I do not own any of the characters or plotlines from The Phantom of the Opera.

A/N Just a short note to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers. (Terry your words of wisdom really help me through a particularly difficult time.) We are getting through each day just taking things as they come. I now know that you should never take the people you love for granted so please let your loved ones know how much they mean to you each and every day for you never know when God will be calling someone home.

I have been trying to get back into the routine of daily life, so here I am again trying to write; hopefully it won't be too awful to read as I am not using a beta with this just being an exercise to get me writing once again. This story will be only ten or so chapters. I have lost my muse on Erik's Vengeance so I thought that it might help if I just got something down on paper, so here is something that has been rattling around in my head.

Author – ToryD

Lost and found

Chapter 1

Marie set the heavy silver tray laden with fresh coffee upon the antique table with a resigned sigh. The atmosphere within the room was dense with fear and an unbearable strain since the unthinkable happened. The last seventy-two hours taking its hard, embittered toll upon the occupants within this solemn room; a room that had once been filled with a small child's unfettered laughter. Pouring a steaming cup of coffee, she crossed the room to place the cup upon the small side table next to Erik's chair. "Here Erik," she said gently as she took in the haunted look within her employer's eyes.

"I don't want it," Erik responded woodenly as he turned his gaze away from the sympathetic face of his long time housekeeper, unable to accept the sympathy that was directed at him, for to do so would be to admit to himself that this wasn't just an unending nightmare.

Marie turned away sadly as she silently prayed for both Erik and Bella. Please dear Lord, protect our little Bella. She is the one light in Erik's dark life; please do not take her so cruelly from him. How much more do you have planned for Erik to have to endure? Surely, you can show him some mercy!

Nadir watched with weary eyes from his self-designated post at the right hand of his half-masked boss. The team of the FBI's top agents busy at work to his right. Why hadn't they heard anything in the last ten hours? he questioned himself silently as he clenched his hands into tight fists. The ransom that the kidnappers had demanded had been paid without any complications, yet they had not received word of Bella's location as promised. Crossing the room to the agent in charge, Nadir motioned with a slight nod of his head the need for a private conversation.

Agent John McDonald followed Nadir out into the opulent foyer of the elegant mansion wondering what words of comfort he could offer as the precious hours began to slip away.

Nadir turned sharply once they were out of room's earshot. "Agent McDonald, I want you to level with me. What are the chances of recovering Bella alive?" he questioned bluntly, needing an answer to the question that everyone had refused to voice thus far.

Knowing that the time had arrived to prepare the family for the worst, John released a deep sigh. "I won't lie to you Mr. Khan, with each passing hour since the ransom delivery our chances of recovering Mr. Desard's daughter alive become less likely."

"Jesus!" Nadir said under his breath as he digested the likelihood that he knew in his heart would destroy the man in the other room. Not only had Erik had to suffer through the death of his cheating wife only a short year ago, he now was suffering through a hell that no parent should have to bear. "So what do we do now?" he asked as his fear began to be replaced with a deep soul-wrenching sorrow.

"We continue to wait," John said softly, for it was all they could do.

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"Come on Beau," Christine Daae called coaxingly to her three year old German Shepard as she jogged around the west end of Central Park. Once Beau fell into step at her side, she turned up the volume of her ipod, matching her rhythmic gait to the infectious beat of the Killer's latest single. With the early morning sun beating down upon the cool October day, Christine tried to push away the unwanted thoughts that crowded her overworked mind. Her catering business was taking off with a lot more speed than she anticipated, making for sixteen hour work days that did little to ease the tension in her relationship with Raoul.

Raoul! Her mind called out tauntingly as her mouth tensed in an uncharacteristic frown. He had been pushing her to take the next step in their relationship, a step that she was not at all sure she was ready to take. Undoubtedly, he was responding to the pressure that all of their family and friends were wielding in the quest for the final joining that had been planned since their early childhoods. Yet she did not think that she could make a commitment to a lifetime with Raoul, at least not until she had made a success for herself. It wasn't that she did not love the handsome successful attorney, for she did. She had loved him since their first kiss on her sixteenth birthday ten years earlier. Theirs was a relationship that had been forged over the years; years where their two families had joined into an almost singular unit, sharing all holidays and vacations over the decades.

I should just give in and agree to the engagement, her thought nagged her as she rounded the jogging path's curve at the exact moment that two darkly dressed men rushed out from the cover of the dense woods. Christine felt a strange chilling fear race through her blood as she stared into the piercing grey eyes of one of the large men.

"Fuck!" Joe said angrily as he glared at the beautiful young woman who had stood directly in their path. "She's seen me, we will have to take care of her too," he announced gruffly to his companion as he began to walk menacingly towards Christine.

Oh God! Christine's mind cried as she began to back up the way she had just come while cursing herself for not listening to her mother's incessant warnings. Beau began to growl low in his throat, instinctively sensing the impending threat to his owner.

Shawn shook his head as he motioned to the large group of runners approaching from the opposite direction. Grabbing a hold of Joe's jacket, he pulled his accomplice towards their stolen cargo van, knowing that this was not the time to draw any more unwanted attention.

Releasing her held breath, Christine watched as the two men began to run towards the parking lot. "Oh Beau," she whispered as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. "That was too close for comfort, we'd better get home," she said as she watched until the two men disappeared from her view. "Let's go boy." Christine began to walk on her appointed path as Beau stood frozen with his sharp ears pointed in the direction of the dense woods where the two men had just come. "Come on Beau" Christine called as she patted her upper thigh encouragingly. With a slight whine, Beau began to run into the woods as if he was chasing his designated prey. "Beau!" Christine called urgently only to watch as the large dog disappeared from her view. Glancing around to make sure that the men were long gone, she carefully entered to woods to collect her misbehaving dog. "Beau! Get back here right now!" she yelled firmly. For the next five minutes, she repeated her calls as she walked deeper into the woods that she was surprised existed within the park. Hearing Beau's familiar bark about thirty feet to her left, she started in his direction with a stern lecture poised on her lips. Seeing Beau standing over a small bundle, Christine wondered what her errant pet had stumbled upon. "Okay boy, what's all the fuss about?" she asked as she drew nearer.

Knelling down, Christine pulled away the plastic blue tarp to reveal the unmoving figure of a small child. "Oh God!" she cried out as she quickly brushed away the leaves and dirt from the girl's cold face. With one hand, she reached out and felt for a pulse on the little girl's neck that she was relieved to find after three unsuccessful searches. "Okay, now what?" she asked herself aloud. "Think Christine!" she chastised herself as she tried in vein to pull upon the instruction she had in her first aid class six years ago. Reaching for her phone, she dialed 911 to get some much-needed help. "Lay down boy," she instructed Beau as she pointed to spot directly next to the small unconscious girl. Taking off her jacked, she gently placed upon the small girl while she waited for her cell phone to connect her with emergency services.

"911, can you please hold?" the sound of the operator's voice came through across the line causing Christine to curse at the absurdity of the question.

"NO!" Christine yelled into the phone as she studied the girl's blue tinted hands only to be put on hold anyway. Taking the child's small hands within her own, she began to gently rub some warmth back into them. After what seem an eternity, the operator returned on the line.

"Thank you for holding, please state the nature of your emergency," the rehearsed verse emerged from the operator's lips.

An irate anger filled Christine as she began to speak. "I need an ambulance and the police. I have found a small girl unconscious in the park. I am just off the jogging path on the west end of the park in a wooded area."

"I need your name and address, miss," the operator questioned.

"Christine Daae, 1230 East 63rd Street Apartment 305," Christine replied automatically as she continued to rub the cold hands between her own.

"What is the nature of the girl's injuries?" the operator questioned.

"She is unconscious and very cold. She has a pulse and is breathing. Her hands are practically blue so I would guess she is suffering from hypothermia," Christine stated in a steady voice that belied the turmoil that was wreaking havoc within her.

"I have an ambulance and the police in route, when you here the sirens can you please alert me so I can direct them to your position," the operator instructed.

"Yes of course," Christine replied woodenly as she stared worriedly down at the small child.

"Can you describe the child to me?"

"She has dark brown hair, about waist length. I would guess she is about three or four," Christine paused as the small hand within her own started to move. "She is moving her hand!" she cried out with a slight smile.

"Is she waking up?" the operator asked urgently.

Christine watched as lush black lashes lifted to reveal frightened green eyes. "She is waking up," Christine said into the phone as she watched the small girl begin to whimper. "Its okay honey, help is on its way."

"Ask her her name!" the operator intruded once again.

Christine watched as the little girl's eyes began to fill with tears as she looked about her. "My name is Christine, and I am here to help you. No one is going to hurt you honey," she said in a soothing gentle tone.

Beau began to nudge the shaking shoulder of the little girl consolingly as she continued to whimper.

"This big puppy is Beau, he's trying to get you warmed up honey," Christine said reassuringly as she prayed for the swift arrival of the ambulance. "Can you tell me where you are hurt?"

Bella watched the pretty woman smiling down at her shiver. Pulling her hands from Christine's, she grasped the warm jacket covering her and held it up in return.

"Oh no sweetheart, you keep it," Christine said insistently as she tried to replace the jacket.

Shaking her head, Bella held the jacket out once again.

"Tell you what, lets both use it shall we?" Christine said as she took the offered jacket. "I'm going to lift you," she said as she quickly donned her jacket. "Tell me if you are in any pain okay?"

Bella nodded as she let Christine gently lift her from the cold hard ground.

"Can you put your arms around my neck honey?" Christine asked as she drew the small body into the warmth of her jacket. "That's it," she said encouragingly as she zipped up the jacket over both of them, grateful that her mother had bought it one size to large. Standing, she started in the direction of the jogging path as Bella laid her head heavily against her shoulder. "Can you tell me your name?" Christine tried to question the little girl once again.

"Bella," a small shaking voice said into Christine's ear.

Patting her back reassuringly, Christine smiled in relief. "That's a pretty name for a pretty little girl. I bet your mommy and daddy are looking for you so we had better let them know where you are. Can you tell me your last name?" Christine asked as she heard the faint hum of sirens.

"Desard, my name is Bella Desard," the faint soft voice replied.

Frowning Christine tried to remember where she had heard that name recently. Remembering the 911 operator on her cell phone, she lifted it to her ear and began to speak again. "The little girl's name is Bella…Bella Desard." Hearing the quick indrawn breath on the other end of the phone, Christine wondered just who this little girl was that she held within her arms.

"Did you say Desard?" the operator questioned with an urgency that caused Christine to pause mid-step.

"Yes, Desard…why, do you know who she is?" Christine asked as she made her way up towards the jogging path with Beau at her side.

"Bella Desard is the daughter of billionaire Erik Desard. She was kidnapped three days ago. I'd better contact the FBI," she operator said more to herself than to Christine.

Christine remembered seeing a story on last night's news about the missing daughter of the shipping tycoon. "Well Bella, the police are calling your mommy and daddy to let them know where you are," Christine told the little girl reassuringly.

"But I don't have a mommy, just a daddy," Bella said in a slurred tone that cause a painful lurch in Christine's soft heart for the little girl who seemed to have been through too much tragedy for one so young.

"Hear that Bella," Christine said as she finally heard the close approach of the ambulance and police. "Those are the police coming to help you."

Instead of offering comfort, the news of the coming police officers seemed to alarm the small child. "NO! Please don't let them take me! I'll be a good girl," she said with big tears falling down her dirt stained cheeks.

Christine looked on in shocked horror as Bella began to shake uncontrollably within her arms. "Oh honey, the police officers are coming to help you not to hurt you," she said in a soft soothing tone that did little to alleviate the rushing fear that alighted Bella's small features.

"NO! Don't let them take me again! You stay with Bella!" Bella cried out in a terrified tone that broke Christine's heart.

What kind of hell has this poor little girl been through? Christine asked herself silently as she found an empty bench. Cradling Bella's little body into her own, Christine began to rock in a soothing motion. "No one is going to take you honey, I won't let them," she promised with a sincerity that seemed to calm little Bella.

"You promise?" Bella's little voice asked brokenly as she looked up into Christine's face.

"I promise honey," Christine replied knowing that she meant it to the very depths of her soul.

Sensing safety for the first time in days, Bella relaxed within Christine's arms feeling that at last she had found a home.

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Agent McDonald replaced his cell phone as he turned to face the half-masked man who had spoken so little in the past three, terror-filled days. "Bella has been found; she is alive."

Erik jumped up from his chair as a feeling of immense relief flooded his body. "Where is she?" he asked urgently, his voice sounding even strange to his own ears.

"She was found in Central Park by a young woman, they are now on their way to the hospital," Agent McDonald said as he reached for his coat. "I have a car waiting outside to take you to her."

Erik looked over at Marie who had tears of joy shining in her eyes. "Can you get me Bunny?" he asked with a somewhat stilted tone.

"Yes, I won't be but a moment," she said as she rushed from the room.

Agent McDonald looked on with a quizzical expression on his normally hard features. "Bunny?" he asked Nadir softly.

Nadir's face split into a delighted grin for the first time in days. "Bunny is Bella's favorite toy; she can't go to sleep without it."

Nodding his head, John smiled as he led the Desard clan out the mansion's grand doors.

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Bella's frightened cried pierced through Christine's heart as she waited outside of the hospital's exam room with the police officer that was questioning her. "Can't you see that she needs to be with someone she feels comfortable with? Can't these questions be asked at a later time?" Christine asked with a rare anger.

"We find that witnesses have a better recollection of events if they are asked immediately after the incident," Officer Smyth informed the angry young brunette in front of him. "Now you said that you saw two men coming from the wooded area where you found the Desard child?"

"CHRISTINE!" Bella's loud cried echoed down the hospital corridor.

"That's it! You can take your questions and shove em! I'm going in there and you will have to arrest me in order to stop me!" Christine yelled as she pushed her way past the surprised officer.

Once she entered the room, Christine rushed to the frantic little girl's side. "I'm here sweetheart," she said soothingly as she wiped away a myriad of tears from Bella's cheeks.

"You promised not to leave me," Bella chocked out between whimpers that cause a deep hole to widen in Christine's heart.

"I'm sorry Bella, I won't leave you again until you daddy gets here," she said soothingly as she glared at Officer Smyth who had entered the room on her heels.

"NO! You promised never to leave Bella!" Bella cried out as she reached out both of her arms to Christine in an unspoken need to be held. "Where's Beau puppy?" she asked in such a soft longing voice that Christine wished she had the power to magically produce her pet for the suffering little girl.

"He's outside sweetie, the hospital won't let dogs into the building," she explained as she held Bella protectively within her arms.

"Bella want Beau puppy," Bella said tearfully at the exact moment that Erik entered the exam room.

"Bella!" Erik called out to his daughter, his voice breaking with emotion.

"Daddy," Bella whispered as she looked into her father's familiar half-masked face.

Walking swiftly to his daughter, he reached out an unsteady hand to trace her small cheek with a reverence that brought tears to Christine's eyes.

"Here honey, your daddy's here," Christine said as she lifted Bella towards Erik with a serene smile gracing her lips.

Erik took his daughter from Christine and folded her in against his strong chest. How long he stood with her in his arms he couldn't say, yet in those moments he knew that he would never again fail his child.

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AN Thanks for taking the time to read. Please review and let me know what you think!