Ch.7

Peter still leaned up against the tree a few hours later, his father was still up there, and he doubted that Christine was still in that room. He looked up and…wait where was his father? The branch that he was sitting on was now empty. He looked over the tree and he wasn't anywhere to be seen, he wouldn't leave with out telling would he? Peter knew the truth, that he would. He still wasn't used to having a son, someone living with him, that he didn't think to tell Peter he was leaving. It was dark, and even though he would never admit it to anybody, especially his dad, he was afraid of the dark. And he didn't want to knock on the door saying, 'oh my father, the phantom of the Opera, was spying on you through the window, I must have fallen asleep and when I woke up he was gone, so now I don't have any place to go can I stay here?' But unfortunately he didn't have to do that, Raoul found him already. You see Raoul was outside, tending to the horses and was coming back to the house, and the tree where peter is, is on the way to the front door. So Raoul saw him.

"Peter?" he asked, surprised and confused.

Peter jumped at the sound of a voice, it definatly wasn't his fathers. He turned and Saw Raoul staring at him with a bucket in his hands. "Oh…hello Monsieur De Chagney I was just…uh…" He couldn't think of a good excuse to be there, and he could not tell Raoul the truth.

Raoul shook his head in confusion, "what are you doing here boy?"

Peter panicked, he was bad at lying, and he knew it. "Well…when I went home after you came to get Jacqui and my parents were having a fight. (He never told anyone except Jacqui that he didn't have a mother and Jacqui didn't tell her parents) and they locked me out of the house, and I was hoping that if I came here, maybe I could stay over…"

Raoul smiled, "well of course, why didn't you knock on the door. We would've let you in. No one is in our guest bedroom you can sleep there tonight. But…" he grew serious. "you know the rules right."

Peter nodded, "of course monsieur de Chagney, and don't worry I will follow them, Im only twelve." He didn't even think of doing that, but he knew the rules of the house. He has slept over, before for about the same reason, when his father got mad at him, he ran and slept over Jacqui and slept in the guest bedroom.

"that's a good boy, now come on. It's late, we best get you set up."

Peter followed Raoul into the house, while walking looked back just incase his father was near by. He didn't see anything, but then again, his father was the phantom, he could be hiding anywhere. He followed Raoul anyway, not wanting to walk back to the Opera Populaire by himself, and he couldn't ask Raoul for a ride there, because then he would question. He didn't even realize he was cold until he felt the warmth of the house fill him. The house was quiet, he guessed Jacqui was already in bed, and christine was also in bed, she always went to bed early, she got tired in her older age, not that she's that old anyway. He loved being in the estate, it was so big and full of light unlike his home which was dark, and the only lighting is from the candles that do not have much more wick to them.

"You cold son?" Raoul asked him suddenly. Peter realized he was shivering, and looked up at him.

" a little. Yes" peter replied.

"I will give you some extra blankets in your room."

"thank you."

Raoul nodded. "your welcome, now please you know where the room is, go make your self comfortable I will be up there in a few minutes." And Raoul walked off down a hallway.

Peter walked up the stairs leading to the second floor of the estate, where all the bedrooms were. To the left was a bathroom and Raoul and Christine's room. And to the right was Jacqui's room and some guest bedrooms. He turned toward the right, and passed Jacqui's room, her door was closed which probably meant she was sleeping. He walked two more doors and came to one of the guest room. it had a queen sized bed, a dresser on a side wall, a little nightstand with a candle holder on it. He felt a chill, and he realized that the window was open. He closed it and closed the curtains, he went over to the bed and pulled down the covers. He turned, and noticed a small little chair in the corner of the room, also near a little table with a candle stick. He went over to the chair and sat in it. He looked around and immeadatly he became bored. He heard a knock on the door and jumped. He went over to the door and opened it and in walked Raoul with some extra blankets.

"some extra blankets for you, we all want you to be welcome here, don't feel like a stranger."

"Thank you monsieur, I don't feel like a stranger here."

Raoul left him alone, and peter changed and got ready for bed. He found a book on the little night stand, and wasn't tired so he sat in the chair and started to read. Before he knew it he was asleep on the chair.

About an hour later he woke up with a start when he heard tapping at the window. He thought it was a branch so tried to go back to sleep, but when the tapping wouldn't stop he groggily got himself up and walked over to the window, pulled back the curtain and gasped when he saw just a white mask. He jumped back and fell to the floor, he heard a soft voice go "don't worry its just me." He got up and walked over to the window and opened it, "goodness gracious father, you scared me." Erik (im going to call him that from now on, cuz it gets annoying writing, "the phantom" and "his father") poked his head in through the window and then climbed through it, landing on the floor.

"ok that was not pleasant." Erik said then got up. he brushed him self off, "now then…what are you doing here?"

"You left, And I never traveled across Paris alone in the dark, Jacqui is my best friend…"

"Yes…and the daughter of my old love and her fop."

"Father," He sighed. "what am I supposed to do? Not be friends with her because you have a problem with her parents? That isn't right." He said softly, fearing his father.

Erik was about to speak when there was a knock on the door. "Is anyone in there ?" came the voice of Jacqui. Peter looked at his father, who just stared and then went over to the door. He opened it and came face to face with a surprised looking Jacqui.

"Peter?" she questioned.

He smiled. "Hello." He said sheepishly.

She smiled and shook her head. "what are you doing here? Does my father know you are here?"

Peter nodded, "um yes, my father kind of left me outside and I came here, and your father caught me outside and brought me in."

Jacqui nodded. "oh…wonderful. Umm I better go, before my parents catch me talking to you. Apparently they don't…" Jacqui got cut off by a new voice entering the picture.

"Jacqui? What are you doing up?" IT was Christine.

Erik felt himself gasp slightly, her voice brought back memories, and pain. He needed to move he knew that, not that he was scared of Christine and Mr. Fop but he wasn't ready to face her yet. It struggled him to move but he got out of the way of sight and went over to the corner.

"Im sorry mother, I heard a noise from in here. I didn't know peter was here." Jacqui explained, lowering her head.

"It's alright honey. Now lets go, im sure peter is tired. Goodnight peter."

"Goodnight Madame De Chagney." After Christine left he shut the door.

Erik growled, which surprised peter. He forgot his father was there.

"Madame De Chagney." He mumbled. "that name…" he didn't get to finish his sentence and was about to smash something on the table when he felt a small arm stop him. He looked over and saw peter looking up at him. "no father, you cant. Its not our house." Erik grabbed his arm away from his son and snarled at him.

"you couldn't just call her Christine!" He yelled.

"No, that would be rude, its impolite. You taught me that." Peter said.

"you know how much I hate that name!"

"And I also know how much the name Christine hurts you! Either way it will cause you pain! You have to deal with it! Get over that she chose him over you!" And as soon as the words came out of his mouth he regretted it. Erik's eyes flamed and he took peter and threw him up against the wall.

"Don't you dare talk to me that way!"

Peter closed his eyes and tried to escape from his fathers strong grasp. It didn't work well. He started to take staggered breaths and realized his father was choking him. He did the only thing he could think of and lifted his foot and kicked him, square in the groin. Erik let go and fell to the floor. Peter scooted away from him and ran out of the door. He shut the door and leaned up against the wall. He rubbed his soar neck and failed to realize Christine coming out of the bathroom.

He started to mutter to himself. "you know how much I hate that name" he mimicked. "it's a rather nice name, I think. Jacqui's my best friend, why cant he just be nice to them. 'she broke my heart, shattered it.' Phooey, that man has serious anger management issues." He crosses his arms.

"Who?"

Peter jumped up and saw Christine standing there, looking rather confused. "um…well…"

He got interrupted by a loud sound coming from the room. Christine looked down at him. He pointed to the door and shook his head saying, "whatever he is doing in there know that it is not my fault!" Christine gave peter a weird look, and opened the door to see the room thrashed and swish of a black cape going out the window.

That's it for now. I thought it would be a good ending for the chapter. Review and ill update sooner! I didn't feel like writing too, I just got back from the hospital, I was in the emergency room for 5 ½ hours.