Motherland

Pxlism

Chapter 1: Goodbye Maman

(Quick Author's Note: Urm. Yeah. I don't own Phantom of the Opera or any of the orignal characters. I own Madeleine only. That's all. This story is based on both the original book, Susan Kay's "Phantom", and certain parts of the play. I can't include the movie because it doesn't make Erik seem old enough to have the genius he's well known for. Enjoy!)

The sun always seemed to shine the same.

Days in Manaco never seemed to change. The tide would move in and out, the moon would fade and then come back to life. Many people who lived in chillier climates, like in England, simply thought Manaco was a paradise. To Madeleine and Christine, it was simply home. Change didn't seem to frequent their life.

It had been seven years since Christine's encounter with the Phantom, the night he had pulled her into the bowels of the Opera House and made her take the choice. It was all set upon her, all up to her, and she had chosen Raoul. She had accused Erik of allowing her to give him her thoughts, blindly, but she had been the one to blindly choose Raoul. She had chosen him over the man she loved.

Years had passed, and the pain that had once been consuming was nothing more than a lost regret, something that could never be finished or freed. She would always think of him as her angel of music, but there was no such thing as changing history.

Now, things seemed to have settled. Christine's life was extremely prosperous and happy, not in riches, but in peace. With her daughter at her side, days seemed to pass by with no change. It would seem everyday she'd sneak into the young girl's room to tickle her so she would wake. Their tutoring lesson would begin, lunch, then off to work and school til dusk.

The day Madeleine made her choice was just like every other. Christine had started the day with a bit of sewing as she waited for Madeleine to wash up and get dressed. She tried not to look shocked when the young girl of only seven slipped into the parlor and gave her mother a exceedingly determined look, luggage in hand.

"I'm leaving now, Maman."

Christine, baffled by the young girl's statement, could only stutter in confusion.

"Leaving?" Christine tried to add a pinch of amusement. "Leaving for what? To where?"

The little child gave a simple, exasperated sigh and bestowed upon her mother another look, seeming more grown up than her young age should allow. Christine inwardly flinched. Was this the downside to having a child genius? Madeleine always seemed to know the obvious when Christine was totally oblivious.

"I am going to the Paris Opera House. I want to be a Prima Donna, and I cannot learn to be so here in Manaco. You should understand the most, Maman. You were the Prima Donna; I want to be the Prima Donna as well! I will be dreadfully unhappy if you do not let me go!"

Christine's heart seemed to throb in affection to her daughter's determination. Holding out her arms, she muttered a quiet 'come to me' and cuddled the raven-haired girl close to her breast when Madeleine obeyed.

"Do you know how sad I would be if you left? I would be all alone. And you are still so small, you have lots of time to become all the things you aspire to be."

The young child's head moved from lying against her mother's shoulder and gave Christine a pointed look.

"There is no time to waste! There are so many things I must become! I cannot wait much longer, Maman, I cannot!"

Christine gave her daughter a reassuring smile as her hand stroked her cheek. "Oh, my little genius, do not fret! You have all the time in the world to be the greatest prima donna, composer, inventor, and magician that has ever lived! Why, you will put the Leonardo Divinci to shame!" Christine gave her daughter a gentle pinch, teasing her to bring a smile to the young girl's sullen face.

Madeleine could not help the childish giggle that seemed to pass through her little lips. "Maman, Divinci was an ARTIST, not a composer!"

Christine hugged her daughter close and kissed her head. "Yes he was, but he was also a great inventor. As was your Papa! So very intelligent."

For a moment, the little girl was silent, then clutched her hands in her mother's skirts. "I wish I could have met him, Maman. I could have learned so much from him."

Christine felt a fresh lump slide into her throat, and with a forced smile, she stroked the girl's dainty curls. "Yes, I wish you could have as well, my sweet. Now, hurry off and put your suitcase away. You will make your journey one day, but not today. I need to feed Ayesha." With that, Christine gently lifted Madeleine from her lap and sat the child in the plush chair.

The little girl seemed to bite her bottom lip for a moment, then looked at her mother questioningly before she could retreat. "One day, Maman? I can go to Paris one day?"

Christine studied the little girl in front of her, with the thick, black curls and misallied eyes. She was a perfect vision of loveliness, with an aura of understanding and curiosity that seemed to belong to both child and adult. With strong conviction, Christine placed her hand over her heart and smiled.

"I promise."

Three years had passed since Christine had made her promise, but now she knew the time had come. She had explained to the eager child that it was not easy to become a Prima Donna, and she would have to be much older for it would be impossible to get the chance to sing arias on stage at 10. She would have to train in ballet first. With as much confidence as she could muster, Madeleine told her mother that 'impossible' was not a word suited for her. Christine had laughed and petted her head, but that unbridled confidence never left Madeleine's eyes. It was a tad overwhelming and frightening. Fate and destiny had their imaginations running wild when they decided for Madeleine.

Madeleine packed her suitcase the afternoon before the day she was to leave for Paris. Christine tried to break the news she had been dreading to relay to her daughter for at least a week. She knew that it would be an all out battle once the deed was done.

'Christine, you are the mother and she's the daughter. You simply tell her the truth and be done with it!'

Who would have guessed things did not work out that way.

"Maman, I must travel with that...that FOP?" cried the little girl in disgust and anger. "How dare you entrust me, your only daughter, on that blonde bafoon, and I even have to live with him, LIVE with him, Maman! Why can't I live in the dormitories with the other girls?"

Christine waved her hand impatiently, staring at the skinny girl standing in front of her. "Now, now, Madee, there is no need for you to throw a tantrum. You are desperately afraid of the dark, and there is no such thing as a night light in the dormitories. You would never sleep. And Raoul will do nothing to you, and has never done anything to you!" An exasperated sign left her lips. "Why do you hate him so?"

"He's a complete and utter idiot, in absolutely everything, and so confident, Maman! How could you do this, how could you do this?"

"Madeleine Janean Destler!" cried Christine, finally fed up with her daughter's blackened disrespect. "How dare you talk back to me! You are acting so spoiled and selfish! Do you not understand! Though I wish I did, I do not have the money to send you to Paris without his help!"

The dirt had been spilled, and Christine turned away, a hand placed gently over her mouth. Business had never been the best, but they had always made do. They never did have much though, only enough to feed them and clothe them. Christine could not afford a grand and safe trip to Paris without Raoul's help.

The room was very silent. She did not even jump when the little girl came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her mother's waist to give her a tight hug: her only form of apology. Madeleine could never voice her guilt, but Christine took it all the same, turning to kneel down in front of the child and embracing her in return.

"Maman…" Madeleine gave a soft sigh, then looked at her mother with a gentle smile. "I will try to be grateful, but I cannot help if my mischief annoys him."

Christine smiled, leaning forward and kissing her daughter's rosy cheek. "Of course not, I would never expect you to go easy on him, nor anyone!"

Laughter filled the room.

"You will write me everyday, won't you?" said Christine, brushing once again at Madeleine's velvet cloak, biting her bottom lip in worry. "You will not let time go by without writing, correct?"

Raoul made a sweeping gesture with his hand, patting the short and smiling down at her. "Oh, Christine, don't be so maternal! Of course, I will make sure she writes everyday. The 'Littlest Lottie' will be perfectly fine!"

Christine tried not to laugh as her daughter glowered at the Vicomte. Madeleine hated the nickname 'Littlest Lottie' just as much as she hated the idea of referring to him as 'Uncle Raoul'.

Her mother's childhood friend did not fool Madeleine. Though he was engaged to a girl named Deidre, he still did his damnedest to catch Christine's eye, but to no avail. To that, Madeleine was grateful. She hated Raoul de Chagny not only for the may he once spoke of her father, but the way he treated his fiancee.

Deidre was a rather plain, homely sort of girl who's favorite hobby was to read. To someone like the Vicomte, it seemed like a rather boring thing to do. Yet, Raoul was so foolish, he could not and probably never would see behind someone's face to the person within. It wasn't that Deidre was a horribly unattractive. She was actually, from Madeleine's view, rather intelligent, kind, and childishly pretty. When Madeleine had turned 10 in December, Deidre had given her music sheets, labeled with Madeleine's name at the top. The little girl had treasured them with everything inside of her, and only used them when absolutely necessary.

Deidre had been standing quietly next to the carriage, gazing up at the sky as the bleak, gray clouds that had been rolling in since the morning started to drop rain upon their heads. "We should hurry," she called out. "We want to at least start before the rain becomes worse."

Madeleine observed her mother once more, and was rather proud of the strong smile her mother gave her. "Make sure to take care of yourself," the older woman said to her daughter. "I do not want to hear of broken bones, colds, or even the slightest difference to what you are now, do you hear me? I would not wish to die of worry, I am far too young!" Ayesha, who was standing proudly and obediantly at Christine side, gave a sad meow. It was as if somewhere in the simese's small mind, it knew it would not see it's 'young mistress' for some time.

She, once more, took in Christine's beautiful laugh. One day, she would return to her mother the Prima Donna of Paris's famous Opera House. For a moment, she pondered her mother's unwinding smile. It seemed she would always remember her mother this way, with sweet blue eyes, and a smile that reached down and raked itself against the coals of her soul. She reached down to stroke Ayesha under the chin, the cat regarding her with it's sad blue eyes.

"Why do I feel like this is goodbye?" said the little girl, rather brokenly. Madeleine would dare not cry infront of the fop who stood, trying his damndest to intrude on the mother and daughter's last moment. Madeleine did not want Raoul to see her cry. He would tease her about it later, she knew it.

"Never goodbye!" Her mother said with strength and emotion breaking through her voice. "We say 'Til we meet again'…"

With one last hug and kiss, Madeleine turned and began to walk slowly towards the carriage. As she began to climb in, she turned to her mother and Ayesha who were standing a few feet away, both gazing at the young girl with hopeful eyes.

"Til we meet again!"

She had never done anything more boring than riding to Paris in Raoul's carriage.

It did not rain the whole way, but the sun did not come out once during the week it took them to arrive. Raoul had been the most irritating, singing songs in his horrid, highly pitched voice to pass the time and entertain them. More than once did Deidre and Madeleine flinch because of the horrible sound coming out of his mouth. Madeleine finally told him to shut his mouth after twenty minutes, because his voice was so terrible, her ears felt like they would fall off.

Deidre was much kinder about it. "No more, Raoul, dear. Please, but I already have a bit of motion sickness."

With that, Raoul sat in the corner and pouted like a young child who was scolded by an adult

It wasn't ten minutes later that he started up playing a game called 'I Spy'…After 15 minutes of agony with his ignorance, he was scolded by Madeleine again to shut up and be quiet for the rest of the journey.

Soon enough, a bit of idle, boring conversation started up about the most unoriginal subject known to man: the weather.

This continued on and on. They stopped every night at separate inns along the way, sleeping until dawn, then waking up to continue their journey. When Deidre told Madeleine they were almost upon Paris, Madeleine was not only grateful, but also excited.

It was a new town, a new beginning, and a better tomorrow. What an adventure waited for her there!

(To Be Continued)

I have no idea how long it would take to get from where Christine lives and Paris, so please, look over it if you think it's longer. :Yawn.: