Author's Note- Alright, here is the long awaited chapter 32! Ok…not really that long-awaited…but it was fun saying that.
Ram Jas- thank
you much, heheh…
ErikandChristine- heheh…I like being evil! And, they'll get back together…eventually…
Erik's Ange de la Musique- Thanks!
Tallacus- heheh, I am ! The Christine and Raoul thing...we're going to see a bit more of them through the course of the story. evil smile And, yes, I think she shall be around for awhile longer…and yes, it is for him…poor unhappy Erik…
Kataraxzukoshipper- lol, me too… the randomness and making fun of LotR…what's not to like? Unless you take offense to making fun of LotR…lol…and, glad you like the story! Buttons are fun to push…heheh…both physical and metaphorical ones. Especially Erik's…evil grin He gets annoyed so well…and I am glad you think it's funny! I usually suck at funny!
Miss Dusk- really? Lol…cool…And I'm glad you liked it enough to search for it elsewhere! Lol, thanks a bunch!
Kirstin Rose- Eeep! Here is more! Lol…my Erik would win though…heheh…
Chapter 32
Questions
Mademoiselle Christine Daae sighed as she watched the drab brown countryside roll bye. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically, from last night. The young singer had had little sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Her mind would not let her have peace. She sighed again and wiped a tear away. The thought of him upset her more than anyone could imagine. She was willing to give the life she knew away for him, but he had sent her away.
The man beside her seemed to sense her unhappiness, though not the reason. "Whatever is the matter angel?" Raoul asked, a worried look crossing his foppishly-handsome features. "Don't say that word Raoul." She managed, voice teary. A fresh stream began to run down her cheeks, wetting her already red face. "You needn't worry about him any more Christine. We're gone. A little while away from Paris will help you forget."
Forget? Christine sighed. He didn't understand; he couldn't. She did not want to forget. Christine turned away from her fiancée again and looked at the withering landscape. A light snow had begun to fall, reminders that it was still winter. She wondered about her angel, worried about him. Was he out in this cold? Was he safe? Was he alive? It hurt her to not know. She missed him. She loved him.
Oh, she did love Raoul. Just, not like her angel. Her angel had always been there for her. Raoul was a lover, in a sense, but her heart belonged to the angel of music. Christine wondered if he even had a name, or if it had been forgotten in his long years of solitude. What was it? What had it been? There were too many questions. His mystery attracted her all the more.
Her angel…did he still love her? Would he come looking for her? Christine felt a fresh wave of tears. She didn't want Raoul to be hurt. She did love him, she did…didn't she? She didn't know. That made it all worse. She didn't know which she loved! Her angel needed her, but so did Raoul. She knew that one day she would have to let one go, and the thought frightened her. She could not live with two men in her heart. One would have to go. But which?
Torn in two, Christine sobbed silently as the brown earth rolled by, safe inside the carriage.
XxXxXxXxX
Edward sat down on the bed with a sigh. Luckily he had met up with Joseph and Gabby earlier, outside the Opera. They had been there for a common cause- searching for Jen. Once again there had been no sign. Where could she have gone? Someone of her personality wasn't overly common, and he had seen few women who looked or dressed like her. Few being none. He sighed. What had happened to her? She was alive, he was sure of that, but where had she gone? And the ever elusive Phantom. Where was he? Edward had nothing against him personally, aside from what he had done to the Opera. He simply believed that men like that should be locked away, if only to keep those he cared about safe.
Who was the Phantom? Was he one of the Opera's many employed, or was he simply a man who had no where else to go? Why did he live in that God-forsaken home beneath the opera house? Why did he continually threaten the managers and their 'pets', like Carlotta? And, how many of the crimes in the Opera House had been his doing?
Edward did not like the idea of this mad-man living so close. He did not like it at all. The percussionist stood up with renewed determination. He had to find Jen. If he found her, perhaps she would realize how much he cared. Perhaps she would love him as he loved her. Yes, he had to find Jen, and then she could help him find the Phantom. Together they would bring his reign of terror to an end.
XxXxXxXxX
Perhaps that man she was with at the café that one night?" Joseph suggested. "What was his name again?"
"Erik." Gabby replied. They had been searching the buildings around the skeleton of the Opera House for two days now with no luck. "Why don't we find his house? He might know- they seemed rather close friends."
"I would," Gabby told him with a sigh, "If I know where to look. I don't know where he lives now…he moved not to long ago."
"Oh." Joseph thought again and looked around. Gabby continued eating silently. They had stopped at a small café for a meal before continuing their search. "Well, where can you think of? Where would she have gone?" Joseph asked, completely out of ideas. Gabby thought a few moments. What had Jen told her before Don Juan? Oh, that's right- she would find them, but didn't know where or when. Stupid percussionist. Stupid Erik. "You finished?" the female cellist asked. Joseph nodded. "I guess."
"We should start looking again then." With that, they were once again on the streets of Paris.
XxXxXxXxX
Jen awoke to Erik's face. He was asleep, as far as she could tell, and looked rather content for once. She sighed when she noticed he was on top of the blankets, shivering. So noble, she thought to herself. The percussionist smoothed his hair out of his face and he moved slightly. "Jen?" he asked groggily after a few seconds. Then he bolted upright. "Jen." The old, usual Erik was back- smooth, confident, and handsome as ever. He wore no mask, she noted. 'Of course not!' a little voice told her, 'he forgot it.' Jen shook her head to rid her self of the voice. Her stomach growled loudly. "I'm hungry…" she muttered, surprised at how helpless her voice sounded. "How long have I been out of it?"
"Almost two days." Erik told her. "I'll go talk to Nicole, she can have some food brought up to us. With that he stood and smoothed his clothes and hair, then placed a simple mask on his face. It wasn't one Jen recognized. She shrugged. "I'll be waiting. Can I have a drink before you leave though?"
"Oh, of course." Erik disappeared into the bathroom and returned moments later with a glass of water. He tilted it so she could drink it and she glanced at him curiously. "What are you doing?"
"Helping you. Drink." She rolled her eyes, shrugged, but then complied and nearly choked on the liquid. "God, don't dump it down my throat!"
"Sorry." He replied, placing the glass on the table. "I will return soon." Jen watched him leave, admiring his almost feline grace. He was quite the man, Erik was. Quite the man.
XxXxXxXxX
"Monsieur." Nicole greeted Erik as he walked into the common room. He smiled at the girl- she had been quite helpful. "Nicole." He acknowledged in his courteous manner with a smile. "How is she?"
"Awake." He couldn't have seemed happier to the young inn keeper. She smiled brightly. "Wonderful! Hopefully she is better soon."
"Yes, I hope as well." Erik replied. "I was wondering if there is any food left I might take to her."
"I'm sorry monsieur, dinner is not quite ready yet. Shall I send some up to you when it is?" Nicole asked. Erik nodded. It would have to do. "Thank you mademoiselle." He said before returning to the small, cramped room. "Dinner will be sent up shortly." He told Jen, taking a seat beside her on the bed. Jen pouted playfully. "But I'm hungry now!"
"So?" Erik reclined and rolled onto his side to face her she smiled and pulled the new mask off. "When'd you get this?"
"Yesterday. The poor girl running the inn was afraid of me, as were the other guests." He explained casually. He didn't flinch when the mask was gone- she had seen his face so many times it hardly mattered now. "I want to get out of this bed."
"You are to weak to move about right now." Erik brushed a stray piece of her hair back into place without thinking about it. "So? I'm not going to get better if you don't let me."
"Wait another day Jen. Then I'll help." She growled, annoyed. "Damn you Erik. You are supposed to be nice to me and give into my every wish."
"Why?"
"I'm the woman here! Chivalry, duh!" Jen scoffed as if it was obvious. Erik raised an eyebrow. "Really now? I wasn't aware that chivalry made men slaves."
"In my world it does." The grin was back. It was going to be a long day.
Author's Note- whoop…I'm still reading Phantom…I like Kay!Erik…My Erik (this Erik) defiantly has some of Kay!Erik's qualities…we'll find those out later…sad chappy coming up…yay…heheh…review!