Chapter Twentyeight

DISCLAIMER: OK; I don't own phantom of the opera. Plain and simple

Erik fell to his knees; his hand desperately trying to hide his deformed face. Karen quickly gave him her mask; so she could hide his face. He stayed down. The masked Bandit smirked.

"It looks as if the Phantom is not dead!But hiding like a coward!" Karen and Meg stood infrount of Erik. "How long has he been like this." Karen looked at Erik; her eyes asking what to do. He nodded and she spoke. "It's useless to keep hiding. He's been hiding in the catacombs of the Opera Populiare for the last three years. I was sent down there at the beginning of the year to find him; to bring a skull back if he was dead; and come back empty handed if he wasn't. I couldn't let him get hurt; not after the stories I've heard. So I brought back a fake skull; and I've been with him. I was never with Raphael; I was never two towns over. I was with him; and I love him." Everyone gasped; Carlotta felt stupid for trying to seduce the Phantom. "He hasn't hurt anyone, not this year. He's saved my life countless times; you can't convict him for that." Erik stood up as Karen snatched his mask from the Bandit mask and made the switch. "Leave him alone."

"Get him!" They all shouted. Erik panicked and ran. Meg and Karen followed. They ran up the rafters; and they could hear the crowed bellowing from below. "Catch that murderer!"

"Was this part of your plan?" Meg asked as the girls held their skirts up as they ran. Karen was shaking her head.

"No. Not really." She kept running behind Erik. "Don't worry Erik; they won't get you. Not without killing me first."

"Me too." Meg added. Erik and the others made it to the top of the Opera Populiare. They all hid behind a statue; and they sat so that no one would see them. Erik kissed Karen; knowing he would die after this.

"Karen, I love you. I'm just sorry we couldn't have that baby." Karen felt her eyes well up with tears. She kissed him and told him not to be silly.

"Your going to be OK; we all are."

"Catch that murderer!" They kept silent; praying that death would not come. "Where are they?"

"Remember." One of them shouted. "Were only after the Phantom. Let the ladies go." Karen bit her lip to keep from making any noise. Erik held her; and whispered his goodbyes to her. She wouldn't accept that she was losing him too.

"Here they are!" Exclaimed the masked bandit. In a few seconds; Erik and the others had swords to their throats. Karen wouldn't let them hurt him.

"any last words?" One of them asked.

"Yes." Karen spoke up. "How can you hate this man? He's saved my life so many times; that it should make up for the lives that were taken. You only don't like him because he doesn't look like the rest of you." They exchanged looks and listened to her. "He wouldn't have acted the way he did if you hadn't locked him in the bottom of the Opera Populaire and hoped he would die. You can't let him die; he's a genius! He's got so much to offer." She grabbed his arms and put them around her neck. "It was fine when It was only Meg, Iris, and I who knew about him; you can't honestly say that you hate him because of the way he was born. He is not distorted; you Monsueirs are distorted. He is a wonderful man; I won't let you harm him without taking my life along with him."

"Mine too." Meg said standing beside her. They were backed up against the wall; and waiting for someone to change their mind.

"If you hadn't treated him so badly." She pleaded. "He wouldn't have done what he did. If you had tried to see the man behind the monster; You wouldn't be holding swords to our throats. Tonight;During the Masquerade; you didn't see a monster. It was because he looked like you all. He wore a mask, and so did the rest of us. But when the masks are put away; he's a monster again. If you kill him; you'll all be condemned to hell. I'll go to hell too, not only to see you all suffer the eternal pain that could have been avoided if you had accepted him." She suppressed a choke. "He isn't a monster. He isn't the devil's child.He is just someone who's been through nothing but hell. If I can see past his face; and through to the man beneath. Why can't you?"

"But he killed people." one person tried to argue.

"That is not his fault." She continued; holding onto him tighter. "He was lonely; and Christine Daae had broken his heart. He did not know any better. Remember; he's been without guidance; and I love him." She glanced down at her ring. The ring reflected the memories; and this would be no different. "I love him with all my heart. We've been waiting to get married; waiting to be free from our hell. I wanted everyone to accept him; and not to question him, and I didn't want to have to fear for our children's lives; that is; if you will allow him to live; and allow them to be alive." Erik held onto her; suppressing everything he was feeling until it was over. His eyes were hot with the need to cry; and his body was shaking with the fear of dying. "He was my rock when Iris died. He didn't leave me, and he never will.He called a doctor to help me, and he was my reason for going on. If he hadn't been there; I wouldn't have been able to get through the mourning. He's been someone I know will be with me. Wether we go to heaven or hell; were going together. He's my one companion.No human being deserves to be beaten as a child. No human being deserves to be locked up in a basement, and forced to fend for himself." There wasn't a dry eye in the house. Karen prayed that they would let him go. That they would let them be together. Even Erik cried in her hair. They all waited for them to speak; but they didn't. "Please." Karen whispered. "Please give him a chance." They looked at each other; and spoke among themselves They looked at Erik; Karen; and Meg. All of whom were backed up against the wall; waiting for death. But what they saw surprise them.

They all threw down their weapons. The swords hit the snow; showing they weren't going to kill him.

"W-What?" Karen hesitated; holding onto Erik in case they were lying.

"We never thought of it that way." Andre' spoke up. "We never thought of him as a man of flesh and blood. But as a murderer." Karen clutched hopefully onto Erik's sleeves. "We've decided; that we won't kill him."

"Really?" Karen gasped hopefully. They nodded in unison. But the masked bandit refused to agree.

"No! He's a murderer! I'll kill him myself if no one else will!" and he lunged at Erik with the sword. But Karen got in the way and was stabbed in the leg.She let out a pain filled scream as Erik fell down with her; holding onto her and pulling out the sword. Blood gushed from her leg where the wound was. He panicked and tried to stop the bleeding. Tears pouring from his eyes as he desperately tried to stop it.

Everyone gathered around to help; They carried her back to the Phantom's home; where she held her leg in pain; blood all over her hands. A doctor was brought in to look at the wound; he had bandages with him; that he used to bandage it.It took him a long time to stop the bleeding; and even longer to get the infection from his blade out. Through the entire thing; no matter how much blood he saw from her; he never, ever left her alone. Not even when he was asked too. The bandit was unmasked while the infection was being cleaned; Raphael stood there. Bloody sword in hand. He was the masked bandit. They snatched his sword from his hands; and threatened his life.

"How can you turn like that?" Raphael asked. All the ballet girls were talking amongst themselves of Karen's position. "Enemies of the Phantom; until a heart-warming speech by a traitor turned you to his side. You can get him now! While he is weak! He will be unable to defend himself." But they would not let it happen. They would not turn on him when he was obviously so worried about Karen. When in reality; Raphael was the one who stabbed her.

"Should we kill him?" Andre' asked. The sword in hand. "It seems only fitting."

"Karen would want to see." Madam Giry pointed out. Taking Raphael and hog tying him. "We will wait for her. if she does not come out alive we toss him in the lake like this." They all nodded in agreement and waited for Karen to come out.


I'm so evil with the cliffies tonight:D