Chapter Thirteen
Another Escape

Eloise closed her final textbook and shoved it back into her satchel. She would have to sell it to someone before her journey back to Canada. She had another three months to go, but leaving now would do her more justice than staying. She could feel the weight of the events that had happened to her affecting her slowly. Just as she had looked before, the bags under her eyes had returned from sleeplessness and her knees were still bruised severely from the night she returned. The bow her mother had given her lay inside her satchel but Eloise refused to wear it. She was still slightly scarred by the day where she learned her mother's house had been abandoned for years and Gustave had told her that he no longer loved her. She quickly glanced over at Brigitte's bed and smiled, grateful that she was not here tonight.

During the past two weeks, Eloise had witnessed Brigitte spiral in and out of madness. She seemed troubled as to why Eloise was so lucky to raise her marks and fall in love with a ghost and utterly repulsed at how she could love back such a monster. Brigitte had mentioned that her mother knew the Vicomte, and the only reason she had visited was because she wanted to see an old 'family friend'. Eloise knew better than that, and although Brigitte's motives seemed pure enough, Eloise knew she had horrid motives behind her later actions. Helping Raoul capture Gustave was nowhere near pure and definitely out of character. She wondered what had come over her friend so quickly that she decided Gustave did not deserve a happy life. At least, she had assumed it was a happy life. She never dreamed that Gustave could have been so unhappy with the love Eloise had offered him. In fact, she was sure that she was the only love he'd everhad. He was definitely hers… What was so wrong about that? Why was it such a crime that she loved him? Had his parents not found love the same way?

Eloise refused to cry and stared out her window to the Opera house. A crowd of people were filtering in to see the newest production. The Opera Populaire had never looked so magnificent in all the days Eloise had laid eyes upon it. She just wished that Gustave could have been beside her to see his Opera fill with an eager audience. She left the window open to hear the crowd's conversations, the music that filled the halls of the theatre and the cars that zoomed carelessly past.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" A voice suddenly whispered from the window.
Eloise turned to find a young man perched on the ledge, his silhouette oh so familiar. "Gustave!" She gasped, running to embrace him after pulling him down from the windowsill. She stopped herself before Gustave could think things had mended themselves. Although she missed him dearly, and cared for him, his words still rang in her ears.
"How did you –?"
"Raoul wasn't paying much attention to me and I," Gustave cleared his throat and looked into Eloise's eyes, "I missed you."
"I thought you hated me." Eloise muttered, pushing him aside. Why had he returned so suddenly as if nothing had happened?
"Eloise, I –" Suddenly Gustave remembered why he had been so angry with her. "Why did you confront Raoul about my father?"
Eloise seemed wounded again, "You told me you were The Phantom of the Opera!" She shouted. "I was terrified of the stories my mother used to tell me of him when I was a child…" Eloise took a deep breath hoping it would calm her down. "Did you expect me to hide all this from the world? It was too much to take in!" She stared into the night, "I care for you too much to bear the thought that I've upset you." Eloise found herself feeling sorrowful again. "I'm sorry."
"Do not apologize," Gustave begged, watching Eloise ponder over all the events that had taken place. He had finally returned and what was she to do? Forget him completely and carry on with her life, pretending that the Phantom of the Opera and the theatre ghost were nothing but the stories her mother used to speak of?
"Do you expect me to run away with you now?" Eloise asked, "Madame Jo has the building surrounded by eight o'clock, so we only have so much time."
"I came to apologize," Gustave admit, "but you may do as you please." He added coldly.
"I want -" Eloise stopped herself, she wasn't quite sure what exactly she wanted at the moment. She knew she wanted a life with Gustave, but she wasn't sure that was what Gustave wanted. She would hate to force him into something he never wanted, just as Raoul had.

Suddenly, her attention was caught by the sound of footsteps. It was too late for any visitors; it could only be Brigitte at this time.
Gustave's eyes widened as he realized somebody was about to come into the room. Without any warning, he jumped back out the window, causing Eloise to scream.
"Eloise!?" Brigitte shouted, bursting through the door.
Eloise was covering her mouth and leaning against the window sill, which she shut quickly before Brigitte could investigate further. What had happened to Gustave? She could feel her heartbeat pounding against her chest.
"What happened?" Brigitte asked, combing her hair and pulling off her slippers. "It's almost time for bed,"
"I know." Eloise snapped, "I was looking at the Opera."
"Miss your ghost?" Brigitte laughed, "He wasn't good for you anyways." She walked around her bed and began to open the window before Eloise grabbed her hand.
"Don't." She warned, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice.
"Why not?" Brigitte laughed pulling her hand away and opening the window. "No visitors are allowed Eloise."
"Watch what you say, Brigitte." Eloise warned, looking down to the streets for any sign of Gustave. It was nearly eight, where could he have gone?
"He was never good for you." Brigitte added quickly, climbing onto her bed. "He wasn't good for my mother either…"
"What?" She asked, staring back at Brigitte with a confused look on her face, "Your mother?"
"The Phantom, I mean. Not your ghost…"
"Why not?"
"She, told me once she just wanted his attention..."
"Why would she want The Phantom's attention?"
"She was in one of his best shows back at Phantasma, but he was too busy caring for Christine."
"They loved each other, Brigitte… I'm sure your mother was fantastic –"
"I have no trouble believing that – it's just," Eloise could tell Brigitte was holding back tears, "when my father died, she began ignoring us. She was so happy before, I kept blaming it on her encounters with the Phantom."
"You were so eager to go to the Opera though, you didn't even believe in the theatre ghost…"
"I didn't want to." Brigitte murmured, "I didn't want to think that he was back! That he even existed in the first place…"
"But –"
"You made me believe in him. And I hated you for it…"
Eloise felt Brigitte's words shatter her spirit, what had she done but care for her friend? "Brigitte, I am truly sorry if I ruined something for you. I was just trying to find my place in this mess. I didn't ask for any of this to happen – it just, did."
"Well, none of it can be taken back, can it?" Brigitte mentioned bitterly.
"I suppose not," Eloise smiled sadly and stared back out the window. Brigitte meant no harm; she just wanted attention, as she had, as her mother once had… as Raoul once had. She had to tell Gustave, but what was she to do with Brigitte? She realized she was already in a haze, slowly falling asleep, and muttering useless words to herself. She opened the window once more and found Gustave's face below hers. He had been hiding all along. Eloise felt a wave of relief fall over her.
"Jump." He said quietly, watching Eloise shake her head. "Trust me; we have five minutes before the building becomes surrounded and Brigitte is not in a healthy state of mind. You can't stay here."
"She needs me –"
"Eloise, trust me." Gustave begged.
When she had finally given in, Brigitte had fallen completely asleep and Eloise had one foot out the window. She fell quietly into Gustave's arms as he helped her down the same path he had used to get there earlier.
"We have to go back to the Opera house." He declared, grabbing Eloise's hand tightly and running across the street.

The last of the previous crowd was moving in and Gustave had no trouble helping himself and Eloise blend in and out of sight. They soon found themselves back in Gustave's lair. Everything and anything in sight had been ransacked in the process of looking for them. The organ was smashed in; the curtains that were previously set on fire were now completely burnt as well the bed. All his father's old figurines and sets were now shattered completely as well as many of his candelabra's.
Gustave covered his mouth, "I shouldn't have left."
"If you hadn't left," Eloise began, holding Gustave's hand tightly in fear that he might go mad, "then you might have been part of the mess that lies here."
Gustave nodded and walked away slowly from the scene, allowing her to hold him closely, calming his mind.
"Where am I to go?" He sighed suddenly, turning to face Eloise.
"I wanted to talk to you about that," she began, "Brigitte spoke of her mother today."
"Meg?" Gustave suddenly looked disgusted.
"No, you don't understand…" Eloise cleared her throat, making sure she spoke very calmly. "Gustave, your mother was undoubtedly very beautiful and very talented, more so then Meg. Raoul loved her, Erik loved her, and Paris loved her. She was given so much attention, that Meg never had any… and maybe that's why Meg and Raoul seem evil to you."
"What?"
"They seem evil to you because they acted horribly upon their emotions. They didn't mean any harm; they just did what they thought they had to for a happy life. They weren't in the right state of mind." Eloise concluded, making sure Gustave was taking the information in properly.
"My mother would've forgiven them if she was still here." He sighed, smiling bitterly at her memory. "Maybe it's time I should too."
Eloise had tears in her eyes from happiness; she had helped Gustave make peace with himself.
"I need to do something first though, and I want you to be there with me."
"Anything." Eloise grinned, letting go of Gustave's hand.
"Come with me to visit my father's grave," he whispered, "I haven't visit him since he died."
Eloise pondered the thought, "No harm could come from it," she breathed, "I'll come with you."