A/N: Thank to all of my reviewers once again! My motivation is partially renewed, for I just watched the movie two more times, and saw the broadway show. Also, thank you too the people who gave me suggestions on what to do next. They are not particularly huge in this chapter, but i am planning on it in future chapters : )

Though I am sorry to say that this story is nearly coming to an end... Not yet, but there are probably maybe 5 more chpaters. But maybe if you all review like crazy in these last chapters, then I will make a sequel! Well, enjoy the chapter and review!

Chapter 20

I ran silently through the streets of Paris, frantically trying to get to my parents house. There, I knew that my father would immediately agree with my decision on wanting to stay with them; I only hoped that my mother would as well. If she did not, then I did not know what she would do. I knew that I would argue my hardest in order to make my mother see it my way, and to protect me from Erik at all costs.

Raoul, I knew, would gladly keep me away from my previous captor, but my mother would surely want to try and talk me into going back to him. Even though she did want me with her always, she would never want any harm to come to Erik, emotionally or physically. I also knew that Erik had been through enough pain to last him an eternity, but still, he found me a burden, an item that he could easily do without.

Wondering what Erik did when he found me gone, gave me sadness, yet also provided me with excitement to know that I held the power to cause someone so much pain. Sure, I may have taken an awful advantage on that, but I still felt no guilt. I only hoped that Erik would not come after me, for I did not want to have to face him and explain my decisions.

He will not listen to me. He will immediately yell in my face and order me to come back to him, I thought furiously.

He holds no conscious and will not care what happens to me, as long as I make him feel better and less like a monster. I helped create his lack of guilt. Told him that none of the actions that he had done in the past were his fault, told him that he should hold no responsibly for actions. That did give him some happiness, to know that someone understood. And I did truly understand, but still, he should not have done any of the things that he did. The people who he did kill, I was sure they deserved it, yet Erik should not have taken the power to take away life unto himself

No one should do that.

And yet, the people were so unfeeling, so merciless, that I wondered if I were in his same position, what would I have done?

I would have killed them all too.

When this hit me, I completely rethought my actions of leaving Erik. He was just a misunderstood human being. He did not know how to act around adolescants, how to live with them. All his life, he was secluded from everyone, never being introduced to the human nature. Of course he would find me difficult to live with! I was rude, inconsiderate, independent, unsure, moody; how would someone who had never had any friends now how to react to someone with such strong qualities? As I was just figuring this out for the first time, full realization hitting me, I felt the hot tears begin to form at the brim of my eyes.

Finally, I reached my parents home, and I furiously wiped the tears form my eyes, though they would add effect to my reasoning for running away from Erik. Angrily, I slammed my fist on their door, though I think that I could have just walked in, but my mother would have had a fit.

I saw the lights flicker on inside and heard the footsteps sound from behind the door. As the door opened in the dead of night, and as I saw my mother appear on the other side, I felt relief and joy spread over me, wiping away all the anger that I held towards Erik so shortly before.

"Emma!" my mother cried when she saw me on the other side of her door.

"Bonsoir, mother," I said while I stepped inside.

"What are doing out here! It is extremely late!"

"Who was it dear?" I heard a man's voice call from the other room.

"It's Emma!"

In the other room, I heard a chair slid across the wooden floor, creating a low squeaking sound. Soon after I saw my father standing in the doorway, staring at me with shock.

"Why Emma! How in God's name did you get out here so late!"

When I didn't answer and just looked down at the floor, my father's eyes flared with anger.

"Did that bastard do something to you…" he asked in a harsh whisper.

Immediately, I shot my head up and looked directly into my father's eyes. "Of course not, father! He would never! I ran away myself!"

"Why would you do that, Emma? You are the one who wished to stay there with him," my mother said a little too sweetly.

"Because he does not want me," I replied quietly.

For a moment, my mother stared at me with bewilderment on her face, and my father stood in the corner, smirking. At last, my mother spoke.

"Why, Emma? What would make you think that he does not want you? From the time that I spent with the man, it seemed that he loved to have the company of someone who did not think of him as an abhorrent monster."

"He said that he didn't want me! And that I was rude and inconsiderate! I heard it form that horrible man's mouth!"

"Did he say that to you?" my mother asked softly.

"No. But he said it to his old friend Evelyn," I scoffed.

"Evelyn? Who is she?"

"He did not tell me. All he said was that she helped him in a situation a while back."

"Hmm… I do not seem to recall Erik saying anything about her to me," she questioned to herself.

"I did see her in the flesh, mother. And the irony is that she is also the new owner of the Opera House!"

"The new owner? The Opera is reopening!" Christine's expression turned from pure joy to an utter sadness and disappointment.

"What's the matter, mother?"

"I only wish that I could once more sing at the Opera. But I am sure that Erik would never permit. And with his acquaintance running the place, I am sure that she would never hire me either."

Just as I was about to reply, we all heard a knocking coming from our door. We all gave each other a quizzical look, before my mother went to go answer it. Slowly she peered through a crack in the door, and when she saw who it was, she flung it open.

"Erik!"

Sorry again that it was a bit short, but I wanted the part with Erik to be in the next chappie: ) Now go review!