Speechless Dove

--At the Circus in an Unknown Location…

For three weeks Christine begged and pleaded for the return of her son and each day she was denied. She was beginning to give up when pictures of Erik flashed before her eyes. She could see his face, set in that steely determination that she loved so much, the one that showed he wouldn't back down from anything. Setting her psyche, she told herself she would get Gustave back today and together they would find Jean Paul and from there possibly live with the Giry's.

"Monsieur. Please I beg of you. I'll give you anything but give me my son."

"Madame I am sorry but that one came with explicit instructions. He can not be brought."

"Do you not understand I am his mother? He was never meant to be here in the first place!"

"Perhaps then you should have taken better care of your son."

Christine felt a wave of anger wash over her. How dare he insult her as a mother! He had no idea what she has gone through to make such claims.

"Up until three weeks ago I thought my son was dead! He, his twin brother and I were living peacefully in the countryside, when a jealous idiot from my past and his group of suck-ups attacked us. The idiot dragged me away from my sons and stabbed me until I could barely sit up. The last thing I remember is hearing them scream for me before I passed out. When I came to I found out that an old friend of mine had found me on the side of the road and took me to her home. She nursed me back to health and it wasn't until now that I was strong enough to venture out on my own."

Christine paused to catch a breath

"Once I was declared healthy enough, I set out on a search to find my sons. The only information I had to go on was that neither one of them was any where near the area I was when my friend found me. I have been looking for two years and have come up empty. Until I passed through your circus and heard you shout out about the Devil's Spawn."

Grabbing her handkerchief she dabbed away the tears. The manager shifted in his seat.

"It is a very touching story Madame, but orders are orders and the Viscount did pay me quiet handsomely. Besides, your son makes quite an attraction much more then any other."

"Bu-But he is my son. He was never meant to be an attraction. And I've told you repeatedly I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH IT COSTS I WANT MY SON."

The last sentence was screamed in an unladylike voice. The manager changed his focus from the woman across from him to the pouch of coins the devil's spawn made for the day. The bag felt just as heavy as usual which brought a smile to his slimy face. Christine just sat there dumbfound as the manager ignored her for the favor of his money.

'He is so pigheaded. If it's money he wants I told him I will pay what ever he wishes.'

Suddenly an idea came to her.

"Monsieur I think I have an idea that might be beneficial on both our parts. You'll make twice as much money as you did with my son, and if you do, you let him go. If not then I will leave and never bother you again."

She could already see the greed in his eyes.

"Twice then what he makes eh? And how do you propose to make me twice of what he makes?"

"Before my children were born I was a singer for the Opera Populaire. You might have heard of me I was La Daae for a period of time the leading lady. Many who've heard my voice compare it to that of an angel. If I sing for you I guarantee you can make twice if not triple of what you made today."

A dark grimy hand moved towards his chin as he thought about what she was offering. A chance to make triple of what he just made.

"Alright you have your deal. You come back tomorrow morning and sing until 6 pm. In that time if you managed to make triple of what he makes both of you are free to go. If not then you and he will become a pair attraction. The angel and her son the devil."

Anger washed over Christine her green eyes icy. She would prove this bastard wrong about her and her son!

"I agree, I will sing if you release my son. If I don't make triple than both he and I am yours' with out any further hassle from me."

Even as the words escaped her lips Christine could feel herself beginning to lose confidence.

'Can I really risk my son like that? Now that he has seen me, can I just sell us both if I don't fulfill my end of the bargain?'

--In the Manager's Office of the Opera Populaire

Erik had tied Raoul to a chair just to be positive he wouldn't try and escape. As he was tying him, he leaned close and whispered with a voice filled with detest and venom…

"If you do not tell the gendarmes everything and I mean everything, I swear to hunt you down and kill you like the worthless piece of shit you are."

Behind him, the managers and Antoinette looked like they'd just witnessed Hailey's comet passing by. Jean however, was making a rather crude face at Raoul who struggled violently to get the just out of reach five-year-old. Finishing the knot, Erik had to try his best not to smile at Jean who was doing a marvelous job of bothering the fop. Turning to Giry he finally spoke up after being seemingly silent for the past few minutes.

"Giry, would you be so kind as to get the gendarmes?"

Nodding, Antoinette quickly left the room glancing back only once to give Jean a disapproving look. Seeing her look, the crafty boy frowned, but ceased his unique form of torture. Coming suddenly to his senses, Jean turned towards his father with a concerned look upon his visage.

"Father, will the gendarmes want to arrest you too? Mommy used to say that you weren't exactly a saint when it came to following the law…"

Erik was tempted to smack the smirk that appeared on Raoul's face when Jean mentioned his not-too-tidy police record. Sighing, he turned towards Jean and knelt down so he could speak to him more personally.

"Yes Jean, they probably will. So I'm counting on you to make sure the fop does as he's told."

Nodding importantly, Jean saluted as his father smiled and left like the shadow he was. As soon as his Dad was out of sight, Jean turned wicked eyes towards Raoul. Laughing evilly, Jean rubbed his hands together and slowly approached the fop. Pausing at Andre's desk, he picked up an ink jug and drew a paintbrush from his back pocket. Sensing that he wouldn't like what was coming, Raoul gulped nervously and sat stalk still as Jean dipped his brush and prepared to paint…

End Chapter 18

A/N: Yeah another chapter down! Thanks again to Mirabronxgirl she once again provided content in this chapter. Please review, I tried really hard on this chapter and I feel as though I came up short in the last half. PLEASE TELL ME IF IT'S ANY GOOD! TT