Past the Point of No Return
Rae-Anne: Thank you so much! I never really liked Raoul at all. Then I found the word Fop and immediately thought of him. Your review kicked my writer's block out the window! Thank you and remember the review button is calling you…
Brittanypiercey: Thanks! I liked Christine at the start but then she was mean and now I don't. You will, I hope like what I am planning then. I'm not positive how this story will end but I know what the middle is going to be. I was going to stop at a certain part of this chapter but your review made me go a bit further.
It was like trying to decide whether to burn or freeze to death. If he chose to send her away and back to the Vicomte, they would probably both have a terrible life and if he chose to keep her here there was always the risk of her breaking his heart again.
As he looked down at the women running her hand through the water at the edge of the lake as he sat by the large, now clean, organ, he wanted with all his heart to pick the latter. But his brain wanted to send her away. He couldn't choose which one to listen to.
He had changed a lot since she had left. He was designing buildings and houses for a considerable fee. He also had many pictures in the nearby art gallery under the simple name "Erik". They could live very comfortably. They could buy a large house in the country with a few trusted servants and live happily.
But would Christine be happy without her high social circle and status? Just as a simple person with a bit of money. Erik, if he had asked Christine this question, would have found that there was nothing she wanted more than to not have a status, but he didn't.
Lately, because he had gotten a lot more sociable, Madame Giry, and sometimes Meg came down to check how he was and if he wanted anything sent to the gallery or some post to be sent.
Meg had gotten quite partial to him lately and saw him as a bit of a father figure. He always made her laugh and his voice made her fall to pieces. Some times he even sang her to sleep when she couldn't fall into restful slumber and would talk to her if she had a problem. All she ever talked about was him. He was also giving her singing lessons the same way that he had given Christine except without the hiding in the shadows.
Her mother didn't have a problem with this however. She, although she would never admit it, had always loved him deeply, from the day she had rescued him from the gypsy circus. She hated leaving him and could never resist giving him a goodbye hug every time she left.
This all worked out well and everyone was happy. The Opera Populaire was being rebuilt and Madame Giry was constantly trying to convince Eric to perform on the stage as he had the most wonderful voice. It was all happy at least until Christine had come into the picture.
Christine got up from the side of the lake and walked over to him. He leaned back and she sat on his lap facing him, smiling.
There was a silence then; "What?" Erik asked slightly worried about what she might be thinking of.
Christine smiled. "Did you know that they are rebuilding the Opera House?" she said resting her arms on his shoulders, bringing their faces very close.
"Since I live under it I would like to think so," he said raising one eyebrow, which made her giggle.
"Have you ever thought of being part of the Opera's that will start again soon when the Populaire is finished?"
A voice from behind Christine spoke; "Yes. I have suggested it many times before, but he just shook his head and looked at his feet. And he wasn't looking for scuff marks either," Christine spun around nearly falling off Erik's lap.
"MADAME GIRY! AND MEG?" she ran towards them and gave each of them a hug beaming.
"Christine?" Meg asked incredulously. "What are you doing here? Not that I'm complaining of course I'm just surprised."
"Well. Never mind, I'll tell you later," Christine said turning around. She looked at Erik who had gotten up from beside the organ and was walking towards the small group of women.
Since Madame Giry was the only one that knew that Christine and Meg and her self all loved Erik even if it was in different ways, she was the only one who had a certain, happy thought.
Three young women, who all loved him, now surrounded Erik. For once he had people who wanted to be with him with him. Madame Giry didn't know much about Erik's childhood before the Gypsy Circus. She didn't know about the thoughts that plagued his mind every night.
The memories that reigned and filled his dreams. She didn't know that the time that Christine had kissed him so many months ago, had been the first kiss that he had ever had, from anyone, including his mother.
(A/N) It's a fact that for Erik's fourth birthday he asked for a kiss from his mother, and as far as my knowledge goes (I'm only reading the book now) she didn't give it to him. If I'm wrong please correct me.
Meg ran forward and threw her arms around Erik. Her new father figure hugged her back and smiled at her mother. Meg gave a last squeeze, a little to tight for Erik's broken ribs and pulled away.
Erik, Christine thought disguised the gasp of pain well with a sigh. Madame Giry followed suit, except of course she did it in a more dignified way.
"So Christine. Where is Raoul," Meg said puzzled at the lack of Raoul.
"Hopefully in the lake," Erik muttered walking away. Madame Giry watched his back as he went over to a desk and began shuffling through papers sitting on the desk.
"What does he mean?" asked Meg. They could both tell, because these two French women were not stupid, that there was something going on here of the most appalling nature.
Christine beckoned them to sit down. They grabbed a few random chairs sitting around the room, and sat in front of Christine devoting their full attention to her. And Christine told them. She told them about everything. At the beginning Erik listened because he did not know exactly how the argument had come to pass.
It turned out that Raoul had gotten rather fond of the old ale in his first few months with Christine. He began going to the local bar more and more often, and working his way around the town if you know what I mean.
They had had many arguments, but the one that Erik had stumbled upon had been the worst yet. Christine then went on to tell them of the fight and the lake and Erik saving her.
"Now I owe him my life and my voice," she said finishing her tale with a dramatic ending.
"You don't owe me anything Christine," he said. Over the time that she had been telling her story, Erik had been thinking and had finally come to a decision.
Madame Giry could sense something coming on, and grabbed Meg. "I just remembered, I left the horse outside and I didn't tie it up. Come Meg and help me," she said walking away.
But Meg pulled away. "It is only a horse Mother. Surely you can tie it up yourself?" she said.
"Yes Meg but what if old Achilles has run off? I will need help catching him. Come now," she said pulling Meg away and towards the exit.
"What was that all about?" Christine asked. Erik sighed. Madame Giry could obviously read his mind like a book.
"You do not owe me anything because you are about to repay me by getting out of my life. Where is your house Christine?" Erik asked. He was standing beside the organ and running his fingers over a few keys that dust still covered.
"What do you mean? It's here. I live here. With you," she said. She was very confused now.
"Listen Vicomtess. I saved your life and kept you safe for a while. Now I must take you back to your husband," he said looking up at her. He met her gaze with unfaltering eyes. She was forced to look away in the end.
"But I thought I was staying here. You don't expect me to go back to that thing? I love you," she said almost pleading.
"Look we've been through this. You are his and he is yours. You made your choice, and you can't change your mind whenever you find that you might have made the wrong one. How can you guarantee that you wont decide that you were better off with Raoul after all?" Erik said. All his emotions had been building up inside him for the last three or four months and now they were all being let loose and he couldn't stop them.
"I can't. But don't you trust me?" she said he voice getting higher. "No, I don't" Erik replied simply.
"Now where do you live. Madame Giry will take you back I am sure."
Christine was holding back the tears that threatened to empty over her cheeks again. She wouldn't cry. Not this time, this time she would fight. In these times you died young. If there was someone you loved you went for it, risking everything.
"Listen, I'm sorry okay? I'm sorry for what I've done to you. I'm sorry that I hurt you. But I want to make up for it now. I want to spend my life with you."
"Well I don't," Erik said. "Madame Giry will still be outside, go" he said pointing at the exit.
"I'll walk," she said defiantly and ran out wanting to be out of his sight so that his piercing eyes could not make her feel even guiltier.
Madame Giry and Meg saw Christine run out of the burnt Opera Populaire and around the corner before they could even register what had happened. Meg went to go down to Erik again but the Ballet teacher grabbed her and told her to go home.
Erik watched Christine disappear into the same darkness that had loved him for his whole life. He just prayed that she would be okay. Then the full flow of emotion and realisation of what he had done dawned on him.
He fell to his knees and put his head in his hands, vicious sobs racking his body. Madame Giry stepped quietly out of the shadows to stand by his side. She knelt down beside him and put her arms around him. He leant back into her soft and gentle embrace…
Madame Giry, she had stayed with Erik all night. She loved him so much but she would never tell. Especially Erik, but she was finding it hard to keep her emotions pent up.
It was like she was suffocating to death. Right beside the man that she loved and had protected and saved and she couldn't tell him anything about how she felt.
Well after all, she had never told anyone about how she felt. She had always kept a calm and cool exterior. Her days as a ballet teacher had taught her that discipline was the key to achieving anything. She hoped that if she followed this rule, then that her love for the man would go away. She had been hoping now for too many years.
As she sat beside the broken man, she wanted to tell him everything. She felt that she needed to tell him everything that she knew and felt. She needed him so much. And even though he was right beside her in her arms, he was miles away.
It was hard to stay sane. You know that feeling that you get when you want to say something but you are afraid of the reaction or that the person will freak and say no? That was what Giry was feeling now. Drowning. Trying to slowly build up the courage.
When Erik eventually stopped crying, his eyes where red rimmed and seemed like they were dry and had no more tears to cry.
"It was wrong. I shouldn't have sent her away. Raoul, he could do anything to her," he said through gasping for breath.
Madame Giry shook her head. She agreed with Erik's decision for more than one reason. "No. You made the right choice. After what she done to you, I think that you handled that very well. Trust me I know how you feel," because the truth was that she felt the same way.
She held his arm as he got to his feet. He was now looking down on Madame Giry. Even though he was so much taller than she was, he felt so small. And he looked so helpless. His big, green eyes, looking on her like she was the one thing that he needed now in the whole world. It was a good feeling but painful at the same time.
She took a step towards him and threw her arms around him. He melted into her embrace again. Madame Giry saw that this was the man that she had spent her life with and that she wanted to spend the rest of it with. But he loved Christine. Well, did he? He had after all just sent her away. But that was for their own good, she thought.
She pulled back but kept her arms resting on his shoulders. She moved her hand up to the unmasked side of his face and wiped away a stray tear and brushed back a few strands of his blonde hair. She thought his blonde hair suited him.
Before she knew what she was doing her face moved closer to his. She couldn't stop herself. It was like her heart was controlling her instead of her brain. She couldn't stop her self and in a way she didn't really want to. The hard façade on the outside faded as she moved closer to his lips.
Her lips were about to touch his, but then he pulled away. Realisation hit her. What she was really doing. He had just had his heart broken and she was trying to kiss him. Madness.
She pulled away apologising. Put he put his finger to her lips to silence her.
"I understand. You should have said something. I know what it is like to love someone and trying to hold it in. I can see it in your eyes. I have for a long time. Next time just tell me. But I don't think I'm ready-"
Madame Giry nodded her head in understanding. He finished "Maybe later. But not now," she threw he arms around him. She should have known. It was Erik after all. He knew everything…
I'm really sorry that it is so short but I thought that that would be a good place to end. Also I will post once a week from now on…
O.G