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Paris' Song	By : Hilary Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 7620 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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A/N:I'm so glad you all enjoyed last chapter. I was really worried that Erik was too out of character but I obviously didn't have to worry too much. I would also like to thank Hari for letting me know about the problem with my web site address. That problem has been fixed and if any one is interested I have a couple of fanart pictures of Paris and Erik. Anyway, that's enough from me so here's the next chapter. Enjoy, and I don't own any of the characters save for Paris. The rest, I guess all belong to Gaston Leroux.

For the next few weeks Christine worked with Erik to learn the songs for the up coming production of ‘Il Muto'. Erik had been sending notes to the managers that Christine was to perform the role of the Countess, the lead, but so far the managers had said nothing about going along with that decision. They had persuaded their current leading woman the famous ‘La Carlotta' into staying with the Opera company when she had threatened to quit if Christine was cast as the lead by saying that La Carlotta was the only woman qualified to perform the role. She was, after all, the Prima Donna and the woman the audience wanted to see and hear.

Paris had not been pleased when she had heard that decision. Erik would most definitely be livid when he heard the news. Paris, however, just went about pretending that nothing was wrong and that she knew nothing about the disastrous plans going on. Paris also knew that Christine was becoming more and more afraid of Erik. He had been getting testier with her. Christine had apparently been spending more time with Raoul and Erik was not pleased with that at all. Paris rarely went down with Erik and Christine to Erik's house below the Opera House due to the fact that Paris wasn't always free to do so. She had to work on the dance routines more than she had ever had to do so for any dance routine before. She was slowly driving herself to exhaustion because of it. Paris didn't know what to do for Christine or Erik. She loved Erik and loved Christine as a friend but because Christine seemed to be only thinking of herself and her own wants and needs she was hurting those around her. Erik was hurt due to Christine's involvement with Raoul and Christine didn't even seem to notice that Erik loved her. Christine was hurting Raoul by not making any definite decisions about anything regarding the two of them. One minute she seemed to be genuinely happy to be with him and then other times she was pushing him away as if she was too good for him. And lastly Christine was hurting Paris with her cruelty to Erik. Paris hated that Christine had the affections of two men, one whom Paris loved deeply, and Christine only seemed to be leading them around by a leash and not doing anything with them.

As the night of the opening performance of ‘Il Muto' drew nearer Paris had a feeling that Erik would not be sitting calmly in his seat in Box 5 to watch La Carlotta butcher the leading female role. No, Paris had a sinking suspicion that Erik would be thinking of some way to get rid of La Carlotta as well as replacing her with Christine. Paris wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and finished lacing up her toe shoes. Standing up she glanced up at Box 5 and wished that Erik was up there watching her. If only he would show her the love that he showered on Christine, a girl who couldn't care less that Erik cared for her. With a sigh Paris stood up and got into position with the rest of the ballet rats and practice began again.

Unbeknownst to Paris Erik sat in Box 5 watching her. He had needed a break from tormenting the managers and teaching Christine and watching Paris dance never failed to calm his nerves and relax him. He missed spending time with Paris. At first she had joined him and Christine when he took Christine down to his home for practice but as work on ‘Il Muto' had progressed Paris' free time had quickly diminished. He frowned as he watched Paris tonight though. She didn't seem as graceful and she looked thinner. Leaning forward slightly he saw that she was very tired. Dark circles could be seen beneath her eyes even from way up in Box 5 where Erik was seated. This was not good. If this continued she would collapse from exhaustion. And just as Erik rose to head down to the stage he saw Paris stumble and fall. Erik felt his heart leap to his throat when another dancer accidentally fell onto Paris quite painfully. The theater went quiet for a second before all the girls rushed over to their fallen dancer. Erik was already making his way down through passageways to reach her. He prayed to the God that he had long ago given up belief in that Paris was all right. Although, knowing her she would be up on her feet and dancing an Irish jig by the time he got down to the stage.

Paris was being helped off stage by one of the other ballet girls when Erik reached the small opening in the wall just off Stage Right. He watched as the girl wrote something down for Paris to read. From where he was located he couldn't tell what it was but Paris' reply seemed to placate the girl who smiled and hurried back to practice.

"She didn't sleep well last night, Madame Giry. She says not to worry she knows the steps by heart by now."

Madame Giry glanced over at Paris, a frown on her face. "Well, I hope so other wise this dance will not be balanced correctly." Madame Giry made her way quickly over towards the resting Paris and took the girl's notepad and pencil. "Go home and rest child, but be here tomorrow ready to dance. I can not have you collapsing like this again."

Paris read the note and nodded to Madame Giry before rising to her feet and making her way to her dressing room. Erik followed by way of the hidden passageways. He had seen what Madame Giry had written due to the fact that he had moved closer to Paris' resting place. He waited behind the mirror while Paris changed before he activated the mechanism and entered the room. Paris was lacing up her boots when Erik entered and so she didn't see him enter. However, he made his way up to her so that she would see the tips of his shoes in her vision. When she did she started and looked up quickly. Seeing Erik she grinned at him. Erik, however, was not fooled. He saw how pale and gaunt she looked making the dark circles under her gray blue eyes even darker. He pulled out his note book and a pencil and wrote something down.

"You have been very negligent with your health Mademoiselle. As your friend, I can not let you continue in this manner. Therefore, I shall walk you home and no arguing."

Paris read his note and smiled a tired smile as she nodded. Paris gathered her belongings and then left with Erik.

Opening night of ‘Il Muto' arrived and as Paris had known would happen La Carlotta was to perform the Countess with Christine as the page boy, the silent role. Paris had watched off stage with the other ballet girls while the show was performed. It wasn't long before the Phantom made his displeasure known. As it turned out Raoul had decided to watch the performance from the Phantom's box, Box 5 and Erik was none too pleased about that. Well, due to Erik's rather loud complaint Christine heard him and, in fear, spoke on stage. Carlotta was not pleased about that at all and told Christine to "Shut up you little toad!"

While Carlotta may have wanted that comment to have been for Christine's ears only it was loud enough to be carried all the way to Erik's ears. He took her comment and ran with it.

"A toad, Madame? Perhaps it is you who is the toad?"

Needless to say Carlotta was a bit shaken up by that but she persevered and told the maestro to begin at the beginning of the song. Erik decided to mess around with La Carlotta and so through out the song he made the poor woman croak like a toad. Carlotta ran screaming off stage with Erik's comment about Carlotta singing to bring down the chandelier ringing through out the theater. Everyone had looked up and saw that the chandelier was gently shaking on its cables. Paris had a very bad feeling about that chandelier.

One of the managers, Paris believed it was Monsieur Firmin, ran out on stage and told the audience not to panic and that Christine Daaé would be singing the role of the Countess and that for the meantime the ballet girls would perform the ballet from Act three. All the ballet girls hurried on stage and began to dance but Paris had a feeling that Erik was up to something. Just then one of the girls screamed in terror and the music stopped as chaos filled the auditorium. Paris had to keep dancing for a few seconds before she saw an opportunity to stop. Looking wildly around she heard Christine call for Raoul who immediately hurried down to her. Paris heard Christine tell Raoul to go with her up to the roof where they would be safer. Paris only shook her head at that. Erik knew this Opera House like the back of his hand; he would know where Christine went. Paris also heard that the reason young Jennet had screamed was because the strangled body of the scene shifter, Joseph Buquet, had fallen down from the rafters. Paris closed her eyes for a moment before she ran off in pursuit of Christine, Raoul and most likely Erik.

Paris, thankfully, knew a more direct route to the roof and so she reached it a few minutes ahead of Christine and Raoul. Looking around she looked for a hiding place. Just then a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her up into the golden Apollo statue. It was Erik. Paris gazed into his eyes as he motioned for her to lay low and to remain quiet. As if that was going to be a problem, she thought sarcastically. They didn't have long to wait for a few seconds later Christine and Raoul burst onto the roof.

Erik and Paris listened while Christine told Raoul about Erik and everything that had happened since he had pretended to be her Angel of Music. Paris felt her heart break for Erik as Christine went on to tell Raoul how Erik was a deformed monster, barely a man. She felt Erik's body tense up and begin to shake with his repressed emotions as he listened to the woman he loved tell her lover how she couldn't stand to be in the same room with Erik. Paris had to physically restrain Erik when he choked out her name and he would have done more had Paris not quickly covered his mouth with her hands and shaken her head frantically at him not to do anything. Paris was thankful that she had been watching Erik at the time he had spoken otherwise she would not have been able to explain how she knew he had spoken if she supposedly couldn't hear.

Paris held onto Erik tightly for the rest of the conversation between Raoul and Christine. Raoul had proposed to Christine and she had accepted. That had torn Erik's heart apart even more and he had clung desperately to Paris until the lovers had left the rooftop to return down. Christine would sing the lead as a good bye to Erik then she and Raoul would run off together for a while.
"I gave her my music, Paris. Why couldn't she see how much I loved her? She took my music and threw everything back into my face," Erik said softly.

Paris gently placed a hand on his arm until he looked down at her. She stared up at him and gently placed a hand over her heart and then placed her hand over his. She smiled sadly up at him and mouthed the word ‘friend' to him. Erik understood and he gave a trembling smile in return but it quickly faded and his eyes hardened. Paris knew his thoughts had returned to Christine and her ‘insolent boy'.

"They will curse the day they did not do everything the Phantom asked of them," he growled and with a swirl of his cloak he ran back into the Opera House. Paris' eyes widened at his comment and with fear in her heart she hurried after him.

Paris arrived just in time to see Christine performing the leading role right where the show had left off. She breathed a sigh of relief that Erik hadn't done anything yet however, no sooner had she expelled the breath when she was sucking in another one of fear. Erik was repeating his threat now, loudly, throughout the auditorium and then began to laugh manically. Paris watched in horror as the giant crystal chandelier began to sway and she heard the cables snap as Erik cut them. With a deafening snap the chandelier began to hurtle down towards the stage. Right towards Christine!
Paris didn't think, she just acted. She ran across the stage and slammed herself hard against Christine knocking her far out of the way just as the chandelier hit the stage with a sickening crash. Paris was caught in the debris and all she could think as her world went black and Erik's pain and horror filled cry of "Paris, no!" filled her foggy mind was that at least she could say she went out with a bang. Then darkness took her mind and she knew no more.
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Paris' Song