Chapter dedication: To Speedy, a wonderful friend and companion and muse, may you be as sweet and loving in you next life as you were in this one.
Elly: FORGIVE ME! I am SO sorry I haven't update recently and for all the errors in the last chapter. School just got a little out of hand (I can't stand algebra!), then I got writes bloke, and then sadly I had grief induced writers bloke brought on by the death of my dog Speedy, to who this chapter is dedicated.
Erik: There, there it will be all right. The readers are back and now you can smile again.
Elly: Yes. I have a two notes, we will not be reply to reviews during the story, incase they try to penalize me (if you know anything about this please tell me), and we will hand out plushys at the end of the story. So now please read and review my dearest ones!
Chapter 3: The Meeting and a New Angel's Voice"The nerve of the woman," Erik yelled for the fifth time that hour. Of course he had been shouting that for the past four hours and had stopped counting when reached fifty-eight after the first half-hour. His temper had been waxing and waning violently since he received the letter of Sophie. It was not the fact the she had the gall to demand a meeting with. Oh no, he would gladly attend it. But the thing was he had this feeling that not only had he met her before but that he owed her a great debt. And the fact that was driving him mad was that he could not place who she truly was.
When he tried to remember by saying her name over and over again in his mind all that he could remember was someone singing a lullaby. The voice was soft and strong, he could tell that the singer had practice long and hard. It was the kind of skill that he had hoped that Christine would accomplish under his guidance. Erik shook his head, No, he though, She is gone! I made it so when I tricked her into thinking me dead. She is never coming back, she's married by now and she's not coming back! He shook his head again, this time with move force, closing his eyes.
When he opened his eyes all he saw were the multitude of drawings he had done of Christine. Furry erupted from within him and he lunged at the sketches and ripped them from the walls and through them into a small cubbert. He was breathing heavily when he finished, "She has to stay away! I couldn't take it if she returned," he sighed. She is my past and I refuse to dwell there for the rest of my life, he thought. But he knew that it was easier said than done.
"I have got to get my mind off of her," he said scanning the room for something to occupy his mind, when his eyes fell upon the letter a small smile curved his lips. "Hm, she said she wanted to meet me. Well then, I shall grant her wish but instead of visiting her when she wants me to, I'll visit her now. She should learn that I would do as I please, when I please. Besides spying doesn't seem to be getting me the answers I want at this monument, perhaps I can scare them out of her.
Sophie sighed and leaned back in her desk chair, the past hour had been a nightmare for her. If only I could trust them to take me seriously, she thought nursing her sore wrist. They certainly take my money seriously. Maybe if I threaten to with hold it, then they might listen to me. No that will never work. Even now there searching for a new patron to loosen my hold them. If I have any hold over them. She sighed looking at the report she had just finessed copying for Andre and Firmin. "If it doesn't work I might have to-" but a knock at her door stopped her, "Enter."
"Ah, my dear, still hard at work," asked Firman as Andre and he entered her office.
"Actually I just finished. And I hope for our own benefit that you actually read them," she said handing them their copies of her report. "So shall we go over it Friday?"
"Oh, yes, yes. That should work out wonderfully," replayed Andre. "Well then, shall we call it a night?"
"Yes. We will see you tomorrow if you health permits it. Good night mademoiselle," And with that they left her to the ghost.
Erik walked down the tunnel toward Sophie's office smiling to himself. Once upon a time he had wished that the people would leave the opera house and give him peace. But now he could not wait till they return. He could not wait to see people on the catwalks keeping a wary eye out for him, to hear the ballet rats last story, to worry the management. How ironic, he thought, that the great phantom be toppled by silence.
When he got closer to the stage he stopped. The silence there was broken by something he had not heard for a long time. Singing. As he moved forward more quickly the voice became clearer and his desire to discover the singer grew.
Shamed into solitude. Shunned by the multitude.
He could now tell that the voice was a woman. But he wondered who it was, for he didn't recognize the voice.
We must listen. In our hearts we'll hear the music.
Music from within our hearts, what would she know of that music? Or the solitude of being shunned, he thought as he drew nearer to the stage. If he ran he could get there quicker but the singer might also hear him.
Long to reach the world. Long to greet the world. They will not listen. We alone can hear the music! Music only heard as the outcast hears.
The singing stopped by the time he reached the catwalks. He cursed as he scanned the empty stage. He stood still for a moment listening for any sign of the mysterious singer. And he did hear something approaching, light footsteps. But he had not expected the see his lady manger.
"Is anyone here," she asked looking around the stage then out into the seats. "If you came in from the street, don't worry I wont throw you out unless you plan to make trouble."
"Does that mean you intend to throw me out," Erik asked, cursing himself for speaking out like that. But he could not keep himself form chuckling when she spun around to face the back of the stage, her eyes were open wide and wild with fear.
"Who's there?"
"It is I, your obedient servant, O.G."
"And I suppose you just expect me to believe you? Anyone who has heard the story of the Opera Ghost could hide in the shadows and clam to be him. Quit playing this game and leave! Least you wish to bring misfortune upon yourself," she replied.
"Do you seek to threaten me? You are the one who asked to meet with me."
She blushed at his statement, "Then I apologies. But you must understand that one cannot be too careful when dealing with those who speak from the shadows."
"Speaking of voices from the shadows, did you hear that singing just now," Erik asked.
"Yes, that is what I came to investigate," she answered. "You did not, by any chance, see who was here did you?"
"No… why do you ask?"
"Who ever it was sound very good, and I thought maybe we could hire who ever it was. What ever it takes to keep them from bringing back Carlotta."
"What," he answered loudly, his voice echoing through out the auditorium. "What do you mean bring back Carlotta back!"
"Come now Sir! Do you really think Andre and Firmin would not try to bring her back in hope that she is still popular enough to bring back the crowds! And I very much doubt that they will even my report I wrote," she answered angrily.
"What report?"
"The one I just finished copying for them. The one that says that it's cheaper to not hire her. That is the one thing they care about more than enjoying themselves."
Of course the one thing they care about is money, he thought. Is that why they let her do as she pleases, because she is paying for everything?
Sophie stood there for a moment after she had told the ghost about the report, but he had not said a word. He must have left, she thought as she turned to leave.
"I must confess that I am surprised that you are taking my appearing to you quit well."
Her eyebrow rose as she answered, "Sir, you have not appeared to me, just spoken from the dark. But I do hope that you'll be kind enough to 'appear' to me for our meeting."
"Then by all means let us begin our meeting," he said as his silhouette appeared at the back of the stage.
"Um sir," she said as she took a step back, "If you remember in my letter I said the meeting is Wednesday evening not tonight."
"I know, but I decided that it would be tonight."
"It is not your place to decided this," she said with a small smile playing on her lips.
"And why is that?"
"Because you work for me. And don't deny it," she said as her voice became firm. "If you didn't work for me then I would not be paying you, would I?"
"You pay me because I tell you to and it keeps me from causing problems for you and your friends."
"They're not my friends! They're using me and already seeking a replacement! I hate them," she screamed. "I hate them…hate them. I wish…. Just leave me alone for now, please." She wanted to cry but could in front of this man.
"Who are you," he asked her.
"I could ask you the same thing," she answered quietly looking at the floor. She sighed loudly and began to walk away. "I'll meet you in my office so we can have our meeting."
"I prefer to have it here."
"Well I don't care," she screamed as she spun around to face him. "I don't know how much those two let you get away with but I'm going to do my damn best not to be emendated by you! I wont be controlled any more! I rather die," stared at him and her eyes grew harsh and cold. "Why don't we stop this game of will and work together?"
"You mean partners?"
"No. I mean it might be easier for you to get what you want if I help you."
"And what will you get out of this agreement?"
"Help. And hopefully a little peace."
"What sort of help," he asked consciously.
"…To be truthful, I'm not sure. But it will be within reason."
"Very well. I'll meet you in your office, but I want it dark."
Sophie could not help but role her eyes. "Very well but the lamp next to my desk stays on," she said as she left.
Well Sophie, what do you have to say for yourself? You just enter a loose alliance with the Opera Ghost, the man who could kill you when he is done with you. Then that makes him like every other man. So! Does that mean you should trust him any more? No but I do think this time things might be different. But I also really need to need to stop arguing with myself, she thought as she entered her office, and set down at her desk. But there really was no need for him to tell me to put out most of the lights.
But she couldn't sit there waiting for the ghost, there were many times when she could not sit still not even for the Pope. She moved to the window and pulled the drapes to the side. "It will be a full moon in the three nights."
"But that has nothing to do with anything within my opera house."
She turned toward the room and there sitting in a chair in the shadow, just barley visible, was the ghost. "Monsieur," she said curtseying.
"There is no need for that. I would very much like to get this over with quickly."
"Of course," she said sitting down. "Is there a main problem you wish to discuss first? Or may we first discuss the choosing of the new diva?"
"The diva first, the rest later."
"I think you and Monsieur Reyer should work together to choose her," she said flatly.
"Work together?"
"Yes, you can listen, from where ever it is you listen, and rate the singers and M. Reyer can do that too. Then we can tally the results."
"Do you really think that your partners will even look at my notes?"
"I don't know, about as much as you believe that I really think it's you sitting in that chair."
The figure never moved, just faded away. That was when the pain hit her. It came so fast she could not tell were it was coming from or what caused it; she was drowning in it. Her mind was frantic with trying to escape the pain she was not even aware that she had stood and was trying to make it to the door, which she collapsed close to. Clutching at her heart she stared into nothingness unaware of the man approaching her. As she closed her eyes he lifted her into his arms.
A baby was crying when Sophie opened her eye to the darkness. Is there anything here, she wondered. The cries came again from behind her; they were accompanied by a girl's voice, "Shh, shh. Hushy, hushy."
Sophie whirled around to see the children. There was a baby; it was wrapped in a scarlet blanket. The girl looked about seven years old. Her hair had a graceful curls and was as golden as the sunshine and fell past hips, a sky blue ribbon held her hair from her face. Her yellow dress made her seem as if she was glowing. She looked up at Sophie, "Maman! Maman, I can't calm him down!"
Sophie came nearer to them but when she went to hold the baby another woman took him up. She looked to see the woman but all she could see was the woman walking away, humming to the babe. Sophie went to look at the girl but she was gone. The only thing left of the children was the blanket clutched in her hands. "Of course she never would had clothed him in red."
She opened her eyes to her dark room. A single candle gave a little light but not much. She was burning but at least the pain had stopped. When she tried to move her muscles refused. As Sophie lay there she realized that she was not alone. She could hardly see him as he moved toward her.
He was tall and perhaps muscular. His hair was dark and a little long; his eyes were also dark and seemed to be able to see into her soul. When he stopped next to her bed she could not keep the gasp from escaping her lips.
"Mathias," she breathed. "Mathias, you're here."
"Shh," he said as he began to wipe her forehead with a damp cloth.
"You are mad at me, aren't you?" He remand silent. "It's because I couldn't protected him, isn't it?" His forehead wrinkle for a moment as if to say that was part of the problem. "And because I stopped singing?"
He froze and slowly turned his head to look at her. "Please don't be mad! I'm just so afraid that he will find me! Please forgive me," she begged pulling at his coat.
He kneeled down and placed a hand against her cheek. "It's alright, I forgive you. Now you need to sleep." She nodded, smiling and closed her eyes.
Sophie awoke the next evening with Madame Giry sitting next to her bed. "I', glad to see you awake Mademoiselle. Are you up to taking your medicine?"
"Medicine?"
"The medicine in your blue box."
"Oh, yes. But how did you know where it was?"
"I had forgotten something here and I met your doctor at the doors. And we found you in your office."
"Dr. Aleron?"
"Yes," Mme. Giry said.
As Mme. Giry moved about preparing her medicine, Sophie began to think about the night before and the man in her room. There was no possible way that he could have been Mathias. "Who was that man," she thought aloud.
"What man," Mme. Giry asked with worry in her voice.
"The one with a dead man's face."
Elly: Well Erik, what did you think of the little song?
Erik: Stick to fan fiction…. I'm joking; it was…well…I like the torture song.
Sophie: That's encouraging.
Elly: Anyway. The song was supposed to be the lyrics of the deleted scene, No One Would Listen, altered a lot. I hope that it will be a bit of a prologue to a song that I'm trying to write for a later chapter. Hopefully I'll have Erik sing the lyrics of the deleted scene and then have it become a duet, if I lucky.
Sophie: Can we hand out the plushys now?
Erik: Yes, now who's first?
Sophie: (Pulls out box marked 'Box-o-Plush') Sora the Darkness, you get a… wait she thinks I'm nuts?
Erik: She gets a Professor Snape.
Sophie: So I guess we're not just handing out Phantoms plushys now.
Elly: Yep. MetalMyersJason you get a (shivers) Michel Myers plushy. (Man, that movie gives me the creeps.
Erik: AngelofMusic8587 you get an Eli plushy.
Sophie: .x.X.bex.X.x you an Erik wearing leather plushy.
Erik: Why? Rouzeki Tadayoi you get… Elly I can't find his plushy.
Elly: (Snicker, snicker) Rei-chan gets an, heh heh, a, ha! An Erik dressed as the Red Comet!
Erik and Sophie: (Face falt!)
Erik: And last but not least, Fop Hunter. F.H. you get a Gabriella plushy.
Elly: Well that's all the plushy. And now a late thank to my friend Jade for her help with the last chapter. Hopefully I can update soon, but remember, REVIEW! And if anyone wants the lyrics for the deleted scene just tell me and I'll try to give them to you when I reply to the review. Till next time, bye.
Erik and Sophie: Farewell!