479Hello Fan Fiction Readers and Reviews! As promised, I am ready to venture on a new story with the ultimate super couple. The usual suspects will be with us and believe it or not, a few surprising but familiar faces. This story is rated PG-13.
Although the plotline is original, I own nothing… Sad but true.
Away we go!
Meg Giry walked through the grounds wishing she was anywhere but here. She had already covered quite a bit of territory and was thankful to be a few miles away from everyone. The town was pleasant enough and the area where she lived was safe but it was a far cry from the sounds of excitement that the Opera Populaire usually brought. She missed her old home but she knew why they had to leave.
Mother couldn't have him leave alone. As odd as it sounds, he is family and family sticks together….. Besides a traveling fair should be exciting….. The key word being should.
She kicked a stone by her shoe. "Still… I suppose I thought by leaving the Opera House, he might forget her and be like he once was with me. I missed having a playmate." She sighed. He was always there when she was a child but things changed when she turned six and a frightened brunette with chocolate orbs came to live there.
"She was fun to play with….. Sometimes…. She was so quiet and shy. Yet when he heard her sing….. I never saw much of her again and as far as he was concerned… It was like Meg who? I could never measure up. I suppose when she left to live with her new adoptive mother, she took a part of him with her. I thought I'd get my playmate back but he was just half a person. Then when the murder came…
Splash… Splash
Meg twirled around quickly when she heard splashing coming from the lake nearby. She walked slowly and hid behind a tree, when she noticed Nadir Khan swimming. She couldn't contain her laughter, which startled the Persian man.
"Who's there? Meg? Meg, what are you doing there?" He swam to the side and avoided her eyes.
"Oh, don't be silly, Nadir. It isn't a crime to watch someone swimming. I mean it isn't as if…." Her eyes noticed all of his clothes were in a pile on the floor. "Nadir Khan, are you what I think you are?!"
"Get on home. This is no place for children!"
"Well, it's a good thing there aren't any around here!" She grinned. "Are those your clothes lying on the ground?"
"Meg, just turn around and go back." He did his best not to show her how nervous he was. Why did I think the cool water would be good for my nerves?
"Are they?" She inched closer and was merely a touch away from grabbing them off the ground.
"Meg, I'm warning you. I'm going to tell your mother!"
"Nadir, why do you always think the worst of me? Do you really think I would leave you here in the lake with no clothes and have to walk back to the fairgrounds? I mean it's at least three or four miles." She pretended to look insulted. "I told you I'm not a child."
He eyed her carefully. "Meg, I'm sorry. I just never know whether you are playing around or not. Obviously, taking my clothes and running away with them would not be very mature."
She nodded. "I'm glad you agree, Nadir." She then picked up his clothes and made as if she as going to bring them closer to him.
"Keep your distance! He shouted. "Err... I mean… Just put them down and back away, then turn around. We can walk back together."
"That's what a mature, lady would do, right Nadir?"
"Of course." He started to relax.
"Yeah…. Too bad you still think I'm a child!" She took off with his clothes and ran like hell back to her mother's.
"Meg! Damn it, Meg!" It was no use. All he could hear was the girl's laughter echoing in the distance.
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"I'm telling you, Antoinette your daughter is a menace. She just left me out there, without a stich of clothing! It was humiliating to say the least. I'm a former police chief…"
"Yes, yes and I'm a former ballet instructor. We are not who we once were, Nadir."
"You're telling me….. You mean to tell me you are just going to stand there and do nothing about her behavior?"
Antoinette shrugged. "It was inappropriate but it was only in fun. Why am I always the one to tell her no?"
"Well, if that is the behavior she is expressing, then as a parent, you must. Antoinette, I don't care what she gave up, life is not without its sacrifices. We all have suffered."
"Yes, we have. Yet Meg has had to pay for what we did." Antoinette sighed when she remembered the night they left Paris.
"When Erik came and told me what happened with Buquet, I couldn't let him leave alone. He has spent a lifetime of having the people he cares about either desert him or be taken away from him. I wasn't going to add my name to that list."
Nadir turned pale. "Do you think I wanted that either? I was the one who practically forced you into telling me where to find him. I never lost sight of my friend. Yes, we had differences but I owe him a debt I can never repay. Staying on with him is no penance for me. He is like a brother. Besides, we are not that far away from the city. I think we should have left France altogether."
"I share a similar debt. Erik got me through the roughest period of my life after Jules died. Without him, I am too afraid to think about what might have become of me."
Nadir nodded his agreement in silence. "I suppose it could be worse. Besides, Erik seems to think we can raise enough money to buy the neighboring land and then with that….."
"Build a new opera house. Something glorious and original" Erik had been telling her the same plans as well. She put on her apron. "Do you want soup?"
"No, I better be getting back. Erik wants to do a thorough inspection of the grounds when he returns. I best warn the others." He grinned.
"You can't work on an empty stomach. You are as bad as he is."
"Antoinette?"
"Yes?"
"The accident with Buquet, I still can't imagine he would have been stupid enough to taunt Erik on his own. Do you think that de Chagny was behind it?"
She pretended to stir the ingredients into the pot. "That man won't be happy until he has taken everything from Erik. Greed is a diabolical alliance."
"That's not an answer." When she still said nothing, he made for the door. "I better go. Tell that daughter of yours….."
"Just what might that be, Nadir?" She stared long and hard at the Persian.
Nadir could feel himself getting nervous. "Oh, forget it!"
Seconds later, Meg emerged.
"Mama, why didn't you let me deal with Nadir? I can fight my own battles."
"I know but is it wrong to want to be a mother and help where and when I can?"
"Nadir is right about one thing, Mama."
"What's that?"
"We did the right thing going with Erik that night. He wasn't to blame for that nasty man's death. He was vile, all of the girls at the Opera House knew that. Even Carlotta…."
"Please, don't have me hearing you agree with what that woman says. It's bad enough she is here."
"Well, you were the one who begged Erik to take her in."
"Don't remind me!" She tasted the soup. "Set the table."
"Mama, do you think we'll really be ready to build a new theatre?"
"I believe in Erik, so yes."
"It's just he can make money adding to the fair. Why does he need a new Opera House?"
"You know better than to change Erik's mind once he has a plan in sight. Besides, we won't be doing much of anything if I can't hire on another girl."
Meg pondered for a moment. "Do we really need another dancer?"
"Is that so bad? I thought you would like the company?"
"Company, yes. Competition, no."
"Sit down, supper is ready."
"Mama?"
"Yes, Meg?"
"Was Nadir really mad about my taking his clothes?" Her giggling caused her mother to join in.
"My Meg, what are we going to do with you?"
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Erik sat on top of his faithful horse, Cesar, overlooking the de Chagny estate. His fedora carefully covering the side of his face that was shielded by his black mask. He had a few hours before he had to go to work and endure the public shame and humiliation once more. He sneered as he thought of his mortal enemy, wooing emptied headed, beauties and sipping Champagne, as he had to grovel in the dirt in order to one day rise above his fate.
"Damn you, Chagny! It wasn't enough for you to have everything by simply coming out of your mother's womb. No, you had to take everything because you felt it should be so. Why?! Why was I so blind to think that you could look past my face and accept me? Why was I so blinded by acceptance that I let my guard down? Because of you, I lost everything…" Erik close his eyes, cursing his weakness.
He signaled for Cesar to continue on and as they came closer, he could hear the music and ballyhoo. It wasn't enough to take my birthright… No, you didn't stop until I was reduced to nothing. Was it so wrong to have me live out my days in peace? Why did you cause that piece of filth to rip me away from a life I earned to live? Although this time, you caused three innocent lives to pay for my sins and for that, I will not rest until I see you crumble.
As he continued to get closer to the estate, he had to ask himself if he was truly happy at the Opera House. Yes, he had built a safe haven for himself and he was surrounded by music. He also made somewhat of a decent living. True, he had to endure stupidity and mediocrity but the managers knew they were imbeciles, so at least they never fought his demands too much, especially when they saw he was right. Yet things were never the same when that little girl was taken away. If Erik didn't know any better, he would have sworn that Raoul had instigated that loss too but he knew that was impossible. Christine was still a child when she was adopted and Raoul couldn't have had anything to do with that, least of all know of her existence.
And so he journeyed down the mountain and was soon a stone's throw away from the estate. He could easily just turn back around and go to work as he had done before but this time, this time he was all too eager to see his rival and make his presence known.
"Come, Cesar. We have a party to attend and some mischief to create."
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Christine stayed hidden safely in the library, trying to focus on a novel but her mind was elsewhere. So much had happen in such a short time. Her adopted mother, Madame Valerius had passed on and she still missed her terribly. It seemed that all of the people she trusted and loved were somehow taken from her, one by one.
She had lost her mother at a very early age, in fact she could hardly remember her at all….. Her dear papa had died when she was seven. Three years prior to the adoption, she had gone to live at the Opera House and although she was happy to be adopted, it had cost her the one person that made her feel whole again since her father died. His loss left a void in her she could never fill. She lost her Angel of Music in exchange for a mother and now, 11 years later, she was alone again.
She closed the book and shook her head. "I don't know where I belong but I fear it isn't here, Papa…. You must have lead Raoul to find me again but I confess, I don't understand. Is this really the life you see me living? Then again, why else would I be here if you did not will it?"
The party was grand and glorified but it was also full of strangers. She didn't know anyone except for Raoul and he was too busy playing host. The last thing she wanted was to dance in a ballroom and pretend to put on a happy face. She was anything but happy.
Still she wondered if by not being with the others, she was disregarding some sort of cosmic plan that her father had planned for her. Wasn't that the reason why she ran into Raoul at the cemetery after all these years?
She had been at Madame Valerius' gravesite, saying her goodbyes and promising to return again soon, when she wasn't watching where she was going and ran right into a man, crossing over the path.
"Oh forgive me, Monsieur I wasn't watching where I was going….."
"That's alright. I'm in a hurry though and I…. Those eyes…. Good God, Christine? Christine Daae?"
"That's right….. But who are you?"
"No, it can't be… Little Lottie?"
"Little Lottie…" She looked at the man in the face intently. "Raoul? Raoul is that really you?"
"What a surprise! You look so different. My word, you are not at all the gawkish little thing that used to follow us around at the beach."
"I…" Christine frowned. It wasn't quite like that. You were always following Papa and I around she mentally corrected him.
"What are you doing here in France and at a cemetery, no less?"
"I was visiting my mother. She passed away." She looked back at the gravesite. "And you, Raoul? Who have you lost?"
Raoul fidgeted, He hadn't lost a soul, or at least no one he cared about. He was just cutting through the path, as it was a shortcut. "A….Friend of the family. So, are you staying in town?"
The next thing she knew she was staying on at Raoul's family's estate and thrown into the midst of attending some sort of gala. She had heard the servants whispering how this was the fifth party in two weeks' time and they were sure the old master was doing all this so he could find his son a bride.
"Lottie? Are you in here?" Raoul walked in and smirked when he saw Christine sitting down with a book in her lap. "Christine, it is terribly rude to hide in here all night. Are you sick?"
"No, Raoul but…. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude but this place…." She looked around. "The party… I'm not much for small conversation or dancing these days. I didn't mean to worry you."
"Oh, you didn't worry me." He shrugged it off and kneeled beside her. "You need to get over your loss. After all, your step mother wouldn't have wanted you to waste away."
"I know but I need to concentrate on my future, Raoul and what I am going to do. I also keep wondering if my Papa is trying to tell me something."
"Such as?"
"Should I go back into the theatre? Maybe I could audition as a dancer at some of the traveling shows that come to France?"
"A dancer? You dance?" He got up and walked over to the bar.
"A little. I took a few classes when I was living at the Opera House and Mama Valerius paid for lessons."
"Really? I would have thought you would have sung. I recall you and your father always singing."
She looked quickly up at Raoul. "No, I couldn't."
"Why not?"
"The pain of losing my father…..Although, I confess there was a period in my life, when I was able to move past the pain and enjoy the music once more but….."
"But what?" His back was turned as he was stirring his drink.
"It doesn't matter, anymore" That's right, Christine tell him about an angel that gave you lessons as a child. As if he doesn't think you're strange enough already.
Raoul turned to face her and offered her a sip from his glass. "Drink?"
"No, Raoul. Thank you."
"Lottie, what kind of life have you lived? Look, I didn't invite you here to be locked up in a library of all places…"
"You have been very kind, Raoul. Please don't let me spoil your fun. I don't want you to feel as if you have to look after me."
He shook his head. He had hoped she would be a little more interested in the festivities. "Maybe we should do something a little more intimate tomorrow? Just the two of us?"
"Intimate?" She backed away.
"You know, most girls would give their right eye to be alone with a Vicomte, Christine. What is the matter with you?"
"Raoul, we are friends. I appreciate your kindness but we haven't seen one another in years….. You never even sent word after Papa died. I lived alone from anyone for three years in an Opera House. Forgive me, if I don't bat my eyes and run into your arms."
Raoul sighed. Why must the commoners always play hard to get? "I'm merely trying to get to know you again, Lottie. Would riding be of interest to you tomorrow?"
"I need to go to the cemetery tomorrow, Raoul and then I wanted to…"
Knock, knock
"Hey Raoul, what are you doing all alone in here? Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were in here with someone." Phillip, Raoul's older brother came in.
"Phillip, you weren't home the other night. Do you remember Christine Daae? She was the little girl we would see at the sea when we were younger."
Philip eyed Christine up and down. "I'm sorry but I would have remembered you." He then looked at Raoul and gave him a wink. "I'll let you two be."
Raoul finished his drink. "Wait, up Philip. It's not like that." Yet. "Christine, don't fall asleep in here. Enjoy your day tomorrow." He said sarcastically and left the room.
Christine felt a terrible headache coming on. "Papa, please don't tell me this is why I am here."
All of a sudden, she heard a crash and jumped. "What was that?" She saw the curtains on the balcony doors move. "Who's there?"
A/N: I said the first chapter would be up in October and I am a woman of my word. So, what do you think? Don't keep me in suspense. Due to traveling next weekend, the next update will be posted on November 7.