Hey, here's another chapter right away. i'm really on a roll, and i might put up another one tomorrow if homework permits. Review please, and enjoy.

Rebecca

Chapter 17: What happened nexter…

"Michelle," he grunted without so much as an attempt at being polite.

"And how have you been these past few years?" she asked, picking a tooth up off the ground.

"I've been lonely, cold, and tortured. Why did you do it?" he asked, sending one of his famous glares into her bloodshot eyes.

"Why did I do what?" she asked, far too innocently.

"What do you think? I'm not stupid, despite what your asinine mind may think. I demand," he said, slamming his hand down on a table, "that you tell me the truth!"

Michelle jumped when his hand cracked the table in two, and it fell to the ground at her feet. For a moment she looked as though she were going to run away, but seeing the look in Erik's ferocious eyes caused her to change her mind. "I, I was jealous alright! Yes, jealous of my perfect twin and her perfect life. I decided that things needed to change if I ever wanted my parents to love me the way they did her. Even when they made her move out they still wrote and sent money. But me, the one daughter that hadn't desecrated the family name, they never paid me any attention. All during her retched pregnancy they kept talking about how Penny was doing and when the baby would come. It made me sick to the stomach to hear them speak of her like she was some sort of goddess or something. And even when I did get rid of her, they still spoke of her so much that I finally had to run away. I haven't seen the poor excuses for parents in sixteen years and I hope I never do." She slumped down into a nearby chair, felling faint from saying all of that very quickly, and loss of blood.

Erik pulled Rebecca into his arms close, and comforted her. Rebecca could feel his breathing grow ragged, knowing that he was doing his best to hold back tears. "Rebecca," he whispered, "we should go home now."

"Okay," she replied. Then she went and gave Alistair a small kiss, thank you, and told him she'd see him at the performance of Don Juan. Erik grabbed her hand, and the two hailed a cab and went back to the Opera.

After the father and daughter left, Marie called a doctor to come and inspect Michelle's injuries. All the rest of the day she drifted in and out of consciousness, suffered from delirium, and grew deathly pale. Just before nightfall, the twisted twin died of bleeding in the brain caused by blunt trauma to the skull, possibly from being punched. There was now a warrant out for the arrest of whoever committed this foul murder, and the Picard's were worried sick.

The next morning, while dress rehearsals for Don Juan Triumphant were going on, Alistair stole away down to the basement of the Opera Populaire to share the terrible news with Rebecca. He pole across the lake and ran to her room, calling out to her.

"What is it?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Sleep had taken forever to come last night, and when it did it was restless and full of nightmares.

"She died last night," he said plainly. "And the doctor and coroner said that it was caused by trauma to the head, and they can see imprint of your fists on her face, and they know that it was a young woman who did it. There's a warrant out for your arrest."

Rebecca gasped and burst into tears. She fell over and leaned her head down into the thick comforters, letting everything out. She didn't care if Alistair saw her cry; she really needed to. Erik soon popped his head into the room to see what was wrong. "What happened?" he asked, sitting on the side of the bed.

"She killed Michelle, and there's a warrant out for her arrest," replied Alistair sadly.

Erik sighed and gently gathered her into his strong arms. She pressed her head into his shoulder and sobbed out all her pent up emotions. He stroked her hair and tried to calm her down, which didn't happen for at least another ten minutes. When finally her tears ceased, he handed her an embroidered handkerchief and dried her eyes.

"What am I going to do?" she asked, taking in deep breaths.

"You'll have to stay hidden. I too am warranted for arrest and that is part of the reason I have had to stay hidden all this time; that gypsy I killed all those years ago apparently had friends in high places. If you want to leave it must be at night, and you can't make appearance up above very often."

Rebecca's filled with tears again, and she began to cry softly. Ally stood up and said, "I have to leave now or they'll be wondering where I am. I'll try to see you tomorrow night Becks," he paused and then added very softly, "I love you."

Rebecca looked up at him and absolutely beamed, for this was the first time he had ever said that to her. "I love you too," she said very quietly and slowly, as if to savour the moment. The lovers exchanged a secret smile, and Alistair departed, leaving Erik and Rebecca alone. Rebecca wiped her moist eyes, and handed Erik his handkerchief back. "So," she said, straightening her nightgown, "you must have a lot of work to do today, so I shall leave you to do it." As much as she hated that he was doing all this Don Juan business for his 'angel' Christine, she knew that it would make him happy.

Erik nodded, knowing exactly what his daughter was thinking, and left the room without a word. He headed straight for his bedroom, where he was fixing up his wig and the piece of fake skin that would cover his deformed face during the performance. He was planning on taking Piangi's place and kidnapping Christine in front of everyone. It would cause quite a shock, and he was getting rather excited about it. He finished with his head and hair piece, and then laid down on his bed for a long sleep before tonight, which was when he would prepare several other surprises that he had in store for the opera patrons.

Bout time i added some Becca and Ally fluff, eh?