I've been racking my brains for over two weeks to figure out a new approach to a "What if he stayed" scenario – and I can only come up with one way for it to happen – we'll have to bring in some help from elsewhere. Now, the other "half" of this thought is – we all know that Christine, as depicted by Leroux, is a spineless, brainless, ungrateful twit – now, I will admit – at least Webber gave her a little more gumption, but not enough to withstand Mr. Thinks-He's-God's-Gift-to-Women DeChagney. Now, to truly be the partner Erik needs, she needs to grow a spine. So how does one grow a spine in approximately one month or less? Let us explore the process.

Cosmic Muddling – er – Meddling!

Chapter 1 – Out Of The Depths, I Cry

In a place that was no place, in a time that was no time, a couple was in the midst of an argument.

"Don't you think I already tried that? I have to have tried to break through at least forty times –how many times did I attempt that insertion point? I just remember it was a Lot. Wait, here it is – sixty-eight times before I decided to try to get in farther down the line. That was the one that worked."

"But we could try an earlier point, and if we got through, we could just wait, couldn't we?"

"Well, I suppose we could, but –"

"You won't have to do it alone this time, I'll help. Please, can we try?"

"Even if we GET through, it isn't enough to just change one thing and hope – there is too much force trying to push for a tragedy, it will take at least two years, not to mention lots of effort, before we can safely leave things alone – are you sure you want to spend that much time and energy?"

"You gave me all the time there is – and I really want to do this. He's my friend, antisocial though he is – I want him to be happy, and I want to help him get that way. Please?"

"All right, already, we'll try."

The lair was all over glass, shreds of paper and wood and metal and cloth (and ash) in little piles, more or less drifting aimlessly in the air currents off the lake. For a change, Erik didn't care, although under most circumstances, he would have been outraged at the untidiness. What was the point of being neat now? What was the point of anything now, really? He truly was not sure why he didn't just end it all – it would be so simple to do. There were at least a dozen ways –

Suddenly he heard a strange grinding noise, unlike anything he had ever experienced. Whirling to face the ruckus, he saw – a door. Just a door. But it was a door where a few minutes ago there had been only solid stone. How – curious. However, at the moment, he could not work up the mental strength to care. Christine – his Christine was gone – a week ago he had given her away to that – pretty boy. And then he had fled the mob, only to come back to – this. This was no longer, could no longer be, a home – with its' location known – it was a trap – but he wanted a few things before he left, if that unruly mob had not already found them. Maybe once he had gotten back what little he still valued – he could think of a safe place to go to. Maybe.

Still with one of his eyes on the "door" that really couldn't be there, he began to slowly move towards his secret stash – since the wall on that side was still looking like a wall, he was pretty sure that those ignoramuses had not found it, much less opened it. Whatever was in the public rooms he could pretty well count on being completely ruined, but his two secret rooms should still be untouched. It was just as well he had put his precious Stradivarius away that night – or he was sure that that would be splinters as well. The bow was assuredly gone, but – a violin bow was not that hard to come by. Not in an Opera House with a full orchestra living in the building.

As he mulled over what to take and what to leave behind, or even if he should just let the mob catch him and let them finish off his miserable existence – the "door" opened and a man stepped out of it, with the door swinging shut behind him. With a start of surprise, Erik recognized the man. This could be the answer to all his prayers, or the beginning of a new nightmare – "Daroga." The tone was as flat as his recently smashed dreams. 'You once told me that you would be my conscience. Have you come to kill me?"

Nadir Khan, former Daroga to the Shah of Persia, was not really surprised by this question – but – he had had a lot of time to think about this, and some time to gather up a few facts. "No. Buquet was self-defense, and as for Piangi, I did some checking. He actually died of a massive heart attack, you just scared him into it. But he could have gone off at any time, for any reason. No, my friend, I'm here to help you. I know a safe place for you to go, to start a new, and hopefully a better, life. I'll even help you pack. Let me take you away from all this, this is no longer a safe place for you."

"Daroga, I have been thinking, it might be faster and easier if you just me die. I have nothing left to live for, now, She is gone."

"When my Fetineh died, I felt the same. When my son died, I assuredly felt the same, but this stubborn friend of mine would not let me go. So I lived, and eventually, I found myself happy again. Now, I like my life, and am glad to be living it. Now, it is my turn to do the same for you."

"But, how do you know all of this? I could have –"

"No, Erik, you are not going to talk me into ending your existence, no matter what specious arguments you try to think up. You do not get out of living that easily. Now, let's talk about what you want to take along when we leave this place for the next and last time."

"Tyrant." But it was said without heat. It was actually a little heartening to realize that someone on this earth actually cared if Erik lived or died, even if it wasn't the person he most desperately wanted it to be. "How much space for luggage do we have? And how are we getting out of here undetected? I do not think, with all of Paris howling after the "freak", just using a cloak will work."

Nadir actually grinned at him – which action, Erik noted through his mental fog, made him look barely 25 – although Erik knew Nadir to be in his late 40's. Come to think of it, he was moving better than Erik had ever seen him do, since that fall as they were leaving Persia had left a permanent limp. That seemed to be gone, too.

"I have that problem completely solved – we will not even have to go out of the building to go elsewhere. And the space is just about infinite – you can even take Cesar – providing you can get him down to this room. I ran into someone who can pull all of that off."

"Daroga, you're dreaming."

"No, I swear that I am not. Would you like to meet her?"

"Her?" Erik's brain was starting to work again. If his friend was in the grasp of such a blatant con artist, he'd better take a hand before the harpy skinned Nadir out of his last cent – it was obvious that she already had his sense, anyway. "Yes, I rather think I should meet this paragon."

Christine Daae was currently attempting to deal with the consequences of her choices, and beginning to realize that the fairy-tale ending she had been envisioning for years was just not going at all well. Oh, the clothing was exquisite, the house was stuffed with antiques, many of them gilded, but the people – she seemed to always say or do the wrong thing.

But, maybe it was only because she had been stuck in this house for almost a week while "a proper wardrobe, not those performer's rags" was being prepared for her. It was undoubtedly just that Raoul's sister and mother, not to mention the upper servants were not yet used to her and her ways.

Yet, all the water was always cold, not to mention the meals, and the servants seemed to always be whispering to each other – but not one would talk to her. It would get better. It must.

And Why, of all things, was she constantly hearing that last, mournful, cry of "Christine, I love you." in her head? She even dreamed of it, all night, every night. What was wrong with her? She was going to marry a nobleman. Her parents would have been thrilled. She should be thrilled, not uneasy.

A/N – well, that's the beginning – I hope you like it. Please Read And Review.