Everyone meet Erik De Chagny. lol. Remember those files he had to go back and get in the second chapter?
Warnings: Violence and Drug use...and probably language.
Remember what I said before about reviews? Forget it. I do want to know what you guys think. I've been working hard on this fic and it's become more important to me than I thought it would, so I would appreciate it.
Family Matters II
"Wait…what?" Christine asked. She kept looking over the paper in confusion.
"I'm Raoul's older half-brother." He replied. "We have the same father."
"Raoul never told me that."
"That's because he doesn't know." Erik said. "My father walked out on my mother and me when I was born. I would imagine it was because someone with my situation..." He pointed to his face. "…could not be fit to be the heir of the De Changy family."
"How did you find out?"
"My mother kept the files in a closet that was locked. Of course I found a way into it when I was little. Later, While I traveled around Europe I snuck into my old house and stole it when she wasn't home."
Christine sat in amazement to his story. She was still in shock over his newest secret.
"A couple of years ago I even had a family crest made for me. It's in my lair."
"So you're supposed to be the future Comte De Chagny?" She asked.
"Yes, but I'm not."
"Why wouldn't you be?"
"He would refuse me of the title. And his evil new wife would probably have a heart attack if I showed up on the door step."
Christine laughed at that comment. But her amusement died down when she realized what he was really missing out on. He has the chance to be someone, the chance to have a family and to be important. But he won't even try to grasp it.
"Why have you quit before you've even tried?"
"There's no point to it." Erik replied. "Besides can you imagine me as an aristocrat?"
"You already dress like one. You act like one, and you're presence resembles that of a very important powerful man."
"But there's one problem."
He didn't even have to say what that problem was. Knowing him, he was going to say his face. Though she wanted to yell at him for always assuming it's about his face she realized that he actually might be right. Those people hated her for being an opera singer, or a ballet rat. They find people to observe and they pick out all their faults. What would they think of Erik? He wouldn't be able to handle their stares and cruel comments. Even Christine couldn't handle them. She was about ready to hit Raoul's mother once. Erik wouldn't hold back. He would hit anyone in the room if he were in the same situation. But still, it was never like him to give up. He had the mindset of a stubborn and determined person who would do anything to win. Why was he so afraid to try something now?
"Still, I don't think you should give up." She said.
Erik got up. "Christine!" He yelled and had a sudden outburst of anger.
He continued with his rage. Christine grew frightened again. A feeling she knew all too well in the past.
"I cannot do it because I am not like normal people. So drop it!" He pushed her up against the wall.
Christine was surprised at his outburst and became angry with him at the same time. "Don't you ever push me like that again!"
She now pushed him off of her. He still held a sadistic smile. The same sly smile he would have during his reign of terror as the Opera Ghost. Christine couldn't believe after all this time he could still act like that. He still acted like he was the Phantom. She thought he had changed, but apparently he didn't.
"Who are you to tell me what to do?" He said to her.
"Here we go again! You're constantly finding reasons to push me away. Why do you always do this Erik?" She yelled.
"Because you're starting to get me angry. I said I can't do it, so stop telling me otherwise."
"Oh…I'm so sorry for believing in you." She said in a sarcastic manner. "I thought you wanted someone to believe in you."
"I don't want your pity." He said.
"For God's sake, Erik, knock it off!" She yelled.
Erik grew angrier at her comment. He ran over to the candles and knocked them all over while letting out some screams. Christine hid in fear of his sudden outburst of rage.
Madame Giry heard them yelling from the corridors and walked down into the chapel.
"Erik, what the hell are you doing?"
Erik didn't reply to the older woman's questioning. The three of them just stared at each other for a while.
After a long period of silence Christine walked over to the woman she considered her mother.
"Did he ever tell you about this?" She asked and gave her the birth certificate.
Madame Giry gave a weird look when she read the paper. "Is this true?" She asked Erik.
"Yes." He replied.
"And he doesn't want to claim what is rightfully his." Christine shot a glare at Erik.
Madame Giry thought for a couple of seconds.
"Come on, let's go." She said.
"Where are we going?" Erik asked.
She ignored him and told Christine to go get Meg and to order a carriage. Christine left and did what Madame Giry asked.
Erik turned his attention back to Madame Giry. "What are you planning on doing?" He walked up to her and asked.
"I'm planning on us getting you your name, if nothing else." She replied.
"No, please. I'm ok just being…"
"Nonsense. Now come on Erik." She said and grabbed his wrist.
She pulled him up the stairs. He didn't fight back. A part of him wanted to belong, but he was too scared to try. Another part of him didn't fight back because Madame Giry wouldn't take no for an answer. And he knows she'd slap him without another thought. He wasn't really in the mood to get slapped.
A butler opened the door and saw 3 women and a man standing outside the door. The man was wearing a white mask that only covered the right side of his face. "May I help you?" The butler asked.
"Yes. We are here to see the Comte De Chagny." Madame Giry said.
"This way please." The butler said and led them to the living room. He recognized Christine. "Mademoiselle Daae, it's nice to see you again."
"Thank you." She replied.
"I will tell the Comte that you are here." The butler stated and then walked out of the room.
Soon after Raoul walked in to see who was visiting. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked in surprise.
"Hi, Raoul." Christine said while walking up to him and gave him a big hug.
"Hi Christine, how are you?" He asked.
"I'm doing great." She said. "How about you?"
"I'm fine." He replied. Raoul scanned the room and then noticed the Phantom was there too. He didn't say anything to the masked man but said hi to Madame Giry.
He turned his attention to Meg. "Hello again." He said smiling. She started to give a girlish laugh. Christine stared at Meg with a confused look, and laughed.
"Good afternoon Raoul." Meg said.
"You guys never told me why you're here." Raoul said. When he said that the Comte walked into the room.
He immediately saw Christine. "Mademoiselle Daae." The Comte said with a shocked sound.
Raoul interrupted his father. "They're here to see you actually."
"Bonjour Le Comte." Madame Giry walked in front of them with the papers. Erik grew nervous and hid behind them.
"Bonjour Madame. To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"We are here to talk about a man named Erik." She said. The Comte looked confused.
"Who's that?" He asked. His wife, the Comtesse then walked out into the living room and stood with her husband.
"Oh, we have company." She said.
The Comte answered her, "They're here to talk about a man named Erik."
"Oh." She said, then after a moment she whispered to him, "Who's Erik?"
"I don't know." The Comte replied.
"Your son." Madame Giry stated.
Raoul was lost for a second. He knew she was talking about the Phantom, but that didn't make any sense.
"What about Raoul?" The Comte asked.
"No, not Raoul. Your other son." She replied.
The Comtesse looked like she was about to faint and Raoul gave his father an accusing stare.
"I don't have another son." He said.
"Yes you do." Madame Giry replied and pulled Erik from the back.
"No." Erik said to her. "I told you they wouldn't accept me. He's going to deny everything."
"Come on Erik." She said and pulled him to the front.
The Comte looked like he saw a ghost. The Comtesse looked over to her husband. "Is that baby named Erik?" She asked quietly.
"Madeleine never told me what she named it." He replied in a quieter voice.
Madame Giry handed him the birth certificate. The Comte read over it while Raoul kept looking from his father to Erik and then to Madame Giry back to his father and so on.
"No!" The Comtesse yelled. She looked over to Erik. "Absolutely not! No deformed…monster…could ever continue the family line!" She yelled.
Erik clenched his fists and was almost ready to tackle that woman, but Christine stopped him.
"He has every right to the title." She stated to the older woman.
"You little witch!" The Comtesse screamed at Christine.
"Mother… Shut up!" Raoul yelled.
"I just want my name." Erik finally spoke up. Everyone turned his attention to him. "I don't need the lands or the money. I just want my name."
"I can decide to give you the title or not." The Comte informed him.
"Wait a minute." Raoul interrupted. "If he's older, then he would become the Comte?"
"Yes." His father replied.
"Then let him have it." Raoul said.
His mother's eyes grew wide. "No! Raoul this is your title and he has no right to come in here and steal it!"
"I don't want it." Raoul informed her. "And he's not stealing it because for one it belongs to him and two…I'm allowing him to have it."
"He is not fit to handle the title!" She shrieked.
"We'll share the business deal." Raoul spoke up. "He can have the title and half of the money. And we can both handle all the business and political things."
Erik was surprised by Raoul's willingness to work with him.
"That is, if he's ok with that." Raoul continued.
Erik shook his head. "It's sounds ok to me."
"No!" The Comtesse kept yelling.
"Deal with it." Madame Giry said to her.
The noble woman laughed, "How dare you! You're of the lower class. You can not talk to me like that!"
"Mother, please!" Raoul said.
"I can not believe this!" The woman looked like she was going to have a nervous breakdown. "That…that…thing" She spat out, "will not be the future Comte!"
"I have no choice." The present Comte spoke up. "He is the rightful heir."
"You can't be serious?" She questioned her husband. He didn't respond to her. She looked around the room and cried in disbelief.
Without another word she ran from the room in an overdramatic attempt to gain attention to only herself. The Comte rolled his eyes at her theatric behavior. He sighed and looked at his first born son that he denied for so long. But he couldn't find any words to say to him.
"Erik just wants to be like everyone else." Madame Giry informed the Comte. "He wants a family, he wants his true identity. He's been denied so many things in his life, like his father for instance, don't deny him this." She said in a sad and pleading voice.
"Its official then, Erik can be a De Chagny." The Comte said.
Madame Giry looked over to Erik who was smiling for once. Christine hugged him when the Comte said those words. He whispered to Madame Giry a "thank you". She nodded her head in return.
The Comte, Erik, Madame Giry, and Christine talked for a while. Meanwhile Raoul lead Meg off into another room.
"I know this is kind of sudden…" Raoul said in a nervous fashion, "but I was wondering if you would like to join me for supper tonight."
Meg was taken aback by his question but she smiled. "Yes, I would love to."
"Great, I will pick you up at 6:00 this afternoon if that's alright."
"6:00 is great." She replied.
Madame Giry realized her daughter wasn't in the room. "Meg?"
"I'm in here." The young blonde answered her. She walked back out into the living room with everyone else. Raoul walked in soon after.
"We'll be leaving now then." Madame Giry stated.
"Very well then. Have a safe trip home." The Comte said. The butler walked past and went to the door to open it for the visitors. They all bid the De Chagnys fair well on their way out.
Meg looked over to Raoul and said, "See you at 6:00."
"I'm looking forward to it." He replied.
Madame Giry looked at her daughter. "Come on now, we have to go." She said with a playful laugh. She pushed Meg out the door and to the carriage.
Once they got in Madame Giry looked to Erik and said, "See… now that wasn't so hard, was it?"
Erik rolled his eyes at her comment and remained silent. He focused the rest of the ride on the scenery outside his window.
Once they made it to the Opera House everyone got out of the carriage but Erik and Christine. He asked her to stay there to talk.
"What's wrong Erik?" Christine asked.
"Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to tell you some things."
Christine whitened, "You have more secrets?"
"No…or I don't think so." He replied. "But that's not why I'm talking to you."
"Then what is it?" She asked.
"I've thought about all the horrible things I've done to everyone…and to you. I feel so bad about everything." He started. Christine placed a hand on his knee.
"I forgive you Erik." She said to him.
"I'm sorry for everything, Christine. I truly am sorry." Christine looked into his eyes again and felt the empathic feelings again. She felt he was sincere about what he was saying and that he truly felt guilty.
Christine gave him a smile and said, "I know Erik."
"You changed me. I hope you know that." Erik said. Christine felt a tear fall down her face. She then realized he was right. He wasn't the same man she had known months ago. He had changed into something better. She was able to see hope in him, and she was willing to work with him to make things better.
"I know." She repeated.
Erik turned away from her and climbed out of the vehicle. Christine sat there for a moment and watched Erik walk away. He still had so much shame, and even some anger left in him. She eventually got out too and was greeted by Meg who was waiting at the door for her.
"Christine, can I talk to you about something?" Meg asked.
"Of course."
The two young girls walked through the Opera House and into the ballet dormitories. Christine noticed Meg had a nervous, and yet an excited look on her face. She seemed even more vibrant and full of life.
Christine sat down on her bed, and Meg sat on hers. Christine smiled when she realized her friend looked so happy. She waited for Meg to start talking.
"I may like someone." Meg said eventually. Christine's eyes grew wide and she squealed like a little school girl. She jumped onto Meg's bed and laughed.
"Who is it?"
"Well, you know him…"
"Is he in the ballet or something?" Christine asked suddenly. Meg laughed at her.
"Uhh…No."
"Is he in the chorus?"
"No…"
"Is he…" Christine started.
"Will you let me tell you!" Meg exclaimed playfully.
"Ok." Christine replied.
"Well….it's Raoul."
Christine sat with her mouth wide open, "Raoul?" She asked in disbelief.
"You're ok with that, aren't you?" Meg sounded uncertain to her friend's reaction.
"Are you kidding? That's great!" Christine exclaimed. Meg sighed in relief of Christine's answer.
"Good, I'm glad you're ok with it."
"Of course I am!" Christine hugged her friend. "I'm so happy. My two best friends are dating. I'm so relieved!"
"What do you mean?" Meg asked.
"I was afraid Raoul may not want to move on, you know? But I was praying that he would find someone perfect for him." She paused. "I guess God answered my prayers."
"You're going to make me blush!" Meg said. After a moment she informed Christine, "I'm actually accompanying him to dinner tonight."
"We have to get you ready!" She exclaimed. Christine pulled her friend off the bed. They went through her trunk to find something for her to wear.
"Wait! Does Maman know?" Christine asked.
"Oh, I forgot about that." The excitement died down.
Christine spoke up, "I'm sure she won't mind."
Meg smiled and replied, "Yeah…you're probably right." The two girls laughed and started looking for a nice dress for Meg to wear.
Erik stared at himself in the mirror. All he saw was a monster looking back at him. He couldn't understand why Christine loved him.
'Unless it's all an act.' He thought 'She's doing this to torment me.'
"No one can love me. Not even my own mother." He started to become angry with Christine.
"Why does she have to play with my heart like that? That little whore." He said to himself.
He knew he was opening himself up to her which made him vulnerable. He resulted in morphine.
Erik looked over to the morphine he took moments ago. He walked over to the box and shot another round into his arm.
After a while of sitting on a bench and staring into space he thought about everything again. He felt rage and anger build up in him.
'It has to be a trick.' He told himself again. 'How could she do this to me?'
"Damn her!" He yelled and threw a candle holder into the mirror. The mirror shattered all over the place.
His mind continued to tell him things like she was tricking him and she would betray him again.
'Whatever happened to you being cold hearted?' His mind mocked him. 'You are weak and pathetic.'
He shook his head 'no' as if he was responding to himself.
"She won't fool me again." Erik said in a determined voice.
"Who won't fool you?" Nadir suddenly asked. He walked into Erik's lair and towards him.
"Nadir! What the hell are you doing here?" Erik asked obviously in a foul mood.
"I decided to drop by for a visit."
"Well I'm sorry but I don't want your company." Erik snapped at him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"It's none of your damn business." Erik yelled suddenly. He threw another candle holder, but this time he threw it at Nadir. He ducked out of the way just in time.
Nadir was taken aback by Erik's random anger towards him. He shook his head in disbelief. He looked over by the organ and saw the morphine box again.
"Erik! For the love of Allah, what are you doing?" He pointed to the box.
Erik smirked but didn't answer. The morphine would normally bring out either a sadder side of Erik or a darker side. Nadir came to the conclusion that the latter option was the side that was showing.
The Persian walked over to the box and threw down onto the ground. The box shattered and the needles Erik used broke into tiny pieces.
Erik became livid at his friend's action. He ran over to the Persian and began choking him. Nadir grabbed his own throat trying to pry Erik's hands off. But it was to no use. Erik had his hands around the Persian's neck in a death grip.
Madame Giry walked into the room to congratulate Erik on achieving the family name and becoming rightful heir. She stood in shock when she saw Erik towering over the fainting Persian. She ran over to Erik and hit him on the back of the head. This distracted Erik and he let go of Nadir. The man fell to the ground after Erik let him go. Madame Giry worried when she noticed he wasn't getting up…or moving for that matter. Erik didn't seem to care at all. She knew there had to have been something wrong with him.
"Erik what the hell are you doing?" Madame Giry yelled. She saw his face was extremely pale and his pupils were not fully dilated. Looking down she saw the little needles that we shattered on the floor.
"Well that explains it." She answered herself quietly.
Erik ignored her and walked out of the entrance to his house. On the way out he brushed past her violently which made her fall backwards.
"Damn it Erik!" She yelped in shock. But he kept walking through the water and into a secret passage. She had no idea where he was going but she really didn't give a damn at that time.
Madame Giry turned her attention to the man who was unconscious on the floor. She rose to her feet and ran over to him.
"Nadir! Wake up." She said shaking him.
She got no response from him. He was still breathing, Thank God. But he wasn't moving at all. She looked around the room for something…for anything to help wake this man up.
Madame Giry saw a bucket and went to it to fill it up with water. She splashed it on him like he once did to Erik. He shot up right away not knowing where he was at.
"Well... it really does work." She laughed.
"Where…?" He began.
"Erik choked you till you fainted. You're in Erik's house." Madame Giry responded.
Nadir still looked a little dazed and confused. "Where'd he go?" He asked.
"The hell if I know." She replied. The woman helped the Persian up from the floor.
A/N: You thought Erik would belong and then live happily ever after? Sorry...Erik is too complicated for that. lol. Eventually he will calm down, don't worry.
