Home Again
Christine smiled when she saw her father standing before her and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, "Hello, Papa. I'm home."
"Oh, Christine, are you really?" he asked, "are you home for good now?"
Christine smiled weakly and nodded her head, "Yes…he let me go."
Gustave gave a huge sigh of relief and guided his daughter to the fire. She sat down in one of the chairs and seemed to be lost in her own world as he made some tea. Even when he handed her the cup she didn't seem to be paying attention. Simply murmuring a thank you and sipping the hot liquid once before setting it on the small table.
"Is something wrong, Christine?" Gustave asked gently.
"No, Papa, I was just thinking about something."
"Well you must be tired, Christine, maybe you should go to bed."
Christine smiled and nodded her head. It had been so long since she had slept in her own bed. But then again, she had gotten used to the bed at the castle. In fact she had began to think of it as her bed, now the small bed in the house seemed like the strange one.
The next morning Raoul arrived at the house and his eyes brightened when he saw her. Christine couldn't help but smile and hugged her old friend. He returned it and held her at arms distance to look at her. She smiled weakly, he looked pale and had dark circles under his blue eyes.
"Christine, oh its so good to see you again. Are you home now?" he asked eagerly.
"Yes, I'm home for good now…" she replied distantly.
"Thank heavens," he breathed, "you have no idea how worried we were. Are you alright, how did you escape?"
"He just let me go," she replied.
"Oh…well I guess it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you're home. We should go out the inn tonight, for a meal, all of us. Don't you think that that is a good idea?"
"I suppose so," Christine replied, "but I don't see why."
"To celebrate you being home," Raoul replied, "why else?"
"Perhaps tomorrow young man," Gustave replied, "Christine is a bit tired."
"Oh…" he sighed dismally, "well, alright."
"It was a very kind though, Raoul," Christine said encouragingly, "just not tonight. I promise, tomorrow."
Raoul nodded, though he still looked disappointed, "Alright…I should be going. Philippe will be wondering where I went."
Christine said good bye to him and went into the kitchen to see how much food was there. There wasn't much, only some stale bread and some fruit. She sighed and shook her head, she hadn't expected much. So she took her basket and told her father that she was going into town to get some food.
"Oh, alright," he said, "I'll be right here when you get back."
"Of course you will," Christine laughed, "where else would you be?"
The walk into the village was quiet, and for once it didn't bother her that the town was exactly the same as the last time she had been there. The baker was walking around with his tray of baguettes, there was the man who sold fresh eggs, milk and cheese. She smiled at the banter of the locals, bartering for a better price and gossiping.
"Miss Daae!" the baker exclaimed, "oh, where have you been? I have not seen you in so long."
"I've been…away. Could I get a loaf of bread?"
"Of course, of course. Your father came here a while ago, ranting that you were being held prisoner is some castle. Tell me, is that where you were?" he chuckled.
Christine smiled and handed him the money, "Yes…"
"Really?" he asked.
"Yes, but it wasn't that bad. Thank you for the bread, I'll see you later."
The baker stared after her for a moment before continuing on his route. Christine continued on her way and bought some cheese and milk before going to the small bookstore.
"Christine, how are you today?" the elderly owner said, "where have you been, I've heard the most horrible things. Is any of it true?"
"Some of it," she replied, looking over the books on the shelves.
"What parts of it?" he demanded.
"I was just being kept at a castle in the woods," she replied, pulling a book off the shelf, "nothing too horrible…is this new?"
"What? Oh, yes I got that in a week ago."
"It looks interesting," she murmured.
"Not your usual cup of tea," he replied, "no adventure novels today?"
"I've had my fill of adventure I think. Well I should be going, may I borrow this?"
"Consider it a home coming gift."
Christine smiled and left the shop, heading back towards the small cottage. She decided that it would be nice to spend the rest of the day curled up in the old armchair reading. It would be a change from the enormous library, surrounded by shelves filled with hundreds of books. But she wasn't sure if it was a good change. She actually found herself missing the castle and the quiet presence of Erik.
"Christine?" Gustave asked.
"Hmm?"
"Supper," he replied, "I made something. Just some bread and cheese."
"Oh…alright," she replied, "I'll be there in a second."
The next night she found herself sitting in the own inn, which also doubled as the bar, eating a meal with her father, Raoul and the other town people. It was, after all, the most popular spot to go in the evenings.
"You seem a bit distracted, Christine," Gustave commented, "is something wrong?"
"No, I was just thinking of something…thank you for this lovely meal, Raoul."
"You're welcome, Christine," he replied cheerfully, "would you like to dance?"
Christine sighed and nodded her head. She might as well allow her friend that one pleasure. After all the music in the inn was always fast paced and fun. So she stood up and followed him away from the stables. The had just started when the door flew open and she saw Nadir step into the inn. He looked around frantically before his eyes rested on her.
"Oh, Miss Daae," he panted, "I was looking for you, you must come with me."
"Go with you?" Christine asked, worry filling her voice, but why?"
"Its Erik…just come, please come back!" he exclaimed.
Christine hesitated before seeing the panic in the man's eyes. Then she nodded her head slowly, "Oh course."
"Christine!" Raoul and Gustave exclaimed.
"Please hurry!" Nadir urge, grasping her wrist, "come with me."
Christine followed him out to see the chestnut gelding and Erik's own stallion waiting. The gelding's leg and flank were bleeding and he skittered to the side when Nadir approached. He mounted anyways and she took the black stallion.
"Christine wait!" Raoul cried, grabbing onto the horse's bridle, "you can't go, you just got back. I won't allow it."
"Miss Daae!" Nadir exclaimed, "we have to hurry!"
"No!" Raoul growled, grip tightening on the reins, "you can't take her with you. She's free now and I won't allow her to go back."
"Us either," the baker said menacingly, as he and several others exited the inn.
One of the men took hold of Nadir's bridle and wrestled him off the horse. Christine gave a shout of protest but someone pulled her off the horse as well and soon guided her and Nadir back into the inn.
"The monster in the castle is trying to get her back!" Raoul exclaimed, "but we won't let him, will we?"
"No!" several of the people replied.
"Please, let me go!" Nadir exclaimed, struggling against the men who held him back.
"I say we go and see this monster!" someone exclaimed, "show him that he can't kidnap innocent girls!"
"I say we kill him!" another man cried, "so he'll never be able to do this again."
There was an immediate uproar at the idea and Christine and Nadir both gave cries of protest. But Gustave quickly held his daughter back, "Don't, Christine, this is for the better."
"No! You can't do this," she cried, "he isn't evil, he isn't a monster…let me go!"
"It will be alright, Christine," Raoul said gently.
"No!" she cried, "please…"
"Lock those three away," the baker said, "keep them from interfering. We have to kill this monster before he comes into the village in the night and kidnaps our children!"
Several of the women gasped and started to mutter nervously, adding their support. Christine found herself being shepherded to a back room with her father and Nadir. The door closed an she flung herself at it. Hammering her fists against the wood. Her heart began to hammer and her head reel as she thought of what was heading towards the castle.
"Maybe they won't be able to find it," she muttered, "maybe they won't find him…Nadir why did you come here? Why, is something wrong, is Erik alright?"
Nadir hung his head and sighed, "No, he's sick, Christine…that's why I came."
A/N: Well that wasn't too long a wait was it? Truthfully I had been hoping to update yesterday, but then my father took my CD out of the computer and I couldn't find where he put it until this morning and it has all my work on it. Anyways, I don't particularly like this chapter myself, but hopefully you liked it. So, please review.
