The Angel Sees, The Angel Knows

Erik's Eyes:

My insides were aflame. It had taken only a single moment, the moment in which Firmin had taken hold of my daughter with a bruising force, for the caged Phantom inside me to take over once again. Somehow Angelique knew and had sung the song that I had composed within my Opera for Christine. Once the initial daze that Angelique's magnificent voice had created, dissipated into the silence, a confused fear took hold. Firmin was the first to act upon that fear. He grabbed my daughter by the arms and roared into her ear as she innocently pleaded that she knew nothing.

He was using far too much force against her and it made murderous thoughts return to my mind. I watched as she desperately pleaded, admitting that she knew nothing, which I knew was true. My fury threatened to turn onto myself as I reminded myself that the terror that the song created within Firmin was because of my own past actions. But blaming myself would do nothing and I knew that immediately.

I paced madly for a few minutes, contemplating what form of action to execute. I knew that doing anything at all would put my entire family in danger, but the sound of my baby girl in such terror made me go mad with fury.

My eyes rested upon the nearest rope that was attached to a backdrop. I felt my own mouth form a sly and arrogant smile at the thought of pulling one of the Phantom's old tricks. I was just about to let it fall when Madame Giry came to Angelique's aid. I silently blessed the woman's cleverness, knowing that it would save me so much hassle. I remained noiselessly hidden as Madame Giry mended the situation and Angelique was escorted out on the arm of the Opera's patron, Raoul following at their heels. Noticing that it would be slightly suspicious if I were to return right when she did, I decided to man an appearance for one member of my old audience.

From the flies, it was easy to see the actions of all people in the vicinity, and I watched as Madame Giry excused herself and headed for her room. Simultaneously, I took a hidden passageway that connected to the dormitories. I then found the hidden mechanism that would admit me to her room, through a secret panel just next to her armoire. I pressed the device softly causing the panel slide open for me and I walked into the room confidently.

She was sitting in a cushioned chaise facing me. I was not surprised to see her eyes on mine as I entered her room. In fact, it was somewhat humorous to see that even though I had not seen her in years, we still knew each other well enough for each other's actions to be predictable. The pane slid back into place behind me as I looked at the one friend I felt I could still trust outside of my family.

"Erik…" She said softly with a smile.

"Antoinette…" I responded warmly, using her informal title. She got up slowly to give me a firm embrace. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders as well, but feeling her grip being somewhat weaker than what I remembered it to be, I loosened my grasp as well. We released each other, I more gently than necessary, and with a smile offered her my arm to ease her back into the chair. She looked at me for a moment as if to be stubborn, but then gave in and sat down stiffly. I had to admit that I had not expected her to be showing her age.

"Erik…You cannot know how happy I am to see you alive and well…"

"Yes, you as well, my friend..." I said softly.

There was a slight pause in which Antoinette seemed to struggle with her words before she finally blurted out, "Erik! What in God's name do you think you are doing here?"

I was caught off guard by her boldness. "Excuse me?"

"Do not play me for a fool, Erik…I may be older but I am no less intelligent for it!"

She usually was very careful of my temper, but it seemed as if she no longer cared that I might become angry with her. She had something else on her mind that was far too important to her.

"I am afraid that I am slightly confused as to your meaning…" I said with a interrogating look.

"Coming back? Bringing your daughter? Teaching her to sing like you? AND NOT TO MENTION ALLOWING HER TO SING THAT SONG? ARE YOU INSANE?"

I had to restrain a laugh that threatened to escape from my mouth. To all, Madame Giry was the picture perfect example of self-control, poise and reason and I had never even seen her lose her composure in all the years we had known eachother; the sight of her in near panic now, nearly made me double over with laughter. "Giry, please!" I chuckled softly, "You don't understand the situation here. I am not intending to return to life in those retched cellars any time soon…unless, of course I am forced into hiding and you know me…I am rarely forced into anything…"

"Then what on earth were you doing so visibly in the flies? Someone could have seen you!"

"Nonsense! The only reason you even saw me was because my daughter has immensely strong senses, much like my own…"

"Your daughter…" she said it as softly as a prayer.

"Yes, my beloved friend…" I took a step closer to where she sat and smiled contentedly. "I have a wife and a family at last!"

Her eyes became misted as she said, "Oh, ERIK! I have wished such a happiness to fall upon you since the first time I met you!"

"I know…and I will never be able to tell you how much that alone meant to me throughout the harder years of my existence!"

"Tell me about them! Tell me about her!"

I smiled again, "Gabrielle is the most extraordinary woman I have ever known! How we fell in love is a somewhat complicated story which would take far more time than what we have, and so I will wait to tell you that tale at a later date. None the less, I love her more than life itself…she is beyond beautiful and why she chose me, I still have yet to realize, but she loves me deeply in return. We've been married for nineteen years, although four of those years were when we were separated…because of…the…the fire…" I gulped down a lump that had formed at the memory of that damned day the cottage burned down with me inside of it. "Everybody thought that I had died within that fire…even Gabrielle…and yet, she remained loyal to me, giving birth to Angelique during my absence. I was able to find Gabrille again and now, as long as I remain mostly hidden, we are all safe together. We now live with Raoul in his manor, with my two daughters, Angelique and Caroline and our son, Jaime."

"Three?"

I laughed robustly. "Yes, three…for now," I added, blushing slightly.

"And your daughter Angelique?"

"…genuinely wanted to become a dancer, from her own free will…and since I have become softer in my old age, I could not deny my daughter something she so desperately wanted and worked for. She was born with that extraordinary voice…her mother has a voice that was naturally phenomenal as well and so neither encouragement nor coaching was required from me. It was your probing that forced her to sing…she knows nothing of who I once was…nor should she ever know…"

"So you were merely here…to…?"

"…be the sensed presence around her to help her dance her best…to support her…nothing more…"

"The song?"

I paused. "I honestly don't know how she knows it…"

"That was nearly a catastrophe!"

"Yes…I have yet to thank you for your quick thinking…" I said, sitting lightly on the edge of her bed.

"Yes, had you dropped that backdrop your entire family would be in serious danger…"

"Yes…may I ask as to how you knew I had thought of releasing the backdrop?" I asked even though I knew the answer anyway.

"Your daughter led my eyes to your pacing form…and I know you well enough to know how your head works…"

I laughed and she smiled softly, but became serious as she reached her hand into the pocket of her skirt. I eyed her hand curiously as she pulled it out, a crumpled piece of paper held within it. She slowly got up and I made to help her be she gave me a stern look, telling me to remain as I was. I complied, but only after a moment of stubbornly glaring at her.

She approached the place where I sat on the bed and closed her hand around my wrist. She brought my open palm out in front of her, placing the crumpled paper into my hand and closing my fingers around it using hers.

"This should belong to you…I am sorry but I had to…"

I looked at the solemn look in her eyes and then back at the paper. I began uncurling it gently, all the while ignoring the somewhat loud crackling noise it made. Within my hand I held the file which Antoinette had begun on Angelique. I scanned the page half-heartedly until my eyes encountered the line titled 'parents/guardians'. My breath caught in my throat as I read my name on the line beneath it. I looked up at Antoinette, wondering why she had given this to me, but she looked away quickly before speaking.

"I am so sorry Erik! Truly I am! But for safety sake, I had to quickly write a new file to give to the managers which named her father as Raoul. I stuffed the old one within my skirts to hide it from them…so that they would believe that you were dead…if they read a name other than Raoul's under parents, they would have known that I was lying…It was the only way to save your Angelique. Please forgive me, Erik! I was only thinking to save you all! I would never wish any harm upon you or your family."

I felt the fury building up inside me, and I tried to fight it as best I could, but my attempts failed. I growled a little too loudly and Antoinette jumped a mile out of her chair.

"Erik PLEASE! Don't take this so poorly!"

"AND HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT? MY DAUGHTER is now believed to be the child of that worthless, disrespectful, whelp! What? Am I supposed to jump for joy? Well if you were expecting that, than I am afraid that I will have to let you down! FOR I WILL NOT ACT AS IF THIS IS A GOOD THING!"

"ERIK! PLEASE!"

I looked at her, rage blazing behind my gaze and she recoiled as if terrified. Immediately I felt my anger dissipate. I would never purposely frighten her. She had the best of intentions behind all her actions and needless to say, I still wanted her guidance.

"Forgive me, Antoinette…" I began lamely.

"Already done, Erik…I must say that your temper has become somewhat harnessed over the years…do I have Gabrielle to thank for that, or the children?" She had quickly turned the topic light again, the clever old woman!

"Both, I am sure…."

"So what will you do now?"

"I will go home…murder Raoul and take my family to Switzerland…" I joked, my tone insincerely serious. She laughed hesitantly.

"But truthfully…you will not harm Raoul, will you? He can be a good man…he may be somewhat selfish, but it's not like he is purposely causing these incidents…"

I balked at those words. Could Raoul have planned that out? I didn't think him to be that schooled in manipulation, but perhaps… I shook the thought out of my head. I would run the idea by Gabrielle later, see if she thought it to be possible.

"I promise I will not harm Raoul, I was merely joking…Oh, before I forget, there is to be a congratulation party for Angelique and I would be honored if you would come!"

"A party? At the manor?"

"Indeed…"

"Who is invited?"

"The whole city of Paris, I am certain…but you know Raoul and his extravagance…who is to say that all of France will not come?" I said irritably.

"I see…you are not to be a part of this, are you?"

"No…I am the only person within Paris not invited to my own daughter's party…"

"Raoul must still be upset about Christine if he means to force you into hiding for an entire evening…"

"Oh no…he means to take over the role of father for all the city to see, while I am off hiding in shame of my face, as I have done all my life!" She looked somewhat confused.

"Why would he want your family? Is he not happy with his daughter alone? What would make him do this…?"

"Gabrielle…he wants my Gabrielle as his own…and he feels as if my children should be his…in my absence after the fire, he fell for my wife and now he seeks to claim them as his own as if I were truly dead."

She looked appalled. "He would do that? That cannot be! That's not who Raoul is! Why would he change his character so late in his life?"

"I must have not described the perfection and beauty of my wife well enough to you, Madame…"

"You do not merely want me there to enjoy myself, do you?"

"Nonsense! I want nothing more than for you to have a good time, meeting Raoul's wife and Raoul's four children! All the while commenting on the irony of only one of the children looking like their father!" I said sarcastically.

"You want me to watch him…"

"Like a hawk…It should be easy enough…No one will suspect you of being the Opera Ghost's eyes!"

She smiled at that thought. "Of course, Erik…I would be delighted to go to your daughter's party…when shall it take place?"

"Most likely within the week. I will see to it that you receive a formal invitation…also not a hard task." I stood up and walked towards the armoire, before turning back to face Antoinette. My eyes nearly filled with tears at the sight of her, becoming my friend once again as if no time had passed and I had not nearly become mad and killed many people after the last time I saw her, when I was on stage that terrible night, long ago. "Antoinette…I…"

"Hush, Erik! You need not say anything! Go back to your family and leave everything to me…I will not allow more injustice to occur as far as you are concerned. You are my friend, regardless of anything that may have happened!"

"Thank you, Antoinette!"

"My pleasure, Erik! Farewell!"

"Bonne soir!"

I left her quickly, so she did not see the stream of tears cascading down the unmasked side of my face and followed the hidden passageways until I was once again in my cellar, where I allowed myself to cry, before calming myself and returning home.