Hello everybody. It continues with our chaotic bunch. And this time there will be an attack. And there will be someone else who we all know quite well. But I leave it up to you whether you like them or not. That's your very own opinion. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I appreciate your feedback.

Greetings Petit Erik

7.9.2022

Soon after, it was decided that the Christines would move in permanently with the Phantoms. They were eager to stay with them and the expectant fathers were eager to be around their unborn children every day so as not to miss anything. To see how many would be needed to carry everything over, the children had run over and looked around. While the children were over there, the phantoms were preparing their rooms so that everything would fit in. Suddenly there was a loud thump and 4 children emerged from Erik's bookshelf. They briefly apologized to him because he was crying out but he laughed when he saw who it was. The children ran to Jenny and asked her to call everyone together, which she did without obligation. Once everyone was in the living room, the children crawled onto their fathers' laps, shivering, and snuggled up to them.

"Charles?" asked Kerik anxiously, "what's wrong? What happened over there?"

He lifted his son's chin with a long, thin finger so he could look at him.

"The...the...," the boy trembled.

Rarely did he act so scared and vulnerable, trying to always be brave at 13 years old but sometimes it didn't always work out.

"What, son? Come on, dad can you tell. Whisper it in my ear."

Kerik leaned over to his son and he told him what he had seen. Kerik's pale skin tone turned a shade paler.

"No?" he asked.

Charles nodded and buried his face against his father's shoulder. Kerik's hand instinctively moved to the inside pocket of his jacket. When all the other phantoms saw this movement, they knew something was very wrong. Otherwise, Kerik wouldn't guide his hand to where everyone's lasso normally was.

"Angel?" asked Kristine, "what is it? Why are you suddenly so pale?"

He looked at her.

"It seems there are unpleasant visitors in your house," he growled.

She flinched back.

"Please, no spiders!?"

"Worse, Maman," Charles muttered, looking into his father's noseless face.

Kerik nodded and looked at Kristine again.

"He's right, dear. Worse."

Then he looked at the other fathers. Their sons had also clung to them, hiding their faces.

"Gentlemen?" he asked, "could we meet in the common room for a moment? There is something we need to discuss."

The phantoms nodded and got up to go upstairs, while the fathers, with small smiles, passed their sons to their mothers and followed the others. When they were all gathered in the common room shortly after, a heated discussion immediately took place.

"First, is this room soundproofed like all the others?" asked Robson.

Everyone nodded and he relaxed his tense posture a bit.

"What do we want to do?" asked Warlow, looking around at the group of phantoms.

"I don't know either," Cudia admitted, "but it's obvious they know the Christines live there."

"Why is that?" some asked, looking at him.

"Come on, guys. It's obvious, isn't it? They're the ladies' best friends. Of course they know where they live."

Many of the opera spirits grumbled in displeasure. They knew Cudia was telling the truth. The Vicomtes were the ladies' best friends. Gerry cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"I think it was just shock with the kids, too," Piterman said.

"But they're also everything we're not," Erik admitted, muttering.

Immediately, everyone looked at him.

"It's true!" he exclaimed, "they're rich, handsome, can live in the light, and several things. And they all have a nose!" he added for emphasis.

Derik came up to him and gently put his hand on his shoulder.

"I think it's a little different now," he said to the oldest opera spirit.

Erik looked at him from big eyes, which shone.

"Well, we are rich too, like the Vicomtes. And we can also live in the light, just like them. And some of us have noses and some of us don't. But does that make the Vicomtes or these other gentlemen here with noses breathe better than us who don't have noses? I don't think so. And the Christines don't care at all what we look like, do they?"

Everyone shook their heads, including Erik.

"You see. And I think if they really cared about our face, they wouldn't move here to see it every day like it is now, would they?"

Everyone else agreed with him. Derik, despite his young age, knew a surprising amount and liked to give the older phantoms some helpful advice.

"Isn't there a secret passage over there?" asked Edenborn suddenly.

Everyone looked at him.

"The boy's a genius," Grandcraw muttered.

Now everyone was looking at him.

"It's true what he says. There is actually a secret passage over there. We'd need someone to spy on what all the Vicomtes are doing. Because that would also let us know when to bring all this stuff over here. Who wants to?"

At first everyone looked uncertain because no one really felt like fighting their old enemy if the worst came to the worst but eventually Little raised his hand.

"I'll do it," he said.

"Why you?" some asked.

He replied: "Because I don't want our new or once- again fathers to die before their offspring arrive."

Crawford's misshapen lips curled into a friendly smile.

"That's very kind of you, my friend. But I think Kristi would appreciate it, too, if nothing happened to you."

The other Merik smiled.

"I think so, too."

At that moment, Jenny came through the door.

"Well, boys. Planning for war?" she asked with a grin, coming over to them and sitting down in one of the plush armchairs that stood in the room.

"Only against the Vicomtes," Mackintosh grumbled.

Jenny turned a little pale.

She looked at Kerik and asked: "The Vicomtes? Was that what Charles had told you?"

He nodded and propped his chin on his knuckles.

"And what are you going to do about it?" they all asked.

"First, do a little spying," Crawford explained to her, "why they're there, how long and when they're leaving and maybe coming back. Things like that."

"Okay. But nobody puts their lives in danger, please. I want you all to be alive. And the Christines wish it too. Speaking of which, who's spying?"

"Me," Little said, and Jenny looked at him.

"Okay. I'm just saying, if you get in trouble...I'm not saving your ass."

The Phantoms laughed and so did Jenny.

Little replied with a grin: "I totally realize that. But I hope it doesn't come to that."

"I hope not either."

Thus it was decided that Little would sneak into the house that night and look around. This plan the boys kept to themselves so that their ladies would not have to worry. That night, when everyone was asleep, Little quietly got up, dressed, and then went downstairs to the basement. There he knocked gently on Erik's door. He opened it immediately.

"Thank you," he whispered and followed the oldest opera ghost.

This one wore a night robe with a sleeping cap on his head and looked tired. Then they quietly walked to the bookshelf and Erik flicked a switch. The shelf moved to the side, revealing a passageway.

"When you're done, just come back and knock quietly here. I'll be awake."

"You sure?" asked Little.

Erik nodded.

"If you don't take too long, I can manage to stay awake."

The Merik nodded and disappeared into the hallway with a swish of his cape. Half an hour or so later he reappeared. He knocked softly on the wall of the bookcase and not 5 seconds later it was opened to him.

Before he could say anything, Erik interrupted him: "Please tell me everything tomorrow. I just want to sleep now."

Little nodded, wished him a good night, which the other opera ghost returned, and went back upstairs through the door. The next morning, everyone met again in the common room for the briefing, while the Christine's, children and Jenny were downstairs in the living room.

"So, Monsieur. Reporting," Jones said, looking at Little.

"Okay. So I found a note that said the Fop's aren't there during the day, but they are in the evening. And it seems like they want to stay there until they see our ladies. That's obviously their plan."

"Over my dead body!" shouted Borchert, jumping to his feet.

"Mine too!" others shouted and jumped up as well.

Before anyone else could say anything, the children came running through the door.

"Dad!" they exclaimed.

"Easy, easy," Lewis said, holding Jack by the shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked, looking at his son with piercing eyes.

"The...the Vicomtes," the boy stammered, "they're here. Outside the door."

His father's eyes widened.

"Excuse me?"

"It's true," muttered Jake, who was hiding behind his father.

"Then we'll have to do something about it," Crawford said, standing up and making his way to the door.

All the others followed him. Curiously, from the living room came Jenny and the ladies. The phantoms put on their masks, which received a reproachful look from their children and sopranos. They were only apologetically kissed, briefly brushed through the children's hair, and then they all went into the anteroom. Most of them put their hand around their lassos, which they had put in the pocket of their jackets that morning. Crawford opened the door with trembling hands. When the door was fully open, all the faces turned pale. Everyone in the house was wide-eyed, as were the viscounts. Wilson reached for his rapier, which Gerry noticed immediately. He put his hand around his lasso and pushed Emmy behind him. She held on to his shirt, trembling with fear.

"Sir, would you please take your hand off your rapier? I don't want anyone to get hurt here," Crawford said calmly to Wilson.

The latter looked at him, grumbled, and removed his hand from his rapier.

"Good, now what are you all doing here? It doesn't seem like an impromptu visit, does it?"

"We were just going to come and visit the Christines. But then we saw that no one was in the house and we wanted to wait. But no one came. And then we went here to ask if they were here. And it seems they are," Barton said calmly.

He was, thankfully, one of the Raoul's you could talk to normally.

"They are here, as a matter of fact. We were actually going over soon to bring their things here," Crawford continued to explain.

It would be best to let him speak, or there would end up being nothing but dead bodies.

"Bring them over here?" asked Barton, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. The Christines liked to move here. Because the fathers liked to be with their children. And the gentlemen who become fathers for the first time like to be there when their children grow up."

Gerry smiled happily, stirring up Wilson's hatred for him. The viscount leapt toward him, ripped off his mask and wig, and put his hands around his neck. The former phantom put his hands around his rival's wrists and tried to pull his hands away, but the latter did not let go. Crawford and Barton tried to stop him but could not. Suddenly a red lasso landed around Wilson's neck and was tightened. Where the lasso went, you could have seen Lewis was standing there with a thunderous expression on his face, holding the lasso.

"Let him go right now, boy, or I swear this lasso will be the last thing you ever see in your life!"

As Wilson looked at the menacing Love Never Dies phantom, he kept his hands off Gerry's neck, which by that time had turned purple. He coughed and propped himself against the wall. Emmy immediately came to him and gently stroked his back. He hugged her and she snuggled against his chest. Barton pulled Wilson back and ordered the other Vicomtes to hold him. Gerry scowled at his former rival and hugged Emmy to him. Barton apologized to him and the former Phantom accepted the apology. Crawford sent a threatening look toward Wilson, who was still being held by other Vicomtes.

"You'd best go inside for a minute, Monsieur, and get some rest. After what that boy tried to do to you, it's perfectly all right," Crawford told Gerry.

The latter nodded, thanked Crawford and Lewis, who gave him a friendly nod, and then disappeared inside the house with Emmy.

"Well, may we please go over and get the ladies' things so they can get settled in here?" asked Crawford, beginning to sound impatient.

Kari's hand was shaking the whole time and Sierra gently enclosed his with hers and squeezed it. He smiled gently at her.

"Yes, of course you may. I'm sorry we disturbed you and that Wilson," shooting him a sharp look, "caused such inconvenience."

"Very well. I'm not saying you can't come at all. Only please without violence and within the bounds of respect on both sides," this he said in the direction of the viscounts and phantoms.

Both sides nodded.

"And I swear to you, boy," Crawford growled in Wilson's direction, "if you threaten Gerry in any way again, that goes for all of you, by the way, I will personally see to it that you never see the light of day again. And believe me," with that he walked up to Wilson and leaned forward menacingly, "Ben was just the beginning."

With that, he looked at the phantom who had previously had the lasso around the viscount's neck. The young man swallowed and nodded anxiously.

"Very well."

With that, Crawford went back to the phantoms.

"Gentlemen, we're going to go over there and get the ladies' things now, okay? The kids please stay here with their mothers, the other ladies and Jenny while we go get the stuff, okay?"

The children nodded and snuggled up to their mothers. The ladies nodded; as did Jenny.

"Do you want me to go check on Gerry and see how he's doing? So he can help out?" asked Jake.

"Yeah, ask him sometime," said Crawford, sending the boy upstairs to the room of the Phantom's room.

A short time later, he came back with the two of them.

"You feeling okay again?" asked Crawford, putting a friendly hand on the younger Phantom's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm all right again. My neck still hurts a little but it's fine so far," Gerry replied, putting his mask and wig back on.

"Okay. Do you think you can help us carry a few things over?"

"Yeah, that's no problem."

"Okay. Come along, gentlemen," Crawford said, leading the group of phantoms over to the Christines' house to get their things so they could soon move in with the phantoms.