It's time for reviews!
Erik: Huzzah, huzzah…
GerrysISUChick04: Erik, I think we should sign you up for AA meetings…
Erik: I am not an alcoholic!
Denial!
Haley Macrae: Hey! How'd you know I have Irish background? Aww, I love these! I shall cherish them forever!
Erik: You know, her presents just keep getting better and better.
MJ-Skywalker: Ah, always a pleasure to hear from my favourite Jedi Knight… You're not a disgrace!
Erik: Don't worry, dear… It happens all the time…
MasqueradingThroughLife: Oh, dear… It seems I've upset her again…
Erik: Ouch! I'm not sure what this "glomp" is… I've heard the word a few times… But it sounds painful… Oh, and don't listen to her. You don't sound like… (scowls) …the fop! Hmph! There should never be a reference to any Erik and the fop in the same sentence, unless of course an Erik is torturing the fop… Hehe… Fop-torture… Fop-Raoul… Fop-Raoul and my Punjab… Oh, what fun that would be!
Lady Golodwen: You want to torture Yoda? But he's so cute and green and funny! I love that little Jedi Master!
Erik: Oh, could we please stop torturing fictional characters? Oh, man… I'm getting a migraine… A really bad migraine…
Yoda: Help you, I can!
Erik: Don't even come near me, little, uh, thing! You creep me out!
Yoda: Ignorant, you are, young corpse… Much to learn, you still have.
Erik: I think he just insulted my intelligence…
You think?
Tadriendra of Mirkwood: I see you appreciated some of those mental images…
Erik: Whoa, boy… It sounds like some of your friends have some major issues… I recommend Dr. Phil… He's from Texas, isn't he?
Darth Padme Skywalker: The former Jedi Knight Padme, I presume?
Erik: Hey, I like your world-domination plan! It sounds flawless! Except for the part where you're going to leave me in a closet with Fantine… May I reiterate that in real life I have no interest in the woman?
VictorianDream: Oh, no! We've angered her! Erik, sing the I Love You song!
Erik: Hell, no!
Do it or I'll stab you!
Erik: Oh, fine! I love Victoria, oh yes I do… I love Victoria, I will be true… When you're not near me, I'm blue… Oh, Victoria, I love you…
VagrantCandy: You tell him, girl! Erik, alcohol is not the answer!
Erik: I've got good news and bad news authoress… The bad news is, studies have shown that alcohol is bad for you… The good news is, they never said it was bad for me!
Mrs. Gerard Butler: Ah, a Christine-hater… I don't really hate her or not hate her… I suppose it depends on whose fic you're reading and if her character is likeable.
Erik: Who cares if she's likeable? She's still hot!
GalindaxlovesxErik: Spaghetti? Oooh! I like!
Erik: My own personal cheer squad? Not a bad idea actually... But we need to come up with some cool fop-bashing cheers!
Mominator124: In reply to your question, Fantine took off to her room... again...
Erik: Sulky female!
Silent Phantasy: Aww, you really think I did a good job? Aww, these cookies taste great!
Erik: Hmph! I don't want those cookies anyway! Angel breathed on them!
Pharaohs Daughter: So, you think I should have made Fantine get a little rougher with Christine.
Erik: Oh, but that would be a waste of a perfectly fine body!
the Unrequited Lover: Aww, that's awesome! See, Erik? Christine would never make you happy... She's shallow!
Erik: Grr... I hate it when she keeps proving me wrong! I do appreciate the insight, though... She's absolutely right. I didn't have half as many "phans" until that movie with the sexy Phantom came out! Heck, half of my phans don't even believe that I don't really have a nose... Well I don't have a nose! See? (Takes off his mask).
No! Not the mask! AAAAAAAAHHHHHH! (Faints).
Erik: Oops... Well, look who's shallow now! (Sigh) I guess I'll have to do the update. Here's the new chappie... Hope you like it... Even if it does suck... (Sets to work trying to revive Angel).
XxXxX
Erik sat at his desk, trying to make the terrible ache in his chest go away. He turned his disoriented gaze at the empty bottle of brandy on his desk.
How much brandy did it take to make a man's sadness go away?
He meant only to have a few drinks, but each passing hour had found him more and more miserable. Before long, Erik was drinking straight from the bottle, not even bothering to pour the liquid into a glass anymore. Now he was rather intoxicated, and yet his heart still ached. Fantine had not left her room since she had caught Christine in the lair. As the night wore on, Erik felt himself slipping into a deeper depression. Alone he sat, wallowing in a pit of despair and self-loathing.
Funny… He'd always imagined himself as a happy drunk…
Erik gazed at Fantine's door for the thousandth time. How he wished she would come out. How he wished she would come to him, tell him everything was alright and that she forgave him… But still the moments passed, and Fantine did not leave her room.
Brandy was not doing the trick…
Erik turned his distorted gaze to the wall clock… 5:30 in the morning…
It was still dark out… Perhaps he'd be able to sneak out and drown his sorrows elsewhere…
Erik stood up from his desk and immediately fell over. He swore under his breath and struggled to his feet.
Over-indulgence, as far as alcohol was concerned, had a habit of turning men into utter fools.
Erik staggered off in the direction of the boat, not even bothering to fetch his cloak.
XxXxX
Fantine lay on her bed and hugged her tear-soaked pillow to her chest. She had spent the past several hours curled up and wondering why it had pained her so much to see Erik with Christine.
"Perhaps the stupid man had just grown on me," she thought. "Perhaps, I had cared about him somewhat. Yes, I did care about him. I knew that already. But he doesn't care about me. I guess I had just gotten my hopes up… again…"
Christine was all Erik wanted anyhow. He had gone through so much to get her. Fantine was living proof of the lengths Erik had been willing to go to in order to have Christine.
And now, it seemed, he had her. Of what use was Fantine to him anymore?
Fantine hated her former friends. They had everything… Meg had her cushy career, her love life… Christine had her lovely face, her pretty voice, and now it seemed she had Erik too…
Why did Fantine have to be the one left with nothing?
Fantine's vision blurred with tears as she remembered a conversation she had once shared with her old friends… Back when they were just little girls living in the dormitories of the opera house…
"Fanny, you were great today!" little Christine exclaimed.
"Someday, Fanny," Meg added, "You're going to be prima ballerina! I just know it!"
Little Fantine thanked her friends, then grasped their hands and pulled them close, as she always did when she was about to share a piece of gossip.
"Do you remember Monsieur Maheux? The man who comes to visit the Opera Populaire every now and then?"
"Oh, he's so handsome!" Meg exclaimed.
"Yeah, I heard he's been courting Mademoiselle Tousignant," Christine added.
"Well," Fantine smiled. "He proposed to her!"
"What? He's getting married?" Meg said, disappointment clear in her voice.
Fantine nodded. "The wedding's in two months!"
"Well, that's a smart match, if you ask me," Christine said. "You should see the way they look at each other in church! I mean, in church for goodness' sake!"
Meg got a dreamy, distant look in her eyes. "Someday, I will marry the handsomest prince, and we'll have all sorts of money and live in a castle! And I won't ever have to work ever again!"
Christine smiled. "That's a pleasant dream!"
Fantine grinned eagerly at Christine. "What about you, Christine? Who will you marry?"
"Oh… I'm not sure…"
"Sure you are!" Meg nudged her playfully. "She wants to marry her handsome Raoul de Chagny!"
"The boy who ran into the ocean to fetch your scarf?" Fantine recalled.
Christine blushed a bit. "Well, what about you, Fanny?" she asked. "Who's your handsome prince?"
Fantine studied her hands. "Well… I'm not sure… I don't know any boys that I like…"
"Oh, come on Fanny, tell us!"
"Yes! Tell us!"
"What do you think he'll look like? Will he be rich? Will you live in a grand home and have lots and lots of children?"
"Children?" Meg exclaimed. The three girls exchanged glances.
After a brief moment, they all burst out laughing.
"Well," Fantine began, after she had calmed down a bit, "I don't know about children… But if I get married, I want to be with a man who thinks I'm the most beautiful girl in the world, even if I'm not…"
"Oh, but you are beautiful, Fanny," Christine smiled, squeezing the girl's arm.
"Will he be handsome? Rich?" Meg asked.
Fantine smiled a bit. "He doesn't have to be handsome… And I don't care if he's rich… I want to marry a man who will take me for long walks, and kisses me just because he can, and will look after me and care about me…"
"What about a big house?" Christine asked. "Surely he'll have a big house!"
Fantine waved the notion off. "I don't care if lives in a small cottage or a shack or even a cave! Just as long as he'll always be there when I come home and will hold me in his arms and make me feel safe…"
Christine observed Fantine for a moment. "That sounds just lovely!" she said finally.
"But…" Meg began slowly. "Do you think there's a man out there who could be so wonderful?"
"There must be," Fantine said quietly. "Somewhere… I hope…"
There was a long silence. Finally, Meg spoke up.
"Well, enough of marriage!" she exclaimed. "We have plenty of time for that later! I have another story to tell." She paused for effect."This one is about the Phantom of the Opera…"
The girls huddled in for what was sure to be a great ghost story…
"I was right," Fantine whispered to the dark, empty room. "There was a man out there who could be so wonderful… Only he doesn't care about me…"
Perhaps none of her childhood dreams were ever meant to come true…
XxXxX
It was still dark when Erik stumbled out into the streets of Paris. Very few people were out, just as he had hoped.
It had taken a while for Erik to steer the boat out of the lair. Being inebriated as he was had made things difficult for him.
He thought about returning to the lair. What if Fantine came out of her room and wondered where he was?
"No," he thought sadly. "She wouldn't care if she found me gone. She'd probably be relieved."
Erik looked around, and finally his eyes were greeted with a welcoming sight: the saloon.
"Maybe they've got something better than brandy," he thought.
Erik staggered into the saloon, which was mainly empty. A few men lay passed out across their tables. One man in a tattered suit sat at the counter, sipping whiskey and mumbling to himself.
Erik sat on a stool a few seats away from the mumbling man. The bartender came over, a short man with a large belly and greasy clothing.
"Whatta ya want?" the bartender asked him.
"Scotch," Erik replied.
The bartender began filling a glass and turned back to glance at Erik. "What's with the face-plate?" the bartender asked, indicating Erik's mask.
"You always ask personal questions?" Erik slurred.
The bartender shrugged and handed Erik his glass. He studied Erik intently. "You look seriously messed up," the bartender said frankly.
"Thank you," Erik replied, taking a mouthful of his drink. He decided that he had liked the brandy better, but if scotch eased his pain more effectively, it didn't matter.
"You got a problem?" the bartender asked. "I'm a good listener."
"You really like personal questions…" Erik decided, turning back to his drink.
"It's part of the job," the bartender explained. "I'm a comforter and friend to every man who comes in here with a problem." He grinned. "I can tell when a man's here trying to drink away his sorrows… What's your tragic story?"
"It's long, boring, and I doubt you'd even believe me…"
"Oh, trust me, I've heard it all!"
"Trust me… You haven't…"
The bartender eyed him suspiciously. "Oh, I see…" he said finally. "You have a lady problem."
Erik stared at his drink.
"Well… tell me about her! Was she beautiful?"
Erik stared off into nothingness. "Yes… So very beautiful… She made me happy…"
"I had a beautiful woman, too!" the drunken man next to Erik piped up. "She left me… She left me… Oh, why?" He broke down into loud sobs.
"Oh, really my friend, you must let that go," the bartender said soothingly. "That was years ago!"
Erik observed the blubbering man beside him. This man looked like he had frequented the bar every night for several years.
Erik began to wonder if such was his future…
XxXxX
Erik: Hmph! Well, Angel seems to enjoy making me look like a total ass! Hah! Even drunk I know enough not to wander around outside the opera house! What does she think I'm stupid, or something? Well, anyway, Angel hasn't woken up yet. Please review and we'll see you tomorrow.