Roxana felt the bitter taste of bile rise in the back of her throat as she fought nausea. She was entirely ready to storm at Erik and claw his eyes out, but she realized she was still holding Jamie and heard Nadir's calm voice behind her.
"Roxana…he did not do this…it's not what you think." He said with such assurance, she turned to look at him in surprise.
"H-how do you know?" She asked and realized she was crying her eyes out. He patted her shoulder.
"Look at him dear. He has no idea where he is, what's going on or even who he is."
"What's the matter Roxana?" Jacqueline's voice came from where she'd draped herself over Erik.
"Surprised that your darling husband would drop his pants for me?" She asked. Roxana practically threw James into Nadir's arms and dove at the girl, pulling her out of the bed by her hair and throwing her naked body to the floor. Roxana realized she had two chunks of the shining black hair clenched in her hands. Erik's eyes began to flutter and it seemed like it was hard for him to open them.
"Roxana…"
"What in the name of Christ is going on here?" Nadir turned to see a small golden haired girl and a young man with sandy brown hair. She had her hands on her hips and leaned in to see what was happening. Her eyes widened.
"Why that little…"
"My brother sent us here to make sure everything was alright and to get out of our house in case Lord Westcliff was looking for me too. Alana is…"
"Garrett!" She stopped him and walked straight into the room. Roxana had Jacqueline pinned down and called out.
"Alana…thank God! Can you put his clothes on for him?" She asked and Alana shrugged, having dealt with her brother and Garrett on numerous occasions. When Raoul had turned eighteen he'd been so drunk, she had to put his night clothes on him and literally drag him to his own room with Rosie's help.
She noticed a something shining under the bed and knelt to see. It was some sort of a syringe.
"Roxy…I found this…" She said displaying it. Nadir gasped at the cloudy leftover liquid.
"Morphine." He said and fire began to blaze in Roxana's nearly ebony eyes.
"You gave my husband morphine?" She asked and to her surprise and even horror, the girl smiled satisfied.
"Didn't think I was that smart, did you?" She asked. "I knew I would get Raoul somehow and I did!" Alana had Erik's pants on and was trying to get his arms through the shirt sleeves. She turned to the obnoxious girl on the floor, throwing her dress at her.
"Put some clothing on will you? Jesus! And I don't see how this got you Raoul. All it did was make you look like a fool and an even bigger whore."
When the girl smiled, Alana could see something had broken behind her eyes and her sanity was lost.
"Don't you see? This is part of my deal with Westcliff. He got rid of Christine while I got rid of Erik so he could marry Roxana."
"What?" Three voices cried in unison. Erik was now fully awake, though his body didn't quite want to function with him. Roxana looked at him hopefully.
"Erik?" She asked and he nodded. Forgetting Jacqueline she got off the girl and ran into his arms. As Jacqueline began to get up, the smaller girl pounced on her with years of experience wrestling her brother and best friend.
"I don't think so Marquet." She said, holding the girl by her shoulders, her arms clenched to her sides with Alana's legs.
Garrett's mouth had dropped open as he watched his small wife leap on the repulsive girl. Instantly, he moved to them and lifted Alana off of her and grabbed the girl who clawed at him so she could not move. Erik was able to sit up and looked at the Daroga.
"Have the innkeeper fetch the police." He said angrily. Jacqueline began to scream like someone gone insane.
"No! Don't you understand? Raoul and I are supposed to be together! She doesn't deserve him! It doesn't matter now." She said laughing hysterically, "She's gone…it's only a matter of time before he comes to his senses." She stopped ranting when Alana's hand came hard across her face.
"Now you listen to me Jacqueline Marquet and you listen good. My brother will never marry you. Never! Did you honestly think he would give up on Christine so easily?" She asked coldly. Erik too, got into the girl's face.
"What have you done with her?" He asked desperately, nudging Alana away and shaking the girl by the shoulders. "You answer me right now goddamnit! Now!" Jacqueline grinned.
"She's going to kill herself tonight. It will be an operatic tragedy." She said and before she could say anything else, the police rushed in the room. Everyone gave their brief version of what had happened and she was cuffed and taken away screaming.
"Roxana…I am so sorry." Erik said, pulling her into a crushing embrace.
"No, I should be sorry…I almost believed the worst Erik! How could I when I know you would never do that?" He kissed her lips, straightening her ruffled hair.
"I do love you though." He said and she nodded.
"I love you too…" Nadir placed James in Roxana's arms and patted Erik's back. He looked at the young couple who had come to their aid.
"Thank you…"
"Alana." She said, knowing he had no clue what her name was. He laughed.
"Oh good. I was going to call you Rosaline." He said and she shrugged.
"It happens."
"Erik," Roxana said, squeezing his hand. "We have to find Christine and God knows what's going on with Meg." She said.
"Actually Brett went to look for her." Garrett said shyly. Roxana's mouth dropped.
"Alone?" She asked and he nodded.
"Damn." Erik said, "But you're right. First Christine. Andrew won't hurt Meg. She's carrying his heir."
"Oh Erik…where could she be?" Alana asked fearfully. He thought a moment and Jacqueline's words rang in his mind. An operatic tragedy…
"Jesus Christ."
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"Oh! Oh God! Help me…somebody…" Meg clutched her stomach as she began to pant. The contractions were closer together and more intense now as she lay in the fetal position, sobbing. Maman…I'm going to die…I love you…Brett…I love you…Christine…
"Meg?" The sound was muffled but someone had definitely said her name and it was definitely a man. His voice was gentler than Andrew's. "Meg!" The voice screamed. He was here. He was looking for her.
"Brett…" She said weakly, ripped again by contractions. "Brett!" She cried again hitting the floor. "Brett!"
"Meg?" The voice was closer.
"Brett, I am in the attic…I'm trapped! I'm…I'm…oh!" She cried falling to her side again in pain.
"Hold on Meg, I am coming!" He said and she could hear him hitting at the lock on the door until finally she heard it break and the trapdoor to the attic flew upward. He almost couldn't see her lying there in the dark corner of the attic but the cloud over the moon moved, and her small form was illuminated, her face clenched in pain.
"Meg!" He cried, rushing to her side. She opened her eyes, looking up at him. Her face was bruised, she was sweating and her hair was matted to her forehead. "What's wrong Meg?" He asked, rolling her onto her back. She took a long breath.
"I'm…the baby's coming now."
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They ran into Raoul coming out of the tavern. He was hysterical.
"Christine! She's gone! They took her and…" Erik nodded.
"We know…I know where she is." He said and Raoul looked at him.
"How?" He asked and Roxana adjusted James on her hip.
"Jacqueline drugged Erik to make it look like he'd slept with her and spat it all out. Sort of." Erik pulled back his sleeve to show Raoul where she'd jabbed in the needle. It was badly bruised.
They took a cab to the Opera Populaire and instructed Roxana and Alana to wait inside the carriage while they went to look for Christine. A female scream rang through the air, nearly stopping both Erik and Raoul's hearts. Roxana craned her neck to see and something caught her eye.
"Look!" She cried, pointing to the roof. Christine was teetering on the edge, blindfolded, gagged and her hands tied together.
"Christine!" Raoul cried, and Erik thought if one thing could kill him, it would be seeing Christine plunge to her death.
"Christine listen to me," He cried up to her, "Do not move. Raoul and I are coming up."
As they ran into the opera, a male voice greeted them.
"I have been expecting you Chagny, though I must say you sir, Destler, are a surprise." Andrew stepped out of the shadows, gun in hand.
"You're supposed to be dead by now." He said, eyeing the bruise on Erik's arm.
"Yes well, you didn't think a little morphine would kill me? I used to be an addict." He said with his arms crossed.
"How unlucky for me." Andrew said, his wedding ring gleaming in the moonlight.
"Something's wrong…it's taking them too long to get up there." Roxana said after a few minutes. She handed Jamie to Alana.
"Can you watch my son?" She asked and the girl nodded. Cautiously entering the building she could faintly hear Andrew's voice.
"Damn…" She wanted to go stop him, but she had to get to Christine first. She met Erik's eyes and begged him to let her go to Christine with hers. He nodded toward the back and she followed the dark halls to the costume room, where a winding staircase ascended.
Stepping into the cool night air, she whispered.
"Christine? Christine!" Slowly Christine's head turned toward her.
"It's me! Roxana. Do not move." She said and carefully made her way to the edge where Christine stood. Wrapping her arms around Christine's waist, she lifted her and set her on the ground behind the ledge, ripping the gag from her mouth. Christine let out a long breath.
"Raoul! Meg! Erik!" She choked and when Roxana removed the blindfold, she saw that it was soaked and Christine's eyes were red from crying.
"Oh Christine! She cried, hugging the girl and undoing the ropes at her slender wrists.
"Andrew has them at gunpoint downstairs. I don't know where Meg is. Brett went to find her. Alana and Garrett Reynolds are watching James in our cab." She whispered. Christine grabbed her hands.
"What about Jacqueline…she wants Raoul."
"Jacqueline is in jail." Roxana replied and relief filled Christine's eyes. Roxana gasped in horror as the roof door began to open. Christine pulled her wrist and they crouched together, holding each other behind Apollo's Lyre.
"Which of you wants to die first?" Andrew asked, backing them against the ledge. Erik calmly looked around, knowing every inch of this place. Taking a cautious glance over the edge he was relieved to see that Christine had not fallen to her death.
"Andrew, you don't have to do this…" Raoul said, looking for Christine. Andrew laughed.
"I suppose it will be more fun to kill you first Chagny, and then watch Destler die last. Maybe I'll make it a slow death…"
"Andrew stop this! Now!" They all turned as Roxana emerged from the shadows, fists clenched.
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"I…can't…breathe…" Meg gasped as she lay on her back in her bed against Brett, his legs around her. He'd sent one of the servants to find a doctor.
"It will be alright love…relax…" He said, having absolutely no clue about what the hell he was talking about.
"I'm going to die…" She moaned. He smoothed her hair back and kissed her cheek.
"Oh Meg…I thought you didn't…I can't believe he blackmailed you like this…" He said. She turned to look up at him.
"I could never have forgiven myself if he…"
"I know." He kissed her lips. "I'm here now. I'm not leaving."
"Monsieur Reynolds, we found a doctor." A maid said and he nodded, motioning for them to bring him in. The man was a younger doctor maybe in his early forties. He looked at Meg and raised an eyebrow.
"Dear God…what has she been through?" He asked and Brett only shook his head.
"It's a long story."
"Well, then, let's take a look shall we?" He asked, crouching where her legs were spread. His eyebrows raised but he nodded.
"What is it?" She asked as Brett got out from behind her and propped the pillows there.
"You're ready to push already…monsieur, if you could hold her leg for her?" To her surprise the pushing didn't seem as bad as the contractions. After about ten minutes, the doctor looked up and told her that the head was fully out. She wanted to go to sleep, so exhausted she could barely see straight. When the doctor saw her eyes drooping, he shook his head.
"No no! We still have to get the shoulders out sweetheart." He said and Brett offered Meg his hand, which she took and bore down on.
The shoulders took longer, but finally she felt a small relief as the body left hers and instantly began to cry.
"It's big!" Brett said, looking at the shiny uncleaned baby.
"It's early." Meg said and the doctor shrugged.
"Sometimes you just get a bigger baby." He brushed the baby off and moved to clean it a bit, wrapping it in a cotton blanket.
"Congratulations Madame, you have a son."
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"Roxana." Andrew said as he saw her. Her arms had gone protectively around her middle. "Don't you try anything…I will kill him right now." Her eyes shot death at him.
"I know you killed Justin you bastard…you think killing my second husband will get you any further with me? I would kill myself before I would ever marry you! You raped me! Goddamnit, you tore my life away from me…and you want me to marry you!" He turned toward her and growled.
"I deserved you! I was the one who deserved you! After you told your father about what happened at Christmas…he came after me! He said he was going to have me put into a mental institution! I took care of that right away…that's right Roxana! I killed your father, and I would do it again! You were supposed to love me!"
"Enough! You have a wife who is carrying your child. You have your money, what do you want with me?" She asked and he screamed into the night,
"Because you are mine!" She looked at him no longer with anger but with pity and shook her head.
"Never Andrew. Never." She said dully and such rage filled his eyes he cocked the gun and turned toward Erik and fired a shot. Before anyone knew what had happened three names were yelled out at the same time.
"Erik!"
"Roxana!"
"Raoul!"