Lost in thought, Christine allowed Raoul to guide her toward the boat; toward their escape and the new life that awaited them. Her angel, for that's what she would always think of him as, had proven that he wasn't the monster everyone thought him. How could she have believed that he would go through with his plan to kill Raoul? If she was honest with herself then she would have know he couldn't have gone through with it; he wouldn't deliberately hurt her that much. As the sound of the mob approaching and the rocking of the boat drew her from her thoughts, something gripped at her heart.

She had kissed he angel twice. Once to save Raoul, or so she told herself, though now she had to admit that there was something more. As their lips separated and their eyes met she saw just how much he loved her and she realized that she had felt the same way about him for so long. Unable to deny her feelings any longer she found herself leaning back into his embrace and kissing him once more, pouring all of her feelings into that kiss.

Looking back at the way things happened it was easy to see that she had been afraid of those feelings and when Raoul showed up she tried to transfer those feelings to him. Raoul had been her childhood sweetheart and her friend, no more. Raoul's reaction to her angel had been a natural one; she couldn't fault him for trying to protect her from the man she was so afraid of.

As Raoul stepped into the rocking boat behind her and began to push it away from the shore Christine knew she couldn't go through with it. "Raoul, I can't go with you." she firmly stated as she lunged for the shoreline.

"But Christine, he let us go! He knows you only offered to stay with him to save me. He couldn't accept that lie. It seems not even a monster can accept the façade of love offered only to save her lover."

"He is not a monster! A monster wouldn't have let us go. He loves me, and Raoul, I love him too. I didn't realize it until just now but that doesn't make it any less real. Please don't look at me like that, I truly thought I loved you in that way, but when he kissed me I realized that what I felt for you was just left over from our childhood. I was afraid to love him before, but I can't leave him now." Christine finished on a sob.

With a sigh Raoul turned away from her and pulled the boat back to the shore. "I love you Christine, you know I do, and I want nothing more that to take you away with me. But if I take you with me now I will be no better than him. I will let you go back to him with the hope that you will realize that you were wrong about your feelings for him and return to me." With those final words he helped her out of the boat and quickly and angrily pushed once more away from the shore.

Left standing there in shock as Raoul rowed as fast as he could to get away from her, Christine noticed the sounds of the mob getting nearer. Without another thought for Raoul she turned and ran back to where she left her angel. Her angel, she thought once more; he was her angel and she didn't even know his real name. She would have to remember to ask him later, but right now she knew she had to convince him to save himself from the mob.

The sight of her angel, the one who had comforted her and taught her over the years, broke her heart. He was crumpled on the ground, sobbing over an old, well worn toy. As soon as he heard her footsteps he looked up with such hope in his eyes.

"Christine, what are you doing here? You should have already left. I don't want them to find you here."

"I don't want to go. Not without you." She said on a whisper.

"Go Christine! You don't want to be here with me. Look at me; you don't want to spend the rest of your life with a monster like me! There is still some time, go while you still have the chance."

"I'm not leaving you," she said more firmly. "But we have to get away from this place. Is there another way out?"

The anger that had slowly built up when he saw her coming back suddenly drained away with a final, heart wrenching sob. "Oh Christine."

Christine sank to her knees and moved his head to rest on her lap, gently stroking the still uncovered cause of all his grief. "I'm sorry Angel. I put you through all of this, all because I was scared. I was afraid of my feelings for you so I hid them away. They were too strong for me at the time. I…I love you Angel."

Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the scars on his face. She was the only person other that Madame Giry who had ever cared what became of him. "I don't want you to give up your life with Raoul for me. You deserve all he has to offer, and I have nothing to offer you."

"I only thought I loved Raoul that way. I realized tonight, when I kissed you, that it had all been a lie. Why can't you believe that I want to stay with you? I do; I want to stay with you forever, but right now we have to get out of here. I can't let them find you!"

Slowly he reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes, then, cupping her cheek, he said unbelievingly, "If that is what you really want Christine, but know this; if you go with me now, I don't think I will ever be able to let you go."

"I don't want you to let me go."

"Behind that mirror, the one draped in red velvet, is another tunnel leading through some catacombs, it ends at the main water source for this river. It isn't always safe, but we can get out that way. I will protect you. Go open it for me while I gather a few things." With that he stood and helped her to her feet, then stooped to retrieve his mask.

Just as she pried the mirror open he had gathered a small satchel of food for their journey and joined her at the entrance of the tunnel. With one last glance around, he met her eyes, and unable to resist any longer, bent to kiss her. As he pulled back with a somewhat shy smile she leaned in and gave him another quick kiss. Stepping back to let him lead her into the tunnel she cast a worried glance across the river, but the person she saw standing there lifted her heart. Meg was there, and knew that she was alright. She would do her best to mislead the mob. With a relieved sigh, Christine waved goodbye to Meg, unsure when she would see her next.

Hey, Thanks fo all of the reviews...They make me very happy!!

And I'm sorry I kept you all waiting so long, but I just finished chapter 2 and so I'm about to post that as well.

But I am reposting this chapter because as I read back through it, there were a few typos. That is the only thing thats different so...please do continue on. :)