sounding like some maniacal recluse, living on the fringes of society. Nothing that either one could say would turn out well…for either of them.

"Perhaps it would be best to discuss such things with your wife present," Erik suggested, praying that Anna's company might deflect some of the suspicion now being directed at him. This introduction was going much like he had feared it would and he hoped that his old nanny's presence might lessen the hostilities.

"Yes, where is Mother?" Christine begged, looking up at him expectantly.

"She is sleeping," he informed her, not daring to take his eyes off the imposing intruder for even a second. "I gave her something to help her sleep, she has been on the verge of collapse and I began to fear for her health. She is currently in the other room, heavily sedated and unable to be roused for many hours."

Erik cursed his luck, feeling that his one ally had just been ripped from him. He knew he still had Christine willing to stand by his side, yet it would appear that her father would not allow her anywhere near him.

"Now, I have asked you why you chose to keep my daughter's whereabouts to yourself and not turn her over to the authorities, who currently believe that she is dead?" Charles asked again, and in a none-too-gentle voice. "I am still waiting for an answer."

"Father, please," Christine beseeched. "It is not Erik's fault. At first I refused to give him my full name, so he had no idea who I was and could not alert the Gendarmes."

"If he was any kind of gentleman, or a man of good character, he would have found a way!" Charles shouted. "Yet now, due to his actions, I can only conclude that he is a reprobate and seducer of young women! Have you no decency…no morals?"

"Erik is a gentleman!" she scornfully insisted, not liking her father's tone at all. "He was nothing but kind and considerate to me! Never once pressing his advantage the whole time I stayed with him!"

"You…you lived with him?" her father shouted; the look of pure terror in the older man's eyes was all too familiar to Erik - even if this time it was not directed solely at his face. "Christine, what has come over you? Blind or not, I thought you had better sense than to…to succumb to the immoral actions of some blackguard!"

"Monsieur Daae, you are being unreasonable and overly harsh on your daughter!" Erik growled, not at all liking the way this man was speaking to his angel. She had done nothing wrong and he would not stand by and allow her character to be maligned by anyone, even her own father. "If anyone is to blame for your worry over her absence, it is me, but I will not have you casting an ounce of suspicion on her impeccable character!"

"You will remain silent! I do not wish to hear you speak another word, you scoundrel!" In the back of his mind, Charles knew he was overreacting, but the past weeks of worry and fearing the worst was now pushing him past the edge of reason. "How will I explain this to your mother, Christine?"

"Mother will understand!" Christine shouted at her father, tears welling up in her eyes at his harsh words. "She will listen to reason, where you apparently only wish to jump to conclusions. Please, Father, we did nothing wrong! Erik took care of me, he kept me safe and saw that I was fed and clothed, when I would have otherwise been tossed out on the street! He is a good man…and I love him!"

"DO NOT SAY SUCH THINGS!" Charles was now completely aghast, unable to believe his own ears. "This man has bewitched you, manipulating your mind into thinking that you owe him your affections and devotion for the scandalous things he has done to you! What kind of man takes in an innocent girl and ruins her reputation by housing her under his roof without the benefit of marriage? I will tell you what kind…a reprobate!"

"I warned you once not to speak of Christine in that manner!" Erik seethed, taking a threatening step closer to the furious man. "I would never dream of ruining her in any way, let alone her reputation!"

"Father, Erik's home is completely secluded, no one even knew I was staying there!" she began, and then recalling that there were a few that did, she amended her statement. "Well, Amir and Victor knew, but they would never tell anyone."

"Completely secluded? That makes it even worse!" Charles cried, throwing his hands up in the air. "And you claim that only two others knew of your whereabouts? Who might these other men be…this Amir and Victor? More cads bent on seeing my precious daughter defiled and left in disgrace? Did they hang around in hopes that this monster here would grow tired of you and willingly whore you out to his friends?"

Charles' cruel words not only caused Christine to pull back in shock, but it was the very last straw for Erik as well. He had been fighting his inborn tendency to strike out the entire time, but now there was no holding him back. This man might be her father and someone he had originally been determined to impress and befriend, but he would not stand idly by and allow anyone to say such horrible things about his darling Christine! With a roar of rage he leapt forward, grabbing the older man by his lapels and slammed him against the wall, knocking several items off a nearby shelf in the process.

"You dare to insinuate such a thing?" he hissed, bringing his masked face dangerously close to Charles. "Your daughter is perfection itself, the epitome of grace and propriety and you would speak such foul accusations in her presence? I would rather rot in hell for all eternity than to bring reproach upon her in any way!" Erik's hands begged to reach up and wrap themselves around the man's neck, applying just the right amount of pressure needed to hear that snapping sound that indicated death. "You were right to call me a monster, Monsieur, for you have no idea what atrocities I have committed or what I am presently capable of! Yet, speak one more word against your daughter's pristine character and I swear I will not be held accountable for my actions!" He was not sure what might have happened next. Would he have fallen back into his old ways and ended the man's life over the slight he had inflicted upon him and his love? Erik did not know, and thankfully he was stopped before he could find out.

"Erik?" Christine's voice cut through the haze of rage that had engulfed him momentarily.

His body had automatically gone into defensive mode, attacking the one person in the room who served as a target for his anger. The mask, meant to hide his shame, was now literally burning his skin, his body tense and on edge while his mind was in a state of shock at what her father had just accused them of. All those things had caused his baser instincts to override his good intentions and he had struck out like a cornered serpent, fangs bared. Yet one word from Christine had brought him plummeting back to reality and the horror and shame that overtook him at the idea that he had been seconds away from inflicting harm, and perhaps taking a life, shamed him to the bone. This was not some leering gypsy with a whip in his hand or a bloodthirsty Shah from far away Persia…this was Christine's father! She would never forgive him if he were to harm one hair on the man's head. Stepping back he released his hold and allowed the stunned man to stagger to the side as he steadied himself by grasping the back of a nearby chair. Erik stared down at his hands, looking at them as if they were already covered in her father's blood.

What had he almost done? He really was a monster!

Charles stood there, doing his best to catch his breath as he contemplated the scene before him. He knew he had been way out of line over what he had just said, his degrading accusations now tearing at his heart as he looked from his devastated daughter to the man who had so violently come to her defense. At that moment, Charles was unsure who was the villain here - this Erik fellow…or himself?

"Christine," Erik began, looking from his hands to her searching eyes, praying with all he had that she had not been able to see what he had almost done. He was ashamed and mortified by his actions and he knew without a doubt that he could no longer stay here. He had to go...he had to get out! Stepping forward he ran his shaking fingers down the side of her cheek, relishing the feeling of her gentle touch as she reached up and cupped his hand with her own. "I…I am sorry," he whispered. "Please forgive me, my angel." Then with one last apologetic glance at her stunned father, Erik turned and fled the house, leaving the door swinging open from the force of his exit.

"Erik?" Christine called, not knowing what had just happened. "Erik! Erik, come back!" She began to stumble towards the door, feeling the chilling breeze against her face as she tried to follow him. She did not see the small table in front of her however and ran into it, causing her to cry out in pain as she fell to the floor, overturning it on her way down.

"Christine!" Charles hurried to her side, pushing the wooden piece of furniture aside as he reached out to cradle her in his arms.

"Where is Erik?" she cried, grabbing hold of her shin that had struck the table and attempting to rise. "Erik!" she continued to call, but no answer came.

"He is gone, my dear," Charles informed her as he helped her to her feet and positioned her in a nearby chair before going to the door to shut out the cold. As he did, he spotted the small bag sitting on the steps and brought it inside. When he turned back around he saw that his daughter had dissolved into tears, her face buried in her hands as her shoulders shook violently. "Please don't cry, Christine," he begged, kneeling down in front of her. "I am here and you are safe now."

"You ruined everything!" she shouted, pushing on his shoulders in an attempt to get him away from her. "Erik is gone and it is all your fault!"

"Christine, please…" he began, not sure what to say. "Listen to me; everything will be all right now that he is gone. You are back with us and that is all that matters." This time he reached out and captured her hands in his own, pulling them forward and placing a gentle kiss on the back of each one. "You will never have to see that man again, I will see to it. And no one need ever know where you have been staying, not even your mother. We will forget this all happened and you can come home with us to Sweden and everything can go back to exactly how it was."

"NO! I don't want to go back with you…I want to stay here!" Christine argued, doing her best to free her hands from her father's embrace. "Erik is my home now…I love him!"

"Oh, my precious one, you only think you love him," Charles continued, attempting to keep his voice steady and reassuring. "You have never had any experience with men…not really. You do not know what love is and it is not your fault that this Casanova had convinced you otherwise. Innocent girls such as you can easily be tempted by flowery words and insincere promises." He paused there and looked at her with searching eyes. "Please tell me that's all it was…there was nothing else, was there? No…touching or…more?" Yet when Christine turned to answer him, he cut her off. "No…don't tell me, I don't want to know! No matter what, we still love you, Christine. Just come home with us and I will fix everything."

"Stop! Nothing you can do or say will ever fix this!" Her eyes grew wide as a sudden realization hit her. She had no way of finding Erik, no way of contacting him now that he was gone! She knew he lived underground…but where? She had no street names, no address and no one to guide her back to his loving arms. He was completely lost to her unless he returned on his own. And at that moment she had a sinking feeling that was the last thing he intended to do after how horribly her father had treated him. The tone in his voice, as he had spoken to her, had been full of remorse and regret, sounding exactly like a final farewell. Her heart cried out in pain at the thought of never seeing him again and she knew she could not survive the loss. Crumbling back into the chair her tears began anew, yet this time a million times harder.

"I am sorry, Christine, I never wished to see you in pain." Charles was suddenly unsure how to deal with his distraught daughter. Anna was usually the one who handled emotional situations like these. He leaned forward and moved to wrap his arm around her in an attempt to offer comfort. "It is just that you appear out of nowhere with a man I do not know and you claim to…to love him? How was I supposed to react?"

"Like a father who trusts me!" she yelled. "Instead you accuse me of…of…" she could not even repeat the things he had said and she turned her head away in disgust. "Erik is a good man and he came here tonight to ask you for my hand in marriage! Now he is gone and it is all your fault!"

"He…what?" Charles was stunned. His eyes slowly fell to stare at her left hand, seeing the ring that rested on her third finger for the first time. "Marriage?"

"That's right! That scoundrel, as you called him, who saved my life and took care of me for the past two months asked me to be his wife, and I said yes!"

"Christine…I didn't know…I…" he stammered, feeling about an inch tall at the moment. Oh, why in the world had he sedated his wife, for if Anna had been awake, things would not have gone so horribly wrong. She was always the voice of reason, the one who would calm his temper…he could have really used her gentle spirit five minutes ago. "Please, let's talk about this…let me make it up to you."

"How? Can you tell me where Erik has gone?" she accused. "Can you find him for me and bring him back?" When he remained stoically silent she pressed on. "I didn't think so! You and mother have sheltered me from the world my entire life, and the one time I try and spread my wings and dare to find love, you shoot me from the sky and throw me right back in that gilded cage! Well I am not a little girl anymore and I know what I want. I want Erik and I will move heaven and earth to find him again, and nothing you can say will stop me!" Suddenly she was beyond tired and all she wanted to do was break down in tears, but not in front of her father again. She did not wish to be his little girl anymore, one he felt the need to comfort and fix her problems for. She was a grown woman now, and she would govern her own fate. "I can't even bear to be in the same room as you…I wish to be alone!"

Charles swallowed the lump in his throat and sadly nodded his consent. There was no way she would forgive him tonight, no matter how he begged for it. It was best they all went to bed and dealt with this situation in the morning, when heads were clearer and Anna would be there to mediate this whole mess. Resolutely he helped her up and guided Christine to the spare room. He handed her the little bag he had rescued from the porch, leaving her alone as he shut the door behind him. Charles then waited in the hall for a few moments, listening just in case she changed her mind and called out to him…but all he heard were heartbreaking sobs.

What had he done?

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Erik was not sure how long he had wandered the darkened streets of Paris before making his way back down to his underground lair, but his body ached, his eyes were swollen and his heart felt as if it had shriveled up and died. The moment he had escaped the Daaes' rented flat he had ripped the rubber mask from his face and shoved it in his pocket, not caring if anyone on the darkened street saw him. Heaven help anyone who dared to approach him in such a foul and desolate mood, for they would not have been long for the earth, that was sure.

When he finally stood in his own parlor and looked around the room, each item that Christine had ever touched seemed to mock him, inciting memories he did not wish to dwell upon. But still, he turned and walked towards Christine's bedroom door, slowly pushing it open and stepping inside. Why was he torturing himself like this, he wondered as he began to circle the room, letting his hand glide over the things that had been left behind.

Ribbons lay discarded on the dressing table, a misplaced shoe peeking out from under the chair and one or two dresses still hanging in the opened armoire that she had claimed she would be back to use after the wedding. Their wedding…what a joke that was now. How could he ever hope to marry her after what he had done? He had come dangerously close to killing her father in a fit of murderous rage! Even if she, by some miracle, still agreed to the union, there was no way in hell her parents would give their consent.

Erik stepped forward and ran his hand up and down the velvety sleeve of one dress that hung there, looking as lonely and forgotten as he felt. Taking it off the hanger he clutched it to him, burying his unmasked face in the fabric and inhaling deeply. It still smelled like her and the wave of grief that overtook him was swift and debilitating.

Christine was gone. Lost to him forever!

Erik stumbled over to the bed, grasping onto the bedpost with one hand for support while he gripped her dress to his chest. The tears were flowing free now and he curled himself into a ball at the foot of her bed, not daring to rest his deformed face anywhere near Christine's pillow. He was not worthy to lie upon such a thing, the very place she had slept every night, dreaming of happiness. He had always been willing to be her servant, an obedient dog eager to please her in any way, it was only fitting that he curl up at the foot of her bed like the mangy cur he was.

The tears gave way to heart-wrenching moans and the only thing that kept Erik sane, was the thought that his darling angel was with his beloved Anna once more. That and the scent of her that continued to cling to the dress that she had once worn…the one he now clutched for dear life.

It was going to be a very long and bitter night.

*FP33 runs and hides* Don't shoot the messenger! And remember I gave you THREE chapters in two days!

And while I am sure we are all ready to punjab Charles...please take into account that he WAS in a lot of mental stress and worry. Horrible things were running around in his mind - thanks to that terrible thought the managers put in his mind about his daughter with some man! And he WILL be very sorry...so try not to hate him too much. Remember he is a good guy, who just had a momentary laps of sanity. (This will not drag on...FYI)

Well now...what will happen next? Will Erik come back? Will Christine find out how to find him? She does not know where he lives or the last names of ANY of his friends. Oh dear...what to do!

Feel free to use your 'snippet cards' or you 'post early card' if you have them! Don't want to get to the end of the story and never have spent them. ha ha.

OH and I was listening to "All I Ask Of You" the other day and if you imagine it is Erik and Christine singing, and that she is blind, it really takes on a whole new meaning! Go check it out!