After The Opera Burned || Phantom Of The Opera

Chapter 19 - No Backward Glances

A/N: Thank you so much for being so patient with my updates. It's really hard with having two jobs and school to find time to write and I know I never wanted to go almost a month without updating. I feel horrible for taking so long. Nevertheless I found some time today and decided to get to it!

The next morning everyone arose early and began to pack their belongings for the road trip ahead. Everyone was nervous about going across the ocean to go to America and to start anew, but they knew they had no other option as now most of Europe was looking for Erik.

Madame Giry sighed as she clicked her suitcase closed, knowing that she was leaving Europe after living here for her entire life. She was also leaving her dearly departed husband behind, taking in a shaky breathe as she thought about how he could not come with her or their daughter, would they ever return to him? To France? She was tired of running, tired of keeping secrets from the rest of the world for Erik. It had been a completely different situation at the Opera Populaire but now they were constantly running from his past, could this ever end? And what if the Phantom were to find out that Christine had a child, much less his child? Would he forget all about them and go running to her? Oh she would have loved to see Raoul and Erik fight once more, especially over such a foolish and naive girl.

'No. His past will stay in Europe, I will make certain of it.' She thought to herself, settling her suitcase down on the bed as she went to retrieve parchment and a pen from the desk in her room to write to the newspaper back in France. Once and for all she was settling the score and all parties will be made aware that the choices had been made and everyone had past the point of no return.

She shivered at her own thought of that song, knowing it brought destruction to her beloved home and career that led them ultimately to the life she was living today. Regardless, she began writing the note for the newsletter, instructing them to only publish three words in the newspaper that would get the message across. It would only be understood by those who needed to know and for those who did not, they wouldn't think twice about it. After making sure she had enough coins to go with the advertisement, she looked at the message once more as her mind began to have second thoughts on what she was about to send out.

"Oh mother?" a soft voice asked while knocking on her door.

Mme. jumped from being surprised, hiding the note behind her as she turned to find her daughter opening the door.

"We're ready to go towards the coast, are you almost packed?" Meg asked softly, peering from the loose hair in front of her eyes.

"Yes Meg, I am. Are you?" she asked in return, holding onto her payment and letter tight in hopes it would not give her actions away.

"Yes mother, I am. Nadir, Charles, and Erik are getting their luggage into the coach. They're early unfortunately," Meg sighed, taking the loose strand and tucking it behind her ear, "however I am ready for this new chapter in our lives. It's a new start in where we shall get everything we ever wanted mother, where the past can no longer affect us."

Mme. had to take a second to blink at her daughter's words. She was right after all, Christine and Raoul, as well as their bastard offspring, surely would not travel to America, even so shortly after the child's birth. No, Christine would not travel at all, for she did so very often at a young age and swore to not do so ever again. Yes, she faintly remembered that when she first arrived to the opera and where she met her father, Gustave. Ah, what a perfect gentlemen. A shame that he was taken too soon. Perhaps if he wasn't ill-

"Mother, did you hear me?" Meg asked, taking Mme. from her thoughts.

"Pardon my dear, I was.... thinking about your father." She replied smoothly.