Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Andrew Lloyd Webber's fantastic musical, though this is based on his 2004 movie and takes place at the same time.

"Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again"

Perpetual fear. Those were the only words to describe what Christine Daee constantly felt. He was always watching, waiting. She was torn between Raoul de Chagny and her mysterious Angel. Christine loved Raoul, but she didn't want to hurt Erik's feelings. The only other person besides herself who cared about Erik was Madame Giry, the ballet mistress.

It had all started some months back. A voice in her dressing room, not belonging to anyone, it seemed, had spoken to her. Asking if the voice was the Angel of Music her father had promised to send her upon his deathbed, Christine was elated when the voice replied that it was. Since that afternoon, Christine had been taking voice lessons from the voice. She had improved greatly.

One afternoon, during a dress rehearsal for Faust, Carlotta Gudicelli unexpectedly went on one of her tirades, right in front of the new managers. She promptly quit, and could not be persuaded to return. Christine had been pushed toward the new managers by Meg, her best friend, and told by Meg's mother, Madame Giry, to sing.

She had astounded the managers, who promptly announced that Carlotta's part would be given to Christine. The show went on, and that night she had captured the attention of a young Vicompte, Raoul de Chagny. He came to see her in her dressing room, and they recalled the wonderful days of childhood, the summer they had spent together.

Tonight, they had performed another opera, and Carlotta, persuaded to return, had taken the lead once more. An inquisitive stagehand had come too close to discovering who the mysterious Phantom was and had been hanged from the catwalk.

Now Christine and Raoul were racing up the spiral staircase toward the roof, almost certain they would find refuge from the Phantom.

(A/N: All lyrics are in italics and if you see italics, the characters are singing.)

"Why have you brought me here?" Raoul demanded.

"We can't go back there!" Christine cried, beginning to run. She had to get away from the man who held possession of every thought in her mind.

"We must return!" Raoul insisted. He would face this Phantom once and for all, if it would help Christine regain self-control.

"He'll kill you!" Christine was worried for Raoul's very life. She had seen the wrath of the Phantom. He was no one to trifle with.

"Be still now . . ." Raoul tried to sooth Christine, but it made her more agitated.

"His eyes will find us there!" Christine dodged a seamstress, who was on her way toward the stage.

"Christine, don't say that . . ." Raoul followed Christine, afraid she would get hurt tearing through the backstage area.

"Those eyes that burn!" Christine was, in truth, frightened of the Angel who had been her guardian.

"Don't even think it . . ." Raoul could hardly keep up with Christine; she was almost running at full speed.

"And if he has to kill a thousand men. . ." Christine was afraid that Raoul would be one of those bearing the brunt of the Phantom's fury.

"Forget this waking nightmare . . ." Raoul tried again to calm Christine; it didn't work. She was frightened anew and made a beeline for the stairs toward the roof.

" The Phantom of the Opera will kill . . ." Christine picked up her pace, as if the Phantom were on their heels.

"This phantom is a fable . . .Believe me . . ." Raoul tried to reason with Christine.

". . . and kill again!" Raoul realized on that note that Christine was beyond reason. He simply had to follow her so she didn't get into trouble.

"There is no Phantom of the Opera . . ." Raoul tried to persuade her. It was no use.

"My God, who is this man . . ." Christine climbed the stairs steadily. Raoul was close at her heels.

"My God, who is this man . . ." If, Raoul thought, Christine was so frightened, maybe it would be good for him to help her rant against him. Perhaps that would calm her down.

". . . who hunts to kill . . .?" Christine was deathly afraid of the Phantom.

". . . this mask of death . . .?" Raoul echoed her thoughts.

"I can't escape from him . . ." Christine would be the Phantom's it seemed, for all time.

"Whose is this voice you hear . . ." Raoul couldn't help but wonder if this Phantom was real or not.

". . .I never will!"

". . . with every breath . . .?"

"And in this labyrinth, where night is blind, the Phantom of the Opera is here: inside your/my mind . . ." They reached the top of the stairs and slowed down.

"There is no Phantom of the Opera . . ." Raoul tried one last time to reassure Christine; it was fruitless.

"Raoul, I've been there - to his world of unending night . . .To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness . . .darkness . . .Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face, in the darkness . . the .darkness . . .But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet

sound . . .In the night there was music in my mind . . .And through music my soul began
to soar! And I heard as I'd never heard before . . ." Christine was frightened and didn't know where to turn.

"What you heard was a dream and nothing more . . ." Raoul couldn't imagine how frightened Christine was. She had never acted this way before.

"Yet in his eyes all the sadness of the world . . .Those pleading eyes, that both threaten
and adore . . ." Christine stopped and as the snow fell on and around her, her chest rose and fell with long, ragged breaths.

"Christine, Christine," Raoul touched her shoulder.

"Christine…" a third voice materialized softly and Christine went rigid.

Chills ran up and down Raoul's spine. He had to calm her and erase these fears.

"No more talk of darkness, forget these wide-eyed fears; I'm here, nothing can harm you,
my words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom, let daylight dry your tears;
I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you." Raoul touched Christine's shoulder but she shied away from him.

"Say you'll love me every waking moment; turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always; promise me that all you say is true, that's all I ask of you." That was all Christine wanted; for Raoul to protect her. She was afraid of the Phantom—and yet she didn't want to make him unhappy by running away with Raoul. She was so torn up inside, she didn't feel the snow falling; something she usually enjoyed.

"Let me be your shelter, let me be your light; you're safe, no one will find you, your fears are far behind you." Raoul felt he had to reason with Christine. She needed to hear someone making sense of the situation they were in.

"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night; and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me." Christine knew that she needed to face her fear—the Phantom, namely—and finish everything with him.

"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime; let me lead you from your solitude.
Say you need me with you, here beside you, anywhere you go, let me go too, that's all I ask of you." Raoul wanted Christine to know that he was there to protect her.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you." Christine knew that Raoul was telling the truth, that he would never leave her unprotected.

"Share each day with me, each night, each morning." they continued together.

"Say you love me..." Christine almost whispered.

"You know I do." Raoul responded devotedly.

"Love me, that's all I ask of you." They sealed this request with a kiss.

"Anywhere you go let me go too. . .Love me. . .that's all I ask of you." They finished and embraced tightly.

"We must go. . ." Christine continued, "They'll wonder where I am. . .come with me, Raoul!"

"Christine, I love you. . ." Raoul said again to reassure her once more.

"Order your fine horses; be with them at the door. . ." Christine requested.

"And soon you'll be beside me. . ."

"You'll guard me and you'll hide me. . ." Christine finished.

Erik wept silently, caressing Christine's discarded rose in his leather-clad hands. "I gave you my music. . ." he wept, "Made your song take wing. . . . .and now, how you repay me, deny me and betray me. . . .he was bound to love you. . .when he heard you sing. . . Christine—" he voice broke. He couldn't take it any longer. "You will curse the day you did not do. . ." he vowed, "all that the Phantom asked of you!"