Immediately, the room had erupted in chaos. People were screaming, Mrs. Daae in particular had entered a fit of hysterics. Raoul, meanwhile, was completely silent. How had he let this happen? His brain was completely scattered, but firstly thought to run to the organ upstairs.
As expected, it was bolted shut. The man had escaped some other way. Very loudly, he swore and hardly cared that he was in a church.
"Raoul!" he heard a voice say to him. The higher, feminine sounding voice almost made him think that it was Christine. His spirits raised for only half a second, but immediately returned to his panicked at the sight of Eponine Thenardier. Raoul decided to just ignore her.
He quickly looked around the room. They had completely vanished. How could they have escaped within seconds? "Raoul!" he heard Eponine call again, who had made her way over to the organ, alongside Enjolras.
Agitated, Raoul spun around to look at her. "What?"
"I know where they are, you have to listen to me!"
"What?" he repeated in disbelief. Raoul couldn't listen to what she was saying, she couldn't be serious.
"I saw them leave, I think!"
"You think? You have to be sure."
"Raoul, I know! I just... Come on, let's go."
With no other choice, Raoul begrudgingly followed Enjolras and Eponine through the screaming crowd of church-goers. He wondered if anyone thought to call the police. He had to find Christine.
Cosette sat shocked in her seat. She couldn't move or speak, she just had one simple question in her mind; "What happened to Christine?" She wasn't sure how long she simply sat there, listening to the chaos around her, but it felt like hours.
"Cosette!" she heard her father yell, knocking her away from her thoughts abruptly. "We have to get out of here, come on!"
"I can't leave!" she shot back at him, "My friend just got kidnapped!" Cosette looked to Marius for help, who had mirrored her reaction.
"Marius, you should leave, too. Come with us," Jean Valjean reasoned with him.
"I can't leave," Marius told him, his voice more stern and serious than he had meant to be. Hastily, Marius added an awkward 'sir' at the end of his comment, as if to sound more polite.
Marius considered himself to be a loyal friend. He was always quick to defend someone close to him, which made him wonder about Raoul. Marius looked from Cosette to her father, he could leave with them. But, how could he ever leave Enjolras, or Grantaire... or, even Raoul?
"You can't help her," Valjean told them both, "The best thing we can do is leave and call the police."
Cosette was crying softly, Marius had never felt more terrible. He was completely torn. They would all make it out alright, wouldn't they? Raoul would surely not be stupid enough to try and track down Christine. They had to let the police do their job. Cosette sighed, she followed her father out of the room, as most everyone had.
"Are you going to come?" she asked him hopefully, her big eyes looking even bigger in an almost puppy-dog like plea.
"I..." he stuttered. Somehow, none of his friends were anywhere in sight. "Okay, I'm coming."
Marius knew that he would regret leaving, but it was different. There was a possible murderer-kidnapper in the church and he knew Raoul was just going to try something ridiculous that could get them all killed.
He moved out slowly, following Cosette and Jean Valjean out from the church room into the overcrowded, narrow hallway that led outside.
Marius sighed in relief as he (almost literally) ran into Enjolras, Raoul and, to his surprise, Eponine. He could barely contain his happiness.
"Oh my God, you guys! Thank God you're okay," Marius exclaimed, looking towards his two best friends. Enjolras and Eponine seemed clearly happy to see him, too, but Raoul was only seething in rage, looking specifically at one person.
Before anyone could process what was occurring (and certainly before anyone could put a stop to it), Raoul had walked over to Jean Valjean in an eerily, calm way. His expression turned to an extremer look of hatred and punched him in the face.
Valjean stumbled backwards and in the most impressive way possible, he quickly punched Raoul in his jaw, who in turn was knocked backwards.
Cosette screamed and screamed. "Papa, stop! What are you doing? Raoul, leave him alone! Stop! Stop!"
Eponine sat there, in shock for the second time that night. She didn't yell or try to break it up. Enjolras tried to hold Raoul back from Jean Valjean, who was fighting back in self defense. He was effectively blocking any blows Raoul attempted to deal him. Marius watched in disbelief. Jean Valjean was an expert fighter,despite the fact he was probably well into his fifties.
Deciding to follow Enjolras' lead, Marius attempted to drag Valjean away from the fight, but simply couldn't move him. He was, along with being a great fighter, inhumanly strong. Marius had no shot at pulling him away.
"This isn't going to help find Christine!" Eponine shouted, remarkably loud. Everyone, even Valjean, had stopped to look at Eponine, surprised by her volume, but also the fact that she was completely correct.
The only one who hadn't been phased was Raoul, who was still punching incessantly.
"Where is Christine?" he asked quietly and slowly. Raoul had transformed from loud and violent to sharp and demanding.
Valjean gave him a confused look, as if he had no idea what Raoul was talking about. In his puzzlement, he let his guard down and Raoul hit him again. However, this time was enough to knock him to the floor. Cosette let out a scream of terror, while Marius could hardly contain his shock.
"Raoul!" he shouted, unable to control himself any longer, "What the hell?"
Enjolras and Eponine watched in silence as their two friends screamed at each other. Raoul hadn't ventured to bring himself into another physical fight, but it was obvious he was still seething with rage. Perhaps it was at no one in particular, Raoul was just willing to direct his anger anywhere.
"He was with us the entire time Christine was singing and when she got... taken," Marius said, trying to calm down his voice a bit while gesturing towards Cosette.
Cosette, meanwhile, was ignoring her boyfriend and Raoul, completely absorbed in her father. He was out. She shook her head and cried more, attempting to take care of him. Raoul watched the poor girl, huddled over her father, and instantly felt bad. She was Christine's friend, too.
"I'm sorry, Cosette," he apologized quietly, unable to look her in the eye. She didn't respond and only shook her head at him, which just made him feel worse.
"I... I know your dad has nothing to do with all of this."
"Raoul..." Marius began, struggling with the exact words to say, "I can't believe you."
His mind was spinning. Raoul still couldn't even imagine he had gotten into a fight, with Cosette's father of all people. Nothing was right. He felt like he could throw up.
"I'm so so sorry," he said again to Cosette, who was looking more and more like a hurt puppy, "But I have to go. I might be able to find Christine."
Raoul looked to Eponine. "Can you take me to her?" She looked at him still, not saying a word. "I mean, if you really know where she is."
"I know where she is," Eponine repeated, "I... I have to go for her, for Christine."
"I'm going, too," Enjolras announced suddenly. Everyone had turned to look at him. He hadn't spoken since Christine had disappeared.
Eponine gave him a confused look, as if to question why he was so eager to risk his life. Would they really be risking their lives? Did Eponine care about Christine enough to do that?
She looked bitterly at Cosette crouched over her father. Marius looked as though he was devastated, not at the sight of Jean Valjean, but at seeing Cosette so sad. Eponine might as well join Raoul. What else did she have to lose?
"Marius?" she asked hopefully. Eponine hadn't meant to say his name, but secretly had hoped he would follow her, Enjolras and Raoul into the dark underground of Alfred's church.
"I..." Marius responded, his voice failing him. He looked from Cosette to his friends. How could he abandon his friends on a life-threatening mission? At the same time, how could he leave Cosette and her unconscious father?
No response, just as Eponine had predicted. She turned an unattractive shade of red, ashamed even of asking him. "Come on guys, let's go," she said hastily, trying to hold back her own, pathetic tears. She could barely look Marius in the eyes. Had her ages old crush finally become apparent?
Walking quickly in the other direction, she almost hoped that he would call out her name. Marius would somehow run after her and kiss her and tell her that he loved her, that everything was going to be okay.
However, she looked behind to see Marius alongside Cosette.
He hadn't even watched them walk away.
When Christine was a freshman, Raoul had taken her on that Halloween to a haunted house. As she never was very brave, she screamed at every turn. It had all been in good fun, though. Raoul laughed at her, as she held onto his arm and closed her eyes shut. She never considered herself to be very brave.
So, as she was being dragged underground by the now-terrifying Angel of Music, she screamed and screamed. Her eyes were closed shut. It was almost as if she could pretend everything around her wasn't happening. If only!
Christine could remembering journeying into the dark unknown in the past with the Angel of Music- well, Erik, he was no angel- and it was exciting. She was more than willing to follow him where he was to take her. It gave her the perfect adrenaline rush she always somehow craved, but she trusted the angel and so it wasn't too daring of her. Now, she was terrified.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! LET ME GO!" Christine shouted, attempting to move her way free from her kidnapper's grasp. Erik made no signs of being hurt by her words, or that her hopeless kicks were increasing her chances of getting free.
Eventually, her words (not her weak kicks) started to afflict Erik. However, he was so engulfed in his rage he could hardly take what she said to heart.
"I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" she continued.
"SHUT UP!" he finally screamed. Immediately, Christine went silent. She almost noticed a flash of pain in his eyes.
Satisfied, Erik began to mumble to himself. He talked on and on about how unhappy he was. Christine, already lost in her own thoughts of fear, barely listened to him.
She tried desperately not to get herself too worked up. Someone was coming to save her. Whether it was police, or Raoul, or someone... she hoped they were coming soon.
"Eponine, how do you know we're going in the right direction?" Raoul asked for what seemed like the thousandth time as he, Enjolras and Eponine maneuvered their way through the dark passages of the underground church.
"That question is starting to get old," Enjolras said in an almost growl-like way under his breath. Eponine led them in silence, the flashlight app from Raoul's iphone illuminated the floors to create a dark, rat-infested path. He could tell that Eponine was completely focused on her task. She hadn't spoken since they left Marius. Maybe that was why she wasn't speaking.
"Well, I'm nervous. Okay?" Raoul snapped back. Enjolras was beginning to like his friend less and less.
"This can't be right," they heard Eponine muttered.
"Wait, what do you mean?"
"My feet are wet. I don't understand..."
"The lake!" Enjolras exclaimed, remembering the water from only a short while ago. He did not want to have to swim across it again. As if to address his thoughts, Raoul had announced that they were going to swim across the lake.
"I-" Eponine began, almost about to protest, "Whatever. Let's go."
The swim was not bad, they were all strong swimmers. It seemed to go by slowly, as if they were swimming across an ocean and not a small lake.
Enjolras couldn't die, he just couldn't. It was a selfish thought, but he just really didn't want to die. Death was probably so painful, and scary- he had his whole life ahead of him. He was going to Princeton to be a lawyer!
"Are you alright?" Eponine asked him, clearly worried.
"Fine," he muttered back.
"Well," she said, as they climbed out of the water, facing a cave-like home, "We're in this together"
And to his surprise, Eponine grabbed his hand in support as they made their way into the cave, anxious for whatever was going to hit them next.
"Oh, Courfeyrac, thank God," Meg muttered, finally bumping into someone she knew among the screaming crowd. She had even lost sight of her mother and could only hope that she was okay.
"Meg?" he asked, completely confused. What was she doing there? Or, the better question was, what was he really doing there? He just wanted to go home and forget that this horrible Christmas Eve had ever happened.
Courfeyrac had found most of his friends, besides, of course, Raoul, Marius and Enjolras. While they all wanted to go home, they also had to think of their friends. Knowing Raoul, he was almost certainly attempting to find Christine. Somehow, most likely, Enjolras and Marius had been unfairly dragged along with them.
"I need help finding Christine," Meg said hopelessly, knowing that there was no way they would help her.
"I don't know. I don't think we can help you," Courfeyrac told her nervously, looking at his friends. They had no interest in helping Christine and risking their own lives, especially since the police were on their way.
"Please, someone has to help me! Not just for Christine, you know. I mean, where are Enjolras Raoul and Marius? I know they came tonight, too," she continued, trying desperately to convince them to help her. "There's no doubt that they are down there, trying to help Christine."
While listening to herself talk, she realized that Cosette was nowhere in sight, either. There probably was a good chance she was with Marius. She couldn't lose both of her close friends.
"Please," she begged again and Courfeyrac seemed to be more convinced.
To her surprise, it was Grantaire (and she only knew him as the one-year-out-of-high-school-drunk) who spoke up in her defense.
"You know what, I'm gonna come with you," he said to Meg, who in turn seemed a bit unsure. She did not know Grantaire at all, and in all honesty he was a bit scary.
"Really?" Meg asked, failing to hide her surprise, "You're going to help me?"
"Well, Enjolras is like my brother. And I know that if the tables were switched, Enjolras would go looking for me. He would go looking for all of us," Grantaire said, addressing his friends, who all seemed to nod in agreement.
"Enjolras would," Meg said, agreeing with him, "And we should do the same for him, and Raoul, and Marius."
"Okay," said Combeferre, another of the boys, who nodded his head, "But where do we start?"
"Um, well Enjolras told me that a while ago, actually, he was down there... You know, like where they might be now. And you were with him, right?" Meg said.
"They got in using an entrance to the organ," Combeferre informed her, leading her upstairs to the balcony of the church. "And they found an entire house, on a lake..."
"A lake?" Meg repeated. Courfeyrac nodded.
"Maybe if we try going into the organ again?" Combeferre suggested.
"We can't, remember? Raoul was trying to open it earlier and it wouldn't budge."
"Well," began Meg, trying to come up with a better plan (but couldn't), "Raoul's only one person. Between you all, you're like a tiny army," she told the large group of even larger high school boys.
"On three, we'll all pull on the door," ordered Combeferre, as they approached the mysterious door leading to the inside of the church's organ.
"One...Two...Three." And to everyone's surprise, the door budged and led to a mysterious, dark passageway.
Christine had not stopped screaming. Her throat had nearly worn out and produced a series of ugly, hoarse yelps. Of course, there was no way anyone could hear her. It was pointless. The Angel's threats had only quieted her temporarily, now she was just scared.
He- Erik, the Angel of Music, whoever he was- had gone insane. He stumbled around the cave, his mask had fallen off and for the first time she was exposed to his face.
It was only half of his face that was deformed, the other half was handsome. The Angel of Music was young-looking, he couldn't be much older than twenty-five at the very most. However, the other half was hideous. His complexion was terrifying and hollow-looking, with an empty, cut up cheek, lips broken and bruised beyond repair and splotches of missing skin surrounded by what looked like dried blood. His nose was squashed and almost non-existent. She could even make out a pure white piece of skull that stuck out from a hole in his head. Christine dared to think that perhaps she even saw a piece of brain, but that was impossible. Who could possibly live in such a deformed state? Surely he wasn't born that way.
He was crying- she noticed. "Oh, Christine, you have no idea what it's like to be so ugly! You would have no clue, because you're so beautiful! No one has ever loved me, not my mother, not anyone. But you could love me, Christine, you could! We have so much in common, I love you so much, we would be so happy if I wasn't so ugly!"
She watched him in his misery, not sure of what to do. Should she try and make her escape? What would he do if he caught her? What was he going to do, anyway?
"Would you love me if I wasn't ugly, Christine?" he asked her. She watched Erik in his misfortune, withering away in his terrible life he was stuck with. She almost felt pity for him.
"No," she said quietly, looking down at her feet. Would she love him? If she said yes, would he have let her go?
"But..." she could almost hear his heart break as he spoke, "I thought we were friends."
"Friends don't do this to other friends," she responded simply, looking around at the prison surrounding her. "I loved you so much before you killed Minister Martin and dropped the chandelier. You were such a good friend."
"But, next year you would leave me here... You would go off to college and I would be all alone... again..." He began to cry, an uncontrollable sob that made Christine want to cry as well. It certainly hurt her heart, he was just so unfortunate. "And you've replaced me with that Raoul."
"Oh, Erik..." Christine said quietly, terrified of his appearance, but still willing to pat his skinny arm lightly. "Raoul hasn't replaced you."
"But you love him and you don't love me."
"But, I..." she trailed off, trying to find the right words. He was right, she did love Raoul. "Oh, Erik," she repeated softly, unaccustomed to calling him by a real first name.
As she continued to pat his arm, she felt all of his muscles tense up. Something was wrong.
She looked up, something was definitely wrong. Raoul was there, at the top of the staircase.
"I swear, I'll kill him," Eponine heard Raoul mutter. She was going to respond, say something along the lines of 'you don't even have a weapon, you should be careful,' but realized she was too nervous to say anything.
She still gripped Enjolras' hand tightly. At first she wasn't scared, or at least, not as scared as Enjolras. Now, she felt like throwing up. She just couldn't die, it sounded too awful.
They walked in a slow trot led by Raoul. Enjolras was practically leaning on Eponine for support. Neither of them could walk correctly.
"I don't think this is just it, not yet," Eponine said in barely a whisper.
The three entered the cave by following the light they could see. As far as they saw, the little home was deserted. It was almost cozy looking, with a few tiny rooms, dozens of lighted candles and a huge organ. But where was Christine? Had he taken her and ran from the church all together? Was their nerve-racking journey a complete waste?
They soon discovered that Christine and her kidnapper were, thankfully, there. But their friend didn't seem to be in danger and the strange man was not trying to hurt her. In fact, they sat next to each other, talking quietly. Eponine even noticed that the deformed man by her side was crying and Christine sat beside him, trying her hardest to comfort him. She felt sorry for him.
"Maybe we should leave, let them figure things out..." she suggested to them, but it was too late. Raoul stood at the very top of the staircase which led to the man's home, looking ready for a fight.
"LET HER GO, YOU MONSTER!"
That was enough to make the poor, unfortunate man tense up in anger. He stormed away from Christine, with a completely different, murderous look in his eyes. Raoul was very likely to be killed.
"Raoul!" Christine screamed in surprise and looked even more shocked at the sight of Enjolras and Eponine.
"How did you..." Christine attempted to ask them, but it was too late. Raoul was already screaming and yelling at Erik.
"Oh, isn't this so nice," Erik said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Look, Christine, your true love's come to save you! He's come to free you from terrible, ugly, monster Erik!"
"Let her go!" Raoul fired back at him, "She hates you! Just leave her alone."
"Wait, Raoul... This isn't the way to go about this," Eponine said to him quietly, but only increased his anger.
"Stay out of this!" he bellowed back at her and pushed her away from him. Eponine let out a little noise of shock, in pure disbelief of how Raoul was behaving in one of the worst situations possible.
"Leave her alone, Raoul," Enjolras responded, getting more angry with each passing second. Their situation did not seem deadly anymore, their enemy was nothing more than a heartbroken man. Not a ghost, not a phantom, nothing but a man.
Raoul fumed, but didn't respond to them.
"I think you should leave..." Christine said, speaking to all of them, but directing her words to Raoul. "Please."
"I can't leave you, not here alone ," Raoul said, "Not with him."
His words only stung Erik further. Christine felt more and more like she was losing him.
Erik approached Raoul, inching towards him in silence. Raoul did not seem to notice his intense, but quiet anger. Eponine, trying to shield herself from the man's wrath watched between her fingers as he wrapped what first looked like a long piece of rope, a lasso, around Raoul's neck. She heard Chrisitne let out a cry of terror and fall to the ground.
Eponine realized Christine was crying and could think of no other thing than to walk over to her friend to try and comfort her. Christine was beyond any help Eponine could offer, she was sobbing into her hands, unable to talk.
"It's going to be okay, we'll get out of all this," she whispered.
Enjolras tried to free his friend from the rope, but his desperate tugs were no use, the rope only seemed to get tighter and tighter.
"Just let him go, let us all go. We mean you no harm," Enjolras said slowly, trying to negotiate.
Erik looked at Enjolras, a piercing stare that made him shiver. Erik remembered the boy, Raoul's friend, from the day he had killed Minister Martin. None of this would have happened if he looked like... him. If he was just as good-looking, Christine would love him. Erik was sure of it.
"I have a deal," Erik said, hearing the relief in the room felt by everyone, "You can all leave if Christine stays."
"Oh, okay," Christine said quickly. She felt eager to protect her friends, how could one life be equivalent to three? It was kind of them to try and save her, but she had to stay. Maybe, she wanted to stay.
"Christine! No!" she heard Raoul yell, "We'll stay, you can go." Both Enjolras and Eponine wanted to protest to that idea.
She shook her head, muttering a quiet "no."
"I'm waiting," Erik announced, lounging on the only proper chair in the room. He continued to spiral into his madness, he laughed and smiled.
"Erik..." Christine tried to persuade him, "Please just... This isn't fair!"
He continued to laugh, looking from Christine and Eponine to Enjolras, who was still trying to free his friend. "You're right, it isn't fair! Either way you choose you cannot win!"
"Please, Erik, don't do this..." Christine begged quietly, but she knew her pleas would do nothing. She watched him slump into his chair beside the organ, as if he was exhausted. Completely at a loss of what to do, Christine heard a quiet, but strong voice begin to speak. It was Eponine.
"Erik? Can I call you Erik?" she asked softly, her voice cutting through a wall of silence. Christine wished she could be quiet. How could Eponine help them now?
He didn't respond to her and pretended as if Eponine hadn't said anything at all. Raoul and Enjolras watched on in shock.
"You know, I kind of get it. I kind of get you. I know it's hard, but you have to show some compassion," Eponine said to him. Christine noticed Erik's shoulders heave up in a sigh.
"The world showed no compassion to me!" he shouted back in reply, making Eponine jump back a bit. His words stung Christine, had she not shown compassion to him?
"Sometimes that's how it works," Eponine said sadly, "You can love someone so, so much, and they'll never feel the same way."
Erik allowed her to continue, but Christine could tell that Eponine was talking solely to herself.
"I really know what that's like. This guy that I've just been... in love with... for so long, like since I was ten and he's never felt the same way. Actually, he's with his girlfriend right now and here I am, nearly at my death... But things like that happen, you know? You just have to move on, not everyone is going to like you," she told him. They all looked towards Erik, who had seemed slightly moved by her words.
"No one's ever liked me," he argued with her.
"Well..." Eponine trailed off, unsure of what to say next (and also hoping that her words weren't daring enough to get her killed), "You have to like yourself first."
Cosette was inconsolable. She was still holding her father's hand as he laid, completely passed out, on the church floor. Marius attempted to help her and slowly patted her arm, but she still let out little sobs.
"I can't believe Raoul would just do that and... just take off," she said quietly. Marius, not sure of what to say, nodded his head.
"He's going to be fine, he's a strong guy," he assured her, "Everything's going to be alright."
They sat together, keeping a silent vigil by Jean Valjean for a while. It felt like an hour, but was probably only about fifteen minutes. Marius held Cosette as she continued to cry, all while he continued to tell her that everything was going to okay.
Raoul punched Cosette's father. It was undoubtedly the strangest, scariest day of Marius's life. Christine had been abducted, Jean Valjean was passed out on the church floor and Raoul was completely out of his mind.
Valjean's breathing was steady, he seemed fine. It was almost like he was asleep, there on the floor.
"Oh, Marius, what do we do?" Cosette asked him. Of course, he had no idea. Weren't the police supposed to be here by now? He didn't even have his phone to call, anyway.
Marius could only think of his friends down in the basements of the church. Were they okay? Were they alive? He thought of the mysterious man who had stolen Christine, the man who had ultimately ruined everything. He was the reason that Raoul had gone insane, the reason why his friend's lives were at risk and the reason he sat in the First Church of Alfred, alongside a crying Cosette and her unconscious father.
"He's going to be fine, I know it. Let's try and get him on a couch, he'll be up before you know it," Mairus told her. Together, they attempted to lift Valjean. It was nearly impossible, he was huge and Cosette wasn't much help. However, after plenty of struggle, they managed to lift Jean Valjean onto a nearby couch within one of the church's rooms.
"Papa..." Cosette said quietly, tapping her father lightly on the head, "Are you alright in there?"
No response. Still, she kept poking him and quietly calling his name over and over again until finally, Jean Valjean woke up.
"Oh, thank God!" she exclaimed at the sight of his eyes opening. Marius, too, had to let out a sigh of relief.
Shocked and very confused, Valjean looked at the room around him. "What happened?" he muttered.
"You got into a fight," Cosette informed him quietly. Valjean looked as if he was going to pass out again.
"I got into a fight?" he repeated in shock.
"Yes, with Raoul. It wasn't your fault, of course, Raoul is Marius's friend, by the way, and it just sort of happened. But you can't be mad at Raoul, he's just out of his mind right now..." she attempted to explain.
"What?" he asked, still in disbelief.
"Oh, you must be very confused..." Cosette thought aloud, "But, how do you feel?"
"Fine, fine. I'm okay. I just can't believe what happened."
Marius watched Cosette talk to her father. She assured him that everything was alright (not unlike what he had said to her earlier) as Valjean assured his daughter that he was fine. It was touching to watch them together. Marius almost felt like he was intruding on them. They really were all each other had.
It made him think of Enjolras and Eponine. For the longest time, they were all Marius seemed to have. They were a team. Enjolras and Eponine were down there, in the lair of a madman, trying to help Raoul save Christine. Marius was practically tormented by the thought that they were down there without him. Suddenly, he felt an urge to be with them, no matter what was going to happen. Eponine's face as she left him with Cosette seemed etched into his mind.
"Well, what should we do now?" Cosette asked her father (after she had explained their situation), who was still lying peacefully on the couch.
"I think you should go join your friends."
"Really?" Marius asked him, unable to hide his surprise. Was Valjean kidding? They could both die if they went down to the underground lair. However, a part of him still wanted to go.
"Yes, I think you should," he said simply and calmly, "He's only one man. How much threat could he be? I think it's safe, you should be with your friends."
"But what about you?" Cosette asked, a bit nervous. Marius could see it in her face. She wanted to go, too.
"I'm fine. I really am. Not fine enough to go battle crazy men, but I'm okay."
"Maybe you should stay here, Cosette?" Marius suggested. He wished that, if anything, Cosette could be safe. Despite his hopes, he knew she wouldn't stand for that. Though she had only been in town for a few months, Christine and Cosette were almost as close as Marius was to Enjolras and Eponine.
She shook her head in response. "I can't let you go alone! Besides, no matter what, we'll still be together," Cosette told him confidently.
With a goodbye to her father, she grabbed Marius's hand and he led her to where they had the best chance of finding the secret lair, the organ.
Everyone had become silent after Eponine's bold words to their tormenter. Christine, Eponine, Enjolras and Raoul (still tangled within the lasso) looked on as Erik had seated himself on the floor, his head held by his hands. Only his heavy breathing filled the room.
The seconds seemed to barely creep by. Christine's eyes were shut tightly. She didn't want to see the awful, distorted world around her. It was undeniable, Erik was crying. He had always been so stone-faced to her, it was as if Erik couldn't cry even if he wanted to, but it was true. She could hear his quiet sobs.
Enjolras had watched the scene unfold almost as if he was a spectator, watching a play. He had, honestly, no idea as to what he could do to help. Enjolras thought of trying to help Raoul, who was trapped within the ropes, but knew that it the lasso would just become tighter if they pulled on it.
It was painful to be there. Christine's kidnapper- or Erik, as he seemed to be called- had broken down in tears. As much as he had done to them, Enjolras still felt terrible for him. He could hardly imagine living as a deformed, tortured genius obsessed with someone who didn't feel the same way. Yet somehow, Eponine had managed to get through to him. He still seemed incredibly affected by her words.
Leaving his thoughts, Enjolras watched in horror as Erik stood up, making his way towards Raoul. He wanted to help Raoul and fend off the man, but at the same time wanted to run away. Instead of doing either, he continued to stand, not moving.
Erik crept his way over to Raoul in a slow walk, almost as if he was an old man. Raoul desperately tried to make himself seem tougher, despite being at the other man's mercy. The lasso only seemed to get tighter. Enjolas was forced to keep his eyes wide open at the sight.
However, instead of killing, Erik ripped apart the ropes binding Raoul in an amazing feat of strength. Christine screamed as he fell to the ground. His face was a sickly green, he could hardly breathe. Erik let out a scream of torture, as if he was physically hurt. In an even more incredible move, Erik gave a hand to help Raoul stand again. He whispered something Enjolras could not hear and Raoul was on his feet again, running towards Christine.
Overjoyed, she hugged him and began crying. Erik looked away.
"Go," he told them, in a simple word. Christine opened her mouth, as if to offer a gracious thank you for letting them leave. Her words never formed.
His heart full with relief, Enjolras quickly moved towards Eponine and grabbed her hand. He certainly felt eager to get out of that terrible place. She was quick to follow his lead.
"Oh my God," Eponine muttered, as they farther and farther away from Erik, Christine and Raoul until they reached the lake again. The boat sat on the dry part of the land, waiting for them to climb on.
"Wait, wait," Enjolras told her, as Eponine stepped onto the boat, "We have to wait for them." She nodded in agreement.
They heard Erik screaming and screaming to leave him alone, but neither Raoul nor Christine left. Eponine could even hear Raoul's yelling mix with Erik's.
"Come on, Christine!" she heard him shout, "We have to go! Come on!"
Was Christine not moving? Did she want to stay?
Finally, Raoul emerged with Christine by his side. Eponine could breathe again. They could finally go home.
Raoul nearly had to pull Christine away from the underground home. She was too petrified to move, practically, and could only stumble along in a daze as Raoul led her. Eponine watched as they made their way over to the lake. Christine let go of her grip on Raoul's hand, gave him an apologetic look and ran back to the cave.
Of course, he ran after her screaming and yelling. "Wait, Raoul," Eponine called to him. Frustrated and discouraged, Raoul looked back at her.
"What?" he snapped back at her.
"Just leave her alone with him for a few minutes."
"What? Are you crazy?" he demanded.
"Just a few minutes."
Eponine was right, Christine just had to see him again. If only for a few moments. A part of her didn't want to see him, because she hated him, but she needed to see him. It wouldn't feel right if she just... left.
She was slightly afraid to re-enter the home. It had been like a second home to her for so long and now she was scared to go in. Christine looked at the room around her, the beautiful furniture was on the ground and broken. All of Erik's music fell in a complete mess around the floor, looking more chaotic than usual. Christine could scarcely make out the sniffling, tall body as Erik himself.
Quietly, she walked over to him. He was crying. Christine had never seen him in such a state. Erik, her Angel of Music, had always seemed so tough. Almost as if he could face anything. He noticed that Christine had returned and stood up immediately, wiping a tear from his eye.
Christine hadn't realized it, but she was crying, too. She just wanted to stay with him and make music with him. It was not just Erik that she had come to adore. It was his entire world; his books, his paintings, his music. Still, she couldn't imagine staying with him. That wasn't the life for her, it just wasn't.
But, she did love Erik. She couldn't deny that. Christine loved Raoul, too, though. Was it possible to love two different people? And how could you choose one over the other?
Erik towered over her at his full height. Mere minutes ago, she could hardly look at him because of his hideous, exposed face. Now, as she looked at him, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Despite her sudden fascination in Erik's face, Christine's tears blurred her vision.
They looked at each other for a while. Christine looked a bit frightened, but mostly sad and confused. Erik had a look of slight embarrassment and regret, but also the same feelings of sadness. She wanted badly to say something. They both wanted to speak.
Erik allowed himself to smile a bit as he looked at Christine. With a shaking hand, he reached out to wipe away the tear traveling down Christine's cheek. She smiled.
"Christine, I love you," he told her, nearly in a whisper. She nodded her head and opened her mouth, but only a another sob came out.
Erik watched as she continued to cry. She could barely breathe. Despite the fact that he was nervous, Erik moved closer and closer to Christine until he had one arm around her and her head laid (still inconsolable) on his shoulder.
He couldn't help but wonder if this was... it. Christine was, maybe, truly in love with him. She would stay with him and she could still grow up and be great. They would figure something out.
Erik continued to watch her cry. Christine leaned on him, her tears did not stop. He wanted to mutter words of encouragement, but couldn't speak. Erik knew why she was crying. As much as he wanted her to, Christine did not want to stay with him. Perhaps she did love him, but they both had realized that it was... impossible.
Consumed with confusion and jealousy, rage and extreme sadness, Erik stood. Christine, who was still holding onto him tightly, stood as well. He led her through his home. She had to leave. It was the only right thing to do.
He walked for what seemed like an eternity. She hung onto him like a scared child, as if he was her father. Erik began to think that was his role in Christine's eyes- a father figure. Their love, their misguided, confusing love, was simply one-sided.
Erik felt tears in his own eyes, but he could still see a single figure waiting near the boat. It was Raoul, he was sure of it. With one last pang of bitter regret, Erik wished that he could have been born half as good looking as Raoul. However, if he was born good-looking, he never would have been banished to the depths of the church. He almost certainly never would have met Christine.
And for the first time in his life, Erik was grateful that he was born so ugly.
Christine looked down to Raoul and the lake, then back at Erik.
"Goodbye," she said. He had never heard such sadness in someone before. Without warning, Christine leaned in and kissed him.
Erik, obviously, had never kissed before, it was something he had only read about and knew almost nothing about. The feeling of his cracked, cut up lips against Christine's soft, lovely ones was foreign yet wonderful. They parted too quickly, he felt, and was rejoined in the reality that Christine was leaving. This time they would not be reunited.
"I love you," she whispered. They looked at each other for another short eternity and Christine ran away to an impatient looking Raoul's side. For the first time, he didn't feel such hatred as he usually did. In fact, in the deepest pit of his heart, he wished them well.
Erik did not let his eyes wander off from the boat which traveled further and further into the distance. With it left the only happiness he had ever known.
Their ride across the lake was silent, as expected. A thousand thoughts raced through everyone's heads, save for Christine. Even Enjolras couldn't help but wonder what had happened between Christine and her strange man. He couldn't help but wonder if they kissed, even, and he knew Eponine and Raoul wondered the same thing.
Raoul had a nasty look on his face, he was obviously angry, jealous or confused. It was most likely a combination of all three. He looked to Enjolras like an upset child who hadn't gotten what he wanted for Christmas.
Eponine was also silent. She felt like she was supposed to comfort Christine- at least say something to make her feel better. However, Eponine simply couldn't think of anything to say.
She was still shocked by the man, Erik. His story was such an incredible one. It wasn't a happy one, but still fascinating all the same. Eponine felt bad for him, she couldn't hate him the way Raoul clearly did.
Erik was watching them leave. Eponine was the only one who looked back at it. They locked eyes for a second, Erik and Eponine, and for a moment she saw him smile back at her within his tears. It was a sad smile, but yet somehow knowing. It was as if they were old friends. Against her better judgment, Eponine smiled back at him and raised her hand in a small gesture of farewell.
The four of them- Enjolras, Eponine, Raoul and Christine- returned up the stairway that led back to the church. Christine was silent still, nobody blamed her.
They continued to walk and felt safer and safer with each step they took. Eponine could breathe easily, but she knew Raoul and Christine were still shaken up. Raoul, after all, had almost been killed. Even Enjolras was still scared.
A body slammed into Eponine and she heard another crash to her right. Christine screamed, it was still pitch black. Eponine fell to the ground with a thud.
"Eponine?" the voice asked, confused. Eponine, however, let out a sigh of relief. She instantly felt better, it was only Marius.
Marius- she only just remembered that she was supposed to be mad at him. After such a night, though, she could hardly care anymore. Cosette was with him, she noticed, keeping her feelings at bay.
His eyes widened at the sight of his best friend, and quickly hugged her. Eponine couldn't help but be thankful for the fact that it was dark and they were underground as she was probably blushing. "Eponine!" he exclaimed, putting a hand on her arm, "Thank God you're alright! Wait- who else is here?"
"Um," Enjolras began, "Well, me, Enjolras, and Eponine and Raoul and Christine."
"Oh, Christine!" Cosette exclaimed, sounding very happy, "You're alright!" Cosette, after feeling around a bit, embraced her friend.
"I was so worried! I'm so glad we can leave!" she told them, grabbing Christine's hand and pulling her along, not really noticing her friend was still in a quiet state of shock. "Meg isn't here, where is she?"
"Hopefully, upstairs," Christine muttered. It was the first time anyone had heard her speak since they left.
However, those were the last words said during their trek back into the church. By the time they emerged, they were met with police, a few cameramen from the news, and plenty of concerned people waiting for them to arrive. They all blinked, they weren't used to so much light. Despite it being so dark out (it was certainly past midnight), lights illuminated the church.
Still visibly shaken, Christine searched the crowd for her mother and immediately ran to her arms. Mrs. Daae began to mutter frantically in Swedish at the sight of her daughter. Christine had no idea what she was saying, but was nevertheless glad to be in her mother's arms.
"Enjolras!" Eponine called to him, suddenly remembering who she had come with, "Gavroche!"
It didn't take long for them to find Gavroche. He was a smart boy and easily stayed away from any of the danger. In fact, he was waiting for Eponine and Enjolras outside of the church. Eponine couldn't help but be relieved to see him, immediately wrapping him in a hug.
"Where the heck have you been?" he asked his sister, clearly confused. Eponine laughed slightly.
"Oh, gosh, I'll tell you later. Let's just go home," she responded. That felt like such a wonder idea, to go home. Eponine could laugh again, when was the last time she wanted to go home?
Enjolras smiled, despite wondering where his friends were. It wouldn't be like them to take off, but they were nowhere in sight. If they went down the organ as Enjolras, Raoul and Eponine had they would have eventually ran into them.
He was a little hurt by that thought, but felt better when he reasoned that at least they were safe. His friends were safe, he was safe, Eponine was safe... What more could he as for?
"Do you want a ride home?"
"Sure!" Eponine said, sounding happy once again, "That sounds great. I'd rather not walk home in this. Way too late."
After saying goodbye quietly to their friends, Eponine and Enjolras slowly made their way over to his car with Gavroche. They both eyed the church, neither wanted to ever go back there. It was like a gift to be able to leave the church.
The entire car ride home, Gavroche had tried to figure out what happened to Eponine and Enjolras. Eponine in particular didn't want to tell him what happened, it just sounded too grown up for him. Enjolras didn't really talk at all, he just wanted to return to his parents, to go home.
Finally, Enjolras arrived at the Thenardier's house. Gavroche, tired and eager for Christmas, got out of the car quickly. He waited impatiently for Eponine to get out of her own seat, but she didn't. Her brother motioned for her to join him, but she still didn't move. She gave him a sign to go on with out her, which he happily did.
"You alright, Eponine?" Enjolras asked her, suspicious.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just..." she trailed off, not really sure how to describe.
"I get it," Enjolras said. He hadn't realized how much he really liked Eponine, even when she was distraught, she was beautiful.
Enjolras hadn't thought much about Eponine, or at least, his feelings for her. Were they feelings? That was an easy question to answer, yes. He couldn't remember when he began to like Eponine. The thought of losing her just a few hours was almost too much for him to fathom. He wanted to reach out and hold her, he wanted to tell her everything was okay.
"Bye, Enjolras," she said quietly opening her car door, "Thanks for everything."
And to his surprise, she leaned over and closed her eyes. Enjolras could feel his heart beating, it was as if she had read his mind. They kissed for what seemed like such a short time, but was enough for him. Slightly embarrassed, Eponine pulled away from him slightly red in the face. They both smiled at each other and Enjolras reached over from his driver's seat to hug her.
"Merry Christmas!" she told him, with a grin on her face.
"Merry Christmas..." he muttered, still in happy disbelief.
Enjolras watched as she walked away back to her house. What had become one of the worst, scariest and most terrible days of his life had become one his best. Maybe it was a sign, maybe things really were looking up.
He smiled. Enjolras could still feel Eponine's lips against his own. Things were looking up.
Meg laid back in her bead. It was past midnight, already Christmas, but she definitely couldn't sleep.
She had only returned a few hours ago. Her mother was extremely thankful to find her and the boys from school had returned safely from the strange man's lair. They hurried home, but not before Meg learned Christine was safe at home. She would have to call the Daae's tomorrow.
Her adventure with the boys, Enjolras's friends, still burned in her mind. There was no way she was going to sleep that night.
Meg reached for her cell phone and the brightness illuminated her bedroom. She crouched down to ones of the three drawers under her bed. Opening the first drawer, her eyes were met with exactly what she was looking.
She grabbed the strange object gently, it was all that was left of Christine's angel. The white mask seemed to glow in the darkness. It was something she would keep forever.
Hello everyone! So I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, it's about four weeks overdue which I am SO sorry about. Anyway, I did put a lot into this last part (it's 8,000 words which is a record for me). This is going to be a kind of long author's note, so just hang tight!
First off, I obviously don't own Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera. That all belongs to Andrew Lloyd Weber, Cameron Mackintosh, Alain Boubil, Claude-Michel Schonberg and the original authors, Victor Hugo and Gaston Leroux.
Also, you haven't seen the last of me, haha. I will definitely be writing more for Les Mis and Phantom. I might even write some stuff on too, which I would love if you all checked out (same username).
And lastly, I want to thank everyone who's reviewed, followed or favorite (or all three)! Getting a nice review always makes me feel so good about the story and I am so thankful for everyone who's enjoyed! Thank you so much to everyone and let me know how you liked the ending!