A/N: This is my first attempt at an Erik/Christine story. I was a little nervous about starting. I am not an E/C shipper by any means although I have read many good stories with them ending together.

A good friend who shares my passion for Gerard Butler and POTO feels very strongly about E/C. She kept nudging me to try my hand at giving them a happy ending. So, for her I began Tears of an Angel.

I don't have any idea where it is going but then I hardly ever do when I begin. I just let my fingers go where they will guided by whatever character is in my mind.

So here is your story Mommaduck1. This one's for you. Enjoy.

Tears of an Angel by Hot4Gerry

Chapter One

The Knight Arises

Raoul sat in front of the roaring fire with his feet outstretched. Another evening had ended in the way they had all been ending lately. He would come home after visiting with Christine at his Aunt Rebecca's then sit here in this same chair wondering how the hell his life had gotten so complicated.

It was simple really. He had seen Christine and memories of their childhood had overwhelmed him. She had reminded him of happier times. She had also appealed to the side of him that always had loved playing the knight, the hero. If anyone had needed rescuing it had been Christine.

Those carefree days of his youth had been some of Raoul's most memorable to date. Now his life consisted of managing the family's finances, keeping up appearances with his peers while trying to keep an unhappy fiancée from committing some unpardonable sin as she missed the man who had almost killed the one she should be concentrating on, him, Raoul.

At one time, patron to L'Opéra Populaire could have been listed as another responsibility. Thank God the fire had given him a respite from that duty. He had little to thank his memesis for but he gladly would surrender all rights to his box at the opera and the accompanying duties that came with it.

It wasn't that he disliked the opera, it had more to do with the responsibility of making everyone happy while dreading every party where he had to play the 'oh so proper noble'.

Over the last year Raoul had tried to give Christine what he thought she wanted but it had never been enough. Her dreams he knew were still filled with her Angel of Music. He could tell even during the day her mind would wander where he could not go with her.

Raoul felt he could never measure up to the idea of her one time tutor. Who could measure up to the Opera Ghost and Phantom of the Opera? The man had been impressive even while being driven by insanity. His incredible story alone would fill a book with such sensational heartbreak that it would likely melt the hardest of hearts.

He had watched Christine closely over the ensuing months as well as listened to her. At first he had been so enamored of her that he missed the many references to her days at the opera, her time with her tutor in particular. Gradually he did take notice of the number of times she mentioned him or repeated something he had taught her.

Over time Raoul's affection for Christine had settled into more of a deeply caring friendship than a love affair. He never tried to take more than a light kiss upon her lips. One would think that after a year he would be frothing at the mouth to have her. His passion had cooled over time just as he thought Christine's had cooled. He knew she would never confront him with her changed feelings but could not bring herself to offer more encouragement to further their relationship.

Having time to relax after the danger had been declared over, Raoul had then been beset by doubts. His chivalrous nature always had been fired by a damsel in distress.

The ensuing months had opened his eyes as to the true nature of his relationship with Christine. He had not mentioned anything about setting a wedding date but then neither had she. Would not a woman in love begin to make subtle and not so subtle suggestions as to when she might begin planning their big day?

Christine would always hold a place in his heart but not the place one put lovers. He loved her but could say honestly he did not love her in the way of lovers. Both of them had cooled considerably since Paris.

He felt almost the same certainty that Christine did not love him as a potential lover either. As much as he hated to think it, Raoul had come to the conclusion Christine pined for her angel.

Now all he had to do was figure how to get them both out of this mess and find Christine's Angel of Music. Why for God's sake could the man not have at least called himself something like I am your guardian Raphael or something similar? Raphael he thought a perfectly nice name, or Oscar, he had liked that name when he had named his pet turtle at the age of six.

All that ghost and phantom business did not lend one to trust he could even take care of a wife should he find one. Raoul knew he must have money hidden someplace as the man had extorted 20,000 francs a month over many years from every manager of the opera house, his opera house, as the Phantom had been fond of saying.

Raoul had come to think differently about Christine's angel as distance leant him a clearer picture of the man's life. If he had not had his family and their wealth behind him Raoul honestly did not know what sort of man he might have become.

Wealth had afforded him the opportunity to be generous as well as the wherewithal to be a gentleman. All his life, his mother and father had preached to him to be kinder to those less fortunate and give help when and where he could.

These last few months watching Christine pretend to be a person she was not had him rethinking many things. He could marry Christine and they would have a life no happier or sadder than many other noble's or people of certain economic means.

Raoul wanted a grand passion not simply being accepted because it was expected or she felt honor bound by her promises to him.

No one had any blame in this mess he now found himself in. He would have sworn on a stack of bibles that he and Christine were meant to be. At the time he had been fighting a ghostly adversary for her hand it had seemed to be that grand passion.

They had even sung to one another as they had as children pledging their love to one another. Now he concluded it had been Christine's fear of the emotions her tutor brought out in her more than any love she felt for him that had let her to commit herself to him that night on the rooftop of the opera house.

He could not help but wonder if he had not come back into Christine's life if she might not have eventually come to accept her tutor's offer of lasting devotion and love.

That last night on stage Raoul had been stunned by the electricity that had seemed to crackle whenever Christine and the Phantom had sang to one another. When they touched Raoul had thought the house would catch on fire from all the passion going from one to the other. Of course later it had burned to the ground.

Such passionate responses had not seemed as if they came from an innocent sixteen year old virgin. Raoul would stake his life that Christine had never been touched in that way by anyone.

That night though he had had a moment of doubt as the Phantom had caressed Christine in the way a man caresses a familiar lover. Christine had responded not like an innocent but as a woman who had known such touches before. Her passionate response had caused him to wonder just what had taken place the first time Christine had been taken below the opera.

Down underneath the burning opera house that last night, Christine had given her angel two kisses. At the time Raoul had felt she only gave them as a way to influence the man so he would not kill the man she supposedly loved. The man had angrily confessed to never knowing the joys of the flesh. Christine had not doubted him or decried his denial of women. Over time Raoul had known with almost complete certainty Christine had remained chaste. The only way to prove such a thing would be on the wedding night. Raoul needed no such proof.

He had asked himself many times why had she gone back and given the man a ring that was not even his. Those long lingering glances over her shoulder now had a different connotation than merely a last good-bye. Now he thought she had gone back hoping to give the man a second chance to claim her. In his misery he had not realized what her intent had been.

Raoul could never hate Christine for not loving him as he had wanted. Perhaps if she had felt more for him he would have let his own emotions have free reign. As it was her reticence had fueled his own.

Really there was a simple solution to all of this. All he had to do was locate Madame Giry. She no doubt would know where the man of the hour had gone. Even though she had betrayed this Opera Ghost, Raoul thought that one night of betrayal did not wipe out over twenty years of loyal servitude. Also there was the matter of how Madame had saved a little boy who had been condemned to die in captivity while being abused worse than an animal. For that alone the man would have a debt that may never be considered paid.

Now that his decision had been made Raoul could not wait for morning to implement his plan. He surged up from his chair going into the hall shouting out commands to servants who had come running as they thought surely Master Raoul had been under some sort of attack.

Within the hour Raoul had been on his way to Paris. He would be seeking out his solicitor as well as some private detective. He felt excitement surging through his veins as it had not in quite some time. Being sheltered by doting parents Raoul always looked for excitement. It shamed him to think he may have separated two lovers destined for that once in a lifetime love affair only because he felt chivalrous and had duped himself into believing his heart belonged to Christine.

He must make this right.

A/N: So is this believable? I am really on shaky ground here. All my ideas thus far had been Erik/Meg or Erik/OC. I'll do my best to make them strong, likeable characters. Raoul will never be anything other than honorable in my stories. I like his character and will not defame him if I can prevent it. Please read and leave a review if you will. Love those reviews.

A/N: Please read my other Phantom story Birds of a Feather in the movies forum. I may move it if I don't get enough hits on the movie forum.