Gustave's POV

Running away from my father wasn't one of the smartest ideas in the world, but I couldn't stand to be around the man for another moment. He and I didn't really see eye to eye anymore, which was one of the reasons why I didn't like being around him as much. I wasn't the same child I was a few years ago, and I sure as hell wasn't going to stand to be pushed around by him when I knew I was in the right. No, instead of walking away like I should have done, I hit him and then ran. I needed to be on my own for a while…and I needed to apologize to the girl I had embarrassed. Deciding to get some fresh air, I strolled to the bar we had come from a few hours ago and approached the alley, finding the girl dumping the trash into a large dumpster. I slowly approached her from behind and when I was right there, I cleared my throat to gain her attention. This frightened her, for she gasped and spun around to find me standing before her. Though, instead of saying hello, she threw her trash can at me and headed back towards the back door of the bar.

"Hey, wait…" I rushed towards her and grabbed her arm.

"What do you want?" she growled. "Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"Yes, I do, but I came here to apologize to you for the way I acted tonight. You see, the guys put me up to it… They told me to come talk to you. Little did I know that all of them had attempted to talk to you. I'm sorry…If I would have known about what they did to you…I…I'm sorry."

"And because of you," she snapped. "My hair shall be smelling like beer for a week."

I tried not to giggle, but it was no use.

"What's so funny?! This is why I hate boys…You're so obnoxious and rude."

"I'm sorry for laughing, but you started it. You're the one who approached me with a pitcher of ice and poured it over my head."

"Perhaps I did do that, but you didn't have to worsen the situation."

"Ah, a girl with an attitude, I like that…"

"Goodnight, Mr. Iceman…"

When the girl tried to walk away, I stood in front of her to block her from going any further.

"I really am sorry, Melody…"

The girl's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

"My friends told it to me…"

"Which one?" she snapped. "The bald, fat one, or the tall and ugly one?"

"Both…"

"You're right, both are just as obnoxious as the other. They are meant for each other, you know…"

With that, the girl pushed me aside and headed towards the door, humming as she did so. Humming? Oh, this was a wonderful ice breaker!

"Melody…" I dashed towards her once again. "You're humming."

"So what? Do I not have the right to hum if I wish?"

"Yes, you do, but I can't help but think that you're interested in music…"

"Who isn't?"

"It's my upmost favorite thing in the world. Please say that you think the same?"

"I…I do like it."

"Great…Do you wish to go out sometime? Perhaps we could go somewhere?"

"Absolutely not! I do not want to ever see you again, do you hear me? You're sick…All of you are."

With that, the girl headed inside and slammed the door in my face. For some odd reason, I already liked the girl…I had a strange feeling from within me, one that I had never felt before. Her anger was beautiful and I was going to stop at nothing to get her to talk to me. Deciding to head home to think about this, I turned and went in that direction. After unlocking the door, I snuck inside the darkened house and locked the door behind me. I wasn't sure where Mister Y was, but I didn't want to come face to face with him tonight. Though, just as I was turning to head to the hallway, I was grabbed by my ear, causing me to yelp out in pain. Then, the lights came on, and I came face to face with Nadir.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, brat! How could you be so obnoxious to your old man?! Do you know what we do to people like you in Persia!"

"Get off of me! Let me go this instant, Nadir!"

"That's Uncle Nadir to you, Gustave! You will not stand before me and disrespect your uncle like that. No, you, young man, are nothing more than a spoiled brat…You are your father! He too believed himself to be so high and mighty when he was your age. You're becoming your old man!"

"So what if I am? You have no right to tell me otherwise…"

The man brought me closer to him by yanking on my ear. Oh, it hurt, but I was helpless against his strength. Sometimes, I believed him to be stronger than my papa.

"Why are you here anyway? It's really late and Mister Y is most likely in bed."

"Bed?" Nadir snapped. "Bed? Oh, no, boy. At this moment, your father is at the Coney Island Medical Facility! I came over here a few hours ago and found him lying helplessly on the kitchen floor. He was having an attack and told me what you had done. No, your father is fighting for his life, and you're out prowling around the town like a big shot! It's time to come back down to reality, Gustave! You are the future owner of Phantasma and you need to start acting that way!"

"The hospital?" I questioned. "Why is he at the hospital?"

"Did you not just hear me when I told you that he was on the kitchen floor?! You listen as well as your old man! A spitting image… Well, let me tell you something, Gustave, you don't want to be Erik. You don't want to live the life he has lived."

"No, Uncle Nadir, you're right, I don't! I never wanted this life… My mother died and I was forced into it. I never wanted any of this! I wish he would have died and my mother would have lived!"

Nadir instantly slapped me across the face and pulled me to him by grasping my left wrist.

"You have better take that back, boy! Allah is the only one who has control over everyone's life… Your father didn't have to take you in, he didn't have to keep you under his wing all of these years, but he did! He did it out of the kindness of his heart, and to tell you the truth, boy, I never would have expected your father to do such a thing. Years ago he was filled with hate, years ago, he was a monster… Having you to care for has kept him out of trouble and in life's light…And after all that he's done for you, this is how you repay him? Sneak out and get yourself into trouble."

"He won't let me hang with my friends! He never lets me do anything that I want… All I want is his trust, and yet, he never gives me the chance."

"And you wonder why… Sometimes, Gustave, life isn't fair. One has to accept it… And perhaps your father can be a little over protective at times, but most of the time he is right when it comes to dealing with you and your friends. I've seen the way they treat others and it's not nice. Perhaps it may be time to choose a new group of friends, boy… Your father only wants the best for you. He doesn't want you to fall through the cracks of society."

"But he doesn't have to be so cruel when it comes to me. I only wanted to go out to dinner with a few of my friends, Uncle Nadir."

"And yet, you come here smelling like beer. No, Gustave, I believe there is more to all of this than you're telling me. You need to start acting like the man you will soon become. Not only that, but you need to start making responsible decisions. What bad comes along your way will not only destroy your future name, but it will destroy your father's as well."

"Is he going to be all right?"

"Hard to say at the moment, Gustave… I think you should walk on down to the hospital and apologize to him."

Knowing that I had to make things right, I donned my jacket and headed outside…

Erik's POV

When I woke, everything was blurry. My world had been turned upside down in a matter of seconds. One moment I was standing in my kitchen yelling at Gustave, and the next, I was on the floor and all alone. I do remember that Nadir had come looking for me. He had walked in and found me lying on the floor. By then, my heart was contracting with agony, so much, that I remember talking to him, and then passing out.

"There's my angel…"

Christine appeared at my bedside and stroked my cheek with her warm hand.

"You're doing great, Erik…You need to close your eyes now and get some rest. The doctor said that you're going to need plenty of it in order to get well again. Gustave is still in need of your guidance. He's not a man yet, ange…"

Gustave! Everything was coming back to me now. I had been angry with him, oh, so angry! He deserved everything he got for the way he had treated me. He had doped me with my own sleeping pills and then, snuck out to a bar. Just thinking about what he had done made my heart ache again.

"Erik, don't think about what happened, all right? Just rest…"

"How can I rest, Christine? How can I rest when the boy ran away from me? I…I need to find him."

I tried to sit up, when Christine pushed me back down.

"Oh, no you don't… You're not going anywhere. If you get up now, Erik, you will pass out and die. No, your heart is weak enough as it is. Just promise me that you will stay in bed."

"And what about the boy, Christine? What am I to do?"

"He will come to you, Erik. He returned home nearly an hour ago and Nadir met him there. He knocked some sense into that thick head of his."

"I believe that thick head belongs to you, Christine."

"Do you really wish to play this game, Erik? I don't think you do… You've always had a thick head, one that makes you believe that you are stronger and smarter than anyone else. Gustave is the same way, and as he gets older it will only get worse. You need to handle him as if you're handling yourself, because in truth, ange, he is you."

"I…I never thought about things in that way before…"

"He is your twin, Erik, and you must treat him the way that you would want to be treated. Otherwise, you will never win this war…"

I pressed my eyes closed and snuggled against my pillow. My body and chest were so sore, so sore and heavy.

"I'll check on you in the morning, Erik…"

When the room fell silent once again, I allowed myself to drift off to sleep, only waking, when I heard the door opening and a small familiar voice calling out for me.

"Papa?"

I opened my eyes and saw a younger version of myself standing at my bedside. It was obvious that he felt sorry for what he had caused.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you so upset that you had an attack. I was angry…"

"As was I, Gustave…" I cringed. "As was I…"

And then, the boy's arms wrapped around my torso. It seemed as though the war between him and I was over for now…But then again, there was always tomorrow, and if tomorrow ever came, I promised to treat him just as I would want to be treated…That being with respect.

So, both of our favorite boys got a life lesson and some tough love in this chapter...I liked Nadir's lesson...Anyway, please review!