After the Scorpion

Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of The Opera. The respective copyrights belong to Gaston Leroux, Andrew Loyd Webber, Susan Kay, and so forth. This story is meant for entertainment only and is non-profit. Thank You



I came into the room, she was yelling at that damn boy. "You still have not chosen either the scorpion or the grasshopper!" Well, if you don't choose by 11 pm. I shall, and remember, the grasshopper jumps jolly high!" I glared at her as she cried. My beautiful Christine, I knew I had frightend her. I never wanted her to cry. If only she would allow me to comfort her, put my arms around her shaking shoulders, but that would only result in more screaming and crying. The boys in the torture chamber were still pounding the walls and yelling for Christine. "Do shut up, she's perfectly fine" I yelled back at them. Suddenly I heard a movement. Christine was attempting to undo her bonds. They were only there to keep her from inflicting any more damage to herself. She surprised me then when she asked, "Erik, do you swear the Scorpion is the one to turn for our wedding?" I was taken back. "Don't you mean the Grasshopper dear?" She looked at me with tear filled eyes, "But you told me the Scorpion signaled our wedding and the Grasshopper was our death requiem."
Confound it, what was the girl trying to do? I hardly expected her to choose the scorpion, it never even crossed my mind. As much as I loved and cherished Christine she no more thought of me than she thought of dog poo. "If that is what you choose, the Scorpion tells me you will honor, obey, and love me till death do us part." I watched as Christine implored me to take off her ropes. Raoul in the torture chamber screamed, "Christine what on Gods Earth are you doing?" She did not make a sound as she went to the little ebony casket. From there she removed the scorpion and turned the knob on its side. My sweet Christine! What joy to know she had chosen me over that odious fop Raoul. But what trick was she playing? I heard the torture chamber begin to fill with water and so escorted her into the living room. "Erik, you will never hurt me, right?" She asked timidly. I tried to smile at her through the mask. "If this is truly what you want, Christine, I will always love and spoil you.
Your very presence lights my life as a ray of sunshine on a rainy afternoon." She moved in closer to me, very slowly, and took my bony hands in her soft ones. "I have always felt an attraction to you, but my fear and revulsion overpowered my mind." She confessed. I replied, "If it bothers you, I shall never remove my mask." Christine then looked straight into my eyes. "Erik, as husband and wife we should have nothing to hide from each other." She then leaned in close to me and kissed my chin. I gasped. Christine's hand came up and I did not stop her as she took off my only safety net. I was vulnerable before her. She kissed my jaw, and finally moved in to kiss me full on the lips. Oh, what heaven lies within a kiss! A simple gesture, and it brought me to my knees. Suddenly we heard a gurgling sound. The torture chamber! I had forgotten about them! If I did not shut off the pumps from the Seine the whole apartment would flood! "Please Erik, let them go." Christine asked simply. I could not deny her anything. It was better this way really, after all I had just killed the Compte Phillipe, how could I explain the dissapearance of both the Compte and Vicompte De Chagney?
By the time I had shut off the water and carried the unconcious Persian and Raoul into the house, Christine had seated herself at the fire with a book in her hand. How domestic, as if she actully planned to stay here! I doubted all of this was true, my instincts were telling me to be wary, but my heart just wouldn't give up. I laid the Persian on the bed comfortably, but dumped Raoul on the couch. "Please dear, bring them some hot tea for when they awake." Christine still had not spoken since the kiss, and I wondered what she was thinking. I heard the Persian awake. "Do you like my furniture?" I asked. The pessistant man had tried to get in my apartment before, now here he was! Christine handed him the tea. I explained. "Both of you are now saved. I shall escort you and the Vicompte to the second celler, where Darius will take over and take you both home. I hope you have a pleasent day." The Persian called to Christine, but she was absorbed back into her book. "Do not talk to my wife." I snapped.
Christine then smiled at me. Why? Did she smile because I called her my wife, or because I was letting Raoul live? Damn these infernal doubts! I led the boys up to the second celler. "Take them home and never return here again, your life depends on it." I told Darius. He would here much more from the Persian. I returned a little while later to find Christine waiting on the banks of the lake. I sailed the boat to her and stepped out. She came to me and I embraced her.