I hope the last chapter wasn't that boring. Somebody took this fic off their favorites, not sure who, but that made me a tad bit sad. Is it getting bad? lol...that rhymed.

Preview: Wedding to plan, someone else appears in the story, more problems come up, etc. Angst and drama, maybe some violence and language.


Fear and Loathing

June 30th

Madame Giry's room was filled with the three women planning out Christine's wedding. Christine had decided that Meg would be her maid of honor and her Maman would be the matron of honor since she was at one point married. The decision of who would walk Christine down the isle was difficult for her. A couple of times she cried for the fact that her father wouldn't be able to do that. But she finally decided that Nadir could be the one to do it.

But at the same time Erik wanted Nadir to be the best man. Normally one would think a blood relative would be the best man, but Erik and Raoul were not exactly friends considering Erik tried to kill him. And vise versa for that matter. Erik made a comment once that Raoul could be apart of the wedding…….he could be the flower girl.

That idea obviously didn't go well with Raoul though. The flowers that Christine will carry are roses, no surprise there. And the color of the brides' maids' dresses would be light red. They are going to use Erik's designed dress for Christine. But her dress was being remade since the last one got ruined.

"I can't believe Christine's getting married! Just think of it!" Meg said while sitting on her mother's bed. Christine smiled and sat down next to her.

"I know." Christine replied.

There was a knock on Madame Giry's door. "Come in." The older woman said.

The Comtesse walked in with another woman they have never seen before. Christine rolled her eyes.

"Comtesse, what a surprise." Christine said. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see my son in law. Is he here?" The Comtesse answered.

"Not right now but he should be back soon." Christine started. "What do you want with him?"

"That's my business between me and him." She answered. Christine ignored her. The Comtesse made herself at home by sitting down in a chair. Her guest did the same right next to her.

"Who are you?" Christine asked.

"My guest." The Comtesse cut in.

"I can see that…I'm asking for her name." Christine said with slight aggravation in her voice.

Before either one could answer Erik walked in with Nadir. His back was turned from the Comtesse and her guest.

"Erik." The Comtesse said. He turned around and saw her, but she was blocking his view from the person behind her.

"Yes, Comtesse."

"There's someone I'd like you to meet." The Comtesse proclaimed and turned around to the woman who was still sitting in her seat. She motioned her to stand up. "Her name is Madeleine."

She came into Erik's view and he recognized her right away. He lost his breath. His eyes turned to cold hatred. He gave an accusing glare to the smiling Comtesse. Quickly he ran from the room and to another.

"Erik!" Christine yelled. She looked over to the two women. "What was that about?"

"I thought it would be dead by now." Madeleine said.

"No unfortunately it isn't. In fact, it is to be wed soon." The Comtesse informed her.

"What do you mean 'it'?" Christine asked.

"Come now, Christine. Who do you think we're referring to?" The Comtesse laughed.

"Where did it go?" Madeleine asked.

"HE went to the chapel probably." Christine replied.

"Would you be a dear and show us to this chapel?" She asked.

Christine looked over to Madame Giry, Meg, and Nadir. None of them knew who this woman was or why Erik would be upset. She wasn't sure if she should lead them to the chapel or not.

Before she could decide Erik had returned with a noose.

"Oh, God…Erik. What are you doing?" Christine asked when she saw it. 'Please God, don't let him do anything stupid. He promised he'd change!' She thought.

Erik looked like he wanted to kill the woman but stopped himself from doing so. He looked at her with such pain. "Why?" He whispered.

The woman remained silent.

"Why?" Erik repeated.

She still remained silent.

"Why wouldn't you love me?" Erik cried. He fell to his knees. "Maman."

Madame Giry and Christine's eyes grew wide. It was her…

"Please." Erik cried some more and crawled over to her clinging on to the bottom of her dress. She tried to back away but was backed into the wall. She moved over to the side to try and get away from him.

Erik was devastated by her actions. "Why won't you love me?"

The woman moved farther away from him like he was diseased. "Leave me alone!" She yelled.

The Comtesse looked on like she was enjoying it. Christine, Meg, Madame Giry, and Nadir all looked on in disgust at this woman's reaction to her own son.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Christine asked Madeleine.

"I don't want anything to do with this thing anymore!"

Madame Giry yelled at the woman, "How could you treat your son like this?"

Erik's sadness turned to sudden rage. He started knocking over objects in the room. His mother yelled in fear like he was a plague. He ran over to her with the noose in his hands. She was cornered and there was no way out.

Erik pinned her against the wall with wild rage in his eyes. He put the noose over her neck and began to strangle her.

"Erik no! For the love of God, stop!" Christine yelled. She ran up to him and pulled at his arm. "For me, please stop this."

He continued to strangle his mother while crying. Nadir decided to help Christine out by pulling Erik off the woman.

"Erik, if you continue this I will not marry you. I refuse to marry you if you continue to kill and kill again!" She yelled. This got Erik out of whatever trance he was in. He let go of the noose and backed away from the gasping woman.

"You beast!" His mother yelled with a weak voice.

"Christine, I'm sorry." Erik repeated several times.

"It's ok Erik." She said while hugging the hysterical man. Erik sat down on the bed and Christine sat next to him, still keeping him in her embrace.

His mother looked disgusted by this young woman's actions. "How could anyone love him?"

Erik nodded with what she was saying. Christine saw this so she started telling Erik not to listen to the woman. But Erik kept agreeing with his mother. "Erik, stop it! That's not true. I love you."

"No one can love him." She said almost mocking her son.

"Shut up!" Christine yelled.

"I never thought he would get married. He would have to marry a blind girl."

"I love Erik." Christine informed her. "Very much and I will marry him."

Erik looked like he wasn't completely there. He was rocking himself back and forth while he softly sang Masquerade.

"When I rescued him from the fair he was a lost and abused little boy. They abused him on a daily basis! He knew nothing of love…" Madame Giry said in disbelief. "I took that child and raised him like my own! But he needs his real mother."

"I'm not his mother! I can't be!"

"Why not?" Madame Giry questioned.

"He's a demon!"

Madame Giry slapped the woman. "How dare you!"

Erik's mother stood in shock to this woman's violence, obviously she didn't know Madame Giry that well. Madeleine composed herself after the other woman slapped her. "He's not my problem."

"I became like a mother to him. A real mother…unlike you. You're not fit to be a mother."

"Oh, I was fit to be a mother…"

"No! Shut up." Madame Giry yelled. "You were not because there's something mentally wrong with you."

"I gave him up to the gypsies…and that was the best thing I've ever done!" She exclaimed.

Erik cried out, "Maman…"

"Shut up." His mother yelled. Erik ran from the room in pain. Christine was left on the bed crying for her poor love.

Christine looked up at his mother. "You bitch."

Madeleine said nothing in response.

Christine was now becoming furious. "Erik is a broken man because of you. He thinks he can't be loved because of you. He is emotionally confused because of you! He is so hurt by your rejection…he always talks about how he just wants you to love him." Christine said with tears flowing down her face.

The woman showed no remorse.

"What kind of life has he known? That's something I asked him months ago…" She paused.

"…It's the people like you who made his life horrible. But now we're here to make it better." Christine continued while pointing to Madame Giry, Meg, and Nadir.

Christine walked towards the door. She stopped before leaving.

"Oh, and I hope you rot in hell." She said to Madeleine.

With that Christine walked out the door to find Erik.

Madame Giry continued to stare at the woman in disgust and hate. Raoul walked in to the room to find his mother. He saw the other woman standing there.

Meg walked over to him; she was in tears because of witnessing everything that has happened.

"Meg, what's wrong?" Raoul asked. Meg motioned him to go out in the hallway so she could explain it.

Meanwhile Madame Giry was still furious with Madeleine. "Do you honestly have any idea how much pain you've caused him?"

Madeleine still didn't answer anyone. She did look sad about everything, which was a good thing on her part. At least she had a soul.

"You're sick." Madame Giry continued. "Selling your kid away."

"You would too if you were in my shoes."

"I would rather be killed than do that to my child. In case you forgot, I took care of Erik. And I would never sell him to gypsies."

Nadir was listening on too in disgust. He noticed the Comtesse was still sitting in the chair laughing. "And what do you think is so funny?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing. This is just so entertaining."

"You did this on purpose!" Madame Giry stated.

"I thought Erik would like to be reunited with his mommy."

"You're just as sick as she is." Nadir said.

"No. A guy in a mask with a cape pretending to be a ghost is sick. Not me." The Comtesse replied.

"The only reason Erik is sick is because of this pathetic excuse for a woman." Madame Giry said referring to Madeleine.

"He was born this way."

"Bullshit!" Madame Giry yelled.

"You made Erik like this." Nadir continued her statement.

"He's a monster…"

"You know what. You were right before. You're not a mother..."Madame Giry paused, "Oh and by the way...you're the monster."

"No…I'm not a monster!" Erik's mother said.

"Yes you are." Nadir argued.

The Comtesse jumped into the argument. "Erik is the only monster in this Opera House. He is insane and homicidal."

"Erik doesn't know any better…and whose fault would that be?" Madame Giry asked.

"I would guess it's his mother's fault." Nadir answered.

"Correct!" Madame Giry said mockingly.

The four of them all started yelling at one time. Meg and Raoul walked in after Meg summed up what was going on.

"Would you all be quiet?" Raoul yelled.

The noise stopped but Madame Giry charged towards Madeleine and pushed her on to the ground.

"Maman!" Meg yelled in surprise.

Madame Giry got on top of the other woman and started slapping her. All of them ran over to get her off of Erik's mother.

"Maman, I know you're angry but…" Meg tried to finish but was pushed over by the Comtesse.

"Mother!" Raoul yelled furiously. "Are you ok?" He turned his focus on Meg. He ran over to her to see if she was ok.

"I'm fine." She replied as he helped her up. Raoul held her to him. The Comtesse ran over to Madame Giry and knocked her off Madeleine. She helped the woman up on to her feet.

"Mother, what the hell do you think you're doing bringing her here?" Raoul asked.

"I thought Erik would appreciate…"

"Bullshit…you would know better than that. You're doing this on purpose!"

"I am certainly not looking for trouble." She said.

"You make me sick." Raoul said to his mother.

"Excuse me young man…"

"No. Mother, just leave. You're causing too much trouble. Just go and take that pathetic woman with you." Raoul continued.

"You'll thank me for this." His mother said.

"I highly doubt that." Raoul replied.

The four of them stared at the Comtesse and Madeleine. Madeleine walked over towards the Comtesse.

"Leave." Madame Giry said.

"Why should we listen to you?" The noble woman asked.

"Well this is my room." Madame Giry replied.

The two of them stood there. After a minute they gave up. "Fine then, I really don't care." Raoul's mother replied.

She walked out the door with Madeleine and slammed it shut.

"I want to find this chapel." Madeleine says. The Comtesse nods and looks for someone to tell them where the Opera House chapel is at. Reyer walks by them and they ask him. He tells them the directions and then leaves.

"You may go to your home if you wish." Madeleine begins. "I want to talk with Erik in private."

The Comtesse agrees and then thanks Madeleine for coming with her to the Opera House.

"You're welcome." Madeleine replies.

The Comtesse smiles wickedly and then walks to the Opera House exits. Madeleine walks in the direction Monsieur Reyer said.


Back in Madame Giry's room the four of them continue to talk and think about what has happened.

"I can't believe the nerve of those two." Meg said.

"I know." Raoul agreed. He began to think about what Meg told him. "I always though I had it bad though. You know, with my mother. But Erik…"

"He seems to have known only rejection from that woman." Meg continued.

"Yeah." Raoul said.

Madame Giry sat down on her bed in deep thought. "For so long I wanted to avenge Erik by beating that woman."

"I don't think anyone can blame you for that." Nadir said.

"I think she deserved it." Meg said.

"I actually agree, though I'm still not fond of Erik." Raoul said.

After a moment Raoul spoke up again, "And my mother…why the hell would she do that?"

"She obviously doesn't like Erik." Madame Giry said.

"But to bring his mother here is just uncalled for…and before the wedding…" Raoul thought about it. "Well now it makes sense."

"What?" Meg asked.

"Maybe she's trying to ruin the wedding." Raoul answered.

"That's probably right." Nadir said. "If bringing Erik's mother here causes Erik to become depressed then he might call off the wedding."

"Or he would do something bad, like he almost did, and then Christine would call off the wedding." Madame Giry stated.

"So either way, the wedding would most likely be cancelled." Raoul finished. "I can't believe her."

"Do you think it will work?" Meg asked her mother and Nadir since they knew Erik very well.

"I don't know." Nadir replied.

Madame Giry thought for a moment. "Who knows?"

"…it may." Nadir continued.

"I would never be like that to my kid if he or she was deformed." Meg spoke up. "I would love him and cherish him…no matter what."

"That's because you would make a great mother." Madame Giry said. "That woman was just not right to be a mother."

"My mother would probably be like that too if I were deformed." Raoul admited.

"I unfortunately imagine that she would be like that." Meg said.

"Poor Erik." Madame Giry sighed.

The four of them sat there waiting for Erik or Christine to return from the chapel. They didn't bother to go find them just yet. They would let Erik and Christine work it out together.


A/N: Ok...I'm gonna post the next chapter since I'm nice.