Well, Erik? Have we learned a lesson today?
Erik: Yeah… Touch the authoress' PC and she'll go mental.
That's right… Now, I'll answer the reviews!
MasqueradingThroughLife: Well dear, I'm sorry to hear about your cold. Sorry I made you cry.
Erik: Well MY-Erik, it seems you do have it rather rough. At least I don't have an over-emotional female latched to my arm every second. What is it with girls?
Tadriendra of Mirkwood: Don't worry. I wasn't too hard on Erik. I just hung him by his toes outside of my bedroom window. Nothing too terrible.
Erik: Ha! You weren't the one who had to deal with those stupid squirrels who thought my eyeballs were nuts!
Can I help that the squirrels are taking over our ecosystem?
pixiestars162: Yes, I like Les Miserables. My school did the musical a couple years ago. I'll try to keep the story from getting too fluffy, although I thought we were managing to keep the fluff level at a minimum. Not like I was making them get naked or anything.
Erik: And thus a billion adoring phan-girls swoon with the mental image of me taking my clothes off…
saripunkinpie: Aww, thanks! You do my self-esteem good.
Erik: You think I'm a doll? But I will take that cookie!
Silent Phantasy: 1/4 Canadian? Cool. Thanks for the s'mores!
Erik: Hmm… Sensitive or on drugs? Sensitive or on drugs? Sensitive or on drugs? I was on drugs!
Araiona Dubois: Thanks for reviewing! I'm not a vocal tutor like Erik is, but if I can offer you any advice in your music class, don't be scared to be bold! I have my own little studio in my garage where sometimes I just go off alone and practice belting out all of my songs as loud as I can… Really, it'll boost your confidence!
Erik: Don't mind her… She sucks…
Oh, stuff it Erik!
the Unrequited Lover: Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! Erik! I can't believe you told everyone I have low self-esteem! That's so untrue!
Erik: Why'd she have to go and prove that I have a sensitive side? Geez, she practically wrote a whole thesis essay about it!
Well, I'll have you know that I didn't torture Erik too much for updating without me…
Erik: But thank you for all those compliments… You know, me being a creepy insane spooky sociopathic homicidal maniac. And though I may be constantly stroking my ego, you must admit that I am a sexy beast. But I am not in denial!Haley Macrae: It seems I've developed a talent for making people cry…
Erik: Ah-ha! The s'more pop tarts are mine!
Alatariel Maris Telcontar: Well, that's an unusual question… Erik? Do you taste like dark chocolate?
Erik: Yes… Hey! I know I'm a bastard child but you don't have to go and throw it in my face! Hey, I think this girl has possession issues.
MJ-Skywalker: Don't worry. I didn't hurt him much.
Erik: My dear, I don't have to do anything to evoke the authoress' wrath. She's well known for random violent outbursts.
Mrs. Gerard Butler: Believe me, I totally agree with you. Math in general sucks, don't you think?
Erik: Doesn't suck as much as you do!
Jerk…
Pharaohs Daughter: Confused, eh? Don't worry. All things should become clear in time.
Erik: Say, are you really the Pharaoh's daughter? Because I knew the Shah of Persia once and I hear the two used to play golf every Sunday afternoon, and-
Erik, stop talking now.
Raoul the Phantom: Oh, thanks for reviewing. We hadn't heard from you and I was starting to fear that Erik's rudeness had chased you off.
Erik: Definite fop… see all those typos in that review!
Erik, our readers are not fops! Nor do they suck! If they did, they wouldn't be reviewing, now would they?
cylobaby: I know, eh? Fantine is just being such a… well I won't use the word but I'm sure you all know what I mean.
Erik: Sorry… I could confess my undying love for you but I fear that Starrylibra would be forced to kick me someplace tender.
VagrantCandy: Didn't like the reaction… Just wait… It gets better…
Erik: Don't trust her… She lies…
darklady5289: Don't worry… I didn't kill Erik…
Erik: Duh! I'm standing right here!
Well, thank you all for reviewing. Now onto the new chapter!
XxXxX
Erik had not slept at all the previous night. He spent many hours trying to sleep, but it just wouldn't come. He got up and made himself some tea, then he sat in the sitting room with a book. After reading and re-reading the same page for about twenty minutes, he got up and went over to his organ and began to play.
He couldn't even concentrate on that!
His thoughts were possessed by the woman who lay sleeping in the other room.
The woman who, no doubt, hated him now…
Erik paced the lair, unable to do anything else, and allowed his mind to wander.
Did he regret telling her the truth? No. His conscience would have eaten away at him slowly if he had gone on deceiving her any longer. He was just disappointed with her reaction.
"What did you expect her to say, Erik?" he asked himself. "'Oh, you're the bastard responsible for destroying my face and ruining my life, but that's alright, I forgive you?'"
Of course, she ran! Why wouldn't she?
Erik glanced at the clock… Quarter to eight in the morning… She would wake soon…
Erik wasn't looking forward to confronting her. She would not appreciate the fact that he had brought her back. Likely, she would scream at him a little more, tell him he was a monster and how much she hated him, then run again.
If only he could make her understand! Couldn't she see how much he loved her?
Erik slumped in his chair and stared at the clock. Nine… nine-thirty… Quarter to ten…
She never slept in this late before!
"If she's not up by ten, I'm going to wake her," Erik decided.
Erik began to occupy himself as he waited. He got up from his chair and made some more tea.
9:50.
Finishing his tea, he noticed that his desk was looking rather disorganized. He set down his empty cup and began straightening things up. He found every blank piece of paper and set it to one side in a neat pile.
9:53.
He began going through the papers that had writing on them. If they were in Fantine's handwriting, he put them aside without looking at them. The rest he sorted through, deciding which to keep and which to dispose of.
9:56.
He burned the notes that he had decided to get rid of.
9:57.
He found his book still sitting on his chair. He picked it up and put it back on the shelf.
9:58.
Running out of things to do, he paced the lair.
9:59… 10:00.
Erik strode over to her door. Pausing, he knocked hesitantly.
"Fantine?"
No answer.
He slowly turned the door handle and pushed the door open a crack.
"Fantine? Are you awake?"
Still no answer.
He opened the door the rest of the way and peeked inside. Fantine lay sprawled out on her bed, twisted between her sheets and blankets. He could hear her shallow breathing.
"Fantine? Come now. Wake up. We have to talk."
Fantine did not stir.
"Fantine?" He gazed at her sleeping form. She looked so angelic.
Erik noticed she was still wearing her cloak. He hadn't taken it off when he had laid her down here the previous night. He could see it was exerting a little pressure on her throat.
He reached down and undid it, freeing her neck somewhat.
She was still wearing her mask, too. He decided not to touch it. She might be angry if she woke and found that he had removed it.
Erik's eyes were fixed on her lips, which were slightly parted. A strange urge came over him, and he reached down to caress her uncovered jaw with his finger.
He drew back almost immediately. Her skin was on fire!
He tore off her mask and pushed the back of his hand against her distorted forehead. She was burning with a fever.
Fantine gave a little moan. Then she started to shiver. She was shivering uncontrollably!
Erik began to panic and scorned himself. He should have known! She had been outside for possibly hours in the freezing cold. It should have been obvious when he noticed that she had overslept!
"Fantine! Please, hang on! I'm going to get help!"
Erik grabbed his cloak and headed for the boat. There was only one person who could help him.
Fortunately, he knew of a small cottage where she lived, not far from the opera house.
XxXxX
Madame Giry glanced outside the window of her small cottage. It had snowed the night before, and the ground was a clean blanket of white.
"It would be a pleasant day for a buggy ride," she thought.
Madame Giry was home alone. Meg and Robert had been over for Christmas. But afterwards, they decided to return to Robert's home together, just outside the city. Madame Giry did not protest. After all, she was young once, as well. However, even though it had only been a few days since the couple left, Madame Giry found the silence of her home unnerving. Though she supposed she would have to get used to it. Her little Meg was growing up, and one day the girl would want to begin a family of her own.
"How did Erik and Fantine manage living alone for all those years?"
She smiled as she thought of the theatre ghosts. She was quite certain that the two were keeping each other very warm in this cold, bleak winter.
"If Meg leaves," Madame thought, "I may have to spend my extra time caring for a few baby phantoms!" She laughed at the thought.
Madame Giry glanced out the window again. She furrowed her brow as she saw something coming up the street. It was like a small black cloud, heading her way with no lack of haste.
"What on earth could that be?" she murmured.
The thing drew closer. She noticed it was a man. A man clad all in black.
A very familiar man…
"Erik!" she cried, running out her door to meet him. Why was he here? And in broad daylight?
Erik grabbed hold of her arms, almost collapsing with exhaustion. Had he run the entire way here from the opera house?
"Erik? What's wrong?"
Erik could barely speak, gasping for breath and half-hysterical. "Fantine! Didn't wake… cold… skin's burning… sick!"
"Erik, come in! You're almost hyperventilating!"
She pulled him inside her home and sat him down at her kitchen table. She poured him a glass of water and set it down in front of him. He downed it quickly and tried speaking again.
"Fantine! She's sick! I went to her this morning! Her skin felt like it was on fire! She's very sick!"
"Where is she?" Madame Giry asked.
"She's still in the lair!"
"Come with me!"
Madame Giry pulled Erik outside to her stable where two horses stood munching hay.
"I hope you can ride bareback," she told him. "We don't have time to saddle up."
Erik mounted the larger horse. He turned to see Madame Giry straddling the other. He couldn't help but stare. He'd never seen any woman straddle a horse… Least of all Madame!
"Don't give me that look!" Madame Giry scolded him. "I know it's unladylike, but you can't side-saddle very well without a saddle! Now, let's hurry! Your woman needs us!"
Had they not been in such a hurry, Erik would have stopped long enough to inform Madame Giry that Fantine was not his woman!
XxXxX
Well, Erik?
Erik: It sucked.
Alrighty then. See you all tomorrow!