Phantom Resurrected Chapter 12

Desiree walked down the hallway, holding the large conductor's score and wishing for once she could just wear some pants. She had only worn a long skirt once in her life at her aunt's funeral and she had to wear one everyday she working at the opera. She couldn't understand how other women got around in them. She could hear the musicians warming up in the pit and the stage manager announcing "Five Minutes!"

Dessy saw Pierre, another assistant walking besides her, heading towards the pit. "Pierre, will you take this to the Maestro please. Isaac wants me to check on Miss Day before curtain."

"Sure." He replied stumbling to get a good grip on the large score. He walked away and Dessy headed toward her mother's dressing room. Soon after her and Lillian's confrontation on stage, Dessy had gotten word that the diva had been taken ill, and the lead of the opera was given to Christine. She knocked on the door and heard her mother's voice answer "Come in please."
She opened the door and walked in. Christine was seated in front of the large vanity mirror adjusting her wig

"You're on in four minutes mom and you haven't even powdered your face." Dessy said.

"I know I sent my dressers away. I prefer to be alone before the show starts." She sat down her hairbrush and stared blankly into the mirror. "I wish your father were here." she said in a trance like state. Dessy looked at her odd.

"What are you talking about? I'm sure Erik is in the audience watching tonight."

"But will me be proud of me?"

Dessy was very confused about her mother's behavior. "Yes mom, I think he will." She handed Christine her powder brush. She took it and Dessy saw a glassy look in Christine's eyes, as if she were a dream. Christine powdered her face as Dessy walked towards the door. "Well I have to get ready too. Good Luc- I mean break a leg."

"I'll do my best." Christine replied now more cheery. "You do well tonight too, Dessy."

Dessy stopped before she left and turned again to her mother. "You know, he still loves you mom. I think you should give him another chance." Christine put down her brush and stared at her.

"Yes I know." Then she turned back towards the mirror. "He is always with me."

Dessy shut the door and Christine gazed longing at the mirror, reaching out to touch it. Once she had thought that Erik was an angel, a muse of music that had taught her. Now she was not so naive; she had seen Erik's face, knew his anger, his power and his wrath. More importantly she knew his love and yet she had abandoned him, and the child they had created. She felt a tear starting to trickle from her eye and she quickly brushed it away before it ruined it make-up.
How things had changed since then.

Matthews stalked down the make shift corridor between the backdrops of the different acts. He had not had his pre-show glass of scotch. He needed to be alert now. He had to find Desiree and find how she was connected to the Phantom as well as avoiding Jacob. He finally spotted her, gazing from the wings onto the stage. He had already planed what he was going to do. Backing behind a curtain he stuck his head out only a little bit.

"Desiree." He called. "Desiree Demeters." She turned towards the noise.

"Mr. Matthews, is that you?" she asked

He stepped out from behind the curtain. "Yes, I need to talk to you for a moment." He slowly beckoned to her. She gathered her papers and walked over to him. Just as planned, now no one could see them. How gullible she was.

"Yes, Mr. Matthews, what is it? I do have a cue coming up any moment now."

"Well, I just needed to discuss a problem with you."

"What kind of problem?"

He smiled. "A real phantom of a problem." He then threw one hand over her mouth and the other at the small of her back. He twisted her back to press against his chest and shoved the small pistol at the base over her neck.

"Now don't try anything stupid, Destler!" he hissed. Matthews could hear her struggling in surprise. "Yes I know about you and the Phantom. You have a connection to him in some way I know it. So does your precious aunt, if she is even that." He pulled the both of them further away into the shadows. He threw her to the ground, still keeping the gun aimed on her. They were completely out of sight, as the arias of the second act continued on stage without a clue of what was happening.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Matthews." She gasped

"Shut up or I'll shoot you." He spat. "I know you're lying. Now we are going to walk out of here and show me where that bastard lives."

"I don't know." she hissed

Matthews bent down to his knees and pressed his body against her, still hovering the gun over her face. He took one of his hands and stroked her cheek, which was dripping with sweat. "I don't want to hurt you, Desiree. You are such a fine women to waste if you won't corporate." He moved closer to her, overcome by his lust, and he kissed her full on the mouth feeling her struggle beneath his grip. She finally managed to push him off, but he got up and still was able to keep her pinned.

"So what are you, his messenger, his spy? How about his whore?" he whispered harshly into her ear, gently licking it as he did. Then suddenly he felt a sharp object press into his stomach. He glanced down to see the tip of a bowie knife that Desiree held pressed against him, fire burning in her brown eyes.

"Back off, slowly." She commanded. Matthews raised himself up and took several steps back. He could see a smile now spread across her lips knowing the table had turned. Still startled, Matthews let the gun drop to the floor. She laughed at him, displaying a side of her that Matthews would never believed possible in a women.

"Your turn Matthews." She said.

And that's when the lights shut off.

Erik ran through the darkness and the screams of chaos. It was he who shut off the lights and cut a system of ropes that caused numerous numbers of sandbags and a few prop chandeliers to crash on he stage. But he could see his way through the dark and in that darkness; no one could make out whom he was. He had watched the action between that miserable worm Matthews as he tried to literally rape his daughter backstage. While he had a good hunch that Dessy could handle herself, from the display in the alley, he didn't want to chance it. She was his daughter, and he had every right to protect her.

"Erik!" he heard some one call out his name, and suddenly an arm wrapped in white clinging to his body. He turned to see Christine, holding him and sobbing. "Erik, what is going on? Did you do this?"

"Yes I had to. Desiree was in danger." He said pulling her along, avoiding the screaming chorus girls and startled stagehands trying to put the lights back on running all over the stage.

"What danger?"

"The manager, Matthews attacked her, almost raped her. He knows too much. He knows about me and more dangerously he knows about us!"

"Oh God, is she all right?" Christine gasped.

"I don't know." He gathered them into a corner and put his cloak over her. "Christine you remember how to get to the lair right?" Erik asked. She nodded. " Then I want you to go there, and wait for me. I'm going to see what's happened." He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the forehead, and was surprised that she didn't draw away. In face she held his hand and pressed him closer, as if she truly needed him. But now was no the time. He drew away. "I'll be back. I promise." And with that he ran in the other direction to find his daughter.

She had last seen her back the pin rail system, struggling with Matthews. Erik made his way back to lighting system, making sure his face was still covered The opera had just started to install a new electric system for the stage lights, while still using gas for the house lights. He took the primitive wiring and placed it back into the proper parts of the system and the lights started to flicker back on. One they did the noise subsided and Erik ducked between two pieces of scenery, making his way to the pin rail. He could hear the struggles and was surprised to see the other young manger, Jacob, punching Matthews repeatedly in the jaw, while he struggled to bring himself up from the floor. He also saw Desiree lying in a corner.

For once in his life, Erik never felt so helpless. His daughter lied only a few feet away and she was certainly injured, but he couldn't even walk into plain sight and pick her up, take her home where she would be safe. He cursed himself for turning the lights on. The darkness always made him forget what he was. If he where seen, Matthews would defiantly know who he was and he would most certainly cause suspicions if Jacob spotted him as well. So now he could only watch. Jacob pounded intoMatthews mercilessly, with the same anger Erik would have used to beat the man. But what had caused the fight? Could it be that Jacob had also seen what Matthews had done, and if so, why did he care the two were suppose to be partners.

Finally Matthews collapsed and Jacob stood over him victorious, his breathing rapid. He stared down at his hands, his knuckles splatter with blood. Erik could see the shock and fear in the young man's eyes and those feelings increase as he glanced towards the fallen Desiree. He rushed to her side and turned her over in his arms. Erik saw the knife, which she held, fall to the floor. He had given her that knife, so why didn't she use it. Had Erik turned the lights off just as she was going to strike? What a fool, he thought cursing himself again. Desiree had a large bruise forming at her temple from the fall and her lips and body where slack. Jacob checked for her breathing, which was shallow and raspy.

"Timothy!" Jacob called out to his assistant who came rushing to them. "Call a cab, immediately. We must get Miss. Demeters to a doctor right away!" The man rushed off and Jacob cradled Desiree in his arms a few seconds longer before he lifted them both up and started to walk away. Erik wanted to leap out as they walked pass, snatch his daughter away. But he felt compelled to let her go, since he was no help. Desiree like Christine, they could never be part of his world, nor he would he fully be part of theirs. Perhaps this young manger would be able to take care of her, for this night. He had to return to Christine like he promise. He could do nothing for Dessy right now.

Note: Yeah I know you know we all know the real Erik would run to the rescue if his own daughter where in danger. He wouldn't sit in the shadows and do nothing. BUT for this chapter he has to because then Jacob wouldn't be able to play a part in the budding relationship between him and Dessy (Spoiler: Next chapter, Jacob takes care of Dessy and watches over her that night, sweet fluff romance and all that stuff) So to recap: Erik would have no hesitation about running in and saving Desiree himself, but then Jacob would be out of the plotline essential to the story. Sorry I can't see any other way around it.yeah I'm a lousy writer.Just clearing that up so I don't get a bunch of post of why Erik acts like a pansy in this chapter. Erik is not a pansy, HE KICKS ASS! -Punjabchild