"Oh I'm sorry Father. You sounded like somebody else," I said nonchalantly,
"my mistake."
"Wha-Minnie, is this how you talk to you father now?" asked the man before me, "And why are you calling me 'Father'? You always called me 'Daddy' or 'Papa'."
"I'm not that brainwashed baby girl I once was and that you want me to be," I answered simply. "But I've been rude." I turned to Josh. "Josh, this," saying this as though I was speaking about something I had scraped off the bottom of my shoe, "this is mine and Erik's miserable, pathetic, apathetic, prejudice, judgmental, biased excuse for a father, Jacques Duquesne. You," I addressed my father, "this is Josh Hemlock, my sweetheart." I seemed to be making a lot of people get that my-eyes-are-going-to-pop-out-of-my-head look lately because that's now how my father looked.
"Minnie, what are you saying? Why are you acting like this?" asked Jacques.
"Don't call me 'Minnie'. I always hated that stupid nickname," I said shortly, "and I'm acting like this because I know the truth. You discarded my brother like so much trash just because he looks different. That's pathetic." I looked steadily at him, using that cold look of mine that Erik said made your soul feel like ice. "Over the past four years, I've learned more than you'll ever know or you'd ever be able to comprehend. I found my true family. Someone who loves me, truly loves me, for who I am and not what they want me to be or they're trying to make me into."
"You-you can't be talking about...you know...him." Jacques stammered.
"No, as a matter of fact I don't know," I said sweetly, "Would you mind telling me?"
"You know who I'm talking about!" Jacques said impatiently and, dare I say, angrily.
"Yes, Minuet, don't be silly," Erik intervened smoothly, "you know that you're talking about me. Your loving brother." He smiled mirthlessly at our father, who had apparently not noticed him before and now stared at him in shock and possible outrage. 'Yes, dear father, how dare your deformed son stand next to your perfect daughter and claim to love her?' I thought ironically.
"You," spat Jacques, "what would you know about being loving? You don't love her and you shouldn't even be allowed to talk to her!"
"I really think that's for Minuet to decide," replied Erik, "and she made her decision four years ago when she first came here."
"What? Why would she come here willingly if she knew you were here?" demanded Jacques.
"Because I knew that Erik was here," I said. "I left that night to find my brother and, hopefully, a family member who truly loves me and wouldn't try to change me into what they want me to be." Jacques just stared at me for a moment and then glared at Erik.
"What have you done to my little angel? You've brainwashed her! You've changed her into a back-talking, bratty, insolent little beast, like you always were! You've made her just like you, except she's not hideous." he snapped at Erik. Erik didn't even blink, just looked amused. "What's so funny?" demanded Jacques.
"You," replied Erik, "you and your unfounded accusations. What do you know of what Minuet feels or thinks and why? And since when do you care? What do you know about me and whether or not I love her?"
"A monster can't love!" snarled Jacques.
"Well then that explains why Erik does love me," I said. "As he is not a monster, he can love and so he does. End of pointless discussion."
"You don't know what you're saying." said Jacques patronizingly.
I shrugged. "Deny his love, but you can't change truth," I pointed out. I had said something like this to Erik a few years back and hearing it again brought a smile to his face. "And of course I don't know what I'm saying and you do because you can read my mind, right? If I'm not saying what I think I am, that Erik is not a monster and can and does love me, then what am I saying, oh mighty learned one?" I turned to Josh. "I'm very sorry that you have to listen to all of this Josh. I suppose tonight wasn't the best night for you to meet my brother." I said.
"Oh, it's all right Minuet. It's not your fault that your father won't listen to reason." Josh reassured me. I smiled at him and felt that I loved him more than ever. I saw Erik cast an approving smile in his direction. Josh noticed too and smiled back. Jacques, on the other hand, looked as if his thick head was going to explode.
"What is wrong with you?" he exploded. "Minuet, you can't possibly love that creature that stands behind you or think that he could possibly love you! It just can't be! And Josh, you seemed like a bright lad when I first saw you, but are you brainwashed as well? How could you agree with Minuet, in her delusions?"
"Because she's quite right for one thing, and for another, her "delusions" are the reality in this situation. I've seen it for myself. Master Erik-" he nodded at Erik, who smiled, "-truly loves Minuet with all his heart. And Minuet loves him. She's told me how miserable her life was before she ran away and came here. She told me how she could never be herself because who she really was was unacceptable to you. She wasn't free to live as she wanted to because you were constantly restricting her, telling her what to do but telling her it was what she wanted, trying to tell her what to want and why." He looked at me and back at Jacques, saying, "Minuet didn't want to have her life lived for her. She just wanted someone to hear her. Someone to understand her. She just wanted to be loved. She got all that and more when she met her brother and chose-" he emphasized 'chose', "-to stay with him. She told me all this and I've tried to hear, understand, and love her as well. Though her brother healed those wounds long before I met her." I smiled at him. 'Note to self, Self? Yes? Give Josh a big wet kiss before you leave tonight. Ok.' I thought to myself.
"He's absolutely right," I said. "You were always trying to live my life for me. You can't do that. I am not some pretty bird you can keep in a cage until she dies. You have to let her out of her cage, spread her wings, and fly away. You were afraid I would fly away, so you kept me in my cage. Well I'm used to freedom now. I'm not going back to a cage willingly. You'll have to force me back. And believe me when I say I'll die first."
"No you won't Minnie," Jacques said with a sigh. "I was afraid it would come to this, but what must be done must be done." He reached into his coat and pulled something out. A gun. A black revolver. My heart froze as he cocked it and pointed it at Erik. "Farewell, Monsieur Gargoyle," he sneered. Several things happened at once in that instant. Jacques fired the gun, Erik moved, Josh jumped to the side, and I yelled, "NOO!!" and threw myself between that evil gun and my beloved brother. I lost him once. I wasn't going to lose him again. I remember the fire that erupted in my shoulder as the bullet found its mark, though unintended. I remember my scream echoing through the Opera House, mixing with Erik's fearful, desperate cry. I lay on the stage, bleeding, breathing hard, trying to calm down. I was only speeding my heart rate by being afraid and that was causing the blood to be pumped out of my body faster. Erik, Josh, and Jacques all dropped beside me, though only Erik and Josh were welcome at the time.
"Ouch," I whispered, trying to breathe slowly and attempting a smile. I think I managed one, I'm not sure. Erik smiled at me shakily. "This is really uncomfortable." Erik and Josh laughed a little, realizing that I was trying to make the best of a pretty bad situation and attempting to help me. Josh took me hand in his and Erik stroked my cheek. Both of their hands were cold and shaky, but they were afraid. We all were.
"Oh Minuet, why? Why did you do that? You shouldn't have jumped to shield me." Erik said softly. I smiled at him and tried to take his hand in my left hand, the one Josh wasn't holding. I couldn't move it without a burst of agony in my shoulder where I had been shot though.
"Don't move," Erik told me. He looked at Josh. "Run as fast as you can and find a doctor. Someone you know we can trust to stay silent about this. Hurry!" Josh nodded, cast one last reassuring/worried look at me, and ran off. I heard the door open and close. I looked back at Erik, half wishing he had sent Jacques to get a doctor so I could be near the two people I love most. He looked at me and smiled shakily.
"Give me your hand," I said to him, "give me your heart." It was the line from a song I had heard and that would be familiar and welcome to Erik. He smiled and took my hand. I squeezed his affectionately. "Silly Erik, did you really think I was going to just stand there and let you get shot?" I asked, in answer to his question from before, taking a stab at sounding playful. Then I said, "In all seriousness Erik, I would gladly give my own life to save yours. I lost you once. I will not lose you again."
"What do you mean?" Erik asked.
"I felt like I had lost you after the events of last year. I know I was wrong after the talks we've had of late, but still. I won't lose you. I will not lose you. I love you too much to let you die like this." I replied.
"Oh my God," whispered Jacques. We-Erik and I-turned to look at him. He looked at us, then at Erik and me and said, "If she's willing to jump in front of a bullet to save you...and say those things to you...she must...truly love you. And if you look so afraid for her sake and say such things to her, you must truly love her."
"And all it took was a bullet to the shoulder for you to realize what we've been telling you all along," I said pleasantly. Jacques looked at me and shook his head.
"I think I realized it before. I just didn't want it to be true," he said. "I can't believe I was so stupid and childish. Look what I've done! I've shot my own daughter."
"It's really not that bad, once you get used to it," I said. I groaned suddenly as a burst of pain exploded in my shoulder. I gasped, my breathing becoming shallow and far too quick. I tried to slow it down, but it was harder than ever to do that. "Maybe I'm wrong," I panted. Erik squeezed my hand reassuringly. Then, as if on a sudden inspiration, he let go of my hand. I just looked at him, knowing he had a good reason for doing so. His eyes never left mine as he took off his cloak and put it over me like a blanket, then took off his jacket, folded it up, lifted my head up very, very carefully, and slipped it under my head as a pillow. I smiled at him as he took my hand again. I squeezed it feebly.
"Don't leave us Minuet," he whispered to me. "Oh God, don't leave us, not now, not after you've been so strong."
"I'm actually quite comfortable where I am," I replied, "I like it here. I don't think I'll be going anywhere any time soon." Both Erik and our father smiled at me. I think I smiled back. I tried to at least, I'm sure of that. Things started to blur before my eyes. I tried to focus on something, anything. The white of Erik's mask stuck out through the blur, so I concentrated on that. I had to hold onto something, something familiar, so I could remain conscious. But the blackness was so hard to resist. It was so calming and mind-numbing, I was about to submit to it. I know that Erik knew this, which is why he held my hand tighter. I thought I heard the door; I know I saw Erik look up in that direction. Sleep was all right now. Josh had come back.
"Angel..." I murmured. "Please sing for me, Angel."
Erik smiled down at me and began to sing. I smiled as I listened. I was listening to "Music of the Night", but I was thinking about part of "The Point of No Return". It was coming into play now, and that made me smile still more. I just relaxed as Erik sang and the stage lights dissolved into darkness. Darkness...
"Wha-Minnie, is this how you talk to you father now?" asked the man before me, "And why are you calling me 'Father'? You always called me 'Daddy' or 'Papa'."
"I'm not that brainwashed baby girl I once was and that you want me to be," I answered simply. "But I've been rude." I turned to Josh. "Josh, this," saying this as though I was speaking about something I had scraped off the bottom of my shoe, "this is mine and Erik's miserable, pathetic, apathetic, prejudice, judgmental, biased excuse for a father, Jacques Duquesne. You," I addressed my father, "this is Josh Hemlock, my sweetheart." I seemed to be making a lot of people get that my-eyes-are-going-to-pop-out-of-my-head look lately because that's now how my father looked.
"Minnie, what are you saying? Why are you acting like this?" asked Jacques.
"Don't call me 'Minnie'. I always hated that stupid nickname," I said shortly, "and I'm acting like this because I know the truth. You discarded my brother like so much trash just because he looks different. That's pathetic." I looked steadily at him, using that cold look of mine that Erik said made your soul feel like ice. "Over the past four years, I've learned more than you'll ever know or you'd ever be able to comprehend. I found my true family. Someone who loves me, truly loves me, for who I am and not what they want me to be or they're trying to make me into."
"You-you can't be talking about...you know...him." Jacques stammered.
"No, as a matter of fact I don't know," I said sweetly, "Would you mind telling me?"
"You know who I'm talking about!" Jacques said impatiently and, dare I say, angrily.
"Yes, Minuet, don't be silly," Erik intervened smoothly, "you know that you're talking about me. Your loving brother." He smiled mirthlessly at our father, who had apparently not noticed him before and now stared at him in shock and possible outrage. 'Yes, dear father, how dare your deformed son stand next to your perfect daughter and claim to love her?' I thought ironically.
"You," spat Jacques, "what would you know about being loving? You don't love her and you shouldn't even be allowed to talk to her!"
"I really think that's for Minuet to decide," replied Erik, "and she made her decision four years ago when she first came here."
"What? Why would she come here willingly if she knew you were here?" demanded Jacques.
"Because I knew that Erik was here," I said. "I left that night to find my brother and, hopefully, a family member who truly loves me and wouldn't try to change me into what they want me to be." Jacques just stared at me for a moment and then glared at Erik.
"What have you done to my little angel? You've brainwashed her! You've changed her into a back-talking, bratty, insolent little beast, like you always were! You've made her just like you, except she's not hideous." he snapped at Erik. Erik didn't even blink, just looked amused. "What's so funny?" demanded Jacques.
"You," replied Erik, "you and your unfounded accusations. What do you know of what Minuet feels or thinks and why? And since when do you care? What do you know about me and whether or not I love her?"
"A monster can't love!" snarled Jacques.
"Well then that explains why Erik does love me," I said. "As he is not a monster, he can love and so he does. End of pointless discussion."
"You don't know what you're saying." said Jacques patronizingly.
I shrugged. "Deny his love, but you can't change truth," I pointed out. I had said something like this to Erik a few years back and hearing it again brought a smile to his face. "And of course I don't know what I'm saying and you do because you can read my mind, right? If I'm not saying what I think I am, that Erik is not a monster and can and does love me, then what am I saying, oh mighty learned one?" I turned to Josh. "I'm very sorry that you have to listen to all of this Josh. I suppose tonight wasn't the best night for you to meet my brother." I said.
"Oh, it's all right Minuet. It's not your fault that your father won't listen to reason." Josh reassured me. I smiled at him and felt that I loved him more than ever. I saw Erik cast an approving smile in his direction. Josh noticed too and smiled back. Jacques, on the other hand, looked as if his thick head was going to explode.
"What is wrong with you?" he exploded. "Minuet, you can't possibly love that creature that stands behind you or think that he could possibly love you! It just can't be! And Josh, you seemed like a bright lad when I first saw you, but are you brainwashed as well? How could you agree with Minuet, in her delusions?"
"Because she's quite right for one thing, and for another, her "delusions" are the reality in this situation. I've seen it for myself. Master Erik-" he nodded at Erik, who smiled, "-truly loves Minuet with all his heart. And Minuet loves him. She's told me how miserable her life was before she ran away and came here. She told me how she could never be herself because who she really was was unacceptable to you. She wasn't free to live as she wanted to because you were constantly restricting her, telling her what to do but telling her it was what she wanted, trying to tell her what to want and why." He looked at me and back at Jacques, saying, "Minuet didn't want to have her life lived for her. She just wanted someone to hear her. Someone to understand her. She just wanted to be loved. She got all that and more when she met her brother and chose-" he emphasized 'chose', "-to stay with him. She told me all this and I've tried to hear, understand, and love her as well. Though her brother healed those wounds long before I met her." I smiled at him. 'Note to self, Self? Yes? Give Josh a big wet kiss before you leave tonight. Ok.' I thought to myself.
"He's absolutely right," I said. "You were always trying to live my life for me. You can't do that. I am not some pretty bird you can keep in a cage until she dies. You have to let her out of her cage, spread her wings, and fly away. You were afraid I would fly away, so you kept me in my cage. Well I'm used to freedom now. I'm not going back to a cage willingly. You'll have to force me back. And believe me when I say I'll die first."
"No you won't Minnie," Jacques said with a sigh. "I was afraid it would come to this, but what must be done must be done." He reached into his coat and pulled something out. A gun. A black revolver. My heart froze as he cocked it and pointed it at Erik. "Farewell, Monsieur Gargoyle," he sneered. Several things happened at once in that instant. Jacques fired the gun, Erik moved, Josh jumped to the side, and I yelled, "NOO!!" and threw myself between that evil gun and my beloved brother. I lost him once. I wasn't going to lose him again. I remember the fire that erupted in my shoulder as the bullet found its mark, though unintended. I remember my scream echoing through the Opera House, mixing with Erik's fearful, desperate cry. I lay on the stage, bleeding, breathing hard, trying to calm down. I was only speeding my heart rate by being afraid and that was causing the blood to be pumped out of my body faster. Erik, Josh, and Jacques all dropped beside me, though only Erik and Josh were welcome at the time.
"Ouch," I whispered, trying to breathe slowly and attempting a smile. I think I managed one, I'm not sure. Erik smiled at me shakily. "This is really uncomfortable." Erik and Josh laughed a little, realizing that I was trying to make the best of a pretty bad situation and attempting to help me. Josh took me hand in his and Erik stroked my cheek. Both of their hands were cold and shaky, but they were afraid. We all were.
"Oh Minuet, why? Why did you do that? You shouldn't have jumped to shield me." Erik said softly. I smiled at him and tried to take his hand in my left hand, the one Josh wasn't holding. I couldn't move it without a burst of agony in my shoulder where I had been shot though.
"Don't move," Erik told me. He looked at Josh. "Run as fast as you can and find a doctor. Someone you know we can trust to stay silent about this. Hurry!" Josh nodded, cast one last reassuring/worried look at me, and ran off. I heard the door open and close. I looked back at Erik, half wishing he had sent Jacques to get a doctor so I could be near the two people I love most. He looked at me and smiled shakily.
"Give me your hand," I said to him, "give me your heart." It was the line from a song I had heard and that would be familiar and welcome to Erik. He smiled and took my hand. I squeezed his affectionately. "Silly Erik, did you really think I was going to just stand there and let you get shot?" I asked, in answer to his question from before, taking a stab at sounding playful. Then I said, "In all seriousness Erik, I would gladly give my own life to save yours. I lost you once. I will not lose you again."
"What do you mean?" Erik asked.
"I felt like I had lost you after the events of last year. I know I was wrong after the talks we've had of late, but still. I won't lose you. I will not lose you. I love you too much to let you die like this." I replied.
"Oh my God," whispered Jacques. We-Erik and I-turned to look at him. He looked at us, then at Erik and me and said, "If she's willing to jump in front of a bullet to save you...and say those things to you...she must...truly love you. And if you look so afraid for her sake and say such things to her, you must truly love her."
"And all it took was a bullet to the shoulder for you to realize what we've been telling you all along," I said pleasantly. Jacques looked at me and shook his head.
"I think I realized it before. I just didn't want it to be true," he said. "I can't believe I was so stupid and childish. Look what I've done! I've shot my own daughter."
"It's really not that bad, once you get used to it," I said. I groaned suddenly as a burst of pain exploded in my shoulder. I gasped, my breathing becoming shallow and far too quick. I tried to slow it down, but it was harder than ever to do that. "Maybe I'm wrong," I panted. Erik squeezed my hand reassuringly. Then, as if on a sudden inspiration, he let go of my hand. I just looked at him, knowing he had a good reason for doing so. His eyes never left mine as he took off his cloak and put it over me like a blanket, then took off his jacket, folded it up, lifted my head up very, very carefully, and slipped it under my head as a pillow. I smiled at him as he took my hand again. I squeezed it feebly.
"Don't leave us Minuet," he whispered to me. "Oh God, don't leave us, not now, not after you've been so strong."
"I'm actually quite comfortable where I am," I replied, "I like it here. I don't think I'll be going anywhere any time soon." Both Erik and our father smiled at me. I think I smiled back. I tried to at least, I'm sure of that. Things started to blur before my eyes. I tried to focus on something, anything. The white of Erik's mask stuck out through the blur, so I concentrated on that. I had to hold onto something, something familiar, so I could remain conscious. But the blackness was so hard to resist. It was so calming and mind-numbing, I was about to submit to it. I know that Erik knew this, which is why he held my hand tighter. I thought I heard the door; I know I saw Erik look up in that direction. Sleep was all right now. Josh had come back.
"Angel..." I murmured. "Please sing for me, Angel."
Erik smiled down at me and began to sing. I smiled as I listened. I was listening to "Music of the Night", but I was thinking about part of "The Point of No Return". It was coming into play now, and that made me smile still more. I just relaxed as Erik sang and the stage lights dissolved into darkness. Darkness...