Title: Deserve
Pairing: Erik/Christine
Rating: PG-13, R
Version: Based off the 2004 Movie
Disclaimer: All POTO characters belong to Andrew Lloyd Webber; all the little extra characters belong to me and my mind.
A/N This is based off the movie although I'm not completely following the movie's formula. In order to write this phic I had to go my own way with the movie, so if some things seem a little off from the movie please don't hurt me, this is my version, I will use references from the movie and the characters, but most of the scenes, extra characters, and orders of events belong to me and my mind, forgive the slow start, I promise it to get better as the story progresses, thanks and I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1- Let My Opera Begin
Christine made her way into her dressing room. She spent most of her time there looking into the mirror. She'd hum songs she would hear in her sleep and calmly think of nothing. She sat down at her vanity looking at the rose she got a few nights ago. It still had its deep red beauty and romantic sent. She smiled slightly as she played with the black ribbon tightly attached to the stem.
Erik was down in his lair humming a tune which he could not seem to get down on to paper. He growled in frustration and realized he couldn't write this piece alone. He needed her, in fact he always did. He realized that there has hardly been a composition of music that he couldn't write without a small amount of inspiration from her.
Raoul walked inside the Opera Populaire and smiled as he looked at the people cleaning the opera house and polishing its many grand features. He took off his gloves and put them in his hand tucking a blond strand of hair behind his ear.
Meg was heading towards the dressing room to make sure Christine was ready for the night's performance. She was walking quickly when she suddenly bumped into the Vicomte.
"Hello Meg." He waved to her slightly.
"Hello monsieur, how has the day treated you?" Meg fidgeted needing to find Christine.
"Fairly well so far, is Christine up? I need to speak with her." He asked eagerly.
"Yes actually I was just about to go see her. I don't believe she is dressed yet monsieur." She said looking around needing to get to Christine.
"Oh I see. Well I will wait then. Give her my luck then, would you?" Raoul sighed sadly tipping his had slightly.
Meg nodded quickly and dashed for Christine's dressing room.
Christine still sat at her vanity and let out a soft sigh. She wanted more excitement in her life and more ambition, or at least something worth living for. Ever since her father had died she had felt lost in the world and had no one to care for. She wasn't dressed to perform; instead she had been day dreaming away at her vanity thinking of better things for the future. She sighed sadly once again and looked over at her mirror on the wall. She stood up and walked over to it gazing in it sadly. She gently touched the glass as she peered inside.
"What endless longings echo in this whisper?" She sung softly as she stared at her reflection.
Meanwhile on the other side of the mirror Erik swiftly made his way into the gondola to go across the lake. He was determined to hear her sing and started to row quicker at the thought of her voice.
Christine sighed and sat back down at her vanity once again. She twirled a curl in her hair and stared at her reflection. Meg quickly ran up to the door knocking impatiently.
"Christine? Are you up?" Meg asked frantically.
Christine jumped and was knocked out of her thoughts. She looked at the door hearing Meg on the other side.
"Come in Meg." Christine said calmly smoothing out her night gown.
Meg ran into the dressing room and looked at Christine.
"Christine! You must get ready! My mother told me to come get you. The performance is tonight!"
She sighed remembering she had to perform again. She loved to perform and was usually excited to be on stage, but not tonight.
"I know I'm about to get ready I promise." She said sadly. Her voice sounded bored and exhausted.
Erik crept down the hallways and moved swiftly through the dark shadows. He was determined to find Christine and lure her into his lair to help him with his song that he couldn't seem to compose. A stern look was on his face and he was concentrated on his desire. He was almost to the mirror when he stopped in his tracks as soon as he heard the sound of two voices.
"Well I'm here to help u dress. Mother says no fooling around today." Meg said as she shut the door and walked over to Christine.
Christine nodded quickly and grabbed the dress slipping off her pajamas and quickly putting on the dress she was to wear for the performance. Meg walked over to her starting to help Christine tie her corset on. Christine looked at Meg and smiled.
"You look just like your mother." Christine said smiling at her in the mirror.
Erik slowly walked towards the mirror and knelt down in front of it. He carefully watched from the other side and was locked in gaze with the scene in front of him. He had forgotten the music, the whole reason he had came. He pressed his hand to the mirror wishing he could be in the room with her.
"I'm so glad your here dancing with me Christine. All the other dancers are just, well you know..." Meg looked at her in the vanity mirror as she pulled tighter at the strings.
"French Whores?" Christine said laughing slightly as she held on to the chair tightly.
Meg started laughing continuing to tighten the corset.
"Yes, did u see the way they threw themselves at the new managers?" Meg asked smiling in amusement.
"I heard rumors that they threw them selves at Joseph!" Christine said laughing.
"Oh, so did I! That's terrible he's always drunk and telling silly stories of ghosts" she shook her head thinking of what a fool he is to think they would be so dumb as to believe such fables.
"Especially that opera ghost." Meg said with sarcasm.
"Like the phantom of the opera?" Christine laughed at the thought.
Erik held his breath at the sound of his title. What a title it was, no wealth or honor. His title was of horror and made believe stories told by fools who had nothing better to do than amuse themselves with images of him they created in their minds. He sighed knowing he brought the title upon himself. Anything was better than devils child he thought miserably.
"I may sound crazy but I do believe he exists." Christine said softly. She always knew there was such a man but never believed Joseph's silly fables of him.
"Oh, I think so too. Who else would do those horrible things to Carlotta?" Meg grinned.
Christine laughed. "He's my hero there." Both girls giggled at the thought of Carlotta always getting ravished in the middle of rehearsals.
"Oh that reminds me, the Vicomte was going to call upon you this morning." Meg said as her smile slowly faded.
"He's too stuck to me" she said rolling her eyes in aggravation.
"But, I thought you liked him. You were fond of him when he first arrived here." She looked at Christine with a gaze of confusion.
Christine sighed and looked down. "Things change Meg."
Meg nodded slightly and tied the strings. She started smoothing her hair with the silver brush that laid on the vanity. "Well the only thing that is bad about marrying a Vicomte is that his title will keep you from singing. Countesses don't sing."
"I'm not going to be a Countess. It seems so hard to be that perfect and keep up that title." Christine said.
"Yes it is, but it will do you better than this life. People who live here don't make it very far and barely have enough money to keep bread on the table, unless you're Carlotta." Meg's voice became sarcastic as soon as the name Carlotta came off her lips.
"But I don't want to be a Countess and I don't want to be married to Raoul." She said as she sat down in the chair. Meg shrugged giving in.
"Suit yourself then. I cannot make you love a man whom you don't care for." Meg replied.
"I care for him, only as a dear friend." Christine said looking at her in the mirror.
Erik was sitting there patiently listening and suddenly the tune came back piercing in his brain. He needed the music. He clasped his hands to his head and let out a soft growl from all the overwhelming emotion and frustration. He quickly ran back down the hall before he could be heard by the two girls.
Christine looked around hearing the familiar voice and she sighed looking down at the floor. "Meg, I think I'm falling in love with my angel of music, but it's an angel. That's quite silly of me isn't it?"
Christine sighed. She had spent many of her lonely years in the comfort of her angel. When she cried he would sing her tears away, and when she felt alone he would comfort her with his music. Meg ignored what she said and was looking around the room confused.
"Did you hear that noise? Or perhaps was I just hearing things." Meg said looking around becoming nervous.
"I heard it too. I've been hearing things like that for along time." She said whispering softly.
"But that's silly; it sounded like it was coming from the walls!" She said in shock and her eyes darted to each wall.
"I think Joseph can see me some how." Christine said casually.
"You think it was Joseph?" Meg looked around the room uneasily.
"Of course, he has a sick mind like that." She said giggling "Come on it's almost time for the opera to start."
"Oh no! My mother will kill us! Let's hurry!" Meg quickly bolted for the door and Christine picked up the front of her dress following quickly behind. Meg quickly ran through the crowd of cast members guiding Christine. The cast members laughed and chatted away trying to waste as much time as possible before the performance. Meg continued to dash through the many groups of people never looking back at Christine. She was suddenly stopped when she was jerked back. Christine was on the ground wincing in pain as she clutched her ankle. Meg gasped and looked down at her feeling horrible for being so ignorant as to not even look back to make sure she was following safely behind.
"Are you alright Christine?" Meg asked.
"I'm fine Meg, let's just keep going." She nodded and took Meg's offered hand and stood up. They were running again but much slower with Christine limping slightly behind. Christine winced slightly from the pain. It became harder to make her way through the huge crowd. A moment later she slid on the stage and landed right in front of Mdm Giry.
"There you are child!" Mdm Giry gave her a look of impatience. "You've been fooling around again this morning! I thought I sent Meg in to get you up on time!"
"I slept in Mdm I am sorry. Meg did come in, but we lost track of the time when we started chatting, it's my fault I am sorry." Christine looked down at the floor of the stage. It was waxed and cleaned for the performance.
Mdm Giry sighed. "Very well my dear, please join in with the others." Mdm Giry always hated when rehearsals were delayed. She was a perfectionist and always desired the best performances that the girls of Paris could perform. She couldn't stay mad at Christine either. She considered her a daughter and cared for her dearly, she could never scold her for too long. Mdm Giry was quickly brought out of her frustration and thoughts when she heard a screeching voice of complaint coming towards the stage.
"MY COSTUME, IT'S A MESS!" Carlotta yelled as she pushed people out of her way. "ITS FINISHED I NOT WORK FOR YOU ANYMORE! I NOT SING LIKE THIS!" Carlotta was always complaining about something. It always seemed that the diva could never be satisfied, even when the entire Opera Populaire was at her feet.
Christine giggled off to the side by Meg. "You can't sing at all." She smiled and laughed with Meg. Mdm Giry gave both girls a scornful look to hush.
Carlotta looked over in Meg and Christine's direction and frowned. "SILENCE TOADS I AM THE BELLA DIVA! You stupid insolent little dancing girls!" to be called a dancing girl was an insult and almost the same as being called a whore. Meg and Christine's smiles faded quickly and they fell silent.
Mdm Giry sighed and looked towards Carlotta. "That will be enough Carlotta. Go to the costume maids and tell them they are to make you a new costume, but are to keep the ribbons." Carlotta stuck her nose in the air and stomped off satisfied with the few moments that she was having her way, once again.
Christine sat down on the floor and looked at her ankle which was now becoming slightly swollen. She touched the tender wound and flinched. She found it hard to dance throughout the whole rehearsal. Mdm Giry took notice to her injury and sent her back to her room early to heal so she could dance for the performance later.
Meg stood up with Christine. "I will help you back to your room Christine."
Christine smiled and shook her head politely. "No Meg it's alright I can do it on my own, but you can get me something for my ankle." Meg nodded and ran off to find some warm water and bandages. Christine smiled and slowly limped back to her room. She began to softly hum a tune. It was one her angel had sung to her. She began to wish she could see her angel since she had never really had the chance. She had heard him describe himself to her as a tall man with dark hair. He had failed to use extreme details which made the image of him hard to place together in her head. She began to wonder if he was thin or fat, or perhaps he had a large nose. She opened the door to her dressing room and quickly shut it behind her. She walked over to the small bed in the corner and sat down. She looked at her ankle seeing a bruise had begun to form. She rubbed it slightly and felt a strong wave of pain.
Erik sat in his lair mumbling to himself in frustration. He was upset that he had to run from Christine not allowing him the chance to have her sing his new composition. He frowned at the organ in front of him and glared at the sheet of music that was incomplete. "It's all wrong, I can never finish the song with out her." He sighed and stood up. He walked over to a chair that his cape was draped across. He picked it up and swung it around his shoulders. "I will go to her. I have to finish this piece."
