Agony of Endless Night

--Still in Apartment #131

The room was deathly silent. Jean turned his widened eyes towards the man who had just claimed to be his father. His father he thought weakly. My dad, the one mother called 'Angel.' Wearily, Jean stepped closer to Erik's form. Looking deeply into his eyes he suddenly realized that his own eyes were the exact same color. Yet, just as Gus's face was always half there, so was Erik's. Tilting his head slightly, Jean finally let a small smile rise onto his face.

"You really are…"

The statement was laced with disbelief, but to Erik it was as though Saint Peter had just personally informed him that he was allowed to enter heaven. Before Jean could even blink, Erik had gathered the boy back into his arms and hugged him tightly. When Jean was released, the smile that had bloomed on his face fell when he saw sadness and seriousness in his father's eyes.

"Jean…what, what happened to your mother?"

--In an Unknown Location

Gustave had a headache. His aching brain told him that his manager was approaching. He whimpered, and drew himself into a tighter ball. He didn't want to be here, he never asked to be here. Why had he been so shunned? Why did his mommy have to leave him? He cried as he was jerked roughly to his feet. The callous hands that dragged him into the dim tent light nearest to the bars of his cage seemed to burn as they touched the raw skin of his wounded wrists. Gustave had long since learned to deafen himself to the noise of the creatures around him. His face was suddenly brought out into full light and several screams filled the room. People gasped and pointed, oo'ed and awed. He ignored them, and let himself slip into the nothingness of his subconscious. The manager didn't like it when he did nothing, so Gustave screamed in pain when the whip cracked against his spine.

"You are nothing boy, you will die, you are a devil, a devils' child, live not fair child, burn, rot and die you disgusting excuse of a human!"

With the last of the managers' words dying, Gustave let the bittersweet taste of blood send him into unconsciousness.

--In the Streets of Paris

Erik had never been angrier. He had let a wave of sadness cross him for only a minute before he left. Death would find DeChagney for what he had done. It had taken Jean the better part of two hours to tell the story without bursting into tears. Erik had held him the entire time, swearing to whatever being of power there was that he would get revenge. Madame Giry had stopped him before he had stormed out Hell-bent on death upon Raoul. She had convinced him that it would be better to confront the managers first and get them to get Raoul, and then he could get justice for Christine legally. It didn't sound that grand to him, but when Jean's small hand tugged on his sleeve and the boy quietly said that he liked that idea; Erik did not disagree. Erik smirked as he arrived in the opera house and grinned widely when he entered the manager's office and patiently waited for Andre, Firman and Antoinette to show. Twenty minutes later, the door opened and the three people he was expecting entered.

"Gentlemen."

Erik said trying desperately to control his temper by clenching and unclenching his fist. Even such a mild action like this has caused the two managers to gulp nervously.

"I would appreciate it if you could be so kind as to tell me where my son is? "

"Yo- your son?" Firmin gulps stealing a glance at his partner

"Do not play the idiot with me. You are this close as to feeling my Lasso crushing your throat. My son, the little boy who played the solo on the stage the other night. Where is he?"

The last three words coming out as a snarl.

"He never came to see us Monsieur O.G." the smaller of the two Andre replied nervously.

Erik said nothing he knew how much he intimidated the two fools. Only if they cooperated in the beginning then maybe things like this wouldn't have happened. He'd still have Christine and the four of them would have been a happy family.

"Monsieur."

Madame Giry spoke up for the first time.

"We have heard a very interesting tale from his brother Jean. Jean claims that it was the Viscount who killed their mother Christine Daae."

Tears appeared in the ballet mistress's eyes, Christine was like her second daughter and for her to be killed so violently it hurt.

"He says that the Viscount called his mother several rather crude names before he and his brother attacked him. Later that day Raoul and several men attacked he and his brother. The boys were left to die in a burning barn. It was only because of a miracle they survived."

Wiping the tears from her face Madame Giry's face became the stiff stern face of legend.

"Now if what he says is true and I have no reason to doubt him then Viscount or not he is reliable for his actions and must suffer the consequences."

"But Madam Giry you can't be serious!" Firmin shouted, "He's a Viscount! One of the most noble and ancient families in France and you want us to bring him here and accuse him of a crime that seems nothing more then a wild tale made up by a madman and his equally mad offspring."

At this the last thin strand of Erik's patience broke and he launched himself across the desk grabbing onto Firmin's shirt and slamming him against the wall.

"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU!"

Erik raged, his face only millimeters away from the frightened managers.

"It is because of that Fop my family is broken. My wife dead. One son suffering from a gun shot wound and the other missing. And why? Why? BECAUSE A SPOILED LITTLE BASTARD DIDN'T GET WHAT HE WANTED. HE DIDN'T GET THE GIRL. SHE DIDN'T WANT HIM. SHE TOLD HIM REPEATEDLY SHE LOVED HIM AS A FRIEND AND NOTHING MORE. HE WAS AT THE MASQUERADE WHEN HE SAW THE TWO OF US EMBRACE. HE WAS AT THE PERFORMANCE OF DON JUAN WHEN HE HEARD US SING. AND BECAUSE OF HIM BECAUSE OF HIM I WILL NEVER HAVE MY CHRISTINE BACK. My angel."

The last word was whispered barely heard before he broke down into sobs losing his hold on Firmin. Madame Giry quickly wrapped her arms around the man whose soul had been shattered too many times.

Both managers watched in a disturbed awe as the feared Opera Ghost cried into the shoulders of the ballet mistress as if he were a little child whose favorite pet died. Andre finally broke the silence.

"Very well we shall send for the Viscount and all matters shall be settled."

"For your sakes gentlemen they better be."

Erik hissed breaking from Madame Giry. Even red faced and crying his voice had that menace in it that meant business.

End Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks go to mikabronxgirl she helped write part of this chapter. You rock girl! Please review loves!