Chapter Eight
Disclaimer: I don't own The Phantom of the Opera (duh!)
A/N sorry this took a while to get posted, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and I just found out that my youth pastor at church is leaving in Aug.(sobs) Yeah, so, I've been crying all day, everybody really loved Josh(That's my y.p.'s name). He's like an older brother.
Maska- Yes, I do delight in keeping you in suspense. Am I really that cruel? FYI I don't do well with sarcasm, so help me please in you want to be sarcastic. Here's that chapter that will hopefully ease some of the pain of suspense.
Son Ange- Again I'm so sorry about that chapter mess up thing. I felt really stupid about that.
Enough with my ramblings on to the phic.
Chelsea woke early the next morning. Her heart sank with the thought that she would be leaving Paris, but wasn't too sad knowing Erik was coming back with her. She couldn't wait to introduce her to her family. He was so kind and gentle, they'd be sure to look right past the mask. Chelsea looked at the ring Erik had given her. It was so beautiful. She pressed it close to her heart.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
When Erik awoke he was nervous. He'd never been one a plane before and he hated to go out in public. But, he thought to himself, this time would be different because Chelsea would be with him. Erik loved her so much. She was so full of life and fire, but she was also so delicate and small, Erik thought, and she needed someone to protect her. He decided that he would be the one to protect her, no matter what. And then he closed his eyes for a few more minutes of sleep.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Matthew opened his eyes to the sun and with a sinister smile on his face. Today, he thought, to day he would get his revenge. Why bother to worry and get out of bed?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Chelsea finally worked up the guts to roll out of bed. She gasped as her feet hit the cold stone floor. Mumbling something not quite comprehensible about the insane hour of the morning, she slipped into a pair of jeans and a sweat-shirt. Chelsea padded out to the kitchen only to find Erik was not out of bed. She sighed and opened his door. He was sleeping hard, his chest rising up and down peacefully. Chelsea hated to wake him, but she knew that they needed to catch the plane. She shook Erik by his shoulders, he rolled over and growled.
"I ought to Punjab you" He mumbled swatting at her.
"I think not. We have a plane to catch and you need to get up, eat, and pack."
"No" Erik said with a stubborn smirk on his face.
"Fine" Chelsea slipped out of the room and returned with and eye-dropper. She grinned and dribbled the ice cold water all over Erik. He gasped and shot out of his bed. Chelsea doubled over laughing.
"This means war!" Erik picked up Chelsea with the greatest of ease, threw her on the bed and tickled her mercilessly.
"No! No, stop!" She shrieked but to no avail.
"Say Angel" Erik warned. Chelsea flailed her fists and bopped him on the head. Erik stopped for a split second, but that split second was enough. Chelsea shot between his legs, out the door, and into the kitchen arming herself with an iron pan. Erik ran into the room after her, but stopped short when she brandished the pan menacingly. Chelsea grinned.
"I win." She said sweetly. Erik mock glared.
"No fair, you have a pan."
"Is too fair, you are much stronger and taller than I am. Now go get dressed, pack your bags and I'll make breakfast." Erik gave her a puppy-dog look, but left.
Chelsea grinned to herself and started on breakfast. In fifteen minutes she went to get Erik, she fond him glaring at his suitcase which was lying open on the bed.
"Time to eat"
"The bag won't close" Chelsea sighed
"You have to fold the clothes first. I'll do it after we eat." She led Erik out of the room.
After a few hours of hurried packing and last minute preparations Chelsea and Erik were ready to leave. They walked out to the street to hail a cab. At the airport Chelsea noticed a ton of guys in black suits, but told herself she was being paranoid.
Then finally in the waiting area it happened. Chelsea was sitting leaning on Erik's shoulder dozing, when a big group of men in black suits came up and tapped Erik in the shoulder.
"Sir, we need you to come with us." Chelsea rose.
"He's with me" The men paid her no heed. Two of the men walked over and grabbed her arms.
"No! Let go of me!"
"Chelsea!" Erik tried to wrench himself free.
"Erik!" Chelsea twisted in her captors grip, sobbing. "No you can't take him! Let him go!" The men dragged Erik away and Chelsea onto the plane. She was still sobbing and screaming for Erik when they pushed her in her seat.
"No, no, no" Chelsea sobbed into her hands. They couldn't have taken him. He should be here, beside her, ready to go home with her. She raised her tear stained face when a girl sat down beside her. The girl was quite pretty. She was tall, had long blond hair and bright blue eyes.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Meanwhile Erik was being dragged out of the airport. He'd seen Chelsea being dragged onto the plane.
"Let go of me!" He thundered at the men. Erik knew who had done this, who had wrenched Chelsea away. Matthew. Who else would have done it?
The men dragged Erik all the way back to the Opera House where Matthew was waiting.
"Aha, look what the cat dragged in" Matthew said lazily.
"Matthew, I swear, if I ever-"
"No, no. No making threats now."
"Where did you take Chelsea?"
"Who? Oh the girl. We didn't take her anywhere. She is on the flight back to America. Don't worry about her, she will forget all about you. Who wouldn't?" Matthew purred at the seething man in the mask. Matthew laughed at Erik's expression of utter rage.
"Turn this monster out on the street. He can't do anything anymore." The men in black dragged Erik out of the office and threw him down the steps of the Opera House Erik had once called home. He dug around in his pocket for his plane ticket, but found the men had taken it. Then Erik sat down in a dark corner in an alley and cried. Everything was gone, Chelsea, his love, his hope, Matthew his one time friend, everything.
After a few hours Erik realized what he must do. First, he thought, he'd have to find a job. Then he'd have to find out where Chelsea was, and then find her, somehow.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
"Are you okay?" The girl asked nervously.
"Yeah if broken hearted is alright. Sorry you had to see that little display. I don't normally cry in public unless-"
"Something terrible had happened." The girl finished for her. "I know. My name is Alice. Now, I'm so sorry to ask but, I'm terribly curious, what happened back there? I saw some men drag you on here and some other man away."
"I- I don't really know what happened. They just dragged Erik away. I'm Chelsea by-the-way." Chelsea went on to tell Alice everything, from coming to Paris to being dragged on the plane and everything about Matthew and Erik.
"Wow" Alice said in shock. "So, you're telling me that you fell in love with the Phantom of the Opera, and some guy who was his friend liked you too and came up with these evil plans for revenge which included taking Erik away and forcing you on here?" Chelsea nodded.
"That about sums it up" She was feeling better now that she had met Alice but still was in shock after having Erik ripped away from her.
"Ladies and gentlemen this is your captain speaking. We will be landing in St. Paul, Minnesota in about a half hour. The time is seven o'clock in the evening. Please prepare to put you seatbelts on and your tray tables up. Thank you and enjoy the remainder of the flight." Chelsea and Alice stared at each other in shock. They had been talking for over ten hours getting to know each other. (A/N well what do you expect they're girls? Also I'm wasn't sure about the time difference between Minnesota and Paris, I just guessed the ten hours and I was too lazy to look it up)
An hour and a half later Chelsea and Alice exchanged addresses and said goodbye. Chelsea drove to her house tired, pale and terribly worried about Erik.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Matthew smiled to himself. Erik was gone, homeless for now, and heartbroken. Chelsea was a couple thousand miles away, not sure where Erik was. Matthew hadn't been this happy for months.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Erik curled up in a small Bed and Breakfast. Tomorrow he would go find a job and someday he would, he promised himself, he would find Chelsea.
A/N Well what did you think? Will Erik and Chelsea ever find each other? Will Matthew ever run into Chelsea and Erik again? Will he still be jealous? Only I know! Review!