Shiver Chapter 8, a phantom of the opera fanfic

Well, I am back! Now, Reviews!

Erik'sDarkLullaby: Yep, I update fast. Too many ideas get sutck of here.:taps head: Oh, and I drew that NmBC pic . It actually turned out alright, so I will send you a veiw of it when I upload my fax software soemtime soon. Yeah, Meg was a helper in that scheme, but the reason for that will emerge eventually. If I have one. But you are right, she does hurt. In this chapter though, Erik manages to build a small understanding with her. Hope you get to read this soon! Your reviews make my happy dance so much cooler!

Phantomfrom hell: I am glad you like it! Sorry I left you hanging.. oh wait, no I am not. lol.

phantomann: Yes, very 9/11ish. You'll see why this chapter! Don't worry, t's not cliche, promise.

Dove of Night: Yes, Angsty. Just the way I like it. I am glad it pleases you! Here is another installment!

The Century Child: Yeah, too much Fuck, I know. But you must admit, it was a very good chapter. I should have picked a better curse word for Erik though. Raoul's more of a Fuck guy then Erik.

ackari smith: heh, I hate cliffhangers too, when I read. All the more reason to make some of my own, as payback, lol. N/C is odd for some, but it works, I beleive. I could never write any R/C anyhow. I would probably throwup on the keyboard.

Erik'sTrueAngel: Nadir is gonna get it, heheh. And Meg's little speil will come along sometime. Maybe. I want to establish the fact that she didn't do it to be a bitch, but because she was yearning for acceptence herself. An explaination will come in time. I promise!

Now, to all of you who read and don't review: Thank you! It means the world to me that you would even stick with my crazy brainchild!

... For Mercy has a human heart,

Pity a human face,

And Love, the human form divine,

And Peace, the human dress.

-William Blake, Songs of Innocence

Cruelty has a Human Heart,

and Jealousy a Human Face,

Terror the Human Form Divne,

and Secrecy the Human Dress.

The Human Dress is forged iron,

The Human Form a fiery Forge,

The Human Face a Furnace seal'd,

The Human Heart its hungry Gorge.

-William Blake, Songs of Experience

You could have heard a pin drop, in that tiny, dank room.

Nadir looked for words to deny what he was doing, but they just wouldn't come out. How could he deny it? The girl was almost half naked by now, and he had been kissing her quite passionately when the light had damn near fried his retinas. The man in front of him, this man must have been Bathory.

He had eyes so powerfully captivating, that even on his deathbed Nadir had remembered them.

He remembered his trip to Thailand, where he had seen a lioness. Not the tame, raised in the zoo kind. The I-just-got-captured-and-wanna-kill-you Kind. She had swiped for his throat, missing by mere inches. She had those same eyes.

Violent, turbulent, passionate.. Those words were only dull descriptions, compared to actully seeing it. He sat there, on top of an old desk, dressed in black.Black dress shirt, black trousers, black boots. His legs were crossed, as if he had been there for quite some time. Nadir had the striking fear that this lion was going to go in for the kill. He didn't look like the kind to miss, either.

Christine, however, was seriously fazed. Large luminous eyes were scanning the room, a habit she had when she was flustered.If there was one thing she hadn't counted on, it was Erik Bathory. What would happen to Nadir? Erik had made it abundantly clear that she was to stay away from him.

Stumbling forward, she tried to find her current guardian. Tripping over some bric-a-brac, she was intimately acqainted with dirty linoleum. She waited for someone to offer her a hand, until she felt her chin being raised up, not by a hand, but by a boot-clad foot. The smell of shoe polish was a dead giveaway.

Nadir saw the vicious smirk on Bathory's face, as he looked into Christine's features. The man looked to beecstatic overthe power he held. Like he enjoyed seeing the normally cold and frigid girl quivering there, waiting for him to pass judgement. And shaking she was, the dark curls caressing her bare shoulders. Shirt half buttoned, he knew the masked man could see straight down it.

Nadir had to admit that the picture aroused him. Erik had total domination of the girl in these moments. She, who dressed in a white button down , pale gray wool pants, and white tasteful shoes, looked quite innocent, a pure little bride to a cruel and monsturous man.

" My dear, may I have a word alone with Monsieur Khan?"

Christine felt a gloved hand pulling her gently to her feet. "B-but.."

Then, a long, leather-encased finger travelling down her lips. " I will not harm him, Christine. But I will end this. Now please, step outside."

He watched as Erik pulled her shirt up ;straigthening it. He went so far as to fasten the buttons. Nadir was no fool. He recognized the look in Erik's eyes. But it wasn't just lust.And Love was out of the question. It seemed to be a tumultuous respect between the two. A balance.

Bathory smoothed her curls, and walked her to the door, nearly shoving Nadir off of his feet when passing by. He held the door ajar for Christine, pushing the small of her back, in the most gentle of motions.

"Go to math class my dear, and get started."

Much to the principal's dismay, she did just that. The two men watched as the turned the corner, listening to the door creaking open and closing. With that, Erik grasped Nadir's collar, yanking into the closet and slamming the door.

He was about to speak, only to hear the class bell ring. Students flooded the noisy lallways, reunning from their last class to another. Both kept their mouths shut, for a five minute period. Though Erik never relinquished his hold on the man.

Christine no sooner got to math then she was released for her music class. When she got there, Reza was busy running over his different songs. She took a seat next to him, waiting for Mr. Reichman to pophis head outside of his door, to make sure they were actually attending.

Reza looked over at the girl who seemed so cold. He knew she couldn't be though. You couldn't sing so beautifully and not be beautiful on the inside too. Or so he thought. He started in on a song he had written, a song for her. Since she was his only friend, besides a few of the drama students, he was attached. He would never admit to having romantic feelings for her though.

After all, she didn't seem to want any romantic connections. She was content to sit beside him and caress him with her voice, and the rythm of her notes. He would never ask for more then that. After all, the doctors had finally diagnosed him. He would never throw himself at some girl, only to die on her, to break her heart again.

Cancer. She helped him forget though. Helped him remember that there where more painful things then death. Humiliation, rape, deception. The girl had seen it all. She was an outcast even to other outcasts. He decided to wipe those thoughts from his mind, and started in on the tune.

"Is everything a baited hook?
and are there locks on all doors?
if your're looking for an open book
look no further, I am yours."

He watched her eyes light up, when she heard the first words. It seemed he had caught her attention.

"We'll behave like animals
swing from tree to tree
we can do anything
that turns you up and sets you free.

You're an exception to the rule
you're a bonafide rarity
you're all I ever wanted
southern girl, could you want me?"

He watched as she lost herself in his words. Her eyes seemed a little brighter then when she had walked in. She was smiling. He would give anything to make her smile.

"So come outside and walk with me
we'll try each other on to see if we fit
and with our roots, become a tree
to shade what we make under it

We'll behave like animals
swing from tree to tree
we can do anything
that turns you up and sets you free

You're an exception to the rule
you're a bonafide rarity
you're all I ever wanted
southern girl, could you want me?

You're an exception to the rule
you're a bonafide rarity
you're all I ever wanted
southern girl, could you want me?
southern girl, could you want me?"

She was in a full fledged giggle now, and did something he hadn't expected. She did it out of nowhere, wrapping two willowy arms around his neck. Reza took a moment to appreiciate her gesture, before she let go. A genuine smile from her was rare. She laughed again, before speaking.

" I wrote a new one, would you like to hear it?"

He nodded, handing her the beat up K-Mart guitar.

" It's a little angry, but hey, what the hell!"

"You crawl in bed, it's 3 am
you smell of wine and cigarettes
a butterfly under the glass
you are beautiful
but you're not going anywhere.

We do the same thing every night
I swear I've heard this song before
a swimmer who has seen a shark
I should really be more wary of the water.

You came, you saw, you conquered everyone
I'm left here guessing
oh, what went wrong?
yeah I'm down, but not out, and far from done
hey all! beware! criminal
criminal!

A prism with an intellect
you throw your light selectivly
you stole my glow, a seasoned thief
the blacks of my eyes are turning into opals.

Today, I walk
there's nothing here left for me but empty promises
and the thought of all the things I'm never getting back.

You came, you saw, you conquered everyone
I'm left here bleeding
oh, what went wrong?
yeah I'm down, but not out, and far from done
hey all! beware! oooh, beware! criminal
criminal, criminal, yeah

Did you think, did you think
I wouldn't notice?
did you think, did you think
did you really think I wouldn't care?
did you think, did you think
I wouldn't notice?
did you think, did you think
did you really think, yeah.

You came, you saw, you conquered, ooh
and I'm left here bleeding
oh, what went wrong?
yeah I'm down, but not out, and far from done
hey all! beware! criminal !"

Reza 's eyes were wide. She had never written a song so on par with her bad experiences. Everyone at school had known about her mother, a drunk, who was killed when her husband caught her cheating. And he knew she had been blinded and raped. But this was the first time one of her songs illuminated the actions, instead of blind hatred toward whoever did it. It was there though, just under the surface.

She brushed some stray hair away, wondering absently what Erik and Nadir were speaking of. She wasn't really afriad anymore. Erik was many things she disliked, but she knew he kept most of his promises. Besides, the relationship could never have worked. He was too ashamed about his actions, and she was too empty hearted to feel for him. It had been about sex. meaningless wild sex. And while she would miss it, she could get it anywhere she pleased.

Erik seated the man on the desk, before eaching behind it, and removing a small briefcase. He opened it, slightly astonished that the coward to was touching his Christine only moment sbefore hadn't tried to run. He merely sat, and waited to be punished. Erik made sure Nadir didn't see the syringe.

Jabbing it into the mans arm, his aim struck true. Pushing the end down quickly, he flooded Khan 's system with sodium pentathol. It was strong stuff. Interrogine, highest quality. Nadir hadn't even had time to flinch and break the needle. He replaced the dirty syringe in his case, before speaking.

" I don't trust you, Khan. I definitely do not have fondess for you either. So let's make one thing perfectly clear. I have shot you with truth serum. Now, you will either answer my questions, or I will resort to much more... unpleasant ways of making you talk. Understood?"

Nadir felt slightly woozy. He nodded though, not trying to get up. He knew then, that if Christine hadn't wanted him safe, this man would already have his head skewered on the front gate of his house.How could he have been so stupid?

" Now, firstly,why are you interested in Christine?" Bathory was drumming his long, murderous fingers on the desk.

" She's beautiful. She reminded me of my wife.It was wrong, and dangerous for both of us. "

Nadir couldn't beleive what had just fallen out of his mouth! He heard a light creaking noise, and noticed Erik's gloved hands clenched tightly.

" Have you had sex with her?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"Every day for the past few weeks."

Erik knew all of this already, but to hear it from the man's lips made it even more disgusting. Running a hand through his hair, he started again. This was no time to let his anger get ahead of him. He had a mission here in Florida, after all. It wouldn't do to get arrested for killing some petty idiot.

" Do you love her?"

Nadir tried to keep the words from coming out, but come out they did. If he didn't answer, he would just piss off Erik more. "No. I love her body, but not her."

Erik wanted to yell, barrage, and beat then man senseless. But stealth was key. He settled for a harsh whisper. " Then why were you sleeping with her! Just because she's willing doesn't mean it's right! Damn you!"

He paced the length of the closet, until he regained a semblence of composure." Was it fun? Did you enjoy her?"

" No."

He was still then, and for some reason, Naidr felt the tension in the room rising. In an eyblink, the furious man ripped him from atop the desk and slammed him into the wall. Nadir swore he heard something crack. " How dare you take what should have been mine, and not enjoy it! She has nothing else to give, you despicable bastard!"

Take what was his...

" What did you think about, when you were with her?"

"My wife."

" So you were using Christine, sullying her, and you didn't even have the decency to stay on this earth when doing the deed? Or should I call it doing the dead?"

Nadir felt the need to defend himself, and for the first time grew some backbone. " I didn't force myself on her, you know! I was lonely, she was lonely. We made do. I asked her for nothing more, she asked me for nothing less."

The white of the mask shined, standing out, as Erik stared into Nadir's eyes." That doesn't make it right. You could have denied her. Instead you chose to add to the girls' problems."

Nadir was let go, and as he slid down the wall, his back resting against it, Bathory closed his briefcase, stepping over Nadir's legs as he made his way to the exit. He turned, leaving Nadir with a chilling warning.

"I hope you develop a more platonic relationship with my ward. It would be a pity if anything happened to your son. After all, Christine is very attached to him, as well. Though he doesn't take after his fathers' nonchalant disregard for her. Good day."

They didn't drive home in silence.Christine told him of her day, in a quiet voice. She told him of the sickly boys' songs, and apoligized for him having to see she and the principal.. engaging each other in overzealous activities. When they entered the cold house, he invited her to the music room.

He couldn't let her get too attached to Reza either. It would simply break the girl. He had to show her that he could take care of her. That his temper was reserved for argument, and his sarcasm could be curbed, at times. There was no need to reprimand her for the Nadir incident. She knew the error of her ways .

He had recordedhis little conversation with Nadir though, just in case.

Sitting at the piano, he waited for her to settle herself in the fluffy chair. He played a sad peice, one he had written when he first saw her. It was depressing, painful, but it was also passionate. Christine could understand these things

"This party is old and uninviting
participants all in black and white
you enter in full blown technicolor
nothing is the same after tonight.

If the world would fall apart
in a fiction worthy wind
I wouldn't change a thing now that you're here
yeah, love is a verb here in my room
here in my room, here in my room
yeah, love is a verb here in my room
here in my room, here in my room.

You enter and close the door behind you
now show me the world seen from the stars
if only the lights would dim a little
I'm weary of eyes upon my scars.

Pink beam into your incision
head spining as free as dervishs' whirl
I came here expecting next to nothing
so thank you for being that kind of girl."

Christine enjoyed it, he could tell by the tiny corners of her mouth. They always turned upward, ever so slightly, when she liked something. She stood, counting paces under her breath, before sitting on the bench beside him. She cracked her knuckles, before starting in on another. She didn't ask him to move, much to his delight. Her leg brushing against his own, she closed those ghostly eyes, a melody overtake her.

She hadn't meant to come over, or to start playing. She was still hurt over the Meg Giry incidnt, but they hadn't spoken of it, since that night. She just needed someone to be close to. If Bathory was what she was stuck with, so be it. She wouldn't let him have her though. Not ever. She had the sinking feeling that, unlike Nadir, Erik would never release her, should she stumble into his arms. The thought was terrifying.

" This is a song my father wrote for my mother, before they died. Just don't laugh, it's a little short." Erik was a little stunned, to say the least. She barely spoke of her family, and he had yet to go and retrieve the account of their deaths. He made a mental note of it, and emptied his thoughts.Best to listen with a clear head.

"To see you when I wake up
is a gift I didn't think could be real
to know that you feel the same as I do
is a three-fold utopian dream.

You do something to me
that I can't explain
so would I be out of line, if I said
I miss you..

I see your picture, I smell your skin on
the empty pillow next to mine
you have only been gone ten days
but already I am wasting away.

I know I'll see you again
whether far or soon
but I need you to know that I care
and I miss you."

They sat in the silence, not really doing anything but enjoying the lack of arguing.

If Erik had known threatening the principal would give them this kind of dull companionship, he would have done it sooner. She had needed his help. She hadn't been able to get rid of the man herself, some insecurity inside of her denying her the power.It was hard to break ties with a person who ends your lonliness.

He had been looking out for her, and that was what she saw in his actions. Apparently it made alot of difference. He carried her back to her room, setting her down and placing a blanket over her. She had fallen asleep on the bench beside him. It was hard to tell when she slept, actuallly, considering sometimes her eyes didn't shut.

He kissed her cheek. It was exactly what he thought it would be. Soft and warm.

He retired to his study, pulling the blueprints of an elemaentary school from a desk drawer, coded to his fingerprints.

After all, it was already September First.

So.. Whatchya think? And no, Erik isn't gonna kill little kids. Do not go read 9/11 newspapers, and ruin the surprise. He isn't a suicide bomber either. You will just have to wait.