Takes place in Paris, France. One year after Christine's death.
The early morning sun rose filtering the sky with salmon colored hues. It was mid- December, and as the mists of dawn twirled around the brick Parisian buildings in a shadowy back alley, two bleary amber eyes blinked open. The owner of said eyes yawned and wearily sat up cracking the exhausted muscles of his pale frame. To the left of the thin early-riser, another form stirred and tiredly sat up. This new form was even thinner than the already risen one, and the emerald eyes within this sickly form were dulled slightly with illness. The amber eyed body turned towards the emerald and finally spoke.
"How are you feeling today Gus?"
Gus answered his slightly elder twin with a rather loud sneeze. Sighing, Jean Paul wrapped another raggedy blanket around his unwell brother before gathering the small satchel of their belongings into his arms.
"Do you think you'll be able to play today Gus?"
The pale-faced Gus nodded weakly before grasping the worn handle of his Grandfather's violin and following his brother towards the hustle and bustle of the market street.
--Three Streets away at apartment # 131
From the moment he woke up he knew that today was going to be bad. For starters, his head hurt. Second, it was very sunny. And finally, Meg Giry's three month old baby was wailing at the top of its' lungs for the fifth time that morning. Grasping his black-clad blanket a bit harder, the weary form did his best to block out the babe's piercing screech. Finally he could take no more…
"MEG! IF YOU DON'T SHUT THAT ANNOYING WHELPS' MOUTH I'LL SHUT IT FOR YOU!"
"ERIK DESTLER IF YOU DIDN'T SPEND FIVE HOURS LAST NIGHT PLAYING MUSIC LOUDLY GIZELLE MIGHT NOT NEED TO SCREAM!"
The angry form of the Phantom of the Opera came stomping down the apartment stairs, hair mused and face livid.
"I have nothing against kids, but if I hear that that that things cries one more time-."
"Oui, can it both of you. Sheesh, it's bad enough with Gizelle we don't need two adult babies now do we?"
The two 'adults' huffed and turned away from one another with angry faces while Antoinette Giry merely sighed and went about preparing breakfast. As she stirred eggs for an omelet, she recalled the day Erik showed up at her door.
(A/N: Yeah flashback time!)
Three years prior…It was just about this time of year…We had just received news from Hailey that Christine had left without so much as a clue as to where she went. Oh I recall how distraught Meg was. She had only just married Theo and they had only just learned that she was expecting. I remember how the bell rang and Meg answered it, I'll never forget that scream…
"Aiiieeeeeeee GHOST!"
And then that thud…I thought she'd died when I came rushing into the room and saw a completely caught off guard Erik standing there befuddled.
"Erik! How…How how is this possible!"
"Madame, I'd love to explain, but shouldn't we get Megan somewhere?"
I'll never forget how he explained his escape and how those idiot rioters chased him for days.
"After three months the guard called off the search and I was able to set up a ruse in which they fell for and I managed to escape."
"You mean that body wasn't yours'?"
"No…"
"Do I even want to know who's body it was?"
I remember tapping my foot in that motherly fashion he hates and how he rolled his eyes.
"If you must know it was a corrupt guard chasing around some former ballet rats. He had around the same build as me so I killed him in a manner that would confuse us."
At that point Meg's husband Theo interjected…
"Would they not recognize that it was not you by the face…"
"That is what I'm saying boy…I killed him in a manner so that they could no longer identify his face."
Theo and I shared a shudder before Erik smiled and looked expectantly at us
"So where's Christine?"
Theo turned a bit pale and excused himself to check on Meg, the coward.
"Erik…we…we don't know…"
I've seen Erik have temper tantrums, emotional outbursts, wild sobs, everything imaginable, but nothing was scarier than seeing that smile remain on his face whilst his hand gripped the glass of tea so hard it shattered.
"What do you mean… 'you don't know…?'"
"Oh Erik please don't be upset, we thought you were dead! She was living with Hailey and-."
"Hailey! Hailey Duboix!"
"Yes, she was living with her when she just disappeared…"
I didn't dare tell him Christine had had children when she left, Dear God I'd have been dead before I blinked.
I don't know if I'll be able to put up with him much longer though…He and Meg act more and more like siblings. I'm going to go insane with those two, the grandchildren Gizelle and Pierre, and Monsieur Silence himself: Theo I would be insane not to go insane…
(A/N: Yeah END flashback!)
Yet again Madame Giry sighed as another fight broke out between Erik and Meg, this time it was over the cream for the coffee. Gathering her wits about her, Madame Giry prepared to berate the two while Theo sat calmly in the background feeding his three-year-old son toast and holding his three-month-old daughter contently in his arms.
--Market street 12:00 pm (noon)
Jean Paul stood with top hat in hand running back and forth through the gathered crowd collecting coins while Gus played the violin. They had been at this mad job since dawn, and they had barely obtained enough francs to buy a day's worth of bread. Ten months ago, the twins along with twenty-five others had been forced onto the street when the tiny orphanage they had all been living at closed down. Now on the streets, Gus and Jean Paul had used their talents to make money wherever they could. In the fall and winter Gus played the violin and sang Christmas Carols during the holidays, in spring and summer, Jean Paul did labor jobs and chalk drawings on the pavement. Gus had finished his piece and took a bow while Jean Paul got the rest of the coins and joined his brother back in the alleyway to count the loot.
"Only a little bit this time…"
"How're we gonna eat off of that Jean?"
Jean looked worriedly at his very sick brother and considered an offer he had been welcomed to that very afternoon.
"Gus, what would you say if I got us some permanent jobs…?"
"I'd say you somehow stole some wine off another bum."
"Now I'm serious! The other day the lead alto for the Opera Populaire's cast overheard you playing the violin and he said that they need a violinist solo-artist for this upcoming opera!"
"The Opera Populaire? Are you kidding! That's the most famous opera house in the world! Mum was the diva there!"
"I know stupid! So are you in or what!"
"Of course! What's the name of the lead alto guy?"
"Theo, Theo Constantine Giry apparently he liked his wife's last name."
End Chapter 12
A/N: I'm pretty happy with how this one turned out; I wanted to have a little comedy since the chapters thus far have been really sad. So let me know how happy you are to know that Erik's alive and well! Let me hear those reviews! Also note that…
Erik's age: 43 (ten years older than Christine)
Jean Paul and Gus's age: 4.5 (Yes, they're four and a half)
Antoinette Giry: 51 (eight years older than Erik)
Theo and Meg: 32 (Met and married after Erik's 'death.')
Pierre and Gizelle: 3 and 3mths. (Theo and Meg's children.)
Okay just to be ultra clear, Theo Constantine took Giry as a second last name because he liked the way it sounded, also YES, he is the lead alto at the Opera Populaire who confronted Jean Paul. Remember, Jean Paul doesn't look too much like Erik, so Theo couldn't tell that they're related.
