Hey everyone! New chapter.
Thanks for reviewing Glinda :-)
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Andre returned outside after he heard from someone that Firmin was looking for him. "What is it now?" He asked.
Andre saw that familiar gypsy man standing next to Firmin. He gave an odd look and then welcomed the man to the Opera House. "What brings you to the Opera House, Monsieur?"
"I'm here to find something that belongs to me."
"The Opera Ghost?" Firmin asked.
"Exactly." The gypsy smiled.
Firmin looked at Andre and mouthed to him, 'Should we find Miss Daae?'
Andre nodded his head and led the two of them to find Christine. Javert was silent the whole walk over. He observed the structure of the Opera House, and had a fascination with the naked golden statues. Both Firmin and Andre kept their distance from the gypsy…it seemed like he didn't shower much. They both gave each other a funny look.
On the way they stopped a ballet girl to ask if she had seen Christine. The young girl looked disturbed by the strange gypsy fellow but told them that she saw Christine with Madame Giry before. They thanked the young girl and Javert gave her a creepy smile. She quickly walked away in fear of the weird man with the managers.
They continued their journey down the hallways and to Madame Giry's room. Inside they heard some people talking. One of them was Christine. Firmin knocked on the door and heard Madame Giry ask, "Who is it?"
"It's the managers." Firmin answered. He heard some shuffling coming from inside the room and people moving around in a hurry. Firmin wondered if they were hiding something in there.
After a moment the door was opened by Madame Giry. Javert stood to the side so she didn't see him. "May I help you?" She asked.
"Yes, we are here to see Miss Daae." Andre answered. Madame Giry turned around to look for Christine who was trying to hide Erik from the managers. Firmin looked into the room and saw The Vicomte, Madame Giry's daughter, The Persian, Christine, and someone's shadow who seemed to be hiding behind a cabinet. He gave an odd look but then pushed the door open some more and walked in without asking. He walked over to the cabinet to find out who was behind it.
"Excuse me!" Madame Giry yelled at Firmin for his rudeness. She saw him heading for Erik and she grew nervous. Nadir decided to act, so he stepped in front of Firmin so he couldn't get past him.
"I don't believe I heard you ask permission to enter this room." The Persian said.
"This is partly my Opera House so I'm allowed to enter anywhere I please." Firmin replied and Andre walked in afterward.
Javert walked in when Madame Giry wasn't looking. Meg and Raoul both saw him enter. Meg muttered, "Oh, no!"
Madame Giry heard her daughter's distress and looked to what they were staring at. Her mouth dropped open and she looked like she's seen a ghost.
"You!" She exclaimed.
Javert smiled and walked over to Andre and Firmin who were trying to get past The Persian. The monkey Nadir retrieved for Erik was lying on the bed.
"Well, well, well. It looks like he is here..." Javert remarked. He knew Erik's fascination with monkeys.
Erik decided to come out of his hiding place. Christine gasped and told him to go back. He walked past his good friend Nadir.
Firmin and Andre looked startled by the man's presence but the gypsy seemed confident. Erik ran past Firmin and Andre to tackle Javert. A fight soon started in Madame Giry's room.
"Erik!" Christine yelled. She witnessed Erik beating the man till he bled. Andre pulled the Opera Ghost off the gypsy.
"You are going to be arrested for good!" Andre said.
Erik pulled himself out of the man's grip and went back to beating the gypsy man. Javert was now sitting up but Erik kicked him in the face which caused him to fall back down. Firmin ran forward and hit Erik in the back of the head. The Opera Ghost flew forward and Javert got back up.
Nadir grew angry with Firmin so he pushed him over. Raoul walked over to The Persian and stopped him from continuing. He reminded the older man that he would be arrested for fighting the manager of the Opera House.
Javert pushed Erik into the hallway and began punching him. Firmin got up and ran out the door to go find help. He ran down the hall to find an Opera House security guard. Javert continued to beat Erik. One of his punches caused Erik's mask to fly off. He grew more nervous without his mask. Christine ran forward to go get it. She yelled at the gypsy telling him to stop.
Raoul, Meg, Madame Giry, and The Persian left the room to stop Javert from killing Erik. Andre remained in the room thinking about everything.
The manager turned to walk out the door but heard something playing a tune he remembered.
"Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade…
Masquerade…
Hide your face so the world will never find you."
He looked over and saw the monkey playing by itself. It was a very unique piece… it had no wind up device or switch to get it to play. Andre studied the figure of the monkey in persian robes. It played the symbols and sat on the music box. The monkey sat there with an eerie smile while it played the haunting tune. The music sent shivers throughout Andre's body. The monkey itself seemed to stare at you kind of giving a mocking glare.
Andre put the monkey down and went out into the hallway to help stop the riot. He noticed everyone trying to break up the fight. It seemed now that the Opera Ghost had the upper hand.
Firmin had returned with some Security Personnel. But he was also with another person…a woman Andre has never seen before.
"Arrest that man!" The woman shrieked. Christine heard that and yelled in fear of them arresting her angel.
They headed over to the two men but to everyone's surprise they ignored Erik and arrested Javert.
Christine looked over to the other woman realizing she recognized her voice. She heard it an hour ago…it was Erik's mother!
Javert looked at the woman who yelled and wondered why she was having him arrested. One of the security guards informed him that he was being arrested for kidnapping, child abuse, violence, assault, enslavement, sexual harrasement, and a local case for murder. He looked confused because of some of the things he was charged for.
"You kidnapped my son and enslaved him! And beat him…in front of hundreds of people." Madeleine said.
"That is not true…you gave him to me, lady!" He yelled.
"No I did not!" She yelled back.
Erik looked sad, he was glad his mother was sticking up for him now. But he knew that she did give him away to Javert.
"Isn't that right, Erik?" She asked.
'No…you did give me away.' He thought.
"Yes, that's true." Erik lied.
Javert broke free from their grip. He ran past everyone trying to find a way out. The gypsy quickly ran into Madame Giry's bedroom but noticed all the windows were locked. He noticed the monkey music box. He stole it and quickly ran out of the room barely getting past the guards.
They chased him down the hallway while Madeleine talked to Erik.
"Erik, I'm sorry for what I did. I just hope you can forgive me now. And hopefully he will be locked up forever."
Erik sighed but never glanced at her. "Thank you." Erik said and then ran away to see if they would catch Javert. The rest of the group was already ahead of Erik. Madeleine stood there alone to cry for her sins.
The guards chased after Javert who was running for the exits. One of the men caught up to the gypsy and tackled him to the ground. Andre and Firmin were the first to catch up to them and watch everything happen.
Javert dropped the monkey music box that Andre was looking at before. Another police officer walked up to it and looked at it. Andre stepped forward to the security guard.
"Did he steal this?" The guard asked.
"Yes." Andre replied.
"Ok…add theft to his list of crimes." He informed the police officers who were there.
Christine, Meg, Madame Giry, The Persian, and Raoul caught up to everyone and witnessed the gypsy getting arrested. Erik eventually caught up with them. Christine had grabbed his mask before and handed it to him now. He thanked her and put the mask back on.
A police officer walked up to the six of them, and the two managers and announced Javert would be going to jail for many crimes that will put him away for a long time. If he was found for the murder charges he would be either put to death or have life behind bars.
Erik spoke up, "Don't kill him."
They all looked at Erik wondering why he didn't want his torturer dead.
Erik continued, "He made me suffer behind his cage of torture…I want him behind bars for the rest of his life."
The police officer nodded and then walked over to the gypsy. He grabbed ahold of his arm and took the gypsy man away. For one last time Erik looked at that man. Javert no longer held his sick and twisted smile... now he looked defeated. Erik smiled wickedly at him in a turn of events. Javert turned his head away from him and the guards led him out the doors.
Erik sighed in relief but then noticed Andre holding his music box.
"You don't need it anymore, Erik." Nadir told him.
"I think you're right." Erik smiled.
He walked over to Andre and Firmin. They were taken aback by his willingness to talk to them.
"You can do whatever you want with it." Erik informed Andre, "Sell it…display it…put it in the vaults, I don't care."
They looked confused as to what he was saying.
"It would be a profitable piece." Erik continued and looked at Firmin. "If you were to display it, it would probably bring in a good amount of money."
Firmin laughed, "Yeah it would. It belonged to the Opera Ghost." He paused. "It would be a profitable piece."
Andre shook his head 'no'. "It's a collectors' piece."
Firmin agreed. "Are you sure you don't want it back?"
"I don't need to hide anymore. This belonged to the Opera Ghost who needed to be comforted by something. I'm moving onto a new chapter of my life…" Erik looked at Christine and smiled, "And now I have someone else to comfort me when I need it."
Erik paused and looked at the monkey. "I want it to stay here…it ties in with the Opera Ghost, and the Opera Ghost died here. So I guess I want it to be kept in the vaults of the theatre where it can rest in peace with the Ghost."
Christine walked up to Erik and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I agree."
Andre glanced at Firmin and they both agreed to honor their request. Andre went to put it in the Opera House vaults. Erik watched the man take away his toy that comforted him for many years and sighed.
While Andre walked away they heard it playing that familiar tune.
"Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade…
Masquerade…
Hide your face so the world will never find you."
"May the Opera Ghost rest in peace." Madame Giry said.
"Amen." Christine replied.
They stood quietly as they heard the music getting softer as Andre walked further away. It's music echoed around the Opera House, forever haunting the place with it's sound.
It's music held a story of a mystery that would never be fully explained to the public who knew of the legend. They listened and basked in it's beautiful sound. When it was over they were still quiet. Erik decided to break the silence.
"By the way, Firmin." Erik said. "Here."
Erik handed the man an envelope. Firmin gave him a confused look.
"Go ahead and open it." Erik said.
Firmin did and saw a lot of money in the envelope.
"20,000 francs." Erik told him.
Firmin laughed and looked at him still a little confused as to why he was giving him the money.
"Well I am a De Chagny now." He glanced at his little brother and laughed. "And I am a patron to this Opera House…so there you go."
"Thanks." Firmin said still in shock. He then excused himself and left to tell Andre.
"Good job." Raoul said to him. Erik laughed and thanked him.
"I hope that's the last we see of Javert." Madame Giry said.
"I hope so too." Erik replied.
Madeleine walked over to the group and motioned Erik over to her. Erik still looked a little uncomfortable about her but Christine walked over with him which gave him confidence.
"I'm sorry about the way I've treated you in the past. There's nothing I can do now that will completely excuse me for my sins, but I hope this helped." She said.
"It did." Erik replied.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be a better mother." Madeleine cried.
"It's ok, mom." Erik said.
She smiled and then patted the left side of his face with some hesitation. "I love you."
Erik cried when she said that and felt so relieved. "Thank you." He said to her. Christine held onto him when he cried.
Madeleine smiled and then added, "I love you but I have to go. I hope you can forgive me."
"I don't know." Erik replied truthfully. "What you did will forever haunt me. But I can try to forgive you."
"Ok." Madeleine said and then hugged her son. Erik held onto her and soaked everything in. She kissed the left side of his face and then said goodbye. She walked out the door and actually left the Opera House this time.
Erik sighed and looked over to the four people standing there watching, and then looked down on the girl who was resting against him. He hugged her to him and held her.
"Do you think Andre and Firmin would want to come to the wedding?" Meg asked suddenly after a moment of awkward silence. Christine laughed at her and then thought about it.
"I highly doubt it." Christine replied.
"One person who won't be there is Javert." Erik said.
"Thank God." Madame Giry blurted out.
Erik laughed and then thought about the wedding being in the Opera House and how neat that would look.
"How about the main lobby? The grand staircase!" Erik said randomly.
"What are you talking about?" Christine asked.
"The wedding."
"That's a cute idea!" Madame Giry said. "How neat would that be?"
"That's is a great idea." Christine stated.
"Then should it be here?" Erik asked.
"Why not? The church probably won't let us get married in there anyway." Christine said.
"What?" Madame Giry asked.
Erik and Christine looked at each other and laughed. "Never mind." Christine replied to Madame Giry's questioning.
The group began talking about ideas of the wedding, Madame Giry went to ask the managers if it would be alright, and Erik and Christine stood there imagining what it will be like.
A/N: Short chapter...but the next one will be the wedding. The only warning there is fluffy bunnies. Awwww
