Chapter 3 is up!!! Here we discover if Raoul kills Erik, or if he listens to Christine's reason. Enjoy!!!

Strangled noises came from Erik's throat, and Christine hurried to Raoul's side, grabbing onto his hands and yanking desperately, trying to free Erik from the noose, and saying, "Raoul, STOP! Let him go!"

"He will never leave us alone, why can't you see that?" Raoul sang angrily, tightening the noose.

Christine, unable to force Raoul to release his grip, knelt down in front of Erik, who was turning purple and grabbed onto the noose, trying to loosen it somehow, singing back desperately, "If you kill him, you are not better than he was, down in his lair. He has changed, and so have you. You have switched places, and I'll say the same thing to you as I did to him,"

Raoul locked his eyes on Christine's, and she sang slowly, "Raoul, you deceived me,"

Slowly, Raoul let the noose go, and Christine yanked it off Erik's head as he opened his mouth and took in a deep, vital breath of air. Gasping and choking, Erik fell forward onto his hands, struggling to get his breath back. "Will you be okay?" Christine sang to him softly, her hands clutching his arm.

Instead of replying, he carefully rose, refusing to lean on Christine for support as he stood up to his full height. Erik faced Raoul, who had a look on his face like he was sorry, but also ready for battle, ready to fight to the death.

"I wasn't lying, when I said I would leave," Erik said quietly, and when Raoul's eyes widened in shock, he turned to Christine and took the hands clutching his arm with his own, and gently kissed them before letting go.

"Goodbye, Erik," She sang in response, and stepped back, knowing the action would please Raoul.

"I wish a happy life, for you both," Erik said, looking straight at Raoul. He grabbed his cape, and was preparing to leave when Christine, who had been staring daggers at Raoul, jerked her head towards Erik.

Raoul held his hand out to Erik, saying, "I am sorry, for my overreaction. It wasn't warranted, I see that now."

"We can both be sorry. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you in the past. I've learned better since then."

A truce of silent understanding passed between the two men, and with a whish of his cape, Erik was gone. Christine deliberately turned her back on Raoul, who followed her and took a hold of her arm, turning her back to face him. She yanked her arm out of his grasp and kept walking away.

"Christine, I overreacted, please try to forgive me," Raoul pleaded tenderly, stepping towards her.

She glared at him, and then stepped out of the room, hoping no one saw the tears glittering in her eyes. At that moment, when Raoul had that crazy look in his eyes, she knew, truly knew, that the positions had been switched. Literally. Christine was now certain she loved Erik, but that she would never see him again.

"Well, at least I have one night," She whispered, and fought to keep her composure. Christine knew Meg and her mother were going to America with Erik, and she planned on adding a note for Erik with every letter she sent to Meg.

And even Raoul couldn't stop her.

It had been quite a few years since Erik and Christine had danced together, 15 years to be exact. Raoul and Christine had three children now, a 12 year old boy named Alexander, a 9 year old girl named Rebecca, and a 6 year old boy named Marcus. They were a happy family, but that all changed when Raoul got a call from someone he said was from America.

"George? Long time no see, old friend…who? I thought that priest was…he didn't?! Oh dear Lord," Raoul lowered his voice, and said, "Where? New York? I'll take care of it…personally this time." He straightened up and said, "Vacation? Sounds great, I'll clear it with my family…all right, bye." Raoul hung up, and said,

"How would you all like to go on vacation to New York?"

"In America?" Becca questioned, and Raoul ruffled her hair, saying,

"Yes!"

"Let's go!" The three children cried out, and Raoul chuckled as he went to the phone to book the flight. Christine pondered the meaning of his strange phone call, and believed that she would ask him on the flight to New York. Knowing Raoul, that would probably be within the next few days.

And she was right. The de Chagny family left France three days after that strange phone call, and while the children played card games, Christine sat across from Raoul and said, "What on earth was up with that phone call you took a few days ago?"

"Which one?" Raoul said innocently, and Christine narrowed her eyes.

"You know which one."

"Oh that, it was nothing." He brushed it off, but Christine was persistent.

"Nothing? What priest? What didn't he do? Who were you talking about? And what are you taking care of personally?"

Raoul's eyes hardened, and he grabbed her arm, saying, "You want to open this can of worms? You won't like what comes out." He let go and sat back.

"I don't care. Tell me." Christine demanded, and Raoul growled,

"It's about you having an affair, right before our marriage."

Shock crossed Christine's face. How had he known? "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you were pregnant, immediately after our honeymoon. We were so excited, but then you caught the scarlet fever on the 7th month. You were in the hospital for a few months before you gave birth, to a devil-child." Raoul spat.

"You lie," Christine breathed, not remembering a single bit of that whole story.

"I wonder why," Raoul mocked, and then said stiffly, "You had the damn fever, Christine, that whole time was wiped from your memory,"

Christine blinked, and said slowly, "If I gave birth, where is my baby?"

"What could I do? The thing had green eyes, Christine! It was obviously that, that man's child, and I wasn't about to raise it."

"So what did you do with my baby?" Christine demanded, her voice growing more and more angry.

"I tossed it to a priest, gave him a thousand bucks to toss it in the river or something. Apparently he had a conscious and kept it alive." Raoul said acidly, and Christine stood up, as the plane had already landed. She slapped him across the face and he caught her arm, bending it and breathing, "And now, I'm going to take care of that little problem. Then we can live our lives out together in harmony,"

"Let go of me, Raoul," Christine whimpered, feeling the bone bend, ready to snap. He released her, and then strode from the plane. "I have to save my baby," Christine whispered, quickly getting her wits together and shepherding the children outside to a car, which took them to Madame Giry's house.

End of another chapter! I hope you liked this one, and will Christine save her baby before Raoul 'takes care of that little problem'? Or will she need help…from possibly the baby's father? Thanks so much for reading, and adios for now!