Hurray 200 reviews oh I'm so happy. Okay I know this chapter has a big time jump, but a very important part of the story occurs so let's to say this goes out to all you Raoul haters. Inkie Pinkie thank you for the gold star and it's not hard to join the Raoul Haters United Club. CoolGirlEmily can explain I'm sure or information on it would be nice, so enough of my blabbing and onto the story. Oh if anyone gets confused the mirror was fixed.
Chapter 39: A Life for a Life
The 8 months had gone by rather quickly with two operas that had been big success. Lotte had finally gotten a hand on morning sickness and was adjusting well to the amount of weight she had gained, but two small things bothered her. Going up and down from the lair and her father's constant nagging to be careful.
As she carried some potatoes into the kitchen while helping Christine with dinner Erik was insisting he do it instead.
"Mother, Father is being overprotective again."
"Erik, get out of my kitchen. You're being bothersome."
"You're kitchen? You forget this is my house."
Lotte looked at him. "You mean our house."
"She has a point and if you want to keep me you'll share the kitchen with me, now out."
Erik hustled out of the kitchen and Lotte situated herself in a chair. She took up the knife and began to peel the potatoes. "Is he always like that Mother?"
"Not always, but since he didn't get to baby me while I was carrying you he wants his chance to be the protective father. Don't be so hard on him. He's heart is in the right place."
Lotte chuckled and then organ music began to fill the room. Christine looked out to see Erik pouring his heart and soul into the ivory keys. She smiled with pride that he had such a beautiful talent and knew she would have no problem living in this place with him.
xxxxx
"This is the last straw!" Raoul bellowed as he ran to each room of the house searching for Christine. "She spends too much damn time at that Opera House. What's so great about that place?"
He reached the front door just as there was a knock. He opened it and the mail carrier smiled at him as he handed him the mail. "Good day sir."
Raoul closed the door and looked through the letters when one from Christine's friends showed up. He had seen these names on the envelope a good number of times over the past year and he was a tad bit curious about these "friends" Christine had mentioned. He ripped open the envelope and began to read.
Dear Pierre,
Oh, Congradulations on the new addition to your family. I'm sorry we didn't write sooner, but the harvest had just been brought in and we're up to our necks in raspberries. I hope Lotte is doing well and tell her to keep off her feet for me. I hope Erik and Christine are doing well also. Send them my regards.
Love Always,
Your Mother and Father
Raoul's face had turned scarlet with anger as he read the letter. "So that monster is back and he's been under my very nose all this time. Why that dirty bastard. And on top of that he has Christine and Lotte in his grasp. I will not let him win. When Christine gets home tonight she'll be mine and the rest of them will die. Erik's reign will come to an end!" he declared stuffing the letter into his pocket.
xxxxx
Back at the lair dinner had been finished and the dishes cleaned up. Pierre was reading, Lotte was knitting, and Christine was snuggled up to Erik on the organ bench. Suddenly she sat up. "I have to get back home. Raoul made me promise that I would come home tonight."
"I'll take you up. Yet, I have a feeling you shouldn't go back. I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Don't worry I'll be fine. I'll come back in the morning."
Erik led her upstairs and soon came back down. "It's still early so I'm going to take a quick nap before we start shutting down for the night. Pierre come wake me at quarter to 10 won't you?"
"I will."
Erik gave Lotte a smile and then went into his room and closed the door. As he crossed towards the bed he got a gut sinking feeling that something wasn't right. But what could possibly be wrong? Nothing jumped at him right away so he thought he would sleep on it. He lifted the curtain and laid across his left side soon falling into a deep sleep.
xxxxx
Christine pushed open the door to see the house in complete darkness. She stepped into the front room when someone grabbed rather fiercely into her shoulder. The door slammed shut and the room fell dark. The pain in her shoulder was excruciating and she began to cry. "Let me go your hurting me."
"Not until you give me answers Christine. Where is the Phantom?"
"I don't know what you're talking about. He's been gone for a year now," she lied as she whimpered in pain.
"I know you're lying to me Christine. I have all the information I need. You are my wife and you will stay as such. The rest of your pitiful family will die tonight. I will be marching out with a group of the toughest men to take them down. Erik and the vile creature the two of you call a daughter and her child will be dead by sunrise."
"No! Raoul there is no one at the Opera House. I swear to you, there only Monsieur Armand and his son, Pierre and his wife, Jacqueline."
"This will teach you to lie to me," Raoul shouted. A new pain shot through Christine's arm as something sharp pierced the skin of her shoulder. She could feel wetness and warmth of her blood dripping down along her shoulder. "It pains me to do this to you darling, but if it makes you behave I have no choice."
Having watched Erik fight off pain before Christine found a new strength of energy and quickly whipped around knocking Raoul backwards. She tried to run, but he reached out and managed to grab her leg making her trip. She hit the floor and scurried to get up, but Raoul was already a top her ready to have his way with her. Christine realized she had only one chance to stop him and with a bit of aim she managed to drive her knee into Raoul's sweet spot.
He doubled over in pain gasping and wheezing. Christine got to her feet and managed to get the door open. She fled out into the dark Paris streets. She had to warn Erik before it was too late.
"I know you'll go to him! Well you'll just die along with your love. I can be quite happy without you. Who would want a backstabber like you as his wife?" Raoul shouted after her.
She knew he would keep his promise, but she didn't care. Like any good mother she had to protect her family. Fresh blood trickled down her shoulder and the wind wasn't helping either. She reached the Opera House doors seeing them closed and began pounding on them.
xxxxx
Inside Pierre looked up at the clock. "I better wake your Father. Will you be all right by yourself for awhile?"
"I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."
"All right I'll be back in a little while."
He went into Erik's room and nudged him. "It's time to shut down."
Erik sat up and yawned. "All right then. Let's go quickly so no one sees us." They hurried up past Lotte and came through Christine's dressing room. "Let's start in the lobby. That way we can find our way back down with these lights," Erik suggested taking the keys out of his pocket.
They walked through the house and came into the lobby. Erik handed Pierre the keys to start locking the door while he started blowing out candles and downing the gas lamps. Pierre went up to the door and just as he was about to put the key in the keyhole knocking came from the other side. He pulled it open and Christine fell into his arms. He saw the blood in her shoulder and her face was pale. "Erik, come quick!"
Erik ran up from out of the darkness and soon as he saw Christine he took her into his arms. "Christine, speak to me. What happened?"
She looked up at him her eyes wet with tears and her breathing was heavy. "Raoul, he knows about us, but I don't know how he found out. I had walked into the house finding it completely dark and he grabbed me from behind. He said he was going to come and kill all of you so that I had no one else to turn to, but him. When I protested he dug his dagger into my shoulder. I felt it was the end, but after seeing you suffer so much I felt a new energy flow within me and I threw him to the ground. He managed to grab my leg and throw me to the floor where he was about to do the unthinkable when I kneed him in the sweets. We have to get out of here; he now threatens to kill us all."
"I won't give up my Opera House. Not after fighting so hard to get it. He'll have to get through me if he wants to kill anyone in my family."
"I'll help you," Pierre said after locking all the doors. "Wait Lotte's still downstairs."
"Go get her. I'll take Christine to Mme. Giry, because we also need to warn the ballet girls. I don't want them getting mixed in this."
"All right I'll meet you there." He raced down the hall while Erik gathered Christine close and raced down the hallway. Pierre reached the dressing room door to see a man standing there that he had never seen before. He ducked behind a curtain and the man turned around. He had rage in his eyes and a dagger in his hands. Pierre knew right away that it was Raoul.
Raoul opened the dressing room door and went up to the mirror. Pierre was wondering at how Raoul knew how to open the mirror as it slid open and he disappeared into the darkness. Pierre stepped out of his hiding spot and stepped into the mirror. "He'll probably take the boat. I'll have to go around," he thought as he took off down the other passage. "Just be there when I arrive, Lotte. I don't want to lose you."
xxxxx
Lotte was still sitting on the couch working on her knitting when the boat came up on the water, but she couldn't see anyone inside. "Hmm the boat probably wasn't tied up properly. I'll have to have Pierre get it later. Well come along little one mommy's hungry. Let's go see what there is to eat."
She stood up and made her way into the kitchen. Raoul appeared from under a dark cloak and jumped onto dry land. "She'll go into the kitchen, but when she comes out she'll be mine. But first I'll deal with the baby." He thought creeping up to the door.
Lotte had found some bread and some cheese. She arranged them on a plate and put some water in a cup. She picked up the plate and walked out into the music room as an arm wrapped around her neck causing her to drop the plate. It hit the floor scattering the contents. She let out a stifled cry as a hand began to rub her front.
"So, Lotte this is where you have been hiding out all this time. I would have thought so if you were supposed to be in the Paris countryside with the Phantom. But supposedly you came back and you're Mother has been lying to me. But that doesn't matter now," Raoul hissed, his very breath making her hair stand on end.
"What are you doing here? Get out of here or my father will have your head," Lotte warned him.
"Oh, that won't be happening this time around my dear. This time I plan to kill the Phantom of the Opera and take back what is rightfully mine. Your mother belongs to Lotte and you as the Phantom's daughter will die, but first I have something else to take care of."
Before Lotte could stop him he had plunged the dagger into her stomach causing her to scream out in pain and fear for the precious bundle inside. "Stop it! No please don't," she cried as she clawed at the dagger as he pushed it farther and farther until it would go no more. Lotte sobbed as she tried to get away from him and his evil.
Soon he pulled out the dagger allowing blood and fluid to fall in a puddle at her feet. Then in a swift motion he threw her to the floor. The impact made more blood leak out and Lotte groaned in pain. He gave her belly a few sharp kicks with his boot making sure his job was complete. "Now my dear it's time for me to end all your suffering and finally be rid of the Phantom's bloodline."
He raised the dagger over his head and was about to plunge it into Lotte's chest when Pierre appeared from one of the mirrors. "Hey back away from my wife," he shouted then he saw Lotte's condition. "What have you done to her?"
"I have taken care of that demon within her. No longer will the Phantom's bloodline run through the streets of Paris. I will be able to take Christine away with me and have our own children."
"You are sick and twisted. Do you think killing us off will get you Christine? She'll hate you more if you do that."
"Shut up!" Raoul said pulling out a sword. Pierre unsheathed his sword and took the proper stance. Raoul charged at him and Pierre deflected. They went at it like two school boys fighting after school. Pierre had to stop this man and get to Lotte. She looked like she was fading fast.
xxxxx
Up in Mme. Giry's Erik was bandaging Christine's shoulder and explaining to Mme. Giry what Christine had told him. Mme. Giry was well convinced when he finished. "I had a feeling like this would happen sooner or later. But I always did despise that man. There was a bad air about him when he first stepped into this Opera House. But where are Lotte and Pierre? We can't leave without them."
Erik noticed this also and stood up. "They should be back by now. Unless…"
"Unless what?"
Erik slapped his forehead in anger. "We never locked the back doors of the Opera House. Raoul's in here somewhere and the first place he'll go is the lair." Suddenly from down below they all heard Lotte's blood curdling scream. "Damn he's already to her."
"Erik there's a passage behind my mirror that will take you into Pierre's room. It's not a long tunnel so you'll get there in no time."
"I have no weapon. No doubt Raoul came armed."
"Oh, I wouldn't say you're unarmed," Mme. Giry said holding up the skull hilted sword. "I believe you dropped this some time ago."
"I was looking for that. How did you get it? Wait, that's not important." He took the sword quickly kissed Christine. "Don't worry you'll be safe here."
"Hurry, Erik. I don't want to see Lotte fall at his hands."
Mme. Giry opened the mirror and Erik disappeared into the depths of the Opera House once again. Christine watched him disappear, and then she let out a sob afraid this might be the end.
Erik ran quickly and soon made it into Pierre's room. He heard Lotte cry out again, then he hear Pierre and Raoul begin yelling at each other. Hiding in the shadows of the doorway he surveyed the area. The two men where having a brawl over by the dock and Lotte was lying with her back turned away from him outside the kitchen door. If he wanted to succeed at all he was going to have to kill Raoul. There was no other way around it.
As he planned the attack Raoul caught Pierre off guard and slammed the hilt of his sword into the boy's head leaving a nasty gash. Pierre staggered a bit and soon fell back onto the floor. Raoul was satisfied with his victory and crossed the room back over to Lotte.
"Now my dear after that horrible interruption it's time we end this."
He hadn't anticipated Erik slinking up behind him as he lifted the dagger up over his head again. Lotte closed her eyes in fear waiting for the finally blow, but it never came, nothing but a small gasp. She opened her eyes after a few moments and saw her father standing there with his sword piercing right through Raoul's back. "Now Vicomte it seems you'll never be able to harm my family again. Looks like Christine will never belong to you," he said chucking the sword to the ground pulling Raoul's now dead body with it.
"Father…he…" Lotte gasped her face going pale.
"Quiet now Lotte," Erik said kneeling in the puddle of blood beside her. "I have to get you to a doctor."
"What's the point?" she cried. "He killed it. That monster killed my baby!"
Ha another cliffhanger and a big huzzah from all Raoul haters Raoul is no more. But what will become of Lotte and her husband. There is more to come, I promise, but I just had to have this chapter put up right away. I look forward to all your feedback. Love you all.