After the showdown

Author's notes: Please be kind to me, this is my first attempt at writing anything like this, however, you sometimes have to be cruel to be kind! Anyway this sort of follows on from the film when Raoul and Christine are leaving on the boat.

Chapter 1

Christine sat in the boat with Raoul. What had she done, she felt an all consuming guilt flood all over her, she felt that she had done the wrong thing, she glanced back over her shoulder, Raoul was concentrating hard on trying not to capsize the boat, not that it would make much difference, they were wet anyway. He was gone; she could no longer see Erik. She knew in her mind that she had made the right choice, but her heart said otherwise. Raoul looked down at her "Christine, my love, you're safe now, soon we'll be free from that monster"

"He's no monster," whispered Christine

"How can you say that after all that he has done?" snarled Raoul.

" Raoul I have no wish to argue with you, what I do wish for however is to get out of these wet clothes". A slow smile crossed Raoul face "very well, my dear".

In that one small gesture Christine made up her mind. " Stop the boat Raoul!" Christine shouted.

"What? Why?" A look of confusion crossed Raoul's face " You can't be serious?"

"Never in my life have I been more serious" said Christine.

"Christine this is insane!" "Raoul stop the boat please" Christine was looking at him with those beautiful eyes that were shining with unshed tears, in a moment of pure clarity Raoul understood, he could love Christine with all his heart, but Christine would never love him the way that she obviously loved Erik.

Raoul sat down dejectedly, making the boat rock, Christine turned round to face Raoul, she reached out to touch his face, he had such a kind face, she caressed the side of his face as she spoke. " I'm so sorry Raoul, I know that you love me, but I can't help the way I feel, I do love you, but not the way that you want" she dropped her hand from his face and stared down into her lap.

"Christine, this is not wise, the mob are coming, what do you think they will do if they find you with him? No you hadn't thought of that had you?"

"Raoul I must go to him, I know you don't understand, but when I'm with him, my soul comes alive, and my voice is as pure as an angels" the unshed tears were now flowing freely down her pale face.

"Is that all you can think about, your damn voice, and I thought Carlotta was a jumped up prima Donna, how stupid are you Christine. He doesn't love you, he just wants to manipulate you, you are nothing but a puppet, used for his amusement, just like those idiots back at the opera". Snarled Raoul angrily. Christine had never seen him like this before.

The boat had come to a stop in the middle of the lake, Christine looked around her, this place looked nothing like the magical place she had first visited. It was dark and eerie with a chill in the air, the fabulous candelabras, were gone, they were now replaced by burnt down candles and torches, the water no longer shimmered with the dancing light, the water was dark, cold and miserable like the dead of the night.

I do love him thought Christine; I will surely die without him. I surrendered myself to him with that kiss, a kiss that was so soft and gentle and full of love and then he sent me away, was it because he couldn't understand what he was feeling or was it because he could hear the mob coming and he wanted me to be safe, or was it because I did love Raoul, but couldn't see it and Erik could. There were so many what ifs, my mind was swimming with to many thoughts, and it was all too confusing. I needed to go back and find Erik.

Christine looked at Raoul, she studied his face, how different he and Erik were. Raoul, so young and handsome, full of good intentions, he should be everything that she wanted. Looking at him, Christine could see how young he was, no more than a boy really. He could give her anything, she wanted, except that feeling within her soul; no one could give her that except Erik. What did she really know about him, she didn't know his last name or how old he was. What she did know was his face, but Christine had seen past his face, she had seen the real man behind the mask, she had seen it in his eyes. Now she knew how true the saying "the eyes are the windows to the soul". She had seen something in his eyes, such beautiful green eyes, Christine felt hypnotised by them, they were so bewitching and powerful, you only had to look into his eyes to see what he was feeling, like the moment when they had kissed, she could see the love and the warmth, and then he had sent her away, he had tore her very heart and soul out of her. Then there was his voice, oh that voice, he truly was an angel of music, that sweet angelic voice that had penetrated her very soul and brought her alive.

"Raoul, please take me home" whispered Christine

" At last some sense," said Raoul, and he started to row towards the edge of the lake.

"No Raoul, take me home to Erik, it's where I belong"

"Don't be absurd Christine, you don't belong to him, and you belong to me!" Raoul stopped rowing "besides he's probably dead now, the mob will have found him and done the world a favour, something his mother should have done when that monster was born"

Christine took a sharp intake of breath, her hand flying to her mouth " Raoul, don't say such hateful things, after all you owe him your life, he could of killed you, but he didn't, he spared your life, if anyone is the monster here, it is you for condemning to death by the mob, and for being cold and unfeeling. He has as much right to live as you do." Christine was breathing hard, new tears washed down her face, "just because the world has been unkind to him, because he his different, but he's just as much of man as you, if not more. Now I suggest you turn this boat around now and take me back"

There was something in Christine's voice that startled Raoul, he had not heard her speak like that before, it scared him, she was full of passion, he realised that if he didn't turn the boat around, she was likely to jump out of the boat and swim back.

"As you wish Christine, but may I suggest that we wait a while, at least till the mob have gone, I wouldn't like to think what they'll do to us if they find us." And with a heavy heart he turned the boat around, and began to row the boat back to lair.

What would they find there, in his heart he hoped that Erik would be gone, and they could get on with their lives, oh what a life he could give to her. She would become the vicountess, and be the toast of Paris and the opera, he could give Christine everything her heart desired, but he knew now that her heart only desired one thing, he had seen it twice. Once when she sang in Don Juan Triumphant, and the second when she kissed that monster. He must have her under some sort of spell, hypnotised or something. Christine sat in front of him twisting her fingers. What would she do if Erik were not there? In the distance they could hear the shouts of the mob, he couldn't make out what they were saying, as they edged closer to the banks of the lake. Christine seemed to be growing more and more anxious.

"Christine" Raoul spoke quietly "what will you do if … he's … Erik's not there?" he found it difficult to bring himself to speak his name.

"I'm not sure Raoul, if he's not there I'll find him some how" Christine's voice trembled as she spoke, trying to put the thoughts out of her mind.

"I'll help you look for him Christine" Raoul couldn't believe he just said that, what was he thinking, he knew what he was thinking, he was forming a plan, if it kept him close to Christine, he did not mind, maybe in time when they couldn't find him, she would fall in love him.

The shouts of the mob, seemed to be getting quieter, they must be returning to the surface, did that mean that they had found something or not, they wouldn't know until they got there.

As the boat reached the bank, all was quiet, Christine looked round her, in a state of shock, what had once been a magnificent sight had been devastated. Had the mob done this or had Erik in a fit of anger, it was hard to tell. All the ornate mirrors had been smashed; the place was in utter ruin. Erik would never let this happen, he liked fine things, he was always well dressed, that beautiful cloak, Christine had a sudden urge to find that cloak and wrap it around herself, to protect herself from the world. All his music scores were flung on the floor, Christine picked one up, fingering its edges, it was written in red ink, she made her way across to the bedroom, the last place she had seen Erik, he had been sitting on the floor in front of the swan bed, he had been holding the monkey sitting on a barrel organ, it now lay on it's side, it was still playing its tune. Christine picked it up and listened to its music. Erik had made this, he was incredibly clever, and Raoul would never have the patience to make something so delicate and intricate.

Erik must have been taken by the mob; he would never leave such a treasured possession. If he had been taken by the mob, he would of certainly put up a fight, and then she saw it, it's whiteness caught her eye, it was his mask, the mob must have him because he never went anywhere without his mask.

"Raoul we must go back to the surface and find the mob"

Authors note: any ideas on how to continue I would be grateful. All comments welcome.