Chapter 2: The Horrible Truth

Joshua watched from the shadows as his sister and niece headed towards the stables. He understood how close Lotte was to their father, but it puzzled him how it was that he; the living copy of his father's greatness had not taken on the powerful father and son bond. Instead he had truly been his mother's son remaining by her side until he was old enough to care for his own well being.

Losing her at the young age of twenty proved to be the hardest event in his life to over come and it drove him to do unspeakable things when no one was looking. It was a well known fact that most men now days loved their alcohol and he was no exception to that stereotype. At the latest hours of the night he could be seen making his way to the outside of town and stopping at a tavern to throw his money away.

When the stage had cleared Joshua slowly made his way to the stables, so as not to look suspicious in any means. Once he made his destination he pulled his horse, Alexander, from the stall and saddled him.

"Monsieur Daae, would you like to leave a message as to where you are going in case anyone asks?" the stable boy asked as Joshua brushed down the horses' sides.

"No, I wish not to and take this franc as a warning to keep your mouth shut about me leaving."

The boy looked up at him, then to the franc in his hand. Monsieur Daae had always been a kind man to him, yet just now he heard a twinge of anger within the man's voice. He did not wish to upset him, so he gently nodded and disappeared into the servant's quarters located in the hall.

Joshua hated being, so mean to the boy, but the last thing he needed was someone badgering him about wasting the money on drinks and gambling when money was tight and needed for the renovation. He patted Alexander's neck and hung the brush back on the nail near the stall.

Mounting the stallion's back he rode out into the Paris streets taking care till he was free of the larger crowds. It was still light out and the tavern wouldn't be too full at this hour, but that didn't excuse the fact that Joshua had to be careful. There were many men out waiting to beat a man out of his money just to get a pint.

However if a fistfight couldn't get him rid of the attacker he had a small pistol hidden within the inner pockets of his jacket. Claire had caught sight of the gun once before and she had questioned why he would need such a vile thing. All he had been able to tell her was it was for protection, which wasn't a total lie.

As he rode on he thought about the fact that he was keeping this from his wife; his darling Claire. They had married not long before his mother's passing and it had been enough that she was there to witness the event. Yet, inside it still pained him for he had promised Christine that he would take care of himself and here he was on his way to drink away the pain of his loss.

Soon he had pulled up to what looked like a rather dingy building and placed Alexander into one of the open stalls. "I hope you don't mind spending another night here boy. Lets hope tonight is the last night I have to do this."

Alexander nickered at him and reached forward to nudge his master's arm. Joshua cared for the creature and was smart enough to know that he was safer staying at the inn for the night then risking riding home drunk.

That was another one of his issues concerning Claire. When he would disappear from their suite for a late night drink and sleep in at the inn, she became completely worried until he was safe and back in the Opera House with her. He would rather beat himself into submission then go one more night denying her trust and love for him.

Once Alexander was with hay and water Joshua headed into the tavern. Surprisingly the bar was rather full for the hour. He made his way to the table in the back and sat down. He scanned the room and noted which men it was best to stay away from in order to avoid conflict.

"What will you have Monsieur Daae?" the tavern girl asked coming up to him.

Joshua looked up at her. He had forgotten for a moment how many times he had come here and was now know amongst the staff. He pulled out two gold coins and pushed them towards her. "I want the largest mug of your finest liquor and I demand my moneys worth."

The girl took up the coins and smiled at him. "Your order will be right up." Then she headed over to the bar and gave the bartender the order.

Joshua watched closely from his seat to make sure nothing extra was added to the beverage. Even though he was well known it still wasn't best to trust the bartender at any establishment.

Not long after he ordered the girl returned and placed the mug down in front of him. "Enjoy and if you should require anything else don't hesitate to ask."

Joshua slowly nodded and tasted the liquor with his finger before taking a nice chug of it, allowing the hot liquid to slide down his throat. He sat there watching the men around him play cards or flirt with the waitresses as he took sips of his drink. He hated this kind of activity, but this was the only tavern he knew of that didn't get shipments of his brother-in-law's liquor. For now he was safe.

xxxxx

Meanwhile Lotte and Jacqueline had made a safe trip to the cemetery and were there now paying respect to Erik and Christine. As Jacqueline thought about the apparition she had seen Lotte placed fresh roses upon the gravestone.

Both sat in silence for a long time; neither one wishing to speak. The events from that morning were still fresh in their minds and it hurt them deeply; Lotte most of all, because she felt like a failure. Not only did she come close to losing her father's life long joy, she came very close to losing her home.

If she lost the Opera House she had nowhere for her and her family to go. Every person in that building had grown to depend on her and Pierre for guidance, discipline, and shelter from the cruelties from outside. The walls of the Opera House had become a sanctuary for everyone drawing them closer together as a family unit.

She thought about one of the last parties they had had in honor of everyone coming together to make the building function. All the actors, crew members, and even the stable workers and washer women were invited. It had been a night of dancing, music, and glorious fun. If anyone knew how to throw a party it was her father.

Lotte raised her head and looked sadly upon the two pictures looking back at her. She didn't know if her parents would be proud of the decisions she made or would be appalled by it. Sure she had Pierre, Jacqueline, and Joshua to help her, but all in all this was her problem. Her mother would probably be comforting her while her father paced back and forth looking for a better answer.

Oh how she wished her father was here. He knew every nook and cranny of the place and would have been able to fix anything. She said a small prayer in which to bless them and gain a blessing upon her family.

Finally she stood. "Jacqueline let's go home and give your father a break. I'm sure he's up to ankles in questions."

Jacqueline stood quietly and looked down at the grave one last time before she followed her Mother back to the main gate to signal the driver. He pulled up to the gate and they climbed inside watching the world go by as they made they're way home.

xxxxx

Joshua had finished off three pints of the liquor before he had gotten a rather powerful buzz. He sat at the table awhile before buying a room for the night and heading towards hoping to sleep the rest of the day undisturbed. As he fell upon the mattress his whole body became numb and he was instantly asleep.

As he drifted off he began having a dream, which was more like a memory; a time when he came close to losing his mother when he was only 3 three years old.

xxxxx

He had been watching the opera with his father, his sister, his brother-in-law, and his niece, but he had grown tired and leaned back against his father's chest.

When he awoke he was alone in the dressing room upon the bed. "Mama?" he asked quietly.

When no answer came he crawled out of bed and found the door to be left open a tiny crack. He pulled it open and went into the back stage to find it was pitch black. "Mama?" he called again unaware that Christine and Erik were in the lobby saying farewell to theatre goers and everyone else had gone off to bed or other activities for it was Friday night.

"Mama!" he called a bit louder as he walked forward. Crashing into a bit of set he fell back and let out a loud wail, which could have woken the dead; "MAMA!"

Christine had heard her baby's cries and hurried into the house. Having been in the theatre this long she knew her way in the dark and took her son into her arms. "Now, now love. It's all right Mama's here," she cooed softly to him.

Joshua snuggled into his mother's arm as tears streamed down his cheeks. "You were gone," he sobbed quietly.

"I came back my little one. I didn't forget about you."

Erik joined them. "Is he all right? I swear Christine I never saw you run so fast before."

"Everything's all right now darling. I told you the lights shouldn't have been turned off yet," Christine said standing with Joshua still in her arms. "I think it's about time we head down and put him to bed. It's late."

Joshua lasted the entire journey in his mother's arms and even got to sleep in his parent's bed that night. He snuggled in close to Christine as she held him. Erik paid no mind rolling over on his side and just letting sleep take him.

xxxxx

When Jacqueline and Lotte returned they ended up running into a frantic Claire.

"Lotte, have you seen Joshua? After everything had died down I went to find him in the suite and he was gone. No note was left or anything. I'm really worried this time," she said sadly.

"He probably went out to get a breath of fresh air or something. You know how much he enjoys his walks around the park," Lotte said placing a supportive arm around Claire's shoulders.

"But he had said tonight was going to be for us after rehearsals. I'm really beginning to grow worried about him."

Lotte bit her lip also becoming worried about her brother's fate. Claire had come to her on multiple occasions speaking of Joshua's disappearances. What would drive him to just up and leave without saying what was wrong?

TBC…

Cliffhangers again HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. I live you with an evil cliffhanger because I can. Next chapter will be up when I have time; I promise.