Disclaimer: I own Gabrielle, and the other shady originals we meet in this chapter.

Thanks Allison for dropping by and reviewing! New reviewers are a pleasant surprise. Phantoms-angel1 and kristinekat13, yes, Erik definitely has some jealousy issues, haha. I'll make sure to tell the fop to step off.

The day after her performance, Gabrielle decided to give life in the theatre a rest and venture out to see what more this bustling quartier of Paris had to offer. This certain part of Paris was certainly interesting, more of a Bohemian paradise than the bustling cityscape she had envisioned so frequently as a child. Many would have found the place unpleasant, but to Gabrielle, it was an Eden of discovery, ripe for the picking. Perhaps, growing up, her world had been a bit too small for a girl of such curiosity, but thise more than paid the reparations for that.

"Mademoiselle Clairmont?" someone called out. In a minute, a man selling flowers from a case on his back pushed through the crowd of people to see her.

"In the flesh," Gabrielle laughed, amused and flattered at the pains he was taking just to stand in front of her.

"The entire quartier's abuzz about your performance last night," he smiled. He pulled a bouquet of lilies from his cache and offered them to her. She smiled and accepted gratefully, then reached into her purse to pull out the payment. "Oh no, they're complimentary!" he exclaimed. Gabrielle looked at him with a questioning smile. "For…for bringing the Opera Populaire back to life!" he added quickly

"It won't last long," said one of the passersby. "Not as long as the ghost is still there."

Gabrielle rolled her eyes and walked away. That showed how much anyone in this outside world knew of the goings-on within the walls of the Opera Populaire. Or, perhaps, it showed how selective the inhabitants were of whose ears the word reached.

She soon found herself standing against the wall of the Opera Populaire, where she noticed an opening she had never noticed before. Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, she peered in side, and found that she recognized innards of the building that the she saw.

She lowered her head so that it was closer to the opening and said in a fairly low voice. "Monsieur…" she paused and corrected herself. "Erik?" There was no answer. Gabrielle wasn't surprised, knowing that he wouldn't answer to just anyone who happened to call for him. "Thank you…" she said in a hushed voice, not thinking to imply what she was thanking him for. She pulled one of the lilies from the bouquet that she had been given and dropped it inside.

Inside, Erik looked up as he heard someone whispering through the secret entrance, which, he had thought, only Madame Giry knew of. He noticed something falling from there into the water, right in front of him. He picked up the lily that had seemingly fallen from the sky, then back up at the window, just in time to catch a glimpse of the face of who stood there.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle had gotten back to exploring when she noticed a tent standing, off in the more dodgy-looking section of the community. Out of inevitable curiosity, walked over.

"Morning, mademoiselle," said the proprietor, a dirty, greasy-haired man with dark beady eyes and teeth so yellow, one had to question whether or not they were teeth at all. "Care to have a look inside?"
"What is this place?" peering inside over his shoulder, still unable to see anything but a mass of dirt and cages, but hearing a commotion of shouts, laughter, and jeering.

"You've never been to a gypsy carnival before, have you?" he asked, smiling at her. She cringed at the view of all of his rotten teeth. The man was old enough to be called a rotting corpse, and had the stench to prove it. He must have been…what…a hundred years old?

"Can't say that I have," she said distastefully, her good graces the only thing that kept her from pinching her nose and running away.. And if they all look like you, I'm lucky I haven't, she added in her head. Honestly, they mustn't know much of bathing…

"Pity," he chuckled. "Never seen our greatest attraction. Called it the Devil's Child—"

"I'm listening," she said abruptly, remembering the words in a note that Erik had recently written to her…

You'll find that they did not call me the Devil's Child without reason…

"Oh, yeah," the old man chortled evilly. "You could beat that blasted creature to within and inch of its life, and it would just keep coming at you and clawing, thrashing about like a wild animal—"

"That's horrible!" Gabrielle cried out, her jaw dropping. It didn't take a genius to piece it all together.

"That's business," the man chuckled cruelly. Gabrielle stared at him with all of the disgust she could muster and turned on her heel, running the entire way back to the Opera Populaire. She ran in through the doors and shut her eyes, panting.

"Gabrielle?"

She opened her eyes and smiled through her heavy breathing. "Uncle Raoul!" she paused and glanced to his right. "Aunt Christine! This is…a surprise."

"Just coming to pay you a visit," Christine said with a painted-on smile, her eyes darting around overtly as though she were afraid of something. "You know, checking to make sure nothing…funny…is going on."

"Not at all," she said brightly. "Everything's splendid. Really."

Christine stared at her, and sensed an odd air about the girl…something that was oddly familiar. Raoul could tell that his wife didn't quite believe Gabrielle, but neither of them said anything.

"Well then," Christine said, clearing her throat delicately. "We'll be going then. Take care of yourself, all right?"

"Of course," Gabrielle said with a sincere smile.

"Promise." Christine said seriously. Gabrielle nodded unsurely. Christine and Raoul each gave Gabrielle a loving kiss on the cheek and left.

"What are you thinking about?" Raoul asked as he and his wife were back in the coach, safely on their way. Christine looked at him, calculation carefully what she was going to say.

"He's with her, Raoul," she said in a conspiratorial whisper. "He has her…" Raoul didn't need any clarification. He ran his hand through his hair and looked out the window. 'I'm sorry," Christine whispered. She knew very well that she had caused this in her desperation to be free. She hadn't truly expected it to work and admittedly felt a twinge of jealousy at the prospect. She had felt that she was the only one that the Phantom of the Opera would work his magic for…that only she could make the music of the night…

"My brother's child," he muttered, shaking his head. Christine suddenly felt extremely selfish, but at the same time was not willing to take back what she had done.

'She's stronger than I was." She said gently, taking her husband's large, strong hands into her soft, tiny ones. "She may prove more than we expect of her. Give her a chance."

Raoul looked up and stared into his wife's eyes. "Give…give us a chance," he muttered. Christine smiled demurely, and kissed him passionately on the lips. That was when it dawned on the both of them. This was their chance, now that there were no ghosts of a past life left to haunt Christine. Now, they could do all that they had dreamed of…they could live the life which a married couple should, without worrying about who may disapprove of their union. After three years of struggling through disdainful memories, they could breathe once again, and the fresh air seemed so much sweeter than they remembered.

Meanwhile, Gabrielle was finally beginning to have more probing questions of her own. She went up to Madame Giry, stepping in front of the older woman with an air of fire and authority. "What does my uncle have to do with Erik?" she demanded. "That's the only possible reason for them to be acting so oddly."

Giry stared at her oddly for a moment. "How do you know his name?"

"He told me," Gabrielle snapped in annoyance, waving dismissively, "Now Madame, please, answer my question."

"I've mentioned Miss Daae, haven't I?" Giry asked. Gabrielle nodded mutely. "Mademoiselle Christine Daae?" Gabrielle began nodding again, but froze in mid-motion. Giry looked at her and nodded in affirmation.

"So," she said in realization. "Now I see how it is. I knew he'd never have any good reason for wanting me," she muttered dejectedly.

"You should be glad," Giry said gently. "It means he won't take you…Besides, I thought you didn't believe in him."

"Of course I don't," Gabrielle laughed forcedly. "But you know me. You can never be too safe." She nodded, then scurried off, running to find Meg, who has happy to keep her company. The two spent the day chatting idly, until Gabrielle mentioned a more pressing topic.

"Tell me about my aunt," she requested of the older girl.

"Oh, Christine?" Meg said brightly, "Where to being? You remind me of her so much…" And that began the girl talking on and on, as Gabrielle was glad to listen.

At the end of the day, Meg noticed that Meg was following her to her bedroom.

"Meg: she asked once they reached the older girl's room. "Would you mind terribly if I stayed here/"

"No, of course I don't mind," she said. "Is something the matter?"

"I…" Gabrielle trailed and considered just going to her own room, but she couldn't bear the thought of it. "I guess I'm a little bit scared to be alone." She paused in an anxious stupor, both upon hearing the things she head herself say and awaiting her friends response to said things.

Meg stared at her and turned her head to the side. "Tell me the truth, Gabrielle." She said, making sure she didn't sound as though she was forcing the younger girl. "The Phantom, you've seen him." Gabrielle bit her lip and nodded. "Oh, dear," Meg said, embracing the younger girl,

"I'm hiding from him, Meg," she admitted. "He's using me, I know he is. He's pretending that I'm Christine. I…I don't want to be the victim in his little hunt." Gabrielle's head was spinning terribly. She didn't want to be used. Yes, it was true, she didn't want it, but what she truly desired…what that was…She clenched her eyes shut for a moment then looked back up with a pleading look in her eyes.

Meg nodded sympathetically and opened the door.

Thus began the grand effort between the two girls to keep Gabrielle out of the Phantom's clutches.

The next morning, Meg made very sure from the very first moment not to leave Gabrielle anywhere alone, but from the moment they awoke, they realized that avoiding the Phantom would be no easy task. When they opened the door to head outside for breakfast, they found a letter addressed to Gabrielle sitting on the ground. The two girls glanced at each other unsurely, and walked off, leaving the paper untouched.

Every so often, they would find more and more letters, and though Gabrielle was sincerely tempted, she passed right by every time. Thus began the attempt to evade the infamous phantom of the opera.