A New Start

Chapter 12: Reactions and Reflections

The whole party stood in silence for a moment. Everyone stared at the empty space where the Phantom had stood. Christine and Marie Claire were over with Raoul trying to make him sit down. He was trying to assure them that he was alright and was stubbornly refusing to sit down. His hand was at his neck, blood seeping through his fingers. There was fairly good sized cut on his neck, but it wasn't fatal. Nevertheless, it was quite painful, and everyone was quite concerned. But Raoul didn't want them to worry. He had wanted this night to be perfect for Marie. Firmin finally broke the tense silence.

"Well, that was unexpected. Are you alright Raoul?"

Raoul winced as Madame Giry wrapped cleaned his wound and wrapped a bandage around his neck.

"I'll be fine, really. Don't worry" he said, trying to convince them.

Meg gave him a look.

"What?" asked Raoul, "I'm fine. Indeed I'm more shocked that anything.."

Both Meg and Christine shook their heads, identical looks on their faces.

"It's okay to admit that it hurts Raoul. Don't be so stubborn and let us help you." said Meg, shaking her head and grinning.

"I'm sorry for being stubborn. I just didn' want to worry anyone." he said scratching at his neck.

"Monsieur don't do that, you'll open up the wound and it will get infected. And you defintely don't want that to happen." said Madame Giry. "Anyway, we'll all leave you three alone for a moment. We'll watch Felix for you. Come on, out." she said, shooing everyone but, Christine, Raoul, and Marie Claire out.

Marie Claire had finally come out of her shock and was able to speak. She ran over to Raoul and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Oh papa are you alright? I was so frightened, I thought I was going to lose you. I love you papa.." she said, sobbing.''

Raoul took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. She smiled up at her father's kind face through eyes of worried tears.

"I love you to my girl and don't worry, I'll be fine. I was only trying to protect you. I won't allow anything to happen to you." he said hugging her warmly. " A better question would be are you alright?"

Marie sighed.

"I don't know. I didn't know the Phantom was this determined to have my voice. I wasn't expecting this.

"I was afraid that something like this would happen." said Christine, her eyes sad.

It was at this moment that the whole family joined together in a group hug, none of them speaking, just feeling the warmth and security of family. Then they broke apart, all feeling slightly relieved.

"Well," said Marie, "I'd better go and find Arthur, he looked rather worried." she hugged her parents once more before going to find Arthur.

Christine and Raoul watched Marie Claire go out the door, making sure that Arthur was waiting for her. Once assured of this, Christine turned to her husband. She traced her fingers over the spot where the wound was, not saying a word. Then she laid her curly head on his strong shoulder and wept her heart out.

"Raoul," she choked out, "I thought I had lost you forever. I walked in the door and I thought you were gone. And there was nothing I could do..." her voice broke, the tears overcoming her.

Raoul pulled her to him tightly, his own eyes tearing at the sightof his beloved's sadness and worry. He rubbed his hands over her back and planted kisses on her head, trying to calm and soothe her.

"Christine, my love, my darling, its alright. Shhhh..." he said kissing away her tearsand running his fingers through her hair.

Christine kissed him gently on the lips, and he returned the kiss, both forgetting their troubles for a moment as they felt the passion and comfort of each other's love. When they broke apart, they smiled as though feeling slightly relieved. Christine kissed the wound on Raoul's neck with tenderness.

"Perhaps that will make it heal faster." she said, her dark eyes smiling.

Raoul laughed as he took his wife's hand and led her toward the door.

"I'm sure it will. Love heals all things after all. Well we'd better go out there or everyone will start to worry and come bursting in here." he said.

Christine chuckled.

"Andre looked like he was going to faint." she said, but then her fac turned serious. "But you're right, we'd better get out there, I'm worried about Marie."

"I am to. Very worried. We will have to watch her very closely, to make sure nothing like this can happen again. She seems to be in shock, like she's holding it in, and that isn't good. But I didn't think that the Phantom would attempt to do me in in front of Marie. It upset her a great deal, and I don't want to see our little girl that upset ever again." he said, his eyes filled with worry for his daughter.

Christine sighed, her eyes sad.

"Neither do I. It hurt my heart to see her like that. I never wanted anything like this to happen to her. But I suppose that we have alot to go through before this is over."

Raoul looked at his wife, understanding in his blue eyes.

"Yes." he said gravely, "We will"

Arthur was holding Marie Claire tightly in his arms. She was scared, more afraid than she had ever been in her whole life. She felt as if the life she had known was falling apart around her. Her father had almost been killed before her very eyes. Erik had not even stopped when Christine had entered, which had stunned Marie Claire even more. She had thought that the Phantom would stop at the sight of Christine. Arthur let her cry on his shoulder, his jacket soaked with her tears. After afew moments he spoke.

"Marie Claire, love, are you alright?" he asked.

"I didn't know that Erik was this determined to have my voice. I had no idea he would go this far. I should have known, but now my whole family is in danger. Mama, Papa.." she sobbed.

Arthur lifted her face up and tilted her chin so that she looked him in the eyes.

"Marie, you have one of the most loving and amazng families that I have ever met. And I promise you that I will do everything in my power to you and your and them. I love you." he said brushing her tears away.

Marie smiled a watery smile.

"I love you to." she said as he parents came out.

The family locked their tear stained eyes for a moment.

"I think its time to go home Marie dear." said Christine gently to her daughter,

Marie Claire nodded and bid Arthur goodbye , squeezing his hand and hugging him warmly. They gathered Felix and the whole family walked out arm in arm. The journey home was a quiet one, as though none of them were ready to talk about what had happened. They got home and sat by the fire all bundled together on the same couch as though none of them could long to be seperated. And it was there that they all fell asleep.

Arthur was the last one to leave the Opera house, because he had gotten caught up in a conversation with Lizzie about Marie. Both were intensly worried about her, worried in fact about the whole family. But as Arthur put on his coat and prepared to leave, he heard the floor creak. He whirled around to see the Phantom standing before him.

"I am dissapointed om you my young monsieur." said Erik with and irritated tone. "I teach you all I know, make your voice one of the most wanted in Paris, and this is how you repay me, by helping my enemies?"

Arthur turned around and looked the Phantom in the eyes.

"I have no wish to talk to you monsieur, after what happened this evening with the de Chagnys." he said, turning to go.

"If you hadn't become the rising make star of the opera, your wealthy family would have gone into bankruptcy. But your wages managed to get your father's buisness back on it's feet, and so no one would ever know that your family had had troubles. Your financial situation became stable again, your family' s buisness soaring." said the Phantom, his eyes boring into the back of Arthur's head, as is he knew what the young man was thinking."And all thanks to my tutoring."

Arthur stopped short, his head spinnign and his heart racing. He turned back around.

"And I thank you for tutoring me. But I love Marie Claire, and I won't allow you to harm her or her family. You can tell everyone about my family's troubles if you wish, but I will help the de Chagny as much as I can, no matter what you do or say." said Arthur determindedly.

The Phantom raised his eyebrows at he young man.

"And have you told your beloved Marie Claire about all of this?" asked the Phantom slyly.

"Yes I have. Both she and her family know, I felt that it was best to tell them beforehand."

"And you dare to fall in love with Marie Claire? But no matter what happens, her voice will be mine, as will Christine's. You dare to help Raoul, who is my sworn enemy? You dare to become close and swear your allegiance to a family that is doomed?" the Phantom shook his head. "How incredibly sad. You had best watch your back my young protege, consider yourself among the ranks of Raoul in my esteem. I had thought better of you." said Erik, dissapearing into the darkness.

Arthur stared into the dark room, wondering what Erik was planning, his stomach sinking.

When Erik got back to his lair, he sat down at his organ and began playing "Past the point of return" from his opera Don Juan triumphant. He played loudly and intensly, the strains probably keeping the girls in the ballet dormitories awake. Feelings of anger and hate flowed through his veins and made his blood boil. How dare this people defy him? No one defied the Phantom of the Opera, no one. He was formulating a plan that would indeed push the entire group past the point of no return. There would be no choices for Christine this time, he would make the choices for her. As well as for Marie for that matter. If only Erik had looked deeper into the depths of his soul and realized that these feelings of anger were indeed stemming from feelings of lonliness and deep sadness. If only he would let someone help him, rather than trying to control people by fear and violence. How different his life couldbe, perhaps having someone that could understand him, someone like Madame Giry. If only.

As everyone sat at dinner after the second night of the play, everythign seemed alright. Christine and Raoul were talking to Meg and Jacque, Andre and Firmin were cracking jokes and talking with Arthur's parents and Madame Giry. Christine and Raoul had also become good friends with Arthur's parents, which had made Marie feel relieved. Lizzie and Marie Claire were discussing the performance , while Arthur sat played with Felix and held Marie's hand under the table. Everyone noticed the quietness of the whole de Chagny family, but decided to let them talk when they were ready, of which the family was glad of. And though everything seemed normal, the wound on Raoul's neck, and the the paleness of Christine's and Marie's faces was an ever present reminder of what they all knew was in store.