Wanted

Chapter 14

Nadir, James, and Madame Giry all met in the foyer the next day to go look for Christine. "Our first stop is the De Changy mansion." Nadir said as they all got in a carriage and started their journey.

When they arrived at the mansion, they saw Raoul walk out of the mansion and get into a carriage nearby. "Christine must be here." Nadir said as they watched the carriage Raoul was in drive away.

Nadir got out of the carriage and walked to the front door. He knocked on the door three times but no one answered. He tried the handle, and to his luck, the door was unlocked. Nadir smiled to himself as he silently slipped inside the mansion.

He walked up a winding stairwell that led to a bedroom. When he walked in he found Christine sitting on the windowsill with a hand on her stomach. "Christine?" Nadir spoke and Christine turned to look at him.

"Nadir! Thank you so much!" Christine stood from her spot at the window and ran over to him.

"It's not a problem. Now come, everyone is waiting in the car." Nadir said and he assisted Christine in getting out of the house. He helped Christine into the carriage but she looked confused.

"Where is Erik?" Christine asked and everyone sighed.

"You won't like it, Christine." Madame Giry said and Christine started to worry.

"I'm sure I can handle it." Christine said bravely even though she wasn't quite sure. The three other people in the carriage exchanged glances before Nadir started explaining.

"Erik is in the traveling fair."

Christine couldn't believe what she was hearing. They had captured him yet again. This wasn't right, he didn't deserve to be put into a traveling fair. He wasn't a monster.

"Take us to the Paris traveling fair." Christine told the driver who yanked on the reigns of the horses to make them go. Christine looked out the window so she could find the fair. "There it is! Let us out here." Christine demanded and gave the driver five francs.

Nadir helped Christine out while James helped Madame Giry. They walked down the line of cages until they saw one that was labeled 'The Devil's Child'.

"Move out of the way you awful people!" Christine shouted as she pushed her way through the crowd. Once she reached the cage, she cried at what she saw. Erik was huddled in a corner with his mask and shirt off.

"Christine, is that you?" Erik asked as he crawled over to the bars of the cage. Christine nodded and reached her hand through the bars to hold Erik's hand.

"How'd you get here?" Erik asked and Christine smiled.

"Nadir saved me. Then he brought me here. I'm going to get you out, love. You don't belong here." Christine promised him as Erik's master came out of a door with a whip in his hand.

"You will now whiteness The Devil's Child being whipped!" The man screamed in happiness that made Christine cringe.

"Don't hurt him, please!" Christine pleaded. Her hands gripped onto the bars of the cage. "He doesn't deserve this!" She cried as the man pulled the whip back and struck Erik hard on his back. Erik grimaced when it pierced his skin but he didn't dare make a sound.

Christine, on the other hand, cried and fell to her knees in front of the cage. Her husband was being beat right in front of her eyes.

The crowd started to protest which confused Christine. "Let the poor man go!" One man screamed and everyone started agreeing. Obviously the master of the fair had never witnessed this because he looked surprised.

Everyone continued to protest until finally the master grabbed a key and threw it to Christine. Christine caught the key and quickly unlocked the cage. She climbed in and threw herself into Erik's arms. She felt the blood from his back on her hands but at that moment in time, she didn't care.

"We need to get you home, love." Christine whispered in his ear lovingly. Nadir came over to the cage and helped them both out.

"Erik needs his mask..." Erik rasped as Nadir helped him walk to the carriage. Christine sighed and shook her head. She hated it when Erik talked in third person.

"Darling, you know I don't like it when you talk in third person." Christine said as she laid a hand on his shoulder that wasn't bruised. "You have more masks at home, you'll be fine for now."

Nadir helped the couple into the carriage and Erik winced in pain every time he put any pressure on his left foot. Once Erik was seated in the carriage, Christine curled up in his arms. She grabbed one of his hands and placed it on her growing stomach. Erik sighed contently and kissed Christine's head.

"Erik, why were you limping?" Christine asked and she could tell that Erik was about to lie.

"It's nothing." He whispered as he watched out the window. Christine didn't reply because she knew he was stubborn. She didn't feel like fighting with her husband who she had just saved from a traveling fair.

"We're here," Nadir said as the carriage came to a stop in front of the Opera Populaire. Erik limped to the front step and unlocked the door.

"It's good to be home." He announced with a smile as everyone else came in. "But now it's time to get back to work." With that, Erik walked towards his office to get started on paperwork.

"Erik! You need to rest!" Christine demanded as she tried her best to run after him. Being two months pregnant didn't help much. She eventually had to stop to catch her breath and Madame Giry helped her to a chair.

"Let him work, we'll make sure he gets taken care of later. Don't worry, Christine." Madame Giry assured her in a motherly tone. Christine nodded but gazed down the hallway that led to Erik's office. She just wanted to help.

She just wanted to help.

Cast:

Erik Destler ~ Ramin Karimloo
Christine Destler ~ Sierra Boggess
Nadir Kahn ~ Nadim Naaman
James Destler ~ Michael Crawford
Madame Giry ~ Liz Robertson
Fair Owner ~ Colm Wilkinson
Protestor #1 ~ Ciara Renée
Protestor #2 ~ Will Swenson
Protestor #3 ~ Lin Manuel Miranda
Protestor #4 ~ Gina Beck
Protestor #5 ~ Andrew Kober