Erik, you're a popular boy today.
Erik: Naturally.
Let's get to these reviews, then!
darklady5289: Erik, you are a very bad boy for thinking such naughty thoughts about Christine. On the plus side, this reader probably wouldn't mind being the subject of some of your fantasies.
Erik: Uh... Thank you?
Tadriendra of Mirkwood: Yes! You see, Erik? Some girls like sensitive guys... But the Lady of Mirkwood doesn't mind seeing you do the tough-guy act either. Oh, it seems that she wants to watch some mushy love movie with you... Hey... I think she's coming on to you...
Erik: I still think you two are insane. You both have fictional men locked in your closets. It's unnatural.
Legolas: None the less, I am still enjoying myself.
Erik: Go back to your closet, elf-boy!
Legolas: Don't call me elf-boy, corpse-face!
Erik: Why, you little...!
As much as I would love watching this battle of wits continue, we have to continue.
phantomfreak258: Wow, you just want me to get down to business, don't you? Make Marie-Eve love Erik again and make Boisvert pay for being such a loser... That's a pretty tall order for just one chapter!
Erik: I actually like the way she thinks. Give me a rope and I'll take care of the latter request!
I'm not giving you your noose back!
Erik: Spoil-sport.
Canace Panther: Hey, Erik! You made her squeal! Oh, and I thinks she's going to be bringing ice cream sundaes to the closet tonight!
Erik: Whoa! Bad idea! Have you guys seen the authoress after she's had chocolate syrup? She's even more insufferable than she normally is!
Oh, yes... We're going to have fun tonight...
Kodukadvakch: Well, good news, Erik... She's not German.
Erik: She isn't? That's a relief.
Yup. She's from Tennessee...
Erik: Oh, great. Well, I suppose could be worse. She could be some eskimo-hugging weirdo from Ontario.
I've never hugged an eskimo... Anyways, she brought some homemade brownies! And she brought The Ring. We can watch that tonight! Unfortunately, this "get out of the closet free" card has expired.
Erik: NOOOOOOOOO!
How tragic. Anyways, technically I am an E/C shipper as well, but I don't mind ones where they don't get back together as long as Erik gets a happy-ending.
Erik: Oh, how sweet of you...
Cassiel Oliviari: Hey, Erik! Someone's on your side for once! The review was a little vague, but I think she was hoping that I would make you and Christine get jiggy with it in the last chapter.
Erik: Tell her to go back and read chapter one... It seems you've already decided that I'm not going to get my way for the rest of the fic! (Starts pouting).
Paige Turner3: Hee hee... I like this girl...
Erik: Dare I ask why?
Because... She thinks you look like a year-dead corpse... And that you're highly mentally unstable...
Erik: What? Hey!
Don't worry. Other than that she thinks your daughter is cool and she's still pleasantly attracted to you.
Erik: Oh, that makes me feel soooooo much better!
Em: Well, she was brief. Basically, she just wants back in the closet. She even brought popcorn!
Erik: That automatically makes her my favourite person for the night.
Well, on that happy note, here's the new chappie!
XxXxX
Raoul sat very still, waiting… Christine was not back yet. It had been too long. He knew what he had to do. And he didn't want to do it. But it had to be done…
He mounted his horse and made for the Paris police department. He burst inside, finding a sleepy officer at the desk, who looked up at him in surprise.
"Monsieur! Do you realize what time it is?" he asked incredulously.
"I must speak with the chief of police!" Raoul demanded.
As if waiting for his cue, Chief Inspector Lamarque came out of his office.
"Bruneau, who is this raving lunatic?"
"Sir!" Raoul exclaimed. "You must help me! My wife is in trouble!"
"What sort of trouble?"
"She's been kidnapped!"
"Ha! If I had a sou for every angry husband who comes in here each day claiming their wife has been kidnapped, I'd be a rich man! I tell you, Monsieur, she's probably run off! You know how women are!"
Raoul was quickly losing his temper. "I know who has her! I know where she is! You will gather your men and help me retrieve her! Now!"
Lamarque was shocked that this… this common labourer was giving him orders! "Monsieur, just who do you think you are?"
"I am Raoul le Vicomte de Chagny!"
"What?" Lamarque exclaimed. "Impossible! The Vicomte de Chagny disappeared–"
"Ten years ago! Along with Christine Daaé, the opera singer! My wife!"
The chief of police nearly fainted. "Monsieur le Vicomte! I… I…"
"You will do as I say, or I swear I will see you demoted to a guard at the Opera Populaire!"
"Y-yes sir! Anything you say!"
Raoul exhaled. Finally he was getting somewhere!
XxXxX
Boisvert was in a particularly good mood the next morning. It was time to let that little thief go… that is, if the demon hadn't devoured her already. If he had, Boisvert was certain it would just be good publicity for the monster anyway.
Boisvert entered the tent. "Upsy-daisy, kids!"
However, Boisvert found that everyone was already awake. Christine stood, glaring at Boisvert defiantly. Erik stood by her with a protective arm around her shoulders. Marie-Eve was curled up in the corner of her cage, looking very worried.
Boisvert glanced up at Erik and Christine. They certainly made an odd couple.
"Would you like me to call a preacher?" Boisvert sneered.
"We're leaving," Christine said boldly.
"What?"
"We're leaving. Now. All three of us."
"I said I'd let you go in the morning," Boisvert growled, nearing the cage. "But the other two belong to me!"
"They do not! She is my daughter… and he is her father!"
"Well, aren't we just the happy little family?" Boisvert said mockingly. "Well, then, I hope you like it in there, because now you're not ever going to leave!"
Erik lunged through the bars, grabbing the keys in Boisvert's hand.
"Damn you!" Boisvert screamed. "You fools!" he cried to the gypsies working outside the tent. "Help me! Get in here!"
But even as the gypsies began to swarm the tent, Erik had already managed to get the key into the lock. One large gypsy picked up a whip and drew it back, slashing Erik's arm. Erik cried out, but remained intent on his purpose. He turned the key and kicked open the gate.
Erik leapt down, fighting back the angry mob. The keys dropped from his hand as he was sucker-punched by a short, stout man. The whip landed across Erik's shoulder, drawing a red line that opened and began to bleed.
"Stop it!" Christine leapt down to help Erik. But Boisvert grabbed her by the wrist, shaking her violently.
"I'll teach you to meddle in things that don't concern you!" he bellowed, raising a fist to strike her. Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed Boisvert's wrist from behind. Boisvert was spun around and found himself looking into the angry eyes of the Vicomte de Chagny.
"I would not try that, Monsieur," Raoul growled. In a split second, Inspector Lamarque and his men swarmed the tent, and then all Hell broke loose. It was the gypsies versus the law.
In the middle of the mayhem, Erik grabbed up the keys from the ground. Unlocking Marie-Eve's cage, he held out his arms to her. "Marie-Eve! It's not safe here! You must get out!"
Marie-Eve stared at his outstretched arms dubiously.
"Marie-Eve!" he pleaded. "I know I am not a good father and that you have every right to hate me! But I'm begging you… Please trust me just this once!"
Marie-Eve hesitated only a moment, then ran into his arms. Erik held her embrace for a brief second before helping her out of the cage.
"Now run!"
Marie-Eve did run, and she was only a few strides from freedom before Boisvert, who had escaped the angry Vicomte, grabbed her by the arm and drew a pistol.
"You have aggravated me for the last time!" he bellowed, pointing the gun at her head.
"No!" Raoul grabbed Boisvert's hands and wrestled with him for the gun. Boisvert lifted his leg and kicked Raoul in the stomach, knocking him to the floor.
"Papa!" Marie-Eve cried. Boisvert turned and pointed the gun at her again.
"Say good-bye to your Papa!" Boisvert laughed evilly as he squeezed the trigger.
A blur passed before Marie-Eve, blocking her from Boisvert's view. There was the sickeningly soft sound of hot lead tearing through flesh as Boisvert's bullet met its target. Then Boisvert saw Erik there, lying at Marie-Eve's feet. Blood spilled out onto his chest from the tiny hole created by Boisvert's bullet.
Boisvert let out an angry cry before a dozen police officered surrounded him. The rest of the gypsies were being prepared for transport to prison.
"No!" Boisvert screamed as he was dragged away.
Raoul, barely recovered from the kick to his stomach, rushed to his daughter's side.
"Papa…?" she shifted her gaze from Raoul to Erik's crumpled form and back again. There was a pleading look in her eyes, begging Raoul to tell her everything would be alright.
Raoul kneeled over Erik's body. "Somebody get a doctor! Now!"
XxXxX
Erik… Your comments?
Erik: (crosses his arms) Why did you have to send the stupid fop to my rescue? I could have gotten us out of there!
Erik, you being mauled by a gang of fat gypsies.
Erik: Well… I was just about to Punjab the lot of them!
Erik, I didn't give you a rope! Remember?
Erik: (pouts) Do enjoy making me look helpless?
Well, I suppose I do derive a little amusement from it, yes.
Erik: Well, on the other hand, I jumped in front of a bullet, which I suppose makes me look very brave.
There you go! The ladies will be lining up at the closet tonight to tell you how wonderful you are… After they review, of course!
Erik: Yeah, well… It's gotten a little crowded in there. Em turned on A Walk to Remember…And Canace Panther keeps trying to give me a moustache with the whipped cream off her ice cream sundae... And Stephanie and the Lady of Mirkwood keep fighting over who gets to sit next to me... I pop in periodically for some popcorn, but the movie leaves much to be desired.
Really? I thought that movie was really good in a sad, tragic way.
Erik: Yeah, well, you would! Bad boy meets nice girl and falls in love with her! Puh-lease! That is so stupid!
Yeah… Right up there with a deranged homicidal maniac meeting an innocent young opera singer and falling in love with her…
Erik: Alright, shut up.
OK guys, let us know what you think of this chapter, and send a review! Check in tomorrow for an update.
Erik: You're going to make me recover, right?
Uh…
Erik: RIGHT?
Alright, I'm not going to spoil tomorrow's chapter! Just review and let us know what you think!
Erik: Authoress, if you kill me I will kill you!
Ooo, I'm shaking in my chair.
Erik: You suck! I'm going back to the closet for some more popcorn!
Oh, is that a last meal?
Erik: (growls) Deranged female…
Please review! Oh, and if Erik's grumpy when you go to see him in the closet, don't take it personally. He's a little stressed…
Erik: That can happen when one gets stuck working with you!
(Sigh) He has no sense of humour... Oh, well... We'll be glad to hear from you, so please drop us a line!