Let me clear it up that Erik did not neglect Joshua. It will be explained later why Joshua never really bonded with his father. So don't be making assumptions. I thought I taught you all that with my other story.
A bit of warning I suck at bar fights, so this may seem weak, so after I post this any ideas on how to fix it or if it's fine would be really appreciated.
Sorry it took so long. I got distracted easily.
Chapter 3: The Aftermath
Claire paced back and forth in the suite worried about her husband. Why would he leave her worrying like this? Was there another woman he was seeing behind her back? Was it someone better in bed or more beautiful? She shook her head and sat down on the bed in frustration.
"Joshua would never turn his back on me like this. He loves me," she choked as the tears fell from her eyes. "He loves me," she repeated over and over again till she fell asleep.
xxxxx
Joshua got up that morning feeling a lot better. Climbing out of bed he went to the mirror to look over his appearance. For a split second he saw what looked like a mask on the right side of his face. He lifted his hand up and touched where the mask should be, but he felt nothing. As he rubbed his eyes Erik disappeared and Joshua was left alone again.
"Father?" Joshua asked quietly thinking he was going insane. "No, wait that's silly he's dead. He wouldn't be here with me. I don't deserve to be my Father's son if I can't even break a drinking problem," Joshua said putting his head in his hand and began to cry; cry for his mother, his father, but most of all for himself.
xxxxx
It was at least an hour later before Joshua got up off the floor. He had been down there crying hard into his jacket; a jacket he had inherited from Erik before he died. The one thing that brought him comfort when he felt alone and scared.
He brushed himself off and put the jacket on. Taking one last look at the mirror he left the room and went down to the tavern. Even this early in the morning there was still a large amount of people. He was almost all the way out of the door when a conversation at a nearby table caused him to stop.
"So, Sam did you hear the great Paris Opera House was finally closed down after all these years to get the new electric lighting?"
"Yes, I did actually Tom, but what's so great about it except the fact that the place was said to be haunted by an Opera Ghost?"
"Yes, don't you remember the stories of the Phantom's Opera; Don Juan Triumphant? It was the Phantom that kidnapped young Christine Daae and let her go that very same night with the Vicomte De Changy."
"But it was a number of years after that when reports came of the Vicomte committing suicide. Why on earth do you think he would do that?"
"Do you really think it was a suicide Sam? What if it was the Phantom, who did it and made a mock suicide just to cover his ass? What do you say about that?"
"I'm not saying it's not possible, but they're also those accounts of the Phantom disappearing with the Vicomte's daughter, Lotte. They had fled Paris years ago."
The two of them continued to argue then the conversation turned to a topic that made Joshua's blood boil.
"Tom, but what did you think of Christine Daae?"
"I thought she was an excellent singer. I heard she had been a chorus girl before by luck she got to sing for a full house at least 52 years. I got to see her back when I was a lot younger and I thought she was beautiful."
"Well did you know that after the Vicomte committed suicide it was rumored that she was sleeping with the manager. Only a whore would go right on to the next man just after the death of another man," Sam laughed.
In an instant Joshua had both hands at Sam's collar lifting him straight off the ground. "What did you call her?"
Sam choked. "Call who?"
"Madame Daae. What did you call her?" Joshua shouted clearly losing patience with the man as Tom watched on in horror.
"A whore for sleeping with the manager right after the Vicomte died."
"That's all I needed to hear," Joshua snarled. "Don't you dare speak of my mother in that way ever again!"
Murmurs and gasps rose amongst the drinkers as this took place. Those who had heard of the Phantom or passed the tombstone on a trip to the cemetery to visit loved ones stood and gave Joshua a long, hard stare.
"Look it's the son of the Phantom," someone shouted.
"The resemblance is uncanny isn't it?"
Joshua continued to hold onto Sam's collar looking slowly around the bar. How could they know of his father? Was the story so well told that every man in Paris knew of the reign of the Phantom?
"The only thing he's missing however," Tom said standing up and pulling a knife out of his pocket; unseen by Joshua. "Is a scar, he shouted making a slashing motion with the knife along Joshua's right cheek.
Releasing his prisoner Joshua fell back screaming in pain as he held a hand up to his face. Now free Sam raised a fist and punched the hand protecting the cut causing Joshua to scream out again.
"Tom, hand me your knife. It's time we end this," Sam said as Tom handed him the knife.
But as the knife was raised a gunshot rang throughout the bar and Sam fell to the side holding his chest in pain. Joshua tucked his pistol back into his jacket and pulled back his hand for a split second to see it covered in blood. One of the waitresses let out a scream and fainted at the sight.
"Kill him Tom, god dammit kill him," Sam shouted from the floor as blood flowed between his fingers.
xxxxx
"I can't take it anymore," Claire exclaimed heading onto the stage where Lotte, Pierre, and Jacqueline were all talking amongst one another. "I'm filing out a lost person report."
"Claire, I think you're jumping to conclusions. We all know Joshua has his moments where he goes out and doesn't come in till later. It's normal for him."
Claire fought to hold back tears. "I just have this feeling something is wrong. We have to look for him!"
"I have no idea where we would start looking. Joshua could be anywhere in town," Lotte said to Pierre.
"Or out of town," Jacqueline brought up.
"Your uncle wouldn't just up and not tell anyone. He knows better than that. Where ever he is I'm sure he's taking care of himself."
Claire hurried off and in secret had a message boy send a note to the police saying that her husband was missing and hoping they would find him.
xxxxx
The truth was Joshua wasn't taking care of himself. He had gotten to his feet and was now in an old fashion fist fight with Sam. Both men had fought off their injuries as skin contacted with skin and curse words flew from their lips.
However Sam knew of Joshua's weakness as he continued to slam fists into Joshua's face making the cut bleed profusely. On the rebound Joshua managed to break Sam's nose with a single punch as the bar attendants and the bar tender were yelling at them in excitement.
Joshua was slowly beginning to tire and the amount of blood he had lost wasn't helping. Sam took the opportunity and slammed his fist right into the cut causing Joshua to scream one last time before blacking out and hitting the floor.
"Sam, what have you done? You killed him," Tom said noticing that Joshua hadn't moved.
"He was the one, who started all this. It's no fault of mine that a boy would give up even his life to protect his mother's good name," Sam said pressing a napkin to his chest where blood had continued to flow as well.
"What do we do with him?" another man asked.
"Throw him outside. I don't want a dead person in my bar," the bar tender announced.
A few men lifted Joshua up and along with his things threw him the ditch. He was no longer their problem. From the stables however Alexander saw the state of his fallen owner and in the want to be near him broke through the stall door.
Rain fell upon them both as Joshua slowly opened his eyes. Alexander was nestled beside him doing his best to shield him from the rain. Blood continued to fall from the cut on his face and every time he breathed in he felt a sharp pain showing he had probably broken a rib or two.
But now Joshua was stuck with waiting; waiting to live, waiting to be found, or if he were to give up all hope waiting to die. His blood mixed with the puddle beneath him as he lay his head upon Alexander's side.