A/N: Okay, it's what we have all been waiting for, bye bye to the fop! Special thanx to Mouse in the Opera House (VERY SPECIAL THANX!) for helping to conjure up this idea:D
Erik sighed and walked out of his lair. There had to be a good way to rid the fop. He walked along the edges of his lake pondering deeply. He could always lasso him. But that wouldn't be even near what the fop deserved. He sighed, but while doing so heard footsteps and jerked his head up. Someone was approaching him in the shadows. He clinched his fists praying it wasn't the fop again.
But the face that appeared a moment later belonged to Nadir. He stalked forward and waved a greeting. Erik weakly smiled in return and bowed his head again.
"What is the matter with you?" Nadir said, hardly used to seeing Erik so distraught. Erik shook his head and explained about the fop's actions and anger flashed in his eyes every so often.
Nadir nodded his head and sighed as well. "I myself have a problem. I'm really homesick lately. I was thinking about returning to Persia and leaving the Opera House."
Erik was slightly shocked at what he had heard. Nadir had somewhat been his friend for a time. He felt his heart sinking even deeper. After an awkward silence Nadir shook Erik's hand and seemed to say something but then turned back into the shadows.
Erik sighed, which he was doing a lot of these days, and turned around back the way he had come.
The next day Erik woke from bed and gave Christine her medicine, and then he strolled towards his organ and began playing songs soothingly. Just as he was beginning to relax he heard the waters splashing. He jerked up and instantly recognized the clumsiness of the water's sound, Fop. He felt a frown of hatred spread across his face. He strolled forward, after making sure Christine was okay, which she was asleep.
There he was, standing right in front of the entrance to the lair. Erik stopped for a moment and waited for the evil man to speak, which he did in all his arrogance.
"Ma…may I see her?" he stuttered. Erik smirked. "No; but you may leave." Raoul frowned and tried again. "Please let me-" But Erik cut him off. "No! Just go, and do not come back!"
That was enough; the fop stumbled backwards and turned away, running back into the shadows.
Not a minute after Erik had gone back into the lair did he hear panting inside. He rushed towards Christine's room, but she was sound asleep. What was the sound then? He turned around and thought. Then an idea came to his mind. He quickly rushed to one of his walls and put his ear to it. Yes, yes he was right. The fop had gotten himself lost inside his torture chamber. This pleased Erik beyond belief. Erik climbed up, reading himself to drop the lasso down for Raoul's insanity to drive him to suicide. He would have his very own front-row seat. Again he caught himself smirking in pleasure.
As he lowered the lasso he thought about Nadir and his want to go home. He remembered building Khunuum her own torture chamber. Another idea was forged. He stopped lowering the lasso and pulled it up to him. He dropped back into his lair and watched silently from above as the fop stumbled around in the chamber nervously. Raoul was jumping around, trying to jump out Erik finally decided, and pacing around frantically. Erik tried very hard not laugh like he usually did. It normally would scare his victim, but fop was no stranger to his hysteric laughter. Laughing would most likely give him confidence that Erik would save him, and Erik didn't want that at all.
After what seemed like for ever, Erik finally saw the fop weakly breathing, passed out, on the chamber's floor. Before entering the chamber Erik dropped back into his lair and checked Christine to find she had not stirred. He let himself sigh and returned to his work. He opened the secret entrance into the chamber and stalked in. The fop was still alive, but by a thread. He dragged the snooty body out of the chamber and tied him up, far away from Christine.
After securing him properly, Erik bolted towards the shadows in which he had seen Nadir the day before. To his surprise Nadir was approaching him. Erik stopped and waved to the Persian. Nadir tipped his head and walked over. Erik began, "Would you mind taking dear old Khunuum a gift from me?" He smiled at his genius plan. Nadir seemed puzzled. "You have a gift, for her?" Erik nodded and leant over, whispering, "She'll enjoy this toy. It passes out in torture chambers, but has endurance enough to make it interesting." That was when Nadir seemed to get it. He nodded his head in understanding. "I shall take it to her for you when I return, my friend." Erik thought for a moment. "Nadir, when are you departing?" Nadir sighed sadly, "Well I am leaving either later today or tomorrow. I'm really going to miss it here. But I'll be better in my home land of Persia." Erik nodded and with that turned back towards the lair.
The fop was still out when he returned, but to his dismay Christine was standing in front of him, paler than a ghost. She was practically petrified. Erik walked towards her and put his arms around her shoulders in a comforting embrace. "He won't be here much longer. And when he leaves, he'll never be coming back dear." That seemed to help because after that Christine smiled, still pale, but then turned back to her bedroom. Erik watched her move slowly now that her pregnancy was farther along.
After Christine had fallen asleep once again, Erik dragged a light wooden crate towards the fop's unconscious body. Before carelessly packing him up, he disarmed the man. He found he had a dagger and a hand gun, loaded, on him. Erik put them both in his drawers; Khunuum wouldn't have been so easy about weapons had she found them. Erik almost put them back in Raoul's pocket until he reminded himself that the dagger had been what let him escape his previous capture. After thinking all that through Erik pushed the fop's body into the crate and nailed him in. Now, his plan was almost complete. Nadir appeared a few moments later and together they pushed the crate towards the Lake, where Nadir was now departing at. He had two boats, one for himself, and one for the heavy crate, packed and ready. Erik secured the crate into the boat and then waved to Nadir as he began rowing the boats downstream, towards Persia. Khunuum would be so pleased with her boy toy!
After they disappeared into the darkness of the Lake, Erik turned back towards Christine's room. Now, at last, they could live in peace.
