A truce in unlikely, an alliance is impossible. Erik and Raoul attempt to form both of these to rescue Christine, but what with arguments, threats, and violence within the two man rescue party, can Christine ever hope for a rescue?

Ooooooooooooo

It was three days after Raoul had gone down to rescue Christine from the cellars. He had taken Christine to his home, where she had slept and stayed. Raoul ran his hand through his hair as he stared at the paper before him. He sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"They're the police!" He said to himself. "Why won't they go down?" He picked up the letter he had received from the police captain and frowned at it.

"Raoul?" Raoul turned and saw Christine. He rose and went over to her.

"Are you feeling better?" He asked. She nodded and he led her to his chair where she sat down.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Raoul." She said. Raoul hesitated.

"Christine," he began, "do you...want to talk about anything?" Christine shook her head and turned away from him. Her eyes found the letter on the desk. She read it and then she glanced at Raoul's response. Her eyes widened.

"Raoul, what is this?" She gasped.

"Er, a letter," Raoul mumbled. He had hoped to keep his correspondence secret. Christine picked up the paper.

"How can you write such things?" She cried. Raoul shifted uncomfortably,

"But it's true," he said, "he must be caught and brought to justice. There are two men dead already, not to mention kidnapping," he stopped when Christine shook her head violently.

"No," she said, "he's been punished enough, just by letting me go. Let him stay where he is." Raoul tried to reason with her.

"But dear, it's just... Maybe he shouldn't go to prison, maybe he'd be better off somewhere else. I've heard of a very good institution," Christine went pale and stood up.

"No!" she cried. "No, he can't go to... One of those places!" Raoul was becoming irritated.

"He'd be well cared for! The facility would be equipped to handle him, to try to solve his problem."

"Never! Those places never help anyone! All they'd do would be lock him up! He'd die!"

"Christine, please, that's not what happens! He'd have quality care, and it's better than prison!"

"He's not insane! My angel is not insane!" Raoul pulled back. She had called him her angel. He had hoped that she'd forget about him pretending to be her angel. "I'm leaving." Christine announced, heading toward the door.

"What?" Raoul gasped. "Where are you going?"

"To the opera house."

"Wha-? You're going... Back there?" Raoul stood speechless. Christine turned from the door.

"Oh, Raoul, don't be silly, I'm only going to collect my things. If I'm to be living here now..." She trailed off. Raoul sighed wi th relief, for a moment he had thought... He shook his head.

"i'll come with you," he announced.

"No," Christine said firmly, "I'm going alone. Don't worry, he won't try anything." She quickly hurried out of Raoul's study. Raoul watched through his window as she got into a carriage. It drove away, and he sighed. He considered driving after her, just to make sure she was safe but he decided against it. He turned back to his letter.

After an hour and a half Raoul began feel uneasy. Shouldn't she be back by now? He wondered. After another fifteen minuets Raoul headed for the door. She shouldn't be taking this long, he decided. Raoul arrived at the opera house ten minuets later. He hurried up the stairs and toward Christine's dressing room. On the way he met Meg. "Meg," he said. Meg turned and smiled.

"Raoul, what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Where's Christine?" Raoul asked at the same time. Meg frowned.

"I thought she left almost an hour ago," she said. "She said goodbye to me and the others in the ballet, and she said she was going to get her things. She's going to live with you, right? She's really excited! You should get married soon, that way any children will be born in wedlock." Raoul's mouth fell open.

"Mademoiselle Giry!" He exclaimed, flushing. "I hold a woman's honor above all things!" Meg just grinned. "Yes, well," Raoul said as he struggled to bring his thoughts back to the matter at hand. "You saw her almost an hour ago? And she was just going to get her things?" Meg nodded. Raoul thanked her and started towards the dressing room again. He knocked on the door. "Christine?" He called. There was no answer. He opened the door slowly.

There was no one in the room. He glanced around and was about to shut the door when he saw the pile of things on the dresser. He walked over to them and realized that they were Christine's things. If she wasn't here, but her things were, then where was she? Raoul glanced around, hoping to see something out of the ordinary that would tell him where she had gone. All he saw were a couple of bouquets of flowers, and a broken vase. It was then that he spotted the letter. It was sealed with red wax and addressed to him. He tore it open and read it quickly.

Vicomte de Chagny,

She is safe, for the moment. Come to the park at the corner of Greene St. Tonight around one o'clock if you'd like to discuss terms. Come alone and unarmed, of course.

He crumpled it up, and glared at the mirror. Didn't he know when he'd lost? Raoul kicked the mirror. Much to his surprise, it swung open. He stared down the dark passage. "Terms indeed!" He growled. "We'll discuss things on my terms, not yours!" He paused, then he started down the passage.


Important! Please read this! A friend (who's read this complete story) has described it as "Good fop-bashing with everyone in character!" Now, this is not what I intended for this story to be. But pleases note, for Erik and Raoul to suddenly get along, even if they had a common goal, is unlikely. I'm trying to keep everyone in character, and if that involves some conflict (violence) between them, so be it. Oh, and please leave a review?