Chapter 13: In One Son's Favor

1919

Meg looked at her children and told them there was another grave site she wished to visit. A dear friend of hers had died just two years ago and she often came to her grave site to lay flowers down for her. Meg walked towards the figure and stopped and the two girl's looked at her.

" If it's him, it's been ten years…ten long years," Meg thought

1896

Meg went up to Normandy and visited Gabriel and spent time with her eldest son getting ready to prepare for his new life. His large estate, on the shore line of Normandy, beach stood tall and wide. Erik managed his money while Gabriel made the money.

" Mother, how good to see you," he said, " I wish to introduce to you to Coeur, she is my fiancée."

He led her into the dinning room and a beautiful young woman stood there. Meg smiled at the redhead. Coeur was very fair in skin tone and blue eyes that were as blue as the sea.

" Pleasure to meet you," Meg said

" The pleasure is all mine," she said

" Your accent is very different, are you not French?" she asked

" She's Scottish," Erik's voice rang out

Meg turned around and Erik walked over to Meg and kissed her.

" She's rather gifted in our language, she's a scholar," Erik said, " She comes from the country that has it's own way of life to speak ours."

" I see," Meg said

" I am half and half…my father is Scottish and my mother is French," Coeur said, " If I offend you please forgive me."

" No, it's refreshing to hear another accent outside the mainland," Meg said

Gabriel, Coeur, Erik and Meg sat outside and listened to the waves hit the shores. Erik looked at Meg as she told them about Caroline's birth. Erik smiled at the thought of being a grandfather.

" Wonderful," Erik said, " I feel like my years have flown off. My sons are happy, one soon to be married the other getting ready for marriage."

" Has Anne seen Ombre's face?" Gabriel asked

There was silence and then Erik slapped Gabriel's head. Gabriel looked at him and Meg looked at her son.

" Your just as bad as those people in Paris," Meg said, " Ombre has showed Anne his face…though he continues to wear a mask."

" I don't blame him…Paris is full of greedy people," Gabriel said

" Gabriel hold your tongue," Meg said

Later, Meg looked out into the evening sky and sighed. Erik walked out and she looked over her shoulder and then turned away.

" Ombre is well?" he asked

" Why should you care Erik?" she questioned

" I want to know," Erik said

" He's just like you," Meg said, " but you do not care, Anne asked about you the other day…I lied to make you look good."

Erik leaned against the railing and looked at Meg.

" I'm sorry," he said

Meg turned to Erik and slapped him across the face just like that first time.

" How much torture do you plan to put on me and you disfigured son through?" she asked, " Ombre is your son, yet you favor Gabriel."

Erik sighed and grabbed her by her wrist.

" You favor Ombre over Gabriel," Erik said

" I keep in touch with Gabriel, he knows I have to help the opera house. You obvious have lost touch in who you are Erik," Meg scolded, " So forgive me if I'm bitter."

Meg turned away and then walked off, Erik sighed and slammed his fist into the stone railing. Meg brushed out her hair and got ready for bed, she thought about how she spoke to Erik. How could she have been so cruel to him after being apart from him for four years? She sighed and got out of bed and walked down the hall to his room. She knocked on the door and Erik opened the door. His unmasked face stared at her and she sighed.

" What?" he asked

" I'm sorry, your right," Meg said, " We both favor a different son, but love the other as much. It's just Erik, your son is a father now and he wanted to see you so you could be happy for him."

Erik sighed and let her in and then shut the door, Erik walked to a chair and sat down and let Meg sit on the bed.

" Meg, Ombre has proven me wrong," Erik said

" Then come see him, you, Gabriel, and Coeur need to come to Paris. Come see your granddaughter," Meg said, " For the sake of your son's sanity."

Erik grabbed her hand and kissed it and nodded. Meg saw blood on his knuckles.

" Oh, Erik what happened?" she asked

" Anger has become my best friend when your not around," Erik said

She kissed his knuckles and cleaned them up a little. She tied a handkerchief around his hand and kissed it again.

" I love you still Meg and will always," Erik whispered

Meg looked at Erik and touched his face.

" I love you too," she said

Meg got up and Erik grabbed her arm and Meg looked at him. She saw love in his eyes, but there was something else…loneliness.

" Stay….stay with me," Erik whispered, " for tonight."

Meg nodded and kissed Erik on his forehead, she sat down while Erik prepared for bed. Both slid into bed together and Erik took Meg into his arms.

The next morning Erik and Meg went with Gabriel and Coeur for a morning ride.

" I'm working on a new estate for this young couple, they wanted it just a few miles from mine," Gabriel said

They looked at the healthy land and Gabriel held out the outlines of the new estate. Erik walked out onto the shore and watched the waves come in and out. Meg looked at him and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around him and Erik turned to her and smiled.

" Erik, come with me to see Ombre," she said, " he wants to see his father."

Erik took her in his arms and said, " Alright, I shall come."

Later, they returned and enjoyed lunch out on the veranda. Erik lifted his glass and made a toast to the future as he always did. They talked awhile and Gabriel looked at his parents as they sat beside each other…he felt a sort of togetherness around them.

By the end of the week Erik and Meg left for Paris, they went to visit Ombre and his family.

" Father," Ombre said

Erik hugged his son and looked at how he had grown. He did take on the mysterious looks that he once had.

" Welcome to my home," Ombre said

Both entered the humble dwelling and Anne stood with Caroline in her arms.

" Hello Erik," Anne said

She kissed his cheek and Erik looked at the little burnet girl in Anne's arms. The two year old stared at Erik, then leaned her head in her mother's arms.

" She's two years old and very shy just like her father," Anne said, " Do you want to hold her?"

Erik looked at Anne and then Caroline and nodded. Anne told Caroline to go to Erik and she slightly began to cry. Erik took the two year old in his arms and looked at her, she stared at him with her blue green eyes. He smiled at her and she reached up and touched his face. Ombre walked over and wrapped his arm around Anne, he looked at his father as he held Caroline. Caroline laid her head down and Meg smiled and Anne looked at Ombre.

" Anne, when are you due for this child?" Meg asked

" Soon, I hope," Anne said, " I wish to get back to my career after this one is born."

Meg nodded and they walked to the sitting room where Erik continued to hold Caroline. She was very fond of Erik, and it was probably due to the similarities that he and Ombre shared. Ombre handed Meg and Erik some tea then brought some to Anne.

" I can see a lot of her mother in her," Erik said

Ombre felt a slight sting of pain to his father's words when he said this. He felt that he went out his way to insult him. Meg saw Ombre's eyes slightly become filled with hurt and she looked at Erik.

" Here Erik let me take her and lay her down," Anne said

" Show me and I will lay her down," Erik said

Anne walked off with Erik to show him where Caroline slept. Meg looked at Ombre as he sighed.

" He's deliberately said that to insult me," Ombre said, " What is his problem?"

" He didn't mean it to be ugly Ombre…he's unaware of how to say things," Meg said

Ombre sighed and traced his white mask and leaned back.

" It was him who gave me the mask. I think it is him who is more ashamed of my face than I am of it," Ombre said

Meg sat by her son and hugged him and then kissed his head.

" You father is right about one thing Ombre….we are from two different worlds. I think your father is afraid that history may repeat itself," Meg said, " His ignorance towards loving his disfigured son has made him bitter."

Meg hugged Ombre and kissed his cheek.

" I wish he would understand that Gabriel is really the one who should where this mask," Ombre said

Erik walked in with Anne and Meg stood up.

" Anne, Ombre excuse Erik and I for a minuet," Meg said

" Of course," both said

Erik looked at Meg as she walked outside on the veranda. Erik followed behind and shut the door and then question why she wanted to take to him.

" Ombre feels your going out of your way to insult him. When you said that Caroline looks like Anne, Ombre took that as saying something else," Meg said

" I was only commenting that Caroline looks like her mother, I see nothing wrong in saying that," Erik said

Meg sighed and looked at the smooth waves as the brushed up against the shore. She turned and looked at Erik and grabbed his hand then kissed him.

" Please, try to not speak ill of your son," she said

" I'm not Meg," Erik said

" Erik," she said

" Alright I promise," Erik replied

They walked in and for the rest of the day Erik said very little afraid to offend his son in any way. Both Erik and Ombre were the same when it came to words were spoken to them. They were very sensitive and everyone was aware of their sensitivity to certain phrases.

By the evening Erik and Meg were put up for the night, Ombre spoke to his father one on one. Erik found his son was very intelligent just like he was, music was his life and he would not give it up. Erik sat down on the veranda and Ombre looked at his father and joined him. Meg watched from behind a curtain, but listen through a crack in the door.

" What is it father?" Ombre asked

Erik looked at his son and removed his mask and said, " Remove your mask, we are amongst friends who do not sneer at our faces."

Ombre removed the white mask and placed on the table as Erik removed the black mask. He looked at it and tried to fight the memories and Ombre looked at his father.

" Ombre, though you and I are just alike in looks, we are different in many ways, you have grown up with both a mask and freedom from the mask. I'm 61 years old and I have never went outside without it. I was a servant to what mask I wore, black, white, skull faced, what ever the mask. For 26 years of my life I lived in the opera house but for 61 one years I was the monster that people sneered at. I was a fallen angel and now blessed with two sons and a woman I love. I have cause you and your mother great pain Ombre for not being in your lives. Your mother has given you something that I could never give fully because I was afraid…that is hope. Paris welcomed you into its city, but it condemns me. I applaud you fully for your efforts of living the life I never could," Erik said

Ombre could only stare at his father and then grabbed the black mask.

" Who was she?" Ombre asked

" Who?" Erik asked

" The one that stole you heart and could never return it, to fully give yourself to mother," Ombre said slipping the black mask on

Erik nodded and looked into the ocean's nightly waves.

" Her name is Christine Daaé , I truly lost her that night as the Opera Populaire was burnt, but my life with her didn't begin until after I met your grandmother and your mother. I truly was fond of your mother before I met Christine. I was your mother's protector, my thanks to her mother for saving me. I saved her all the time, her foolish mind found her in situations she couldn't get out of," Erik said

" An angel that fell, no, a blessing sent from heaven," Ombre said

Erik looked at his son and said, " I never told your mother this, but I will tell you. That day that saved her as she hung onto the ledge, before plunging into the pits of water, I fell in love with her. I was intrigued by her and it was then that she and Christine were my choices to become my lovers."

Ombre laughed a little and Erik looked at his son.

" Don Juan," Ombre said

" Don Juan," Erik replied

Ombre reached down and lifted a leather sheet music holder. He handed it to Erik and Erik opened it to reveal a piece. Erik slightly touched it and sang it in his head, he looked up at Ombre.

" Don Juan Triumphant," Ombre said, " Mother told me about that night, but she also told me about the piece. She could only remember parts of it, but I did what I could to restore it."

Erik flipped through the music and read it to himself and looked at Ombre. He asked if he could make some corrections and so it was then that Don Juan Triumphant was born again.