Happy Ending?

By: LittleLotteEriksTrueAngel

FFN penname: LittleLottexoxEriksTrueAngel

A/N This is my story Happy Ending? This is a rewrite of the original story that I posted on ARIA and on Unending Night but is new to this site. I hope you all enjoy! Please read and review! All kinds of feedback are welcome. I would love to know what you think!

"Christine?"

Christine turned away from the window. All she ever seemed to do these days was sit in front of the window, staring off into the distance. The old Christine had vanished within the blink of an eye after the disaster, which had been many months ago. Christine was only a shell of her former self and that hurt Raoul deeply. It hurt him that she didn't love him. It hurt him that his Christine was no longer here, the fire she had had and everything else that he loved about her was gone. The sadness in her once joyful eyes was overwhelming. Her white, porcelain skin was now so pale, she looked like a ghost…ironic isn't it?...and the bags under her eyes were evidence of her sleepless nights. Nights she stayed up thinking about him…nights she spent in another room…away from her husband, Raoul…longing to be with another man. Raoul sighed.

"Yes Raoul?"

"I need to go...um...out on business. I may be back late."

Christine nodded then turned her attention back to the window. Raoul silently slipped from the room and downstairs.

"Your carriage is ready, sir."

"Thank You Ralph." he said quietly, walking out of the house and into the carriage.

"To the Opera House." Raoul ordered after becoming comfortable in the carriage.

"But Monsiuer, the Opera House was destroyed mon-"

"To the Opera House." he repeated, firmly, again, signaling the end of the conversation.

"Yes, sir." the driver said defeated and they were on their way.

Raoul walked into the once magnificent Opera House. He remembered how he and Christine danced, kissed and had fun at the Masquerade. Everything was so perfect then, he thought; now everything is a disaster. Christine was obviously unhappy in their marriage and Cecile, his mistress, was pregnant. The fact was, he couldn't be with Christine any more and was willing to do anything to get rid of her, that's why he was here.

The thought of Cecile made Raoul smile. Cecile was the very definition of perfect in his eyes. She loved him and he loved her. She would do all of the things with him that Christine would not do. She loved him…she would sleep with him, make love to him, kiss him hello and goodbye and lastly she would have his child, his son. She would give him an heir, something that he knew he would definitely never receive from his so called wife.

With those thoughts, he slowed his pace, knowing he was treading in very dangerous waters.

He made his way to Christine's old dressing room nervously, which was strangely untouched by the fire. He remembered that he and Christine had come through the mirror after the Phantom had let them go. Raoul shuttered…being in this Opera House brought back so many memories…which didn't make what he was about to do any easier.

With a trembling hand He pushed the glass aside and walked down to the boat, careful to avoid trapdoors. He could hear the sad, lonely, but passionate music echoing of the walls of the Phantom's underground world. Before Raoul reached the shore, the music stopped and Erik yelled,

"What do you want Monsiuer le Vicomte?!?!?"

Raoul docked the boat quickly and said, "I want to make a deal with you Monsiuer."

"What could you possibly have to make a deal with me about?" Erik spat angrily, turning toward Raoul and away from his magnificent organ.

Raoul took a deep breath and spoke only one word, "Christine."

"Christine?" Erik questioned. Raoul's statement apparently caught him off guard.

"Yes." Raoul whispered back, all of his confidence was running out…this would have to be quick…

"What about Christine?"

"I can't and don't want to be with her anymore and I…I need to get rid of her."

"You want me to kill her?" Erik asked shocked.

"No, not exactly." Raoul said holding out papers to Erik.

Erik stared down at the papers that now lay in his hands. He read the words, his face not betraying any of the vast emotions he was feeling. She was supposed to be happy…he was supposed to make her happy…I let her go so she would be happy…he thought sadly…regretfully…maybe if he had kept her here, this never would have happened.
"You mean to sell her, like a slave." Erik stated plainly, as if he was only speaking of the weather.

"Well...yes, but if you don't want her I could just find someone else. I just thought----" Erik could not control his anger any longer, he could not…would not be responsible for his actions…

"Bastard! You were supposed to love her and care for her! She was supposed to be happy!" Erik screamed, grabbing Raoul roughly by the collar before throwing him into the wall. Before Raoul could even blink Erik was on him, his eyes a blaze, his anger eerily evident, wrapping his long, skeletal musician fingers around Raoul's small, feminine neck.

"We're not in love anymore and she isn't happy either." Raoul chocked, trying to defend himself.

"Why?" Erik asked angrily, through gritted teeth. Erik's grip only loosing enough so Raoul could speak.

"She doesn't love me and I don't love her anymore. I have the papers if you want, if you don't want her…." There was a long silence. Erik contemplating what he should do. Could he keep Christine here with him, he could always let her go, but she caused him so much pain, was he just setting himself up to get hurt again. No, not this time, if anyone would suffer, she would suffer.

Erik released his hold on the Vicomte's neck. He took several deep breaths; trying to get rid of the anger…Christine had always been the only one to help him with his anger…

"I will take her." Erik said finally.

"Good, here are the papers, all you need to do is sign them, and of course pay, Christine will be yours." Raoul said greedily, with a hint of anxiousness in his voice, surrendering the papers once again to Erik.

Erik signed the papers and stated dryly, "You can have the money when you bring Christine."

"Fair enough. I will bring Christine tomorrow night. Good day, Monsiuer."

Erik nodded and Raoul sailed off, in Erik's gondola (much to Erik's dismay), and headed for home.

Around six o'clock Raoul and Christine sat in the parlor having tea. This was a rare occurrence. Raoul and Christine were barely ever able to say two words to each other, let alone have a meal or sit and have tea together, but alas, this was what Raoul had to do. Christine did know that Raoul had filed the divorce papers the previous evening or that he had made that deal with the Phantom, the deal that sealed her fate, whatever it was…

Raoul prepared Christine's tea and drugged it with Lanadum to make her sleep, hoping she wouldn't notice how nervous he was. She didn't. She hardly noticed anything anymore.

"Here you are, Christine." Raoul said handing her the cup.

"Thank You." she replied politely, forcing a smile.

Christine took a sip and instantly fell asleep. Raoul slid the wedding rings of Christine's slender finger and slipped them into his pocket, and then he carried Christine and a bag with Christine's belongings in it into the waiting carriage.

It did not take long to get to the Opera House. Raoul quickly dragged the unconscious Christine down to the house on the lake.

"What did you do to her?" Erik asked, more like a demand then a question.

"She had a little lanadum, only a sip, to make her sleep. She should be up early in the morning." He said once again in a form of defense from the anger unmasked in the Phantom's eyes.

"What is that bag?"

"Christine's belongings."

"Right." Erik muttered handing Raoul some papers and a small leather pouch, before continuing "Here is your copy of the papers and your money. Now, GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Raoul ran out as quickly as he could.

Christine did not awake in her bedroom, at the Chateau de Chagny; she awoke in the swan bed, in the Phantom's lair. She screamed hoping someone, anyone would hear her, but she knew it was useless. Erik appeared in the room moments later. She screamed again. A blood curdling scream that sent a knife through Erik's already broken heart.

"Oh, shut up Christine! There is no reason to scream."

"What do you want?!?!? Why am I here?!?!?" she shouted, backing away from him, but only succeeded in banging her head against the head board. Christine had never felt more trapped.

"Christine----" he started, trying to be gentle.

"You can't keep me here! My husband----"

"Your husband sold you to me." He snapped showing her the papers.

"You lie!" She screamed the last of her strength dissolving as she looked down at the papers before her dumbly, unable to comprehend their contents.

Erik pulled Christine by her hair from the bed and pinned her against the wall. She whimpered as he hisssed "Your Chains Are Still Mine. You Belong To Me!"

The End!