Sorry that it took me so long to update, my reviewers... stupid projects, testing, the whole nine yards at school lately, you know what I mean? Damn, I hate school! Anyway, on with the story!
IMPORTANT! This is NOT the end of the story! Not by a long shot! Just wanted to let you guys know, so that you don't abandon me because you think that I'm done. This story is just getting started (well, pretty much, I may be exaggerating (sp?))! Anyway, I hope you guys like this chappie, REVIEW!
Disclaimer: I do not own PotO, alright?
Pain. One word... And exactly what Jane was feeling. Pain was almost like a being itself, blinding and choking her. All of her senses were rendered useless, all but smell and hearing... and touch. Jane was sorry for the use of anything, though, because her senses would not allow her to escape reality. The horrid scent of the Ratcatcher's vile breath, the disgusting sound of his gruff panting, and the Pain itself would not allow her to flee from her predicament.
"No..." Jane breathed helplessly, and the Ratcatcher instantly silenced her. He brought his hand up, then mercilessly and roughly struck Jane across the face. She whimpered once, then fell silent, her whole body trembling under the Ratcatcher's weight. The world around her spun. Jane longed for her heart to stop beating, for with every pump a fresh wave of throbbing pain swept over and through her.
"I shall ask you again, mademoiselle," the Ratcatcher grunted in Jane's ear, "do you love me?" Jane shook her head in a rebellious way, and the Ratcatcher savagely backhanded her and repeated the question.
Jane knew that, should she continue to refuse the Ratcatcher, he would only keep hitting her, but she could not bring herself to say anything different. She would never, ever say that she loved the Ratcatcher. Death would be a better alternative, she felt.
When she didn't answer, the Ratcatcher drew his hand back again, but he was interrupted before he could do Jane any harm.
A rat wiggled its way under the door, and began to hiss and move in very unorthodox ways. The Ratcatcher stared at the rodent intently, and Jane realized what was happening. The rat and the Ratcatcher were... communicating.
After a while, the Ratcatcher stood up. "Get up, mademoiselle, and get dressed," he instructed, throwing Jane her costume. Jane did not move, though. She knew that she was going to throw up. The Ratcatcher noticed this and quickly grabbed a chamber pot from the corner of the room. He thrust it roughly at Jane, and not a second too soon.
Jane desperately grasped the lip of the pot and began to vomit. Her head spun faster and faster as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the black pot, and before long, she could taste the sharp, bitter taste of blood... her blood. Jane shakily raised her head, her whole body trembling still. A curious feeling of looseness came over her, and she stumbled over to her costume. It took her a while, but she finally managed to get herself dressed.
"Come along, mademoiselle," the Ratcatcher reached out a hand to Jane. She felt unusually dizzy and exhausted, but she struggled and took a step back, away from the Ratcatcher. A split second later, Jane knew that she was going to faint, and she did.
The Ratcatcher rolled his eyes when he saw Jane hit the ground. He picked her up lazily and carried her out of his room.
The Ratcatcher's home had originally been a dungeon, built for whatever reason underneath the Opera Populaire. The Ratcatcher himself had once been a prisoner in it, but the rats had set him free, once he had learned how to "speak" with them.
The Ratcatcher took Jane's right wrist and secured it to the wall with one of the handcuffs attached to a chain, normally used for prisoners. He dropped Jane on the floor carelessly, but brought a hand down to stroke her hair again. He knew that Erik was coming, but he was ready. When he had satisfied himself with Jane's hair, he went back to his own room to wait for Erik.
Erik quickly turned corner after corner, hurrying down the passages with shallow breath. Oh, Jane, he thought, if anything has happened to you, I'll... How could I have been so stupid, leaving you down here all by yourself? Erik cursed himself and went faster, his fingers curled around the coils of his Punjab Lasso, which was attached to his belt. He was just around the corner from the Ratcatcher's home now...
Erik paused before he turned the corner and took a deep, silent breath. He leaned his head forward slightly and peeked around the stone wall, making sure no one was there. He didn't see the Ratcatcher... Suddenly, Erik laid eyes on Jane.
"Jane!" he whispered, emerging from his hiding place, "Jane, are you alright?" He crossed the room in three great, catlike strides and knelt beside her. "Jane, answer me!" He grabbed Jane's chin and tilted her head up. At first, he panicked, when he saw that her eyes were closed, but then, a gentle throb could be felt on her throat. Her pulse! Erik took a deep breath, and relaxed slightly, vowing never to lose his head like that again.
"Oh, Jane," he breathed, surveying the various bruises and cuts on her body, "What has he done to you?"
"Why hello, Erik! Come to visit me at last, have you?" The Ratcatcher smirked, stepping out of his room. Erik saw that held a short sword (either that or a long dagger) in his hand, and instinctively his hand went to his Punjab.
"None of that, now," the Ratcatcher looked amused, "There doesn't have to be any blood spilled tonight."
"Ratcatcher, what have you done to her?" Erik felt his heart fill with a deep hatred, and a burning flame appeared in his eyes. Jane groaned, and for a second Erik turned back to her. She struggled to her knees.
"Jane," he whispered to her, his eyes wide with concern. He gripped her hand tightly.
"...Erik?" she asked, her breathing labored and slow. Erik nodded and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She moaned softly and collapsed against him.
"I hate to interrupt this tender moment, but I must ask you, Erik, to step away from mademoiselle." the Ratcatcher jerked his head to illustrate his point. Erik said nothing, but did not move from Jane's side. When the Ratcatcher saw that he evidently wasn't going to do as he was told, he sighed.
"I was going to save this for later, but..." he reached behind his back and produced a pistol. "You like it?" he asked, noticing Erik's tiny intake of breath, "You're not the only one, Erik, who passes around unnoticed... Now, step away from mademoiselle." He cocked the pistol with a metallic click and aimed it at Erik.
Erik slowly backed away from Jane. He knew that her life depended on him, and that he could not help her if he was dead, which was the only thing that made him move. He could handle many situations which would certainly mean death for any other man, but he was no fool. He knew that he was no match for the gun in his position. Jane moaned again, but fell silent and leaned against the wall, her eyes shut.
"Erik, if you would now be so kind as to remove all weaponry from your person and come here, it would be of great benefit to mademoiselle," the Ratcatcher spoke. Erik hesitated for a second, then uncoiled his Punjab Lasso and left it on the ground. He had no other weapon, so he stood and began to take careful steps toward the Ratcatcher.
"Let her go, Ratcatcher," he demanded, "She is no use to you anyway." the Ratcatcher did not lower his pistol, but kept it carefully aimed at Erik's heart.
"Oh, did I say that I had no use for her?" The Ratcatcher smiled evilly, and Erik barely suppressed a gasp, though his shock was betrayed by the way his eyes widened.
"How could you?" Erik whispered, so quietly that it was almost silent. He shook his head disbelievingly, his eyes still wide and a tiny hint of uncontrollable fear in his voice when he next spoke. "Let her go, Ratcatcher. She has done nothing to deserve this treatment."
"What makes you so sure that she'll want to go back to your home with you?" the Ratcatcher asked.
"Because... she loves me." The words were unfamiliar on Erik's tongue, but wonderful just the same. The Ratcatcher gave a fake and dramatic sigh.
"Well, maybe you're right... After all, if she loves you, then I can hardly expect her to love me, now can I?" the Ratcatcher sighed again. "Very well then, Erik. If she loves you, then I shall let you both go... But, should she not love you, then she stays, and you can do nothing about it, agreed?" he extended his hand, and Erik shook it. The Ratcatcher then walked over to a chair and sat down to watch, nodding toward Jane.
"Oh, and she isn't to know about our agreement, Erik. It would ruin the surprise. Erik said nothing, but strode over to Jane and knelt beside her again.
Usually, Erik would have suspected a trap of some sort. No enemy gave a free chance like this to his foes. Erik remembered that he had used this very ruse to capture Raoul, but nevertheless, he still walked toward Jane, knowing that he had no other choice.
"Jane, wake up," he murmured, laying a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked at him wearily, and Erik got the impression that she did not recognize him, but she mumbled his name softly.
"Yes, Jane. It's me. Jane, I have something to ask you. You must answer truthfully." Erik stood and helped Jane to her feet, though she couldn't move far from the wall, due to the handcuff around her wrist.
"Jane, do you love me?" Erik asked, and Jane's eyes grew wide. Erik knew that she had somehow mistaken him for the Ratcatcher in her weakened state, and he reached out and touched a hand to her cheek. She immediately stopped moving, and she slowly pressed his fingers to her face.
"Your hand," she breathed, "It's soft... Oh Erik, it is you!" Tears of joy sprang to her eyes as she really recognized him. "The Ratcatcher... he kept pretending to be you... but his hands were rough, not like yours..." Jane fell into Erik's arms, and he drew them around her protectively.
"Jane, you still have to answer the question. Do you l-"
"Hang on, Erik!" the Ratcatcher interrupted loudly. He cocked his gun again and aimed it. "How can she love you if she only sees half of your face? Take your mask off." His tone had a humorous tone to it, which made Erik even more enraged.
Erik froze, and Jane whimpered upon sight of the Ratcatcher and clutched his arm tightly. Erik could feel her trembling, and he realized that he had no other choice. He faced Jane and sighed.
"Perhaps it is time you saw," he muttered, and he took Jane's hand. He brought it up to his face and moved it until Jane's fingertips tripped over the edge of his mask. His eyes squeezed slightly shut, Erik made Jane remove his first unfeeling scrap of clothing.
A/N: I'm just saying: perfect place for a cliffy... but I've left you guys hanging to much, huh? OK, I'll give you more... Cuz I'm so nice... LOL, here ya go.
The Ratcatcher leaned forward slightly in his chair, and he smiled when he heard Jane's gasp.
"Oh, Erik," she whispered, "What happened to you?" Jane reached up and gently touched Erik's face, and he winced.
"I was... born like this," he answered, and Jane let out a small breath. She thought about being afraid, but realized that she wasn't scared. After all, it was just Erik, and Jane couldn't be afraid of him just because of silly thing like his face. She loved him.
Erik opened his eyes when Jane did not lower her hand from his cheek. She was looking at him with a mixed expression of pity, compassion, and... love on her face.
"I answer to your question, Erik," she murmured, "Yes. I love you." With that, she moved forward sharply and caught his lips with her own.
Erik felt his breath, once again, catch in his chest, and he stared at Jane's face, which was a centimeter from his own. Tentatively he reached up and held the back of Jane's head, pressing her closer to him.
The Ratcatcher raised his head in shock when he saw their mouths meet. No! This isn't supposed to happen! She's supposed to hate him! Gawking in disbelief, the Ratcatcher picked up his dagger and strode toward the couple, then swiftly slashed Erik's hand, the one holding Jane.
Erik suppressed a small cry of pain and gritted his teeth as he took a step back upon insinct. He watched the blood trail slowly down the back of his hand. It wasn't that deep of a cut, but it was surprisingly painful just the same. Jane gasped and tried to help him, but she was secured too tightly to the wall and could not stray far from it. Erik looked around and saw his Punjab still lying on the ground, and suddenly ran, desperate to get to it.
The Ratcatcher dropped his dagger on the ground and drew his pistol, just as Erik grasped his lasso. The Ratcatcher aimed the gun at Erik's heart, and Erik stopped moving suddenly when he saw the weapon.
"You said that you would let her go," Erik spat bitterly.
"I lied," the Ratcatcher smirked, cocking his pistol yet again. "But not about everything. I was telling the truth when I said that Jane couldn't love me if she loved you, so, given the circumstances, I'm afraid, Erik, that you have to die. Goodbye."
Jane gasped and tried frantically to get away from the stone wall. Her wrist was cut by the metal handcuff, but she could not get free. "Erik!" she cried, and she saw a small, sharp stone beside her. Reaching as far as she could, her fingers closed around it. She drew her arm back and threw her newly found weapon at the Ratcatcher.
"What the-" the Ratcatcher turned sharply when the rock hit him in the shoulder. Erik used that moment to throw his lasso around the Ratcatcher's neck, but the Ratcatcher turned again and let off a bullet that Erik had no time to dodge. It buried itself in his arm, and Erik fell to his knees, a great cry of pain escaping his lips.
"Erik!" Jane shouted, and the Ratcatcher faced her again, rage in every shadow of his eyes.
"Silence!" he roared, and his hand whirled around and struck Jane across the face. She slammed against the wall and fell to the floor, completely knocked out.
Erik looked up when he heard Jane shout, and he saw the Ratcatcher hit her. A sudden fiery surge of adrenalin flowed through him, and a powerful hatred bubbled up in his stomach. The Ratcatcher's dagger was but inches away from him, and Erik picked it up. Just as the Ratcatcher spun around, Erik plunged the knife into his gut.
The Ratcatcher's eyes opened wide in surprise, and Erik took the blade out, only to stab him again, a measure of brutal force added to his blow. Erik stepped away, wiping his bloodied hands on his shirt and looking at them in disgust. He hated getting his hands bloody with other people's blood, one of the reasons why he used his Punjab lasso. Dirty was perfectly fine, but he drew the line at bloody. Suddenly he heard Jane's irregular, deep breathing, and he turned to see her barely regaining consciousness.
TheAngel'sMaggie- Sorry, my friend... I really am. This was actually one of the main conflicts of the story... Jane getting raped, I mean. It wasn't easy to write, let me tell you that, though. I'm just going to warn you, though... it will happen again. Usually, I wouldn't want to spoil the, uh, surprise... but I've already written this story out (it's just a matter of posting it on fanfiction), and I'm going to warn you, it will happen again. I know it sounds unrealistic and far-fetched, but I think that I made it at least a little believeable... but, that's just me. I hope that that didn't make you feel too bad to read that. Again, I'm sorry, but thank you so much for being one of my fave reviewers! Luv ya!
MadameOperaGhost- HaHa gotta love that DVD... Erik sexiness... -drool-... don't get me started. Hope you liked this chappie. Thanks for being so dedicated!
RoSeQuEeN- Thank you so much! Aww, you made me so happy when I got that review! I feel so loved! Thank you! -Virtual hug- Sorry it took so long for me to get this chappie up, hope I didn't keep you waiting!
pinkyphantom- Sorry it took so long for me to update, I was really busy... or was I? -evil grin- I had a stupid project due for school, and I have to study because we are testing, and Math is tomorrow, and I hate Math! Wah! Oh, someone help me, I don't wanna get a bad grade! Anyway, thank you so much!
Baby-Vixen- HaHa! Love the pirate talk! I'm glad you like my story! Aw it makes me happy! -big grin, revealing several gold teeth like Jack- Oh, one question... What does LMAO mean? I've never heard of it before...
xxXGoddessXofXdeadXloveXxx- I know, poor Jane! I feel so bad for her in the beginning of this chappie... even though I wrote it... but I don't know, it still makes me sad... I know, 'why did I write it, then?' right? The story just kinda wrote itself... Hard to explain! Anyway, thank you so much! You rock!
PhantomAngel- Aww thank you! I absolutely ADORE getting your reviews! Thay make me so fuzzy inside! LOL but I must've told all of my friends about your review, and I memorized it, and they all laughed, just like me, because seriously, I loved that review! Keep them cumin, s'il vous plait (please)?
MonAngedeMusique- Thank you very much, I'm glad you like the story! Yeah, I did mean "She thought" in the parenthesis, I goofed! I'm sorry, I hate homophones, because they don't show up as spelling errors on SpellCheck... but anyway, I'm sorry, I hope there wasn't much confusion. Thank you again!
Again, this story is NOT over! I hope you guys liked it, even though... well, the obvious... Anyway, our beloved Erik saved the day! HaHa! Oh, and by the way, the whole thing about him not liking his hands bloody... did that make him seem foppish to you guys? Because that's SO not what I was going for. Erik is the FARTHEST thing from a fop! Anywayz, REVIEW, please! I think I really need feedback on this chappie! Thank you all!