Thy Kingdom Come

--Apartment #131

Jean and Gus were the last to enter the small living room, and both poor boys seriously doubted that they'd get their birthday cake anytime soon. Slowly, Christine gathered Gus into her arms and decided to get the most pressing matter out of the way.

"Gus honey, I'd like to well, introduce your father."

Gus's eyes widened and he looked at the man standing nervously beside his mother. The man looked as though he'd rather be dead then the spot he was standing at currently. Laughing, Gus shook his head before looking back at his confused mother.

"No seriously, who is this guy?"

"Gus, quit being stupid! Mom never lies so why would she start now?"

Gus looked dubiously at Jean who stood nonchalantly against the doorframe, his face bored and his eyes dulled.

"B-but y-you said he…he was dead!"

"Maybe he is Gus, yeah! He's a zombie and he's out to get you!"

"Shut up Jean!"

"You!"

"YOU!"

"YOU!"

"YOU!"

"AT LEAST I'M NOT IN DENILE!"

"AT LEAST I'M NOT A GIMP!"

The whole room became as silent as a grave and Jean's jaw dropped. Suddenly, Jean's eyes seem to glaze over and several tears leaked down his cheeks. He looked down so that his face was covered. Gus, whose temper had completely died off once his brother started crying, attempted to apologize.

"Jean…I-I didn't mean that, I was mad and-."

Gus had approached Jean and was only a few feet away when Jean's self-control broke. Jean's right fist suddenly connected with Gus's jaw, and the stunned boy fell to the ground sporting a bleeding lip. Jean looked up again and Gus wildly tried to get up and run as Jean tackled him to the ground and started choking him.

"BASTARD I'LL KILL YOU! KILL YOU! DIE YOU STUPID SELFISH JERK!"

"I-I'm….s-so-rr…y!"

It took Nadir, Theo and Erik pulling altogether to rip Jean off of his terrified brother. As they dragged him off to cool down, Gus, who had nasty bruises already coming to life on his neck, looked at his shocked mother and said in a strained and weak voice.

"Well (cough) he's (cough) still the same."

That being said Gus coughed one more time before laughing weakly and collapsing.

-- In The Kitchen

Jean was sitting on a chair pouting deeply and doing his best not to cry. His chin was turned up and his arms were crossed and his entire disposition was one of 'I'm upset.' Theo and Nadir had both silently admitted that they'd much rather go to the center of the Earth than attempt to calm the angered six-year-old, and to keep from having Erik blow up at them, they merely said that it was Father's work not Uncle's work. Sighing Erik kneeled before his son and made him look at him.

"Jean, Gus didn't mean that."

"I know. H-he didn't have to to say it though."

"He was only angry. It's a lot for him to take in."

"Th-that's no excuse."

"Yes, but sometimes people over-react."

"I-it's not like everyone wasn't thinking that though."

"What!"

"Everyone thinks I'm a burden now!"

"Who?"

"You and Uncle Theo and everyone else, I'm just a worthless cripple."

Erik shook his head sharply and drew Jean into a hug.

"You have never been nor will you ever be a worthless cripple."

"(sniff) Really?"

Smiling lightly, Erik pulled out of the hug and nodded as he looked into Jean's eyes.

"Really."

Jean smiled and wiped his eyes while Erik stood and took his hand.

"Come on, I think you owe your brother an apology."

"Yes sir."

Erik led Jean upstairs where he'd seen Nadir carrying Gus towards a bedroom.

"If he isn't awake then I want you to go to sleep to and apologize in the morning."

"Okay."

They entered Pierre's and Gizelle's bedroom and Erik smiled slightly at the sight of Gus curled up and fast asleep on a heap of pillows.

"So I guess this means I gotta go ta bed too huh Da?"

"Yes son."

"Damn."

Erik pretended not to have heard Jean's last comment and shook his head as he left the boys to slumber.

--Living Room

After Nadir had taken Gus upstairs, Theo had introduced himself to Christine and then let an excited Meg introduce their two children. As the two women gushed over the small babes, Erik returned looking worn, though much happier now that the boys were put to bed. Deciding that it was way past his own children's bedtime, Theo gathered Pierre and Gizelle into his arms and left towards upstairs. As he returned, Madame Giry looked towards Christine and asked nervously

"How is it that you are alright? After what Jean told us…we assumed the worst."

Christine gathered her courage and decided to explain the hardest thing she had to explain in her whole life, how it was she came to survive.

"Well, after he dragged me away from the boys, I was pretty sure I was going to die…"

(A/N: Whee Flashback Time!)

I was going to die; I could feel my blood slowly seeping around my body. I was beginning to feel cold and my chest hurt. For one brief moment I thought not to bother and to just let the darkness fall, but then I remembered the boys and how they still needed me. I managed somehow to roll over and drag myself for a while, but I soon grew too tired. I started to cry and as I was crying I suddenly felt something breathing on my face. When I looked up, Caesar was towering over me. I was able to grab the reins, which were long and dangling off of his neck, and pulled myself onto his back. I believe I fainted then, but when I awoke I was in Madame Duboix's house and she was dabbing nervously at my forehead.

(A/N: Whee End Flashback Time!)

By this time, Erik was holding Christine tightly in his embrace and both female Giry's were crying. Being his usual curious self, Theo decided to bring up his own question.

"Um, Christine, if you were separated from the boys, how is it that you came by Gus?"

"When I found him, he was a goddamn attraction at a circa du freak."

"HE WHAT!"

Erik had leapt to his feet and was staring menacingly at Christine. She, however, stood her ground knowing that Erik wasn't angry with her, rather, the situation in which Gus had somehow found himself in.

"I managed to free him and he told me that it was Raoul who sold him."

Erik's already severely narrowed eyes became even thinner in their rage and angrily he stormed for the door.

"Erik where are you going!"

"To disembowel that disgusting piece of foppish ass!"

Erik was halfway to the door when two small forms came rushing down the stairs pushing as they made their way. Simultaneously, Jean and Gus cried out,

"Wait for us!"

Christine managed to grab both of them by the back of their nightclothes and pulled them back from Erik's halted form.

"Aw Mom we wanna go too!"

"Yeah!"

"That stupid fop deserves to have his foppish ass disemboweled."

Christine sent a very dark look at Erik that had the underlining message of, 'see what you teach them?' Nervously, Erik shifted his feet and looked away, pouting and turning his chin up in the similar fashion that Jean had earlier. Nadir knew that Christine was going to have quite a job ahead of her convincing the twins to go to bed, so he took it upon himself to calm Erik.

"My friend, it is nearly midnight, and the chances of you finding 'The Fop,' are slim to none. I suggest you calm down and help your wife put your sons to bed."

Sighing angrily, Erik followed Christine upstairs and helped as they tried to wrestle the boys back into bed. Downstairs back in the living room, Meg turned to Theo and shook her head.

"We absolutely have to find a new place to live."

"Definitely."

Both nodded wisely before tiredly heading upstairs towards their own bed.

End Chapter 25

A/N: Yeah! Another chapter done! Okay, I can now safely say that there will definitely be an E/C lemon next chapter. Said chapter will be submitted tomorrow. Oh, and though it's somewhat obvious, Christine's line, 'circa du freak' means Freak Show or literally Circus of Freak. Again my French is bad so sorry if that's wrong.