It took Carlotta longer than she would have liked to get down to the Phantom's lair. Her costume for Don Juan was impractical for walking and even more impractical for the fighting she expected she would have to do, big and bustley and heavy. She stole some clothes from Piangi's room, to which she had a key. Poor Piangi had been knocked out cold, otherwise she would have asked him to come to her. But she had no time to wait for him to recover. Christine was in considerably more trouble than him.

And then there were the tunnels. They winded this way and that, this way and that. Madame Giry gave her some vague instructions when Carlotta yelled at her, but she said the Vicomte had already headed down and it might be best for Carlotta to wait. As if Raoul was good for anything like a rescue mission.

So she walked and ran through the tunnels, evaded a few booby traps, and eventually found a lake. There was no boat to take her across, but on the other side she could see a portcullis and beyond it some figures, though from here she could not make out who they were. It was a good thing she had left the dress behind, and a better thing she knew how to swim. She had practiced on the Spanish coast growing up. She plunged straight into the waters and swam across as fast as she could.

And when she emerged on the other side, hair and clothes completely soaked, she found the following scene:

Raoul, le Vicomte de Chagny, was a few feet away from the portcullis. There was a rope around his neck that he was trying to detach, but it was clearly very tight and he was having trouble breathing. The rope was also attached to something in the ceiling, though she could not tell what.

Christine was standing in front of Raoul with her fists clenched. She was wearing a wedding gown. She looked completely stunning, as she always did when she was mad, but now was probably not the time for that.

And the Phantom stood a couple feet away from Christine. His mask was still off, and the hideous disfigurement Carlotta had only glimpsed at onstage was on full display.

She only hesitated for a minute before banging on the grating of the portcullis. "Christine!" she called out. "What in hell is this? Make your enamoured idiot let me in."

Christine and the Phantom both jumped at the sound of her voice, having been too entrenched in their standoff to see her coming. Raoul did not react, being still too distracted by the rope choking the life out of him.

The Phantom called out, "Madam! It seems we are overwhelmed with visitors tonight. But we are busy at the moment. Kindly return tomorrow and I'm sure I can find the time to speak to you."

"You'll let me in right now. Christine!"

"Carlotta," Christine said. She laughed a little hysterically. "Oh God, not you too. You should have stayed away."

"Make him let me in."

"You still think I have control over what this man does…"

Carlotta scoffed. But perhaps it was a bit much to ask Christine to intervene when she'd clearly been defending Raoul enough already. She was not having a good night. Ah well. Instead, Carlotta said to the Phantom, "So now you show what kind of man you are!"

"Did I make pretense to be more than a monster, madam?"

"A monster? No, I meant a coward. Too afraid to even let the audience see the entirety of your play. I should have expected as much from a man who never even dared to meet me face to face. Threatening notes! They are a dime a dozen."

"If you think I am afraid of you, you are mistaken."

"Let me in, then."

"You nuisance," the Phantom growled. "Fine!" He walked over to the other side of the room and pulled a lever and the portcullis began to rise.

Carlotta waited until it was high enough that she could walk through without bending. Head held high, and a hand in front of her face (Madame Giry had warned her, and she could see what had happened to Raoul), she strode over not to Christine's side but to the Phantom.

He began to speak. "Does seeing me face to face not meet your expectations, you damned croaking…"

Carlotta punched him in the face.

With a howl, he stumbled backwards. She went to punch him again but he blocked her arm. Within seconds they were tangled up, wrestling. She would have expected him to go down easily with his near-skeletal body and the way he had let in her first blow, but he was actually surprisingly wiry. It was a struggle until she also managed to knee him in the groin, at which point he completely dropped his guard. She hit him in the sternum and then the neck and then the back of his head. He dropped to the ground and she kicked him several times for good measure. She'd taken off her shoes to swim but she still could put some weight behind her kicks. As a final blow, she grabbed one of the candlesticks, threw away the candle and bludgeoned him on the head with it. Christine grabbed her arm before she could hit him with it a second time.

"Carlotta!"

He was unconscious. He was not getting up. Carlotta let the candlestick drop. She turned to Christine, scanning her for injuries. Her wrists were bruised, assumedly from the Phantom dragging her down here, but that was all.

It was too much, really, but Carlotta relaxed. Sighing, she said, "We'll have to find a knife to cut down your Vicomte."

Christine glanced down at the Phantom and then quickly looked away. Carlotta said, "Oh, wait. I think this pocket has one." And indeed, Piangi had left a pocketknife in his trousers. Carlotta cut the rope holding Raoul at attention in a few brisk sawing motions, and he dropped to the floor gasping for breath.

Christine grabbed him and hugged him immediately, though careful to allow him to breathe. Carlotta watched them. She had always hated Raoul. He had at first tried to court Christine, and it had taken Christine forever to get it through to him that she did not love him that way. Carlotta wasn't above being jealous. But in this situation she supposed she owed him thanks. He had been entirely useless, but he had gotten here before Carlotta had, and he had probably stalled whatever the Phantom was planning. And he had tried to protect Christine.

She owed him thanks, but there was no way in hell she was actually going to thank him.

"We should head back up. Everyone will be worried," Carlotta said. She touched Christine's shoulder. "I am sorry he ruined your performance, my dear. You would have been an amazing Aminta…"

Christine looked up and shook her head mutely. Then, standing, she walked back to the Phantom, who was still unconscious. She crouched beside him.

"I didn't know you were that strong," she said.

Carlotta said, "I've been around, you know. There are all sorts of ruffians out there…you ought to learn how to defend yourself too, now that you're a diva…There are all sorts in this world."

"It is ugly."

"A little. The price we pay for beauty is ugliness."

"Carlotta," Christine said, with a sharp look. "That makes no sense."

Carlotta smirked.

"We really ought to do something about him," Christine said, focusing on the Phantom again. "His head is bleeding…I think you hurt him badly."

"I intended to."

"Bring him to the gendarmes," Raoul said. He had finally managed to stand, and was now at Carlotta's shoulder. "He tried to make Christine marry him. He was threatening Christine…"

"He tried to kill you, idiot," Christine said. She shook her head. "Your priorities…"

"I see a boat but there is no room on it for four," Carlotta said. "How do we get the gendarmes down here? When I left them they were still entirely lost."

Christine said, "I can't leave him for the gendarmes. His only crime…"

"Was to kill Buquet, blackmail the entire opera house, and try to murder your Vicomte."

"Will you please stop calling him mine?" Christine snapped.

Carlotta shrugged.

"He wanted love. He could never find it." Christine stood, but continued to stare at the Phantom. "I wish there was some way to show him compassion."

"You would like to save everyone, darling," Carlotta said. "But you should know that when you are a beautiful woman, there will be many men out there who want you to save them. Who say you are a goddess. Who want you to be theirs." She took Christine's hand. "Let us go up. As I said, they are waiting for us."

Christine pursed her lips. "I can't leave him."

Darting over to the organ, she took a piece of paper and scribbled a note. She left it beside the Phantom and turned to Carlotta. "Very well. Let us go."

Carlotta wondered what she had written. But perhaps it was none of her business. So they rowed away, Carlotta and Christine taking turns with the oar.

A few days later, practices for Don Juan Triumphant were again in session. The disaster had not damaged the opera house (unlike the chandelier fall during Il Muto), the Phantom was gone (though still uncaptured), and both Christine and Piangi were once again fine and ready to perform. Some people said it was in poor taste to continue, but this was theatre. No matter what happened, the show had to go on.

The night after they managed to perform the opera all the way through for the first time, Carlotta walked Christine home. They could have called a cab, but Christine said she wanted to talk. The walk was just long enough for talking.

"Raoul won't stop talking about you," Christine said. "How you saved his life…I fear he may have a newfound amour…"

"Heaven forbid. I will discourage him harshly."

"Oh, don't be too unkind to him."

"You are altogether too soft on men. They are no good, mostly." Carlotta squeezed Christine's hand. "I wish you would just take care of yourself."

Christine kissed Carlotta's cheek. "I have you to take care of me."

"You do. But I am overworked…Well, perhaps this Phantom will not show up again at least."

"If he shows up again, we will stop him again."

"If he shows up again, I will murder him."

Christine blushed. She said, "Maybe you should calm down."

"You like it when I'm assertive."

Christine shrugged. "Well…"

"Are you going to deny it, little Miss Prima Donna? I can still have you on your knees."

Christine kissed her again, this time on the side of her neck. She murmured, "Wait till we get to my house, then…"

Carlotta chuckled. She took hold of Christine's chin and tilted it up, a mock-skeptical look on her face. "Oh, is young Aminta learning how to flirt?"

"Young Serafimo already knew," Christine retorted.

"Mm. When we get home, then." She kissed Christine gently on the lips, and they continued on their walk.

AN: Written for the request of Carlotta/Christine, with Carlotta intervening in the final lair scene. I rather like the couple of Carlotta/Christine, though they're an odd one. Hope you did too.

Reviews are much appreciated.