Thank you for all of the kind reviews, I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own phantom of the opera, but I do own Maria and Bernard Lawley, Jacques De Chagny, and the other numerous oc's that will appear in this fiction.
I'd like to thank my amazing Beta Regina! This fic would not be possible without her! Thank you so much darlin'!
Maria Lawley often sat in their garden at night. When Bernard was asleep she found herself drawn to the place where she had hoped to raise her daughter.
During the day it looked like any other garden, of course it was much larger, and held shrubbery of every kind, several fountains and three carved wooden benches.
But at night, oh at night it came alive. It was a magical play ground and Maria found safety in its clutches.
She moved gracefully past a rose bush, reaching out tenderly to caress the rose's soft petals.
She inhaled quickly, then closed her eyes, dreading the moment she knew would come.
Finding the bench in the dark proved difficult, but it kept her mind off the terrible things she had and would commit.
She felt around for the edges, her fingers frozen in the night air and moving stiffly.
She heard a groan coming from the house and she turned her head only to quickly snap it back and shut her eyes tightly.
The groan was followed by a loud clatter, and then a thump and Maria fell to her knees sobbing and clutching a nearby statue.
"I am sorry, sorry, I am sorry…I did not want…I am sorry…so sorry."
She raised her head and found her eyes caught by the statue's cold unfeeling eyes. She opened her mouth in horror, of all things to be found at an angels feet.
The night was broken by an infants wail, and Maria got to her feet, putting as much space between her and the stone angel as she could.
Upon reaching the house, Maria went inside and collected Jacques from his room, her light feet hardly making a sound against the expensive carpet.
The door to her room was open by a crack and she peered in "Bernard?" She called tentatively, despite already knowing what awaited her.
The quiet dark was broken once more, this time by an unholy scream, and murder was once again called in Paris.
The charred opera house held only bitter memories for him. Memories of Christine's face as he'd led her from the catacombs, twisted in pain, tears painting her cheeks, she still wore the wedding dress. She still had it, hung in her wardrobe. Raoul added sourly, then as if he'd forgotten her dead, bowed his head and apologized to an unseen force.
He crept up the stairs that had once given way to the spectacular shows and splendid colour of the Opera Populaire.
As if by magic, he was suddenly surrounded by people, chattering people, excitement in their voices about their new opera. Two figures pushed past him, and he immediately recognized Christine and her friend Meg, each giggling, and pounding up the stairs "Hurry or we'll get in trouble Meg"Theirvoicessounding eerie anddistant, Then as soon as they'd appeared,they were gone, vanishing into thin air,andthe room was once again dark and empty.
Raoul brushed through to Christine's old dressing room, and once inside his senses were once again bombarded with an assortment of memories.
"Raoul!" Christine's young innocent face smiled up at him, and he felt himself being drawn to her. She disappeared again, fading out with that extremely excited expression. He clenched his eyes shut… No time for memories.
He brushed them aside, knowing he was here for a purpose, although that purpose wasn't very clear.
A thought came to him. What if he had misheard and Christine's death had not been the fault of Marie Lawley? What if Christine had been killed by her old music teacher, who had finally completely surrendered to madness and killed her out of jealousy?
Deep down he knew that not to be true. He owed it to the one man who'd ever had Christine's complete heart to inform him of her tragic death, and that the murderer still lived, and rather comfortably at that.
He knew he should feel worried, that his only son was with the Lawley's at that very moment, but he felt strangely secure, and that his son was safe in her arms.
Raoul noticed the smashed window then, and the tunnel behind he took a step towards it when he felt a presence behind him.
He spun around coming face to face with the Phantom of the Opera himself.
He no longer appeared as menacing as he had back then; his hair was longer, his eyes filled not with hate, but an intense sadness that made Raoul's insides clench.
Raoul opened his mouth to address him, but then realized he had no name to say. He'd been 'monster' in Raoul's eyes for so long, it seemed as though that was in fact his name.
But Raoul, although had show some courage in seeking him out, was never going to call him 'Monster' to his face again…
"Standing there gawking is not doing you any favors" The low growl that came from the Phantom's throat struck Raoul with a force.
"I beg your pardon Monsieur… I have… I have come to inform you….."
Raoul stopped, and with a sigh, he took in the man before him… He was already so sorrow filled that Raoul almost wished he didn't have to give him the news.
Confusion filled his mind. Raoul had been shocked and greatly depressed by Christine's death. Yet here he was, the widow, the one who should be tearing out his hair with grief, was worried about telling the man who loved her, the man who she loved that she was dead, the one who wasn't supposed to be a part of her life…
He shook his head and took a deep breath, "I have no name for you, but Christine did. She would often stare out her window, and I think that I always knew she was waiting for you to come and rescue her," Raoul was no longer concerned for his well being, he only cared that the Phantom was informed as lightly as possible.
He sunk into the stool that sat forlornly in the center of the room.
Erik stared at the one who had stolen Christine from him. When he'd heard the man enter, his first instinct had been to kill him. But something was telling him to listen to the boy. He was not himself, he was older, perhaps wiser; he'd seen pain recently, and the manner in which he spoke to him was unsettling.
"I always knew she was waiting for you to come and rescue her…"
Erik was completely taken aback by his words and he almost lost what little strength he had left to stand on his own two feet.
He stared at Raoul, wonder in his eyes, and Raoul gave him a weak smile.
"Yes, yes… She loved you. I know she did. As much as I loved her and willed her to return it, she couldn't, not as completely as she loved you. I was a fool to keep her and now it is too late"
Erik was struggling to comprehend anything that Raoul was telling him. But the first thing he noticed, the only thing that truly stuck out to him, in the sane part of his brain- the part that wasn't screaming out with joy that Christine had loved him- was that Raoul spoke in past tense.
Raoul sensed the confusion in Erik and turned his face towards him again.
"I am sorry… but… Christine…Chris… Christine was…" He couldn't put two words together and it was deeply frustrating Erik.
His Christine loved him, and the fool who had taken her away was saying that he shouldn't have married her. It was simple, yet so confusing…
"Christine was murdered…. Six days ago…."
Raoul sobbed then, saying the words aloud had cemented them in his memory for good.
She was forever gone to him and he wept.
He didn't see the strange man behind him pale drastically, and then stagger back wards. Nor did he see the pure anguish that played out on the man's face.
When he did turn to see the broken man he knew that the tears, the sadness he'd felt for his Christine, could never compare to the torture that the man before him was feeling now.
He'd been lucky, he'd had Christine, and they had a son, something to always remember her by, but Erik… No Erik had nothing.
Raoul was surprised by his compassion towards the Phantom, yet he did nothing to hide it. He stood there awkwardly, as if he was intruding on something. His tears had dried on his cheeks and he felt the raw grief he had felt fade into numbness.
Erik on the other hand, was soaking in the pure, raw, tortuous grief that had come from his beloved angel's death.
"This world was far too ugly for her, she has returned to her heaven, where she will be surrounded by beauty to match her own," He stuttered, his sentences making little sense to Raoul. He turned to go, but then the Erik he remembered, the one with a noose glaring down at him had returned.
"Murdered…. Have they caught her killer?" He growled and Raoul shook his head.
"No… No… I think I may know… who killed her" He said, courage returning once more.
Erik was no longer in the right state of mind anymore "You think you may know…?"
Raoul gritted his teeth "I know who killed her."
"Yet you have done nothing? Ordered the fools of the city to deal with her… I suspect you think this is enough?"
Raoul nodded "I have done nothing, but I do have a plan. I have no proof, nothing that the police will listen too…. No connections, Nothing. They'll write it off, and she will get away with murder"
"She?"
Raoul nodded quickly, "Maria Lawley…. Jacques is with them, and when I was leaving, I heard her say that she had k-killed Christine"
Raoul was doing everything in his power not to collapse in grief, and instead held his head high, and clenched his jaw.
Erik on the other hand, was doing little to conceal it. "Jacques?"
This was not the Erik, that Raoul remembered, the one who always had something to say, and a calm exterior. This man was broken, and what Raoul was about to say next, could only cause him more pain.
"Yes, Jacques. Our son"
Erik contemplated this in his corner, and Raoul didn't wait for that last sentence to sink in.
"I do not know for certain…" He rushed on "Maria..." he struggled to find the right words "I have no proof that it was Maria, only what I heard, and that could go any number of directions"
Erik stepped back into the light and studied Raoul for a moment "Why did you come to me?"
Raoul straightened his back "Because Christine…. because you needed to know, and I need your help. You are the only one I trust."
Erik nearly laughed "Trust? You trust a monster, Monsieur?" He spat bitterly.
"I trust the man Christine loved!"
Erik stared at him, as the young man continued, in a stern voice that surprised them both.
"I have accepted that Christine loved you, and I have to come to you to make her murderer pay. Now, you can turn me away and go back to sulking in your caves or you can help me find and destroy her killer! I am asking you in desperation; I would not have troubled you otherwise."
Erik closed his eyes "What would you have me do, Monsieur?" He said with a resigned sigh.
Raoul nodded his head slightly in thanks "I do not know for certain, whether it was Maria, or if she knows who the killer is… I do, however, know that she is involved."
"I am not one for riddles, De Chagny. What would you have me do?" Erik snapped.
"I need you to get Maria Lawley's defenses down. Befriend her, make her talk, get her to admit she murdered her, or tell us who did."
"Befriend her! And why, may I ask, have you asked me to do this" Erik felt his anger growing with each breath he took, his fingers twitched and reached automatically for the lasso he knew was curled at his waist.
Raoul turned his back, what was left of his courage was ebbing away slowly. "Because Christine needs you to."
As soon as the words left Raoul's mouth, Erik knew he would do what the boy asked, whether he agreed or not.
Raoul did not wait for Erik to speak again.
"I have to leave for London, tomorrow evening. Madame Thompson would wish to hear the news from me, not a telegram. She was a dear friend to Christine…" Raoul lowered his head sadly "I have written a letter, stating that you are a distant cousin, and will be taking care of my estate until I return."
Erik nodded quietly "And what of your son?"
"I know that he will be safe with Maria, there was some horrible business eight or nine years ago…Maria lost her only daughter and I know that she would never harm a child. If I had any doubt I would not have left him." Raoul started towards the door, turning himself back to face Erik.
"Thank You"
Erik only nodded all control over his emotions was fast disappearing. "Erik…My name is Erik," He whispered.
A faint smile crossed Raoul's lips. "Thank you, Erik."
And then he was gone, leaving Erik, the man and monster, alone once more.
"My Angel."
He whispered disappearing through the shattered window, down into the depths of his home.
"My Angel."
Maria backed away, towards the door, her face a blank one of horror. Jacques started to scream again and she rocked him steadily trying to calm him, or perhaps to calm herself.
Her eyes flickered to her husbands still form, and she clutched Jacques tighter too her chest.
She thrust herself out the door, sliding down the halls trying to stop herself from hitting the various cabinets as she ran.
Upon reaching the heavy oak doors she pounded on them, screaming out her husbands name in agony, pulling the doors open she inhaled sharply the cool night of the air hitting her, she forced herself down the steps, and then screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Somebody help me! Oh God! Someone please help!"
Jacques own cries grew louder and several lamps lit in the houses adjoining her own.
She cried louder, "Please, somebody please help me!"
With heaving sobs she fell to the ground, crushing Jacques to her chest.
"Please, my husband is dead…my husband is dead"
Please Review, they keep me going ;)