Twisted Every Way(Phantom Of The Opera Fic)

Chapter 20: Jean

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Gustave had escorted Anabel back to her room once their lesson was over. He was about to return as himself and reveal all when the door had opened with a rather loud bang.

He had darted into the darkest corner and cowered away. 

"What a dreadful town what a vulgar place what an awful mistake to had gone there..." He heard his fathers familiar voice mumbled. 

He had recognized the second voice as that of the Persian.

"Erik, we've been to every town every house, Gustave is gone. you need to accept that and move on."

Erik shook his head, "No I can't, I cant. I close my eyes and I see him. I hear his voice, see his face. I wonder if he thinks of me as I think of him. He is the only son I'll ever know, God has granted me that one son. I cannot lose him. If I die let me die, I myself will always make do, but how it hurts my wife. I'd rather die than see her suffer so."  

"Erik you must not speak such a way. You must go on with life. In my many years of living, I can say everything I've learned about life in three words, it.goes.on."

 Gustave could not have borne it any longer. He stepped out of the shadows and closed his eyes. He had expected a roar of rage an anger.

 Possibly a murder...

He opened one eye then the other. Both his father and the Persian stared at him motionless. His father's eyes were like daggers. They said everything, how much he had missed him, the pain Gustave had caused, the grief, the madness. 

Gustave gulped and stepped forward. "I know what you are going to say but I shall for once speak first. I am not a child anymore, I know you are tremendously angry, but I have a friend and she is exquisitely wonderful and beautiful. She will be staying here I needed to make sure she will be safe. If you do not want me back then so be it, but she must at all costs father be protected."

Erik did not answer.

"Father, say something to show your comprehension," Gustave said slightly irritated.

"You're, so much taller," Erik said standing up and knocking over his cup.

"Father." Erik thought, "He called me Father."

"You, probably don't even match the descriptions we gave out any more." He began to laugh sadly.

"Erik?" Christine called from the other room, "Who's there?"

Erik bit his lip and held back tears, "A stranger Christine, come and see."

"What descriptions?" Gustave asked his heart and eyes softening as realization set in.

"Did you think we would not search after you?" Erik scoffed, "That I didn't care for you at all?!"

Christine gave way to sobs at the sight of her son, running into his arms. 

"You wicked boy," Christine cried, "I thought you had died!"

Gustave suddenly realized how very very wrong he had been.

"Of course you can stay, of course, you will stay here forever, with us please forever, forever and always." Erik nodded. 

Then the Phantom stopped. Then he thought.

Then danger entered his eyes.

"Did you just say a girl?"

2 Years later. 

When Anabel awoke it all seemed like a dream. An impossible, wonderful, lovely, too good to be true dream.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of that voice, that wonderful voice that had sung to her.

She sat up and rolled her eyes. 

Where was Gustave? He was supposed to bring her new sheet music. Ever since the first day here he had done nothing but skulk off and mummer. 

What started out as promising friendship had changed in the last few months.  She wasn't sure she liked him at all honestly. In fact, he tended to annoy her immensely.

What kind of boy goes off and leaves their friend alone in a haunted opera house where neither of them are supposed to be? 

Of course, he had gotten her this position in the conservatory.  For that she was grateful. Gustaves mother came and checked on her, taught her to dance and laugh again. It was like a family she didn't know she'd been missing.

But why couldn't Gustave be as pleasant and wonderful as the voice in the dark? The one which taught her to sing.

There was a knock at her door. She wrapped herself in a shawl and sat down at her dressing table.

 "Come in." She said nonchalantly, acting as if she had been awake for hours.

A young man entered the room. His blue eyes twinkled and shined. He had been looking for her for a very long time.

"Mademoiselle." He said bowing, making Anabel chuckle.

"Do I know you Monsieur?" She asked turning back to her mirror. Her heart beat a million miles per hour.

 It was Jean, he remembered her, he had recognized her.

She hadn't seen him in these past two years! Ever since her first day, but the voice had put an end to that.

"Little Annie let her mind wander. Little Annie thought am I fonder of dolls or of goblins of shoes." 

Annie laughed, "Monsieur you talk such nonsense! Who are you? What are your intentions here?"

He laughed at her teasingly, "Always the jokester. Even at the darkest of times. I've missed you Annie."

"As much as you missed the egg yolk I put in your hair as a child?" She smirked.

"Ah, so you do remember then." He grinned taking her hand. 

"I've missed you, Jean." She smiled, "Your stories and joking and laughter."

"And I your's" he responded, "Come on, I'll show you around the better parts of the place, come along."

Anabel stood up reluctantly, she had hoped to stay and see if the Voice would come to her again. 

Perhaps, it wouldn't be too much of a difference if she went for a little trip and came back. She took Jean's arm and they embarked.

-------

For the first time in a year, Gustave wanted to compose. He sat down by the piano and lightly touched the keys. He let his fingers feel the cracks and chips in the wood. He wrote for Anabel, a song that he knew her voice would sing perfectly. That's when he heard the door to the little house on the lake open.

Gustave sighed, open with a creak as it had done two years ago the day he returned.

What would another two years bring?

((Thanks again for your support of this book it really means so so much. Who's your favorite Christine. I'd say Sierra Burgess but I think Emmy Rossum did a stellar job in the film.))