Chapter 8: Hope to Gain

Meg's POV

Meg and Erik were urged inside by none other than the Persian, the one with the Evil Eye that was so often seen at the Opera. "What were you thinking, Erik?" He hissed, handing Erik a mask. "Did you not see them? They were staring at you. Haven't the years of…of learning that you can't be accepted by them taught you anything?"

Meg stared from Erik to the Persian, wondering how they were connected. Erik gently lowered the Persian's raised hand with the mask.

"I have learned that there are many people who will find me hideous, but I also learned that there is going to be at least one person who will accept me as I am. And I love her, Daroga."

The Persian, or Daroga, looked at Erik then slowly down at Meg. Meg curtsied the best she could without sucking in a breath due to the abdominal pain.

Daroga's eyes seemed to widen and he sat in a recliner chair. "Dear Allah, Erik, not again, do you ever listen to your own vows? You vowed to never love again."

"I'm not above human emotion, Daroga. Meg has told me that she loved me long before I loved her in return."

Daroga rubbed his temples. "This is madness."

"Is it really?" Meg asked. Daroga and Erik turned to her. "I believe that God died for us so that we can have a second chance at life. He wasn't deformed like Erik, but he was even more so an outcast than Erik was. God loved us enough to send his son to die for us. If I was certain that God would grant my one wish, it would be that those who are shown no mercy would find it somewhere. Many people ask for things that are useless if you think about it. As for me, I only asked that I could be the one who would reach out to the oppressed. I want them to know that God never abandoned them."

Daroga began to laugh. "You are a foolish girl. No one would listen to a young woman."

"Unless," Erik said, his face reflected his thoughts. "Unless, Meg's voice multiplies, no one will listen. But if we get people to care about what happens to the oppressed, then we can convince people to open up their eyes to reality."

"It is madness!" Daroga shouted.

Erik's POV

Erik didn't know where this sudden calmness came, but as Daroga shot down Meg's hopes, Erik stood. "I'm not asking you to understand, Daroga. Just to be open to the possibility that it can be done."

"That's the thing, Erik. First you come here telling me that you and a young woman are in love, and then that the two of you could possibly pose as an example to others. How do you plan to do this? How can you expect to provide for her? You can't keep her locked underground."

"I don't intend too," Erik countered. Daroga grabbed Erik by the collar and dragged him into another room.

"What do you think you are doing? Are you mad? I thought you would have learned that people will kill you if you kept up like this," Daroga shouted.

Erik grabbed Daroga by the shirt collar, "Will you listen for once!? What goes through your mind every day? What makes you think that I can't be loved? Yet here I stand, truly loved by someone for once! I knew you wouldn't approve, but you're usually not so stubborn to my decisions!" Erik shouted, but his voice lowered to a growl. He let go of Daroga and sat on the closest chair.

Daroga started to laugh. "I always listen, Erik. I worry about you and the people in contact with you. I know that you are cared for, though you may not know it. Actually I was shocked by Mlle. Giry's statement. I'm stubborn because in a sense, you're my brother." (AN: metaphorically speaking that is, come on! Daroga was able to keep Erik's profile low over the years).

Erik looked at Daroga and smiled. "It comforts me to know that I have a brother, some-what. So you give in?"

"I guess so. It's not like I can really win when you put it the way you did earlier."

"So you will help?"

"Fight oppression of the poor? No. There is nothing I can do there. I am Muslim, Erik. No one will listen to me especially. But I will keep this affair of yours secret."

"It is hardly secret any more; the Phantom and the Dancer. Meg's mother knows, Mme and Mlle. Jammes, the de Chagney widow," Erik paused. He forgot that Christine saw him kill her husband. She was bound to lead a mob to Metz.

"The de Chagney widow?" Daroga asked, paling. "Erik, did you kill the Vicomte?"

"Yes…I did…" Erik whispered. He stood and headed toward the door.

"Erik, you and Meg can't just flee."

"Why not? We already fled Paris."

"You will get caught eventually, and even if you don't, you would have to flee France all together just so that you and Meg can live without fear. Live in a place that is unfamiliar to Meg or yourself."

"I adapt easily."

"Erik, think about Meg? Yes, she was able to adapt to Metz, but Metz isn't another country, Erik. How can you be sure that since Meg can adapt to another city, that she can adapt an entirely different country?"

He's right, Erik thought, Meg might not be able to understand America or Spain like I would. I have to let this go. It's time I stopped running.

"Alright, Daroga. We'll rally Metz to stand against Paris."

"Erik, getting others involved is not the answer either. I'm sure that people here will be touched by your passion, but I doubt that it will be enough to face a mob," Daroga reasoned.

Erik opened the door and headed back to Meg.

Meg's POV

Meg watched Erik come out and he gave her a small smile. "Shall we head home?" He asked. Meg nodded.

She let Erik lead her back to their flat. Something was wrong; she could feel the tension around Erik as they walked. He said nothing as they climbed the stairs.

"Erik, what is wrong?"

"Christine is still alive. I should have at least made her loose her memory if not kill her. She's probably gathering a mob as we speak," Erik explained.

Meg took a breath and exhaled.

"Beauty and Beast shouldn't give up," Meg turned to the speaker. A little girl looked at them from behind a pole. "If Beast dies, than Beauty won't be able to live. Beast has to become the prince."

Meg looked at Erik. His face was expressionless.

"You are not frightened?" He asked the child.

She shook her head. "I know that Beast is really a prince under a spell. The fairy did this to him."

Meg kneeled and looked at the child. "What is your name?"

"Carressa," she answered. When Meg tried to get a closer look at Carressa, the child ran off into her flat. Erik and Meg headed back to their own flat. All the while, Meg wondered why the child would call them such. Beauty and Beast…Meg did go to Erik voluntarily, but not because her mother was threatened by Erik. She went because she wanted to see Erik's legacy live on at least a little while longer.