Author's Note: I will try to make this chapter longer and more appealing. Promise.

Chapter Two

A knock on my door woke me. I opened my eyes drowsily, annoyed with who wouldn't let me sleep. I got up, yawning and opened the door, seeing Jude. "Yes?"

"You look tired. Did I wake you?"

I raised my eyebrows and pursed my lips a bit. "No," I said sarcastically.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. I wanted to tell you that…I'm leaving."

"What? Leaving- what do you mean?"

"It's, uh… It's Aurora. I've proposed to her, and I'm leaving for England, tonight," Jude explained.

I smiled, brightly. "Oh, Jude, I'm so happy for you!" I wrapped my arms around him. I loved him like I loved my brother (who is unfortunately not with me anymore). "Congratulations."

"Well, I wanted to do some things with you today," he said, pulling away from the hug.

I nodded. "I'll be out in a minute."

Jude smiled and stepped away from the door.

I closed the door and quickly changed into one of my mother's dresses, which was too small for her. It was a bit casual, but still very pretty.

I walked out of the room. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"Would you mind visiting my parents' grave with me?"

"Of course, Jude."

We began down the hall when my mother stepped out of her room. "Oh, hello Judas, Emily," she greeted, rather flatly. She wasn't usually this…quiet.

"Hello, mother!" I said, cheerily.

Jude dipped his head, politely. "Madame Durand."

"Always the gentleman, Judas."

His cheeks flushed pink. I stifled a small giggle, covering my mouth, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Where are you two off to?" my mother asked.

"Jude's proposed to Aurora. Isn't it wonderful?" I exclaimed, but not too loudly. "But, he's leaving for England tonight."

"You'll make a find husband to her. I know it," Mother said. Jude was like a son to her, and she loved him just as much as she had my brother. She gave Jude a quick hug. "We'll miss you dearly."

He nodded with a faint smile.

"I'll be back soon," I said to my mother.

She gave a weak smile and started off in the opposite direction of ourselves.

We walked to the doors of the Opera Populair, Jude's carriage waiting for us. We walked outside and climbed in the carriage.

It was quiet…rather awkward, really.

"What's Aurora like?" I said, fumbling with my words. I tried to strike up a conversation, hoping he wouldn't stay as quiet as he was today.

Jude looked up, breaking away from his daydream. "Pardon?"

"Aurora. What's she like?" I repeated.

His face lit up with a smile and his dark brown eyes seemed a shade lighter. "Oh, she's wonderful! So kind and generous, but still as feisty as you are, Emily."

I smiled with him. "She sounds just great. You'll be very happy with her, I'm sure."

He nodded, still smiling. He looked off, out of the window, dreaming about his future wife.

OoOoOoOoOo

The carriage stopped and Jude opened the door, getting out. He offered me his hand, helping me out. I gladly took it and stepped out. We walked through the gates of the cemetery. There was a large tomb with letters on it that said, "Gustave Daae"- the father of the famous opera singer, Christine Daae. I didn't know much about her, nor did I want to know. I've learned that knowing too much just leads to trouble.

Over to our right, there was a large angel tombstone. It was marked, "Antoine and Melrose DeLouis"

Jude walked over and fell to his knees. He stared at the graves. I could see tears in his eyes, on the verge of falling.

He sniffed and I knelt next to him, putting a hand gingerly on his shoulder. I said nothing, only prayed with him.

"I'll never see this grave again…" he whispered.

"That's not true! You'll visit, won't you?" I said.

Jude shrugged. "I'm… I'm not sure. Aurora may want to stay in England to care for her father."

"Well… Visit once you have a child. I would love to meet them and see you again…" I trailed off and soon just hugged him. Tears rolled down my cheeks. "I wish you weren't leaving."

He did not hug me back, but prayed silently.

I got to my feet and he did the same. I noticed tears falling down his cheeks. "Shall we go?" I asked, quietly.

He nodded, choking back a sob. Using the back of his hand, he quickly wiped tears from his eyes and cheeks. I guessed he hoped I hadn't noticed.

I shook my head a bit. "Cheer up. We'll see each other again. You'll see mother and father again, too."

I looked at me, a vague smile on his face.

As he walked me to the carriage I looked back for one split second at Gustave Daae's grave. I shook the thoughts away- as time progressed I became more and more interested in the strange story.

OoOoOoOoOo

The Managers' POV

"Terrible! Terrible! An absolute, utter, disaster! What will we tell Mademoiselle Durand?" Monsieur Richard Firmin, one of the managers of the opera paced through the foyer.

"Think, Richard. Think!" Monsieur Gilles Andre paced along with him. "She'll be broken…"

"She will not take it lightly, Andre," Monsieur Firmin said. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, no doubt. We must think of something."

A few hours after Emily and Jude had left for the day, her parents, Joseph and Collette Durand, were found strangled to death in Madame Durand's dressing room. It was a disaster! Collette Durand was the lead for the opera. Why they were murdered, no one knew. Madame Durand's maid said she saw a dark man leave the room just as she turned the corner to check on her. Scared she ran to the managers and reported the affair.

Emily's POV

Jude laughed as we rode back to the opera house in the carriage.

"Do you remember the days when we would run outside in the rain and play in the mud?" Jude recalled. He smiled at the memories he was so fond of.

I smiled and laughed, "Oh… Mother was so angry when we came in, drenched and covered in mud."

When the carriage stopped, we walked out and climbed the steps to the Opera Populair, smiling. My arm was linked in his as we opened the door.

"Ah! Mademoiselle Durand!" Monsieur Andre greeted in a skittish fashion.

"Good afternoon, Monsieur Andre," I greeted.

"We, ah, have some…bad news, I'm afraid," Monsieur Firmin said.

My smile faded. "What is it? My mother's not sick, is she?"

"Well, mademoiselle, you see…" Monsieur Firmin didn't know how to phrase it.

"Your parents were found…murdered this morning. We're terribly sorry," said Monsieur Andre, shakily.

I stopped breathing. My heart pounded lightly and my eyes moved to the floor. Dead? How could this be? Who would murder them?

"W-What? No. It must be a mistake," I stuttered.

Monsieur Firmin shook his head, gravely. "I'm afraid not, mademoiselle."

My hands covered my nose and mouth as I stifled a sob, "No…"

Jude looked at me and took my hands away from my face. "Emily-"

"No, Jude," I snapped. "Just…" My words trailed off and I ran away from the three of them. No one could comfort my sorrow. I wished for this all to be a dream that I would wake up and see my mother and father again. I longed to see my mother's face and hear my father's voice. But I would never again see them.

I know it sounds kind of cliché that her parents were murdered, but set that aside. It's for the story. It will get better…I hope.